interviews with crum -- crum crumb michelle bachmann. and how the gop nomination shapes up. all right now on "fox news sunday". and hello, again, from fox news in washington. on friday, president obama announced he will keep a campaign promise and bringg all u.s. troops home from iraq by the end of the year. earlier we spoke with secretary of state hillary clinton and about the death of moammar qaddafi. >> they wanted 15,000 troops in iraq next year. and the white house talked about 3000 to 5000. why is president obama pulling all of the troops out. >> put it in the appropriate historical context. president obama said combat troops would leave iraq by the end of the year. and before he said that the bush administration committed to with drawing all troops by the end of this year. you have a bipartisan commitment to with draw combat troops. that was given to be appropriate but we made it clear to be open with the iraqis if they wanted a continuing presence. we agreed to a support and training mission similar to what we have in countries from jordan to clummia and we'll work with the iraqis and we'll have a robust diplomatic presence and fulfill the request that the iraqis made to us. >> chris: why was your state departmenting with the malaki government to keep thousands of troops there? >> guest: it was an ongoing discussion. it started several years ago kept going and at the end of the day as in many discussions and negotiations an agreement was reached that met the needs of both sides . the president fulfilled the commitment he met to the american people and under the president's leadership met the commitment to the iraqis. iraq is a independent sovereign nation and we expect to have a good strong security relationship for many years to come. >> chris: a wide range of foreign experts say that iraq is not yet ready it handle the possibility of secitarian violence or interference from iran. former governor mitt romney said this. president obama's astonishing failure to secure orderly transition in iraq has unnecessarily put at risk the victories won through blood and sacrifice of thousands of men and women. secretary, how do you respond to that? >> guest: first of all. we are move grateful of the sacrifices of our men and women, those who lost their lives and injured will never be forgot yen what they did should be honored in our country's history forever. the point of our involvement in iraq stated over and over again by people on both sides of the aisle was to create the opportunity for the iraqis to have theirr own future without the oppression of a dictator like saddam hussein. you can't say you are for democracy and sovereigntand independence and where people make their own choices and on the other hand say when a choice is made that is foreseen by our own government going back to the bush administration and validated by the obama administration and the current government in iraq, that that smohow is not appropriate. that's what we were there for. to give the iraqi people the chance to make their own decisions. we have a security presence and support and training mission in iraq. we have bases in the region with other countries, that's what you do when you deal with independent sovereign nations that have a will and decision of their own. >> chris: secretary, turn if we can to libya. un and human rights groups are calling for an investigation if as it appears from the videotape if he was executed it was a war crime and you are coming under fire. >> we came and we saw and he died. >> chris: question: do you regret what you said, secretary and do you regret what you said and do you feel qaddafi was wrongged. >> guest: let's have an investigation. i supported united nations's investigation and support the national council's own call for an investigation. i support it on the merits because it is important to find the facts and i support it as part of what will be a challenging transition process, you know the transition national council today is going to declare the liberation of libya and announce a new government and they need to make it clear it will be a government to unify the country and seek reconciliation and make everyone as long as they don't have blood on their hands safe in lib yampt such an investigation would be important to establish accountability and rule of law and pay the way for the inclusive democratic fure that the libyans want. >> chris: secretary, i do you confirm what you said. >> i will not comment. >> chris: the man who was convicted on pan am flight. do you want to see him return to prison? >> guest: absolutely. i raised with the highest leadership of the national council and will raise again, the united states very strong feelings that this man should be returned to prison. that is the only appropriate outcome in my view a miscarriage of justice he was released. >> chris: secretary clinton. i would like to do a lightning round questions ands. you were in pakistan and confirmed that the u.s. officials met with the hakani terror network in august. do we want to dill or talk with them? >> guest: we are pursuing. sight, talk and build is our policy. and we had a meeting in the question of the pakistanies to gauge if there was basis for further talking and certainly the attack on our embassy and truck bomb attack on a border outpost gave a strong worry to the contrary. but you don't make peace with friends. what we are trying to gauge who among the groups would be sincere and serious about pursuing a afghan peace process. it is very absolutely understood for in order for a chance of peace to proceed united states has to work with pakistan. we responded to the pakistan request and testing out approachs and we'll keep finding the guys who are killing afghans and americans and others. >> chris: finally, the president deployed several hundred forces to central africa to find the lord's resistance army. why intervene in libya and uganda and not syria. what is the foreign policy principle at work there? >> guest: what we have seen from president obama over the last two and half year and remarkably with the events of the last six months. his kind of smart leadership in a complex world is paying off. he was the one who brought bin laden down and put together a coalition that eventually removed qaddafi. and i think it is important that in this complex dangerous world we have somebody in the white house who understands that america has to lead. our leadership is essential. but we have to look at