weapons. they have about 80 nuclear weapons. they are under lock and key. the keep the war had separated from launchers. we are satisfied that they have taken all proper precautions. my concern is the pakistan army in the future. i mentioned earlier in the program that there are some young pakistan officers who are to date generals who were very badly treated by the united states at the end of the soviet occupation of afghanistan we started taking all sorts of sanctions against their economy and diplomatic sanctions as well. there is a lot of better feeling about that time still today in the pakistan army. what concerns me now is i am very old. very close to 80. guest: id you by three years.

-- i beat you by three years. caller: i remember when wars were fought for the outcome of peace. now what really worries me is we seem to think this is the natural pace of things and you have never saw or you did not like. guest: i think war is awful. we fought in two world wars. does that mean you favor war? of course not. war is horrible. one has to release try to explain what is happening in a war and there are many complex on the horizon. host: the top u.s. commander at

in afghanistan is very seriously concerned over reports civilians may have died in an air strike against hijacked fuel tankers. general mcchrystal discussed the incident with the afghan president. we have talked about this over the past hour, but when the general weighs in on this it changes the equation. guest: i think he is right that we should try to minimize the civilian casualties as much as possible. host: thank you so much for joining us this morning. we appreciate having you for this hour. our guest has been arnaud de borchgrave

>> tomorrow on "washington journal," the british ambassador for health and life sciences talks about the british health- care system. mose schwartz discusses a report that says civilian contractors in afghanistan now out no. 8 u.s. troops. then, an exploration of five cities in their plans to redevelop sites of abandoned mills and factories. "washington journal" live at 7:00 eastern on c-span. >> in his weekly online address, president obama talks about his initiatives to help americans save for their retirement. he is followed by the gop addressed with u.s. congressman john klein, one of the congressional panels with jurisdiction over proposed

health care legislation. >> many of us will also be thinking about the state of working america this weekend. yesterday we received a report showing that job losses have slowed dramatically, compared to just a few months ago. earlier in the week, we learned what the manufacturing sector posted its first change in 18 months. many of the banks that borrow money at the height of the financial crisis are now returning it to taxpayers with interest. these are only the most recent signs that the economy is turning around. the suns will -- the son told little comfort to those who experienced the pain of losing a job in recent months -- that is why it is so important to remain focused on our economic recovery. tens of thousands of recovery projects are under way, repairing our nation's roads, bridges, ports, and waterways. renovating schools, and developing renewable energy. we are putting americans back to work doing the work that needs

done, mostly in private sector jobs. even as we take aggressive steps to put people back to work, is important that we keep faith with men and women looking back on a lifetime of labor, hard- working americans who deserve to know that their efforts have resulted in a secure future, including a secure retirement. this recession has not only led to the loss of jobs, but also the loss of savings. the drop in home values has also meant a drop in the value of the single largest investment most families have. the decline in the initial market has led -- lead to a decline in other savings and retirement security. as a result, of the past two years, the american people have lost about two trillion dollars in retirement savings. this carries a painful toll. i have heard from so many who have had to put off retirement or come out of retirement to make ends meet. i have heard from seniors to work hard their whole lives, but now in their golden years, are

unsure of where to turn to pay the bills, for the prescription, or keep the home in which they raised a family. having too little in savings not only leaves people financially ill-prepared for retirement, but also for whatever challenges like brings. it places in jeopardy so many dreams, from owning a home to attending college. the fact is, even before this recession hit, the savings rate was essentially zero, while borrowing had risen and credit card debt had increased. many were simply struggling to stay afloat as incomes are stagnant or falling, and jobs were scarce. that is important to remember. there were also those who spent beyond their means, and more broadly, tens of millions of families have been unable to put away enough money for a secure retirement. half of america's work force does not have access to a retirement plan at work, and fewer than 10% of those without workplace retirement plans have one of their own. we cannot continue on this

course, and we certainly cannot go back to an economy based on inflated profits and lack of credit cards. the cycles of its spectrum to boom and painful bust, a system that put the interests of the short term ahead of the needs of the long term. we have to revive its economy and rebuild it stronger than before. making sure that folks have the opportunity and incentive to save for a home or college, for retirement or a rainy day, is essential to that effort. if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, this country is going to honor our collective responsibility to do, to ensure that you can save and secure your retirement. that is why we are announcing several common-sense changes that will help families put away money for the future. first, we will make it easier for small businesses to do what large businesses do, allow workers to automatically enrolled in a 401k or an individual retirement account. we know that automatic enrollment has made a big difference in participation

rates by making it simpler for workers to say. that is why we will expand it to more people. second, we will make it easier for people to save their federal tax refunds, which 100 families rigid 100 million families receive. you can have your refund deposited directly into your account. with this change, it will make it easier for those without retirement accounts to save their refunds as well. it will be able to check a box on your tax return to receive your refund as a savings bond. third, we will make it possible for employees to put payments for unused vacation and sick days into their retirement plans if they wished. right now, most workers do not have that option. fourth, the irs and the treasury department are creating a plain english, easy to follow guide as well as a website to help folks navigate what are often very complicated waters, especially for workers changing jobs, who often are unsure how best to continue saving or retirement.

