1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:06,860 All right , good afternoon , everyone . 3 00:00:07,510 --> 00:00:09,621 Just a few things here at the top and 4 00:00:09,621 --> 00:00:11,899 then we'll get right to your questions . 5 00:00:11,899 --> 00:00:14,121 Uh , regarding the ongoing situation in 6 00:00:14,121 --> 00:00:15,954 the Middle East , the department 7 00:00:15,954 --> 00:00:18,121 remains squarely focused on supporting 8 00:00:18,121 --> 00:00:20,232 Israel's defense needs in the wake of 9 00:00:20,232 --> 00:00:22,399 hamas' terrorist attacks , deterring a 10 00:00:22,399 --> 00:00:24,566 broader regional conflict and ensuring 11 00:00:24,566 --> 00:00:26,788 force protection for our troops serving 12 00:00:26,788 --> 00:00:28,954 in the region . Secretary Austin spoke 13 00:00:28,954 --> 00:00:30,954 with Israeli Minister of Defense YV 14 00:00:30,954 --> 00:00:33,177 Gallant yesterday as part of their near 15 00:00:33,177 --> 00:00:35,343 daily phone calls and received updates 16 00:00:35,343 --> 00:00:37,232 on Israel's operations to restore 17 00:00:37,232 --> 00:00:39,177 security . During the discussion , 18 00:00:39,177 --> 00:00:40,954 Secretary Austin reiterated the 19 00:00:40,954 --> 00:00:43,177 importance of ensuring humanitarian aid 20 00:00:43,177 --> 00:00:45,399 can be delivered into Gaza and repeated 21 00:00:45,399 --> 00:00:47,343 our calls for Israel to ensure the 22 00:00:47,343 --> 00:00:49,510 protection of civilians readout of the 23 00:00:49,510 --> 00:00:51,843 call has been posted to the dod website . 24 00:00:51,860 --> 00:00:54,027 In addition to the security assistance 25 00:00:54,027 --> 00:00:56,360 for Israel , we've announced previously , 26 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:58,471 I can confirm that in addition to the 27 00:00:58,471 --> 00:01:00,638 iron dome interceptors , we're flowing 28 00:01:00,638 --> 00:01:02,582 to Israel . We're also planning to 29 00:01:02,582 --> 00:01:04,638 provide the two US iron dome systems 30 00:01:04,638 --> 00:01:06,860 currently in our inventory to Israel to 31 00:01:06,860 --> 00:01:09,027 help further bolster their air defense 32 00:01:09,027 --> 00:01:11,193 capabilities and protect citizens from 33 00:01:11,193 --> 00:01:13,730 rocket attacks for operation security 34 00:01:13,739 --> 00:01:15,683 reasons . I'm not going to discuss 35 00:01:15,683 --> 00:01:17,739 shipment timelines or delivery dates 36 00:01:17,739 --> 00:01:19,683 and we defer to Israel to make any 37 00:01:19,683 --> 00:01:21,406 announcements regarding future 38 00:01:21,406 --> 00:01:23,580 deployment and use of these systems as 39 00:01:23,589 --> 00:01:26,019 part of our efforts to deter a broader 40 00:01:26,029 --> 00:01:28,470 conflict and further bolster us force 41 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,220 protection capabilities . I can confirm 42 00:01:31,230 --> 00:01:33,286 that since our initial force posture 43 00:01:33,286 --> 00:01:36,419 announcement , approximately 900 troops 44 00:01:36,430 --> 00:01:38,529 have subsequently deployed or are in 45 00:01:38,540 --> 00:01:40,930 the process of deploying to the US 46 00:01:40,940 --> 00:01:43,239 central command area of responsibility . 47 00:01:43,529 --> 00:01:45,696 These include forces that have been on 48 00:01:45,696 --> 00:01:47,918 prepared to deploy orders and which are 49 00:01:47,918 --> 00:01:50,029 deploying from the continental United 50 00:01:50,029 --> 00:01:52,029 States deployed and deploying units 51 00:01:52,029 --> 00:01:54,140 include a terminal high altitude area 52 00:01:54,140 --> 00:01:56,589 defense battery from Fort Bliss , Texas 53 00:01:57,050 --> 00:01:59,150 Patriot batteries from Fort Sill , 54 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,199 Oklahoma Patriot and Avenger batteries 55 00:02:02,209 --> 00:02:04,750 from Fort Liberty , North Carolina and 56 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:06,871 associated air defense headquarters , 57 00:02:06,871 --> 00:02:10,050 elements from Fort Bliss and Fort Fort 58 00:02:10,410 --> 00:02:13,610 Cados , Texas . While I won't talk 59 00:02:13,619 --> 00:02:15,860 specific deployment locations for these 60 00:02:15,869 --> 00:02:17,925 forces , I can confirm that they are 61 00:02:17,925 --> 00:02:19,980 not going to Israel and then again , 62 00:02:19,980 --> 00:02:22,091 they are intended to support regional 63 00:02:22,091 --> 00:02:24,258 deterrence efforts and further bolster 64 00:02:24,258 --> 00:02:26,202 us force protection capabilities . 65 00:02:26,202 --> 00:02:28,036 Shifting gears . The White House 66 00:02:28,036 --> 00:02:30,258 announced today a $150 million security 67 00:02:30,258 --> 00:02:32,147 assistance package for Ukraine to 68 00:02:32,147 --> 00:02:34,480 support Ukraine's urgent security needs . 69 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,460 This marks the 49th provision of 70 00:02:36,470 --> 00:02:38,359 equipment from dod inventories to 71 00:02:38,359 --> 00:02:41,039 Ukraine . Since August 2021 . This 72 00:02:41,050 --> 00:02:43,106 crucial security assistance includes 73 00:02:43,106 --> 00:02:45,580 air defense capabilities , artillery 74 00:02:45,589 --> 00:02:47,533 ammunition , anti tank weapons and 75 00:02:47,533 --> 00:02:49,533 other important aid to help Ukraine 76 00:02:49,533 --> 00:02:51,800 counter Russia's ongoing aggression and 77 00:02:51,809 --> 00:02:54,031 continue its fight for independence and 78 00:02:54,031 --> 00:02:56,031 freedom . As you've heard Secretary 79 00:02:56,031 --> 00:02:58,253 Austin and other senior leaders say the 80 00:02:58,253 --> 00:03:00,309 United States will continue to stand 81 00:03:00,309 --> 00:03:02,087 firmly with Ukraine and we will 82 00:03:02,087 --> 00:03:04,365 continue to have their backs . Finally , 83 00:03:04,365 --> 00:03:06,309 the department released its annual 84 00:03:06,309 --> 00:03:08,420 report on suicide in the military for 85 00:03:08,420 --> 00:03:10,309 calendar year 2022 . Today , this 86 00:03:10,309 --> 00:03:12,420 report serves as the official release 87 00:03:12,420 --> 00:03:14,476 authority for annual suicide data on 88 00:03:14,476 --> 00:03:16,531 service members and their families . 89 00:03:16,660 --> 00:03:18,827 The report also highlights current and 90 00:03:18,827 --> 00:03:20,949 ongoing department wide efforts to 91 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,149 reduce suicide risk among service 92 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,271 members and their families . Although 93 00:03:25,271 --> 00:03:27,493 the department is cautiously encouraged 94 00:03:27,493 --> 00:03:29,549 by some of the information . In this 95 00:03:29,549 --> 00:03:31,771 year's annual report , we remain deeply 96 00:03:31,771 --> 00:03:33,993 concerned about suicide in the military 97 00:03:33,993 --> 00:03:36,160 community , the health safety and well 98 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:38,104 being of our military community is 99 00:03:38,104 --> 00:03:40,327 essential to the readiness of our total 100 00:03:40,327 --> 00:03:42,327 force . Every death by suicide is a 101 00:03:42,327 --> 00:03:44,490 tragedy as part of broader efforts to 102 00:03:44,500 --> 00:03:46,500 ensure we take care of our people , 103 00:03:46,500 --> 00:03:48,389 which includes Secretary Austin , 104 00:03:48,389 --> 00:03:50,611 establishing the suicide prevention and 105 00:03:50,611 --> 00:03:52,889 response Independent Review Commission . 106 00:03:52,889 --> 00:03:54,722 The department is implementing a 107 00:03:54,722 --> 00:03:56,889 campaign with five lines of effort and 108 00:03:56,889 --> 00:03:59,000 enabling tasks to augment our suicide 109 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,167 prevention and response capabilities . 