east today that that to power in the middle east today that that. that doesn't have answers yeah but i mean we'll have to end on that point here but you know the lack of principled stealing someone else's now to resources so they can't. that doesn't have answers yeah but i mean we'll have to end on that point here but you know the lack of principled stealing someone else's now to resources so they can't rebuild i mean i don't know how more pathetic back can be ok but unfortunately build i mean i don't know how more. thetic back can be ok but unfortunately it's not really portrayed that way in western media gentlemen that's all the time we have many thanks and i guess really it's not really portrayed that way in western media gentlemen that's all the time we have many thanks to my guests in washington plymouth the new employment and then dixon or if you are watching of us who are. seeing and i guess here darkie see you next time and remember time and remember. today there are good dentist. today there are good terrorists and the dead and some of them

of the middle east where people can retreat to and fuss of the middle east where people can retreat to and find some kind of comfort some kind of a sort of leaven teen playground on one hand some kind of comfort some kind of a sort of levon teen playground on one hand it's that playground but on the other hand it said it's a refuge for all kinds of thinking and it's that playground but on the other hand it's a it's a refuge for all kinds of thinking middle easterners who can't find a place in their own countries so it would be in the middle easterners who can't find a place in their own country so it would be terrible if that if it collapses if it if it runs into bankruptcy which would be terrible if that if it collapses if it if it runs into bankruptcy which it could do at any moment and. it's hard to see how they're going to how the lebanese could do at any moment and. it's hard to see how they're going to how the lebanese are going to really sort out their economic problems because when we look at the arabs are going to really sort out their economic problems because when we look at

east into a total shit show. >> trevor, the middle east has always been a shit show. it's like a waffle house after 1:00 a.m. it's not america's job to get involved. you have the kurds, the turks. it's such a nuanced, so complicated situation. it's not something america can solve. >> trevor: but if that's america's position, why send thousands of troops to saudi arabia? >> because, trevor, it's the middle east. it's america's job to get involved! yeah, it has so much potential. like a waffle house at 8:00 a.m. you have sunni muslims fighting, shia muslims. it's a very nuanced, complicated situation that only america can solve. >> trevor: desi, it seems to me like trump is simultaneously pushing isolationists and interventionist policies in the middle east. >> what? no! no, no, no, no, no! that's crazy! it's like being a person that's black and white at the same time. it's impossible! >> trevor: well, actually, that's not impossible, desi. >> see, trevor, here's what you need to understand -- trump promised to get america out of the middle east, which he's done in syri

east, building out a middle east strategy as we were engaged in middle east but not paying attention to china and the middle east. and as somebody who's trying to research china in the middle east and 2000, when you tried to talk to middle east people that china will they said don't you understand we are fighting wars in the middle east, we do have time to think about china. china had an awful lot of time to think about the middle east and build their ties. the first is china's role is new and changing. second point china has limited goals in terms of its engagement in the middle east. it is reluctant and defensive. china has gotten about half of its oil from the middle east for almost two decades. and there -- they have tried to find ways to reduce their dependence on middle eastern oil because they think the been on the middle is for oil makes vulnerable to the jonas middle east but also the u.s. cut them off their access to middle eastern oil. they can't figure out a way to reduce their defense on middle east oil. the whole engagement in the region is a little bit defensive. they'

the middle. middle east. be of course they'll be the the grahams out there and they'll be the tom cotton's and p. the the grahams out there and they'll be the tom cotton's and people like that they want to keep the united states in the middle east but i think the writing is on the wall here people like that they want to keep the united states in the middle east but i think the writing is on the wall here that itself is creating instability because so much dependency the u.s. has created that itself is. hating instability because so much dependency the u.s. has created among many elites in the middle east and they're going to have to start thinking twice among many elites in the middle east and they're going to have to start thinking twice and they have social movements that see. this in and they have social movements that see. disenfranchised rising up in the are you going to have elites not being able to be clients the same kind of clients that they have been for decades go ahead james well i pay franchised

