Ash Carter full 'State of the Union' interview

>>> WELCOME BACK TO "STATE OF
THE UNION."
I'M DANA BASH.
PRESIDENT TRUMP MET WITH HIS
CHINESE COUNTERPART AND SAID
SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT
NORTH KOREA, AFTER THEY LAUNCH
AID MISSILE CAPABLE OF REACHING
ALASKA.
JOINING ME NOW, ASH CARTER,
FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY UNDER
PRESIDENT OBAMA.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE WITH ME.
APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
BACK IN 2006 AND YOU FORMER
CLINTON DEFENSE SECRETARY
WILLIAM PERRY CALLED FOR A
PREEMPTIVE STRIKE AGAINST NORTH
KOREA.
DO YOU THINK THAT IS STILL
VIABLE?
>> THAT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT
CIRCUMSTANCE NOW.
>> SURE.
>> WE DO HAVE A VERY HIGH LEVEL
OF PREPARATION ON THE KOREAN
PENINSULA.
I'M SURE THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE HAS OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO
THE PRESIDENT.
THIS WASHINGTON -- I SEE WHAT
PEOPLE ARE WRITING ABOUT NOW.
THERE'S OPTION A AND OPTION B.
THEN THEY LOOK AT DIPLOMACY,
WAR, CONCLUDE RIGHTLY THAT WAR
IS -- ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA IS
NOT SOMETHING TO TRIFLE WITH.
IT'S A SERIOUS, SERIOUS MATTER
THERE.
AND THEN DECIDE THERE ARE NO
GOOD OPTIONS.
IN THE REAL WORLD OF DIPLOMACY
AND STRATEGIC AFFAIRS, THESE ARE
NOT ALTERNATIVES THAT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
CHOOSE.
THEY'RE AN UNFOLDING PATTERN OF
COERCIVE DIPLOMACY.
SO YOU DO HAVE TO BEGIN WITH
DIPLOMACY AND WITH A PROCESS
THAT MAKES THE CHOICE NOT FOR
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT TO CHOOSE
BETWEEN STARTING SOMETHING ON
THE KOREAN PENINSULA AND GIVING
IN TO NORTH KOREA, BUT MAKE IT
NORTH KOREA'S CHOICE WHETHER
THIS IS GOING TO LEAD TO A
COERCIVE OUTCOME FOR THEM AND
CHINA AS WELL.
AND IF YOU TAKE THOSE PATHS, IF
IT DOES COME TO SOME KIND OF
ALTERCATION IN THE FUTURE, WE
WOULD BE BETTER PREPARED BECAUSE
WE WOULD HAVE HAD THAT TIME TO
READY OUR FORCES, POSSIBLY
REINFORCE OUR FORCES.
>> IS THE AMERICAN -- IS AMERICA
PREPARED?
THAT'S WHAT AMERICANS WANT TO
KNOW.
>> OF COURSE.
>> THEY ARE SAFE FROM A --
>> I'VE PERSONALLY BEEN AT IT
SINCE 1974.
WE'VE CONSISTENTLY IMPROVED OUR
NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES, SOUTH
KOREA'S CAPABILITIES HAVE
IMPROVED.
WE HAVE DEPLOYED MISSILE
DEFENSES, BOTH SHORT RANGE AND
LONG RANGE CONSISTENTLY AND IN
ADVANCE OF WHAT WE ANTICIPATE
THE NORTH KOREANS WILL BE DOING
SO THAT WE ALWAYS STAY ONE STEP
AHEAD OF THEM.
SO, WE'RE VERY PREPARED.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT NOT
TO TAKE THE IDEA OF MILITARY
ACTION ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA
OR WAR LIGHTLY.
AND THIS IS A SITUATION IN WHICH
WE NEED TO GET NORTH KOREA AND
CHINA IN A CORNER AND NOT PUT
OUR PRESIDENT IN A CORNER.
>> LET'S TURN TO RUSSIA.
YOU HAVE KNOWN VLADIMIR PUTIN
SINCE HE WAS A LOW-LEVEL AIDE.
>> YES, I DID.
>> DO YOU THINK HE CAN BE A
LEGITIMATE PARTNER ON CYBER
SECURITY?
>> I -- YOU KNOW, THE RUSSIANS
PULLED OUT THE OLD PLAYBOOK.
I'VE SEEN ALL THIS GOING BACK TO
RUSSIAN AND SOVIET DAYS.
WHEN CONFRONTED WITH SOMETHING
THEY'VE DONE WRONG, ASK FOR U.S.
INTELLIGENCE.
OLD TRICK.
PROPOSE A WORKING GROUP.
IN THIS CASE ON CYBER.
BUT THIS IS LIKE THE GUY WHO
ROBBED YOUR HOUSE PROPOSING A
WORKING GROUP ON BURGLARY.
IT'S THEY WHO DID THIS.
AND --
>> SO WAS IT A MISTAKE FOR THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO BUY IT?
>> I DON'T THINK THEY CAN BUY OR
WE SHOULD -- THAT CAN -- IT'S
FINE TO TALK TO THE RUSSIANS
ABOUT LOTS OF THINGS.
IT'S NEVER A PROBLEM TALKING TO
PEOPLE.
IT'S A MATTER OF WHAT YOU SAY.
BUT IN THIS CASE, THIS ISN'T
JUST A MATTER OF LOOKING
BACKWARD.
THIS IS A MATTER OF LOOKING
FORWARD.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ELECTIONS IN
A YEAR AND A HALF.
THERE ARE STATE ELECTIONS,
MUNICIPAL ELECTRICS AS WELL AS
NATIONAL ELECTIONS.
THERE ARE ELECTIONS IN OTHER
COUNTRIES.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THERE BE
CONSEQUENCES FOR THE RUSSIANS IN
