THE MILITARY MIGHT TAKE 
POTENTIALLY INCREASING 
READINESS OR PROTECTIONS FOR 
FORCES IN OTHER AREAS THAT THEY 
THINK MIGHT BE HIT NEXT. 
>> AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE 
LIKELY ACTIONS THE U.S. COULD 
TAKE TO RETALIATE FOR ATTACKS 
LIKE THESE? 
>> THERE'S A WHOLE RANGE OF 
THINGS. 
ANYTHING FROM A -- COVERT MEANS 
LIKE CYBERATTACK TO A MISSILE 
STRIKE WITHIN IRAN. 
WHICH WOULD BE ANOTHER BIG 
ESCALATION. 
IN THIS WHOLE SITUATION. 
SO IT'S UP TO TRUMP. 
>> WHAT IS, WHAT TRADITIONALLY 
WOULD BE THE U.S. RESPONSE TO 
AN ESCALATION LIKE THIS BECAUSE 
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT'S A 
BIG ESCALATION OR A SMALL 
ESCALATION IT IS UNDOUBTEDLY AN 
ESCALATION. 
>> LOOKING AT COMMANDER-IN-
CHIEF RIGHT NOW, LOOKS LIKE HIS 
DECISION-MAKING IS PRETTY HIGH-
RISK SO I WOULD SAY THERE'S A 
HIGH PROBABILITY BUT THEN AGAIN 
WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT 
THAT THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T 
NECESSARILY WANT TO GO INTO 
ANOTHER WAR. 
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE IN 
PURSUIT OF ANOTHER ONE? 
WE HAVE TO END THESE ENDLESS 
WARS BUT AGAIN THIS IS A VERY 
HIGH RISK COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 
>> HE HAS BEEN SAYING THAT BUT 
THAT'S BEEN BEHIND WITHDRAWING 
THE TROOPS FROM SYRIA FOR 
INSTANCE, BUT THEN THIS STRIKE 
ON SOLEIMANI SEEMS TO SUGGEST 
THE REVERSE. 
BECAUSE YOU WOULD NOT MAKE A 
STRIKE ON IRAN'S TOP GENERAL 
WITHOUT IMAGINING THERE WOULD 
BE SOME SORT OF RETALIATION. 
>> YEAH. 
AND YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE INTO 
ACCOUNT IN TERMS OF DEITY GET 
KIND OF LACK OF TERM OF USING 
LUCKY OR DIDN'T NECESSARILY 
EXPECT TO ACTUALLY HIT GENERAL 
SOLEIMANI SO THAT'S ALSO THE 
BIG ARGUMENT THERE TOO BECAUSE 
DOING THAT YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S 
GOING TO ESCALATE INTO 
SOMETHING BIGGER. 
SO WE WILL SEE. 
>> ALL RIGHT. 
I WANT TO BRING IN BEHNAM BEN 
TALEBLU, A SENIOR FELLOW AT THE 
FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF 
DEMOCRACY'S. 
WHAT HAS BEEN HIS 
ADMINISTRATIONS POSTURE TOWARD 
IRAN IN THE PAST, AND HOW HAVE 
WE SEEN THAT SHIFTING OR 
EVOLVING? 
>> GREAT TO BE WITH YOU. 
THE POSTURE OF PROXIES IN THE 
PAST DO YOU MEAN? 
>> YEAH. 
HOW U.S. STRATEGY TOWARDS IRAN, 
HOW HAS THAT BEEN CHANGING 
RECENTLY? 
>> U.S. STRATEGY AS OF LATE 
DECEMBER HAS EVOLVED WITH IRAN 
BECAUSE WHEN IRAN AFTER SIX 
MONTHS OF ESCALATION FROM MAY 
UNTIL DECEMBER HAS 
INCREMENTALLY RATCHETED UP THE 
PRESSURE AGAINST AMERICA 
LOOKING TO GET AMERICA TO 
SUSPEND IF NOT ON UP AND 
ENTIRELY SANCTIONS AGAINST 
IRAN, THOSE SANCTIONS WERE 
RESTORED WHEN DONALD TRUMP LEFT 
THE NUCLEAR DEAL, PENALTIES, 
FINANCIAL SANCTIONS AND WHATNOT 
THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY WAIVED 
RETURNED. 
AND WERE ISSUED AGAIN. 
AND THOSE SANCTIONS WERE 
EFFECTIVE IN RECORD TIME AND 
IRAN HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR A WAY 
TO BREAK OUT OF THE BOX. 
HENCE THE KIDNAPPING OF THE 
TANKER AND THE MINING OF 
PERSIAN GULF AND THE STRAIT OF 
HORMUZ, THE DOWNING OF THE 
DRONE AND ESCALATION BUILDS AND 
BUILDS AND BUILDS SO MUCH SO 
THEY KILLED AN AMERICAN, THE 
FIRST AMERICAN THAT DIED IS 
PART OF THIS MAX PRESSURE 
CAMPAIGN. 
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SEEMS 
TO HAVE A VERY HIGH THRESHOLD 
FOR THE USE OF FORCE BUT 
FINALLY BLOOD WAS SPILLED, THE 
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RESPONDED 
AND METAL BEGOT METAL AND THE 
U.S. RESPONDED AGAINST AND IRAN 
BACKED SHIITE MILITIA FOR THE 
FIRST TIME SIMULTANEOUSLY ON 
THE IRAQI AND SYRIAN SIDE, THAT 
GOT THE RESPONSE FROM 
SUPPORTERS INSIDE BAGHDAD WHO 
STORMED THE OUTER WALLS OF THE 
IRANIAN, U.S. EMBASSY IN 
BAGHDAD, THEN OF COURSE THE 
MINISTRATION DOESN'T HAVE THE 
INTELLIGENCE ABOUT THIS 
IMPENDING ATTACK BY SOLEIMANI 
AND DRONE STRIKE TOOK OUT 
IRAN'S MOST SEASONED MILITARY 
GENERAL IN THE PAST 40 YEARS. 
>> FABULOUS. 
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT, 
FABULOUS JUST A DESCRIPTION AND 
SUMMARY OF YOU KNOW, THE PAST 
FEW SIGNIFICANT MONTHS BETWEEN 
THE U.S. AND IRAN. 
I ALSO WANT TO TALK FOR A 
MOMENT ABOUT THE FACT THAT IRAN 
WAS EXPERIENCING SOME PRETTY 
SEVERE CIVIL UNREST BEFORE THIS 
ATTACK ON SOLEIMANI. 
WHICH I SUPPOSE WAS A DIRECT 
RESULT OF ECONOMY BEING 
SQUEEZED, CORRECT? 
YOU, OBVIOUSLY, KNOW BETTER 
WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROTESTS. 
HAS THIS GIVEN THE COUNTRY SORT 
OF A PASS AS IT WERE TO SORT OF 
REFOCUS ITS CITIZENS ENERGIES? 
>> IT MAY BE BUT AT THE SAME 
TIME, OF COURSE, THEY CAN'T 
CONSTITUTE A WAR IF IT'S 
BANKRUPT AND THE PROTEST WE SAW 
IN MID-NOVEMBER AGAIN, THE 
SPARK WAS QUITE SIMILAR TO THE 
PROTEST WE SAW IN 2017 AND 2018 
WHERE ECONOMIC GRIEVANCE BY THE 
STREET AGAINST THE STATE BUT 
WHAT SUSTAINED THE PROTEST IN 
THE FACE OF PRESSURE WAS 
POLITICAL GRIEVANCES. 
AS LONG AS THERE'S BEEN AN 
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC THERE'S BEEN 
TESTS AGAINST THE STATE, 
AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC 
AND THE MORE RECENT PROTESTS 
WE'VE BEEN SEEING ACTUALLY ARE 
RESPONDING TO MORE LEGAL FORCE 
AGAINST THE STREET AND ALSO 
HAPPENING MUCH QUICKER. 
THERE USED TO BE DECADES 
BETWEEN SIGNIFICANT PROTESTS, 
NOW IT'S A MATTER OF MONTHS SO 
THE IRANIAN PEOPLE FEEL BRAVER, 
GOING TO THE STREETS MORE OFTEN 
BUT THEY ARE BEING MET WITH 
MORE LETHAL FORCE SO THAT IS 
THE PREDICATE TO THIS. 
THE REGIME IS TRYING TO USE THE 
SOLEIMANI DEATH AS A RALLY 
AROUND THE FLAG MOMENT. 
TIME WILL TELL IF IT WORKS BUT 
I DON'T THINK IT WILL WORK. 
IF THIS CRISIS WE ARE SEEING 
NOW WITH MISSILE STRIKES AND 
IRAN'S RESPONSES DOES ESCALATE 
FURTHER, AND THERE IS ANY KIND 
OF STRIKE ON IRANIAN TERRITORY 
THAT COULD BE ONE OF THE 
DECIDING FACTORS TO GET THE 
POPULATION TO RALLY AROUND. 
BUT ANYTHING SHORT OF THAT I 
THINK THEY WILL REMAIN, A 
SIGNIFICANT CLEAVAGE BETWEEN 
THE STATE AND THE SOCIETY WHICH 
IS POSTREVOLUTIONARY. 
>> RIGHT. 
AND I'M CURIOUS WHAT EFFECT, 
WHAT LONG-TERM EFFECT THE DEATH 
OF SOLEIMANI WILL HAVE ON THAT. 
HOW POPULAR WAS SOLEIMANI AMONG 
THE SORT OF YOUNGER IRANIAN 
GENERATION THAT APPEARS TO BE 
CRAVING MORE CIVIL FREEDOMS? 
>> WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME OF 
YOUR GUESTS MAY BE MORE EXPERT 
ON IRANIAN DOMESTIC POLITICS 
THAN ME SO I'M HAPPY TO DEFER 
TO THEM BUT I THINK SOLEIMANI 
WAS MORE POPULAR AMONG SOME 
SEGMENTS THAN OTHERS, AMONG 
MILITARY REGIME, CERTAINLY SEEN 
AS A KEY FIGURE. 
BUT HATED BY OTHER PARTS OF 
IRAN. 
THERE WERE MANY PARTS OF 
IRANIAN SOCIETY THAT DIDN'T 
WANT TO SEE THE RESOURCES GOING 
TO THIS OVERSEAS EMPIRE THAT HE 
WAS BUILDING AND TRYING TO 
BUILD AND IN SYRIA, LEBANON AND 
YEMEN. 
AND SO THERE ARE MANY IN IRAN, 
YOUNGER GENERATION AS YOU POINT 
OUT WHO ARE MUCH MORE PRO-
WESTERN IN THEIR ORIENTATION, 
YOU CAN'T SAY IT PUBLICLY BUT 
WOULD LIKE TO SEE A DIFFERENT 
GOVERNMENT IN POWER THAT WAS 
MORE RESPONSIVE TO THEIR NEEDS. 
MORE RESPECTFUL OF HUMAN RIGHTS 
AND BASIC FREEDOMS. 
>> BEHNAM, TELL US WHO IS THE 
BACKBONE OR WHO MAKES UP THE 
BULK OF THESE PROTESTERS, IN 
IRAN, AND ARE THOSE GROUPS 
LIKELY TO BE DIEHARD SOLEIMANI 
SUPPORTERS OR ARE THEY GROUPS 
FOR WHOM THE DEATH OF SOLEIMANI 
AND THE GRIEF WILL PASS MORE 
QUICKLY? 
>> YOU MEAN WHO WOULD BE A 
NATURAL CONSTITUENCY? 
>> EXACTLY. 
IN TERMS OF THE GROUPS THAT 
WERE PROTESTING AND BEING FIRED 
UPON BY THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT, 
THOSE GROUPS, HOW DID THEY, HOW 
ARE THEY LIKE TO FEEL ABOUT THE 
DEATH OF SOLEIMANI? 
>> THE MORE POPULAR, WELL-KNOWN 
PROTESTS IN MODERN HISTORY, 
1999, THEY WERE ALMOST ENTIRELY 
CENTERED IN THE CAPITAL OF 
TEHRAN LARGELY AMONG THE MIDDLE 
CLASS AS WELL AS THE AFFLUENT 
AND SOME OF A LITTLE BIT MORE A 
LIBERAL DESTINATION WHEN IT DID 
SPREAD ELSEWHERE IN 2009. 
2017, 18, '19, FROM THE 
PERIPHERY YOU CAN CALL THEM 
BLUE-COLLAR PROTESTERS. 
WE LIKE TO SAY THOSE WERE THE 
PEOPLE THE REVOLUTION WAS 
REALLY MADE FOR. 
THEY WERE PART OF THE 
DOWNTRODDEN, THE URBAN AND 
RURAL POOR CLASSES, MORE 
RELIGIOUS CLASSES, AND UNLIKE 
THE MORE LIBERAL MINDED 
IRANIANS IN THE CAPITAL, THESE 
INDIVIDUALS ON THE PERIPHERY 
WERE CHASTISING THE REGIME 
USING HIGHLY NATIONALIST 
LANGUAGE. 
NATIONALIST SLOGANS BASICALLY 
WHAT YOUR GUEST WAS SAYING 
ABOUT SPENDING MONEY ON FOREIGN 
WARS IS CORRECT. 
THEY WOULD MOCK THE REGIME'S 
FOREIGN ADVENTURES, THEY WOULD 
MOCK THE FACT IRAN IS STANDING 
WITH PALESTINIAN TERROR AND 
REDUCTIONIST GROUPS AND THOSE 
CHANTS CONTINUED UP UNTIL 
PRESENT IN 2019 I SHOULD SAY, 
BECAUSE IRAN CONTINUED TO SPEND 
MONEY MORE ON THOSE FOREIGN 
ADVENTURES THAN ON BUILDING THE 
COUNTRY UP AT HOME. 
>> SO THAT DOESN'T BODE WELL 
FOR THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT IF 
YOU HAVE GROUPS AMONG THE MORE 
BLUE-COLLAR AREAS AND ELITISTS 
WHO ARE ALSO -- 
>> WHICH IS WHY THEY RESPONDED 
WITH SUCH LETHAL FORCE AND SO 
QUICKLY AND WHY THEY UNDER THE 
MOST RECENT PROTESTS THAT 
STARTED IN NOVEMBER '15 INTO 
DECEMBER WHY THERE WAS AN 
INTERNET BLACKOUT. 
DEMOCRACY DIES IN THE DARKNESS, 
IS THE TAGLINE OF "THE 
WASHINGTON POST" WHEN YOU 
SIMPLY LOOK AT THE LACK OF 
REPORTING THAT WAS ABLE TO GET 
IN AND OUT OF IRAN BECAUSE OF 
THE MEDIA BLACKOUT, BECAUSE OF 
PULLING THE PLUG OF INTERNET, 
IT'S CLEAR THAT NOW THE IRANIAN 
PEOPLE ARE THE ONES WHO ALSO 
DIE IN THE DARKNESS. 
AND THERE WAS A REUTERS REPORT 
SAID THAT UP TO 1,500 KILLED. 
IN THAT PROTEST MARKING IT THE 
MOST DEADLY PROTEST IN THE 
MODERN HISTORY OF ISLAMIST 
REPUBLIC. 
>> HAS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION 
INADVERTENTLY HANDED THE 
IRANIAN REGIME A SORT OF GIFT 
IN DISGUISE? 
>> I DON'T THINK SO. 
MUCH DEPENDS ON THE U.S. 
RESPONSE TO THIS. 
THE FIRST THING I HAVE TO SAY 
IS I AM SHOCKED BY THE 
BRAZENNESS OF THIS. 
THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC MAY HAVE 
BEEN BETTING THE TRUMP 
ADMINISTRATION WON'T RESPOND, 
THAT'S WHY IRANIANS USUALLY 
PROLIFERATE WEAPONS, THEY DON'T 
TEND TO FIRE THEM BECAUSE THAT 
WOULD BE MORE OF A DEAD 
GIVEAWAY, THIS IS NOT LIKE THE 
CLASSIC MORTAR ATTACKS THAT YOU 
READ ABOUT COUNTLESS TIMES IN 
2018 AND 2019, THIS IS A 
BALLISTIC MISSILE BARRAGE, THIS 
IS A SALVO, THIS IS AN ACT OF 
WARFARE. 
THERE IS A TARGET IN MIND, IT'S 
PART OF IRAN'S AIR FORCE, IT'S 
PART OF THE FORMAL MISSILE 
COMMAND OF THE COUNTRY, THIS 
HAS TWO REALLY GO UP THE CHAIN. 
AND IT'S ALSO HIGHLY SYMBOLIC. 
BUT IT'S NOT JUST SYMBOLIC. 
SO AGAIN SO MUCH DEPENDS ON THE 
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSE 
TO THIS. 
THE RESPONSE IS ON IRANIAN 
TERRITORY ON THE PHYSICAL SOIL, 
I THINK YOU COULD HAVE A SLOW 
RALLY EFFECT. 
IT DEPENDS ON WHAT TARGET THE 
ADMINISTRATION WOULD HAVE. 
IF THE RESPONSE IS AGAINST 
IRANIAN ASSETS OR DURING THE 
IRAQ WAR THE U.S. SUNK TWO-
THIRDS OF THE IRANIAN 
CONVENTIONAL NAVY AS WELL AS 
PART OF THE IRGC NAVY AREA SO 
THAT MAY BE AN OPTION FOR 
SOMETHING OFFSHORE LIKE OIL 
INSTALLATION OR ASSET THAT IS 
NOT ON IRANIAN TERRITORY. 
MUCH DEPENDS ON THE TARGET AND 
THE WAY THE ADMINISTRATION WILL 
CHOOSE TO RESPOND TO. 
>> YOU CONSIDER BOTH OF THESE 
ATTACKS TO BE STRONGER THAN YOU 
WOULD HAVE EXPECTED FROM THE 
IRANIAN REGIME? 
>> QUALITATIVELY STRONGER. 
>> DOES THAT REFLECT AN ELEMENT 
OF DESPERATION? 
>> I THINK THERE'S AN ELEMENT 
OF DESPERATION BUT ALSO PERHAPS 
AN ELEMENT OF MISREADING. 
THEY HAVE MORE DATA ABOUT 
TRUMP'S PASSIVITY ON IRAN WHEN 
IT COMES TO MILITARY FORCE THAN 
THEY DO ABOUT TRUMP'S 
ACTIVENESS ON IRAN MEANING THAT 
THEY SAW THE U.S. ABSORB SIX 
MONTHS OF RETALIATION FROM MAY 
TO DECEMBER. 
THE ONLY TIME THE U.S. USED 
MILITARY FORCE WAS IN DECEMBER 
AGAINST THE CONTRACTOR AND WHEN 
THE U.S. SHIFTED TO A 
PREEMPTIVE STRIKE WITH A DRONE 
AGAINST QASSEM SOLEIMANI. 
THEY MAY HAVE BEEN BETTING 
THAT'S ALL THE U.S. COULD 
MUSTER. 
I THINK IT'S HIGHLY LIKELY THE 
U.S. IS GOING TO RESPOND WITH 
MILITARY FORCE. 
AND THAT TOO IS UNCLEAR IF IT'S 
GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE 
IRANIANS OUT OR FOR THE CYCLE 
OF ESCALATION. 
HOW MUCH OF THIS IS SIGNALING 
VERSUS BASICALLY WAR FIGHTING. 
IT'S GOING TO BE UNFOLDING OVER 
THE NEXT FEW HOURS. 
>> IT IS CLEAR THAT THE IRANIAN 
STRATEGY OF THESE PETTY AND 
ESCALATING AGGRESSIONS AGAINST 
THE U.S. HAS NOT BEEN WORKING 
FOR IT. 
>> I THINK IT HAD BEEN BUT 
BECAUSE THE U.S., 
PSYCHOLOGICALLY, IRANIANS WERE 
TRYING TO OVER THE PAST SIX TO 
NINE MONTHS THE OPPOSITE OF 
TEDDY ROOSEVELT, ROOSEVELT 
MAXIMUM SPEAK SOFTLY AND CARRY 
A BIG STICK, THIS WAS THE 
IRANIANS TRYING TO SAY TRUMP IS 
SPEAKING LOUDLY AND CARRYING NO 
STICK, HE WILL NOT ENFORCE 
REDLINES AND THE U.S. IS A 
PAPER TIGER. 
ALL THEY DO EASE SANCTIONS. 
THESE ARGUMENTS THAT YOU HEAR 
FROM THEM AND THESE ARE 
PROBABLY THE ARGUMENTS THAT 
EXIST IN THE HALLS OF POWER IN 
THAT COUNTRY ESPECIALLY AMONG 
THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTONARY GUARD 
CORPS AND ESPECIALLY AMONG 
MEMBERS OF THE HIS COMMANDER 
WAS KILLED RECENTLY BY THIS 
DRONE. 
THEY MAY HAVE BEEN SINGING THE 
CHORUSES OF MASSIVE ESCALATION. 
>> NOW JOINING ME ON THE PHONE 
IS JEFFREY MCCAUSLAND, RADIO 
NATIONAL SECURITY CONSULTANT. 
AND A RETIRED U.S. ARMY 
COLONEL. 
JEFFREY, TELL US IF YOU WILL, 
PLEASE PUT IT INTO CONTEXT HOW 
SIGNIFICANT THESE TWO ATTACKS 
ARE. 
>> A HUGE ESCALATORY STEP BY 
THE IRANIANS, THEY HAVE 
ESCALATED THE USE OF WEAPONS, 
BALLISTIC MISSILES AS OPPOSED 
TO SHORTER RANGE WEAPONS OR 
MORTARS AND THE LIKE. 
THEY HAVE ESCALATED IN TERMS OF 
GEOGRAPHY, THEY HAVE LAUNCHED 
WEAPONS CLEARLY FROM THEIR 
SOIL, AGAINST AMERICAN TARGETS 
IN IRAQ, THEY'VE ESCALATED BY 
MAKING A DIRECT ATTACK BY 
IRANIAN FORCES, FORMAL FORCES 
OF IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED 
STATES, THE IRANIAN 
REVOLUTIONARY GUARD HAVE 
ALREADY TAKEN CREDIT FOR THESE 
PARTICULAR ATTACKS AND LAST BUT 
NOT LEAST ONCE AGAIN, THEY ARE 
TAKING FULL CREDIT FOR THIS 
DEMONSTRATING NOT ONLY TO THE 
WORLD BUT TO THEIR OWN 
POPULATION THEY'RE GOING TO 
MAKE THIS TYPE OF MILITARY 
ATTACK AGAINST A MILITARY 
TARGET IN RESPONSE TO THE 
KILLING OF QASSEM SOLEIMANI. 
>> AND YOU HAD BEEN TO THE AL 
ASAD AIRBASE MULTIPLE TIMES. 
WHAT ROLE DOES IT PLAY FOR 
MILITARY FORCES THERE? 
>> BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS WHEN 
WE HAD HUGE FORCES IN THE 
REGION, THIS WAS A MAJOR BASE 
AND AN BAR PROVINCE WHERE THERE 
WAS FIGHTING IN PLACES LIKE 
FALLUJAH AND RAMADI, SO AL ASAD 
WAS A MAJOR BASE BOTH ROTOR WE 
WING, FIXED WING AND DRONES, 
ALSO A MAJOR RESUPPLY POINT FOR 
THE MOVEMENT OF HARDWARE, 
MUNITIONS TO SUPPORT U.S. 
FORCES. 
