Subject: RE: Video Request: Tom Cotton at Senate Armed Services Committee
From: "Yoxall, Collin" <[email-masked]>
To: Research_D <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2016 08:37:25 -0700

Two things to flag:

1)      Cotton ignored General Lori Robinson, who is up for command of North American Aerospace Command and Northern Command (responsibilities would include monitoring for missiles from Russia and North Korea and helping law enforcement along the border). He only noted her accomplishment at the beginning of his time and thanked her for her presence. The other senators have seemed to split their questions between the two, some 50/50, others 60/40, toward one or the other. General Robinson just made the Time 100<http://time.com/4301351/lori-robinson-2016-time-100/>, but that apparently does not merit questions from the junior Senator...

2)      Cotton asked General Scaparrotti (up for European Command) about responses to the recent incidents where the Russian military has buzzed US Navy ships and planes. Cotton asked an appropriate response would by symmetrical (buzzing one of their ships or pushing their airspace) or asymmetrical (he suggested making a group of javelin anti-tank missiles appear on the Russian border).  Scaparotti only said there has to be a response.

Tom Cotton chairing...

John McCain now chairing

Cotton: want to return to Russian aircraft issue. Can you comment?

Scaparotti: yes sir it demands a response. Not responding emboldens putin.

Cotton: symmetrical or asyemtical? Should we buzz one of their ships or put javelin missiles on the Russian border?

Scaparotti: we have to respond.

Cotton: clustered munitions. What is your understanding on number of munitions that don't comply with the new policy?

Scaparotti: cant answer accurately. In my experience, I would lose all my munitions in korea.

Cotton: What is DoD's response to this problem?

Scaparotti: there are studies on going. We can purchase replacements down the road but they don't have the lethality vs armor. We don't have a plan to replace what we need.

Cotton: use of dumb bombs?

Scaparotti: use unitary munitions but logistically its hard.

Cotton: aware of US produce solutions?

Scaparotti: would like to take that for the record. Would have take answer that would make that a classified answer.

Cotton: how important is this in the new job?

Scaparotti: very important to use, Russia used cluster mutiions in Ukraine.

Cotton: Russians cites historical grivances to justify their actions. Is that a fair account post cold war?

Scaparotti: I believe that  putin sees Russia constrained by international norms and from that has gone out to challenge international norms.

Cotton: given Baltic states decision to join NATO, can putin claim those nations are Russian leaning?

Scaparotti: there choice.

Cotton: has nato invested in arms to repel a Russian invasion of those countries?

Scaparotti: no. NATO tried to reach out to Russia. They have refused.

Cotton: has Russia invested in anti-NATO measures?

Scaparotti: modernization of russina forces is significiant. Saw that in Syria.

Cotton: seems that putin is practicing a classic campaign of disinformation.

From: Yoxall, Collin
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2016 11:12 AM
To: Research_D
Subject: RE: Video Request: Tom Cotton at Senate Armed Services Committee

Starting now

From: Yoxall, Collin
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2016 10:32 AM
To: Research_D
Subject: Video Request: Tom Cotton at Senate Armed Services Committee

Hearing has started Cotton appears to be chairing for McCain

http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/16-04-21-nominations_-scaparrotti-robinson

Collin Yoxall
Research Associate, DNC
Office: 202-863-8126 X8126
Mobile: 334-703-1690
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>