REGARD TO THIS.
TO ME, THIS IS JUST -- GETTING
TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT PUTIN, A
PATTERN WITH PUTIN.
IN DEFENSE, THIS IS WHY WE
THOUGHT IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO
STAND STRONG AGAINST RUSSIA IN
EUROPE.
PUT NEW U.S. FORMATIONS IN
EUROPE.
WRITE A NEW PLAYBOOK FOR NATO.
WHY I'M VERY SKEPTICAL ABOUT
COOPERATING WITH RUSSIA IN
SYRIA.
WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT
WE CAPITALIZE OUR NUCLEAR
ARSENAL.
THEY'RE DOING A NUCLEAR BUILDUP.
>> SO YOU MENTIONED THINGS THAT
YOU DID DURING THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION TO CONFRONT
RUSSIA.
BUT PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUES
TO -- HE HAS A POINT.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS -- FAULT
PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR NOT TAKING
ACTION AGAINST RUSSIA WHEN IT
COMES TO MEDDLING IN THE U.S.
ELECTION.
LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID.
>> TOLD IT WAS RUSSIA BY THE
CIA, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IT WAS
WELL REPORTED.
AND HE DID NOTHING ABOUT IT.
THEY SAY HE CHOKED.
THAT'S THE REAL QUESTION.
WHY DID HE DO NOTHING FROM
AUGUST ALL THE WAY TILL NOVEMBER
8th?
>> YOU WERE HIS DEFENSE
SECRETARY.
YOU WERE IN THE SITUATION ROOM
WHEN THIS WAS DISCUSSED.
WHY DIDN'T HE ACT?
>> I THINK HE DID TAKE SOME
ACTIONS.
IN DEFENSE WE TOOK A WIDE RANGE
OF ACTIONS.
TO ME, THIS WAS PART OF A
PATTERN.
TO ME, PERSONALLY, THIS WAS PART
OF A PATTERN WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN.
BUT I DON'T THINK -- I THINK
IT'S QUITE CLEAR THAT THAT WAS
NOT SUFFICIENT.
THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO
PRESS THE RUSSIANS NOW.
IF IT WERE SUFFICIENT, VLADIMIR
PUTIN'S ANSWER TO OUR PRESIDENT
WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN TO SAY --
CAST DOUBT ABOUT IT OR ASK FOR
FURTHER INTELLIGENCE FROM THE
UNITED STATES.
AND THAT'S WHY, AGAIN, THIS IS
NOT JUST A MATTER OF LOOKING
BACKWARD.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR
OUR FUTURE BECAUSE IT'S
IMPORTANT THAT AMERICANS, WHEN
THEY GO TO THE BALLOT BOX AND
THOSE IN OTHER COUNTRIES AS
WELL, UNDERSTAND AND BE ASSURED
THAT THE RUSSIANS HAVEN'T BEEN
THERE FIRST.
>> NO QUESTION THERE'S A LOT TO
DEAL WITH IN THE FUTURE.
BUT BECAUSE YOU WERE THERE, I
HAVE TO ASK.
YOU SAID THAT MORE COULD HAVE
BEEN DONE.
DID PRESIDENT OBAMA MAKE A
MISTAKE IN NOT DOING MORE?
>> WELL, HE DID -- TOOK SOME
STEPS, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
BUT I THINK YOU SEE FROM
VLADIMIR PUTIN'S ANSWER RIGHT
NOW THAT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE.
PUTIN IS NOT CONVINCED THAT
THERE ARE GOING TO BE
CONSEQUENCES OF A MAGNITUDE FOR
RUSSIA, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF
INTERFERING WITH THE U.S.
ELECTION THAT MAKE IT UNWISE FOR
HIM TO DO IT IN THE FUTURE.
THAT HASN'T BEEN ACCOMPLISHED
YET.
AND THAT'S WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
TO STICK WITH THIS ISSUE AND NOT
BE REASSURED BY THE RUSSIAN
READOUT, ANOTHER OLD TRICK OF
THEIRS IS TO GIVE A READOUT OF A
MEETING, WHICH FAVORS THEM.
AND SO I THINK GOING FORWARD, WE
NEED TO STAND STRONG WITH RUSSIA
AND NOT BE REASSURED AND NOT BE
DIVERTED BY THEM ASKING FOR
INTELLIGENCE, TRYING TO MUDDY
THE WATERS.
>> YOU'RE UNDERSTANDABLY LOYAL
TO YOUR FORMER BOSS BUT IT
SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE NOT ALL THAT
COMFORTABLE WITH THE REACTION.
>> MOST OF ALL, I'M LOYAL TO THE
UNITED STATES.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> BOTH THE CURRENT PRESIDENT
AND THE PRESIDENT I SERVED.
THEY BOTH DESERVE TO GET FROM
RUSSIA ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE SOMETHING BETTER THAN
WHAT VLADIMIR PUTIN OFFERED THE
OTHER DAY.
AND WE DESERVE THAT, TOO.
PRESIDENT TRUMP DESERVES THAT.
AND I THINK THAT HE AND HIS
ADMINISTRATION NEED TO KEEP
PRESSING FOR THAT BECAUSE THE
BUSINESS IS NOT DONE YET.
AND IT'S AN ISSUE FOR THE
FUTURE.
NOT JUST

Ash Carter full 'State of the Union' interview

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