AND AFTER WE RETURNED IN 2014, 
I HAVEN'T BEEN THERE SINCE WE 
RETURNED, MY GUESS IS IT 
PRESUMED THAT SAME KIND OF 
ROLE. 
PROBABLY ALSO PROVIDING 
LOGISTICAL SUPPORT NOT ONLY FOR 
U.S. FORCES BUT ALSO IRAQI 
FORCES AND MAY HAVE WELL BEEN 
THE SITE WHERE WE ARE 
CONDUCTING A LOT OF TRAINING OF 
IRAQI FORCES AS WE ALSO 
CONTINUE OPERATIONS TO DRIVE 
OUT AND DESTROY THE RESIDUALS 
OF ISIS STILL OPERATING IN 
IRAQ. 
>> WE ARE LEARNING THAT 
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND VICE 
PRESIDENT PENCE HAVE BEEN 
BRIEFED ON THESE ATTACKS. 
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT 
MIGHT BE GOING ON AT THE WHITE 
HOUSE RIGHT NOW IN THE TRUMP 
ADMINISTRATION, WHAT SORT OF 
POSSIBLE RESPONSES ARE BEING 
WEIGHED? 
>> SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO 
AND ESPER HAVE ALSO GONE TO THE 
WHITE HOUSE. 
AND OBVIOUSLY, THE PRESIDENT 
PAINTED HIMSELF INTO A CORNER 
BY HIS RHETORIC OR BY VOWING IN 
ADVANCE OF THIS THAT ANY ATTACK 
ON AMERICAN FORCES IN THE 
REGION WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN 
ATTACK BY IRAN AND ELICIT A 
MASSIVE AMERICAN RESPONSE. 
NOW THAT HAS OCCURRED AND THE 
IRANIANS ARE TAKING CREDIT FOR 
IT. 
SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE 
THAT THE PRESIDENT CAN IGNORE 
THAT PARTICULAR RESPONSE. 
THAT BEING SAID, WE NOW HAVE 
BEEN ONCE AGAIN AND CONTINUE TO 
BE ON AN ESCALATORY SPIRAL THAT 
HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST 
COUPLE OF WEEKS. 
BEGINNING WITH THE KILLING OF 
THAT AMERICAN CONTRACTOR AT A 
BASE IN NORTHERN IRAQ, 
SUBSEQUENTLY FOLLOWED BY U.S. 
AIRSTRIKES, AND THEN FOLLOWED 
BY THAT BY THE KILLING OF 
QASSEM SOLEIMANI. 
THE IRANIANS NOW HAVE RESPONDED 
TO THE KILLING OF SO MANY SO 
NOW WE ARE INTO THE THIRD MOVE 
IN THIS IMMEDIATE CRISIS. 
DOES THE ADMINISTRATION WANT TO 
CONTINUE TO ESCALATE, AND MOVE 
THE NATION CLOSER TO OUTRIGHT 
OVER AT WAR WITH IRAN, OR DOES 
IT WANT TO SEEK SOME WAY TO TRY 
TO DE-ESCALATE THIS CRISIS AND 
TRY TO BRING THINGS BACK DOWN 
AND HOPEFULLY FIND SOME EFFORT 
TO MOVE TOWARDS A DIPLOMATIC 
POLITICAL SOLUTION? 
THAT'S THE QUESTION THEY'RE 
GOING TO BE ASKING. 
>> IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE THE 
PRESIDENT IS GOING TO HAVE TO 
SORT OF DEAL WITH TWO 
CONFLICTING IMPULSES WHICH IS, 
THE LAST THING THAT HE WANTS OR 
ANYONE ELSE WANTS IS ANOTHER 
IRAQ WAR. 
RIGHT? 
TO SEE LOTS OF TROOPS HEADING 
TO THE MIDDLE EAST TO FIGHT. 
AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE YOU 
SAID, THERE IS A RHETORIC THAT 
HAS ALMOST PUT HIM IN A BOX AND 
SORT OF MADE INCREASED 
AGGRESSION INEVITABLE. 
SO HOW DO YOU BALANCE THOSE TWO 
CONFLICTING IMPULSES? 
>> THAT'S WHERE THE PRESIDENT 
IS GOING TO HAVE TO FIND A WAY 
TO THREAD THE NEEDLE AND NOT 
FORGET THIS IS A GUY WHO RAN ON 
A PLATFORM OF REDUCING U.S. 
MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE 
REGION. 
WHICH RESONATED VERY LARGELY 
WITH HIS BASE NUMBER 1. AND 
NUMBER 2, WE SEE THAT 
PARTICULAR EFFORT EXPANDING. 
ONE CAN ALSO SAY HOWEVER 
CYNICALLY THAT THIS PARTICULAR 
MOMENT THE PRESIDENT MIGHT ALSO 
THINK THAT DISTRACTING 
ATTENTION AWAY FROM IMPEACHMENT 
TRIAL THAT HE'S ABOUT TO 
UNDERGO IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS 
MIGHT BE A REASON TO CONTINUE 
UP THE ESCALATORY LETTER. 
I HOPE THAT IS NOT TRUE BUT I'M 
SURE SOME PEOPLE WILL SUGGEST 
THAT. 
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MANY PEOPLE 
ARGUE THAT THIS IS A CRISIS OF 
THE PRESIDENT'S CREATION 
BEGINNING WITH THE ENDING OF 
THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR DEAL WHICH 
HAD PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE 
AT LEAST THEIR NUCLEAR WEAPON 
PROGRAM WAS CONSTRAINED AND 
HOPEFULLY WOULD ALLOW US TO 
SEEK SOME KIND OF MODUS 
OPERANDI ON OTHER ISSUES AND 
ALONG THAT WAY THAT HAS MOVED 
FROM THAT TO MAXIMUM PRESSURE 
CAMPAIGN TO THE SERIES OF 
EVENTS YOU AND I ARE DISCUSSING 
AS WE HAVE MOVED SLOWLY BUT 
STEADILY ON AN EVER INCREASING 
ESCALATORY LETTER WITH IRAN. 
>> ABSOLUTELY. 
SO I WANT TO BRING IN POLITICAL 
CONTRIBUTOR ZEKE MILLER, WHO IS 
IN WASHINGTON. 
HE IS A WHITE HOUSE REPORTER 
FOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. 
WHAT IS THE LATEST YOU CAN TELL 
US ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE 
WHITE HOUSE RIGHT NOW? 
>> WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY NEW 
INFORMATION FROM THE WHITE 
HOUSE IN THE INITIAL STATEMENT 
FROM STEPHANIE GRISHAM BUT WE 
KNOW SENIOR OFFICIALS INCLUDING 
SECRETARY OF STATE AND DEFENSE 
AND CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT 
CHIEFS ARRIVED IN THE LAST FEW 
MINUTES PRESUMABLY TO CONTINUE 
MONITORING THE SITUATION FROM 
HERE WITH THE PRESIDENT. 
WE HAVE NOT HEARD DIRECTLY FROM 
THE PRESIDENT SINCE TWO PLUS 
HOURS NOW SINCE THE APPARENT 
BALLISTIC MISSILE ATTACK. 
WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE PENTAGON 
BUT NOT THE PRESIDENT. 
>> AND IS THERE ANY NEW 
INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT DAMAGE 
HAS COME OUT OF BOTH OF THESE 
ATTACKS? 
I KNOW WE ARE WAITING ON THAT 
REPORTEDLY, THE ASSESSMENTS ARE 
TAKING PLACE, DO YOU KNOW WHEN 
WE ARE LIKELY TO HEAR MORE 
ABOUT THOSE ASSESSMENTS? 
>> WE DO NOT JUST YET, 
PRESUMABLY THAT IS PART OF 
ONGOING COMMUNICATIONS. 
ALSO WAITING TO SEE IF THAT 
INITIAL ROUND OF MISSILE FIRE 
WAS IT, OR POTENTIALLY MORE TO 
COME SO DARK IN THAT PART OF 
THE WORLD, BY THE TIME THE SUN 
RISES WE WILL AGAIN GET A 
GREATER SENSE OF WHAT, IN FACT, 
HAPPENED OVERNIGHT AND WHAT'S 
TO COME AFTERWARDS. 
>> JEFFREY, IN TERMS OF 
ASSESSING THE DAMAGE OF THESE 
-- I'M SORRY, ZEKE, IN TERMS OF 
ASSESSING THE DAMAGE, HOW 
CRUCIAL IS THAT INFORMATION TO 
DETERMINING NEXT STEPS? 
>> THAT WILL CERTAINLY BE 
CRUCIAL FOR THE U.S. OBVIOUSLY, 
THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID AND U.S. 
OFFICIALS SAID THEY ARE 
EXPECTING SOME SORT OF RESPONSE 
FROM IRAN. 
THE QUESTION WAS HOW BIG AND 
HOW ESCALATORY IT WOULD BE. 
THAT WOULD DETERMINE THE NATURE 
OF, EXPECTED U.S. RESPONSE. 
IF THERE WERE TO BE SOME SORT 
OF SECOND ROUND OF STRIKES OR 
LARGER THAN THIS OR SUBSTANTIAL 
LOSS OF LIFE, THERE COULD BE 
SIGNIFICANT ESCALATORY AND 
GREATER U.S. RESPONSE, THE 
ATTACK ON QASSEM SOLEIMANI LAST 
WEEK WAS IN RETALIATION FOR A 
NUMBER OF MISSILE STRIKES AT 
U.S. BASES INCLUDING ONE THAT 
KILLED AN AMERICAN CONTRACTOR A 
WEEK AND A HALF AGO. 
SO IF THERE WAS TO BE LOSS OF 
LIFE HERE, AS A RESULT OF THE 
STRIKE, YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE 
SOMETHING FROM THE PRESIDENT 
AND POTENTIALLY A MILITARY 
RESPONSE IN RETALIATION. 
>> AND, BEHNAM, OBVIOUSLY, THE 
WHITE HOUSE IS STILL TRYING TO 
ASSESS THE DAMAGE, AND WILL 
COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF 
RETALIATORY PLAN. 
WHAT WOULD -- WE KNOW NOW THE 
PRESIDENT HAS SAID CROSSING A 
LINE WOULD BE AMERICAN DEATHS 
SO WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE WERE 
ANY AMERICAN DEBTS AS A RESULT 
OF EITHER OF THESE ATTACKS. 
WHAT WOULD BE AN IRANIAN RED 
LINE? 
THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME SORT 
OF ATTACK, SOME SORT OF 
RETALIATION BY THE U.S. AGAINST 
IRAN. 
WHAT WOULD BE A RED LINE ON 
THEIR SIDE TO ESCALATE EVEN 
FURTHER? 
>> IT DEPENDS VERY MUCH ON WHAT 
IS HIT BY THE ADMINISTRATION. 
I THINK IT'S HIGHLY LIKELY THE 
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS GOING 
TO HAVE SOME KIND OF MILITARY 
RESPONSE. 
IT WOULD BE INTERESTING BECAUSE 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TWITTER 
FEED IS SAYING THEY'RE WORKING 
OUT A BATTLE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT. 
IF THERE ARE IRAQIS KILLED 
BECAUSE THE U.S. WHEN IT'S IN 
IRAQ IS CO-LOCATED ON IRAQI 
BASES AS PART OF ITS COALITION, 
IF THERE ARE IRAQI CASUALTIES 
ONLY AND NO AMERICAN CASUALTIES 
IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF THE 
U.S. TOOK THAT AS A STEP DOWN 
THE LADDER, AND DID NOT RESPOND 
AGAINST IRAN ON IRANIAN 
TERRITORY OR IF THEY CHOSE TO 
RESPOND TO IRANIAN ASSETS AND 
INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF THE 
COUNTRY. 
I FEEL LIKE IF THERE'S A STRIKE 
ON IRANIAN TERRITORY, THE 
IRANIANS WOULD ESCALATE 
FURTHER. 
THERE IS A CLAIM, A THREAT BY 
THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD 
CORPS THAT IF A COUNTRY HOUSING 
THE ENTITY THAT LAUNCHES THE 
ATTACK, IF THERE IS A COUNTRY 
THAT HOUSES THE ATTACK IS 
INVOLVED THEN IRAN WOULD 
RETALIATE AGAINST THE INTEREST 
OF THAT COUNTRY AT THAT WELL. 
>> I WANT TO POINT OUT WE ARE 
ROLLING SOME FOOTAGE FROM 
DECEMBER OF 2018, THE PRESIDENT 
WAS ACTUALLY THERE AT THE AL 
ASAD AIRBASE. 
ZEKE, WHAT WAS THE SIGNIFICANCE 
OF A STRIKE THERE, DOES IT, IS 
IT MORE SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THE 
PRESIDENT WAS THERE NOT TOO 
LONG AGO? 
I GUESS LAST YEAR? 
>> IT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST U.S. 
FACILITIES IN THE REGION. 
SIGNIFICANT TO ITS INVOLVEMENT 
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE 
ISLAMIC STATE BUT ALSO TRAINING 
AND BOLSTERING THE IRAQI 
MILITARY SO IRAN HAS BEEN 
TRYING TO DIMINISH THE U.S. 
TROOP PRESENCE IN THE REGION 
UNDER AMERICAN INFLUENCE AS 
PART OF ITS BROADER REGIONAL 
EFFORTS, MAKING IT NOT A 
SURPRISING TARGET FROM THAT 
STANDPOINT. 
BUT OBVIOUSLY, THE SYMBOLIC 
FACTOR THAT THE PRESIDENT, THE 
BASE THE PRESIDENT VISITED OVER 
CHRISTMAS IN 2018 AND ALSO I 
WAS THERE WHEN VICE PRESIDENT 
PENCE SIX WEEKS AGO RIGHT 
BEFORE THANKSGIVING, THERE AND 
ERBIL, SO THESE ARE MAJOR U.S. 
FACILITIES WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE 
SENIOR OFFICIALS GOING THERE 
OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO. 
>> AND WHY I GUESS WHEN WE 
HEARD FROM JEFFREY MCCAUSLAND, 
HE WAS SURPRISED AT THE 
STRENGTH OF HIS ATTACKS OR SORT 
OF THE ESCALATION OF THESE 
ATTACKS. 
IT WAS MORE THAN HE HAD 
EXPECTED. 
BEHNAM, ARE YOU ALSO SURPRISED? 
>> A LITTLE BIT. 
THE IRANIAN INTENT WHEN THEY 
HAVE LAUNCHED BALLISTIC 
MISSILES DURING PEACETIME FROM 
THEIR OWN TERRITORY, THEY'VE 
DONE IT AGAINST A NON-STATE 
ACTOR. 
AGAINST TWICE, YOU KNOW, ISIS 
AND SYRIA AND ONCE AGAINST 
KURDISH GROUP IN NORTHERN IRAQ. 
NEITHER TIME THEY ASKED THE 
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT FOR 
PERMISSION. 
THEY'VE DONE IT BUT THEY'VE 
NEVER STRUCK ANOTHER STATE 
OPERATING IN ANOTHER STATE 
DURING PEACETIME SO THIS WOULD 
BE FUNDAMENTALLY A DIFFERENT 
SHIFT. 
MOREOVER THIS IS BALLISTIC 
MISSILES NOT ROCKETS OR MORTARS 
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY A WEAPON OF 
WAR. 
THIS IS A TOOL DESIGNED TO KILL 
AMERICANS AND SEND A POLITICAL 
MESSAGE THAT YOU SHOULDN'T TRY 
TO RESPOND TO IRAN. 
AND SO I THINK THIS IS THE 
IRANIANS WILLING TO TELEGRAPH 
THAT THIS CAME FROM OUR 
TERRITORY, WE ARE RESPONDING TO 
THIS DEVELOPMENT. 
AND PART OF WHAT MAY BE FEEDING 
THIS DESIRE TO PUBLICIZE IS 
THAT THEY THINK THE TRUMP 
ADMINISTRATION MAY NOT 
ESCALATE, OR THAT THEY THINK 
THAT THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO 
GAIN AT HOME ON THE HOME FRONT. 
AND TO FURTHER WORK TOWARDS 
THAT RALLY AROUND THE FLAG 
EFFECT WE TALKED ABOUT. 
>> AND QUICKLY, WHAT HAS IRAQ'S 
RESPONSE BEEN SO FAR? 
HAVE WE HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE 
GOVERNMENT? 
>> I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING BUT 
AS HAS OFTEN BEEN THE CASE IRAQ 
IS STUCK BETWEEN A ROCK AND A 
HARD PLACE. 
IT IRAQ IS CAUGHT BETWEEN 
COMPETITION FOR BAGHDAD, HEADS 
AND MINDS, BECAUSE OF THIS ZERO-
SUM COMPETITION BETWEEN AMERICA 
AND IRAN.
THAT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE IT'S 
GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON. 
IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE 
REGARDLESS OF HOW THE 
ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO THE 
STRIKE. 
>> AND IS IRAQ LIKELY TO 
RESPOND IF IRAQIS ARE KILLED? 
>> I DON'T THINK SO. 
I THINK THEY MAY WRITE THAT OFF 
AS COLLATERAL DAMAGE FOR LACK 
OF A BETTER WORD. 
THE IRANIANS OF COURSE MAY SAY 
THIS IS BECAUSE YOU SUBMITTED 
YOUR COUNTRY BEING USED AS A 
BASE AGAINST US BUT I DON'T 
THINK IRAQIS WHO ARE PRO-IRAN 
IN THAT COUNTRY AND THAT IS A 
LOT OF THE POLITICAL CLASS BUT 
NOT ALL OF IT, WOULD BE ABLE TO 
PUBLICIZE THAT. 
>> RIGHT. 
I'D LIKE TO BRING IN TARA COBB, 
A NATIONAL MILITARY AND 
VETERANS AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT 
AT McCLATCHY. 
THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
ON THE OPERATIONS FRONT, WHAT 
DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAS 
HAPPENED SO FAR? 
>> SO THREE SITES, AL ASAD, 
ERBIL AND TAJI HAVE BEEN 
TARGETED. 
I THINK YOU WERE JUST TALKING 
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF AL 
ASAD, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO 
UNDERSCORE HOW IMPORTANT ERBIL 
IS TO U.S. BECAUSE IT'S NOT 
ONLY WHERE IT HAS BEEN THE 
FOCUS, NORTHERN IRAQ, PARTNER 
TRAINING BUT ALSO A MAJOR POINT 
OF SUPPLY AND COMMUNICATION TO 
U.S. FORCES SERVING IN SYRIA. 
SO THAT BASE HAS DUAL 
IMPORTANCE. 
I THINK EVERYBODY RIGHT NOW IS 
WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE DAMAGE 
ASSESSMENT IS, AND TO SEE ABOUT 
CASUALTIES THERE, SOME EARLY 
REPORTS HAVE BEEN IRAQI 
CASUALTIES, NO REPORT SO FAR ON 
U.S. CASUALTIES. 
BUT AT THAT POINT, I THINK AS 
YOUR PREVIOUS GUEST WAS SAYING 
ADDITIONAL AMERICAN CASUALTIES 
IS A RED LINE FOR THIS 
ADMINISTRATION. 
AND COULD SEE ANOTHER 
ESCALATION. 
>> WE DON'T YET KNOW HOW IRAQI 
CASUALTIES WOULD FACTOR IN TO 
THAT CALCULATION. 
BUT LOOKING FORWARD, WHERE DOES 
THE U.S. RESPONSE GO FROM HERE, 
OBVIOUSLY, AS YOU SAID THE 
ASSESSMENT IS STILL BEING MADE 
BUT ONCE THAT ASSESSMENT IS 
MADE, HOW QUICKLY IS THE U.S. 
LIKELY TO RESPOND, DO YOU THINK 
WE COULD SEE SOME RESPONSE 
TONIGHT? 
>> I THINK THAT THEY WOULD BE 
VERY CAUTIOUS IN RESPONSE AND 
CALCULATED RESPONSE TO MAKE 
SURE THAT IT'S UNCALCULATED 
MOVE TO DRIVE EVERYBODY INTO AN 
UNINTENDED WAR. 
THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF ASSETS 
THROUGHOUT THE REGION BETWEEN 
THE USS BATAAN WITH 2200 MARINE 
EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, THE NEW B-
52S ON GARCIA THAT CAN STRIKE 
IRAN, THOUSANDS OF ADDITIONAL 
GROUND FORCES THAT HAVE BEEN 
MOVED INTO THE REGION SO THERE 
ARE A LOT OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE 
TO THE U.S., AND WE TONIGHT 
JUST AS THESE ATTACKS ARE 
HAPPENING, OUR McCLATCHY PAPER 
"THE SACRAMENTO BEE" WAS ABLE 
TO BREAK AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 
WITH THE WIDOW OF THE U.S. 
CONTRACTOR THAT WAS KILLED IN 
KIRKUK ON DECEMBER 27 AND JUST 
TO REMIND EVERYONE IT WAS 
>> THEY HAD BOTH COME TO THE 
U.S. IN 2011. 
LIVE IN A SINGLE BEDROOM 
APARTMENT IN SACRAMENTO. 
AND OUR SACRAMENTO REPORTERS 
WERE ABLE TO WALK THE 
NEIGHBORHOOD, TALK TO THEM. 
AND HAD THIS HEARTBREAKING 
INTERVIEW WITH THE WIDOW, 
LEARNING WHAT'S NEXT FOR HER. 
AND SHE LITERALLY WAS JUST 
SAYING DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK 
TO IRAQ, AND NO, WHAT IS THERE 
LEFT FOR US? 
>> THAT IS HEARTBREAKING. 
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING 
US. 
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. 
>>> CBS NEWS INTELLIGENCE AND 
NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER 
OLIVIA GAZIS JOINS ME ON THE 
PHONE. 
WHAT IS THE LATEST YOU CAN TELL 
US? 
>> I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR 
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES HAVE, OF 
COURSE, BEEN TRACKING ANY AND 
ALL RETALIATORY OPTIONS THAT 
IRAN WAS EXPECTED TO PURSUE. 
AND EVERYBODY HAD BEEN ON FULL 
ALERT AND PRIORITIZING FORCED 
DECORATION IN THE REGION. 
A STRIKE OF THIS FORCE INVOLVES 
VEHICLES AND PERSONNEL BEING 
ABLE TO MOVE AROUND AND 
PREPARE. 
SO WE HAD VISIBILITY INTO THE 
FACT THAT IT WAS GOING TO 
HAPPEN. 
I'M LOOKING AT AN ASSESSMENT OF 
IRAN'S MILITARY CAPABILITY PUT 
OUT BY THE DEFENSE AGENCY. 
AND IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT 
IRAN IS KNOWN TO HAVE THE 
LARGEST AND MOST DIVERSE 
BALLISTIC MISSILE ARSENAL IN 
THE MIDDLE EAST. 
IT HAS THIS BIG INVENTORY, 
CLOSE RANGE, SHORT RANGE, 
MEDIUM RANGE. 
AND WE DON'T KNOW, I DON'T 
THINK, WHAT KINDS OF MISSILES 
WERE USED IN THIS ATTACK. 
WE'LL EXPECT TO GET MORE 
DETAILS ON THAT LATER. 
IT'S ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT 
IRAN -- AMONG THE MENU OF 
OPTIONS THAT THE IRANIANS WERE 
EXPECTED TO PURSUE WERE THESE 
REGIONAL ATTACKS ON THE 
MILITARY AND U.S. DIPLOMATIC 
INTERESTS. 
