HERE ON OUT.
STUART: GOT IT.
BLAKE BURMAN AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
THANK YOU.
JOINING US, WALID PHARES, FOX
NEWS NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST.
LET'S GET RIGHT INTO THIS.
COULD WE BE LOOKING AT A TIT FOR
TAT ESCALATION, THE IRANIANS
RETALIATE FOR THE DEATH OF
SULEIMANI, WE RETALIATE FOR
THEIR RETALIATION AND ON IT
GOES?
COULD WE BE IN THAT SITUATION?
>> WE COULD BE VERY WELL.
ACTUALLY, IT IS REALLY THE
IRANIAN REGIME THAT PUT ALL OF
US IN THIS SITUATION.
WE KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION WAS
NOT REALLY THINKING OF A
FULL-FLEDGED WAR WITH IRAN OR
CONFRONTATION OF THAT REGIME IN
IRAQ OR ELSEWHERE, AT LEAST NOT
IN AN ELECTORAL YEAR, BUT THE
ACTIVITIES OF MR. SULEIMANI AND
HIS MIMILITIA, HE WAS MEETING WT
HIS MIMILITIA, HE WAS MEETING WH
THE HEADS OF MILITIAS FROM
LEBANON, FROM IRAQ, FROM IRAN.
THAT IS EVIDENCE THEY WERE
WORKING ON REGIONAL ACTIVITY
AGAINST OUR FORCES ON THE GROUND
IN IRAQ AND BY THE WAY, THEIR
CONCERN WAS THOSE DEMONSTRATIONS
BECAUSE THOSE DEMONSTRATIONS
WERE CREATING A REVOLUTION
AGAINST THEM.
AS THE PRESIDENT SAID IN HIS
TWEET.
SO IN ORDER TO SHIFT AWAY THE
FOCUS FROM THE DEMONSTRATIONS TO
A LIMITED CONFRONTATION AND WAR
WITH THE U.S., THEY TRIED TO DO
SO, THEY PLANNED FOR SO, BUT WE
INTERCEPTED THEM AND THAT IS WHY
THE IRANIAN REGIME NOW WILL HAVE
TO RECALCULATE.
YOU ASKED ME ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN
DO.
MANY THINGS, FROM DIRECT ACTION,
FROM GOING AGAINST OUR ALLIES,
FROM WAITING.
THEY ARE REALLY SHOCKED NOW AND
AT THIS POINT IN TIME NOW, THEY
WILL BE RE-EVALUATING THEIR
STRATEGY.
STUART: IN YOUR EVALUATION, ARE
WE ON THE BRINK OF A NEW
REGIONAL WAR?
>> WE ARE ON THE BRINK, THEY ARE
ON THE BRINK.
THEY WILL HAVE TO DECIDE, NOT
US, WE ARE ACTUALLY INCREASING
OUR PRESENCE IN THE REGION AND
BY THE WAY, THEY DON'T HAVE
ENOUGH ASSETS IN IRAQ TO PULL A
REGIONAL WAR ON US.
THEY WOULD NEED MONTHS AND
MONTHS OF PREPARATION AND GUESS
WHAT, UNLIKE IN THE '80s OR THE
'90s, WE KNOW WHEN THEY PREPARE
AND THAT WAS EVIDENT YESTERDAY
AS TO WHAT HAPPENED, SO THE
DECISION IS GOING TO BE VERY
TOUGH ON THEM TO DECIDE SHOULD
THEY INVEST EVERYTHING IN AN
ACTION WHICH THEY WOULD LOSE, OR
WAIT FOR BETTER TIMES.
STUART: I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO
POINT OUT, I THINK WE'VE GOT THE
VIDEO HERE OF IRAQIS RUNNING
THROUGH THE STREETS CELEBRATING
THE DEATH OF SULEIMANI, WHICH
IMPLIES THAT HIS DEATH WAS
POPULAR IN SOME QUARTERS.
LAST WORD TO YOU?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THE SULEIMANI GROUP HAS KILLED
MORE THAN 600 YOUNG IRAQIS.
GUESS WHAT, YOUNG SHIITE IRAQIS.
OBVIOUSLY MOST OF IRAQ NOW IS IN
