WEBVTT 00:01.779 --> 00:04.119 All right , good afternoon , everyone . 00:04.130 --> 00:06.241 Just a few things at the top and I'll 00:06.241 --> 00:09.079 get right to your questions . Uh This 00:09.090 --> 00:11.146 morning US Central Command announced 00:11.146 --> 00:12.979 that they conducted their second 00:12.979 --> 00:14.812 combined humanitarian assistance 00:14.812 --> 00:18.059 airdrop into northern Gaza . Three US C 00:18.069 --> 00:21.450 one thirties dropped over 36,800 meals 00:21.459 --> 00:23.659 into Northern Gaza to provide critical 00:23.780 --> 00:26.002 relief to civilians there . This is the 00:26.002 --> 00:27.947 second combined airdrop to deliver 00:27.947 --> 00:30.058 humanitarian assistance to the people 00:30.058 --> 00:32.280 of Gaza . As you know , Central Command 00:32.280 --> 00:34.502 also conducted an airdrop on Saturday , 00:34.502 --> 00:36.391 delivering , delivering more than 00:36.391 --> 00:38.447 38,000 meals along the coast line of 00:38.447 --> 00:40.613 Gaza . These operations included C 130 00:40.613 --> 00:42.669 cargo aircraft from the US Air Force 00:42.669 --> 00:44.891 and the Royal Jordanian Air Force along 00:44.891 --> 00:46.947 with support from us . Army soldiers 00:46.947 --> 00:48.836 specialized in aerial delivery of 00:48.836 --> 00:51.090 supplies who built bundles and ensured 00:51.099 --> 00:53.819 the safe drop of food aid . These 00:53.830 --> 00:55.840 humanitarian airdrops contribute to 00:55.849 --> 00:57.700 ongoing us government efforts to 00:57.709 --> 00:59.542 provide life saving humanitarian 00:59.542 --> 01:01.860 assistance to people in Gaza and are 01:01.869 --> 01:04.036 part of a sustained effort to get more 01:04.036 --> 01:06.091 aid into Gaza including by expanding 01:06.099 --> 01:08.309 the flow of aid through land corridors 01:08.319 --> 01:11.489 and routes . We continue planning for 01:11.500 --> 01:13.349 potential follow on airborne aid 01:13.360 --> 01:15.527 delivery missions and we'll be sure to 01:15.527 --> 01:17.638 keep you updated when we have any new 01:17.638 --> 01:19.749 information to provide . Separately . 01:19.749 --> 01:21.916 Secretary Austin hosted Minister Benny 01:21.916 --> 01:23.916 Gantz , a member of the Israeli War 01:23.916 --> 01:26.027 cabinet for a bilateral meeting today 01:26.027 --> 01:28.193 in the Pentagon . During the meeting , 01:28.193 --> 01:30.082 Secretary Austin condemned hamas' 01:30.082 --> 01:32.138 attack against Israel on October 7th 01:32.138 --> 01:34.027 and called for the release of all 01:34.027 --> 01:36.400 hostages held by Hamas . The secretary 01:36.410 --> 01:38.632 also expressed strong concerns over the 01:38.632 --> 01:40.790 humanitarian situation in Gaza and 01:40.800 --> 01:42.879 requested Minister Ganz's support in 01:42.889 --> 01:45.209 enabling more humanitarian assistance 01:45.220 --> 01:48.239 and distribution into Gaza . Secretary 01:48.250 --> 01:50.440 Austin also emphasized assistance and 01:50.449 --> 01:52.230 distribute . Uh Excuse me also 01:52.239 --> 01:54.183 emphasized the critical need for a 01:54.190 --> 01:56.690 credible and implement plan for 01:56.699 --> 01:58.921 protecting civilians and addressing the 01:58.921 --> 02:00.921 humanitarian situation prior to any 02:00.921 --> 02:03.209 ground operations in Rafah . Read out 02:03.220 --> 02:05.387 from today's meeting will be posted to 02:05.387 --> 02:07.839 the dod website in other meetings today 02:07.849 --> 02:10.016 and tomorrow . The Office of the Under 02:10.016 --> 02:11.960 Secretary of Defense for Policy is 02:11.960 --> 02:14.016 hosting the Defense Policy Board for 02:14.016 --> 02:15.905 sessions to examine the potential 02:15.905 --> 02:17.905 impacts of attacks on us , critical 02:17.905 --> 02:19.849 infrastructure aimed at disrupting 02:19.849 --> 02:21.682 Department of Defense efforts to 02:21.682 --> 02:23.849 mobilize project and sustain the joint 02:23.849 --> 02:25.738 force . Leveraging its breadth of 02:25.740 --> 02:27.851 experience . The board will offer the 02:27.851 --> 02:29.851 Secretary of Defense and the Deputy 02:29.851 --> 02:31.684 Secretary of Defense Independent 02:31.684 --> 02:33.684 Informed Advice and opinions on the 02:33.684 --> 02:35.851 topic . Following a series of meetings 02:35.851 --> 02:37.796 with senior Pel Pentagon leaders , 02:37.796 --> 02:39.851 combatant commanders and interagency 02:39.851 --> 02:42.018 counterparts . An unclassified readout 02:42.018 --> 02:44.018 of the defense Policy board meeting 02:44.018 --> 02:45.796 will be posted to defense.gov , 02:45.796 --> 02:47.740 switching to updates on allies and 02:47.740 --> 02:49.669 partners Nordic response 2024 . A 02:49.679 --> 02:52.190 Norwegian hosted exercise begins today 02:52.199 --> 02:54.421 in Norway , Finland and Sweden and will 02:54.421 --> 02:56.660 culminate March 15th . The exercise 02:56.669 --> 02:58.919 features more than 20,000 NATO forces 02:58.929 --> 03:01.619 from 14 nations including roughly 5000 03:01.630 --> 03:03.686 from the US Marine Corps Navy , Army 03:03.686 --> 03:05.852 and Air Force designed to strength and 03:05.852 --> 03:07.797 agility and interoperability among 03:07.797 --> 03:09.908 allies and partners . Nordic response 03:09.908 --> 03:11.908 will test the collective ability of 03:11.908 --> 03:14.130 Arctic nations and others to operate in 03:14.130 --> 03:16.463 the rugged conditions of the high North . 03:16.463 --> 03:18.686 This year's iteration is part of nato's 03:18.686 --> 03:21.630 steadfast defender 2024 as well as E US 03:21.639 --> 03:23.639 European command's coordinate large 03:23.639 --> 03:27.020 scale global exercise 24 moving over to 03:27.029 --> 03:29.251 the Indo Pacific region . I'd also like 03:29.251 --> 03:31.418 to highlight this morning's statements 03:31.418 --> 03:33.251 from our colleagues at the State 03:33.251 --> 03:32.809 Department after ships from the 03:32.820 --> 03:34.931 People's Republic of China engaged in 03:34.931 --> 03:36.931 reckless maneuvers against lawfully 03:36.940 --> 03:38.829 operating Philippine vessels near 03:38.829 --> 03:41.050 Second Thomas Shoal . Many of you have 03:41.059 --> 03:43.059 seen the images and videos today of 03:43.059 --> 03:45.226 this dangerous operational behavior by 03:45.226 --> 03:46.948 the PR C which caused multiple 03:46.948 --> 03:48.892 collisions and included the use of 03:48.892 --> 03:50.837 water cannons . These PR C actions 03:50.837 --> 03:52.948 resulted in injuries to Filipino crew 03:52.948 --> 03:55.220 members , put lives at risk and 03:55.229 --> 03:56.729 demonstrated disregard for 03:56.729 --> 03:59.339 international law . We call on the PR C 03:59.350 --> 04:01.017 to abide by the International 04:01.017 --> 04:03.128 Tribunal's legally binding decision . 