WE DID ANTICIPATE THIS. 
IT IS NOTABLE THAT THESE WERE 
LAUNCHED FROM THE MAINLAND, 
IRAN, AS THE PENTAGON EARLIER 
CONFIRMED. 
WE'LL SEE IF THIS IS THE FIRST 
STEP OF MANY RETALIATORY 
RESPONSES. 
BUT IT IS A NOTABLE FIRST STEP 
THAT THE IRANIANS HAVE TAKEN 
HERE. 
>> IT IS QUITE A DISTANCE FROM 
THE AIRBASE AND THE IRANIAN 
BORDER. 
WERE THESE MISSILES NOT 
DETECTED PRIOR TO IMPACT? 
>> I'M NOT SURE THAT WE KNOW 
EXACTLY THAT INFORMATION OF 
YET. 
BUT SOME OF THESE MISSILES THAT 
THE IRANIANS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE 
CAN TRAVEL UP TO 2,000 
KILOMETERS. 
THEY CAN MAKE IT AS FAR AS 
ISRAEL, OF COURSE, AND 
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE. 
SO IT'S NOT SORT OF OUT OF THE 
-- IT'S NOT OUT OF THE RANGE OF 
POSSIBILITY THAT THEY HAVE 
ARTILLERY THAT WILL MAKE THIS 
-- COVER THIS DISTANCE. 
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
PLEASE STAND BY, IF YOU WILL. 
I WANT TO BRING IN SORAVI 
GRAMMAR. 
WE'RE STILL ASSESSING DAMAGE. 
AND THERE WILL BE A MILITARY 
RESPONSE FORTHWITH. 
WHAT IS THE DIPLOMATIC 
RESPONSE? 
>> HI, TANYA, THANKS. 
WELL, RIGHT NOW OBVIOUSLY STITS 
STILL IN THE INITIAL AFTERMATH. 
REPORTEDLY, TRUMP'S NATIONAL 
SECURITY TEAM, INCLUDING 
SECRETARY POMPEO IS MEETING AT 
THE WHITE HOUSE. 
BUT EARLIER TODAY, POMPEO SPOKE 
TO REPORTERS AND SAID THAT THE 
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WAS 
PREPARED TO RESPOND TO 
RETALIATION IN ANY FORM FROM 
IRAN. 
SAYING IN THE EVENT THE 
IRANIANS MAKE ANOTHER BAD 
CHOICE, THE PRESIDENT WILL 
RESPOND IN A WAY THAT HE DID 
LAST WEEK, WHICH WAS DECISIVE, 
SERIOUS, AND MESSAGED. 
I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA SEE 
RIGHT NOW IN THE IMMEDIATE 
AFTERMATH IS THE TEAM COMING 
TOGETHER, CONSULTING WITH 
ALLIES AND CHARTING A PATH 
FORWARD. 
KEEPING IN MIND THAT A LOT OF 
THE ALLIES AND THE GOVERNMENT 
OF IRAQ ARE INCREDIBLY AFRAID 
OF HOW THIS COULD ESCALATE AND 
POTENTIALLY STUMBLE INTO A 
BROADER CONFLICT BETWEEN 
TEHERAN AND WASHINGTON. 
>> GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT 
AMERICAN ALLIES MUST BE 
THINKING RIGHT NOW. 
WE DO KNOW THAT SOME AMERICAN 
ALLIES WERE WITHDRAWING THEIR 
TROOPS FROM IRAQ AS A RESULT OF 
THE ATTACK ON GENERAL SOLEIMANI.
WHAT MUST THEY BE THINKING AT 
THIS POINT? 
>> THE DIPLOMATS I'VE BEEN 
TALKING TO, EVERYONE AGREES 
THAT IRAN THIS IS DESTABILIZING 
FORCE IN THE REGION. 
BUT THEY'RE REALLY NERVOUS 
RIGHT NOW. 
WE SAW NATO WITHDRAW ITS 
MILITARY TRAINING MISSION IN 
IRAQ. 
WE'VE SEEN ALLIES LIKE BRITAIN 
AND CANADA EVEN PREPARE TO 
WITHDRAW TROOPS. 
AND REACHING OUT TO THE IRANIAN 
FOREIGN MINISTER IN BRUSSELS TO 
TRY TO FIND AN OFF-RAMP TO THIS 
ESCALATION. 
>> AND HOW IS I RACK 
RESPONDING? 
HAS THERE BEEN ANY RESPONSE 
FROM THE GOVERNMENT? 
HOW THIS IS PLAYING OUT ON 
IRAQI NEWS STATIONS?  
>> WELL, RIGHT NOW THERE HASN'T 
BEEN. 
I THINK IT'S TOO SOON TO TELL 
WHAT THE OFFICIAL IRAQI 
RESPONSE WILL BE OF BUT FROM 
SOME OF THE EXPERTS AND IRAQI 
OFFICIALS I'VE SPOKEN TO, THIS 
JUST CONFIRMS A LOT OF THEIR 
WORST FEARS THAT IRAQ IS GONNA 
BE CAUGHT IN THE CROSSOVER OF 
THIS ESCALATING TENSION AND 
CONFLICT BETWEEN THE UNITED 
STATES AND TEHERAN. 
I CAN'T DIRECTLY CONFIRM BUT 
THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF 
IRAQI CASUALTIES ALREADY IN THE 
INITIAL AFTERMAH. 
THE U.S. IS STILL DOING ITS 
DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS AND THERE 
HAVEN'T BEEN ANY REPORTS YET OF 
ANY CASUALTIES OF U.S. SERVICE 
MEMBERS. 
>> RIGHT. 
AND IS IRAQ LIKELY TO RESPOND 
TO THESE CASUALTIES? 
WHO ARE THEY LIKELY TO BLAME 
FOR THEM? 
>> IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY. 
I THINK THE US/IRAQI 
RELATIONSHIP HAS REALLY 
DETERIORATED QUICKLY SINCE THE 
KILLING OF SOLEIMANI. 
WE'VE SEEN THE IRAQI PARLIAMENT 
CALL FOR THE COMPULSION OF U.S. 
TROOPS. 
AND TRUMP THREATENING SANCTIONS 
AGAINST IRAQ IF IT DOES SO 
WHICH IS REALLY UNPRECEDENTED. 
AND KEEP IN MIND, THE 
GOVERNMENT AMID ALL THESE 
PROTESTS IS IN A PRECARIOUS 
POSITION WITH AN ACTING PRIME 
MINISTER. 
SO IT'S IN A REALLY DIFFICULT 
POSITION BUT I'M NOT SURE IT 
HAS MUCH LEVERAGE TO RESPOND ON 
THE IRAQI OR U.S. SIDE SO FAR. 
>> AND I WANT TO BRING IN 
BENNAM ONCE AGAIN. 
I'M STILL NOT CLEAR ON WHAT 
EXACTLY THE END GAME IS HERE 
FOR IRAN.  
>> WELL, I THINK IRAN WANTS TO 
SAY THAT THEY WON'T TAKE A 
STRIKE THAT KILLED THEIR MOST 
IMPORTANT MILITARY FIGURE IN 
THE PAST 40 YEARS LYING DOWN. 
AND MOREOVER, THEY DON'T WANT 
TO CREATE THE IMPRESSION THAT 
IRAN ABSORBS RETALIATION, MUCH 
LIKE THE U.S. HAD ABSORBED 
RETALIATION FROM MAY, 2019. 
>> THAT'S STILL A TEMPORARY 
POSITIONING, POSTURING. 
WHAT IS THEIR ULTIMATE END GOAL 
IN TERMS OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP 
WITH THE U.S?  
>> WELL, THE RELATIONSHIP IS 
THEY'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE A WAR 
WITH THE U.S. IRAN IN MANY WAYS 
HAS BEEN ON WAR FOOTING WITH 
WASHINGTON SINCE 1979, SINCE 
THE DIVORCE OF TWO FRIENDS 
DURING THE COLD WAR BITTER, TWO 
NOW VERY BITTER ENEMIES. 
BUT THE ASSUMPTION THAT IRAN 
WANTED TO SEND THE SIGNAL IS 
DRIVEN BY SOMETHING LARGER. 
AND IT'S DRIVEN BY IRAN SAYING 
TO AMERICA THAT WHEN YOU 
THREATEN, WE'RE THREATENED. 
THERE'S A PERSIAN SAYING, A 
MISSILE AGAINST A MISSILE. 
IRAN IS TRYING TO ESTABLISH ITS 
OWN DETERRENTS. 
THE TRUMP TEAM IS TRYING TO 
LIMIT IRAN'S ACTION IN THE 
REGION. 
THIS IS IRAN SAYING NO, WE HAVE 
A FREEHAND IN THE REGION, AND 
THEY'RE CHOOSING THE MISSILES 
GIVEN THE CAPABILITIES THAT 
THEY HAVE TO RESPOND TO THAT. 
SO IT'S A MISSILE FOR A 
MISSILE. 
A THREAT FOR A THREAT. 
EVEN IN 2012, WHEN THERE WASN'T 
ANY OF THIS GOING ON, IT WAS 
OUTSIDE OF THE INTERIM NUCLEAR 
DEAL, IT'S BEEN A THREAT 
AGAINST A THREAT. 
AND IRAN LAUNCHED A COUPLE OF 
FOREIGN TERRORIST CAMPAIGNS IN 
RESPONSE TO THE OIL SANCTIONS. 
IRAN DOES RESPOND WITH A 
DIFFERENT THREAT, BUT ALWAYS 
TRYING TO EQUALIZE. 
ALWAYS TRYING TO CREATE THE 
IMPRESSION THAT THEY WILL NOT 
LET ONE LINGER. 
>> HOW DOES THAT SERVE THE 
COUNTRY ULTIMATELY, 
ECONOMICALLY?  
>> ECONOMICALLY, IRAN IS STILL 
PLAYING A MEDIUM TERM GAME. 
THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR FOR 
WASHINGTON. 
YOU CAN LOOK AT THE DOW PRICE 
RIGHT NOW. 
IRAN IS TRYING TO PRESSURE THE 
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, LET'S BE 
CLEAR. 
MAXIMUM PRESSURE IN RECORD 
TIME. 
ECONOMIC CARTERS ALONE, ON ALL 
THESE THINGS, THE U.S. HAD 
ACCOMPLISHED ECONOMIC SANCTIONS 
AGAINST IRAN UNILATERALLY, NOT 
EVEN MULTILATERALLY. 
THE END IS TO UPEND THE 
SANCTIONS STRATEGY. 
AND THE ONLY WAY IT SEEMS THE 
SANCTIONS STRATEGY WILL BE 
UPENDED IS IF THERE'S A 
DIFFERENT PERSON IN THE WHITE 
HOUSE. 
>> RIGHT. 
ALL RIGHT. 
SO HUNTER WALKER JOINS US NOW 
ON THE PHONE. 
HE'S A WHITE HOUSE 
CORRESPONDENT FOR YAHOO NEWS. 
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN REACHING OUT 
TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. 
WHAT IS THE PENTAGON SAYING?  
>> WELL, RIGHT NOW, AS OF A FEW 
MINUTES AGO, WE DID NOT HAVE 
ANY INFORMATION ABOUT 
CASUALTIES. 
BUT THEY DID CONFIRM THAT MORE 
THAN A DOZEN BALLISTICIMISMS 
WERE LAUNCHED AT TWO BASES IN 
IRAQ. 
LAUNCHED FROM IRAN. 
ONE OF THE BASES AL ASSAD, IS 
WHERE PRESIDENT TRUMP VISITED 
LAST YEAR. 
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING 
WE'RE HEARING. 
IT'S A FAST-MOVING SITUATION. 
BUT THEY CONFIRMED THERE WAS A 
STRIKE, AND WE DO NOT HAVE 
INFORMATION ABOUT CASUALTIES. 
>> AND EVERYBODY IS CONVENED AT 
THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT NOW? 
>> THEIR PRESS SECRETARY, 
STEPHANIE GRIFFIN, TOLD ME THAT 
THE PRESS HAD BEEN BRIEFED. 
AND SHE SAID SHE'S MONITORING 
THE SITUATION.  
>> RIGHT. 
BUT AT THIS POINT, NO 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT 
AMERICAN  CASUALTIES AND THE 
DAMAGE IS STILL BEING ASSESSED, 
IS THAT CORRECT THAT? 
>> EXACTLY. 
AS OF ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, IS 
THAT IS VERSUS THEY WERE SAYING 
THAT THEY'RE STILL FETING 
BATTLE DAMAGE REPORTS. 
I THINK THE MAIN QUESTION ON 
EVERYBODY'S MIND NOW IS WHAT 
COMES NEXT. 
WE SAW THE PRESIDENT IN THE 
OVAL OFFICE TODAY DURING HIS 
MEETING WITH THE GREEK PRIME 
MINISTER. 
AND HE BACKED OFF FROM HIS 
EARLIER THREAT THIS WEEKEND TO 
TARGET IRANIAN CULTURAL SITES. 
THAT'S ACTUALLY AGAINST 
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY LAW. 
BUT HE DID SAY IF IRAN DOES 
ANYTHING TO HIT AMERICAN 
CITIZENS OR AMERICAN ASSETS 
THAT WE WOULD RESPOND, YOU KNOW 
HE SAID, QUOTE, "UN, QUOTE, 
"VERY STRONGLY. 
THE QUESTION IS SORT OF WHEN 
DOES THIS CHAIN OF RETALIATION 
STOP, AND DOES IT STOP AT ALL? 
>> EXACTLY. 
WHERE DOES IT LEAD? 
BENHAM, I. TO BRING YOU IN IF 
YOU'RE STILL THERE. 
IS THERE ANY SPECULATION ABOUT 
THE EXACT TYPE OF MISSILES THAT 
IRAN USED? 
>> THERE IS NO OFFICIAL REPORT 
FROM IRANIAN FORCES OR FROM 
WASHINGTON THROUGH THE DOD YET. 
BUT IT'S PAST ITS PROLOGUE 
HERE. 
IRAN HAS LAUNCHED SHORTAGE 
BALLISTIC MISSILES FROM ITS 
TERRITORY IN SYRIA. 
SOME OF THEM CAN CARRY UNDER 
500 KILOS AND GO UP TO 700 
KILOMETERS. 
SO DEPENDS ON. 
THIS THESE ARE ROGUE MOBILE 
MISSILES. 
THEY'RE CARRIED TOWARD THE 
BORDER ON PROPERTY ERECTOR 
LAUNCHERS. 
WAS THIS UNDER THE COVER OF 
DARKNESS, FROM A SILO, FROM THE 
PEL'S? 
AND THE TYPE OF MISSILE WILL 
MATTER. 
PAUSE THIS WILL MEAN FOR THE 
FIRST TIME THAT IRAN USED A 
DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED SYSTEM 
FROM SUCH A HIGH-RISK, HIGH 
PUBLICITY ATTACK. 
>> RIGHT. 
AND ARE WE LIKELY TO SEE ANY 
RESPONSE TONIGHT? 
OR IS THE ADMINISTRATION GONNA 
SLEEP ON IT?  
WE DO KNOW SECRETARY OF STATE 
POMPEII SO CURRENTLY AT THE 
WHITE HOUSE. 
>> I THINK THERE'S AN 
UNCONFIRMED REPORT THE 
PRESIDENT MAY SPEAK. 
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GONNA BE 
CONFIRMED OR NOT. 
I SAW THAT AROUND SOMEWHERE 
ONLINE. 
IT WOULD SIMPLY MAKE SENSE TO 
ADDRESS THE NATION NOW. 
ESPECIALLY IF THERE ARE NO 
CASUALTIES ON THE AMERICAN 
SIDE. 
WE'RE STILL PUBLICLY WAIT 
FIGURE FOR THAT TO TRICKLE ON 
DOWN. 
IF THERE ARE NO CASUALTIES, 
THEN I THINK THERE THERE WOULD 
BE A RESPONSE IN A MUCH SHORTER 
TIMEFRAME. 
>> SO WHAT WOULD IRAN'S OFF-
RAMP BE HERE IF THEY DECIDED 
THAT THE INCREASED ESCALATION 
IS NOT WORKING FOR THEM? 
HOW COULD THEY THEY PULL OUT OF 
THIS AND SAVE FACE? 
>> I THINK IT'S GONNA BE VERY 
DIFFICULT FOR THE IRANIANS TO 
SAVE FACE IF THE ADMINISTRATION 
RESPONDS ON IRANIAN TERRITORY. 
IF IT'S ON IRANIAN TERRITORY, 
THERE'S ALMOST CERTAINLY GOING 
TO BE SOME SORT OF ACTION BY 
IRAN. 
IF IT'S ELSEWHERE, OFFSHORE, 
THE IRANIANS COULD ABSORB THAT. 
THEY MAY BE HOPING THERE ISN'T 
EVEN THAT IN THAT WASHINGTON 
ABSORBS THIS ATTACK AGAINST THE 
BASE IN WESTERN IRAQ. 
>> RIGHT. 
AND RIGHT NOW I THINK THAT WE 
ARE LOOKING AT VIDEO -- MY 
PRIORS CAN CLARIFY. 
THESE ARE MISSILES FROM IRANIAN 
STATE TV. 
THEY WERE LAUNCHED FROM 
TEHERAN. 
OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT THIS HAS 
BEEN REPORTED ALL AFTERNOON 
FROM IRANIAN STATE TV. 
DO WE KNOW WHAT THE STORY IS 
FROM THE IRANIAN SIDE? 
HOW ARE THEY SPINNING THIS 
ATTACK? 
>> WELL, SPIN IS DEFINITELY A 
VERY INTERESTING WORRIED. 
THE FORMER SECRETARY OF IRAN'S 
PRENATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, 
HE WAS THE NUCLEAR NEGOTIATOR 
AT THE END OF THE AJAD ERA. 
VERY ZEALOUS. 
HE TWEETED, I BELIEVE, A 
PICTURE OF THE IRANIAN FLAG. 
IF YOU REMEMBER WHEN SOLEIMANI 
WAS STRUCK BY THE DRONE, TRUMP 
TWEETED A PICTURE OF THE 
AMERICAN FLAG. 
AND SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE 
ADMINISTRATION TWEETED THE 
AMERICAN FLAG. 
SO THIS IS THE IRANIANS AGAIN 
TRYING TO PLAY THE MEDIA GAME, 
THE NARRATIVE GAME. 
THEY ARE VERY COGNIZANT OF HOW 
THIS IS BEING FRAMED ABROAD. 
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THAT THE 
WEST IS SURPRISED. 
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS DOES 
NOT FIT WITH THE TRADITIONAL 
IRANIAN RESPONSE. 
THERE'S EVEN AN UNCONFIRMED 
VIDEO THAT I SAW FROM ANOTHER 
MILITARY WATCHER ON TWITTER 
THAT HAD A PICTURE OF SOLEIMANI 
IN THE BOOTH IN THE AREA WHERE 
THE MISSILES WERE LAUNCHED. 
CLEARLY SYMBOLIZING THAT THIS 
WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE KILLING 
OF SOLEIMANI. 
THIS IS ONE LARGE, CUSTODY
COSTLY MOVE BY IRANIANS. 
>> ABSOLUTELY. 
I WANT TO BRING OLIVIA BACK IN. 
POMPEO AND O'BRIAN, ESPER, ARE 
ALL MEETING AT THE WHITE HOUSE 
RIGHT NOW. 
WHAT DO WE KNOW? 
>> WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE IN THE 
SITUATION ROOM. 
LIKELY REVIEWING THE 
INTELLIGENCE THAT IS COMING IN 
AND DISCUSSING WHAT THE U.S. 
DOES IN RESPONSE. 
THE MESSAGE HAS BEEN THAT 
DEESCALATION IS THE GOAL. 
THE PRESIDENT ALSO SAID EARLIER 
TODAY THAT THE UNITED STATES 
WAS TOTALLY PREPARED TO RESPOND 
TO IRAQ. 
I THINK IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT 
THE IRANIANS FULLY RECOGNIZE 
THEY CAN'T COMPETE WITH THE 
U.S. IN A CONVENTIONAL SORT OF 
BATTLE. 
AND SO THIS IS THE REASON THAT 
DELAY HAVE HISTORICALLY 
PRIORITIZED THESE CAPABILITIES 
THAT ARE ASYMMETRICAL. 
CYBER WARFARE, PROXY WARFARE. 
SO IT MAY BE THAT THEY HAVE 
DECIDED THEY HAVE EXACTED 
ENOUGH OF A TOLL HERE, AND 
WOULD STOP IF THE UNITED STATES 
STOPPED TOO. 
>> RIGHT. 
>> THAT WOULD OF COURSE DEPEND 
ON WHETHER THERE ARE ANY 
AMERICAN CASUALTIES, WHICH THE 
PRESIDENT PREVIOUSLY SAID WAS A 
RED LINE FOR THE UNITED STATES. 
AND HE HAS THREATENED ANY OTHER 
MEASURES IN THESE WAR OF WORDS 
THAT ENSUED IMMEDIATELY 
FOLLOWING THE STRIKE ON 
SOLEIMANI. 
IT WILL BE AN OUTGROWTH TODAY 
OF WHAT THEY DECIDE IN THE 
SITUATION ROOM. 
>> ABSOLUTELY. 
THANKS SO MUCH, OLIVIA. 
LET'S BRING IN DAVE PIERCE NOW, 
A RETIRED NAVY SEAL. 
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE 
CHOICE OF RETALIATIONS ON THE 
PART OF THE IRANIANS? 
THEY COULD HAVE DONE A CYBER 
ATTACK, THEY COULD HAVE TRIED 
TO TARGET A DOMESTIC SOFT 
TARGET. 
INSTEAD THEY WENT FOR SOMETHING 
A LITTLE FLASHY. 
AND SOMETHING FAIRLY 
AGGRESSIVE. 
WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU? 
>> I THINK FOR ONE, YOU'RE 
RIGHT THAT IT IS FLASHY SO THEY 
CAN SHOW IT ON STATE TV. 
BUT I WOULD ALSO CAUTION THAT 
WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S DONE YET. 
>> RIGHT. 
>> I WOULD STILL SAY THAT 
ISRAEL COULD BE TARGETED BY 
HEZBOLLAH, THE PROXY THAT IRAN 
HAS THERE. 
SAUDI ARABIA IS CERTAINLY A 
RIPE TARGET FOR IRAN AS WELL. 
AND YOU CAN SEE SOME THINGS IN 
YEMEN OR THE GULF. 
WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE 
GONNA GO. 
WE DON'T FINISH THEY'RE GONNA 
USE SOME OF THEIR ASYMMETRICAL 
CAPABILITIES. 
HOPEFULLY THIS IS THE ONLY 
SALVO THAT THEY HAVE, AND THEY 
WANT TO MAKE A VERY PUBLIC 
STATEMENT TO THEIR PEOPLE.  
THAT WE'RE GETTING REVENGE. 
THAT'S ON THEIR SIDE. 
>> RIGHT. 
AND WE'RE HOPING, WE ASSUME, 
THAT THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS.  
>> I THINK THAT'S WHAT IRAN IS 
HOPING. 
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A 
HUGE MISCALCULATION. 
I JUST CAN'T SEE THE PRESIDENT 
AFTER HIS SPEECH AND DRAWING 
THE RED LINE AT U.S. CASUALTIES 
OR U.S. ASSETS COMING UNDER 
TARGETING. 
