Page 166 - Decision Making Process News Today

Afghanistan. we dont want the president to make decisions where he just thinks more bombs are the way to build up his popularity. they are making decisions based on the national security interests of the united states and long-term safety of the american people. >> how do you react to that especially with the decision making process going into this and not just for our national security, but message we sent to allies around the world? >> you see, i fear the opposite. i fear that always seeking w...

Civilian control of the military? >> well, you know, this white house is looking back at the predecessor, president obama, who had a reputation of having a lot of control over the operational activity of the military. wanting to authorize strikes and wanting to be involved in the decision making process. trump is taking a different track. he believes the military should be left to their own devices to do what they need to do. i dont think you should equate that necessarily to trump not being awa...

Is, how well he can run his administration where youre just sort of flipping over and not really -- not clear there is a real strategy behind the whole thing, that is the big question. but i think the big question is h.r. mcmaster. flynn leaving was the story 27 days in, and it is still a story because of residual issues, but mcmaster was not that well known. came in, people were generally pleased. i think he has been the story of the last 50 days since he came in. gradually getting the national...

With the military and i know the care they go through in the command centers to do that. if we look at the evidence, it just raises a question that is worth asking. we do know that there was frustration with the decision-making process under the obama administration. has that changed? well have to see. >> quickly to the colonel, can you wrap it up for us? >> i keep asking that question. i talked to a lot of people at different levels in the chain of command. and i get the answer that, no, the ru...

Massive escalation using a moab is an escalation in an ongoing war, and i think some of the concerns, well see where we are in a week or two weeks, but some of the concerns weve had a pretty chaotic decision making process at the white house, i would say that might be charitable, and, you know, not knowing whether the president actually was part of this, whether hes fully conceived of all the implications, we hope this is successful, but i think the challenge here is we dont have that reassuranc...

For training, advising and assisting the afghan forces because of this very point. isis on the move, the taliban resurgent in certain areas, especially in the south in helmond province. afghan struggling in many areas to push back insurgent forces, so the pentagon looking to ask for hundreds of additional troops perhaps, more trainers and advisers and may be there a long time. >> the u.s. already has about 9,000 troops in afghanistan, staying there for now. barbara starr, thank you. barbara star...

Adviser stephen k. bannon whose job may be in danger. former rnc chairman, msnbc political analyst, and a good sport during political season, michael steele is with us tonight. jeremy, its your own work that you have posted tonight. whats in the story? tell us the latest. >> so as you said, brian, donald trump has been very clear, as he always is, about his subordinates and whom they work for. in this case, he said without equivocati equivocation, steve bannon works for me. he likes the psycholo...

A lot of this you can read into trumps desire to put steve bannon in his place. i think that while he is definitely on the ropes, and while his job is in jeopardy, i would by no means count him out. this is a president who has a notoriously fickle decision-making process. he goes up and down and back and forth in whatever he -- whether youre talking about bombing syria, or reassigning people within the white house. you never know whats going oh happen. so i think you cant say anything definitive...

My plan is. i have plans. i have plans. but i dont want them to know what im thinking. does that make sense? >> whether or not the president likes people guess, allies and adversaries are trying to figure him out, trying to determine how the new administration will react when pushed. here to talk about it, people who have been a part of the process. admiral, lets start with you. is it clear what the trump administration policy is towards syria? is it regime change? >> its not clear to me at all....

Adversaries are trying to figure him out, trying to determine how the new administration will react when pushed. here to talk about it, people who have been a part of the process. weve seen it from the inside. admiral, lets start with you. is it clear what the trump administration policy is towards syria? is it regime change? >> its not clear to me at all. they went from political reality is assad to regime change in almost a nano second. i mean they were zero to hundred like that, in just a few...