Daily blogging after 15 years. And what it means for the business. Were back here next sunday 11 00 and 5 00 eastern. Check us out with the latest buzz. Coming up next. Have a great day. Take÷qvq care. Im chris wallace. Islamic extremists continue their march in the middle east. 5÷ does the president have a real plan to beat rf xthem . Actively name the movement as radical islam and we have no strategy to stop it or beat it. What is it we are out to accomplish . We discuss the strategy with three experts that have firsthand experience. Senator kelly ayotte, four star general jack keane and
ambassador dennis ross. And then common Core Education standards split inside the gop. It is local School Boards and higher standards. How can anybody disagree with that. The debate of common core. Governor greg abbott and former education secretary bill bennett. And the president wants to spend billions more on new programs. Our sunday panel weighs in. And our power player this super bowl sunday former profootball player john riggins and his legacy on and off the field. I came to play the game and have fun and i think i accomplished that. All right now on americas news headquarters. And hello again from phoenix news in washington. We begin with breaking news. Jordan has renewed the offer to trade a prisoner for a pilot after there was a release of a murder of a japanese hostage. Well discuss that with key players on this issues. But first conor powell is live in the middle east newsroom with the latest. In just about every corner of the region there is cause of concern of the growing threat from isis and iran and the friction of the u. S. And one of its closest allies. Two days ago there were hopes that talks would lead to the release of kenji goto and the jord arian pilot. But isis released video of
gotos execution and vowing more violence. After weeks of u. S. Airstrikes isis regrouped and launched a strike on kirkuk, once again proving fighting against the radical group is far from over. And tensions flared against israel and hezbollah after israel launched a strike that killed militants, hezbollah responded killing two israeli soldiers, nearly igniting another war. And in israel, the fallout of netanyahus decision to speak before Congress Took center stage. And it shocked some at fox news seen here as pronetanyahu, would criticize the news. And there is a sense here in israel and across the middle east that u. S. Has lost the
ability and the desire to help shape and stabilize the middle east, chris, at a time when it needs it the most. Con or powerful reporting from jerusalem. Thanks for that. And now top middle east experts discuss the situation on the ground and president obamas policies. Former army vice chief of staff four star general retired jack keane. Kelly ayotte on the Armed Services committee and dennis ross was a negotiator to four u. S. President s. Thank you for joining us. Glad to be here. General i would like to start with the map over the soldier which you presented to the Armed Services committee this week, what do you think it demonstrates . The u. S. Is facing a scale that it has not seen since the post soviet union global super power. We see radical islamic morphing
into a jihad and the state seeking domination represented by green on the map as it begins to control and influence major countries in the middle east and influence or control those capitals. Ambassador ross, the map is stunning and if you look at the islamic extremist and now into north africa, are we winning or losing the war on extremism . If we look at it, they are fighting each other. The iranians are fighting isis. In a sense we might want both sides to lose, but the fact is we have to find a way to ensure that the nonislamists in the region begin to see. What you hope to see over the next couple of years, where the radicalists lose, we see reverses and the nonmuslims begin to advance. But you are not seeing that on the map . Not right now. We have an approach right now as it relates to isis that still
hasnt resolved a fundamental problem. You cant defeat isis in iraq unless you deal with the problem of syria. If you are only attacking in syria and allowing assad to attack you have to have a plan that is effective. And i want to go back senator kelly ayotte and the president says we are at war with islamic extremism. Here is john kerry. They have a id deal logical extremist religion. What does it mean what we call it. It matters because you have to define your enemy. And i think they should spend less time on being politically correct on how we define our enemy and more time on the strategy to defeat them. One of the things we heard from the National Security ÷experts, including general jack keane, is what we see is more outgrowth of the extremists in the region. And i want to pick up on that and the reason i wanted to do the panel this week is because you had some leading National Security thinkers sounding at alarm, almost seemed like a tipping point. Lets put some of them up on the screen. Lieutenant general michael flynn, head of the intelligence agency, can you not defeat an enemy you do not admit exists. And former head of u. S. Central command general james mattis said we need to come out from our reactive crouch and take a
firm strategic stance in defense of our values and you addressed that in our opening, general jack keane, do we have a strategy . Anybody looking at that map looking at that conclusion we do not. Al qaeda has grown five fold, and isis when we pulled out from iraq, grew from an organization from less than 3000 to over 30,000 in three years. Radical islam spread through the middle east to the sub indian continent. What is the strategy to stop it. We have not stopped it and we dont have a strategy to defeat it. It is compelling. What is our strategy . We use drones to kill al qaeda leadership in pakistan and in yemen. That is a vital tactic but it is not a strategy. We partner with selective