04:03.128 --> 04:05.500 In 2016 , the United States is going to 04:05.509 --> 04:07.509 continue to stand by our Philippine 04:07.509 --> 04:09.620 ally and our commitment to our mutual 04:09.620 --> 04:11.919 defense treaty is Ironclad . Finally , 04:11.929 --> 04:14.096 the Department would like to recognize 04:14.096 --> 04:15.818 Women's History Month which is 04:15.818 --> 04:17.873 celebrated across our nation . Every 04:17.873 --> 04:20.096 March , we honor the trailblazing women 04:20.096 --> 04:20.010 who have paved the way and those who 04:20.019 --> 04:21.908 continue to serve and lead at all 04:21.908 --> 04:23.908 levels across the armed forces . We 04:23.908 --> 04:25.408 recognize their invaluable 04:25.408 --> 04:27.297 contributions to our military and 04:27.297 --> 04:29.352 civilian workforce and their service 04:29.352 --> 04:31.575 and sacrifice are a cornerstone for the 04:31.575 --> 04:33.686 department and our nation's history . 04:33.686 --> 04:35.408 And with that , I'll take your 04:35.408 --> 04:37.630 questions . We'll start with a P Tara . 04:37.630 --> 04:37.440 You're sitting on the opposite side of 04:37.450 --> 04:41.350 the room today . Uh First I 04:41.359 --> 04:43.581 wanted to ask about the sea cables that 04:43.581 --> 04:45.526 were cut . Um Does the US have any 04:45.529 --> 04:47.890 better indication of how they were cut 04:47.899 --> 04:50.380 if the houthis were involved ? Um And 04:50.390 --> 04:52.501 if there's any steps that the uh navy 04:52.501 --> 04:54.501 is going to take to further protect 04:54.501 --> 04:56.612 these cables , I have a couple more . 04:56.612 --> 04:58.723 Yeah , thanks Tara . I , I don't have 04:58.723 --> 04:58.679 anything to pass along to you now . Uh 04:58.690 --> 05:00.634 as you know that this is something 05:00.634 --> 05:02.801 obviously that we're looking into . Uh 05:02.801 --> 05:04.912 but I , I just don't have any updates 05:04.912 --> 05:07.079 to pass along right now . Ok . Um What 05:07.079 --> 05:09.190 about the idea of a maritime corridor 05:09.190 --> 05:11.301 has dod been asked to look at options 05:11.301 --> 05:13.523 or see what ships would be available to 05:13.523 --> 05:15.301 be able to create , establish a 05:15.301 --> 05:17.619 maritime corridor for aid to Gaza ? Um 05:17.630 --> 05:19.630 So what I can tell you right now is 05:19.630 --> 05:21.686 that uh in co ordination with the US 05:21.686 --> 05:24.079 Inter Agency and international partners , 05:24.089 --> 05:26.630 we are actively reviewing options for a 05:26.640 --> 05:28.959 maritime corridor for humanitarian 05:28.970 --> 05:31.579 assistance into Gaza uh including 05:31.589 --> 05:33.311 potential commercial and , and 05:33.311 --> 05:35.478 contracted options . I don't have more 05:35.478 --> 05:37.700 to announce at this time , uh regarding 05:37.700 --> 05:39.645 what that would be , but obviously 05:39.645 --> 05:41.811 we'll , we'll keep you updated on that 05:41.811 --> 05:43.978 front that would that include using us 05:43.978 --> 05:46.489 personnel and military personnel in 05:46.500 --> 05:48.500 Gaza to help deliver stuff or is it 05:48.500 --> 05:51.899 just offshore ? Yeah , again , 05:51.910 --> 05:55.230 so we would be uh only in a supporting 05:55.239 --> 05:57.461 role , are in a supporting role when it 05:57.461 --> 05:59.295 comes to providing us government 05:59.295 --> 06:01.295 humanitarian assistance . Uh And so 06:01.295 --> 06:03.295 certainly were we to be involved in 06:03.295 --> 06:05.461 that it would be in the form of unique 06:05.461 --> 06:08.619 dod capabilities ? Um The US Agency for 06:08.630 --> 06:10.741 International Development is the lead 06:10.741 --> 06:12.908 coordinator for the government when it 06:12.908 --> 06:15.019 comes to humanitarian assistance . Uh 06:15.019 --> 06:17.130 And so again , we'll continue to work 06:17.130 --> 06:16.910 with the interagency on , on what that 06:16.920 --> 06:19.087 might look like going forward just one 06:19.089 --> 06:22.010 last on Ukraine aid . Um Is the 06:22.019 --> 06:24.075 building still looking at options of 06:24.075 --> 06:26.649 using the last 4 billion in 06:26.660 --> 06:29.529 authorization ? Given that Ukraine's 06:29.540 --> 06:31.540 state of affairs seems to be pretty 06:31.540 --> 06:34.679 dire . Yeah , so I I don't again have 06:34.690 --> 06:36.801 anything specific to announce in , in 06:36.801 --> 06:40.799 terms of uh additional aid . Um We 06:40.809 --> 06:43.329 continue to urge Congress to pass the 06:43.339 --> 06:45.899 supplemental as soon as possible so 06:45.910 --> 06:48.132 that we can support Ukraine in its time 06:48.132 --> 06:50.243 of need and of course , replenish our 06:50.243 --> 06:52.521 own stocks . Uh as you've heard us say , 06:52.521 --> 06:54.632 Ukraine needs the full resources that 06:54.632 --> 06:56.799 are available in that package . Uh And 06:56.809 --> 06:58.809 there's really no other way to , to 06:58.809 --> 07:00.976 meet fully their uh their requirements 07:00.976 --> 07:03.198 on the battlefield . Thank you . Let me 07:03.198 --> 07:03.019 go to the other side of the room to , 07:03.799 --> 07:05.799 but pat these ear drops , it sounds 07:05.799 --> 07:07.743 like they're gonna continue . Will 07:07.743 --> 07:09.688 there be any coordinate with any , 07:09.688 --> 07:11.855 anyone on the ground as you drop these 07:11.855 --> 07:13.855 or just kind of drop them along the 07:13.855 --> 07:16.077 coast and any civilians nearby can just 07:16.077 --> 07:18.243 go up and grab the stuff . Um So right 07:18.243 --> 07:20.188 now , and you know , again , uh in 07:20.188 --> 07:22.410 terms of the , the coordinations of the 07:22.410 --> 07:25.670 drops , um we are coordinating this uh 07:25.679 --> 07:28.390 with Israeli Defense Forces uh and are 07:28.399 --> 07:30.790 also communicating through text message 07:30.799 --> 07:32.743 to local residents to ensure their 07:32.743 --> 07:35.570 safety prior to the drop . Uh I I think 07:35.579 --> 07:37.690 what you're asking though is in terms 07:37.690 --> 07:39.746 of when they land on the ground , is 07:39.746 --> 07:39.700 there anyone there to receive them ? 07:39.709 --> 07:41.765 And , and no , that's not the case . 07:41.765 --> 07:43.987 But again , we're , we're attempting to 07:43.987 --> 07:46.153 do these in a way uh that they will be 07:46.153 --> 07:48.265 able to land safely . Uh And that the 07:48.265 --> 07:50.487 civilians who need that aid are able to 07:50.487 --> 07:52.487 access the aid . Thank you , Carl , 07:52.690 --> 07:54.989 thanks . Um Going to the Houthis 07:55.000 --> 07:58.679 situation , there was another um ship 07:58.690 --> 08:00.523 that was hit by the Houthis . Uh 08:00.523 --> 08:02.857 Liberian flag was on a vessel this time . 