North Korea Says It’s ‘Ready For War’ – Is The US? | For The Record

STAND BEHIND ANOTHER SHOW OF MILITARY MIGHT?
WITH ME REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN AND FORMER NAVY SEAL SCOTT
TAYLOR AND DEFENSE ONE'S KPERKTIVE EDITOR KEVIN BARRON.
CONGRESSMAN, IF PRESIDENT TRUMP DECIDES TO TAKE ANY KIND OF
PROVOCATIVE ACTION AGAINST NORTH KOREA, AND YOU COULDN'T CALL
ANYTHING AGAINST NORTH KOREA ANYTHING I THINK BUT
PROVOCATIVE, AND OBVIOUSLY UNLIKE SYRIA AND AFGHANISTAN,
IT'S GOT NUCLEAR WEAPONS, DOES HE NEED TO CONSULT WITH
CONGRESS? >> WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING
ME. I THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT
FOR AN EXECUTIVE TO CONSULT WITH CONGRESS, OF COURSE.
NOW, AS YOU VERY WELL KNOW, THE EXECUTIVE HAS TO HAVE A LITTLE
BIT OF FLEXIBLE, OF COURSE, IF THEY'RE OUR NATIONAL SECURITY,
OUR ALLIES ARE THREA THREATENED ABLE TO ACT.
BUT IN ANY KIND OF LONG-TERM WHATSOEVER, YES, THEY DO HAVE TO
COME TO CONGRESS. AND, LOOK, I'VE BEEN VERY VOCAL
ABOUT THE AUTHORIZATION OF MILITARY FORCE.
THIS IS THE SECOND ADMINISTRATION THAT'S USING A
THIRD ADMINISTRATION'S AUMF FROM 16 YEARS AGO.
SO, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT CONGRESS GETS ENGAGED NOW ACTUALLY FOR
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD PERIOD.
BUT I THINK THAT YOU DO HAVE TO BE A PRECEDENT AND THE WAR
POWERS ACT EXECUTIVE DOES HAVE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF
FLEXIBILITY TO WORK IN OUR BEST INTEREST BECAUSE OF COURSE
CONGRESS IS A LITTLE BIT SLOWER. YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY THAT
FLEXIBILITY, BUT YES CONGRESS SHOULD BE CONSULTED AND
CERTAINLY FOR ANY KIND OF ACTION THAT'S ANY LONG-TERM WHATSOEVER.
I THINK CONGRESS SHOULD DEBATE AND DECIDE -- THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE SHOULD DEBATE VIA CONGRESS.
>> I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YES ON NORTH KOREA?
>> SURE. >> BUT WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT
WHAT HE DID BOTH IN SYRIA AND AFGHANISTAN, SHOULD YOU HAVE
BEEN CONSULTED, SHOULD CONGRESS HAVE BEEN CONSULTED?
IS THAT COVERED BY THE AUMF OR JUST GENERAL EXECUTIVE POWERS?
>> I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING IN AFGHANISTAN IS COVERED.
I SUPPORTED THE STRIKE IN SYRIA BECAUSE, AGAIN, I THINK THAT THE
U.N. CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION AS WELL AS WHAT'S THE AUMF RIGHT
NOW, THE PRESIDENT HAS THE PRECEDENT, EXCUSE ME, HAS THE
ABILITY TO DO THAT. THAT BEING SAID, I DO THINK THAT
CONGRESS NEEDS TO TAKE UP ACTIONS IN SYRIA MOVING FORWARD
AND QUITE FRANKLY AROUND THE WORLD.
