WEBVTT 00:00.009 --> 00:02.359 Good afternoon , everyone . Just a few 00:02.369 --> 00:04.591 things at the top and I'll get right to 00:04.591 --> 00:07.710 your questions . So for the readout 00:07.719 --> 00:09.830 that we issued last night , Secretary 00:09.830 --> 00:11.775 Austin spoke with Minister Gallant 00:11.775 --> 00:13.941 yesterday to review Israeli operations 00:13.941 --> 00:16.108 and discuss opportunities for regional 00:16.108 --> 00:17.940 de escalation . The secretary 00:17.950 --> 00:20.000 reiterated the US commitment to a 00:20.010 --> 00:22.177 diplomatic arrangement in Lebanon that 00:22.177 --> 00:24.010 allows both Lebanese and Israeli 00:24.010 --> 00:26.010 civilians to return safely to their 00:26.010 --> 00:28.066 homes on both sides of the border as 00:28.066 --> 00:30.288 well as a hostage release and ceasefire 00:30.288 --> 00:32.439 deal in Gaza during their call , 00:32.450 --> 00:34.617 Secretary Austin reaffirmed the United 00:34.617 --> 00:36.839 States ironclad support for the defense 00:36.839 --> 00:38.728 of Israel and made clear that the 00:38.728 --> 00:40.894 United States remains well postured to 00:40.894 --> 00:43.117 defend us personnel allies and partners 00:43.117 --> 00:45.228 against attacks from Iran and Iranian 00:45.228 --> 00:46.894 backed partners and proxies . 00:47.139 --> 00:49.139 Separately , Secretary Austin spoke 00:49.139 --> 00:51.028 with Turkish Minister of National 00:51.028 --> 00:52.639 Defense Guler to express his 00:52.639 --> 00:55.099 condolences for the October 23 00:55.110 --> 00:57.189 terrorist attack in Ankara . The 00:57.200 --> 00:58.978 secretary acknowledged Turkey's 00:58.978 --> 01:00.700 legitimate security concerns , 01:00.860 --> 01:03.150 discussed Turkey's recent operations in 01:03.159 --> 01:05.559 Syria and stressed the need to avoid 01:05.569 --> 01:07.959 civilian harm . He also reaffirmed the 01:07.970 --> 01:09.859 importance of close co ordination 01:09.859 --> 01:12.081 between the United States and Turkey to 01:12.081 --> 01:14.303 prevent any risk to us . Forces for the 01:14.303 --> 01:16.680 defeat . Isis Mission . Additionally , 01:16.690 --> 01:19.050 Secretary Austin congratulated Minister 01:19.059 --> 01:21.480 Guler on the 101st anniversary of the 01:21.489 --> 01:23.433 founding of the Turkish Republic . 01:23.433 --> 01:25.656 Readouts of both calls are available on 01:25.656 --> 01:27.540 defense.gov . Shifting gears . 01:27.550 --> 01:29.717 Secretary Austin will host Republic of 01:29.717 --> 01:31.883 Korea Minister of National Defense Kim 01:31.883 --> 01:33.994 here at the Pentagon tomorrow for the 01:33.994 --> 01:35.930 56 US . Rok Security Consultative 01:35.940 --> 01:38.199 meeting . The two leaders will utilize 01:38.209 --> 01:40.760 the SCM to deepen us . Rok extended 01:40.769 --> 01:43.309 deterrence cooper operation modernize 01:43.319 --> 01:44.986 our alliance capabilities and 01:44.986 --> 01:46.763 strengthen our contributions to 01:46.763 --> 01:48.930 regional security . Then on Thursday , 01:48.930 --> 01:50.830 October 31st Secretary Austin and 01:50.839 --> 01:52.839 Minister Kim will join Secretary of 01:52.839 --> 01:55.110 State Blinken and his Rok counterpart , 01:55.120 --> 01:57.287 Minister of Foreign Affairs cho at the 01:57.287 --> 01:59.529 State Department for the sixth US . Rok 01:59.540 --> 02:01.873 Foreign and Defense Ministerial meeting . 02:01.873 --> 02:04.096 The two plus two meeting will align our 02:04.096 --> 02:06.318 diplomatic and defense efforts ensuring 02:06.318 --> 02:07.984 that bilateral activities are 02:07.984 --> 02:10.207 synchronized to advance our alliances , 02:10.207 --> 02:12.096 shared values and interests . And 02:12.096 --> 02:14.096 finally , the department will bid a 02:14.096 --> 02:16.096 fond farewell this Friday to Doctor 02:16.096 --> 02:18.207 Lester Martinez Lopez , the Assistant 02:18.207 --> 02:20.540 Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs , 02:20.540 --> 02:22.040 who's retiring following a 02:22.040 --> 02:24.151 distinguished national service career 02:24.151 --> 02:26.318 which began in 1978 when he joined the 02:26.318 --> 02:28.484 US army . Doctor Martinez Lopez is the 02:28.484 --> 02:30.596 principal advisor to the Secretary of 02:30.596 --> 02:32.540 Defense and the under Secretary of 02:32.540 --> 02:34.762 Defense for personnel and Readiness for 02:34.762 --> 02:36.540 all dod health and force health 02:36.540 --> 02:38.484 protection policies , programs and 02:38.484 --> 02:40.596 activities . Thanks to the leadership 02:40.596 --> 02:42.318 of Doctor Martinez Lopez , the 02:42.318 --> 02:44.318 department has improved the medical 02:44.318 --> 02:44.139 readiness of our fighting forces and a 02:44.149 --> 02:46.316 ready medical force capable of meeting 02:46.316 --> 02:48.427 the needs of our war fighters , their 02:48.427 --> 02:50.427 families , retirees and all who are 02:50.427 --> 02:52.593 served by the military health system . 02:52.593 --> 02:54.705 On behalf of Secretary Austin and the 02:54.705 --> 02:56.593 entire Department of Defense , we 02:56.593 --> 02:58.760 congratulate and thank Doctor Martinez 02:58.760 --> 03:00.593 Lopez for his years of dedicated 03:00.593 --> 03:02.760 service to our nation and wish him all 03:02.760 --> 03:04.760 the best upon his retirement . Miss 03:04.760 --> 03:06.982 Silene Mullen , currently the principal 03:06.982 --> 03:09.093 Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense 03:09.093 --> 03:11.316 for Health Affairs will assume the role 03:11.316 --> 03:11.070 of Acting Assistant Secretary of 03:11.080 --> 03:13.247 Defense for Health Affairs . With that 03:13.247 --> 03:15.413 be glad to take your questions . We'll 03:15.413 --> 03:17.949 start with A P LITA . Thanks Pat . Um 03:17.960 --> 03:21.539 On the North Korean troops , can you 03:21.550 --> 03:25.330 give us an update on whether or not 03:25.339 --> 03:27.339 any of the North Korean forces have 03:27.339 --> 03:30.350 actually arrived in Kirk or whether any 03:30.360 --> 03:32.889 of them are actively engaged in any 03:32.899 --> 03:35.910 sort of combat with Ukraine ? Is there 03:35.919 --> 03:39.179 any update to the 10,000 figure ? 