WEBVTT 00:01.360 --> 00:02.819 - This is all pretty elaborate, isn't it? 00:02.819 --> 00:04.790 (audience laughing) 00:04.790 --> 00:05.623 Well, good morning. 00:05.623 --> 00:06.456 My name is Tom Gilligan. 00:06.456 --> 00:08.460 I'm the director of the Hoover Institution. 00:09.460 --> 00:11.060 It's my great pleasure to welcome you all 00:11.060 --> 00:13.190 to listen to a message from our chief diplomat 00:13.190 --> 00:14.660 for the United States. 00:14.660 --> 00:16.920 I especially want to thank the students for being here, 00:16.920 --> 00:20.060 our future policy-makers, for taking time to join us 00:20.060 --> 00:22.270 in this important dialogue. 00:22.270 --> 00:23.630 For those of you who aren't familiar 00:23.630 --> 00:25.810 with the Hoover Institution, we're a research center 00:25.810 --> 00:28.540 dedicated to generating policy ideas 00:28.540 --> 00:31.670 that promote economic prosperity, national security, 00:31.670 --> 00:34.040 and democratic governance. 00:34.040 --> 00:36.150 Throughout our nearly 100-year history, 00:36.150 --> 00:38.060 our work has directly led to policies that have 00:38.060 --> 00:41.160 produced greater freedom, democracy, and opportunity 00:41.160 --> 00:44.190 in the United States and around the world. 00:44.190 --> 00:46.170 The Hoover Institution and Stanford University 00:46.170 --> 00:49.580 have long served as conveners of policy discussions 00:49.580 --> 00:52.060 promoting a platform for civil discourse, 00:52.060 --> 00:55.130 and I'm pleased that so many of you took the time today 00:55.130 --> 00:58.040 to be here to engage in thoughtful conversation on some 00:58.040 --> 01:00.933 of our country's most pressing foreign policy issues. 01:01.800 --> 01:05.020 I've always known I work at a very special place 01:05.020 --> 01:06.870 because where else could you say that we have 01:06.870 --> 01:09.340 a secretary of state's club? 01:09.340 --> 01:12.610 Our 60th and 66th secretaries of state, 01:12.610 --> 01:14.900 George Schultz and Condoleezza Rice, 01:14.900 --> 01:17.040 are Hoover Fellows, and Condi's gonna moderate 01:17.040 --> 01:18.170 our Q&A session today. 01:18.170 --> 01:19.820 Thank you, Condi, for doing that. 01:20.674 --> 01:23.700 And our guest today, of course, may soon join our club. 01:23.700 --> 01:26.260 He's a Southern California native, so stay tuned. 01:26.260 --> 01:27.460 We'll see how that goes. 01:29.730 --> 01:32.100 Our guest today graduated first in his class 01:32.100 --> 01:34.600 from the United States Military Academy at West Point, 01:34.600 --> 01:38.170 and served as a cavalry officer patrolling the Iron Curtain 01:38.170 --> 01:40.310 before the fall of the Berlin Wall. 01:40.310 --> 01:43.377 He also served with the Second Squadron, Seventh Cavalry, 01:43.377 --> 01:48.377 in the United States Army's Fourth Infantry Division. 01:48.860 --> 01:51.300 After leaving active duty, he graduated from 01:51.300 --> 01:53.610 the Harvard Law School having been an editor 01:53.610 --> 01:55.490 on the Harvard Law Review. 01:55.490 --> 01:58.690 He founded Thayer Aerospace, where he served as the CEO 01:58.690 --> 02:01.180 for more than a decade, and later became president 02:01.180 --> 02:02.883 of Sentry International. 02:03.750 --> 02:06.480 Prior to joining the administration, 02:06.480 --> 02:08.744 he was serving in his forth term as a congressman 02:08.744 --> 02:11.943 from Kansas' fourth congressional district. 02:12.780 --> 02:15.780 From January of 2017 to April of 2018, 02:15.780 --> 02:19.760 he served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. 02:19.760 --> 02:22.610 On April 26th of 2018, he was sworn in 02:22.610 --> 02:26.420 as our nation's 70th secretary of state. 02:26.420 --> 02:28.130 Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming 02:28.130 --> 02:30.298 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 02:30.298 --> 02:33.465 (audience applauding) 02:43.931 --> 02:45.431 - Thanks everyone. 02:47.840 --> 02:48.880 Thank you all. 02:48.880 --> 02:49.713 Good to see you. 02:49.713 --> 02:51.940 Been having a good day. 02:51.940 --> 02:54.860 It's hard to be unhappy when the weather's this great. 02:54.860 --> 02:56.600 I vaguely remember from my time growing up 02:56.600 --> 02:58.950 in Southern California, every day was like this. 02:58.950 --> 03:01.450 I'm also, thank you, Tom, for the kind introduction. 03:01.450 --> 03:02.870 I'm also mindful when I get introduced 03:02.870 --> 03:04.940 as the 70th secretary of state, 03:04.940 --> 03:07.090 that President Trump is the 45th president, 03:07.090 --> 03:09.140 so there's a lot more turnover in my gig. 03:11.540 --> 03:13.220 I want to recognize a few special people. 03:13.220 --> 03:14.630 Secretary Rice, I know, is with us. 03:14.630 --> 03:16.310 Tom, thank you for being here. 03:16.310 --> 03:20.020 My former colleague and dear friend General McMaster 03:20.020 --> 03:21.590 is with us, too. 03:21.590 --> 03:23.530 It's always great to get back here 03:23.530 --> 03:25.030 and be with you in California. 03:26.090 --> 03:27.740 You have this incredible privilege to study 03:27.740 --> 03:29.190 at this remarkable institution. 03:29.190 --> 03:31.590 One of your early graduates was a great American 03:31.590 --> 03:32.750 for which this institution, 03:32.750 --> 03:34.450 the Hoover Institution, was named. 03:35.510 --> 03:38.100 He deserves our praise for revering America 03:38.100 --> 03:40.520 in all of its exceptional splendor. 03:40.520 --> 03:42.560 He went from being an orphan in Iowa 03:42.560 --> 03:44.750 to the president of the United States. 03:44.750 --> 03:46.470 He was a brilliant mining engineer. 03:46.470 --> 03:49.100 I graduated as an engineer myself. 03:49.100 --> 03:50.900 He traveled the world from Australia to China, 03:50.900 --> 03:53.740 and earned a fortune through his own hard work. 03:53.740 --> 03:54.880 When the First World War broke out, 03:54.880 --> 03:56.550 he used his talent to coordinate the effort 03:56.550 --> 03:58.990 of tens of thousands of Americans stranded in Europe, 03:58.990 --> 04:02.010 and helped them get back to America. 04:02.010 --> 04:03.930 His success there led him to spearhead the effort 04:03.930 --> 04:05.810 to save Europe from starvation, 04:05.810 --> 04:07.620 both during and after World War I. 04:08.700 --> 04:12.480 He embodied everything in the American humanitarian efforts 04:12.480 --> 04:16.240 that we kept at, and keep at, for decades. 