AND NORTH KOREA, AS I STATED, I BELIEVE THAT, YES, THE EXECUTIVE
SHOULD BE CONSULTING WITH CONGRESS FOR SURE IF THERE IS AN
IMMINENT THREAT AND THE PRESIDENT NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION,
THE EXECUTIVE HAS THE FLEXIBILITY TO DO THAT
INITIALLY. BUT CONGRESS NEEDS TO BE ENGAGED
IN THIS DEBATE AND AUTHORIZE USE OF MILITARY FORCE, OR NOT.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BIG PIRK TOUR OF THIS, YOU HAVE OBVIOUSLY
SYRIA, AFGHANISTAN, NOW THE THREATS AGAINST NORTH KOREA, ONE
OBVIOUS INTERPRETATION IS HERE'S THE PRESIDENT KEEPING HIS
CAMPAIGN PROMISE. ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL HE SAID
OBAMA WAS WEAK, I WILL BE STRONG.
BUT WHAT IS THE MORE IN-DEPTH NUANCED VIEW THAT YOU HAVE OF
THIS? >> WELL, SURPRISE IT'S A LOT
MORE IN-DEPTH THAN THAT. FOLKS AT THE PENTAGON WOULD LIKE
A CHANCE TO SEPARATE ALL OF THESE THINGS.
SINCE TRUMP HAS COME TO OFFICE, WE HAVE SEEN A COUPLE THINGS
THAT ARE NEWS MAKING EVENTS. THE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES, THE BIG
BOMB IN AFGHANISTAN. NOW IT'S GOING ON IN NORTH
KOREA. THEY'RE NOT RELATED, THOUGH.
THE ONLY THING THAT'S REMOTELY RELATED IS I'VE HEARD TRUMP
SAYING TO HIS GENERALS, YOU HAVE MORE AUTHORITY TO TAKE ACTION IN
THESE THINGS. BUT THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN
SAYING, TRUMP CAME IN, THEREFORE THINGS ARE GETTING RECKLESS, OR
HE WANTS MORE MILITARY CONFLICT OR GENERALS WANT MORE MILITARY
CONFLICT. THE GENERALS ARE THE LAST WHO
WANT MILITARY CONFLICT, ESPECIALLY IN THIS NORTH KOREA
CRISIS. THEY'RE THE ONES I THINK WHO
WANT AS MUCH TENSIONS TAMPED DOWN AS POSSIBLE.
THEY'RE NOT THE ONES WHO ARE TWEETING OUT, YOU KNOW, THREATS
AND CHALLENGES TO THE NORTH KOREANS.REANS.
SO, THERE'S A LOT TO PARSE OUT IN ALL OF THIS.
>> ONE OF THE KEYS OF THIS OBVIOUSLY IS THE RELATIONSHIP
WITH CHINA. PRETTY NEW FOR MANY PEOPLE, VERY
SURPRISING RELATIONSHIP THAT THE PRESIDENT SAYS IS SO STRONG.
>> RIGHT. >> BETWEEN HIMSELF AND PRESIDENT
XI. THEY HAD SIX HOURS OF MEETINGS
AT MAR-A-LAGO, MEETINGS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO GO FOR 15
MINUTES WENT TWO HOURS. HE CALLED HIM TWICE, ON TUESDAY
WE'RE TOLD A ONE-HOUR PHONE CALL SPECIFICALLY ABOUT NORTH KOREAN
TENSIONS. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CHANCES
ARE THAT CHINA STEPS IN HERE? >> I THINK THEY ALREADY ARE.
REMEMBER, TRUMP ALSO SAID -- IT TOOK TEN MINUTES FOR HIM TO
REALIZE SUDDENLY THIS WAS A COMPLICATED SITUATION, RIGHT?
I THINK THE CHINESE CAN STEP IN WITH EVERYTHING BUT MILITARY
ACTION. IT'S THE AMERICANS WHO CAN BRING
IN THE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, RUN JETS DOWN THE RUNWAY IN JAPAN,
DO THINGS TO DETER. ULTIMATELY THIS IS ALL TO DETER
FOR WHAT? IT'S TO GET THE LEADER OF NORTH
KOREA TO CHANGE COURSE OR STEP DOWN, HAVE SOME SORT OF MASSIVE
CHANGE WITHIN NORTH KOREA. THAT IS STILL FAR AWAY FROM WHAT
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW. WHAT'S DIFFERENT IS THEY'RE
CLOSER TO AN ICBM. THEY'RE CLOSER TO A NUCLEAR WAR
HEAD THAT'S MINIATURIZED. CLOSER TO MISSILE TECHNOLOGY.
THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. COMBINED WITH THE HEATED
POLITICAL RHETORIC, IT HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY
NERVOUS AND ALL OF US ON WATCH ALL WEEKEND BECAUSE OF THIS
ANNIVERSARY DATE. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY DO
SOMETHING. IF I HAD TO BET I'D BET ON AN
UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR EXPLOSION THAN A MISSILE GOING OFF IN THE
AIR. THAT'S THE ONE THING --
>> YOU HAVE ALL THIS VERY HEATED RHETORIC OBVIOUSLY.
YOU HAVE THE DIPLOMATIC REALITIES.
YOU HAVE THE MILITARY REALITIES. CONGRESSMEN, CAN WE TALK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT -- I'M SORRY? SO, WE'VE LOST THE CONGRESSMAN.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE POLITICAL REALITIES BECAUSE YOU
CANNOT EVEN -- HOW MUCH DOES THAT PLAY INTO THE MILITARY?
DID THEY LOOK AT THAT AND DO THEY LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, A
POLITICAL POLL THAT SHOWS 66% SUPPORTED, 24% OPPOSED, U.S. AIR
STRIKES IN RESPONSE TO THE SYRIA ATTACK?
AND I ASK THIS BECAUSE OF THE STATEMENT THAT THE PRESIDENT
MADE, WHICH WAS -- I WANT TO LET THE GENERALS SORT OF DO A LOT OF
THIS, YOU KNOW. THEY'RE GOING TO -- CERTAINLY IN
THIS CASE, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THEY DECIDED TO DROP THAT BOMB
THAT HAD NEVER BEEN DROPPED BEFORE WITHOUT CONSULTING THE
PRESIDENT. >> IT'S NOT WITHOUT CONSULTING.
IT'S WHETHER OR NOT PRESIDENT TRUMP ACTUALLY SAID GO AND DO
IT, RIGHT? THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.
NOBODY WANTS TO SAY OVERTLY, BUT ALL OF THE SIGNALS WE'RE GETTING
ARE THAT WAS THE CASE. PRESIDENT DID NOT NEED TO BE --
JUST DID NOT NEED TO RISE TO THAT LEVEL.
WHETHER IT WAS PRESIDENT OBAMA OR PRESIDENT CLINTON, IT
WOULDN'T HAVE RISEN TO THAT LEVEL IN A WAR GOING ON 16
YEARS. THAT'S A LOT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT
WAS THE FIRST OVERT MILITARY ACTION AGAINST NORTH KOREA
SHOULD THEY GET FAR ENOUGH ADVANCED IN THEIR MISSILE
TECHNOLOGY THAT A PREEMPTIVE STRIKE IS DUE. DUE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THE MILITARY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT
POLLS. THEIR JOB IS TO PRESENT OPTIONS
TO THE PRESIDENT IF HE WANTS TO GO THAT ROUTE.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE
SINCE THE KOREAN WAR. THAT'S NOT NEW.
THERE IS NOTHING NEW ABOUT THAT. THEY ARE THE ONES LAST ONES WHO
WANT TO PRESS THE GO BUTTON AND FIRE INTO NORTH KOREA BECAUSE
EVERYBODY KNOWS THERE ARE NO GOOD RESULTS OF THAT.
IT'S GOING TO CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO DIE.
IT'S GOING TO CAUSE SOUTH KOREANS TO DIE.
PROBABLY AMERICAN MILITARY PEOPLE TO DIE IF THEY RETALIATE
IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM. WE'RE ALL STILL WHERE WE WERE
SIX MONTHS AGO. IT'S JUST A LOT MORE TENSE.