03:39.729 --> 03:43.080 And are you seeing more of the North 03:43.089 --> 03:45.669 Korean forces moving across Russia 03:45.679 --> 03:47.910 heading towards Ukraine ? Yeah , thanks 03:48.050 --> 03:50.272 Lia . So a few things as we highlighted 03:50.272 --> 03:52.494 earlier this week , we believe that the 03:52.494 --> 03:54.720 D pr K has sent approximately 10,000 03:54.729 --> 03:57.610 soldiers in total to train in eastern 03:57.619 --> 03:59.508 Russia and that these troops will 03:59.508 --> 04:01.563 probably augment Russian forces near 04:01.563 --> 04:03.979 Ukraine over the next several weeks , a 04:03.990 --> 04:06.157 portion of those soldiers have already 04:06.157 --> 04:07.934 moved closer to Ukraine towards 04:07.934 --> 04:10.039 Russia's Kirk Oblast near the border 04:10.050 --> 04:12.389 with Ukraine . Approximately a couple 04:12.399 --> 04:14.759 1000 with a smaller number already 04:14.770 --> 04:17.350 present in the Kursk region . Uh We 04:17.359 --> 04:19.581 remain concerned that Russia intends to 04:19.581 --> 04:21.526 use these soldiers in combat or to 04:21.526 --> 04:23.415 support combat operations against 04:23.415 --> 04:25.700 Ukrainian forces in Kursk . We continue 04:25.709 --> 04:27.820 to monitor closely and are consulting 04:27.820 --> 04:29.987 with our Ukrainian partners as well as 04:29.987 --> 04:31.987 other allies and partners . Can you 04:31.987 --> 04:34.160 clarify ? You said a couple of 1000 04:34.290 --> 04:37.260 moving toward closer to Kirk . What's 04:37.269 --> 04:39.470 that ? You said a small number already 04:39.480 --> 04:41.799 in the Kirk indications that there's 04:41.809 --> 04:44.350 already a small number that are 04:44.359 --> 04:47.690 actually in the Kirk Oblast , um 04:47.700 --> 04:50.649 with a couple of 1000 more that are 04:50.690 --> 04:53.429 either , you know , almost there or due 04:53.440 --> 04:55.739 to arrive imminently . Uh Again , we'll 04:55.750 --> 04:58.529 continue to the , the rest at this time . 04:58.540 --> 05:01.549 Uh Of course , um training out in the 05:01.559 --> 05:04.019 East but fully expect that they'll move 05:04.029 --> 05:06.140 in that direction at some point . Can 05:06.140 --> 05:08.029 you sort of narrow that , are you 05:08.029 --> 05:10.085 talking dozens ? Hundreds ? Uh I'm , 05:10.085 --> 05:12.029 I'm not gonna go into the specific 05:12.029 --> 05:11.799 numbers other than just to say at this 05:11.809 --> 05:14.019 point . Uh We assess it's a relatively 05:14.029 --> 05:17.970 small number . Ok . Uh Two questions 05:17.980 --> 05:20.147 both on , on North Korea here . Do you 05:20.147 --> 05:22.258 have a sense of what Russia is giving 05:22.258 --> 05:24.429 or offering North Korea in return for 05:24.440 --> 05:26.551 thousands of troops ? And do you know 05:26.551 --> 05:30.299 if the idea came from a need from 05:30.309 --> 05:32.365 Russian President Vladimir Putin for 05:32.365 --> 05:34.929 more troops or was it an offer from 05:35.000 --> 05:37.000 North Korea that was accepted ? Who 05:37.010 --> 05:38.843 initiated the idea ? Yeah , it's 05:38.843 --> 05:41.066 certainly something that we're taking a 05:41.066 --> 05:43.288 closer look at in terms of , you know , 05:43.288 --> 05:45.380 what , what is the quid pro quo here 05:45.390 --> 05:48.179 between Kju and , and President Putin ? 05:48.540 --> 05:51.730 As you well know , we've seen uh the 05:51.739 --> 05:53.906 relationship further deepening between 05:53.906 --> 05:56.017 the D . Pr K and Russia , which is of 05:56.017 --> 05:57.929 course concerning to include the 05:57.940 --> 06:00.869 provision of munitions from North Korea 06:00.880 --> 06:03.047 to Russia to aid in their war effort , 06:03.149 --> 06:05.482 I think as Secretary Austin highlighted . 06:05.482 --> 06:07.649 However , though this is an indication 06:07.649 --> 06:09.970 of uh the dire situation that Russia 06:09.980 --> 06:12.609 finds itself in , in terms of manpower 06:12.619 --> 06:14.809 on the front lines , uh They have 06:14.820 --> 06:17.089 experienced significant casualties in 06:17.100 --> 06:20.739 this war . Uh And the fact that they 06:20.750 --> 06:22.950 now need to outsource for foreign 06:22.959 --> 06:26.510 troops to help support uh their 06:26.519 --> 06:29.390 forces inside . Uh Russia uh 06:29.399 --> 06:31.779 indicates that that there's some 06:31.790 --> 06:33.790 serious questions in terms of their 06:33.790 --> 06:36.119 ability to continue to sustain their 06:36.130 --> 06:38.130 personnel requirements . So again , 06:38.130 --> 06:40.297 that's something that we will continue 06:40.297 --> 06:42.297 to follow closely . Do you have any 06:42.297 --> 06:44.408 evidence that these North Koreans are 06:44.408 --> 06:46.630 going to plan to go into Ukraine proper 06:46.630 --> 06:49.850 to fight and can the Ukrainians use us 06:49.859 --> 06:52.470 weapons now to fire on the North Korean 06:52.480 --> 06:54.702 troops , should the North Korean troops 06:54.702 --> 06:56.890 expect to be fired upon using us 06:56.899 --> 06:59.200 weapons if they arrive in Kursk or 06:59.209 --> 07:01.320 Ukraine ? Well , as I highlighted , I 07:01.320 --> 07:03.542 mean , that's something we're keeping a 07:03.542 --> 07:05.598 close eye on . We are concerned that 07:05.598 --> 07:07.709 they do intend to employ these forces 07:07.709 --> 07:09.876 in combat against uh the Ukrainians or 07:09.876 --> 07:12.410 at least support combat operations 07:12.420 --> 07:14.364 against the Ukrainians in the Kirk 07:14.480 --> 07:17.390 region . Uh So , uh as of right now , 07:17.399 --> 07:19.730 you know , it remains to be seen 07:19.739 --> 07:22.140 exactly how the Russians and the North 07:22.149 --> 07:24.850 Koreans will employ these forces . But 07:24.859 --> 07:28.049 as it relates to the use of weapons . 