The purpose of this hearing is to hear more about Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl and his exchange for five terrorist prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. Releasing five senior Taliban commanders may put the lives of our senior service members and Americans around the world at risk. One of the five detainees was a Deputy Chief of the Taliban's Intelligence Service. One detainee fought alongside al-Qaeda as a Taliban Military General. Another was a Senior Commander wanted by the United Nations for war crimes and worked closely with al-Qaeda and their affiliates. And still another was a close confidante of...
The purpose of this hearing is to hear more about Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl and his exchange for five terrorist prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. Releasing ...
The Russians are not our allies. They are not our friends and we certainly can't take them for their word. Exhibit A is the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the INF, a treaty between the United States and Russia that places limits on ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The United States has held up our agreement in the treaty. It appears the Russians have not. According to press reports, the Russians have tested a ground-launched cruise missile from an operational launcher. Again, according to press reports, the administration,...
The Russians are not our allies. They are not our friends and we certainly can't take them for their word. Exhibit A is the Intermediate Range Nuclear...
Whether it is ISIS, or al-Nusra, or Khorasan, there are thousands of jihadists in Iraq and Syria threatening global security. In Syria, the influx of foreign fighters far surpasses anything we have even seen in Afghanistan. The scale of this mass migration is unprecedented and it results in deadly attacks. More foreign fighters have flocked to Syria and Iraq to fight for radical Islamic groups like ISIS in the last 2 years than fought in Iraq and Afghanistan in the last 12 years. According to estimates, around 15,000 jihadists from over 80 countries have traveled to Syria to fight. Two...
Whether it is ISIS, or al-Nusra, or Khorasan, there are thousands of jihadists in Iraq and Syria threatening global security. In Syria, the influx of ...
The rise of ISIL and its rapid expansion across Syria and Iraq is a great threat to the security of the Middle East, even to the U.S. Just focusing on Iraq, it is not a pleasant picture. Iraq is one of the world's top oil exporters, to the tune of 2.7 million barrels a day. If ISIL continues to march across Iraq, we could see most of Iraq's exports dry up. The result would be a spike in oil prices. More countries would want to buy oil, then, from Iran, threatening our sanctions regime. The U.S. economy would also be affected and Americans could lose their jobs. ISIL may be regionally focused...
The rise of ISIL and its rapid expansion across Syria and Iraq is a great threat to the security of the Middle East, even to the U.S. Just focusing on...
As has been recognized for 4 decades, verifiable arms control agreements can enhance the security of the United States, our allies, and our partners. The Obama administration has continued the longstanding bipartisan approach to arms control with Russia that had its origins in the days of the cold war. Russia's actions in Ukraine, increasingly confrontational posture, and violations of the Intermediate- Range Nuclear Forces (INF) and Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) treaties have undermined trust and must be addressed. While diplomacy between the United States and Russia continues,...
As has been recognized for 4 decades, verifiable arms control agreements can enhance the security of the United States, our allies, and our partners. ...
Terrorists' use of social media has exploded over the past several years. Terrorist groups from ISIS to the Taliban use social media platforms to recruit, radicalize, spread propaganda and even raise money. Terrorists know the benefit of social media. Social media is easy to use, it is free, and it reaches everyone in the world. Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act states that it is unlawful to provide a designated foreign terrorist organization with material support or resources, including any property-tangible or intangible-or services, among them, communication, equipment,...
Terrorists' use of social media has exploded over the past several years. Terrorist groups from ISIS to the Taliban use social media platforms to recr...
Countries in Asia are eager to reduce their economic dependence upon China. They don't like Beijing's economic model. They would much rather have a region based upon free market principles. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is the United States' opportunity to move the region in a free market direction and compete with China. It is much better if the United States takes the lead in writing the economic rules for the 21st century in Asia than if China did. China steals intellectual property. It has state-owned enterprises that get unfair subsidies from the central government and it would not...
Countries in Asia are eager to reduce their economic dependence upon China. They don't like Beijing's economic model. They would much rather have a re...
The Iranians are the largest state sponsor of terror in the world. Iranian proxy groups like Hezbollah resource and execute attacks around the world. Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Quds Force troops personally support and engineer attacks on a global scale. In 2011, the Iranians plotted to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to the United States in Washington, DC. That plot was uncovered and stopped before it could be carried out. In Yemen, would-be rebels overthrew the government with the support of the regime in Tehran. Iran has long supported Houthis against Yemen's...
The Iranians are the largest state sponsor of terror in the world. Iranian proxy groups like Hezbollah resource and execute attacks around the world. ...