110 00:04:01,167 --> 00:04:03,222 Based on findings from this report , 111 00:04:03,222 --> 00:04:05,056 the department will continue its 112 00:04:05,056 --> 00:04:07,111 efforts aimed at effectively meeting 113 00:04:07,111 --> 00:04:09,333 the needs of our population at greatest 114 00:04:09,333 --> 00:04:11,556 risk of suicide and continue to support 115 00:04:11,556 --> 00:04:13,444 military families . The report is 116 00:04:13,444 --> 00:04:15,667 available online on the Dod website and 117 00:04:15,667 --> 00:04:17,833 with that , I'll be happy to take your 118 00:04:17,833 --> 00:04:20,056 questions . We'll go to Lita Associated 119 00:04:20,056 --> 00:04:21,556 Press . Thank you . Um Two 120 00:04:21,556 --> 00:04:23,778 clarifications if I can and and another 121 00:04:23,778 --> 00:04:25,778 question one , the sad and patriots 122 00:04:25,778 --> 00:04:27,944 that you mentioned are not in addition 123 00:04:27,944 --> 00:04:30,111 to the ones you talked about the other 124 00:04:30,111 --> 00:04:32,389 day , they are the same ones . Correct . 125 00:04:32,389 --> 00:04:34,500 Secondly , the two iron domes has the 126 00:04:34,500 --> 00:04:38,420 US been able to determine how 127 00:04:38,429 --> 00:04:41,459 legally and they , those particular 128 00:04:41,470 --> 00:04:43,839 systems can be delivered because there 129 00:04:43,850 --> 00:04:46,619 are caps on some type of weapon systems 130 00:04:46,630 --> 00:04:49,000 and the amounts . So has all of that 131 00:04:49,010 --> 00:04:51,755 been settled and then I have a and that 132 00:04:51,765 --> 00:04:53,654 question , uh yes , we're working 133 00:04:53,654 --> 00:04:55,765 through that process . Um We are , we 134 00:04:55,765 --> 00:04:57,765 are confident that we'll be able to 135 00:04:57,765 --> 00:04:59,765 provide those systems to Israel . I 136 00:04:59,765 --> 00:04:59,684 don't have any details to provide for 137 00:04:59,695 --> 00:05:01,934 you today . Uh If and when we're able 138 00:05:01,945 --> 00:05:04,056 to , certainly we'll , we'll get that 139 00:05:04,056 --> 00:05:06,001 information out and the process is 140 00:05:06,001 --> 00:05:08,112 ongoing , right ? Or has it done ? We 141 00:05:08,112 --> 00:05:10,223 are working through the final details 142 00:05:10,223 --> 00:05:12,864 of that process . Uh But um again , 143 00:05:12,875 --> 00:05:14,875 we're confident that these , we are 144 00:05:14,875 --> 00:05:16,764 going to be able to provide these 145 00:05:16,764 --> 00:05:18,819 systems to Israel . OK . And then my 146 00:05:18,819 --> 00:05:21,010 question um on the attacks against the 147 00:05:21,019 --> 00:05:23,559 United States uh bases and personnel in 148 00:05:23,570 --> 00:05:26,980 Syria and Iraq . Exactly how many 149 00:05:26,989 --> 00:05:30,850 attacks is the Pentagon now assessed 150 00:05:30,859 --> 00:05:33,440 have been actually done against the 151 00:05:33,450 --> 00:05:36,079 bases . And secondly , a number of 152 00:05:36,089 --> 00:05:38,640 groups have taken responsibility for 153 00:05:38,649 --> 00:05:41,920 these . What does the US assess as the 154 00:05:41,929 --> 00:05:44,096 groups that are responsible for them ? 155 00:05:44,096 --> 00:05:46,100 Sure . So , on your , on your first 156 00:05:46,109 --> 00:05:48,109 question , uh I would tell you that 157 00:05:48,109 --> 00:05:51,769 between October 17 and 26 US and 158 00:05:51,779 --> 00:05:53,946 coalition forces have been attacked at 159 00:05:53,946 --> 00:05:56,660 least 12 separate times in Iraq four 160 00:05:56,670 --> 00:05:59,299 separate times in Syria by a mix of one 161 00:05:59,309 --> 00:06:01,253 way attack drones and rockets . Uh 162 00:06:01,253 --> 00:06:03,910 Again , we will continue to revise 163 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,230 those numbers as new information comes 164 00:06:06,239 --> 00:06:08,890 in . Uh in regards to your second 165 00:06:08,899 --> 00:06:11,570 question , um I'm not going to have 166 00:06:11,579 --> 00:06:13,801 more specific information to provide to 167 00:06:13,801 --> 00:06:15,890 you from here in terms of specific 168 00:06:15,899 --> 00:06:18,232 groups that have claimed responsibility . 169 00:06:18,232 --> 00:06:20,399 Other than to say , we know that these 170 00:06:20,399 --> 00:06:22,929 groups are affiliated with Iran . 171 00:06:23,769 --> 00:06:27,529 Thanks Jennifer . Were there two 172 00:06:27,540 --> 00:06:29,873 more attacks in the last 24 hours on us ? 173 00:06:29,873 --> 00:06:32,040 Bases ? We understand that Deir El Zor 174 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,373 and Erbil were attacked , what happened ? 175 00:06:34,579 --> 00:06:36,809 So Jennifer , what I would tell you is 176 00:06:36,820 --> 00:06:39,160 uh we're continuing to refine 177 00:06:39,220 --> 00:06:41,309 information coming in from central 178 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,170 command . I I can tell you that we are 179 00:06:44,179 --> 00:06:47,250 aware uh of an attack today 180 00:06:47,700 --> 00:06:51,170 against us . Forces at Erbil Airbase in 181 00:06:51,179 --> 00:06:53,709 Iraq . It was unsuccessful , no 182 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:55,829 casualties , some minor damage to 183 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:58,200 infrastructure . But again , we will 184 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,019 make sure that we're able to update 185 00:07:01,029 --> 00:07:03,140 that information . I'm not tracking a 186 00:07:03,140 --> 00:07:05,307 second one at this point in time . But 187 00:07:05,307 --> 00:07:07,473 again , as that information comes in , 188 00:07:07,473 --> 00:07:09,696 you said that you assess that these are 189 00:07:09,696 --> 00:07:11,807 Iranian backed groups . Will you hold 190 00:07:11,807 --> 00:07:15,130 Iran responsible or are you holding the 191 00:07:15,140 --> 00:07:17,649 proxy groups responsible and what is 192 00:07:17,744 --> 00:07:19,911 taking so long to respond ? Look , I'm 193 00:07:19,911 --> 00:07:21,855 not going to get into telegraphing 194 00:07:21,855 --> 00:07:24,022 whether we are or not going to respond 195 00:07:24,022 --> 00:07:26,133 other than to say we would do so at a 196 00:07:26,133 --> 00:07:28,077 time and place of our choosing . I 197 00:07:28,077 --> 00:07:30,244 think we've been crystal clear that we 198 00:07:30,244 --> 00:07:31,966 maintain the inherent right of 199 00:07:31,966 --> 00:07:34,077 defending our troops and we will take 200 00:07:34,077 --> 00:07:36,188 all necessary measures to protect our 201 00:07:36,188 --> 00:07:38,411 forces and our interests overseas as it 202 00:07:38,411 --> 00:07:40,466 relates to these groups . Again , we 203 00:07:40,466 --> 00:07:42,411 know that these are Iranian backed 204 00:07:42,411 --> 00:07:45,260 militia groups that are supported by 205 00:07:45,269 --> 00:07:47,700 Iran . And of course , we hold Iran 206 00:07:47,709 --> 00:07:50,290 responsible for these groups . Are you 207 00:07:50,299 --> 00:07:52,466 holding them responsible ? Again , I'm 208 00:07:52,466 --> 00:07:54,521 not going to telegraph any potential 209 00:07:54,521 --> 00:07:56,688 actions . Lastly , you're sending some 210 00:07:57,010 --> 00:07:59,279 eo explosive ordinance troops to the 211 00:07:59,290 --> 00:08:01,589 Middle East . Will they be helping in 212 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:03,544 Gaza ? Are they helping with booby 213 00:08:03,544 --> 00:08:05,322 traps in tunnels ? Why send EOD 214 00:08:05,322 --> 00:08:08,820 personnel ? Yes . So to be clear to my 215 00:08:08,829 --> 00:08:10,996 knowledge , we are not sending any EOD 216 00:08:10,996 --> 00:08:13,140 personnel at this time . Uh Certainly 217 00:08:13,149 --> 00:08:16,519 we have uh EEOD forces that are uh 218 00:08:16,529 --> 00:08:19,450 potentially tapped for a deployment . 219 00:08:19,820 --> 00:08:22,859 Um But none of those forces would be 220 00:08:22,869 --> 00:08:25,130 going to Israel . Um So again , I'm not 221 00:08:25,140 --> 00:08:27,510 going to get ahead of units that are on 222 00:08:27,519 --> 00:08:29,760 prepared to deploy orders other than to 223 00:08:29,769 --> 00:08:31,880 say , you know , we will make sure we 224 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:33,713 have the capabilities we need in 225 00:08:33,713 --> 00:08:35,658 theater to , to support both force 226 00:08:35,658 --> 00:08:37,991 protection and deterrence efforts . Pat . 