07:28.130 --> 07:30.130 Uh First of all , I would highlight 07:30.130 --> 07:32.720 that the , the weapons and capabilities 07:32.730 --> 07:34.563 that the United States and other 07:34.563 --> 07:37.070 international partners have provided to 07:37.079 --> 07:39.190 Ukraine are Ukrainian weapons and 07:39.200 --> 07:41.422 Ukrainian capabilities . And we've been 07:41.422 --> 07:43.570 very clear that Ukraine is able to 07:43.579 --> 07:45.579 employ those capabilities to defend 07:45.579 --> 07:47.746 their sovereign territory from threats 07:47.746 --> 07:49.857 that are either emanating from across 07:49.857 --> 07:51.579 the border or inside Ukrainian 07:51.579 --> 07:53.635 territory . And just to follow up on 07:53.635 --> 07:56.410 the SM three S , is there any shortage 07:56.420 --> 07:58.309 that is being faced either by the 07:58.309 --> 08:00.476 Pentagon or the Navy in terms of these 08:00.476 --> 08:02.309 interceptor missiles ? There are 08:02.309 --> 08:04.142 reports , Wall Street Journal is 08:04.142 --> 08:06.364 reporting that there is a shortage . Is 08:06.364 --> 08:08.531 that true ? Yeah , I've seen the press 08:08.531 --> 08:07.869 reports as I'm sure you can appreciate , 08:07.880 --> 08:09.658 I'm not going to talk about our 08:09.658 --> 08:11.713 readiness levels or stockpiles other 08:11.713 --> 08:13.880 than to say , as evidenced by decades 08:13.890 --> 08:16.168 and decades of global force management . 08:16.470 --> 08:18.581 Uh I think we do a pretty good job of 08:18.581 --> 08:20.637 managing our capabilities around the 08:20.637 --> 08:22.692 world to ensure that we have what we 08:22.692 --> 08:24.803 need , where we need it to support uh 08:24.803 --> 08:26.970 not only our operations plans but also 08:26.970 --> 08:29.026 crises and contingencies . And we've 08:29.026 --> 08:31.248 demonstrated that on multiple occasions 08:31.248 --> 08:33.303 throughout the Middle East , whether 08:33.303 --> 08:33.070 it's supporting the defense of Israel , 08:33.309 --> 08:36.159 uh protecting the freedom of navigation 08:36.169 --> 08:39.130 in the Red Sea uh or addressing threats 08:39.140 --> 08:41.362 uh throughout the Middle East and , and 08:41.362 --> 08:43.418 other places . So , um you know , we 08:43.418 --> 08:45.473 have always made conscious decisions 08:45.473 --> 08:47.584 about how to best manage those forces 08:47.584 --> 08:49.362 around the world and manage our 08:49.362 --> 08:51.529 readiness levels . But needless to say 08:51.529 --> 08:53.584 we are ready and prepared to support 08:53.584 --> 08:55.529 our requirements in support of our 08:55.529 --> 08:57.751 national security interests . Let me go 08:57.751 --> 09:00.830 to Dan . Uh Thank you , General . Uh 09:00.840 --> 09:03.840 the NATO Secretary General uh went a 09:03.849 --> 09:06.299 bit farther uh in terms of how they 09:06.309 --> 09:09.349 described uh the North Korean movements 09:09.729 --> 09:13.299 uh in Russia . And that also came after 09:13.309 --> 09:16.440 a South Korean visit to NATO . Do you 09:16.450 --> 09:18.617 anticipate that the issue will come up 09:18.617 --> 09:20.894 in the delegation visit this week here ? 09:20.894 --> 09:23.061 Uh And do you think it's likely we may 09:23.061 --> 09:24.672 see additional downgrades of 09:24.672 --> 09:26.672 intelligence in coming days ? I , I 09:26.672 --> 09:28.839 certainly expect this to be a topic of 09:28.839 --> 09:31.061 discussion between Secretary Austin and 09:31.061 --> 09:33.061 his counterpart during the meetings 09:33.061 --> 09:35.799 this week . Um As far as uh the , the 09:35.809 --> 09:38.030 NATO Secretary General's comments , um 09:38.049 --> 09:40.105 I'm not sure I fully understand what 09:40.105 --> 09:42.160 you mean about what further , what , 09:42.160 --> 09:44.327 what did he say that went further ? He 09:44.327 --> 09:46.382 was point blank on , on North Korean 09:46.382 --> 09:48.605 troops being in Kirk . I just said that 09:48.659 --> 09:50.881 I just said that there was North Korean 09:50.881 --> 09:53.820 troops in Kirk . Thank you on a 09:53.830 --> 09:56.619 different topic . I'm sorry , have you 09:56.630 --> 09:59.690 seen any indications that Iran is 09:59.700 --> 10:03.049 preparing to retaliate against Israel ? 10:04.580 --> 10:06.636 Uh So Joe , it's certainly something 10:06.636 --> 10:08.802 we're keeping an eye on right now . Um 10:08.802 --> 10:10.802 You know , there , there is that uh 10:10.802 --> 10:12.969 possibility and we have to be prepared 10:12.969 --> 10:14.913 for all contingencies . Uh I think 10:14.913 --> 10:17.080 again , uh as we've highlighted in our 10:17.080 --> 10:19.136 readouts with , uh Secretary Gallant 10:19.136 --> 10:21.247 and Secretary or Minister Gallant and 10:21.247 --> 10:23.840 Secretary Austin , we continue to 10:23.849 --> 10:25.793 remain committed to the defense of 10:25.793 --> 10:28.016 Israel and to be prepared . Should Iran 10:28.016 --> 10:29.849 opt to do something ? But that's 10:29.849 --> 10:31.849 something we'll keep a close eye on 10:31.849 --> 10:33.960 when you say there is a possibility . 10:33.960 --> 10:36.016 This is something that is imminent . 