Barack Obama-Era Nuclear Expert Says Donald Trump Has Not Modernized U.S. Arsenal

WORLD. I KNOW PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID
GLOBAL WARMING IS THE THREAT. I DISAGREE.
I SAY IT'S A SIMPLE ONE, NUCLEAR IS OUR GREATEST THREAT
WORLDWIDE. NOT EVEN A QUESTION.
NOT EVEN CLOSE. SO I'D LIKE TO DENUKE THE WORLD.
I WOULD LIKE RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA AND
PAKISTAN AND MANY OTHER COUNTRIES THAT HAVE NUCLEAR
WEAPONS GET RID OF THEM. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYING THAT
HIS REAL WISH IS TO GET RID OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
EVEN AFTER THREATENING TO LAUNCH A FIRST STRIKE AGAINST NORTH
KOREA. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THESE
CONFLICTING IMPULSES? JOINING ME NOW IS ELIZABETH
RANDALL, THE FORMER DEPUTY SECRETARY OF ENERGY AT THE OBAMA
WHITE HOUSE. I GUESS YOU WERE SURPRISED TO
LEARN THAT AFTER YOU LEFT OFFICE IN JANUARY, IN THE NEXT SIX
MONTHS, PRESIDENT TRUMP MANAGED TO MODERNIZE THE ENTIRE TRILLION
DOLLAR MODERNIZATION OF THE ARSENAL.
>> PRESIDENT OBAMA SET IN PLACE A AGENDA THAT INCLUDED REDUCING
OUR RELIANCE ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THE NUMBER OF NUCLEAR
WEAPONS IN THE WORLD AND INSURING OUR ARSENAL REMAINS
SAFE AND SECURE AGAINST ANY THREATS WE MIGHT FACE.
THAT INCLUDES A LONG-TERM PROGRAM THAT TAKES YEARS NOT
MONTH TO ACHIEVE. >> THERE WAS A MEMO ORDERED TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE SITUATION.
>> USUALLY ADMINISTRATIONS CONDUCT A NUCLEAR POSTURE REVIEW
IN WHICH THEY EXAMINE WHAT THEY'VE INHERITED AND WHAT THEY
BELIEVE IS NECESSARY. THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND
EFFORT. THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ISSUED
NEW NUCLEAR EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE IN 2013.
WHICH EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING MORE OPTIONS FOR A
PRESIDENT IN A CRISIS. I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE
CRITICAL ISSUES TODAY, IS THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO
ESCALATE IMMEDIATELY TO THE USE OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
YOU WANT TO HAVE A RANGE OF OPTIONS.
IT'S ONE OF THE AREAS IN WHICH OUR MILITARY HAS BEEN WORKING
AGGRESSIVELY TO GENERATE THOSE OPTIONS TO MANAGE CRISISES.
>> WHAT ABOUT BACK CHANNEL TALKS WITH THE REGIME?
AS YOU SIT IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT, HOW DO WE APPROACH
BACK CHANNEL TALKS WHICH ARE REPORTED TODAY TO BE UNDERWAY
WITH A REGIME WE SAY WE'RE NOT TALKING TO?
>> I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE TALKS.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE TALKING WITH THE NORTH KOREANS
OVER MANY ADMINISTRATIONS. THERE I WOULD INJECT A NOTE OF
CAUTION, WHICH IS OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT WHEN NEGOTIATING
WITH THE NORTH KOREANS THEY LIE AND CHEAT.
A PREVIOUS NUCLEAR AGREEMENT WHEN THEY AGREED TO CEASE THEIR
ENRICHMENT PROGRAM THEY WERE ENRICHING IT COVERTLY.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IS INTRUSIVE
VERIFICATION AND MONITORING UP FRONT.
OTHERWISE YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY REASON TO HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT
THEY WOULD BE EXECUTING ON WHAT THEY COMMIT TO DO.
>> WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THEIR ARSENAL?
I KNOW THERE'S THE NEW INTELLIGENCE, WHICH STARTED WITH
THE DIAS ASSESSMENT WHICH HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY OTHER AGENCIES

IN THE COMMITTEES. >> EVERY TIME THE NORTH KOREANS
HAVE TESTED, THEY ARE IMPROVING THEIR CAPABILITIES.
WHAT THEY HAVEN'T YET BEEN ABLE TO DO IS MARRY THOSE
CAPABILITIES. WHAT THEY SEEK TO DO IS TO
ACHIEVE THAT GOAL. AND SO, OF COURSE, WE ARE
WORKING VERY HARD TO INSURE WE CAN COUNTER ANY THREAT THEY
MIGHT PRESENT, INCLUDING THROUGH OUR DETERRENT AND MISSILE
DEFENSES. THERE WE HAVE TO WORK TO ADVANCE
THE CAPABILITIES BOTH REGIONALLY WE HAVE IN PLACE AND THERE WAS A
SIGNIFICANT DEPLOYMENT UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OF REGIONAL
CAPABILITIES AND THEN OUR STRATEGIC DEFENSES IN WHICH
PRESIDENT OBAMA MADE A COMMITMENT TO ENHANCE WHAT WE
HAVE IN THE UNITED STATES TO COUNTER A LONG RANGE THREAT FROM
THE NORTH KOREANS. >> FROM WHAT YOU KNOW OF THE
THAAD MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM, IF THEY WERE TO FIRE MULTIPLE
MISSILES, I MEAN, DOES THAT -- I REALLY DON'T MEAN TO BOIL IT
DOWN TO THE LAYMAN'S WAY OF THINKING ABOUT IT.
WOULD THAT CONFUSE THE SYSTEM? HOW FLEXIBLE IS THAT?
>> WE HAVE MULTIPLE SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO ADDRESS A VARIETY OF
THREATS. AND MY CONFIDENCE LEVEL IS HIGH
THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO MEET THE CHALLENGE.
AS WE LOOK AT OUR GROUND-BASED MISSILE DEFENSES FROM THE UNITED
STATES, WE'RE LOOKING AT A FEW SHOTS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN IN THE
FUTURE. PRESENTLY WE DON'T BELIEVE HE
HAS THE CAPABILITY. HE'S WORKING TO ACHIEVE IT.
AND THERE WE ARE SIZED TO MATCH THAT THREAT.
OUR GROUND-BASED DEFENSES AREN'T DESIGNED AGAINST THE R

Barack Obama-Era Nuclear Expert Says Donald Trump Has Not Modernized U.S. Arsenal | MSNBC

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