ERIC: FOR MORE ON THE CONTINUED
CONFRONTATION WITH THE IRANIAN
REGIME, DAVID JOINS US.
THE MISSILE INSTITUTE FOR
AEROSPACE.
GENERAL, DO YOU THINK THE
PRESIDENT TO THE RIGHT THING AND
NOT PULLING THE TRIGGER ON AN
ATTACK?
>> THE SHORT ANSWER, YES.
I THINK WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO
RECOGNIZE IS THE NEAR-TERM
ACTIONS NEED TO BE PUT INTO
CONTEXT OF WHAT IS OUR DESIRED
LAW TERMS AND STRATEGIC OUTCOME
IN OTHER WORDS WHAT THE
PRESIDENT AND HIS STAFF NEED TO
TAKE ACTION ONE STEP OF THE TIME
THEY NEED TO CONSIDER TEN STEPS
AHEAD AND I THINK IF YOU LISTEN
TO WHAT IS COMING OUT OF THE
MINISTRATION IN THE PRESENT
MINISTRATION IN THE PRESINT
MINISTRATION IN THE PRESIDENT'S
ADVISORS, THE ACTION HAS BEEN
TAKEN IN THE PRUDENT RESTRAINT
THE PRESIDENT TOOK AND NOT
JUMPING TO MILITARY ACTION IN A
RAIN AND AGGRESSION GIVES THE
IRANIANS AND OFFRAMP OF THE
FUTURE WITH THE PRESIDENT.
AT THE SAME TIME, OF BEING UNDER
NO ILLUSION THAT ANY FURTHER
AGGRESSION WOULD NOT BE MET WITH
STRONG U.S. RESPONSE.
ERIC: USE THE TERM PRUDENT
RESTRAINT.
IS IT A SENSE NOT WEAKNESS BUT
WISECRACKS THEY KNOW THAT
SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS THEY CAN
STILL GET HIT BUT THIS IS A
CHANCE TO HAVE AN OFFRAMP FOR
TALKS, NEGOTIATIONS AND IS IN
THE PRESIDENT'S POWER TO TAKE
ACTION OR NOT?
>> I THINK IT IS A VALUABLE WAY
FORWARD.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE LOTS
OF COMMENTARIES THAT TEND TO
EQUATE ANY USE OF MILITARY FORCE
AS A COMMITMENT TO LONG-TERM,
LONG SCALE ENGAGEMENT ALONG THE
LINES OF WHAT WE SAW IN IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN.
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM
THE TRUTH.
MILITARY FORCE IS ONE ELEMENT IN
THE PRESIDENT'S NATIONAL
SECURITY OF ALTERNATIVES TO MEET
HIS LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE.
WE HAVE TO GET OVER THE NOTION
THAT THE USE OF FORCE RESULTS IN
A BINARY ACTION THAT PLUNGES US
IN TO LONG-TERM CONFLICT, THAT
IS NOT TRUE.
>> IT WOULD SEND A MESSAGE TO
TYRONE.
ARRONE.
AROUNE.
AROUND.
AROUND ENGINE I
AROUND ENGINE.I
>> THE MASSIVE SANCTIONS IN
INCREASING THEM NOW.
BUT THE RESPONSE IS ALWAYS GOING
TO BE VERY STRONG AND I LOOK UP
A LOT OF CAPITAL.
I HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
NOT TRUMP FANS AND A LOT SAID,
WE WOULD BE IN WORLD WAR III IN
THE FIRST WEEK.
IT DID NOT WORK OUT THAT WAY.
>> HERE DISTINCTIONS THE
REVOLUTIONARY GUARD BANKS,
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, WHAT
NEXT IN TERMS OF THE MAXIMUM
PRESSURE CAMPAIGN.
>> I THINK TARGETING STEEL AND
ALUMINUM, I THINK THERE'S OTHER
MATERIALS THAT ARE SO VALUABLE
TO COMING IN AS ANCIENT AND
PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE REGIME,
WHAT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED RECENTLY
AS WELL IN THE CONTEXT OF
AUTHENTIC CYBER OPERATION THAT
IS BECOMING A MORE NOMINAL
ELEMENT IN THE BAG OF TOOLS THAT
THE PRESIDENT HAS.
>> THEY ARE DOING THAT NOW, THEY
HAVE CYBER ATTACKED THE IRANIAN
MISSILE PROGRAM AND STOPPING
THEM FROM LAUNCHING ANY MORE
MISSILES.
>> THESE ARE ALL ELEMENTS THAT
PROVIDE PRESSURE TO ACHIEVE THE
SECURITY OBJECTIVES WITHOUT
NECESSARILY USING GENETIC FORCE.
>> IN TERMS OF PROTECTING THE
STRIP AND OF ANY MORE ATTACKS,
THERE'S ALREADY BEEN FIXED
ATTACKS ON IRANIAN OIL TAKERS,
DO YOU THINK THE MINISTRATION
NEXT STEP SHOULD NEED TO FORM AN
INTERNATIONAL FORCE LIKE IN THE
1980s?
>> I THINK YOU ARE SPOT ON.
ONE OF THE OPTIONS, COURSES OF
ACTIONS THAT IS BEING CONSIDERED
IS TO DECLARE A NO SALES LOAN IF
YOU WILL AROUND COMMERCIAL
SHIPPING IN THE SPECIFICS ARE
NOT AS IMPORTANT BUT A CERTAIN
DISTANCE WHICH IF A SHIP
APPROACHES WITHIN THE DISTANCE
THEY ARE SUBJECT TO DESTRUCTION.
THAT IS ANOTHER WAY TO ESTABLISH
LIMITS IF YOU WILL AND HAVE A
CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE
CONSEQUENCES THAT MIGHT OCCUR IF
THE IRANIANS PROCEED TO VIOLATE.
ERIC: WOULD YOU PREDICT, HOW TO
SEE THIS GOING, LET'S SAY THEY
TAKE OUT ONE OF OUR WARPLANES OR
ALLIES AS OTHER OIL TAKERS OR A
MORE SERIOUS TYPE OF ATTACK?
>> IT IS DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THE
PRESIDENT AND HIS TEAM HAVE PUT
IN PLACE A CONDITION THAT DEFEND
U.S. ALLIED FORCES OF THE NEXT
STEP, WE CLEARLY HAVE TIME ON
OUR SIDE NOW, ANOTHER POINT AND
WANT TO MAKE TO THE AUDIENCE IS
NOT DISCUSSED THEY RADIANT BEING
UNNOTICED THAT THEY ARE SUBJECT
TO ANY MORE AGGRESSIVE ACTION,
THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN A HIGH
STATE OF ALERT, THAT IS COSTLY
AND ALSO VERY WARY ON THE PEOPLE
WHO HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE
SUPPORT.
THAT PUTS PRESSURE ON THEM AS
WELL.
THE PRESIDENT NEEDS TO TAKE THIS
TIME TOGETHER UP THE COALITION
OF ALLIES AND TO ISOLATE IRAN
AND UNDO WHAT THEY WERE TRAINED
TO DO TO US.
I THINK THAT IS MOVING FORWARD
IN A VERY APPROPRIATE MANNER.
>> THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT THAT
THE PRESSURE IS ON IRAN.
THE FOLKS WILL TELL US GREAT
SATAN IS STILL CHANTING DEATH TO
