This is a 'WAKE-UP CALL': Former counterterrorism coordinator

. MILITARY, BILL. >> Bill: JENNIFER GRIFFIN LIVE. IN WASHINGTON FOR US THIS. AFTERNOON. JEN, THANK YOU. AISHAH? >> Aishah: LET'S BRING IN. NATHAN SALES, FORMER AMBASSADOR. AT LARGE AND FORMER. COUNTERTERRORISM. NATHAN, GREAT TO HAVE YOU. I WAS LOOKING AT SOME OF THE. NUMBERS JUST REPORTED BY JEN AND. IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO. THOSE THAADS AND PATRIOT. MISSILES, WE ARE NOT GOING TO. GET BACK TO PREWAR LEVELS UNTIL. ABOUT 2030 AT THE EARLIEST. THAT CHANGE THE STRATEGY. MOVING FORWARD FOR. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS CABINET. AS THEY ARE CONVENING RIGHT NOW?

DO WE HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM THIS. TIT FOR TAT WITH IRAN? >> WELL, AISHAH, IT IS CERTAINLY. A WAKE-UP CALL. WE DON'T HAVE FOUR YEARS TO. REBUILD OUR CAPABILITIES. WE SHOULD NEVER BE IN A. POSITION, THE UNITED STATES. SHOULD NEVER BE IN A POSITION. WHERE OUR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE OUR. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES IS HELD. HOSTAGE BY A DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL. BASE THAT IS TOO SLOW AND TOO. UNRESPONSIVE. THIS IS A WAKE-UP CALL. WE'VE GOT TO FIX IT. AND WE ALSO HAVE TO FIX THE.

MATH. PATRIOT INTERCEPTOR, ABOUT. $4 MILLION A POP. YOU DON'T WANT TO BLOW. $4 MILLION EVERY TIME YOU ARE. TAKING OUT A $30,000 IRANIAN. SHAHED DRONE. YOU HAVE TO GET THOSE NUMBERS TO. WORK AND THIS IS ACTUALLY. SOMETHING THAT AMERICAN. INNOVATORS IN THE TECH SECTOR. ARE INCREDIBLY GOOD AT. WE NEED TO BREAK THE MOLD, BRING. THE AMERICAN CAPACITY FOR. INNOVATION TO THE FRONT LINES, AND THAT'S HOW YOU FIX THIS. PROBLEM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, RUSSIA IS LOOKING AT US AND. CHINA IS LOOKING AT US. THEY ARE TAKING OUR MEASURE AND.

WHAT THEY ARE SEEING IS THE. AMERICANS CAN'T REARM FAST. ENOUGH. WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO REARM. FAST ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN. DETERRENCE AGAINST THOSE. ADVERSARIES. >> Aishah: BUT WHAT DO WE DO. RIGHT NOW? THE WALL STREET JOURNAL HAD THIS. REPORT OUT THAT THE CENTCOM. COMMANDER HAD DEVELOPED THIS. OPTION FOR THE PRESIDENT TO GO. INTO A VERY INTENSIVE 10-14-DAY. AIR CAMPAIGN TO THE DEFENSE, THE. MISSILE CAPABILITIES FOR THE. IRGC. THEY ARE ALL TOGETHER RIGHT NOW. AT CAMP DAVID, I BELIEVE. DO YOU THINK THAT IS THE BEST.

OPTION FOR THE PRESIDENT? >> WELL, IT CERTAINLY HAS ONE. ADVANTAGE IN TERMS OF PLAYING. DEFENSE. IT LETS US PLAY OFFENSE IN ORDER. TO BOLSTER OUR DEFENSE. BECAUSE IF WE ARE TAKING OUT. IRANIAN BALLISTIC MISSILE SITES. AND LAUNCHERS, THAT REDUCES THE. STRAIN ON THE BACK END ON OUR. MISSILE DEFENSE INTERCEPTORS. SO IF WE TAKE THEM OUT ON THE. GROUND IN IRAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO. SHOOT THEM DOWN FROM THE SKY. OVER JORDAN OR KUWAIT OR. SOMEPLACE ELSE IN THE. MIDDLE EAST. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PRESIDENT. IS GOING TO DECIDE. THERE ARE REASONS TO GO HARD.

AGAINST IRAN RIGHT NOW. THERE'S REASONS TO GIVE. DIPLOMACY A CHANCE. BUT ONE BENEFIT IS IF WE GO HARD. AGAINST THEM, MAYBE THAT REDUCES. THE STRAIN ON OUR MISSILE. DEFENSES. >> Aishah: HE SAYS THEY LIE. ALL THE TIME. THEY TELL HIM ONE THING BEHIND. THE SCENES AND THEN GO IN PUBLIC. AND SAY WE NEVER TALKED ABOUT. THAT. I WANT TO GET TO HAMAS VERY. QUICKLY HERE, A VERY HISTORIC. AGREEMENT. HERE IS THE PRESIDENT DURING HIS. CABINET MEETING TODAY. >> IT'S A GREAT BREAKTHROUGH. NOBODY EVER THOUGHT THAT WOULD. BE POSSIBLE, TO DISARM HAMAS. THAT SHOWS YOU HOW MUCH SUCCESS.

WE ARE HAVING WITH IRAN BECAUSE. IF YOU GO FOUR MONTHS AGO, FIVE. MONTHS AGO, A DEAL LIKE THAT. WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE, SO. IT IS A BIG STEP FOR THE. MIDDLE EAST, AND PEOPLE ARE. REALLY IMPRESSED BY IT. AND THEY ARE SURPRISED. >> Aishah: I NEVER THOUGHT I. WOULD BE SEEING THE WORDS. "DISARMING HAMAS.". HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT THIS. GROUP, TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, IS FINALLY GOING TO GO THROUGH. WITH THIS? >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, CREDIT TO. THE ADMINISTRATION FOR KEEPING. THEIR EYE ON THE BALL AMID A. NUMBER OF OTHER GEOPOLITICAL.

CRISES AND DEVELOPMENTS TO GET. THIS TO A BETTER PLACE THAN IT. HAD BEEN IN RECENT MONTHS. NOW LET'S BE CLEAR, WE ARE. TALKING ABOUT HAMAS. SIGNING A PIECE OF PAPER IS. EASY, BUT WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS. IMPLEMENTATION, AND WE NEED TO. MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER HAMAS. COMMITS TO DOING, ACTUALLY IS. GOING TO RESULT IN CONCRETE. ACTION --. >> Aishah: NATHAN, COULD THEY. JUST BE BUYING TIME FOR THE. IRANIANS? >> MAYBE, MAYBE. IT'S A PLAY THEY'VE DONE BEFORE, AND THAT'S WHY THE SEQUENCING IS.

SO KEY. BEFORE ISRAEL WITHDRAWS FROM THE. GAZA STRIP, HAMAS HAS TO DISARM. BECAUSE THAT'S THE LEVERAGE. THAT'S THE LEVERAGE YOU USE IN. ORDER TO MAKE SURE HAMAS HONORS. ITS COMMITMENTS AND IF THEY. CHOOSE NOT TO THEN ISRAEL. DOESN'T HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ITS. END OF THE BARGAIN, EITHER. HOPEFULLY THE INCENTIVES BUILT. INTO THIS DEAL AND THE. SEQUENCING WILL RESULT.