227 00:08:37,991 --> 00:08:40,179 Uh Thanks on , on this idea of Iranian 228 00:08:40,190 --> 00:08:42,357 backed groups . And what they're doing 229 00:08:42,357 --> 00:08:44,479 is dod observing actual co ordination 230 00:08:44,489 --> 00:08:46,822 between Iran and these groups and Hamas . 231 00:08:47,159 --> 00:08:49,849 Uh And uh presently , one of the senior 232 00:08:49,859 --> 00:08:51,915 leaders of Hamas is in Moscow is dod 233 00:08:51,915 --> 00:08:53,970 perceiving any co ordination at this 234 00:08:53,970 --> 00:08:56,200 time between Moscow and Hamas or any of 235 00:08:56,210 --> 00:08:58,869 these groups . Yeah . So I think your 236 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:02,270 question was uh these uh groups in 237 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,559 Iraq and Syria and Hamas , right ? So 238 00:09:05,700 --> 00:09:08,033 let's , let's separate these two things . 239 00:09:08,033 --> 00:09:10,256 One is the situation in Israel which is 240 00:09:10,256 --> 00:09:12,739 Israel and their fight against Hamas . 241 00:09:13,090 --> 00:09:15,257 What we're , what we're seeing here is 242 00:09:15,257 --> 00:09:17,609 in Iraq and Syria where our forces are 243 00:09:17,619 --> 00:09:19,452 there as part of the defeat ISIS 244 00:09:19,452 --> 00:09:21,979 mission . These groups , many of which 245 00:09:21,989 --> 00:09:24,500 are long standing in that region , uh 246 00:09:24,510 --> 00:09:27,640 are conducting these attacks against us 247 00:09:27,650 --> 00:09:30,849 forces . And so , um , two separate 248 00:09:30,859 --> 00:09:32,970 issues that we're , that we're seeing 249 00:09:32,970 --> 00:09:34,970 here that said we do know Iran , of 250 00:09:34,970 --> 00:09:37,192 course , has a relationship with groups 251 00:09:37,192 --> 00:09:39,137 like Hamas with Hezbollah and with 252 00:09:39,137 --> 00:09:41,303 these um militia groups that , that we 253 00:09:41,303 --> 00:09:43,192 see in Iraq and Syria . Does that 254 00:09:43,192 --> 00:09:45,026 relationship mean daily tactical 255 00:09:45,026 --> 00:09:47,248 communications about possible strikes ? 256 00:09:47,248 --> 00:09:48,859 So I'm not going to get into 257 00:09:48,859 --> 00:09:51,026 intelligence , but again , I would not 258 00:09:51,026 --> 00:09:53,081 necessarily try to connect dots that 259 00:09:53,081 --> 00:09:55,081 don't necessarily exist right now . 260 00:09:55,081 --> 00:09:57,026 Thanks . Thank you . I just have a 261 00:09:57,026 --> 00:09:59,359 clarification about the attack in Erbil . 262 00:09:59,359 --> 00:10:01,750 Of course , you described it as 263 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:05,169 unsuccessful . What is the criteria 264 00:10:05,179 --> 00:10:08,030 that the dod used in uh evaluating 265 00:10:08,039 --> 00:10:09,817 attacks , whether successful or 266 00:10:09,817 --> 00:10:12,770 unsuccessful , um whether or not there 267 00:10:12,780 --> 00:10:14,613 was , you know , any significant 268 00:10:14,613 --> 00:10:17,239 injuries or damage ? So all of these 269 00:10:17,250 --> 00:10:19,361 attacks so far have been unsuccessful 270 00:10:19,361 --> 00:10:22,780 based on . Ok , just clarification . 271 00:10:23,119 --> 00:10:26,780 Ok . And um , you might know that , um , 272 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,539 yesterday , uh uh family members of 273 00:10:30,549 --> 00:10:33,260 Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza um 274 00:10:33,270 --> 00:10:35,390 were killed in an Israeli airstrike . 275 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,309 Um This adds to more than 7000 276 00:10:38,500 --> 00:10:40,710 civilians who've been killed according 277 00:10:40,719 --> 00:10:42,909 to health authorities in Gaza . I know 278 00:10:42,919 --> 00:10:45,419 the president yesterday seemed 279 00:10:45,429 --> 00:10:47,373 skeptical about these numbers that 280 00:10:47,373 --> 00:10:49,540 other officials and administration are 281 00:10:49,540 --> 00:10:51,485 skeptical about these numbers . Um 282 00:10:51,485 --> 00:10:54,280 However , the White House issued a memo 283 00:10:54,289 --> 00:10:57,130 in 2023 about the transfer of 284 00:10:57,140 --> 00:10:59,609 conventional weapons and that links 285 00:10:59,619 --> 00:11:02,280 human rights violations to transfers 286 00:11:02,289 --> 00:11:04,799 and there's a mo monitoring process . 287 00:11:04,809 --> 00:11:07,719 There is the dod trying to uh 288 00:11:07,729 --> 00:11:10,849 monitor how Israel is using weapons 289 00:11:10,859 --> 00:11:14,770 provided by the US and the toll on uh 290 00:11:14,820 --> 00:11:17,289 civilian innocent civilians in Gaza . 291 00:11:17,299 --> 00:11:19,809 If , if , if so , can you detail some 292 00:11:19,820 --> 00:11:22,000 examples , if not ? Why not ? Yeah , 293 00:11:22,010 --> 00:11:24,299 thanks Ari . So first of all , I've 294 00:11:24,309 --> 00:11:26,770 seen those reports . Uh And , and 295 00:11:26,780 --> 00:11:28,669 certainly our hearts are with any 296 00:11:28,669 --> 00:11:30,558 innocent civilians that have been 297 00:11:30,558 --> 00:11:32,724 killed in this conflict , whether they 298 00:11:32,724 --> 00:11:35,058 be Palestinians , Israelis Americans or , 299 00:11:35,058 --> 00:11:37,280 or any other uh from any other nation . 300 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:39,710 No one wants to see that . Um And in 301 00:11:39,719 --> 00:11:42,390 terms of uh our focus , you know , we 302 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,010 continue to communicate closely with 303 00:11:45,020 --> 00:11:46,964 Israel on what they need to defend 304 00:11:46,964 --> 00:11:49,690 their people against terrorist attacks . 305 00:11:50,109 --> 00:11:52,276 Uh And as you've heard us say , we are 306 00:11:52,276 --> 00:11:54,165 communicating regularly about the 307 00:11:54,165 --> 00:11:57,289 importance of abiding by the laws of 308 00:11:57,299 --> 00:12:00,510 war uh by protecting civilians . And 309 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:02,849 we'll continue to do that . Um As it 310 00:12:02,859 --> 00:12:05,419 relates to uh the , the types of 311 00:12:05,429 --> 00:12:07,318 equipment that we provide and the 312 00:12:07,318 --> 00:12:09,485 capabilities we provide , we have long 313 00:12:09,485 --> 00:12:11,707 standing agreements in place . Um , and 314 00:12:11,707 --> 00:12:13,818 I'll just leave it on that . Is there 315 00:12:13,818 --> 00:12:15,729 any active , when you say you're 316 00:12:15,739 --> 00:12:17,850 pushing the issue with the Israelis ? 317 00:12:17,850 --> 00:12:20,140 Is there any work being done to verify 318 00:12:20,150 --> 00:12:23,070 whether Israel is adhering to its 319 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:25,260 obligations or not ? Look , I'm gonna 320 00:12:25,270 --> 00:12:27,270 defer to Israel to talk about their 321 00:12:27,270 --> 00:12:28,826 operations again . They are 322 00:12:28,826 --> 00:12:30,937 professional military or professional 323 00:12:30,937 --> 00:12:33,103 military . We communicate on a regular 324 00:12:33,103 --> 00:12:35,326 basis . And as I mentioned , we've been 325 00:12:35,326 --> 00:12:37,270 having those discussions about the 326 00:12:37,270 --> 00:12:39,326 importance of abiding by the laws of 327 00:12:39,326 --> 00:12:41,381 war and about protecting civilians . 328 00:12:41,381 --> 00:12:43,714 And we will continue to do that . Idris , 329 00:12:43,714 --> 00:12:43,609 a couple of questions . Firstly , how 330 00:12:43,619 --> 00:12:45,786 long will it take for the air defenses 331 00:12:45,786 --> 00:12:47,730 that are going to the region to be 332 00:12:47,730 --> 00:12:49,786 operational ? Are we talking days or 333 00:12:49,786 --> 00:12:51,675 weeks ? And secondly , the French 334 00:12:51,675 --> 00:12:53,730 earlier today said that one of their 335 00:12:53,730 --> 00:12:53,700 warships heading to the region would 336 00:12:53,710 --> 00:12:55,821 support hospitals in Gaza . Has there 337 00:12:55,821 --> 00:12:58,400 been any consideration or planning 338 00:12:58,409 --> 00:13:00,520 about the US warships that are in the 339 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,576 region , helping hospitals in Gaza ? 