pakistan. the group spoke to reporters earlier about relations with afghan president hamid karzai. aid to pakistan and other topics. this is about 35 minutes. >> good morning everyone. welcome. thank you for joining us today. back ten months ago i had the

privilege of leading a congressional delegation to afghanistan and pakistan when we were leading the area of the we had a press conference and during the press conference one of the reporters asked me what is the exit strategy in afghanistan and my response was i think the exit strategy is the strategy that the president at the time, president obama had laid out the strategy included 10,000 marines and 10,000 army were, so about 150,000 helicopters but the strategy will also acknowledge if we send more troops over, u.s. troops and all we did is about and try to kill the taliban we were not likely to be all that successful. the strategy the president has laid out is not just the military search with our troops and personal it is for the other nations, the military side but also the civilian side involves

trainers from our countries and the afghan national army, the trainers that work with the afghan national police and we have about a thousand civilians working as the surge in afghanistan and i think what we are seeing almost a year later from when i left afghanistan about a year later we are seeing a situation where we have an opportunity to evaluate whether the strategy is being implemented well and i think it is. the key to implementing the strategy well is to have a terrific leadership and we have that in general mcchrystal and in ambassador eikenberry, the former general on the civilian side. we met with a number of folks in the leadership in afghanistan on the afghanistan side. president karzai among others to the ed ministers within the cabinet and other folks that were part of the parliament when for the folks in the media and we met with a lot of the troops who ran the southern part of afghanistan for the better part

of one day and a lot of trips included our states and had the opportunity to see among other things to see actually remember the film sleeping with the enemy we had the opportunity to see u.s. troops sweeping the same compound with afghan national army troops with our allied troops, with afghan national police and we have done is we don't have the arresters out by themselves in a compound somewhere. they are integrated and we meet with the afghan national army and sometimes police we eat with them, then the same areas, train with them, they sometimes need operations and sometimes we do. it's very much an integrated world. the idea is to put our people from our folks not often in a compound some place but to put them and literally among the people we are there to protect.

we are also spending a couple of days in pakistan. we are spending political leadership and military leadership that the country and it's an exciting time for the pakistanis. we are voting to the new constitution to the 18th amendment the constitution which restores democracy in that part of the world and the opportunity to travel to the western part of afghanistan, the western part of pakistan. afghanistan to see the type of training that is going on and working that is going on to flush the pakistani taliban out of that part of the country and to begin to bring people back into their homes and a couple million back to their homes. is the situation over there and both countries challenging? yes it is. is it helpless? it is not. is it helpful? i think it is. the key is leadership, we've got terrific leadership and a game plan. i'm delighted with john ensign as the lead republican

colleague. we came to the senate together in 2001 and are joined by a new center. what is your name. [laughter] scott brown from massachusetts and for me a new person who was welcomed and we're delighted to come with us. >> thank you. let me give you a couple of takeaways i have from the trip. first of all i was pretty skeptical going over there. i have a lot of confidence in general mcchrystal and what he was able along with general petraeus and others able to accomplish in iraq. but afghanistan is a much more challenging situation i think we all recognize that. but i came away more hopeful from our trip and that is because of being on the ground and see what they are doing. i think they have put together on the civilian side as well as

the military side a plan that has the best chance of working. having said that, i don't know whether it will work. but it is certainly in our american interest that plan be carried out and given the best chance to work. stability in the region is critical i think for the national security and i think we need a pat on the back and a shout out to the military personnel and civilian personnel over there in dangerous conditions. they are doing a fabulous job. a couple of highlights of the trip for me not only was meeting a lot of the folks especially from back in the state but also meeting with some of the afghans themselves and sitting down with talking with them and hearing what their perspective is and i think across the board, and this is whether it was in afghanistan or in pakistan of the key to

defeating the taliban is not the military. the military is a critical aspect of it but to the key is winning the hearts and minds of the afghan people and in pakistan the pakistani people. and that is why the eckert-year-old bill strategy is so critical and then obviously the end of that is the transfer. the reason i said i don't know whether the strategy will work is simply because that last aspect. i think we can clear, cold and build. i have complete confidence in our ability along with our allies to be able to do that. the challenge has been can we transfer that to the afghanis and it's because they never -- they just don't have any kind of infrastructure. iraq at least have a functioning government even though it was a

dictatorship the head the ministries that for functioning and the was the challenge in afghanistan. the other take away i would have, this is one of the policies i disagree with and i don't mean to sound negative because i think the vast majority they are doing is right. the only question i would have is our policy on the poppies. we have an eradication policy going on and seeing what was done at columbia and other parts of think eradication who needs to be part of the strategy. i believe in the incentives but i also think that it needs to come with if you don't take the incentives we need to put a warning to the farmers we are going to eradicate the poppy. when we flew over the kandahar province it was with the poppies were in bloom and there were poppy fields everywhere you went there was poppy. they were in full bloom and they were near the basis of an operating basis.

it was blight. they know we are not doing anything about that as far as any kind of penalties. but i think we need to change your strategy there and that is the one place i guess i would disagree with the strategy over there. but the rest of it i would really complement general mcchrystal and ambassador eikenberry and the obama administration for the job they are doing in afghanistan. real quickly on pakistan, once again i came away with become much more encouraged about that country than when i went there. i think the civilian and military leadership of the country a lot of hope and it's important for the united states as they are recognizing what a threat to the taliban is to their country and in the tribal areas we don't hear a lot about it but they have a major military operation going against the taliban and they are forcing the taliban back in afghanistan which allows us to trap them when they come back into afghanistan and so there is more cooperation happening and

hopefully the pakistani people through their government leaders will recognize the good that the american people are doing also for the people in pakistan. and last week on that country is critical once again for the united states and our national interest that pakistan be a stable country in the that did not fall into the hands of the taliban. so it's in our national interest in both countries to make sure that there is stability in the region and it was a pleasure being on the trip with these guys and our staff to a great job but i especially want to pay tribute to wendi. she did a great job on this trip. >> thank you very much. i want to first of all say i am in an armed service hearings will make my comments brief and stiffer questions and head back i want to thank senter carper. a real leader. it was an honor to be on this team and if these are with these are supposed to be like when i'm looking forward to going on

another one with you and the team members because we were really able to i feel it right to the heart of the matter and speak directly and plainly to not only the country leaders but obviously the embassy staff and the embassy leaders as well and they gave me a true picture as to what is happening over there, something i can come back and not only relate to my constituents in massachusetts but obviously dealing with a lot of the votes we are going to be taking and working in the appropriate manner. i agree with the poppy issue and i think it's something we need to get a handle on. but the thing i find most fascinating is the one thing they are all talking about over there is jobs. the jobs, jobs, jobs. every country, every person, every leader whether it is from the top leader in each country all the way down to the regular pomegranate former they want jobs. it's the one thing we are not talking about here in the united states and i find very

frustrating. i find it really fascinating, i think we all did, that there is so much emphasis because with the thought is once they get jobs the economy will start moving but the best people on the street wandering into the taliban controlled areas have less of an opportunity to infiltrate the use of their countries and it can't be much different here. we need jobs here and now in massachusetts and throughout the country and i am hopeful we will start to focus on those year. so i will step aside and let the congress and talk and briefly take questions. thank you. >> first congressional -- [inaudible] of what to say first of all how much of an honor it was for me to trouble with such a distinguished delegation of senators. >> [inaudible] [laughter] it really was an honor. what a great group, center in san, senator brown, a great folks, great chemistry with our

trip working to understand what's going on in the region. i think it was a great complement of questions and i also want to get some accolades to the staff. they did a wonderful job in putting this together making sure that we were able to access those decision makers that are critical in what is going on in that region and in addition i want to point out that what i can away with from the trip and that was the really high level morale from folks in the united states with is the folks in the civilian side or the military side. when we had a chance to sit down and talk with them whether it was at lunch, whether it was an informal setting what i found was that to a person they were extraordinarily positive about what was going on over there about their mission and what they've been able to accomplish and i really took away from that a positive feeling about our efforts over there and we asked some detailed questions about what they were doing and what they were able to accomplish and how they felt the effort was

going and as i sit on the civilian side when we talk to folks from up and down the variety of agents involving these provincial reconstruction teams and they were very positive about the things that were doing whether it was on the government side on communications, on drug interdiction they were all positive about how the pieces of this effort were coming together both on our side and the afghanistan side and when we spoke to the folks in pakistan who were helping many elements of the armed forces get trained to make sure they were effective against the taliban and effective in mounting their offensive against the taliban i found a great sense of optimism in their dealings with folks on the front lines, the frontier stultz we had an opportunity to go and visit. the training facility, there was also very, very complementary advisers that were there so from the top to bottom of my job as a military site and civilians latest people are committed,

they are passionate about what you're doing and optimistic about the outcome of their efforts which is something that made us hopeful and we are hopeful what is going on. we are realistic and nothing there are challenges there at the offensive gear in kandahar. we know there will be challenges. but we are hopeful the we thing happened and marjah and we hope we can apply those in the region. as i said one thing i took away from that is the high level martelle, the commitment, the passion, the dedication of of the folks from the united states and both the efforts in afghanistan and pakistan and i think with that attitude and that high morale we stand the highest chance of success in both of those regions in combat in extremism and terrorism and i appreciate the absurdity to join on the trip.

