Cspan3. Walking and leaving everything they knew in a war situation. I dont think most americans, at least i wasnt until i went and had that experience, realized and most americans dont realize the history and delicacy of relationships in the middle east since at least world war i and the whole question of whether the kurds should have had a stay or not. The human aspects of this are getting missed in large part and the demands you had. So tell me what the humanitarian needs and demands were before the incursion and talk a little bit about whats happened since. In a sense, the demands are the same. Because the fundamental ask from the humanitarian community is that there be a lasting cessation of hostilities that civilian protection be upheld and that humanitarians be given, you know, unfettered access to people in need. I think those are the three sort of big policy asks from the humanitarian community. Yesterday, today and tomorrow. The difference is a difference i would say in scale. Because now, we have a Larger Population to serve. And we have more constraints. If there not a permanent cessation of hostilities in this area, we will, as i described earlier, struggle to continue to provide services to internally displaced people and to refugees, have bigger funding needs. Well face different cross line challenges. You know, supply lines, different suppliers, not wanting to supply us. We have withdrawn a number of international staff. They have certain expertise that local staff does not have. So, for instance, Health Services are being curtailed in northeast syria because much comes from outside expertise within that support which weve seen to be a growing need. You dont have that kind of specialization locally and local staff have their own threats and challenges theyre feeling in terms of safety. The stability is made more vulnerable but humanitarian access. Cessation of hostilities and respect for International Humanitarian law and civilians. I want to focus on the little time i have left. Maybe could add anything on northeast syria. Amnesty International ReportedTurkish Backed forces, quote, indiscriminate text in residential areas and a shameful disregard for civilian life. Working in the renal, described the withdrawal in recent fighting with a, quote, combination of worst Case Scenarios in the northeast part of syria happening all at once. Is that accurate assessment and how do you see this improving or not improving, getting worse . Knafter the ceasefire, you going to deal with a world that hopefully allows some autonomous governing for the kurds but history tells us that has not been the tendency in these kinds of military imbalances. For us, again, whether its the turks, whether its whichever the party, the conflict is, the respect is the same and this further complicates it because its Additional Party to the conflict. Any comments . On the humanitarian . [ speaking Foreign Language ] many civilians were harmed with the turkish attacked us. [ speaking Foreign Language ] the city has totally been destroyed because of these attacks. Its raised. [ speaking Foreign Language ] 80,000 people are outside without a home. [ speaking Foreign Language ] they have nowhere to go. [ speaking Foreign Language ] this fighting needs to be taken very seriously, this situation. [ speaking Foreign Language ] those who want to return, those lucky to have their house still over there, theyre not allowed to go back. These are not allowing people to return. [ speaking Foreign Language ] they are forcing them to be displaced. [ speaking Foreign Language ] this cannot be called ceasefire. [ speaking Foreign Language ] this is continuation of the war. [ speaking Foreign Language ] this means that more people will be killed. [ speaking Foreign Language ] its being told that we saved kurds from being massacred. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator the important thing is that the future should be protected by recognition and their basic rights. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator this administration underground should be recognized formally. The kurdish ruled. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator because all people of the region are in this administration. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator its democratic. Its supposed to be syria. Thank you. The chair would like to recognize the gentleman from kentucky. Thank you for allowing me to participate in this subcommittee. Miss ahmed, is it the goal of the Syrian Democratic council to establish a sovereign country for kurds or an autonomous country for the kurds . [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator its not part of our project. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator government. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator the local administration set up in syria. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator the latgia region. These all should be in a decentralized system. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator local autonomy. Would there be one government and who provides the military defense of this decentralized government . [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator can be won, local as well. Thank you very much. Has anybody in the u. S. Government that you can name said thats also the policy of the United States . [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator the u. S. So far hasnt told us a clear policy in terms of syria to us. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator they told that the Syrian People will do to determine their future. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator what is a project of the u. S. For syria, what about the future of syria, this was never communicated clearly to us. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator as the Syrian People, we gave them a project. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator and we want the u. S. To support, we tried to get the u. S. Supporting this framework. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator syria is a democratic syria. Going to have freedom. So there was the hope from the kurds from this but no promises from anybody in the u. S. Government to establish that. Thank you very much. Mr. Palmer, where did isis get the weapons that you were fighting against . Careful about divulging classified information. Can you tell us whats publicly available about where isis get their weapons . Just need to be careful on intelligence gathering information. Where did the kurds get their weapons . Congress, that fell under part of our United States program. We provide them weapons . Yes, congress. So weve not said were going to take the weapons away, correct . Not to my knowledge, congressman. Mr. Glasser, can you walk us through the beginning of the civil war in syria and what the u. S. Involvement was or has been . Sure. There were protests in 2011. Harsh response by the regime. Slowly turned into an armed rebellion, partially because at the time, we had been completing our surge in iraq. 45 seconds. What is the u. S. Involvement in the beginning . Sure. Early on, we ended up aiding armed rebel groups in syria. This is before the emergence of isis . Its difficult to say. Yes, technically before the big rise in 2013 and 2014 but of course, isis is really just an outgrowth of the sunni insurgency that rose up to fight so its hard to say what my point would be. Id like to ask miss ahmed how many kurds have been displaced as a result of the civil war. Did the kurds support the civil war at the beginning and are the kurds better off or worse off now that assad has been destabilized . [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator established the democratic system with syrian christians. [ speaking Foreign Language ] in my hometown, used to be 800,000 people leaving. Internally displaced people running from the regime. Areas were coming to our region. There were around 100,000. Attacked that area and became refugees. For example, people are living in homes but turkish government not allowing those people to return to their homes. Turk mans. The families of the islamic groups are set up in kurdish houses. They are massacring the kurds every day, kidnapping. Steal their properties. Kill, burn their trees. Properties all stolen. They carry out the policy, everything in my hometown at the moment. 