WEBVTT 00:03.833 --> 00:06.583 - Ah, all right, Friday surprise, 00:07.999 --> 00:08.832 welcome. 00:09.679 --> 00:10.929 Hey, everybody, 00:13.220 --> 00:14.827 welcome to the State Department. 00:14.827 --> 00:16.660 It is indeed a Friday, 00:18.068 --> 00:21.005 which is, all things considered, a good thing. 00:21.005 --> 00:23.519 Before I start, I do want to give a shoutout 00:23.519 --> 00:26.324 to someone who is leaving us today, 00:26.324 --> 00:28.964 who served a short time in the Front Office 00:28.964 --> 00:30.391 and we didn't drive him away, 00:30.391 --> 00:31.224 I can guarantee you, 00:31.224 --> 00:33.149 but he's going back to the Motor City, 00:33.149 --> 00:35.899 to Detroit, and his family there. 00:36.262 --> 00:40.429 But Patrick Thelen, thanks so much for all you've done. 00:40.738 --> 00:42.629 And despite everything, 00:42.629 --> 00:45.212 he remains a Detroit Lions fan, 00:45.804 --> 00:47.028 and God bless him for that. 00:47.028 --> 00:48.269 (audience laughs) 00:48.269 --> 00:49.310 But we wish him all the best. 00:49.310 --> 00:50.727 He's a great guy. 00:51.019 --> 00:53.251 I don't have anything at the top. 00:53.251 --> 00:54.801 So I will go right to your questions. 00:54.801 --> 00:56.251 - [Matt] Again, two days in a row 00:56.251 --> 00:58.232 with nothing at the top, interesting. 00:58.232 --> 00:59.065 - You've exhausted us. 00:59.065 --> 01:00.033 - [Arshad] The Russians have something to say. 01:00.033 --> 01:01.772 - You've exhausted us. 01:01.772 --> 01:03.647 - [Matt] So, let's, uh, 01:03.647 --> 01:05.564 let's start with Syria. 01:06.036 --> 01:07.703 - Sure thing. 01:08.007 --> 01:09.482 - [Matt] I'm sure you're surprised. 01:09.482 --> 01:10.315 - Yeah. 01:10.370 --> 01:12.370 - It's now been two days 01:13.086 --> 01:15.544 since the Secretary, in a phone call 01:15.544 --> 01:19.377 with Foreign Minister Lavrov, told Russia that 01:20.445 --> 01:23.477 you would suspend the bilateral engagement unless Russia 01:23.477 --> 01:26.102 takes immediate steps to end the assault 01:26.102 --> 01:30.269 on Aleppo and restore the cessation of hostilities. 01:31.231 --> 01:34.497 Neither of those things have happened yet, 01:34.497 --> 01:35.568 that's correct? 01:35.568 --> 01:36.401 - [Mark] That's correct. 01:36.401 --> 01:39.654 - All right, so have you followed through then? 01:39.654 --> 01:42.154 I know that they talked again. 01:42.301 --> 01:44.884 - They did speak earlier today. 01:45.223 --> 01:46.989 Actually, when the Secretary was 01:46.989 --> 01:49.156 on route back from Israel, 01:51.264 --> 01:53.681 and we are at the same place. 01:54.778 --> 01:57.569 We have not definitively closed that door. 01:57.569 --> 01:59.569 We have not definitively 02:00.527 --> 02:02.527 suspended our diplomatic 02:04.219 --> 02:07.386 relations regarding Syria with Russia. 02:08.982 --> 02:12.982 We're on the verge, because we have not yet seen 02:13.001 --> 02:14.557 them take the kind of actions 02:14.557 --> 02:16.780 that we're looking to see them take. 02:16.780 --> 02:18.697 But we're not there yet 02:19.855 --> 02:22.438 and the conversation continues, 02:23.772 --> 02:26.286 but you know where we stand on this. 02:26.286 --> 02:29.786 I know that the Russians, as Arshad noted, 02:30.033 --> 02:34.116 have also been speaking to the media, but I think 02:36.067 --> 02:40.067 the Secretary has invested, as we all know here, 02:40.477 --> 02:44.256 a great amount of effort in a diplomatic process. 02:44.256 --> 02:48.017 There are other options that we've talked about here. 02:48.017 --> 02:50.242 Many of them are not very good, 02:50.242 --> 02:53.761 so before we definitively slam the door here, 02:53.761 --> 02:57.540 we want to make sure that we understand the stakes, 02:57.540 --> 03:01.115 and that Russia understands the stakes, more importantly, 03:01.115 --> 03:01.948 so that's it. 03:01.948 --> 03:05.099 - Wait, you say that your position is clear, 03:05.099 --> 03:08.323 but I thought your position was clear two days ago, 03:08.323 --> 03:11.388 that you were going to suspend this dialogue 03:11.388 --> 03:12.835 unless immediate action was taken. 03:12.835 --> 03:13.926 And it's now been 48 hours 03:13.926 --> 03:17.676 and there hasn't been any action, so I guess, 03:19.222 --> 03:21.008 I don't know how you can say your position is clear 03:21.008 --> 03:23.591 because it seems to be unclear. 03:23.990 --> 03:28.006 And not just to me, but presumably also to the Russians. 03:28.006 --> 03:29.756 You made this threat. 03:30.256 --> 03:32.643 They didn't do what you wanted them to do, 03:32.643 --> 03:34.762 and now you're not following through on it. 03:34.762 --> 03:37.845 - Well, and I certainly don't want to 03:39.263 --> 03:40.180 get into or 03:41.979 --> 03:45.796 divulge the content of our diplomatic discussions, 03:45.796 --> 03:48.094 but these are conversations on the phone. 03:48.094 --> 03:50.502 And so, I can't say what the Russians 03:50.502 --> 03:51.506 may be offering to do 03:51.506 --> 03:53.507 or the steps they make take or not take. 03:53.507 --> 03:55.008 Again, we're just not there or-- 03:55.008 --> 03:56.308 - Are you suggesting, 03:56.308 --> 03:58.276 are you saying that, not suggesting, 03:58.276 --> 04:00.783 are you saying that there is some sign, 04:00.783 --> 04:03.033 some indication from Russia 04:04.015 --> 04:05.848 that hope is not lost, 04:06.523 --> 04:09.992 that they're willing to do something tangible 04:09.992 --> 04:13.242 in response to this ultimatum that was, 04:13.740 --> 04:16.241 seems to be a non-ultimatum, that was delivered? 04:16.241 --> 04:20.408 - Well again, I'll leave it more or less what I just said, 04:20.710 --> 04:24.877 which is that we continue to have conversations with Russia 04:26.286 --> 04:30.453 between Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov 04:35.638 --> 04:38.688 insofar as, we have not reached the point 04:38.688 --> 04:41.764 where we believe there's no reason to continue. 04:41.764 --> 04:45.764 - I get that, but the Secretary himself and others, 04:45.764 --> 04:49.931 in this context, and in the context of other negotiations, 04:51.254 --> 04:53.643 has said that there's no point in having talks-- 04:53.643 --> 04:55.019 for the sake of talks. - Agree, 04:55.019 --> 04:56.521 and that has not changed. 04:56.521 --> 04:57.521 So I’m saying-- - It hasn't? 04:57.521 --> 04:58.540 What are you-- - I just don't want 04:58.540 --> 05:00.783 to get into details of what, 05:00.783 --> 05:04.283 but I would say that we're not there yet. 05:04.572 --> 05:07.006 We may be in a matter of hours, 05:07.006 --> 05:09.412 in a matter of days, at that point, 05:09.412 --> 05:10.874 but we're not there yet. 05:10.874 --> 05:14.915 I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. 05:14.915 --> 05:16.760 - [Matt] Or any less clearly (laughs). 05:16.760 --> 05:17.593 - [Barbara] Mark, yesterday-- 05:17.593 --> 05:18.426 - Sure. 05:18.426 --> 05:19.259 - [Barbara] Sorry, Matt. 05:19.259 --> 05:20.092 - [Matt] No, I'm done. 05:20.092 --> 05:21.808 - Yesterday the Secretary said something 05:21.808 --> 05:24.558 to the effect that we don't want, 05:25.229 --> 05:26.759 we want to be pulling back from the process, 05:26.759 --> 05:28.497 so that we’re not seen as complicit. 05:28.497 --> 05:29.780 I don’t think he used the world complicit, 05:29.780 --> 05:31.780 but something like that, 05:32.021 --> 05:36.188 in empowering the Russians to do what they’re doing. 05:37.150 --> 05:38.475 Isn’t that what is happening? 05:38.475 --> 05:40.541 I mean, they’re continuing to do 05:40.541 --> 05:41.766 what they’re doing. 05:41.766 --> 05:43.333 - Well, they are and I think, 05:43.333 --> 05:47.500 so a couple of points to make there is, one is that 05:50.614 --> 05:52.278 we’re not blind to what is happening, 05:52.278 --> 05:54.842 and Secretary Kerry has clearly acknowledged 05:54.842 --> 05:56.425 that we’re outraged 05:57.462 --> 06:01.629 by what’s taking place right now with regard to Aleppo. 06:02.856 --> 06:05.189 And as he’s said many times, 06:06.014 --> 06:07.765 it’s egregious, it’s horrific, 06:07.765 --> 06:09.540 it’s in clear violation 06:09.540 --> 06:12.009 of international standards or norms, 06:12.009 --> 06:15.426 humanitarian norms and international law, 06:15.994 --> 06:19.859 and I think that at a certain point when you look at that, 06:19.859 --> 06:23.859 as we’ve been back and forth here on, it becomes 06:27.482 --> 06:31.649 futile to continue to believe in a diplomatic process. 06:32.990 --> 06:35.069 That said, I just can’t definitively say 06:35.069 --> 06:36.373 we’re there at that point yet. 06:36.373 --> 06:38.124 We’re very close, but we’re not there yet. 06:38.124 --> 06:38.957 - [Arshad] Mark you said-- 06:38.957 --> 06:39.790 - Please. 06:39.790 --> 06:40.929 - Just a few minutes ago on TV, 06:40.929 --> 06:43.562 you said that it’s hard to continue to believe 06:43.562 --> 06:45.562 in a diplomatic process. 06:45.573 --> 06:46.906 So if it’s hard, 06:48.114 --> 06:49.614 why are you still, 06:50.533 --> 06:53.253 why do you still believe in a diplomatic process? 06:53.253 --> 06:55.336 - Well, so, first of all, 06:57.523 --> 07:00.780 Secretary Kerry is in a sense duty-bound 07:00.780 --> 07:02.780 to pursue the diplomatic 07:04.001 --> 07:07.834 process to the fullest extent that’s possible, 07:08.820 --> 07:11.258 and we have not reached that threshold yet. 07:11.258 --> 07:12.888 Again, I don’t want to get into the conversations 07:12.888 --> 07:15.286 that are still ongoing, but we’ve seen enough 07:15.286 --> 07:18.785 that we don’t want to definitively close the door yet. 07:18.785 --> 07:21.508 That, as I said, that may change 07:21.508 --> 07:23.001 in the coming hours or days. 07:23.001 --> 07:25.084 I just don’t have a clear 07:26.809 --> 07:27.983 time frame or time. 07:27.983 --> 07:30.381 - You’ve seen enough from Russia 07:30.381 --> 07:31.589 and that’s who you’re waiting on here. 07:31.589 --> 07:34.142 - We obviously haven't closed the window, the door, 07:34.142 --> 07:37.516 whatever the metaphor you want to use here. 07:37.516 --> 07:39.099 - [Arshad] But you've seen enough from whom 07:39.099 --> 07:40.204 or from where because-- 07:40.204 --> 07:43.043 - No, I would say, that we’ve seen enough that, 07:43.043 --> 07:44.318 I can’t remember now what I just said, 07:44.318 --> 07:46.847 but (laughs) that there’s enough there 07:46.847 --> 07:49.847 that we don’t want to walk away yet. 07:49.980 --> 07:51.188 - [Arshad] From the talks with Russia? 07:51.188 --> 07:53.855 - Right, but what’s also another 07:56.623 --> 07:58.956 factor as we look at this is 07:59.730 --> 08:03.897 if we do walk away from this diplomatic process as 08:04.759 --> 08:07.009 frankly, moribund as it is, 08:08.866 --> 08:10.368 what are the options? 08:10.368 --> 08:13.257 And the Secretary has spoken about this. 08:13.257 --> 08:15.660 Many of them are not good options. 08:15.660 --> 08:17.369 We’re continuing to have those conversations 08:17.369 --> 08:20.049 within the interagency, continuing to evaluate 08:20.049 --> 08:23.879 what we can do to alleviate the suffering in Syria, 08:23.879 --> 08:26.156 but the last thing we want to see, 08:26.156 --> 08:28.258 obviously, is any kind of escalation. 08:28.258 --> 08:31.675 If we do pronounce the diplomatic process 08:35.318 --> 08:38.651 dead, then what we don’t want to see is, 08:39.449 --> 08:41.077 is an escalation in the violence, 08:41.077 --> 08:42.543 and that could very well be the result. 08:42.543 --> 08:44.539 - Why did you make this threat 08:44.539 --> 08:47.266 if you don’t seem willing to carry it out? 08:47.266 --> 08:48.099 Doesn’t that-- 08:48.099 --> 08:49.513 - Well, I don't want to, 08:49.513 --> 08:51.930 again, we would not make such 08:52.675 --> 08:56.000 a statement if we weren’t willing to carry it out. 08:56.000 --> 08:57.750 And I also think that 09:00.750 --> 09:02.995 we’ve talked about this before in other negotiations, 09:02.995 --> 09:05.756 that at some point you’ve got to be able to say, 09:05.756 --> 09:07.105 if this is in no one’s interest 09:07.105 --> 09:10.565 to continue this conversation, this dialogue, 09:10.565 --> 09:12.918 then it behooves us to walk away from it. 09:12.918 --> 09:13.918 But I think, 09:15.888 --> 09:18.240 I agree, this is on life support, 09:18.240 --> 09:19.995 but it’s not flatlined yet. 09:19.995 --> 09:22.144 - [Dave] Mark, if at the moment the Syrian Army is-- 09:22.144 --> 09:23.293 - I don't know, I'm trying-- 09:23.293 --> 09:26.018 - [Matt] When has the administration 09:26.018 --> 09:29.062 actually carried out a threat to walk away? 09:29.062 --> 09:30.502 - Carried out a threat-- 09:30.502 --> 09:32.792 - Well, I mean, it came, you didn't walk in, 09:32.792 --> 09:35.251 the US didn’t walk out of the Iran nuclear talks. 09:35.251 --> 09:36.084 - We didn’t, but we became close 09:36.084 --> 09:37.484 at several occasions, as you know. 09:37.484 --> 09:39.901 - Yeah, but you didn’t do it. 09:40.513 --> 09:42.031 And you could argue, 09:42.031 --> 09:43.753 or I’m sure you as you probably do 09:43.753 --> 09:47.236 that you got what you say is a successful deal 09:47.236 --> 09:49.571 out of it by not walking away. 09:49.571 --> 09:53.738 But in terms of Syria, the administration has twice 09:54.460 --> 09:58.527 said that it would do things if such and such happened 09:58.527 --> 10:00.694 or didn’t happen, and now, 10:01.102 --> 10:02.897 you know what I’m talking about. 10:02.897 --> 10:04.064 - [Mark] Sure. 10:04.996 --> 10:06.908 - And you didn’t follow through. 10:06.908 --> 10:08.825 So I guess, 10:09.748 --> 10:11.615 why should the Russians, 10:11.615 --> 10:13.521 or anyone else for that matter, 10:13.521 --> 10:15.021 take it seriously? 10:15.128 --> 10:17.279 - Well, again, I can’t speak to 10:17.279 --> 10:19.735 whether they do or don’t take us seriously, 10:19.735 --> 10:23.902 but they should. because we are reaching that point. 10:24.980 --> 10:25.813 - [Dave] Mark, if you break off-- 10:25.813 --> 10:26.769 - Please, sorry, Dave, yeah. 10:26.769 --> 10:28.529 - Yeah, if break off the talks tomorrow, say, 10:28.529 --> 10:31.813 or in two days time because it’s not going anywhere, 10:31.813 --> 10:34.534 and then Mr. Lavrov calls you 24 hours later 10:34.534 --> 10:36.304 and say, "Oh, you were serious about that." 10:36.304 --> 10:39.887 Well, let’s get the talks up on again then. 10:40.490 --> 10:42.073 - Again, that's a-- 10:42.165 --> 10:43.136 - [Dave] It's a hypothetical. 10:43.136 --> 10:43.969 - It's a hypothetical. 10:43.969 --> 10:45.760 - [Dave] But your threat is hypothetical for the moment. 10:45.760 --> 10:46.593 - It's a hypothetical. 10:46.593 --> 10:47.426 - It's your statement, sorry. 10:47.426 --> 10:50.009 - I would, with the caveat that 10:52.246 --> 10:54.663 at a certain point it becomes 10:55.537 --> 10:57.620 very difficult to believe 10:59.976 --> 11:02.059 that Russia is serious or 11:02.992 --> 11:05.260 possibly worse, has any influence 11:05.260 --> 11:07.668 to dissuade the regime from continuing 11:07.668 --> 11:09.751 to carry out strikes, but 11:10.983 --> 11:14.900 I think if at any point in time we’re gonna, 11:15.026 --> 11:18.692 if we believe that there’s a possibility for peace 11:18.692 --> 11:21.000 and a peaceful settlement of this, 11:21.000 --> 11:22.583 again, it would be, 11:25.340 --> 11:27.274 it'd be bad if we didn’t pursue it. 11:27.274 --> 11:30.262 - So you’d call off the talks if there’s no sign 11:30.262 --> 11:34.242 of the possibility of progress towards peaceful settlement. 11:34.242 --> 11:35.316 But if you call off the talks 11:35.316 --> 11:36.874 and then they ring you up and give you a sign, 11:36.874 --> 11:38.768 then you’ll put them on again 11:38.768 --> 11:40.534 so that nothing changes. - Again, I don't want 11:40.534 --> 11:43.825 to predict, no, I don’t want to predict. 11:43.825 --> 11:46.492 I mean, what I think I would say 11:46.528 --> 11:49.611 is what we’re talking about here is the end of this 11:49.611 --> 11:51.107 so-called Geneva agreement. 11:51.107 --> 11:51.940 But this process that was reached, 11:51.940 --> 11:53.769 or this agreement, rather, 11:53.769 --> 11:56.602 that was reached on September 10th 11:57.457 --> 11:59.765 after many months of, as you guys know, 11:59.765 --> 12:01.827 consultation and close work 12:01.827 --> 12:04.327 and the promise that that held 12:05.994 --> 12:08.513 in many respects, including the possibility 12:08.513 --> 12:10.827 of some Joint Implementation Center. 12:10.827 --> 12:13.006 All of that, I think, would be shelved. 12:13.006 --> 12:15.531 - So for the past three days you’ve had daily phone calls 12:15.531 --> 12:17.225 with Foreign Minister Lavrov 12:17.225 --> 12:18.833 and for the past three days the Syrian army's 12:18.833 --> 12:22.250 made tactical advances around Aleppo. 12:22.291 --> 12:24.476 Will you be surprised if the day 12:24.476 --> 12:26.676 the Russian and Syrian forces 12:26.676 --> 12:28.063 get bogged down around Aleppo, 12:28.063 --> 12:30.246 then you get a more positive phone call? 12:30.246 --> 12:33.579 - Well, and perhaps that would mean that 12:34.486 --> 12:37.003 the regime and the Russians come to the conclusion 12:37.003 --> 12:39.336 that we’ve come to long ago, 12:39.599 --> 12:42.032 which is that there will be no military solution 12:42.032 --> 12:44.009 to the conflict in Syria. - If they seize Aleppo, 12:44.009 --> 12:45.972 and then declare a ceasefire, 12:45.972 --> 12:47.267 will that be acceptable to you? 12:47.267 --> 12:48.876 - Again, I don’t want to, 12:48.876 --> 12:50.793 I’m not going to engage in hypotheticals. 12:50.793 --> 12:51.626 Please, Barbara. 12:51.626 --> 12:52.459 - [Barbara] Yeah, just a few questions 12:52.776 --> 12:54.918 because Mr. Lavrov has done an interview with the BBC 12:54.918 --> 12:56.484 and I wanted to get-- - That's right, he did. 12:56.484 --> 12:57.651 - Yes, he did. 12:58.093 --> 13:00.894 So he denied using banned weapons in Syria 13:00.894 --> 13:02.559 and he denied targeting civilians. 13:02.559 --> 13:04.534 He said there wasn’t evidence for that. 13:04.534 --> 13:06.491 And your response, first of all, 13:06.491 --> 13:09.587 but also does that kind of statement mean 13:09.587 --> 13:11.544 that you have any wiggle room left 13:11.544 --> 13:15.377 with these kinds of discussions you’re having? 13:16.987 --> 13:19.654 - So, I mean, look, we have seen 13:20.716 --> 13:23.299 the regime aided and abetted by 13:24.266 --> 13:25.099 Russian 13:26.071 --> 13:30.238 air power, carry out strikes against civilian targets. 13:31.753 --> 13:34.280 They may argue that they’re going after Nusrah 13:34.280 --> 13:36.947 and these are collateral damage. 13:36.983 --> 13:39.265 To a certain extent, that may be true, 13:39.265 --> 13:40.816 but there’s a way to do these kinds 13:40.816 --> 13:43.066 of strikes that limit that. 13:43.459 --> 13:46.126 But I think we’ve also just seen 13:47.738 --> 13:51.655 evidence of attacks on civilian infrastructure, 13:52.628 --> 13:55.211 and obviously on civilians that 13:55.773 --> 13:59.940 are inexplicable in terms of trying to go after Nusrah. 14:00.253 --> 14:03.003 In terms of where that leaves us, 14:03.479 --> 14:05.562 I think, as I said, 14:05.992 --> 14:07.159 it's difficult 14:09.483 --> 14:12.983 to continue to pursue a diplomatic process 14:13.024 --> 14:15.607 in the midst of so much carnage 14:16.983 --> 14:19.498 and so much evidence to the contrary. 14:19.498 --> 14:22.791 And I think that’s one of the reasons why 14:22.791 --> 14:25.374 we’re looking for some kind of, 14:25.739 --> 14:28.284 against extraordinary action or extraordinary measures 14:28.284 --> 14:31.570 that at least give some sign that Russia 14:31.570 --> 14:34.518 and/or the regime are in any way interested 14:34.518 --> 14:36.518 in a credible cessation. 14:37.022 --> 14:39.240 - And he’s also, and he said this before, 14:39.240 --> 14:40.282 but he kind of spelled it out 14:40.282 --> 14:41.773 quite strongly in this interview, 14:41.773 --> 14:44.274 that the Russians are saying there’s more and more evidence 14:44.274 --> 14:47.871 to believe that the US, from the very start, 14:47.871 --> 14:50.204 planned to protect al-Nusrah 14:50.286 --> 14:53.119 as a kind of Plan B against Assad. 14:56.223 --> 14:58.890 - Honestly, I saw those remarks. 14:59.010 --> 15:01.260 It left me shaking my head. 15:01.500 --> 15:02.798 I don’t know what he means by it. 15:02.798 --> 15:06.255 Well, I can conjecture what he means by it, but it’s absurd. 15:06.255 --> 15:09.386 - But do you think the fact that the US hasn’t 15:09.386 --> 15:11.284 been able to separate the opposition from Nusrah, 15:11.284 --> 15:12.552 which is what the Russians keep saying, 15:12.552 --> 15:15.134 how much of a factor is that in the escalation? 15:15.134 --> 15:19.301 - So granted, up to the September 10th agreement in Geneva, 15:19.500 --> 15:23.629 we talked a lot about that comingling or 15:23.629 --> 15:25.812 marbelization, whatever the term is, 15:25.812 --> 15:27.114 and it was a reality. 15:27.114 --> 15:28.531 We conceded that. 15:29.289 --> 15:32.072 And it was our challenge coming to the table, 15:32.072 --> 15:33.613 agreeing in Geneva. 15:33.613 --> 15:35.864 Our challenge was to try as best we can 15:35.864 --> 15:39.109 to reach out to the moderate opposition 15:39.109 --> 15:41.298 and make clear to them that they needed to 15:41.298 --> 15:43.782 in order for this thing to work, and we did that. 15:43.782 --> 15:45.793 We did it with our special envoy, Michael Ratney, 15:45.793 --> 15:47.960 but we did it through, 15:48.010 --> 15:50.527 also, the other members of the ISSG, 15:50.527 --> 15:52.610 other member governments, 15:52.630 --> 15:55.453 to reach out to the groups that they had contacts with 15:55.453 --> 15:58.997 to sell the deal, if I could put it that way, 15:58.997 --> 16:00.441 to convince these groups 16:00.441 --> 16:04.608 that it was in their best interest to abide by it. 16:06.984 --> 16:09.317 Were we 100% effective? 16:09.743 --> 16:11.247 No, but were we effective? 16:11.247 --> 16:14.080 Yes, and there was several days of 16:14.792 --> 16:16.811 a significant reduction in violence. 16:16.811 --> 16:18.578 But what’s happened now 16:18.578 --> 16:21.094 with the hitting of the humanitarian convoy 16:21.094 --> 16:23.263 and with the subsequent siege on Aleppo, 16:23.263 --> 16:26.783 you’ve got a scenario now, a dynamic where, 16:26.783 --> 16:30.674 as these moderate opposition forces are under real 16:30.674 --> 16:32.525 and increasing pressure by the regime, 16:32.525 --> 16:34.572 that they’re driven more or less into the arms. 16:34.572 --> 16:38.229 They have to turn to Nusrah, fight side by side. 16:38.229 --> 16:42.312 So it escalates and makes more confusing 16:42.396 --> 16:46.287 and more jumbled what is already a difficult situation. 16:46.287 --> 16:47.892 - [Barbara] Can I just ask one more question? 16:47.892 --> 16:49.015 - Please, yeah. 16:49.015 --> 16:49.848 - [Matt] Be very brief. 16:49.848 --> 16:50.681 - Okay. 16:50.681 --> 16:51.514 - Just before I get, 16:51.514 --> 16:53.348 you talked about how you don’t want to close, 16:53.348 --> 16:55.074 slam the door shut right now. 16:55.074 --> 16:58.275 Why in your estimation would it be so difficult 16:58.275 --> 16:59.858 to reopen that door 17:02.475 --> 17:05.142 and follow through on the threat 17:05.247 --> 17:06.914 and then to stop it, 17:07.387 --> 17:10.970 and then see if that changes the situation? 17:11.406 --> 17:14.998 Why are you afraid, I guess, for lack of a better word 17:14.998 --> 17:16.988 that the door would be so hard to reopen? 17:16.988 --> 17:18.905 - It’s a fair question. 17:19.025 --> 17:20.608 I think what we’re, 17:22.991 --> 17:24.758 and I tried to explain this. 17:24.758 --> 17:26.774 What we’re talking about, what was reached in Geneva. 17:26.774 --> 17:28.707 It’s not to say that it would be impossible 17:28.707 --> 17:31.387 to somehow recreate that in some fashion, 17:31.387 --> 17:33.795 but I think a couple of things is, one is 17:33.795 --> 17:35.794 we’d set that aside for now and just say, 17:35.794 --> 17:36.627 "Look, that did not work. 17:36.627 --> 17:37.460 "That was a failed effort." 17:38.782 --> 17:39.865 And then two, 17:41.273 --> 17:43.273 we would consider as we, 17:43.751 --> 17:46.050 if Russia did come back to us in a week 17:46.050 --> 17:48.133 or ten days or two weeks, 17:49.725 --> 17:52.892 it would factor into our consideration 17:53.741 --> 17:56.253 the fact that they failed so miserably 17:56.253 --> 17:58.846 to live up to any kind of deal that, 17:58.846 --> 18:00.508 an agreement that we reached. 18:00.508 --> 18:03.758 So again, it’s a matter of credibility. 18:03.772 --> 18:05.514 - [Matt] Okay, thank you. 18:05.514 --> 18:07.506 (reporters talking over one another) 18:07.506 --> 18:08.339 - Of course. 18:08.339 --> 18:09.565 Sorry, we'll get there. - That's okay. 18:09.565 --> 18:11.815 - Can you work with people, 18:12.751 --> 18:16.418 if Nusrah fighters are fighting side by side 18:17.054 --> 18:19.637 with fighters that you support? 18:19.969 --> 18:22.253 Can you then work with the fighters that you support, 18:22.253 --> 18:25.331 or have they then become people who are providing 18:25.331 --> 18:28.341 material support to terrorists and therefore you can't-- 18:28.341 --> 18:29.174 - That’s a fair. 18:29.174 --> 18:30.007 Sir, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. 18:30.007 --> 18:30.840 - [Arshad] Oh, yeah. 18:30.840 --> 18:33.957 - I think that was part of, you know, that was, 18:33.957 --> 18:36.888 one of the big pieces of this effort, 18:36.888 --> 18:38.888 I apologize, some water. 18:40.199 --> 18:41.547 One of the big pieces of this effort 18:41.547 --> 18:43.784 coming out of Geneva was to attempt to do that, 18:43.784 --> 18:44.659 was to say, "Look, guys, 18:44.659 --> 18:47.409 "we’ll have a seven-day period of 18:48.231 --> 18:50.790 "cessation of violence or a significant reduction 18:50.790 --> 18:52.519 "in the level of violence." 18:52.519 --> 18:55.544 And at that point in time, after seven days, 18:55.544 --> 18:57.031 the regime would ground its air forces, 18:57.031 --> 19:00.576 we would set up this JIC, Joint Implementation Center. 19:00.576 --> 19:04.033 And at that point, you’re either with us or against us. 19:04.033 --> 19:05.512 I’m talking about the moderate opposition. 19:05.512 --> 19:07.825 That would have been a clear line in the sand, 19:07.825 --> 19:09.441 if you will or whatever 19:09.441 --> 19:13.358 that they were either still with Nusrah or not. 19:13.975 --> 19:15.308 Again, we talked about this. 19:15.308 --> 19:16.790 It’s self-identifying, but it’s also, 19:16.790 --> 19:18.516 it would have been a clear starting point 19:18.516 --> 19:19.808 from that point on to say, 19:19.808 --> 19:21.997 "Okay, you’ve made your choice, I guess." 19:21.997 --> 19:25.747 - Just, and Barbara, one other one, if I may. 19:26.342 --> 19:28.925 In that interview with the BBC, 19:29.012 --> 19:31.983 Foreign Secretary, Foreign Minister Lavrov said 19:31.983 --> 19:34.518 what the Russians have been saying for a number of days now, 19:34.518 --> 19:37.005 which is that accusing the United States 19:37.005 --> 19:38.588 of having failed to 19:40.746 --> 19:41.663 disentangle 19:42.662 --> 19:46.662 the Nusrah from the opposition that you support. 19:47.369 --> 19:50.536 Is it your view that the US Government 19:51.235 --> 19:52.152 was obliged 19:53.868 --> 19:56.201 immediately upon declaration 19:57.274 --> 20:01.441 or implementation of the ceasefire on September 12th, 20:02.874 --> 20:04.539 that it was your immediate obligation 20:04.539 --> 20:06.980 to begin disentangling the two? 20:06.980 --> 20:09.515 Or rather, is it your view that that was a process 20:09.515 --> 20:13.682 that was going to start after a week of a ceasefire? 20:14.261 --> 20:18.344 - Yeah, so what I think was understood was 20:18.729 --> 20:22.813 while we wouldn’t, from 12:01, whatever it was, on the Eid 20:22.813 --> 20:25.293 that that seven-day period began, 20:25.293 --> 20:27.051 expect any kind of like all right, guys, 20:27.051 --> 20:28.327 we’re moving over to this section 20:28.327 --> 20:30.034 and we’re disentangling ourselves, 20:30.034 --> 20:32.759 that over the course of that week, if we had gotten there. 20:32.759 --> 20:35.592 And we talked about that a lot is, 20:35.734 --> 20:37.001 during those initial days, 20:37.001 --> 20:38.763 is that we didn’t expect a clean break. 20:38.763 --> 20:39.698 We never did. 20:39.698 --> 20:40.781 I don’t think anybody did. 20:40.781 --> 20:42.503 I don’t think the Russians, the regime, 20:42.503 --> 20:44.778 but that we would work towards that 20:44.778 --> 20:47.011 over the course of a period of time. 20:47.011 --> 20:50.280 Seven days or whatever to expect to see that. 20:50.280 --> 20:53.613 Once we felt that we were at that point, 20:54.245 --> 20:58.412 to the best of an agreed-upon ability to reach that point, 20:58.957 --> 21:00.657 then we would say, "Okay, we’re ready to move 21:00.657 --> 21:02.239 "on to the next phase." 21:02.239 --> 21:03.271 At that point, as I said, 21:03.271 --> 21:07.247 then it’s, the moderate opposition who are integrated 21:07.247 --> 21:10.391 with al-Nusrah would have had a choice to make. 21:10.391 --> 21:13.524 - So, in other words, are they making a fair point here, 21:13.524 --> 21:16.107 the Russians, that they said you failed 21:16.107 --> 21:17.839 to do the disentangling? 21:17.839 --> 21:19.137 - No, because there wasn't enough time. 21:19.137 --> 21:21.212 We did not have enough time to fully, 21:21.212 --> 21:22.295 sorry, I didn't mean to talk over you. 21:22.295 --> 21:23.128 - [Arshad] No, no, go ahead. 21:23.128 --> 21:26.759 - We did not have enough time to fully implement 21:26.759 --> 21:27.926 the agreement, 21:28.934 --> 21:31.709 and I talked about this a short time ago, 21:31.709 --> 21:35.542 is what you had starting last weekend with the 21:38.533 --> 21:39.783 barrage and the 21:40.724 --> 21:42.474 airstrikes on Aleppo, 21:44.155 --> 21:46.322 you've just, again, driven 21:47.615 --> 21:49.217 the opposition back into the, 21:49.217 --> 21:51.464 you recreated what was there before. 21:51.464 --> 21:53.397 That doesn't make anything any easier. 21:53.397 --> 21:56.397 When these groups are under the gun, 21:57.123 --> 22:01.290 literally, by the regime and by Russian airstrikes, 22:03.636 --> 22:06.636 the enemy of my friend is my friend. 22:08.099 --> 22:10.278 Or sorry, the friend of my enemy is my-- 22:10.278 --> 22:11.111 (reporters laugh) 22:11.111 --> 22:11.944 What is it? 22:11.944 --> 22:12.860 Whatever the damn thing is. 22:12.860 --> 22:14.443 - [Arshad] The enemy of my enemy is my friend. 22:14.443 --> 22:16.005 - Yeah, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, 22:16.005 --> 22:18.513 and so you're gonna have a dynamic 22:18.513 --> 22:22.501 where you're driving them back into the arms or Nusrah. 22:22.501 --> 22:24.207 - And just to get back to my original question, 22:24.207 --> 22:26.053 can you continue to offer support 22:26.053 --> 22:28.648 to people that are fighting side by side 22:28.648 --> 22:31.815 with people you deem to be terrorists? 22:32.445 --> 22:33.577 If they're fighting with them, 22:33.577 --> 22:35.893 they're providing material support to them, right? 22:35.893 --> 22:38.070 So, can you still provide assistance 22:38.070 --> 22:40.320 to the so-called moderates? 22:40.658 --> 22:41.703 - So, I wanna talk about, 22:41.703 --> 22:44.283 and for various reasons I don't want 22:44.283 --> 22:45.348 to necessarily get into the details 22:45.348 --> 22:47.756 of who are among the moderate opposition 22:47.756 --> 22:50.589 we may be providing assistance to. 22:50.856 --> 22:53.172 I think that that's all under consideration 22:53.172 --> 22:55.994 and when we look at who we might provide assistance to 22:55.994 --> 22:57.282 among the moderate opposition, 22:57.282 --> 22:58.362 we're constantly looking at-- 22:58.362 --> 23:00.246 - [Arshad] But as a matter of law, can you do that? 23:00.246 --> 23:01.273 - I don't think we can, 23:01.273 --> 23:03.690 but I also think that we look 23:05.993 --> 23:07.692 at a number of factors 23:07.692 --> 23:09.511 when we evaluate or look at 23:09.511 --> 23:12.258 how we provide assistance to these groups. 23:12.258 --> 23:13.748 That's one of them, clearly, 23:13.748 --> 23:15.925 but the other is their behavior, 23:15.925 --> 23:17.175 whether they're 23:20.140 --> 23:22.041 guilty of committing human rights abuses 23:22.041 --> 23:23.782 or anything like that. 23:23.782 --> 23:25.365 - A final question, 23:25.942 --> 23:28.870 in again, with regards to the Russian suspicions, 23:28.870 --> 23:31.778 you haven't really gone after Nusrah that much. 23:31.778 --> 23:34.356 Have you been holding back on going after Nusrah 23:34.356 --> 23:37.458 because they were mixed with the opposition? 23:37.458 --> 23:39.095 All we hear about is the strikes on ISIS. 23:39.095 --> 23:40.419 We don't hear about strikes on Nusrah. 23:40.419 --> 23:41.252 - So,-- 23:43.756 --> 23:46.122 - Sorry, let me ask you a second question, too, before, 23:46.122 --> 23:48.338 the other one is you keep saying 23:48.338 --> 23:50.904 there's no military solution, and so therefore 23:50.904 --> 23:52.570 you have to keep the diplomatic channel open, 23:52.570 --> 23:53.525 but we're not actually talking 23:53.525 --> 23:54.639 about a military solution are we? 23:54.639 --> 23:58.472 We're talking about a credible threat of force 23:58.586 --> 24:00.502 to help a diplomatic solution, 24:00.502 --> 24:01.948 so my second question would be 24:01.948 --> 24:04.031 is that under discussion? 24:04.031 --> 24:04.948 But anyway. 24:06.704 --> 24:09.704 - Without lending one option anymore 24:10.963 --> 24:13.628 importance or significance than any other option, 24:13.628 --> 24:16.018 I would say all options are under discussion, 24:16.018 --> 24:17.757 in answer to your second question. 24:17.757 --> 24:19.659 In answer to your first question, 24:19.659 --> 24:21.268 which was, again, about? 24:21.268 --> 24:22.779 - [Barbara] We keep hearing about striking ISIS, 24:22.779 --> 24:23.868 but never about striking Nusrah. 24:23.868 --> 24:25.656 - Yeah, we did carryout strikes initially 24:25.656 --> 24:28.573 back in 2014, 2015, against Nusrah, 24:28.955 --> 24:31.328 but absolutely you're correct in that 24:31.328 --> 24:33.002 as they became intermingled 24:33.002 --> 24:34.502 and as they became 24:36.416 --> 24:38.687 intermingled in civilian areas, 24:38.687 --> 24:41.020 we've always sought to limit 24:41.610 --> 24:44.777 the possibility of civilian casualties 24:45.738 --> 24:47.689 in any of our air strikes. 24:47.689 --> 24:48.729 And, again, one of the things 24:48.729 --> 24:51.996 I talked a little bit about this week is 24:51.996 --> 24:54.450 what, partly, the promise that this 24:54.450 --> 24:57.425 Joint Implementation Center held was 24:57.425 --> 24:59.456 we wanted to work in a very strategic fashion 24:59.456 --> 25:03.289 about how to take out senior Nusrah leadership 25:03.439 --> 25:06.429 like we've done pretty effectively again ISIL. 25:06.429 --> 25:08.819 And that doesn't include just laying waste 25:08.819 --> 25:12.986 to populated areas that may be under Nusrah's control. 25:13.614 --> 25:16.947 That's a very non-surgical way to do it. 25:17.222 --> 25:18.180 - [Man In Blue Jacket] Can I just ask a follow-up? 25:18.180 --> 25:19.180 - Of course. 25:19.274 --> 25:20.700 - [Man In Blue Jacket] You hit Nusrah, 25:20.700 --> 25:23.087 I believe you described it as Al-Qaeda-- 25:23.087 --> 25:23.920 - Affiliate. 25:23.920 --> 25:27.396 - Maybe in March or something, or it was earlier this year, 25:27.396 --> 25:30.614 since then, there hasn't been any specific 25:30.614 --> 25:31.720 action against Nusrah. 25:31.720 --> 25:34.303 Is that right, military action? 25:34.645 --> 25:35.945 - No, but I'd have to double check. 25:35.945 --> 25:37.765 I just can't definitively say that 25:37.765 --> 25:39.845 and I think because of that, 25:39.845 --> 25:41.812 that space is one occupied by 25:41.812 --> 25:44.218 regime and Russian air forces, 25:44.218 --> 25:46.551 but also because of the mix. 25:47.712 --> 25:50.101 - Given that you've described the JIC 25:50.101 --> 25:52.018 as something that would be, the Secretary has, 25:52.018 --> 25:53.936 it would be in US interest anyways 25:53.936 --> 25:56.000 because you want to target Nusrah. 25:56.000 --> 25:56.833 - [Mark] Yes. 25:56.833 --> 25:59.169 - Why aren't you attacking Nusrah anyhow 25:59.169 --> 26:00.002 if it's in-- 26:00.002 --> 26:00.988 - That's what I was saying, 26:00.988 --> 26:02.510 but I'm sorry if I wasn't clear-- 26:02.510 --> 26:03.343 - [Man In Blue Jacket] No, no, I understand 26:03.343 --> 26:04.843 what you're saying, but how would that change 26:04.843 --> 26:06.515 by cooperating with Russia? 26:06.515 --> 26:09.308 You still wouldn't attack civilian population, 26:09.308 --> 26:10.141 you still-- 26:10.141 --> 26:11.893 - No, but what we would, again, 26:11.893 --> 26:14.038 and I would really encourage you 26:14.038 --> 26:16.314 to talk to someone at the Pentagon 26:16.314 --> 26:18.085 who can give you a much more detailed 26:18.085 --> 26:20.102 tactical view of this, but 26:20.102 --> 26:22.685 one of the premises behind this 26:22.985 --> 26:24.221 was that it would allow us 26:24.221 --> 26:27.520 to better share intelligence and information 26:27.520 --> 26:28.674 and really target, as I said, 26:28.674 --> 26:31.007 senior leaders among Nusrah, 26:31.486 --> 26:33.399 and go after them in a much more strategic fashion, 26:33.399 --> 26:35.545 rather than, frankly, using dumb bombs 26:35.545 --> 26:38.712 and cluster bombs or cluster munitions 26:38.747 --> 26:41.798 and that kind of thing where we're just, again 26:41.798 --> 26:43.052 laying waste to an area 26:43.052 --> 26:45.212 versus going after a specific target 26:45.212 --> 26:47.065 or group of individuals. 26:47.065 --> 26:48.951 - If you had actionable intelligence 26:48.951 --> 26:51.421 against Nusrah senior leaders, 26:51.421 --> 26:53.088 as you describe 'em, 26:53.262 --> 26:55.803 would you be able to target them today or not? 26:55.803 --> 26:58.636 Because Aleppo and Idlib and a lot 26:58.761 --> 27:01.344 of these areas are out of your, 27:02.902 --> 27:05.652 are they in the confliction zone? 27:10.041 --> 27:11.476 - I would encourage you to talk to somebody 27:11.476 --> 27:12.531 from the Department of Defense, 27:12.531 --> 27:13.897 whether we would be able to, 27:13.897 --> 27:15.782 through our de-confliction mechanism, 27:15.782 --> 27:17.179 be able to target them. 27:17.179 --> 27:18.658 - [Man In Blue Jacket] Okay. 27:18.658 --> 27:19.942 - Sorry, Samir and then Nick. 27:19.942 --> 27:22.380 - [Samir] Is the US providing the Syrian opposition-- 27:22.380 --> 27:23.213 - Excuse me? 27:23.213 --> 27:25.647 - Is the US providing the Syrian opposition 27:25.647 --> 27:28.397 any military help or any guidance 27:28.621 --> 27:30.929 to prevent the fall of east Aleppo 27:30.929 --> 27:32.831 to the Syrian and the Russians? 27:32.831 --> 27:33.914 - Well, look, 27:37.077 --> 27:41.244 we do provide them some support and some guidance. 27:41.283 --> 27:42.551 I don’t want to get into details, 27:42.551 --> 27:44.110 and I don’t want to get into discussions 27:44.110 --> 27:47.052 of which groups among the moderate opposition 27:47.052 --> 27:49.135 that we support, but yes. 27:49.295 --> 27:50.644 - [Samir] But you are providing? 27:50.644 --> 27:52.009 - We do provide assistance. 27:52.009 --> 27:52.842 - [Samir] But did you increase it-- 27:52.842 --> 27:53.699 - Oh, I'm sorry. Did we what? 27:53.699 --> 27:56.021 - [Samir] Did you increase it recently after the offenses? 27:56.021 --> 27:58.135 - I’m not sure, I’m not sure. 27:58.135 --> 27:58.968 Please. 27:58.968 --> 28:01.206 - Just quickly, to circle about 28:01.206 --> 28:02.961 to what we were talking about at the beginning, 28:02.961 --> 28:04.211 what more would 28:04.961 --> 28:06.378 Russia need to do 28:06.554 --> 28:08.567 for you to move from the verge 28:08.567 --> 28:11.650 to actually closing the door on them? 28:12.679 --> 28:15.361 It seems like it's gotten a lot worse in the last week. 28:15.361 --> 28:16.970 - [Mark] Yes it has. That’s -- 28:16.970 --> 28:19.246 - So, what more would need to happen? 28:19.246 --> 28:22.163 - Well, I think, again, to offer to 28:22.503 --> 28:24.364 at the very least, to put in place 28:24.364 --> 28:26.508 or stop the siege, declare a-- 28:26.508 --> 28:27.716 - [Nick] No, I mean what more would need to happen 28:27.716 --> 28:28.832 for you guys to actually walk away? 28:28.832 --> 28:29.790 - Oh, I’m sorry. I apologize, okay. 28:29.790 --> 28:32.790 I get where you’re going now, sorry. 28:35.870 --> 28:37.203 It’s hard for me to say 28:37.203 --> 28:40.120 that a particular action or another 28:41.296 --> 28:43.621 event would push us over the edge. 28:43.621 --> 28:46.010 All I can say, Nick, is that we’re very close. 28:46.010 --> 28:48.843 - Because that then the question-- 28:49.509 --> 28:51.931 - I think it’s rather not a question of, 28:51.931 --> 28:55.514 I think it’s a question that if the current 28:56.318 --> 28:58.609 pattern continues any longer, 28:58.609 --> 29:01.876 and we don’t see any effort to, in any way, 29:01.876 --> 29:05.209 arrest that or stop that or improve that 29:06.236 --> 29:10.319 environment or climate or whatever around Aleppo, 29:12.216 --> 29:14.544 at some point, we’ll say okay, and walk away. 29:14.544 --> 29:17.027 - So does the fact that you haven’t walked away 29:17.027 --> 29:20.110 given that it’s gotten so much worse, 29:20.246 --> 29:23.413 can we read that as an indication that 29:23.822 --> 29:27.267 the US and Russia are discussing something now 29:27.267 --> 29:30.177 that does provide hope that this thing can be salvaged? 29:30.177 --> 29:31.054 - I wouldn't use hope. 29:31.054 --> 29:34.387 I think that we haven’t closed the door, 29:34.612 --> 29:36.029 that we're still, 29:37.815 --> 29:38.898 there’s still 29:41.423 --> 29:45.194 some sense that there are steps that could be taken, 29:45.194 --> 29:47.194 but I don’t want to even 29:49.244 --> 29:50.701 characterize it as hopeful. 29:50.701 --> 29:51.534 - [Arshad] Mark, one quick one. 29:51.534 --> 29:52.451 - Yes, sir. 29:52.882 --> 29:53.715 I’ll get to you. 29:53.715 --> 29:56.153 - [Arshad] You saw the report that said that Russia 29:56.153 --> 29:59.070 is moving more aircraft into Syria. 30:00.157 --> 30:01.317 Can you confirm that? 30:01.317 --> 30:02.150 - I can’t. 30:02.571 --> 30:05.204 I saw the same report and looking to clarify 30:05.204 --> 30:08.267 or get confirmation of it, but I wasn’t able to. 30:08.267 --> 30:09.100 Please, Lucas. 30:09.100 --> 30:12.517 - [Lucas] How close is Aleppo to falling? 30:12.530 --> 30:14.447 - Again, I'm, you know, 30:15.412 --> 30:17.412 I don’t want to predict. 30:18.322 --> 30:21.489 I just don’t have that kind of clarity 30:22.537 --> 30:25.204 and knowledge at that level, but 30:28.329 --> 30:30.381 we heard it here just a little while ago 30:30.381 --> 30:32.381 that there appears to be 30:34.612 --> 30:38.779 forces massing for some kind of assault on Aleppo. 30:39.003 --> 30:41.330 We’re watching it very closely, but it’s hard to say. 30:41.330 --> 30:44.024 As you know watching conflict zones around the world, 30:44.024 --> 30:46.941 it’s hard to say when and if a city 30:47.096 --> 30:48.734 or population center could fall. 30:48.734 --> 30:52.317 But given the uptick in violence, given the 30:54.140 --> 30:56.390 intensity of it, it’s hard. 30:57.102 --> 30:57.935 It could be soon. 30:57.935 --> 30:58.768 - [Lucas] Does the United States have 30:58.768 --> 31:02.935 a moral obligation to help the citizens of Aleppo? 31:03.992 --> 31:06.742 - That is a fair question to ask. 31:06.890 --> 31:09.807 I think that that is something that 31:10.043 --> 31:11.537 we have sought to do 31:11.537 --> 31:15.704 by pursuing so aggressively this diplomatic process. 31:16.445 --> 31:20.278 I think we’ve also sought to do so by pursuing 31:21.849 --> 31:23.757 and increasing, even this past week, 31:23.757 --> 31:25.736 our humanitarian assistance to those 31:25.736 --> 31:27.122 who've been displaced by the fighting 31:27.122 --> 31:28.922 but also those within Syria 31:28.922 --> 31:30.901 and trying to continue to get them 31:30.901 --> 31:33.762 some level or some measure of assistance 31:33.762 --> 31:35.512 despite the fighting. 31:36.030 --> 31:38.441 These are tough options, as I said, 31:38.441 --> 31:40.223 and the Secretary's spoken about this, 31:40.223 --> 31:41.580 is there’s no good options. 31:41.580 --> 31:44.663 And when you look at what’s possible, 31:47.023 --> 31:49.381 it means, and these are all things we have to weigh, 31:49.381 --> 31:53.286 greater military involvement on behalf of the US 31:53.286 --> 31:56.203 and putting American lives at risk, 31:56.871 --> 32:01.038 so you have to weigh all of these things, and I agree, 32:01.695 --> 32:03.045 as much of it’s a moral outrage, 32:03.045 --> 32:06.248 what’s going on there, that all has to be weighed. 32:06.248 --> 32:08.480 - Today marks the one-year anniversary 32:08.480 --> 32:10.567 of Russia’s airstrikes in Syria. 32:10.567 --> 32:13.900 How would you characterize the last year 32:13.932 --> 32:16.758 in Syria with these Russian strikes? 32:16.758 --> 32:18.827 And Russia’s goal was to prop up 32:18.827 --> 32:20.645 the Assad regime, and it appears 32:20.645 --> 32:22.193 that their goal has been reached, 32:22.193 --> 32:24.443 as they’ve been successful. 32:25.054 --> 32:28.471 - You’re right, it is a grim anniversary since, 32:28.471 --> 32:30.638 one year since, they began 32:32.124 --> 32:36.291 supporting the Assad regime in earnest with airstrikes. 32:43.083 --> 32:44.487 It is hard not to assess 32:44.487 --> 32:46.737 that they have succeeded in 32:46.952 --> 32:48.702 bolstering the regime 32:50.947 --> 32:54.388 and that, at least at the purely tactical level 32:54.388 --> 32:56.221 or the short-term was, 32:57.573 --> 32:58.653 as a short-term goal, 32:58.653 --> 33:00.736 was clearly their intent. 33:00.903 --> 33:02.412 They’ve been clear about that. 33:02.412 --> 33:06.495 And one of their concerns was that if Assad fell, 33:07.847 --> 33:10.027 if the government fell, that there would be chaos, 33:10.027 --> 33:13.360 and that would allow terrorist groups to 33:14.408 --> 33:15.408 consolidate. 33:16.298 --> 33:19.215 Our argument has consistently been, 33:19.285 --> 33:23.118 while recognizing that we don’t want a vacuum, 33:24.376 --> 33:26.644 that there's a diplomatic way to get there, 33:26.644 --> 33:30.009 ceasefire, parties negotiate, work out a plan. 33:30.009 --> 33:32.944 We don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, 33:32.944 --> 33:35.067 certain government infrastructure remains, 33:35.067 --> 33:37.734 civilian infrastructure remains. 33:37.784 --> 33:39.150 There’s a way to get there without doing 33:39.150 --> 33:40.573 what they’re doing right now. 33:40.573 --> 33:42.031 So if they succeeded in propping up 33:42.031 --> 33:44.407 and creating some kind of stalemate, 33:44.407 --> 33:45.414 okay, so be it. 33:45.414 --> 33:48.039 Then we were able to put a cessation of hostilities in 33:48.039 --> 33:51.789 and then create that negotiating process, but 33:54.287 --> 33:56.586 it becomes increasingly evident 33:56.586 --> 33:59.699 that they may have broader or greater aims than that. 33:59.699 --> 34:00.709 - [Lucas] I have a few questions on Iran, 34:00.709 --> 34:01.542 if you don’t mind. 34:01.542 --> 34:02.375 - Iran, sure. Are we done with – 34:02.375 --> 34:03.208 - [Lucas] Oh sure, of course. 34:03.208 --> 34:04.479 - [Dave] Can I ask a follow-up quickly on Syria first? 34:04.479 --> 34:05.312 - [Man In Blue Jacket] One more on Syria. 34:05.312 --> 34:06.232 - Okay, great. 34:06.232 --> 34:07.413 - [Dave] Sir, if eastern Aleppo does fall, 34:07.413 --> 34:09.027 is that a defeat for US policy 34:09.027 --> 34:09.875 given your response to -- 34:09.875 --> 34:12.125 - I think it’s a defeat for 34:13.398 --> 34:15.090 the world in the sense that it’s just gonna 34:15.090 --> 34:18.546 create a greater hardship for the Syrian people, 34:18.546 --> 34:21.620 it’s going to create more chaos within Syria 34:21.620 --> 34:25.203 and allow what are clearly terrorist groups 34:25.649 --> 34:27.854 like ISIL and Nusrah with aims 34:27.854 --> 34:29.491 to carry out terrorist attacks, 34:29.491 --> 34:32.800 not only within Syria, but more broadly, 34:32.800 --> 34:34.937 to consolidate and to strengthen. 34:34.937 --> 34:37.816 So it’s a losing proposition no matter who you are. 34:37.816 --> 34:39.720 - And in your response to these questions earlier, 34:39.720 --> 34:40.980 you seemed to be suggesting 34:40.980 --> 34:44.563 that the increased mixing between al-Nusrah 34:44.629 --> 34:47.212 and the other opposition groups 34:47.350 --> 34:51.517 was an unfortunate side effect of Russia’s stance. 34:51.831 --> 34:54.081 Could it not be their goal? 34:54.783 --> 34:58.533 - Yeah, I mean, that’s one person’s analysis. 34:58.774 --> 35:00.453 I can’t exclude that that’s not-- 35:00.453 --> 35:01.599 - [Dave] It's several people's analysis 35:01.599 --> 35:02.960 including several experts, but-- 35:02.960 --> 35:06.773 - That’s something you’ll have to ask the Russians. 35:06.773 --> 35:08.250 - Whenever Plan B's mentioned, 35:08.250 --> 35:10.076 you say there’s no good options, 35:10.076 --> 35:13.873 and military options, you don’t see a military solution. 35:13.873 --> 35:17.104 How many sanctions has this Administration 35:17.104 --> 35:20.477 put on Russia as a result of a year of intervention 35:20.477 --> 35:21.832 that has killed, I don’t know-- 35:21.832 --> 35:22.665 - Well, you’re right, our sanctions-- 35:22.665 --> 35:23.988 - When you say thousands of civilians, 35:23.988 --> 35:27.122 how many sanctions has the US government levied? 35:27.122 --> 35:28.226 - We have sanctions in place, 35:28.226 --> 35:30.331 but regarding their behavior and-- 35:30.331 --> 35:31.164 - [Man In Blue Jacket] In Ukraine. 35:31.164 --> 35:31.997 - And their actions in Ukraine. 35:31.997 --> 35:34.830 No, I was just about to say that. 35:38.614 --> 35:40.364 Another valid option, 35:41.928 --> 35:45.011 one among many that we’re looking at, 35:45.449 --> 35:47.265 but I don’t have anything particularly to announce. 35:47.265 --> 35:48.432 - Why in 2012, 35:50.905 --> 35:53.155 maybe even the end of 2011, 35:53.463 --> 35:57.630 the US applied sanctions on various Iranian entities 35:58.528 --> 36:00.278 for supporting Syria. 36:02.525 --> 36:06.692 Given that Russia’s involvement has taken on a level, 36:06.712 --> 36:10.491 at least through air power, that far outstrips Iran, 36:10.491 --> 36:13.824 what made the Iranian support so heinous 36:15.337 --> 36:18.087 in the deaths they caused that it 36:18.666 --> 36:21.166 prompted a sanctions response? 36:21.375 --> 36:24.366 And what makes the Russian one so blase 36:24.366 --> 36:27.324 or not so significant that it doesn’t 36:27.324 --> 36:30.407 get a sanctions response from the US? 36:30.965 --> 36:31.798 - So, um, 36:36.443 --> 36:38.256 with regard to sanctions, 36:38.256 --> 36:41.876 as I said, we do have already pretty severe sanctions, 36:41.876 --> 36:45.543 again, directed at their behavior in Ukraine 36:46.530 --> 36:48.481 in place against Russia. 36:48.481 --> 36:51.642 So, whenever you’re looking at whether to sanction more 36:51.642 --> 36:54.408 or to increase the pressure on the Russian economy, 36:54.408 --> 36:56.908 you weigh a number of options. 36:58.057 --> 36:59.343 Sanctions can be very effective. 36:59.343 --> 37:01.377 We’ve seen it in the case of Iran, 37:01.377 --> 37:04.716 especially with regard to their nuclear program. 37:04.716 --> 37:08.633 But we also want to weigh that with our ability 37:08.803 --> 37:11.217 to work effectively with Russia. 37:11.217 --> 37:12.050 We just haven’t reached 37:12.050 --> 37:13.312 that decision point yet, I guess is my -- 37:13.312 --> 37:15.930 - So it was the diplomatic track that remained open 37:15.930 --> 37:18.259 that kept sanctions out of play on Russia 37:18.259 --> 37:21.063 for all this death and destruction 37:21.063 --> 37:23.480 over the last several months? 37:24.420 --> 37:27.420 - That was one element of it, but -- 37:27.569 --> 37:29.486 - And then, so if this, 37:31.268 --> 37:33.268 if this engagement ends, 37:34.113 --> 37:36.696 what precludes the US from then 37:36.945 --> 37:40.112 taking a sanctions response to Russia? 37:40.229 --> 37:42.896 - Again, I’m not gonna engage in 37:43.581 --> 37:45.671 hypotheticals about what we may or may not do, 37:45.671 --> 37:48.399 except to say that there’s a number of options out there, 37:48.399 --> 37:51.645 and we’ll continue to look at them all. 37:51.645 --> 37:53.895 They’re all being discussed 37:54.216 --> 37:56.383 and debated and considered 37:56.793 --> 37:58.805 and sanctions are among them. 37:58.805 --> 37:59.638 Please. 37:59.638 --> 38:00.471 - [Lucas] Questions on Iran, Mark. 38:00.471 --> 38:01.375 - Yeah, of course. 38:01.375 --> 38:04.568 - On the subject of the Wall Street Journal story today, 38:04.568 --> 38:06.458 what impact did the analysts here 38:06.458 --> 38:08.188 at the State Department assess 38:08.188 --> 38:10.444 that the delisting of those two banks, 38:10.444 --> 38:11.868 which are so intimately tied 38:11.868 --> 38:14.407 to Iran’s ballistic missile program, 38:14.407 --> 38:18.506 would have on Iran’s development of ballistic missiles? 38:18.506 --> 38:22.006 - So first of all, the story you bring up, 38:29.399 --> 38:33.566 none of the facts of that story were particularly new, 38:36.775 --> 38:40.942 but what I can say is that we did, when we were looking at, 38:41.906 --> 38:44.073 so we had agreed to delist 38:45.835 --> 38:47.849 or remove the designation, rather, 38:47.849 --> 38:49.597 Specially Designated Nationals 38:49.597 --> 38:52.514 and Blocked Persons List, SDN list. 38:52.642 --> 38:54.279 We'd agreed to remove Bank Sepah 38:54.279 --> 38:58.446 from that list on implementation day as part of the JCPOA. 38:59.429 --> 39:00.262 Now, 39:03.278 --> 39:07.445 as part of that process, we looked at all the entities. 39:07.594 --> 39:10.594 We conducted a very thorough review, 39:12.037 --> 39:16.204 in essence updating what we knew about Bank Sepah, 39:18.039 --> 39:20.289 and whether they qualified. 39:20.310 --> 39:23.378 And it was our assessment that they did qualify, so-- 39:23.378 --> 39:25.328 - [Lucas] And is that because they were no longer tied 39:25.328 --> 39:28.078 to the ballistic missile program? 39:28.751 --> 39:30.313 - Yeah, that’s exactly right. 39:30.313 --> 39:32.486 That they were no longer carrying out actions 39:32.486 --> 39:34.272 that we believed were linked to 39:34.272 --> 39:38.272 or linked them to the ballistic missile program. 39:48.917 --> 39:50.432 And then, of course, there was 39:50.432 --> 39:53.765 the then subsequent delisting by the UN. 39:54.788 --> 39:55.868 But what’s important also to remember 39:55.868 --> 39:57.858 in any of this, whenever we’re talking 39:57.858 --> 40:00.982 about delisting someone from sanctions, 40:00.982 --> 40:03.899 that we always maintain the ability 40:04.652 --> 40:07.902 to reimpose US sanctions on Bank Sepah, 40:08.812 --> 40:12.062 or any other entity in Iran, if we then 40:13.520 --> 40:15.770 consider their behavior is, 40:17.957 --> 40:18.790 or merits. 40:18.969 --> 40:23.062 - And did Secretary Kerry believe that unshackling the banks 40:23.062 --> 40:25.275 that have financed Iran’s ballistic missile program 40:25.275 --> 40:28.192 will somehow slow down the program? 40:29.092 --> 40:29.925 - That-- 40:30.009 --> 40:31.138 - Did Secretary Kerry believe 40:31.138 --> 40:34.778 that removing the sanctions against these banks, 40:34.778 --> 40:36.129 did he believe that would slow down 40:36.129 --> 40:39.513 Iran’s nuclear ballistic missile program? 40:39.513 --> 40:42.457 - Not necessarily, I think this was part of, again, 40:42.457 --> 40:46.124 some of the things we looked at, in terms of 40:46.127 --> 40:49.568 the determinations that we made as part of the JCPOA, 40:49.568 --> 40:52.332 which entities needed to continue to be sanctioned. 40:52.332 --> 40:53.696 That’s something we do all the time, 40:53.696 --> 40:55.779 but it's certainly within the framework 40:55.779 --> 40:58.279 of the JCPOA we looked at, but 40:59.759 --> 41:02.926 we make no excuses for what was a very 41:05.031 --> 41:08.031 considered determination with regard 41:08.089 --> 41:10.617 to Bank Sepah’s role in the ballistic program 41:10.617 --> 41:13.067 but also that we continue to have concerns 41:13.067 --> 41:15.102 about Iran’s ballistic missile program. 41:15.102 --> 41:17.688 - And Chairman Royce and others on Capitol Hill 41:17.688 --> 41:18.894 have complained that the briefings 41:18.894 --> 41:22.012 to congressional staff only occur after decisions 41:22.012 --> 41:24.135 are being made, not beforehand. 41:24.135 --> 41:25.860 Why is the administration only 41:25.860 --> 41:28.693 briefing lawmakers after the fact? 41:28.835 --> 41:31.031 - I don’t have the specific timeline in front of me. 41:31.031 --> 41:33.066 I mean, I know that we made all the materials available 41:33.066 --> 41:35.316 to Congress for their consideration, 41:35.316 --> 41:36.149 so we weren’t trying to -- 41:36.149 --> 41:36.982 - [Lucas] After the fact or before? 41:36.982 --> 41:39.172 - I don’t know, to be honest. 41:39.172 --> 41:41.141 I don’t have that in front of me. 41:41.141 --> 41:43.561 But we certainly try to be responsive 41:43.561 --> 41:44.948 and work with Congress and make them aware 41:44.948 --> 41:47.135 of what actions we’re taking, 41:47.135 --> 41:47.968 especially with regard to Iran. 41:47.968 --> 41:49.191 - [Lucas] Are there any other parts of this 41:49.191 --> 41:52.425 nuclear agreement or implementation day 41:52.425 --> 41:54.563 that we just don’t know about? 41:54.563 --> 41:58.325 There’s now three documents that are signed by Mr. McGurk. 41:58.325 --> 41:59.715 Is there a fourth document? 41:59.715 --> 42:01.764 - So, one of the reasons I said 42:01.764 --> 42:04.581 that there’s nothing particularly new in this story 42:04.581 --> 42:07.081 is that this was all came out, 42:07.257 --> 42:10.674 and there’s even several articles written 42:11.140 --> 42:13.557 at the time that it happened. 42:14.163 --> 42:17.163 I think there was so much happening, 42:18.197 --> 42:19.782 we’ve talked about that quite a bit, 42:19.782 --> 42:22.865 in that very congested period of time 42:23.215 --> 42:27.382 around implementation day, that I think elements were lost, 42:27.615 --> 42:30.115 and there wasn’t a recognition 42:30.377 --> 42:32.168 of all the pieces that were in play. 42:32.168 --> 42:33.626 - Was the delisting the two banks, 42:33.626 --> 42:35.478 was that more leverage to use against-- 42:35.478 --> 42:36.529 - Not at all, not at all, 42:36.529 --> 42:37.623 it was just a different, again, and we’ve talked 42:37.623 --> 42:41.276 about this a lot, and that’s, what would I say, 42:41.276 --> 42:42.498 that it’s so much, whether it was 42:42.498 --> 42:44.915 the detainees being released, 42:46.142 --> 42:49.028 whether it was the Hague settlement being paid, 42:49.028 --> 42:51.849 whether it was the delisting of this bank, 42:51.849 --> 42:53.909 there was a lot that happened in a very short time span, 42:53.909 --> 42:55.449 but they were not linked. 42:55.449 --> 42:56.282 - Please? 42:56.282 --> 42:57.529 - [Lucas] Was this the sweetener to the deal, like-- 42:57.529 --> 42:58.362 - Not at all. No. 42:58.362 --> 43:00.281 - We’re very close to getting the prisoners released and-- 43:00.281 --> 43:04.148 - No, again, what it was, and we’ve said as much, 43:04.148 --> 43:08.315 is that we had a window, we had a moment, an opportunity 43:08.673 --> 43:12.343 to seal a number of different deals, if you will, 43:12.343 --> 43:16.426 to close a number of different outstanding issues 43:17.208 --> 43:20.006 with Iran, and we sought to do so. 43:20.006 --> 43:20.839 - [Lucas] And final question. 43:20.839 --> 43:21.672 - Please, go ahead. 43:21.672 --> 43:22.505 - Just to go back to that first one, 43:22.505 --> 43:24.527 was there any kind of internal assessment done 43:24.527 --> 43:28.444 that told the Secretary and other top officials 43:28.459 --> 43:30.308 what delisting these banks would have 43:30.308 --> 43:33.308 on Iran’s ballistic missile program? 43:35.201 --> 43:36.359 - What, and I’m sorry, I just want 43:36.359 --> 43:37.478 to make sure I understand that. 43:37.478 --> 43:39.577 - Did analysts here at the State Department 43:39.577 --> 43:43.744 study what would happen after this delisting occurred? 43:44.755 --> 43:47.401 Was there any kind of analytics done 43:47.401 --> 43:49.598 to say what impact delisting these banks 43:49.598 --> 43:51.497 would have on Iran’s ballistic missile program? 43:51.497 --> 43:52.593 - Yes. It was made. 43:52.593 --> 43:54.743 The determination was made after a careful review 43:54.743 --> 43:57.675 of the activity of all the individuals and entities, 43:57.675 --> 43:59.425 including Bank Sepah, 44:00.490 --> 44:03.573 that would be removed from this list, 44:03.901 --> 44:05.125 SDN list that I talked about, 44:05.125 --> 44:07.908 Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, 44:07.908 --> 44:09.274 on implementation day. 44:09.274 --> 44:12.502 So, this was not done in any way, shape, 44:12.502 --> 44:15.335 or form haphazardly or by impulse. 44:16.039 --> 44:19.622 This was a part of a very thorough review. 44:21.438 --> 44:22.771 Yup, please sir. 44:22.946 --> 44:24.749 - [Blonde Man] Yeah, so the Philippines. 44:24.749 --> 44:25.582 - Yes. 44:25.643 --> 44:29.227 - Recently, Duterte likened himself to Hitler 44:29.227 --> 44:32.034 and said that he’d be happy to slaughter 44:32.034 --> 44:35.617 the drug users and peddlers in his country. 44:35.830 --> 44:37.274 Has anyone from the State Department 44:37.274 --> 44:38.854 been in contact with the Philippines 44:38.854 --> 44:41.271 in regards to these comments? 44:43.134 --> 44:43.967 - I’m not aware. 44:43.967 --> 44:45.204 I don’t know what our bilateral mission, 44:45.204 --> 44:48.571 if they’ve been in contact with the Philippine Government. 44:48.571 --> 44:51.678 You’ve seen a number of, not the US Government, 44:51.678 --> 44:54.178 but a number of voices comment 44:54.295 --> 44:58.462 on (chuckles) President Duterte’s remarks. 44:58.886 --> 45:01.386 Look, what I would say to that 45:01.786 --> 45:05.184 is that America’s relationship, or partnership, 45:05.184 --> 45:07.601 with the Philippines is long, 45:08.542 --> 45:10.375 and it’s been based on 45:11.503 --> 45:14.503 a mutual foundation of shared values 45:16.473 --> 45:19.062 and that includes our shared belief in 45:19.062 --> 45:21.979 human rights and human dignity, and 45:24.049 --> 45:28.132 within that context, President Duterte’s comments 45:28.716 --> 45:30.966 are a significant departure 45:32.817 --> 45:34.484 from that tradition, 45:35.394 --> 45:37.644 and we find them troubling. 45:39.055 --> 45:42.205 - So obviously, he’s had some couple other spats, 45:42.205 --> 45:44.657 especially with Obama and such. 45:44.657 --> 45:46.486 How much longer is the State Department 45:46.486 --> 45:50.653 going to let him go on these kind of off-the-wall comments? 45:55.749 --> 45:57.666 - As I said previously, 45:57.902 --> 46:02.069 words matter, especially when they’re from leaders of 46:03.747 --> 46:05.972 sovereign nations, and especially sovereign nations 46:05.972 --> 46:08.297 with whom we have a long and, 46:08.297 --> 46:11.047 as I said, valued relations with. 46:12.628 --> 46:15.795 But what I’ve also been clear about is 46:16.572 --> 46:17.721 from a government-to-government level, 46:17.721 --> 46:18.856 or at a government-to-government level, 46:18.856 --> 46:22.523 we continue to productively, constructively, 46:23.028 --> 46:26.195 closely cooperate with the Philippines 46:26.412 --> 46:27.985 on a number of issues. 46:27.985 --> 46:29.953 And our people-to-people ties remain strong. 46:29.953 --> 46:33.703 Our security and military ties remain strong. 46:33.793 --> 46:37.126 Our economic ties remain strong, and so, 46:37.898 --> 46:39.565 while there is this, 46:40.209 --> 46:42.631 you know, there's these remarks 46:42.631 --> 46:44.631 occasionally being made, 46:44.633 --> 46:47.897 at the working level our relationship remains 46:47.897 --> 46:49.218 very strong and very vital. 46:49.218 --> 46:51.687 - [Blonde Man] So you see no hindrance about these. 46:51.687 --> 46:53.596 There’s no hindrance with the relationship 46:53.596 --> 46:54.429 after these comments? 46:54.429 --> 46:55.262 - Not that we’ve seen, no. 46:55.262 --> 46:56.095 - [Blonde Man] Okay. Thank you. 46:56.095 --> 46:57.095 - Yeah. Dan. 46:57.527 --> 46:58.469 - [Dan] Philippines security forces 46:58.469 --> 47:00.575 are acting on this kind of rhetoric. 47:00.575 --> 47:02.483 There have been reports of killings. 47:02.483 --> 47:03.902 Is there a point where you can’t work 47:03.902 --> 47:05.418 with the Philippines security forces? 47:05.418 --> 47:06.251 - No, I understand that. 47:06.251 --> 47:07.967 And where we have been deeply concerned 47:07.967 --> 47:11.217 about reports of extrajudicial killings 47:12.352 --> 47:14.690 by or at the behest of the government authorities 47:14.690 --> 47:17.141 in the Philippines, and have called on 47:17.141 --> 47:19.974 and repeat our calls for thorough, 47:20.471 --> 47:22.458 transparent investigations into any credible 47:22.458 --> 47:24.525 report of extrajudicial killings. 47:24.525 --> 47:26.401 - [Man In Blue Jacket] Mark, I just, quickly on that, 47:26.401 --> 47:28.932 he’s basically calling for the death 47:28.932 --> 47:30.932 of three million people. 47:31.650 --> 47:32.733 Your response 47:34.163 --> 47:36.805 doesn’t really, I mean, you find it troubling. 47:36.805 --> 47:39.222 It seems more than troubling. 47:40.706 --> 47:42.206 - Again, you know, 47:46.262 --> 47:47.762 I think that it’s, 47:49.166 --> 47:51.999 again, what I said before was that 47:52.359 --> 47:56.359 when we listen to these kinds of comments, it is 47:59.782 --> 48:03.949 concerning, especially from the leader of a nation 48:06.530 --> 48:08.947 with whom we have such a long 48:09.749 --> 48:12.166 and valued relationship with, 48:12.253 --> 48:14.253 and one that is based on 48:15.181 --> 48:18.206 concern about human rights, democracy, 48:18.206 --> 48:20.956 all the values that we hold dear. 48:21.666 --> 48:23.666 And I’ll leave it there. 48:24.086 --> 48:25.166 - Is there any concern 48:25.166 --> 48:27.685 that if you criticize him too strongly, 48:27.685 --> 48:30.039 despite these outrageous actions and comments, 48:30.039 --> 48:32.399 that you’d be driving him towards 48:32.399 --> 48:34.005 strong relations with China and Russia, 48:34.005 --> 48:35.729 which he has expressed interest in? 48:35.729 --> 48:36.855 - And I’m aware of those remarks, 48:36.855 --> 48:38.201 and we’ve been very clear, 48:38.201 --> 48:39.657 Secretary Kerry’s been very clear 48:39.657 --> 48:42.574 when he met with President Duterte, 48:43.089 --> 48:45.897 this is not a zero-sum game for us. 48:45.897 --> 48:48.147 We’re not trying to dictate 48:48.178 --> 48:51.261 with whom the Philippines should have 48:51.567 --> 48:53.325 stronger relations with. 48:53.325 --> 48:54.662 Our only concern is that we want 48:54.662 --> 48:58.280 to maintain our strong relationship with the Philippines. 48:58.280 --> 49:00.755 But again, I’ll stress that it has 49:00.755 --> 49:03.229 to be one that’s based on shared values, 49:03.229 --> 49:07.229 democratic values, respect for human rights, and 49:09.573 --> 49:10.445 words matter. 49:10.445 --> 49:11.520 I’ll say it again. 49:11.520 --> 49:12.451 - So you don’t think that you’re pulling 49:12.451 --> 49:15.446 any punches in his, in criticizing him? 49:15.446 --> 49:17.977 - I’ll leave it where I left it. 49:17.977 --> 49:18.810 - Oh, sure. 49:18.810 --> 49:20.768 I’m sorry, and then you in the back. 49:20.768 --> 49:22.058 - [Man In Purple Shirt] India-Pakistan. 49:22.058 --> 49:25.358 - But I looked at her and then I promise I’ll get to you. 49:25.358 --> 49:26.191 Yes. 49:26.191 --> 49:29.197 - Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, 49:29.197 --> 49:32.223 suggested that former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, 49:32.223 --> 49:34.806 fast-tracked the citizenship of 49:34.835 --> 49:37.349 former Miss Universe Alicia Machado. 49:37.349 --> 49:40.159 Is that something that you think would be possible 49:40.159 --> 49:42.814 for her to have done, either in her capacity 49:42.814 --> 49:46.981 as Secretary of State, or after as a former Secretary? 49:47.859 --> 49:50.526 - So the naturalization process, 49:50.717 --> 49:53.634 as you probably know, is handled by 49:54.776 --> 49:58.443 the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. 49:58.886 --> 50:01.890 So for any questions about any individual case like that, 50:01.890 --> 50:03.534 I’d have to refer you to them. 50:03.534 --> 50:05.881 Please, oh, you, oh, I’m so sorry. 50:05.881 --> 50:06.967 - [Man In Purple Shirt] Oh, sorry, okay. 50:06.967 --> 50:08.253 - No, I apologize. I’m -- 50:08.253 --> 50:11.753 - So, you refer the questions to them, but 50:12.155 --> 50:16.322 do you reject the statement that the Secretary of State 50:16.692 --> 50:20.356 interfered with the immigration process in this case? 50:20.356 --> 50:22.324 Or are you just saying you have no comment on that? 50:22.324 --> 50:25.241 - I have no comment other than that 50:25.335 --> 50:27.668 we have no reason to believe 50:27.695 --> 50:29.866 in the veracity of that statement. 50:29.866 --> 50:30.699 - [Man In Blue Jacket] Thank you. 50:30.699 --> 50:31.532 - Please. 50:31.532 --> 50:32.490 - [Man In Purple Shirt] Have you got any assurance 50:32.490 --> 50:35.565 from either India or Pakistan regarding the situation 50:35.565 --> 50:38.157 on the Line of Control about what future course 50:38.157 --> 50:40.956 of action each of them might take? 50:40.956 --> 50:44.511 - Do we have any, I apologize, any clarity, you said? 50:44.511 --> 50:47.259 - Any assurance from either India or Pakistan 50:47.259 --> 50:51.342 on what future action they might plan on the LOC. 50:52.343 --> 50:56.510 - Well, I think John Kirby spoke a little bit about this. 50:57.742 --> 50:59.321 We’re continuing to follow the situation 50:59.321 --> 51:01.571 on the ground very closely. 51:02.088 --> 51:02.921 From our perspective, 51:02.921 --> 51:06.338 we urge calm and restraint by both sides. 51:06.384 --> 51:08.215 We understand that the Pakistani 51:08.215 --> 51:12.064 and Indian militaries have been in communication, 51:12.064 --> 51:15.022 and we believe that continued communication 51:15.022 --> 51:18.684 between them is important to reduce tensions. 51:18.684 --> 51:20.120 I think we certainly don’t want to see 51:20.120 --> 51:23.120 any kind of escalation and certainly 51:23.242 --> 51:25.864 any kind of break in that communication. 51:25.864 --> 51:28.781 We have repeatedly and consistently 51:29.990 --> 51:32.596 expressed our concerns regarding the danger 51:32.596 --> 51:36.139 that cross-border terrorism poses for the region, 51:36.139 --> 51:37.601 and that certainly includes 51:37.601 --> 51:40.601 the recent terrorist attacks in Uri. 51:42.648 --> 51:45.229 And we continue to urge actions 51:45.229 --> 51:48.295 to combat and de-escalate and delegitimize, rather, 51:48.295 --> 51:51.545 terrorist groups like Lashkar-e Talaba, 51:52.292 --> 51:54.644 Tayyiba, rather, Haqqani Network, 51:54.644 --> 51:56.977 as well as Jaish-e-Mohammad. 51:58.078 --> 51:58.911 Yes, sir. 51:58.911 --> 52:00.015 - [Bald Man] Yeah, it’s from the same. 52:00.015 --> 52:02.756 I just have some few clarifications. 52:02.756 --> 52:06.339 Did you have any pre-knowledge of this so-called 52:06.339 --> 52:09.724 Indian surgical strike on Pakistani soil? 52:09.724 --> 52:12.211 - No, I don’t have anything for you on that, sorry. 52:12.211 --> 52:13.044 - And, um, 52:14.014 --> 52:17.097 it’s all based on an Indian statement 52:17.116 --> 52:19.107 that this happened, and the Pakistan say 52:19.107 --> 52:21.620 that it didn’t happen, and then it says two killed 52:21.620 --> 52:23.787 and they have arrested, so 52:25.829 --> 52:28.412 on what basis are you reacting? 52:29.547 --> 52:31.602 On the basis of the statement from India, 52:31.602 --> 52:33.903 on the basis of, do you have, 52:33.903 --> 52:35.944 I know you don’t talk about the intelligence matters. 52:35.944 --> 52:38.267 - We have high-level engagement, as you can imagine, 52:38.267 --> 52:42.174 with both governments, and our assessment is based on that. 52:42.174 --> 52:45.129 - [Bald Man] So, you confirm it happened? 52:45.129 --> 52:46.832 - It’s not for me to confirm it happened. 52:46.832 --> 52:48.325 It’s for the governments themselves 52:48.325 --> 52:50.325 to speak to their roles. 52:50.733 --> 52:52.900 - Okay, and then there was 52:54.033 --> 52:56.450 calls between Secretary Kerry 52:56.616 --> 53:00.783 and Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. 53:01.203 --> 53:04.120 - [Mark] There was, a few days ago. 53:04.261 --> 53:05.511 Yeah, was there 53:06.877 --> 53:10.710 a suggestion from Secretary to Indian minister 53:11.596 --> 53:15.763 to cool down the whatever was going on at the UNGA 53:16.680 --> 53:19.847 and take it easy before this happened? 53:22.466 --> 53:24.865 - I’ll have to see if I can get you 53:24.865 --> 53:26.782 a readout of that call, 53:27.741 --> 53:29.532 but again, it's part of our, 53:29.532 --> 53:30.790 we’re very concerned about the situation there. 53:30.790 --> 53:33.319 We don’t want to see it escalate any further. 53:33.319 --> 53:35.652 And as part of that concern, 53:36.840 --> 53:40.923 the Secretary is certainly engaged and talking to 53:41.026 --> 53:43.712 Indian leadership, senior Indian leadership. 53:43.712 --> 53:45.378 - Just the last one. 53:45.378 --> 53:46.878 Just the last one. 53:48.921 --> 53:51.225 Pakistan has reacted, saying that 53:51.225 --> 53:54.558 if India does it again, they will react. 53:54.773 --> 53:57.994 And then they also talked about using nukes. 53:57.994 --> 54:00.969 Like, they don’t have a no-first-use policy, 54:00.969 --> 54:03.444 like India has declared a no-first-use. 54:03.444 --> 54:05.279 So do you, according to, 54:05.279 --> 54:08.446 as you have the high-level connections 54:09.015 --> 54:11.239 and the intelligence reports, 54:11.239 --> 54:13.992 which you do not talk from the podium, 54:13.992 --> 54:16.492 do you expect further trouble? 54:18.608 --> 54:19.525 - So just to answer your question 54:19.525 --> 54:22.543 about some of the rhetoric from the Pakistani Government 54:22.543 --> 54:26.710 and the possibility of using nukes or nuclear weapons, 54:28.473 --> 54:31.621 I would just say nuclear-capable states have a 54:31.621 --> 54:35.362 very clear responsibility to exercise restraint 54:35.362 --> 54:39.000 regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities. 54:39.000 --> 54:41.500 And that’s my message publicly 54:41.814 --> 54:43.412 and that’s certainly our message directly 54:43.412 --> 54:45.490 to the Pakistani authorities. 54:45.490 --> 54:46.698 - [Man In Purple Shirt] So after your call 54:46.698 --> 54:48.723 for restrain and calm, the signals that you get 54:48.723 --> 54:52.890 from India and Pakistan, are they reassuring for you? 54:53.007 --> 54:54.511 - I don’t have a real readout. 54:54.511 --> 54:56.657 I think we’re just still following the situation 54:56.657 --> 54:57.803 on the ground very closely. 54:57.803 --> 54:58.636 Please. 54:58.636 --> 55:01.477 - Yeah, today New York Times published an article based 55:01.477 --> 55:05.215 on leaked audio of Secretary Clinton’s fundraiser 55:05.215 --> 55:07.882 in which she is heard as saying, 55:08.403 --> 55:10.177 expressing concerns about the security 55:10.177 --> 55:12.211 of Pakistani nuclear weapons, 55:12.211 --> 55:14.560 and she also talks about a nuclear 55:14.560 --> 55:16.690 suicide bomber kind of thing. 55:16.690 --> 55:18.474 Do you agree with her assessment? 55:18.474 --> 55:21.787 Do you have concerns about Pakistan’s nuclear security? 55:21.787 --> 55:24.381 - Well, I think I just attempted to speak 55:24.381 --> 55:26.131 to that concern about 55:28.861 --> 55:29.872 some of the rhetoric, as I said, 55:29.872 --> 55:31.326 we’ve seen coming out of Pakistan, 55:31.326 --> 55:34.076 regarding its nuclear weapons or, 55:36.726 --> 55:39.719 with regard to, I haven’t seen her remarks, honestly. 55:39.719 --> 55:41.582 I just haven’t seen them, so I can’t speak to them. 55:41.582 --> 55:42.415 Sorry. 55:42.415 --> 55:43.999 - The rhetoric or the statement has come 55:43.999 --> 55:47.930 from none other than the defense minister himself. 55:47.930 --> 55:50.104 And in this month twice in interviews, 55:50.104 --> 55:51.521 he has said use-- 55:52.515 --> 55:53.348 - Sorry, I don’t mean to talk over you, 55:53.348 --> 55:55.302 but I just said, obviously, 55:55.302 --> 55:59.469 we believe that nuclear-capable states have a very 56:03.092 --> 56:06.675 clear responsibility to use nuclear weapons 56:08.785 --> 56:09.785 responsibly. 56:09.823 --> 56:11.141 - [Man In Blue Jacket] To not use them. 56:11.141 --> 56:13.752 - Well, to not use them, exactly. 56:13.752 --> 56:16.270 But also to refrain from rhetoric. 56:16.270 --> 56:17.277 Did I just say use? 56:17.277 --> 56:18.521 - [Man In Blue Jacket] Use them responsibly. 56:18.521 --> 56:19.354 (reporters laugh) 56:19.354 --> 56:20.187 - Well, this is what happens 56:20.187 --> 56:23.434 when you keep me up here for 90-plus minutes. 56:23.434 --> 56:26.184 Yeah, to not use nuclear weapons, 56:26.615 --> 56:29.208 and with that, I’m going to cut you all off. 56:29.208 --> 56:30.041 I want to go to-- 56:30.041 --> 56:31.440 - I have one more. 56:31.440 --> 56:33.273 Bahrain, Nabeel Rajab, 56:34.166 --> 56:37.333 I think he has a court date next week. 56:38.158 --> 56:39.446 What does the US expect, 56:39.446 --> 56:43.029 and will any American officials be present? 56:45.723 --> 56:46.556 Bahrain, sorry. 56:46.556 --> 56:48.259 - Yeah, Bahrain, sorry, of course. 56:48.259 --> 56:49.496 Well, you know our concerns. 56:49.496 --> 56:53.501 We’ve been quite vocal about this individual and his case. 56:53.501 --> 56:57.098 I can’t say whether we’ll be actually in attendance, 56:57.098 --> 56:58.665 but I can imagine we will. 56:58.665 --> 57:00.639 Certainly, we’re following the trial closely. 57:00.639 --> 57:02.140 What was the other part of the question? 57:02.140 --> 57:05.065 - [Man In Blue Jacket] What you expect in this hearing, 57:05.065 --> 57:07.805 do you expect due process to be with-- 57:07.805 --> 57:08.858 - Yeah, of course, we want to see-- 57:08.858 --> 57:09.691 - [Man In Blue Jacket] Do you expect him 57:09.691 --> 57:11.808 to be released given that you don’t think the charges-- 57:11.808 --> 57:14.843 - Precisely, and that we’ve said that before. 57:14.843 --> 57:16.606 But we certainly at the very least 57:16.606 --> 57:18.951 want to see a transparent trial for him. 57:18.951 --> 57:20.692 - Similar case, different side of the Gulf. 57:20.692 --> 57:24.859 Narges Mohammadi, the Iranian women’s rights activist, 57:25.625 --> 57:29.125 appeal court confirmed a 16-year sentence. 57:29.632 --> 57:30.465 Your views? 57:30.465 --> 57:31.298 - Yes, 57:36.424 --> 57:38.424 I'll share them shortly. 57:53.978 --> 57:56.948 I know that my views are in here somewhere. 57:56.948 --> 57:58.303 (reporter mumbles) 57:58.303 --> 57:59.386 (Mark laughs) 57:59.386 --> 58:02.469 I know, but I really want to get the, 58:03.749 --> 58:05.285 the flavor of it for you. 58:05.285 --> 58:08.035 No, just one second, I apologize. 58:08.635 --> 58:09.468 Ah! 58:11.962 --> 58:13.741 We’re deeply troubled by reports 58:13.741 --> 58:15.578 that Iranian courts have upheld 58:15.578 --> 58:17.816 the 16-year prison sentence of Iranian journalist 58:17.816 --> 58:21.483 and human rights defender, Narges Mohammadi. 58:21.651 --> 58:25.003 No one should be jailed for peaceful civic activism. 58:25.003 --> 58:27.149 We are further concerned about reports 58:27.149 --> 58:30.147 that Mohammadi’s health is rapidly deteriorating 58:30.147 --> 58:32.117 while in prison, and that she’s been cut off 58:32.117 --> 58:34.619 from communicating with her two young children. 58:34.619 --> 58:36.307 Given these circumstances, 58:36.307 --> 58:38.882 the imposition of this prison sentence 58:38.882 --> 58:41.952 is particularly harsh and unjustified, 58:41.952 --> 58:44.434 and we call on the government of Iran 58:44.434 --> 58:47.824 to provide Mohammadi with adequate medical care 58:47.824 --> 58:50.932 and to release her on humanitarian grounds. 58:50.932 --> 58:52.070 - [Man In Blue Jacket] And just one more on Iran, 58:52.070 --> 58:54.589 is there anything more that needs to come out 58:54.589 --> 58:56.060 about implementation day? 58:56.060 --> 58:57.680 Are there any other documents or new-- 58:57.680 --> 58:58.694 - I just thought I answered this. 58:58.694 --> 59:00.111 No, I mean, look, 59:01.359 --> 59:02.772 again, we understand that a lot happened 59:02.772 --> 59:05.439 in a very condensed time period. 59:06.388 --> 59:08.030 We tried to be as forthcoming during 59:08.030 --> 59:10.243 that time period about all the different elements 59:10.243 --> 59:11.826 that came together, 59:12.694 --> 59:13.990 understand the level of interest 59:13.990 --> 59:16.573 in this historic agreement, but 59:17.771 --> 59:20.294 I can’t say that there's anything new 59:20.294 --> 59:22.527 or more to come out on what we agreed on. 59:22.527 --> 59:23.485 - [Man In Blue Jacket] And finally, 59:23.485 --> 59:25.340 are Aleppo’s days numbered? 59:25.340 --> 59:27.989 - Again, I think that I spoke about this before. 59:27.989 --> 59:30.067 I’m not a military tactician. 59:30.067 --> 59:34.150 I think that Aleppo is under tremendous pressure. 59:34.342 --> 59:36.313 We’re watching it closely. 59:36.313 --> 59:40.480 What we really want to see there is an end to this 59:40.635 --> 59:43.101 inhumane besiegement of the city. 59:43.101 --> 59:43.934 Please. 59:43.957 --> 59:45.541 - Do you have anything on the, 59:45.541 --> 59:47.752 any update on the US citizens who were, 59:47.752 --> 59:50.682 who reportedly died in the Seychelles? 59:50.682 --> 59:51.515 - Yes, 59:52.834 --> 59:53.667 hold on. 59:54.159 --> 59:56.992 I’m not sure I have much to offer, 59:58.111 --> 59:59.694 but I know this is, 01:00:02.981 --> 01:00:04.831 I apologize, one second. 01:00:04.831 --> 01:00:07.834 So as you note, there were the deaths 01:00:07.834 --> 01:00:11.730 of two US citizens in the Seychelles last week. 01:00:11.730 --> 01:00:12.809 It goes without saying that we extend 01:00:12.809 --> 01:00:14.652 our deepest condolences to the family and friends 01:00:14.652 --> 01:00:17.819 of these individuals and are certainly 01:00:17.853 --> 01:00:19.056 in the course or in the process 01:00:19.056 --> 01:00:22.496 of providing all appropriate consular assistance. 01:00:22.496 --> 01:00:25.274 For questions about, which is I think where 01:00:25.274 --> 01:00:27.764 you’re going with this, about the circumstances 01:00:27.764 --> 01:00:31.465 of their death and the investigation into their deaths, 01:00:31.465 --> 01:00:33.848 I’d have to refer you to local authorities. 01:00:33.848 --> 01:00:37.181 And out of respect for the family during 01:00:37.814 --> 01:00:40.380 what is clearly a difficult time, 01:00:40.380 --> 01:00:42.579 I don’t have anything else to add. 01:00:42.579 --> 01:00:43.412 - [Man In Blue Jacket] Thank you. 01:00:43.412 --> 01:00:45.079 - Yep. Thanks, guys.