WEBVTT 00:01.140 --> 00:04.150 we have time for a few questions and we 00:04.150 --> 00:08.070 have uh for McConnell scholar alums 00:08.080 --> 00:10.080 in the audience . It's a little bit 00:10.080 --> 00:12.191 dark to see up here . There should be 00:12.191 --> 00:13.969 we're always balanced here , Mr 00:13.969 --> 00:16.080 Secretary , so there should be two on 00:16.080 --> 00:18.302 the right and two on the left and I see 00:18.302 --> 00:20.469 two right here . So put up your hand , 00:20.469 --> 00:20.090 please , if you have a question now 00:20.090 --> 00:23.430 let's go quickly to the right . I don't 00:23.430 --> 00:24.930 see I see one right here . 00:27.940 --> 00:31.510 Um My name is MEREDITH lip . And you 00:31.510 --> 00:33.800 said it was our duty as americans to 00:33.800 --> 00:36.000 serve our country during your time in 00:36.000 --> 00:38.490 Washington . What you believe has been 00:38.490 --> 00:40.601 the greatest difference you have made 00:40.601 --> 00:42.712 in service to our country . What mark 00:42.712 --> 00:44.879 have you left for future generations ? 00:45.940 --> 00:48.218 Thank you . Thank you for the question . 00:48.218 --> 00:51.860 Um I I've always believed , I mean , 00:51.870 --> 00:54.500 look , the joy of public services to 00:54.500 --> 00:57.780 get things done . I've never thought 00:57.780 --> 01:00.002 that people are elected to office . You 01:00.002 --> 01:03.820 just sit on their rear end uh and try 01:03.820 --> 01:05.780 to survive in office . I think the 01:05.780 --> 01:07.910 purpose of being elected is to get 01:07.910 --> 01:09.770 things done . And I had the good 01:09.770 --> 01:12.990 fortune of being in the Congress at a 01:12.990 --> 01:15.640 time when both parties work together 01:15.650 --> 01:17.650 and you have the opportunity to get 01:17.650 --> 01:20.900 some things done . Probably the one 01:20.900 --> 01:24.730 thing that , you know , I mean , Well , 01:24.740 --> 01:26.796 there's there's several things , but 01:26.796 --> 01:29.860 let me just say , the one thing that 01:29.870 --> 01:32.037 I'm proud of is the work that I did on 01:32.037 --> 01:33.981 the budget . I was chairman of the 01:33.981 --> 01:35.592 budget committee . I had the 01:35.592 --> 01:37.930 opportunity to work on budget summits . 01:37.940 --> 01:40.060 It was it was involved in the first 01:40.060 --> 01:42.860 budget summit with President Reagan and 01:42.860 --> 01:46.000 he again sent up his Secretary of 01:46.000 --> 01:48.167 Treasury , set up his Chief of Staff . 01:48.440 --> 01:51.140 We gathered in a small room in the 01:51.140 --> 01:53.720 capital with the leadership and we 01:53.720 --> 01:56.130 worked through and developed a deficit 01:56.130 --> 01:59.130 reduction package . It was tough to do . 01:59.200 --> 02:02.060 It was not easy , but we did it . Uh 02:02.840 --> 02:06.340 Next opportunity was I sat in a summit 02:06.340 --> 02:09.920 at Andrews Air Force base For almost 02:09.920 --> 02:12.700 two months working again with 02:12.710 --> 02:14.600 bipartisan leadership and 02:14.600 --> 02:16.711 representatives from President Bush's 02:16.760 --> 02:20.100 Cabinet developing a deficit reduction 02:20.100 --> 02:22.322 package was a deficit reduction package 02:22.540 --> 02:25.900 Of about $500 billion . And it was 02:25.900 --> 02:28.150 tough and it was it was tough 02:28.150 --> 02:30.330 politically , but it was the right 02:30.330 --> 02:34.200 thing to do . That combined with 02:34.210 --> 02:36.321 