10:36.016 --> 10:38.127 Again , I'm not going to characterize 10:38.127 --> 10:40.238 it . I think you've seen uh the , the 10:40.238 --> 10:42.293 comments from Iranian officials , uh 10:42.293 --> 10:44.405 you know , not going to have anything 10:44.405 --> 10:43.960 to provide beyond that other than to 10:43.969 --> 10:46.510 say , fully aware of the tensions in 10:46.520 --> 10:48.631 the Middle East . Uh And we are going 10:48.631 --> 10:50.859 to continue to support the defense of 10:50.869 --> 10:53.679 Israel from potential attacks by Iran 10:53.690 --> 10:55.412 and its proxies as well as the 10:55.412 --> 10:57.357 protection of our forces . Janie , 10:57.390 --> 10:59.168 thank you General , a couple of 10:59.168 --> 11:02.340 occasions about the Russia and North 11:02.349 --> 11:05.510 Korea . And uh I will maybe follow up 11:06.400 --> 11:08.859 and then the first case North Korea has 11:08.869 --> 11:12.500 a stockpile enough war supplies in 11:12.510 --> 11:16.309 Russia to last three months . And with 11:16.320 --> 11:18.859 the North Korean Foreign Minister , 11:18.869 --> 11:22.059 visiting Russia for additional 11:22.070 --> 11:25.020 troops will be sent . What are the 11:25.030 --> 11:28.289 concern of the United States about this ? 11:28.299 --> 11:31.780 And can you couldn't use us 11:31.789 --> 11:35.739 weapons without rest ? Um I 11:35.750 --> 11:37.917 think I , I already answered the , the 11:37.917 --> 11:40.859 second question uh as for um you know , 11:40.869 --> 11:42.480 the concerns again , uh I've 11:42.480 --> 11:44.549 highlighted that we remain concerned 11:44.559 --> 11:47.049 that that Russia intends to use the D 11:47.059 --> 11:51.010 PR K soldiers in combat . Uh Yeah . 11:52.450 --> 11:55.099 Second question reported by South 11:55.109 --> 11:58.270 Korean Intelligence Office , there is 11:58.280 --> 12:02.150 possibility that North Korea will get 12:02.500 --> 12:05.309 tactical support from Russia in 12:05.320 --> 12:08.950 exchange for dispatching troops 12:08.960 --> 12:12.739 and the launch ICBM at a normal 12:12.750 --> 12:16.659 angle to the United States such as 12:16.669 --> 12:20.320 satellite launches , how they assess on 12:20.330 --> 12:22.789 this . Uh Well , I won't speak to uh 12:22.799 --> 12:25.580 you know , specific intelligence uh or 12:25.609 --> 12:27.929 capabilities other than to say , you 12:27.940 --> 12:29.829 know , to your colleagues earlier 12:29.829 --> 12:31.884 question , this is something that we 12:31.884 --> 12:33.884 continue to look at in terms of the 12:33.884 --> 12:35.996 relationship between Russia and North 12:35.996 --> 12:38.440 Korea . Uh And what kinds of benefit is 12:38.450 --> 12:40.400 North Korea deriving from that 12:40.409 --> 12:42.409 relationship ? And so again , we'll 12:42.409 --> 12:44.520 continue to monitor closely Charlie . 12:44.780 --> 12:47.058 Uh Yeah , thanks . I had two questions . 12:47.058 --> 12:49.224 First of all , do you have anything to 12:49.224 --> 12:51.224 add to the reports that the Israeli 12:51.224 --> 12:53.530 strikes against Iran a few days ago 12:53.820 --> 12:56.500 were successful in doing some serious 12:56.510 --> 12:59.340 damage to their air defenses and 12:59.549 --> 13:01.969 somewhat related ? I think we're at the 13:01.979 --> 13:04.780 halfway mark of the deadline , 30 day 13:04.789 --> 13:07.400 deadline to make sure that the Israelis 13:07.409 --> 13:09.576 are doing more to provide humanitarian 13:09.576 --> 13:11.909 assistance in Gaza . Is there any 13:11.919 --> 13:14.809 evidence that they are making progress 13:14.820 --> 13:16.849 and how is that quantified ? Yeah , 13:16.859 --> 13:19.210 thanks Charlie . Um As far as Israeli 13:19.219 --> 13:21.441 operations , I'll defer to them to talk 13:21.441 --> 13:23.719 about their operations . Certainly . Um 13:24.210 --> 13:27.679 you know , we uh we saw what they did 13:27.690 --> 13:30.359 in terms of striking military targets 13:30.369 --> 13:33.250 in Iran . Um to Joe's question , you 13:33.260 --> 13:35.427 know , we continue to monitor , see uh 13:35.427 --> 13:38.080 what if any type of reaction uh Iran 13:38.090 --> 13:40.719 may uh make out of that . We obviously 13:40.729 --> 13:42.650 would like to see deescalating 13:42.659 --> 13:45.929 throughout the region uh and uh you 13:45.940 --> 13:48.107 know , a lowering of the temperature . 13:48.107 --> 13:49.996 So again , that's something we'll 13:49.996 --> 13:52.051 continue to keep an eye on as far as 13:52.051 --> 13:54.051 the letter goes . Uh don't have any 13:54.051 --> 13:56.218 specific updates to provide other than 13:56.218 --> 13:57.940 uh as we've highlighted in the 13:57.940 --> 14:00.107 conversations between Secretary Austin 14:00.107 --> 14:01.996 and Minister Gallant Humanitarian 14:01.996 --> 14:04.051 Assistance uh for the people of Gaza 14:04.051 --> 14:06.359 remains a priority and we continue to 14:06.369 --> 14:09.039 strongly push and advocate that the 14:09.049 --> 14:11.469 Israelis take that seriously in terms 14:11.500 --> 14:13.833 of define that you want to see evidence . 14:13.833 --> 14:16.000 Is it two trucks , 200 trucks ? What , 14:16.000 --> 14:18.167 what passes the line for them ? Yeah . 14:18.167 --> 14:19.833 A absolutely . I don't have a 14:19.833 --> 14:21.944 quantifiable number to give you other 14:21.944 --> 14:24.111 than much more aid needs to be getting 14:24.111 --> 14:26.222 into Gaza . And that will continue to 14:26.222 --> 14:28.444 be a point that we hammer home with our 14:28.444 --> 14:30.500 Israeli partners , Louis . Thank you 14:30.500 --> 14:32.667 following Charlie's Point and then ask 14:32.667 --> 14:35.294 about Ukraine um Un R A yesterday . The 14:35.304 --> 14:37.474 Israeli knesset passed two laws that 14:37.484 --> 14:39.565 restrict Israel's Cooper with UN R A 14:39.585 --> 14:42.200 and , and inside Israel . But that is 14:42.210 --> 14:44.200 actually one of the ways that aid 14:44.210 --> 14:47.619 filters into Gaza . Uh So how will 14:47.630 --> 14:50.599 that development impact the request 14:50.609 --> 14:53.150 that is being made in the letter ? Yeah . 