I want to start by thanking our witnesses secretary esper and chairmans a joint chief of staff for appearing before us to testify. The purpose of this hearing is to discuss our policy in syria, particularly in light of the events that happened win turkey invaded and drove the kurds out of portions. Our first hearing since the congressman from new york joined the committee. I want to thank him. We have a lot of new faces in this committee that are a year into it. They are not new faces anymore but good to have another freshman added to the committee. I appreciate him serving. The purpose of this hearing is to look at events around syria. A whole bunch of questions and the other big issue is the ability of memories of this committee to ask questions of the key policymake is in an area of importance to the committee and to give them an opportunity to learn more about the policy and express their views and that is a huge part of our oversight role in congress and it is enormously important. There are three broad areas im interested in around this. First of all is where do we go from here . What is the mission on containing isis and defeating isis in the region. No matter how we got to the point we got the turkish incursion in syria is to change that equation. We built an alliance with the Syrian Democratic forces and the kurds as part of that. The history is important. We tried for years after the rise of isis to find a coalition as they build a caliphate across syria and iraq and threatened our interest in the interests of the region. That was an unchecked expansion for a substantial period of time. In 2015 the Obama Administration was able to cobble together a coalition primarily of kurds and why pd in syria but also Syrian Democratic forces and working for the iraqis to have a counter isis movement. Whatever else one can say about it, it worked. The caliphate has been broken up. Because of that plan, started by the Obama Administration and carried out by the Trump Administration. It did not defeat isis. Isis is a robust transnational terrorist threat but the breaking up of the caliphate was a huge accomplishment. With the incursion of turkey from the north it undermines that. What is the new plan . What happens Going Forward . The biggest risk of this plan from the start was the concern the turks would have about our alliance with the kurds and the why pd in particular and the Obama Administration tried to make sure turkey did not do what they wound outdoing. Understanding the plan is important but the other piece that is important is to understand how policy gets made, between the pentagon and the white house and how to get involved so there are concerned how this came out and i would be curious to have you tell us what happened. The president sent out a sweet the year ago in december saying, it is not in front of me, but saying that were pulling out of syria. In all the meetings i had, that was the first we have that. There was no discussion about, it so the impression was given that it was not like he sat down with the nsc instead of what is going, on what is the plan, he did not sit down with you guys and say, this is a policy objective, he woke up one morning and decided he was going to do it. That is problematic and by way of thinking, and then we back filled the policy afterwards. We need greater transparency. I think the process is important. I trust the jobs that you guys do, and i trust a lot of people at the pentagon. They are important, not just throwing it out there, so i would like to learn more about how that works. There was recently a discussion of aid being approved for lebanon. That ate was held up for some period of time, when we attempted to find out why it was hard, basically. It was eventually released, but we never really heard what was the point. Those sorts of things really matter. I think they matter for the executive branch but there are a lot of, people who are just policymakers wanting to be part of the discussion to help, as a coequal branch of government or towards a good policy. Lastly, certainly isis is a huge concern in the region but there are other concerns. We want to know how the policies is dealing with syria. With bosher assad having held on to power and seemingly will for quite some time. How does that impact the broader region . I personally just got back from a trip to the middle east, and while there are certainly challenges, there are opportunities there. There are protests against the iranian involvement, that weve never seen before. People are beginning to understand that irans influence is malign and undermining their interests, there is an opportunity there. In addition to containing isis, that is our largest goal in the reason, to stop iran the destabilizing influence from syria, to lebanon, all interpreter across. How can we contain it . How can we build on that . Also, the concern about iran has given us a historic opportunity to try to deal with the Israeli Palestinian crisis. An enormous crisis in the middle east, with now much more of a connection between key arab states in israel because of their concern about iran. Is there a way to build on that, to create a more stable middle east . Those were the three brought areas i was interested in. A huge part was to give members a better understanding of what the policies are, that is our effort. With that, im pleased to yield to the Ranking Member. Thank you. I want to welcome both of our witnesses. We appreciate the time do you getting to know us. As we talk about syria, i think all of us there are those who develop a syria policy on paper, and Journal Articles and so forth. It seems relatively simple and straightforward. What do you have to deal with is the real world, including the historic