when I was oh and be director putting 02:36.321 --> 02:39.530 together the budget plan for President 02:39.530 --> 02:42.550 Clinton , That also brought the deficit 02:42.550 --> 02:45.470 down by about $500 billion dollars and 02:45.470 --> 02:47.637 having the opportunity to work on that 02:47.637 --> 02:49.748 and get that through the Congress . I 02:49.748 --> 02:51.692 think it was the result of each of 02:51.692 --> 02:53.859 those plants plus obviously an economy 02:53.859 --> 02:56.960 that uh , that was able to move forward 02:57.340 --> 02:59.700 as a result of Washington showing some 02:59.700 --> 03:02.150 fiscal discipline . And the consequence 03:02.150 --> 03:04.150 of that was we balanced the federal 03:04.150 --> 03:06.290 budget and not only balanced it , but 03:06.290 --> 03:10.260 it had a surplus . And so that I 03:10.740 --> 03:12.740 I look back on that as an important 03:12.740 --> 03:15.060 achievement . And I regret that we're 03:15.060 --> 03:18.480 now back in the same hole and having to 03:18.490 --> 03:21.170 be able to come out of it again . But I 03:21.170 --> 03:23.340 do think that if the same kind of 03:23.340 --> 03:25.562 leadership comes together on the issues 03:25.562 --> 03:27.729 that had to be confronted , we can get 03:27.729 --> 03:29.840 that done . Obviously the other thing 03:29.840 --> 03:32.007 that I'm most proud of is obviously at 03:32.007 --> 03:34.229 the C . I . A . Having worked with some 03:34.229 --> 03:36.396 great men and women at the C . I . A . 03:36.396 --> 03:38.562 To uh not only develop the information 03:38.562 --> 03:40.673 on bin laden but to help put together 03:40.673 --> 03:42.840 the operation that finally brought him 03:42.840 --> 03:45.260 down . That's not bad , you know . 03:49.740 --> 03:53.640 Mhm . Uh My 03:53.640 --> 03:55.610 name is jesse lee thomas , I am a 03:55.610 --> 03:57.832 student here at Yeovil in the Political 03:57.832 --> 03:59.610 Science Master's Program and my 03:59.610 --> 04:01.666 question is a bit more specific . It 04:01.666 --> 04:03.610 pertains to um the dictatorship of 04:03.610 --> 04:06.020 Belarus Americans in general are 04:06.020 --> 04:08.240 bombarded with media reports on the 04:08.240 --> 04:10.570 Middle East , but if you even know the 04:10.570 --> 04:13.820 country of Belarus exists and and I 04:13.820 --> 04:15.987 find that a little bit worrisome given 04:15.987 --> 04:18.042 that millions of dollars from Russia 04:18.042 --> 04:20.209 have just been invested in the country 04:20.209 --> 04:22.660 for a nuclear energy program . Um and 04:22.660 --> 04:24.640 Secretary Clinton said that she 04:24.650 --> 04:27.960 supported this program um if belarus 04:27.960 --> 04:30.182 would adhere to international standards 04:30.182 --> 04:32.404 and regulations . However , the country 04:32.404 --> 04:35.040 does not seem to be ? Um Dude , I mean 04:35.050 --> 04:37.050 from past actions doesn't seem like 04:37.050 --> 04:39.460 that is a possibility . So what are we 04:39.460 --> 04:43.210 doing for our defense to 04:43.220 --> 04:45.880 make sure that this threat doesn't Come 04:45.880 --> 04:47.824 about ? I mean we're worried about 04:47.824 --> 04:50.047 nuclear power in Iran developing in the 04:50.047 --> 04:51.713 next 2-3 years . Is there any 04:51.713 --> 04:53.547 possibility that the Belarussian 04:53.547 --> 04:56.610 dictator could partner up could develop 04:56.610 --> 04:59.500 something that's not uh not important 04:59.500 --> 05:01.611 for us interest or something we don't 05:01.611 --> 05:03.760 want to happen . No . As I said in my 05:03.760 --> 05:05.982 speech , one of the concerns we have is 05:05.982 --> 05:08.500 obviously uh the proliferation of 05:08.500 --> 05:11.360 weapons of mass destruction . And I 05:11.360 --> 05:13.560 think we always have to be very very 05:13.560 --> 05:16.760 conscious of of the danger 05:17.140 --> 05:19.400 uh of that happening . Obviously that's 05:19.400 --> 05:22.040 what concerns us about Iran . Uh it's 05:22.040 --> 05:24.440 what concerns us about North Korea and 05:24.450 --> 05:26.700 it's what concerns us about other 05:26.700 --> 05:28.830 nations as well . Specifically with 05:28.830 --> 05:31.990 regards to belarus . Uh I have to say 05:31.990 --> 05:34.630 that uh I leave I leave that issue in 05:34.630 --> 05:36.741 the hands of the Secretary of State . 05:36.741 --> 05:39.670 But as Secretary of Defense , I want to 05:39.670 --> 05:41.837 make sure that we are taking the steps 05:41.837 --> 05:44.100 necessary to make sure that we are 05:44.100 --> 05:46.160 doing everything possible to try to 05:46.160 --> 05:48.970 limit any proliferation of weapons of 05:48.970 --> 05:50.940 mass destruction . And that means 05:50.940 --> 05:54.260 ensuring that no country uses nuclear 05:54.260 --> 05:56.850 power as a vehicle to develop nuclear 05:56.850 --> 05:58.961 weapons . That's something we have to 05:58.961 --> 05:58.750 stop 06:05.040 --> 06:08.080 Sarah . So what kind of Louisville ? My 06:08.080 --> 06:10.540 name is robert Rivas . So as the former 06:10.540 --> 06:13.270 D . C . And now Secretary of Defense , 06:13.940 --> 06:16.240 what is the problem set that keeps you 06:16.240 --> 06:19.850 awake at night ? Yeah . Yes 06:20.730 --> 06:22.897 I got a hell of a lot to keep me awake 06:22.897 --> 06:25.119 at night . That's part of the problem . 06:26.140 --> 06:28.450 There are obviously a number of issues 06:28.450 --> 06:30.590 and concerns that are out there . I 06:30.600 --> 06:34.080 have to tell you that . I I do worry 06:34.080 --> 06:37.230 however about this new area , I talked 06:37.230 --> 06:40.050 about cyberwar . Uh 06:41.840 --> 06:45.560 we are literally getting hundreds of 06:45.570 --> 06:49.330 thousands of attacks every day that 06:49.340 --> 06:52.810 try to exploit information in various 06:52.820 --> 06:54.876 agencies and departments and frankly 06:54.876 --> 06:58.140 throughout this country . And 06:58.150 --> 07:00.860 there is obviously 07:01.340 --> 07:04.160 growing technology , growing expertise 07:04.160 --> 07:08.150 in the use of cyber warfare . And 07:08.160 --> 07:12.050 the danger is that cyber could I 07:12.050 --> 07:14.480 think , I think the capabilities are 07:14.480 --> 07:17.300 available in cyber to virtually cripple 07:17.300 --> 07:19.700 this nation to bring down our power 07:19.700 --> 07:23.620 grid system to impact on our well 07:23.630 --> 07:27.300 our governmental systems to impact on 07:27.300 --> 07:30.730 our but on Wall Street , on our 07:30.730 --> 07:33.850 financial systems uh and literally 07:33.860 --> 07:36.860 bring paralyzed this country 07:37.440 --> 07:41.420 and I think it's it's very important 07:41.420 --> 07:44.750 for us to understand that we not only 07:44.750 --> 07:47.850 have to defend against that kind of 07:47.850 --> 07:50.590 attack , but we have to develop the 07:50.590 --> 07:52.730 intelligence resources to understand 07:52.740 --> 07:55.060 when those that those possibilities are 07:55.060 --> 