Is just over an hour and a half. I see that we have a quorum present. I really want to thank everybody for joining us, its an important issue that i now recognize myself for opening remarks. Pursuant to the notice, were holding a hearing to discuss the american lives on the line come lessons for managing the russia threat. Two weeks ago startling revelations that russia put bounties on american troops serving in afghanistan. This week in the Foreign Affairs committee weve been examining this egregious attack on americans and the Top Administration failure to handle it probably. Its important for the public to know this. Ive personally been involved in four earrings. This week alone that ive with this issue and that doesnt include the actions of other committees working on their own. I just want to underscore to people listening that they should know that we in concert taking over some of this matter very seriously. The one thing if we do nothing else, the most basic and fundamental duties is to do everything in our power to keep americans safe. We all went to the servicemembers whose lives were lost in afghanistan. We went to their families if we owe it to every member of our military and every american serving abroad, puts their life on the line every day in the service of our country. On tuesday the subcommittee heard from former u. S. Officials and experts on the kremlins network from maligned actors to systems of corruption that oppress the russian people assisting its criminal actions and hybrid warfare, that and your submitted testimony, mr. Panetta, you know may be more dangerous than the threats we face during the cold war. While invited, its regrettable secretary pompeo declined to participate yesterday in our full committee hearing. This is part of a a pattern of failed to recognize the importance of united and unambiguous u. S. Response to the escalating threats we face from the kremlin. The members of our committee have many questions about what happened. We have been helpful to say the least to hear from the secretary himself as we reckon with the gravity of this issue. To his credit, secretary of defense appeared before the House Armed Services committee yesterday in response to my question he acknowledged he had seen reports of payments in response to attacks on our troops. Today we honor to be joined by secretary leon panetta, a dedicated Public Servant who shaped u. S. National Security Policy for decades and whose perspective and range of experience on these issues is frankly unparalleled. He served in the u. S. House of representatives, secretary panetta is lay with the Important Role of legislative branch place in shaping our National Security trajectory. Secretary panetta later served in multiple executive functions under two president ial administrations, including as secretary of defense, director of the cia, and white house chief of staff. We are fortunate to have you join us today because as we try to understand what transpired in the kremlins bounty scheme and how much of the Top Administration knew about it or not, your experience is uniquely instructive. You are someone who is been responsible for american troops abroad, managing a primary elegy of our intelligence apparatus for ensuring the president has access to the intelligence and resources he needs to carry out the duties of that office. Furthermore, secretary panetta has overseen and shaped u. S. Policy towards russia throughout the course of his career. Dion this specific instance, the resounding take away from this week and altering so far is we have no russia policy. In its place we havent misguided, illdefined, impulsive and, frankly, dangerous series of actions prioritizing the interests of the kremlin over the dedicated efforts of our Intelligence Community, diplomats and career civil service. The sacrifices of our military and the american National Security interests should as always remain parallel. Theres been no shortage of Information Available to President Trump about russias maligned activities, and yet its been one gifted person after another, whether its pulling out of european support inf and open sky treaties, withdraw our forces from syria without notice to our ally with troops on the ground, helsinki, his intent to reduce the core of our troops in germany, inviting russia back to a reconstituted g8, Holding Funds from the European Deterrence Initiative which is meant to deter russian aggression, or casting blame towards ukraine when our Intelligence Community proved russia russian was responsible for the attack on our 2016 election. We have been hearing all the week who pays attention and response to the action taken by the United States in concert with our allies. The message i hear loud and clear from President Trump is we can do whatever we want because we wont hold you accountable you can do thats unacceptable. How long to have to wait for policy towards russia to prioritize but all else keeping americans safe . Thats why these hearings this week are so important and why i am so pleased to have you joining us today, secretary panetta. Were looking forward to hearing from you, about your perspective on where we must go here as a country and a policy and posture towards russia. You have seen successes and failures, and we are running out of time to get this right. I know yield to the Ranking Member for his opening statements. Well, thank you, chairman keating for calling the street and i thank you, mr. Secretary, for joining us today. Since the 2008 invasion of georgia, russia shall not show not only a willingness fighting eagerness to develop past, and appoint an an event set of tools to undermine democracy in western institutions