Secretary of Defense Ash Carter offered some advice to president-elect Donald Trump during an appearance on "CBS This Morning."
Carter's advice for the next administration is to "keep at the campaign" against ISIL.
"Finish the destruction of ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Continue to strike them elsewhere where they arise, like Libya and Afghanistan. And then, above all, protect our own citizens and our own people, which is not simply a military task, but involves intelligence and law enforcement and homeland security," Carter said.
"Just to address though, when some people suggested that the generals have been defanged, or that the generals are not being able to do what they want to do in terms of the fight against ISIS," CBS host Norah O'Donnell said.
"Our military officers, remember by this time, after 15 years of this kind of campaign, are vastly knowledgeable about how to carry out counterinsurgency campaigns, counter -- carry out counterterrorism campaigns," Carter continued.
"So there's a vast reservoir of experience and wisdom and strategic thinking here. And, you know, one of my jobs as secretary of defense is always to make sure that professional military advice is made available to our policy makers."
When asked about North Korea's nuclear weapons capability, Carter said he couldn't reveal everything he knew, but that he's "not waiting for… the day were they do that."
"We have to protect ourselves. And we have to protect our allies. And so if North Korea were ever to attack the United States or its allies, they would regret it," Carter said.
Carter also confirmed that as president, Donald Trump will have sole authority over the use of America's nuclear arsenal.
"The president is the commander-in-chief of our Armed Forces. And the president and only the president has the authority to order the employment of nuclear weapons," Carter said.
"Now, a president, if, God forbid, we ever get into that circumstance, but we're ready for it, will have all of his advisers. We make sure that we set things up so that the president is — has the advice of the secretary of state and the secretary of defense."
Trump will almost certainly replace Carter in his administration, the most likely choices being Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and former Defense Intelligence Agency Director Mike Flynn, according to The Military Times.
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