LOU: TAIWAN NOT BACKING DOWN
FROM COMIE
FROM CHIIE
FROM CHINA'S THREATS TO
FORCEFULLY TAKE THE ISLAND.
TAIWAN PREPARING FOR A POSSIBLE
CHINESE INVASION.
TAIWAN CALLED FOR INTERNATIONAL
SUPPORT TO COMBAT CHINA'S
GROWING THREATS.
PRESIDENT TRUMP TODAY AT THE
PENTAGON ANNOUNCING HIS
ADMINISTRATION'S NEW MISSILE
DEFENSE REVIEW.
PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLING FOR AN
IMPROVED SPACE DEFENSE SYSTEM
THAT INCLUDES SENSORS AND
WEAPONS TO DETECT AND STOP
MISSILES UPON LAUNCH.
HE ALSO DEMANDED 20 NEW GROUND
BASE INTERCEPTORS TO BE
INSTALLED IN ALASKA.
THE PRESIDENT HOPING THE
IMPROVEMENTS WILL HELP CURTAIL
RUSSIA AND CHINA'S GROWING AND
ADVANCED WEAPONS SYSTEMS THAT
NOW FACE THE UNITED STATES.
JOINING US TONIGHT, FRED FLEITZ,
PRESIDENT AND CEO FOR THE CENTER
OF POLICY AND FORMER CHIEF OF
STAFF FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY
COUNCIL.
FRED, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD TO BE HERE.
LOU: LET'S START WITH THIS
MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM.
THE PRESIDENT COMMITTING TO IT,
ESTIMATED $11 BILLION IN NEW
SPENDING.
HOW SOON CAN WE IMAGINE THAT IT
WILL BE IN PLACE.
>> WELL, IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME
TIME.
BUT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
INITIATIVE BECAUSE THERE ARE NEW
TECHNOLOGIES WE HAVE TO DEAL
WITH, SUCH AS RUSSIA'S HYPER
SONIC MISSILE WHICH IS ALMOST
IMPOSSIBLE TO SHUT DOWN.
CHINA IS IMPROVING THE MISSILE
PROGRAM AND HUGE ADVANCES IN THE
IRAN THAN AND NORTH KOREA
MISSILE PROGRAMS.
NORTH KOREA COULD HIT THE EAST
COAST OF THE UNITED STATES WITH
A MISSILE TODAY.
THE ACCURACY THEY'RE WORKING ON
BUT IT IS REAL THREAT.
AND THIS PROGRAM WILL HELP DEAL
WITH THAT.
LOU: THE PRESIDENT WORKING TO
NEGOTIATE A DENUCLEARIZATION OF
NORTH KOREA.
THE SUGGESTION IS THAT A SECOND
SUMMIT COULD OCCUR WITHIN A
MONTH OR SO.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW CRITICS ARE
ALWAYS CRITICIZING THE PRESIDENT
FOR THE NORTH KOREA STRATEGY.
THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY MISSILE
TESTS, NUCLEAR TESTS SINCE LATE
2017.
THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT STEP
FORWARD.
I THINK THE NORTH KOREANS ARE
CLOSE TO MAKING MINOR
CONCESSIONS.
THEY'VE BEEN DRAGGING THEIR
FEET.
THE PURPOSE OF A NEW SUMMIT IS
TO GET KIM TO REAFFIRM HIS
COMMITMENT TO WHAT HE AGREED TO
IN SIG
IN SINGAPORE.
LOU: I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THIS
IS, TO ME, A PROCESS GAME THAT'S
BEING PLAYED.
IT'S UNBKING
IT'S UNBECNG
IT'S UNBECOMING TO THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
THIS IS THE STUFF DIPLOMATS
PLAYING AT GETTING SOMETHING
DONE.
THIS IS A PRESIDENT ALL ABOUT
GETTING THIS DONE AND TALKING
ABOUT REAFFIRMING LANGUAGE AND
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.
THAT USUALLY LEADS TO
CONFRONTATION AND WE'VE GOT A
WHOLE HISTORY WITH NORTH KOREA
OF PRECISELY THAT RESULT, DO WE
NOT?
>> WELL THE NORTH KOREANS KNOW
IF THEY HOLD OUT LONG ENOUGH
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM A
CONCESSION AND THAT'S NOT GOING
TO HAPPEN UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP
OR MIKE POMPEO OR JOHN BOLTON.
