Welcome back. Im the chairman of ftds center on sanctions and elicit finance. If you were here this morning, ways privilege tobd able to sit down with director pompeo for what i thought was a really interesting conversation. I hope did you as well. Bear in mind that we are not just the people in this room. Great good looking crowd, by the way. But were being live streamed. So we need to be on our best behavior. I hlt honor and privilege of introducing this afternoons session. Kudos to fdd and cliff may and the whole team for asem am blg this discussion with two of the most important if not the most important figures in National Security. Certainly with now the National Security adviser hr mcmaster with us this afternoon. So a real honor and privilege i think for all of us to have general mcmaster with us today. Ive been asked toinlt deuce general mcmaster as well as Mark Dubowitz who will conduct the interview. Mark is the ceo of the foundation for defensive democracies. One of the great minds in the world of National Security. Let me introduce general mcmaster for those that dont know him. Hes the 26th assistant to the president for National Security affairs. He is the president s National Security adviser. General mcmaster has led a life of service to this country in the army and in the military. Graduating from west point in 1984, taking command of units in iraq, afghanistan, in the United States on behalf of the army and the u. S. Military. General mcmaster is one of the great warrior scholars of our day. I think its a great privilege that he sits where he does next to the oval office and at the side of the president. As you know, hes the author of the dereliction of duty which is one of the great studies on military political relations during the johnson period. He holds a phd in military history and is again one of great scholars of National Security. Finally, just a point of privilege, i noted my relationship with director pompeo earlier today. I have a personal relationship with general mcmaster. Very privileged to know him his entire career. And this is not just a great public serve anlt, not just a great patriot, not an incredible warrior scholar, but hes a great man. Hes a great father. Great husband. And ive been privileged to call him a great friend. And so i think all of us as americans regardless of where you are politically, regardless wruf stand on National Security issues, should be incredibly proud that we have somebody of h. R. s caliber and character in the position of National Security adviser, especially at a time of so many challenges. So with that, allow me to introduce Lieutenant General h. R. Mcmaster, our National Security adviser and Mark Dubowitz for the afternoon discussion. Thank you. Thank you. Im a huge admirer of the work did you on terrorist financing. And hes been a friend, mentor, example for me for as he mentioned across my entire professional life and its just a real privilege to be here alongside him. I heard he said he loves mike pompeo, maybe a little jealous. I love juan more. I love Mark Dubowitz and fdd. And its a real privilege to be with all of you. I want to thank the foundation for defensive democracies for hosting this event and giving me an opportunity to be to be part of this discussion and say a few words up front about one of the president s most recent decisions which is to approve a comprehensive strategy for the problems set associated with iran. I want to thank fdd for the work theyve done over the years on so many Critical Issues including the early work on the threat posed by radical islamist ideology and more recently the threat from adversaries who use the internet to wage Economic Warfare against the United States. We have drawn heavily on the scholarship and analysis of fdd and other thinktanks and academic institutions as well as we develop intergrated strategi strategies over the past months. I look forward to the discussion with mark on a broad range of topics. But i thought an outline a few of them in general terms and then talk about the iran strategy. First, we face a chaflg revisionist powers would are subverting the postworld war ii cold war post cold war Political Economic and Security Order that the United States helped to create and lead. An order that has prevented great power conflict for over 70 years. And expanded a free and Prosperous Community of democratic states. Second, we face a challenge from rogue regimes. Rogue regime thats pursue weapons of mass destruction and export terror to expend their influence and extort concessions from responsible nations. Third, we face barbaric nonstate actors who perpetuate ignorance and hatred and use that hatred as justification for mass murder and unspeakable brutality against innocence and they do this under a cloak of an irreligious wicked ideology. They appear on the same battle grounds. They often operate in parallel but at times they cooperate when their interests align. For example, russia and iran, aid, abet, and sustain the murderous assad regime in syria. That axis perpetuates a sectarian civil war that strengthens islamist sharists who tore tray themselves as patrons and protectors of parties in that conflict. Iran, in turn, use thats same conflict and conflicts in iraq and yemen to pursue games and threaten israel and saudi arabia and others with their terrorist and