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A 
SECOND. 
IT'S ONE THING IF THERE ARE 
SOME U.S. CASUALTIES HERE, BUT 
WHAT IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE 
ARE NOT?  
>> THAT'LL BE INTERESTING ON 
HOW HE'S GOING TO DEAL WITH 
THAT. 
I STILL THINK, YOU KNOW, THESE 
ARE U.S. JOINT US/IRAQI BASES. 
SO THERE'S A LOT OF EQUIPMENT. 
AND I THINK YOU ARE GONNA SEE, 
IF I HAD TO GUESS, EXACTLY WHAT 
THE PRESIDENT CALLED FOR. 
YOU'RE GONNA SEE A COMPLETELY 
DISPROPORTIONATE RESPONSE FROM 
OUR SIDE. 
I THINK WHAT HE'S LIKELY 
LOOKING AT GIVING THEM IS AN 
OVERWHELMING RESPONSE. 
>> WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE?  
>> THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE 
COMPLETELY WIPING OUT THEIR 
ABILITY TO PROJECT POWER. 
THAT MEANS BALLISTIC MISSILE 
TARGETS SO THEY CAN'T LAUNCH 
ANYMORE. 
NAVAL TARGETS. 
ANY POSSIBLE NUCLEAR TARGETS 
THAT THEY'RE DEVELOPING. 
IT COULD BE POSSIBLE FORCED 
LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF IRAN THAT 
ARE ASYMMETRICAL THINGS, SYRIA, 
BASES THERE. 
I THINK IT COULD BE A LARGE 
ARAY OF ALL OF THE ABOVE. 
>> AND WOULDN'T THAT RESULT -- 
>> ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S 
CASUALTIES. 
>> WOULDN'T THAT RESULT IN JUST 
MORE OF A MILITARY COMMITMENT 
TO THE REGION THAN THIS 
ADMINISTRATION REALLY WANTS? 
HAS THE STOMACH FOR?  
>> I DON'T THINK -- IF YOU HAVE 
THAT, IF YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THAT 
OVERWHELMING RESPONSE, IT 
COMPLETELY ELIMINATES IRAN'S 
ABILITY TO DO ANYTHING. 
>> ARE YOU  TALKING WITH SORT 
OF SHOCK AND AWE? 
>> YEAH, WE COULD DEGRADE THEIR 
CAPABILITY TO THE POINT THAT 
THEY HAVE NONE.  
IT'S NOT VERSUS IRAN ISN'T LIKE 
THE UNITED STATES. 
>> RIGHT. 
>> IT'S NOT THAT THAT BIG. 
IT'S NOT RUSSIA OR CHINA. 
SO YOU COULD CONCEIVABLY TARGET 
ALL THEIR CAPABILITY TO DO 
THINGS, IF YOU REALLY WANTED 
TO. 
>> AND THAT WOULD BE WITHOUT A 
REGIME CHANGE. 
JUST LEAVING THE GOVERNMENT 
THERE BUT WIPING OUT THEIR 
MILITARY. 
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
AND THEN SAYING OKAY, LEAVE IT 
TO THE PEOPLE. 
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? 
AND I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE 
ANOTHER EFFECT AS WELL. 
IF YOU STICK TO MILITARY 
TARGETS, ESPECIALLY AS THEY FOR 
THIS IRAN, YOU CAN REALLY, 
REALLY LIMIT ANY CIVILIAN. 
AND THE PEOPLE AREN'T SUPER 
HAPPY WITH THE REGIME IN IRAN 
RIGHT NOW. 
>> NO, THERE'S A LOT OF 
PROTESTS, YEAH. 
>> SO WHICH WAY DO THEY GO ON 
THIS? 
IF THEY SEE -- ONE OF THE 
REASONS THAT THEY HAVE SUCH A 
PROBLEM WITH THE REGIME, I 
THINK THERE WAS 1,500 IRANIANS 
KILLED, 2,000 IMPRISONED. 
THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING, BUT IF 
YOU TAKE OUT SOME OF THIS 
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS IRAN'S 
DOMESTIC INFRASTRUCTURE AS 
WELL. 
PEOPLE MAY SEE AN OPPORTUNITY 
TO RISE UP. 
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD 
HAPPEN. 
BUT THE OPPORTUNITY MAY BE 
THERE. 
I RAN WILL HAVE TO REBUILD SO 
MUCH. 
BUT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO 
PROJECT ANY POWER AROUND THE 
GLOBE AT ALL. 
THAT IS CONCEIVABLE. 
>> THAT'S A PRETTY DRAMATIC 
PICTURE THAT YOU'VE PAINTED FOR 
US. 
HUNTER, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS 
THE LIKELIHOOD OF THAT OF THE 
U.S. RESPONDING TO THE POINT 
WHERE IT'S JUST WIPE OUT THE 
MILITARY? 
NOT A REGIME CHANGE BUT JUST 
GETS RID OF THE MILITARY. 
>> I THINK THERE'S TWO 
DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE 
TO LOOK AT RIGHT NOW. 
WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE 
U.S. WOULD RESPOND. 
AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN 
AFTERWARD? 
AND I THINK THE LIKELIHOOD THAT 
WE WILL RESPOND IS VERY HIGH. 
PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID WE WOULD 
RESPOND QUOTE UNQUOTE VERY 
STRONGLY IF ANY AMERICAN ASETS 
OR PEOPLE WERE TARGETED. 
AND THEY WERE VERY CLEAR AFTER 
THE SOLEIMANI KILLING THAT THIS 
WAS GOING TO LEAD TO 
ESCALATION. 
THEY ATTACKED US, REFERRING TO 
THE PROTESTS AT THE BAGHDAD 
EMBASSY. 
WE ATTACKED THEM. 
THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO 
RESPOND NOW. 
WEER THIS PATH. 
BUT THE OTHER QUESTION IS WHAT 
YOU WERE PROPOSING BEFORE. 
WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD THAT WE 
WOULD TOTALLY WIPE OUT THEIR 
MILITARY AND THAT THEIR PEOPLE 
WOULD BE REJOITSING THE 
AMERICAN LIBERATORS IN THE 
STREET? 
AND I HAVE TO SAY, WITH ALL DUE 
RESPECT, I REMEMBER 2003 WHEN 
PEOPLE WERE MAKING SIMILAR 
ARGUMENTS ABOUT IRAQ AND 
AFGHANISTAN, WHICH WERE MUCH 
SMALLER COUNTRIES WITH SMALLER 
MILITARY CAPABILITIES. 
AND IF WE LOOK AT THE LESSONS 
OF HISTORY, WE ARE RIGHT NOW 
PLAYING WITH A SITUATION THAT 
IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE OTHER 
CONFLICTS WE'VE GOTTEN IN THE 
MID-EAST. 
AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN REMOTELY 
AS EASY TO EXTRICATE OURSELVES 
FROM OR END AS A LOT OF PEOPLE 
PREDICTED AT THE OUTSET. 
SO I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO 
BE SOMEONE PREDICTING THAT THIS 
IS GUARANTEED TO TO BE SOME 
KIND OF TREMENDOUS SUCCESS FOR 
US. 
EVEN THE PEOPLE IN THE WHITE 
HOUSE ARE AWARE THIS IS A VERY 
DANGEROUS SITUATION. 
>> RIGHT. 
WIPING OUT THE MILITARY COMPLEX 
WOULD HAVE REPERCUSSIONS FAR 
BEYOND JUST GETTING RID OF 
THEIR WEAPONS. 
>>  ARE YOU RIGHT AS I WAS 
SAYING, EVEN FORCES CLOSE TO 
THE PRESIDENT EXPECT FOR TALT 
HERE. 
1988 WAS REALLY THE LAST TIME 
WE HAD THIS KIND OF DIRECT 
MILITARY CONFRONTATION WITH 
IRAN. 
IT'S CALLED OPERATION PRAYING 
MANTIS. 
AND THAT'S WHEN WE STRUCK IN 
IRANIAN TERRITORIAL WATERS IN 
RETALIATION FOR THE MINING OF 
THE PERSIAN GULF. 
AND WE WERE ABLE TO DEESCALATE 
THE TENSIONS AT THE TIME. 
AND EARLIER THIS SUMMER, 
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD THIS 
SIMILAR INTAGZ WHERE THE U.S. 
DRONE WAS STRUCK. 
HE HAD THESE RED LINES IN HIS 
RHETORIC. 
BY THE HIS OWN ADMISSION, HE 
DIDN'T WANT TO DO A 
DISPROPORTIONATE RESPONSE. 
POTENTIALLY WE COULD DEESCALATE 
NOW. 
>> THEY STRUCK BACK AND STRUCK 
BACK HARD. 
YOU'RE SITTING AT HOME IN IRAN, 
WATCHING STATE TV, IT LOOKS 
LIKE A BIG DEAL ON YOUR 
TELEVISION SET. 
SO COULD THIS BE THE END OF IT? 
ARE THERE SOBER ENOUGH MINDS IN 
WASHINGTON THAT COULD SAY LOOK, 
WE DON'T LIKE IT. 
BUT IF THERE ARE NO AMERICAN 
CASUALTIES, MAYBE WE LET IT END 
HERE?   
ED 
>> IS THERE ANY DE-CONFLICTION 
CHANNELS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND 
IRAN NOW? 
ONE THING, AND I'M SURE YOU 
BROUGHT THIS UP EARLIER, BUT 
ONE THING THAT'S SUPER 
IMPORTANT FOR VIEWERS TO 
UNDERSTAND IS JUST HOW MAJOR OF 
A FIGURE CASEM SOLEIMANI WAS. 
QASEM SOLEIMANI WAS TO THE 
IRANIAN PEOPLE. 
ONE PERSON CLOSE TO THE 
PRESIDENT SWINGED IT AS BEING 
EQUIVALENT IF THE IRANIANS HAVE 
KILLED SCHWARZKOFF. 
WITH ITS STATURE IN THE 
SOCIETY, IT WAS SOMEWHERE 
BETWEEN SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, 
THE VICE PRESIDENT, AND 
SECRETARY OF STATE ALL ROLLED 
INTO ONE. 
>> RIGHT. 
SO THERE DEFINITELY IS AN 
ELEMENT OF FACE-SAVING FOR THE 
IRANIANS HERE. 
AND ON ONE OF THE STATE TV 
NETWORKS, THEY ARE FRAMING THIS 
ATTACK AS QUOTE UNQUOTE 
REVENGE. 
>> AND I WOULD SAY THAT'S THE 
REGIME'S PERSPECTIVE. 
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY 
ELEMENTS WITHIN IRONTHAT ARE 
UNHAPPY WITH THE REGIME. 
YOUNGER PEOPLE LOOKING FOR MORE 
CIVIL FREEDOMS. 
EVEN BLUE COLLARS OF IRAN HAVE 
JOINED THESE PROTESTS WHICH 
WERE LARGELY ABOUT A YEAR AGO 
OR TWO YEARS AGO. 
MORE OF THE ELITE PROTESTING. 
AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW 
MUCH OF THAT STATUTE THAT YOU 
AFFORD TO SOLEIMANI REALLY WAS 
UNIVERSAL IN IRAQ.  
>> I WOULD NOT PURPORT TO BE AN 
EXPERT ON THAT AT ALL. 
I THINK OBVIOUSLY WE SAY THE 
GREEN REVOLUTION IN IRAN RIGHT 
AT THE TURN OF THE LAST DECADE. 
THERE DEFINITELY IS OPPOSITION 
TO THE REGIME THERE, WHICH IS 
-- WHICH HAS BEEN PRETTY BRUTAL 
TO ITS OWN PEOPLE AND PRETTY 
REPRESSIVE. 
I THINK AS WE LEARNED WHAT SOME 
OF THE AMERICAN ADVENTURISM 
THAT WE SAW IN IRAQ AND 
AFGHANISTAN AROUND THE 
BEGINNING OF THE CENTURY, IT'S 
JUST REALLY HARD TO PREDICT 
WHERE THIS STUFF GOES. 
I SHOULD SAY I HAVE A LITTLE 
BIT OF BREAKING NEWS. 
THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY 
TOLD ME THE PRESIDENT IS NOT 
PLANNING SPEAK TONIGHT. 
>> AH. 
>> IT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE WE'RE 
GOING TO HEAR FROM PRESIDENT 
TRUMP AT LEAST ON TELEVISION. 
>> OKAY. 
INTERESTING. 
DAVE, I WANT TO GET YOUR 
PERSPECTIVE ON THESE GROUPS 
THAT YOU SAID WERE -- WE 
DISCUSSED EARLIER, THAT WERE 
UNHAPPY WITH THE IRANIAN REGIME.
HAS THAT DIVISION GONE AWAY 
WITH THIS UNIFIED WARNING OVER 
THIS BELOVED GENERAL? 
>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 
HOW MUCH DOES -- WE KNOW 
SPEAKING GENERALLY THAT WARS 
TEND TO UNIFY COUNTRIES AND 
OVERCOME SOME OTHER INTERNAL 
DOMESTIC UNHAPPINESS. 
OFTEN COUNTRIES IN THE PAST 
HAVE USED WARS TO GET OVER 
DOMESTIC PROBLEMS. 
>> RIGHT.  
>> SO HOW MUCH DID -- SOLEIMANI 
WAS NOT BELOVED BY ALL. 
HE WAS A LARGE FIGURE THAT CAME 
FOR, YOU KNOW -- GREW UP IN THE 
POSTREVOLUTION, THE IRAN/IRAQ 
WAR IS REALLY WHERE HE CAME TO 
SORT OF COME TO PROMINENCE. 
HE WAS INJURED THERE. 
THEN BEGAN WORKING HIS WAY UP. 
HE'S NOT A REAL ORIGINAL BIG 
PLAYER IN THE REVOLUTION. 
SO PEOPLE WERE DIVIDED, 
ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF HIS ROLE 
IN COMING IN TO SQUASH THE 
STUDENT PROTESTS. 
SO HE DID PLAY A BIG ROLE IN 
THAT. 
>> RIGHT. 
>> AND PEOPLE KNEW THAT. 
AND THE UNDERSTANDING -- WITH 
ALL DUE RESPECT TO HUNTER, I 
WOULD NEVER COMPARE SOLEIMANI 
TO NORMAN SCHWARZKO, IF F. 
ALTERNATE NOT A COMPARISON 
THERE. 
THE ATROCITIES THAT HE 
COMMITTED THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER 
AND HOW HE'S DONE THINGS ARE 
PRETTY WELL-DOCUMENTED. 
YOU HAVE THE IRANIAN 
REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS. 
THEY'RE NOT ONLY THE ARMY. 
THEY'RE THE GUARDIANS OF THE 
REVOLUTION. 
IRAN ALSO HAS AN ARMY, AND AN 
IRANIAN NAVY. 
THEN THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY 
GUARD CORE THAT'S THERE TO 
GUARD THE REVOLUTION. 
>> INTERESTING. 
>> WITHIN THAT SEGMENT, YOU 
HAVE THE KUDZ FORCE. 
AND THAT IS JERUSALEM. 
THAT'S WHAT SOLEIMANI WAS IN 
CHARGE OF. 
THEIR JOB IS TO KS PORT THE 
REVOLUTION. 
THAT'S WHY HE'S PRIMARILY 
EXTERNAL. 
AND DOES THINGS IN SYRIA, 
THAILAND, TRIES TO COORDINATE 
THINGS IN WASHINGTON DC. 
HIS ROLE IS EXTERNAL. 
ULTIMATELY JUST AS THE NAME 
IMPLIES, IS TO TAKE OVER 
JERUSALEM. 
>> RIGHT. 
>> TAKE IT BACK. 
SO NOW THAT FORMAL STRUCTURE 
LOOKS ONE WAY, BUT THE REAL 
STRUCTURE IS HE DID REPORT TO 
-- THE FORCE TO REPORT DIRECTLY 
TO THE SUPREME LEADER. 
SO THEY WERE CLOSE AND TRUSTED 
AGENTS TO EACH OTHER. 
AND HE HAD AN OUTDUE AMOUNT OF 
INFLUENCE. 
THAT ALSO LEADS TO JEALOUSIES 
AND THINGS IN THE REGULAR 
IRANIAN ARMY, OF THE IRGC, AND 
THE KUDZ FORCE, AND THE 
FACTIONAL POWER. 
THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS IN 
PLAY IN IRAN AT ALL TIME TIMES. 
THE PEOPLE LOOK AT THEM AS PART 
OF THE PIECES HOLDING THEM 
BACK. 
AND THEY WATCHED SOLEIMANI 
SPEND ALL THIS MONEY IN SYRIA, 
IN YEMEN, ON HEZBOLLAH, IN 
LEBANON. 
AND THEY'RE IN ECONOMIC STRAITS 
AND THEY'RE GOING WHAT ARE WE 
DOING? 
THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THESE 
PROTESTS STARTED COMING FROM. 
>> RIGHT. 
>> SO HOW MUCH HAS THIS 
GALVANIZED THEM? 
I DON'T KNOW. 
>> IT'S INTERESTING THAT THAT 
IS DIRECTLY THE AMOUNT OF THE 
POPULATION THAT THE REVOLUTION 
WAS SUPPOSED TO STIR. 
THE POORER, DISENFRANCHISED 
AREAS, AND NOW THEY'RE WATCHING 
THAT SPENDING AND FEELING 
INFURIATED ABOUT IT. 
>> THAT'S RIGHT. 
BUT THE PEOPLE SEE WHERE IT'S 
GOING. 
FOR ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING OR 
LISTENING, TAKE THE TIME TO 
READ THE IRANIAN CONSTITUTION. 
THIS TELLS YOU WHAT IRAN IS 
ABOUT. 
AND THE GOALS OF THE COUNTRY. 
AND ONE OF THOSE ENDURING GOAL 
SYSTEM TO EXPORT THE 
REVOLUTION. 
GOALS IS TO EXPORE THE 
REVOLUTION. 
>> RIGHT. 
>> AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, 
YOU'RE GOING TO CONSTANTLY BE 
DOING THINGS IN THE REGION, 
CONSTANTLY INVOLVED WITH 
LEBANON, HIS BOWLA. 
ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS 
WITH REVOLUTIONARIES IS WHEN 
THEY WIN. 
THEY HAVE TO GOVERN.  
>> YEAH! 
HOW CAN WE REMAIN AS 
REVOLUTIONARIES WHEN WE'RE NOW 
THE ESTABLISHMENT, RIGHT?  
>>  VELASQUEZ, SAME THING. 
>> EXACTLY. 
>> I WANT TO BRING IN OLIVIA.  
I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE SOME NEW 
INFORMATION FOR US ABOUT WHAT'S 
GOING ON AT THE WHITE HOUSE.  
>> WELL, MAINLY I JUST WANTED 
TO SEND THE REMINDER THAT ONCE 
THESE CONVERSATIONS END 
TONIGHT, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE 
TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHAT 
HAPPENS WITH THESE ALL-HANDS 
CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFINGS THAT 
ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE 
TOMORROW. 
IT'S UNCLEAR IF THEY WILL HAVE 
THEIR HANDS TIED. 
BUT CONGRESS HAS BEEN 
VEHEMENTLY, AT LEAST DEMOCRATS, 
DEMANDING SOME ANSWERS AND 
TRANSPARENCY INTO THE SERIES OF 
THE DECISIONS AND THE 
INTELLIGENCE UNDERLYING THE 
STRIKE ON SOLEIMANI TO BEGIN 
WITH. 
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CALLS BY 
DEMOCRATS TO DECLASSIFY, SAYING 
THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO THAT 
DECISION AND TO GET SOME 
ANSWERS AS TO WHAT THE STRATEGY 
IS FROM HERE. 
TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHY 
NOW? 
WHY NOW DID WE ACT TO 
SOLEIMANI? 
IF THESE WERE EXTRAORDINARY 
CIRCUMSTANCES AND AN ATTACK WAS 
IMNENTD, WHAT WERE THEY? 
AND HOW DO YOU GET ON THE OFF-
RAMP HERE? 
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 
INDICATING TODAY THAT THE 
INTELLIGENCE, THAT VERY SORT OF 
VALUABLE INTELLIGENCE THAT 
CANNOT BE SHARED WITH THE 
ENTIRETY OF THE CONGRESS, WAS 
ONLY SHARED WITH THE GANG OF 8, 
WHICH RECEIVED A BRIEFING 
TODAY. 
WE KNOW THERE WERE PREVIOUS 
ADMINISTRATIONS LETTING THE 
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP AND 
THE HEADS OF THE RESPECTED 
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES KNOW 
WHAT THEY KNEW ABOUT THE 
IMPENDING STRIKES THAT 
SOLEIMANI WAS APPARENTLY 
PLANNING. 
AND LIKELY THEY DISCUSSED ANY 
INTELLIGENCE ABOUT WHAT MIGHT 
HAVE BEEN FORTHCOMING FROM IRAN 
IN THE COMING DAYS. 
IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER THEY HAD 
PERFECT VISIBILITY INTO WHAT IS 
HAPPENING TONIGHT.  
THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SHARING 
THAT INTELLIGENCE WITH, AGAIN, 
THAT CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP 
AND INTELLIGENCE. 
>> WE CAN ASSUME THAT TOMORROW, 
LAWMAKERS WILL ALSO GET A 
BRIEFING ON THE VERY LATEST 
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, CORRECT?  
>> THAT IS THE EXPECTATION. 
I DON'T KNOW THAT THOSE PLANS 
HAVE BEEN UPENDED YET. 
IF THERE IS A NEED FOR THE 
DEFENSE TO BE AT THE THE 
PENTAGON, THEY'RE UNLIKELY TO 
TAKE IT TO CONGRESS. 
BUT THE LAWMAKERS ARE PRETTY 
ADAMANT THAT THEY NEED ANSWERS. 
IF THIS IS NATIONAL SECURITY, 
AND AMERICAN LIVES ARE AT RICK, 
THAT'S GOING TO TAKE THE 
FOREFRONT TO BRIEFINGS. 
BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERMATH 
OF THIS ATTACK, CALLS FOR THE 
LEADERSHIP TO MAKE ITS 
INTENTIONS CLEAR IS ONLY GOING 
TO INTENSIFY. 
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
AND WE'RE GOING TO BRING IN IAN 
LEE. 
ROCKETS WERE LAUNCHED VERY 
CLOSE TO WHERE YOU ARE. 
WHAT IS THE LATEST ON THE 
GROUND THERE?   
>> WELL, IT'S A REALLY FLUID 
SITUATION RIGHT NOW. 
PEOPLE ARE WAITING TO SEE IF 
THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER 
BARRAGE OF ROCKETS. 
THOSE ROCKET, WE HEARD THEM, 
ACTUALLY, A LITTLE AFTER 1:00 
IN THE MORNING HERE, LOCAL 
TIME. 
WE HEARD TWO LOUD EXPLOSIONS. 
THOSE WERE JUST NORTH OF THE 
CONSULATE. 
WE'RE HEARING THAT NO KARNLTS 
HAVE BEEN REPORTED. 
NO CASUALTIES HAVE BEEN 
REPORTED. 
OUR TEAM WENT OUT THERE TO 
CHECK THE CONSULATE, AND IT WAS 
VERY CALM THERE. 
NO SENSE OF EMERGENCY. 
