PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE BOARD. MEANWHILE, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE LATEST STORY AROUND FOREIGN POLICY AND THAT IS JOHN KERRY IS UNDER FIRE. SPECIAL CLIMATE ENVOY KERRY DENYING ALLEGATIONS THIS MORNING THAT HE INFORMED THE IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER OF COVERT ISRAELI MILITARY OPERATIONS WHILE SERVING AS PRESIDENT OBAMA’S SECRETARY OF STATE. IN LEAKED AUDIOTAPES, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAID THAT KERRY SHOCKINGLY INFORMED HIM THAT ISRAEL ATTACKED IRANIAN TARGETS IN SYRIA OVER 200 TIMES. KERRY IS FACING CALLS TO RESIGN FROM HIS POSITION AS PRESIDENT BIDEN’S CLIMATE CZAR. JOINING ME NOW IS RETIRED FOUR STAR GENERAL, STRATEGIC ANALYST GENERAL JACK KEANE. IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING. THANK YOU HE VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US PARTICULARLY ON THIS VERY TROUBLING STORY. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW YOU SEE THIS, WHETHER OR NOT JOHN KERRY PICKED THIS INFORMATION UP BECAUSE WE WERE SPYING ON ISRAEL TO BEGIN WITH. WE GET THIS INFORMATION FROM ISRAEL AND HE PASSES IT ON TO IRAN? >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS AN ALLEGATION. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE ACTUAL TRUTH IS. WE DO KNOW THE FOREIGN MINISTER IN DOING HIS ORAL HISTORY ON THE ADMINISTRATION HE’S SERVING MAKES A NUMBER OF STUNNING REVELATIONS AND CERTAINLY THIS IS ONE OF THEM. PRESIDENT ARE WE REALLY SUR -- BUT ARE WE REALLY SURPRISED HERE? THIS IS THE SAME JOHN KERRY WHO DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WHEN HE WAS OUT OF OFFICE WAS COZYING UP TO THE IRANIANS DURING THAT TIME AND UNDERMINING U.S. POLICY. IN OTHER WORDS, HE WAS TELLING THE IRANIANS-THIS IS WHAT WE GOT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE, THAT THIS WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. HE WAS TELLING THE IRANIANS TO-NOT TO FOLLOW -- GO ALONG WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, WAIT IT OUT AND A NEW ADMINISTRATION, OBVIOUSLY A DEMOCRATIC ONE, WOULD COME IN AND BE MORE FRIENDLIER TO YOU. THAT WAS COMPLETELY UNPRECEDENTED. WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANYBODY DOING ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN TERMS OF UNDERMINING FOREIGN POLICY. DISAGREEING WITH FOREIGN POLICY TO BE SURE BUT UNDERMINING IT WITH A FOREIGN POWER THAT’S SOMETHING ELSE AGAIN. SO I DON’T THINK WE’RE SURPRISED. WE DON’T KNOW TRULY WHAT THE FACTS ARE. BUT WE JUST CAN’T BE SURPRISED BY WHAT IS HAPPENING AND CERTAINLY IT’S WORTHY OF AN INVESTIGATION TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT REALLY DID TAKE PLACE HERE. MARIA: YEAH. WE’RE WAITING FOR MORE INFORMATION. WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW IS THAT THERE ARE NEW LEAKED AUDIOTAPES AND THE AUDIO APPEARS TO REVEAL THAT KERRY AND OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT KERRY ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS FROM THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ARE NOW ON BIDEN’S FOREIGN POLICY TEAM, HE IS THE SPECIAL CLIMATE ENVOY. HE DI DIVULGED THE DETAILS OF 20 CLAN200ISRAELI MILITARY OPERATIO TAKEN AGAINST MILITARY TARGETS IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. HE’S ALWAYS BEEN OBVIOUSLY COZYING UP AS YOU SAY TO THE IRANIANS. IF THIS IS CONFIRMED, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE DISGRACE. IF THIS IS CONFIRMED, SHOULD HE STEP DOWN, IN YOUR VIEW? >> WELL, I THINK IT WAS CONFIRMED. THERE WOULD BE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, HE WOULD BE ASKED TO STEP DOWN. I DON’T SEE HOW THE ADMINISTRATION COULD HAVE ANYBODY SERVING THEM IN ANY CAPACITY WHATSOEVER WHO COMMITTED SUCH AN