340 00:13:02,719 --> 00:13:05,169 Yeah , thanks , you just so in terms of 341 00:13:05,179 --> 00:13:07,401 the deployment of the systems not going 342 00:13:07,401 --> 00:13:09,623 to get into the specifics other than to 343 00:13:09,623 --> 00:13:12,780 say , um many of those systems will be 344 00:13:12,789 --> 00:13:14,845 on , some of them are already online 345 00:13:14,845 --> 00:13:16,900 and many of them will be online very 346 00:13:16,900 --> 00:13:18,900 soon . Um But again , for operation 347 00:13:18,900 --> 00:13:20,900 security reasons , I'm not gonna go 348 00:13:20,900 --> 00:13:23,011 into specifics uh as it relates to uh 349 00:13:23,011 --> 00:13:25,011 our uh carrier strike groups in the 350 00:13:25,011 --> 00:13:27,233 region right now , they are there for a 351 00:13:27,233 --> 00:13:29,530 deterrence mission . Uh And also again , 352 00:13:29,539 --> 00:13:31,450 to support a wide range of 353 00:13:31,460 --> 00:13:34,400 contingencies . So , um as it , as it 354 00:13:34,409 --> 00:13:37,130 relates to uh France or other countries , 355 00:13:37,140 --> 00:13:39,250 I obviously can't speak to that . Um 356 00:13:39,260 --> 00:13:41,400 But we again have the flexibility and 357 00:13:41,409 --> 00:13:43,298 adaptability . Should our mission 358 00:13:43,298 --> 00:13:46,159 change yesterday , President Biden said , 359 00:13:46,570 --> 00:13:48,681 I'm sure innocence and he's referring 360 00:13:48,681 --> 00:13:50,737 to Palestinians have been killed and 361 00:13:50,737 --> 00:13:52,848 it's the price of waging a war . Does 362 00:13:52,848 --> 00:13:55,014 the secretary agree with that ? Look , 363 00:13:55,014 --> 00:13:57,014 I , I think it's important again to 364 00:13:57,014 --> 00:13:59,126 take a step back in how we got here . 365 00:13:59,126 --> 00:14:01,292 Uh And you know , I don't have to tell 366 00:14:01,292 --> 00:14:03,181 you October 7th vicious terrorist 367 00:14:03,190 --> 00:14:05,190 attack by Hamas against the Israeli 368 00:14:05,190 --> 00:14:07,489 people . And so the United States 369 00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:09,820 rushed quickly to assist our partner 370 00:14:09,830 --> 00:14:11,886 Israel in terms of what they need to 371 00:14:11,886 --> 00:14:14,859 defend their people as we've consulted 372 00:14:14,869 --> 00:14:17,030 with them . We have again , not only 373 00:14:17,039 --> 00:14:18,928 provided assistance but had those 374 00:14:18,928 --> 00:14:20,928 discussions about the importance of 375 00:14:20,928 --> 00:14:23,150 making sure that innocent civilians are 376 00:14:23,150 --> 00:14:25,317 not caught in this conflict to include 377 00:14:25,317 --> 00:14:27,372 the Palestinians . The United States 378 00:14:27,372 --> 00:14:29,317 has been working very closely with 379 00:14:29,317 --> 00:14:31,595 Israeli officials , Egyptian officials , 380 00:14:31,595 --> 00:14:33,940 others to figure out how best to get 381 00:14:33,950 --> 00:14:37,010 humanitarian assistance into Gaza . We 382 00:14:37,020 --> 00:14:39,010 fully recognize that there's a 383 00:14:39,020 --> 00:14:41,242 humanitarian situation there that needs 384 00:14:41,242 --> 00:14:43,353 to be addressed and everyone wants to 385 00:14:43,353 --> 00:14:45,464 see the Palestinian people be able to 386 00:14:45,464 --> 00:14:47,710 live in peace and security . Um It's 387 00:14:47,719 --> 00:14:49,960 terribly unfortunate that a group like 388 00:14:49,969 --> 00:14:53,559 Hamas is using uh facilities throughout 389 00:14:53,570 --> 00:14:56,280 Gaza to shield themselves with , with 390 00:14:56,289 --> 00:14:58,456 civilians . Um And again , we're going 391 00:14:58,456 --> 00:15:00,456 to continue to communicate with our 392 00:15:00,456 --> 00:15:02,622 partners on the importance of civilian 393 00:15:02,622 --> 00:15:04,845 safety . But we also recognize Israel's 394 00:15:04,845 --> 00:15:07,122 inherent right of self defense as well . 395 00:15:07,122 --> 00:15:09,289 Thank you , Nancy . I wanted to follow 396 00:15:09,289 --> 00:15:11,511 up on a statement you made earlier this 397 00:15:11,511 --> 00:15:13,567 week and get some clarity . You said 398 00:15:13,567 --> 00:15:15,567 that General Glenn was traveling in 399 00:15:15,567 --> 00:15:17,789 Israel in part to help address civilian 400 00:15:17,789 --> 00:15:19,900 casualties and reduce those figures . 401 00:15:19,900 --> 00:15:22,122 And then the president said that they , 402 00:15:22,122 --> 00:15:21,739 that the US doesn't trust the 403 00:15:21,750 --> 00:15:23,639 Palestinian figures . Does the US 404 00:15:23,639 --> 00:15:25,750 military have an estimate of how many 405 00:15:25,750 --> 00:15:27,750 Palestinians have been killed since 406 00:15:27,750 --> 00:15:29,917 October 7th in Gaza ? I , I don't have 407 00:15:29,917 --> 00:15:31,979 one in front of me . Um I don't have 408 00:15:31,989 --> 00:15:34,739 those numbers and the figures that I'm 409 00:15:34,750 --> 00:15:37,280 tracking are coming from Hamas , but I 410 00:15:37,289 --> 00:15:39,122 don't have any civilian casualty 411 00:15:39,122 --> 00:15:41,260 figures independently from the United 412 00:15:41,270 --> 00:15:43,437 States . Now , I guess what I'm having 413 00:15:43,437 --> 00:15:45,659 a hard time understanding is the US was 414 00:15:45,659 --> 00:15:47,770 able to give an estimate for how many 415 00:15:47,770 --> 00:15:49,548 Palestinians were killed in the 416 00:15:49,548 --> 00:15:51,659 hospital attack . Why is it able to , 417 00:15:51,659 --> 00:15:53,770 I'm not tracking that either work for 418 00:15:53,770 --> 00:15:57,030 you between what that were in the 419 00:15:57,039 --> 00:15:59,460 hospital attack ? They put that out 420 00:15:59,469 --> 00:16:03,000 earlier this week ? One in 301 103 421 00:16:03,010 --> 00:16:05,780 101 103 100 . And I guess what I'm 422 00:16:05,789 --> 00:16:08,011 having a hard time understanding is why 423 00:16:08,011 --> 00:16:10,233 is the US able to make an assessment on 424 00:16:10,233 --> 00:16:12,011 that attack ? But can't provide 425 00:16:12,011 --> 00:16:14,233 estimates on how many Palestinians have 426 00:16:14,233 --> 00:16:16,122 been killed , especially with the 427 00:16:16,122 --> 00:16:18,122 President saying that those figures 428 00:16:18,122 --> 00:16:20,178 can't be trusted . So at the risk of 429 00:16:20,178 --> 00:16:22,345 speculating here , because that's what 430 00:16:22,345 --> 00:16:24,511 I'm going to be doing . Um , you and I 431 00:16:24,511 --> 00:16:26,989 have both been following uh conflicts 432 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:28,960 in the Middle East and terrorist 433 00:16:28,969 --> 00:16:31,710 attacks for a very long time and you 434 00:16:31,719 --> 00:16:34,599 know , uh that how difficult it is to 435 00:16:34,609 --> 00:16:37,000 prove uh the situation on the ground 436 00:16:37,010 --> 00:16:39,232 without having independent observers go 437 00:16:39,232 --> 00:16:40,843 there and , and look at this 438 00:16:40,843 --> 00:16:42,732 information and if you look at an 439 00:16:42,732 --> 00:16:44,843 incredibly dense place like Gaza , uh 440 00:16:44,843 --> 00:16:47,109 and you look at the situation there . 