THE ATTACK CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE
AND NO CASUALTIES.
MEMORIAL DAY IS A SPECIAL
OBSERVANCE FOR AMERICANS.
WE HONOR THOSE WHO MADE THE
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR
COUNTRY.
THE FLAGS IN TRADITION AT
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY IS
ONE EVENT IN WHICH MEMBERS OF
THE MILITARY HONOR THEIR FALLEN
COMRADES.
OLD GUARD SOLDIERS PLACE
AMERICAN FLAGS AT MORE THAN 228,000 HEAD STONES.
228,000 HEAD STONES.
MY COLLEAGUE BRET BAIER TALKED
TO THE GENERAL AHEAD OF THIS.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE HERE,
REALLY ANY DAY, BUT ESPECIALLY
ON MEMORIAL DAY?
>> YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD HONOR
OUR VETERANS AND FALLEN EVERY
DAY OF THE YEAR AND BE THANKFUL
AND BE ON OUR KNEES THANKING GOD
THAT WE HAVE THESE YOUNG MEN AND
WOMEN WHO GAVE THEIR TOMORROWS
FOR OUR TODAYS.
TODAY IS THE ONE DAY OF THE YEAR
THAT WE CELEBRATE THAT.
THAT WE REMEMBER IT AS AN
OFFICIAL HOLIDAY OF THE NATION,
BUT REALLY IT SHOULD BE AN
EVERYDAY THING.
>> Bret: WE’RE IN SECTION 34
WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT TO YOU,
TOO.
>> SURE, YEAH.
RIGHT HERE IN SECTION 34 WE’VE
GOT SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO RAISED
THE FLAG ON IWO JIMA.
MY FATHER LANDED ON IWO JIMA.
WE HAVE THE GENERAL HERE.
YOU HAVE THE BOOK ENDS OF
PROBABLY THE WORST 50 YEARS OR
30 YEARS OF VIOLENCE IN HUMAN
HISTORY FROM 1914 TO 1945.
VERY SPECIAL TIME TO REMEMBER.
ESPECIALLY NOW WITH WHAT’S GOING
ON IN THE WORLD.
>> Bret: SECTION 60 WHICH IS
AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE HERE WHO HAVE
BEEN BURIED, WHO SERVED UNDER
YOUR COMMAND.
>> I DO.
I ABSOLUTELY DO.
I’LL GO VISIT SOME OF THEM.
IT’S A VERY EMOTIONAL MOMENT FOR
ME.
YEAH.
I’M VERY, VERY PROUD OF THEM,
THE TROOPS THAT ARE HERE, AND MY
SOLDIERS WHO ARE BURIED HERE AS
WELL.
>> Bret: DO YOU THINK MOST
AMERICANS FULLY APPRECIATE THE
SACRIFICE OF THE MILLION PLUS
WHO FOUGHT AND DIED FOR OUR
COUNTRY?
>> ABSOLUTELY, I DO.
I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE
INCREDIBLY GENEROUS AND VERY
APPRECIATIVE OF OUR MILITARY.
THEY -- I THINK THEY ABSOLUTELY
ARE THANKFUL FOR THE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO SERVED THE NATION FROM
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR TO TODAY.
>> Bret: I WANT TO ASK YOU SOME
QUESTIONS ABOUT TODAY’S NEWS.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE’S A LOT OF
FOCUS ON UKRAINE.
>> SURE.
>> Bret: ONE QUESTION I GET TIME
AND TIME AGAIN IS HOW DOES THIS
END?
>> I THINK RIGHT NOW IT’S A BIT
EARLY TO TELL.
NOW YOU’VE GOT A SIGNIFICANT
OPERATIONAL FIGHT GOING ON IN
DONBAS BETWEEN THE UKRAINIAN AND
RUSSIAN MILITARIES.
HOW THAT SHAPES UP IN THE NEXT
FEW WEEKS WILL PROBABLY IN LARGE
PART SHAPE THE OUTCOMES OF WHAT
WILL HAPPEN.
IT COULD END UP AS A GRIND AND
GO ON AND ON, STALE MATE.
IT COULD END UP WITH ONE SIDE OR
THE OTHER HAVING A DECISIVE
VICTORY.
COULD END UP IN A PEACE
NEGOTIATION.
THERE’S MANY ALTERNATIVES.
WE’RE NOT SURE RIGHT NOW.
>> Bret: UP TO UKRAINIANS YOU
SAID --
>> THE END STAGE IS DEFINED BY
THE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP.
PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY WILL
IDENTIFY THIS IN THE COME FINES
OF UKRAINE.
>> Bret: SAY IF HE WANTS TO TAKE
BACK CRIMIA FROM THE RUSSIANS.
>> WE WILL SUPPORT WHATEVER
PRESIDENT BIDEN AND OUR
POLITICAL LEADERSHIP DETERMINES.
THIS IS A WAR BETWEEN UKRAINE
AND RUSSIA.
HOW THIS ENDS ON THE BATTLEFIELD
WILL BE DETERMINED BY PRESIDENT
ZELENSKYY AND PRESIDENT PUTIN.
>> Bret: IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE
UKRAINIAN DECIDE TO USE U.S.