countries in africa to help them do some training. That is fragmenting at best. Until we bring the countries that have interest together and put together an alliance and establish a strategy we cant push effectively against this. Ambassador ross let me pick up with you. We talk about four president s you were a special assistant for the middle east for president obama for the first two years in office so it is not like you are a kneejerk critic of this president and it is not just the spread of islamic militants, because it is also iran that we see its influence is spreading to bagdad and beirut and sanaa. If the threat is radical islam, does the president have a sound strategy militarily to deal with the extremism and what do we need to do different or better. Well a couple of points. Senator, your point on not being reluctant to identify who the enemy is because we have to say who it is we are fighting. When you look at that map and you see iran on the move youl p÷ radical islamism by iran fighting radical islam by isis the muslim brotherhood. We have to decide radical islam whether sunni or shia as the enemy and the threat to them. We shouldnt be reluctant to call it radicalism because those in the middle east see it as a threat and they have to discredit it. We cannot discredit radical islam, they have to do. But if we are not acknowledging that is what it is, it is hard to get the people in the area to discredit it. We have to be prepared to be forth right on it. And we have to be prepared to support those who are prepared
to fight it and be prepared in a way that is ready to invest in it. And senator kelly ayotte, what do we do . We have a couple of drones and flying, but when you see that map, it is like the fire alarm is ringing. There is a fire alarm ringing. They are expecting american leadership, they are to take the fight there. We helped them with the capacity, they have to have the will. But right now, i think most of those in the arab nations that we could work with we say can we count on them and will they stick with their word because when we look at an overall strategy, we cant do all of the fighting and they need to step up against radical islam no question. But as leaders we need to bring people together and count on us. And you dont think the allies in the region can rely on
our president . I dont. And one of the things in the testimony we heard this week our word matter and there is concern that there is not only a lack of a strategy but to be a leader to bring everybody together you have to be counted on and that is a worry. And Lieutenant General flynn, the former head of intelligence compared what we need to do in this region now to the u. S. And allied effort to the nazis and so what can we do . I think we beat the nazis with brute force but we formed alliances in nato and the Southeast Treaty Organization to contain communism. That is what we need here. We need to come together and form alliances. We shouldnt think that theUnited States will fight wars all over the middle east. That is not true. This is about the countries doing their own heavy lifting. But we can share intelligence and equipment. We have learned how to fight. These militaries are conventional militaries and they have to transition to deal with military warfare just as we have. There is much we can do. And i want to talk about one last area as we are running out of time. We talk about alliances, our relationship with the strongest ally ally, israel is at an alltime low after Benjamin Netanyahu accepted an invitation from House Speaker john boehner accepted an invitation to speak to the Congress Without anybody talking to the white house. Bret baier asked Speaker Boehner about that this week. Do you think there is an
antipathy in this administration toward netanyahu . Well of course there is. They dont even try to hide it. Ambassador ross you have worked on this issue the middle east israel, the palestinians almost your entire career, and yet i want to put up the comments being made this week. Put them up on the screen. A Senior Administration official said of netanyahu he spat in our face publicly. Another one ron dermer said he repeatedly placed mr. Netanyahus political fortunes above the relationship between the israel and the United States. How serious is this . It is serious. Because president obama will be there for another almost two years. Whoever merges in the israeli election is going to deal with an administration at least as it relates to this Prime Minister, where there is a
profound sense of distrust and he has made a decision not to work with the administration but with congress and to make it a partisan issue and not an american issue. This is not a republican or democrat issue, it is an american issue. And that seems to be falling apart. Right now that is put under more risk than weve seen before. And 30 seconds, final thought senator. I think there is support in congress for israel and the real issue is concerns that the negotiations youre talking about iran. Yes. There was just a vote of additional sanctions this week that congress would like a say on this agreement because many on both sides of the aisle are concerned we have a strong verifiable agreement that ends their Nuclear Program and that goes back to the Prime Ministers concerns about too much has been conceded already
