1 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:04,501 All right , good afternoon , everyone . 2 00:00:04,501 --> 00:00:06,960 Thanks very much for your patience . 3 00:00:06,969 --> 00:00:09,136 Just a few things here and , and we'll 4 00:00:09,136 --> 00:00:11,199 get right to your questions . So 5 00:00:11,210 --> 00:00:13,609 earlier today , Secretary Austin spoke 6 00:00:13,619 --> 00:00:15,508 by phone with Turkish Minister of 7 00:00:15,510 --> 00:00:18,020 National Defense Yasar Gule to discuss 8 00:00:18,030 --> 00:00:20,969 Turkish activity in proximity to us 9 00:00:20,979 --> 00:00:23,809 forces in Syria . The secretary 10 00:00:23,819 --> 00:00:25,708 reaffirmed that the United States 11 00:00:25,708 --> 00:00:27,930 remains in Syria exclusively in support 12 00:00:27,930 --> 00:00:30,299 of the campaign to defeat ISIS . The 13 00:00:30,309 --> 00:00:32,365 secretary also acknowledged Turkey's 14 00:00:32,365 --> 00:00:34,198 legitimate security concerns and 15 00:00:34,198 --> 00:00:36,198 underscored the importance of close 16 00:00:36,198 --> 00:00:38,365 coordination between the United States 17 00:00:38,365 --> 00:00:40,650 and Turkey to prevent any risk to us 18 00:00:40,659 --> 00:00:43,450 forces or the global coalition's defeat 19 00:00:43,459 --> 00:00:46,049 ISIS mission separate but related . The 20 00:00:46,060 --> 00:00:48,282 Department of Defense also condemns the 21 00:00:48,282 --> 00:00:50,449 recent terrorist attack at the Turkish 22 00:00:50,449 --> 00:00:52,449 Interior Ministry and we wish those 23 00:00:52,449 --> 00:00:54,689 injured a speedy recovery . We will 24 00:00:54,700 --> 00:00:56,867 post a readout of the call later today 25 00:00:56,867 --> 00:00:59,220 on the website . Separately , Secretary 26 00:00:59,229 --> 00:01:01,340 Austin also spoke with NATO Secretary 27 00:01:01,340 --> 00:01:03,229 General Jens Stoltenberg today to 28 00:01:03,229 --> 00:01:05,396 review priorities for next week's NATO 29 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,178 Defense Ministerial in Brussels 30 00:01:07,178 --> 00:01:09,389 scheduled for October 11 through 12 . 31 00:01:09,730 --> 00:01:11,786 The two leaders discussed a range of 32 00:01:11,786 --> 00:01:13,897 transatlantic security issues focused 33 00:01:13,897 --> 00:01:15,619 on implementing Vilnius summit 34 00:01:15,619 --> 00:01:17,786 deterrents and defense deliverables as 35 00:01:17,786 --> 00:01:19,952 well as ongoing NATO operations in the 36 00:01:19,952 --> 00:01:22,008 Balkans and Iraq . A full readout of 37 00:01:22,008 --> 00:01:24,063 the call is available on defense dot 38 00:01:24,063 --> 00:01:26,230 gov . And looking ahead to next week , 39 00:01:26,230 --> 00:01:28,286 Secretary Austin and chairman of the 40 00:01:28,286 --> 00:01:30,286 Joint Chiefs of Staff General Brown 41 00:01:30,286 --> 00:01:32,397 will depart Washington on Tuesday for 42 00:01:32,397 --> 00:01:34,563 Brussels Belgium where they'll host an 43 00:01:34,563 --> 00:01:36,397 in person meeting of the Ukraine 44 00:01:36,397 --> 00:01:38,508 Defense contact group on October 11 . 45 00:01:38,508 --> 00:01:40,674 This will be the 16th meeting of the U 46 00:01:40,674 --> 00:01:42,841 DC G since Secretary Austin formed the 47 00:01:42,841 --> 00:01:45,339 international coalition in April 2022 . 48 00:01:45,690 --> 00:01:47,468 And following the contact group 49 00:01:47,468 --> 00:01:49,301 meetings , Secretary Austin will 50 00:01:49,301 --> 00:01:51,357 subsequently participate in the NATO 51 00:01:51,357 --> 00:01:52,912 Defense Ministerial at NATO 52 00:01:52,912 --> 00:01:55,134 headquarters . And with that , we'll be 53 00:01:55,134 --> 00:01:57,190 happy to take your questions . We'll 54 00:01:57,190 --> 00:02:00,180 start with A P TA . Um You said the 55 00:02:00,190 --> 00:02:01,912 secretary spoke to his Turkish 56 00:02:01,912 --> 00:02:04,870 counterpart about the uh 57 00:02:05,830 --> 00:02:08,210 shoot down of the Turkish drone . How 58 00:02:08,220 --> 00:02:10,387 concerned was the secretary that these 59 00:02:10,387 --> 00:02:12,720 troops were put at risk ? And that 60 00:02:12,729 --> 00:02:15,880 despite multiple attempts to , I guess 61 00:02:15,889 --> 00:02:18,490 deconflict and get us troops out of 62 00:02:18,500 --> 00:02:20,839 danger , it still had to come to this . 63 00:02:21,110 --> 00:02:23,277 Yeah . So first of all , just a little 64 00:02:23,277 --> 00:02:26,360 context upfront , you know , 65 00:02:26,369 --> 00:02:29,509 Turkey is one of our strongest and most 66 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,470 valued NATO allies and that partnership 67 00:02:32,479 --> 00:02:34,649 continues and will continue . Uh So 68 00:02:34,660 --> 00:02:36,438 this is certainly a regrettable 69 00:02:36,438 --> 00:02:39,910 incident um at approximately 7 30 local 70 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,949 time in Syria today , uh our , our 71 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,509 forces had observed U A BS conducting 72 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,050 airstrikes in the vicinity of Hasaka , 73 00:02:48,229 --> 00:02:50,669 Syria . Uh Some of those strikes were 74 00:02:50,679 --> 00:02:52,869 inside a declared us restricted 75 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:56,649 operating zone uh or , or Ro near 76 00:02:56,660 --> 00:02:59,250 Hasaka . Uh And we're approximately a 77 00:02:59,259 --> 00:03:01,990 kilometer away from US , forces who 78 00:03:02,009 --> 00:03:04,869 relocated to bunkers at approximately 79 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,199 11 30 local time . A Turkish UAB uh 80 00:03:08,210 --> 00:03:11,330 re entered the Roz on a heading toward 81 00:03:11,339 --> 00:03:14,960 where us forces were located . Uh Us 82 00:03:14,970 --> 00:03:17,137 commanders assessed that the UAB which 83 00:03:17,137 --> 00:03:19,192 was now less than a half a kilometer 84 00:03:19,192 --> 00:03:21,526 from US forces to be a potential threat . 