HOUSE AND HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK.
MARTHA?
>> Martha: THANKS, RICH.
WITH THAT, WE BRING IN MIKE
POMPEO, FORMER SECRETARY OF
STATE.
DISTINGUISHED FELLOW AT THE
HUDSON INSTITUTE.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US TODAY.
>> GREAT TO BE BACK WITH YOU.
>> Martha: I WANT TO REPLAY THAT
SOUND BITE FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN
WHEN HE WAS ASKED WHAT HE HOPED
TO ACCOMPLISH WHILE ON THIS TRIP
THAT THEY’RE ABOUT TO ANNOUNCE
TO SAUDI ARABIA.
>> THERE HAPPENS TO BE A LARGER
MEETING TAKING PLACE IN SAUDI
ARABIA.
THAT’S WHY I’M GOING.
IT HAS TO DO WITH NATIONAL
SECURITY FOR ISRAEL.
I HAVE A PROGRAM -- ANYWAY, IT
HAS TO DO WITH LARGER ISSUES
THAN HAVING TO DO WITH THE
ENERGY.
>> OKAY.
CAN YOU UNTANGLE THAT FOR US?
>> NO, MARTHA, I CAN’T.
I’M NOT SURE HE CAN UNTANGLE
THAT.
HE’S GOT HIMSELF IN A PLACE.
HE SAID THINGS THAT WERE DEEPLY
INCONSISTENT.
HE SAID WANTED TO MAKE SAUDI
ARABIA A PARIAH STATE.
WHAT A IMPORTANT SECURITY
PARTNER THEY ARE FOR US, AN
IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTE TORE THE
GLOBAL ECONOMY AND WHEN YOU HAVE
A LEADER IN SAUDI ARABIA THAT
FOR ALL THE SHORT COMINGS THAT
THE NATION HAS EXHIBITED OVER
DECADES IS MAKING A REAL EFFORT
TO REFORMING THAT COUNTRY.
I HOPE HE WILL GO THERE, PUT A
RESET ON THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
WE HAD IT IN A PLACE THAT WAS
DEEPLY CONNECTED TO MAKING LIFE
FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HERE AT
HOME MORE SECURE.
THEY WALKED IN AND BECAUSE "THE
WASHINGTON POST" WAS ANGRY, THEY
WALKED IN AND WALKED AWAY FROM A
REALLY STRONG RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE KINGDOM AND THE
UNITED STATES.
>> Martha: OBVIOUSLY THE MURDER
OF KHAISHOGGI WAS AN EXTREMELY
DISTURBING EVENT.
YOU WANTED THEM TO BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE FOR THOSE ACTIONS.
DID THAT HAPPEN?
>> TWO THINGS.
FIRST, THE MURDER OF ANY HUMAN
BEING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IS
HORRIBLE.
THE MURDER OF JAMAL KHAISHOGGI
IS NO DIFFERENT FROM THAT.
IT’S WORTH NOTING THAT THE
ARABIANS HAVE KILLED MORE PEOPLE
THAN THE DEATH OF JAMAL
KHAISHOGGI THAN ANY TERROR STATE
IN THE WORLD AND THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS SITTING WITH
THE IRANIANS TRYING TO SEE HOW
TO GIVE THEM MORE AMERICAN
MONEY.
YES, WE HELD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
10 AND 15 PEOPLE THAT WE COULD
DETERMINE THAT WERE CONNECTED TO
THE MURDER OF KHAISHOGGI.
WE SANCTIONED THEM, THE TREASURY
AND THE SANCTIONS DEPARTMENT.
WE MADE CLEAR THAT WE FOUND THIS
UNACCEPTABLE.
THERE WAS A LARGER MORE
IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE FOR THE
UNITED STATES.
WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR
ECONOMY STAYED STRONG AND THE
IRANIANS WERE PRESSURED AND THE
SAUDIS HAD THE CAPACITY WITH THE
OTHER PARTNERS TO DEFEND
THEMSELVES FROM THE CONSTANT
ONSLAUGHT OF MISSILE ATTACKS
FROM YEMEN AND IRAN.
>> Martha: WE SAW A LOT OF
PROGRESS IN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WITH YOU ON THE
ABRAHAM ACCORDS.
THE PRESIDENT WAS HINTING
TOWARDS THAT KIND OF
RELATIONSHIP.
WE’LL SEE WHEN HE GOES
EXACTLY -- HE CAN FILL IN THE
BLANKS THERE.
HEAR’S SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN.
LET’S TURN OUR ATTENTION TO
THINE.
HERE’S WHAT HE SAID WHEN HE WENT
TO SINGAPORE AND SPOKE STRONGLY
ABOUT CHINA’S ACTIVE IN THE
TAIWAN STRAITS.
WE’VE WITNESSED A STEADY
INCREASE IN PROVOCATIVE AND
DESTABILIZING MILITARY ACTIVE
NEAR TAIWAN.
THE PRC’S MOVES THREATEN TO
UNDERMINE SECURITY AND STABILITY
AND PROSPERITY IN THE
INDOPACIFIC.
>> Martha: THAT IS STRONGER
LANGUAGE THAN WE HAVE HEARD FROM
THE DEFENSE SECRETARY WHO
USUALLY CALLS IT THE PACING
CHALLENGE HERE.
HOW DO YOU INTERPRET THAT?
>> MARTHA, IT IS STRONG
LANGUAGE.
BUT HE’S TALKING ABOUT THE
STRENGTH OF THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY INSTEAD OF
FOCUSING ON THE STRENGTH OF THE
UNITED STATES AND AMERICA AND
OUR ALLIES IN THE REGION.
I WISH SECRETARY AUSTIN HAD NOT
TALKED ABOUT THE THINGS THAT
CHINA IS DOING BUT TALK ABOUT
THE THINGS THAT THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS PREPARED TO DO
TO PROTECT THE SOVEREIGNTY OF
TAIWAN, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN
HAVE COMMERCIAL SHIPS TRAVEL
THROUGH THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
THIS IS WHAT THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY IS TALKING ABOUT
TO JUST HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THE
MISDEEDS AND MALIGN ACTIVITY
THAT THE CHINESE COMMUNIST
PARTY, ONE COULD GO ON A LONG
TIME.
BUT WE NEED TO LAY OUT A SOUND
STRATEGY TO CONFRONT THE REAL
THREAT THAT THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY PRESENTS TO THE
UNITED STATES AND TO THE CENTRAL
UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT HUMAN
LIBERTY AND DIGNITY AROUND THE
WORLD.
>> Martha: CHINA’S
ADMINISTRATION SAYS THE UNITED
STATES IS DOOMED TO FAILURE AND
THEY’RE DEVOTED TO PROTECTING
NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND