General dunford thanks on behalf of those military Service Members and veterans for your dedication and your persistence on behalf of victory with the global war on terrorism. And what we would like each of you to address our rules of engagement during the Previous Administration to introduce that resolution with those existing rules of engagement in the effort in that complex environment glutted the status of the new rules of engagement . Those old rules included rules of engagement and operating principles including the requirement for proximity of the enemy to be engaged. President trump has told me i have the authority to change that so that opens the enemy were ever found it to the nato air support. So first we have had a reduction in the number of deaths as a result of the coalition and operations. We will take every human possible step but the rules themselves permit being gauged forces to bring air support by extending which units are advised that mean they had a convoluted way with that rule of engagement problem it was an organizational problem. And with that complex situation. And then to succeed and then to eliminate those safe havens and to support their efforts for more troops but we have decrease appointments few were ready units at home for us and seen contingencies also we had a loss of two destroyers and those from those devastating hurricanes so what can we in congress do to help you face the multiple threats facing our country . To get but a jet predictability and certainty to get predictability into the budgets to get the best bang for the buck going in the ninth year with a continuing resolution even if us cyberdomain requires read do those things to maintain the competitive bids the most important thing is to make certain of that budget control act to get predictability in our funding. We are trying to address that as the former cochair i appreciate your visits last week and to keep that in mind how do we balance as they have a situation where pakistan has a level of resentment . That is exactly what i was in new delhi last week and the National Minister of defense welcome to me the economy is picking up but most importantly to have a strategic convergence of the two largest democracies in the world and indiana has been dangerous generous over many years as a victim of terrorism and a need to talk about that threat to where we are Natural Partners in deepening and broadening the relationship with them but it is not exclusive strategy any nation that was to be a part of this with a stability effort can sign up. It is open to any nation that all civilized nations. Thank you for your service to our country with the august 21st speech to the president said he lifted restrictions placed on war fighters and expanded the targeting authorities. Is Critical Congress be kept appraised of the zero come as a result so we can continue to conduct oversight with these restrictions lifted and what results have you seen thus far . To have certain objectives in mind to bring the afghan army into a stronger position and in some cases not giving them a high ground. It is an uncomfortable feeling with the enemy is above you. They had the sense they had the high ground that the nato air support could have given them but today i could bring that to them. We have to reorganize our advisers because so those that we did or did not win to spread those units over the advisers and specifically know longer bound by the need of proximity so wherever we find the enemy to put their support on them used to me we have to be a contact but at the same time we do not want this to be misinterpreted into a laissezfaire where the a high among the innocent is what we need to do to be humanly possible so they evade those weapons and in children and villages. Any other restrictions . To bring this to bear with proximity where we were not with those units remember we were only advising in the next level in these are the forces moved moving against the enemy. Those you consistently win against the taliban and that failure analysis makes it very clear why we have up problem with the other forces. Weld the Afghan Government to have stability it is obvious of the clash of cultures in the region to address those regional challenges and speaking about that where they pledged 3 billion to train those afghan officers so how does this expanded engagement howard you intend to leverage relationships like this to inject day lovell of legitimacy and confidence and regional partners so how do intend to persuade pakistan to take more action and with the Haqqani Network . I will take the second question first on pakistan 39 nations in the Campaign Working together leonel what we need pakistan to you do secretary retreat, secretary of state, the Defense Department to lay out what it is we need pakistan to do then we use a whole Government International effort to space the benefits and penalties have not done. They have lost more troops than any other country out there. Some have been allowed safe havens we are allowed to change that behavior do that firmly. With the chief of army staff were in that show me stage right now we intend to work through diplomatic and Economic Partners to make the change in their best interest but as far is gaining confidence with of military air last the chairman to say a few words but the bottom line is if you look at the zero largest Political Assembly under their culture is overwhelming how much of that population once the alliance to stick with them so add to that countries like india that tried to provide generous support there is waste to build the confidence of a people everson some of soviet invasion have been prevented by violence. The most important thing that would give them for the hope for the future and in recent polling 80 percent of the people reject