around the world. While russian and soviet predecessors have use for an forces to carry against the west, reports the Russian Military intelligence often referred to as gru set up a Bounty Program for american soldiers in afghanistan shows and embolden Vladimir Putin. Lets remember this is the same unit thats responsible for interfering in our elections using chemical weapons against russian defectors, living under nato protection and invading, invaded ukraine, and nato aspirational nation and the eu priority partner. Recently we seen the russian mercenaries supporting genocide in syria, yielding conflict in syria popping up the crop maduro machine. The fact that putin is trying to rest the United States in afghanistan should not come as a big surprise. The question remains about what does putin gained from this Bounty Program and why does he feel emboldened to carry that . Parts of the putin wants the United States to fall, fail in afghanistan just like his country did nearly four packet to go. Also my colleagues will likely try to paint this administration as weak on russia. I dont believe that is what is driving putins agenda. Lenin once said the probe with bayonets. If you find much you proceed. If you find steel withdraw. Putin has found mostly marshland probing the United States. We must be the steal that forces putin to think again. The first step is regulating the nature of work for has changed. Following the fall of the uncovered many believe we would usher in an era of perpetual peace. Countries, views included gave up on cold war policies that made western institutions the standardbearer and opposed and it posts of will. Russians adapted, learned and reinvigorated the tactics of it the 21st century. They been operating within a gray space that is neither war nor peace. We must not change how we respond to these clear provocations. Contrary to popular belief this administration has pushed back against putin. Take the incident in 2018 when mercenaries and forces loyal to a thought at that youth trips in syria. Within four hours hundreds of russians and syrians were neutralized. Not every provocation from russia can be met with kinetic action. In fact, on the our greatest weapon is the alliance of likeminded nations that it defended freedom since 1949. It is our best interest to work with our allies much like we did about the cold war to develop and deliver a strategy to counter putins lined activity. Much like putin did over the past decade we need to dust off the old cold war playbook and confront the thrush and after russians are. Despite all the putins foreign operations, he is not benefited domestically nearly 50 of russians opposed waiting president determines putin. 60 with the president shouldnt be as old as putin is and only 25 of the russian people trust putins plan for the country. If this is not demonstrate that putin study failed, i dont know what does. What you think secretary panetta for joining us today. With that i will yield back to you, mr. Chairman. Thank you. I will now introduce our witness and again thank you for being here again today. Secretary leon panetta is chairman of the institute for Public Policy, testing script finished before in Public Service includes serving as 23rd United States secretary of defense, the director of the Central Intelligence agency white house chief of staff to president bill clinton, office of management and budget director and most important as a of the u. S. House of representatives from california. I will not recognize the wages for five minutes, without objection your prepared a written statement will be made part of the record. You are now recognize for your opening statement. At i dont know if your muted or not, secretary. How is that . Can you hear me now . You are on. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, thank you. I would like to submit my testimony for the record and if i could try to summarize it for your benefit. Mr. Chairman, mr. Ranking member, distinguished members of the subcommittee, i thank you for the opportunity to be able to testify about the significant threat that all of you recognize from russia, and the threat that russia poses to our troops and our democracy and our nation. I had the honor to serve in the house for 16 years from 19771993, and was the height of the cold war between the United States and the soviet union. Through the end of the vietnam era, the reagan buildup, the fall of the berlin wall. And i have to tell you, during that Time Congress played an enormously Important Role in conducting oversight, whether it was a Republican Administration or democratic administration, to ensure that our National Security interests were protected during that cold war. I want to come in all of you, mr. Chairman, and all of your members for your continuing critical oversight to make sure that we protect our country. Let me begin by making clear that there is little question that were in a new chapter of the cold war with russia. This new chapter with Vladimir PutinsRussian Federation is in some ways more dangerous than what we faced with the old soviet union. With the soviet union we were in a rough parity with our nuclear capabilities. They knew our strength. We knew their strength, and in some ways that gave us leverage to be able to deal with them from the position of strength. The deal with Vladimir Putin, you have to deal with him from the position of strength. If he senses weakness on the part of the United States, then make the mistake he will take advantage of it. Because he knows he doesnt have to pay a price. And thus, we have seen him take advantage of it to his aggression in crimea, in the ukraine, in syria, in the