Lt. Gen. Harrigian: It Should Be Crystal Clear in Every American’s Mind that We Will Protect Our Force

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Our next ░░░░░░░░ is the commander of ░░░░░░░░ air war against the ░░░░░░░░ state lieutenant Jeffrey cobra ░░░░░░░░ has directed some of ░░░░░░░░ biggest events in the ░░░░░░░░ including the nine month ░░░░░░░░ for the city of ░░░░░░░░ This photo from mosul ░░░░░░░░ Much of that city ░░░░░░░░ devastated from the fighting ░░░░░░░░ general is an air ░░░░░░░░ fighter pilot with more ░░░░░░░░ 30 years experience He ░░░░░░░░ over Iraq and Syria ░░░░░░░░ this shot from June ░░░░░░░░ he refueled during a ░░░░░░░░ The general is also ░░░░░░░░ purple heart recipient n1996 ░░░░░░░░ was stationed in Saudi ░░░░░░░░ when he was injured ░░░░░░░░ the bombing of the ░░░░░░░░ towers 19 airmen died ░░░░░░░░ that attack some 300 ░░░░░░░░ hurt Lt General Jeffrey ░░░░░░░░ harigian central command Han ░░░░░░░░ to have you It ░░░░░░░░ great to be here ░░░░░░░░ anything change in regards ░░░░░░░░ the Russians Step one ░░░░░░░░ manage the deacon flicks ░░░░░░░░ back to the fight ░░░░░░░░ ISIS We ll continue ░░░░░░░░ work with and in ░░░░░░░░ with the team to ░░░░░░░░ sure we have deacon ░░░░░░░░ to get of one ░░░░░░░░ the sigs fight We ░░░░░░░░ get the team in ░░░░░░░░ to ensure there s ░░░░░░░░ a strategic miscommunication that ░░░░░░░░ occur Shepard The Russians ░░░░░░░░ firing on others our ░░░░░░░░ op forces nearby It ░░░░░░░░ too close And we ░░░░░░░░ basically don t do ░░░░░░░░ and they said we ░░░░░░░░ fire on you Does ░░░░░░░░ change anything on the ░░░░░░░░ Well I think the ░░░░░░░░ part to remember here ░░░░░░░░ we will protect our ░░░░░░░░ It should be crystal ░░░░░░░░ in every American s ░░░░░░░░ that we re fog ░░░░░░░░ protect our force We ░░░░░░░░ through this I think ░░░░░░░░ productive conversation that needs ░░░░░░░░ occur is getting back ░░░░░░░░ fighting ISIS de conflicting ░░░░░░░░ forces ensuring the mechanism ░░░░░░░░ do that what is ░░░░░░░░ is a continued coverings ░░░░░░░░ the Russians to make ░░░░░░░░ happen Shepard We had ░░░░░░░░ meeting that happens at ░░░░░░░░ all the rest a ░░░░░░░░ you would have attended ░░░░░░░░ you not been here ░░░░░░░░ had a representative there ░░░░░░░░ that representative gave me ░░░░░░░░ feedback on how that ░░░░░░░░ out And there s ░░░░░░░░ to be done I ░░░░░░░░ we can t know ░░░░░░░░ I don t want ░░░░░░░░ know details I would ░░░░░░░░ to know if you ░░░░░░░░ tell us are things ░░░░░░░░ better There was progress ░░░░░░░░ It will be piecemeal ░░░░░░░░ it will take time ░░░░░░░░ key is as we ░░░░░░░░ forward we work through ░░░░░░░░ con flicks that allows ░░░░░░░░ to continue our fight ░░░░░░░░ the end of the ░░░░░░░░ we want to encircle ░░░░░░░░ annihilate ISIS particularly in ░░░░░░░░ middle euphrates River Valley ░░░░░░░░ that what the Russians ░░░░░░░░ Are we able to ░░░░░░░░ We re not able ░░░░░░░░ communicate team to team ░░░░░░░░ and Americans That s ░░░░░░░░ they have communicated to ░░░░░░░░ Put at the end ░░░░░░░░ the day as you ░░░░░░░░ actions speech louder than ░░░░░░░░ We have to work ░░░░░░░░ way through that from ░░░░░░░░ perspective make sure that ░░░░░░░░ airmen our teammates on ░░░░░░░░ ground our soldiers and ░░░░░░░░ partners are in a ░░░░░░░░ to continue that fight ░░░░░░░░ ISIS Shepard Our understanding ░░░░░░░░ things is that we ░░░░░░░░ bombing more targets in ░░░░░░░░ ISIS related than in ░░░░░░░░ past Is that because ░░░░░░░░ are more targets or ░░░░░░░░ it something else Well ░░░░░░░░ think it s combination ░░░░░░░░ what we ve been ░░░░░░░░ to do to develop ░░░░░░░░ Over time as we ░░░░░░░░ spent time using our ░░░░░░░░ surveillance and recon says ░░░░░░░░ we have a better ░░░░░░░░ of the environment The ░░░░░░░░ big piece is the ░░░░░░░░ democratic forces are on ░░░░░░░░ move In ra a ░░░░░░░░ great success along with ░░░░░░░░ middle euphrates River Valley ░░░░░░░░ drives activity Shepard Syrian ░░░░░░░░ forces That s the ░░░░░░░░ we fight with against ░░░░░░░░ government Yes sir That ░░░░░░░░ it Shepard Are they ░░░░░░░░ better at what they ░░░░░░░░ and are they can ░░░░░░░░ stand up Would I ░░░░░░░░ you their asymmetric advantage ░░░░░░░░ air power We provide ░░░░░░░░ capability to remain on ░░░░░░░░ offensive And put themselves ░░░░░░░░ a position to succeed ░░░░░░░░ s what you see ░░░░░░░░ Shepard The critics said ░░░░░░░░ that our air force ░░░░░░░░ working for Iran in ░░░░░░░░ matter I would deny ░░░░░░░░ Shepard I wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ anything else But we ░░░░░░░░ see where they re ░░░░░░░░ from I understand that ░░░░░░░░ I think importantly we ░░░░░░░░ supporting the SBS in ░░░░░░░░ operation the Syrian democratic ░░░░░░░░ to deliberate these cities ░░░░░░░░ Syria They have proven ░░░░░░░░ at doing that and ░░░░░░░░ re supporting them every ░░░░░░░░ and continue to do ░░░░░░░░ Shepard When you take ░░░░░░░░ ISIS what happens then ░░░░░░░░ we have to do ░░░░░░░░ facilitate the ability for ░░░░░░░░ political process to take ░░░░░░░░ so that governance can ░░░░░░░░ across the country and ░░░░░░░░ the people to get ░░░░░░░░ to work The kids ░░░░░░░░ get back to school ░░░░░░░░ That sounds great From ░░░░░░░░ we see it looks ░░░░░░░░ Syria is pretty well ░░░░░░░░ That will be a ░░░░░░░░ lift But the Syrian ░░░░░░░░ forces combined with our ░░░░░░░░ targeting have done as ░░░░░░░░ as they can do ░░░░░░░░ ensure that infrastructure remains ░░░░░░░░ Go ahead Shepard I ░░░░░░░░ t mean to interrupt ░░░░░░░░ was going to ask ░░░░░░░░ about Iraq It appears ░░░░░░░░ there s very good ░░░░░░░░ there In fact from ░░░░░░░░ lot of reading over ░░░░░░░░ last 24 hours it ░░░░░░░░ like they re collapsing ░░░░░░░░ quickly than had been ░░░░░░░░ I completely agree with ░░░░░░░░ The word I m ░░░░░░░░ is momentum They have ░░░░░░░░ It s because the ░░░░░░░░ skrt forces prove themselves ░░░░░░░░ be very confident in ░░░░░░░░ they re doing The ░░░░░░░░ forces They lempled the ░░░░░░░░ that we bring to ░░░░░░░░ them What you see ░░░░░░░░ a growing nationalism inside ░░░░░░░░ Iraq They own this ░░░░░░░░ other piece that I ░░░░░░░░ throw out is what ░░░░░░░░ ve seen on the ░░░░░░░░ is they ve been ░░░░░░░░ they ve been heroic ░░░░░░░░ the fight and the ░░░░░░░░ appreciate what they ve ░░░░░░░░ to liberate them Shepard ░░░░░░░░ haven t heard that ░░░░░░░░ the other times that ░░░░░░░░ have engaged ourselves with ░░░░░░░░ of your ilk have ░░░░░░░░ other things The point ░░░░░░░░ as you ve watched ░░░░░░░░ mature over time the ░░░░░░░░ have been up front ░░░░░░░░ are in an advise ░░░░░░░░ assist operation That s ░░░░░░░░ we support them When ░░░░░░░░ combine the operations with ░░░░░░░░ asymmetric forces of their ░░░░░░░░ they are succeeding and ░░░░░░░░ in forces that maintain ░░░░░░░░ stability to allow governance ░░░░░░░░ occur.