Frank McKenzie: The Iranians, Hezbollah and the Russians, Are All on Their Back Heels Now as a Result of What Happened in Syria

RUSH TRANSCRIPT RADDATZ Our ░░░░░░░░ to James Longman Former ░░░░░░░░ commander retired general Frank ░░░░░░░░ joins me now and ░░░░░░░░ Mckenzie this must have ░░░░░░░░ extraordinary for you to ░░░░░░░░ the speed of this ░░░░░░░░ McKENZIE Over the last ░░░░░░░░ hours it has been ░░░░░░░░ remarkable chain of events ░░░░░░░░ know bad news for ░░░░░░░░ lot of people less ░░░░░░░░ who the good news ░░░░░░░░ going to be for ░░░░░░░░ RADDATZ I want to ░░░░░░░░ it country by country ░░░░░░░░ a moment but let ░░░░░░░░ talk first about those ░░░░░░░░ S Troops 900 U ░░░░░░░░ Troops in Syria What ░░░░░░░░ to them What do ░░░░░░░░ think they should do ░░░░░░░░ this point McKENZIE Well ░░░░░░░░ it s important to ░░░░░░░░ why those troops are ░░░░░░░░ Our troops east of ░░░░░░░░ ewe frats river are ░░░░░░░░ to keep a lid ░░░░░░░░ ISIS and prevent violent ░░░░░░░░ organizations from gathering strength ░░░░░░░░ being able to attack ░░░░░░░░ homeland of the United ░░░░░░░░ ISIS aspires to attack ░░░░░░░░ As we know ISIS ░░░░░░░░ a successful attack against ░░░░░░░░ just a few months ░░░░░░░░ That s why those ░░░░░░░░ are there so any ░░░░░░░░ to bring them out ░░░░░░░░ need to weigh that ░░░░░░░░ forward and I m ░░░░░░░░ the new administration will ░░░░░░░░ a hard look on ░░░░░░░░ when they come into ░░░░░░░░ RADDATZ But what has ░░░░░░░░ the chaos that s ░░░░░░░░ right The change that ░░░░░░░░ happening What does that ░░░░░░░░ for those U S ░░░░░░░░ who are there Is ░░░░░░░░ more danger McKENZIE We ░░░░░░░░ be able to defend ░░░░░░░░ I think actually there ░░░░░░░░ probably less danger right ░░░░░░░░ than there was before ░░░░░░░░ what you see are ░░░░░░░░ Iranians Lebanese Hezbollah and ░░░░░░░░ fact the Russians are ░░░░░░░░ on their back heels ░░░░░░░░ as a result of ░░░░░░░░ has just happened in ░░░░░░░░ One of the best ░░░░░░░░ best trained and most ░░░░░░░░ forces in all of ░░░░░░░░ today is actually our ░░░░░░░░ partners They ll be ░░░░░░░░ to defend themselves I ░░░░░░░░ confident of that Martha ░░░░░░░░ You brought up Russia ░░░░░░░░ Hezbollah What does it ░░░░░░░░ for all of those ░░░░░░░░ and the region McKENZIE ░░░░░░░░ all placed they all ░░░░░░░░ a bet on bashar ░░░░░░░░ and that has turned ░░░░░░░░ for them Russia s ░░░░░░░░ is maintaining its air ░░░░░░░░ and naval base in ░░░░░░░░ eastern shores of the ░░░░░░░░ They re going to ░░░░░░░░ very hard to keep ░░░░░░░░ base with whatever entity ░░░░░░░░ into power in the ░░░░░░░░ of bashar Assad s ░░░░░░░░ The Iranians need Syria ░░░░░░░░ a land bridge so ░░░░░░░░ they can move equipment ░░░░░░░░ Lebanon in order to ░░░░░░░░ Israel So that s ░░░░░░░░ to be they re ░░░░░░░░ to be very concerned ░░░░░░░░ that and of course ░░░░░░░░ Hezbollah has also propped ░░░░░░░░ the Syrian regime for ░░░░░░░░ years For all three ░░░░░░░░ these entities