because the rules ought to be written to encourage people to save, instead of discouraging them. we will also build on the steps by working with congress. as part of my budget, i have proposed that every american has access to a retirement savings account for his or her job. this plan will make it possible for workers to automatically enrolled in an ira's your payroll contributions. the budget simplifies and expand the tax credit for millions of families, matching half of the family savings up to $1,000 per year and a parting the tax credit directly into a retirement account. this is a difficult time for country, but i am confident we can meet the challenges we face and leave behind something better. we are ready to take responsibility for future once again, as individuals, and as a nation. i hope that all of you have the chance to enjoy this labor day weekend with family and friends, but my larger hope and expectation is that next labor day, the economic storms we are weathering now will have given way to brighter and more prosperous times.

>> hello, i am congressman john kline. i serve as the senior republican on the u.s. house education and labor committee, a panel that represents the intersection between families, jobs, and health care. i have spent a lot of time these last few weeks meeting with workers, small-business owners, health care professionals, and hardworking families from rural and suburban minnesota. what i hear from them is what my colleagues are hearing from americans all across this great nation, a sense of uncertainty about the health care legislation moving through congress like a runaway freight train. they ask, what will happen to my coverage and i trust the doctors? will i have to stand in line to receive treatment, or get approval from someone in washington before getting a knee replacement or filling a prescription for the latest diabetes medication? access to quality care and comfort of a familiar position is not the only thing on my

constituents' minds. with a trillion dollar price tags becoming commonplace in democrat-controlled washington, american families are worried about what all the spending means for their jobs and their children, and their children's children. one report from the national federation of independent business research foundation estimated that a national health-care mandate would eliminate 1.6 million jobs over a five-year period. to add insult to injury, two out of three of those jobs would be shed from small businesses that drive our economy. if you think that is running, i am sorry to say it could get even worse. using a model developed by dr. cristina romer, the head of the council of economic advisers, it is estimated at four 0.7 million jobs will be lost as a result of health-related taxes that most businesses simply cannot afford to pay -- 4.7 million jobs.

health care reform is being imposed upon them rather than developed with them, and the potential costs are far too high. sadly, monetary costs are only part of the picture. many are concerned that democrats lands because patients the right to see their family doctor or have any input into life altering our life-saving medical treatment. they also fear that it may cost them their jobs, a devastating prospect in an economy that has already lost 6.7 million jobs since the recession began. democrats have crafted this legislation behind closed doors, creating a partisan blueprint that at last count clock in at more than 1000 pages. it is complicated and convoluted, and quite simply, not going to work. it is time to press the reset button. health care reform does not have to be a partisan battle. it does not have to take away coverage from americans who like what they have. it does not have to put federal bureaucrats in charge of what

procedure is covered and what medication is not. our goal must be to fix what is broken in our healthcare system, while preserving the features that work well. we can drive down costs without sacrificing quality. we can expand coverage without orchestrating a government takeover, and we can do all of these things without squeezing small businesses and destroying more jobs at a time when our economy needs them most. in june, republicans introduced a plan that would do exactly that. our plan is designed to make health care more for oil, reduce the number of uninsured americans, and increase quality at a price our country can afford. we will make sure americans who like their health care coverage can keep it, a stark contrast with the democrats' plan, which the congressional budget office said will shift millions of americans out of the current coverage. unfortunately, democrats have rejected our overtures and decided to go along. it does not have to be that way. it could be and should be a

bipartisan solution. it is not too late to start over. this labor day, the folks running washington should honor american workers by hitting the reset button on health care reform and stopping the government takeover that threatened american jobs. and congressman john kline, and i want to thank you for listening. >> as the debate over health care continues, c-span is health care of is a key resource. a long line -- go online, and morse the latest events, including town hall meetings, and share your thoughts with video. >> this week on "the communicator's," three reporters will discuss significant technology and telecommunications issues in the upcoming session of congress and at the federal communications commission. >> w