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THOSE MISSILES 
LANDED QUITE FAR NORTH OF THE 
AMERICAN MILITARY PRESENCE 
HERE. 
BUT THE QUESTION NOW IS ARE 
THERE GONNA BE MORE? 
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT 
THEY'RE GONNA BE WATCHING 
CLOSELY TONIGHT. 
IS THERE MORE GONNA BE 
INCOMING? 
AND THEN HOW IS THE UNITED 
STATES GOVERNMENT GOING TO 
RESPOND TO THAT? 
AND I CAN TELL YOU ALSO 
TONIGHT, WE'VE HEARD 
HELICOPTERS FLYING OVER TOO. 
A VERY TENSE EVENING HERE. 
>> AND IAN THE AIRBASE THAT WAS 
TARGETED WAS A COALITION BASE. 
THERE WFRPT ONLY U.S. TROOPS 
THERE. 
DO WE KNOW HOW OTHERS ARE 
RESPONDING?   
>> RIGHT NOW IT REALLY IS JUST 
WAIT AND SEE WHAT'S GOING TO 
HAPPEN. 
WE'RE EXPECTING THE PRESIDENT 
TO TALK POTENTIALLY A LITTLE 
LATER TO GIVE US AN UPDATE 
WHAT'S GOING ON. 
BUT RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE 
HEARING AT LEAST FROM THAT 
BASE, THEY'RE ASSESSING THE 
DAMAGE, ASSESSING WHAT HAPPENED.
WE'RE HEARING REPORTS BEFORE 
THIS HAPPENED THAT OTHER 
MEMBERS OF THE COALITION WERE 
FIGURING OUT WAYS TO LEAVE IRAQ 
AFTER THE IRAQI PARLIAMENT SAID 
THAT THEY WANT ALL FOREIGN 
TROOPS OUT OF THE COUNTRY. 
ONE THING ALSO WE'RE GONNA BE 
WATCHING THIS EVENING, IS 
GETTING THE IRGC, THE ISLAMIC 
REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS OF 
IRAN THREATENING REGIONAL 
ALLIES. 
THAT IF SOMEHOW THEY'RE MIXED 
UP IN ALL THIS, IRAN IS SAYING 
THEY'RE WILLING TO TARGET THEM 
AS WELL. 
A LOT OF COUNTRIES IN THIS 
REGION, A LOT OF THEM ARE ON 
EDGE TONIGHT JUST WATCHING 
THESE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. 
>> IAN LEE IN IRAQ, THANK YOU 
SO MUCH FOR THAT.  
DAVID MARTIN JOINS ME NOW FROM 
THE PENTAGON. 
HE IS A CBS NEWS SENIOR 
NATIONAL SECURITY 
CORRESPONDENT. 
WHAT'S THE VERY LATEST ON THIS 
FLUID SITUATION? 
>> WELL, THE LATEST IS THE 
ATTACKS OCCURRED, A DOZEN 
BALLISTICIMISMS. 
AND U.S. IS WARNING FOR DAYS 
NOW THAT IRAN WOULD BE HELD 
RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ATTACK 
AGAINST AMERICAN INTERESTS. 
AND HERE YOU HAVE AN ATTACK 
LAUNCHED DIRECTLY FROM IRANIAN 
TERRITORY. 
ON TWO BASES WHERE AMERICAN 
TROOPS ARE LOCATED. 
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY 
DOUBT THAT THIS ATTACK CROSSES 
A RED LINE AND WILL DRAW A 
RETALIATORY STRIKE. 
AND THE QUESTION REALLY IS IS 
THE RETALIATORY STRIKE GOING TO 
BE LIMITED IN SCOPE TO JUST THE 
MISSILE BASE, FOR INSTANCE, 
WHICH FIRED THESE MISSILES? 
OR IS IT GOING TO BE A MUCH 
BROADER ATTACK WHICH GOES AFTER 
THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE IRANIAN 
REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS, FOR 
INSTANCE. 
SINCE THAT IS THE MILITARY UNIT 
THAT LAUNCHED THE STRIKES. 
ALL THAT IS STILL IN PLAY RIGHT 
NOW. 
AS IS AN ASSESSMENT OF HOW MUCH 
DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THESE BASES 
BY THESE MISSILEMISSILES. 
THE PENT 21. 
IS SAYING VERY LITTLE ABOUT 
THAT FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT 
IT DOESN'T WANT IRAN TO KNOW 
WHETHER THEIR ATTACK MET WITH 
ANY SUCCESS. 
SO THE FACT THAT THE PENTAGON 
IS SAYING IT IS STILL 
EVALUATING THE BATTLE DAMAGE IS 
REALLY JUST A PLACE HOLDER ON 
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED. 
>> SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT AT 
THIS POINT THE PENT GONE KNEW 
EXACTLY HOW MUCH DAMAGE THERE 
WAS. 
>> THEY CERTAINLY HAVE REPORTS 
OF HOW MUCH DAMAGE THERE WAS. 
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT 
WOULD BE REPORTED IS THE EXTENT 
OF CASUALTIES. 
BECAUSE, OF COURSE, YOU'D NEED 
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. 
AND WE JUST HAVEN'T HEARD ANY 
REPORTS. 
>> IF THERE ARE AMERICAN 
CASUALTIES, THAT WILL 
PRESUMABLY BE REPORTED, 
CORRECT? 
>> OH, YES. 
WHENEVER A MEMBER OF THE 
AMERICAN MILITARY IS KILLED, IT 
GETS REPORTED. 
AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT 
ANYBODY WAS KILLED. 
>> RIGHT. 
>> OUR INITIAL REPORTS WERE 
THAT THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES 
AND YOU HEARD IAN SAY THE SAME 
THING. 
BUT I'M JUST SAYING WE HAVE NO 
OFFICIAL WORD. 
>> RIGHT. 
>> FROM THE PENTAGON ON WHETHER 
THERE WERE CASUALTIES. 
>> AND NOTICE THAT WILL MAKE A 
BIG DIFFERENCE, WON'T IT, 
DAVID, AS TO WHAT THE U.S. 
RESPONSE WILL BE?  
>> WELL, I THINK THE RED LINE 
HAS BEEN CROSSED, REGARDLESS OF 
WHETHER THERE WERE AMERICAN 
CASUALTIES.  
THIS WAS A DIRECT ATTACK ON 
U.S. TROOPS. 
THAT'S A CAUSE FOR WAR. 
SO IF U.S. TROOPS WERE KILLED 
OR INJURED, I THINK THAT WOULD 
INCREASE THE SCOPE OF WHAT THE 
U.S. PLANS TO DO IN 
RETALIATION. 
BUT I THINK THE RED LOIN HAS 
BEEN CROSSED.  
>> DAVID MARTIN AT THE 
PENTAGON. 
THANK YOU. 
>> SURE THING. 
>> LET'S BRING IN CORRESPONDENT 
WEIJIA JIANG, AND CBS NEWS 
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT HOLLY 
WILLIAMS FROM BAGHDAD. 
AND SENIOR NEWS FOREIGN 
CORRESPONDENT ELIZABETH PALMER 
IN TEHERAN. 
THANKS TO YOU FOR BEING WITH 
US. 
HOLY, LET ME START WITH YOU. 
WHAT'S THE LATEST ON THE GROUND 
THERE?  
>> Reporter: SO WE HAVE HAD 
THESE TWO ATTACKS THAT WE'RE 
AWARE OF. 
ONE ON AL ASSAD AIRBASE, ABOUT 
100 MILES NORTHWEST OF YEAR. 
OF HERE. 
AND ONE ON THE BASE 200 MILES 
NORTH OF HERE. 
THEY ARE BOTH CLEARLY VERY 
ATTRACTIVE TARGETS FOR THE 
IRANIANS. 
WE VISITED THE BASE ON MULTIPLE 
OCCASIONS. 
IT'S VERY BIG. 
A LOT OF AMERICAN INVESTMENT. 
A LOT OF AMERICAN PERSONNEL. 
AND A LOT OF U.S. AIRCRAFT. 
SO YOU CAN SEE WHY THE IRANIANS 
MIGHT CHOOSE TO TARGET IT. 
REMEMBER THAT U.S. TROOPS HERE 
IN IRAQ, THEY NUMBER ABOUT 
5,000, WERE ALREADY ON HIGH 
ALERT. 
AND THEY HAD POURED THEIR 
OPERATIONS HERE AGAINST ISIS, 
FEARING SOME KIND OF REVENGE 
ATTACK BY IRAN. 
>> AND WHAT MORE CAN YOU TELL 
US ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WHERE 
YOU ARE?  
>> WELL, FOR A START, AMERICANS 
KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT THESE 
ATTACKS THAN THE IRANIANS DO. 
IT HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF 
THE NIGHT. 
IT'S JUST AFTER 5:00 NOW. 
AND THE SUN IS NOT UP. 
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WATCHING 
EARLY MORNING TV WILL HAVE SEEN 
THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD POSTED 
A STATEMENT CLAIMING 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ATTACK. 
SAYING EXLIFTLY THAT IT WAS A 
REPRIVATELY FOR THE KILLING OF 
COMMANDER SOLEIMANI. 
AND THE GUARDS HAVE POSTED VOD 
OF WHAT THEY SAY ARE THE 
OUTGOINGIMISMS BEING FIRED FROM 
IRAN. 
THE MISSILE IS A SURFACE-TO-
SURFACE MISSILE, A WELL-KNOWN 
WEAPON IN THE ARSENAL. 
MORE CONCERNING, THE GUARD IS 
SAYING THAT IF THE UNITED 
STATES RESPONDS TO THIS ATTACK, 
THE GUARD IN TURN WILL 
RETALIATE SO MUCH THEY'RE 
MAKING AN EXPLICIT THREAT OF 
RETALIATION. 
AND WE HEARD DAVID SAYING 
MOMENTS AGO THAT HE BELIEVES 
THE U.S. WILL RESPOND. 
SO IS LOOKING LIKE A VERY 
DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT COULD, 
IN FACT, GET A LOT WORSE. 
>> ABSOLUTELY. 
AND WEIJIA, YOU ARE THERE IN 
WASHINGTON DO. 
WE HAVE ANYMORE INFORMATION 
ABOUT HOW THE ADMINISTRATION 
MIGHT RESPOND TO THIS ATTACK? 
>> WELL, YOU KNOW THAT 
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN ALL 
NIGHT LONG IN THE SITUATION 
RHYME WITH VICE PRESIDENT MIKE 
PENCE, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 
MESPER, SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE 
POMPEO, AND HIS NATIONAL 
SECURITY ADVISOR. 
AND SO FAR WE HAVE NOT HEARD 
ANYTHING FROM THE PRESIDENT. 
WE HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT THE 
PRESIDENT WILL NOT BE MAKE 
ANYTHING SORT OF FORMAL REMARKS 
HERE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. 
BUT CERTAINLY THE QUESTION IS 
WHAT THEIR NEXT MOVE WILL BE. 
AND WOE KNOW THAT THIS IS 
SOMETHING THAT THEF ALREADY 
BEEN MAPPING OUT. 
ANTICIPATING THAT TEHERAN WILL 
RESPOND IN SOME SORT OF WAY. 
TODAY DURING A SPRING OF RARE 
PRESS CONFERENCES, IN FACT, ALL 
THREE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO I 
JUST MENTIONED, ASIDE FROM VICE 
PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE, GAVE RARE 
PRESS CONFERENCES TO SAY THAT 
IF IRAN WERE TO DO ANYTHING, 
WERE TO MAKE A BAD DECISION, 
THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION WOULD 
BE READY TO RESPOND. 
AND PART OF THE REASON WE'RE 
NOT HEARING FROM THE PRESIDENT 
IS THEY STILL HAVE IT DECIDE 
WHAT IT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND 
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES. 
PEOPLE ON CAPITOL HILL ARE 
ALREADY PUBLICLY EXPRESSING 
THEIR CONCERNS THAT THIS COULD 
ONLY BE THE BEGIN. 
>> RIGHT. 
>> THAT THERE COULD BE A AT 
THIS TIME FOR TAT. 
WE KNOW THAT THE VICE PRESIDENT 
HAS BRIEFED HOUSE SPEAKER, 
NANCY PELOSI, ALONG WITH SENATE 
MINORITY LEADER, CHUCK SCHUMER. 
AND THEY ARE PUBLICLY SPEAKING 
OUT AS WELL. 
WITH PELOSI SAYING THESE 
NEEDLESS PROVOCATIONS FROM THE 
ADMINISTRATION HAVE TO STOP 
BECAUSE AMERICA AND THE WORLD 
CANNOT AFFORD WAR SO MUCH IT'S 
AN EXTREMELY TENSE SITUATION 
HERE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. 
WITH REALLY NO ANSWERS AS THE 
PRESIDENT CONTINUES TO HUDDLE. 
BUT I CAN TELL YOU, TANYA, THAT 
IN LIGHT OF THESE ESCALATING 
TENSIONS, THE U.S. SECRET 
SERVICE HAS BEEFED UP ITS 
PRESENCE HERE AT THE WHO IS.  
>> AND WEIJIA, WE KNOW THAT 
LAWMAKERS WERE ALL SET TO GET A 
BRIEFING ON THAT ORIGINAL 
ATTACK AGAINST GENERAL 
SOLEIMANI. 
IS THERE MORE SCHEDULED AND 
TELL INCLUDE THE DAMAGE BETWEEN 
BY THESE ATTACKS AND THE 
RETALIATION PLANNED? 
>> AS FAR AS WE KNOW, IT IS 
STILL ON A SCHEDULE. 
JUST TODAY THE WHITE HOUSE 
BRIEFED THE GANG OF EIGHT 
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS WITH 
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION 
REGARDING THAT SOLEIMANI 
ATTACK. 
BUT CERTAINLY IF THAT HAPPENS 
TOMORROW AS IT'S EXPECTED TO, 
THERE WILL BE BRAND-NEW 
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT HAS NOW 
DEVELOPED AND WHAT THE 
ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO DO 
MOVING FORWARD. 
PELOSI IS PLANNING TO TAKE A 
VOTE, WAS PLANNING, PERHAPS, 
STILL IS. 
ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT 
HAPPENED. 
TO TAKE A VOTE ON A RESOLUTION 
TO LIMIT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S 
MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST IRAN. 
SO THESE ARE ISSUES THAT 
DEFINITELY DEMOCRATS WILL BE 
RAISING. 
BECAUSE THEY ARE CONCERNED THAT 
NUMBER ONE, IT WAS NOT WORTH IT 
TO TAKE OUT SOLEIMANI GIVEN THE 
RESIDUAL DANGER THAT WE ARE 
ALREADY SEEING NOW. 
AND NUMBER TWO, THEY WANT TO 
STOP POTENTIAL ESCALATION. 
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE 
PRESIDENT AND HIS CABINET 
MEMBERS HAVE SAID, THE PAUL IS 
IN IRAN'S COURT TO DEESCALATE. 
MANY CRITICS OF THE 
ADMINISTRATION ARE ARGUING THAT 
THE U.S. HAS TO DEESCALATE AS 
WELL. 
SO THEY HAVE TO SOMEHOW COME TO 
A COMPROMISE BEFORE WE, 
FRIFRNGLY, DO END UP IN WAR.  
>> WEIJIA JIANG AT THE WHITE 
HOUSE, THANK YOU. 
AND THANK YOU TO ELIZABETH 
PALMER AND HOLLY WILLIAMS AS 
WELL. 
WE'RE GONNA BRING BACK IN 
HUNTER WALKER. 
AND NOW THERE ARE GOING TO BE 
VERY DIFFERENT QUESTIONS 
REGARDING THAT FIRST STRIKE. 
IF LAWMAKERS WANTED TO ASK 
WHAT'S THE PLAN IN PLACE FOR 
THE RESPONSE? 
NOW WE'VE SEEN THE RESPONSE. 
SO A LOT IS GOING TO BE 
COMPILED IN TOMORROW'S 
BRIEFING. 
HOW DO YOU EXPECT DEMOCRATS 
WILL RESPOND TO THIS.  
>> WELL, I THINK IT'S 
INTERESTING. 
EXCUSE ME. 
IT'S AN ISSUE FOR DEMOCRATS ON 
THE HILL. 
AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEING OUR 
FIRST INDICATION THAT IT'S AN 
ISSUE FOR DEMOCRATS ON THE 2020 
CAMPAIGN TRAIL. 
JOE BIDEN WAS AT A FUNDRAISER 
TONIGHT. 
AND IT WAS IN THE SUBURBS OF 
PHILADELPHIA, AND ACCORDING TO 
JULIA, THE LOCAL REPORTER FOR 
THE PHILLY ENQUIRER. 
HE BRIEFLY ADDRESSED THE 
STRIKES. 
WHILE PREFACING IT BY SAYING HE 
DIDN'T HAVE MANY DETAILS AND 
ONLY WANTED TO SPEAK GENERALLY. 
JOE BIDEN'S COMMENTS WAS, 
QUOTE, "WHAT'S HAPPENING IN 
IRAN AND IRAQ TODAY IS 
PREDICTABLE. 
NOT EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING 
BUT THE CHAOS THAT'S ENSUING". 
AND HE BLAMED TRUMP FOR 
WITHDRAWING FROM THE NUCLEAR 
DEAL AND ALSO FOR THE KILLING 
OF SOLEIMANI. 
HE SAID OF TRUMP, QUOTE, "SOME 
OF THE THINGS HE'S DONE AND 
SAID IN THE MEANTIME HAVE BEEN 
CLOSE TO LIED COURTHOUSE, 
INCLUDING THREATENING TO BOMB A 
HOLY SITE. 
I PRAY TO GOD THAT HE'S 
LISTENING TO HIS MILITARY 
COMMANDERS FOR THE FIRST TIME 
BECAUSE SO FAR THAT HAS NOT 
BEEN THE CASE". 
>> RIGHT. 
>> I THINK BIDEN'S COMMENTS ARE 
REL INDICATIVE OF HOW WE'RE 
GOING TO SEE DEMOCRATS REALLY 
CRITICIZE PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR 
THE ESCALATION HERE. 
>> LET'S DRILL DOWN FOR A 
SECOND ON THAT THREAT BY 
PRESIDENT TRUMP, THAT WAS 
WIDELY CRITICIZED, THAT THREAT 
TO ATTACK NATIONAL OR RELIGIOUS 
ARTIFACTS. 
I BELIEVE THE ADMINISTRATION 
HAS BACKED DOWN. 
I THINK MARK ESPER WAS ASK BODY 
THAT AT ONE POINT AND HE SAID 
WE DON'T COMMIT WAR KROIMS. 
AND I BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT MAY 
HAVE SAID SOMETHING TODAY THAT 
INDICATED HE WAS BACKING DOWN 
FROM THAT SPECIFIC THREAT AS 
WELL. 
IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING?  
>> YEAH. 
SO WHPD WAS OVER THE WEEKEND, 
THE PRESIDENT TOTED THAT THE 
U.S. HAD 52 SITES IN I RAN. 
REPRESENTING THE 52 HOSTAGES 
THAT WERE TAKEN AT THE U.S. 
EMBASSY DURING THE REVOLUTION 
THERE. 
AND THESE SITES WERE READY TO 
BE TARGETED IN THE EVENT OF ANY 
NAIFRN RETALIATION  IRANIAN 
RETALIATION. 
THAT PROMPTED A BACKLASH 
BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE SAID ON THE 
AGAINST MILITARY LAW TO TARGET 
CULTURAL SITES. 
>> RIGHT. 
>> WHAT HE SAID IN THE OVAL 
OFFICE TODAY WAS -- THIS IS A, 
QUOTE, "FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP, 
"WE ARE ACCORDING TO VARIOUS 
LAWS SUPPOSED TO BE VERY 
CAREFUL WITH OUR CULTURAL 
HERITAGE. 
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, IF THAT IS 
WHAT THE LAW IS, I LIKE TO OBEY 
THE LAW. 
BUT THINK OF IT, THEY BLOWUP 
OUR PEOPLE, AND THEN WE HAVE TO 
BE VERY GENTLE WITH THE 
CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS. 
I'M OKAY WITH IT, BUT IF IRAN 
DOES ANYTHING THEY SHOULDN'T BE 
SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES AND 
VERY STRONGLY". 
>> RIGHT. 
>> THAT SOAKED TO BACK AWAY 
FROM THE SPECIFIC THREAT TO 
CULTURAL SITES BUT HE CERTAINLY 
DIDN'T BACK DOWN FROM THE RED 
LINE WITH IRAN. 
>> ABSOLUTELY. 
IT'S SORT OF SORRY, I'M NOT 
SORRY KIND OF RESPONSE. 
AND IN TERMS OF A RESPONSE THAT 
THE WHITE HOUSE MIGHT BE 
FRAMING TODAY. 
WE JUST HEARD DAVID MARTIN AT 
THE PENTAGON SAYING THAT HE 
BELIEVE THAT THIS ATTACK, 
WHETHER OR NOT AMERICAN LIVES 
WERE LOST, CONSTITUTES A 
CROSSING OF THE RED LINE THAT 
THE WHITE HOUSE WAS TALKING 
ABOUT. 
WHAT CAN WE INFER FROM THE 
PRESIDENT'S TWEETS AND WHAT 
HE'S SAID ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF 
THE RETALIATION THAT MIGHT 
FOLLOW?  
IN SOME WAYS, HE MAY HAVE BOXED 
HIMSELF INTEREST A BIT OF A 
CORNER WITH SOME OF LANGUAGE 
THAT HE'S USED. 
>> YEAH, I THINK IT'S REALLY 
HARD TO DAMAGE WHAT THE 
PRESIDENT IS GONNA DO ON THIS. 
IN SYRIA, WE SAW HIM DROP THE 
QUOTE UNQUOTE MOTHER OF ALL 
BOMBS AT ONE POINT WHEN HE WAS 
INTERESTED IN RETALIATING, 
AGAINST THINGS ISIS HAD DONE. 
BUT AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, 
THERE WAS THIS INCIDENT WITH 
THE DRONE STRIKE. 
WHERE IRAN SHUT DOWN ONE OF OUR 
DRONES EARLIER THIS SUMMER. 
AND IT SOAKED TO VIOLET HIS RED 
LINE BUT HE DID BACK DOWN FROM 
THAT. 
HE INDICATED HE WOULD GET US 
OUT OF WHAT HE CALLED, QUOTE 
UNQUOTE, ENDLESS WARS IN THE 
MID-EAST. 
SOURCES CLOSE TO THE PRESIDENT 
TOLD ME RIGHT AFTER THE KILLING 
THAT THEY SAW SOLEIMANI AS A 
VERY MAJOR IRANIAN MILITARY 
LORD. 
THEY MADE THE COMPARISON TO 
SCHWARZCOF, AND THEY SAID THAT 
PUT US ON THE, QUOTE UNQUOTE, 
PATH. 
I THINK THE REAL QUESTION 
THAT'S GONNA COME UP WITH 
DEMOCRATS ON THE TRAIL AND THE 
HILL AS WE LOOK AT POTENTIAL 
FURTHER ESCALATION HERE IS WHAT 
WAS THIS SUPPOSED INTELLIGENCE 
THAT PROMPTED THE STRIKE 
AGAINST SOLEIMANI? 
>> RIGHT. 
>> AND MY COLLEAGUE, JENNA 
MCLOCKLIN, JUST PUBLISHED A 
STORY SAYING THAT SAUDI 
OFFICIALS WARNED OF A CYBER 
ATTACK LITERALLY ON THE DAY OF 
THAT STRIKE. 
AND EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT IRAN 
WAS BEHIND THAT CYBER ATTACK. 
IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT THAT'S WHAT 
PROMPTED THE KILLING OF 
SOLEIMANI. 
I DON'T THINK A CYBER ATTACK IS 
THE KIND OF IMMINENT THREAT 
THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS IMPLIED 
IT WAS. 
BUT WHEN HE WAS TALKING IN THE 
OVAL TODAY, THEY ACTUALLY ASKED 
THE PRESIDENT, WHAT WAS THIS 
INTELLIGENCE THAT LED YOU TO 
MAKE THE DECISION TO KILL 
SOLEIMANI, AND TRUMP'S COMMENT 
WAS NOT AN ANSWER OF THE HE 
SAID LOOK AT WHAT HE WAS 
PLANNING. 
RIGHT NOW IT'S CLASSIFIED. 
I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE ONE OF 
THE BIGGER QUESTIONS THAT WE 
SEE EMERGE THIS WOKE. 
WHAT WAS THIS INTELLIGENCE, AND 
CAN THE WHITE HOUSE EXPLAIN WHY 
THEY TOOK THIS DRASTIC STEP? 
>> THAT'S WHAT LAWMAKERS ARE 
SUPPOSED TO HEAR TOMORROW. 
SO WE'LL SEE. 
THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
LET'S BRING IN CATHERINE 
HERRAGE. 
SHE IS THE SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE 
CORRESPONDENT FOR CBS NEWS. 
>> THE NEWS CONFERENCE AT THE 
PEPTIDE GONE EARLIER TODAY, 
SECRETARY ESPERPROVIDE PROVIDED 
A LOT OF DETAIL ABOUT THE 
INTELLIGENCE THAT LED TO THE 
STRIKE LAST WEEK. 
HE WAS ASKED THE QUESTION 
WHETHER THIS WAS AN IMMINENT OR 
ACTIVE PLOT. 
AND HE SAID IT WOULD BE FAIR TO 
AND HE WAS ALSO VERY SPECIFIC 
ABOUT GENERAL SOLEIMANI SAYING 
-- I'M USING THE LANGUAGE HE 
USED, HE WAS IN BAGHDAD TO 
COORDINATE AN ATTACK. 
SEAGAIN THAT TELLS YOU THAT THE 
ADMINISTRATION HAD BASED ON 
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE STREAMS 
THAT THIS WAS A PLOT IN ITS 
FINAL STAGES. 
A COUPLE OF OTHER POINTS, 
TANYA, THAT REALLY STOOD OUT 
FROM ESPER'S NEWS CONFERENCE, 
HE SAID IRAN WILL RETALIATE. 
THAT WAS THE EXPECTATION OF THE 
UNITED STATES. 
AND THE BACKSTORY THERE, WE HAD 
THE CALLING FROM MY COLLEAGUE, 
DAVID MARTIN, AT THE PENT GONE. 
THAT MILITARY OFFICIALS WERE 
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THEY 
CALLED TROUBLING MOVEMENTS OF 
MILITARY IRANIAN ACCESS IN THE 
REGION. 
AND FINALLY SECRETARY ESPER 
OFFERED A VERY PUBLIC OFF-RAMP 
FOR THE IRANIANS. 
HE SAID THE U.S. WAS OPEN TO A 
DIALOGUE AND A DIPLOMATIC 
RESOLUTION. 
AND I KEEP COMING BACK TO THAT 
POINT BECAUSE OVER THE WEEKEND, 
LINDSEY GRAHAM TOLD CBS NEWS 
THAT HE WAS GOING TO PERSONALLY 
URGE THE PRESIDENT TO LAYOUT A 
ROADMAP OR PATHWAY TO 
DEESCALATION.  
>>> IF THERE IS NO RETALIATION 
FOR THIS ATTACK, THAT THAT IS 
IT, THEY ARE DONE. 
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT 
CAUGHT MY ATTENTION THIS 
EVENING, THE TIMING, I THINK IT 
IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT 
THE TIMELINE AND HOW THESE 
EVENTS STACK. 
JUST ABOUT THE SAME TIME THESE 
MISSILE TAPS WERE LAUNCHED, WE 
HAD THE STATEMENT RELEASED THIS 
YEAR, SO THE UMBRELLA GROUP 
THAT IS OVER THE MILITARY. 
THEY SAID THIS WAS IN REVENGE 
FOR THE ASSASSINATION OF 
GENERAL SOLEIMANI. 
I REACHED SOMEONE WITHIN THE 
WHITE HOUSE WHO TOLD ME  THAT 
THEY WERE PAYING ATTENTION TO 
THE STATEMENT BECAUSE THEY FELT 
THIS WAS VERY MUCH FOR DOMESTIC 
CONSUMPTION AND IRAN. 
THIS WAS A WAY TO SAY TO THEIR 
OWN PEOPLE, WE ARE PUNCHING 
úBACK AGAINST THE UNITED STATES 
AND MY CONTACT WAS OPERATING 
OFF OF PRELIMINARY 
INVESTIGATION BUT THEY SAID 
THEY DID NOT BELIEVE THIS WAS 
THE GRAND RETALIATORY STRIKE 
THEY HAD BEEN ANTICIPATING, OR 
LIKELY ANTICIPATING, FROM THE 
IRANIANS IN RESPONSE TO THE 
KILLING OF GENERAL SOLEIMANI 
LAST WEEK. 
>> THEY DID NOT GET THE SENSE 
THE IRANIANS WERE DONE?  
>> NOT EARLIER TODAY. 
BUT AGAIN, IT IS VERY FLUID SO 
I DO NOT WANT TO GO TOO FAR AND 
SPECULATE. 
BUT WHEN I HAD MY CONVERSATION 
THEY SAID THEY FELT THIS WAS 
VERY MUCH FOR DOMESTIC 
CONSUMPTION TO PUNCH BACK 
AGAINST THE IDEA THAT IRAN WAS 
WEAK IN THE FACE OF THE UNITED 
STATES. 
>> WRITE. 
AND YOU HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT 
WITH YOUR SOURCES WITHIN THE 
ADMINISTRATION. 
WHAT IS YOUR SENSE ABOUT HOW 
QUICKLY THEY WILL DECIDE ON 
NEXT STEPS? 
>> I THINK YOU JUST HAVE TO 
LOOK AT THE TIKTOK OF THIS 
EVENING. 
USE ALL THE TOP NATIONAL 
SECURITY ADVISORS GO DIRECTLY 
TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND TO 
CONSULT WITH THE PRESIDENT IN 
THE WHITE HOUSE WAS VERY LOOK 
ABOUT SAYING THE PRESIDENT 
REMAINED ENGAGED THIS EVENING 
THOUGH AT THIS POINT WE ARE NOT 
SEEING ANY STATEMENT OR ADDRESS 
FROM THE PRESIDENT ON THE 
INCIDENT THIS EVENING. 
I DO NOT WANT TO SPECULATE, BUT 
IT SEEMS CLEAR FROM MY 
REPORTING THAT THEY ANTICIPATED 
RETALIATION BY IRAN AND IT WAS 
NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE THAT 
THEY WOULD, AND THESE ARE MY 
WORDS, TAKE THE BAIT AND 
ENGAGE, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF 
SECRETARY ESPER'S VERY PUBLIC 
COMMENTS THAT THEY WERE URGING 
IRAN TO TAKE THE PATH OF DE-
ESCALATION AND THE U.S. WAS 
OPEN TO A DIALOGUE WITH 
BACKCOUNTRY. 
>> SO, IT APPEARS, THEN, 
ACCORDING TO DAVID MARTIN, THAT 
THE PENTAGON, WE WERE TALKING 
TO HIM EARLIER, THAT, YOU KNOW, 
THE IRANIANS DID NOT TAKE THAT 
OLIVE BRANCH, AS IT WERE, OR 
DID NOT SEE IT AS IN ALL OF 
BRANCH. 
>> IT CERTAINLY DOES NOT LOOK 
THAT WAY BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK 
AT SECRETARY ESPER'S COMMENTS 
AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER 
OF BALLISTIC MISSILES THAT THE 
PENTAGON SAYS WAS FIRED 
SIGNIFICANTLY FROM IRAN AND NOT 
FROM ONE OF ITS PROXIES OR NOT 
FROM SYRIA, WHICH IS ABOUT 200 
MILES AWAY FROM THE PRIMARY AIR 
BASE THAT WAS ATTACKED, SO THEY 
REALLY TOOK OWNERSHIP, NOT ONLY 
IN THE LAUNCHING OF THE ATTACK, 
BUT THEN AGAIN, THIS VERY 
PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE IRG 
SEE, IRAN'S REVOLUTIONARY 
GUARDS COUNSEL, THIS IS THE 
GROUP OVER THE MILITARY SAYING 
IT WAS US, IT WAS IN REVENGE FOR
GENERAL SOLEIMANI. 
IT WAS A SPECIFIC MESSAGE TO 
THE UNITED STATES. 
BUT AGAIN, I WOULD EMPHASIZE  
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MESSAGE 
DOMESTICALLY IN THE COUNTRY AS 
WELL, THEY ARE PUNCHING BACK IN 
THE UNITED STATES IN THIS CASE. 
>> ABSOLUTELY, AND THAT THEY 
SHOULD THE AIRSTRIKES ON úNATIO 
IT WAS SOMETHING THEY COULD PUT 
ON THE AIRWAVES, AS IT WERE. 
>> IT SEEMED VERY 
CHOREOGRAPHED, I WOULD ADD. 
>> EXACTLY. 
DID YOU GET THE SENSE THAT IT 
WILL BE OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE 
TO THE ADMINISTRATION WHETHER 
THERE WERE U.S. CASUALTIES AS A 
RESULT OF THESE ATTACKS? 
OR THAT THE ATTACKS IN AND OF 
THEMSELVES WERE SUFFICIENT TO 
WARRANT A RESPONSE? 
>> AGAIN, IN THESE SITUATIONS I 
DO NOT LIKE TO GO TOO FAR AND 
SPECULATE ABOUT WHAT I THINK. 
I GUESS THE OTHER ISSUE, IF I 
COULD DRAW ATTENTION TO 
TONIGHT, IS THESE CLASSIFIED 
BRIEFINGS THAT THEY HAVE HAD ON 
CAPITOL HILL FOR THE 
LEADERSHIP, THE SO-CALLED GANG 
OF EIGHT. 
THAT WOULD BE A VERY HIGHLY 
CLASSIFIED BRIEFING THAT WOULD 
GET INTO THE SOME OF THE 
SOURCES AND METHODS AND A LOT 
OF GRANULARITY ABOUT HOW WE 
OBTAIN THE INTELLIGENCE, WHO WE 
GOT IT FROM, OUR PARTNERS IN 
THE REGION, AND WHAT WE 
ANTICIPATE AS NEXT STEPS FROM 
THE IRANIAN. 
I MENTION THAT BECAUSE, I AM 
SURE YOU HAVE NOTED ALREADY IN 
YOUR BROADCAST, THAT THE 
ADMINISTRATION, THEY WERE VERY 
QUICK TO NOTIFY THE 
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP ABOUT 
THE RESPONSE FROM IRAN THIS 
EVENING. 
THERE WAS NO GAP BETWEEN WHAT 
WAS HAPPENING, ALMOST IN REAL-
TIME. 
AND THAT NOTIFICATION. 
AND THAT SEEMED TO BE -- PAYING 
ATTENTION TO THE COMPLAINTS OF 
THE LAST FEW DAYS, THAT THEY 
HAD BEEN LEFT IN THE DARK ABOUT 
WHAT WAS CLEARLY A VERY SERIOUS 
DECISION BY THE UNITED STATES, 
TO TAKE OUT THIS GENERAL. 
>> ABSOLUTELY. 
THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
>> YOU'RE WELCOME. 
>>> LET'S BRING IN NOW, CBS 
NEWS INTELLIGENCE AND NATIONAL 
SECURITY REPORTER, OLIVIA GOT 
US. 
ONCE AGAIN. 
OLIVIA, LET'S LOOK AT THE BIGGER
PICTURE, IF YOU WILL. 
HOW WILL THESE ATTACKS IMPACT 
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S 
NATIONAL DEFENSE STRATEGY MORE 
BROADLY? 
AND I ASK THAT IN LIGHT OF THE 
FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A 
TENSION RIGHT NOW, I THINK, IN 
THE ADMINISTRATION, BETWEEN NOT 
WANTING TO ENTER INTO ANY MORE 
FOREIGN WARS, NOBODY HAS AN 
APPETITE FOR THAT AFTER IRAQ. 
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE NEED TO 
APPEAR STRONG IN THE FACE OF 
IRAN'S ESCALATING MILITARY 
ACTIONS. SO, WHERE WILL THAT 
BALLOTS BE STRUCK? 
>> ABSOLUTELY. 
THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT 
AND SOMETHING THAT OF COURSE, 
THE PRESIDENT RAN ON, WAS THIS 
NOTION THAT, YOU KNOW, RATHER 
THAN BEING ADMIRED IN THE 
MIDDLE EAST IN THESE REGIONAL 
CONFLICTS, WE WERE GOING TO 
STEP OUT OF IT. 
AND A CRUCIAL PART OF HIS OWN 
ADMINISTRATION'S NATIONAL 
DEFENSE STRATEGY, THE SORT OF 
SEMINAL DOCUMENT THAT IS PUT 
OUT ANNUALLY, THAT LAYS OUT A 
SORT OF WORLDVIEW FROM THE 
PENTAGON ON THE PART OF THE 
U.S. MILITARY, OUTLINING THE 
SORT OF NECESSARY PIVOT TO WHAT 
IT REFERS TO AS GREAT POWER 
COMPETITION. 
YOU KNOW, THIS NOTION THAT THE 
U.S. IS IN A LONG-TERM 
STRATEGIC COMPETITION BETWEEN 
NATIONS LIKE RUSSIA AND CHINA, 
YOU KNOW, RISING POWERS, OR AT 
LEAST IMPORTANT POWERS THAT 
WOULD NEED TO SORT OF MEET WITH 
THE U.S. COUNTERBALANCED, AS 
THEY TRIED TO RISE TO ECONOMIC 
AND MILITARY PROMINENCE. 
THERE IS NOTION ALSO THAT THE 
UNITED STATES WOULD HAVE TO 
PIVOT AWAY FROM ITS EFFORT TO 
COUNTER TERRORISM, THAT IT HAS 
FOCUSED ITS INTELLIGENCE AND 
MILITARY CAPABILITIES ON FOR 
OVER A DECADE. 
AND IN ORDER TO PRESERVE AN 
INTERNATIONAL ORDER WHERE THE 
U.S. MAINTAINS SOME KIND OF 
DOMINANCE, TO REALLY INVEST ON 
MAINTAINING ITS COMPETITIVE 
EDGE. 
ONE OTHER THING THAT IS SORT OF 
A SECOND OR THIRD DEGREE 
OFFENSE, NOT TO DIMINISH THE 
URGENCY OF WHAT IS GOING ON 
WITH REGARD TO IRAN, BUT ONE OF 
THE SORT OF ANCILLARY EFFECTS 
THAT BOTH NATO AND THE U.S.-LED 
COALITION TO DEFEAT ISIS HAVE 
SUSPENDED THEIR OPERATIONS 
THERE, RAISING THE VERY REAL 
SPECTER THAT THAT GROUP COULD 
RECONSTITUTE, AND RELATIVE 
RESORT ORDER, MILITARY AND 
INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS HAVE 
WARNED CONSISTENTLY THAT ISIS'S 
PROPAGANDA MACHINE IS STILL 
VERY MUCH ALIVE. 
AND IT DOES NOT TAKE TOO MUCH 
OF AN OPPORTUNITY, TOO BIG A 
WINDOW, FOR THEM TO EFFECTIVELY 
REGAIN AT LEAST SOME CLOUT, IF 
NOT TERRITORY. 
SO THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT 
THING ALSO TO KEEP IN MIND, AS 
THE ADMINISTRATION PLOTS ITS 
NEXT STEPS HERE. 
>> ABSOLUTELY. 
THAT IS CERTAINLY A COMFORTING 
FACTOR. 
BUT FOR ALL PLAYERS INVOLVED, 
BEN IS ALSO STILL WITH US. 
HE IS THE SENIOR FELLOW AT THE 
FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE 
DEMOCRACIES. 
BEEN, IF YOU COULD WEIGH IN ON 
THIS QUESTION OF ISIS, RIGHT? 
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ISIS IS NO 
FRIEND TO IRAN, NO FRIEND TO 
IRAQ, NO FRIENDS TO THE U.S. 
AND YET, THERE IS TENSIONS 
AMONG ALL OF THESE PLAYERS. 
SO, HOW DOES THAT PLAY OUT? 
>> YOU KNOW, IN THE SHORT TO 
MEDIUM-TERM, IF THERE IS A 
PAUSE LIKE WE HAVE BEEN HEARING 
AS REPORTERS IN THE PAST TWO 
DAYS IN THE CAMPAIGNS BY 
WASHINGTON, NATO, AND THE 
INTERNATIONAL COALITION, THAT 
COULD BE A BOON TO IRAN. 
REMEMBER, WITH THE ACTUAL 
CAMPAIGN, THE FIGHTING ON THE 
GROUND BY IRAQI SECURITY FORCES 
AND MILITIAS AS WELL AS OF 
COURSE, THE U.S. AIRPOWER ABOVE,
WHAT IS GOING ON, IRAN USED THE 
FIGHT AGAINST ISIS TO SOLIDIFY 
ITS CONTROL. 
IT HAD BASICALLY CREATED THE 
IRG C MODEL IN NEIGHBORING IRAQ.
IT HAS POWER MILITARIES AND 
PENETRATED THE MINISTRY OF 
DEFENSE. 
SO HAVING A RADICAL JIHADIST 
SUNNI ORGANIZATION AND A 
NEIGHBORING COUNTRY THAT HAS 
INVITED YOU AND TO HELP FIGHT 
THAT ORGANIZATION PERMITS YOU 
BOTH TO STOP THE THREAT TO YOUR 
COUNTRY AS WELL AS TO MAKE 
GAINS IN THE REGION ON BEHALF 
OF YOUR OWN CALL. 
SEE YOU WANT TO DO THAT QUITE 
SKILLFULLY IN 2015 AND 16. 
YOU CAN LOOK AT SOME OF THE 
BATTLES, THEY EVEN HAD SOME 
IRAN BACKED FORCES IN 2014, 
EVEN U.S. AIR COVER, VERY 
INTERESTING AND SMALLER TOWNS 
IN IRAQ AND PLACES, IT IS A 
START TO KNOW WHERE THAT 
CONFLUENCE OF IRAQ -- AROUND 
AND PRO. TO HAVE ISIS TAKE OVER 
TOTALLY AND WIN WOULD NOT BE IN 
IRAN'S INTEREST EITHER. 
>> IT IS NOT QUITE THE ENEMY OF 
MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND, IT IS A 
LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED. 
>> EXACTLY. 
SO, IF THE U.S. DOESN'T 
RESPOND, HOW WOULD THE IRANIAN 
SEE THAT? 
AT THIS POINT WE CAN PROBABLY 
ALL AGREE THAT IT IS LIKELY THE 
U.S. WILL RESPOND BUT IF THE 
U.S. DECIDES THAT THIS WAS 
POUND OF FLESH FOR POUND OF 
FLESH OR WHAT HAVE YOU, HOW 
WOULD THE IRANIANS INTERPRET 
THAT? 
>> JUST TO BE CLEAR AND TO 
REMIND THE AUDIENCE, THIS TWEET 
STORM THAT IS NOW BEING DEFINED 
ON THIS CALL IN ON THE SHOW AS 
THE NEW U.S. REDLINE HAS 
ACTUALLY BEEN THE U.S. REDLINE 
BEFORE. 
BRIAN HEAD, THE SPECIAL 
REPRESENTATIVE, MIKE POMPEO, 
AND ALSO JOHN BOLTON, THE 
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, 
TALKED ABOUT THREATS TO 
AMERICA'S INTEREST AND SECURITY,
FOR BASICALLY NINE, 10 MONTH 
PERIOD, AS BEING MET WITH 
OVERWHELMING FORCE. 
AND EACH INSTANCE, THERE WERE 
THREATS TO AMERICA'S INTERESTS 
IN SECURITY IN THE 2018, EARLY 
2019 PERIOD. 
AND THE U.S. DID NOT RESPOND 
OVERWHELMING FORCE. 
IT REALLY REMAINED IS THAT 
UNTIL MAY 2019 WHEN IRAN 
ESCALATED FURTHER. 
IT WOULD NOT BE UNPRECEDENTED 
FOR THE U.S. TO BACK DOWN FROM 
ISSUING THE THREAT LINE INSIDE 
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. 
THAT'S WHERE THE EVENTS ARE 
MOVING SO QUICKLY SINCE 
DECEMBER, BECAUSE I RAN DOES IT 
ADMIT ANYONE AID. 
IF THE U.S. DOESN'T DO IT, IT 
IS POSSIBLE THE IRANIANS WOULD 
HAVE USED THIS AGAINST LOW 
PROBABILITY CHANCE, BUT IT IS 
POSSIBLE THEY WOULD USE HIS 
RIGHT TO RESPOND TO THE KILLING 
OF SOLEIMANI AND THEN SIMPLY  
SIT IT OUT. 
MEANING IF WASHINGTON DOESN'T 
RESPOND, THE IRANIANS ARE HAPPY 
BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY 
HAVE RESTORE THAT DETERRENCE 
AND YOU GO BACK TO A GAME OF 
ESCALATION BUT A MUCH MORE 
MANAGEABLE ONE THAT DOES NOT 
LOOK LIKE IT IS RACING TOWARD 
WAR ANYTIME SOON. 
IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT 
WEAKNESS IS PROVOCATIVE. 
IRANIANS SEE THE TRIP 
ADMINISTRATION IS AFRAID, MAYBE 
THEY WILL MAKE GOOD ON THEIR 
THREAT TO RESPOND TO U.S. 
INTERESTS IN A DIFFERENT 
COUNTRY AND SAY THAT TRUMP WILL 
NOT RESPOND. 
>> OR PERHAPS THEY WOULD 
RESPOND WITH A COVERT ATTACK, 
THAT IS LESS EASILY TRACED 
LIKELY TO IRAN. 
>> TRUE. 
THEY CAN SNEAK ONE AND AND THE 
U.S. WOULD HAVE TO FIRST 
DISCOVER IT AND THEN EXPOSE IT 
AND THEN SHOW ITS CHAIN OF 
RETRIBUTION. 
ALL OF THIS TAKES TIME, AND 
TIME PERMITS THE OPPORTUNITY OF 
THE MIND TO CALL IN DE-
ESCALATION TO SIT IN. 
>> WOULD YOU AGREE, THOUGH, 
THAT WHETHER OR NOT THE U.S. 
RETALIATES HERE, THAT IRAN IS 
PROBABLY MOTIVATED TO CONTINUE 
ITS STRATEGY OF AGGRESSIONS? 
MAYBE PERHAPS, SMALLER 
AGGRESSIONS. 
>> FOR ME, THE DECISION POINT 
FOR IRAN IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO
, WAS MAY 2019. 