militia proxies. Yet as urgent threats like these to u. S. And interNational Security have increased, our strategic competency has actually diminished. I think weve been prone in recent years to what we might describe as an almost narcissistic approach to National Security. Strategies are frequently based on what we would prefer rather than what the situation demands. In recent years, we have allowed incomplete plans, disconnected from the problems they were meant to address to masquerade as strategies. So what complex challenges like the three i just highlighted briefly to National Security and challenges like those that are manifest in syria demand are real intergrated strategies to direct the purposeful employment of all instruments of power. So as we establish first order principles for president trumps National Security strategy, the importance of using every element of power, diplomatic, informational, military, economic, Law Enforcement, intelligence, in an intergrated way is at the top of that list. The president s new strategy toward iran is a good example. Instead of focusing almost exclusively on j. C. P. O. A. , the new strategy considers the full range of irans destabilizing behavior and malign activities including its material and Financial Support for terrorism and extremism. Its complicity in the assad regimes atrocities against the syrian people. The unrelenting hostility to israel. It repeated threats to freedom of navigation especially strategically in the persian gulf. Its Cyber Attacks against the u. S. , israel, and americas allies and partners in the gulf. Its grievous human rights abuses and its arbitrary detention of foreigners including u. S. Citizens on falls grounds. As the president made clear, n. His speech on october 13th, our strategy intergrats all elements of National Power and is oriented on neutralizing the government of irans destabilizing influence and constraining the aggression, particularly the support for terrorism and militants. Second, revitalizing our traditional alliances and regional partnerships as bull works against iranian subversion and to restore a more stable balance of power in the region. This is an area where the president s leadership has paid off tremendously as you have seen with the growing together, of mutual understanding, much closer relationships and common understanding of problems and common action with our traditional allies and partners in the region. Theyre denying the iran yan regime and the guards corps funding for its malign activities. This is where juans work is extremely important. And opposing irgs activities that extort the wealth of the iranian people and encountering threats from Ballistic Missiles and other weapons. What we must do is we must ral yish rally the International Community to condemn the human rights and unjess detention of american citizens and other foreigners. Last, we must deny iran all paths to a nuclear weapon. So this is the Strategic Direction that the president is given us. Our next challenge is to execute. And as i mentioned, rally all of our friends to the cause. As a secretary of state said the cis yesterday, states that used terror as an instrument of policy will only see their International Reputation and standing diminish. It is the obligation not choice of every civilized nation to combat, discourage of terrorism. We began work wherever we could with our partners and allies. Now were mobilizing the every element of National Power and efforts of our key partners to achieve our objectives. New resources or authorities are required, well seek them. Where organizations must be reconfigured and retooled, well change them. Well proceed to work hard nand hand with our allies and partners and with members of congress to defend america and advance our vital interests. But we need your help. And we need our media, our press, vekti investigative reporters to look hard at countries like iran and north korea and help inform the world about how these rogue regimes skirt sanctions, flout international norms, brutalize our own people and menace their neighbors. With the knowledge that you and others help bring to light about these threats, america can act with confidence. That confidence comes not only from knowledge of threats but as we all know, it comes from knowledge of who we are as a nation. What we stand for, what we value. That confidence is essential to xwen rating the will and the commitment to prevail in the competiti competitions we face and is part of regaining that strategic plan. Thank you for the conversation. Thank you. Thank you for being here. Your time is precious. Thank you for your service to our nation. And thank you for bringing a an understanding of the nature and gravity of the iranian threat. I want to start with just a more broader topic of how you develop integrated National Strategies and what they mean to you. I think youve given us insight in why you speech. When you came in as National Security adviser with a mandate to develop the strategies, tell us a little bit about your vision of intergrated strategies and in particular with respect to. So we began with the president s guidance who said this white house and by extension the National Security council has become very tactical. And we are very much involved in areas of responsibility and actions and programs and initiatives