A LOT OF EXCITEMENT AROUND THIS
NEWS.
MARIA: FOR SURE.
ANTONY BLINKEN ANNOUNCING THE
SUDANESE ARMED FORCES AND THEIR
RAPID SUPPORT FORCES AGREED TO
A 72 HOUR CEASE-FIRE.
THE US IS HELPING TO CREATE A
COMMITTEE TO OVERSEE
NEGOTIATIONS FOR A PERMANENT
PEACE DEAL INCIDENT.
THE WHITE HOUSE TELLING THE
16,000 PRIVATE US CITIZENS IN
SUDAN TO SHELTER IN PLACING ITS
TOO DANGEROUS FOR A COORDINATED
EVACUATION.
>> IT’S NOT STANDARD PRACTICE
FOR THE UNITED STATES TO SEND
THE US MILITARY INTO WAR ZONES
TO EXTRACT ALL AMERICAN
CITIZENS.
WE DIDN’T DO IT IN LIBYA OR
SYRIA AND WE DIDN’T DO IT IN
UKRAINE.
AFGHANISTAN WAS A UNIQUE CASE
INVOLVING THE END OF A 20 YEAR
WAR THE UNITED STATES WAS
CENTRALLY INVOLVED IN.
THERE SHOULD NOT BE ABROAD
EXPECTATION OF A MASSIVE
MILITARY OPERATION TO SEIZE AN
AIRPORT OR OTHERWISE EVACUATE
PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTRY.
MARIA: JOINING ME IS SENIOR
STRATEGIC ANALYST, CHAIRMAN OF
THE INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF
WAR GENERAL JACK KEANE IS HERE,
THANKS FOR BEING WITH ME.
>> GREAT BEING HERE.
MARIA: YOU HEARD JAMES
SULLIVAN.
WHAT HAPPENED TO LEAVE NO
AMERICANS BEHIND?
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE SUDAN
SITUATION?
>> LET’S GIVE THE
ADMINISTRATION CREDIT FOR
TAKING THE LEAD IN ARRANGING
THIS CEASE-FIRE.
HOPEFULLY THIS ONE STICKS.
PREVIOUS CEASE-FIRES HAVE
USUALLY BROKEN DOWN BUT THAT
WOULD GIVE THE COUNTRY’S AMPLE
OPPORTUNITY TO CONDUCT SOME
EVACUATIONS.
WE DON’T KNOW HOW MANY AMERICAN
CITIZENS ARE IN SUDAN.
NUMBERS FROM 14,000 TO 20,000
WHERE THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY
LIVE THERE PERMANENTLY.
THEY ARE DUAL CITIZENS BUT THIS
IS WHERE THEY LIVE AND WORK,
WHERE KIDS GO TO SCHOOL, THEY
DON’T WANT TO LEAVE AND IF THEY
LEAVE IT WILL BE JUST
TEMPORARILY, DRIVE ACROSS THE
BORDER, IF VIOLENCE COMES TO THEIR TOWN, VILLAGE, OR
THEIR TOWN, VILLAGE, OR
NEIGHBORHOOD BUT THERE ARE
AMERICANS WHO ARE WORKERS
SERVING AGENCIES INSIDE SUDAN
WHO DO WANT TO LEAVE AND WE
SHOULD MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO GET
THOSE PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR.
I THOUGHT WE COULD HAVE DONE
THAT, THERE’S A FEW DOZEN OF
THEM AND A NUMBER OF THEM WERE
SEQUESTERED IN A HOTEL, I
THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN
THEM OUT AS WELL AS THE
GOVERNMENT AND DIPLOMATIC
EMPLOYEES OUT AND THAT WAS A
REMARKABLE OPERATION FOR THE
MILITARY TO CONDUCT IN A 17
HOUR OPERATION LIKE THAT.
ONE OF THE LONGEST WE EVER
CONDUCTED IN HISTORY BUT THERE
IS MORE WE CAN DO HERE.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE
REARVIEW MIRROR IS COUPLE, WHAT
TOOK PLACE THERE, THE
ADMINISTRATION DOESN’T WANT ANY
REPEAT OF THAT.
ANY DAMAGE THAT WOULD COME AS A
RESULT OF A SCENE THAT COULD
TURN CHAOTIC.
WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, WE ARE
LIKELY TALKING LESS THAN A
HUNDRED OR A LITTLE MORE THAN
THAT BUT THOSE TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT WANT TO STAY
THERE.
THIS IS THEIR HOME.
STUART: WE HAVE BEEN TALKING A
LOT ABOUT THE DOMINANCE OR
INCREASING INFLUENCE FROM CHINA
THROUGHOUT AFRICA, HERE IS
GORDON CHANG WITH ME ON SUNDAY.
WATCH THIS.
>> WE HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION,
THE WAGONER GROUP HAVE BEEN
DESTABILIZING SUDAN.
PRUDENT DOESN’T HAVE THE MONEY
TO DO THAT.
HE HAS HIS MONEY HANDS FULL
WITH UKRAINE, WHO IS PAYING FOR
THESE MERCENARIES?
CHINA AND RUSSIA COOPERATING AT
PARKER -- AFRICA AND ELSEWHERE,
WHERE IS THIS MONEY COMING
FROM?
UNTIL WE ASK THAT QUESTION WE WILL NOT GET TO A QUESTION IN
WILL NOT GET TO A QUESTION IN
NORTH AFRICA.
