WEBVTT - Hamas and Israel:  Jeff McCausland Talks to A&G

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<v Speaker 1>From this moment, we must be crystal clear. We stand

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<v Speaker 1>with Israel. We stand with Israel. We will make sure

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<v Speaker 1>Azho has what it needs to take care of its citizens,

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<v Speaker 1>defend itself and respond to this attack. There's no justification

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<v Speaker 1>for terrorism, there's no excuse.

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<v Speaker 2>And I don't remember if Joe Biden mentioned it or

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<v Speaker 2>the National Security Advisor did in the press conference afterwards,

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<v Speaker 2>but we are replenishing the Iron Dome because we brought

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<v Speaker 2>that up on the show yesterday. Huh. Is Amas just

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<v Speaker 2>going to wear out the Iron Dome to where they

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<v Speaker 2>don't have, but we're going to replenish it. I guess.

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<v Speaker 3>Well. Let's discuss all of those topics and more, including

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<v Speaker 3>some breaking news with doctor Jeff mccauslan. Jeff is a

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<v Speaker 3>CBS News military consultant for TV and radio. Jeff, good

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<v Speaker 3>to have you back. How are you?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah? I would be okay, but busy day to say

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<v Speaker 4>the last.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I'll bet. There are reports that Hesbalah is officially

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<v Speaker 3>opened to northern front against israel Is CBS A that

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<v Speaker 3>as well.

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<v Speaker 4>I have not seen that I have In the last

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<v Speaker 4>few days, there has been exchange of artillery and mortar

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<v Speaker 4>fire between Israeli forces in Hitswella in an area called

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<v Speaker 4>Shiva Farms, which is right along the northern border of

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<v Speaker 4>Israel and that contested area. I've actually fisically been up

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<v Speaker 4>there a couple of times, and literally, if Hitsball becomes involved,

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<v Speaker 4>this is kind of a game changer because in terms

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<v Speaker 4>of their military capabilities, they are far more sophisticated than

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<v Speaker 4>larger than Hamas number one, number two. They literally have

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<v Speaker 4>ends of thousands of rockets and missiles already prepositioned instead

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<v Speaker 4>of Lebanon to hit targets all across Israel. So this

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<v Speaker 4>would be a massive change in the war. It caused

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<v Speaker 4>Israel to a divert significant amount of its military forces.

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<v Speaker 4>And as you guys are saying, before we began threaten

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<v Speaker 4>I think perhaps just overwhelming Iron Dome in terms of

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<v Speaker 4>the number of missiles and rockets to be getting towards Israel.

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<v Speaker 2>Can we replenish the Iron Dome missiles in time to

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<v Speaker 2>keep Israel sustained.

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<v Speaker 4>It's unclear if we can. To me, we can resupply

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<v Speaker 4>Iron Dome, that's an Israeli produced weapon system. We can

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<v Speaker 4>provide them other weapon systems of an air defense character

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<v Speaker 4>that might be very valuable. There are six pre positioned

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<v Speaker 4>weapons storage sites belonging to the United States Canada across

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<v Speaker 4>Israel with about two billion dollars with the munitions that

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<v Speaker 4>are already positioned there. They're positioned there for two reasons.

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<v Speaker 4>One frankly, for American continuencies that might occur across the

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<v Speaker 4>Middle East where that would be useful to have them

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<v Speaker 4>already there. And number two, to provide access to the

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<v Speaker 4>Israelis during a national crisis by the Israelis, and I

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<v Speaker 4>would imagine those particularly stock files, are already being access

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<v Speaker 4>But again, the United States could provide additional military support

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<v Speaker 4>for I think air defense systems, probably smart nitions. There

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<v Speaker 4>have been some reports that Boeing already has delivered additional

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<v Speaker 4>military supplies to ISRAELMA like a thousand smart bombs being

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<v Speaker 4>overed to Israel. But frankly, any uptick in US military

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<v Speaker 4>assistance to Israel is going to provide going to require

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<v Speaker 4>congressional action. Oh, by the way, right now, we don't

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<v Speaker 4>have a function in the United States Congress because we

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<v Speaker 4>don't have a speaker.

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<v Speaker 3>So speaking of the US role in this, the gerald Ford,

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<v Speaker 3>the massive aircraft carrier, was moving across the Mediterranean to

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<v Speaker 3>be closer to Israel to deter bad actors. If indeed

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<v Speaker 3>Hesbela has said yeah, we're in h is that an

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<v Speaker 3>empty threat or might US forces play a role?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, clearly the Jerald Ford is there to deter, as

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<v Speaker 4>you said, other people getting involved, most notably it's Balah

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<v Speaker 4>or expanded efforts on the part of the law. It

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<v Speaker 4>might be there as well to assist Israeli with providing

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<v Speaker 4>intelligence of incoming attacks. It could assist their defense networks.

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<v Speaker 4>Number three, it could be there as well to provide

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<v Speaker 4>potential evacuation of Americans. Did the situation worse even far

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<v Speaker 4>beyond where we are now? And last, of course, it

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<v Speaker 4>underscores with President Biden that they talked about in the speech,

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<v Speaker 4>and that is full square support by the United States

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<v Speaker 4>to the state of Israel. Would the United States become

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<v Speaker 4>directly involved and for example, start hitting hetsmelaw targets. That

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<v Speaker 4>is possible, I guess, But I'm sure something that people

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<v Speaker 4>in washing and prefer not to have happened, are preferred

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<v Speaker 4>that hits Bela stays out of this.

