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>>> ANOTHER VIOLENT DAY IN
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EGYPT.
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MORE CLASHES BETWEEN SECURITY
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FORCES AND PROFESTERS BACKING
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OUSTED PRESIDENT MOMENHAMED MOR.
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PAUL STEINHAUSER FINDS OUT
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AMERICANS FAVOR A CAUTIOUS
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APPROACH.
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>> HEY, FRED.
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THE U.S. SHOULD STEER CLEAR OF
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THE UNREST IN EGYPT.
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THAT SEEMS TO BE THE MESSAGE
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FROM THE MOST RECENT POLLING.
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MORE THAN THREE-QUARTERS OF
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AMERICANS QUESTIONED SAID THAT
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WASHINGTON SHOULD MOSTLY STAY
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OUT OF THE EVENTS IN EGYPT AND 6
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IN 10 SAID U.S. AID TO EGYPT
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SHOULD BE REDUCED OR ELIMINATED.
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THE POLL WAS CONDUCTED LAST
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MONTH WELL BEFORE THIS WEEK'S
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OUTBURST OF NEW VIOLENCE.
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A PEW RESEARCH CENTER SURVEY
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CONDUCTED AROUND THE SAME TIME
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FOUND A DROP IN THE NUMBER OF
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PEOPLE WHO SAID THE UNREST IN
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EGYPT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO
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AMERICAN INTERESTS.
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FRED?
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>> THANKS SO MUCH, PAUL
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STEINHAUSER.
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SO THOSE POLLS SHOW MOST
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AMERICANS FAVOR A CAUTIOUS
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APPROACH, BUT THE ESCALATION OF
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VIOLENCE ALSO MEANS THE WHITE
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HOUSE IS FINDING ITSELF WITH
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FEWER OPTIONS IN ITS MILITARY
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ALLIANCE WITH EGYPT.
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THE BIGGEST MOVE SO FAR HAS BEEN
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THE CANCELING OF JOINT MILITARY
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EXERCISES SCHEDULED FOR NEXT
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MONTH.
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JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS IS CNN'S
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ANALYST AND A FORMER COMMANDER.
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EXPLAIN THIS RELATIONSHIP
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BETWEEN THE U.S. AND EGYPT.
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WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT
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STRATEGICALLY?
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>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S IN
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THE VERY, VERY VOLATILE
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OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT MIDDLE
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EAST.
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THE SUEZ CANAL RUNS RIGHT
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THROUGH EGYPT AND IN ORDER FOR
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OIL TO TRANSIT, COMMERCE TO
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TRANSIT, YOU NEED TO HAVE ACCESS
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TO THE SUEZ CANAL.
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SO THE UNITED STATES PRESENCE IN
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THAT REGION IS INCREDIBLY
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IMPORTANT.
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ALSO ISRAEL IS A NEIGHBOR OF
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EGYPT.
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OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST
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THREE DECADES, ISRAEL AND EGYPT
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HAVE FIGURED OUT HOW TO
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COOPERATE AND GET ALONG.
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THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND
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IT'S BEEN THE ANCHOR OF OUR
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STABILITY IN THE REGION FOR THAT
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AMOUNT OF TIME.
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THE ACTUAL MILITARY EXERCISES
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THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE WITH
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EGYPT SINCE 1980 FOLLOWED THE
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CAMP DAVID ACCORDS THAT WERE IN
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PLACE AND HAVE BEEN AN ONGOING
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EXERCISE SERIES WITH NOT ONLY
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THE EGYPTIAN MILITARY BUT OTHER
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FRIENDS AND ALLIES IN THE REGION
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AND HAVE BEEN QUITE SUCCESSFUL
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IN TERMS OF ESTABLISHING FORMS
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OF MILITARY INTEROPERABILITY,
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THAT MEANS HOW DO YOU WORK
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TOGETHER BOTH AT THE HIGHEST
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STRATEGIC LEVELS AND THEN FIELD
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TRAINING EXERCISE AT THE VERY
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LOWEST LEVELS, AND THOSE ARE
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TRUST-BUILDING EXERCISES.
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WE FIGURE OUT HOW THEY WORK,
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THEY FIGURE OUT HOW WE WORK, AND
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OUR MILITARY EQUIPMENT, OUR
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TRAINING, OUR EDUCATION, AND OUR
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DOCTRINE LOOK VERY, VERY MUCH
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THE SAME.
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IT'S AN IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP
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THAT WE CAN'T ABANDON.
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NOW, THE FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT
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HAS CANCELED BRIGHT STAR, WHICH
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IS THE NAME OF THE EXERCISE, FOR
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THIS YEAR IS NOT A BIG DEAL.