08:02.857 --> 08:06.190 Um Does dod assess that what they are 08:06.200 --> 08:08.256 doing in the region ? Is enough ? Is 08:08.256 --> 08:10.109 there a need in the Pentagon's 08:10.119 --> 08:13.299 assessment for additional um resources 08:13.309 --> 08:15.531 in the region to try to safeguard ships 08:15.769 --> 08:17.713 again , I I don't have anything to 08:17.713 --> 08:19.769 announce Carl in terms of additional 08:19.769 --> 08:21.936 resources going to the region . As you 08:21.936 --> 08:23.713 know , this is an international 08:23.713 --> 08:25.769 multinational effort to address this 08:25.769 --> 08:27.936 problem . And so that will continue to 08:27.936 --> 08:29.880 be uh our approach is to work with 08:29.880 --> 08:32.102 international partners and allies uh to 08:32.102 --> 08:34.436 disrupt and degrade Houthi capabilities . 08:34.436 --> 08:36.436 But most importantly , to work with 08:36.436 --> 08:38.602 international shipping companies uh in 08:38.602 --> 08:40.547 countries around the world to help 08:40.547 --> 08:42.547 ensure that they can safely transit 08:42.547 --> 08:44.380 that waterway . Are there enough 08:44.380 --> 08:46.436 resources , military resources being 08:46.436 --> 08:48.602 put into that region right now to stop 08:48.602 --> 08:50.769 the Houthi attacks ? Again , we have a 08:50.769 --> 08:52.602 significant amount of capability 08:52.602 --> 08:54.658 already in the region , but it's not 08:54.658 --> 08:56.880 just about the US , we will continue to 08:56.880 --> 08:59.047 work with allies and partners and as , 08:59.047 --> 09:01.213 as we continue to need more , uh we'll 09:01.213 --> 09:03.380 certainly work with them and certainly 09:03.380 --> 09:05.491 are willing to uh to take any and all 09:05.491 --> 09:07.547 helpers on that front . Let me go to 09:07.547 --> 09:07.539 the phone real quick here , Washington 09:07.549 --> 09:11.400 Post , Missy Ryan . Hi Pat . 09:11.409 --> 09:14.030 I just wanted to follow up on Tara's 09:14.039 --> 09:15.983 question and I have a question , a 09:15.983 --> 09:18.429 separate question . So um regarding the 09:18.440 --> 09:21.690 maritime planning , just to um I see a 09:21.700 --> 09:23.478 little bit more on that . Is it 09:23.478 --> 09:25.200 accurate to say that you , you 09:25.200 --> 09:27.367 mentioned that the United States would 09:27.367 --> 09:29.144 be in a supporting role ? Is it 09:29.144 --> 09:31.311 accurate to say that the United States 09:31.311 --> 09:33.422 might be involved ? But that American 09:33.422 --> 09:35.478 military personnel would not , would 09:35.478 --> 09:37.644 not be delivering aid on the ground in 09:37.644 --> 09:39.867 Gaza . Yeah , to clarify , Missy , what 09:39.867 --> 09:41.922 I said was the Department of Defense 09:41.922 --> 09:44.380 would be and a supporting role when it 09:44.390 --> 09:46.223 comes to providing us government 09:46.223 --> 09:48.334 humanitarian assistance . I mean , as 09:48.334 --> 09:50.679 you know , uh the the United States 09:50.690 --> 09:52.801 government has provided more than 100 09:52.801 --> 09:54.579 and $80 million in humanitarian 09:54.579 --> 09:56.869 assistance to Gaza since October 7th . 09:57.169 --> 09:59.520 And so the the dod is supporting that 09:59.530 --> 10:02.500 broader uh us government interagency 10:02.510 --> 10:05.250 effort uh to , to , to deliver aid . Uh 10:05.260 --> 10:07.260 So again , I don't have anything to 10:07.260 --> 10:09.427 announce right now . Uh And , and as I 10:09.427 --> 10:11.799 mentioned , we are actively reviewing 10:11.809 --> 10:14.780 options . Um but uh you know what that 10:14.789 --> 10:17.011 looks like , uh we'll , we'll just have 10:17.011 --> 10:20.200 to keep you updated and a separate 10:20.210 --> 10:22.549 question . Um I saw the readout from 10:22.559 --> 10:24.670 Secretary Austin's meeting with Benny 10:24.670 --> 10:28.640 Gantz . Um did um Minister Gantz 10:28.650 --> 10:31.590 provide any assurances um 10:31.599 --> 10:34.799 about um facilitating additional entry 10:34.809 --> 10:38.159 of aid ? Um And you know , the , the um 10:38.469 --> 10:40.691 read out mentioned strong concerns that 10:40.691 --> 10:43.080 Austin had , was there any um 10:43.960 --> 10:46.020 guarantees or , but you know , new 10:46.030 --> 10:48.086 steps , any assurances , did he walk 10:48.086 --> 10:50.086 away with um any sort of sense that 10:50.086 --> 10:52.252 things were going to change ? Thanks . 10:52.252 --> 10:54.419 Yeah , thanks , Missy . Uh As I'm sure 10:54.419 --> 10:56.586 you can appreciate , I , I won't speak 10:56.586 --> 10:58.697 for , for Minister Gantz . Um Again , 10:58.697 --> 11:00.363 the secretary appreciated the 11:00.363 --> 11:02.530 opportunity to , to meet with him . Um 11:02.530 --> 11:04.474 but beyond what we provided in our 11:04.474 --> 11:06.697 readout , uh that's about the extent of 11:06.697 --> 11:06.070 what I'm able to , to pass along . 11:06.080 --> 11:09.119 Thank you , Joseph um to follow up on 11:09.130 --> 11:11.919 that in the readout as well . Secretary 11:11.929 --> 11:13.707 Austin mentioned the need for a 11:13.707 --> 11:16.599 credible and implement plan for any 11:16.609 --> 11:19.340 operations in DAFA . Um Can you say 11:19.349 --> 11:22.169 whether he did present a plan ? Um 11:23.580 --> 11:25.929 We , we have not seen a plan yet from 11:25.979 --> 11:28.380 uh the Israelis when it comes to RAFA 11:28.390 --> 11:31.890 operations . One does the uh 11:31.900 --> 11:35.250 department think that it's necessary 11:35.929 --> 11:38.039 for congressional approval under the 11:38.049 --> 11:40.160 war powers resolution for any further 11:40.160 --> 11:42.382 strikes or operations in Yemen ? Seeing 11:42.382 --> 11:44.327 as I think it's been about 60 days 11:44.327 --> 11:46.382 since the first strikes were carried 11:46.382 --> 11:50.179 out again . You know , I know the 11:50.190 --> 11:51.912 White House has talked to this 11:51.912 --> 11:55.289 extensively uh in terms of um you know , 11:55.330 --> 11:59.070 un resolution uh in terms of the right 11:59.080 --> 12:01.191 inherent right to self defense and of 12:01.191 --> 12:03.136 course , the president's under his 12:03.136 --> 12:05.302 article to authorities to , to uh self 12:05.302 --> 12:07.524 defense . Uh And so , uh again , I just 12:07.524 --> 12:09.636 refer you to that . Thank you . Can I 12:09.636 --> 12:11.469 just quickly follow up . Has the 12:11.469 --> 12:13.691 Pentagon seen any Israeli military plan 12:13.691 --> 12:15.691 when it comes to Gaza going back to 12:15.691 --> 12:18.260 October ? Uh I'm not gonna get into the 12:18.270 --> 12:21.299 specifics about what uh we've seen 12:21.309 --> 12:23.365 other than , you know , we've had an 12:23.365 --> 12:25.253 ongoing dialogue with the Israeli 12:25.253 --> 12:27.309 Defense Force and minist Ministry of 12:27.309 --> 12:29.309 Defense in terms of , of what their 12:29.309 --> 12:31.859 operations are . Uh as you know , we 12:31.869 --> 12:34.036 communicate at multiple echelons , not 12:34.036 --> 12:36.258 only here in the Pentagon , but also at 12:36.258 --> 12:38.869 us Central Command . Uh And so , um you 12:38.880 --> 12:40.880 know , generally speaking , uh they 12:40.880 --> 12:42.713 keep us informed on what they're 12:42.713 --> 12:44.880 looking to do . Um But ultimately , at 12:44.880 --> 12:47.047 the end of the day , they're executing 12:47.047 --> 12:49.269 the plans that they develop . You can't 12:49.269 --> 12:51.491 say whether or not you've actually seen 12:51.491 --> 12:53.602 a plan or not going back to October . 