Transcription
IN SEATTLE.
>> Dana: HARRIS FAULKNER WILL TAKE IT FROM HERE.
>> Harris: FOX NEWS ALERT. THE U.S. AND IRAN AT WAR. AMERICAN FORCES ARE EXPANDING THEIR STRIKES ON IRANIAN TARGETS AFTER THREE AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS WERE KILLED IN IRANIAN ATTACKS ON JORDAN AND IRAQ. THE UNITED STATES ALLY KUWAIT NOW SAYS IT IS CONFRONTING THE INCOMING MISSILE AND DRONE ATTACKS FOLLOWING WHAT IT IS CALLING SINFUL IRANIAN AGGRESSION. ALL THREE OF THOSE COUNTRIES ARE HOME TO MILITARY BASES. WE KNOW THAT. AND WE KNOW IRAN LIKES TO KILL OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL. WE HAVE A LOT TO PROTECT. A LOT AT STAKE TODAY. I'M HARRIS FAULKNER. YOU ARE IN "THE FAULKNER FOCUS."
THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR HAS IDENTIFIED TWO SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED IN THAT JORDAN ATTACK BY IRAN. 19-YEAR-OLD PRIVATE ISABELLA GONZALEZ OF TEXAS. WE HAVE HER PICTURE. AND 25-YEAR-OLD FIRST LIEUTENANT TYLER JAMES FEEHAN OF HAWAII. REMAINS RECOVERED AT THE SITE OF THAT ATTACK ARE ALSO BEING EXAMINED TO DETERMINE IF THEY BELONG TO, IN FACT, A THIRD UNACCOUNTED FOR SERVICE MEMBER. WHEN WE GET MORE PICTURES TO SHOW YOU OF THE SACRIFICE OF THESE THREE, WE'LL SHARE THEM.
>> President Trump: WE HIT THEM VERY HARD AGAIN TONIGHT AND WE DID THAT IN HONOR OF THE PROBABLY THREE. IT IS PROBABLY THREE AS OPPOSED TO TWO, GREAT PATRIOTS.
>> Harris: WELL, OPERATION EPIC FURY BEGAN MONTHS AGO. THE GOAL THEN AND PRESUMABLY NOW, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN ADD THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ TO IT, IS TO DESTROY IRAN'S MISSILE PRODUCTION AND PREVENT THE ROGUE RADICAL REGIME FROM EVER HAVING NUCLEAR WEAPONS. ONE RETIRED GENERAL SAYS THIS IS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING ON IRAN.
>> IRAN HAS BEEN DOING THIS ATTACKING AMERICANS AND OUR INTERESTS FOR THE LAST 47 YEARS. I'VE BEEN AT THE RECEIVING END OF SOME OF THOSE STRIKES FROM IRANIAN ALIGNED GROUPS. THAT REGIME HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS WAR. THEIR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN TO KILL AMERICANS. AND IT IS NOW TIME TO STAY IN PLACE AND TO FINISH THE JOB.
>> Harris: LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOINS ME IN MOMENTS AND I WANT TO START WITH TREY YINGST WITH THE LATEST FROM THE MIDDLE EAST. TREY.
>> GOOD MORNING. SIRENS SOUNDED LAST HOUR IN BOTH KUWAIT AND BAHRAIN AMID NEW INCOMING IRANIAN MISSILE AND DRONE ATTACKS. IT FOLLOWS THE NINTH NIGHT OF U.S. STRIKES AGAINST THE IRANIAN REGIME. ACCORDING TO CENTCOM A VARIETY OF TARGETS WERE HIT INCLUDING MILITARY COMMAND CENTERS AND COASTAL SURVEILLANCE SITES. MARITIME CAPABILITIES AND MISSILE AND DRONE LAUNCH POSITIONS COME AFTER THREE U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED BY AN IRANIAN BALLISTIC MISSILE ATTACK IN JORDAN ON FRIDAY. THE U.S. MILITARY IS WORKING TO IDENTIFY THE REMAINS BELIEVED TO BE THE THIRD SOLDIER. A FOURTH SOLDIER WAS KILLED IN NORTHERN IRAQ DURING A CONTROLLED DETONATION OF AN UNEXPLODED IRANIAN DRONE OVER THE WEEKEND. PRESIDENT TRUMP REACTED TO THE DEATHS OF THESE SOLDIERS ON SUNDAY.