MARIA: IS THERE COMMUNIST CHINA
ELEMENT HERE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WHEN ALL THE AFRICAN LEADERS
CAME TO A CONVENTION IN
WASHINGTON DC A COUPLE MONTHS
AGO I WAS AT A DINNER WITH 6 OF
THESE PRESIDENTS AND EVERY
SINGLE ONE INDICATED THE CHINA
WAS INVOLVED IN THE COUNTRY AND
THEY WOULD RATHER SIT AT THE
TABLE WITH AMERICA AND THAT IS
WHY THEY WERE TALKING TO
AMERICAN LEADERSHIP, SAYING
LISTEN, YOU’VE GOT TO GET
INVOLVED IN AFRICA.
WE HAVE A LOT ON OUR PLATE,
WHETHER REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS
FROM THIS COUNTRY, THE NATIONAL
SECURITY AND CHALLENGES WE ARE
FACING ARE ON A SCALE WE
HAVEN’T SEEN GOING BACK TO THE
COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION OR
THE END OF WORLD WAR II.
CERTAINLY OUR FOCUS IS ON
CHINA, ON THE WAR TAKING PLACE
IN EUROPE AND THE FACT THAT
IRAN IS GETTING CLOSER TO A
NUCLEAR WEAPON AND RADICAL
ISLAM BUT WHAT WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT IN AFRICA IS NOT
MILITARY.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ECONOMIC
AND DIPLOMATIC AND WE’VE GOT TO
PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THIS
CONTINENT.
CHINA AND RUSSIA, WHAT DO THEY
WANT, THEY WANT INFLUENCE AND
CONTROL, THE RESOURCES THAT ARE
IN AFRICA.
CHINA HAS EXTRACTED SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNT OF MINERALS AND OTHER
RESOURCES.
CHINA IS IN A FORECOURT FOYER,
CHINA IS USING ECONOMIC WEAPONS
TO GAIN INFLUENCE AND CONTROL.
WE’VE GOT TO CATCH UP, THEY ARE
AHEAD OF US.
MARIA: GLAD YOU SAID THAT.
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF
THIS ON OUR PLATE, A CHANGED
BACKDROP IN TERMS OF
ADVERSARIES ON THE MARGIN THAT
IS THE REASON THE GLOBAL
DEFENSE SPENDING BOOM IS
HAPPENING, THERE’S GLOBAL
MILITARY SPENDING RISING ACROSS
THE BOARD EXCEPT IN THE UNITED
STATES.
FOR 8 CONSECUTIVE YEARS IN
2022, AN ALL-TIME HIGH AND
GLOBAL MILITARY SPENDING,
$2 TRILLION, LOOK AT THESE
NUMBERS, WORLD MONETARY
EXPENSES UP 3.
7% % IN 2022, FROM EUROPE, 13%,
LITHUANIA UP 27%, POLAND UP
11%, IN THE PACIFIC JAPAN
INCREASING SPENDING 5.9%, 1.1%
OF GDP ALL IN THIS EDITORIAL
THIS MORNING.
THE TRUTH IS THE US DEFENSE
SPENDING IS FLAT, 3% OF THE
ECONOMY AND IT IS FAILING TO
KEEP PACE WITH THE WORLD
THREATS.
THAT’S 3% COMPARED TO FINLAND
MILITARY SPENDING UP 3%,
LITHUANIA UP 27%.
JAPAN UP 5.
9%.
YOU ARE THE FIRST TO POINT OUT
YEARS AGO TELLING ME CHINA’S
NAVY IS BIGGER THAN OURS, WHAT
IS GOING ON WITH MILITARY
SPENDING IN THE UNITED STATES.
ARE WE ARE NOT GETTING WHAT IS
GOING ON AROUND US?
>> BUT FRANKLY WE ARE NOT
KEEPING PACE WITH THE THREATS
THAT ARE OUT THERE IN TERMS OF
DEFENSE SPENDING.
WE ARE AT 3%, NOT ACCOUNTING
FOR INFLATION WHICH IS 5% IF
NOT 6.
WE ARE DEALING WITH A DECLINE
IN DEFENSE SPENDING.
THE WORLD HAS BECOME MORE
DANGEROUS.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND
THAT.
THEY KNOW THAT CHINA, 70% OF
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BELIEVE
CHINA IS A MAJOR THREAT TO OUR
SECURITY AND THIS IS BEEN GOING
ON FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, CHINA
AND RUSSIA ARE DRIVING THE
INCREASE IN DEFENSE SPENDING.
IT STARTED WITH RUSSIA AND
UKRAINE, CRIMEA AND EASTERN
UKRAINE AND CHINA’S AGGRESSION,
SOUTH CHINA SEA, TAIWAN, ETC.
.
THE COUNTRIES IN THE INDO
PACIFIC REGION ARE INCREASING
THEIR SPENDING BECAUSE OF THE
CHINA THREAT.
BECAUSE OF THE RUSSIAN THREAT, THE UNITED STATES, WHILE WE
THE UNITED STATES, WHILE WE
HAVE GIVEN $20 BILLION TO
MILITARY SPENDING TO UKRAINE
LAST YEAR, WE ARE -- 3% IS
WHERE WE ARE AND IT’S NOT
ENOUGH TO KEEP PACE.
FOR OUR AUDIENCE TO UNDERSTAND
DURING THE REAGAN YEARS DURING
THE COLD WAR WE AVERAGED 6% OF
GDP.
WE ARE AT 3% OF GDP AND IT’S
NOT SUFFICIENT TO DEAL WITH
THESE THREATS.
MARIA: THIS IS CONCERNING AND
WE WILL KEEP A SPOTLIGHT ON IT,