07:58.220 coming and to develop greater , greater 07:58.220 --> 08:01.160 capabilities in the cyber arena . So 08:01.160 --> 08:03.216 the one thing that I worry about the 08:03.216 --> 08:05.382 most right now is knowing that this is 08:05.382 --> 08:07.710 possible and feeling that we have not 08:07.720 --> 08:09.553 taken all the necessary steps to 08:09.553 --> 08:11.276 protect this country from that 08:11.276 --> 08:14.040 possibility . Yeah , 08:16.540 --> 08:18.373 thank you so much for being here 08:18.373 --> 08:20.207 tonight . Secretary Panetta . My 08:20.207 --> 08:22.318 question is about the arab spring and 08:22.318 --> 08:24.373 the situation in the Middle East for 08:24.373 --> 08:26.373 over a year now we've been watching 08:26.373 --> 08:28.540 people in Syria and Egypt struggle for 08:28.540 --> 08:30.762 freedom and democracy . How do you feel 08:30.762 --> 08:32.873 that the events taking place in those 08:32.873 --> 08:34.929 countries impacts America's national 08:34.929 --> 08:38.740 defense ? Well , this is 08:38.750 --> 08:40.806 uh you know , we are going through a 08:40.806 --> 08:42.806 very historic time in in the Middle 08:42.806 --> 08:45.040 East , I guess the last time we 08:45.040 --> 08:47.540 encountered anything like this , that's 08:47.540 --> 08:49.429 close to this was the fall of the 08:49.429 --> 08:52.700 soviet union . And suddenly a number of 08:52.700 --> 08:55.550 nations uh going on their own and 08:55.560 --> 08:57.900 trying to develop what their system of 08:57.900 --> 08:59.900 governance would be . How to how to 08:59.900 --> 09:01.660 basically uh put together the 09:01.660 --> 09:04.100 institutions of govern , of governing , 09:04.100 --> 09:06.630 how to be able to develop the kind of 09:06.630 --> 09:09.120 reforms that uh that they need and put 09:09.120 --> 09:11.287 it to put in place in order for people 09:11.287 --> 09:13.550 to be able to participate in their 09:13.550 --> 09:15.760 government in their governing , ah 09:16.140 --> 09:18.307 what's happening in the Middle East or 09:18.307 --> 09:20.362 what happened in Tunisia and Egypt , 09:20.740 --> 09:22.851 what's happening and what happened in 09:22.851 --> 09:25.630 Libya , the turmoil that we now see in 09:25.630 --> 09:29.110 Syria , uh that we're seeing 09:29.280 --> 09:33.000 a Middle East that is truly in 09:33.000 --> 09:36.890 a in a changing state uh in which 09:36.900 --> 09:40.680 people are are are in fact trying 09:40.680 --> 09:44.350 to achieve a chance to be able 09:44.350 --> 09:47.440 to have a better life and to be able to 09:47.440 --> 09:50.450 govern themselves . And so we've seen 09:50.450 --> 09:53.010 these dramatic changes . I think the 09:53.010 --> 09:55.480 important thing is to try to do what we 09:55.480 --> 09:58.330 can to make sure that these changes 09:58.330 --> 10:00.620 move in the right direction when that 10:00.620 --> 10:04.290 kind of literal revolution takes place , 10:04.590 --> 10:06.812 There are all kinds of forces that come 10:06.812 --> 10:08.868 into play . And there are those that 10:08.868 --> 10:10.979 would like to take advantage of those 10:10.979 --> 10:14.920 changes that that oftentimes 10:14.930 --> 10:18.350 represent uh extremism that represent 10:18.360 --> 10:20.870 the views that we don't concur in . Uh 10:20.870 --> 10:23.440 and so those begin to come into play as 10:23.440 --> 10:25.560 well . I think the greatest challenge 10:25.560 --> 10:27.449 for the United States and for the 10:27.449 --> 10:29.560 international community is to do what 10:29.560 --> 10:31.671 we can to ensure that these countries 10:31.671 --> 10:33.727 as they go through these changes can 10:33.727 --> 10:36.004 develop the institutions of government , 10:36.004 --> 10:37.838 can develop the reforms that are 10:37.838 --> 10:41.110 important to developing a country that 10:41.120 --> 10:44.750 can truly represent greater freedom and 10:44.750 --> 10:46.590 greater opportunity to govern 10:46.590 --> 10:48.812 themselves for the future . That is not 10:48.812 --> 10:51.330 easy . That's a tough challenge . But I 10:51.330 --> 10:53.386 really believe that we have a chance 10:53.386 --> 10:57.220 now to be able to guide these countries 10:57.430 --> 11:00.520 in that direction and as this happens , 11:00.520 --> 11:03.860 my view is that in fact it further 11:03.860 --> 11:06.980 isolates Iran , Iran is an influence 11:06.980 --> 11:09.036 that tries to undermine stability in 11:09.036 --> 11:12.240 these nations . The more these changes 11:12.240 --> 11:15.090 take place , the more isolated Iran 11:15.090 --> 11:18.850 will be . And I think ultimately uh 11:18.860 --> 11:21.110 the greatest , the greatest challenge 11:21.110 --> 11:23.550 we have in the Middle East region is to 11:23.550 --> 11:25.760 try to do what we can to promote 11:25.760 --> 11:28.260 greater stability and greater democracy . 11:32.840 --> 11:34.350 Mhm . Mhm . 11:39.040 --> 11:41.160 Yes . Hi , good afternoon , thank you 11:41.160 --> 11:44.380 all for speaking to me . Um 2000 and 11:44.380 --> 11:46.436 eight . Department of Defense Report 11:46.436 --> 11:48.730 noted how climate change will impact 11:48.740 --> 11:50.740 current and future U . S . National 11:50.740 --> 11:52.796 Security . The Department of Defense 11:52.796 --> 11:55.190 has been progressive in transitioning 11:55.190 --> 11:57.400 bases around the world , solar panels 11:57.400 --> 11:59.930 etcetera . But the noted climate 11:59.930 --> 12:02.570 patterns in Somalia have led to some 12:02.570 --> 12:05.520 difficulties with Al Shabaab there . 12:05.690 --> 12:07.690 And so first I was wondering if you 12:07.690 --> 12:10.070 could comment on the unusual topic of 12:10.070 --> 12:11.959 climate change with regard to the 12:11.959 --> 12:14.070 future of the Department of Defense . 12:14.070 --> 12:16.070 And then second , if you could help 12:16.070 --> 12:18.181 Senator mitch McConnell , except that 12:18.181 --> 12:19.903 science and stop blocking that 12:19.903 --> 12:21.348 legislation . Thank you . 12:27.240 --> 12:29.407 You know , I learned a long time ago , 12:29.407 --> 12:31.730 don't don't mess around with people , 12:31.740 --> 12:34.230 you know , uh state what you think is 12:34.230 --> 12:36.286 right and hope that uh you know that 12:36.286 --> 12:39.420 others will uh will will follow and be 12:39.420 --> 12:41.860 able to incorporate those thoughts and 12:41.860 --> 12:44.420 whatever whatever they do . Uh And I 12:44.420 --> 12:46.531 have tremendous respect for for mitch 12:46.531 --> 12:49.170 McConnell and I I think that , you know , 12:49.180 --> 12:51.560 I've always enjoyed the opportunity to 12:51.560 --> 12:53.727 discuss with him not only this issue , 12:53.727 --> 12:55.838 but other issues as well with regards 12:55.838 --> 12:59.160 to climate change . Uh the uh actually 12:59.740 --> 13:03.520 what I what we developed at the CIA was 13:03.530 --> 13:05.960 an an intelligence branch of the CIA 13:06.440 --> 13:09.220 that