NO ONE WANTS THE KRAENS TO ADVANCE.
THE KRAENS ARE ADVANCING IN THEIR TECHNOLOGY.
. AT SOME POINT IT'S GOING TO COME
TOGETHER. MIGHT NOT BE TODAY, BUT IT'S NOT
50 YEARS IN THE FUTURE. IT'S A LITTLE BIT CLOSER.
MAYBE WE CAN ALL TAKE A BREATH. >> CONGRESSMAN, FOR A PRESIDENT
WHO RAN ON JOBS, THE ECONOMY, AS A BUSINESSMAN WHO IS GOING TO,
AS HE SAID, TURN THINGS AROUND, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE POLITICAL
REALITY OF ALL OF THIS, OF THIS FOCUS SUDDENLY ON MILITARY
ACTION? AND I'M WONDERING, YOU'RE BACK
IN YOUR DISTRICT. ARE YOU HEARING FROM
CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THIS? >> WELL, LET ME HAVE THE GREAT
HONOR OF REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT THAT HAS THE MOST
MILITARY VETERANS OF ANY DISTRICT IN THE NATION.
>> NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, CORRECT. >> FOLKS BACK HOME, THERE IS
SOMETHING GOING ON IN THE WORLD. WE ARE ABSOLUTELY THERE.
KEVIN, HE JUST SAID, LISTEN, WE'RE THE LAST PEOPLE THAT WANT
TO GO TO WAR. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
IT'S OUR JOB, OUR FOLKS BACK HOME OF COURSE TO PRESENT
OPTIONS TO BE READY FOR WAR IF A PRESIDENT, HE OR SHE DECIDES IT
IS NECESSARY. BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT
WE'RE CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO DO. YES, THE SITUATION IS EXTREMELY
TENSE THERE, BUT THERE IS A REALITY THAT'S GOING ON HERE
WHERE THEY ARE ADVANCING IN TECHNOLOGIES AND AT WHAT POINT
DO YOU ENGAGE. LISTEN, THE PRESIDENT HAS QUITE
FRANKLY DONE A GOOD JOB OF GETTING CHINA ENGAGED IN THIS
PROBLEM. SO, WE'VE SEEN NORTH KOREA SHOOT
MISSILES INTO THE SEA CLOSE TO OUR ALLIES IN JAPAN AND SOUTH
KOREA. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY GET
TECHNOLOGY WHERE THEY CAN SHOOT IT RIGHT OFF THE COAST OF
CALIFORNIA? THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE.
IT'S UNACCEPTABLE TO ANY PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES
PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN. IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS TO --
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT. SO, YOU MAY WANT TO DO SOMETHING
DIFFERENT IN YOUR AGENDA, BUT WHEN THINGS LIKE THAT COME UP,
IT'S YOUR JOB TO DEAL WITH THEM BASICALLY.
SO, YES, IT IS TENSE. AND THE LAST THING WE WANT WAR,
HOPEFULLY COOLER HEADS WILL PREVAIL, PRUDENT DECISIONS WILL
HAPPEN WITH DIPLOMATIC OR ECONOMIC TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO
SIMMER DOWN THE TENSIONS THAT ARE THERE RIGHT NOW.
BUT AT SOME POINT THE STRATEGIC PATIENTS OF THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION CLEARLY DID NOT WORK.
NORTH KOREA HAS CONTINUED TO ADVANCE AND CONTINUING TO BE
PROVOCATIVE, CONTINUING TO SAY THINGS.
BUT IT IS MY HOPE AND I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT TENSIONS WILL
REDUCE AND THAT CHINA WILL STEP UP AND HELP BECAUSE QUITE
FRANKLY THEY'RE THE ONES WITH THE MOST LEVERAGE O

North Korea Says It’s ‘Ready For War’ – Is The US? | For The Record | MSNBC

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