Dollences to the family of the brave family killed by isil. Together with jordan we mourn the loss of a hero that that galvanized the nation and the world. I hope this heinous crime helps us put in place what thus far has been lacking, comprehensive strategy to achieve goal to degrade and destroy isil. Let there be no doubt we still do not have a viable strategy to counter isil. And if you are not winning in war, you are losing. America has no greater ally in the fight against terrorism than jordan. As we made clear to King Abdullah in our meeting yesterday, this committees concern is to ensure jordan has equipment and resources necessary to continue taking the fight directly to isil. Many of us on this committee will be sending a letter to the administration on this urgent issue of concern and we invite all of our fellow Committee Members to join us on that letter. I think there was a consensus on both sides after the meeting with King Abdullah that we would send a letter out this mor
A lasting defeat. And in order to do that we need a partner. And we are trying to build that partner in terms of a moderate syrian force and local forces from the region that can with our air power and other kinds of assistance, inflict defeat on isis and then make it a lasting defeat. Thats how i would characterize what i see. Im obviously not in the councils of comfort. Thats what i infer. When you were in my office we talked about i having just returned from ukraine. When i first walked in senator heinrich was talking about lithuania. Their concern was that all of our attention seemed to be in that part of the world concentrated on i crane. Its true. Weve never had i happened to be there when they had their election for the first time in 96 years. They dont have a communist in their government in the ukraine. We have that problem at the same time as the others youre addressing. What do you think about our european strength as it is right now . Are we adequate . Are we becoming inade
A communist in their parliament in ukraine. So we have that problem at the same time as the others youre addressing. What do you think about our european strength as it is right now . Are we adequate . Are we becoming inadequate . I think that our strength in europe is our alliance with nato and the political solidarity that that represents, which is very important when it comes to the Baltic States and also the response in ukraine, which while not a nato nation is certainly a european nation and european unity is an important part of that. So one of our strengths is that. Another strength is our military strength. And there i understand that we are adding forces Rotational Forces to the Baltic States as a presence there as a deterrent to any russian kind of adventurism on the part of russia. In those states i certainly support that, and if im confirmed, id want to look into what more we can do. I wish the european states and secretary of defenses have said this were investing in their
I think we need to do both and can do more in the way of securing fiscal materials and the wherewithal with Nuclear Weapons and also biological weapons around the world. And i also believe that the United States needs a safe, secure and reliable nuclear deterrent, because as much as we would like to see Nuclear Weapons and other weapons of mass destruction rid from the earth, that doesnt look like its something thats going to happen soon and its important that the american deterrent that we provide to our own country, but also to friends and allies who rely upon him is safe, secure and reliable. I think we need to do both and can do both. You wrote an article last year for Foreign Affairs and you talked about two lessons from iraq and afghanistan. First, that the pentagon was not prepared to fight a nontraditional enemy and, second, that the length of those wars was underestimated. There was little incentive to pursue acquisitions tailored to the specific fights. Can you talk about how
Our air power and other kinds of assistance inflict defeat onnist skpis then make it a lasting defeat. Thats how i would characterize what i see. Im not in the counsels of government, but thats what i infer. I appreciate that very much. When you were in my office we talked about having just returned from ukraine and also when i first walked in senator heinrich was talking about lithuania and that area. Their concern was all of our attention seemed to be in that part of the world concentrated on ukraine. Its true, we have never had i happen to be there when they had their election for the first time in 96 years they dont have a communist in their parliament in ukraine. So we have that problem at the same time as the others youre addressing. What do you think about our european strength as it is right now . Are we adequate . Are we becoming inadequate . I think that our strength in europe is our alliance with nato and the political solidarity that that represents, which is very important