04:16.240 --> 04:20.880 In 1948, at the age of 74, he spoke at his birthplace 04:20.880 --> 04:24.370 on what America had given to him as a poor orphan boy. 04:24.370 --> 04:26.577 He said, "I have had every honor 04:26.577 --> 04:28.917 "to which any man could aspire. 04:28.917 --> 04:31.967 "There's no place on the whole earth except in America 04:31.967 --> 04:36.130 "where all of the sons of man can have this chance in life." 04:36.130 --> 04:37.670 I feel that way often myself. 04:37.670 --> 04:40.180 America is a truly special place. 04:40.180 --> 04:41.630 I don't wanna talk about the actions of just 04:41.630 --> 04:44.210 these past handful of days and weeks, 04:44.210 --> 04:45.950 but the things that our administration's done 04:45.950 --> 04:48.030 to try to keep American safe, and to protect 04:48.030 --> 04:50.080 each and every one of you. 04:50.080 --> 04:52.760 On the third of this month, we took one of the world's 04:52.760 --> 04:55.920 deadliest terrorists off the battlefield for good. 04:55.920 --> 04:58.380 Many of you are probably aware of the millions 04:58.380 --> 04:59.880 of displaced persons, 04:59.880 --> 05:02.100 and those who have been killed in Syria 05:02.100 --> 05:04.730 numbering in the hundreds of thousands. 05:04.730 --> 05:07.690 The starvation and cholera epidemics in Yemen, 05:07.690 --> 05:10.980 Shiite militias destabilizing democracies 05:10.980 --> 05:14.440 in both Lebanon and Iraq along the Shia Crescent. 05:14.440 --> 05:16.080 The Iranian regime and its proxies 05:16.080 --> 05:19.960 under the direct supervision of Qasem Soleimani 05:19.960 --> 05:22.053 have nurtured all of that misery. 05:23.730 --> 05:26.040 It's why thousands of Iraqis took to the streets 05:26.040 --> 05:29.133 to celebrate when they heard Soleimani was dead. 05:30.110 --> 05:32.460 Many more would have undoubtedly joined them 05:32.460 --> 05:36.280 but for the fear that the remaining Iranian-backed thugs, 05:36.280 --> 05:39.180 many of which were at the gates of the American embassy 05:39.180 --> 05:41.500 in the days before would have beaten them, 05:41.500 --> 05:43.700 or jailed them, or killed them. 05:43.700 --> 05:46.738 Right now, you can see it, the Iranian people 05:46.738 --> 05:49.340 are in the streets. 05:49.340 --> 05:51.780 They are likewise there in astounding numbers, 05:51.780 --> 05:54.443 in spite of enormous personal risk to themselves. 05:55.890 --> 05:57.760 They are burning posters and billboards 05:57.760 --> 05:59.507 with Soleimani's face on them, and chanting, 05:59.507 --> 06:01.560 "Soleimani is a murderer." 06:01.560 --> 06:04.160 They know he was one of the key architects 06:04.160 --> 06:08.330 of their oppression, and the United States is with them 06:08.330 --> 06:09.810 in their calls for freedom and justice, 06:09.810 --> 06:14.280 in their justified anger at the Ayatollah and his minions, 06:14.280 --> 06:16.300 and what they have destroyed 06:16.300 --> 06:19.510 inside of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 06:19.510 --> 06:21.780 I want to repeat: President Trump's insistent 06:21.780 --> 06:24.800 that Iran not harm a single protestor. 06:24.800 --> 06:26.860 I hope everyone will do the same. 06:26.860 --> 06:30.170 We've called on our allies across the world, and the region, 06:30.170 --> 06:31.683 to repeat this to them. 06:33.060 --> 06:34.990 There's no terrorist, except Osama Bin Laden, 06:34.990 --> 06:37.030 who has more American blood on his hands 06:37.030 --> 06:38.520 than did Qasem Soleimani. 06:38.520 --> 06:43.200 They killed more than 600 of our American patriots. 06:43.200 --> 06:45.990 I knew some of these young men. 06:45.990 --> 06:48.360 He's the mastermind of the most recent attacks 06:48.360 --> 06:51.820 against U.S. forces in Iraq, including the mastermind 06:51.820 --> 06:54.230 of the attack that took place that killed an American 06:54.230 --> 06:56.523 on December 27th of the year past. 06:57.430 --> 07:00.310 He ordered the December 31st assault on the embassy, 07:00.310 --> 07:02.110 the people that work for the United States 07:02.110 --> 07:05.670 Department of State in Baghdad, and I can assure you 07:05.670 --> 07:07.530 that the world's safer as a result of the fact 07:07.530 --> 07:10.670 that he no longer poses that very risk. 07:10.670 --> 07:12.280 But I want to lay this out in context 07:12.280 --> 07:13.170 of what we've been trying to do. 07:13.170 --> 07:16.513 There's a bigger strategy to this. 07:18.470 --> 07:20.850 President Trump, and those of us in his 07:20.850 --> 07:25.010 national security team, are reestablishing deterrence. 07:25.010 --> 07:28.620 Real deterrence against the Islamic Republic. 07:28.620 --> 07:31.250 In strategic terms, deterrence simply means 07:31.250 --> 07:32.970 persuading the other party that the costs 07:32.970 --> 07:37.330 of a specific behavior exceed its benefits. 07:37.330 --> 07:40.513 It requires credibility; indeed, it depends on it. 07:41.360 --> 07:43.500 Your adversary must understand not only do you have 07:43.500 --> 07:45.950 the capacity to impose costs, but they are, in fact, 07:45.950 --> 07:47.163 willing to do so. 07:48.380 --> 07:50.820 I was a young soldier back during the Cold War. 07:50.820 --> 07:52.160 You can have the greatest army in the world, 07:52.160 --> 07:55.360 but it doesn't matter if you're not prepared to use it 07:55.360 --> 07:57.353 to achieve your strategic objectives. 07:58.280 --> 08:01.957 As one of your scholars here, Victor Davis Hanson said, 08:01.957 --> 08:05.600 "Deterrence is hard to establish and easy to lose." 08:05.600 --> 08:08.340 And let's be honest, for decades, U.S. administrations, 08:08.340 --> 08:11.490 both political parties, never did enough against Iran 08:11.490 --> 08:16.090 to get the deterrence that is necessary to keep us all safe. 08:16.090 --> 08:19.680 The JCPOA itself, the nuclear deal, made things worse. 08:19.680 --> 08:23.110 It enabled that regime to create wealth, 08:23.110 --> 08:25.170 it opened up revenue streams for the Ayatollahs 08:25.170 --> 08:26.730 to build up the Shiite militia networks, 08:26.730 --> 08:30.550 the very networks that killed an American 08:30.550 --> 08:33.493 and imposed enormous risk to our embassy in Baghdad. 