EGREGIOUS VIOLATION. WHAT HAPPENED HERE WITH THE LEAKING OF THE TAPES IS THEY’RE ALSO TRYING TO DISCREDIT THE FOREIGN MINISTER ZARIF WHO HAS A HEAVY HAND IN THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT THE IRANIANS ARE DOING AND THESE ARE THE HARD-LINERS AND HE IS CONSIDERED TO BE A MODERATE. THE HARD-LINERS DON’T WANT TO GIVE AN INCH TO THE UNITED STATES APARTMENT OUR ALLIES OVER THE RETURN TO THE NUCLEAR DEAL AND BELIEVE ME, WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF CONCERN IN TERMS OF THE DIRECTION THESE NEGOTIATIONS ARE TAKING AS THE UNITED STATES IS ABOUT TO LIFT SANCTIONS ON IRAN IN RETURN FOR IRAN’S FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE DEAL. IF THEY LIFT ALL THE SANCTIONS AND DON’T TRY TO IMPROVE THE DEAL, WE SQUANDERED A SIGNIFICANT STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY HERE AND I THINK IT WILL BE CONSIDERED A SIGNIFICANT FAILURE IF THAT DOES OCCUR. MARIA: YOU KNOW, YOU’VE GOT TO EXPLAIN HOW IT IS THAT THE U.S. IS NOW BACK CONSIDERING GETTING BACK INTO THIS IRANIAN NUCLEAR, ALL THE WHILE U.S. AND IRANIAN WAR SHIPS HAVING A TENSE ENCOUNTER IN THE PERSIAN GULF EARLIER THIS MORNING. A GROUP OF SHIPS DEMANDED BY IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD SWARMED TWO DIFFERENT U.S. COAST GUARD SHIPS ON PATROL IN THE PERSIAN GULF, CUTTING IN FRONT OF THEM, FORCING THE SHIPS TO MAKE ABRUPT STOPS TO AVOID POSSIBLE COLLISIONSES. THE ENCOUNTERS WOULD BE THE FIRST INCIDENT BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS IN OVER A YEAR, GENERAL. THIS AS JOE BIDEN IS NEGOTIATING AND TRYING TO GET US BACK INTO THE IRAN DEAL. BY THE WAY, WE SHOULD POINT OUT THERE WAS A MEETING ON THIS A WEEK AND-A-HALF AGO. THE U.S. WASN’T INVITED. IT WAS CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN, TALKING ABOUT THE IRAN DEAL. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THIS NEAR COLLISION IN THE PERSIAN GULF? >> THIS IS, AS YOU SAID, IT’S DONE BY THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS AND THEY WORK FOR THE SUPREME LEADER. THEY’RE NOT A PART OF THE NORMAL MILITARY ORG. OF ANY -- ORGANIZATION. WHAT I THINK HAS TAKEN PLACE IS A COUPLE THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, THIS USED TO BE A PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR IN THE PAST. IT WAS DONE MOSTLY BECAUSE IT GETS A LOT OF PRESS, IT’S DONE MOSTLY FOR OUR ALLIES IN THE REGION WHERE IRAN IS DEMONSTRATING TO THEM, IT, WE’RE THE MAJOR POWER IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE UNITED STATES IS A FOREIGN INTERVENTIONIST. LOOK AT US, WE CAN INTIMIDATE AND HARASS THE UNITED STATES AT WILL HERE. OUR ALLIES DON’T BUY INTO IT. THEY DON’T SEE THE UNITED STATES AS BEING WEAKENED AS A RESULT OF THIS. THEY KNOW WHO THE REAL MARITIME POWER IS IN THE PERSIAN GULF TO BE SURE. BUT WHY NOW? I THINK ALSO HERE -- REVOLUTIONARY GUARD, VERY HARD-LINERS IN IRAN, ELECTION COMING UP IN JUNE. I THINK THIS IS BEING DONE TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE IRANIAN NEGOTIATORS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY THE TAKE A VERY HARD-LINE STAND DEALING WITH THE UNITED STATES, MUCH AS THEY DID BACK IN 2015. THEY WANT TO SEE A REPLAY OF THAT WHERE THE UNITED STATES COMES OUT OF THIS DEAL HAVING GIVEN UP ALL OF THE SANCTIONS OF IRAN AND LOSING ALL THE LEVERAGE THAT WE HAD. THE MOMENTUM IN THE MIDDLE EAST HAS TURNED AGAINST THE IRANIANS AND THAT IS WHAT IS REALLY REGRETTABLE AND UNFORTUNATE, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DOESN’T USE ALL THAT LEVERAGE THAT EXISTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS A RESULT OF THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS, THE NORMALIZATION WITH ISRAEL. WHY ARE THOSE ARAB COUNTRIES NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL? BECAUSE OF THE THREAT OF IRAN. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A FORMATION OF AN ARAB NATO. THAT’S WHAT’S AT STAKE HERE. THERE’S HUGE LEVERAGE AGAINST THE IRANIANS AND WE SHOULD USE IT TO OUR ADVANTAGE TO PROTECT OUR ALLIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. MARIA: SO DO YOU WORRY THAT THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS, THOSE FIVE COUNTRIES THAT HAVE SAID YES, WE WILL NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL, AS A RESULT OF THE UNITED STATES, MIKE POMPEO DOING THIS NEGOTIATING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, ARE THOSE ABRAHAM ACCORDS IN JEOPARDY IF THE U.S. GETS BACK INTO THE IRAN DEAL? >> IT’S GOING TO PUT HUGE PRESSURE ON IT FOR SURE. THE ARABS CAME TOGETHER WITH ISRAEL AS A RESULT OF THE INVITATION OF THE UNITED STATES TO JUST DO THAT. THE UNITED STATES IN THE NAME OF PRESIDENT TRUMP IN JULY OF 2017 TOLD THE ARAB STATES THAT HE WOULD STAND AGAINST THEM DEALING WITH THE STRATEGIC THREAT OF IRAN. THAT KIND OF STRENGTH NOW THAT OUR ALLIES ARE LOOKING AT THE NEGOTIATIONS AND BELIEVE ME, NONE OF THE ARAB STATES OR ISRAELIS AGREE WITH THE NEGOTIATION T’S THAT ARE GOING ON BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THE UNITED STATES WILL GIVE UP THE FARM, SO-TO-SPEAK, WILL GIVE UP ALL OF THESE SANCTIONS AND HAVE NOTHING IN RETURN. WAS WHAT WE WANT IN RETURN IS TO CURB THE BEHAVIOR IN THE HE REGION. THAT’S WHAT THEY WOULD SAY NUMBER ONE, STOP THEIR PROBLEMS HEY WARS AND -- PROXY WARS AND CERTAINLY PROHIBIT THE DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION OF BALLISTIC MISSILES AND ANY TIME, ANYWHERE WITH INSPECTIONS TO BE SURE. IMPROVEMENT CAN BE MADE HERE. WHETHER THE UNITED STATES HAS THE MENTAL TOUGHNESS TO DO THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN AND THAT’S THE CONCERN OUR ALLIES IN THE REGION HAVE, MARIA. MARIA: I COULD IMAGINE. WE’RE STILL TRYING TO -- QUICKLY ON CHINA, WE ARE STILL TRYING TO GET ALLIES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CHINA THREAT. BUT I HAVEN’T SEEN ANY TOUGH POLICY AGAINST CHINA EITHER. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE CURRENT FOREIGN POLICY? WE ARE COZYING UP TO OUR ADVERSARIES, LIKE IRAN, AND CHINA. >> IC THE BIDEN ADD -- I THINK THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAVE DONE MUCH BETTER DEALING WITH CHINA. THEY HAVE TAKEN A STAND. THEY HAVE MET WITH OUR ALLYS IN THE REGION TO DEAL WITH CHINA, TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE’RE UNITED IN PUSHING BACK ON CHINA. THE FIRST FOREIGN PRESIDENT THAT BIDEN MET WITH WAS THE PRESIDENT OF JAPAN, CERTAINLY PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN, EXCUSE HE ME, AND HE GOT AN EARFUL ABOUT CHINA. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAVE BEEN OUT IN THE REGION DOING MUCH THE SAME THING. I THINK THEY’RE MOVING IN CHINA. THEY GOT THE MESSAGE. A LOT HAS CHANGED IN FOUR YEARS SINCE DEALING WITH CHINA. WE STILL HAVE TO SEE IF THEY HAVE THE TOUGHNESS TO CONFRONT CHINA, WHEN CHINA’S AGGRESSION STARTS TO SPILL OVER MORE THAN WHAT ITS IT CURRENTLY IS, IT WIL HAPPEN, DEALING WITH TAIWAN AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. THAT HE REMAINS TO BE SEEN. RIGHT NOW, THE RHETORIC AND POLICY IS GOOD. WE’LL SEE IF THE TOUGHNESS IS THERE. MARIA: STEP ONE MIGHT BE TO TRY TO PUT THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE ON THE CORONAVIRUS AND BRING UP THE ISSUE, WHERE DID THE CORONAVIRUS ORIGINATE, XI JINPING. THAT SUBJECT APPARENTLY HAS NOT COME UP. PETER DOOCY ASKED JOE BIDEN THE QUESTION A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, HE SAID NO, NO, NO, THAT HASN’T COME UP. GO FIGURE. GENERAL, IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.
