McKenzie: The ‘Larger Story’ Behind the Signal Chat Controversy Is That the U.S. Has Finally Begun to Strike the Houthis Hard

GARRETT The bigger issue ░░░░░░░░ is a new tempo ░░░░░░░░ increased tempo of military ░░░░░░░░ some of them day ░░░░░░░░ day in day in ░░░░░░░░ in out against the ░░░░░░░░ in Yemen Evaluate that ░░░░░░░░ its importance in understanding ░░░░░░░░ broader context of this ░░░░░░░░ MCKENZIE Sure Major And ░░░░░░░░ of all it s ░░░░░░░░ to be with you ░░░░░░░░ today I think the ░░░░░░░░ story here is actually ░░░░░░░░ we have finally begun ░░░░░░░░ strike the Houthis hard ░░░░░░░░ s an old Neil ░░░░░░░░ song and I will ░░░░░░░░ a line from it ░░░░░░░░ have been done long ░░░░░░░░ Well now we re ░░░░░░░░ to do it and ░░░░░░░░ re beginning to strike ░░░░░░░░ at a pace a ░░░░░░░░ and a tempo that ░░░░░░░░ eluded the last information ░░░░░░░░ last administration And I ░░░░░░░░ argue that we re ░░░░░░░░ it because for the ░░░░░░░░ time we have the ░░░░░░░░ will to employ appropriate ░░░░░░░░ capability against the Houthis ░░░░░░░░ we want one of ░░░░░░░░ things from the Houthis ░░░░░░░░ want them either to ░░░░░░░░ deterred from attacking ships ░░░░░░░░ pass through the Bab ░░░░░░░░ Mandeb really means the ░░░░░░░░ Canal That s one ░░░░░░░░ The other condition would ░░░░░░░░ if they won t ░░░░░░░░ they won t stop ░░░░░░░░ want to remove their ░░░░░░░░ to do it The ░░░░░░░░ task would be harder ░░░░░░░░ is within our capability ░░░░░░░░ will not be a ░░░░░░░░ action It won t ░░░░░░░░ what would call a ░░░░░░░░ period of darkness These ░░░░░░░░ will have to continue ░░░░░░░░ may grow in scope ░░░░░░░░ scale They re certainly ░░░░░░░░ endless in time And ░░░░░░░░ need we need to ░░░░░░░░ need to fix the ░░░░░░░░ and move on to ░░░░░░░░ things I think the ░░░░░░░░ that we have a ░░░░░░░░ aircraft carrier that s ░░░░░░░░ to CENTCOM is certainly ░░░░░░░░ sign that this administration ░░░░░░░░ very serious about this ░░░░░░░░ The fact we re ░░░░░░░░ B 2s into the ░░░░░░░░ similarly signals that But ░░░░░░░░ believe again for the ░░░░░░░░ time we re coupling ░░░░░░░░ political will to act ░░░░░░░░ with military capability So ░░░░░░░░ s a unique it ░░░░░░░░ a unique moment in ░░░░░░░░ theater and I m ░░░░░░░░ to see that this ░░░░░░░░ is grasping that opportunity ░░░░░░░░ Frank the terminology you ░░░░░░░░ used deter and degrade ░░░░░░░░ that be done from ░░░░░░░░ distance meaning aerial and ░░░░░░░░ shipborne armaments MCKENZIE So ░░░░░░░░ think we can do ░░░░░░░░ very good job of ░░░░░░░░ I wouldn t take ░░░░░░░░ off the table Again ░░░░░░░░ you take things off ░░░░░░░░ table it tends to ░░░░░░░░ aid and comfort to ░░░░░░░░ enemy We ve done ░░░░░░░░ much of that I ░░░░░░░░ we should leave everything ░░░░░░░░ the table And I ░░░░░░░░ also leave on the ░░░░░░░░ actions against against Tehran ░░░░░░░░ All paths in this ░░░░░░░░ lead back to Tehran ░░░░░░░░ we need to know ░░░░░░░░ understand that They re ░░░░░░░░ principal supplier for the ░░░░░░░░ And right now Iran ░░░░░░░░ finding it convenient to ░░░░░░░░ and to claim that ░░░░░░░░ relationship But in fact ░░░░░░░░ Houthis exist because of ░░░░░░░░ support and now to ░░░░░░░░ lesser degree because of ░░░░░░░░ support And we need ░░░░░░░░ recognize that and we ░░░░░░░░ t give Iran a ░░░░░░░░ ride on this And ░░░░░░░░ think we have the ░░░░░░░░ actually right now in ░░░░░░░░ s weakened state to ░░░░░░░░ them very strongly And ░░░░░░░░ will just say one ░░░░░░░░ thing as I close ░░░░░░░░ on this Major The ░░░░░░░░ Trump Administration did three ░░░░░░░░ that put them in ░░░░░░░░ unique place right now ░░░░░░░░ the region Number one ░░░░░░░░ administration struck and killed ░░░░░░░░ Soleimani That s forgotten ░░░░░░░░ the United States That ░░░░░░░░ not forgotten in Iran ░░░░░░░░ displayed American will at ░░░░░░░░ level that has generally ░░░░░░░░ absent in the region ░░░░░░░░ thing is the signing ░░░░░░░░ the Abraham Accords which ░░░░░░░░ Israel the opportunity to ░░░░░░░░ the region diplomatically economically ░░░░░░░░ to a degree culturally ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ rough road but I ░░░░░░░░ that s only going ░░░░░░░░ expand And last the ░░░░░░░░ of Israel from the ░░░░░░░░ Command into the Central ░░░░░░░░ has actually enabled the ░░░░░░░░ successful defense of Israel ░░░░░░░░ we ve seen over ░░░░░░░░ last few weeks and ░░░░░░░░ and is a huge ░░░░░░░░ forward All of these ░░░░░░░░ together give this administration ░░░░░░░░ unique opportunity right now ░░░░░░░░ in the months ahead ░░░░░░░░ shape events in the ░░░░░░░░