IN THIS STORY, WE DON’T HAVE THE
REPORTING YET WHETHER IT’S COVER
UP YET OR NOT.
MU YOU SPEAK FROM PRECEDENCE.
THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU.
I FEEL MORE READY HAVING
LISTENED TO YOU TONIGHT.
NOW ON THE MILITARY PIECE, WE
TURN TO A FRIEND, LIEUTENANT
COLONEL RALPH PETERS, A RETIRED
U.S. INTELLIGENCE ARMY OFFICER,
AUTHOR OF MANY BOOKS AND SERVED
IN ADMINISTRATIONS IN BOTH
PARTIES
PARTIES IN WASHINGTON.
FROM A MILITARY PERSPECTIVE, HOW
DO YOU VIEW THE PLOT WHAT RUSSIA
IS TRYING TO DO?
>> THE FIRST THING I SEE IS AN
APPARENT BETRAYAL BY THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
OF OUR ARMED FORCES.
SHOULDN’T SURPRISE US TOO MUCH.
THE PRESIDENT WHO DOESN’T FEEL
EMPATHY FOR 126,000 DEAD
AMERICANS ON HIS WATCH, SO WHY
WORRY ABOUT A FEW HANDFUL OF
AMERICAN CASUALTIES IN
AFGHANISTAN.
AND ARI, I THINK YOUR PREVIOUS
GUEST REALLY NAILED IT.
AND PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
DESPERATE.
HE’S ALWAYS BEEN SLAVISHLY
OBEDIENT TO VLADAMIR PUTIN.
FOR REASONS WE STILL DON’T
UNDERSTAND.
BUT RIGHT NOW, TRAILING VICE
PRESIDENT BIDEN SO BADLY IN THE
POLLS, PRESIDENT TRUMP
DESPERATELY NEEDS AND WANTS
RUSSIAN AND CHINESE HELP IN THE
ELECTION.
SO HE’S GOING TO FIGHT TOOTH AND
NAIL ANY CRITICISM ON ACTION
AGAINST VLADAMIR PUTIN, AND I
SUSPECT THAT’S PROBABLY KEY TO
THIS WHOLE KERFLUFFLE RIGHT NOW
ABOUT WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT
KNOW AND WHEN DID HE KNOW SNIT
>> RALPH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT --
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE REPORTING,
FROM A MILITARY PERSPECTIVE, HOW
DO YOU VIEW, IF CONFIRMED, A
POWER LIKE RUSSIA PAYING AN
ENEMY LIKE THE TALIBAN TO KILL
U.S. TROOPS, DO YOU VIEW THAT AS
A POTENTIAL ACT OF WAR?
>> YOU KNOW, TO BE BRUTALLY
HONEST, IN THE WORLD OF
GEOPOLITICS, IT PROBABLY FALLS
SHORT.
IT
LET’S LOOK AT IT FROM THE
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE.
WE FAIL TO DO THAT.
FOR VLADAMIR PUTIN, HE HATES THE
UNITED STATES.
WE
PUTIN, FOR ALL HIS CALM
DEMEANOR, IS A REALLY GOOD
HATER.
HE BLAMES THE UNITED STATES FOR
HAVING DESTROYED THE SOVIET
UNION.
E CALLS IT THE WORST TRAGEDY IN
THE 20th CENTURY.
HE ALSO REMEMBERS, AND WE
FORGET, IN THE 1980s, THE UNITED
STATES SUPPLIED ARMS, INCLUDING
MISSILES AND MONEY TO JIHADIS
WHO LATER TURNED INTO THE
TALIBAN, ET CETERA.
AND THOUSANDS OF YOUNG RUSSIANS
WERE KILLED OR WOUNDED.
AND SO FOR PUTIN, THIS IS TWO
THINGS.
ONE, IT’S JUST A CHANCE TO HIT
AMERICA ANY WAY HE CAN, EVEN IF
IT’S COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO
RUSSIA, BECAUSE HE HATES US SO
MUCH.
FOR HIM, IT’S PAYBACK.
FOR TROOPS ON THE GROUND, IT’S A
REAL THREAT.
AND YOU ASK YOURSELF, WHY WOULD
PUTIN TAKE SUCH A GRAVE RISK FOR
SUCH SMALL STAKES.
AND THE ANSWER IS, BECAUSE HE’S
VLADAMIR PUTIN.
>> I APPRECIATE YOUR NUANCE
ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT’S UGLY
AND HORRIFIC AND DASTARDLY.
WE CAN RUN THROUGH THE WORDS
WHAT THIS MAY BE.
BUT FROM A MILITARY PERSPECTIVE,
YOU DON’T SEE THIS AS SOMETHING
TO GO TO WAR ON THIS ALONE, YET
YOU’RE LAYING OUT THE CONCERNS
YOU HAVE.
WHEN YOU GET TO THE GEOPOLITICS,
YOUR VIEW ON THE TRUMP/PUTIN
RELATIONSHIP HERE, THE PRESIDENT
HAS OFTEN COMPLAINED THAT THIS
JUST COMES UP, AND HE BLAMES
OTHERS.
THIS REPORTING SUGGESTS THAT HE
CAN’T BLAME BOB MUELLER, SCAM
PAIN MEETINGS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
THIS IS REAL WORLD STUFF THAT
PUTIN IS DOING.
ACCORDING TO REPORTING THAT
TRUMP IS OUT OF THE LOOP ON OR
WORSE, BRIEFED AND DIDN’T CARE.
APRIL, YOU HAD RUSSIA PURCHASING
MEDICAL SUPPLIES.
BY LATE APRIL, YOU HAD A
STATEMENT OF TRUST THAT MANY
WERE CRITICAL OF.
MAY, THE HUMANITARIAN AID TO
MOSCOW.
BY JUNE, THE TRUMP-PUTIN
FRIENDLY PHONE CALL.
AND THEN JUNE 15th, U.S.
WITHDRAWING THE TROOPS
SUPPORTING NATO AGAINST RUSSIAN
AGGRESSION.
ALL THIS GOING ON WHEN PEOPLE
ARE BUSY WITH OTHER THINGS IN
AMERICA.
DO YOU HAVE A CONCERN THAT U.S.
NATIONAL SECURITY IS BEING
UNDERCUT WHEN YOU TAKE IT ALL
TOGETHER?
>> I THINK IT’S BEING BETRAYED.
THERE’S NO QUESTION IN MY MIND
THAT PUTIN HAS SOMETHING ON
TRUMP.
AND ALSO -- I CONTINUE TO THINK
THAT THERE’S MORE FACT THAN
FICTION IN THE STEELE DOSSIER.
HOW ELSE DO YOU EXPLAIN TRUMP’S
BEHAVIOR?
HIS BEHAVIOR IS DISLOYAL TO THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN HIS
CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCE THUS FAR,
IT IS DISLOYAL TO OUR TROOPS.
AND IT’S LITERALLY UNBELIEVABLE
TO HAVE AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT
WHO HAS SUCH -- SO LITTLE
INTEREST IN AMERICAN SECURITY
AND SUCH A VAST COMMITMENT TO
HIMSELF.
>> HMM.
WELL, YOU SPEAK PLAINLY.
I WOULD SAY, YOU NOTE, YOU’RE
LAYING OUT YOUR VIEW OF IT IN
STARK TERMS, RALPH.
I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR