David Sanger: Given the Progress Made by North Korea, Hitting L.A. ‘May Not Be All that Far Away’

[excerpt BALDWIN David Sanger ░░░░░░░░ to see you Let ░░░░░░░░ talk about this because ░░░░░░░░ re hearing now that ░░░░░░░░ know experts are saying ░░░░░░░░ s likely a two ░░░░░░░░ ICBM It was the ░░░░░░░░ altitude ever reached by ░░░░░░░░ North Korean missile so ░░░░░░░░ your assessment does this ░░░░░░░░ put the U S ░░░░░░░░ notice SANGER It pretty ░░░░░░░░ does This is exactly ░░░░░░░░ pace we thought they ░░░░░░░░ be on Brooke but ░░░░░░░░ s just moving faster ░░░░░░░░ I think most American ░░░░░░░░ officials suspected that it ░░░░░░░░ The fact that it ░░░░░░░░ only 500 miles or ░░░░░░░░ from where it took ░░░░░░░░ is not the meaningful ░░░░░░░░ here It s as ░░░░░░░░ indicated that it went ░░░░░░░░ such incredible height about ░░░░░░░░ 700 miles in just ░░░░░░░░ very sharp parabola And ░░░░░░░░ you flatten that out ░░░░░░░░ d get to something ░░░░░░░░ could reach Alaska Couldn ░░░░░░░░ reach Hawaii couldn t ░░░░░░░░ Los Angeles but clearly ░░░░░░░░ the kind of progress ░░░░░░░░ ve made that day ░░░░░░░░ not be all that ░░░░░░░░ away BALDWIN That day ░░░░░░░░ not be all that ░░░░░░░░ away because the real ░░░░░░░░ is having a missile ░░░░░░░░ this kind of range ░░░░░░░░ then also miniaturize a ░░░░░░░░ warhead and attach it ░░░░░░░░ wrote a piece for ░░░░░░░░ New York Times today ░░░░░░░░ you said Kim Jong ░░░░░░░░ could probably do this ░░░░░░░░ the next few years ░░░░░░░░ So what does the ░░░░░░░░ S do about that ░░░░░░░░ Well there are a ░░░░░░░░ of ways to think ░░░░░░░░ this Brooke One is ░░░░░░░░ ve been within range ░░░░░░░░ Russia previously with that ░░░░░░░░ missiles Chinese missiles for ░░░░░░░░ time decades And we ░░░░░░░░ a path called containment ░░░░░░░░ reason we don t ░░░░░░░░ to follow that path ░░░░░░░░ North Korea is we ░░░░░░░░ t believe they re ░░░░░░░░ rational actors But more ░░░░░░░░ anything that we would ░░░░░░░░ to do in the ░░░░░░░░ to come to the ░░░░░░░░ of our allies the ░░░░░░░░ would change by virtue ░░░░░░░░ the fact that we ░░░░░░░░ that they could well ░░░░░░░░ reach our shores And ░░░░░░░░ don t have that ░░░░░░░░ confidence in our missile ░░░░░░░░ So that s what ░░░░░░░░ driven every American president ░░░░░░░░ look at this problem ░░░░░░░░ then when they look ░░░░░░░░ it what they discover ░░░░░░░░ that the cost of ░░░░░░░░ an attack on their ░░░░░░░░ or nuclear facilities is ░░░░░░░░ high including the potential ░░░░░░░░ on Seoul which you ░░░░░░░░ probably lose a city ░░░░░░░░ 10 million people that ░░░░░░░░ American president s been ░░░░░░░░ to do it.”