that ought to be within the per view of the departments and agencies. So he asked us, decentralize where we can. And support the departments and executing our policies. Think about the opportunities we face as a nation. It was also based in i think all of our understanding that the balance shifted against the United States in recent years. We have to understand how to compete more effectively. Compete more infectively to advance and protect u. S. Interests and shift the balance back in favor of the United States in some of these critical competitions. Were in an effort to develop intergrated strategies for National Security challenges. First order challenges that are relevant to pro tektecting and advancing american interests as we define as for funneled. Al interests first is to protect the American People and protect the American Home land. Second is to advance american prosperity. Third is to achieve peace through strength. And the fourth is to advance american influence. And i would say the president s made great progress on all four of these. But thn we use these vital interests as the lens through which we view the National Security challenges. And then we craft and overarching goals and objectives based on how the challenges relate to the American People. And what we do then is involve the president s National Security cabinet. In the framing of thee problems. In describing the situation, understanding how it is vital to our interests and laying out jefr arching goals and objectives and giving guidance at the hefdz the departments and agencies about how, how we can begin to get after this challenge in a way that advances and protects our interests, overcomes obstacles to progress and seizes on opportunities. And that guidance then goes to the departments that refine this guidance into an integrated strategy. So youve seen this on north korea, on south asia, on the iran strategy, on the cuba, the president s cuba strategy. We can go on. These are well developed. Many of them are implementing now, have been in implementation for a while. And others are still in development. Theyre up front. It allows the departments and agencies to coordinate their efforts. Great. So lets Start Talking about one of those, the major first order challenges you describe which is iran. Obviously a big announcement on friday. The president s speech laying out a new comprehensive strategy. And its fair to say a lot of the discussion has been telescoped down on exactly which condition of a nara is the president refusing to certify on. So i want to take the conversation up to a broader level. You talk about using all instruments of National Power. I want to go through various theaters of operation where iran represents a significant threat to the United States and allies. What are you trying to achieve to begin with in iraq . So in iraq, its easy to say and maybe hard to do. What we would like to do is continue to assist the iraqis to do what the president told us to work with allies and partners to do which is to destroy isis and to not permit another group like isis, another Jihadist Group to come back by doing three fundamental things, deny them safe haven and cut off funding and defeat the ideology and eliminate this draw of vulnerable populations into these kind of organizations. And so the fight in iraq is relevant to that. But its also relevant to ensuring that iraq emerges from this horrible period of conflict strong. Were attempting to keep iraq perpetually weak and apply hezbollah model where you have a weak government, a government that is deliberately weakened and a government that is relinlt on iran for support. While iran grows malicious and illegal arm groups that lie outside that governments control. Militias and terrorists groups that can be turned against that government if they take action against the iranian interests. This is a model you see in the beautiful kun tr beautiful country of lebanon. Its a model you see in sear yachlt syria. 80 of those fighting are riding proxies. It is a model you see attempted to be applied in iraq and something you can see maybe trying to play out in yemen as well. Theyre trying to apply it there. So its easy to say as i mentioned, hard to do. It takes a sophisticated sustained effort but its a stable iraq that merges strong and not aligned with, of course it will have a relationship with its neighbor but not aligned with iran. What do you say to the allegation that the president gives a speech on friday and hes rolling out a comprehensive policy using all instruments of National Power to undercut iranian influence to neutralize at gre the aggression on monday, and then on monday the force shows up in kirkuk . So what you have is a greater level of complexity now associated with the kurdish referendum and then the actions that follow the kurdish referendum. And so what we want to see in iraq, as i mentioned, is a strong iraq emerge. And, of course, part of a strong iraq is a strong kurdish region where we have very long Time Partners whose partnership we value tremendously, who, you know, who bore the brunlt of saddam husseins brutality over many years. And who we intervened on their bee half as everyone knows after 1991 and they used the safety and security we helped provide that region to build a Phenomenal Community and in irbil and in tahuk. These are