Scott Horton: Joe Cirincione Told Me ‘a Lot of What We Did Set the Stage for What Putin Is Doing’

HORTON And if you ░░░░░░░░ indulge me for a ░░░░░░░░ I would like to ░░░░░░░░ read real carefully a ░░░░░░░░ bit from my book ░░░░░░░░ This is a real ░░░░░░░░ expert I m sure ░░░░░░░░ re familiar with this ░░░░░░░░ Joe Cirincione from Washington ░░░░░░░░ C he s an ░░░░░░░░ nuclear weapons activist from ░░░░░░░░ Ploughshares Fund and the ░░░░░░░░ Institute up until recently ░░░░░░░░ I interviewed him two ░░░░░░░░ after the war began ░░░░░░░░ it s the last ░░░░░░░░ in my book Hotter ░░░░░░░░ the Sun here And ░░░░░░░░ said very clearly here ░░░░░░░░ he said There s ░░░░░░░░ that we did that ░░░░░░░░ what Putin is doing ░░░░░░░░ s be clear about ░░░░░░░░ But a lot of ░░░░░░░░ we did set the ░░░░░░░░ for what Putin is ░░░░░░░░ The NATO expansion that ░░░░░░░░ Kennan warned us at ░░░░░░░░ time in the 1990s ░░░░░░░░ the Warsaw Pact collapsed ░░░░░░░░ we were just starting ░░░░░░░░ let those Warsaw Pact ░░░░░░░░ into NATO he warned ░░░░░░░░ this was going to ░░░░░░░░ the worst kind of ░░░░░░░░ and revisionist nationalist fears ░░░░░░░░ Russia which it did ░░░░░░░░ was warned when he ░░░░░░░░ in what he said ░░░░░░░░ defensive missiles which is ░░░░░░░░ We were putting Interceptors ░░░░░░░░ Poland and Romania to ░░░░░░░░ to intercept an Iranian ░░░░░░░░ should they develop a ░░░░░░░░ weapon with an ICBM ░░░░░░░░ have developed neither but ░░░░░░░░ still put those missiles ░░░░░░░░ Poland and Romania The ░░░░░░░░ is that these are ░░░░░░░░ same kinds of missile ░░░░░░░░ that we have on ░░░░░░░░ Aegis cruisers and destroyers ░░░░░░░░ fact it s called ░░░░░░░░ land based Aegis system ░░░░░░░░ while we have Interceptors ░░░░░░░░ them now those same ░░░░░░░░ tubes could house offensive ░░░░░░░░ tipped missiles like the ░░░░░░░░ cruise missile and Russia ░░░░░░░░ t know what was ░░░░░░░░ the tubes because there ░░░░░░░░ no arrangement for inspections ░░░░░░░░ so Cirincione goes on ░░░░░░░░ length to explain how ░░░░░░░░ told he was on ░░░░░░░░ advisory position in the ░░░░░░░░ government and he warned ░░░░░░░░ about this and he ░░░░░░░░ they laughed off Russian ░░░░░░░░ as ridiculous and how ░░░░░░░░ helped as he explains ░░░░░░░░ to this current crisis ░░░░░░░░ the Americans simply refused ░░░░░░░░ take those concerns seriously ░░░░░░░░ I think Joe Cirincione ░░░░░░░░ does as good of ░░░░░░░░ job as anyone in ░░░░░░░░ in explaining the truth ░░░░░░░░ Reporter Well let s ░░░░░░░░ beyond Russia and the ░░░░░░░░ S HORTON Sure Reporter ░░░░░░░░ about India and China ░░░░░░░░ s some tension down ░░░░░░░░ as well They both ░░░░░░░░ nuclear weapons HORTON It ░░░░░░░░ terrifying right I mean ░░░░░░░░ of these countries are ░░░░░░░░ armed I m not ░░░░░░░░ certain how many India ░░░░░░░░ It must be at ░░░░░░░░ one hundred by now ░░░░░░░░ is known to have ░░░░░░░░ to 300 nuclear missiles...”