focused on that issue actually for 13:09.230 --> 13:12.230 for intelligence purposes because of 13:12.230 --> 13:14.280 the implications that these changes 13:14.280 --> 13:16.840 might have with regards to national 13:16.840 --> 13:20.050 security . Uh for example , when we 13:20.050 --> 13:23.340 incur greater droughts when we incur 13:23.350 --> 13:27.090 uh areas that uh that in fact have 13:27.090 --> 13:30.770 less rain uh and uh are incurring 13:30.780 --> 13:34.680 unusual climate impacts . Uh it 13:34.680 --> 13:37.180 creates obviously an impact in terms of 13:37.180 --> 13:39.402 the population , it's something we have 13:39.402 --> 13:41.569 to be aware of because that can create 13:41.569 --> 13:43.458 chaos . We've seen that happen in 13:43.458 --> 13:45.402 Africa , we've seen that happen in 13:45.402 --> 13:47.513 other parts of the world . So we need 13:47.513 --> 13:49.569 to have that kind of intelligence in 13:49.569 --> 13:52.470 addition , because of of the ice melt . 13:52.480 --> 13:55.870 Uh there is uh there are indications of 13:55.880 --> 13:58.047 rising ocean , we've already seen that 13:58.047 --> 14:00.890 take place . And there are concerns is 14:00.890 --> 14:03.290 how will that impact on ports ? How 14:03.290 --> 14:05.530 will that impact on facilities ? How 14:05.530 --> 14:07.950 will that impact on low lying levels 14:08.140 --> 14:10.470 that could be impacted by that ? So , 14:10.470 --> 14:12.960 we continue to try to get intelligence 14:12.960 --> 14:16.240 on that as well . Uh In addition , 14:16.250 --> 14:19.950 obviously , we we do look at the polar 14:19.960 --> 14:22.900 ice cap and are able through imagery to 14:22.900 --> 14:24.900 determine what's happening with the 14:24.900 --> 14:27.340 polar ice cap and just how quickly 14:27.340 --> 14:29.650 isn't melting . Uh and what that impact 14:29.650 --> 14:32.580 will be . I can tell you as the polar 14:32.580 --> 14:35.110 ice cap melts . What the national 14:35.110 --> 14:37.730 security implications are that 14:37.740 --> 14:39.960 countries like Russia and others are 14:39.960 --> 14:42.590 going to be looking for the opportunity 14:42.590 --> 14:44.970 to go into those areas and try to go 14:44.970 --> 14:46.970 after the resources in the arctic . 14:46.970 --> 14:48.970 They've already made claims to that 14:48.970 --> 14:51.320 effect . So clearly , as as it melts . 14:51.320 --> 14:53.560 And as those opportunities increase , 14:53.570 --> 14:55.792 then there are countries that are going 14:55.792 --> 14:57.903 to they're going to assert themselves 14:57.903 --> 15:00.070 to try to gain access to the resources 15:00.070 --> 15:02.620 that are there , that also constitutes 15:02.630 --> 15:05.080 uh an issue that relates to national 15:05.080 --> 15:07.630 security . So , from an intelligence 15:07.630 --> 15:09.741 point of view , it's important for us 15:09.741 --> 15:11.963 to keep to keep track of those trends . 15:11.963 --> 15:14.560 Uh you know , this this isn't about the 15:14.560 --> 15:16.449 battle of , you know , uh climate 15:16.449 --> 15:18.340 change and and and and the issues 15:18.340 --> 15:20.562 related to that . This is about what we 15:20.562 --> 15:22.670 are seeing happening and the 15:22.670 --> 15:24.892 intelligence that flows from that , and 15:24.892 --> 15:27.059 that is important for us to consider , 15:27.059 --> 15:29.020 as we look at issues that could 15:29.020 --> 15:30.853 threaten our national security . 15:34.840 --> 15:36.450 Mhm . Sorry .