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Former UN Ambassador John Bolton discusses the defense budget cuts impact on U.S. maritime strategy
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Hi welcome back to fleet week and Defcon three in New York I'm joined now by.
United they'd hurry and -- just ambassador John Bolton Fox News contributor and a man who is often on everybody's short list to be secretary of state.
Worst secretary of defense I got all the agenda and we and you are looking at you a -- -- -- whole -- -- -- -- thinking I wonder if I could fit into my -- yeah.
That -- it's great to have.
To be -- -- during fleet week it's a very exciting time and to have to have all these young men and women in New York it's a great experience for them great for the city film.
Really if I ask you would ever get -- the national security issues obviously your front prominent.
In the campaign in the election.
But we aren't just going through this -- in -- in Washington the defense budget the arguments over the defense budgets of the defense but it cuts would be added to.
Should we have more ships -- we have less shifts that we were about how to when you look at the big picture but it but it finally.
Well I think we're -- very very difficult shape when it comes to the budget you know under the Obama administration we've already cut roughly one trillion dollars of projected expenditures and if the sequestration.
Takes effect.
It'll be another five or 600 billion so the long range impact -- huge you can't turn this around.
By flipping a light switch the construction the new weapons.
Leave us in a hole for a long time and it's symbol to many foreign governments many adversaries of hours.
Of a decline -- United States so I think the job of the new president really is to do what he can politically.
To change that impression and then to work hard to get the budget back up to the level it should.
Is support -- American.
I think there is I think it's a mistake to believe people don't understand the negative implications for the United States when we don't have enough ships at sea.
But we don't have the air capability to project power around the world I think they understand that sustained American prosperity.
Depends on a strong American presence overseas.
That point needs to be made and it needs to be made that budget expenditures on defense are very different from farm subsidies or HHS expenditures -- that kind of thing and and I think properly explain the American people do understand.
When you look at -- -- president has talked about every -- someone who's talked about your expert on the Middle East and on Iran on nuclear weapons and what.
Crises might happen in the Middle East but at the same time the president has -- -- -- -- pivot to Asia.
-- -- -- the United States is a worldwide power -- -- the only global power at this point it's not a question of pivoting from one region to another the Middle East is going to be crucial for our interest.
As long as automobiles use gasoline.
It is true we need to pay more attention to -- in problems in.
Asia caused by China's economic growth it's -- sort of territorial claims it's expanding military.
But a real superpower can walk and chew gum at the same time and there are multiple regions we have to cover that's one of the reasons why are.
Defense budget needs to be up to the job we're not doing this out of altruism for the rest of the world were doing it to protect our interest.
-- if you look at the services army navy air force Marines Coast Guard.
Do you see any one of those that we should pay more attention to the -- happen.
Well I think the navy is very badly.
Under the levels that it should be you know they have 285 ships at sea which is the lowest number since 1916.
Just think about that.
But one of the problems we have going forward as we face a range of threats across the spectrum from.
Nuclear threats from Russia and China.
All the way down of the kind of terrorist threats we see in places like Afghanistan so.
The world is more -- certain and that means unfortunately we actually need more capabilities.
So I think it's very hard in a tight budget environment.
To set those priorities when in fact almost everything should be a priority that'll be one of the next president's hardest jobs I think we're talking about not knowing that cutting defense -- if you're talking about potentially even increase.
Well -- let's look at it this way given what Obama did since he took office in 2009 every domestic.
Agency's budget has gone up astronomically.
And it's really only the Defense Department that's taken huge cuts.
Now the long term budget problem can only be solved by handling the entitlement programs but among.
The discretion of the spending on discretionary agencies if he just went back to 2008.
Levels that would be a huge step forward.
And as you look at the with the future.
As you just pointed out defense that is not something you could flip the switch.
And immediately tomorrow have new capabilities you have to plan in advance what are the biggest problems you -- face in the United States based security -- -- in the future.
Well I think that in the near term it's the proliferation.
Of weapons of mass destruction.
Nuclear chemical and biological falling into terrorist hands but over slightly longer period of time threats from Russia China and other countries.
Are very real as well that's -- I say we face range along.
The big spectrum.
That we need to be prepared for.
And give me for instance in the navy what are the kinds of threats -- from well China has made various surge of almost belligerent territorial claims in the east and South China Sea that have huge effect on shipping lanes on commerce on exploitation of undersea minerals.
If we're not capable of protecting our interest than those of the Philippines Indonesia Vietnam against these.
Chinese clients we're gonna find ourselves kicked out of -- Area that's critical for international trade and commerce.
So not having that naval capability has a direct impact on.
Our security there and on our domestic economy.
Here's somebody who spent your life you know we not only about national security -- remarks so you're somebody -- can negotiate trees but at the same time someone.
Missed out with our military capabilities.
The two relate.
Well I think if you are much more likely to negotiate a successful treaty.
If you've got a strong defense establishment in back of -- and I think this is the biggest mistake that the Obama administration has made conceptually.
They think it's American strength that's provocative and if we were a little less strong then there for a little less provocative.
The world would be -- nicer place it's exactly the opposite it's American weakness that's provocative.
And if we're perceived as weak our diplomacy will be week to demand for instance well negotiating with the Russians over the new start.
Arms control agreement which brought down our nuclear capabilities.
The Obama administration didn't want to spend that money to begin with the Russians knew that the only surprise to me is they didn't take a stand even lower levels.
Giving up missile defense because the Russians were concerned about.
And I'm all in favor protecting our European allies in with theater missile defense capabilities -- what I wanna do more than anything else is protect American civilians.
Against attacks from the likes of North Korea and Iran we've given that up and everybody knows everybody around the world that it makes us more vulnerable.
And then one final question where they our meeting today in Baghdad to talk about Iran's nuclear weapons program.
Some people are hinting around that there's a deal the -- do things and.
Well I think the administration's gonna do whatever tend to find a deal with Iran I think it's a huge mistake but I think they want to find a way to put more pressure on Israel.
Not to take military action against that are running nuclear weapons program the -- -- have played us like a violin for ten years through these negotiations.
And I'm afraid they're going to do it again and what it gives Iran is more time to finish their nuclear weapons program.
So violent yeah that's exactly what they're done and they've done it before -- they've got the same playbook out and they're using it again.
Thank you very much you've taken all the things that we've seen with Wheatley can put it into a much bigger picture perspective.
Ambassador John Bolton firm the United States ambassador to the United Nations thank you thank you so much -- to be here you can go ahead that's what I'm.
-- young men and women in the air -- here first not in the army but in the -- -- the Marines emanating good thank you.
