IT IS BELIEVED TO BE THE FIRST
OF ITS KIND.
BOTH SWIMMERS EXPECTED TO BE
OKAY.
THAT’S AMAZING.
>> Jon: PRESIDENT TRUMP NOT
GOING INTO DETAIL ABOUT HIS
STRATEGY FOR DEALING WITH NORTH
KOREA.
DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE
REUTERS NEWS AGENCY YESTERDAY
MR. TRUMP SAID HE IS NOT RULING
OUT DIPLOMACY DESPITE FAILED
ATTEMPTS IN THE PAST THE
PRESIDENT SAYING I’M NOT SURE
THAT TALKS WILL LEAD TO
ANYTHING MEANINGFUL.
THEY’VE TALKED FOR 25 YEARS AND
TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF OUR PREVIOUS
PRESIDENTS.
HE GOES ON TO SAY WE’RE PLAYING
A VERY, VERY HARD GAME OF POKER
AND YOU DON’T WANT TO REVEAL
YOUR HAND.
JOINING US NOW RETIRED U.S.
ARMY LIEUTENANT COLONEL DANIEL
DAVIS AND SENIOR FELLOW AND
MILITARY EXPERT FOR DEFENSE
PRIORITIES.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SIR.
THERE IS THIS NOTION GOING
AROUND WASHINGTON THAT PERHAPS
YOU COULD UNDERTAKE A LIMITED
MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST NORTH
KOREA, A SO-CALLED BLOODY NOSE
STRIKE TO PARALYZE SOME ELEMENT
OF THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE OR
MILITARY CAPABILITY AND SHOW
THEM WHAT WE’RE CAPABLE OF.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT
NOTION?
>> LET ME TELL YOU FLAT OUT
FIRST OF ALL THERE WILL BE NO
WAR ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA
UNLESS WE START ONE WITH
PREVENTION ACTION LIKE AN
ATTEMPT AT A BLOODY NOSE.
IT WILL NOT WORK.
NO DOUBT IN ANYONE’S MIND WE
HAVE THE ABILITY TO DESTROY
NORTH KOREA.
THERE IS NO NEED TO DO A BLOODY
NOSE STRIKE TO SHOW THEM THAT.
THEY ALREADY KNOW THAT.
>> Jon: THEN WHY IS KIM JONG-UN
BEING SO BELLIGERENT AND
THREATENING TO INFLAME THE
UNITED STATES IN A SEA OF FIRE
FOR INSTANCE?
>> WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL TO
EXAMINE EXACTLY WHAT HE IS
SAYING AND LOOK AT THE REASONS
WHY.
HE IS NOT USING -- HE IS NOT
INTENDING TO USE HIS NUCLEAR
POWER IN ORDER TO THREATEN THE
UNITED STATES IN TERMS OF AN
OFFENSIVE OPERATION.
HE HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR IN
NUMEROUS LEVELS DIPLOMATIC AND
OTHERWISE THAT SAYS HE WANTS IT
AS A DETERRENT.
HE WANTS THIS TO PREVENT THE
UNITED STATES FROM ATTACKING
HIM.
AND I THINK THAT’S PART OF OUR
PROBLEM IS THAT I THINK WE HAVE
THE IDEA THAT HE IS TRYING TO
GET THIS CAPABILITY SO HE CAN
ATTACK THE UNITED STATES.
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT HE
WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT
WHICH IS WHY DIPLOMACY AND
CONTINUING TO TALK IS SO
CRITICAL BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT
TO START THE VERY WAR THAT WE
CLAIM WE ARE TRYING TO PREVENT.
>> Jon: THIS PRESIDENT AND
OTHERS HAVE SAID THEY’LL NEVER
ALLOW A NUCLEARIZED NORTH KOREA.
>> I HOPE THEY WOULD SET A
DIFFERENT OBJECTIVE.
IT IS NOT ONE THAT’S VALUE --
VALID IN TERMS OF THE REASONS
TO GO TO WAR.
YOU GO TO WAR BECAUSE YOU ARE
LITERALLY BEING THREATENED WITH
ATTACKS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE HAD
INTELLIGENCE THAT SAID HE WAS
PREPARING TO LAUNCH A WEAPON
AGAINST THE UNITED STATES,
THAT’S A VALID REASON TO USE
PREEMPTIVE FORCE.
IF HE IS NOT GOING TO ATTACK
THE UNITED STATES, JUST HAVING
A CAPABILITY IS NOT A REASON TO
GO TO WAR.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
YOU WOULDN’T SUCCEED AT TAKING
AWAY HIS CAPABILITY.
YOU WOULD CAUSE HIM TO USE IT.
THAT HARMS OUR OWN INTERESTS.
WE CAN’T DO THAT.
>> Jon: NORTH KOREA AND SOUTH
KOREA HAVE BEEN HOLDING TALKS,
SOME HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE
SOUTH KOREANS ARE SORT OF
ALLOWING THEMSELVES TO BE TAKEN
ADVANTAGE OF AND DRIVING A
WEDGE BETWEEN OUR COUNTRY AND
THEIRS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> NOBODY ON THE PLANET HAS
MORE INCENTIVE FOR THIS TO BE
RESOLVED IN DIPLOMATIC
POLITICAL AND NON-LETHAL WAYS
THAN SOUTH KOREA.
THEY WOULD SUFFER MORE THAN
ANYONE IF IT TURNS INTO A WAR.
THEY ALSO RECOGNIZE THE UNITED
STATES HAS BEEN THEIR CLOSEST
ALLY AND THE REASON WHY THERE
HASN’T BEEN ANY CONFLICT SINCE
1953 WHEN THE ARMISTICE WAS
SIGNED.
THE IDEA THEY WOULD PUT A WEDGE
BETWEEN US AND SIDE WITH NORTH
KOREA OVER US IS JUST NOT
REALISTIC.
I THINK YOU SEE EVEN WITHIN
THEIR OWN INTERNAL POLITICS IN
THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS THERE
IS PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT SAY
THEY ARE VERY ANGRY AND NORTH
KOREA AND NOT GO TOO FAR DOWN
THE ROAD HERE.
WE RECOGNIZE OUR FUTURE LIES
WITH THE PROTECTION OF THE