cultural, religious, ethnic background and the complications in this part of the world, and that is the world as you found it and as you have to deal with it. It is not as simple as putting down points one two and three on a piece of paper and assuming that everyone, everything will flow easily from that. You also asked to deal with mistakes made by other administrations. The Obama Administration and made a big deal about pivoting to asia, and inclined that we were pivoting. But the middle east is not what you get away from it, and the necessity of containing iran. I remember the Previous Administration drawing a red line in syria, and then failing to follow up, which many people believe has emboldened not only assad but others to take greater risks. That the u. S. Would not follow through on threats or statements that it had made. All of that is part of the quagmire that is syria today that we all have to deal with. Our challenges are how do we reduce the terrorist threat, from that region and how do we contain and aggressive desperate iran. A revolutionary iran that seems bent on disruption of key. Neighbors especially, you cant fix the whole problem. What you can do is tell us what are your objectives, and what the militarys role is in this. We look forward to hearing on both of those things today. Thank you. If one joint statement . Is that correct . We both have separate statements. I will yield to mr. Esper. Thank you. Chairman smith, Ranking Member thornberry, and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the security situation in syria and the broader middle east. I would like to thank the committee on its work on the nda, this legislation is crucial to implementing the defense strategy. Also want to offer my condolences to the victims of tragedies that took place in pensacola this week. In light of these events we are reviewing our bidding procedures for all military training, as well as our procedures to ensure our military communities. As reflected, the department of defense prioritize of china as a top military challenges. As we transition our focus towards a great party, and violent extremist organizations such as isis. The United States strategy seeks that its not a safe haven to terrorists, and not dominated by any power hostile to the United States, and contribute to a stable market. For the department of defense, this translate to the following six objectives, first, utilize it an amarok military presence with strategic death to deter and respond to aggression. Second, strengthen a defensive capabilities, and third advance allies to address shared concerns. Fourth, protective freedom of navigation, fit, deny safe haven to terrorists that threaten homelands. And sixth, medicaid the threats. Although there are a multitude of issues to discuss, we will focus on the most destabilizing players, isis and iran. Beginning with isis, iran has achieved our Partner Forces to destroy the physical caliphate, and liberate 7. 7 Million People living under its role. This includes the operations that resulted in the death of isis founder and leader, albaghdadi, as well as one of his top deputies. The department of defense remains committed to working with our partners to ensure isis is not able to mount and resurgence. He was forces remain in syria, operating in close formation with the Syrian Democratic forces. Although the recent turkish incursion as complicated as battles space, the department of defense has become confident that we can continue the mission in syria, to ensure the differing defeat of isis. We obtain it leadership role, which brings together 76 nations and five International Organization to provide funding, military capabilities, and support. We continue to work by, with, and through the iraqis case Security Forces to ensure a strong state. Despite the turmoil, our assisted efforts with the Iraqi Military remain strong and continues to show progress. Moving to iran, over the past 18 months, the department of defense has supported the United States economic and diplomatic maximum Pressure Campaign. These efforts seek to bring the Iranian Regime back to the negotiating table for a new and better deal that addresses the full range of threats emanating from iran. Tehrans efforts to destabilize have increased as the attacker targets in saudi arabia, disrupting the strait of hormuz, shooting down the Unmanned Aircraft and providing support to numerous groups. To address these, threats were taking a deliver approach to strengthen our defenses, to enable our partners and refine our response options. Since may of this, year 14,000 military personnel have deployed to the region to serve as a tangible demonstration of our commitment to our allies and partners. These Additional Forces are not intended to signal an escalation, but rather to reassure our friends and buttress our efforts at deterrents. We are also encouraging increased burden share with allies and partners from around the world. The International Military constitutes protects freedom of movement in the gulf of amazon, is an example. Though these activities through these activities, we are sending a message to iran that the International Committee will not tolerate its malign activities. Along with our allies and partners, we remain united to our commitment to regional stability and uphold longstanding rules and norms. Iran should not mistake it the nine states restraint for unwillingness to respond with decisive force, should our forces or interests be attacked. In conclusion, as the department of defense continues to implement the National Defense strategy, this ability of the middle east remains important to our nations security. As such, we will continue to calibrate all of our actions to avoid unintended escalation and enable our partners to defend themselves against regional aggressors. In doing so, we will preserve the winds of the past and ensure the security of the United States and our interests. Thank you and i look forward to your questions. Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on National Security challenges we face in the middle east. Before i began, id like to echo secretary sports condolences and sympathy to the victims of the shootings at both pearl harbor and pensacola. On behalf of all leaders both uniformed and civilian, in the military, our thoughts and prayers with the fallen and were thankful for the heroism and skill of the forest responders themselves in harms way to save congressmans life. On the topic of the middle east, i just returned a few days ago from an eight country visit to israel, jordan, saudi arabia, bahrain, kuwait, iraq, afghanistan, and oman. The middle east remains a challenge to u. S. National security interests. Isis, allocated and other groups thrive in instability in the region. We try to export violent extremism around the world. We are not finished with that fight. Iran explores the volatility in the middle east and asserts itself to malign influences, to achieve regional dominance. Our National Security strategy as secretary as for outlined as clear goals, a stable and secure middle east, a middle east that is not a safe haven and a breeding ground for violent extremists, in middle east that its not dominated by nation hostile to the United States, and a middle east that contributes to Stable Global Energy markets. As secretary stated, the National Defense strategy provides military objectives to deter and destabilizing activities and violent extremist organizations, and he outlined those six objectives. The National Military strategy describes how the joint force achieved those six objectives through our five focus areas of responding to threats, deterring strategic attack that includes the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to, deter conventional attack, ensure our allies and partners compete below the level of our conflict. Specifically, in syria we continue to find organization to complete the enduring defeat of isis to prevent their reemergence. Iraq has been a central partner in defeating iraq in the, region and we continue to work through Iraqi Security force in order to achieve a secure and stable iraq, enabled to defend itself against threats of terrorism. Our military strategy in afghanistan is to continue to deny afghanistan as a safe haven for terrorist attacks in the homeland, and that has been our objective since october 7th, 2001. We also support the efforts to reach a political settlement in the Afghan Government, and afghan to afghan that into the war in a responsible way and meets u. S. National security objectives. In iran, it remains the leading state sponsor of terrorism and as you know we have increased our response to irans recent attacks against saudi arabia and the continued acts of oppression and malign influence throughout the region. We will maintain should he take depth of the joint force in the region, in order to deter iran, ensure our partners and if necessary respond if deterrence fails. In broad terms, our military strategy as part of an inter Agency Effort to sustain the approach to, one, defeat violent extremism, including the enduring defeat of isis, to, to prevent regional dominance by iran, and three, to prayer ensure our allies and partners. Thank you to your support to our men and women in uniform, i look forward to an india later in the afternoon, and i look forward to your questions. Thank you. We move to questions. Our two witnesses have a hard to stop at noon, which means i will be even more aggressive about enforcing the five minute clock, to make sure we get to as many members as possible. Ive had my opportunities before, so i will not ask questions. I will yield to mrs. Davies for the first set of questions. Five minutes. Thanks. Thank you mister chairman, and thank you to both of you, doctor esper and general milan for joining us, i look at your statements, and i wonder if you can just in more refined english, why is our military presence essential in syria, and what can we not achieve through other means to fulfill arabs our objectives, take us into three years with that military posture, and to take briefly on the Diplomatic Mission as well. Thank you. Thank you congresswoman, ill take the force that and let in general millay flush out the operational aspects of. It in short, the mission ensures the enduring defeat of isis, we we do this through the partnership on the, ground the sdf has been a great partner in providing capable Ground Forces, but we provide for them, the enablers, principally the air support and intelligence, things like that that help us defeat isis, as we see ice is popping up. I dont know if you want to provide more operational details. Yes. Why is it necessary . Isis still exists. Isis as an entity is an organization, more than just an organization, but also an ideology, and inspirational group, so on and so forth. They have been defeated, the caliphate, the fiscal entity called the caliphate, that was destroyed. But the organization itself still exists there, are still members in their and generally, more or, less in the lower Euphrates River valley. In order to provide for the enduring defeat, working by, with and through allies and partners and the sdf in syria, that enables us to continue to maintain intelligence collection and strike capabilities and to continue to rip apart the remnants of what is isis. If we fail to do that, isis will reemerge. The conditions will come back and will reemerge as a capable threat. What are the conditions that would allow