southern european thriving cities when you go to the kurdish region. But what we need to do though is we have to work to mediate this conflict in a way that allows our kurdish friends to enjoy the safety, security and prosperity they built over so many years and not regress from that. But also keeps iraq on a path to strengthening. And so this is tloed a level of complexity. We did recommend to mr. Barzani, we have great relationships with and Great Respect noor thfor th is not the time. Theyre recovering from this horrible trauma against isis and the fight against isis and the subversion in iraq that complicates the heck out of things and turkeys difficult relationship with turkish populations and how that is playing out in northeastern syria. This is not the time to do this we thought. So, of course, we are where we are now. As you know, talabani passed away recently. God rest his sole. So part of what is complicating this is a power struggle within the puk and the abiflity of the iranians to take advantage of all this. Iran is very good at pitting communities against each other. This is something they share with groups like isis, with al qaeda. You know, they pit communities against each other because they use tribal and ethnic and sectarian conflicts to gain influence by portraying themselves as a patron of protector of one of the parties in the conflict. And then they use that invitation to come in and to help to advance their agenda. In irans case, i think its a hegomonic design. Its based on their ability to threaten israel and the United States and saudi arabia and so forth. I dont want to give you a definitive easy policy answer to the complicated situation in Northern Iraq now. But i know the president s sentiments are with the Kurdish People and with the iraqi people and what he wants to see emerge is stable iraq. The core pillar is were going to neutralize irans influence. Its been a successful counter isis campaign and under your administration. Seems to have been some Great Strides made. But unfortunately, there is a vacuum. There is a power vacuum that theyre filling. And they have filled both territorially and through using various influence, instruments of iranian influence. What is the message to iranians to day with respect to iraq . I think the message has to be that iran has to stop using illegal arm groups in iraq to advance its own interests at the expense of the iraq qui people and at the expense of security and stability in the region. If you think about one of the greatest sources of strength for isis, groups like isis, it is again their ability to portray them self as protectors of in this case, you know, mainly of the sunniarab community. Onest drivers, the drivers of that conflict is iran. I mean iran has perpetuated these conflicts in a way that is created a humanitarian and a political catastrophe across the region. Mainly in syria but also in iraq. The challenges inside of iraq. And so the message has to be that none of us, iraqis, the United States are partners in the region, are european allies can tolerate this degree of subversion and support for terrorists and militia terrorism and militias. And to go from a iraq which is, you know, a problem from h heck to a problem in syria which is a problem if hell. What you are trying achieve in syria . So what has to happen, there has to be there has to be a political settlement in syria that allows for all syrian foam have a say in the nature of their government. And the assad regime rather than moving toward anything like that, it can only perpetuate the conflict. So what can we do . What we can do is we can work with our partners in syria to defeat isis but defeat isis in a way that bridges into that long term political settlement. Now this is under the geneva process. What are the prospects for this now . Its dim. Its pretty dim. But we and our partners are not without considerable leverage in syria. If you think about really how dire the situation is in syria, think about all the people who have been who have been killed by the combination of isis and this brutal regime. How many have been wounded. How many are displaced external to the country or internal to the country . How much of the infrastructure in that country, about 200 billion of infrastructure in syria destroyed. We should ensure that not a dollar, not a dollar goes to reconstruct anything that is under the control of this brutal regime. And so we need to use the leverage we have. To incentivize a solution if syria that protects the people and ends this humanitarian crisis that, sets conditions for the return of those who are displaced. And allows for higher degree of security in the region and security that comes from also denying iran its designs in syria. So those would are obstructing any kind of progress for that kind of a political solution ought to be called out for it. And ought to be ought to bear responsibility for enabling at sad regime. I would say iran and russia are those who ought to be called out for continuing to perpetuate perpetuating this conflict. You dont buy into this argument that somehow russia which as you said has been primarily responsible with iran and for the assad regimes brutal destruction of that country and the murder of half a million people, that somehow the russians, as long as the International Community helps reconstruct