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<v Speaker 2>I want to get back to that. But while we

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<v Speaker 2>were talking about resupplying Israel, this topic keeps coming up

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<v Speaker 2>on Twitter and everywhere I read, So I just want

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<v Speaker 2>to hear you address it. Does US resupplying Israel have

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<v Speaker 2>anything to do whatsoever with our helping arm Ukraine? Like

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<v Speaker 2>does one affect the other? Or how does that all work?

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<v Speaker 4>Well? Could potis has got an endless supply? Is you

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<v Speaker 4>know my weapon? Let's just let's face it. In US

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<v Speaker 4>more times talks have been drawn down to a degree goodbye.

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<v Speaker 4>The assistance human have been provided to Israel and how

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<v Speaker 4>low those are obviously is very classified, and I don't

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<v Speaker 4>know that. Being said, I would still think the United

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<v Speaker 4>States at this point and continue to provide assistance to both.

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<v Speaker 4>One of the challenges we have, however, is in terms

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<v Speaker 4>of defense budgeting, the Congress is voted a continuing the

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<v Speaker 4>Resolution as opposed to a new budget. Well, that kind

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<v Speaker 4>of continues everything at the funding levels that we're at

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<v Speaker 4>right now. But the Pentagon once is an actual budget

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<v Speaker 4>because in the twenty four budget there's expanded funds to

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<v Speaker 4>frankly dramatically expand the US industrial base, to expand our

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<v Speaker 4>production of what we found to be enormously necessary items

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<v Speaker 4>now in modern industrial warfare, artillery, ammunition, air defense weapons

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<v Speaker 4>and alike, which are very key, not only to the

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<v Speaker 4>war now in Israel, but also the war that's been

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<v Speaker 4>going on in the Ukraine. So the inability of our Congress, frankly,

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<v Speaker 4>to pass the budget is going to hamstrung us to

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<v Speaker 4>a degree or at least slow our ability to expand.

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<v Speaker 4>What becomes increasingly clear is a need to dramatically increase

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<v Speaker 4>that industrial base.

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<v Speaker 3>Jeff McCausland, CBS News, military consultant on the line. Jeff, Well,

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<v Speaker 3>just keep you for another minute or two, but I'm

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<v Speaker 3>sure you know Ian Bremer of the Eurasia Group, he

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<v Speaker 3>is tweeting that has the militants have entered northern Israel

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<v Speaker 3>from Lebanon, and the US government has announced the immediate

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<v Speaker 3>evacuation of our embassy in Beirut and Tell and has

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<v Speaker 3>told all Americans to leave Lebanon.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, that suggests, as we were saying a moment ago,

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<v Speaker 4>that there may be now verted Tampa hitz Mala to

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<v Speaker 4>become involved in this particular war, which is terribly, terribly unfortunate.

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<v Speaker 4>Number one, and second, as I mentioned a moment ago,

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<v Speaker 4>one of the reason why the gerald for there is

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<v Speaker 4>just an evacuation of Americans from the region, which might

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<v Speaker 4>include now Americans coming out of Lebanon.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, how long do we bend over backwards we in

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<v Speaker 2>the Israeli government to pretend that we don't know Iran

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<v Speaker 2>is behind us?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I mean it's yeah, that's a good question. But

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<v Speaker 4>right now the israelis another handful for the the warfront

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<v Speaker 4>and Gada, they may have their hands full, and a

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<v Speaker 4>second warfront in Lebanon. They may have a third front,

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<v Speaker 4>which is we've seen increasing frankly Palaestinian militant activity on

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<v Speaker 4>the West Bank, a place where the Israeli defense forces

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<v Speaker 4>have been conducting expanded operations for the last several months.

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<v Speaker 4>So do you want in the middle of all that

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<v Speaker 4>have a fourth front and that is direct involved in

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<v Speaker 4>with Iran? And that's an open question that one has

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<v Speaker 4>to think about diplomatically, politically, and strategically. Furthermore, though there's

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<v Speaker 4>no doubt about it that Iran has provided military assistance

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<v Speaker 4>to Hamas to the tune, we think of about one

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<v Speaker 4>hundred million dollars a year, and a lot of the

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<v Speaker 4>rockets that are striking Israel were produced in Iran, or

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<v Speaker 4>the try out from Iran was used to have them

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<v Speaker 4>produced locally. But again, the United States provides three billion

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<v Speaker 4>dollars in military assystems are more to Israel on an

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<v Speaker 4>annual basis. That is a far cry from direct iraniant

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<v Speaker 4>involvement in the actual planning and execution of this attack.

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<v Speaker 4>Though there have been reports Wall Street journalm Ticker suggesting

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<v Speaker 4>that the Iranians were directly involved in the planning and

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<v Speaker 4>execution of the attack, either the United States government or

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<v Speaker 4>the Israeli government I've seen so far has made that

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<v Speaker 4>claim and provided evidence that would point to Iran as

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<v Speaker 4>an actual protagonist in this conflict.

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<v Speaker 3>Doctor Jeff mccolson, CBS News Military consultant, Jeff, thanks so

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<v Speaker 3>much for the time. We appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 4>Always a pleasure, guys. A