PROVIDED WEAPONS AGAINST THE
RUSSIANS IN RUSSIAN TERRITORY, I
KNOW IT IS A POLICY THING BUT IS
THAT A PROBLEM FOR US?
>> THERE IS ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY
OF ESCALATION.
WE HAVE TO CLOSELY MANAGE
ESCALATION AND THE CHANCES OF
ESCALATION.
THAT’S WHY YOU SAW SECRETARY
AUSTIN TALK TO HIS COUNTER PART.
THAT’S WHY YOU SAW ME TALK TO MY
COUNTER PART IN ORDER TO MANAGE
ESCALATION AND PREVENT THIS
THING FROM EXPANDING INTO
SOMETHING MORE HORRIFIC THAN IT
ALREADY IS.
>> Bret: DO YOU THINK PUTIN
NEEDS AN OFF RAMP?
ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT
HUMILIATING HIM WOULD CAUSE A
CATASTROPHIC RESULT?
>> WHETHER HE HAS AN OFF RAMP OR
NOT OR WHETHER ZELENSKYY HAS AN
OFF RAMP, THOSE ARE UP TO THOSE
TWO LEADERS TO DETERMINE.
THERE HAVE BEEN 100,000
CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES.
7 MILLION REFUGEES, 6 MILLION
DISPLACED PERSONS IN ONLY 90
DAYS.
THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS WAR WITH
HIGH CONSUMPTIONS OF RESOURCES
ON BOTH SIDES.
SO I THINK A NEGOTIATED OUTCOME
IS A LOGICAL CHOICE BUT BOTH
SIDES HAVE TO COME TO THAT
CONCLUSION ON THEIR OWN.
>> Bret: WE MENTIONED SECTION 60
WHO ARE BURIED HERE.
LOOKING BOOK TO HISTORY TO THAT
TIME, DO YOU THINK THAT WE AS A
COUNTRY GOT BOGGED DOWN IN IRAQ
AND AFGHANISTAN WHEN REALLY THE
BIGGER THREAT WAS CHINA AND IS
CHINA?
>> THERE’S NO QUESTION THAT WE
FOUGHT FOR 20 YEARS IN IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN.
IN SOME WAYS THOSE FIGHTS ARE
STILL GOING ON.
TERRORISM HASN’T GONE AWAY FROM
THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
AT THE SAME TIME, IN PARALLEL TO
THOSE, WHILE WE WERE IN IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN, CHINA WAS BUILDING
A WORLD CLASS MILITARY AND
RUSSIA WAS PREPARING FOR THE
INVASION THEY’RE EXECUTING RIGHT
NOW.
BOGGED DOWN, SURE.
I THINK THAT WE WERE CLEARLY
ENGAGED IN BOTH OF THOSE
CONFLICTS WHILE RUSSIA AND CHINA
WERE MOVING IN A DIFFERENT
DIRECTION.
>> Bret: NORTH KOREA, SABRE
RATTLING AGAIN, FIRING THREE
MISSILES LAST WEEK.
TALKING VERY AGGRESSIVELY.
DO YOU CONSIDER THAT A SERIOUS
THREAT AS OF TODAY?
>> SURE.
NORTH KOREA IS VERY MUCH A
SERIOUS THREAT.
THEY’VE GOT SIGNIFICANT
CAPABILITY.
THEY’VE GOT A VERY LARGE LAND
ARMY.
THEY’VE GOT A CAPABLE FORCE.
THAT IS CONCERNING TO US.
WE HAVE 35,000 TROOPS ON THE
PENINSULA.
WE HAVE A TREATY WITH SOUTH
KOREA AND JAPAN.
WILL THE REGIME LAST FOREVER?
NO.
NO REGIME LASTS FOREVER.
MY THOUGHT IS KOREA WILL ONCE
AGAIN BE A UNIFIED COUNTRY.
WHEN IT HAPPENS, WHO KNOWS.
>> Bret: IS THE MILITARY READY
FOR THE FUTURE?
>> WE’RE MOVING IN THAT
DIRECTION.
I THINK WE’VE GOT A LOT OF WORK
TO DO.
WE’RE IN A PERIOD OF WHAT I CALL
A CHANGE IN THE CHARACTER OF
WAR, WHERE WE HAVE FUNDAMENTAL
CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY, ROBOT
EUBGS AND ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE.
THE STRATEGIES ARE POINTING US
IN THE DIRECTION TO ADJUST AND
REFORM OUR MILITARY.
>> Bret: THE COUNTRY’S DIVIDED
BUT IT SEEMS THE MILITARY IS
GROUNDING.
THERE’S A UNIFYING FACTOR WITH
THE U.S. MILITARY.
DO YOU SEE ITS THAT WAY, IN A
DIVIDED COUNTRY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
YOU’RE SITTING HERE ON HALLOWED
GROUND.
THIS IS WHAT UNIFIES US.
THIS IS WHERE WE’VE COME FROM.
WE’RE NEVER GONNA TURN OUR BACKS
ON THE CONSTITUTION OR THOSE
BURIED HERE AT ARLINGTON.
>> Bret: THAT’S WHAT YOU THINK
ABOUT WHEN YOU COME HERE?