Rough Start

" Enough top story tonight the CIA investigation -- Iraq and Afghanistan joining us now. From Austin Texas arena about love director of analysis of -- dot com a private intelligence firm. And -- brooks from The Heritage Foundation so mr. brooks while what do you think about the unintended consequences of the CIA investigation what we'll be."

" Well bill this may have been a victory for the left but it's certainly not a victory for our country I think this is gonna really throw people -- intelligence community off their game. They're worried about a a witch hunt so which is going to may make them risk -- out in the field doing dangerous things to keep us safe your home. They're gonna start wondering whether need to get at the terrorists or get a lawyer. The other side as you mention it may make foreign intelligence services friendly foreign intelligence services reluctant to share information with the demand up on the front page of the newspaper it's going to be a major distraction to Leon Panetta the director who seems quite embattled already. When he should be spending time on the wars that we're fighting already -- Iran and and and as well as as well as north."

" OpenId has gusting -- his guys do you think mr. brooks that Obama secretly wants the investigation. To get attention away from the health care -- that's what some people who put out there."

" I've and I think there is a political dimension to this demonizing the Bush Administration. -- the debate off of health care cap and trade the economy and uniting his base as you mentioned before so I think this is part of it bill also -- thing is that this information being public could be used by al-Qaeda in college bond as propaganda to recruit new members and to race."

" On time announcing any more propaganda so worried about that not -- Afghanistan is a huge Obama commitment. And -- we see you know report if report things are not going well there. How bad is -- your pain."

" Well and Afghanistan you have an extremely fragile government in place an increasingly sophisticated insurgency and the problem here -- Obama has publicly committed himself to this sort of long -- counterinsurgency strategy led by General David Petraeus. And that problem is and you touch the hearts and minds campaign. That takes a lot of tiny -- sources -- the question then becomes how do you reconcile a long term counterinsurgency timeline with a political timeline back at home."

" But there's now pressure right now on the follow on President Obama about Afghanistan area that you know people -- demonstrating in the streets. But I want to know about the military campaign because I don't understand. With NATO forces in the US forces there winning every battle and I think they do. YE out why things are going south. Why are they stabilized."

" Well 88 said very typical insurgency it's -- it takes a lot of time you know that filed on they -- live in case. But they still can understand what drives US politics so I was as casualties mount you can -- at the debate."

" Well maybe maybe maybe that is still -- you haven't really told me why things are going south in Afghanistan and I don't know. I mean I think our forces they're doing a good job. Are there more Taliban I don't think so Pakistan's cracking down on -- have an off a harder time over Pakistan. I'm not I'm not getting why. The situation in Afghanistan is is unstable deal mr. roughly you know I you know -- have any idea what I."

" I didn't see it becoming. -- as the JC as chairman -- and chairman of the joint chief is that citizens situation seriously deteriorating. I think bill what is happening is is becoming increasingly difficult to separate the people from the from the college -- obviously Pakistan. Is moving in the right direction longer tribal areas but they're still able to find. Our allied yeah well I they are."

" scare headlines before on on that kid that nobody can explain to me -- I'll take the word of the generals that it is deteriorating but I don't know why nobody else can explain to me -- like health care you know. Nobody can explain health -- and nobody explain why does Syria. Situation Afghanistan's interior private -- Iraq. Now the Iraqis are in charge your own security news you know US stand down and then being being being all these -- start up again what's behind that."

" Well the United States is basically walking on eggshells trying to keep together this very flat out power sharing agreement amongst the Sunnis the Shia and Kurds. And in trying to create that power sharing agreement the United States is pretty much have to promise everything to everyone you know that's all fine and good but when it comes time to leave. Things can get very complicated okay."

" Isn't he blowing people up there what what what's the blowing people up all about and in Iraq it you know US forces are out of there now and there's still blowing -- Arabs have blown up Arabs Muslims blowing up Muslim."

" Walk. It's a combination of factors wind you have remnants of -- Jihad is there wanting to break apart that power sharing agreement the Sunnis want to show what they're still capable of and -- have the -- factor in play which. The United States will not be free at any time soon as the -- I want want to keep chaos in Iraq why. Well they want to show their leverage their happiness and residual force in the US forces and Iraq threatens Iran's western frontier an -- result Iran will continue to threaten Iraq and the wider regions so anyway you look at it. The United States will not be free of Iraq already -- problem anytime -- style on this brooks thank you."