u. S. Election process, in libya, in afghanistan, and other places. The point is very clear, and i think its clear to all of us. That if we fail to draw lines on putin, if we dont make clear where those lines are, and make clear that he will not be allowed to cross those lines, then he will continue to be encouraged to be aggressive. Principal point is of this. In this new cold war chapter, once required is a resolute clear eyed, strong, unambiguous leadership from the president and the rest of our government that is informed by our diplomatic and military, and intelligence professionals, and guided i need to protect our National Security interests. That is got to be the message that putin hears. Some of you may remember president bush once said that he looked into putins eyes and saw somebody that he thought he would be able to deal with. My friend and former colleague bob gates said that he, too, looked into putins eyes and saw kgb, kgb, kgb. Putin believes that the glory of the former soviet state must be restored. He believes the fall of the iron curtain brought with it an era of weakness in russia. And he is determined to return russia to the status of a global superpower. And to that strategy is to undermine the United States, and to weaken our country and weaken our Foreign Policy. Look, putin has his own problems. Russian population is aging. Its shrinking. By the economy, rush is struggling. Theres a mix of an overburdened socialist state with a very core of oligarchs of literally stolen aliens of dollars from the russian people. They have serious social and economic issues. No democracy would tolerate the mismanagement and corruption weve seen it there, and thats why putin has done away with any semblance of democracy. He is pushed through constitutional referendums as we know just recently that allows him to be a virtual dictator through 2036. Russias strategy to restoring its superpower status is dependent on the following elements. First, they clearly want to underline nato and its key missions. Nato has been a barrier to the ability of russia to expand back to the soviet state. Secondly, they want to undermine military presence in europe. Our forces in europe have been a check on russian ambitions. Thirdly, he wants to reinsert the russian regime back into the g7 to be able to regain the status that they lost when they were kicked out because of their invasion of crimea. Fourthly, they believe that interfering in the United States and other western elections has sown chaos and discourse, and theyre seeking an election result in all areas that are favorable to russia. And lastly, they have developed and in some ways perfected hybrid warfare. Russia cannot match the u. S. In a force on force conflict. But they have developed asymmetric power, hybrid power. They have used a mix of civilian and military capabilities to undertake deniable lethal covert operations. Theyve engaged obviously in election interference, the recruitment of spies and agents, the theft of technology. They have taken prisoners, all to gain geostrategic leverage wealth triggering conventional without triggering conventional conflict with the west. What we saw with the latest intelligence of the possibility that russians were using vacuums come in many ways comes right out of putins playbook. I have not read the intelligence assessment but i think we all need to take these reports very seriously. Because as i said it fits playbook. By the playbook that he has used as as a result of his concerns in afghanistan and other areas. He still resents what the United States did in Charlie Wilsons war, when we kicked the soviet union out of afghanistan in the 80s. He believes we have used the afghan war as a pretext to position u. S. Military and intelligence assets on the doorstep of russia. And he resents the fact that the afghan war has been a nato mission whose goal is to fracture nato. And there since is the best way to fracture nato is to bring them down in afghanistan which is the graveyard of empires. He pays mercenary forces to come after us, and thats very consistent with putins methods. They develop the wagner group to attack our forces in syria, take over oil facility libya. They contacted assassination attempts in the uk against former spies, and obviously they have conducted this attack in her own democracy in the 2016 election. The assessment is very clear here there so question here that russian president Vladimir Putin ordered and influenced campaign in the 2016 election aimed at trying to influence what happened in u. S. President ial election. And they further assessed, this is something we just have to continue to remind ourselves, that putin is going to apply the same lessons in the current election in this country as well as in elections that are taking place with our u. S. Allies. This is not a hoax. Its a real threat. It works, and you can look at the consequences. Its strain relations between the United States and nato allies. There was even the possibility at one point like we might pull out of nato, and very frankly the entire military structure reviews to contain russia could fall apart if we did that. They paid no price for annexing crimea, and obviously they believed that the president as in many ways given russia and putin i passed on crimea and the ukraine. A pass on theyve seen the United States that is slow to enforce sanctions, sanctions passed by the congress, by you. And although the president invited russia back into the g7, the reality is that that invitation contained no concession on the part of the russians. The u. S. Also is set to redeployed 9500 u. S. Forces from germany, forces that are critical to signaling u. S. Resolv