| 00:00:00 | MCCAIN. |
| 00:00:01 | >> THANK YOU. |
| 00:00:02 | AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE HONOR OF INTRODUCING YOU TO THE COMMITTEE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MANY OF OUR SPIRITED CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD FOR MANY YEARS. |
| 00:00:16 | I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING IT UP BUT SINCE IT WAS BROUGHT UP, I HAVE TO RESPOND AGAIN. |
| 00:00:21 | AMERICANS DO CARE. |
| 00:00:23 | THEY DO CARE. |
| 00:00:24 | THEY DO CARE WHY FOUR AMERICANS WERE MURDERED AND THEY DO CARE WHY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WERE MISLED. |
| 00:00:34 | THEY WERE MISLED BY THE TALKING POINTS THAT THE SEC -- THAT SECRETARY RICE TOLD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHICH WERE FALSE. |
| 00:00:41 | THEY WERE MISLED WHEN THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT HOW THOSE TALKING POINTS WERE PUT TOGETHER, WHICH WE STILL DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS TO, MANY MONTHS LATER. |
| 00:00:56 | WE WERE MISLED WHEN IT WAS -- WHEN WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO -- WHEN WE DON'T -- STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANSWERS WHY THERE WAS NOT BETTER SECURITY AT THE CONSULATE WHEN THERE WAS CLEAR INDICATIONS OF THE THREAT. |
| 00:01:10 | WE WERE MISLED WHEN WE WERE NOT TOLD THAT THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR THE 16-MEMBER SECURITY FORCE TO REMAIN AT THE CONSULATE AND WERE REMOVED. |
| 00:01:20 | THE LIST GOES ON AND GONE. |
| 00:01:23 | -- ON AND ON. |
| 00:01:24 | WE STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE ANSWERS AS TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH BENGHAZI FOR AND ANYONE TO SAY WE DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENED IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE I TALKED TO THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO WERE MURDERED. |
| 00:01:38 | AND WE WILL, FOR SOME OF THE US, WE WILL CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO FIND OUT THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE THEM, INCLUDING WHY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AFTER ALLEGING IN A DEBATE WITH MITT ROMNEY, SAID THAT HE HAD CALLED IT A TERRORIST ACT WHEN IN FACT HE HADN'T. |
| 00:01:57 | IN FACT THAT SAME DAY HE DID AN INTERVIEW WITH CBS NEWS SAYING HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. |
| 00:02:03 | PROBABLY TWO WEEKS LATER, HE TOLD VARIOUS NEWS PROGRAMS HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF IT. |
| 00:02:08 | WE KNEW WHAT THE CAUSE OF IT WAS. |
| 00:02:10 | WE KNEW THAT PEOPLE DON'T BRING R. |
| 00:02:14 | P.G.'S AND MORTARS TO SPONTANEOUS DEMONSTRATIONS. |
| 00:02:19 | SO WE -- SMOR US -- SOME OF US WILL NOT GIVE UP ON THIS DESPITE WHAT SOME IN THE MEDIA THINK WE SHOULD DO UNTIL WE GET ALL THE ANSWERS. |
| 00:02:31 | I WAS HANGING ON EVERY WORD YOU WERE SAYING, JOHN. |
| 00:02:33 | I HAPPENED TO GLANCE AT MY APPS, HERE'S A BBC NEWS REPORTS. |
| 00:02:41 | -- REPORT. |
| 00:02:42 | IT SAYS THE U. |
| 00:02:43 | N. SAYS NUMBERS OF SYRIAN REFUGEES ARRIVING IN JORDAN PUTTING A CONSIDERABLE STRAIN ON THE RESOURCES. |
| 00:02:49 | THE U. |
