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00:00YOU SERVED IN COMBAT IN IRAQ. 20 YEARS AFTER THE FACT, THERE WAS A CONCERTED DEBATE HERE. WAS THIS THE RIGHT MOVE? > > IT WAS TW IRAQ RESOLUTIONSO, THE AUMF FROM 1991 AND 2002 AS WELL. A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY IT OUTLIVED ITS USEFULNESS. THERE IS POLITICS INVOLVED BUT I THINK THE MAJOR CONCERNS OF THE U.S. CONGRESS IS TWOFOLD. ONE, THEY RIGHTLY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTINUING THE WAR OPERATIONS. TWO, THERE IS AN UNDERTONE OF CONCERN THAT THE U.S. MIGHT USE THE 2001 RESOLUTION IN PARTICULAR AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PRESIDENT TO UNILATERALLY DECLARE OPERATIONS. ANNMARIE: SOME IN CONGRESS ARE SAYING THIS SHOULD NOT BE OVERTURNED BECAUSE THEY MIGHT NEED IT. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT ARGUMENT? MARK: THERE IS SOME FOR LITTLE TILLIE -- SOME VALIDITY TO THAT BUT OPPONENTS SAY THE PRESIDENT ALREADY HAS ENOUGH AUTHORITY UNDER ARTICLE TWO THAT THIS IS REDUNDANT. JOE: ISN ' T THERE ALSO A SEPARATE AUTHORIZATION AFTER 9/11, THE SO-CALLED WAR ON TERROR AUTHORIZATION, THAT WOULD COVER THE PRESIDENT IN ABOUT ANY INSTANCE? I HEARD IRAN MENTIONED AS MANY TIMES AS IRAQ IN THIS DEBATE. MARK: 2001 IS THE AUMF AGAINST TERRORISM. IT ALLOWS US TO GO AFTER ISIL, AFTER AL QAEDA. THAT IS THE AUTHORIZATION BEING USED TO ATTACK ISIS AND SUPPORT FORCES IN NORTHERN SYRIA. YOU AS WELL AS I KNOW, ALL OF US, UNDERSTAND LAWYERS CAN TWIST THIS ANYWAY THEY WANT. I REMAIN CONVINCED THAT THE PRESIDENT DOES HAVE ENOUGH AUTHORITY TO DECLARE WAR AND CONGRESS HAS ENOUGH AUTHORITY TO MAINTAIN WAR OPERATIONS. ANNMARIE: WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IRAN. WE HAVE THAT STRIKE IN SYRIA. WE HAVE A PLAN A FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION, A NUCLEAR DEAL THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. IT IS POINTING TO A MUCH MORE ESCALATORY TONE WHEN IT COMES TO WASHINGTON AND TEHRAN. WHAT IS THE PLAN B? MARK: I DON ' T THINK PLAN A IS COMPLETELY OVER. I THINK HE IS TRYING HIS BEST TO GET IRANIANS BACK TO THE TABLE. ANNMARIE: HOW? MARK: I DON ' T DISAGREE, BUT IN MANY CASES DIPLOMACY IS HOPE OVER REALITY. IN THE CASE OF GOING AGAINST THE IRANIAN BACKED PROXIES, THAT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS, NOT JUST IN SYRIA. THEY TALK ABOUT THE SHIA CRESCENT GOING FROM IRAN TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. IT GOES NORTHERN IRAQ, IT GOES INTO LEBANON, INTO YEMEN, INTO BAHRAIN. THESE PROXIES REMAIN A MAJOR CONCERN FOR ALL THE COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, NOT JUST THE UNITED STATES. JOE: I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE SITUATION INVOLVING CHINA BY WAY OF TAIWAN. TAIWAN ' S PRESIDENT IS VISITING THE UNITED STATES. THIS IS UPSETTING SOME FOLKS IN BEIJING. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THE SPOKESPERSON ON THIS IF WE CAN GET TO THIS IN A NEWS CONFERENCE EARLIER. WE WILL HEAR FROM SPOKESPERSON JOHN KIRBY FIRST, ADDRESSING CHINA ' S MORNING TO TAIWAN NOT TO MEET WITH HOUSE -- WARNING TO TAIWAN NOT TO MEET WITH HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY. > > THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA SHOULD NOT USE THIS AS A PRETEXT TO STEP UP ANY ACTIVITY ALONG THE TAIWAN STRAIT. THE U.S. AND CHINA HAVE DIFFERENCES WHEN IT COMES TO TAIWAN BUT WE HAVE MANAGED THOSE DIFFERENCES FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. JOE: YOU WERE IN THE CAMP THAT SAID, KEVIN MCCARTHY, MAKE A BIPARTISAN VISIT TO TAIWAN. DO YOU STILL FEEL THIS WAY? MARK: I DO. NANCY PELOSI DID THE SAME THING. IN BOTH CASES IT IS STICKING A THUMB IN THE EYES OF THE CHINESE, BUT AT A TIME WHEN CHINA IS BECOMING MORE PROVOCATIVE, WE ARE TAKING STEPS AS AN ALLIANCE TO ENSURE THAT CHINA UNDERSTANDS THAT JUST BECAUSE THE U.S. IS FOCUSED ELSEWHERE, AND THEY ARE WATCHING WHAT RUSSIA IS DOING IN UKRAINE, THEY SHOULD NOT USE THAT OPPORTUNISTICALLY TO TRY TO GET OVER TO TAIWAN TO TAKE OVER. ANNMARIE: WE SAW THE PROVOCATIONS THAT CAME WITH THAT TRIP. EVEN MANY AND TAIWAN THOUGHT THIS IS GOING TOO FAR, WE WILL HAVE THE REPERCUSSIONS WHEN IT COMES TO SANCTIONS ON TAIWAN, IN TERMS OF MILITARY DRILLS IN THE TAIWAN STRAIT. TIMING-WISE, DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? MARK: IT NEEDS TO BE A SOVEREIGN DECISION OF TAIWAN WHETHER WE HAVE THOSE VISITS. CLEARLY THAT IS THE DECISION THEY WANT US TO TAKE. ANNMARIE: SPEAKER MCCARTHY IN CALIFORNIA, MAKE SENSE? MARK: I WOULD RATHER SEE HIM DO THAT IN TAIPEI. JOE: DOES HE FOLLOW THIS UP WITH A VISIT? MARK: I WOULD HOPE SO. ANNMARIE: I WANT TO SHIFT TO WHAT IS GOING ON WITH RUSSIA. VLADIMIR PUTIN WAS ON RUSSIA STATE TV TALKING ABOUT MOVING NUCLEAR TACTICAL WEAPONS TO BELARUS. IT DOES SEEM HE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO DELIVER ON THIS DISCUSSION. HOW CONCERNED DOES THAT MAKE YOU? MARK: MY VIEW IS THAT VLADIMIR PUTIN IS NOT ONE ON TH E GROUND. -- HAS NOT WON ON THE GROUND. HE HAS TRIED TO ATTACK CITIES IN UKRAINE TO TERRORIZE THE PEOPLE. HIS CYBER THREATS HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING. MY VIEW IS HE ' S NOT WINNING ON THE GROUND, NOT WINNING ON THE AIR, NOT WINNING IN CYBERSPACE, SO NOW HE WILL TRY TO HAVE A MEDIA WAR. I DON ' T THINK HE WILL BE ANY MORE SUCCESSFUL AS HE TRIES TO INTIMIDATE THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY UKRAINE, IN HIS NUCLEAR SABER RATTLING. ANNMARIE:

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Gen. Mark Kimmitt on Efforts to Repeal the AUMF for the Iraq War

Former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs and Retired Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt discusses the state affairs between the US and China. He also talks about the efforts to repeal the AUMF for the Iraq War. General Mark Kimmit speaks with Annmarie Hordern and Joe Mathieu on Bloomberg's "Balance of Power." (Source: Bloomberg)

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