THAT'S WHY THE TALKS ARE SO
DIFFICULT.
THE PRESIDENT AFTER PRESIDENT
HAVE PLAYED THIS GAME AND LOST
WITH NORTH KOREA.
LOU: YOU KNOW WHY?
IT'S NOT A GAME.
IT IS LIFE AND DEATH AND IT
SHOULD -- I DON'T THINK ANYONE
IN WASHINGTON SHOULD TRY TO PER
PERPETUATE THE NONSENSE THAT HAS
BEEN THE PURVIEW OF THE STATE
DEPARTMENT WITH THIS PRESIDENT.
I DON'T THINK IT WILL WORK OUT
WELL FOR THEM OR FOR FRANKLY THE
COUNTRY.
LET'S TURN TO SOMETHING YOU
BROUGHT UP, WHICH WAS THE HYPER
SONIC MISSILES THAT ARE BEING
DEVELOPED BY RUSSIA AND CHINA.
NOW THE HELL IS IT THAT THE
UNITED STATES WOULD HAVE TO
SAY -- OUR DEFENSE DEPARTMENT --
THAT WE DO NOT HAVE AN ADEQUATE
DEFENSE AGAINST SUCH WEAPONS.
HELL WE DON'T EVEN HAVE SUCH
WEAPONS.
HOW COULD THIS BE?
>> ONE REASON IS BECAUSE THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION DEVASTATED
OUR MISSILE DEFENSE PROGRAM.
IT WAS STILL INADEQUATE BUT THEY
BROUGHT IT DOWN SO MUCH THAT
EVEN OBAMA OFFICIALS ARE HAD TO
REBUILD SOME OF IT BECAUSE OF
THE NORTH KOREA THREAT.
WHAT'S BEING DONE BY THE NEW
INITIATIVE BY PRESIDENT TRUMP
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SPACE BASED
INTERCEPTORS THAT WILL BE ABLE
TO STRIKE THE MISSILES WHEN
THEY'RE MOST VULNERABLE, WHENL W
THEY'RE MOST VULNERABLE, WHENL E
THEY'RE MOST VULNERABLE, WHENL N
THERE'S A PLUME THAT'S HOTTER
AND LARGER THAN ANY TIME AT THE
MISSILE'S LAUNCH.
IT GIVES US A GOOD CHANCE OF
SHOOTING THEM DOWN.
A VERY IMPORTANT INITIATIVE.
LOU: TAIWAN, THE THREATS FROM
MAINLAND CHINA AGAINST TAIWAN,
WHERE ARE WE HEADED AND JUST HOW
SERIOUS DO YOU THINK THE CHINESE
ARE IN CREATING A REAL CONFLICT?
>> WELL, ON ONE HAND THE TEU
TAIWANESE PRESIDENT IS NOT USING
THE TRADITIONAL AMBIGUOUS
LANGUAGE ON TAIWAN'S
INDEPENDENCE.
BUT WE CAN'T PUT THIS ON HER.
THIS IS CHINA UPPING THE ANTE
AGAINST TAIWAN.
CHINA IS NOT ENGAGING IN
BELLIGERENT RHETORIC, IT'S
TRYING TO CUT TAIWAN OFF FURTHER
FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY,
MAKING THEM REDRAW THEIR MAPS,
TAIWAN IS PART OF CHINA --
LOU: PRESIDENT AFTER PRESIDENT
AFTER PRESIDENT HAVE TRIED TO
AVERT THEIR EYES FROM TAIWAN AND
THE THREAT OF MAINLAND COMMUNIST
CHINA AGAINST THEM.
WE CAN NO LONGER AVERT OUR EYES,
CAN WE?
>> I DON'T THINK WE CAN AVERT
OUR EYES WU
OUR EYES BUT WE HAVE TO FIND A
WAY TO DEFEND TAIWAN RECOGNIZING
THE HUGE SEARCH
THE HUGE SURRCH
THE HUGE SURGEH
THE HUGE SURGE IN THE CHINESE
MILITARY.
I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE AT THE
PENTAGON --
LOU: YOU'RE SAYING WE SHOULD
ROLL OVER?
>> NO I'M NOT SAYING THAT.