syria and pours in hundred drefrdz millions of dollars into territories that are under assads control that russians can deliver the ir iranians . Well, i dont know if anybody with deliver the iranians. I think what the iranians have to understand that theyre going to pay a price. Theyre going to pay a price in terms of isolation, diplomatic, financial isolation. If they continue on the path that theyre on. In terms of russia, this is imagine this is one of the National Security challenges. And the president s given us very clear guidance on our regulationship with russia. He has, as youve seen, taken a very strong stand in the middle east and in ukraine, for example, in con fronting russias destabilizing behavior. But what he wants us to do as well is make sure we deter any kifbd kind of a conflict with russia. We dont think is in anybodys interest. But the third area he told us to focus on is to foster areas of cooperation and, of course, secretary tillerson had the lead in this area. He see sometimes initial glimmers here with dekaes lags zones and sear yachlt well see how theyre executed and so forth. But there are so many areas where the United States and russia could, could cooperate that are in our mute aol interests. Another easy one is on north korea. We recognize that china has the vast majority of economic and power and influence over north korea, russia has considerable innuns as we influence as well. If they were to use that with a way that is an effort to convince, to convince kim jongun and his regime to move toward denuclearization of the peninsula as really a last chance to avoid severe consequences, russia could play a productive role there. I think its becoming clear to russia that its not in its interest to perpetuate this conflict in ukraine. Its imposing costs on russia, economic costs, credibility costs. And so these are all areas that we could work with russia on and i know the president and the secretary of state, the whole team would welcome the opportunity to do that. The president s speech focused on the revolutionary guard corps and one of the take ways from the action opens friday was the designation of the guard corps in the entirety. So as a beginning predicate of a rollback strategy against the guard corps, what are what you are trying to achieve with respect to the rogs and the malign activities . What we have to do is recognize this is a hostile organization that has victimized, i mean countless people across the greater middle east and beyond as planned terrorist attacks here, elsewhere in the western hemisphere. So what dough with have to do . We need a strategy along wall lied and partners to cope with the rogs. What the rogs is an terrorist enabler. It is a network that is involved in a broad range of illicit activities to advance its the Iranian Regimes malign agenda. And so what are the elements of this strategy . First of all, we have to understand the problem. And we have to pull the curtain down. One of the most important thing questions do. Theyre doing. This koerz do. This pull the curtain back on what iran is doing in the region and show it to the world. And have them pay a price in terms of their reputation. For what theyre doing to perpetuate violence. And then we have to ask big questions. We cant just jum fp and start doing things. We have to say what is the rogs . And all of cuss work on this. On understanding what this organization is. More broadly. Then what is its goal . Expose that. What is the strategy of the rogs in particular . We need more work on how its organized and were working with our Intelligence Community on this to understand obviously nodes in this network and what they do to enable terrorists and militias and criminal activity across the world really. But then understand relationships between the nodes within the organization and with out side organizations. What are their connections to businesses . To financial institutions, to those who provide them cover for action . The ability to move freely, to achieve anonymity and work within legitimate state institution ands functions and subvert them for their own designs . So its not just the network itself. Its relationships. And we have to understand relation shz of the authority and deaf rens and antagonism and in relation to this network and that we have to see flows, flows and this is where Law Enforcement could be a huge lever, international Law Enforcement. U. S. Law enforcement, often underutilized as a tool of Foreign PolicyNational Security strategy. Financial tools thanks to juan and others now are more routine. But some of the most overworked and valuable people in our government are in the treasury department. Theyre doing an amazing job. We need more of them. I mean, theyre just a great team. We have to learn from what they do and apply it more broadly across more departments and agencies. Justice is getting more involved. Our ternl established a team using an established team to reinvigorate the department of justices role in National Security. And so we have to be able to see flows through the Networks International live people, money, weapons, narcotics, right . Other illicit goods. Illicit fuel and other items that they smuggle and use to enri enrich themselves. Theyre a great Narcotic Trafficking Organization that uses opium and heroin trade coming out of afghanistan