Subject: RE: Video Request: Tom Cotton at Senate Armed Services Hearing, 9:30am
From: "Yoxall, Collin" <[email-masked]>
To: "Bhatnagar, Akshai" <[email-masked]>, "Kasnetz, Joel" <[email-masked]>, Research_D <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 May 2016 08:49:24 -0700

(UNKNOWN): Senator Cotton.
COTTON: Thank you, gentlemen, for your appearance before the committee.
Secretary Carter, I want to talk about how our counter-ISIS policy has been made. I want to start, though, in the South China Sea before we move on to that policymaking process.
You just returned from a trip to the Philippines; we announced several new initiatives. Unfortunately, we've also seen reports that China has began some reclamation activities on the Scarborough Shoal, which is 120 miles west of Subic Bay.
Is it a case that if China were to both reclaim and militarize Scarborough Shoal, they could overwatch all flights out of Northern Philippines with radar systems and hold Subic Bay, Luzon Strait and Manila Bay at risk with missile systems on Scarborough Shoal?
CARTER: Well, it's precisely because those kinds of concerns that I was working with the Philippines. They're a treaty ally. We take that seriously. very seriously. That's why we are establishing some new installations from which we can operate, so that we strengthen our own posture there.
And then that's why we're doing the rebalance in general, which is not just working with the increasing number of allies and partners who are coming to us, saying we're concerned about China.
So we're getting more and more of that, including places like Vietnam. But it's also why we're sending our best equipment to the Asia Pacific, why we're doing more.
(CROSSTALK)
COTTON: ... Mr. Secretary. It's also why last week, I gather, there were at least three flights conducted in the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal by U.S. aircraft?
CARTER: I'd rather -- I could -- I'd prefer discuss that -- have you briefed in that in privately, Senator, if you don't mind...
COTTON: ... media reports like...
CARTER: ... but there's no question about it. We will continue to, as I say, fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits. We do that around the world and we're not going to stop.
COTTON: Some media reports indicate that those flights did occur but they did not occur within 12 miles of that feature, which would have been a more assertive action in contesting China's claims.
Now I want to leave the South China Sea but ascend to this point about the policymaking process.
MCCAIN: Could I interrupt the senator for a second?
This is the second time, Secretary Carter, that you've refused to confirm what is well known in the media. That's not fair to this committee. It's all been reported there were flights and -- into the area around those islands.
And why you would refuse to confirm that when it's already been in the media is, I think, not the proper deference that this committee is owed.
CARTER: I'm only refusing because I believe it's classified information, Senator. But I don't...
(CROSSTALK)
COTTON: Actually, I'm glad this -- I'm glad the chairman pointed it out. But I think it raises the point that I want to go on to now, from your two predecessors, Secretary Gates and Secretary Panetta, about the nature of national security decision-making policy.
Secretary Gates recently said that Obama's foreign policy is, quote, "not as bad as it sounds. It's the way it comes out that diminishes its effectiveness. The way things get done communicates reluctance to assert American power. They often end up in the right place but a day late and a dollar short.
"The decisions are made seriatim; it presents an image that President Obama is being dragged, kicking and screaming, to each new stage and it dilutes the implementation of what he's done.
"It becomes so incremental that the message is lost. It makes them look reluctant," end quote.
Secretary Panetta, quote, "I think what I've seen in the last four years is almost as cautiousness and over-correction, which makes it appear that the United States is hesitant to take action. And that sends, I think, a message of weakness," end quote.
So both in our actions in the South China Sea, where we may or may not be flying these missions, where we may or may not be going inside the protected 12-mile territorial ring, but also in the most recent announcement that we're going to deploy troops to Syria but only 250 troops.
What would you comment on Secretary Panetta and Secretary Gates' position about how this policy is being made?
CARTER: I can't, obviously, speak for them or for the time that they were secretary. I can only speak from my own experience and I'll ask the chairman to do the same.
I am forthright, as I told you I would be when you confirmed me as secretary of defense, in giving the president my best advice. I'm also absolutely committed to making sure he gets professional military advice. That's where the chairman comes in.
I've never failed to have a hearing for my views. And you asked -- and I can -- you raised one particular, which I already addressed in my hearing. The additional SOF in Syria, their numbers and their mission was precisely what the chairman and I recommended. What we -- what I announced last week was precisely that the chairman and I recommended.
What he approved last fall, what we called the accelerants of that time, was what the chairman and I recommended to him. Now, that doesn't mean he's always going to approve our recommendations. I'm just giving you those as examples. He is the commander in chief. But we tell it straight to the best of our ability. I -- I can certainly speak for myself, but I in observation can speak for the chairman as well.
I obviously can't speak for my distinguished predecessors and the experience that they might...
(CROSSTALK)
COTTON: And I will address one final question to General Dunford here, which again goes back to Secretary Gates and Secretary Panetta's comments. They both attribute this grudging, halting, hesitating exercise of American power to the large size of the president's national security staff and to micromanagement. Secretary Gates saying, for example, "It was the operational micromanagement that drove me nuts, of the White House and NSC staffers calling senior commanders out in the field and asking them questions, of second- guessing commanders."
General Dunford, could you comment on your experience both in your current role and in previous roles about your relationship with the national security staff?
DUNFORD: Senator, I guess what I'd focus on is my relationship and access to the president. In both my previous role and this role, I have had the opportunity to provide the best military advice.
With regard to the national security staff, I didn't deal with the national security staff in my previous assignment. In fact, was specifically proscribed from doing that by the secretary of defense, which I think was appropriate. I don't think I should have been dealing with the national security staff in my previous assignment.
In my current role, I don't deal with the national security staff except the national security adviser and the principal deputy national security adviser on a routine basis, and my access is unfettered in that regard. I don't go through the national security staff.
COTTON: Thank you.
MCCAIN: I don't want to belabor the point, Mr. Secretary, but to classify the fact that we are sending our ships and airplanes into international waters and have that classified, when it should be magnified throughout the world that United States is asserting our respect and adherence to international law, is something that is -- is confusing and befuddling.
Why would we want to classify the fact that we are doing what every nation in the world should be able to do? And that's sail or fly wherever we want to. Why should that be classified information?
CARTER: It's -- the -- it's a fair point. And I'll look into why -- what aspects of these operations are classified. I'm just respectful of the process, so I'm not going to talk about the details of operations. But there's no question that -- and I've said it many, many times, I say it again today. We fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits. We exercise that right routinely.
The operational details of a particular flight -- it's a fair question why or what parts of it are classified. I'll go back and look into it. But I -- I'm careful about disclosing classified information or information I believe is classified not to this committee, because you all have access to it in the right setting, but not this setting.
And the fact that something's in the newspaper doesn't make it unclassified, as we all know.