every situation and make the right decision. we are not fighting in ugand and sending support and advising intelligence resources to try to rid africa the scrouge of the lord's resistance army and it was welcomed by uganda and others. in syria we support a change in assaud and only peaceful demonstration. you don't have from that opposition a call for and kind of outside interventionn. i think that what the president demonstrated in uncertain and challenging times is a kind of leadership that not only america and the world is looking for. >> secretary clinton, we'll have to leave it there. thank you for talking with us and safe travels. depest guest thank you, chris, and good to talk to you from uzbekisstan. >> chris: joining us is senator lindsey graham. welcome to "fox news sunday". i want to start with a big point that secretary clinton made that the president exhibited smart leadership and the kind that the world is looking for? >> guest: in the last yearr he's made poor dangerous policy questions. in iraq when a commander that i trust that you need 15,000 and you have wrero and -- zerro and you try to celebrate that is disappointing. israel is thrown under the bus. iranians don't fear us at all. they are trying to attack us. they are run out of the chicago and not washington. >> chris: what about in the last six monthses. bin laden and al-awlaki and qaddafi is gone. >> guest: he stuck to bin laden. well done and using the drones in yemen and pakistan, well done, mr. president. and not able to close the deal in iraq is a serious mistake and celebrating leaving with no troops behind is a serious mistake . panetta said on a scale of one-10. >> chris: defense secretary. >> guest: that iraq was an eight . ashton carter said a 10. he rejected the military advice given and never an option on the table. he compromised the second fighting season and made general allen's job harder and putting in question our success in afghanistan and ended iraq poorlyy and fumbled the ball inside of the tent. there are dancing in the street in tehran. >> chris: let me ask you about iraq and take secretary clinton's argument. it was president bush who negotiated the status of force agreement that called for all troop to be out by 2011 and it was clear that iraqis. >> guest: that is not clear. >> chris: wh did prime minister malaki said no legal immunity for our troops. >> guest: i went in iraq in may and try to support a following force. and every leader i met suggested they would do this. and our military commander said we need it. the iraqis have no air force or intelligence gathering capability . there are missions only we can do. and the iraqis in my view open minded to this. this was a failure by the obama administration to close the deal. the military commander said we needed 15,000 to 18,000 and we have none. at a time when we need to secure the intervention we are going into 2012 with none. it was his job to end it well and they failed. >> chris: turning to libya, you were a loud critic of obama's decision to work in nato and as one white house official to lead from behind, but the obama white house is pointing out. toppling ghad gad without the losss of a single american soldier and cost a billion as opposed to 805 billion in iraq. was the president right and critics like yourself wrong. >> guest: if i hear a republican nominee embracing leading from behind they will have a hard time in south carolina . it was right to take qaddafi down. and he deserves criticism for waiting too long. qaddafi was on the ropes and only got involved when there was a massacre in misrata. tharning god for hillary clinton who. >> chris: who pushed the president. >> guest: he came in the game when qaddafi started to kill thousands of people. but the war lastted longer and here is the big mistake. when you take american air power off of the table nato is a weaker force and thousands of surface to air missiles that are compromised and chemical caches and the devastation in libya is the result of allowing the war to go on longer f. you go to war go to win. >> chris: and we heard secretary clenton endorse and to ha an investigation of the death of qaddafi as a war crime. >> guest: i am for the rule of law even for the worst among us. and talk about foreign policy decision have an investigation. but give our american forces a jail to use in war on terror. he failed to close gitmo. if we catch a high value criminal where do we put them. it is a huge mistake and we are trying to criminalize the world by putting terrorist in federal court. investigate what happened to qaddafi, but have a detention policy to protect americans. this president for the lastt year and half has made poor national security decision that will haunt the country. i hope i am wrong. >> chris: how about the other question i asked secretary clinton about the distinction putting troops and military intervention in transmittal africa. air strikes and doing nothing in syria. we said we have to be smart and take it on a case by case basis. >> guest: i support putting people in africa. that is where the word is headed and idea of sanctions working and if iran gets the weapon where they are headed it will be a big change in our national security environment and this administration is blowing it when it comes to irann. they are not strong enough on syria. and israel is thrown under the bus. and irans will be emboldened and they will have a shot in iran. if they throww the nuclear world in chaos and obama's policy on iran is not working we live in dangerous times and a lot of political decisions are made about foreign policy. >> chris: when you sat down, you say you have to think of your audience and your audience today is the 2012 republican candidates and what is your message to them. >> guest: these decisions matter. i want the troop to come home. god knows they fought well and they come home with their head held up high. what happens in iraq will be more difficult in terms was rack -- iraqi people to be successful. what would you do with gitmo. and would you use it and would you let the cia interrogate prisoners. and would you bring the troops home and compromise it is second fighting season? what would you do with iran? and what is your policy to stop the iranianns from getting a nuclear weapon. at the end of the day, these decisions that president obama is making is unsound and our people need to challenge him. we have a jobs problem and we have a national security problem that is growed by the day. >> chris: you think they have failed to do so. >> guest: not rebust a day. a nation without a viable jail on the war on terror . afghanistan and iraqi compromised and our best friend in israel feeling they can't trustt us. and president obama, i would praise him if i thought he was right. if he left 10-15,000 troop in iraq i would have defended him and given generall alen a chance to finish the job and not shorten for political reasons i would stand by. i tried to help him close gitmo. and we can't and we should use it. >> chris: senator graham, hot dose was strong coffee this morning . thank you for joining us. and it is always a pleasure to talk with you, sir. up next. the republican presidential race enters a new stage and michelle bachmann plans her new move. 