i'd like to start with william wechsler, he's the director for the middle east and middle east programs at the atlantic council. his most recent was secretary for special effects and battling terrorism. and secretary for defense for narcotics and global threats. special advisor during the clinton administration and previous service as director for transnational threats on the national security stuff. he has-- from columbia university. >> well, thank you very much kareem. my understanding is whatt we're going to do. i'm going to discuss what we see in the middle east and turn to my co-panelists and talk about the european response to those conflicts. >> it's my understanding that the most important dynamic that's driving a lot of the decisions and actions in the middle east right now and has been for some time is the widespread perception of american withdrawal. this is exacerbated today by the actions of our president, but it would be wrong to solely blame this dynamic on our current president. this has been a long time coming. i'm going to give you a little context of why i believe thi

east today that to power in the middle east today that that. that doesn't have answers yeah but i mean you will have to end on nap. that doesn't have answers yeah but i mean you will have to end on that point here but you know the lack of principles the feeling someone else is now to resources so they can't point here but you know the lack of principles stealing someone else's now to resources so they can't rebuild to build build build i mean i don't know i don't have no more don't have more back confed be the ok button can be ok but unfortunately it's not really part of the. that way in western media gentlemen that's all the time we have many thanks and i guess only it's not really portrayed that way in western media gentlemen that's all the time we have many thanks to my guests in washington plymouth and in norman and thanks to our viewers for watching us here c.n.n. washington plymouth and in norman and thanks to our viewers for watching us here darkie see you next time and remember. next time and remember. she. cooked up the dishes issue so

i think we ought to get out of the middle east, said the senior senator from massachusetts. and almost all of our democratic colleagues currently running for president refuse to sign on to the mcconnell amendment that earned 70 votes earlier this year. but we can't afford to dance around the critical question of u.s. presence in syria and the middle east for the sake of democratic presidential primary politics. the senate needs to speak up. we cannot effectively support our partners on the ground without a military presence. senators who thought we should withdraw from syria and afghanistan in february do not get to criticize president trump for withdrawing from syria today unless they go on the record, admit they changed their minds, and say it's too dangerous to quit. so today, along with chairman inhofe, chairman risch, senator graham, senator burris, i am introducing a stronger resolution that acknowledges hard truths and focuses on our strategic interests in the middle east. our resolution acknowledges the vital role that our kurdish and arab syrian partners have played

we have spent $8 trillion on wars in the middle east. seen anguish on a colossal scale. we have spent $8 trillion on wars in the middle east. never really wanting to win those wars, but after all that money was spent and all those seen anguish on a colossal scale. lives lost, the young men and women gravely wounded so many, the middle east is less safe, less stable, and less secure than before these conflicts began. the same people pushing for these wars are often ones demanding america its doors to unlimited migration from war-torn regions, importing the terrorism and the threat of terrorism right to our own shores. but not anymore. my administration understands that immigration security is national security. as a candidate for president, i made clear that we needed a new approach to american foreign policy. one guided not by ideology but by experience, history, and a realistic understanding of the world. we are building up america's military might like never before. investing $2.5 trillion since my election. but we will not be depleted

-middle east strategy and he talks about u.s. relations in the region. secretary of state, mike pompeo's recent trip to italy and china's expansion in the middle east. from earlier this week at the atlantic council in washington, it's an hour and 50 minutes. okay, everyone. we're ready to commence. >> okay. we are joined with us here today to kick off the programming, a discussion of the u.s. role in the middle east given all of the very exciting news that seems to happen every single day. we are here. david shanker, a good, old friend of mine will share with us his great and unmatched wisdom about the u.s. policy in the region. let me give you a little background on david. he was sworn in as the assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs. june 14th of this year. prior to joining the department of state, he was director of the program on arab politics at the washington institute for near east policy from 2000 to 2006. he served in the office of the secretary of defense as the lev okay, nt country director and in that capacity he is responsible

interests in the middle east and north africa. it's an honor to be here with assistant secretary schenker and to be ---en a to be representing administrator greene and the professionals of u.s. aid. u.s. aid recognizes that most nations in the recently are middle income countries. countries with young populations whose energy, education, and inspiration can be tapped to help speed their country's journal journey to self reliance. we we believe well tarlgted investments by the united states and other donors can play a critical role in helping these countries lock in democratic advances where they have occurred and drive job creating economic growth through modern free market economies. in line with administration policies, u.s. aid focuses its programming to support our friends and allies appear steadily work toward graduating countries from foreign assistance. helping partnering build self relevantens to counter malign influences come from outside while demonstrating american values in the context of renewed great power competitio