441 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:49,042 Um a lot of those reports that 442 00:16:49,042 --> 00:16:51,264 information comes in , um it's gonna be 443 00:16:51,264 --> 00:16:53,431 very difficult to independently verify 444 00:16:53,431 --> 00:16:56,609 it on a , on a case by case basis . Uh 445 00:16:56,619 --> 00:16:58,969 So in the situation of the , the 446 00:16:58,979 --> 00:17:01,169 hospital , again , uh a lot of 447 00:17:01,179 --> 00:17:03,235 international focus and attention on 448 00:17:03,235 --> 00:17:05,401 that . And so , uh of course , the our 449 00:17:05,401 --> 00:17:07,568 intelligence community is able to zero 450 00:17:07,568 --> 00:17:09,735 in and focus on that and really gather 451 00:17:09,735 --> 00:17:11,735 information . Um but even that took 452 00:17:11,735 --> 00:17:14,729 days to get . So , um you know , we've 453 00:17:14,739 --> 00:17:16,961 all seen a lot of the , the news alerts 454 00:17:16,961 --> 00:17:18,683 that come out after various uh 455 00:17:18,683 --> 00:17:20,828 airstrikes or explosions . Uh in some 456 00:17:20,838 --> 00:17:23,168 cases , it's coming from various 457 00:17:23,178 --> 00:17:25,619 sources , it's hard to confirm . Uh And 458 00:17:25,629 --> 00:17:28,588 so for me to stand here and say we have 459 00:17:28,598 --> 00:17:31,668 a accurate uh accounting of civilian 460 00:17:31,678 --> 00:17:33,845 casualties in Gaza , it , I just don't 461 00:17:33,848 --> 00:17:35,959 have that information . That's not to 462 00:17:35,959 --> 00:17:38,015 say that eventually that information 463 00:17:38,015 --> 00:17:40,070 won't be developed , but that's just 464 00:17:40,070 --> 00:17:42,292 where we're at right now . I appreciate 465 00:17:42,292 --> 00:17:41,699 the answer . I guess what I'm trying to 466 00:17:41,709 --> 00:17:43,931 understand though is when General Glenn 467 00:17:43,931 --> 00:17:46,170 and others are trying to advise ways to 468 00:17:46,180 --> 00:17:48,236 reduce civilian casualties , how are 469 00:17:48,236 --> 00:17:50,236 they making an assessment ? Whether 470 00:17:50,236 --> 00:17:52,291 that advice is being taken , whether 471 00:17:52,291 --> 00:17:54,402 they need to adjust it , whether it's 472 00:17:54,402 --> 00:17:56,624 being used effectively or ? Yeah . No , 473 00:17:56,624 --> 00:17:58,847 I understand . And it's a , it's a good 474 00:17:58,847 --> 00:18:00,847 point and just to clarify , General 475 00:18:00,847 --> 00:18:02,680 Glenn is not there to direct the 476 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:04,736 Israeli military . He's not there to 477 00:18:04,736 --> 00:18:06,958 tell them what to do . Uh , he is there 478 00:18:06,958 --> 00:18:08,958 as a subject matter expert on urban 479 00:18:08,958 --> 00:18:10,513 combat , uh among which the 480 00:18:10,513 --> 00:18:12,736 considerations are . How do you account 481 00:18:12,736 --> 00:18:14,902 for the civilian population and trying 482 00:18:14,902 --> 00:18:17,069 to mitigate those casualties ? Because 483 00:18:17,069 --> 00:18:19,291 again , at the end of the day , uh this 484 00:18:19,291 --> 00:18:21,236 is about saving lives , it's about 485 00:18:21,236 --> 00:18:23,513 trying to eliminate a terrorist threat . 486 00:18:23,513 --> 00:18:25,513 So , yeah . Thank you . Yes , sir . 487 00:18:25,513 --> 00:18:27,736 Thank you . I want to pick up on the uh 488 00:18:27,736 --> 00:18:29,680 air defense systems that have been 489 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:31,958 shipped to the region . Um , yesterday , 490 00:18:31,958 --> 00:18:34,069 the Wall Street Journal reported that 491 00:18:34,069 --> 00:18:36,236 the US had asked Israel to hold off on 492 00:18:36,236 --> 00:18:38,458 the ground offensive , um , until those 493 00:18:38,458 --> 00:18:40,513 air defense systems could get to the 494 00:18:40,513 --> 00:18:42,513 region . Is there any truth to that 495 00:18:42,513 --> 00:18:44,847 report ? Yeah , I've seen those reports . 496 00:18:44,847 --> 00:18:44,420 Uh , what I would tell you is I , I'd 497 00:18:44,430 --> 00:18:46,652 refer you to the Israelis to talk about 498 00:18:46,652 --> 00:18:48,708 their operations , their timelines . 499 00:18:48,708 --> 00:18:51,160 Our focus is really on ensuring that 500 00:18:51,170 --> 00:18:53,380 the Israeli Defense forces have what 501 00:18:53,390 --> 00:18:55,668 they need to defend the Israeli people . 502 00:18:55,668 --> 00:18:57,939 And again , as I mentioned earlier to 503 00:18:57,949 --> 00:19:00,116 send a clear deterrence message and to 504 00:19:00,116 --> 00:19:02,060 ensure we have capabilities in the 505 00:19:02,060 --> 00:19:04,227 theater for force protection , I would 506 00:19:04,227 --> 00:19:06,116 highlight that we already do have 507 00:19:06,116 --> 00:19:08,290 significant capabilities . V asked 508 00:19:08,300 --> 00:19:10,522 earlier about unsuccessful attack . You 509 00:19:10,522 --> 00:19:12,633 know , we have defensive systems on , 510 00:19:12,633 --> 00:19:14,689 on these facilities that are able to 511 00:19:14,689 --> 00:19:17,040 mitigate some of those attacks . Uh And 512 00:19:17,050 --> 00:19:19,410 so again , that's really what our focus 513 00:19:19,420 --> 00:19:21,420 continues to be and just quickly as 514 00:19:21,420 --> 00:19:23,309 well . Um French President Manuel 515 00:19:23,309 --> 00:19:25,550 Macron um floats the idea of a 516 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:27,727 coalition uh that's similar to the one 517 00:19:27,727 --> 00:19:30,849 that was made to uh to ISIS . Um Has 518 00:19:30,859 --> 00:19:32,970 there been any further movements from 519 00:19:32,970 --> 00:19:35,026 the U SI know that they were looking 520 00:19:35,026 --> 00:19:37,026 into that with the , with the Ely ? 521 00:19:37,026 --> 00:19:39,248 Yeah , I don't , I don't , I don't have 522 00:19:39,248 --> 00:19:38,699 anything on that in particular as you 523 00:19:38,709 --> 00:19:41,069 know , we cooper uh with many nations 524 00:19:41,079 --> 00:19:43,301 on counterterrorism , but as it relates 525 00:19:43,301 --> 00:19:45,246 to that specifically , I don't , I 526 00:19:45,246 --> 00:19:47,579 don't have anything or uh two questions . 527 00:19:47,579 --> 00:19:49,780 One Israel , one , Ukraine , uh you , 528 00:19:49,790 --> 00:19:51,846 as we're asking some of these Israel 529 00:19:51,846 --> 00:19:54,068 questions , you , you referenced how we 530 00:19:54,068 --> 00:19:56,234 got here , the October 7th attack from 531 00:19:56,234 --> 00:19:58,234 Hamas when we ask about Palestinian 532 00:19:58,234 --> 00:19:58,020 civilians killed as a result of Israeli 533 00:19:58,030 --> 00:19:59,919 strikes . Does the US hold Israel 534 00:19:59,919 --> 00:20:02,141 responsible for any civilian casualties 535 00:20:02,141 --> 00:20:04,430 in Gaza again or ? And right now our 536 00:20:04,439 --> 00:20:06,790 focus is on helping Israel defend 537 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:08,911 themselves from terrorist attacks and 538 00:20:08,911 --> 00:20:11,670 also deterring a wider regional 539 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,719 conflict . And on Ukraine , the , the 540 00:20:14,729 --> 00:20:16,951 package announced 100 and 50 million is 541 00:20:16,951 --> 00:20:18,896 one of the smallest we've seen , I 542 00:20:18,896 --> 00:20:21,007 think since the start of the war as , 543 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:23,063 as , as the Pentagon says , we can 544 00:20:23,063 --> 00:20:25,230 support both Israel and Ukraine and at 545 00:20:25,230 --> 00:20:27,452 a critical time . Uh , why such a small 546 00:20:27,459 --> 00:20:29,515 package are you running out of money 547 00:20:29,515 --> 00:20:31,459 here ? Because that's how it comes 548 00:20:31,459 --> 00:20:33,515 across . Yeah . Well , Oren , you've 549 00:20:33,515 --> 00:20:35,737 been following this for a long time and 550 00:20:35,737 --> 00:20:34,920 you know that the , that those 551 00:20:34,930 --> 00:20:36,959 capabilities or the size of the 552 00:20:36,969 --> 00:20:39,080 packages will fluctuate based on what 553 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,191 we see in terms of the needs on the . 554 00:20:41,334 --> 00:20:43,464 So same thing , you can expect to see 555 00:20:43,474 --> 00:20:45,474 those continuing to ebb and flow in 556 00:20:45,474 --> 00:20:48,224 terms of the size that said , uh we 557 00:20:48,234 --> 00:20:50,594 have uh submitted a supplemental 558 00:20:50,604 --> 00:20:52,564 request for additional funding for 559 00:20:52,574 --> 00:20:54,795 Ukraine and Israel as well as other 560 00:20:54,805 --> 00:20:57,027 national security requirements . And so 561 00:20:57,027 --> 00:20:59,027 we'll continue to work closely with 562 00:20:59,027 --> 00:21:01,138 Congress to seek that funding so that 563 00:21:01,138 --> 00:21:03,361 we can continue to provide support at a 564 00:21:03,361 --> 00:21:05,305 level that we think is important . 