12:53.602 --> 12:55.713 Um Well , Joseph's question was about 12:55.713 --> 12:58.020 Rafa , Rafa operations in Gaza 12:58.270 --> 13:00.799 operations going back to October . Have 13:00.809 --> 13:03.039 they shared any specific military plans 13:03.169 --> 13:04.891 in the past ? They have shared 13:04.891 --> 13:07.460 operational details with us ? Um I'll 13:07.469 --> 13:09.960 just leave it at that . Yeah , thank 13:10.099 --> 13:12.289 you , Pat . Um a follow up . You said 13:12.299 --> 13:14.188 that you're coordinating with the 13:14.188 --> 13:15.688 Israeli Defense Forces and 13:15.688 --> 13:17.799 communicating through text message to 13:17.799 --> 13:19.966 local residents to ensure their safety 13:19.966 --> 13:22.132 on the airdrops . Can you elaborate on 13:22.132 --> 13:24.355 that ? Um Who are you coordinating with 13:24.355 --> 13:26.577 for the local residents on the ground ? 13:26.577 --> 13:29.039 Um Are cell phone companies involved 13:29.049 --> 13:31.216 and what does connectivity look like ? 13:31.216 --> 13:33.327 How does it all work ? I I don't have 13:33.327 --> 13:35.549 any more details . Provide me on what I 13:35.549 --> 13:38.109 passed along . Thanks . Thanks . So you 13:38.119 --> 13:40.341 mentioned that discussions are underway 13:40.341 --> 13:42.452 about the Maritime Corridor and there 13:42.452 --> 13:44.619 have been renewed calls in Congress to 13:44.619 --> 13:47.840 send a hospital ship to the area um 13:47.989 --> 13:50.211 including by Senator Angus King . So is 13:50.211 --> 13:52.378 that something that is being discussed 13:52.378 --> 13:54.433 as well in addition to this maritime 13:54.433 --> 13:56.378 corridor ? Yeah , thanks , Natasha 13:56.378 --> 13:58.267 again , I don't have any specific 13:58.267 --> 14:00.211 details provide other than again , 14:00.211 --> 14:00.179 we're going to work closely with the 14:00.190 --> 14:02.479 inter agency to look at uh what the 14:02.489 --> 14:04.640 requirements are , how best to meet 14:04.650 --> 14:06.983 those requirements . And as I mentioned , 14:06.983 --> 14:09.094 that could include both commercial or 14:09.094 --> 14:10.817 contracted options . Um but uh 14:10.817 --> 14:12.817 recognizing that the dod has unique 14:12.817 --> 14:15.059 capabilities , um that's what we will 14:15.070 --> 14:17.348 bring to the discussion . Uh But again , 14:17.348 --> 14:19.514 I don't wanna get ahead of that , that 14:19.514 --> 14:21.403 planning process , so . Ok . No , 14:21.403 --> 14:23.626 thanks . Um So given that there are aid 14:23.626 --> 14:25.737 trucks at the border waiting to go in 14:25.737 --> 14:27.903 that are being held up . Um This seems 14:27.903 --> 14:30.070 like it's putting the US in a position 14:30.070 --> 14:32.292 to have to airdrop aid , which is known 14:32.292 --> 14:34.514 to be more dangerous and expensive . Is 14:34.514 --> 14:36.737 the Pentagon frustrated that it's being 14:36.737 --> 14:36.559 put in this position due to how Israel 14:36.570 --> 14:39.150 is conducting its operations . The 14:39.159 --> 14:41.215 Pentagon doesn't get frustrated , we 14:41.215 --> 14:44.869 just get busy . So , um so I mean , 14:44.880 --> 14:46.491 clearly as the president has 14:46.491 --> 14:48.713 highlighted , not enough aid is getting 14:48.713 --> 14:50.769 into Gaza . And so the Department of 14:50.769 --> 14:52.880 Defense is supporting that broader us 14:52.880 --> 14:55.102 government effort to help contribute to 14:55.102 --> 14:57.269 that . Certainly , we want to see more 14:57.269 --> 14:59.491 aid being delivered via ground routes . 14:59.491 --> 15:01.269 And again , this is part of the 15:01.269 --> 15:01.099 discussion that we're having with the 15:01.109 --> 15:03.969 Israelis in terms of how can they work 15:03.979 --> 15:06.146 to ensure that those routes are open ? 15:06.280 --> 15:08.440 Uh And that aid can get in quicker . 15:08.590 --> 15:10.423 You know , it's obviously a very 15:10.423 --> 15:12.590 complex situation on the ground . It's 15:12.590 --> 15:14.923 not like trucks can just drive in there , 15:14.923 --> 15:17.146 there's a screening process and then of 15:17.146 --> 15:19.368 course , there's safety and security of 15:19.368 --> 15:21.590 getting that aid to certain locations . 15:21.590 --> 15:23.701 Um But all that to say again , as you 15:23.701 --> 15:25.812 heard , the president say , uh aid is 15:25.812 --> 15:27.812 not getting in fast enough . And so 15:27.812 --> 15:30.034 these airdrops that we started over the 15:30.034 --> 15:32.257 weekend , our part are intended to help 15:32.257 --> 15:34.570 supplement those efforts , but we won't 15:34.580 --> 15:37.010 stop there again . Well , USA ID and 15:37.020 --> 15:39.076 others will continue to look at ways 15:39.076 --> 15:41.390 that we can expedite uh aid getting 15:41.429 --> 15:43.989 into Gaza also in coordinating with 15:44.000 --> 15:46.222 other countries from around the world . 15:46.222 --> 15:48.444 Thank you . Let me go back to the phone 15:48.444 --> 15:50.799 here . Uh Let's go to Phil Stu Stewart 15:50.809 --> 15:53.950 Reuters . Hey , there . Could you give 15:53.960 --> 15:55.849 us a sense ? Uh We'd , we'd asked 15:55.849 --> 15:57.960 yesterday about when the meeting with 15:57.960 --> 16:00.016 uh with uh Mr Gant was scheduled and 16:00.016 --> 16:02.182 went at the time yesterday . We didn't 16:02.182 --> 16:04.460 think he had a meeting uh with Mr Gant . 16:04.460 --> 16:06.682 When did that wind up being scheduled ? 16:06.682 --> 16:08.738 And then just to uh just to press on 16:08.738 --> 16:11.799 Missy's question , you know , uh does 16:11.809 --> 16:14.030 the Pentagon assess that it would be 16:14.669 --> 16:17.770 secure enough for us troops to be 16:17.780 --> 16:20.780 positioned in Gaza to , to secure a 16:20.900 --> 16:23.690 maritime corridor uh port or to 16:23.700 --> 16:25.756 otherwise distribute aid or has that 16:25.756 --> 16:27.978 been ruled out at this point ? Thanks . 16:27.978 --> 16:30.200 Yeah , thanks , Phil . At this point in 16:30.200 --> 16:32.311 time , there are no plans to send any 16:32.311 --> 16:34.589 US forces into Gaza uh to my knowledge . 16:34.729 --> 16:37.380 Um So , you know , just leave it there . 16:37.500 --> 16:40.090 Um In terms of the , the , the meeting 16:40.099 --> 16:43.460 scheduled for today , um that was uh 16:43.530 --> 16:46.830 you know , last night . Um uh we were 16:46.840 --> 16:50.809 able to identify uh an opening . Uh And 16:50.820 --> 16:53.340 so that meeting was essentially uh 16:53.349 --> 16:55.571 penciled in late last night and then of 16:55.571 --> 16:57.738 course confirmed uh this morning . And 16:57.738 --> 16:59.510 so , uh again , the secretary 16:59.520 --> 17:01.520 appreciated the opportunity to , to 17:01.520 --> 17:04.469 talk to Minister Gantz uh and just 17:04.479 --> 17:06.646 leave it there . Thank you . Let me go 17:06.646 --> 17:08.660 to uh Laura Seligman Politico . 