thank you, chairman royce for joining us. thank you, jim. let s talk first about ramadi. this is a classic test case of whether, or if and when iraqi security forces are beginning to be able to take back any significant ground from isis. it s not looking good in ramadi. john kerry after ramadi fell said it was going to be days by the time that iraqi forces could take it back. it s weeks. and now they re digging in. what does that say about the u.s. strategy? it s partly the u.s. strategy in terms of deference to the shia-led government in baghdad here. as you know, the kurtish forces as well as the sunni tribes on the ground that both seek to be armed in order todish forces as well as the sunni tribes on the ground that both seek to be armed in order to fight against isis cannot get the approval to have the weaponry they need, the mortars, the artillery and so forth. so as a consequence, what you see instead is baghdad sending in shia militia. you can see how that goes on