and one highly respected middle east expert here how do you see western highly respected middle east expert here how how do you see western media coverage of what's happening in the middle east with these protests here do they have to be a coverage of what's happening in the middle east with these protests here do they have do they have the right optic go ahead. you know i think they have the right optic go ahead. you know i think the western media has gone through a real education over the last western media has gone through a real education over the last 15 years trying to figure out the middle east and they really bought into 15 years trying to figure out the middle east and they really bought into. they bought into george bush's original argument that. they bought into george bush's original argument that that america could scrape off these governments and that america could scrape off these governments and create democracy in the middle east i think today americans are much more create democracy in the middle east i think today americans are much more a bit more sophisticated an

how many americans must die in the middle east? in the midst of these ancient sectarian and tribal conflicts? after all of the precious blood and treasure america has poured into the deserts of the middle east, i am committed to pursuing a different course, one that leads to victory for america. through much work, we have done things that everybody said couldn't be done. today's announcement validates our course of action with turkey, but only a couple of weeks ago was scorned and now people are saying, wow, what a great outcome. congratulations. it is too early to me to be congratulated, but we've done a good job. we've saved a lot of lives and we've saved a costly military intervention that could have led to disastrous, far-reaching consequences. many thousands of people could have been killed. the last administration said assad must go. they could have easily produced that outcome, but they didn't. in fact, they drew a very powerful red line in the sand. you all remember the red line in the sand when children were gassed and kil

east that was building out a middle east strategy as we were engaged in the middle east and want payino attention to china in the middle east and when you tried to talk to middle east people that china's growing, they said don't you understand we're fighting wars in the middle east? we don't have time to think about china. china had an awful lot of time to build its ties and china's role is new and changing. second point. china has really limited goals in terms of its engagement in the middle east. it is reluctant and defensive and china has gotten half its oil from the middle east for almost two decades and they have lost sleep over it for almost two decades. they have tried to find ways to reduce their dependence on middle eastern oil and they've made it both to the general instability to the middle east and they're cutting off access to the middle eastern oil and they can't figure out a way to reduce their dependence and it is a little bit defensive. they are not trying to subplant the united states in the region and this is not the russian experience. they don't see this as a zero-s

do security in the middle east. i remember this conversation i had in the chinese embassy a little more than 10 years ago now. the funny thing, as you meet chinese diplomats, but with each decade, it is like you are meeting people from a different country. me as-year-old guy struck a chinese diplomat with a three dollar polyester sweater and bad english, right? and then there is the twentysomething guy with a bright red shirt and yellow tie. sarcastic diplomats not so common. he says how about you do security and we do business? in many ways, china would love to see. the u.s. can do all the expensive stuff, the stuff that annoys people. and china can do business. it works really well. the other thing china offers is they support governments. and governments really like that. the perception is during the arab spring, the u.s. started wavering. anybody who has been to the middle east, especially the gulf and is not heard the phrase "the u.s. puts under the bus." that is the universal view and china stood by. china pro

and then gaining more leverage throughout the middle east and even promote in africa and with access to a strategic core door running away from to ron to its very doorstep of israel. madam president where do we go from here? many of us in the senate are ahead of the game to reaffirm the american global leadership against radical terrorist at the beginning of this year a bipartisan super majority of senators warned about this course of events and the mcconnell amendment earned 70 votes back in february warning against the precipitous withdrawal and noted the need of american presence congress should affirm or actually reaffirm those same troops today and do so strongly. unfortunately the revolution crafted by house democrats isn't so much wrong as it is insufficient focusing on the thkurds ignoring what suffered under the aside regime and isys and those like the christian arabs of syria. the house is silent on that key matter of the physical presence in syria. after all our colleagues from massachusetts told an audience the senior senator from massachusetts we should get out of the mi

rushes objective plays a greater role in the middle - - middle east has been impacted the kurds out of desperation have now aligned with assad so now america's diminished with russia and iran and assad are strengthened. so i ask how and why this decision was reached. relations committee given this urgent undertaken i might be forgiven for wondering why my committee even exist. i say this because l apparently the decision to leave syria was made without consultation of the committee or the committee chairman or ranking member. just three weeks ago the subcommittee held a hearing to receive the extensive analysis of the conditions in syria presented to us by a serious study group a bipartisan congressionally mandated commission tasked with providing the in death this one - - in depth o assessment and to provide american strategy going forward as far as i am aware they made no effort to contact those who attended the hearing or speak with a serious study group to understand the extensive published report. i ask if it is a position of the administration the united states senate a body of 1