17:10.819 --> 17:13.520 Hi , Pat , thanks for doing this . Um 17:13.530 --> 17:15.419 Following up on some of the , the 17:15.419 --> 17:17.474 earlier questions about the maritime 17:17.474 --> 17:20.119 route . Has the Pentagon ruled out 17:20.130 --> 17:22.300 putting us boots on the ground in Gaza 17:22.310 --> 17:24.420 even in support of this humanitarian 17:24.430 --> 17:27.718 mission . Yeah , thanks again at , at 17:27.729 --> 17:30.828 this time , uh there are no plans to 17:30.838 --> 17:33.288 put us forces on the ground in Gaza uh 17:33.328 --> 17:35.548 to my knowledge . Thank you . 17:37.159 --> 17:40.208 So , um as you said , the USA ID is , 17:40.218 --> 17:43.678 is taking the lead in delivering aid to 17:43.688 --> 17:46.229 Gaza and I assume they have trucks in 17:46.239 --> 17:48.410 Egypt , right ? I'd have to refer you 17:48.420 --> 17:50.253 to that . And you mentioned like 17:50.253 --> 17:53.020 security reason for the one of the 17:53.030 --> 17:55.252 reasons for the delay in delivering aid 17:55.252 --> 17:58.579 through ground route . If you have 17:58.589 --> 18:02.150 us provided assistance and UN provided 18:02.160 --> 18:05.469 assistance . How , what is the 18:05.479 --> 18:07.646 security concern here when it comes to 18:07.646 --> 18:10.750 Israel versus dropping aid on Gaza ? 18:11.030 --> 18:13.670 Did the Israelis screen the aid you 18:13.680 --> 18:16.199 dropped in Gaza again , I'd refer you 18:16.209 --> 18:18.969 to USA ID in Israel to talk about the 18:18.979 --> 18:21.050 the specifics there . Uh And , and 18:21.060 --> 18:23.338 again , State Department , as you know , 18:23.338 --> 18:25.750 has been uh intimately involved in this 18:25.760 --> 18:27.816 process . I'm only gonna talk to the 18:27.816 --> 18:29.538 dod aspects . But again , as I 18:29.538 --> 18:32.510 understand it , uh the the situation on 18:32.520 --> 18:35.069 the ground in terms of getting aid into 18:35.079 --> 18:38.189 Gaza , whether it's from uh you know , 18:38.609 --> 18:40.665 Egypt or whether it's coming in from 18:40.665 --> 18:43.500 Israel . Um you know , we obviously 18:43.510 --> 18:45.566 need to ensure that that continues , 18:45.566 --> 18:48.689 you know , we uh helped uh or USA ID 18:48.699 --> 18:52.489 helped we airlifted aid into Egypt uh 18:52.500 --> 18:54.660 earlier in the year , which of course 18:54.670 --> 18:56.726 was then taken over a land route via 18:56.726 --> 18:59.150 Egypt into Gaza , for example . Uh But 18:59.160 --> 19:01.049 then as I mentioned , part of the 19:01.049 --> 19:03.104 discussion is working with Israel to 19:03.104 --> 19:05.216 open up additional routes that are on 19:05.216 --> 19:06.938 Israel's side , looking at all 19:06.938 --> 19:09.160 possibilities to get aid in there . But 19:09.160 --> 19:08.839 when it comes to the on the ground 19:08.849 --> 19:11.569 dynamics , dod forces are not on the 19:11.579 --> 19:13.746 ground there . So I really can't speak 19:13.746 --> 19:15.635 to them dynamics . So you had two 19:15.635 --> 19:18.420 operations to drop aid on Gaza did 19:18.430 --> 19:20.652 Israel screen that aid ? They did not , 19:21.489 --> 19:23.656 they do not . So they allowed that aid 19:23.656 --> 19:25.545 without any screening , correct , 19:25.609 --> 19:27.880 correct . Uh Thank you General . Please 19:27.890 --> 19:30.020 let me ask you about in the past week 19:30.089 --> 19:33.250 that China said today that its military 19:33.260 --> 19:36.489 spending will increase by 7.2% this 19:36.500 --> 19:39.010 year . So there is an accusation of the 19:39.020 --> 19:41.239 Chinese military spending in terms of 19:41.250 --> 19:44.300 transparency and openness . So does the 19:44.310 --> 19:47.310 Pentagon assess China's actual defense 19:47.319 --> 19:49.959 spending could be much larger than that 19:50.030 --> 19:53.319 bound , say publicly ? Yeah , thanks . 19:53.449 --> 19:55.616 So you know , I'm not going to get any 19:55.616 --> 19:57.569 uh from the podium or any specific 19:57.579 --> 19:59.746 intelligence that we might have from a 19:59.746 --> 20:01.746 dod standpoint . What I will say is 20:01.746 --> 20:03.912 that we will continue to monitor their 20:03.912 --> 20:05.857 evolving military strategy , their 20:05.857 --> 20:07.912 doctrine , their force development . 20:07.912 --> 20:10.023 And as you highlight , we do continue 20:10.023 --> 20:12.190 to call on them to be more transparent 20:12.190 --> 20:14.190 about their defense spending uh and 20:14.190 --> 20:17.439 their um actions that they're taking 20:17.449 --> 20:19.739 not only in the in , in the Pacific 20:19.750 --> 20:21.417 region , but around the world 20:21.417 --> 20:23.417 separately , following up about the 20:23.417 --> 20:25.528 situation in the South China Sea that 20:25.528 --> 20:27.880 the China has con Chinese dangerous 20:27.890 --> 20:30.810 behavior has continued in spite of the 20:30.819 --> 20:33.097 us commitment to defend the Philippine . 20:33.097 --> 20:36.800 All right . So uh what steps will the 20:36.810 --> 20:39.189 Pentagon take in practical time to 20:39.199 --> 20:41.255 change the trajectory of the Chinese 20:41.255 --> 20:43.880 behavior in the South China Sea ? Well , 20:43.890 --> 20:46.001 I think you see us taking those steps 20:46.001 --> 20:49.500 now , which is um leading by 20:49.510 --> 20:51.660 example and working closely with 20:51.670 --> 20:54.579 partners and allies in the region to 20:54.589 --> 20:57.949 ensure that uh countries can 20:57.959 --> 21:01.380 sail fly or operate wherever 21:01.390 --> 21:03.390 international law allows . But most 21:03.400 --> 21:05.567 importantly , it's working together in 21:05.567 --> 21:07.567 a positive and productive manner to 21:07.567 --> 21:09.622 ensure security and stability in the 21:09.622 --> 21:12.310 region and not exacerbate tensions in 21:12.319 --> 21:14.319 the region . And so again , we'll , 21:14.319 --> 21:17.109 we'll continue to maintain that focus 21:17.119 --> 21:19.119 regional security and stability and 21:19.119 --> 21:21.750 prosperity versus harassment , 21:21.760 --> 21:24.900 antagonism , uh and destabilizing types 21:24.910 --> 21:28.160 of activities . Thank you . Yes , sir . 21:28.170 --> 21:30.439 Thank you very much , general . Um 21:30.449 --> 21:32.449 Recently , there's been a flurry of 21:32.449 --> 21:34.171 engagements between Ankara and 21:34.171 --> 21:36.282 Washington , the deputy and Secretary 21:36.282 --> 21:38.227 of the Defense Department met with 21:38.227 --> 21:40.282 Turkish national security adviser in 21:40.282 --> 21:40.119 Ankara . A couple of weeks ago , the 21:40.130 --> 21:42.074 Turkish spy chief is in Washington 21:42.074 --> 21:44.074 right now . The Foreign Minister is 21:44.074 --> 21:46.241 going to be here in a couple of days . 