08:34.570 --> 08:37.790 Rather than blocking those efforts, the deal put Iran 08:37.790 --> 08:40.520 on a clear pathway to a nuclear weapon, as well. 08:40.520 --> 08:42.970 Something President Trump began his remarks by saying 08:42.970 --> 08:46.010 would never happen on our watch. 08:46.010 --> 08:46.843 So what'd we do? 08:46.843 --> 08:49.750 We put together a campaign of diplomatic isolation, 08:49.750 --> 08:51.890 economic pressure, and military deterrence. 08:51.890 --> 08:52.830 The goal is twofold. 08:52.830 --> 08:56.710 First, we wanted to deprive the regime of resources, 08:56.710 --> 08:59.030 resources it needs to perpetrate its malign activity 08:59.030 --> 09:01.200 around the world, and second, 09:01.200 --> 09:04.240 we just want Iran to behave like a normal nation. 09:04.240 --> 09:05.865 Just be like Norway. 09:05.865 --> 09:09.510 (audience laughing) 09:09.510 --> 09:12.330 Diplomatically, allies and partners have joined us. 09:12.330 --> 09:14.730 They are today patrolling the Straits of Hormuz 09:14.730 --> 09:17.170 alongside of us in the Persian Gulf to stop 09:17.170 --> 09:18.760 Iranian attacks on shipping. 09:18.760 --> 09:21.460 Let us not forget how many ships the Iranians pulled 09:21.460 --> 09:24.330 from the Straits over the past month. 09:24.330 --> 09:27.350 Germany, France, Italy, have all put travel bans 09:27.350 --> 09:29.200 on a company called Mahan Air. 09:29.200 --> 09:32.840 It's an Iranian Airline that ferries Iranian military assets 09:32.840 --> 09:35.100 and weapons to the battle zones. 09:35.100 --> 09:37.690 Argentina and the United Kingdom have both now declared 09:37.690 --> 09:40.133 Hezbollah a terrorist organization. 09:41.680 --> 09:43.630 And you have seen finally too the economic pressure 09:43.630 --> 09:46.080 that we have put in place to cut off roughly 80% 09:46.080 --> 09:47.450 of the Iranian oil revenues. 09:47.450 --> 09:50.863 We are determined to get at that last 20%, too. 09:51.830 --> 09:53.790 President Rouhani himself said that we've denied 09:53.790 --> 09:57.230 the Iranian regime some $200 billion in lost foreign income 09:57.230 --> 10:00.470 and investment as a result of our activities. 10:00.470 --> 10:02.650 This is money that would have, in large measure, 10:02.650 --> 10:06.250 gone to support the very activities that would have 10:06.250 --> 10:10.253 put you and your fellow citizens at risk. 10:11.150 --> 10:11.983 And you can see it, too. 10:11.983 --> 10:13.280 The Iranian people are increasingly angry 10:13.280 --> 10:15.680 at their own government for stealing their wealth 10:15.680 --> 10:18.330 and for the sake of violently spreading the regime 10:18.330 --> 10:20.143 at enormous cost to them. 10:21.110 --> 10:24.770 On the military side, we've warned the Iranians repeatedly, 10:24.770 --> 10:26.740 done so personally myself, 10:26.740 --> 10:28.860 that an attack that took American lives 10:28.860 --> 10:30.570 would not be tolerated. 10:30.570 --> 10:33.580 And they tested us as they tested previous administrations 10:33.580 --> 10:35.710 as well many times before. 10:35.710 --> 10:38.560 Past laxity had emboldened them, 10:38.560 --> 10:42.860 but on December 27th, at Soleimani's direction, 10:42.860 --> 10:43.693 we changed that. 10:43.693 --> 10:47.180 On the 31st, Iranian-backed militias attacked our embassy 10:47.180 --> 10:50.073 in Baghdad and we changed that calculus for them. 10:51.450 --> 10:52.870 The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 10:52.870 --> 10:54.137 said it perhaps best. 10:54.137 --> 10:56.937 "Had we not taken that strike against Qasem Soleimani, 10:56.937 --> 10:58.787 "our leadership, the recommendation that we made 10:58.787 --> 11:01.577 "to President Trump, we would have been culpably negligent 11:01.577 --> 11:03.537 "had we not made that recommendation." 11:04.490 --> 11:06.610 Imposed a significant cost on the regime 11:06.610 --> 11:07.760 for their bad decision. 11:08.606 --> 11:11.980 Qasem Soleimani discovered our resolve to defend 11:11.980 --> 11:13.083 American lives. 11:14.410 --> 11:15.780 And Iran hit back. 11:15.780 --> 11:17.230 We were grateful that no lives were lost, 11:17.230 --> 11:20.220 and we will never downplay the serious of any attack 11:20.220 --> 11:22.870 on the United States, or its forces. 11:22.870 --> 11:24.950 But judging from the type and intensity of the strike, 11:24.950 --> 11:27.930 the regime certainly must now understand 11:27.930 --> 11:30.610 what we will do if they ever again pose risk 11:30.610 --> 11:32.450 to American lives. 11:32.450 --> 11:37.120 If Iran escalates, we will end it on our terms. 11:37.120 --> 11:38.920 President Trump reinforced that deterrence 11:38.920 --> 11:42.670 when he gave a set of remarks this past week. 11:42.670 --> 11:44.520 And these days, Iran is making noise about 11:44.520 --> 11:45.813 leaving the nuclear deal. 11:47.070 --> 11:48.620 There's a reason that the president had 11:48.620 --> 11:51.467 as his first words in those remarks to the nation that said, 11:51.467 --> 11:53.867 "As long as I am president of the United States, 11:55.127 --> 11:58.067 "Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon." 11:59.090 --> 12:01.610 That declaration is backed by the most effective deterrence 12:01.610 --> 12:04.100 capability in the world, and our sanctions will continue 12:04.100 --> 12:06.110 until the regime stops its terrorist activity 12:06.110 --> 12:09.280 and commits to never having nuclear weapons, 12:09.280 --> 12:11.660 and permits a verification regime which can 12:11.660 --> 12:15.770 give the world confidence that that will not take place. 12:15.770 --> 12:18.600 We now enjoy a great position of strength regarding Iran. 12:18.600 --> 12:19.887 It's as good as it has ever been, 12:19.887 --> 12:22.587 and Iran has never been in the place that it is today. 12:23.780 --> 12:25.580 We have reestablished deterrence, 12:25.580 --> 12:28.960 but we know it's not everlasting, that risk remains. 12:28.960 --> 12:32.620 We are determined not to lose that deterrence. 12:32.620 --> 12:34.070 In all cases, we have to do this. 12:34.070 --> 12:36.210 We have to do this to defend freedom and liberty 12:36.210 --> 12:37.700 around the world. 12:37.700 --> 12:39.470 That's the whole point of President Trump's work, 12:39.470 --> 12:41.970 to make our military the strongest it's ever been. 12:43.470 --> 12:46.960 We saw, not just in Iran, but in other places too, 12:46.960 --> 12:48.330 where American deterrence was weak. 12:48.330 --> 12:52.180 We watched Russia's 2014 occupation of the Crimea, 12:52.180 --> 12:54.540 and support for aggression against Ukraine, 12:54.540 --> 12:57.510 because deterrence had been undermined. 