across the middle east we have seen anguish on a colossal scale. we have spent $8 trillion on wars in the middle east, never really wanting to win those wars. but after all that money was spent and all those lives lost, the young men and women, gravely wounded, so many, the middle east is less safe, less stable, and less secure than before these conflicts began. the same people pushing for these wars are often the ones demanding america open its doors to unlimited migration from war torn regions, importing the terrorism and the threat of terrorism right to our own shores. but not anymore. my administration understands that immigration security is national security. as a candidate for president i made clear that we needed a new approach to american foreign policy, one guided not by ideology but by experience, history, and a realistic understanding of the world. we are building up america's military might like never before. investing $2.5 trillion since my election. but we will not be depleted. we will not happen again -- it will not happen again. it

megan, you handled the middle east a great deal. let me ask you, what do you think this means at the end of the day? because, you know, i hear people talk about russia and turkey, but it does seem like the principle beneficiary of all of this is iran. after all, iran has been the principle supporter of the assad regime. assad is now in greater control of that country. they continue to have influence in iraq. how do you see it? >> sure. thank you, fareed. i would say that the middle east got even more dangerous in this very short period of time. basically, if we look at the events in syria of the last week and we couple it with the attack on saudi arabia just last month, the fact that the united states has not -- or has been unwilling to use military force to protect two of its very direct interests, the saudis and the kurds, really sends the message to the rest of the region and the world that the u.s. is unlikely to use military force to protect its interests. and that will invite more provocations. and i think the most likely invi

interests in the middle east and north africa. tois an honor to be here and be representing the professionals of usaid. thed recognizes most of nations in this region are actually middle-income countries, countries with young ose energy, wh education, and educati -- in intelligence can be kept -- can play a critical role in helping these countries lock in democratic advances where they have occurred and drive job-c reating economic growth through free-market economies. in line with administration policies, usaid focuses its programming to help analyze and graduating countries through foreign assistance. helping partners build self-reliance is skewed to the broader u.s. effort to counter malign influences humming from outside -- coming from outside, while demonstrating american values. in iraq, we continue to support the government's initiative to strengthen fiscal management . progress in these areas will strengthen iraqi sovereignty and provide an effective counter to iranian influences within the society. another key area of foc

troroops from the middle east. we spoke t to him earlier this month and asked him why he was critical of trump's decision to withdraw from syria. inwe can't just get involvedd a place and then walk away and not have some moral responsibility. we have a moral responsibility who fought the kurds with us against isis, we have a moral responsibility to accept certain refugees and to help rebuild society that was ravaged by civivil war where we were involved. i call for responsible withdrawal, but now one that is oblivious to human life in syria or to american interest in syria . president trump, at the very first instance, should have notified the kurds about what our intentions were notifying our allies. amy: that is california congressmember ro khanna. professor, if you could respond to what you have talked about, the poking of this beast come of the probe or establishment rarely -- rarely do you have mitch mcconnell, the senate majority leader, speaking out in the senate against president trump, not to mention his v

the middle east history of slavery the casual racism particularly against. people from the south of egypt and the depictions of black arabs on screen interwoven but as many arabs often say the context is different if it really fair to compare slavery and blackface with their western counterparts. i am sure that when people object to the idea that blackface is offensive in the middle east they're saying we're not talking about the american south we're not talking about plantation slavery we're not talking about the same kind of abuses or the same scale that happened in the southern united states. however the slave trade in the middle east was huge and the cultural impact of this slave trade has everything to do with black face in the middle east nobody has ever discussed any of that and nobody has ever acknowledged this very dark and shameful history so like we keep shaming americans and the europeans for when they really do like i think racist but at least. somewhat common terms with their dark history. they're trying to confront it and face it head on where

and all told we have 60000 troops in the middle east. assuming for the fink of understanding getting out of endless wars with the logic for the decision, why would we take action so precipitously, why would we not warn our ally, the curse about what we are about to do. why would we not give them time to also withdrawal. or perhaps the in and dig defendant sims. clear they had the turks had a heads up because they weren able to start bombing than near hours. simply don't understand why the administration did not explain in advance that is unacceptable for turkey to attack an american ally. did we not insist that together we develop his transition plan. to protect the kurds. this secures the isis prisoners, and meet the legitimate concernl of turkey as well. was there no chance for diplomacy. are we so weak and so inept diplomatically that turkey force the hand of the united states of america. turkey. i believe that it is imperative that public hearings are held to made it through these questions. and i hope the senate is able to conduct a

this conflict is the humanitarian crisis created will reshape the middle east for decades to come.