UNTIL MAY 2019, IRAN'S POLICY 
WAS TWO IS A SON TOWARD THE U.S.
MEET PRESSURE WITH PRESSURE,FOR 
TAT OVERTIME.  
UNLESS THE U.S. CONFRONTS YOU 
MILITARILY, DON'T CHANGE THE 
COURSE. 
NOW THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THE 
U.S. TO CONFRONT IRAN 
MILITARILY. 
IF THERE IS A COMPLEX OR IF 
THERE IS A DE-ESCALATION BY 
AMERICA AND IRAN SAYS THIS IS 
WEAKNESS AND POUNCES, THEN OF 
COURSE, THE POLICY COULD BECOME 
JUST ESCALATION AT LARGE, WHERE 
THERE IS NO MEASURE OR 
SCIENTISTIC RHYME OR REASON WHY 
IRAN GOES FROM ONE ESCALATION 
TO ANOTHER. 
MAKE IT TOXIC FOR AMERICA, THEY 
CAN RECONSIDER. 
THAT IS, RESPONDING TO THE 
TERRORIST THREAT AGAINST 
SOLEIMANI.  
THERE IS A POLITICAL LOGIC 
THERE. 
IF WE GET TO A POINT WHERE 
THERE IS ESCALATION QUITE 
QUICKLY BY BOTH SIDES, IT COULD 
BE LESS MEASURED AND LESS 
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED AND THAT 
WOULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENTAL 
CONFLICT. 
EVEN THOUGH BOTH LEADERS, 
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE U.S. 
AND INHABITING IRAN HAVE SAID 
PUBLICLY MANY TIMES THAT THEY 
DO NOT WANT A BIG RULER. 
>> AND, SO, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT 
THE IRAQIS WANT OUT OF ALL OF 
THIS, WHAT WOULD BE THE, YOU 
KNOW, THE IDEAL RESOLUTION OR 
RESULT FOR IRAQ? 
>> IT DEPENDS VERY MUCH ON 
WHICH IRAQI YOU ASK, AS OF 
OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR. 
CALLOUS IRAQIS, HUNDREDS OF 
THOUSANDS, HAVE BEEN PROTESTING 
AGAINST THE IRAQI STATE AS THE 
POLITICAL PASSAGES NOT 
REPRESENTING THE VIEWS OF THEIR 
INTERESTS. 
IN ADDITION TO CORRUPTION AND 
MISMANAGEMENT, THEY ARE BLAMING
THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE ALLIANCE 
ON IRAQ. 
IT HAS NOT SHIFTED TO 
ACCOMMODATE THIS CLAIM. 
THERE PROBABLY WILL BE SOME 
GOVERNMENT CHANGE IN 2020, SO 
IT DEPENDS WHICH IRAQI YOU ASK. 
IF YES THE PRO IRAN GROUPS IN 
THE PARLIAMENT, THEY WOULD 
LIKELY USE IT TO EVICT AMERICA 
FROM IRAQ. 
THEY WILL SAY, YOU GUYS CO-
LOCATE IN OUR BASES, YOU GUYS 
IN IRAN HAVE DRAMA, YOU GUYS 
HAVE A CONFLICT, AND IN SO 
DOING, ACTUALIZE AND IRAN A 
NATIONAL SECURITY, WHICH IS TO 
EVICT AMERICA FROM THE REGION. 
>> OKAY, GREAT. 
THANK YOU SO MUCH, PLEASE STAND 
BY IF YOU WILL. 
LET'S BRING IN NOW, CATHERINE 
HERRIDGE AGAIN. 
SHE IS A SENIOR AND BASKET OF 
CORRESPONDENT  FOR CBS NEWS. 
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW 
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS 
RESPONDING? 
>> WELL, THE DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE ISSUED A VERY PUBLIC 
AND DETAILED STATEMENT TONIGHT. 
WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION IS THE 
LEVEL OF DETAIL, BECAUSE IT 
SEEMS TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR 
FUTURE ACTION, IF THAT IS THE 
COURSE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION 
CHOOSES TO TAKE. 
AND, IT STATES IN PART, A VERY 
SPECIFIC NUMBER ABOUT THE 
MISSILES INVOLVED. 
IT SAYS MORE THAN A DOZEN 
BALLISTIC MISSILES AGAINST U.S. 
MILITARY AND COALITION FORCES 
IN IRAQ, AND THEN IT GOES THAT 
EXTRA STEP TO SAY THE SOURCE OF 
THE ATTACK, AND IT SAYS 
LAUNCHED FROM IRAN AND 
TARGETING AT LEAST TWO IRAQI 
MILITARY BASES. 
AND THEN IT CONTINUES FURTHER 
ON, THE UNITED STATES WILL TAKE 
ALL NECESSARY MEASURES TO 
PROTECT AND DEFEND U.S. 
PERSONAL PARTNERS AND ALLIES IN 
THE REGION. 
SO, THAT IS A LOT OF 
SPECIFICITY IN A STATEMENT THAT 
SEEMS TO SET THE TABLE FOR A 
FUTURE RESPONSE, IF THAT IS THE 
DECISION THE ADMINISTRATION 
ULTIMATELY CHOOSES TO TAKE, 
BECAUSE IT PUTS THE OWNERSHIP 
AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE 
ATTACKS, FIRMLY WITH IRAN, AND 
NOT ONE OF ITS PROXIES, NOT ONE 
OF ITS MILITIAS. 
AND, NOT ONE OF ITS ALLIES IN 
SYRIA. 
NOW, IF WE JUST KIND OF GO BACK 
A LITTLE BIT TO THE OVAL OFFICE 
WITH THE PRESIDENT TODAY, IF 
YOU LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE VERY 
CAREFULLY, HE MAKES A NUMBER OF 
POINTS. 
HE JUSTIFIES THE ASSASSINATION 
OF GENERAL SOLEIMANI, SAYING 
THAT HE WAS A HORRIBLE 
TERRORIST.  
HE WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS 
RESPONSIBLE, KIND OF PIONEERED 
THE IDEA OF IED ATTACKS AND 
SUICIDE ATTACKS AGAINST OUR 
MILITARY PERSONNEL. 
AND JUST AS AN ANECDOTE FOR 
YOUR FOLKS AT HOME, ONE OF MY 
CONTACTS WAS! 
TO ME THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF 
SORT OF SWEET IRONY IN THE FACT 
THAT GENERAL SOLEIMANI WAS 
KILLED  ON THAT ROUTE COMING 
OUT OF BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL 
AIRPORT, CALLED ROUTE IRISH. 
BECAUSE THIS IS SORT OF A FOUR-
LANE HIGHWAY, IT IS VERY BROAD. 
BUT IT WAS REALLY ONE OF THE 
MOST DANGEROUS STRETCHES OF 
ROAD DURING THE SURGE IN IRAQ. 
AND, IT WAS A PLACE WHERE MANY 
U.S. SERVICE PERSONNEL LOST 
LIMBS OR WERE KILLED BECAUSE OF 
THE STRATEGY THAT WAS REALLY 
PIONEERED BY GENERAL SOLEIMANI. 
AND THEN, ALSO, I JUST WANT TO 
AGAIN DRAW ATTENTION TO THE 
VERY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THE 
PRESIDENT USED AT THAT NEWS 
CONFERENCE. 
HE SAYS, QUOTE, "IF IRAN DOES 
ANYTHING THAT THEY SHOULD NOT 
BE DOING, THEY'RE GOING TO BE 
SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES AND 
VRY STRONGLY." 
SO, AVERY'S THE SINK, 
CAPITALIZATION IF YOU WILL, OF 
WHAT HIS BOTTOM LINE IS. 
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW TONIGHT, AND 
I DO NOT WANT TO SPEAK AND 
WRITE ABOUT, IS WHETHER THE 
FIRING OF MORE THAN A DOZEN 
BALLISTIC MISSILES AT THESE TWO 
BASES THAT ARE USED BY THE 
U.S., IRAQIS, AND I BELIEVE 
EVEN OTHERS, CONSTITUTES THE 
CROSSING OF THAT RED LINE. 
BUT WE KNOW, THE PRESIDENT HAS 
BEEN MEETING WITH HIS NATIONAL 
SECURITY TEAM, SO HIS CLOSEST 
ADVISERS TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT 
OF WHAT HAPPENED THIS EVENING 
AND WHAT THE FOLLOW-ON WOULD BE 
FOR THE UNITED STATES. 
>> AND, IN THE EVENT THAT U.S. 
LIVES WERE LOST IN THESE 
ATTACKS, AT THIS POINT, 
PROBABLY THE PENTAGON KNOWS 
THIS INFORMATION, I WOULD 
IMAGINE. 
>> YES, I THINK THAT IS A FAIR 
ASSESSMENT. 
>> AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, 
IT WILL HAVE TO BE RELEASED 
EVENTUALLY. 
THAT WILL BE INFORMATION 
REGARDING THE DAMAGE DONE BY 
THESE ATTACKS THE FURTHER 
AMMUNITION, AS IT WERE, FOR THE 
IRAQI REGIME TO SORT OF QUOTE 
TO THEIR PEOPLE? 
>> I THINK YOU MAKE A VERY 
VALID OBSERVATION. 
NOTHING IS A SECRET. 
IN THE AGE THAT WE WORK IN NOW, 
EVERYTHING IS ON TWITTER OR ON 
THE WEB IN SECONDS. 
SO WE ARE GOING TO KNOW PRETTY 
QUICKLY, AS WE HEAD INTO 
MORNING LIGHT IN IRAQ, THE 
NATURE AND THE EXTENT OF THE 
DAMAGE AT THESE SITES, BECAUSE 
OF THE IRANIAN ATTACK. 
AND WE WILL ALSO GET A MUCH 
BETTER SENSE OF WHETHER ANY 
INDIVIDUALS WERE INJURED IN A 
MINOR WAY OR A MORE SERIOUS 
WAY, OR WHETHER THERE WERE ANY 
FATALITIES. 
WE DON'T HAVE ANY INDICATION OF 
THAT THIS EVENING, I WANT TO BE 
ABSOLUTELY CLEAR. 
BUT, ANY OF THOSE DETAILS, OF 
COURSE, GO TO THE BROADER 
FABRIC OF WHAT KIND OF DECISION 
THE U.S. WILL TAKE WHEN IT 
DECIDES TO RESPOND. 
OBVIOUSLY, THE MORE AGGRAVATING 
THESE FACTORS ARE, THE MORE IT 
MAKES THE CASE FOR A RESPONSE. 
BUT BEFORE THE ATTACK THIS 
EVENING, SECRETARY ESPER, 
AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A 
FEW MINUTES AGO, SECRETARY 
ESPER SAID THE U.S. WAS OPEN TO 
A DIALOGUE WITH IRAN AND DE-
ESCALATION. 
AND THAT IS NOT A WORD THE 
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE USES 
LIGHTLY. 
SO, TO SAY THE LEAST. 
AND, HE SAID THE ONUS WAS ON 
IRAN, WHICH I FELT WAS A VERY 
CLEAR WAY OF TELEGRAPHING THAT 
THE UNITED STATES FELT THE BALL 
WAS IN IRAN'S COURT TO USE IT 
CLICHC, AND THEY WERE GOING TO 
BE ONE OF THE MAIN DECISION-
MAKERS OVER HOW THINGS WOULD 
TRANSPIRE OVER THE NEXT FEW 
DAYS. 
BUT, ONE OF MY CONTACTS WHO 
WORKS WITHIN THE WHITE HOUSE 
CAUTIONED THIS EVENING THAT THE 
IRANIANS ARE EXTREMELY SMART 
AND THEY ARE EXTREMELY 
STRATEGIC, AND THEY ARE ALSO 
EXTREMELY PATIENT. 
YOU KNOW, THERE IS A PHRASE IN 
THAT PART OF THE WORLD THAT WE 
HAVE WATCHES BUT THEY HAVE 
TIME. 
RIGHT? 
YOU KNOW, SO THEY ARE 
EXTERNALLY PATIENT. 
I DON'T WANT TO MAKE LIGHT OF 
THAT, BUT THEY ARE VERY SMART 
THAT WAY. 
AND MY CONTACTS SENSE WAS THAT 
SIGNIFICANT RETALIATION BY THE 
IRANIANS MAY NOT COME UNTIL 
SOME FUTURE DATE. 
IT MAY NOT BE IMMEDIATE. 
>> IF THAT STATEMENT BY 
SECRETARY ESPER WAS MEANT TO BE 
AN OLIVE BRANCH OF SORTS, IT 
WAS CERTAINLY NOT TAKEN IS 
THAT. 
BY THE IRANIANS. 
HAS THERE BEEN ANY REPORTING 
THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF THAT IN 
THOSE STATEMENTS, THOSE 
DOMESTIC STATEMENTS THAT YOU 
REFERENCED EARLIER FROM THE 
IRANIAN REGIME TO THE PEOPLE OF 
IRAN, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSING THE 
NATURE OF THIS RETALIATION, WAS 
THERE ANY STATEMENT OR LANGUAGE 
IN IT THAT INDICATED THAT 
PERHAPS FOR THE IRANIAN 
GOVERNMENT THIS COULD BE THE 
ONLY RETALIATION NECESSARY? 
>> LET ME JUST TAKE A CLOSER 
LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE, AGAIN. 
THAT STATEMENT FROM THE IRGC, 
WHICH IS IRAN'S REVOLUTIONARY 
GUARD COUNSEL,  WHICH IS SORT 
OF THE UMBRELLA GROUP OVER THE 
MILITARY, SAYS QUOTE, THE BRAVE 
SOLDIERS OF THE AEROSPACE UNIT 
HAVE LAUNCHED A SUCCESSFUL 
ATTACK WITH TENS OF BALLISTIC 
MISSILES. 
THAT IS AN INFLATED NUMBER 
BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW FROM THE 
PENTAGON. 
AN AL ASAD MILITARY BASE, THEY 
ARE ELEVATING  SOLEIMANI'S 
STATUS AND SAYING VERY SUBTLE  
SPECIFICALLY, IT WAS IN HIS 
NAME AND IN RESPONSE TO HIS 
KILLING LAST WEEK BY THE UNITED 
STATES. 
COUPLE THAT WITH THE FACT THE 
PENTAGON HAS PUBLICLY SAID 
THESE MISSILES WERE LAUNCHED 
FROM IRAN, AGAIN, NOT FROM A 
PROXY, NOT BY A MILITIA, NOT BY 
THE SYRIANS, BUT FROM IRANIAN 
TERRITORY. 
THAT REALLY UPS THE ANTE THERE. 
IN MY EXPERIENCE, I WORKED 
OVERSEAS FOR NUMBER OF YEARS, 
YOU HAVE TO TAKE THESE PUBLIC 
STATEMENTS FROM THE IRANIANS 
REALLY WITH A GRAIN OF SALT IN 
THE SENSE THAT SO MUCH OF THAT 
IS MEANT ALSO FOR DOMESTIC 
CONSUMPTION. 
YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF, WE ARE 
PUNCHING BACK AGAINST THE 
UNITED STATES. 
WHICH THEY DID THIS EVENING, 
LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. 
THEY DID PUNCH BACK IN A VERY 
SIGNIFICANT WAY. 
WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW, AND I 
DON'T REALLY WISH TO SPECULATE 
ON, IS WHETHER THAT WILL BE 
ENOUGH FOR THE UNITED STATES TO 
FURTHER ESCALATE THE TENSIONS 
IN THE GULF. 
>> CATHERINE HERRIDGE, THANK 
YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. 
I BELIEVE WE STILL HAVE  BENHAM 
BEN TALEBLU AND  OLIVIA GAZIS 
STANDING BY.  
BENHAM BEN TALEBLU,  I WANT TO 
ASK YOU ABOUT WHAT CATHERINE 
WAS REFERENCING EARLIER, THIS 
STATEMENT FROM SECRETARY ESPER 
BEFORE THESE ATTACKS THAT 
SUGGESTED THAT, YOU KNOW, THE 
U.S. WAS HOPING TO DE-ESCALATE 
THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY 
WERE OPENING A PATH TO DIALOGUE.
HOW LIKELY WOULD IT BE THAT THE 
IRANIANS WOULD ACCEPT THAT PATH.
? 
>> YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A FEW 
TIMES IN THE HISTORY OF THE 
REPUBLIC WHERE THEY HAVE DONE A 
180 AND A KEY NATIONAL SECURITY 
PREROGATIVE. 
AND THE IRANIANS CAN ACCEPT 
DIALOGUE BUT THE CONDITIONS 
UNDER WHICH THEY DO THAT IS 
IMPERATIVE TO NOTE, BECAUSE 
PRESSURE HAS TO BUILD AND BUILD 
AND BUILD AND THEN ONLY WHEN 
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE GOT 
THEIR BACK AGAINST THE WALL, 
THEY ARE OFFERED AND OFFER 
THEM, THEN THEY WILL LOOK FOR 
IT AND TAKE IT. 
THAT IS SOMEWHAT LIKE HEAVY 
IRAN/IRAQ WAR. 
THAT IS HOW IT WAS AND DID. 
I LIKE AND SO MUCH OF THE MAX 
PRESSURE CAMPAIGN OF THE TRUMP 
ADMINISTRATION TO A LOT OF THE 
MORE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND 
EVEN SOME OF THE MILITARY 
CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED DURING 
THAT WAR. 
THAT REMAINS IN THE HISTORY OF 
THE UBER REPUBLIC. 
AND, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP 
OFFERING IRAN PUBLICLY, A LOT 
OF THESE OFF ROOMS. 
YOU KNOW, IN WASHINGTON, IT MAY 
NOT BE FASHIONABLE TO LOOK AT 
THE WAY THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN 
TWEETING ABOUT IRAN, NOT 
RECENTLY BUT IN 2018, WHEN THE 
SANCTIONS WERE BEING RESTORED, 
BECAUSE AS HE WAS RESTORING 
SANCTIONS, HE KEPT SAYING I 
WOULD LIKE TO MIRROR HONEY. 
WHILE HE WAS CRITICIZED BY THE 
PRESIDENTS RIGHT FLANK, INSIDE 
IRAN, THAT WAS SEEN AS A 
POSITIVE BECAUSE THE IRANIAN 
PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO THEN 
CHASTISE THEIR OWN LEADERS AND 
SAY, YOU'RE NOT EVEN DOING WHAT 
NORTH KOREA DID. 
ARE NOT EVEN SITTING DOWN WITH 
WASHINGTON. 
WHERE YOU SO IDEOLOGICAL? 
WHERE ARE YOU DOING THINGS TO 
CAUSE MORE PAIN FOR US? 
AND THAT CREATED A DOMESTIC 
SOURCE OF PRESSURE. 
THAT WAS THE REGIME'S MAXIMUM 
PRESSURE POLICY. 
AGAIN, IRAN NEGOTIATES VERY 
RARELY, EARNESTLY, BUT ONLY 
UNDER CONDITIONS OF MASSIVE 
PRESSURE. 
NOW IRAN IS FEELING OFFENDED. 
IT IS FEELING LIKE IT GOT A 
MAJOR WICCAN AGAINST THE UNITED 
STATES. 
ACROSS THE RED LINE, AS THE 
PRESIDENT SAID ON TWITTER. 
IT DID HAVE SOMEWHAT OF 
ESCALATION AGAINST U.S. 
INTERESTS AND ALLY INTERESTS 
AND ASSET AND SECURITY IN THE 
PERSIAN GULF. 
BUT THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN THE 
OFFRAMP YET. 
ONE WONDERS IF THEY ARE GOING 
TO FEEL EMPOWERED, IF THE U.S. 
DOESN'T RESPOND, OR IF THEY ARE 
GOING TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE 
GOTTEN THE MESSAGE IN AND THEY 
ARE WILLING TO OBSERVE THE REST 
OF AMERICA'S ESCALATION, WHICH 
COULD BE SANCTIONED, COULD BE 
COVERT, COULD BE PSYCHOLOGICAL 
WARFARE, WHO KNOWS. 
BUT THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE TELLS 
ME IT IS NOT THE U.S. LOOKING 
TO RUSH TO WAR. 
THE U.S. IS STILL BEING VERY 
JUDICIOUS HERE. 
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. 
WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE HERE. 
LET'S BRING IN CBS'S NATALIE 
BRAND, CBS NEWS SENIOR 
INTELLIGENCE CORRESPONDENT 
CATHERINE HERRIDGE, AND CBS 
NEWS FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, IAN 
LEE.  
HE IS IN IRAQ. 
SO, IAN, LET ME START WITH YOU. 
YOU ARE ON THE GROUND THERE. 
CAN YOU TELL US, WHAT IS THE 
LATEST? 
WHAT TIME IS IT THERE, FIRST OF 
ALL? 
>> RIGHT NOW, IT IS JUST 
GETTING TO BE ABOUT 5:30 IN THE 
MORNING. 
THIS ATTACK HAPPENED ABOUT FOUR 
HOURS AGO, WE HEARD IT, WITH 
THE TWO EXPLOSIONS HERE. 
AFTER THAT, WE ALSO HEARD HOW 
HELICOPTERS IN THE SKY, AND 
JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO, WE 
ALSO HEARD A FIGHTER JET OVER 
HEAD. 
SO, IT IS STILL FAIRLY TENSE 
HERE. 
WE -- UNDERSTAND, THESE TWO 
MISSILES LANDED NORTH OF THE 
U.S. CONSULATE, AWAY FROM THE 
U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE HERE, WE 
HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY 
CASUALTIES. 
WE HAD A TEAM THAT WENT BY THE 
CONSULATE TO SEE IF THERE WAS 
ANY ACTION THERE, IT SEEMED 
FAIRLY CALM, FROM WHAT WE COULD 
SEE. 
SO RIGHT NOW, THERE IS JUST A 
LOT OF ANTICIPATION OF, IS THIS 
OVER? 
OR IS THERE GOING TO BE ANOTHER 
ROUND THAT IS GOING TO BE IN 
COMING? 
RIGHT NOW, REALLY NO ONE KNOWS. 
>> HAS SECURITY THERE BEEN 
BEEFED UP? 
WERE THESE ATTACKS ANTICIPATED 
AT ALL? 
>> WE HAVE HEARD STATEMENTS 
FROM THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT, WE 
HEARD THEM FROM MALICIOUS HERE 
IN IRAQ, THAT THEY ARE GOING TO 
RETALIATE, THEY ARE GOING TO 
RETALIATE WITH VENGEANCE, 
AMERICANS WERE ANTICIPATING 
THIS, BUT WHAT IS INTERESTING 
IS A FEW DAYS AGO, WE HEARD 
FROM ONE OF THE IRAQI MILITIAS 
THAT WARNED IRAQI SOLDIERS 
AROUND THESE BASES TO STAY A 
KILOMETER AWAY. 
SO, A LITTLE OVER A MILE AWAY 
FROM THE U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE.
NOW, WAS THAT A WARNING THAT 
THE IRANIANS WERE GOING TO 
STRIKE OR WAS THAT ANOTHER 
WARNING? 
THAT WAS THE WARNING THAT 
SOMETHING LOOKED TO BE COMING 
DOWN THE LINE. 
SO, THAT COULD BE PART OF IT 
ALSO. 
SOMETHING ELSE OF THAT IS 
INTERESTING THAT WE ARE 
HEARING, IS A DIFFERENCE IN 
NUMBERS. 