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[ male announcer innovative medical solutions. fedex. solutions that matter. >> chris: with a long string of republican debates on a break, candidates are focusog campaigning in key early states. we continue our series of 2012 one on one interviews with michele bachmann who is making her big push in iowa. you are sharply critical of president obama's announcement of pulling troops out of iraq. you think he should sit down with the malaki government to do what? >> guest: president obama's team said they got what they wanted in iraq. they got nothing. they got their hats to them. we are extended over 800 billion and 4400 american lives and we have nothing to show for it. we are kicked out of iraq by the people we extended our blood, and our toil and treasure to liberate. we will not have any troops left. very interesting. any time we ejected a dictator anywhere in the world we left troops behind. in iraq we'll have more troop in honduras than iraq. and it is dangerous because iran is waiting in the wings. they are looking to have a dominate influence in iraq and it will not be good going forward. >> chris: as secretary clinton said in the program. we tried to create a sovereign country and at the end of the negotiations the malaki regime decided they wanted us out. >> guest: i heard what the secretary of state said and that's true. they are a sovereign nation. but again, any time the united states has done this historically. we left troops behind to secure the peace. this was done in the insistence of iraq. they didn't want a american presence it is clear to all. because iran doesn't want an american presence. if america is there they can put up resistance to iran. there is no resistance and iran will have a clear hand and field to exude their dominance and influence in iraq. that will not be good in the region and this will allow them for forays in the area and that is dangerous. >> chris: congresswoman, from the very start you are a strong opponent of the u.s. military involvement in libya. this is what you told me in may. >> guest: this is a disaster in the make why president obama's policy of leading from behind is a outrage and people should be outraged of the folishness of the president's decision. >> chris: question: if president bachmann had been in charge would moammar qaddafi in power? >> guest: he may be. i stand by this decision. i think it is wrong for the united states to go in libya. barack obama said we were going in humanitarian purposes. it was not humanitarian purposes. it was regime change. there is a transitional council but who will the leadership be that takes over and runs libya. it could be a radical element or muslim brotherhood or al-qaida. we don't know who it may be. we have seen the shoulder fired rockets that are very dangerous and can fit in the trunk of the car and reports that they have gone into gaza and that could be used to bring down a commercial airliner it is a bad decision and created more instability in that region and nolt less. >> chris: i am confused though. are you suggesting that we would be better off with qaddafi's dictatorship in affect? >> guest: the world is better off with qaddafi. i agree with lindsey graham. but consider the cost. we are looking at a snap shot today. the last chapter hasn't been written on libbia and we have to recognize that there are missing chemical weapons and shoulder fired missile launchers that could risk more human life and we also don't know who the next regime will be that will take over libya. we knew who the devil was running. but don't know the next one. this is leading from behind on the part of the administration. there was no clearly identifiable american vital interest that was desigated. that needs to be the basis of putting american in harm's way. >> chris: one of the issue in the republican race seems to be major tax reform. herman cain has the 9-9-9 plan. rick perry is going to unveil his flat or flatter tax. as a former tax lawyer. please be brief but what is your tax reform plan? >> guest: my plan is found on michele bachmann.com. it is called real jobs now. i gave a speech in the san francisco in the commonwealth club and it takes a page out of ronald reagan and it was the economic miracle that was brought. flatten the taxs and simplify taxes that creates growth. i am a pro growther and as a former tax lawyer i want to abolish the united states tax code and have flat tax rates that are simple and the same for all americans and for businesses across the united states, too. so mine is a very simple very fair flat tax that abolishes the current tax code. >> chris: accord toth polls, herman cain has taken a lot of your support among the tea partiers and social conservative. i want to ask about the comments mr. cain made on abortion. >> it gets down to a choice or family or mother has to make. not me as president or politician or burrcrat. it gets down to that family and whatever they decide, they decide >> chris: herman cain said all aborgs should be illegal, but it is the family's choice whether or not to break the law. does that get him off of the hook? >> guest: that will be for the voters to decide. it is troubling, in the last few weeks we have seen it happen with various statementings. the president of the united states can't get the abortion and life issue wrong. president obama's decision is that he's personally against abortion but doesn't think that the government should intervene to protect human life and that's what herman cain said in his response. he was against protecting marriage between man and's woman and said he's misspoke and said he's foreit and gave a interview when he said he wou