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Former CIA Operative Mike Baker on the nuclear-weapon status in the Middle East and Asia and life after war for today’s soldiers.
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Ireland -- had a cut on partners report.
About -- underground nuclear explosion North Korean.
Somebody's speculating.
That involve Iran might be.
Well what -- they well they too fear that the Iranians in the north Koreans -- be working together Cutler -- right right this is that there's there's a lot of layers on this thing and and and right now I agree with it what you said earlier in the -- In the show I thought once you put out that that's terrific music dance video that he might change -- position on nuclear weapons but apparently that hasn't happened but he's -- He's doing what North Korea has done for decades his father and his father before him.
That the key to to what they're doing right now I think is in watching with a new Chinese leadership does.
And how they react to all of this this is you know it's it's interesting to watch frankly I don't think they have many options to -- the Chinese want.
Is.
And instability.
And they're still is this belief that if they don't continue to support North Korea no matter how crazy.
They they are then -- -- country will be destabilize will likely unified with South Korea.
And then they've loss there men and their buffer zone would have you wanna call it.
Put in another interesting point with the Iran -- -- to watch the traffic flow wants the Pakistan either Russian the Iranian -- -- specialists.
Over the course of the next year in terms of where they're traveling back and forth and there's a whole cottage industry that does that to make sure we understand where these people are taking -- new technologies.
So any chance of China's open.
Oh sure absolutely we should never make the mistake -- -- -- in -- you know every now and then -- we we seem to assume that we're all gonna start holding hands but.
The Chinese always -- act in their own best interest in the Chinese authorities in particular.
Have have very little Adam chance of -- of a kind of turning the ship.
And developing some new wonderful cooperation -- -- I just don't see it happening -- their viewing themselves as a -- and as rising in power.
And they're looking at us particularly this past four years is losing power.
-- -- -- -- This thing up what's -- want -- to thanked him.
And by the way that's his nickname little -- -- And yet what you are so well I think so yeah part of it is that that they're used to playing this carat stick they know used to -- every time I think -- feel and not just him but but obviously is dead -- Every time they feel neglected or they feel as if somehow there there there about losing traction with their own populist.
Which is is mostly -- CA that then they'll -- off a missile they'll launch you know -- do some type of test.
And they're hoping that bad basically what happened -- will rally we'll figure look at how do we keep him in their box -- we give them something.
And so there's always this element to it but but again I think the important part here is that the Chinese have -- no interest.
And seeing this government go down and so while we'd like to think that the somehow gonna step up to the plate and help us with sanctions.
It's not gonna happen right.
-- You know what and we week we do provide food aid.
And it's to have the reason why they're the in the -- sort of population has to starve to death but.
-- do you know what -- we kind of learned to live with crazy over the years.
And and that's part of the problem now the current administration -- him -- in -- look at what we're doing with Iran I think if we can live in North Korea we can live with a -- -- Iran.
Dated but -- part of it is -- also is that we.
You know it's very disrupted disrupting to us economics -- -- in the country -- we like to look at one issue at a time.
And so north after a big effort to became the issue you know that al-Qaeda resurgence in in North Africa taken over part of Molly.
And -- we will folks on that the North Korea does this and we get the outlook over here in figure what else going on.
And is so -- it's a little bit disruptive there's a lot of flashpoints.
Around the world right now I'd argue that were in a very unstable point.
Not just when we're talking about Iran not just talking about it -- you North Korean problem.
But what's going on in North Africa.
-- Ghazi was still haven't clarity on thing -- -- dot five month anniversary yesterday to the deaths of those four individuals don't know what.
-- -- to no idea we have this useless testimony from from outgoing secretary of state Clinton.
You know she -- what difference -- a make out slowly and at her testimony made no difference you can walked in there where no clothes.
Whistle pomp and circumstance -- walked out and they still what it's Robert overheard said you know you dessert he'd done a great job.
Panetta who said I think a very good person beyond the chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff -- -- They talk for a while we -- -- transparency this is nothing has no clear business and who was driving the train the night of that incident.
-- character hello North Korea.
All does the fact of the sun -- -- -- blogs and polls -- any real.
Threat to -- office.
Well not I don't him personally I don't I don't think so it's always worry some in the sense of of tech transfer.
You know every time that they do something right and they advance their program -- -- One of the few ways they have of making money is selling -- -- biology.
-- -- -- all the right out of minority immoral well grab this is there's a there's a lot of effort to goes in the monitoring -- -- assessment preferred decades and decades of next week the -- of a pretty good capability is understanding.
What they're what they're doing.
Our human intelligence is as good as -- technical collection on this issue.
-- and and won't be in places like North Korea.
But I think one of the bigger issues here is not that they've set off another bomb but it's it's what they learn from it and what they them wanna transfer laws -- -- there is that there's a there's a healthy industry there between Iran Pakistan.
North Korea Russia.
And and the chance to date they push that technology out to others is a serious serious problem with worry about so what are we drove all us.
Yeah I guess we get on and and tweet more and much more the YouTube I don't know we don't seem to be taken very seriously as is the answer.
I'd I'd argue that.
Foreign policy has taken a backseat.
To social issues not even to fiscal issues I wouldn't be so -- irritated if the current administration's.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- I'm glad you brought that up that's that's a really important point we.
We do a great job of of training our our personnel.
In the military we don't do as good job taking care of them when they're leaving and in particular when they leave.
At at at a certain age you know and a lot of these guys -- get in there and they still spent eight or ten years.
On constant deployment away from the famous their families.
And it it just raises hell -- on on that and so.
You know that age group not the ones -- retire necessarily emplacement been there for thirty years but those -- -- come out.
You know they get their whole career ahead of them basically and in the military not just in military the government in general -- outfits like mine and and elsewhere.
-- doomed then real slow in get into the game to help help these folks.
And understand how to transition some for the past decade.
What do these guys -- they're really did some of their few options have been to get out and maybe they start their own little security business maybe they join and you don't -- like minor or or some of the others that are out there.
In in the private security area.
But there's not much for them it's sometimes it's because they're not prepared by the military they're focused constantly on the mission which is what they have to be doing.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Well -- that okay that's -- that's a whole separate -- America.
The well it its -- of that.
It's it's and I've I've said this before news show there's an inability.
At the top down it's not just at that at that the working man's level -- -- senior military leadership government officials to keep their yap shut nobody -- court the possible anymore so.
There becomes this culture where.
You know the guys at the at the bottom -- on the street operator level they look up and they see the New York Times front page articles made up of nothing but anonymous sources -- senior White House officials senior military officials.
And so they're looking at that they can well you know what's wrong with me -- -- because it starts at the top and we've lost the ability to keep a secret I would argue.
So which you know some people would say hey that's a great thing because it makes more transparent society the reality is is very ugly out there.
And and we need to be ought to keep secrets and we need people understand the responsibilities when they sign a piece of paper whether you're going into the military will be going to the Intel agencies with -- you've taken a job the White House.
You know you -- set a trap so all filers got a few seconds left -- -- thoughts on a presiding.
That's where -- yeah what opens up -- share a -- like cardinals on the policy up their -- as I.
Eight I don't have a dog in the -- I'm not Catholic you know god bless them but.
It does seem that if if he feels he doesn't have the energy debt to talk to god -- you know he ought to step down and and and let somebody else step in.
But I think the traditions they're -- -- what's holding them back in in the sense of accepting this this idea that he doesn't have the -- -- dies you know on -- -- out their did that we all did that you know no headroom.
-- what do I know.