middle east that is the views from within the people in the middle east and they say about themselves rather than others describe what's happening in the the english dizzier english has you know offered the platform to talk in english to the people in the states in the nothing them everywhere in english language about them in the middle east and to listen to the people is negative rather than to the other outlets who have their own agenda their perception of the region and that is i think annoying others less to say the last word in vienna ravi the 1st big foreign policy trip for this current us administration donald trump went to riyadh he in effect greenlit the g.c.c. blockade of catterick kicks in very quickly after that initial visit if he tells towards al jazeera english having to register in this way will it actually happen do you think. i doubt he will do that because. of the geopolitical reasons but it doesn't really be extremely unfortunate. he would protest it will go to the congress we will use our and to march across into to cheer up american national committee to do list

here's our middle east correspondent, quentin somerville. abu bakr al—baghdadi died in the dark in northern syria. the ferocious sound of the firefight was heard for miles. pictures of donald trump watching the operation live have now been released by the white house. he later described how baghdadi he had fled into a tunnel wearing a suicide vest, taking three of his children with him. he reached the end of the tunnel as our dogs chased him down. he ignited his vest, killing himself and the three children. a brutal killer, one who has caused so much hardship and death, has violently been eliminated. he will never again harm another innocent man, woman or child. he died like a dog. he died like a coward. the world is now a much safer place. this was the scene this morning. donald trump thanked russia, turkey and the syrian kurds, but said only americans were involved in the raid. a neighbour told the bbc what he saw. translation: around 11pm, they started shooting the house of abu mohammad. the house was completely destroyed. we recovered

this was not a major invasion of the middle east. this was a limited deployment of special operations forces to take down the terrific enemy. what was one of the most successful and effective operations with a partner force in the history of the united states military, so we need to give the defense department credit for doing what it did so well and with relatively little cost, and ask the questions about what kind of threats we are willing to accept. host: if isis is able to reorganize, where do they fight and who do they fight in the middle east? guest: isis is reorganizing. we released a paper earlier this year that demonstrated how isis has been on a path to resurgence before the american withdrawal from syria. this is not an enemy that needs to regroup. this is an enemy that is already fighting, on the upswing, and will accelerate that's resurgence if it is able to get the presidents out -- prisoners out. isis will fight basically everyone in syria, the government in iraq, and will use the resources, the money, the training gro

they promote terror in the middle east, europe, latin america, and all over the world, and the world must stop them. i call on the international community to support president trump's maximum pressure policy against iran. this is the way to stop them. we must stop iran today in order to prevent war tomorrow. and to the iranian leadership i say, in their own language, [speaking persian] you don't count the birds until the end of the fold. it isn't over until it is over. [applause] excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the reality in the middle east also presents opportunities for corporations in advancing the economies of all countries. in recent years, prime minister have developed a draft of a regional peace initiative which will conduct arab gulf states by rail through jordan to the israeli port in haifa. it will provide them a faster, outlet to theafer mediterranean. we are also going to connect to the palestinian authority to this project, and this will boost their economy. i presented this initiative to the u.n. secretary-general when we recently met in abu dhabi, and invited him

in the middle east or in the gulf specifically. will take time. i think the 1st time was proposed by russia it was probably more than 10 years ago so. we can discuss that in more detail but the monitoring system makes every sense the issue is how do you bring it about all but as a former u.n. official documenting that is also an indication of how little trust russia or perhaps other countries in the best in the u.n. ability to do that kind of investigative work because you know has a number of bodies to investigate chemical attacks and other sort of attacks. russia skepticism about the use of those mechanisms is well known don't you think that perhaps it's an indication that the u.n. has not been doing its job if not properly with enough neutrality of that country like russia with call for the creation of a at the in the other mechanism to do that what well i'm. not mistaken i think the secretary general has already dispatched a team. to saudi arabia verifying what has happened i'm not aware of the russian proposal. is is designed

that everyone knows that the middle east a place. where the christianity in it is growing is coming and. where the christianity in it is growing is coming in the pollution that's the cradle of christianity there the christians are prosecutors that's the cradle of christianity there the christians are prosecuted or killed and robbed and russia you to. kill to rob to and russia is doing everything we can to support the christian community in the middle east and we are doing everything we can to support the christian community in the middle east and we are doing that . in close cooperation we're doing that. in close cooperation we're continuously meeting the. legitimate authorities of the country so that we meet you the. legitimate authorities of the country so that region. and syria for example we help not only. in syria for example we help not only christians. but also christians. but also muslim we've got the. game with the now we represent a muslim we've got the. game with the no we represent the. new islam make religion going to he

hi yeah yeah of the carnegie middle east center. was a coming up this so i'm from twenty four you members agreed in principle to the spend the day to phrase it beyond okay but the thirty first. the block however has not set a new date orange johnson for his part. is only up a snap general election . thank you for watching l live from paris w we start with russian forces which have boasted that presence a across northeastern serious this.s. afternoon code was clinched by ankara and moscow in a bid to and turkish attack on the area. the agreement also requires kurdish figighters consider to e terrorists by turkey t to pull back this willllay forces t the. to relinquish control of somee of the main towns donald trump meanwhile has hailed the agreement. a big success. early this mornining the government of turkey informed by administration that they would be stopping combat. and their offensive in syria. and making the ceasefire permanent and it will indeed be permanent. however you would also. define the word permanent in that part of

the conflict in the middle east in the course of my career always stayed in the middle east. there was upheaval but estate in the confines of the region. the first time i was living in the uk in 2014 when all these young people, i was teaching at the time. people from the uk, london and areas i talk were getting ready to go to isis. and drying people in from regions far beyond that have no impact. i was very dismayed, hurt, upset by the media coverage of young people because many of them were young girls that isis targeted women particularly, specifically girls. the press coverage was exclusionary. these were not european girls anymore. they were in-house horrors for isis, packing lubricants the caliphate, these were 15-year-olds who had been groomed and i thought how ephemeral is your european citizenship after being groomed ever 15-year-old, you're not even british anymore. i wanted to tell the story in an intelligible way from the middle east and europe. >> you covered 13 women and girls in this book, talk about what happens for those who might not remember. >> guest: thos

the middle east can easily supply all of europe's requirements. the oil of south america can be used for the job of industrializing our neighboring lands to the south and to supplement the supplies here in the united states. now that the risks of been taken , now that the pioneering has open for, the way is other american companies to join the middle east and join in developing its great resources for the benefit of its people, and the world. ♪ a guiding principle in aramco's venture has been the belief that foreign capital cannot justify its presence in any land unless it operates in the interest of .hat land fully vindicating that principle has been the mutual trust and goodwill that have grown up between the american oilman and the saudi arab government. thus, american venture capital is developing new standards of life in an ancient realm, who are a people of a glorious past are now building a glowing future with their partners from the other side of the world. united inest are bayou nearing a new frontier of united in-- are bringing a new f

. >> as we await off date on the situation in the middle east from defense secretary mike this morning there's a new battle between nancy pelosi and president trump. >> speaker of the house leading a so-called bipartisan delegation. mark with the very latest. >> good to see you, the good morning, speaker's office says the congressional delegation made multiple stops in the middle east. delegation was made up of house speaker nancy pelosi and one republican house maker, pelosi's office put out a statement following the visiting, meeting and hearing from troops and diplomats on the ground for congress to conduct oversight in our mission in afghanistan, the president weighed in on the trip as lawmakers continue today criticize his decision to pull troops out of syria, the president put out on twitter, quote, she should find out why obama drew the red line in the sand losing syria and all respect. this comes as kurdish military leaders are deeply disappointed in president trump's decision and cooperative relationship with the united states going forward. south carolina lindsey graham, he s

must die in icans the middle east, in the midst of these ancient sectarian and conflicts? after all of the precious blood and treasure america has point of order, a quorum is not into the -- has poured into the middle east, i want a different course, one that leads for america. through much work, we have done said that everybody couldn't be done. today's announcement validates of action with turkey only a couple of weeks ago were scorned and now people are saying, wow. what a great outcome. congratulations. early to me to be congratulated. but we've done a good job. a lot of lives. most importantly, we've voided military stly intervention that could have led far-reaching consequences. many of thousands of people could have been killed. last administration said assad must go. they could have easily produced outcome, but they didn't. n fact, they drew a very powerful red line in the sand. you all remember the red line in sand when children were gassed and killed but then did their commitment as other children died in the same manner. but i did honor my commitment tomahawks.