| 00:02:51 | N. H.C.R. SAID THAT MORE THAN 26,500 REFUGEES HAVE CROSSED INTO JORDAN SINCE JANUARY 1. |
| 00:03:01 | OFFICIALS SAID UP TO 3,000 WERE ARRIVING EVERY DAY AND 50,000 WERE WAITING TO CROSS. |
| 00:03:06 | THAT HAPPENS TO BE THE CAMP THAT WE VISITED. |
| 00:03:11 | THAT HAPPENS TO BE THE CAMP WHERE JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE THERE WAS A VERY BAD STORM AND THESE TENTS WERE BLOWN DOWN AND THERE WAS RIOTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS AND ANGER AND FRUSTRATION. |
| 00:03:23 | AND THE BELIEF THAT WE'RE NOT HELPING THEM. |
| 00:03:26 | THE ANGER THAT WE FELT WHEN A YOUNG WOMAN WHO IS A TEACHER SAID THIS NEXT GENERATION OF CHILDREN WILL TAKE REVENGE ON THOSE THAT DID NOT HELP THEM. |
| 00:03:42 | WE ARE SOWING THE WIND IN SYRIA, WE'RE GOING TO REAP THE WHIRLWIND THAT WHIRLWIND WILL BE THE INCREASE OF -- INCREASED PRESENCE OF AL QAEDA AND ISLAMIST GROUPS WHICH ARE NOW FLOODING INTO SYRIA, AS YOU KNOW. |
| 00:03:56 | 60,000 DEAD AND COUNTING AND THE FALL OF ASSAAD IS, QUOTE, INEVITABLE. |
| 00:04:02 | YOU KNOW THAT ASSAAD IS THINKING ABOUT PLAMBINGS B -- PLAN B, GOING TO THE COAST AND DOING ETHNIC CLEANSING. |
| 00:04:10 | I APPRECIATE YOUR OPTIMISM ABOUT THE RUSSIANS. |
| 00:04:13 | THE RUSSIANS CONTINUE TO SUPPLY HIM WITH ARMS, THE RUSSIANS CONTINUE TO VETO EVERY SINGLE RESOLUTION THAT MIGHT DO SOMETHING ABOUT SYRIA AND OF COURSE PUTIN HAS JUST ENACTED ONE OF THE MOST INHUMANE LAWS IN PREVENTING AMERICANS FROM ADOPTING RUSSIAN CHILDREN WHO CLEARLY HAVE -- ARE NOW DEPRIVED OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A BETTER LIFE. |
| 00:04:40 | I DON'T THINK THE STATUS QUO IN SYRIA IS SOMETHING WE JUST NEED TO HAVE SOME MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT. |
| 00:04:45 | I THINK WE OUGHT TO TELL THE SYRIAN PEOPLE THAT WE'RE EITHER GOING TO HELP THEM OR WE'RE NOT. |
| 00:04:50 | WE KNOW THAT A NO-FLY ZONE AND WE KNOW THE SUPPLY OF ARMS SO THAT THEY CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES TO COUNTER THE ARMS THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED BY THE IRANIANS AND THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD ON THE GROUND AND THERE'S NO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES THAT ARE PUTTING THE STRAIN ON OUR ALLIES. |
| 00:05:09 | I'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS. |
| 00:05:12 | WE'VE HAD A LOT OF HEARINGS. |
| 00:05:13 | WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING. |
| 00:05:17 | WE'VE GOT, AGAIN, 60,000 DEAD AND AFTER 22 MONTHS AND ALL I GET, FRANKLY, FROM THE ADMINISTRATION IS THE FALL OF ASSAAD IS, QUOTE, INEVITABLE. |
| 00:05:31 | I AGREE. |
| 00:05:32 | WHAT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE MEANTIME? |
| 00:05:36 | I HOPE THAT YOU, AND I KNOW YOU ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT SITUATION. |
| 00:05:44 | IT'S TERRIBLE. |
| 00:05:45 | IT'S HEARTBREAKING. |
| 00:05:46 | TO MEET A GROUP OF YOUNG WOMEN AS I SID IN -- AS I DID IN A CAMP IN TURKEY, A REFUGEE CAMP, WHO HAS BEEN GANG RAPED IS A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. |
| 00:05:57 | AND WE CAN DO A LOT MORE WITHOUT PUTTING AMERICAN BOOTS ON THE GROUND. |
| 00:06:02 | WE CAN PREVENT THIS FURTHER SLAUGHTER AND MASSACRE AND INHUMANITY. |
