Former CIA station chief warns Russia could take advantage of unrest in Europe

JON: ALL RIGHT. STEPHANIE BENNETT FROM LONDON, THANK YOU. ♪. [INAUDIBLE CONVERSATIONS]. [BACKGROUND SOUNDS]. JON: TAKE A LOOK AT FRANCE WHERE. THEY'RE BATTLING YET ANOTHER. WAVE OF TO ANTI-GOVERNMENT -- OF. ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS FOR THE. FOURTH STRAIGHT SATURDAY. THE UNREST AND RIOTS BEGAN IN. SEPTEMBER WITH YOUTH PROTESTS. OVER THE STATE OF SCHOOLS AND. THE COST OF LIVING. HALF A MILLION PEOPLE HIT THE. STREETS ON THURSDAY IN A GENERAL. STRIKE ACROSS FRANCE.

YESTERDAY PROTESTERS IN THE. NETHERLANDS BROKE INTO A. MICROSOFT DATA CENTER. CONSTRUCTION SITE IN AMSTERDAM. AS THE UNREST SPREADS ACROSS. EUROPE. LET'S BRING IN FORMER CIAA. STATION CHIEF DAN HOFFMAN. HE'S ALSO A FOX NEWS. CONTRIBUTOR. DAN, WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT. WHAT'S GOING ON IN PARIS, WHAT'S. THE DRIVING FORCE THERE, DO YOU. THINK? >> WELL, I THINK THERE'S A GREAT. DEAL OF DISCONTENT IN FRANCE.

OVER FRANCE'S ECONOMIC DOWNTURN. THE COUNTRY IS HEAVILY IN DEBT, AND THEY'VE BEEN FACED WITH. SIGNIFICANT INFLATION. IT'S NOT JUST THAT THE STUDENTS. ARE UPSET THAT THEIR SCHOOLS ARE. IN DISREPAIR. THIS IS A REPUDIATION OF THE WAY. THE GOVERNMENT HAS HANDLED THE. ECONOMY. AND I THINK THE CONCERN THAT. FRENCH AUTHORITIES HAVE TO HAVE. THE -- AND THIS IS THROUGHOUT. EUROPE -- IS THAT ADVERSARIAL. ACTORS, RUSSIA, FOR EXAMPLE, MAY. SEEK TO TAKE ADVANTAGE. WE'VE SEEN JUST THIS PAST WEEK. CYBER ATTACKS ON REFRIGERATORS.

THROUGHOUT EUROPE AS WELL AS. CYBER ATTACKS ON FRENCH BLOOD. BANKS AND THOSE BOMB THREATS. THAT -- TO THE AVIATION INDUSTRY. THAT HAS REALLY CAUSED A LOT OF. CHAOS AND CONFUSION. AND FURTHER EXACERBATED THE. STRAIN ON EUROPE'S ECONOMY. JON: WHAHAT ABOUT THE WAY. PRESIDENT MACRON IS HANDLING. THIS? DO YOU THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, A. TOUGHER CRACKDOWN ON THE. PROTESTERS IS WARRANTED, OR IS. THERE, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF.

ECONOMIC RELIEF THAT CAN BE. PROVIDED QUICKLY? WHAT'S THE ANSWER? >> WELL, I THINK THERE'S. PROBABLY THREE THINGS THAT THE. GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE IS LOOKING. AT RIGHT NOW. ONE, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE. PICTURES ON YOUR SCREEN, THEY. WILL DEAL WITH THE VIOLENT. PROTESTERS AND ARREST THEM AND. PUT THEM IN JAIL. I THINK 18 HAVE BEEN ARRESTED. JUST TODAY. SECONDLY, THERE'S OUTREACH. THERE'S WHAT THE FRENCH CALL A. SOCIAL CONFERENCE WHERE THEY'RE. REACHING OUT TO LABOR UNIONS AND. STUDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR.

CONCERNS. AND THIRD ARE ECONOMIC MEASURES. WHICH I THINK GOING TO BE THE. MOST DIFFICULT AND WILL BE, I. THINK, THE SUBJECT OF WHAT, YOU. KNOW, LOOKS LIKE TO BE A VERY. CONTENTIOUS PRESIDENTIAL. ELECTION COMING UP NEXT SPRING. AND I THINK THE ECONOMY WILL BE. A GREAT FOCUS THERE, AND THE. PEOPLE WILL DEMAND THAT THE. GOVERNMENT HAVE REAL SOLUTIONS. TO THE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS THAT. THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE FACE. JON: LET'S TURN OUR ATTENTION TO. THE SITUATION IN IRAN. WE THOUGH THERE WERE SOME. EXPLOSIONS IN THAT NATION. OVERNIGHT. IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER THOSE.