this is ░░░░░░░░ news because now they ░░░░░░░░ a partner not necessarily ░░░░░░░░ good and capable partner ░░░░░░░░ a partner and he ░░░░░░░░ gone He s left ░░░░░░░░ stage so they re ░░░░░░░░ to have to negotiate ░░░░░░░░ who comes in So ░░░░░░░░ s bad news for ░░░░░░░░ It s less obvious ░░░░░░░░ who it s good ░░░░░░░░ for I m not ░░░░░░░░ it s ultimately going ░░░░░░░░ be good news for ░░░░░░░░ people of Syria You ░░░░░░░░ we could have an ░░░░░░░░ state arise there which ░░░░░░░░ have profound negative implications ░░░░░░░░ the region That is ░░░░░░░░ There are other possibilities ░░░░░░░░ well and I think ░░░░░░░░ the next 48 72 ░░░░░░░░ hours this will begin ░░░░░░░░ become clearer to us ░░░░░░░░ And you talk about ░░░░░░░░ Islamic state The Islamic ░░░░░░░░ leading this rebel offensive ░░░░░░░░ considered a terror group ░░░░░░░░ had ties to Al ░░░░░░░░ Who are they I ░░░░░░░░ they say they re ░░░░░░░░ to be different now ░░░░░░░░ do you expect McKENZIE ░░░░░░░░ we have a 10 ░░░░░░░░ bounty on the head ░░░░░░░░ that group So he ░░░░░░░░ he has a significant ░░░░░░░░ record Certainly he could ░░░░░░░░ new ideas coming in ░░░░░░░░ s been my experience ░░░░░░░░ that typically they don ░░░░░░░░ I think what you ░░░░░░░░ going to see is ░░░░░░░░ period of infighting you ░░░░░░░░ they ll hold the ░░░░░░░░ They ll try to ░░░░░░░░ themselves They ll try ░░░░░░░░ seek recognition Russia will ░░░░░░░░ to work their way ░░░░░░░░ into their good graces ░░░░░░░░ will do the same ░░░░░░░░ think Israel will be ░░░░░░░░ about the possibility of ░░░░░░░░ across Galan It s ░░░░░░░░ understanding that the Israelis ░░░░░░░░ probably move forces into ░░░░░░░░ buffer area in Syria ░░░░░░░░ protect themselves It s ░░░░░░░░ significant moment in Syrian ░░░░░░░░ I wish I could ░░░░░░░░ more hopeful that it ░░░░░░░░ mean good news for ░░░░░░░░ Syrian people I think ░░░░░░░░ s very unclear right ░░░░░░░░ Martha RADDATZ And President ░░░░░░░░ Trump has weighed in ░░░░░░░░ his social media platform ░░░░░░░░ Syria is a mess ░░░░░░░░ is not our friend ░░░░░░░░ the United States should ░░░░░░░░ nothing do with it ░░░░░░░░ is not our fight ░░░░░░░░ it play out Do ░░░░░░░░ get involved So what ░░░░░░░░ you think will happen ░░░░░░░░ President Trump takes office ░░░░░░░░ I think President Trump ░░░░░░░░ look at the look ░░░░░░░░ the merits of the ░░░░░░░░ Our interest in Syria ░░░░░░░░ probably preventing violent extremist ░░░░░░░░ from being able to ░░░░░░░░ and execute attacks against ░░░░░░░░ homeland and the homeland ░░░░░░░░ our friends and partners ░░░░░░░░ I agree with him ░░░░░░░░ s a mess They ░░░░░░░░ no friend of hours ░░░░░░░░ have never been a ░░░░░░░░ of ours but we ░░░░░░░░ interests and those interests ░░░░░░░░ preventing attacks on the ░░░░░░░░ S Homeland from ungoverned ░░░░░░░░ If Syria could very ░░░░░░░░ become an ungoverned space ░░░░░░░░ we ll have to ░░░░░░░░ that and look at ░░░░░░░░ as he comes into ░░░░░░░░