Foreign policy challenges facing the White House

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And our interns who are resident.

He's been referred to as a national -- that.

By someone -- has -- General David Petraeus.

We're gonna talk to doctor -- -- joining us in the studio now and I figured that with national security issues having no part in this presidential campaign.

Probably a mistake because we all know.

That there's an October surprise that often happens in presidential years.

And we do now than any new president is gonna walk -- with his hands full of issues so doctor London herb London.

Chairman and our president emeritus of the Hudson Institute now the Manhattan institute.

Tell us what you think if you're advising the president moves through whoever -- is what is he gonna face when he walks into the Oval Office.

-- -- no question this is a turbulent period that could be an attack in Iran obviously one launched by the Israelis.

The the so called Arab Spring looks more like a nuclear winter every day.

With a lot of imponderables associated with that we don't know what's gonna happen in Syria 171000.

Syrians have been butchered.

By the -- administration.

So I think that there are many issues that a new president will have to confront and -- -- this president the President Obama is an awful lot that's going to be on his plate as well.

Now this administration quite obviously seems perplexed about what's going on.

My hope is that there is a Romney administration they will come in giving very clear thought.

The -- things that the United States should be doing in these areas and keep in mind with sequestration.

One of the issues that you have.

Is how do you project American power with the kind of retrenchment that is occurring which becomes 1 of the central issues for any new administration.

Aren't a -- -- regions are Middle East right now.

What advice would you give joining new president what options that we have -- first of all under one of the things is we've given an awful lot of talk to sanctions.

Right and the reason why sanctions haven't work.

Is because there's no teeth in the sanctions 120 nations have the ability.

Overcome the sanctions when he nations if there's a modest production.

In the kind of activity economic activity they have with Iran.

That allows them to continue trade negotiations so -- nation so we don't really have the sanctions policy.

Number one number two I would freeze all Iranian assets worldwide certainly something that could happen.

With the Europeans coming to the understanding that if there is an Iran with a nuclear weapons we can reach every single European capital.

Number three I would start giving very serious consideration.

To what a military maneuver might look like.

We are not going to sit back the nuclear program and definitely.

What if we can set it back to two with three years that provides us with a window of opportunity.

And the reason why that window of opportunity becomes so important is because this could lead to regime change if we had a CIA with -- A CIA that could play the role internally.

And again this is another controversial subject that we had a real CIA we could do a lot and Syria we could do a lot in Iran.

But unfortunately the CIA has personally don't care what -- you give me I'm talking about subversive activity within the country.

So we've been CIA agents to Syria to Iran.

-- would provide communications network.

Allow for the people who were dissatisfied with the existing regime to find -- network.

Look -- these people very often put their lives on the line as Iranians did after the last election but there was no American assistance we didn't even -- award from the president.

So there's an awful lot that could be done without necessarily putting troops on the ground.

But unfortunately we don't have those capabilities at the moment.

We've -- a minute ago with what Israel might deal with Iran progress around well Israel really faces its existential threat.

-- Iran with nuclear weapons could indeed be the final game changer for the Israelis they cannot tolerate the situation with Iran in that position.

Several years ago I met them the minister of our foreign affairs in Iran.

And I sit -- -- is the goal the anti Shia crescent this desire to spread Iran through the region he -- and he said.

-- -- and we want the full moon.

Now that that was very very informative.

When he was really getting at is nuclear weapons -- not only as a military weapon but it's a political weapon away -- intimidating nations and that part of the region.

And keep in mind what does he declined to do well if they can buy nuclear weapons they're gonna have to -- what Saudi Arabian do.

Obviously the Sunnis are gonna have to develop their own nuclear weapons capability so there's no question we're going to see the liberation.

Does this nation have an understanding of what that means how our -- our interest affected by this kind of liberation and I don't think sufficient -- has been given to that subject.

-- -- John Bolton on a regular basis I think John is one of the few people who doesn't understand what's at stake here.

This is a very real problem that -- -- going to have to deal with and the -- -- question I think he's been put on the back burner largely because people do not want to address this issue.

Before November.

Right okay let's talk about China where -- track -- minutes ago.

What do we do with China well China has a blue water navy and they exercising that navy.

Taking control over a large part of the region and putting an awful lot of pressure on Japan.

Operating in the China Japan see.

And not only operating in the -- -- see -- working with the Russians in the kuril islands and other islands that are controlled by the Filipinos why because of the assets of those islands gallons a rocky.

Little plateaus they're not meaningful but they're meaningful because in the case of the Philippines -- natural gas.

In the Sampson and the -- -- -- -- out there are also resources that the Russians wanna get the hands of what that the Japanese do the Japanese have only one major ally they can rely on the only counterweight to the Chinese and to the Russians is the United States.

We need to carry a force there to say to the Japanese you're not on your own.

I mean you are you you don't have to -- this by yourself go with this by ourselves.

The United States is going to provide whatever kind of military support is necessary in this region so -- the Japanese have not heard that message they want to hear that desperate to hear.

The Japanese have built up a very significant military force but as the constitution in Japan allows it's -- it's a defense of -- -- cannot be used for offensive purposes the line between offense and defense is not always clear.

At some point.

Section nine of the Japanese constitution is gonna have to be revised they gonna have to develop nuclear weapons even though the constitution at the moment prohibits the Japanese from doing so.

Okay well I certainly hope that -- the next president of United States calls doctor herb London bought into the Oval Office and says sit down -- -- have a serious conversation.

Thank you so much for joining always a pleasure to be with you keep.

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