alliances will start to atrophy. >> there is also the practical matter of the tens of thousands of american troops in the region. yes, they're ready to take orders from their commander in chief, this is how it works, they're ready to go when that order is given. that being said, does a back and forth like this put them in greater danger? >> not from the perspective of their -- of the troops' understanding of what their legitimate legal, moral orders are. >> but what about from the regions in the world where they are? >> oh, absolutely. that becomes a notion of an asymmetric response. that's what puts it at risk. you've got exposed soldiers, exposed military folks. they're deployed in foreign lands. we want to make sure all of that around them has a certain level of protection and comfort, that the message we're sending is consistent. >> i was going to say, that's