>> President Trump: WE FEEL VERY BADLY BUT THOSE GREAT PEOPLE, THOSE GREAT PATRIOTS ARE FIGHTING SO IRAN CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. IRAN HAS BEEN BADLY DAMAGED. THEY HAVE LOST EVERYTHING ALMOST MILITARILY. WE CONTROL THE STRAIT. THEY DON'T CONTROL ANYTHING. SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID IF IRAN DOESN'T REACH A DEAL STRIKES WILL GO HARDER THIS WEEK. SOME NEW PROPOSALS ARE BEING DISCUSSED.
>> PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD BY THE MEDIATORS AND CONVEYED TO US AND WE HAVE RECEIVED THEM. BUT FOR NOW, ALLOW ME NOT TO GO INTO DETAILS. WHAT CAN I CONFIRM? THAT IN RECENT DAYS THE DIPLOMATIC OPERATORS HAS REMAINED ACTIVE AND THAT IDEAS HAVE BEEN CONVEYED TO US BY SEVERAL MEDIATORS.
>> THE IRANIANS ARE SAYING PUBLICLY THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING IS SUSPENDED. REGIONAL COUNTRIES ARE PUSHING FOR AN AGREEMENT AND RUBIO SAID THE DIPLOMATIC PATH REMAINS OPEN.
>> WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO DIPLOMACY. A DEAL THEY'RE WILLING TO LIVE BY. IRAN WAS SUPPOSED TO PUT OUT A STATEMENT SAYING THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ WOULD BE OPEN AND WOULD NO LONGER ATTACK SHIPPING. INSTEAD THEY ATTACKED THREE SHIPS. LAST FRIDAY OR SATURDAY. SO THEIR BEHAVIOR HAS TO CHANGE IN ORDER FOR OURS TO CHANGE.
>> HERE IN ISRAEL THE MILITARY REMAINS ON HIGH ALERT. YESTERDAY ISRAELI MISSILE INTERCEPTORS WERE LAUNCHED TO DEBRIS FROM A MISSILE LANDING TOWARD THE SOUTHERN CITY. THE IRANIANS WERE TARGETING A SOUTHERN JORDANIAN CITY.
>> Harris: I'M GLAD YOU ARE IN THE REGION WITH YOUR GREAT REPORTING. APPRECIATE IT. RETIRED U.S. ARMY LIEUTENANT COLONEL, VETERAN AND SENIOR COUNSELOR TO THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION. YOU JOINED ME LIVE WHEN WE WERE BROADCASTING AHEAD OF THE FOURTH OF JULY AND THE E TALL SHIPS WE STARTING TO COME IN ON THE HUDSON RIVER. THAT'S REALLY WHEN I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT YOUR MILITARY STRATEGY MORE THAN I HAD EVER KNOWN. I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOU TO JOIN US ON THIS DAY. THIS WAR IS NOW RATCHETED UP. WE COULD SEE IT COMING. THE PRESIDENT PROMISED IF IRAN DIDN'T COME TO THE TABLE TO DO A DEAL. HOW DO YOU CATEGORIZE THIS DAY?
>> I WOULD GO BACK TO SOMETHING I SAID WHEN WE WERE TOGETHER BEFORE THE FOURTH OF JULY WHICH WAS PEOPLE SAY WHY DOESN'T THE PRESIDENT JUST FINISH THEM? THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T WANT TO WASTE LIVES. WE TRAGICALLY LOST SOME AMERICANS IN UNIFORM. THEY ARE ALWAYS AT RISK. THE GOOD NEWS, WHICH IS THE STRIKES ARE RELATIVELY LIMITED. THE WAY THEY DID THIS WAS RELATIVELY NOVEL THAT THEY HAD A SUCCESSFUL STRIKE. I'M SURE THE U.S. IS GOING TO ADJUST FOR THAT SO THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT AGAIN. WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS ALL OF OUR REGIONAL ALLIES ARE EVEN MORE WITH US THAN EVER. SO THAT'S I THINK REALLY IMPORTANT. THEN THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS LOOK, WE WENT FROM SAYING THE BIG DEAL IS IRANIANS CAN CLOSE THE STRAIT TO THEN BE SAYING THEY CAN INTERDICT THE STRAIT AND NOW LOSING THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT. NOW THE LONGER THEY FIGHT THIS WAR, THE WORSE OFF THEY ARE. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS LOOK AT WHAT A HOLE THEY HAVE THEMSELVES IN. THEY HAVE TO REBUILD BRIDGES, POWER PLANTS, ALL THEIR MILITARY. I MEAN, TO GET BACK TO WHERE THEY WERE A YEAR AGO, THAT IS JUST GOING TO TAKE FOREVER.