>> i would ask we keep our questions to the trip and let's just focus on afghanistan and pakistan and what we saw and what we learned please. >> [inaudible] president karzai was speaking critical comments about the midwest and i would love to get your sense has to the liability of an ally. >> we spent an hour with president karzai. a couple of days after he mentioned in one statement that the possibility of the u.s. being an occupying force of the allied nations were in occupying force. we made clear we had no intention of being in occupied force and we said we know that you are not. we explained in the air force base in my state president karzai the last eight years 4,000 bodies have come through a mortuary from all over the country to clean their sons and

daughters, fathers and the american people had no intention of continuing to have this kind of sacrifice. we are in here to help and help protect the people and give a chance. you know that, we know that. the other thing i suggest when he comes to the united states as a guest of the president, spend that time speaking moderately to the american people, find an opportunity like a press conference, the big show to show the american people. there's also the assertion he said in one setting that he was a taliban and punished the eight apparently that grew out of the conversation he said i never said that, i don't feel that way and i said i'm not really sure where that came from. he's the partner, he's going to

be the president and the person we have to work with. >> to make another clarifying, and when we asked about the comment about him than he said the taliban killed his father. he hates the tournament. there is no way that he would join the taliban. he was very specific about that and he also made comments about that he considers america a great partner and yes they want to run their own country but they know they are not capable of doing it right now so they want our help, they need our help and then they want to take over the country when they are capable of doing it. >> [inaudible] a lot of the world regards the election of the president as less than legitimate understandably so. people in his own country regard him as an american and those factors are weighing on him and he feels the need to assert his independence to show that he's

not one which instances like the other day people killed that he be quick to say that's wrong we can't face these sort of things. those are waiting on him as well. >> the president said he would like to start bringing troops home next summer. did you develop any information or, with an impression or realistic that is we to be and how long the united states will need to be there. >> he will continue the surge in iraq to begin about a year-and-a-half ago. within a year and a half, we knew. the mission was accomplished but we are on the right track. we will have a good idea in a year and a half whether we are on the right track i think we are on the right track today. the idea of actually setting a date in the future, not ten years away but within about a year-and-a-half, they send a message to the afghans

themselves the army, the police come to the folks running the government and to these folks in charge. you have to get your act right and i think that is helpful. we are not going to allow these efforts to be a vacuum that goes on for years and years. a year and half from now we are not people everybody out. we could begin to withdraw. but i feel encouraged a year and half from now the situation described as hopeful will be far more subtle. >> i was and ask your thoughts on that, setting a date. >> i was opposed to setting a date. i think it gives the taliban the opportunity to just kind of lay and wait. yet on the other hand i think that the afghan people in the group's senator carper referenced also need to know

that there is a time line and a certain period before we just say it's not working out. i think they get it and the understand that we are very serious about trying to make this work and i agree with the senator on general mcchrystal's plan that it is clearly the best chance for success by mounting the police, the army, coalition forces and american forces with the civilian population trying to not only obviously secure the area and then rebuild it. it's clearly the most important thing we can do to help everybody working in concert with each other. take for example the pomegranate farmer he loads his vehicle lot, he toils over his crop, loads it in the truck and sent off to the market and the truck gets blown not so the farmer says helen i

going to support my family seven the tel dan commands a listen we will get you in the market and get you the money so there is a disincentive to do things legally and be that pomegranate farmer. so what is happening now with general mcchrystal and the tribal leaders, the district governors and folks that are there they are now securing permits some of the pomegranate farmer is able to in fact produce on the truck committed to the market and get paid so by securing the roads which they are doing and i think is the most important thing, securing the region so people can just live their lives and kind of get their footing back after years and years of war and turmoil i think it is critical and that is with the generals doing and when they lose a civilian through what happened for the simple like the other day they take it very seriously. general mcchrystal's number one

goal was to make sure we have very few civilian casualties so the whole approach to what is happening in afghanistan obviously not a pretty knows this from my area he covered my election very closely. i can assure you based on the stuff we did -- we spoke about during the campaign and what i learned there it is all spun out of ais congenital mcchrystal everything i talked on the campaign with it was right or wrong and he said your spot on this is the plan and what we are doing and i, like them, the folks behind me, i am very hopeful enthusiasm is there, the troops are focused, collection a through c, everyone is focused on making sure that we can stabilize afghanistan and step back and let them do their job which is governing. >> it all depends on how long. >> i will leave that to the military and civilian leaders. i know that we want to get certainly the resources to