to enrich themselves while they poison the world and to use that money to commit murder. So we have to take wholistic approach, see flows through the Networks Internationally and then ask questions like what are the sources of strength and support . And what are the weaknesses . And then work hard at isolating them from sources, strength and support and attacking weaknesses. These are physical, sources support and physical weaknesses. But theyre also psychological and economic and financial. And weakness thats work in a strategy. So were already doing it. Were already work thong. But were becoming more agile. Were going to access more and more tools that we have at our disposal within the u. S. Government. But this is where fdd and others can help. Help with our understanding of the problem and what we can do about it and our multinational allies and partners are a huge part of this effort. , so general, i want to sort of pick on that part of it. Because the rogs as you know, controls Something Like 20 of the iranian economy. Theyre a huge influence and allst key strategic sectors around irans economy that many of our allies are interested in doing business in. What is your message to the International Business community that today is looking for opportunities to engage with iranian economy . Well, the message would be dont do business with the rogs. Dont enrich the rogs. Dont enable the murderous campaign. Dont enable the threat to our friends in the region and to especially israel. But also saudi arabia and others. And so its in everyones interest to really work hard on business intelligence. To understand who are the Beneficial Owners of the companies who were, you know, opening our check books to do business with in iran . And so what we want to do is take an approach that is analogous to president trumps approach to cube yachlt he said were not going to do business with them. Were not going to enrich the castro regime and allow them to tighten the autocratic grip on the cuban people and continue to choke them and denight freedom and liberty that they deserve. Well do business with cuban private sector such as it is. But maybe we can incentivize it emerging. But we cannot afford to do business with the rogs. And because all of us, the world will pay for it. So the rogs described as Trans National criminal organization as well as obviously an organization responsible for Irans Nuclear program, Missile Program and activities in the region, human rights abuses. Let me focus on that last piece of that. Because that hasnt got an i think enough attention over the years from previous administrations our from our allies. As you know, the guard corps is responsible for aggression abroad but really egregious repression of at home. What you are thinking . What is the administration thinking with respect to human rights issues and internal issues within iran that help froekt the iranian people from the rogs and its repression . Right. Well, i think the president was really clear in his speech. You know that, one paragraph where he talked to the iranian people ought to be amplified as you mentioned. The speech was about a wholistic iran strategy. Everything focused on, again, part of this maybe this narcissism that we suffer from. We focus on the nara legislation. We report to each other. Theyre inside the United States. When this was a speech about a strategy to really counter this country and this organization the rogs which is a threat to everyone. So i think what the what to focus on in the speech is that taught to the eye rain yn people who are prere pressed by the rogs and the besiege . Theyre also oppressed by the groups that these are essentially criminalized Patronage Networks that suck the resources out of the iranian economy to enrich themselves and to keep the supreme leaders autocratic grip on power. So the more that this can be exposed internationally but also to the eye rain iranian people. What could be better than an Iranian Regime that is no longer funnel fundamentally hostile to anyone including its own people . So the president has Great Respect for the iranian people, the rich culture, their heritage and was very important to him in the speech to distinguish between let jeem athe regime an iranian people. Tl was a piece written on this and an interesting observation that hes in the speech, the u. N. General Assembly Speech that there were, i think, 11 out of 17 sentences on iran were very much focused on the iranian people and human rights issues, on the growing gap between the rulers and the rules. And, you know, the speeches as i imagine are they go through a vigorous process of review and its, i assume its not accidental that there railroad 11 sentences devoted to the iranian people themselves and the brutal repression they suffered. These are the president s speeches. You can hear his voice in all of these. And if i could just if you want to look at i think his speeches to understand his Foreign Policy, he made some just really i think truly landmark speeches. One was in saudi arabia in front of 55 or so muslim majority nations. Very, very important speech. And another, he made on that same trip, that first overseas trip in poland. With western civilization and really all civilized peoples would also aspire to his speech on the south asia strategy i think is very important. To