the taliban, 70 percent have confidence in the Afghan Security forces and as secretary mattis alluded to and they welcome a coalition presence. So that commitment is not just day strategy about the united meet United States at has a profound effect on the psychology of the Afghan People the we always felt was a source of strength in the campaign. They give for your solid and extraordinary leadership in it is fortunate you can accept these assignments. So we want to go back to my colleagues have said previously. They are demonstrating rhetorically the right to approach that willingness to help the we have seen this before and we have been disappointed sometimes they do a little bit but also recognizing we are in an open settings what can you tell us if this is a false start to cooperate . Also to have a much more difficult time in afghanistan. The reason we did a regional approach in the beginning to put together a great planet now say we have to add these variables starting with india us to write i ran down into pakistan to be informed by the others so that discontent in the world for any country that supports terrorism for any reason . Looking at what secretary tillers and is putting together and plus the European Union and interpol if he think the number of countries it is clear what isis has done has created its own concern of the spread of terrorism such as we work this problem through pakistan moving against the of border areas losing a lot of troops with those border passes i think we are in a position now to be more compelling but this will be one step at a time to remain focused on this effort starting with the assistant secretaries coming out of washington and the National Security staff followed by the secretary of state. And to have the very clear support they will continue to build this up in the International Way to work in their own best interest. Mr. Chairman and thinks both for being here. And to endorse mr. Jones comments that i do feel as a full body of congress should have the opportunity to debate the authorization of use for military force for good has been too many years we have had these hearings over and over and many new members as wall. With a new administration a new effort we need the chance to debate this. But even to address that a regional approach we have had some conversation about pakistan but also that russia is supporting the taliban and how was that complicating your efforts . Any support of violent terrorist group that supports this non in russia is best interest. It added it is contrary to the nato campaign in the international agreements. So i think that this is very difficult to you discern. I am not ready to say precisely what it is. The one to see more evidence but it is hard to believe of those diplomats killed by taliban certainly they have had enough problems coming out with terrorism so it does not make sense and we will figure it out and eliminate where necessary or to get a change of behavior. And so without fully having a sense . We have seen some. I need more definition of what is coming out of russia. We are looking at it very carefully it has been lowlevel intermittent support this iran doing what it does to create chaos. General dunford . What we have seen just to be clearer with regard to the iranians there is no question that degree of support and help think we have specificity on. That was mailed the question. I yield back. Secretary mattis good to see you again and i want to thank you for your work for you have been diligent that this committee is informed working directly with us but you have had briefings for the whole house to make sure other members hear your message because we learn we take out to others but you take it directly for repealing sequestration and i appreciate you done that because it is making a difference. So considering the drug train according to a 2016 survey concerning 0 00 p. M. Cultivation and production in 2016 it increased by 10 all regions except the Southern Region had to increase of 0 00 p. M. Or poppy cultivation between 2014 and 2016 data shows a steady growth before word 94 through 2016. Looking at historical levels it has roughly doubled. We have seen it with less than half before 2001. I know it is unacceptable and you believe that with a direct impact on counterterrorism because it includes funding and efforts that our available to terrorists and breeds corruption in the Afghan Military and government. Readdress labs and infrastructure for the narcotics trade. So look at your new additional strategy. Is a great question with the counter finance aspects in those are linked directly to the counter narcotics campaign. If you watch them as we drew down too fast poorly watching the taliban surge there is no surprise and a warrant that about this. And if we look at this. And those bazaars and the reason is that is where the talent period taliban cruise taxation and cash so where does it help of a taliban from that direction . Pretty much giveandtake a big way. So there is no way to cut this san reduce it by targeting the of right location to those in the drug trade. We dealt with this issue will lot and we have had some success we are aware there are impediments is fair interdepartmental funding issues we need to address . What is your impediment . Starting off more broadly you get the assignment but dont of the authorities . What about the deal of the structure . How can we help you . Having the right numbers of agents to advise the of forces of the Major Crimes Task force in to help build the capacity to protect evidence to show good value in the past and the Justice System continues to mature as wall. Stood to the of that interagency structure to achieve these goals. Because it touches of taliban it is what we are invested and integrated idle since we have any missing