>> Harris: I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH GETTING THE JOB DONE IN WHATEVER AMOUNT OF TIME IT WOULD TAKE AND EVERYBODY ROOTS FOR QUICKLY. WE DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY LOSS OF LIFE. THE PRESIDENT SAYS THAT ON ALL SIDES. WE DON'T WANT ANY LOSS OF LIFE, ESPECIALLY OUR OWN AS AMERICAN CITIZENS. YOU TALK ABOUT THE GULF AND EVERYBODY BEING ON OUR SIDE. YOU HAVE THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS. A LOT OF FRIENDS AND PARTNERS IN THE REGION. WHEN THEY TAKE INCOMING IT IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN US. THEIR MILITARIES AREN'T OURS. OUR PROTECTION MISSION JUST GOT BIGGER.
>> RIGHT. AND WE ARE SEEING A RAPIDLY INCREASING CAPACITY IN THE REGION FOR COUNTRIES TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND WHAT IS REALLY INTERESTING IS WORKING WITH ISRAEL AND SEEING ISRAELI CAPABILITIES BROUGHT TO THE TABLE. A MUCH DIMINISHED CAPACITY ON THE PART OF THE IRANIANS TO DO THINGS. THESE PEOPLE AS LONG AS THAT REGIME IS THERE WILL NEVER TRUST THIS REGIME AGAIN. THESE COUNTRIES WILL WORK TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE TO BUILD UP DETERRENTS AGAINST FUTURE IRANIAN THREATS. I'M SURE OF THAT.
>> Harris: TO MY SECOND QUESTION. WE KNOW WE CAN'T TRUST THEM, LIKE WE KNOW. THEY'VE SHOWN US MANY TIMES WHO THEY ARE. NOW EVERYBODY IN THE REGION SAYS WE DON'T WANT TO SINK MONEY, TIME AND RESOURCES INTO SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GOING TO BEAR FRUIT. WHO DO YOU DEAL WITH ON THE GROUND IN IRAN?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW. THE IMPORTANT THING IS YOU DEAL WITH THE THINGS YOU CAN DEAL WITH. WHAT WE CAN DEAL WITH IS REALLY BUILD UP THE DETERRENT FORCE AGAINST THAT. FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE IN IRAQ IN A WAY THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN SINCE THE EARLY DAYS OF THE WAR. WE HAVE AN IRAQI GOVERNMENT THAT IS COOPERATING WITH THE UNITED STATES MORE THAN EVER. WE SEALED A HUGE OIL DEAL WITH THEM TO BRING MORE RESILIENCE TO THE OIL INDUSTRY IN THE REGION. THEY ARE WORKING TO KICK THE IRANIAN MILITIAS, DIMINISH THEM AND GET THEM OUT OF THE COUNTRY. IT WAS UNTHINKABLE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO. I KNOW PEOPLE ARE FIXATED BY THE LOSSES, WHICH ARE TERRIBLE, AND HOW LONG THIS IS TAKING. OUR POSITION IN THE REGION IS THE STRONGEST THAT IT'S BEEN SINCE THE END OF WORLD WAR II. WE ARE SO -- WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FROM JIMMY CARTER SINCE THE DAYS OF JIMMY CARTER WE HAVE NEVER HAD A POSITION IN THE REGION THIS STRONG TO CREATE A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE REGION AND THEN THAT MEANS LESS TROUBLE FOR US, LESS WORK FOR US, SAFER AMERICA AND I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS THE PRICE WE ARE PAYING. TRUST ME, IT WILL PAY OFF FOR DECADES.
>> Harris: IRANIAN AMERICAN ACADEMIC AS A REGIME MOUTHPIECE SAYS TEHRAN, THE CAPITAL, WANTS U.S. TROOPS ON THE GROUND IN IRAN. WATCH THIS.