finish the job and i believe we are doing that and i want to make sure they can come home safely and leave a secure afghanistan because i believe it is in our national interest to ensure the base is established. yes, sir. >> you talked about [inaudible] i.t. we will have something else. how will that when you have splits in the democratic side and splits on the republican side about by putting the money and how long is this going to go on? >> the bottom line is my first priority is to provide the tools and resources for the soldiers to be safe and come home safely and finished the job and what i see is finishing the job and what general mcchrystal sees as finishing the job and i don't want to speak for him but based on the information we've received is to ensure that we can get a secure afghanistan to allow them to be self-sufficient , allow them to

tap the natural resources which is about $3 trillion above the ground between oil and gas and minerals said the contract to deal with the corruption issue and the poppy issue and the safety and security of their citizens to make sure they in fact do not have the talent and then again, reestablished bases and move on to pakistan so there is going to be some financial path to it and the president made that decision and i support him in that regard. you have a question? >> did any of you see the need for specific legislation to address some of the problems you may take up on your own? >> i'm sorry? >> after the trip to define a specific legislative fix that needs to be addressed? >> as i said i didn't see anything specifically that need a legislative fix. i think what we want mature is we are communicating the job is done and that we properly resource the efforts there and there will be critical to make

sure we understand the scope of things that need to happen. that is why this trip was so important. i didn't see anything specifically on the legislative side. the thing that will come about easily as the supplemental creation. i think this trip will above information to bring to the floor when it comes time to debate the appropriation to make sure people understand where that money is going and how critical it is and the operations there in afghanistan how critical it is for the success of the strategy that general mcchrystal has put forward and again i think all of us agree that strategy we believe is the right strategy. we are seeing it played out in a helpful way again many challenges ahead so if we are probably resources that and things are going the right direction i think that good things will come out of that in the future. >> this is pakistan as opposed to afghanistan that may require legislation dear interested in creating jobs and have a

opportunity sell and they would like to create the kind of opportunity in the disputed areas along the pakistani and afghan border and that is one that we've debated doing something about. >> [inaudible] >> but i think our job as legislators is to be not skeptical but with respect to what we are doing their, what our allies and the afghans are doing in terms of taking care of themselves. the other thing we need to do is be very safe with is we have a the smart as we do need to support that strategy. there are things we identify all missions like this than we bring to our colleagues and others and fix those. much of what i said, much of warsaw was encouraging. >> another comment on that if you read general mcchrystal's report last august he said the next 12 months if things don't turn around we can't be

successful to kind of sum up and i think we are getting a better picture so right now i don't think that is the time for that debate as we have that debate with iraq whether we are going to support or not and i think that right now we need to have the confidence in the civilian and military leaders the plan they put into place. we need to find that. a year or two years from now of the easily we should be evaluating the entire time but right now i think we have to get the plan that worked in iraq we have to give the plan at least a chance to work in afghanistan. >> to fall one pakistan t think that is an idea [inaudible] >> i think most members of commons are not focused on it and i am told on the senate side there are holes in legislation so what we need to do is find out why those holes, are there.

the legislation has been to the finance committee. [inaudible] we need to find out why that is this week and see what the prospects are moving legislation through the committee. >> can i just follow up on [inaudible] >> when we left pakistan ten months ago the pakistan military was going after the taliban with a fair amount of success and someone told me then we would see the same determination going on to chase down and chase out the pakistanis. i wouldn't have believed. [inaudible] the fourth day on the road. in pakistan along the troubled

area 100,000 person refugee camp and a lot of people have been forced out of their homes but there's an effort underway to take them back and take good care of them. but i was frankly surprised that the effort is ongoing and is successful on the military side and they set up refugee camps to take care of people and they are redeploying helping a couple of million people get back home. >> to make two comments on that one is it looks like they are learning from our mistakes we made in iraq initially and what we've learned and what we are trying to implement in afghanistan. the whole idea of clear hold build and transfer they are trying to implement the same strategy. the seemed even more committed. you have to understand this surprised me when we heard this this is the longest military

operation that country has ever had. that surprised to think a lot of us that 11 months is the longest military operation they have ever had so they are very committed. india is always something that is on the back, not the back of the forefront of their mind but they have very much focused now on the taliban because they see that as a direct threat to the governing of their country. >> [inaudible] what is the concern you have that some groups [inaudible] >> when we spoke with the leaders to ask about the effort they were committed across all