14:53.159 --> 14:55.103 As you , as you've heard our state 14:55.103 --> 14:57.326 department colleagues say we are deeply 14:57.326 --> 14:59.840 troubled by this legislation that would 14:59.849 --> 15:03.359 uh shutter the UN R operations . Um 15:03.369 --> 15:06.330 As you highlight , um there are 15:06.340 --> 15:08.659 millions of Palestinians who rely on 15:08.669 --> 15:10.919 that aid . Uh And so implementing this 15:10.929 --> 15:13.080 legislation would pose significant 15:13.090 --> 15:15.440 risks for those uh that are dependent 15:15.450 --> 15:17.820 on that aid . Uh And so we will 15:17.830 --> 15:19.774 continue to urge the government of 15:19.774 --> 15:21.886 Israel to pause implementation of the 15:21.886 --> 15:23.619 legislation . Uh A as you've 15:23.630 --> 15:25.909 highlighted the letter that Secretary 15:25.919 --> 15:28.349 Austin and Secretary Blinken made quite 15:28.359 --> 15:30.248 quite clear that we're opposed to 15:30.248 --> 15:32.415 implementation of that legislation and 15:32.415 --> 15:34.581 that there could be consequences under 15:34.581 --> 15:36.192 us law and us policy for the 15:36.192 --> 15:38.248 implementation . Uh So again , we'll 15:38.248 --> 15:40.192 continue to urge the government of 15:40.192 --> 15:41.970 Israel to ensure that U Nrw can 15:41.970 --> 15:44.081 effectively carry out its mission and 15:44.081 --> 15:46.137 facilitate humanitarian assistance . 15:46.137 --> 15:48.137 Are you saying that they go hand in 15:48.137 --> 15:50.303 hand essentially that the , the 30 day 15:50.303 --> 15:53.190 implementation request by Israel , 15:53.200 --> 15:55.200 regardless of any progress they had 15:55.200 --> 15:57.256 been made prior to uh this law , the 15:57.256 --> 16:00.190 these two laws being enacted uh means 16:00.200 --> 16:03.929 that we could see um potential 16:03.940 --> 16:06.239 ramifications against Israel . Well , 16:06.250 --> 16:08.417 we , we made clear in that letter that 16:08.417 --> 16:10.361 there are some things that need to 16:10.361 --> 16:12.472 change immediately and there are some 16:12.472 --> 16:14.583 things that will take more time . I'm 16:14.583 --> 16:14.330 not going to get ahead of the process . 16:14.340 --> 16:16.679 Um But as was made very clear in the 16:16.690 --> 16:18.301 letter , the passage of that 16:18.301 --> 16:20.301 legislation could have implement uh 16:20.301 --> 16:23.020 implications under us law and us policy 16:23.030 --> 16:25.086 that remains the case . And So we'll 16:25.086 --> 16:28.919 keep you updated on Ukraine . Are there 16:28.929 --> 16:31.219 North Korean troops inside Ukraine 16:31.229 --> 16:34.109 right now ? So we have no information 16:34.119 --> 16:36.175 right now to corroborate the reports 16:36.175 --> 16:39.609 that there are D Pr K forces inside 16:39.619 --> 16:43.090 Ukraine . And uh Russia is also uh 16:43.099 --> 16:46.400 launching some uh or putting in place a 16:46.409 --> 16:49.119 large scale nuclear uh exercise today 16:49.130 --> 16:52.969 or in , in short order . Um They are 16:52.979 --> 16:55.309 directly linking that to what they say , 16:55.320 --> 16:58.330 what they see as Western comments that 16:58.340 --> 17:00.869 they say are emboldening Ukrainian 17:00.880 --> 17:03.102 action , you know , by targeting inside 17:03.102 --> 17:05.750 of Russia . Um What is your response to 17:05.760 --> 17:07.760 that ? And did they notify you that 17:07.760 --> 17:09.927 they would be undertaking ? So , so my 17:09.927 --> 17:12.229 understanding lo is that uh this is a 17:12.239 --> 17:16.180 regularly scheduled exercise . Um So no 17:16.189 --> 17:17.967 surprise there , we've not seen 17:17.967 --> 17:20.209 anything uh in terms of Russian 17:20.219 --> 17:22.330 strategic forces and its posture that 17:22.330 --> 17:24.552 would compel us to change our posture . 17:24.729 --> 17:27.420 Um And I'll just leave it there . Ok . 17:27.439 --> 17:30.520 Yes , sir . Thank you , General . What 17:30.530 --> 17:32.419 is your response to the Palestine 17:32.419 --> 17:35.060 security forces fighting against the 17:35.069 --> 17:37.739 Israeli defense force alongside Hamas ? 17:37.750 --> 17:40.989 And how does the US US oversee the 17:41.300 --> 17:43.619 Palestine Palestine security forces and 17:43.770 --> 17:47.339 Neal ? Um So in terms of uh 17:47.349 --> 17:50.930 the security situation , um in and I'm 17:50.939 --> 17:53.106 assuming you're talking about the West 17:53.106 --> 17:55.880 Bank . Yeah , so uh in the West Bank , 17:56.060 --> 17:59.479 um you know , again , we uh want to 17:59.489 --> 18:01.949 see a ratcheting down of tensions in 18:01.959 --> 18:04.181 the West Bank . I think we've been very 18:04.181 --> 18:06.880 clear in terms of uh our opposition to 18:06.890 --> 18:08.668 any type of settler violence or 18:08.668 --> 18:10.501 expansion of settlements . We'll 18:10.501 --> 18:12.557 continue to consult closely with our 18:12.557 --> 18:15.420 Israeli partners on how best to address 18:15.430 --> 18:17.597 that situation . But certainly again , 18:17.829 --> 18:21.280 I do not want to see uh temperatures um 18:21.609 --> 18:24.589 ratcheting up . Uh We , we do see a 18:24.599 --> 18:28.050 future for the role , a role for the 18:28.060 --> 18:29.893 Palestinians to play in terms of 18:29.893 --> 18:32.004 security . But again , we'll continue 18:32.004 --> 18:34.227 to consult closely with partners in the 18:34.227 --> 18:36.282 region on that going forward and you 18:36.282 --> 18:36.260 said you had a follow up . Yeah , I 18:36.500 --> 18:38.556 just wanted to clarify that . Also , 18:38.680 --> 18:41.459 there is a concern that , that the 18:41.829 --> 18:43.885 Palestinian security forces might be 18:43.885 --> 18:45.979 operating within Israel itself 18:46.089 --> 18:48.500 alongside Hamas . But I just wanted to 18:48.510 --> 18:50.343 clarify that . I'm not , I'm not 18:50.343 --> 18:52.910 tracking uh anything like that . Now , 18:53.869 --> 18:55.647 what is your response to UN R A 18:56.050 --> 19:00.050 involvement in terror activity ? Um 19:00.060 --> 19:02.260 Look , I'm not going to have anything 19:02.270 --> 19:04.660 beyond what I've said . We believe that 19:04.670 --> 19:06.839 Unrwa plays an important role in terms 19:06.849 --> 19:09.530 of providing aid to millions of 19:09.540 --> 19:11.530 Palestinians . And again , we'll 19:11.540 --> 19:15.150 continue to urge uh Israel to pause 19:15.160 --> 19:17.382 implementing the legislation that would 19:17.382 --> 19:19.271 potentially prevent that aid from 19:19.271 --> 19:22.239 getting to them . Thank you in light of 19:23.010 --> 19:26.329 the Hamas connection . So I appreciate 19:26.339 --> 19:28.283 it , Tony . I have one North Korea 19:28.283 --> 19:30.969 question and one domestic question , 19:31.385 --> 19:33.545 what combat capability do these North 19:33.555 --> 19:35.744 Korean troops potentially bring since 19:35.755 --> 19:37.811 that nation hasn't been at war since 19:37.811 --> 19:40.425 the Korean War ? Are these artillery 19:40.435 --> 19:42.657 men , logisticians , you know , some of 19:42.657 --> 19:45.765 their feared special forces . What M Os 19:45.775 --> 19:48.354 in military parliaments are these 19:48.364 --> 19:50.614 troops ? Yeah , thanks Tony . I mean , 19:50.625 --> 19:52.736 this is something that we're going to 19:52.736 --> 19:54.792 continue to assess . Um , you know , 19:54.792 --> 19:56.736 initial indications are that these 19:56.736 --> 19:58.958 troops will be employed in some type of 19:58.958 --> 20:01.069 infantry role . But again , what that 20:01.069 --> 20:03.236 could be remains to be seen . So we're 20:03.236 --> 20:05.403 going to continue to monitor closely . 20:05.403 --> 20:07.292 Do you have a feel for what units 20:07.292 --> 20:07.079 they've come from though , whether 20:07.089 --> 20:09.089 they're infantry units or these are 20:09.089 --> 20:11.959 conscripts or hardened trained soldiers ? 20:11.969 --> 20:14.191 Nothing that I'm prepared to pass along 20:14.191 --> 20:16.525 from the podium today more domestically , 20:16.525 --> 20:18.580 the Pentagon Inspector general today 20:18.580 --> 20:20.580 put out a report saying that Boeing 20:20.580 --> 20:22.691 corporation overcharged the Air Force 20:22.691 --> 20:25.935 on C 17 parts one , a laboratory soap 20:25.944 --> 20:28.535 dispenser like an 8000% markup over 20:28.545 --> 20:30.656 what they could buy at the Home Depot 20:30.656 --> 20:32.601 or something like that . Uh You've 20:32.601 --> 20:34.712 heard these tales before , is this an 20:34.712 --> 20:36.823 example of price gouging ? And what's 20:36.823 --> 20:38.989 the Pentagon's response to this report 20:38.989 --> 20:41.101 in terms of , you know , how well the 20:41.101 --> 20:41.094 Pentagon and the Air Force are managing 20:41.104 --> 20:43.569 tax dollars ? Yeah , thanks Tony . I'm 20:43.579 --> 20:45.859 certainly aware of the , the IG report . 20:45.869 --> 20:47.258 It's finding its and its 20:47.258 --> 20:49.480 recommendations . I'm not gonna offer a 20:49.480 --> 20:51.647 further characterization of the report 20:51.647 --> 20:53.702 or the specific specific contracting 20:53.709 --> 20:56.180 actions that it refers to . I will say 20:56.189 --> 20:58.022 that the Air Force , the Defense 20:58.022 --> 21:00.300 Contracting Management Agency and the 21:00.310 --> 21:02.088 defense Pricing contracting and 21:02.088 --> 21:04.189 acquisition Policy office , all 21:04.199 --> 21:06.469 provided responses to those 21:06.479 --> 21:08.646 recommendations which are reflected in 21:08.646 --> 21:11.030 the report . So beyond that , I'm not 21:11.040 --> 21:12.651 going to have any additional 21:12.651 --> 21:14.873 information to provide . Yeah , I'm not 21:14.873 --> 21:17.151 going to have any more characterize it , 21:17.151 --> 21:18.873 Tom , just to follow up on the 21:18.873 --> 21:20.762 questions . Um When you say we'll 21:20.762 --> 21:22.707 continue to urge the government to 21:22.707 --> 21:25.040 pause implementation of the legislation . 21:25.040 --> 21:27.262 Who's , is that the Pentagon ? That's , 21:27.262 --> 21:27.079 that's urging that . And how long do 21:27.089 --> 21:29.311 you want to see the pause for ? And did 21:29.311 --> 21:31.033 it come up in the conversation 21:31.033 --> 21:33.033 yesterday with um between Secretary 21:33.033 --> 21:35.145 Austin and Minister Glo ? Yeah , on , 21:35.145 --> 21:37.089 on your uh last question , I'm not 21:37.089 --> 21:39.200 gonna have anything to provide beyond 21:39.200 --> 21:38.930 what we put out in the readout , Tom . 21:38.939 --> 21:41.170 Um And , and as I highlighted earlier , 21:41.180 --> 21:43.236 um echoing the comments of our state 21:43.236 --> 21:45.402 department colleagues . So I know this 21:45.402 --> 21:47.124 is a topic of uh discussion uh 21:47.124 --> 21:48.847 specifically between our state 21:48.847 --> 21:51.069 Department and the Israeli government . 