21:46.241 --> 21:48.241 And the Turkish President just said 21:48.241 --> 21:50.297 yesterday that this summer , we will 21:50.297 --> 21:50.109 permanently resolve the issue regarding 21:50.119 --> 21:52.430 our Iraqi borders . And our desire to 21:52.439 --> 21:54.439 create a security corridor in Syria 21:54.439 --> 21:56.606 remains the same . So given this level 21:56.606 --> 21:59.099 of contact recently would just be too 21:59.280 --> 22:01.339 uh puzzling for the Pentagon if the 22:01.349 --> 22:03.460 Turkish government actually took this 22:03.460 --> 22:05.627 step to launch cross border operations 22:05.627 --> 22:08.300 in northern Iraq and Syria . Um Yeah , 22:08.310 --> 22:10.670 thanks you . I , I don't have any uh 22:10.680 --> 22:13.510 comment on that . Um Other than to say 22:13.520 --> 22:15.520 again , we've talked in the past uh 22:15.520 --> 22:19.449 about um the challenge is 22:19.459 --> 22:21.640 that any type of cross border attacks 22:21.650 --> 22:24.680 would cause particularly as it relates 22:24.689 --> 22:27.790 to the defeat ISIS mission . Of course , 22:27.800 --> 22:30.959 we highly value Turkey as an ally . But 22:30.969 --> 22:32.858 when it comes to those particular 22:32.858 --> 22:34.969 conversations , I just , I just don't 22:34.969 --> 22:38.380 have any insight to provide the correct 22:39.380 --> 22:41.829 Tom . Thanks a couple of questions for 22:41.839 --> 22:43.728 you . First of all , how does the 22:43.728 --> 22:45.839 Pentagon address the apparent paradox 22:45.839 --> 22:48.061 of providing bombs to Israel on the one 22:48.061 --> 22:49.783 hand and ready to eat meals to 22:49.783 --> 22:52.530 Palestinians on the other . Um So 22:52.630 --> 22:54.797 Thomas we've talked about , you know , 22:54.797 --> 22:56.963 we recognize a couple of things here . 22:56.963 --> 22:59.280 One Israel was attacked by Hamas on 22:59.560 --> 23:02.069 October 7th over 1200 people killed , 23:02.079 --> 23:04.640 over 200 hostages , taken half of whom 23:04.650 --> 23:07.000 are still being held by Hamas . Hamas 23:07.010 --> 23:08.788 has not laid down its arms . It 23:08.788 --> 23:10.959 continues to present a significant uh 23:10.969 --> 23:13.439 and potentially existential threat to 23:13.449 --> 23:16.099 Israel . And Israel has an inherent 23:16.109 --> 23:17.998 right to defend itself . And as a 23:17.998 --> 23:20.589 strong partner , uh long standing 23:20.599 --> 23:23.180 partner of the United States , uh our 23:23.189 --> 23:25.245 support for Israel's right to defend 23:25.245 --> 23:27.467 itself is ironclad and we will continue 23:27.467 --> 23:29.522 to support them and ensure they have 23:29.522 --> 23:31.633 what they need to defend their people 23:31.633 --> 23:33.800 and protect their citizens from future 23:33.800 --> 23:36.750 terrorist attacks by Hamas . At the 23:36.760 --> 23:38.900 same time as we've been saying for a 23:38.910 --> 23:40.743 very long time . And I mentioned 23:40.743 --> 23:42.743 earlier over 100 and $80 million in 23:42.743 --> 23:44.799 humanitarian assistance to people in 23:44.799 --> 23:47.540 Gaza from the US government . We 23:47.550 --> 23:50.430 recognize the importance of ensuring 23:50.619 --> 23:54.380 that the people in Gaza uh can remain 23:54.390 --> 23:56.300 safe . And again , we have been 23:56.310 --> 23:59.000 consistently uh speaking with our 23:59.010 --> 24:01.121 Israeli partners on the importance of 24:01.121 --> 24:03.310 ensuring civilian safety . Secretary , 24:03.319 --> 24:05.097 Austin has talked about this at 24:05.097 --> 24:07.180 multiple times to include uh in his 24:07.189 --> 24:09.189 speech at Reagan . Uh and that will 24:09.189 --> 24:11.467 continue to be our position ultimately , 24:11.467 --> 24:13.689 at the end of the day , what we want to 24:13.689 --> 24:15.910 see is a situation where Israelis and 24:15.920 --> 24:17.864 Palestinians can live next to each 24:17.864 --> 24:20.031 other side by side . Uh And the threat 24:20.031 --> 24:22.290 of Hamas no longer exists uh and 24:22.300 --> 24:24.133 creates the chaos that they have 24:24.140 --> 24:26.140 brought to both the Israeli and the 24:26.140 --> 24:28.029 Palestinian people . And then the 24:28.029 --> 24:30.251 second question , I know you don't want 24:30.251 --> 24:32.473 to get ahead of any announcements vis a 24:32.473 --> 24:35.979 vis the um the aid corridor through the 24:35.989 --> 24:38.045 maritime route , but you did mention 24:38.045 --> 24:40.489 some unique dod capabilities . Can you 24:40.500 --> 24:42.500 talk about what these could be in a 24:42.500 --> 24:44.667 general sense ? And um you know , like 24:44.667 --> 24:46.889 amphibious landing craft for instance . 24:46.889 --> 24:49.111 And also could you talk about like what 24:49.111 --> 24:51.167 the situation is now with regards to 24:51.167 --> 24:53.444 like the Israeli naval blockade ? Like , 24:53.444 --> 24:55.611 how would , how would the corridor get 24:55.611 --> 24:57.778 around that or would it be through the 24:57.778 --> 24:59.833 blockade with the ? Thanks Tom . Now 24:59.833 --> 25:02.000 I'm I'm just not um because as much as 25:02.000 --> 25:04.056 I'd like to get in hypotheticals and 25:04.056 --> 25:06.222 speculate that will be reported as dod 25:06.222 --> 25:08.444 is going to do X and at this point , um 25:08.444 --> 25:10.389 I just don't have any specifics to 25:10.389 --> 25:10.079 announce . So we'll be sure to keep you 25:10.089 --> 25:12.540 updated . Uh And in terms of Israeli 25:12.550 --> 25:14.717 operations , I'd I'd have to refer you 25:14.717 --> 25:16.661 to them . Uh Let me go back to the 25:16.661 --> 25:18.606 phone here . Uh Jeff Shog task and 25:18.606 --> 25:20.550 purpose . Uh Thank you . Uh An air 25:20.560 --> 25:23.479 force employee at Strategic Command has 25:23.489 --> 25:25.489 been indicted for allegedly sharing 25:25.489 --> 25:27.433 sensitive information . This comes 25:27.433 --> 25:30.000 after the uh recent revelation that a 25:30.010 --> 25:33.369 sailor has been arrested for sharing 25:33.380 --> 25:35.713 information with the foreign government . 25:35.713 --> 25:37.769 And then last year you had two other 25:37.769 --> 25:39.880 sailors arrested for espionage is the 25:39.880 --> 25:41.824 defense department dealing with an 25:41.824 --> 25:43.880 espionage problem within the ranks . 25:43.880 --> 25:47.119 Thank you . Yeah , thanks , Jeff . Look 25:47.130 --> 25:50.119 the bottom line is , um , you know , 25:51.140 --> 25:53.140 we , we've seen in the past , uh , 25:53.150 --> 25:55.079 where individuals have committed 25:55.089 --> 25:58.229 inappropriate actions , uh , and , you 25:58.239 --> 26:00.350 know , uh , been identified and , and 26:00.350 --> 26:02.572 held accountable , generally speaking , 26:02.572 --> 26:04.850 uh , to answer your question . No . Um , 26:04.850 --> 26:07.839 but , uh , we also recognize the fact , 26:07.849 --> 26:10.040 uh , that , that insider threats are 26:10.050 --> 26:11.883 something that needs to be taken 26:11.883 --> 26:13.994 seriously , which is why every single 26:13.994 --> 26:16.106 member of the Department of Defense , 26:16.106 --> 26:18.217 whether you're a basic trainee , uh , 26:18.217 --> 26:20.439 or a two star general or above is going 26:20.439 --> 26:22.328 to take training uh on the proper 26:22.328 --> 26:24.494 handling and safeguarding of sensitive 26:24.494 --> 26:26.661 information . And if you violate those 26:26.661 --> 26:28.994 rules , uh you will be held accountable . 