THE IRANIANS ARE SAYING THAT 
TENS OF MISSILES WERE FIRED, 
AMERICANS ARE SAYING A LITTLE 
OVER A DOZEN. 
I WAS IN SAUDI ARABIA WHEN THE 
OIL REFINERY WAS HIT, AND 
SOMETHING THAT WE SAW, THAT THE 
SAUDI'S SHOWED US, WAS THAT 
SOME OF THESE MUNITIONS THAT 
WERE FIRED WERE DUDS. 
THEY FELL IN THE DESERT, THEY 
DIDN'T MAKE IT AS FAR. 
AND SO, POSSIBLY, THAT IS ONE 
THEORY, WHY THESE NUMBERS ARE 
NOT MATCHING, IS THAT MAY BE A 
NUMBER OF THESE ROCKETS THAT 
WERE FIRED WERE DUDS THAT 
LANDED IN THE DESERT. 
SOMETHING THEY WILL PROBABLY BE 
LOOKING IN THE DESERT TO SEE, 
IF THERE ARE ANY THAT JUST FELL 
SHORT OF THEIR TARGET. 
>> ALL RIGHT, IAN LEE, THANK 
YOU SO MUCH FOR REPORTING FOR 
US FROM IRAQ. 
THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
>>> AND, NATALIE BRAND, I WANT 
TO GO TO YOUR NEXT. 
HOW IS CAPITOL HILL REACTING TO 
THE NEWS? 
WE UNDERSTAND THAT SEVERAL LIE 
MAKERS HAVE BEEN BRIEFED, IS 
THAT CORRECT? 
>> THAT IS RIGHT. 
THAT DEMOCRATIC LEADERS WERE 
CALLED BY THE VICE PRESIDENT, 
THAT MINORITY LEADER CHUCK 
SCHUMER AND THE SENATE AND 
HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI, OUR 
HILL PRODUCER REBECCA KAPLAN 
REPORTS THAT SPEAKER PELOSI 
ACTUALLY FOUND OUT WHEN SHE WAS 
HANDED A NOTE DURING A 
REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING, 
AND SHE TOLD MEMBERS IN THAT 
MEETING TO PRAY. 
WE KNOW THAT FOLLOWING THAT, 
SHE DID HAVE A CONVERSATION 
WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT. 
NOW, MINORITY LEADER ON THE 
HOUSE SIDE, KEVIN McCARTHY, 
SAYS HE SPOKE TO THE PRESIDENT, 
ACCORDING TO AN AIDE. 
WE STILL DON'T EXACTLY KNOW 
WHAT LAWMAKERS KNOW DETAIL WAS 
ABOUT THIS ATTACK, AND OF 
COURSE, CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS 
HERE IN THE WHITE HOUSE CLOSELY 
MONITORING THIS VERY FLUID 
SITUATION. 
BUT, ACROSS ALL SIDES, THE MAIN 
MESSAGE HERE IS THE FIRST AND 
IMMEDIATE CONCERN, IS FOR U.S. 
TROOPS IN THE REGION. 
AND OF COURSE, COALITION 
PARTNERS. 
>> NATALIE BRAND ON CAPITOL 
HILL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
AND, CATHERINE, WHAT MORE DO WE 
KNOW ABOUT HOW THE 
ADMINISTRATION IS RESPONDING? 
>> WELL, WE HAVE HAD 
INFORMATION FROM WHAT HAS THIS 
EVENING THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS 
REMAINED ENGAGED AND HAS MET 
WITH HIS NATIONAL SECURITY 
TEAM, THE SECRETARY OF STATE, 
HIS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, 
AS WELL AS THE DEFENSE 
SECRETARY. 
AND WE HAVE HEARD PUBLICLY FROM 
THE DEFENSE SECRETARY AND THE 
SECRETARY OF STATE EARLIER 
TODAY. 
THE DEFENSE SECRETARY WAS VERY 
CLEAR ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE 
INTELLIGENCE THEY HAD, AND IN 
HIS VIEW, HOW IT POINTED TO AN 
úIMMINENT OR VERY ACTIVE PLOT, 
TARGETING U.S. INTERESTS IN THE 
REGION. 
ASKED HOW IMMINENT IT WAS, HE 
SAID IT WAS FAIR TO SAY IT WAS 
DAYS AND NOT WEEKS AWAY. 
HE ALSO SAID, AND THIS WAS NEW 
INFORMATION, THE GENERAL 
SOLEIMANI WAS IN BAGHDAD. 
REMEMBER, HE HAD BEEN TRAVELING 
REGIONALLY, HE HAD BEEN TO 
BEIRUT, TO DAMASCUS, THEN HE 
HAD  COMMENTED BAGHDAD VERY 
LATE AT NIGHT, INTO THE EARLY 
HOURS OF FRIDAY. 
AND THAT IS WHEN HE WAS 
TARGETED. 
AND SECRETARY ESPER SAID THAT 
SOLEIMANI WAS IN BAGHDAD , HIS 
WORDS, TO QUOTE, "COURTNEY 
ATTACKS IN THE AREA." 
SO, HE WAS TAKING A VERY ACTIVE 
ROLE IN THIS PLOT. 
AND THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH 
INFORMATION WE HAD HERE AT CBS 
NEWS, FROM A SENIOR U.S. 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, WHEN THE 
STRIKE HAPPENED LAST WEEK. 
THEY SAID SOLEIMANI WAS 
PERSONALLY OVERSEEING AND 
STEERING  AN ACTIVE PLOT 
AGAINST U.S. INTERESTS IN THE 
REGION. 
JUST SORT OF A FINAL FOOTNOTE, 
ONE OF THE THINGS I LEARNED 
THROUGH MY REPORTING TODAY IS 
THAT AFTER THE SOLEIMANI 
STRIKE, THERE WAS WHAT IS 
CALLED  IN INTELLIGENCE 
CIRCLES, A SPIKE IN THE 
CHATTER. 
AND WHAT THAT MEANS, IS THAT 
WHEN YOU HAVE OPERATIVES WHO 
ARE IN THIS CASE, ALIGNED WITH 
THE IRANIANS OR GENERAL 
SOLEIMANI , OR THE MILITIAS, OR 
IN SYRIA OR IN LEBANON, THEY 
GET ON THEIR PHONES, THEY GET 
ON THEIR COMPUTERS, THEY START 
TEXT MESSAGING, THEY ARE ON 
SOCIAL MEDIA. 
I MEAN, THERE COMES NETWORKS 
REALLY LIGHT UP AND THAT IS 
WHAT THEY CALL A SPIKE IN THE 
CHATTER. 
AND THIS IS ALMOST, IN SOME 
WAYS, A REAL GIFT FOR 
INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS, BECAUSE 
IT ALLOWS THEM TO SCOOP UP THAT 
INFORMATION AND START TO 
IDENTIFY NEW POTENTIAL LEADS. 
AND I JUST CAN'T EMPHASIZE 
ENOUGH, HOW GOOD THE U.S. 
MILITARY IS, AS WELL AS THE 
SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE PEOPLE, AS 
WELL AS THE SPECIAL OPERATORS, 
AT IDENTIFYING THE SOURCE OF 
THOSE COMMUNICATIONS, AND THEN 
REALLY, LATCHING INTO IT, AND 
NOT LETTING GO OF IT. 
UNTIL THEY DECIDE IT IS A 
TARGET, OR IT IS NOT A TARGET. 
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT 
KIND OF LANGUAGE AND THOSE 
STEPS, THAT IS REALLY WHAT WE 
SAW WITH GENERAL SOLEIMANI LAST 
WEEK. 
WE WERE ON HIM FOR SEVERAL 
DAYS, AS HE TRAVELED IN THE 
REGION. 
THEN HE CAME INTO BAGHDAD  AND 
THAT WAS THE MOMENT THAT THE 
ADMINISTRATION DECIDED TO TAKE 
THAT STRIKE. 
IT WAS DESCRIBED TO ME AS A 
CLEAN SHOT. 
>> WITH ALSO BRING IN CBS WHITE 
HOUSE NEWS CORRESPONDENT, 
WEIJIA JIANG. 
WHAT IS THE LATEST YOU CAN TELL 
IS COMING OUT OF THE WHITE 
HOUSE?  
>> WE KNOW THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP 
WAS HUDDLED HERE IN THE 
SITUATION ROOM WITH HIS 
NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM, ALONG 
WITH THE PRICE PRESIDENT. 
BUT SO FAR WE HAVE NOT HEARD 
FROM THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF. 
ABOUT THESE IRANIAN ATTACKS. 
BECAUSE ON THE ONE HAND, OF 
COURSE, IT WOULD TAKE LONGER 
THAN JUST A MATTER OF HOURS FOR 
HIM TO DECIDE HIS NEXT MOVE, 
WITH HIS TEAM, AND THEN 
ANNOUNCE IT TO THE COUNTRY ON 
THE ROAD. 
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU 
KNOW, THEY WERE ANTICIPATING 
THIS. 
OFFICIALS CAME OUT TODAY AND 
SAID THEY KNEW THAT IRAN WAS 
PROBABLY GOING TO RETALIATE IN 
SOME WAY OR ANOTHER, AND THAT 
THE U.S. WOULD BE READY TO 
RESPOND APPROPRIATELY. 
PRESIDENT TRUMP DID SAY EARLIER 
TODAY, THAT IF IRAN DOES 
ANYTHING THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE 
DOING, THEY ARE GOING TO BE 
SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES, AND 
VERY STRONGLY. 
OF COURSE, WHAT EXACTLY HE 
MEANS RIGHT NOW IS THE ANSWER 
THAT EVERYBODY IS WAITING FOR. 
BECAUSE, AS DEMOCRATS ALREADY 
POINTED OUT ON CAPITOL HILL, 
THAT WILL DETERMINE WHAT 
HAPPENS NEXT IN IRAN AND 
WHETHER THIS WILL CONTINUE TO 
ESCALATE AND HOW SERIOUS IT 
COULD BECOME. 
BUT CERTAINLY ALREADY, THESE 
CONSEQUENCES ARE POTENTIALLY 
DIRE AND CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS 
ARE PUBLICLY VOICING THEIR 
CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS. 
AS FOR THE PRESIDENT, AGAIN, WE 
ARE CLOSELY MONITORING HIS 
TWITTER FEED, BECAUSE OFTEN, 
THAT IS HOW HE ANNOUNCES 
DRAMATIC FOREIGN-POLICY 
ANNOUNCEMENTS, DRAMATIC MOVES 
THAT HE PLANS TO MAKE. 
NOTHING AT ALL, SO I THINK THAT 
IS A GOOD INDICATION THAT THEY 
ARE VERY CAREFULLY CALCULATING 
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. 
>> ABSOLUTELY. 
ANYTIME THE PRESIDENT IS NOT 
TWEETING, IT IS SIGNIFICANT. 
ARE DEMOCRATS LIKELY TO BE 
CONSULTED ON THE RESPONSE HERE? 
I MEAN, WE KNOW THAT THEY WERE 
VERY UPSET ABOUT NOT BEING TOLD 
OR CONSULTED ABOUT THE ATTACK 
ON SOLEIMANI BEFORE IT 
HAPPENED.  
IS THERE A CHANCE THAT THEY 
WILL DEMAND TO HAVE A SAY IN HOW
THIS ATTACK IS RESPONDED TO? 
>> YOU KNOW, LUCKY FOR THEM, 
THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO 
VOICE THOSE CONCERNS, BECAUSE 
TOMORROW, THE WHITE HOUSE IS 
SET TO BRIEF THE FULL HOUSE AND 
SENATE ON THE SOLEIMANI STRIKE. 
YOU CAN BET THOSE LAWMAKERS  
WILL BE BRINGING UP WHAT 
HAPPENS NEXT AS WELL. 
WE KNOW THAT HOUSE SPEAKER 
NANCY PELOSI WAS ALREADY 
PLANNING TO TAKE A VOTE ON A 
RESOLUTION TO LIMIT THE 
PRESIDENT'S MILITARY ACTIONS 
AGAINST IRAN. 
THAT WAS OUT OF FEAR OF WHAT 
DOING SOMETHING WOULD MEAN WITH 
REGARD TO A POTENTIAL WAR. 
AND SO, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS 
TRIED TO TAMP DOWN THOSE FEARS, 
THE PRESIDENT SAYING, MANY 
TIMES THIS WEEK ALONE, THAT THE 
WORLD IS NOW A SAFER PLACE, 
THAT AMERICANS ARE SAFER. 
BUT, THAT COMES AT A COST, AS 
WE ARE SEEING NOW. 
AND IT IS TOO EARLY TO SAY HOW 
HIGH THAT COST IS, AND WHETHER 
THERE WILL BE OTHER STRIKES 
AGAINST THE U.S. AS WELL, AND 
SO THESE ARE CONCERNS THAT 
DEMOCRATS WILL BE BRINGING TO 
THE WHITE HOUSE. 
AND, WE WILL JUST HAVE TO SEE 
WHAT THE PRESIDENT DECIDES. 
>> CATHERINE, WHAT OTHER TYPES 
OF RESPONSES COULD BE POSSIBLE 
HERE? 
OTHER THAN A CONVENTIONAL 
MILITARY RETALIATION? 
>> A CONCEPT THAT PEOPLE TALK A 
LOT ABOUT IN MILITARY CIRCLES, 
IS CALLED THE GRAY ZONE. 
THIS IS THE BATTLE SPACE BETWEEN
PEACE AND CONVENTIONAL WARFARE. 
AND THAT IS WHEN YOU HAVE IN 
YOUR ARSENAL, THINGS LIKE CYBER 
ATTACKS, WHERE ATTRIBUTION IS 
SO DIFFICULT. 
SO, WE THINK ABOUT A RESPONSE 
FROM THE UNITED STATES IN TERMS 
OF WHAT HAPPENED THIS EVENING 
WITH IRAN, AND A VERY 
CONVENTIONAL WAY. 
BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO 
THINK ABOUT IT IN A SLIGHTLY 
MORE IMAGINATIVE WAY, BECAUSE 
IN THESE SCENARIOS, MY CONTACTS 
ALWAYS SAY THAT STUFF IS Y♪OUR 
FRIEND. 
AND THAT NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE 
A FIRM ATTRIBUTION TO A RESPONSE
ALSO IS YOUR FRIEND. 
THE WEATHER COMES THROUGH THE 
UNITED STATES OR WHETHER COMES 
THROUGH ONE OF OUR ALLIES IN 
THE REGION'S AND AS YOU KNOW 
FOR COVERING THIS AREA FOR A 
NUMBER OF YEARS, THE U.S. AND 
ITS ALLIES HAVE USED CYBER 
TECHNIQUES TO REALLY GO AT THE 
HEART OF IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM 
IN THE PAST. 
THAT IS NOT A NEW IDEA. 
SO THE IDEA I WOULD LEAVE FOLKS 
AT HOME WITH TODAY, IS TO START 
THINKING ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF 
THE GRAY ZONE. 
AGAIN, IT IS THAT BATTLE SPACE 
BETWEEN PEACE AND CONVENTIONAL 
WARFARE, AND UNFORTUNATELY IT 
IS A BATTLE SPACE WHERE 
NATIONSTATES ARE SORT OF ON THE 
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD WITH BAD 
ACTORS, BECAUSE OF ISSUES OF 
ATTRIBUTION, THE USE OF CYBER, 
AND THE LIKE. 
BUT, STEALTH IS YOUR FRIEND IN 
A SITUATION LIKE THIS, AND I DO 
NOT WANT TO READ TOO MUCH INTO 
THE LACK OF INFORMATION WE HAVE 
HAD FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT 
THE CASUALTIES AND THE SCOPE OF 
THE DAMAGE, BUT AGAIN, STEALTH 
AND A LITTLE BIT OF MYSTERY IS 
A FRIEND IN THIS SITUATION. 
>> SURE, WE ALL REMEMBER STOCKS 
NET. 
AND THAT CYBER ATTACK WHICH 
RESULTED ACTUALLY IN PHYSICAL 
EXPLOSIONS. 
>> IF I COULD, THAT RAISES, 
THOUGH, A WHOLE SORT OF HOST 
OF, A SORT OF LARGER ETHICAL 
ISSUE. 
IT IS LIKE, WHEN DOES A CYBER 
ATTACK REALLY CROSSED THE LINE 
TO BECOME AN ACTIVE WAR? 
PART OF THAT DISCUSSION HAS 
BEEN, DOES A CYBER ATTACK JUST 
WIPE SYSTEMS OF DATA? 
OR IN THE CASE OF IRAN'S 
NUCLEAR PROGRAM, WHEN IT CAUSES 
PHYSICAL DAMAGE, TO THE 
STRUCTURE OF AN OPERATION? 
DOES THAT -- OR LIKE SUNNY HERE 
IN THE UNITED STATES, IS 
ACTUALLY AN ACT OF WAR? 
SO, CYBER IS APPEALING IN MANY 
WAYS BUT IT ALSO RAISES A WHOLE 
HOST OF ETHICAL QUESTIONS AS TO 
WHERE YOU CROSS THE LINE INTO 
AN UNCONVENTIONAL ATTACK TO AN 
ACTIVE WAR. 
>> OBSOLETE. 
CATHERINE HERRIDGE, THANK YOU 
SO MUCH. 
LET'S WELCOME  DAVID MARTIN. 
AND OFF-CAMERA BRIEFING WITH 
THE PENTAGON SPOKESPERSON JUST 
WRAPPED UP. 
DAVID, WHAT DID YOU LEARN? 
>> WELL, I HAVE TO TELL YOU 
THAT THE BACKGROUNDER FROM HIS 
DEFENSE OFFICIAL WAS VERY 
UNINFORMATIVE. 
IT DID NOT REALLY TELL US 
ANYMORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED 
TONIGHT. 
IS CERTAINLY THAT DID NOT TELL 
US WITH THE DAMAGE DONE BY 
THESE MISSILES WAS, IF ANY. 
THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE NOT 
LIKELY TO FIND OUT ABOUT UNTIL 
TOMORROW MORNING. 
WE DID GET SOME MORE 
INFORMATION ON WHAT DEFENSE 
SECRETARY ESPER WAS DOING THIS 
AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. 
BOTH HE AND GENERAL MOLLY, THE 
CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF 
STAFF, WHERE HERE IN THE 
PENTAGON WHEN THE ATTACK 
OCCURRED. 
AND THEN, WENT TO THE WHITE 
HOUSE TO BRIEF THE PRESIDENT, 
AND THEN CAME BACK AND THEY 
HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF MEETINGS 
THAT THE ENTIRE JOINT CHIEFS OF 
STAFF MET WITH THE SECRETARY OF 
DEFENSE. 
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AND 
OTHER OFFICIALS IN THIS BUILDING
MADE CALLS TO ALL OF THE 
REGIONAL ALLIES, THOSE WOULD BE 
THE ARAB COUNTRIES IN THE 
REGION. 
AND TO ALL THE TRADITIONAL NATO 
ALLIES OF THE U.S., TO GIVE 
THEM A BRIEFING. 
AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE IS THE
QUESTION THAT EVERYBODY WANTS 
AN ANSWER TO, WHAT WILL BE THE 
AMERICAN RESPONSE TO THIS 
ATTACK? 
AND THE ANSWER TO THAT WAS, I 
AM NOT GOING TO FORECAST ANY 
RESPONSE. 
SO, OTHER THAN THE WHEREABOUTS 
AND THE ACTIONS OF THE 
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AND THE 
CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS, 
THIS BACKGROUNDER FROM THE 
DEFENSE OFFICIAL DID NOT REALLY 
ADD ANYTHING TO WHAT WE KNEW. 
>> ALL RIGHT, DAVID MARTIN AT 
THE PENTAGON, THANK YOU SO MUCH 
FOR THAT UPDATE. 
>> SURE THING. 
>> LET'S BRING BACK IN, NATALIE 
BRAND ON CAPITOL HILL. 
NATALIE, YOU'RE GETTING SOME 
MORE INFORMATION ON LAWMAKER 
REACTION? 
>> REACTION IS BEGINNING TO 
TRICKLE IN ACROSS THE 
LAWMAKERS, STILL ON THE CAPITAL.
SPEAKING BEFORE CAMERAS 
TONIGHT. 
LET ME READ YOU SOME OF WHAT 
THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ELIOT ENGEL, 
DEMOCRAT OF NEW YORK SAID. 
HE, OF COURSE, THE FIRST 
CONCERN IS WITH U.S. TROOPS, 
AND PRAYERS THAT THERE WERE NO 
CASUALTIES. 
THIS IS A VERY FLUID SITUATION, 
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT LAWMAKERS 
KNOW AT THIS POINT. 
BUT, REALLY, HE SAID THAT WE 
NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT A 
STRATEGY, AND THERE IS A LOT OF 
CONCERN THAT THIS COULD SPIRAL 
OUT OF CONTROL VERY, VERY 
QUICKLY. 
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT 
DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS ON THE 
HILL HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR IN 
THE DAYS SINCE THE U.S. STRIKE, 
TARGETING IRANIAN GENERAL 
SOLEIMANI.  
WHAT IS THE STRATEGY MOVING 
FORWARD TO TRY TO DE-ESCALATE 
THE SITUATION? 
AND, AROUND THE TIME, OR I 
GUESS IN THE HOURS BEFORE WE 
HEARD ABOUT THIS ATTACK, KEEP 
IN MIND THAT CONGRESSIONAL 
LEADERS WERE BEING BRIEFED, THE 
SO-CALLED GANG OF EIGHT, 
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AND ALSO 
THE LEADERS OF THE INTELLIGENCE 
COMMITTEES, OR RECEIVING A 
BRIEFING ABOUT THE INTELLIGENCE 
LEADING UP TO A STRIKE. 
AND THEN A COUPLE OF HOURS 
LATER, WE HEARD ABOUT THIS NEW 
ATTACK. 
SO, OBVIOUSLY THERE IS STILL A 
LOT OF QUESTIONS. 
WE HAVE ALSO HEARD FROM SOME 
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS WHO ARE 
ECHOING SOME OF THE STATEMENTS 
THAT HAVE COME FROM TOP 
ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS. 
THAT THE U.S. IS NOT SEEKING WAR
WITH IRAN, BUT WHAT HAPPENS 
NEXT REALLY IS UP TO THEM. 
SENATOR KENNEDY, REPUBLICAN 
FROM LOUISIANA, SAID WE DO NOT 
WANT WAR. 
ALL WE WANT, IT IS VERY SIMPLE 
WHAT WE WANT, STOP TRYING TO 
KILL US. 
SO, AT THIS POINT, OBVIOUSLY, A 
VERY FLUID SITUATION, AND AS 
LAWMAKERS LEARN MORE, THEY WILL 
úLIKELY SAY MORE. 
BUT THE BIG QUESTION HERE ON 
THE HILL, IS, WHAT IS THE 
STRATEGY GOING FORWARD? 
HOW DO YOU DE-ESCALATE THIS 
SITUATION? 
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT 
LAWMAKERS WILL BE TALKING ABOUT 
IN THE COMING HOURS AND DAYS. 
>> NATALIE BRAND, CATHERINE 
HERRIDGE, AND WEIJIA JIANG. 
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU.  
>>> WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A 
QUICK BREAK NOW. 
WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MUCH 
MORE CBSN.  
THANKS, STAY WITH US.