authorities and i will tell you what i mean. So far i have not heard that but we have not asked a specific question. Secretary mattis, you said a couple of times during the hearing that bore is a matter of will and the taliban have to understand there is the implacable will on our side to continue this fight and see it through to achieve until we hit our goals. Hall hour are goals unbreakable Going Forward compared to theirs . I have just come out to see our troops in the field with those of other countries no doubt they will endure danger and discomfort in defense of this country if attacked in this very area but you bring up the of point of aumf. There has to read the u. S. Congress to embrace this as our fight and i am eager to hear criticism source changes love strategy a strategy. And then we need to change that. You also said the taliban has to understand they cannot kill their way to power. Think you would agree we cannot kill our way towards these goals and conditions so therefore what is going to have to happen for the taliban to accept our conditions shored up is killing all of them . I think they recognize they are not going to gain power and the Afghan Security forces are capable of defeating them. Congressmen if i could just say when we talk about will i think that there secretary touched on something thats important but its not the taliban will. Against the u. S. And coalition will. Is it taliban against the sunni Afghan Forces in particular been last year the Afghan Forces had 16,000 soldiers killed. They they have proven incredibly resilient to sure they have had that will fill shortfalls and we know what they are and their failure analysis identified those that plan we imposed. Down at the small unit level and particularly the ability to deliver but at the end of the day this is a question of wills but its a clash of wills between the Afghan People and some small portion of the aft and people that actually want to resort to political objectives and they would support the Afghan Forces and the Afghan People. Im confident that there will will endure longer than taliban. See that with all due respect general is not just the Afghan Government in the small minority to the Afghan Government is a trillion dollar u. S. Taxpayer support tens of thousands of u. S. Servicemembers, nato allies allies, support monetarily and militarily from those countries as well and we are in our 16th year with no end in sight to them having a very hard time understanding and being able to could explain to my constituents with the gamechanger is that im hearing today that will make this different Going Forward. And i mean no disrespect but im just not hearing it. Im asking you this question. I think its a fair question and its a fair question to debate why this is different why we should stay up to 16 years but i certainly think from a military perspective why were recommended we stay we look carefully at the 20 groups that are National Terrorist groups. 20 of its 90 we recognize around the world and the consequences of not keeping pressure on them so that was number one. In terms of what is different people talk about 16 years. For 14 years of those 16 years we were in the lead and we were in a fight. Over the past two years the Afghan Forces were in the lead. They didnt have adequate force capabilities to be able to deal with the taliban. This doesnt address 16 years of us being in a fight. This address is two years of the taliban fighting legitimate Afghan Security forces. This plan is designed to fill the capability gaps that have been identified as result of two years of casualties and set backs that they have suffered. I think thats really important. This is designed to be fiscally militarily and politically sustainable over time. It will require a u. S. Presence increase in the short term but in the long term this is about leveraging the 300,000 Afghan Forces we have grown over the course of 16 years but just inadequately supported over the last few. Mr. Lamborn. Mr. Chairman and thank you both for what you do to protect our country and our allies. I believe the president is to be commended when he and his recent speech talked about pakistan and how pakistan needs to be more consistent in its promoting stability in the region. Secretary matisyahu addressed that very strongly in your comments earlier and i would just like to follow up on that a little bit. What can we do if pakistan does not follow through and the abettor promoter of promoting stability . Sir we have an enormous leap our full number of options there there. Right now i would like to think we will be successful but you ask a very good question because we dont want a transient or temporary change and things go back and in a bad way. I think right now with the growing consensus against terrorism they will find themselves diplomatically isolated. They will find themselves economically in increasing trouble as countries that are damaged by this terrorism coming out of their say enough is enough and take steps. Theres an awful lot of the damage to pakistans coming on line with the International Community and i think that we have to stay focused their but the penalties are just as significant as the advantages if they choose to go a different direction. For right now we need to try one more time to make this strategy work, lift up by with and through the pakistanis and give our best efforts. President trump is prepared to take whatever steps are necessary. And for either one of you, how will her how should our defense relationship with india changed . Sir i was in india last week and it was very well received by Prime Minister modi and the minister of defense and the National Security adviser. We have a strategic convergence right now between the two biggest democracies and this is probably a once in a Gen