26:29.000 --> 26:31.111 Uh And so we'll just leave it there . 26:31.599 --> 26:34.380 Ok . Uh Let me go to um 26:35.229 --> 26:38.959 Pat Tucker Defense one . Uh Hey General , 26:38.969 --> 26:41.191 thanks for doing this . So , uh there's 26:41.191 --> 26:44.359 a read out just now um about the 26:44.369 --> 26:46.819 secretary's meeting with the Lithuanian 26:46.829 --> 26:48.940 Defense Minister . Uh I wonder if you 26:48.940 --> 26:51.107 can go a little bit beyond the readout 26:51.107 --> 26:53.180 and tell us uh what the secretary 26:53.189 --> 26:55.040 talked about with the uh Defense 26:55.050 --> 26:57.280 Minister of Lithuania . And also uh 26:57.290 --> 26:59.790 second part is the United States right 26:59.800 --> 27:01.800 now in touch with the government of 27:01.800 --> 27:04.079 Moldova about possible defensive steps 27:04.089 --> 27:06.579 or actions uh that Moldova may need to 27:06.589 --> 27:10.000 take to uh uh get ahead of possible 27:10.010 --> 27:12.079 civil unrest or , or even uh Russian 27:12.089 --> 27:13.959 aggressive activity as has been 27:13.969 --> 27:16.080 foretold through some Russian actions 27:16.080 --> 27:18.410 uh in the last couple of weeks . Yeah . 27:18.420 --> 27:20.642 Thanks , Pat . Um Listen , I , I really 27:20.642 --> 27:22.719 don't have anything uh to provide 27:22.729 --> 27:24.840 beyond what was in the readout . Uh a 27:24.840 --> 27:27.062 very productive meeting . Um you know , 27:27.062 --> 27:29.599 the secretary appreciated the chance to 27:29.609 --> 27:31.609 talk with the minister uh about the 27:31.609 --> 27:33.720 strong bilateral defense relationship 27:33.720 --> 27:36.089 between the United States and Lithuania . 27:36.099 --> 27:38.321 And , and as the readout highlighted uh 27:38.321 --> 27:41.229 expressed uh the support that Lithuania 27:41.239 --> 27:43.880 is providing for Ukraine . Uh and also 27:43.890 --> 27:46.140 the NATO alliance uh when it comes to 27:46.150 --> 27:47.928 Moldova , I don't have anything 27:47.928 --> 27:50.469 specific here to provide . Pat . Um You 27:50.479 --> 27:52.312 know , I'd recommend that you uh 27:52.312 --> 27:54.560 contact uh state Department . Uh and , 27:54.569 --> 27:56.680 and they could probably talk a little 27:56.680 --> 27:58.291 bit more about the bilateral 27:58.291 --> 28:00.402 relationship there on the ground . Um 28:00.402 --> 28:02.402 But uh yeah , I don't have anything 28:02.402 --> 28:04.569 beyond that . Thank you . Let me go to 28:04.569 --> 28:06.125 Jared uh from all monitor . 28:09.390 --> 28:11.390 Thanks , sir . My question has been 28:11.390 --> 28:13.880 asked and uh Heather from us and I , 28:14.869 --> 28:16.869 hey , thanks so much . Um So I know 28:16.869 --> 28:18.980 that there was uh questions about the 28:18.980 --> 28:20.925 hospital ship . And so I guess why 28:20.925 --> 28:23.147 hasn't the US sent a hospital ship over 28:23.147 --> 28:25.770 to , to Gaza as it's trying to increase ? 28:26.189 --> 28:28.420 It's the humanitarian aid that's being 28:28.430 --> 28:30.430 prevented when we have two hospital 28:30.430 --> 28:32.479 ships that are available . Yeah , 28:32.489 --> 28:34.767 thanks Heather . So a again , you know , 28:34.767 --> 28:36.989 as we've talked about before , um our , 28:36.989 --> 28:39.640 our focus , our primary focus uh in the 28:39.650 --> 28:43.280 Middle East region has been on um 28:43.630 --> 28:46.640 protecting us forces uh and citizens in 28:46.650 --> 28:49.800 the region . It's been on uh supporting 28:49.810 --> 28:52.032 Israel and their inherent right to self 28:52.032 --> 28:53.921 defense . It's been on working to 28:53.921 --> 28:55.921 support the release of hostages and 28:55.921 --> 28:57.699 it's been on ensuring that this 28:57.699 --> 28:59.921 conflict doesn't in expand into a wider 28:59.921 --> 29:03.099 conflict . Uh But again , as we see the 29:03.109 --> 29:05.331 situation developing in Gaza , and as , 29:05.331 --> 29:08.329 as we see that enough aid is uh enough 29:08.339 --> 29:11.060 aid is not getting in , uh the dod can 29:11.069 --> 29:13.236 contribute in that regard and has been 29:13.236 --> 29:16.719 asked to help deliver aid via 29:16.729 --> 29:18.729 airdrops . Uh Which of course we've 29:18.729 --> 29:20.729 done . So again , don't want to get 29:20.729 --> 29:22.951 ahead of the process . As I mentioned , 29:22.951 --> 29:25.062 we're actively reviewing options . Uh 29:25.062 --> 29:28.920 And if that entails uh assets , uh you 29:28.930 --> 29:30.708 know , like the things that you 29:30.708 --> 29:32.541 highlight , uh then , you know , 29:32.541 --> 29:34.763 certainly we'll have more to talk about 29:34.763 --> 29:33.869 them . But again , I just don't want to 29:33.880 --> 29:35.991 get ahead of that process right now . 29:35.991 --> 29:38.269 Ok . Time for a few more . Yes , ma'am . 29:38.469 --> 29:41.380 Um Yeah , so the air drops , they are 29:41.390 --> 29:44.170 expensive and complicated . So how long 29:44.180 --> 29:46.236 do you believe that they're actually 29:46.236 --> 29:49.349 sustainable ? Um Well , the , the tempo 29:49.359 --> 29:52.239 for potential future airdrops emissions 29:52.250 --> 29:54.680 will defend , depend on a variety of 29:54.689 --> 29:56.939 factors . Um you know , risk 29:56.949 --> 29:59.116 assessments , but the bottom line is , 29:59.116 --> 30:02.410 um you know , we will uh continue to 30:02.420 --> 30:04.642 look at ways that we can get aid in via 30:04.642 --> 30:06.900 air . Uh I'm not going to publicly 30:06.910 --> 30:09.099 preview , you know , the tempo and the 30:09.109 --> 30:12.060 timing of those uh future drops 30:12.489 --> 30:15.170 um in part to ensure a safe drop zone , 30:15.180 --> 30:17.829 obviously for civilians in Gaza . Um 30:17.839 --> 30:20.300 But but look again , as the president 30:20.310 --> 30:22.421 said , not enough aid is getting in . 30:22.421 --> 30:24.477 And so we're going to do our part to 30:24.477 --> 30:26.588 assist in that process and assist the 30:26.588 --> 30:28.810 broader us government effort to get aid 30:28.810 --> 30:30.866 in . Thank you , Tar , I want to ask 30:30.866 --> 30:32.366 about Haiti . Um given the 30:32.366 --> 30:34.310 deteriorating security situation , 30:34.310 --> 30:36.199 there is the Pentagon considering 30:36.199 --> 30:39.349 sending us troops or ships to be a 30:39.359 --> 30:41.526 deterrent from this turning into a , a 30:41.530 --> 30:44.699 bigger problem . Um So I don't have 30:44.709 --> 30:47.319 anything to uh announce right now . You 30:47.329 --> 30:49.385 know , we're to my knowledge , we're 30:49.385 --> 30:52.180 not contemplating sending us troops to 30:52.189 --> 30:55.069 Haiti , to conduct security missions , 30:55.079 --> 30:57.949 for example , um you know , to , to 30:57.959 --> 31:00.750 support uh Haitian armed forces or 31:00.760 --> 31:03.560 police . Um definitely , we are 31:03.569 --> 31:05.569 definitely monitoring the situation 31:05.569 --> 31:07.902 closely . We're maintaining uh you know , 31:07.902 --> 31:10.439 close contact with state department uh 31:10.449 --> 31:12.616 on the situation on the ground there . 