east and the risks 110w out of the middle east and the risks now include an iis revival, more misery for civilians and a deeper destabilisation of a fragile land. president trump has released a statement that says: but it was his decision to withdraw american troops that turkey took as the green light for its offensive. there's been plenty of criticism of that move. here's our north america editorjon sopel. if he thinks it is such a bad idea, why on sunday night did he agree in a phone call with president erdogan and then put out a statement later saying that the long—awaited assault would start soon and american troop would not be in the way. there are only 50 soldiers, but all the time those troops were there on the ground, there was not a chance that president erdogan would have launched this offensive with the risk that american blood might be spilt. and so a very few soldiers were keeping the peace and that is what has enraged so many republicans as well as democrats in washington. i have scoured social media to find supportive comments for what donald trump has done and it is

chris: trey yingst reporting from the middle east. trey, thank you. joining us now here in studio, the vice president of the united states, mike pence. mr. vice president, thank you so much for coming in today to talk to us. >> thank you, chris. it's a great day for america. al-baghdadi, the most wanted man in the world, is dead. and it is a tribute to the courage of our armed forces and to the decisiveness of our commander or in chief, the president of the united states. chris: take us in -- i know you said you were in the situation room, the president said that for several hours. take us into the tichtion room. a -- the situation room. a couple of points. first of all, i remember when the u.s. took out bin laden, most accounts was there was only about a 50/50 likelihood that he was in that compound. what were the odds that, in fact, it was baghdadi on the ground, and what kind of, what intelligence did we have, how good was it, and take us through that time? you said it was several hours in the situation room. >> well, you heard the president this m

foreign policy not only in syria but what then an across the middle east. lebanon's president michel aoun is due to address the nation in about an hour's time protesters have been demonstrating on demanding political change for 8 days so reports from beirut. they tried to reclaim the streets but the people stood their ground lebanon's army has been ordered by politicians to open roads across the country the same politicians these lebanese want gone there were skirmishes a few injuries but at the end the military took a step back they're trying to intimidate the city on this. thing that by a show of force we're going to back up people are going to be afraid to come and actually they publish the opposite all of us rushed early on instead of coming at like 5 or 6 pm for a party this is the main highway connecting the capital beirut to north lebanon protesters have been blocking roads in the hope of pressuring the government to resign prime minister saad and heidi who said protests will be tolerated in squares ordered the security forces to clear the streets he

the united states has spent $8 trillion in the middle east. we've lost thousands of brave soldiers and tens of thousands of terribly wounded people. their lives will never be the same. produce chaos and bloodshed. all of the blood and treasure we sacrifice made the middle east less -- it's less safe. it's less stable. it's less secure. the single greatest mistake our country made in its history was going into the quicksand of the middle east. we spent $8 trillion. the other side we can talk about that, they lost millions of lives. what did we do? we are going to pull them out. we are trying to make good deals and we are going to bring our soldiers back home. we may need them for something else. they will be ready. host: that was the president from last night. host: we are monitoring his twitter feed this morning. the last week was from late last night just before 11:00 minneapolis time. he said he will fight with heart and soul. hill, the expected testimony of the former u.s. that isor to ukraine, before the house intelligence committee today

i think that's certainly happening in the middle east. there's a lot of nervousness in saudi arabia and the united arab emirates and jordan, egypt, traditional partners of the united states. i am actually in melbourne, australia, this week. and we could not have a closer military alliance than the one we have with australia, and yet people here have been questioning me today, will you back us up in a crisis? and that has really stunned me, and it has given mea really stunned me, and it has given me a sense, quite palpable, of the impact that this decision has had outside the middle east on traditional allies of the united states, like australia. you can find more on the latest developments on our website, bbc.com/news. let's get some of the day's other news: a white police officer in texas has been charged with murder over the killing of a 28—year—old black woman in her home. atatiana jefferson was shot through a closed window as she was playing video games with her nephew. aaron dean resigned earlier. local leaders have called for an