WERE MISSILES OR BOMBS DROPPED. ON IRANIAN TARGETS, WHETHER THEY. MIGHT HAVE BEEN IRANIAN. MISSILES, YOU KNOW, GOING AFTER. U.S. AIRCRAFT THAT ARE FLYING. OVER THE COUNTRY. AGAIN, WE DON'T KNKNOW. HERE'S WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD. TO SAY ON FRIDAY ABOUT THE. OVERNIGHT EXPLOSIONS. LISTEN. >> I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT. IT. WE DO MINOR STRIKES, BUT THEY. KNOCK TO OUT -- THEY BUILT A. LITTLE BIT OF AN ANTI-AIRCRAFT.

DEVICE, AND WE KNOCKED IT OUT IN. ABOUT 15 MINUTES, MAYBE 5. JON: SO THE IRAN WAR GOES ON, SOMETHING THAT SOME -- INCLUDING. HIS VICE PRESIDENT -- HAVE. SUGGESTED COST THIS PRESIDENT. THE CONGRESSIONAL MAJORITY. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE, DAN? >> WELL, I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP. HAS THREE OPTIONS, AND THE. TIMING IS PRETTY MUCH RIGHT NOW. UNTIL THE NEW CONGRESS SITS IN. JANUARY. WE COULD CERTAINLY WITHDRAW AND. LEAVE IRAN REALLY DE FACTO IN.

CONTROL OF ITS OWN. SELF-DESIGNATED SPHERE OF. INFLUENCE. THAT WOULD BE BAD IF FOR OUR. ECONOMY AND OUR NATIONAL. SECURITY. WE COULD KEEP GOING WITH THE. SANCTIONS, WE COULD END THE. BLOCKADE WHICH HAS INFLICTED A. LOT OF ECONOMIC PAIN ON IRAN BUT. HAS NOT YET INDUCED THEM TO. NEGOTIATE. OR, THIRD, WE COULD LAUNCH. RENEWED MILITARY STRIKES WHICH, REPORTEDLY, CENTCOM COMMANDER. BRAD COOPER AND SECRETARY. HEGSETH HAVE BEEN PLANNING FOR. JUST TO GIVE THE PRESIDENT THAT. OPTION.

EVEN KINETIC STRIKES AREN'T. BRINGING IRAN TO THE NEGOTIATING. TABLE. HOWEVER, IF WE WERE TO TAKE SOME. STRIKES AND FURTHER DAMAGE, DEGRADE, DESTROY IRAN'S NUCLEAR. PROGRAM, THEIR BALLISTIC. MISSILES, THAT MIGHT BE THE WEST. WE CAN HOPE FOR -- THE BEST WE. CAN HOPE FOR. A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT HERE. APPEARS PRETTY FAR OFF. IRAN IS DEMANDING A LOT JUST TO. COME TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. THEY WANT THE SANCTIONS REMOVED. THEY WANT THE BLOCKADE REMOVED. AND I DON'T THINK PRESIDENT. TRUMP IS GOING TO BE DOING THAT. I'M QUITE SURE THAT HIS ADVISERS. ARE LOOKING AT THESE OPTIONS AND.

DETERMINING THE BEST WAY FORWARD. TO ACHIEVE OUR NATIONAL SECURITY. OBJECTIVES. JON: MEANTIME, PRESIDENT TRUMP. IS SAYING THAT THE U.S. IS GOING. TO END THE ALMOST $4 BILLION IN. MILITARY A AID THAT IT'S BEEN. PROVIDING TO ISRAEL, HE SAYS IT. WAS BENJAMIN NETANYAHU'S IDEA. HOW IS THAT GOING THE CHANGE. THINGS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, DO. YOU THINK, DAN? >> YEAH. I -- THAT ONE MAY HAVE BEEN. INTERTWINED WITH U.S. DOMESTIC. POLITICS. IT CAN ALWAYS BE REVISITED DOWN.

THE ROAD. THERE ARE SOME IN THE DEMOCRATIC. PARTY WHO WOULD LIKE THAT WE NOT. EVEN TO SELL MILITARY ARMS TO. ISRAEL WHICH I THINK WOULD BE. VERY MUCH MISTAKEN. WE NEED THE REMEMBER THAT -- TO. REMEMBER THAT ISRAEL'S ENEMIES. IN THAT REGION -- IRAN, HAMAS, THE HOUTHIS, HEZBOLLAH -- THOSE. ARE OUR ENEMIES AS WELL. AND HAVING ISRAEL AS AN ALLY IS. OF GREAT BENEFIT TO OUR NATIONAL. SECURITY. SO I THINK THIS WILL BE OPEN FOR. FURTHER DEBATE ESPECIALLY WHEN. THE NEW CONGRESS SITS IN JANUARY. IS. JON: ALL RIGHT. DAN HOFFMAN, OUR FOX NEWS.

CONTRIBUTOR. DAN, THANKS FOR YO.