| 00:06:08 | OTHERWISE WE WILL BE JUDGED VERY, VERY HARSHLY BY HISTORY. |
| 00:06:12 | I HOPE THAT -- I KNOW FROM OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU WILL MAKE THIS YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY. |
| 00:06:19 | I LOOK FORWARD TO AT LEAST EXPLORING AND TRY TO IMPLEMENT A DIFFERENT POLICY THAN THE ONE THAT WE HAVE PURSUED FOR THE LAST 22 MONTHS. |
| 00:06:30 | THANK YOU. |
| 00:06:31 | >> WELL, JOHN, THANK YOU. |
| 00:06:35 | I HAVE, AND YOU KNOW THIS BECAUSE YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT GREAT LENGTH. |
| 00:06:40 | I HAVE COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM ON THIS, I KNOW YOUR FRUSTRATION AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY ABOUT IT. |
| 00:06:47 | I DO WANT TO JUST SAY TO YOU THAT I DON'T WANT INQUISITIVENESS OR CURIOSITY ABOUT WHAT POSSIBILITIES MIGHT EXIST WITH THE RUSSIANS TO BE TRANSLATED INTO OPTIMISM. |
| 00:07:04 | I DON'T HAVE OPTIMISM. |
| 00:07:05 | I HAVE HOPE. |
| 00:07:07 | BECAUSE THE EASIEST WAY TO RESOLVE IT WOULD BE IF THEY WERE TO BE TABLE HELP -- IF -- IF TOGETHER WE WERE ABLE TO FIND SOME TRACK THAT CHANGED THE EQUATION AND THE CALCULATION OF ASSAAD. |
| 00:07:24 | WHAT I THINK EVERYBODY WORRIED ABOUT, JOHN, IS THAT IF YOU HAVE A COMPLETE IMPLOSION OF THE STATE, NOBODY HAS CLEAR DEFINITIONS OF HOW YOU PUT THOSE PIECES BACK TOGETHER, NUMBER ONE, AND NUMBER TWO, YOU HAVE A MUCH GREATER RISK WITH RESPECT TO THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS. |
| 00:07:50 | NOW, THAT'S WHY I WANT TO GET IN AND SEE WHAT THE CONTINGENCY PLANS ARE. |
| 00:07:56 | BECAUSE I CAN'T MEASURE RISK WITHOUT HAVING A SENSE OF WHAT'S ON THE TABLE. |
| 00:08:02 | WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF WEAPONS THERE. |
| 00:08:07 | THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE GULF, AND YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE, WHO ARE NOT HESITATING TO PROVIDE WEAPONS. |
| 00:08:13 | AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS TOGETHER WITH THE FACT THAT AL NUSRA HAS BEEN INTRODUCED TO THE EQUATION, THAT THE MOVEMENT ON THE GROUND IS FASTER THAN THE MOVEMENT IN THE POWER. |
| 00:08:28 | THAT'S WHAT MAKE THIS IS VERY COMPLICATED. |
| 00:08:32 | AND I'M DEADLY SERIOUS WHEN I SAY TO YOU, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SIT DOWN, THERE'S NOTHING WE NEED MORE THAN CONGRESSIONAL CONSENSUS. |
| 00:08:42 | TO WE CAN BUILD IT ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS, PARTICULARLY IF THE WORST HAPPENS AND YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, DISINTEGRATION. |
| 00:08:49 | THERE ARE OTHER FORCES AT PLAY THAT NONE OF US HAVE BEEN IN CONTROL OF. |
| 00:08:53 | ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS STRUCK ME IN THE LAST YEAR, THE MORE I TRAVELED TO THE REGION AND TALKED TO PEOPLE IS THE DEPTH OF THE SECTARIAN DIVIDE AND YOU KNOW IT WELL. |
| 00:09:04 | SUNNI, SHIA, CONSIDERATIONS ENTER DEEPLY INTO LOTS OF JUDGMENTS OUT THERE. |
| 00:09:12 | SO WE HAVE TO BE PARTICULARLY -- AND THEN OTHERS. |
| 00:09:14 | YOU'VE GOT 74% OF SYRIA IS SUNNI. |
| 00:09:22 | IS MUSLIM. |
| 00:09:23 | YOU'VE GOT ABOUT 16% MADE UP OF THE ALOWITE AND SHIA. |
| 00:09:35 | CHRISTIANS ARE ABOUT 10%, JEWS ABOUT 3%. |
| 00:09:38 | YOU HAVE THIS BREAKDOWN WITH INTERESTS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND I KNOW ONE OF THE SCENARIOS EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT IS PEOPLE COULD BREAK UP OFF INTO THEIR PLACES, THE KURDS COULD BE IN THE NORTHEAST AND YOU COULD HAVE A DISINTEGRATION AND WHO KNOWS WHERE THAT LEADS. |
| 00:09:54 | THESE ARE THE RISKS. |
| 00:09:56 | THIS IS WHAT IS AT STAKE IN THIS NEW WORLD THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. |
| 00:10:00 | AND NOBODY COULD SIT HERE AND TELL YOU HOW IT ALL PLAYS OUT. |
| 00:10:04 | BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET OUR HEADS TOGETHER REGARDLESS OF PARTY AND THINK ABOUT THE INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THINK ABOUT THE REGION, THINK ABOUT THE INTERESTS OF THE NEIGHBORS. |
| 00:10:15 | THINK ABOUT THE INTERESTS OF OUR FRIENDS LIKE ISRAEL, AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE COME UP WITH AN EQUATION THAT IS WORKABLE AND MEETS THOSE INTERESTS. |
| 00:10:31 | NOW FINAL COMMENT, JOHN, I DON'T WANT TO GO ON ABOUT IT. |
| 00:10:34 | BUT I DIDN'T SUGGEST AND I DON'T WANT TO SUGGEST, NOR DO I BELIEVE THAT SECRETARY CLINTON WAS SAYING THAT PEOPLE DON'T CARE ABOUT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED. |
| 00:10:43 | I THINK SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THE RECOMMENDING AS OF THE A. |
| 00:10:49 | R.B. WERE AND IMPLEMENTING THEM AND THIS NOTION THAT WE HAVE TO GO BACKWARDS. |
| 00:10:54 | BUT HERE'S WHAT I SAY TO TO YOU. |
| 00:10:56 | AFTER 29 YEARS HERE, IN MY 29TH, I RESPECT THE PREROGATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE AND THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, YOU REPRESENT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, YOU'RE THE OTHER BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT TOOK PLACE. |
| 00:11:13 | AND I HAVE AN OBLIGATION COMMENSURATE WITH THE, YOU KNOW, REGULATIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS AND PRIVACY AND OTHER THINGS AT PLAY HERE, TO HELP YOU GET THE ANSWERS AND WE'LL DO THAT. |
| 00:11:26 | I HOPE WE CAN DO IT IN A NONCONTENTIOUS, APPROPRIATE WAY. |
| 00:11:30 | >> THANK YOU. |
| 00:11:32 | COULD I JUST MENTION, I THINK YOU WOULD AEE WITH ME THAT EVERY DAY THAT GOES BY IN SYRIA, IT GETS WORSE. |
| 00:11:42 | SO THERE IS, IT SEEMS TO ME, A VERY STRONG IMPETUS THAT WE REALIZE THAT THE PRESENT POLICY IS NOT SUCCEEDING AND TO LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS TO PREVENT WHAT IS GOING ON FOR NOW 22 MONTHS AND 60,000 DEAD. |
| 00:12:00 | >> BUT I THINK YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT WHATEVER JUDGMENTS YOU MAKE, THEY HAVE TO PASS THE TEST OF WHETHER OR NOT, YOU DO THEM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. |
| 00:12:13 | >> ABSOLUTELY. |
| 00:12:14 | >> YOU HAVE TO MAKE A TEST OF THE COST ANALYSIS IN DOING THAT. |
| 00:12:17 | AND I MEAN ALL KINDS OF COS. |
| 00:12:19 | HUMAN LIFE COSTS, TREASURE, EFFECT ON OTHER COUNTRIES. |
| 00:12:26 | >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. |
| 00:12:28 | CHAIRMAN. JOHN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. |
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