>> THE FOCUS OF IRANIAN STRIKES ARE ON BAHRAIN AND KUWAIT AND THAT'S BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE ALL THE AMERICAN -- MOST OF THE AMERICAN ASSETS FROM BEEN PLACED OR GROUND INVASION. THE IRANIANS, WE DISCUSSED THIS DURING THE 40-DAY WAR BEFORE YOUR SHOW WHEN I SAID THE IRANIANS ACTUALLY WANT THE AMERICANS TO CARRY OUT A LAND INVASION. THE SAME IS TRUE NOW BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT IF THERE WAS A LAND INVASION, THEY WOULD WIN.
>> Harris: ONE OF THE LESSONS YOU LEARN FROM WARS LIKE VIETNAM SOME PEOPLE JUST LIKE TO FIGHT. AND HIGHLY THE COMMUNISTS IN THAT WAR MY DAD WOULD SAY MAY HAVE HAD A VISION, THE ONE THAT WE WERE CLEAR EYED ON WAS THEY WANTED TO KILL AND FIGHT, WHICH IS WHY IT WAS SO HARD. YOUR TAKE ON WHAT WAS JUST SAID IN THAT CLIP.
>> YOU DON'T FIGHT THE WAR THE ENEMY WANTS. THIS IS A COUNTRY THE SIZE OF TEXAS. WE COULD PUT EVERY AMERICAN IN UNIFORM IN THE MIDDLE OF IRAN AND NOT CONTROL THE COUNTRY. THE IDEA WE'LL INVADE THIS THING IS NUTS. WE AREN'T GOING TO FIGHT THEM ON THEIR TERMS. THAT'S STUPID. WHEN THEY TRY TO BRING THE FIGHT TO US WHAT THEY HAVE. THEY GET ABSOLUTELY DECIMATED. SO I DON'T SEE THIS ADMINISTRATION CHANGING COURSE. AGAIN WE TALKED ABOUT REGIME CHANGE. IT BRINGS ALL OTHER KINDS OF CHALLENGES AND THINGS. THE POINT IS WE DON'T KNOW THE DOLLAR FIGURE OR THE LIFE FIGURE. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET TO THE REGIME. THE U.S. CAN DO WHAT IT IS DOING NOW, COMPLETELY ELIMINATING THEIR CAPACITY TO INTERDICT THE STRAITS. THEY'VE TAKEN NUCLEAR WEAPONS OFF THE TABLE. THE COUNTRY CAN'T BUILD A NUCLEAR WEAPON. THESE ATTACKS SHOW ACTUALLY THAT IRAN CANNOT THREATEN THE REIGN OF DEATH IT COULD HAVE THREATENED A YEAR AGO. WHAT HAVE WE HEARD FROM THE SURROGATES? HAMAS AND HEZBOLLAH IS SITTING ON THEIR HANDS WHICH IS WHAT THEY WANT. WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.
>> Harris: WITH A COUPLE OF SECONDS I ASK MY TEAM TO PUT UP THE NAMES OF THE MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM WE'VE LOST SINCE THE BEGINNING OF OPERATION EPIC FURY AND ALSO THE MISSIONS BEYOND THAT IN TERMS OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. 143 DAYS OF WAR AND JUST WANT TO PUT UP THEIR PICTURES. YOU WILL SEE A COUPLE PEOPLE ARE NOT ADDED THERE. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE REMAINS BEING TESTED AND THEN ONE PERSON MISSING FROM THE IRAQ AND JORDAN ATTACKS JUST OVERNIGHT AND INTO TODAY. SO I JUST WANT TO KEEP EVERYBODY CLEAR EYED ON WHO IS SACRIFICING FOR US AND SHOW OUR GRATITUDE. LAST WORD FROM YOU.
>> I NEVER SERVED IN COMBAT BUT I LOST PEOPLE IN TRAINING ACCIDENTS, TO ILLNESS, AND IT REALLY HURTS. THE FIRST THING YOU THINK ABOUT IS THESE ARE FAMILY MEMBERS AND THEN THE ONLY WAY YOU REALLY PUT THE HURT ASIDE IS YOU SAY THESE PEOPLE VOLUNTEERED TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY MIGHT DIE FOR THAT. AND YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE SO MUCH ADMIRATION FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES AND THE SACRIFICES THEY MADE. THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT BRINGS ANY POSITIVENESS AT ALL TO THOSE LOSSES.