31:12.630 --> 31:15.500 Um But uh you know , at that , at this 31:15.510 --> 31:17.621 stage , this is where we're at . Some 31:17.621 --> 31:19.788 critics have said that a multinational 31:19.788 --> 31:21.954 force just won't be enough and it will 31:21.954 --> 31:24.121 require us troops to get the situation 31:24.121 --> 31:25.788 under control . And that's an 31:25.788 --> 31:29.439 interesting statement . Ok , Louie , um 31:29.449 --> 31:31.640 two questions first on the statement , 31:31.650 --> 31:33.589 the readout from the meeting this 31:33.599 --> 31:37.270 morning uh with Mr Ganz . Uh it says 31:37.280 --> 31:39.280 that the secretary expressed strong 31:39.280 --> 31:41.058 concerns about the humanitarian 31:41.058 --> 31:43.224 situation . And guys , you've laid out 31:43.224 --> 31:45.010 a scenario is about why the 31:45.020 --> 31:47.280 administration is concerned . What are 31:47.290 --> 31:49.512 some of the concerns that the secretary 31:49.512 --> 31:51.739 has and how did he express them 31:51.750 --> 31:55.709 strongly . Yeah , lo so a couple 31:55.719 --> 31:58.099 things , um , and as I highlighted 31:58.109 --> 32:01.329 earlier to , uh , to Tom , you know , 32:01.339 --> 32:03.989 when the secretary , uh , spoke at , at 32:04.000 --> 32:06.111 the Reagan National Defense Forum and 32:06.111 --> 32:08.222 again , I'd , I'd point folks to that 32:08.222 --> 32:10.222 speech , you know , there , there's 32:10.222 --> 32:12.278 really two aspects here . One , it's 32:12.278 --> 32:14.500 the right thing to do , right . There's 32:14.500 --> 32:16.722 people that are suffering and they need 32:16.722 --> 32:18.889 help and the Department of Defense has 32:18.889 --> 32:21.111 a capability in this case , the ability 32:21.111 --> 32:23.222 to , to airdrop food . Uh And so , um 32:23.222 --> 32:25.278 you know , we're , we're taking that 32:25.278 --> 32:27.222 approach in support of the broader 32:27.222 --> 32:29.444 effort . But , but importantly , also , 32:29.500 --> 32:33.469 um we've , again , as I mentioned , we 32:33.479 --> 32:36.579 recognize the threat that Israel faces 32:36.589 --> 32:39.439 from Hamas , but it's important not to 32:39.449 --> 32:42.520 allow tactical victory against Hamas to 32:42.530 --> 32:44.939 be replaced with strategic feat defeat 32:45.300 --> 32:48.000 due to creating a , a uh 32:48.530 --> 32:51.579 situation where um 32:52.430 --> 32:56.250 essentially uh Hamas is emboldened . Uh 32:56.260 --> 32:59.089 and uh the people of Gaza , the 32:59.099 --> 33:01.099 Palestinians who live in Gaza can't 33:01.099 --> 33:03.969 live in peace . Uh And so it's , it's 33:04.060 --> 33:07.979 incredibly important uh that , that 33:07.989 --> 33:10.849 this situation be addressed . Uh And 33:10.859 --> 33:13.949 that , that we can uh not only ensure 33:13.959 --> 33:15.848 that that Palestinians innocent , 33:15.848 --> 33:18.119 innocent Palestinians living in Gaza 33:18.130 --> 33:20.359 can get the humanitarian assistance 33:20.369 --> 33:22.459 that they need . Uh But that we can 33:22.469 --> 33:24.636 restore security and stability to this 33:24.636 --> 33:26.802 region as quickly as possible . Uh And 33:26.802 --> 33:29.000 that we can begin the process by which 33:29.189 --> 33:31.560 Israelis and Palestinians can live side 33:31.569 --> 33:34.109 by side uh in a situation where again , 33:34.119 --> 33:36.230 Hamas is not a threat and , and not a 33:36.230 --> 33:38.341 destabilizing factor in this region . 33:38.569 --> 33:40.458 Have there been discussions about 33:40.458 --> 33:43.949 potentially uh cutting off the US 33:43.959 --> 33:46.790 military assistance to Israel uh in 33:46.800 --> 33:48.910 this situation ? And what would be 33:48.920 --> 33:50.864 actually the benefits of that ? We 33:50.864 --> 33:53.031 could one could call that , you know , 33:53.031 --> 33:55.142 the , the carrot and stick approach , 33:55.142 --> 33:54.369 that this , that would be a stick 33:54.380 --> 33:56.500 approach to express concerns to the 33:56.510 --> 33:58.829 Israelis . Yeah , I , I appreciate the 33:58.839 --> 34:02.589 question . Um I'm not gonna get into uh 34:02.599 --> 34:04.821 a hypothetical discussion here from the 34:04.821 --> 34:06.932 podium . The fact is we are providing 34:06.932 --> 34:09.043 assistance uh to Israel again for all 34:09.043 --> 34:11.043 the reasons I highlighted earlier , 34:11.043 --> 34:12.932 which is to enable them to defend 34:12.932 --> 34:14.988 themselves . Uh We recognize some of 34:14.988 --> 34:17.210 the actors that , that live and operate 34:17.210 --> 34:19.432 in the region , the , that have said uh 34:19.432 --> 34:22.169 as a stated policy , they want to see 34:22.179 --> 34:24.409 the elimination of Israel as a state . 34:24.648 --> 34:26.537 And we , we recognize that and we 34:26.537 --> 34:28.537 recognize again , Israel's inherent 34:28.537 --> 34:30.704 right to self defense . So we're gonna 34:30.704 --> 34:32.704 continue to support them uh in that 34:32.704 --> 34:34.815 regard . But again , we're also going 34:34.815 --> 34:36.592 to expect them to conduct their 34:36.592 --> 34:38.259 operations in accordance with 34:38.259 --> 34:40.426 international humanitarian law and the 34:40.426 --> 34:40.208 international law of armed conflict . 34:40.579 --> 34:42.579 All right , I got time for a couple 34:42.579 --> 34:44.969 more , sir . Thank you , General . Uh 34:44.979 --> 34:46.923 Last week , the Senate defeated an 34:46.923 --> 34:50.260 attempt to uh hold the sale of F-16 34:50.669 --> 34:54.310 jets to Turkey . So uh as the 34:54.320 --> 34:56.620 Turkish Foreign Minister is expected to 34:56.629 --> 34:59.169 visit Washington this week , uh will 34:59.179 --> 35:01.290 the federal leaders discuss this with 35:01.290 --> 35:03.346 him . What do you have any update on 35:03.346 --> 35:06.439 the To Turkey ? I , I really don't . Um , 35:06.449 --> 35:08.671 again , um , you know , you've heard us 35:08.671 --> 35:11.050 say that , that uh we support Turkey 35:11.060 --> 35:12.949 getting the F-16s , but there's a 35:12.949 --> 35:15.219 process uh that , that involves 35:15.229 --> 35:17.800 Congress obviously . Uh And so , um 35:17.810 --> 35:19.866 when we have updates on that front , 35:19.866 --> 35:21.866 we'll be sure to provide them . All 35:21.866 --> 35:24.032 right . Thanks very much . Everybody . 35:24.032 --> 35:22.870 Appreciate it .