Mapping Out A Battle Plan For Syria Following Strikes On Assad Airfields | Morning Joe

>> NOW HE THINKS -- >> MEANWHILE DEPUTY SECURITY
ADVISER KATE McFARLAND IS REASSIGNED FROM HER JOB AFTER
LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AND LIKELY TO BE NOMINATED AS
AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE. THE FORMER FOX NEWS COMMENTATOR
WAS BROUGHT ON BY MICHAEL FLYNN FORCED OUT IN FEBRUARY.
SINCE THEN THERE'S BEEN AN ONGOING SEVERING OF FLYNN'S TIES
TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL.
WHAT'S BEING CALLED A FLYNN ERASURE LED BY NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER H.R. McMASTER. ALSO A NICKNAME AROUND THE INTEL
COMMUNITY -- HOLD OVER FROM NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER
FLINTSTONES BECAUSE THEY ARE A PAGE OUT OF HISTORY.
I'M JUST TELLING YOU, MEET "THE
FLINTSTONES". >> LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENING, STEVE
BANNON TAKEN OFF, MICHAEL FLYNN REPLACED BY McMASTER, K.T.
McFARLAND TAKEN OFF. POWELL GOING IN.
LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT FOR McFARLAND.
A MEASURED RESPONSE TO WHAT HAPPENED IN SYRIA OVERNIGHT.
SINCE THURSDAY A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE FOREIGN POLICY COMMUNITY
WHO HAVE BREATHED A TEMPORARY -- TEMPORARY, I SAY -- SIGH OF
RELIEF.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE GOVERNING AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T SEEN
A LOT OF. RARN CAMPAIGNING, POSTURING, IT
LOOKS LIKE GOVERNING. ONE EPISODE OR A COUPLE OF DATA
POINTS. PEOPLE ARE FEELING A LITTLE MORE
COMFORTABLE. THE DEMOCRATIC RESPONSE WAS IN
SOME WAYS MORE INTERESTING THAN THE REPUBLICAN RESPONSE TO THE
USE OF FORCE AGAINST SYRIA. THESE PEOPLE WHO WORKED FOR
PRESIDENT OBAMA DISTANCING THEMSELVES.
>> FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA. >> EXACTLY.
YOU ARE BEGINNING TO SEE THINGS. THE NEXT BIG THING --
>> CAN YOU TELL ME QUICKLY. THAT WAS SO FAST.
JOHN KERRY CAME OUT IMMEDIATELY SUPPORTED WHAT DONALD TRUMP DID.
>> HILLARY CLINTON. >> HILLARY CLINTON DID.
>> YOU HAD OTHER PEOPLE SAYING SOME THINGS THAT WERE ALMOST
DISLOYAL TO BARACK OBAMA, SAYING WE COULD HAVE NEVER MOVED THIS
QUICKLY. WHY WERE THEY DOING THAT?
WHY DID THEY ALL COME OUT IN FORCE AND DO THAT?
>> THERE WAS A LOT OF FRUSTRATION.
THERE WAS A SENSE OBAMA PRESIDENCY WAS PARALYSIS BY
ANALYSIS. TIGHT TO CENTER, PRESIDENT, BEN
RHODES AND A FEW OTHERS WHO THEN AFTERWARDS TRIED TO MAKE A CASE
THAT WHAT THEY DID WAS A SOLUTION TO THE CHEMICAL PROBLEM
IN SYRIA WHEN EVERYBODY KNOWS IT WASN'T.
HISTORY IS GOING TO BE ROUGH ON THIS.
THIS GOING TO BE THE DEFINING MOMENT FOR OBAMA PRESIDENCY.
WHAT'S INTERESTING, INACTION. PROVES WHAT YOU DON'T DO CAN
MATTER EVERY BIT AS MUCH WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU GOVERN.
