Transcript for One-on-One with Lt. Gen. Thomas Bergeson

I want to ask you just your assessment right now of how serious the situation with the situation yours yours. You know were for prepared. As we have them for for years. And it's our preparedness. That is her best deterrent. But we take this his threats and his development yours yours. I know there's been lots of rhetoric Paxton and we sort of go through these cycles we seemed that it would cast a dozen current. But but this does seeing different because of it since they use it well we see is that they've been. On our R&D program here last year I was going out. Right adjustments have been some twenty you know provocations as we call them here in the last year and they don't necessarily seem to always be connected to events. Like might have happened previous administrations. And so it seems like he's just on this path we're trying to develop you know his new technologies as poster. I have you seen anything different in the last few days or few weeks we've. North Korean troops or forces now we haven't seen any thing. Specific we obviously monitor them very closely and we haven't seen thing that would be alarming here. But but what would you say the American people about. The threat level from North Korea. I would say that if the thread tying I would say that we're prepared to deal with that threats and it comes to come to that our our principal goal. For this defensive alliances to deter that and to show that. We have overwhelming combat power available to us both here. A Republic of Korea and also available to smoke Pacific and United States and other. And that if they were to choose that path it would be fruitless. And so deterrence is really what what concerns you most what action he might take concerns you most at this point. So our biggest concern is that he's gonna miss calculus that's always among its so we want to make it crystal clear. The north Koreans. Leadership that this would be a completely few tile and were he to challenge. This strong iron clad bilateral lines. And just give me an idea. If he made this calculation he fired missile soul. Some sort of artillery so well we've had the opportunity to see multiple provocations and last year's more from Miller with some things that he's and we've been able to move. Professionally. Very dispassionately. Very thoughtfully and so we know how to respond to sort of case. And we hope who have not crossed the line to do something Morgan. President trump obviously has not taken a military option. Off the table and there's talk. Preemptive strike do you feel prepared to respond. If we do so we're defensible lines and and we're here to deter war and most of policy options are walls that person most. So our job is to to fatten. And to be prepared to provide options for a national leadership should they choose different. Do you have any sense now enter would respond if and we did something like him. So I I can't even. Comprehend. You know some some actions that might be taken. You know alliances exist is defensive in nature. And and that's. Much more difficult is it because it's a hermit kingdom we don't know a lot right out North Korea. Yeah it's funny as long as we've been looking at North Korea used a lot we don't know. Because it's a very close society. And while some other technologies we music or backwards. You know they've been very grappling pursuing some of these as we called an ace of record tech now is such as both vessels which are not to be taken. Place. But it is very difficult to know exactly what's going outside. Do you have a sense that he means sag. Conducted another underground nuclear test I don't know. We hope it doesn't help he chooses. Opted not to do that we know that he has the capability and that in and that there's preparations. Have been taken to be able to accomplish that but we hope it isn't. Choose. Do you sense that he could any man that's always possible yes. And in terms of the publicity so his hope clearly is due. Miniaturized. A nuclear warhead and put it on. That's what seems to him I don't know that for fact that your seems to be that that's happening wants to all obstacles and sort it and in terms of deterrents. If he achieves that goal. How does that change. Well. You know we've we've dealt with nuclear deterrence and other forums we hope again isn't it because the international community. Has made it quite clear his. That'd be unacceptable. Development. Of both nuclear weapons and technologies to deliver them. And so the only UNS yards. And all the other international community has come together to let that nicely. And let him know that would be an excellent an and I just want to go back again to the American people watching it and I know you're all were always prepared here but. Because we have a new president and he's no doubt can turn wants to test him in the same way that dynamic quirks. Is this. From your time here for more action here one of the more dangerous times. I would say that's there certainly you can feel tensions. Or the course since 1953. I can't tell you that this has been any more intense. Then we've had a number of times when we've had. You know rock me. Ships sunk. So there's been some very difficult provocations over the course. Of the year since 1950 theory. And within that context this may have been you know as dramatic as it was right that we felt like pretty clearly this is serious. And they need to know that we are prepared. And this defensive alliance is strong. And ready to fight tonight. And get Kim during this is basically saying that he could strike and take out. Any of the American military basis for that happened. Now they contrived but as you saw today. Not here you have heard a fencer killer brigade. And they have the technology capability and they're ready to intercept those kinds of missiles so they can try. Them and then. Well then we would follow the direction of an embankment near national command. Thank you.

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