800,000 kurds now refugees. After the incursion, a number of people who are now refugees. [ speaking Foreign Language ] including arabs, they were displaced. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator ethnic massacring is being carried out in this place. My time is long expired. Yield it to mr. Cloud. His torremiss torres, you sa official Foreign Policy process was followed . Thank you. To clarify, i no longer am in the state department. So i was reflecting on some of the experiences ive had in the past. Just wanted to make clear. Who does set Foreign Policy in our country . So its a little complicated right now to determine that. Really, is it . I think everybody in america knows who sets Foreign Policy for our nation. Who defines Foreign Policy for our country . The president. Would he therefore also define the official Foreign Policy process . Yes, with advising from departments and agencies including the state department. Doesnt he have the option of who he gets advice from . Thats the president s prerogative. This is playing out in a number of different fronts including whats going on in the basement of our capital among a number of state Department Officials who dont seem to be sure and aware who sets Foreign Policy for our country. I appreciate you clearing that up. Thank you. The president often liked to say on the campaign trail that we were going to win so much that we would get tired of it and ask him to stop. Mr. President , stop. There are kurdish allies who are dying in the streets because of your decision against the advice of those around you to pull out of syria and the fact, the only real winners are isis, syria, asad, turkey and putin. We talked about the president s decision and how it would enable the run of isis. The Syrian Regime is back filling in areas we have controlled for quite some time. Have you seen evidence of that already, the territory that had been held by the United States thats not been held by assad for years being reclaimed by the Syrian Government . Can you repeat that last part . Held by the kurds with support from the u. S. Is syria taking over parts of that and areas that have not been controlled by syria for quite some time . We have seen reports of that. But i may want to defer to my colleague but we have seen reports of that. In President Trumps ceasefire deal with turkey, turkey denied it was a ceasefire. Seemingly failed to hold. The parameters were so unclear, it would be almost impossible to enforce anyways. In fact, testimony from the Senate ForeignRelations Committee yesterday appears the u. S. Delegation didnt even use a map when negotiating the safe zone with turkey and yes, my colleague is right that the president is the arbitrator of Foreign Policy. Its just unfortunate it looks like the keystone cops are the ones driving our Foreign Policy now. President erdogan and putin agreed to remove Kurdish Forces from the syrian Turkish Border making putin the key power broker in the region. Miss ahmed, can you tell us what your reaction to that deal is that took place yesterday . [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator this deal imposes to go from the border area. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator that area to turkey that poses a serious threat on our safety and security. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator because the regime has not done any democratic changes so far. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator and the same mejtty of comejt mentality for us. Turkish and russian patrol and the regime, its a dangerous situation for us. [ speaking Foreign Language ] translator what says, you have to withdraw or let turkey attack you. Thank you. Mr. Palmer, i think youve seen the tv coverage of u. S. Bases being overrun and controlled by russian forces. How does that make you feel . Im only going to talk to my experience in syria during 2017. Im not necessarily qualified to speak to the current im not asking from an official capacity. Just a person who has served the government in our country in a pat r patriotic way. Im not going to testify other than my experience. Do you have any comments in the area . I think on our end, on behalf of the soulan center, its difficult to turn away from allies who we depended on for a long time to protect us from the terrorist threat we face emanating from isis and iraq and syria. To see it happen abruptly without a policy or process or diplomacy was really hard to swallow. Mr. Chairman, thank you for having this hearing. Its repeated over and over. The Foreign Policy mistakes, what happened in ukraine where crimes were committed, yet continue to cover up by those involved and support this president to no end regardless of the obvious wrongdoing is disheartening to all of us. Thank you, i yield back. The gentleman yields back. I would like to thank all of our witnesses who have come here today. Majority and minority witnesses. Thank you for your excellent testimony. Mi thank you for traveling such a long way to provide the perspective that i think only you could provide. So we are extremely grateful for your courage and your willingness to come here today. Without objection, all members will have five legislative days within which to submit additional written questions for the witnesses to the chair forwarded to the witnesses response. Ill ask our witnesses to please respond promptly as you are able if you receive additional questions. This hearing is now adjourned. Thank you. Were making it easy for you to follow the impeachment inquiry on cspan. Org. Search all of cspans coverage for video on demand of all the congressional briefings and hearings as well as the administrations response during the impeachment inquiry process. Log on to our impeachment inquiry web page at cspan. Org impeachment. Your fast and easy way to watch cspans unfiltered coverage any time. Sunday night on q a, wall street trader turned photo journalist on his book dignity about the plight of those living on margins of society in america. It was a sunday morning, i believe, or saturday. It was empty because all the semis were gone and in the industrial part of hunts point and immediately, her intelligence just kind of came right through. And we spoke for about an hour, half an hour or so and she told me her life, which is just, you know, its like a cliche of everything wrong that can happen to somebody. And eventually, i asked her what i ask everybody, how do you want me to describe you . One sentence to describe you and shot back, like, thats what i am. A prostitute, a mother of six and a child of god. 8 00 eastern on cspans q a. Today, President Trump made an announcement on the situation in syria stating that turkey ceased combat operations in northern syria. The president spoke to reporters on what it means when it comes to economic sanctions on turkey. Heres a look at his remarks. Well, thank you very much. My fellow americans, i greet you this morning from the white house to announce a major breakthrough towards achieving a Better Future for syria and for the middle east