Central Intelligence: Series 3: Episode 5
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What is the opening premise of Central Intelligence Season 3 Episode 5?
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One, two, three, four, five.
Take LähiTapiola's life insurance and rest in peace. LähiTapiola Central Life Insurance Company approves the life insurance. LähiTapiola, on the same side.
In a world where any nuclear exchange will lead to mutually assured destruction, the only sane purpose of a nuclear arsenal is deterrence. For decades, that policy was meant to make us feel safer, to the point where the value of nonproliferation is now openly questioned, as demonstrated by this interview with the then-presidential nominee, Donald Trump.
You also said, though, that you might support Japan and South Korea developing nuclear weapons. Look, you have North Korea has nuclear weapons, and he doesn't have a carrier yet, but he's got nuclear weapons. He soon will have. It's been a U.S. policy, though, for decades to prevent Japan from getting nuclear weapons. Well, that might be a policy, but maybe— South Korea's one, too. Can I be honest with you? It's going to happen anyway. It's going to happen anyway. It's only a question of time. At some point, we have to say, you know what? We're better off if Japan protects itself against this maniac in North Korea. We're better off, frankly, if South Korea is going to start to protect itself. Saudi Arabia nuclear weapons?
Saudi Arabia, absolutely.
That exchange was in August 2016. By then, America's Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia was in place, and both countries could verify the size of each other's arsenal. The extreme levels of paranoia that gripped the world when the size of competing nuclear arsenals was not known has at least receded a little, even though nine countries are now nuclear-armed. The Washington of the mid-1960s, however, was a very different time.
I am Eloise Page, and you are listening to Central Intelligence, my life inside the CIA.
Demonstrators opposed to the Vietnam War.
The American nation will not permit the establishment of another communist government.
Heavy firing. Revolution in the Dominican Republic. Season 3, Episode 5. Morning, gentlemen. Miss Whittington. Morning. Come right through. In 1965, our anxiety had suddenly been heightened by unexpected developments in China and Russia.
Admiral Rayburn and Mr. Helms from the CIA, Mr. President.
Wow. Thanks, Jerry. You're welcome.
Come in, fellas. Thanks.
So, China. They've gone and done it, huh? Yes, sir. They just tested a thermonuclear warhead. With Russian help, though. Had to be, didn't it? At first, Mr. President, but not lately. Moscow's lost patience with Peking these days. Still? Even with the changes in Moscow? The changes had been significant. A few months earlier, General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev had been overthrown in a bloodless Kremlin coup. We believe so. Well, call me cynical, but they're still both commies. There is considerable evidence pointing to quite as... Yeah, yeah, they say that, I know, but that could just be what they want us to think, right? Who's the new boss in Moscow? Do we know yet? A man called Leonid Brezhnev, Mr. President.
Apparently, he led the plot against Khrushchev, too. Why? Red, do we know why? Well, sir, according to our intelligence, well, it's a complex list of reasons with no one simple dominant... Helms, can I have it in 30 seconds? He was cutting back on military spending, sir. That was the crux of it. Khrushchev wanted to invest more in the economy and cultural pride, while Brezhnev wanted to restore military strength. Right. That'd do it. Absolutely. It would. And is he? Is he what? Restoring military strength threat. What are the Soviet plans for the next few years? Do we know? How strong are they? Well, obviously we should prioritize that. Damn right we should. And our corona satellites are gathering the initial data for us right now, sir.
Good. Glad to hear it, Helms.
The Corona program was our first rudimentary attempt at satellite photo surveillance. Thanks to NASA's space program, we finally had reliable rockets that could put a satellite into low Earth orbit, about 100 kilometers up.
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