Pay Attention to. These are substantive speeches to lay out a clear direction for the Foreign Policy. They explain to the American People how theyre prioritizing the security and how were doing that through a coherent approach to these National Security challenges. And we talked about the guard corps again is a Trans National criminal organization and the Severe Threat to our allies, to the iranian people, to u. S. National security. What are you trying to achieve with the hezbollah part of the strategy you . Mentioned the role that hezbollah is playing and the iranian Business Model of trying to replicate hezbollah throughout the region. What is the hezbollah strategy . Its similar to strategies that are against other directed at other networked organizations that are violence and an oppression. The hezbollah strategy is similar in a lot of ways in terms of getting visibility on their finances. Weve done this in our government in the past. And we need to reinvigorate our effort theres. There is a big informational dimension to this as well. So as you know, hezbollah really relies on its legitimacy through its ability to portray itself as an advocate for the disadvantaged Shia Lebanese population. But its actions in recent years, especially since, you know, you say really picking up since 2012 with the on sest the Syrian Civil War has been to act as a proxy for the iranians and the rogs. So i think a wloost can be done about hezbollah is to expose it for what it is. You know, to write its behavior and catalog the behavior, to show what its doing to its own people, to lebanon and but then to the world broadly. Its interesting on that point. One of our friends congressman Mike Gallagher from wisconsin actually introduced legislation that essentially would target iran and hezbollah for using lebanese civilians as human shields. I mean, as we all know, hezbollah has been using civilians, putting armaments and kindergartens and homes. This legislation would shine a spotlight on the fact that hezbollah is not just working for, you know, disadvantaged shia in southern lebanon. If anything, theyre putting the disadvantaged shia at risk. Absolutely. How could that be . And how could that nbt tbe in tf the lebanese people to have hundreds of thousands maybe . Many, many, tens of thousands of rockets and missiles pointed at israel. And what do you expect israel to do under that kind of a threat . And if they act on that threat, if they use it for blackmail or coercion on behalf of the iranians, i mean what do you expect israelis to do . And how is that going to help the lebanese people . And not just the lebanese shia population in southern lebanon but the devastating effect it could have on the beautiful country that has been through so much since the 70s and emerged in a way that theyre getting feet back under it. It is, you know, it is showing promise for the future. So this is what iran does, right . It denies people their dreams and aspirations. And it meshes people in the cycles of violence. And why this is important is because when you see the kind of violence that heartbreaking humanitarian catastrophe in syria and iraq and elsewhere, what you see is that violence creates conditions where nobodys really being educated, right . Where are the children . Theyre not going to school. Its heartbreaking. Theyre in refugee camps and were providing a lot of this. Obviously we and partners. Jordan is doing so much, so much to alleviate this. Lebanon is as well. Others in the region, turk ji born of the brunt of a lot of this. So we have to do everything we can to support those who are providing relief in this catastrophe. But what iran relies on and what groups like isis, these attack fearing groups rely on is they rely on ignorance. You need a certain degree of ignorance to foement hatred and use that hatred to perpetuate violence against innocent people and that in turn creates conditions in which no one is being educated and so communities are pitted against each other and vulnerable to the demagoguery of these people. So its fundamentally we have to work to break that cycle and those who are perpetuating that cycle at the top of that list are groups like isis, al qaeda and its affiliates and then right with them is rogs, hezbollah. So, general mcmaster, a real direct question. So what is wrong with Iran Nuclear Deal . Okay. Well, should i i have you know, i brought a card with me and some of the president s top quotes about the Iran Nuclear Deal which i used to refresh my memory. But you might instead of saying Iran Nuclear Deal, say worst deal ever. Right . One of our european allies was talking with him today, actually, and they were getting tongue tied around the full wording of jcrpoa. I said just say worst deal ever. And so, i mean, there are fundamental flaws it with. Part is the payment up front. And so some people said, hey, they got all the money up front. They didnt get all the money up front. This is a gift that gives over time. Right . And so if iran was pumping 1 billion no, a Million Barrels a day, its getting close to 2. 5 Million Barrels a day, what are they doing with that money . What are they doing with the Defense Budget . Is 90 minutes. [chatter] good morning, everybody. It is a Beautiful Day outside, and you are all here to talk about regulatory policy. I love it. My kind of people