85 00:03:21,526 --> 00:03:23,692 And US F-16 fighters subsequently shot 86 00:03:23,692 --> 00:03:25,559 down the UAV in self defense at 87 00:03:25,570 --> 00:03:28,229 approximately 11 40 local time . It's 88 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,129 important to point out that no US 89 00:03:30,129 --> 00:03:32,462 forces were injured during the incident . 90 00:03:32,462 --> 00:03:35,309 We have no indication that uh that the 91 00:03:35,339 --> 00:03:37,660 uh that Turkey was intentionally 92 00:03:37,669 --> 00:03:40,369 targeting US forces . Uh And as I 93 00:03:40,380 --> 00:03:42,839 mentioned , um you know , the secretary 94 00:03:42,850 --> 00:03:45,339 did talk to his Turkish counterpart and 95 00:03:45,350 --> 00:03:47,461 reaffirmed our commitment to continue 96 00:03:47,461 --> 00:03:50,410 to closely coordinate . Is it , I mean , 97 00:03:50,589 --> 00:03:53,520 Turkey is a NATO ally and is this the 98 00:03:53,529 --> 00:03:56,529 first time that you can recall that a 99 00:03:57,130 --> 00:03:59,179 NATO ally has had to shoot down the 100 00:03:59,190 --> 00:04:01,679 aircraft of another NATO partner ? Yeah , 101 00:04:01,690 --> 00:04:04,210 I think again , it's a regrettable 102 00:04:04,220 --> 00:04:06,929 incident , but US commanders on the 103 00:04:06,940 --> 00:04:08,884 ground did assess that there was a 104 00:04:08,884 --> 00:04:10,884 potential threat . And so they took 105 00:04:10,884 --> 00:04:12,996 prudent action in this scenario . But 106 00:04:12,996 --> 00:04:15,218 again , the secretary has talked to his 107 00:04:15,218 --> 00:04:17,384 counterpart , they had the opportunity 108 00:04:17,384 --> 00:04:19,384 to have a fruitful conversation and 109 00:04:19,384 --> 00:04:21,496 again , uh commit to one another that 110 00:04:21,496 --> 00:04:21,329 the US and Turkey will continue to 111 00:04:21,339 --> 00:04:23,395 closely communicate and coordinate . 112 00:04:23,395 --> 00:04:25,561 And , and as I mentioned , Turkey does 113 00:04:25,561 --> 00:04:27,783 remain a very important and valuable uh 114 00:04:27,783 --> 00:04:29,783 NATO ally and partner to the United 115 00:04:29,783 --> 00:04:31,895 States . Let me go to Courtney did in 116 00:04:31,895 --> 00:04:34,369 the , on the phone call , did the , did 117 00:04:34,380 --> 00:04:37,799 the Turks vow not to do this again not 118 00:04:37,809 --> 00:04:41,010 to fly their drones over us or you said 119 00:04:41,019 --> 00:04:43,075 they were dropping ordnance from the 120 00:04:43,075 --> 00:04:45,075 UAVS a kilometer away ? I said they 121 00:04:45,075 --> 00:04:47,241 were observed conducting air strikes , 122 00:04:47,241 --> 00:04:49,463 airstrikes including one that came with 123 00:04:49,463 --> 00:04:51,686 about a kilometer away from us troops . 124 00:04:51,686 --> 00:04:53,852 They were conducting airstrikes inside 125 00:04:53,852 --> 00:04:56,329 a declared us restricted operating zone . 126 00:04:56,579 --> 00:04:59,239 Did they have on the in this phone call ? 127 00:04:59,250 --> 00:05:01,549 Did they agree not to do that anymore 128 00:05:01,559 --> 00:05:03,781 or is that ? Well , I I won't speak for 129 00:05:03,781 --> 00:05:06,003 the Turkish Minister . I would say that 130 00:05:06,003 --> 00:05:08,003 uh the bottom line is it was a very 131 00:05:08,003 --> 00:05:10,929 productive discussion uh on both sides 132 00:05:10,940 --> 00:05:13,299 and again , a commitment uh that that 133 00:05:13,309 --> 00:05:15,531 we would continue to closely coordinate 134 00:05:15,531 --> 00:05:17,790 to prevent putting us forces at risk . 135 00:05:17,799 --> 00:05:19,466 A reaffirmation of the strong 136 00:05:19,466 --> 00:05:21,410 partnership that our two countries 137 00:05:21,410 --> 00:05:24,429 share . And also an acknowledgement 138 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,579 that again , we will keep lines of 139 00:05:26,589 --> 00:05:28,890 communication open , particularly given 140 00:05:28,899 --> 00:05:31,066 that region of the world and the focus 141 00:05:31,066 --> 00:05:33,121 on the defeat ISIS mission . Can you 142 00:05:33,121 --> 00:05:35,010 say a little bit about how the US 143 00:05:35,010 --> 00:05:37,177 communicated with the Turks before and 144 00:05:37,177 --> 00:05:39,177 told them that they would shoot the 145 00:05:39,177 --> 00:05:41,343 drone down ? Yeah , so I don't want to 146 00:05:41,343 --> 00:05:43,399 get into specifics other than to say 147 00:05:43,399 --> 00:05:45,288 that we have multiple channels of 148 00:05:45,288 --> 00:05:47,399 communication at multiple levels . Um 149 00:05:47,399 --> 00:05:49,566 As you know , us forces as part of the 150 00:05:49,566 --> 00:05:51,621 global coalition to defeat ISIS have 151 00:05:51,621 --> 00:05:53,843 been operating in that area for a while 152 00:05:53,843 --> 00:05:56,010 and of course , being on the border of 153 00:05:56,010 --> 00:05:58,066 Turkey , uh you know , and having us 154 00:05:58,066 --> 00:06:00,121 forces stationed in Turkey , we have 155 00:06:00,121 --> 00:06:02,343 multiple ways to communicate with our , 156 00:06:02,343 --> 00:06:01,640 with our Turkish allies . What can you 157 00:06:01,649 --> 00:06:03,709 say about what level it escalated to 158 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:05,942 before the shoot down ? I mean , did it 159 00:06:05,942 --> 00:06:07,720 get as high as , you know , the 160 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:07,480 commander of central command or 161 00:06:07,489 --> 00:06:09,656 something like that ? Like how high up 162 00:06:09,656 --> 00:06:12,850 did it go ? It , it went to a high 163 00:06:12,859 --> 00:06:14,859 enough level within the operational 164 00:06:14,859 --> 00:06:16,970 chain of command ? I'll just leave it 165 00:06:16,970 --> 00:06:20,549 at that . So to be clear , the 166 00:06:20,559 --> 00:06:22,726 concern here was that that drone , you 167 00:06:22,726 --> 00:06:24,615 said re entered got within a half 168 00:06:24,615 --> 00:06:26,726 kilometer that it might have launched 169 00:06:26,726 --> 00:06:28,948 an air to ground missile so close to us 170 00:06:28,948 --> 00:06:31,003 forces that it could have endangered 171 00:06:31,003 --> 00:06:32,948 their lives . Again , based on the 172 00:06:32,948 --> 00:06:34,781 observation of air strikes being 173 00:06:34,781 --> 00:06:37,910 conducted and the fact that this drone 174 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,140 was upwards of nearly half a kilometer 175 00:06:41,149 --> 00:06:44,339 from us , forces us commanders uh made 176 00:06:44,350 --> 00:06:46,890 the determination that it was a self 177 00:06:46,899 --> 00:06:49,149 defense threat and so appropriate 178 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,382 action was taken . So how concerning is 179 00:06:51,382 --> 00:06:53,500 it that as my colleague said , a NATO 180 00:06:53,510 --> 00:06:55,690 ally puts the US in a position to take 181 00:06:55,700 --> 00:06:57,700 self defense actions either through 182 00:06:57,700 --> 00:07:00,250 negligence or otherwise ? Well , look 183 00:07:00,260 --> 00:07:02,619 again , this is a regrettable incident 184 00:07:02,630 --> 00:07:06,100 and Secretary Austin has spoken with 185 00:07:06,109 --> 00:07:08,331 the Minister of Defense in Turkey . And 186 00:07:08,331 --> 00:07:10,276 again , we will communicate at all 187 00:07:10,276 --> 00:07:13,390 levels . And so we will stay focused on 188 00:07:13,399 --> 00:07:15,343 the defeat ISIS mission in Syria . 189 00:07:15,343 --> 00:07:17,343 That's why we're there in the first 190 00:07:17,343 --> 00:07:19,399 place . And so that will continue to 191 00:07:19,399 --> 00:07:21,455 remain our focus . Thank you . Thank 192 00:07:21,455 --> 00:07:23,343 you , sir . Thank you very much , 193 00:07:23,343 --> 00:07:25,343 General . Um First question was the 194 00:07:25,343 --> 00:07:27,566 United States or the chain of command ? 195 00:07:27,566 --> 00:07:29,677 Really thinking that the Turkish Ravi 196 00:07:29,677 --> 00:07:31,899 were going to strike American base , is 197 00:07:31,899 --> 00:07:34,910 that why this strike was done , you 198 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,087 know , learn the Turkish Ravi was shot 199 00:07:37,087 --> 00:07:39,160 down because all rules of engagement 200 00:07:39,170 --> 00:07:41,392 have changed . That's why this incident 201 00:07:41,392 --> 00:07:43,726 took place . Yeah . Well , again , as I , 202 00:07:43,726 --> 00:07:45,948 as I laid out based on the situation on 203 00:07:45,948 --> 00:07:48,281 the ground and based on the observation , 204 00:07:48,281 --> 00:07:50,309 the decision was made out of due 205 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:52,320 diligence and the inherent right of 206 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,542 self defense to take appropriate action 207 00:07:54,542 --> 00:07:57,269 to protect us forces . As I said , uh 208 00:07:57,279 --> 00:07:59,850 you know , based on the discussions 209 00:07:59,859 --> 00:08:02,070 with the Turkish Defense Minister and 210 00:08:02,350 --> 00:08:05,140 uh post uh shoot down analysis , we 211 00:08:05,149 --> 00:08:07,829 have no initial indications that that 212 00:08:07,839 --> 00:08:09,728 Turkey . Turkey was intentionally 213 00:08:09,728 --> 00:08:12,019 targeting us forces . Again , it was a 214 00:08:12,029 --> 00:08:14,549 regrettable incident and we will 215 00:08:14,559 --> 00:08:16,510 continue to keep those lines of 216 00:08:16,519 --> 00:08:19,750 communication open to hopefully prevent 217 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:22,093 these types of incidents from happening . 218 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,589 So you told CNN Turk just last night 219 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,269 that the United States stands firmly by 220 00:08:28,279 --> 00:08:30,001 Turkey and its people in their 221 00:08:30,001 --> 00:08:32,168 legitimate fight against the PKK . And 222 00:08:32,168 --> 00:08:34,168 according to your NATO ally , doing 223 00:08:34,168 --> 00:08:36,335 exactly that in northern and northeast 224 00:08:36,335 --> 00:08:38,168 in Syria . So this difference of 225 00:08:38,168 --> 00:08:40,960 opinion in the terminology pkkybjsdf , 226 00:08:41,239 --> 00:08:43,406 how are you looking to resolve that or 227 00:08:43,406 --> 00:08:45,289 are these two NATO going to keep 228 00:08:45,650 --> 00:08:47,761 shooting each other ? Yeah , thanks . 229 00:08:47,761 --> 00:08:49,761 Well , let me just reiterate what I 230 00:08:49,761 --> 00:08:51,761 provided to you yesterday and , and 231 00:08:51,761 --> 00:08:53,761 you're right , as , as I said in my 232 00:08:53,761 --> 00:08:56,309 opening comments , we do stand firmly 233 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:58,469 with our NATO ally Turkey and the 234 00:08:58,479 --> 00:09:00,599 Turkish people in their fight against 235 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,859 the PKK . And the PKK has been 236 00:09:02,869 --> 00:09:04,758 designated as a foreign terrorist 237 00:09:04,758 --> 00:09:07,219 organization by the United States . So 238 00:09:07,229 --> 00:09:10,109 we condemn any act of terrorism against 239 00:09:10,119 --> 00:09:12,270 Turkey and the people of Turkey . And 240 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:15,159 we recognize that the PKK poses a 241 00:09:15,169 --> 00:09:17,359 legitimate security threat when it 242 00:09:17,369 --> 00:09:20,619 comes to northern Syria . We do remain 243 00:09:20,630 --> 00:09:22,741 concerned about the potential impacts 244 00:09:22,741 --> 00:09:25,020 of military escalation in that region 245 00:09:25,450 --> 00:09:27,561 in so much as it affects the civilian 246 00:09:27,561 --> 00:09:29,617 population . And importantly , as it 247 00:09:29,617 --> 00:09:31,839 affects our ability to maintain , focus 248 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,669 on rooting out ISIS . And so 249 00:09:35,690 --> 00:09:38,280 the coalition and the United States 250 00:09:38,289 --> 00:09:40,549 remain very , very focused on uh 251 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,849 rooting out the last elements of ISIS 252 00:09:42,859 --> 00:09:45,739 in this region . And so the potential 253 00:09:45,750 --> 00:09:47,972 for escalation , military escalation in 254 00:09:47,972 --> 00:09:49,861 that region can serve to become a 255 00:09:49,861 --> 00:09:52,409 distraction uh on this critical work , 256 00:09:52,419 --> 00:09:54,950 create instability in the region . Uh 257 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,127 And it , it's been a hard , you know , 258 00:09:57,127 --> 00:09:59,238 we've talked about this before . It's 259 00:09:59,238 --> 00:10:01,293 been a hard fought battle to prevent 260 00:10:01,293 --> 00:10:03,760 ISIS from resurging . And so that is 261 00:10:03,770 --> 00:10:05,826 what we're going to continue to stay 262 00:10:05,826 --> 00:10:08,048 focused on . We're going to continue to 263 00:10:08,048 --> 00:10:09,937 advocate for deescalation and the 264 00:10:09,937 --> 00:10:09,929 maintenance of ceasefires , but we will 265 00:10:09,940 --> 00:10:11,884 never question Turkey's legitimate 266 00:10:11,884 --> 00:10:13,718 right to protect its people from 267 00:10:13,718 --> 00:10:15,996 terrorists . Thank you very much , sir , 268 00:10:16,609 --> 00:10:18,720 sir . Uh Do you have , uh , first you 269 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:20,719 said you mentioned that there's no 270 00:10:20,919 --> 00:10:23,520 indication that the Turkish Uavs were 271 00:10:23,530 --> 00:10:25,586 targeting US forces . Do you have an 272 00:10:25,586 --> 00:10:27,697 indication of what they may have been 273 00:10:27,697 --> 00:10:29,863 targeting in the area that I refer you 274 00:10:29,863 --> 00:10:29,719 to Turkey to talk about their 275 00:10:29,729 --> 00:10:32,570 operations ? Ok . Um And do you have a 276 00:10:32,580 --> 00:10:34,580 sense of whether this was a Turkish 277 00:10:34,580 --> 00:10:36,747 military drone or perhaps from another 278 00:10:36,747 --> 00:10:38,747 agency ? I'd refer you to Turkey to 279 00:10:38,747 --> 00:10:38,690 talk about their operations and their 280 00:10:38,700 --> 00:10:40,811 equipment . Yes , ma'am . Thank you . 281 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:43,159 Uh Turkey says that terrorists who were 282 00:10:43,169 --> 00:10:45,336 planning suicide attack in Ankara came 283 00:10:45,336 --> 00:10:47,979 from Syria and uh that they warned 284 00:10:47,989 --> 00:10:50,211 third parties which is obviously to the 285 00:10:50,211 --> 00:10:53,919 US to await pkkypg facilities . 286 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:56,869 Uh I'm just following up my colleague's 287 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:58,713 question actually , what kind of 288 00:10:58,713 --> 00:11:00,658 facilities have been in those us , 289 00:11:00,658 --> 00:11:03,919 restricted areas ? YPGS or so 290 00:11:04,140 --> 00:11:06,559 us ? Yeah , I , I'm not sure I fully 291 00:11:06,570 --> 00:11:08,737 understand what you're asking , but in 292 00:11:08,737 --> 00:11:10,859 terms of us , presence in northeast 293 00:11:10,869 --> 00:11:13,210 Syria , I mean , if , if you've been 294 00:11:13,219 --> 00:11:16,349 following this since 2014 , at the 295 00:11:16,359 --> 00:11:18,640 height of ISIS , the United States has 296 00:11:18,650 --> 00:11:20,317 maintained a presence in this 297 00:11:20,317 --> 00:11:22,599 ungoverned space , working very closely 298 00:11:22,609 --> 00:11:25,580 with our vetted local partners in the 299 00:11:25,590 --> 00:11:27,812 region , the Syrian Democratic Forces . 300 00:11:27,812 --> 00:11:29,590 And so that is part of a global 301 00:11:29,590 --> 00:11:32,130 coalition to defeat ISIS is what we 302 00:11:32,140 --> 00:11:34,770 continue to stay focused on . But as I 303 00:11:34,780 --> 00:11:36,724 mentioned , uh to your colleague , 304 00:11:36,724 --> 00:11:39,229 Yunus , when it comes to the PKK we 305 00:11:39,239 --> 00:11:41,859 recognize and , and have declared the 306 00:11:41,869 --> 00:11:44,690 PKK a foreign organization and again , 307 00:11:44,700 --> 00:11:46,969 fully understand Turkey's legitimate 308 00:11:46,979 --> 00:11:49,146 right to defend itself . Yeah , let me 309 00:11:49,146 --> 00:11:52,710 move on , Chris . Thanks Pat . Um to 310 00:11:52,719 --> 00:11:54,775 clarify something you said there are 311 00:11:54,775 --> 00:11:56,830 multiple levels of communications uh 312 00:11:56,830 --> 00:11:58,739 with the Turks . Did the US make 313 00:11:58,750 --> 00:12:00,659 repeated requests regarding this 314 00:12:00,669 --> 00:12:03,640 incident um that the drone leave that 315 00:12:03,650 --> 00:12:06,880 area and warned that if did not or if 316 00:12:06,890 --> 00:12:09,001 it encroached again , action would be 317 00:12:09,001 --> 00:12:10,890 taken against it . And did Turkey 318 00:12:10,890 --> 00:12:13,057 acknowledge those requests before this 319 00:12:13,057 --> 00:12:15,001 action was taken ? Yeah , thanks , 320 00:12:15,001 --> 00:12:17,057 Chris . I'm not going to go into the 321 00:12:17,057 --> 00:12:19,112 specifics other than to say yes , we 322 00:12:19,112 --> 00:12:21,334 have , we did communicate with Turkey . 323 00:12:21,334 --> 00:12:23,501 Um You know , our , our inherent right 324 00:12:23,501 --> 00:12:25,334 to self defense in the face of a 325 00:12:25,334 --> 00:12:27,501 potential threat . But again , in this 326 00:12:27,501 --> 00:12:29,668 particular case , um you know , it's a 327 00:12:29,668 --> 00:12:31,779 regrettable incident . No , us forces 328 00:12:31,779 --> 00:12:34,039 were harmed . Um We took appropriate 329 00:12:34,049 --> 00:12:36,105 action based on the situation on the 330 00:12:36,105 --> 00:12:39,530 ground . Thank you . Thank you . Um 331 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:42,102 I'm still confused trying to understand 332 00:12:42,102 --> 00:12:44,158 what really happened because you say 333 00:12:44,158 --> 00:12:46,213 it's regrettable incident , not sure 334 00:12:46,213 --> 00:12:47,991 what part is regrettable . It's 335 00:12:47,991 --> 00:12:49,936 regrettable when you have two NATO 336 00:12:49,936 --> 00:12:52,158 allies and , and there's an incident uh 337 00:12:52,158 --> 00:12:54,213 like this . So again , um you know , 338 00:12:54,213 --> 00:12:56,380 the secretary was able to have a phone 339 00:12:56,380 --> 00:12:58,547 call with his counterpart this morning 340 00:12:58,547 --> 00:13:00,491 and , and talk about the situation 341 00:13:00,491 --> 00:13:02,547 again . No US forces were harmed but 342 00:13:02,547 --> 00:13:04,658 because of the proximity of the drone 343 00:13:04,658 --> 00:13:06,880 to us forces in Hasaka and based on the 344 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:08,880 observations that this was an armed 345 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:11,158 drone that had been conducting strikes , 346 00:13:11,158 --> 00:13:13,213 we took appropriate uh due diligence 347 00:13:13,213 --> 00:13:15,469 and you said initial indication there's 348 00:13:15,479 --> 00:13:17,479 no intention on the Turkish side to 349 00:13:17,479 --> 00:13:19,869 target us forces . However , how did 350 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:22,059 you assess that ? Or the commanders on 351 00:13:22,070 --> 00:13:24,237 the ground assessed there was a threat 352 00:13:24,237 --> 00:13:26,599 to us forces that and they deemed it 353 00:13:26,609 --> 00:13:28,750 necessary to take actions to protect 354 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:30,982 you ? Right . Well , at , at the time , 355 00:13:30,982 --> 00:13:33,204 you don't know what you don't know , uh 356 00:13:33,204 --> 00:13:35,427 you're making observations and you have 357 00:13:35,427 --> 00:13:37,316 to take quick action to again and 358 00:13:37,316 --> 00:13:37,299 ensure the inherent right of self 359 00:13:37,309 --> 00:13:39,349 defense . What I'm telling you is 360 00:13:39,359 --> 00:13:41,526 subsequently as we look at this and as 361 00:13:41,526 --> 00:13:43,692 we've had those conversations , um you 362 00:13:43,692 --> 00:13:45,915 know , the initial indications are that 363 00:13:45,915 --> 00:13:47,915 there was no and , and this and the 364 00:13:47,915 --> 00:13:50,137 phone call was the uh secretary able to 365 00:13:50,137 --> 00:13:52,137 get any guarantees from the Turkish 366 00:13:52,137 --> 00:13:54,770 side that these operations will not 367 00:13:54,780 --> 00:13:57,059 happen again in these restricted areas 368 00:13:57,070 --> 00:14:00,234 or again without speaking for the , the 369 00:14:00,244 --> 00:14:02,484 Turkish Defense Minister . Uh the , the 370 00:14:02,494 --> 00:14:04,605 tone of the conversation was again an 371 00:14:04,605 --> 00:14:06,605 understanding that we are too close 372 00:14:06,605 --> 00:14:08,827 NATO allies that we will keep the lines 373 00:14:08,827 --> 00:14:10,994 of communication that we don't want to 374 00:14:10,994 --> 00:14:13,216 put our forces , uh each other's forces 375 00:14:13,216 --> 00:14:15,216 in harm's way . Um But also again , 376 00:14:15,216 --> 00:14:17,105 emphasizing the importance of the 377 00:14:17,105 --> 00:14:19,050 defeat ISIS mission and that was a 378 00:14:19,050 --> 00:14:21,050 sentiment expressed on both sides . 379 00:14:21,050 --> 00:14:24,010 Thank you , sir . Thank you very much , 380 00:14:24,020 --> 00:14:27,020 General . I have uh two questions I 381 00:14:27,030 --> 00:14:29,599 have a question regarding reports 382 00:14:29,609 --> 00:14:32,859 suggesting that cooperation between the 383 00:14:32,869 --> 00:14:36,369 Iraqi central government and Kurdistan 384 00:14:36,380 --> 00:14:39,719 forces , Peshmerga has been highly 385 00:14:39,729 --> 00:14:43,000 effective in countering and reducing 386 00:14:43,010 --> 00:14:45,739 ISIS activities . Could you please 387 00:14:45,750 --> 00:14:48,270 provide your comment on this matter ? 388 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:51,576 Yeah , I I'll , I'll provide a broad 389 00:14:51,576 --> 00:14:53,409 perspective and and I would also 390 00:14:53,409 --> 00:14:56,039 encourage you to , to talk to CJ TFOIR 391 00:14:56,049 --> 00:14:58,539 which is squarely focused on supporting 392 00:14:58,549 --> 00:15:01,570 Iraq in the defeat ISIS mission . But 393 00:15:01,580 --> 00:15:03,691 largely speaking , as you know , um I 394 00:15:03,691 --> 00:15:05,729 think that that one of the the key 395 00:15:05,739 --> 00:15:08,330 aspects of success in the defeat ISIS 396 00:15:08,340 --> 00:15:10,507 mission has been the the collaboration 397 00:15:10,507 --> 00:15:13,880 between the Isf and Peshmerga forces in 398 00:15:13,890 --> 00:15:16,659 in northern Iraq by working together 399 00:15:16,669 --> 00:15:19,109 against a common enemy , which is Isis . 400 00:15:19,119 --> 00:15:21,230 And so certainly , you know , that is 401 00:15:21,239 --> 00:15:23,295 something that I think has benefited 402 00:15:23,330 --> 00:15:25,679 not only Iraq but the region , thank 403 00:15:25,690 --> 00:15:29,609 you , you announced 404 00:15:29,619 --> 00:15:31,940 yesterday that you had transferred 405 00:15:31,950 --> 00:15:35,390 Iranian weapons bound for the Houthis 406 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:39,010 in Yemen to Ukraine . So uh 407 00:15:39,020 --> 00:15:42,320 three part questions , can we only do 408 00:15:42,330 --> 00:15:46,289 two ? Is Iran continuing to 409 00:15:46,299 --> 00:15:50,090 send arms to the Houthis ? Is it your 410 00:15:50,099 --> 00:15:53,739 policy to see such weapons when you can 411 00:15:54,039 --> 00:15:57,609 and when are transfer them to your 412 00:15:57,619 --> 00:16:00,479 allies ? Yeah , so I'm I'm not going to 413 00:16:00,489 --> 00:16:02,322 speculate about the , you know , 414 00:16:02,322 --> 00:16:04,489 potential future operation . Certainly 415 00:16:04,489 --> 00:16:06,650 in the past , we have seen Iran 416 00:16:06,659 --> 00:16:10,109 attempting to deliver weapons and aid 417 00:16:10,119 --> 00:16:13,369 to um to groups like the Houthis . 418 00:16:14,099 --> 00:16:16,989 Uh and in the past , in violation 419 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,419 of um you know , multiple international 420 00:16:20,429 --> 00:16:23,700 laws , uh those those assets have been 421 00:16:23,710 --> 00:16:27,049 seized whether or not we will replicate 422 00:16:27,059 --> 00:16:29,520 uh this , you know , remains to be seen . 423 00:16:29,650 --> 00:16:31,859 Uh Certainly when , when we did this , 424 00:16:31,869 --> 00:16:35,080 uh we did it under uh legal authorities 425 00:16:35,090 --> 00:16:37,299 in this particular case . Uh The US 426 00:16:37,309 --> 00:16:39,250 filed a forfeiture complaint over 427 00:16:39,260 --> 00:16:41,659 ammunition received or seized by the US 428 00:16:41,669 --> 00:16:44,130 Navy from a flagless vessel that had 429 00:16:44,140 --> 00:16:46,196 been transiting the Arabian Sea from 430 00:16:46,196 --> 00:16:49,299 Iran in early of December 2022 . And so 431 00:16:49,309 --> 00:16:51,476 this forfeiture action uh is a product 432 00:16:51,479 --> 00:16:53,423 of the US government's coordinated 433 00:16:53,423 --> 00:16:55,590 effort to enforce us sanctions against 434 00:16:55,590 --> 00:16:58,049 the I RGC and the Iranian regime . And 435 00:16:58,059 --> 00:17:01,650 on July 20th of 2023 a final order of 436 00:17:01,659 --> 00:17:03,826 forfeiture was issued by a US district 437 00:17:03,826 --> 00:17:06,859 court for the District of Columbia and 438 00:17:06,869 --> 00:17:09,290 the Department of Justice . Um put out 439 00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:11,022 a press release which provides 440 00:17:11,022 --> 00:17:12,744 additional information on this 441 00:17:12,744 --> 00:17:14,856 forfeiture complaint . So , thank you 442 00:17:14,856 --> 00:17:17,022 very much , sir . Thank you , sir . Uh 443 00:17:17,022 --> 00:17:19,150 Two questions . One as far as the US 444 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,271 India relations are concerned , India 445 00:17:21,271 --> 00:17:23,800 made a history uh recently at the G 20 446 00:17:23,939 --> 00:17:26,280 hosting leaders from around the globe 447 00:17:26,579 --> 00:17:28,609 and President Biden was very clear 448 00:17:28,619 --> 00:17:30,910 about us India relations there . And 449 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:32,698 last week here , Indian Foreign 450 00:17:32,698 --> 00:17:36,520 Minister was in the building . So 451 00:17:36,530 --> 00:17:38,308 where we do , we stand as for a 452 00:17:38,308 --> 00:17:40,419 military to military relation after G 453 00:17:40,419 --> 00:17:42,859 20 . And also if there are any 454 00:17:42,869 --> 00:17:45,319 secretaries visiting India or Indian 455 00:17:45,329 --> 00:17:48,010 Defense Minister coming here . Yeah , 456 00:17:48,020 --> 00:17:50,131 thanks very much for the question . I 457 00:17:50,131 --> 00:17:52,187 don't have any announcements to make 458 00:17:52,187 --> 00:17:54,242 right now um Regarding any potential 459 00:17:54,242 --> 00:17:56,353 visits other than to say , uh that uh 460 00:17:56,353 --> 00:17:58,020 as you know , uh we very much 461 00:17:58,020 --> 00:18:00,187 appreciate our relationship with India 462 00:18:00,187 --> 00:18:02,550 uh on , on a defense level . Uh We 463 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:06,119 continue to foster a stronger defense 464 00:18:06,130 --> 00:18:08,469 partnership with India and that is 465 00:18:08,479 --> 00:18:10,646 something that I think you'll continue 466 00:18:10,646 --> 00:18:12,535 to see us do going forward . I am 467 00:18:12,535 --> 00:18:14,757 saying is that Prime Minister Modi also 468 00:18:14,757 --> 00:18:16,757 spoke as far as us India , military 469 00:18:16,757 --> 00:18:18,979 military relations and going beyond the 470 00:18:18,979 --> 00:18:21,920 G 20 relations because of China's 471 00:18:21,930 --> 00:18:24,020 rising in the region and threatening 472 00:18:24,109 --> 00:18:26,165 many nations in the . So where do we 473 00:18:26,175 --> 00:18:28,464 stand as far as China's threat to the 474 00:18:28,474 --> 00:18:31,005 nations around that region ? Well , 475 00:18:31,015 --> 00:18:33,126 we've been very clear on this right . 476 00:18:33,126 --> 00:18:35,293 China remains the pacing challenge for 477 00:18:35,293 --> 00:18:37,293 the Department of Defense and we do 478 00:18:37,293 --> 00:18:39,515 appreciate the partnership that we have 479 00:18:39,515 --> 00:18:41,626 with India and other countries in the 480 00:18:41,626 --> 00:18:43,682 Indo Pacific region when it comes to 481 00:18:43,682 --> 00:18:45,515 preserving uh individual nations 482 00:18:45,515 --> 00:18:47,237 sovereignty and abiding by the 483 00:18:47,237 --> 00:18:50,479 international um international rules uh 484 00:18:50,489 --> 00:18:52,939 based order that has preserved peace 485 00:18:52,949 --> 00:18:55,171 and stability for for many years . Ok . 486 00:18:55,171 --> 00:18:57,338 Let me go ahead and move on . Let me , 487 00:18:57,338 --> 00:18:59,449 let me go . Yes , sir . Thank you . I 488 00:18:59,449 --> 00:19:01,282 want to ask you about the secret 489 00:19:01,282 --> 00:19:03,171 meeting with the Japanese Defense 490 00:19:03,171 --> 00:19:05,060 Minister yesterday , the Japanese 491 00:19:05,060 --> 00:19:07,116 Defense Minister said in the meeting 492 00:19:07,116 --> 00:19:09,469 that Japan intends to acquire Tomahawk 493 00:19:09,479 --> 00:19:13,250 cruise missile by 2025 1 year earlier 494 00:19:13,260 --> 00:19:15,316 than originally scheduled . Give the 495 00:19:15,316 --> 00:19:18,180 secretary guarantee the US will provide 496 00:19:18,189 --> 00:19:21,630 Tomahawk missiles to Japan by 2025 in 497 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:23,800 the meeting . Yeah , thanks . So as a 498 00:19:23,810 --> 00:19:26,449 matter of policy , uh we are unable to 499 00:19:26,459 --> 00:19:29,140 comment on or confirm potential arms 500 00:19:29,150 --> 00:19:31,270 sales or transfers before they're 501 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:33,739 formally notified to Congress . So at 502 00:19:33,750 --> 00:19:35,810 this time , uh in regards to their 503 00:19:35,819 --> 00:19:37,986 request , I'd have to refer you to the 504 00:19:37,986 --> 00:19:40,152 government of Japan . I would say that 505 00:19:40,152 --> 00:19:41,986 we've been very clear uh that we 506 00:19:41,986 --> 00:19:44,097 broadly support efforts by our allies 507 00:19:44,097 --> 00:19:46,041 to bolter their bolster their self 508 00:19:46,041 --> 00:19:48,208 defense . Thank you very much and time 509 00:19:48,208 --> 00:19:50,097 for one more . Yes , sir . Couple 510 00:19:50,097 --> 00:19:52,041 questions on Ukraine funding . You 511 00:19:52,041 --> 00:19:54,208 weren't around last week when a lot of 512 00:19:54,208 --> 00:19:56,430 this happened , but well , it was , you 513 00:19:56,430 --> 00:19:59,020 were and it does rain there evidently . 514 00:19:59,030 --> 00:20:01,260 So that's why you're so cheery . Ok . 515 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:03,979 The attack decision , if and when the 516 00:20:03,989 --> 00:20:06,030 president makes it , will it be 517 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:09,540 affected by the lack of 24 f by 24 518 00:20:09,550 --> 00:20:13,359 Ukraine funding ? So on . Um I don't 519 00:20:13,369 --> 00:20:15,560 have anything to announce or , or pass 520 00:20:15,569 --> 00:20:18,630 along on that front . Um So yeah , I'm 521 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:20,640 not asking you to make a decision , 522 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:22,640 announce a decision , but given the 523 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,819 funding issues , you didn't get 24 524 00:20:25,829 --> 00:20:27,859 funding if the president makes a 525 00:20:27,869 --> 00:20:29,925 decision . Do you have , do you have 526 00:20:29,925 --> 00:20:32,479 money and authority to pull from army 527 00:20:32,489 --> 00:20:34,600 inventories to send to Ukraine ? So , 528 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:36,822 so what I would say , Tony is , I'm not 529 00:20:36,822 --> 00:20:39,010 going to get into the potential impact 530 00:20:39,020 --> 00:20:41,390 on specific systems or capability as it 531 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,229 relates to Ukraine's security 532 00:20:43,239 --> 00:20:45,670 assistance . Uh You know , my colleague , 533 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:47,680 Sabrina mentioned earlier this week 534 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:49,630 that we do have enough PD a uh 535 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:53,560 authority and funding um in , in the 536 00:20:53,569 --> 00:20:55,680 short term to last a bit longer . And 537 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:57,902 that we will continue , you'll continue 538 00:20:57,902 --> 00:21:01,060 to see us uh announcing PDAs uh on the 539 00:21:01,069 --> 00:21:03,130 regular cadence for the foreseeable 540 00:21:03,140 --> 00:21:06,579 future . Certainly as we move 541 00:21:06,589 --> 00:21:09,119 forward , we will need funding from 542 00:21:09,130 --> 00:21:11,019 Congress . We'll continue to stay 543 00:21:11,019 --> 00:21:13,186 engaged with Congress on both sides of 544 00:21:13,186 --> 00:21:15,489 the aisle to advocate for the funding 545 00:21:15,500 --> 00:21:17,556 that we need . But as it pertains to 546 00:21:17,556 --> 00:21:19,722 specific systems or capabilities , I'm 547 00:21:19,722 --> 00:21:23,400 just not about $5 billion of authority 548 00:21:23,410 --> 00:21:25,890 to pull from us inventories . That's 549 00:21:25,900 --> 00:21:28,067 correct . We have a little more than 5 550 00:21:28,067 --> 00:21:30,089 billion , I think 5.4 billion in 551 00:21:30,099 --> 00:21:33,339 restored PD A authority uh that remains 552 00:21:33,349 --> 00:21:35,293 available for Ukraine . Uh We have 553 00:21:35,293 --> 00:21:38,859 about 1.6 billion remaining uh for 554 00:21:38,869 --> 00:21:40,939 replenishment purposes . That's the 555 00:21:40,949 --> 00:21:43,171 difference is what you're sure at the , 556 00:21:43,171 --> 00:21:44,949 what's the latest thinking on a 557 00:21:44,949 --> 00:21:47,005 reprogramming a request , you know , 558 00:21:47,005 --> 00:21:49,227 one of those arcane budgeting tool that 559 00:21:49,227 --> 00:21:51,282 you have available ? Sure . Uh So as 560 00:21:51,282 --> 00:21:53,393 you know , uh reprogramming is always 561 00:21:53,393 --> 00:21:55,616 an option for urgent needs at this time 562 00:21:55,616 --> 00:21:57,838 right now though . Um to my knowledge , 563 00:21:57,838 --> 00:21:59,782 no decision has been made on using 564 00:21:59,782 --> 00:22:03,180 reprogramming as a way to uh to 565 00:22:03,189 --> 00:22:05,411 support Ukraine's security assistance . 566 00:22:05,411 --> 00:22:07,578 You know , we , we remain committed to 567 00:22:07,578 --> 00:22:09,633 working with Congress on the Ukraine 568 00:22:09,633 --> 00:22:11,522 supplemental and receiving a full 569 00:22:11,522 --> 00:22:13,522 budget . Thank you . Thank you very 570 00:22:13,522 --> 00:22:16,729 much . Uh Actually , I'll just do two 571 00:22:16,739 --> 00:22:18,683 more Tom since you , you caught my 572 00:22:18,683 --> 00:22:20,795 attention , but let me go to Mike and 573 00:22:20,795 --> 00:22:22,739 I'll come to you if you could talk 574 00:22:22,739 --> 00:22:24,517 about the impact , the Russia's 575 00:22:24,517 --> 00:22:26,572 decision to move the Black Sea fleet 576 00:22:26,572 --> 00:22:28,517 out of Crimea is gonna have on the 577 00:22:28,517 --> 00:22:30,683 fight is going to have on the fighting 578 00:22:30,683 --> 00:22:32,906 there in Ukraine . Yeah , thanks Mike . 579 00:22:32,906 --> 00:22:32,579 What I would tell you is I've seen the 580 00:22:32,589 --> 00:22:34,756 press reporting on that . I just don't 581 00:22:34,756 --> 00:22:37,033 have anything to , to pass along on it . 582 00:22:37,033 --> 00:22:39,145 I , I can't corroborate those reports 583 00:22:39,145 --> 00:22:41,579 at this time . So thank you . And all 584 00:22:41,589 --> 00:22:43,811 right , because you , you wave nicely . 585 00:22:43,811 --> 00:22:46,033 We'll do two more . We'll go to Tom and 586 00:22:46,033 --> 00:22:48,145 then the final question . Thank you . 587 00:22:48,145 --> 00:22:50,145 Uh Follow on the Tony . I think , I 588 00:22:50,145 --> 00:22:52,367 think Sabrina mentioned on Tuesday that 589 00:22:52,367 --> 00:22:54,367 part of the decision making on what 590 00:22:54,367 --> 00:22:56,478 kind of the , how the remaining money 591 00:22:56,478 --> 00:22:56,209 will be spent will be based on what the 592 00:22:56,219 --> 00:22:58,219 controller also says that we have X 593 00:22:58,219 --> 00:23:00,386 amount of dollars we can spend it this 594 00:23:00,386 --> 00:23:03,069 way . So , is that part of the mix as 595 00:23:03,079 --> 00:23:05,190 well ? Like you have a certain amount 596 00:23:05,190 --> 00:23:07,770 of 5.4 we could spend XY or Z and the 597 00:23:07,780 --> 00:23:09,836 control will tell you how long it'll 598 00:23:09,836 --> 00:23:12,058 last . Well , yeah , so it's a , it's a 599 00:23:12,058 --> 00:23:14,113 great point , right ? Because I know 600 00:23:14,113 --> 00:23:13,290 the questions come out . Well , how 601 00:23:13,300 --> 00:23:15,411 long is that gonna gonna last ? And , 602 00:23:15,411 --> 00:23:17,467 and the reason that you're not gonna 603 00:23:17,467 --> 00:23:19,467 hear us put a date on it is because 604 00:23:19,467 --> 00:23:21,467 it's all relative to what Ukraine's 605 00:23:21,467 --> 00:23:23,578 most urgent security assistance needs 606 00:23:23,578 --> 00:23:25,744 are the situation on the battlefield . 607 00:23:26,069 --> 00:23:28,291 Uh And so , you know , we will continue 608 00:23:28,291 --> 00:23:30,579 to tailor those PD A packages based on 609 00:23:30,589 --> 00:23:32,922 what they need on the ground . So again , 610 00:23:32,922 --> 00:23:34,978 we have enough funding to last for a 611 00:23:34,978 --> 00:23:36,978 bit longer . Um , you know , from a 612 00:23:36,978 --> 00:23:39,033 department of defense standpoint and 613 00:23:39,033 --> 00:23:41,256 you'll see this next week at the U DC G 614 00:23:41,256 --> 00:23:43,367 Secretary , Austin remains singularly 615 00:23:43,367 --> 00:23:45,256 focused on making sure that we're 616 00:23:45,256 --> 00:23:47,478 working with Ukraine and our allies and 617 00:23:47,478 --> 00:23:47,189 partners to get what they need to be 618 00:23:47,199 --> 00:23:48,866 successful in the battlefield 619 00:23:48,866 --> 00:23:51,109 regardless of what's going on . Uh you 620 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:54,510 know , outside . Yes , ma'am . Sorry , 621 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:56,687 another Black Sea question . So I know 622 00:23:56,687 --> 00:23:58,909 you can't say if the ships were moved . 623 00:23:58,909 --> 00:24:01,020 But what effect will this have on the 624 00:24:01,020 --> 00:24:03,131 grain deal or the ability for Ukraine 625 00:24:03,131 --> 00:24:05,298 to export its grain if those ships are 626 00:24:05,298 --> 00:24:07,839 moved further down in Crimea ? Yeah . 627 00:24:07,849 --> 00:24:09,780 So II I hesitate to get into a 628 00:24:09,790 --> 00:24:12,290 speculative situation . Uh Certainly 629 00:24:12,300 --> 00:24:14,467 with Russia withdrawing from the grain 630 00:24:14,467 --> 00:24:16,522 deal , you know , we've talked about 631 00:24:16,522 --> 00:24:18,356 the fact that this significantly 632 00:24:18,356 --> 00:24:20,467 impacts not only people in the region 633 00:24:20,467 --> 00:24:22,744 but people around the world . You know , 634 00:24:22,744 --> 00:24:24,856 we were just in Africa and this was a 635 00:24:24,856 --> 00:24:26,856 topic of discussion in terms of the 636 00:24:26,856 --> 00:24:28,911 impact of countries like Russia that 637 00:24:28,911 --> 00:24:30,578 are using food as a weapon to 638 00:24:30,578 --> 00:24:32,411 essentially uh negatively impact 639 00:24:32,411 --> 00:24:34,522 peoples around the world . So while I 640 00:24:34,522 --> 00:24:36,300 don't have any information on a 641 00:24:36,300 --> 00:24:38,633 potential Russian Navy movement , again , 642 00:24:38,633 --> 00:24:40,633 that's really something for them to 643 00:24:40,633 --> 00:24:42,578 talk about . I I would say largely 644 00:24:42,578 --> 00:24:44,633 speaking . Um , you know , it's just 645 00:24:44,633 --> 00:24:46,744 very unfortunate that , that we see a 646 00:24:46,744 --> 00:24:48,744 country like Russia using food , uh 647 00:24:48,744 --> 00:24:51,022 weaponizing food . Thank you very much . 648 00:24:51,022 --> 00:24:50,640 Everybody appreciate it .