>>> WELCOME BACK TO "VELSHI & RUHLE" EXITED ARMS CONTROL DEAL
THE NUCLEAR FORCES TREATY.
THIS MOVE RAISING FEARS OF A NEW
REMEMBER AS RACE.
NOW, THE PACK WAS SIGNED BACK IN
1987 BY PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN
AND GORBACHEV.
AND GORBACHEV. IT BOUND THE TWO COUNTRIES TO
DESTROY ALL LAUNCHERS, TRAINING
MATERIALS AND INTERMEDIATE AND
SHORT-RANGE ROCKETS TO COUNTER
COLD WAR TENSIONS.
BUT THE U.S. CLAIMS THAT RUSSIA
HAS BEEN VIOLATING THE TREATY
SINCE 2013 DURING THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. ADDING TO THE NEW CONCERNS, THE
U.S. IS SET TO TEST A MISSILE IN
THE COMING WEEKS THAT WOULD HAVE
BEEN PROHIBITED UNDER THE
TREATY.
TREATY. JOINING ME TO DISCUSS THIS
RETIRED GENERAL BARRY McCAFFREY.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, ALI.
>> WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF
THIS?
THIS? >> PRETTY SERIOUS.
NO QUESTION BUT THE RUSSIANS
WERE CHEATING.
WERE CHEATING. THEY WANT TO THREATEN EUROPEAN
CITIES.
CITIES. THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS
AND THEY’RE HAPPY TO WALK AWAY
FROM THE TREATY.
THE U.S. RESPONDED AND DIDN’T
GET ANY ANSWER IN THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION AND WE’RE IN A
TRICKY SITUATION.
TRICKY SITUATION. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
IT.
IT. OF EVEN MORE CONCERN IN 2021,
THE NEW START TREATY EXPIRES.
AT THAT POINT, THERE WILL BE NO
INTERNATIONAL TREATIES TO
CONSTRAIN NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND
LAUNCH VEHICLES.
LAUNCH VEHICLES. A BAD SITUATION TO BE IN.
>> SO, WHAT HAPPENS?
I MEAN, DOES THIS NECESSARILY
MARK THE BEGINNING OF A NEW
REMEMBER AS RACE OR IS THERE
SOME IMPETUS TO COME UP WITH
MORE SOPHISTICATED TREATIES AND
SOMETHING THAT WILL ACTUALLY
CONTAIN THIS PROBLEM THAT YOU
JUST ADDRESSED?
JUST ADDRESSED? >> WELL, I THINK THE INCENTIVE
IS TO COME UP WITH A NEW
INTERNATIONAL TREATY.
INTERNATIONAL TREATY. I THINK A FALSE START IS TO
STATE THAT WE’RE WAITING TO
BRING THE CHINESE IN.
THE CHINESE FOR STRATEGIC
ARGUMENTS ONLY HAVE 290 NUCLEAR
WEAPONS.
WEAPONS. OF THE 14,000 AROUND THE WORLD,
90% OF THEM ARE U.S. AND
RUSSIAN.
RUSSIAN. SO, I THINK THE END OF THE DAY
IT’S GOING TO BE SOMETHING WHERE
THE RUSSIANS UNDERSTAND THAT
THEY’RE DIVERTING HUGE AMOUNTS
OF THEIR PRECIOUS RESOURCES TO
BUILDING UP NUCLEAR DEFENSES, OR
ATTACK CAPABILITY THAT REALLY
WON’T HAVE MUCH OF A PAYOFF.
SOME OF THIS STUFF IS ON THE
DRAWING BOARD.
DRAWING BOARD. NOT ACTUALLY GOING TO WORK.
AUTONOMOUS NUCLEAR TORPEDOES.
WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT?
BEING ABLE TO ATTACK FROM THE
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE.
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE
IF THE U.S. HAS NO STRATEGIC
RESPONSE.
RESPONSE. SO, TO SOME EXTENT IT DOESN’T
MAKE ANY RATIONAL NATIONAL
SECURITY DEFENSE FOR EAGER SIDE
TO CONTINUE AN ARMS RACE WITH
NUCLEAR DEVICES.
NUCLEAR DEVICES. >> THE FOLKS MOST IN HARM’S WAY
RIGHT NOW NOT NECESSARILY THE
UNITED STATES, ALTHOUGH THERE IS
SOME MOELSHPOTENTIAL FOR THAT.
BUT AMERICA’S NATO ALLIES.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LOOKING TO
AMERICA SINCE THE BEGINNING OF
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WITH
SOME DEGREE OF FEAR THAT AS
RUSSIA HAS EXPANSION TENDENCIES
IT DOESN’T SEEM AS STRONG AS IT
DID BEFORE TRUMP CAME TO OFFICE.
>> YEAH, EXACTLY.
I THINK THAT’S THE KEY.
LOOK, I WAS IN EUROPE AND NATO
HEADQUARTERS DURING THE TIME IN
WHICH BOTH SIDES HAD
INTERMEDIATE RANGE NUCLEAR
MISSILES.
MISSILES. THEY ARE VERY HARD TO DEFENSE
AGAINST.
AGAINST. THE LAUNCH TOERING TARGET TIME I
EXTREMELY SHORT.
EXTREMELY SHORT. THEY COULD BE LOW FLYING.
THE EUROPEANS VIOLENTLY OPPOSED
U.S. DEPLOYMENT OF INTERMEDIATE
RANGE MISSILES.
RANGE MISSILES. NEVER MIND THE RUSSIANS.
SO, I THINK THAT PUTIN HAS DONE
THIS DELIBERATELY.
THIS DELIBERATELY. HE DOES WANT A NUCLEAR THREAT TO
THE CITIES OF THE EUROPEAN
UNION.
UNION. AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THE
ARGUMENT, WHICH IS EASY TO MAKE,
I MIGHT ADD, THAT IT’S NOT GOING
TO MAKE RUSSIA ANY SAFER.
IT’S GOING TO MAKE THEM A TARGET
OF BRITISH AND FRENCH NUCLEAR
WEAPONS AMONG OTHER THINGS.
SO, THE WORLD NEEDS TO SIT DOWN,
PRINCIPALLY THE U.S. AND RUSSIA
AND NEGOTIATE CONSTRAINTS ON