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HE'LL BE WABL TO OVERCOME THAT,
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BUT I DO THINK THE AID WE
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PROVIDE EGYPT IS IMPORTANT AND
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WE NEED TO HOLD ONTO THAT, NOT
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DECLARE THAT WE'RE GOING TO
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WITHDRAW IT.
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>> WHAT IF IT WERE TO BE
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TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED, NOT
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NECESSARILY ENDED THROUGHOUT,
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BUT SUSPENDED AS A RESULT OF THE
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CURRENT TURMOIL?
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>> WELL, ABSOLUTELY.
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I MEAN, YOU COULD SUSPEND IT AND
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SAY, LOOK, HERE IS THE QUID PRO
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QUO.
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YOU DO THIS, WE'LL THEN
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REINSTATE.
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THERE COULD ALSO BE SOME --
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WHAT'S KNOWN AS EASTERLY
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CIVILIAN OR COMMERCIAL AID THAT
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COULD TAKE PLACE THROUGH USAID.
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THAT'S NOT AS SIGNIFICANT IN
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TERMS OF ITS SIZE AND ITS
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ABILITY TO IMPACT WHAT'S GOING
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ON.
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WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN RIGHT NOW
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CLEARLY, FRED, IS THE VIOLENCE
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HAS TO SUBSIDE SO THE ONLY WAY
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THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS
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THROUGH SOME TYPE OF MILITARY
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ACTION.
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DIPLOMACY AT THIS POINT HAS A
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VERY STRONG MILITARY FLAVOR.
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>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN MILITARY
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ACTION?
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MEANING U.S. MILITARY
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INVOLVEMENT IN THE CRISIS IN
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TRYING TO QUIET THINGS DOWN?
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WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?
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>> NOT AT ALL.
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WHAT I MEAN IS THOSE
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RELATIONSHIPS ARE IN PLACE.
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THEY'RE VERY STRONG.
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THEY'RE VERY BROAD.
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THEY'RE VERY RICH IN TERMS OF
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THEIR CULTURE AND HISTORY.
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THE UNITED STATES DOES HAVE
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INFLUENCE, BUT THEY ARE LOSING
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THAT INFLUENCE, AND THE KEY
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INFLUENCE THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW IS
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THAT OUR MILITARIES COOPERATE
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AND THEY KNOW EACH OTHER AWFULLY
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WELL.
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WHAT WE SHOULD DO IMMEDIATELY IS
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WE SHOULD HAVE A VERY OPEN
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COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE
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EGYPTIANS.
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I'M CONFIDENT WE ARE, AND MOST
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OF THOSE ARE PROBABLY BACK
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CHANNEL COMES AND WE NEED TO GE
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THE MILITARY TO ALTER THEIR
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RULES OF ENGAGEMENT.
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THEY SHOULD BE ARMS BUT THEY
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SHOULD HAVE STRICT ENGAGEMENT
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CRITERIA.
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THEY SHOULD NOT BE SHOOTING INTO
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THE CROWDS.
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THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IS NOT A
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LARGE, SIGNIFICANT THREAT.
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IT'S LOSING ITS RELEVANCE.
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THE PEOPLE DON'T WANT THEM THERE
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ANYMORE.
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THEY'VE LOST THEIR -- ANY FORM
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OF LEGITIMACY, AND IT CAN
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SUBSIDE IF THE MILITARY CAN
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LEARN TO ACT WITH A LITTLE MORE
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RESTRAINT, WHICH IT HAS NOT YET
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DEMONSTRATED.
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THAT WILL HAPPEN --
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>> BUT IN A LARGE PART IT'S
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CREATED A REAL PROBLEM FOR THE
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U.S. TO EVEN OFFER OR INITIATE
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DIALOGUE WITH WHOM?
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I MEAN, THE LEADERSHIP IS
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NONEXISTENT RIGHT NOW, OR AT
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LEAST A CLEAR FORM OF LEADERSHIP
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IS NONEXISTENT.
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>> WELL, THERE'S NO FORM OF
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LEADERSHIP THAT'S VIABLE IN
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TERMS OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD
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DIRECTING ACTIVITIES BECAUSE
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WHAT YOU HAVE IS A LOT OF LOCAL
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VIOLENCE THAT'S TAKING PLACE AND
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THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD HAS SAID
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THIS IS DISASSOCIATED FROM OUR
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AFFILIA
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AFFILIATIONS.
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THESE ARE NOT OUR FOLKS.
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WE'RE A PEACEFUL GROUP.
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CLEARLY, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
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>> ALL RIGHT.
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>> MILITARY, HOWEVER, IS IN