From: Bhatnagar, Akshai
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2016 11:20 AM
To: Yoxall, Collin; Kasnetz, Joel; Research_D
Subject: RE: Video Request: Tom Cotton at Senate Armed Services Hearing, 9:30am

Watch Cotton here<https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/videos/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NjE4NTY1NTIsImVtYWlsIjoiYmhhdG5hZ2FyYUBkbmMub3JnIiwiaWQiOjMxMjk1NSwiZG93bmxvYWRhYmxlIjp0cnVlfQ.HT-Luuz0DV4WjwTQJJvfZvXs52xZqziQxh27PbE3RGY>

From: Yoxall, Collin
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2016 11:11 AM
To: Kasnetz, Joel; Research_D
Subject: RE: Video Request: Tom Cotton at Senate Armed Services Hearing, 9:30am

Just flagging that Cotton got into it with Carter over Secretaries Gates and Penetta made about Obama national security policy making. Also Cotton hit Carter (joined by McCain) on Carter's refusal to comment on media reports that US planes had flown near Chinese bases in the South China Sea. Carter said the information was classified and he could only talk about it in a secured setting.

Cotton: want to start on south china sea. Wouldn't china be able to observe Phillippine flights from Scarborough Shoal?
Carter: working with Philippines to install equipment and do things to monitor the facility.
Cotton: what about the plane over flights?
Cater: would like to talk about it in a classified setting.
McCain: its disturbing you wont confirm what is know in the media.
Carter: I am refusing to talk about it b/c it is classified.

Cotton: would like to talk about foreign policy making. Your predecessors have said that policy making is right but slow and weak. So in south china sea and Syria what are your comments about these comments?
Carter: I am forthright in giving POTUS my best advice and best military advice. Additional special forces in Syria is what I recommended w/the chairman. President wont always approve recommendations.

Cotton: General Dunford, both previous Obama SecDef's have complained about micromanagement from NSC staff. Can you comment on this?
Dunford: would focus on my relationship with the POTUS. I didn't deal with NSC staff in previous post. In current role, I only deal with top two staffers.

Cotton: thank you.

Mccain: why should it be classified that we are doing things that everyone else in the world do it?
Carter: fair question but I respect the process.

From: Yoxall, Collin
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2016 10:56 AM
To: Kasnetz, Joel; Research_D
Subject: RE: Video Request: Tom Cotton at Senate Armed Services Hearing, 9:30am

Cotton on now

From: Kasnetz, Joel
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2016 10:29 AM
To: Yoxall, Collin; Research_D
Subject: RE: Video Request: Tom Cotton at Senate Armed Services Hearing, 9:30am

Jeff Sessions on soon. Thanks!

From: Yoxall, Collin
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2016 9:06 AM
To: Research_D
Subject: Video Request: Tom Cotton at Senate Armed Services Hearing, 9:30am

Starts at 9:30am

http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/16-04-28-counter-isil-islamic-state-of-iraq-and-the-levant-operations-and-middle-east-strategy

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