21:51.069 --> 21:53.124 Thanks . Let me go to the phone here 21:53.124 --> 21:55.291 before I get in trouble . Let me go to 21:55.291 --> 21:58.500 Phil Stewart Reuters . Thank you just 21:58.510 --> 22:00.621 back to the , the Wall Street Journal 22:00.621 --> 22:02.949 story . Um It said that the large 22:02.959 --> 22:04.848 number of interceptors used uh to 22:04.848 --> 22:06.737 strike missiles and drones in the 22:06.737 --> 22:08.737 Middle East . I had raised concerns 22:08.737 --> 22:10.681 about us military readiness in the 22:10.681 --> 22:12.848 Pacific . So I just wanted to uh ask , 22:12.848 --> 22:14.903 you know , is the Pentagon concerned 22:14.903 --> 22:16.903 about its military readiness in the 22:16.903 --> 22:20.630 Pacific at this point ? No , we are uh 22:20.640 --> 22:23.040 we are fully prepared to support our 22:23.050 --> 22:25.106 national security commitments in the 22:25.106 --> 22:27.510 Indo Pacific region . Uh It is the 22:27.520 --> 22:30.000 priority theater . Uh And we continue 22:30.010 --> 22:32.010 to believe that we have the right F 22:32.010 --> 22:34.030 Force posture uh capabilities to 22:34.040 --> 22:36.262 support our national defense as well as 22:36.262 --> 22:38.429 our allies and partners throughout the 22:38.429 --> 22:40.540 region . Ok . Let me go to Mike Glenn 22:40.540 --> 22:42.829 Washington Times . My questions have 22:42.839 --> 22:45.117 been asked and answered . Thanks , Pat . 22:45.117 --> 22:47.339 All right . And then , uh just last one 22:47.339 --> 22:49.719 here . Oop vo A thank you , General . I 22:49.729 --> 22:51.729 have two questions on Ukraine . I'm 22:51.729 --> 22:53.896 gonna follow up with Tony asks . Uh Do 22:53.896 --> 22:56.260 you have any assessment of how capable 22:56.270 --> 22:58.420 North Korean troops would be as a 22:58.430 --> 23:00.380 military force in combat in a real 23:00.390 --> 23:02.949 battle , battlefield situation ? Uh 23:02.959 --> 23:05.126 Again , you know , I don't want to get 23:05.126 --> 23:07.348 into uh hypotheticals or to speculate . 23:07.348 --> 23:09.126 Um This is something that we'll 23:09.126 --> 23:11.800 continue to , to watch . Um obviously , 23:12.089 --> 23:15.829 uh you know that there are uh reports 23:15.839 --> 23:19.119 about consternation among uh the uh 23:19.130 --> 23:21.319 Russian forces themselves on how best 23:21.329 --> 23:23.385 to integrate these forces into their 23:23.385 --> 23:25.989 own operations uh to include obviously 23:26.000 --> 23:28.310 the , the language barrier . Um But 23:28.319 --> 23:30.375 this is something that we'll , we'll 23:30.375 --> 23:32.430 keep a close eye on . All right time 23:32.430 --> 23:34.597 for a few more Constantine . And we go 23:34.597 --> 23:37.439 to John um going back to sort of 23:37.449 --> 23:39.505 domestic questions for a second . Um 23:39.505 --> 23:42.119 Election Day is a week away . Um Has 23:42.130 --> 23:44.410 the Pentagon received any requests for 23:44.420 --> 23:47.339 National Guard troops to be augmenting 23:47.660 --> 23:49.930 security anywhere and then looking 23:49.939 --> 23:52.640 forward past Election Day ? Have there 23:52.650 --> 23:54.706 been any requests for National Guard 23:54.706 --> 23:56.890 troops or us military troops in the 23:56.900 --> 23:58.956 days following . Thanks , cons , I'm 23:58.956 --> 24:00.678 not aware of any requests . Uh 24:00.678 --> 24:02.844 Certainly , you know , fully cognizant 24:02.844 --> 24:04.956 of the importance of Election Day and 24:04.956 --> 24:07.178 certainly encourage all Americans to go 24:07.178 --> 24:09.344 out and exercise their right to vote . 24:09.344 --> 24:11.344 Um , if and when we have updates in 24:11.344 --> 24:11.109 that regard , certainly we'll , we'll 24:11.119 --> 24:13.175 keep you posted . Thank you , John . 24:13.300 --> 24:15.479 Thank you General . About Secretary 24:15.489 --> 24:17.545 Austin's phone call with his Turkish 24:17.545 --> 24:21.119 counterpart , Turkish . 24:21.130 --> 24:23.352 According to the Turkish intelligence , 24:23.352 --> 24:25.241 the perpetrators of the terrorist 24:25.241 --> 24:28.020 attack in Ankara were coming from North 24:28.030 --> 24:30.229 Syria and the Turkish Air Force have 24:30.239 --> 24:33.349 hit some targets in that region which 24:33.359 --> 24:36.420 is mostly controlled by the forces that 24:36.430 --> 24:38.719 trained and supported by you . Were 24:38.729 --> 24:40.959 there any details that you could share 24:40.969 --> 24:44.349 with us about Turkey asking your 24:44.359 --> 24:46.640 support in order to fight those 24:46.650 --> 24:48.761 terrorist groups in these areas ? Can 24:48.761 --> 24:50.817 you give us some details about the ? 24:51.189 --> 24:53.550 Yeah , thanks . Um You know , beyond 24:53.560 --> 24:56.410 what we put in the readout , John . Um 24:56.420 --> 24:59.630 you know , there , there was again a um 24:59.709 --> 25:02.810 acknowledgment of Turkey's legitimate 25:02.819 --> 25:05.160 cons uh security concerns uh as it 25:05.170 --> 25:07.448 related to the recent terrorist attack . 