565 00:21:05,305 --> 00:21:07,510 Thank you , Laura , thanks that um two 566 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:09,742 questions . First of all , can you just 567 00:21:09,742 --> 00:21:11,798 tell us the latest overall number of 568 00:21:11,798 --> 00:21:14,020 casualties from the attacks in Iraq and 569 00:21:14,020 --> 00:21:16,469 Syria including the attacks today ? Um 570 00:21:16,479 --> 00:21:18,550 And whether there were any TB is uh 571 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:21,380 reported among them . And then secondly , 572 00:21:21,390 --> 00:21:23,390 um all together how many troops are 573 00:21:23,390 --> 00:21:25,612 either deployed or unprepared to deploy 574 00:21:25,612 --> 00:21:28,489 to S com as a response to these attacks ? 575 00:21:29,270 --> 00:21:32,729 Um So um between October 576 00:21:32,739 --> 00:21:36,130 17 and 18 Eastern time , uh 577 00:21:36,140 --> 00:21:39,349 21 US personnel received minor injuries 578 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:41,192 due to drone attacks at Al Assad 579 00:21:41,192 --> 00:21:43,248 Airbase , Iraq and Al Taf Garrison , 580 00:21:43,248 --> 00:21:45,630 Syria . And as uh we've highlighted all 581 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,229 members returned to duty um at Anton 582 00:21:50,030 --> 00:21:52,540 Garrison . So during those two days at 583 00:21:52,550 --> 00:21:54,859 Anta Garrison , there were 17 US 584 00:21:54,869 --> 00:21:57,170 personnel who sustained who sustained 585 00:21:57,180 --> 00:21:59,609 minor injuries , 15 of whom were 586 00:21:59,619 --> 00:22:02,280 diagnosed with TB I traumatic brain 587 00:22:02,290 --> 00:22:04,729 injury . Uh at all . Assad Airbase , 588 00:22:04,739 --> 00:22:07,400 four personnel were diagnosed with TB I 589 00:22:07,410 --> 00:22:09,577 but no other injuries . And again , in 590 00:22:09,577 --> 00:22:11,743 all cases , members returned to duty . 591 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:14,329 Uh There have been no injuries or no uh 592 00:22:14,339 --> 00:22:17,900 reported cases of TB I since uh the 593 00:22:17,910 --> 00:22:21,280 17th and 18th of October . Um Again , 594 00:22:21,290 --> 00:22:23,512 we'll continue to keep you updated . Uh 595 00:22:23,512 --> 00:22:25,679 as I mentioned in the statement that I 596 00:22:25,679 --> 00:22:27,790 put out last night , um as we've seen 597 00:22:27,790 --> 00:22:29,800 in the past , there are situations 598 00:22:29,810 --> 00:22:31,977 where several days after an attack , a 599 00:22:31,977 --> 00:22:34,780 member may self report , um you know , 600 00:22:34,790 --> 00:22:37,609 ringing in the ears , uh headaches and , 601 00:22:37,619 --> 00:22:39,699 and subsequently diagnosis TB I . So 602 00:22:39,709 --> 00:22:41,931 those numbers can fluctuate . But as of 603 00:22:42,670 --> 00:22:46,209 15 06 on the 26th of October , that's 604 00:22:46,219 --> 00:22:48,780 what I've got . Ok . Sorry . On the 605 00:22:48,810 --> 00:22:50,699 second question , how many troops 606 00:22:50,699 --> 00:22:52,588 altogether are either deployed or 607 00:22:52,588 --> 00:22:54,588 unprepared to ? Yeah , so beyond uh 608 00:22:54,588 --> 00:22:56,532 what I just uh announced , I'm not 609 00:22:56,532 --> 00:22:58,477 gonna have any specific numbers to 610 00:22:58,477 --> 00:23:00,699 provide in terms of the broader theater 611 00:23:00,699 --> 00:23:02,810 footprint uh as it relates to prepare 612 00:23:02,810 --> 00:23:05,032 to deploy orders , um those numbers are 613 00:23:05,032 --> 00:23:07,199 gonna continue to fluctuate just based 614 00:23:07,199 --> 00:23:09,366 on mission requirements . Um Readiness 615 00:23:09,366 --> 00:23:11,477 rates , et cetera . So I'm , I'm just 616 00:23:11,477 --> 00:23:11,229 not gonna be able to provide a number 617 00:23:11,900 --> 00:23:14,140 we heard was 2000 . So that was , that 618 00:23:14,150 --> 00:23:16,739 was a mark on the wall again , based on 619 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:19,060 the , the moment in time , but again , 620 00:23:19,069 --> 00:23:21,125 that's gonna continue to fluctuate . 621 00:23:21,125 --> 00:23:23,236 Thank you . Yes , ma'am . Thank you . 622 00:23:23,236 --> 00:23:25,060 So , recently secretary hosting 623 00:23:25,199 --> 00:23:28,670 traveled to Angola and while there , uh 624 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:32,280 he expressed the US interest in , in 625 00:23:32,290 --> 00:23:34,401 deepening the co the Cooper operation 626 00:23:34,401 --> 00:23:38,060 with Angola . So since he returned , 627 00:23:38,069 --> 00:23:40,339 have the secretary brief President 628 00:23:40,349 --> 00:23:43,239 Biden . And can you give us an overview 629 00:23:43,250 --> 00:23:45,560 how things are progressing since 630 00:23:45,569 --> 00:23:48,329 secretary's visit to Angola ? Sure . Um 631 00:23:48,339 --> 00:23:50,479 so as , as it relates to the , the 632 00:23:50,489 --> 00:23:52,433 secretary's conversations with the 633 00:23:52,433 --> 00:23:54,433 president , I I don't have anything 634 00:23:54,433 --> 00:23:56,600 specific to read out um clearly Africa 635 00:23:56,650 --> 00:23:58,594 uh and , and our relationship with 636 00:23:58,599 --> 00:24:00,710 Angola continue to remain important . 637 00:24:00,710 --> 00:24:02,766 Uh as you know , from that trip , we 638 00:24:02,766 --> 00:24:05,489 announced a series of um upcoming 639 00:24:05,500 --> 00:24:08,199 initiatives in terms of uh re regular 640 00:24:08,209 --> 00:24:10,265 contact to look at ways that our two 641 00:24:10,265 --> 00:24:12,487 militaries can work together to enhance 642 00:24:12,487 --> 00:24:14,939 our security relationship . And so as 643 00:24:14,949 --> 00:24:17,116 there are additional developments , we 644 00:24:17,116 --> 00:24:19,338 will , we will post information to make 645 00:24:19,338 --> 00:24:21,505 that available . Can you can you share 646 00:24:21,505 --> 00:24:23,671 a little bit to your secretary and all 647 00:24:23,671 --> 00:24:25,782 team experience while in Africa ? How 648 00:24:25,782 --> 00:24:27,560 was it ? Everything was how the 649 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:29,449 experience in Africa was ? It was 650 00:24:29,449 --> 00:24:31,616 fantastic . I mean , you know , we had 651 00:24:31,616 --> 00:24:33,782 the opportunity to , to see several uh 652 00:24:33,782 --> 00:24:35,893 i important initiatives from Djibouti 653 00:24:35,893 --> 00:24:37,949 to Kenya , to Angola uh the visit to 654 00:24:37,949 --> 00:24:40,060 Angola if , if and I'm , I'm sure you 655 00:24:40,060 --> 00:24:41,838 saw the speech . Uh , the , the 656 00:24:41,838 --> 00:24:44,005 secretary provided some very inspiring 657 00:24:44,005 --> 00:24:46,099 remarks about uh his views on the 658 00:24:46,109 --> 00:24:48,331 importance of Africa and the importance 659 00:24:48,331 --> 00:24:50,498 of democracies . And so , um yeah , it 660 00:24:50,498 --> 00:24:52,442 was a great trip and the secretary 661 00:24:52,442 --> 00:24:54,387 really , really uh appreciated the 662 00:24:54,387 --> 00:24:56,387 opportunity to meet with all of our 663 00:24:56,387 --> 00:24:58,553 partners there . Let me uh be remiss , 664 00:24:58,553 --> 00:25:00,720 let me go to the phones here . Uh Tony 665 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,949 Capac Bloomberg . Hi Pat . I have a 666 00:25:03,959 --> 00:25:06,181 quick question on inventory . There's a 667 00:25:06,181 --> 00:25:08,181 running narrative now in Washington 668 00:25:08,181 --> 00:25:10,181 that the United States might not be 669 00:25:10,181 --> 00:25:13,219 able to supply Ukraine , Taiwan and 670 00:25:13,229 --> 00:25:15,589 Israel all kind of at the same time 671 00:25:15,599 --> 00:25:17,766 simultaneously . Can you run through a 672 00:25:17,766 --> 00:25:19,543 little bit though ? How much us 673 00:25:19,543 --> 00:25:21,630 inventory has actually been sent to 674 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:25,040 Israel , uh maybe 15 fives , but the 675 00:25:25,050 --> 00:25:27,339 small diameter bombs and J Dams are on 676 00:25:27,349 --> 00:25:29,571 a Boeing contract and not really out of 677 00:25:29,571 --> 00:25:31,627 us inventories . But can you address 678 00:25:31,627 --> 00:25:33,793 that a little bit ? I mean , is , does 679 00:25:33,793 --> 00:25:36,469 Israel have a have a chance to co does 680 00:25:36,479 --> 00:25:38,949 that complicate us inventory issues on 681 00:25:38,959 --> 00:25:41,930 top of Ukraine ? Yeah , thanks Tony . 682 00:25:41,939 --> 00:25:45,050 So you know the the difference here is 683 00:25:45,060 --> 00:25:48,170 that Israel has a , a very advanced 684 00:25:48,180 --> 00:25:51,630 military , um a , a very Western style 685 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:53,849 military already . So the the needs 686 00:25:53,859 --> 00:25:56,130 writ large are different between uh 687 00:25:56,140 --> 00:25:58,380 what Israel is asking for and what 688 00:25:58,390 --> 00:26:01,760 Ukraine is asking for . And so uh we 689 00:26:01,770 --> 00:26:03,881 are confident that we will be able to 690 00:26:03,881 --> 00:26:05,881 support both . Uh as you've heard , 691 00:26:05,881 --> 00:26:08,048 Secretary Austin say in the past . And 692 00:26:08,048 --> 00:26:10,660 so , um obviously , we continue to work 693 00:26:10,670 --> 00:26:12,989 closely with our defense industrial 694 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,111 base and with our allies and partners 695 00:26:15,111 --> 00:26:16,944 around the world and , and their 696 00:26:16,944 --> 00:26:19,111 efforts with their industrial bases to 697 00:26:19,111 --> 00:26:21,333 ramp up production of things like 155 . 698 00:26:21,333 --> 00:26:23,556 But again , we're confident that we can 699 00:26:23,556 --> 00:26:25,778 support both . Thank you . Let me go to 700 00:26:25,778 --> 00:26:28,469 Jeff Schole task and purpose . Thank 701 00:26:28,479 --> 00:26:30,930 you first . Just a quick clarification . 702 00:26:31,140 --> 00:26:33,196 I thought that the Patriot Batteries 703 00:26:33,196 --> 00:26:35,362 and the Thaad Battery were in addition 704 00:26:35,362 --> 00:26:37,251 to the troops that were placed on 705 00:26:37,251 --> 00:26:39,251 prepared to deploy orders . Are you 706 00:26:39,251 --> 00:26:41,810 saying that the 900 troops are that the 707 00:26:41,819 --> 00:26:44,449 900 troops that are that , that are uh 708 00:26:44,459 --> 00:26:46,584 include troops that have been put on 709 00:26:46,594 --> 00:26:48,594 prepared to deploy orders ? And the 710 00:26:48,594 --> 00:26:51,625 second thing is if uh the United States 711 00:26:51,635 --> 00:26:54,005 has said that it does not want a water 712 00:26:54,015 --> 00:26:56,064 conflict in the Middle East , yet 713 00:26:56,074 --> 00:26:58,834 attacks on us troops in Iraq and Syria 714 00:26:58,895 --> 00:27:01,062 continue . Is it possible that Iranian 715 00:27:01,062 --> 00:27:03,006 backed groups in Iran are just not 716 00:27:03,006 --> 00:27:05,006 getting the message ? Yeah , thanks 717 00:27:05,006 --> 00:27:07,284 Jeff . So as as I mentioned at the top , 718 00:27:07,284 --> 00:27:09,395 uh some of those forces of the 900 on 719 00:27:09,395 --> 00:27:11,451 the PTDO , I'm not going to get into 720 00:27:11,451 --> 00:27:13,562 the specifics of which were and which 721 00:27:13,562 --> 00:27:15,784 weren't . Um But um you know , needless 722 00:27:15,784 --> 00:27:17,728 to say we're gonna deploy whatever 723 00:27:17,728 --> 00:27:20,006 capabilities we need uh to be overseas , 724 00:27:20,006 --> 00:27:22,219 to support uh our force protection and 725 00:27:22,229 --> 00:27:25,349 deterrence efforts um as it relates to 726 00:27:25,479 --> 00:27:27,930 uh these groups and these attacks , 727 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:30,262 again , I'll just emphasize what I said 728 00:27:30,262 --> 00:27:32,880 before that we will always reserve the 729 00:27:32,890 --> 00:27:35,290 right to self defense , that we will 730 00:27:35,300 --> 00:27:37,949 take all necessary actions to ensure uh 731 00:27:37,959 --> 00:27:40,126 that our forces are protected and that 732 00:27:40,126 --> 00:27:42,292 our interests overseas are protected . 733 00:27:42,292 --> 00:27:44,515 I'm not gonna telegraph any response if 734 00:27:44,515 --> 00:27:46,515 and when we decide to respond other 735 00:27:46,515 --> 00:27:48,570 than to say we would do so at a time 736 00:27:48,570 --> 00:27:50,681 and place of our choosing . Thank you 737 00:27:50,681 --> 00:27:52,792 very much time for a few more . Yes , 738 00:27:52,792 --> 00:27:54,848 ma'am . I wanted to ask about Robert 739 00:27:54,848 --> 00:27:57,070 Carr . The suspect in the main shooting 740 00:27:57,070 --> 00:27:59,237 enlisted in the US Army Reserve has an 741 00:27:59,237 --> 00:28:01,348 active military ID , giving access to 742 00:28:01,348 --> 00:28:03,237 any military base , has that been 743 00:28:03,237 --> 00:28:05,292 suspended or revoked ? And there are 744 00:28:05,292 --> 00:28:07,403 also reports he previously threatened 745 00:28:07,403 --> 00:28:09,570 to carry out a gun attack at a US army 746 00:28:09,570 --> 00:28:11,515 base . Can you talk about that ? I 747 00:28:11,515 --> 00:28:13,737 really can't . I'd have to refer you to 748 00:28:13,737 --> 00:28:15,737 the army . And then of course , the 749 00:28:15,737 --> 00:28:17,594 main authorities I know are this 750 00:28:17,604 --> 00:28:20,175 situation . So the army should be able 751 00:28:20,185 --> 00:28:21,907 to provide you with additional 752 00:28:21,907 --> 00:28:24,018 information regarding this individual 753 00:28:24,018 --> 00:28:26,185 and just to clarify , I know that they 754 00:28:26,185 --> 00:28:28,296 asked just in terms of the injuries , 755 00:28:28,296 --> 00:28:30,352 but then also the deaths is the only 756 00:28:30,352 --> 00:28:32,129 death in these attacks . The US 757 00:28:32,129 --> 00:28:34,129 contractor that had died of cardiac 758 00:28:34,129 --> 00:28:36,241 arrest is that the only death that is 759 00:28:36,241 --> 00:28:38,241 correct . And just beyond that , as 760 00:28:38,241 --> 00:28:40,352 we're talking about , you said now 16 761 00:28:40,352 --> 00:28:42,675 attacks over the last week or so my 762 00:28:42,685 --> 00:28:45,675 question is , is U deterrence working ? 763 00:28:46,469 --> 00:28:48,930 Look again , uh , these , uh , attacks 764 00:28:48,939 --> 00:28:50,883 are concerning , they're certainly 765 00:28:50,883 --> 00:28:53,670 dangerous . Um , and our forces are 766 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:55,949 there to conduct the defeat ISIS 767 00:28:55,959 --> 00:28:59,260 mission . So I , I would say that 768 00:29:00,010 --> 00:29:01,788 we are gonna take any necessary 769 00:29:01,788 --> 00:29:04,750 measures to protect our troops . Um , 770 00:29:04,900 --> 00:29:06,956 but again , as far as any actions we 771 00:29:06,956 --> 00:29:08,733 might take , uh , I'm not gonna 772 00:29:08,733 --> 00:29:10,956 telegraph that we would do something at 773 00:29:10,956 --> 00:29:12,900 a time and place of our choosing . 774 00:29:12,900 --> 00:29:14,956 Should we choose to do ? So , I just 775 00:29:14,956 --> 00:29:16,844 leave it at that will . That's an 776 00:29:16,844 --> 00:29:19,178 answer . Ok . Time for a few more , Tom . 777 00:29:19,178 --> 00:29:21,344 And then we'll go back here . I wanted 778 00:29:21,344 --> 00:29:23,400 to follow up on , on your use of the 779 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,400 laws of war . I know on Tuesday you 780 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,456 were asked what specific laws of war 781 00:29:27,456 --> 00:29:26,910 and I don't want to get into that area 782 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,198 either . But what I am curious is , uh , 783 00:29:29,198 --> 00:29:31,400 Israel has signed many protocols from 784 00:29:31,410 --> 00:29:33,632 the Geneva conventions . Are those what 785 00:29:33,632 --> 00:29:35,743 you refer to when you say the laws of 786 00:29:35,743 --> 00:29:37,910 war without going into the weeds ? And 787 00:29:37,910 --> 00:29:40,132 what specific ones , I'm just trying to 788 00:29:40,132 --> 00:29:42,354 really get a grasp of this because that 789 00:29:42,354 --> 00:29:44,466 phrase has been used a lot by you and 790 00:29:44,466 --> 00:29:46,799 others . Again , Tom , I , I , you know , 791 00:29:46,799 --> 00:29:49,021 there's plenty of information online in 792 00:29:49,021 --> 00:29:51,132 terms of the judicial aspects of laws 793 00:29:51,132 --> 00:29:53,077 of war . But as you know , laws of 794 00:29:53,077 --> 00:29:55,077 armed conflict conflict , uh , is a 795 00:29:55,077 --> 00:29:57,188 significant , uh , aspect in terms of 796 00:29:57,188 --> 00:29:59,354 what , you know , we in the department 797 00:29:59,354 --> 00:30:01,521 of defense abide by . Um , but I'm not 798 00:30:01,521 --> 00:30:03,688 gonna hold a lecture today on , I want 799 00:30:03,688 --> 00:30:05,854 to be specific when I'm asking and I'm 800 00:30:05,854 --> 00:30:05,040 not trying to get a lecture , 801 00:30:05,050 --> 00:30:08,670 proportionality ones that 802 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:10,847 Israel has ratified and signed for the 803 00:30:10,847 --> 00:30:13,069 broader laws . I refer you to Israel to 804 00:30:13,069 --> 00:30:16,160 talk about what they , yeah . Now , 805 00:30:16,170 --> 00:30:18,281 what you're asking me to do is give a 806 00:30:18,281 --> 00:30:20,448 class on the laws of war and , and I'm 807 00:30:20,448 --> 00:30:22,503 gonna not waste everybody's time and 808 00:30:22,503 --> 00:30:24,781 we'll move on to other questions . Yes , 809 00:30:24,781 --> 00:30:26,559 ma'am . Just a follow up on the 810 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:28,680 civilian casualties in Gaza . You 811 00:30:28,689 --> 00:30:30,745 mentioned that independent observers 812 00:30:30,745 --> 00:30:32,800 are needed to verify those numbers , 813 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,022 which independent observers does the US 814 00:30:35,022 --> 00:30:37,229 trust to verify . That's beyond the 815 00:30:37,239 --> 00:30:39,420 scope of my responsibilities here at 816 00:30:39,430 --> 00:30:41,652 the Department of Defense . Again , our 817 00:30:41,652 --> 00:30:43,874 focus right now is on supporting Israel 818 00:30:43,874 --> 00:30:46,097 deterring a wider regional conflict and 819 00:30:46,097 --> 00:30:48,319 ensuring that force protection is taken 820 00:30:48,319 --> 00:30:50,374 into account across the A or ? Thank 821 00:30:50,374 --> 00:30:52,599 you . All right , I'll do two more 822 00:30:52,609 --> 00:30:54,665 Jennifer and then f in the can I get 823 00:30:54,665 --> 00:30:56,776 your response to two recent reports ? 824 00:30:56,776 --> 00:30:59,750 Including one suggesting that there was 825 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,520 a meeting in Beirut between Iranian 826 00:31:02,530 --> 00:31:04,890 leaders , Hezbollah and Hamas before 827 00:31:04,900 --> 00:31:08,500 the attack . And second that 500 Hamas 828 00:31:08,510 --> 00:31:11,079 fighters trained inside Iran . Do you 829 00:31:11,089 --> 00:31:13,145 have any evidence of either of those 830 00:31:13,145 --> 00:31:15,780 stories being accurate ? Um So as it 831 00:31:15,790 --> 00:31:17,623 relates to the meeting and as it 832 00:31:17,623 --> 00:31:19,623 relates to the training , I've seen 833 00:31:19,623 --> 00:31:21,679 press reports on that , I don't have 834 00:31:21,679 --> 00:31:23,679 any information to provide on those 835 00:31:23,679 --> 00:31:25,846 other than to say again , we know that 836 00:31:25,846 --> 00:31:27,846 Iran and Hamas have a long standing 837 00:31:27,846 --> 00:31:29,901 relationship . We know that Iran has 838 00:31:29,901 --> 00:31:33,849 trained , funded , resourced uh Hamas 839 00:31:33,859 --> 00:31:37,310 in the past . Um Going back to what we 840 00:31:37,319 --> 00:31:39,541 know about the October 7th attacks , we 841 00:31:39,541 --> 00:31:41,550 still have not seen that Iran , the 842 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,339 Iranian government knew in advance that 843 00:31:44,349 --> 00:31:46,571 these attacks were going to occur . But 844 00:31:46,571 --> 00:31:48,405 again , that's something that we 845 00:31:48,405 --> 00:31:50,738 continue to look at closely . Thank you , 846 00:31:50,738 --> 00:31:50,650 Fadi last question . Thanks for taking 847 00:31:50,660 --> 00:31:52,771 this question . I just want to sum up 848 00:31:52,771 --> 00:31:54,493 because you've been asked many 849 00:31:54,493 --> 00:31:56,604 questions on the same topic and , and 850 00:31:56,604 --> 00:31:58,771 you , you maintain two things that the 851 00:31:58,771 --> 00:32:01,079 department will support Israel's right 852 00:32:01,089 --> 00:32:02,645 to defend itself . It has a 853 00:32:02,645 --> 00:32:04,922 professional military at the same time , 854 00:32:04,922 --> 00:32:07,145 you're not able to verify the number of 855 00:32:07,145 --> 00:32:09,422 civilians killed in Israeli operations . 856 00:32:10,020 --> 00:32:12,319 Let me put it this way is , is this 857 00:32:12,329 --> 00:32:14,839 support to Israel's right to defend 858 00:32:14,849 --> 00:32:17,839 itself is unconditional regardless of 859 00:32:17,849 --> 00:32:20,719 the toll that it exacts on civilians in 860 00:32:20,729 --> 00:32:24,709 Gaza . So I , I understand what you're 861 00:32:24,719 --> 00:32:27,079 asking , Fadi and I'm , I'm not going 862 00:32:27,089 --> 00:32:29,311 to turn it into that black and white of 863 00:32:29,311 --> 00:32:31,311 an issue . What we are trying to do 864 00:32:31,311 --> 00:32:33,367 here is a couple of things . Uh most 865 00:32:33,367 --> 00:32:35,311 importantly , to try to ensure the 866 00:32:35,311 --> 00:32:37,311 safety and security of not only the 867 00:32:37,311 --> 00:32:39,609 Israeli people but people throughout 868 00:32:39,619 --> 00:32:41,841 the broader region , which is why we're 869 00:32:41,841 --> 00:32:43,730 working so hard to deter regional 870 00:32:43,730 --> 00:32:45,952 conflict . No one wants to see innocent 871 00:32:45,952 --> 00:32:48,109 Palestinian people in Gaza suffer , 872 00:32:48,699 --> 00:32:50,699 right ? The , the United States has 873 00:32:50,699 --> 00:32:53,359 made very clear our policy on 874 00:32:54,199 --> 00:32:56,839 trying to find a two state solution 875 00:32:56,849 --> 00:32:58,849 where Israelis and Palestinians can 876 00:32:58,849 --> 00:33:01,180 live together in peace . Unfortunately , 877 00:33:01,189 --> 00:33:04,219 you have uh a group like Hamas that has 878 00:33:04,229 --> 00:33:06,510 exploited this situation and exploited 879 00:33:06,550 --> 00:33:09,540 the the Palestinian people . Uh And so 880 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:12,400 clearly a complex issue , not something 881 00:33:12,410 --> 00:33:14,466 that , you know , we could of course 882 00:33:14,466 --> 00:33:16,299 stand here and , and have a long 883 00:33:16,299 --> 00:33:18,077 conversation and you would know 884 00:33:18,077 --> 00:33:20,299 infinitely more than I the complexities 885 00:33:20,299 --> 00:33:22,243 of this . But the United States is 886 00:33:22,243 --> 00:33:24,466 focused on helping Israel defend itself 887 00:33:24,466 --> 00:33:26,410 against terrorism . And we're also 888 00:33:26,410 --> 00:33:28,577 focused on ensuring that this conflict 889 00:33:28,577 --> 00:33:30,521 is not widen so that more innocent 890 00:33:30,521 --> 00:33:32,743 people are killed . We will continue to 891 00:33:32,743 --> 00:33:34,966 have those important conversations with 892 00:33:34,966 --> 00:33:34,530 our Israeli partners about 893 00:33:34,770 --> 00:33:37,310 proportionality and civilian safety . 894 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,631 Um But I'm not going to speak for the 895 00:33:39,631 --> 00:33:41,798 Israelis and I'm not going to speak to 896 00:33:41,798 --> 00:33:43,798 individual specific strikes because 897 00:33:43,798 --> 00:33:46,020 that would be inappropriate . But I can 898 00:33:46,020 --> 00:33:48,242 assure you again that this is important 899 00:33:48,242 --> 00:33:50,076 to us and it will continue to be 900 00:33:50,076 --> 00:33:49,859 important . Thank you very much , 901 00:33:49,869 --> 00:33:51,170 ladies and gentlemen , I appreciate it .