12:57.510 --> 13:00.993 We have resumed lethal support for the Ukrainian military. 13:01.830 --> 13:04.160 China's island-building, too, in the South China Sea, 13:04.160 --> 13:06.970 and its brazen attempts to coerce the American allies 13:06.970 --> 13:09.200 undermined deterrence. 13:09.200 --> 13:11.670 The Trump administration has ramped up Naval exercises 13:11.670 --> 13:14.240 in the South China Sea alongside our allies, 13:14.240 --> 13:17.370 and friends, and partners throughout the region. 13:17.370 --> 13:19.780 You saw, too, Russia ignored a treaty. 13:19.780 --> 13:22.320 We withdrew from the INF with unanimous support 13:22.320 --> 13:24.460 of our NATO allies because there was only 13:24.460 --> 13:27.890 one party complying with a two-party agreement. 13:27.890 --> 13:30.350 We think this, again, restores credibility 13:30.350 --> 13:33.280 and deterrence to protect America. 13:33.280 --> 13:34.530 It doesn't happen alone. 13:34.530 --> 13:36.670 It's why the president has insisted that NATO members 13:36.670 --> 13:39.020 do their part, share their burden. 13:39.020 --> 13:42.920 Some $400 billion by the end of 2024 will be added 13:42.920 --> 13:46.580 to the NATO arsenal to protect freedom around the world 13:46.580 --> 13:48.930 as a direct result of America's efforts 13:48.930 --> 13:52.070 to encourage our partners to reinforce what it is 13:52.070 --> 13:54.070 we're all trying to accomplish together. 13:55.100 --> 13:58.030 For years, too, China has restricted access 13:58.030 --> 13:59.480 for American products in this markets 13:59.480 --> 14:01.620 while demanding access for their stuff here. 14:01.620 --> 14:03.050 I was a small business owner. 14:03.050 --> 14:06.711 I had a small office that was in Shanghai. 14:06.711 --> 14:09.750 We've made clear that we're going to have a fair, 14:09.750 --> 14:11.430 reciprocal trading arrangement with China. 14:11.430 --> 14:12.310 We'll demand that, I hope, 14:12.310 --> 14:14.160 here in the next handful of hours. 14:14.160 --> 14:15.930 We sign the first part of what will be 14:15.930 --> 14:18.780 a significant agreement which will improve the lives 14:18.780 --> 14:22.000 of American citizens, raise wages for citizens here at home, 14:22.000 --> 14:23.830 and increase the economic relationship 14:23.830 --> 14:25.810 between our two countries on a set of terms 14:25.810 --> 14:29.250 that work for both China and for the United States. 14:29.250 --> 14:31.000 There is a second mission, too. 14:31.000 --> 14:34.620 China has stolen massive quantities of American innovation. 14:34.620 --> 14:36.590 Innovation created at campuses right like this one 14:36.590 --> 14:37.550 I'm standing on. 14:37.550 --> 14:39.690 Everything from genetically-engineered crop seeds, 14:39.690 --> 14:41.890 to self-driving car technology. 14:41.890 --> 14:43.020 They stole it. 14:43.020 --> 14:45.223 They didn't have to invest, or take risk. 14:46.090 --> 14:48.220 We're making progress to make sure 14:48.220 --> 14:50.330 that the next part of the deal will improve on 14:50.330 --> 14:52.750 the IP protections that are in phase one 14:52.750 --> 14:54.930 of the Chinese trade deal. 14:54.930 --> 14:56.680 I'll end here 'cause I wanna take as many questions 14:56.680 --> 14:58.247 from you as I can. 14:58.247 --> 15:01.130 Look, we don't know how the Iranian regime will react 15:01.130 --> 15:03.420 as we continue to rebuild deterrence. 15:03.420 --> 15:07.000 If we make the right choice and return to a place 15:07.000 --> 15:08.480 where we have mutual respect between us, 15:08.480 --> 15:10.490 it will be a good thing for the world. 15:10.490 --> 15:13.230 We hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran's leadership 15:13.230 --> 15:16.150 shares our view, and we hope that we can achieve that 15:16.150 --> 15:17.930 for the betterment of security here at home, 15:17.930 --> 15:19.620 and for stability in the Middle East, 15:19.620 --> 15:21.360 and throughout the world. 15:21.360 --> 15:22.610 Thank you all for having me here today. 15:22.610 --> 15:23.888 I look forward to taking questions from you. 15:23.888 --> 15:27.055 (audience applauding) 15:33.338 --> 15:36.010 - Well, thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, number 70. 15:36.010 --> 15:37.690 Thank you very much. 15:37.690 --> 15:40.845 Welcome to Stanford, welcome to the Hoover Institution. 15:40.845 --> 15:43.840 I want the really important and difficult questions 15:43.840 --> 15:46.600 to come from the students, but I'm going to 15:46.600 --> 15:49.640 take the moment just to ask you one, 15:49.640 --> 15:52.030 which is that many of these students 15:52.030 --> 15:54.000 are students of international politics, 15:54.000 --> 15:58.610 and they have studied precepts developed by 15:58.610 --> 16:00.600 a person who was actually a faculty member here, 16:00.600 --> 16:02.320 a man named Alexander George. 16:02.320 --> 16:04.450 It's called Course of Diplomacy, 16:04.450 --> 16:07.770 and the idea was that you do set deterrents, 16:07.770 --> 16:10.170 and you set the terms of what's not acceptable. 16:10.170 --> 16:13.810 But then you open pathways for diplomacy. 16:13.810 --> 16:16.740 So can you talk a little bit, as the chief diplomat, 16:16.740 --> 16:20.910 about how you think now about trying to open pathways 16:20.910 --> 16:23.250 for diplomacy now that we've set the table 16:23.250 --> 16:24.400 in the way that we have. 16:24.400 --> 16:26.775 - Yeah, so I can certainly talk about that, 16:26.775 --> 16:29.000 but it didn't begin with these last few days, 16:29.000 --> 16:30.140 this effort at diplomacy, 16:30.140 --> 16:31.410 and it's not even just with Iran. 16:31.410 --> 16:33.890 I could speak about that in the challenges that we have 16:33.890 --> 16:35.183 in Venezuela today, 16:36.430 --> 16:39.370 the challenges that we confront in other parts of the world. 16:39.370 --> 16:41.840 In every case, we have endeavored to make this 16:41.840 --> 16:43.330 first a diplomatic outcome. 16:43.330 --> 16:46.200 It is always best to resolve these things through a set 16:46.200 --> 16:49.660 of conversations where people express the reality. 16:49.660 --> 16:52.170 One of the risks, and you would know this, 16:52.170 --> 16:54.340 one of the risks is that you go have a meeting 16:54.340 --> 16:57.040 and you just sit and lie to each other. 16:57.040 --> 16:59.760 You say nice things, you have a conversation that's polite, 16:59.760 --> 17:02.390 and you go back and you bang heads again. 17:02.390 --> 17:03.660 We've tried to just be candid. 17:03.660 --> 17:06.450 We've said, hey, look, the deals that we had with China 17:06.450 --> 17:08.300 for an awful long time, it's on us. 17:08.300 --> 17:10.270 We allowed this to take place, no more. 17:10.270 --> 17:12.140 Here's how we're going to think about 17:12.140 --> 17:14.770 our commercial relationship between our two countries. 17:14.770 --> 17:17.160 We think that's helped get us to a better place. 17:17.160 --> 17:18.043 With Iran, too. 17:19.460 --> 17:20.490 There's lots of talk that says, well, 17:20.490 --> 17:21.600 there's no communication. 17:21.600 --> 17:23.070 That's not true. 17:23.070 --> 17:26.009 I think the Iranians clearly understood, 17:26.009 --> 17:28.310 long before these past few weeks, 17:28.310 --> 17:30.710 how we're thinking about the strategic relationship, 17:30.710 --> 17:33.950 and Iran's place in the Middle East. 17:33.950 --> 17:35.410 We want them to be safe and secure. 17:35.410 --> 17:37.770 We want a prosperous Iranian people. 17:37.770 --> 17:39.920 But there's certain things you simply cannot do, 17:39.920 --> 17:43.010 including develop their nuclear weapon systems. 17:43.010 --> 17:45.120 In each place, it's the case that we have 17:45.120 --> 17:47.980 first delivered American expectations about 17:47.980 --> 17:51.070 how we think they can fit into what works 17:51.070 --> 17:53.140 for the United States of America, 17:53.140 --> 17:54.750 and we've done that through diplomacy. 17:54.750 --> 17:56.810 And then, to your point, when that fails, 17:56.810 --> 18:00.200 when they move past a boundary that you've set, 18:00.200 --> 18:02.910 it requires you to respond to that in a way 18:02.910 --> 18:05.880 that convinces them that you actually meant what you said. 18:05.880 --> 18:06.713 - Thank you. 18:06.713 --> 18:08.900 All right, over to students here. 18:08.900 --> 18:11.560 I see right here, the middle, in the blue shirt, 18:11.560 --> 18:13.460 and they will get a microphone to you. 18:14.670 --> 18:17.620 And if you can identify yourself, and what you're studying. 18:20.690 --> 18:22.130 - [Bryce] Hi, I'm Bryce Tuttle, 18:22.130 --> 18:23.803 I'm a political science major. 18:25.570 --> 18:27.730 So you started your remarks talking about 18:27.730 --> 18:29.970 supporting the protestors who are fighting for, 18:29.970 --> 18:31.830 hopefully, democracy in Iran. 18:31.830 --> 18:33.327 What is your administration doing to fight for the people 18:33.327 --> 18:36.560 who are also fighting for democracy in Hong Kong? 18:36.560 --> 18:37.890 - Yeah. 18:37.890 --> 18:41.960 So you need look no further than the president's remarks 18:41.960 --> 18:43.830 at the United Nations. 18:43.830 --> 18:46.020 The remarks that I've made repeated, 18:46.020 --> 18:48.930 and other senior American officials, as well. 18:48.930 --> 18:52.190 There's a much longer conversation to be had about China, 18:52.190 --> 18:55.140 but with respect to Hong Kong in particular, 18:55.140 --> 18:57.333 our policy has been simply this, 18:57.333 --> 19:01.240 that the Chinese government made a commitment to Hong Kong, 19:01.240 --> 19:04.370 that commitment still exists, it sits at the U.N. as well. 19:04.370 --> 19:06.380 So it's a commitment they made, not to the United States, 19:06.380 --> 19:08.740 or frankly, even just to the people of Hong Kong. 19:08.740 --> 19:11.040 It's a commitment that they made to the people of the world 19:11.040 --> 19:14.040 to honor this central understanding that there would be 19:14.040 --> 19:16.470 increased autonomy for the people of Hong Kong. 19:16.470 --> 19:21.360 And we have done our best to draw a set of boundaries 19:21.360 --> 19:22.880 for what we think would be acceptable. 19:22.880 --> 19:25.480 I think the president talked about this at some length 19:25.480 --> 19:27.070 when the protests first broke out 19:27.070 --> 19:28.980 and there were hints of violence 19:28.980 --> 19:30.920 at the front end of those protests. 19:30.920 --> 19:33.250 I think we've been unequivocal about our support 19:33.250 --> 19:35.680 that says the Chinese government made a commitment 19:35.680 --> 19:37.590 that there would be a higher level of autonomy, 19:37.590 --> 19:40.120 and it's our expectation the Chinese Communist Party 19:40.120 --> 19:41.253 will live up to that. 19:43.620 --> 19:44.940 - Yes, right here in the front, 19:44.940 --> 19:47.340 and again, identify yourself and what you study. 19:48.480 --> 19:49.820 - Hi, thank you for coming here. 19:49.820 --> 19:51.670 It's such a privilege to hear you speak. 19:51.670 --> 19:54.691 I'm Gabby Conforti, I'm a junior studying political science. 19:54.691 --> 19:58.080 Last week I was reading an article on the death of Soleimani 19:58.080 --> 20:00.187 which stated, "In death, he may have achieved 20:00.187 --> 20:02.060 "what he never could have in life," 20:02.060 --> 20:04.470 which is forcing the Americans out of Iraq. 20:04.470 --> 20:06.510 Can you please comment on the future plans 20:06.510 --> 20:10.600 for American Soldiers and contractors stationed in Iraq? 20:10.600 --> 20:12.293 - Yeah, thanks. 20:13.640 --> 20:15.520 Yes, I've seen that mantra repeated. 20:15.520 --> 20:17.630 I've also seen the mantra repeated that says 20:17.630 --> 20:20.040 that the strike that we took would unite the Iranian people 20:20.040 --> 20:21.430 around the flag pole. 20:21.430 --> 20:25.010 I will let history reflect whether that turns out 20:25.010 --> 20:26.500 to ultimately be true. 20:26.500 --> 20:29.320 I think the Iranian people's hearts beat for freedom, 20:29.320 --> 20:33.500 and I'm not naive, the Basij and the Iranian thugs 20:33.500 --> 20:37.350 will do everything they can to beat these protests back. 20:37.350 --> 20:38.210 We saw tear gas. 20:38.210 --> 20:40.860 There were reports of violence even past that yesterday. 20:40.860 --> 20:43.480 I understand the challenge that it's presented, 20:43.480 --> 20:45.790 both to the Iranians and to the Iraqis, 20:45.790 --> 20:49.050 who are looking for a sovereign, independent nation. 20:49.050 --> 20:52.940 So our view is this: we want to work with 20:52.940 --> 20:56.182 all of the various sectarian interests in Iraq. 20:56.182 --> 20:59.710 We've been doing this before, we will continue to do this. 20:59.710 --> 21:02.720 How ultimately our force posture will be resolved 21:02.720 --> 21:06.420 inside of Iraq, we will work along the duly-elected leaders 21:06.420 --> 21:08.410 in Iraq to get to the right place. 21:08.410 --> 21:12.720 But I've probably had 50 phone calls with various Iraqis 21:12.720 --> 21:15.030 over just these past 10 days. 21:15.030 --> 21:18.770 Sunni leaders, Kurdish leaders, Shia leaders 21:18.770 --> 21:22.070 from a broad spectrum of the Shia community, as well. 21:22.070 --> 21:24.270 They won't all say so publicly, 21:24.270 --> 21:27.330 but privately they all welcome the fact that America 21:27.330 --> 21:30.675 is still there executing its counter-terror campaign, 21:30.675 --> 21:34.780 making sure that Daesh/ISIS doesn't reemerge in theater, 21:34.780 --> 21:38.410 and providing an opportunity for the Iraqis to gain 21:38.410 --> 21:41.810 the sovereignty and independence that most Iraqis want. 21:41.810 --> 21:43.470 We hope that there will be a day 21:43.470 --> 21:46.057 when they can most past the sectarian strife 21:46.057 --> 21:50.680 that has plagued them since you were the secretary of state, 21:50.680 --> 21:52.730 and even before that. 21:52.730 --> 21:55.960 It is not an easy solution, but we're committed 21:55.960 --> 21:59.053 to seeing that through, caveated by this: 22:00.770 --> 22:03.360 I have been fully supportive of President Trump's effort 22:03.360 --> 22:06.870 to reduce the American footprint throughout the region. 22:06.870 --> 22:08.650 There's enormous risk to American lives 22:08.650 --> 22:10.070 as we sit here today. 22:10.070 --> 22:11.860 Within the last 48 hours there were strikes 22:11.860 --> 22:15.660 at Balad Air Force Base by the Shia militias 22:15.660 --> 22:17.810 formerly under the control of Qasem Soleimani. 22:17.810 --> 22:19.853 That risk is not behind us. 22:21.370 --> 22:24.070 And so to the extent we can use less American treasure, 22:24.070 --> 22:25.520 and put fewer American lives at risk, 22:25.520 --> 22:26.940 we ought to do that. 22:26.940 --> 22:27.980 We oughta make sure we understand 22:27.980 --> 22:29.670 precisely what America's interests are. 22:29.670 --> 22:31.330 We should preserve those, 22:31.330 --> 22:34.320 and I think we can achieve both of these goals: 22:34.320 --> 22:37.810 reduce our footprint, reduce our risk, 22:37.810 --> 22:39.680 while still achieving the American objectives 22:39.680 --> 22:41.460 in the region, including in Iraq. 22:41.460 --> 22:43.969 - Yes, right here, and then you'll be next. 22:43.969 --> 22:45.366 And then I'm gonna look to this side, 22:45.366 --> 22:47.403 so get your hands up if you've got a question. 22:47.403 --> 22:49.140 - [John] Hi, thank you so much for coming. 22:49.140 --> 22:49.973 My name's John. 22:49.973 --> 22:51.834 I'm a senior studying economics. 22:51.834 --> 22:55.750 Huge fan as well, but one thing I wanted to ask about 22:55.750 --> 23:00.560 was back in April of 2019, there were plans 23:00.560 --> 23:03.793 to label the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. 23:04.740 --> 23:06.810 Back in 2015 you sponsored 23:06.810 --> 23:08.810 the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist as a nation act. 23:08.810 --> 23:09.780 - I do really remember this. 23:09.780 --> 23:10.876 Yes, I'm reminded often. 23:10.876 --> 23:13.120 - One thing I was just curious about 23:13.120 --> 23:17.880 is there was a big media flare-up over that back in April, 23:17.880 --> 23:20.330 but then we kinda never heard the followup on that, 23:20.330 --> 23:22.250 so I was just wondering, to the extent you can, 23:22.250 --> 23:27.250 if could comment on where the status of that is currently, 23:27.640 --> 23:29.433 and if it's an ongoing effort. 23:30.290 --> 23:32.380 - Yeah, I appreciate the question. 23:32.380 --> 23:34.710 I always, full disclosure, I was one of, 23:34.710 --> 23:37.900 I think eight members of Congress that sponsored legislation 23:37.900 --> 23:39.420 asking the previous administration 23:39.420 --> 23:41.730 to designate the Muslim Brotherhood broadly 23:41.730 --> 23:43.750 as a terrorist organization. 23:43.750 --> 23:45.230 The administration's still looking at this 23:45.230 --> 23:46.063 trying to evaluate, 23:46.063 --> 23:48.297 trying to make sure that we get it right. 23:48.297 --> 23:50.880 It's perhaps a bit more nuanced than I appreciated 23:50.880 --> 23:53.490 as a member of Congress from Kansas. 23:53.490 --> 23:55.868 - It's always more nuanced when you're secretary of state. 23:55.868 --> 23:56.984 (all laughing) 23:56.984 --> 24:00.410 - That is a very, for all my old friends, 24:00.410 --> 24:03.950 always throw bombs, and I welcome that, 24:03.950 --> 24:06.000 but remind them it's a complicated world. 24:07.000 --> 24:09.490 So we're still trying to figure out how to get that right. 24:09.490 --> 24:12.834 There are undoubtedly elements of the Muslim Brotherhood 24:12.834 --> 24:15.820 that are properly designated as terrorists. 24:15.820 --> 24:17.950 We just want to make sure that we get it right, 24:17.950 --> 24:20.080 that we calibrate this appropriately, that we make sure 24:20.080 --> 24:21.810 that we've got the legal foundation for this. 24:21.810 --> 24:25.140 This is something that Secretary Rice would know, 24:25.140 --> 24:27.550 we talk about these designations, and it seems as if 24:27.550 --> 24:29.450 it's just a decision that we made. 24:29.450 --> 24:31.800 In fact, the work that's done to make sure 24:31.800 --> 24:33.960 that there is a legal basis for this, 24:33.960 --> 24:35.940 that there's a statutory legal basis for this, 24:35.940 --> 24:38.160 the work to make sure that we got the data set right 24:38.160 --> 24:40.800 before we designate an individual or a group 24:40.800 --> 24:43.940 as a terrorist organization, is deep, 24:43.940 --> 24:45.210 and robust, and important. 24:45.210 --> 24:46.320 We gotta get it right. 24:46.320 --> 24:49.130 And we're working our way through this process as well. 24:49.130 --> 24:51.420 I don't know how that will ultimately be resolved, 24:51.420 --> 24:53.410 but I do know there's real rest from the Muslim Brotherhood 24:53.410 --> 24:54.567 in many nations throughout the Middle East, 24:54.567 --> 24:56.550 and we ought to do our part, I hope, 24:56.550 --> 24:58.946 alongside our European friends, as well. 24:58.946 --> 24:59.779 - Yes. 25:02.350 --> 25:03.640 - [Nathaniel] Hi, my name's Nathaniel. 25:03.640 --> 25:06.330 I'm a senior studying international relations, 25:06.330 --> 25:08.417 and getting my master's in communications. 25:08.417 --> 25:12.220 I was just wondering, given the cold war that's happening 25:12.220 --> 25:15.039 right now in the Middle East between Saudi and Iran, 25:15.039 --> 25:17.580 between Sunni and Shia, as well, 25:17.580 --> 25:19.500 how does the U.S. and the administration view 25:19.500 --> 25:22.480 their policy towards Iran as playing into that cold war, 25:22.480 --> 25:25.600 and how do we plan to undermine Chinese economic interests 25:25.600 --> 25:27.460 in countries that do have Shia majorities 25:27.460 --> 25:30.423 and are ruled by Shia groups at the same time? 25:32.120 --> 25:34.623 - I wouldn't describe it as a cold war. 25:35.540 --> 25:38.280 Missiles landed at an Aramco facility, taking 5% 25:38.280 --> 25:41.500 of the world's oil supply off the market like that. 25:41.500 --> 25:43.650 That does not seem very cold. 25:43.650 --> 25:45.370 Certainly to the people who were working 25:45.370 --> 25:47.590 at that facility, it didn't. 25:47.590 --> 25:51.560 So I think Iran is engaged in a kinetic war against 25:51.560 --> 25:55.950 its Middle East coinhabitants that is real, 25:55.950 --> 25:58.520 and serious, and it's part of the problem set 25:58.520 --> 26:00.028 that we've been confronting since we came in. 26:00.028 --> 26:02.080 We took a very different approach 26:02.080 --> 26:03.210 than the previous administration. 26:03.210 --> 26:04.120 It's not political. 26:04.120 --> 26:07.080 We've just had a very different judgment about the risks 26:07.080 --> 26:10.279 and how to resolve those risks in America's favor 26:10.279 --> 26:12.392 in the Middle East than the previous administration. 26:12.392 --> 26:14.690 Of all the things we did, it's probably the biggest, 26:14.690 --> 26:17.490 sharpest change we made in policy that you can see 26:17.490 --> 26:19.533 playing out on the ground. 26:21.010 --> 26:23.493 As for Chinese influence in the Middle East, 26:25.250 --> 26:27.610 they want to have political influence there. 26:27.610 --> 26:30.150 We brook no ill toward them if they're trying to have 26:30.150 --> 26:31.490 economic engagement. 26:31.490 --> 26:34.300 We want the Chinese economy to be successful, 26:34.300 --> 26:36.850 but I've been pretty clear about the risks 26:36.850 --> 26:39.694 that come when there's not a straight-up, transparent deal 26:39.694 --> 26:41.120 with the Chinese. 26:41.120 --> 26:43.120 And I think you see countries in Southeast Asia, 26:43.120 --> 26:45.540 countries in Africa today, recognizing that 26:45.540 --> 26:47.720 some of the transactions that took place 26:47.720 --> 26:51.990 have proven to be debt traps, and have put these countries 26:51.990 --> 26:55.180 in the political thrall of the Chinese Communist Party, 26:55.180 --> 26:57.780 something that they didn't anticipate, they don't want, 26:57.780 --> 26:59.500 and now they are coming to the United States 26:59.500 --> 27:02.540 to help figure out a path back. 27:02.540 --> 27:04.530 So we're mindful as they do these kind of things 27:04.530 --> 27:05.820 in the Middle East a different dynamic. 27:05.820 --> 27:07.970 These are wealthy nations, as opposed to some of 27:07.970 --> 27:10.940 these other countries that needed Chinese money. 27:10.940 --> 27:13.620 We try to make sure that they're aware of those risks. 27:13.620 --> 27:14.770 They are sovereign nations 27:14.770 --> 27:16.190 that get to make their own choices. 27:16.190 --> 27:18.320 We simply tell them how America will respond 27:18.320 --> 27:20.780 if they act in a way that we believe is inconsistent 27:20.780 --> 27:23.030 with the things that matter most to us. 27:23.030 --> 27:24.053 Does that answer your question, at least in part? 27:24.053 --> 27:26.750 - Yes, the black t-shirt back here. 27:26.750 --> 27:28.990 She's right next to you, yes. 27:28.990 --> 27:29.830 She's right next to you. 27:29.830 --> 27:30.980 The black and white t-shirt, yeah. 27:30.980 --> 27:31.883 There we go. 27:37.410 --> 27:38.660 - [Anap] Hi, my name is Anap Hillett. 27:38.660 --> 27:39.709 I'm a senior studying history-- 27:39.709 --> 27:40.542 - Good morning. 27:40.542 --> 27:43.080 - And I served in Israeli intelligence. 27:43.080 --> 27:43.913 I'm struck by-- 27:43.913 --> 27:44.909 - I'm not sure I'm allowed to talk to you. 27:44.909 --> 27:45.778 I gotta figure this out. 27:45.778 --> 27:47.190 (all laughing) 27:47.190 --> 27:49.560 - [Anap] So you spoke about an imminent threat 27:49.560 --> 27:51.970 that was thwarted, but I'm struck by the fact 27:51.970 --> 27:53.280 that Americans have little faith 27:53.280 --> 27:56.520 in the intelligence agencies, especially since the Iraq war. 27:56.520 --> 27:58.650 Why should the American people trust the intelligence 27:58.650 --> 28:00.610 about an imminent threat, especially in light 28:00.610 --> 28:03.150 of the president's own distrust for the agencies? 28:03.150 --> 28:03.983 - Yeah. 28:06.140 --> 28:09.099 So I'll just give you my personal analysis on that. 28:09.099 --> 28:11.810 It is certainly that having the privilege to serve 28:11.810 --> 28:14.560 as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency 28:14.560 --> 28:16.820 for a year and a half, the first year and a half 28:16.820 --> 28:21.690 of this administration, I watched these professionals 28:21.690 --> 28:24.020 do their level best to get it right every day. 28:24.020 --> 28:26.472 The intelligence community makes mistakes 28:26.472 --> 28:27.700 all the time, right? 28:27.700 --> 28:29.260 It happens. 28:29.260 --> 28:31.640 But the depth and breadth, the intellect, 28:31.640 --> 28:35.100 the capacity and reach of America's intelligence capability 28:35.100 --> 28:36.410 is enormous. 28:36.410 --> 28:38.850 They do their level best to present this accurately. 28:38.850 --> 28:42.230 We do our best, indeed, to translate their products 28:42.230 --> 28:45.370 into a situation where we can talk about this publicly. 28:45.370 --> 28:48.060 That is often difficult because we have to preserve 28:48.060 --> 28:52.417 the capacity and the resources that were put in place. 28:52.417 --> 28:54.140 We can't risk them 28:54.140 --> 28:55.860 to share something with the American people. 28:55.860 --> 28:57.158 We have to protect them and preserve them 28:57.158 --> 28:59.130 'cause we've still got folks in harm's way 28:59.130 --> 29:01.380 even as we sit here today. 29:01.380 --> 29:02.840 But I can say to the American people, 29:02.840 --> 29:04.610 you should have enormous confidence 29:04.610 --> 29:07.020 in the intelligence community, that their efforts 29:07.020 --> 29:09.090 are genuine, they are real, they are authentic, 29:09.090 --> 29:11.810 they are trying to provide good data sets to, 29:11.810 --> 29:15.150 now I'm on the other side as the policy advisor 29:15.150 --> 29:17.410 for the president, receiving this intelligence, 29:17.410 --> 29:19.223 informing our decision making. 29:20.060 --> 29:25.060 There was enormous work done over the last 12 months 29:25.230 --> 29:27.474 to put us in a place where the president had 29:27.474 --> 29:29.800 every opportunity to make a good decision 29:29.800 --> 29:33.100 when the risk was high. 29:33.100 --> 29:35.210 My judgment is the president made the right call. 29:35.210 --> 29:36.930 It was what I recommended to him. 29:36.930 --> 29:39.690 There was, in fact, a set of imminent attacks 29:39.690 --> 29:41.630 that were being plotted by Qasem Soleimani. 29:41.630 --> 29:43.200 It was unmistakable. 29:43.200 --> 29:44.830 I mean, you heard the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 29:44.830 --> 29:47.330 say if we hadn't done this, we would have been negligent. 29:47.330 --> 29:48.450 It's not a political act. 29:48.450 --> 29:50.475 The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Milley, 29:50.475 --> 29:53.470 the intelligence community said the same thing. 29:53.470 --> 29:57.620 It was their view that the risks were real and growing, 29:57.620 --> 29:59.800 and that the actions that we took that day 29:59.800 --> 30:01.200 reduced that risk. 30:01.200 --> 30:04.010 It never eliminates it, but it reduced that risk. 30:04.010 --> 30:06.130 And I hope the American people can see 30:06.130 --> 30:08.410 our intelligence professionals for what they truly are. 30:08.410 --> 30:09.933 I know that I certainly do. 30:11.070 --> 30:12.670 - One final question right here. 30:17.180 --> 30:18.360 - [Jenny] Thank you so much. 30:18.360 --> 30:19.193 Jenny Tanjemin. 30:19.193 --> 30:21.700 I'm a second year MBA student. 30:21.700 --> 30:23.520 I would just love to hear more. 30:23.520 --> 30:25.350 What's being done on the diplomatic front 30:25.350 --> 30:27.830 so that we are able to reduce our military presence 30:27.830 --> 30:29.560 in the Middle East in the future? 30:29.560 --> 30:30.393 - Yeah. 30:31.370 --> 30:34.360 So there's (sighing) where to begin? 30:34.360 --> 30:35.880 Lots of work. 30:35.880 --> 30:37.490 I spoke, I think, with nearly all of 30:37.490 --> 30:39.450 my Middle East ambassadors on Saturday morning. 30:39.450 --> 30:42.020 I spoke with Ambassador Abizaid in Saudi Arabia, 30:42.020 --> 30:44.770 I spoke with Ambassador Richardson in Lebanon, 30:44.770 --> 30:46.880 spoke with Ambassador Satterfield in Turkey, 30:46.880 --> 30:49.060 I spoke with our ambassador in Bahrain. 30:49.060 --> 30:52.150 We are working diligently to build out 30:52.150 --> 30:55.640 a set of understandings that take down risk. 30:55.640 --> 30:58.200 You will continue to see our efforts 30:58.200 --> 31:00.290 that relate to the conflict between the Israelis 31:00.290 --> 31:01.570 and the Palestinians. 31:01.570 --> 31:04.492 That hasn't drawn much attention lately, 31:04.492 --> 31:06.650 but we're still working very diligently on it. 31:06.650 --> 31:08.070 Mr. Kushner's leading the effort. 31:08.070 --> 31:11.370 We're, at the State Department, normally supportive of that 31:11.370 --> 31:14.820 to try and take this historic challenge, right? 31:14.820 --> 31:16.200 There's been conflict in the Middle East, 31:16.200 --> 31:18.540 how many of you are ancient Middle Eastern scholars 31:18.540 --> 31:19.617 in the room? 31:19.617 --> 31:22.880 There's nothing new about this, 31:22.880 --> 31:24.630 but we're trying to create the conditions. 31:24.630 --> 31:25.920 And we've had some success. 31:25.920 --> 31:27.030 I'll give you examples. 31:27.030 --> 31:30.800 Back in May of last year, we held an event in Warsaw. 31:30.800 --> 31:33.633 The first time that you had Gulf states Arabs, 31:33.633 --> 31:36.670 sitting with the Israelis, all identifying 31:36.670 --> 31:39.120 the identical risk to the region. 31:39.120 --> 31:39.960 It was historic. 31:39.960 --> 31:42.890 We watched these countries work together 31:42.890 --> 31:45.010 in ways that they have not done before. 31:45.010 --> 31:46.111 There's still conflict. 31:46.111 --> 31:47.410 The Qataris, and the Saudis, and the Emiratis 31:47.410 --> 31:50.610 have their challenges, their disagreements, 31:50.610 --> 31:53.010 but our diplomacy is aimed to try and create 31:53.010 --> 31:55.470 a set of conditions, as the president says, 31:55.470 --> 31:57.012 always in the first instance of protecting 31:57.012 --> 32:00.130 the people in this room, protecting America, 32:00.130 --> 32:02.100 but also understanding that if we get this right, 32:02.100 --> 32:05.540 we can reduce the total effort that America 32:05.540 --> 32:08.250 needs to put in this, and that means bringing in countries 32:08.250 --> 32:09.500 from all across the world 32:09.500 --> 32:11.513 to be part of this collective effort. 32:13.230 --> 32:14.260 I think we've made progress. 32:14.260 --> 32:16.113 There's awful lot more to do. 32:16.952 --> 32:19.450 - Mister Secretary, thank you very much for joining us here 32:19.450 --> 32:21.639 at Stanford, at the Hoover Institution. 32:21.639 --> 32:25.300 I want you to know that we know 32:25.300 --> 32:28.420 how difficult these jobs are, 32:28.420 --> 32:32.110 and whether one agrees or disagrees with outcomes 32:32.110 --> 32:34.010 from time to time, I know that you do it 32:34.010 --> 32:36.730 in a great spirit of patriotism and love for our country. 32:36.730 --> 32:40.210 And so thank you for that, and thank you to the students 32:40.210 --> 32:43.880 who all showed up early, and had their coffee and donuts, 32:43.880 --> 32:45.240 so that they could participate. 32:45.240 --> 32:46.073 So thanks for being here. 32:46.073 --> 32:47.598 - Thank you all very much for being with me this morning. 32:47.598 --> 32:50.765 (audience applauding)