25:07.670 --> 25:09.892 Uh My understanding just based on those 25:09.892 --> 25:12.003 press reports was that was attributed 25:12.003 --> 25:14.270 to PKK , uh which of course the United 25:14.280 --> 25:16.010 States views as a terrorist 25:16.020 --> 25:19.109 organization . Um You know , I think uh 25:19.119 --> 25:22.489 the , the headline here is that the two 25:22.500 --> 25:25.849 leaders remained committed to keeping 25:25.859 --> 25:27.748 an open line of communication and 25:27.748 --> 25:29.915 supporting one another uh particularly 25:29.915 --> 25:32.530 as it relates to being two valued NATO 25:32.540 --> 25:35.560 allies and partners . And so as we 25:35.569 --> 25:37.680 highlighted in the readout , uh a lot 25:37.680 --> 25:41.670 of that , uh maintaining uh frequent 25:41.680 --> 25:43.989 and open communication uh regarding our 25:44.000 --> 25:46.569 forces that are operating in , in Syria , 25:46.579 --> 25:49.400 conducting the defeat ISIS mission , as 25:49.410 --> 25:51.410 well as Turkey's operations , doing 25:51.410 --> 25:53.760 what it needs to do to address its 25:53.770 --> 25:55.937 legitimate security concerns . So I'll 25:55.937 --> 25:58.579 just leave it there , general just to 25:58.589 --> 26:00.811 follow up on that . Um , the readout on 26:00.811 --> 26:02.922 the call between Secretary Austin and 26:02.922 --> 26:04.930 Defense Minister Guler . Uh as you 26:04.939 --> 26:07.106 noted , stressed the need to avoid any 26:07.106 --> 26:09.106 civilian harm . Does the department 26:09.106 --> 26:11.272 condemn Turkey's strikes on electrical 26:11.272 --> 26:13.495 oil , water infrastructure in Northeast 26:13.495 --> 26:15.495 Syria . And what is the US doing to 26:15.495 --> 26:17.606 mitigate the harm to civilians that's 26:17.606 --> 26:19.661 being caused by that ? Well , look , 26:19.661 --> 26:19.329 Jared again . Uh as the readout 26:19.339 --> 26:21.561 highlighted , uh it's important to keep 26:21.561 --> 26:23.672 lines of communication open and , and 26:23.672 --> 26:25.783 good coordinations between our forces 26:25.783 --> 26:27.839 that are operating in that area . Uh 26:27.839 --> 26:30.030 And so the , the two , the secretary 26:30.040 --> 26:31.762 and the minister have remained 26:31.762 --> 26:33.929 committed to doing that . We have good 26:33.929 --> 26:36.040 coordinations , uh good communication 26:36.040 --> 26:37.929 with our Turkish allies and we'll 26:37.929 --> 26:39.929 continue to do that going forward . 26:39.929 --> 26:42.151 Couple more . No , a clean up things on 26:42.151 --> 26:44.373 the North Korean troops . You mentioned 26:44.373 --> 26:46.596 that the concern is that these could be 26:46.596 --> 26:48.651 used for infantry , is that the case 26:48.651 --> 26:50.873 for those troops that are already in or 26:50.873 --> 26:53.151 heading to Kirk right now ? Writ large . 26:53.151 --> 26:55.484 That's kind of how we would assess this , 26:55.484 --> 26:57.930 this group of , of approximately 10,000 26:57.939 --> 27:00.199 forces and do you assess that all 27:00.209 --> 27:03.000 10,000 will head to Kirk eventually or 27:03.010 --> 27:04.621 that there could be multiple 27:04.621 --> 27:06.732 operational imperatives for them ? It 27:06.732 --> 27:08.732 certainly could be the case but you 27:08.732 --> 27:10.732 know , indication right now or that 27:10.732 --> 27:12.677 they'll move in the next few weeks 27:12.677 --> 27:14.788 closer to Ukraine . But again , we'll 27:14.788 --> 27:16.621 keep an eye out on that and then 27:16.621 --> 27:18.732 switching gears a bit . The secretary 27:18.732 --> 27:20.954 has discussed that there is a window of 27:20.954 --> 27:22.621 opportunity for de escalation 27:22.621 --> 27:24.843 specifically between Israel and Lebanon 27:24.843 --> 27:26.899 given the attacks recently in Beirut 27:26.899 --> 27:29.066 and then in southern Lebanon , is that 27:29.066 --> 27:31.121 window still open in the secretary's 27:31.121 --> 27:32.954 point of view ? And does he feel 27:32.954 --> 27:34.843 satisfied with the steps taken to 27:34.843 --> 27:36.566 secure some sort of diplomatic 27:36.566 --> 27:38.677 resolution ? The window is still open 27:38.677 --> 27:40.843 and I think if you were talking to the 27:40.843 --> 27:42.732 secretary , he would tell you the 27:42.732 --> 27:44.843 window for diplomacy is always open . 27:44.843 --> 27:46.899 This is not an easy problem to solve 27:46.899 --> 27:49.121 for all the reasons that are obvious to 27:49.121 --> 27:49.089 you and everyone in this room . But 27:49.099 --> 27:51.210 it's also something that's incredibly 27:51.210 --> 27:53.432 important , not only for the region but 27:53.432 --> 27:55.155 for international security and 27:55.155 --> 27:57.390 stability . And so , um yes , we will 27:57.400 --> 28:00.270 continue to capitalize on this moment 28:00.280 --> 28:02.780 in time . And I know for example , the 28:02.790 --> 28:04.957 State Department uh as well as the the 28:04.957 --> 28:07.329 White House are also actively engaged 28:07.339 --> 28:09.617 on that front . Thanks , last question . 28:09.619 --> 28:11.675 Yes , sir , General , I'm just gonna 28:11.675 --> 28:13.897 follow about the Lebanon . Um regarding 28:13.897 --> 28:15.729 to that , that the call between 28:15.739 --> 28:17.930 Secretary Austin and his Israeli 28:17.939 --> 28:20.540 counterpart Secretary Austin here , er , 28:20.650 --> 28:24.010 the US commitment to uh diplomatic 28:24.020 --> 28:26.199 arrangement in Lebanon . So , do you 28:26.209 --> 28:28.989 believe now it's the time to start this 28:29.000 --> 28:31.599 arrangement or , uh , you think as a 28:31.609 --> 28:34.349 dod that , that Israel need more time 28:34.359 --> 28:36.526 to complete their operation in Lebanon 28:36.660 --> 28:39.670 to maybe to meet some things they don't 28:39.680 --> 28:41.624 know they want as a result of this 28:41.624 --> 28:44.155 operation . Now this is the time to 28:44.165 --> 28:46.765 start this thing . Yeah , I mean , 28:46.775 --> 28:49.074 again , as , as I highlighted the 28:49.084 --> 28:52.265 secretary reiterated our commitment to 28:52.275 --> 28:54.386 a diplomatic arrangement in Lebanon . 28:54.386 --> 28:56.574 And so we do believe that there is a 28:56.584 --> 28:59.765 window of opportunity here uh to , to 28:59.775 --> 29:02.204 capitalize on the situation and get to 29:02.214 --> 29:04.325 a diplomatic resolution as quickly as 29:04.325 --> 29:06.834 possible . So , thank you . Thanks very 29:06.844 --> 29:07.875 much , everybody . Appreciate it .