ALL THESE PEOPLE, ONE DISAGREED AT THE TIME PROBABLY THINKING
ABOUT THEIR FUTURES BUT ESSENTIALLY IT SHOWED ALSO THAT
PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS SOMETHING OF A DEPARTURE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC
FOREIGN POLICY NATIONAL SECURITY M
MAINSTREAM, WHICH ARE TOUGHER. >> WE CAN SAY THIS NOW THAT THEY
ARE OUT OF OFFICE. WE HAD PEOPLE CLOSE TO JOHN
KERRY, PEOPLE CLOSE TO JOE BIDEN, PEOPLE CLOSE TO A LOT OF
THE FOREIGN POLICY LEADERS EXTRAORDINARILY FRUSTRATED AND
EXPRESSING THE FRUSTRATION OF THOSE PRINCIPLES OF JOHN KERRY,
OF JOE BIDEN, OF ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN'S AND WOMEN AND I
THINK EVEN SUSAN RICE WHO WANTED TO RESPOND TO THE FIRST CHEMICAL
WEAPON ATTACK. >> LOOK, I'M A HUGE FAN OF
THOUGHTFULNESS IN PRESIDENCIES. PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS QUITE
THOUGHTFUL ABOUT EVERYTHING. SYRIA WAS A SERIOUS MISTAKE THAT
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION MADE IN RETROSPECT, DON'T YOU THINK?
>> THEY THOUGHT THEMSELVES OUT OF ACTION.
BASICALLY AT SOME POINT -- WHAT HAPPENS IS LOU AT EVERY OPTION
FOR DOING SOMETHING, THAT'S DIFFICULT, THAT'S RISKY, THAT'S
FLAWED BUT NEVER LOOKED NEARLY AS SYSTEMATICALLY AT THE OPTION
OF NOT DOING SOMETHING, THE COST AND RISK OF INACTION.
>> THE STORY, WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS AT THE TIME, THE STORY OF
THE FRIDAY NIGHT, IN AUGUST 2013, WHEN THE SECRETARY OF
STATE HAD MADE QUITE A REMARKABLE SPEECH EARLIER THAT
DAY ABOUT USING FORCE IN SYRIA BECAUSE THIS COULD NO LONGER
CONTINUE.
ZIRIN GAS. I'M TOLD WITHIN AN HOUR OF
RELEASING, THE PRESIDENT, CHIEF OF STAFF, WALKED THE LAWN LATE
AT NIGHT AND CHANGED THE POLICY WITH NO REALLY COMMUNICATION
WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY OR WITH OTHERS IN THE
ADMINISTRATION. >> ANYBODY AT NSC.
>> DANGER OF DOING IN AN AD HOC WAY.
A LESSON FOR FUTURE PRESIDENTS. THE PROCESS, INTERAGENCY SYSTEM.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION STILL, THEY HAVE
TO FLUSH OUT AN INTERAGENCY SYSTEM.
THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THE BODIES IN PLACE.
THEY MAY HAVE HAD AN OKAY DAY THE OTHER DAY BUT THEY CANNOT GO
THROUGH FOUR YEARS MUCH LESS FOUR MORE MONTHS ESSENTIALLY
WITHOUT A GROUP OF PEOPLE TO MAKE POLICY AND CARRY IT OUT.
>> THE STORY IS STILL BEING WRITTEN OF ALL OF THIS.
THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. I THINK TWO THINGS HAPPEN THAT
WERE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT FOR THIS FOREIGN POLICY TEAM.
ONE IS IT ACTED DECISIVELY. THEY PROVED THEY COULD MOVE IN A
WAY THAT SENDS A MESSAGE TO THE WORLD.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO THE PRESIDENT.
THE OTHER IS RICHARD IS RIGHT. OF COURSE A LOT MORE PEOPLE
THERE. YOU SAW NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER, SECRETARY OF STATE AND U.N. AMBASSADOR WHO GOT ON THE
WORLD STAGE. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME
CONTRADICTIONS TO WHAT THEY SAID, ALL THREE OF THEM PROVED
THEY COULD GO OUT AND REPRESENT THE ADMINISTRATION.
YOU'VE NOT SEEN THAT IN ANY OTHER CABINET DEPARTMENT ON THE
DOMESTIC SIDE. >> I'VE GOT TO SAY ALSO, THE
CONTRAST ALSO BETWEEN WHAT THEY DID THURSDAY -- AND AGAIN FOR
EVERYBODY WAITING TO POUNCE AT HOME, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
THURSDAY NIGHT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO TELL YOU
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THIS THURSDAY NIGHT.
YOU KNOW WHAT, WE COULD BE WATCHING THEM ALL PLAY PUT PUT
IN MOZAMBIQUE. WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY WILL BE
DOING THIS THURSDAY NIGHT. LAST THURSDAY NIGHT YOU ALSO HAD
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES GETTING ADVICE FROM HIS
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AND FOLLOWING IT.
GETTING ADVICE FROM HIS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER AND FOLLOWING
IT INSTEAD OF, QUITE FRANKLY, WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME.
WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT SYRIA, WHERE YOU HAD -- BY THE WAY, WE
HEARD THIS FROM PRINCIPLES FOR YEARS, THE COMPLAINT THAT BARACK
OBAMA AND BEN RHODES WOULD MAKE U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AND
SOMETIMES THEY WOULD CALL IN DENIS McDONOUGH.
BUT THEY WOULD NOT TAKE THE REASONED ADVICE OF THEIR
SECRETARY OF STATE OR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.
>> DID NOT WANT TO GO TO WAR. >> OR NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL.
>> THIS WAS THE PRESIDENT WHO WANTED TO GET US OUT OF WARS.
>> EVEN THERE IT'S DANGEROUS. WE'VE BEEN INTERAGENCY PROCESS,
PUSHING IT THROUGH WITHOUT TAKING ADVICE.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO BARACK OBAMA'S FOREIGN POLICY FORAY
YEARS. AGAIN, I'M NOT CONDEMNING THE
WHOLE EIGHT YEARS. I'M TELLING EVERYBODY WHAT WE
KNOW AROUND THE TABLE, WHEN HISTORY IS WRITTEN, SYRIA WILL
BE AT THE TOP OF HIS MISTAKES AND PROCEDURALLY HE IS GOING TO
BE ATTACKED FOR BASICALLY BLOWING UP THE INTERAGENCY
PROCESS AND JUST HAVING ONE OR TWO PEOPLE VERY CLOSE TO HIM IN
THE WHITE HOUSE MAKING ALL THE DECISIONS ON FOREIGN POLICY.
>> LOOK, AS RICHARD HAS POINTED OUT.
IF THIS IS A ONE OFF AND CONTINUES THE WAY IT HAD BEEN
CONTINUING PRIOR TO LAST WEEK'S MISSILE LAUNCH, PRESIDENT TRUMP
WILL BE JUDGED PRETTY MUCH THE SAME WAY PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS
BEEN. YEAH, YOU SHOT OFF 59 MISSILES.
BUT ONE OF THE FACTORS -- POSITIVE FACTORS OF WHAT
HAPPENED LAST WEEK HAVE BEEN TOLD BY TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE
OVER THE WEEKEND IS THE IMPACT IT HAS HAD ON ALLIES IN THE
REGION ON EGYPT, BAHRAIN, UAE, ON TURKEY AND ISRAEL TO SOME
EXTENT, SAYING, AH. >> NOT ONLY GREAT BRITAIN,
CANADA, AUSTRALIA, THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT FROM
ALLIES ACROSS THE GLOBE THAT WE ARE ACTING.
>> YEAH. >> AGAIN, RICHARD, WE'RE NOT
TALKING ABOUT SENDING 500,000 BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE AT HOME, OH, LISTEN TO THEM.
THEY WERE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE OTHER THAN THE ALT-RIGHTERS, BUT
THEY ARE BASICALLY ONE OR TWO SO-CALLED MEDIA COLUMNISTS WHO
SAID MEDIA WAS CHEERING A MARCH TOWARD 2003.
BASICALLY THAT IS LOGIC FOR ANN COULTER AND THE ALT-RIGHT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED AT ALL THURSDAY NIGHT, IS IT?
EXPLAIN HOW THERE I ACTUALLY DEGREES.
>> ENTIRE SPECTRUM, THIS WAS DISCREET ACTION IN RESPONSE TO
CHEMICAL WEAPONS TO SAY NO ONE CAN USE CHEMICALS WEAPONS OR
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION WITH IMPUNITY AND GET OFF COST-FREE.
THIS WAS NOT -- REPEAT NOT -- THIS PRESIDENT AND
ADMINISTRATION JUMPING IN BOTH FEET TO TRANSFORM SYRIA, TO
BECOME A PARTY TO THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR, BRING ABOUT THE
IMMEDIATOUS TER -- IMMEDIATE OUS TER.
THEY HAVE TIME TO FLESH OUT. IT WAS AN ACTION, CIRCUMSCRIBED,
BOUNDED, NO LESS OR MORE. >> STILL AHEAD ON "MORNING JOE,"
A TERRORIST ATTACK ON PALM SUNDAY.
TWIN BLASTS IN EUROPE, CONFIDENCE IN EL SISI.
FILMMAKER SEBASTIAN YOUNGER, AN

Mapping Out A Battle Plan For Syria Following Strikes On Assad Airfields | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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