and i think youll find bipartisan support in the congress for the concerns that the Prime Minister has about the ongoing negotiations with iran. Senator, ambassador ross and general, thank you for coming in and helping us understand a grievous situation. Up next, our group joins the conversation. What can the u. S. Do to fight islamic extremism across the middle east and africa . 73so what about that stock . Actually, knowing the kind of risk that youre comfortable with id steer clear. Straight talk. Multiplied by 13,000 Financial Advisors its how edward jones makes sense of investing. Sir, were going to need you on the runway later. Dont let a severe cold hold you back. Get theraflu. With the power of three medicines to take on your worst pain and fever cough and nasal congestion. It breaks you free from your toughest cold and flu symptoms. Theraflu. Serious power. Meet the worlds newest Energy Superpower. Surprised . In fact, america is now the worlds number one natural gas producer. And we could soon become number one in oil. Because Hydraulic Fracturing Technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas. Supporting millions of new jobs. Billions in tax revenue. And a new century of American Energy security. The new Energy Superpower . Its red, white and blue. Log on to learn more. When it comes to good nutrition. Im no expert. That would be my daughter hi dad. Shes a dietitian. And back when i wasnt eating right, she got me drinking boost. Its got a great taste and it helps give me the nutrition i was missing. Helping me stay more like me. [ female announcer ] boost complete nutritional drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. All with a delicious taste. Grandpa [ female announcer ] stay strong, stay active with boost. The taliban is an armed insurgency and isis is a terror group. Eric schultz trying to
distinguish between our trade of the taliban for Bowe Bergdahl and swapping a suicide bomber for a jordanian pilot. And now george will julie pace who covers the white house for at associated press, cohost of the five dan perino and peter baker of the New York Times. George, this seemed to me to be the week when all of the defined distinctions the white house tries to make between the armed insurgency and terror and armed extremisms, not only the generals i talked about, but big strategic thinkers like Henry Kissinger and George Schultz told congress we dont have a plan or a strategy to defeat islamic extremism. I think that is a fair criticism but it is also fair to say try and build a strategy. Begin with this. The president wants and congress evidently wants to pass a new authorization for the use of military force. Try and write one. Who are we fighting and where are we fighting them. This week we learned that isis isil we havent agreed on the term, is now in libya, a failed state we created. And second our basic success militarily is beating down the door of the town of cobain. We work toward that small achievement. And third, we seem to agree politically there isnt any significant Ground Troops involved. And fourth, that throws us back on the regional powers. The Washington Post reports this week that some of the training done for the iraqi army is afflicted with such shortages of ammunition and weapons they go through the training exercises
saying bangbang instead of the exercises. That is the mess from what we are supposed to construct a strategy. Julie how do they respond at the white house and lets put that map up. We cant get enough of looking at that map that islamic extremism from al qaeda to islam to isis. They dont disagree that is far less than when you talk about core al qaeda in pakistan and afghanistan. And what is more interesting on the strategy that the white house said they have is so much is out of their control. Yemen has been the example that the president pointed to is we have our Counterterrorism Campaign and we launch drone strikes and we are coordinating with that government and that government doesnt exist any more. And when you are dealing with countries that have such
instability, we dont have control over the pieces that we say need to be in place for the strategies to succeed. Dana, im hearing about the problem, but we cant let them grow and build. This afeel feels like the 1990s and everybody was aware of, maybe not worried about, al qaeda building training comments and incendiary comments from bin laden and then suddenly 9 11 happened. At a point certain you have to confront it arent you . We are a lot better at getting in front of terror attacks than we were before 9 11. But in terms of a catastrophic attack, things are better. But the white house is in a rhetorical box and trying to say, well the president has fundamentally changed Foreign Policy and gotten us out of two wars but if you look at that
map, the other troubling thing is you have isis in afghanistan. Taliban joined up with them in border regions. So i hope we are not coming to a situation like we were on september 10th and that is why people are coming out and saying we are alarmed and we want to help you and i think he should take them up on that. Peter you had a tough piece in the New York Times yesterday in which you reported that netanyahu and we talked earlier about the split over netanyahu accepting boehners offer to speak to congress and that boner and the president have given up on each other and the administration and israels relationship could be in the deep freeze. This is six years of scar tissue that is being picked at and it isnt about a speech but
it is about scar tissue being picked at. And weve talked about that map, it would be safer if they could get iran back into the community of nations and they look at the threat to their country and they are talking past each other and whether you give a speech or not ends up causing a bigger rift and president obama looking at the march election and says maybe there is a chance we get a different government and maybe they dont want to work with the netanyahu bast here ambassador here in washington. And dana isnt that scary, if this becomes a political issue, and if netanyahu is
thrown in the Republican Congress against the president , isnt that bad for the president and israel . I think it takes away from the fact that we all have a similar goal and that is that iran should not have a Nuclear Weapon a