levels of extremisms we got this sense from them that they realized to make sure the long-term stability in their country is secure and maintained that they have to go after all forms of extremism so we got a good sense that they understand those things and understand the dynamic between pakistan and india. we also have additional conversations about other opportunities with india. we urge them to make sure they sought better relationships with india especially among the lines of trade. we see an opportunity there. the relationship between pakistan and india is 140 it in the world and we see a great opportunity for better relations for trade as we encourage them to develop those trading relationships. we think those are the basis of establishing a much higher level of relationships when it comes to other issues so we encourage them along those lines to do more with india to make sure that we reach out for them to engage in began as a partner in the long term and when they do

that i think they are able to address these issues of extremist groups the me have a tendency to be more supportive of india or in some instances on the indian side more supportive of pakistan sliding fee can build on that dynamic through things like trade relationships. >> i want to get one last point. one last quick comment. people focused on the president's popularity [inaudible] -- people focused on the house of representatives or the house or the senate, individual senators and in afghanistan they do some approval ratings and the approval ratings for the taliban and pakistan and afghanistan is 6%. 6%. people in afghanistan through

the president of afghanistan despite the are vicious and cruel and they kill people and demeaning women. they are not interested in population and creating an economy. if they want an economy the find opium that is full of corruption. the country is full of corruption. that isn't what the afghan people want. they want something better and i think that as we shall we are not plan to cut in line, we are going to be there for awhile and provide not just military support but a broad range of support to strengthen their economy and diversify and strengthen the government to institutions i think that they understand we are going to be there and be successful and they will be successful. >> thank you all.

[inaudible conversations] senator jack reed rhode island led a congressional delegation to afghanistan. iraq and pakistan. a lawmaker spoke with reporters about military operations and troop withdrawal in the region as well as on relations with president hamid karzai in afghanistan. this is about 30 minutes. and although conversations >> good afternoon. i'm very pleased to be able to report on the trip that senator coffman and senator and i took to iraq and pakistan the week

prior to easter. i want to thank both ted for their extraordinary support and collaboration on this trip. let me make some general points about each of these countries and then try to elaborate a bit and recognize as the case may be and then go from there. in iraq, and this is my 15th is a, there are more things holding it together today than falling apart and that is quite a bit different than it was a few years ago. there are still fault lines. the attention is particularly acute but general odierno and investor hill are taking creative ways to try to manage that conflict and look towards a solution among the parties. sectarian violence is still there and sporadic and it has not had the effect it has several years ago which ignited

widespread counter violence. but radical sunni elements are trying through car bombs and attacks on buildings and the same kind of violence they were successful with a few years ago that is not taking place and that is a good sign. in pakistan, senator kaufman and i were there in april and it looked as if the country seriously might collapse. the pakistani taliban was an 60 miles from a swap of who -- is, but and the swat province. they were calculating the strategy and what they could do. today they seem committed to defeating their enemy, pakistan and taliban. they are more aware of the links between their enemies and our enemies up in afghanistan which is the afghan taliban and also al qaeda elements and related

terrorist networks in pakistan. this understanding i believe as we close the cooperation put in my view they are not firmly getting get to use their resources foley against these elements. the have provided an environment for us to operate against those forces and pakistan both al qaeda and terrorist networks like afghani taliban so that we can take the steps to degrade their capabilities. afghanistan is witnessing the initiative on the ground from the taliban back to nato and the was a dangerous for the president's decision last fall the taliban's initiative to grow and grow and grow might not result in their ability to

control the country but it could likely result in significant destabilization of afghanistan and said noss setting us back. operations are underway now and i think we will continue to show the nato force is being the initiative at the moment among the military level particularly operations around kandahar. the key issue in afghanistan as government capacity. we can cool and clear territory to build requires local efforts and those local efforts are not as yet forthcoming. and president karzai has been the center of most attention. there are a few points i would like to make. first of all, he shares a perspective that isn't uncommon in pakistan. his first since of loyalty and its implicit as well as explicit as to his family to try and

event to the nation of afghanistan. she is not unique in that regard. that is not an uncommon approach this its up attention because our orientation company to a's orientation is primarily to the nation of afghanistan to build structures, to build government capacities. that is a given. we were fortunate in the united states we had george washington. there are very few countries in the world at a critical moment like this that have a george washington. however, with all of the difficulties in the last election the challenge we have is working with what is the recognized government of afghanistan and president karzai and finding ways to work at the local level simultaneously so that we are able to deliver this capacity out in the field of the military operations. but me -- i don't want to be

labour the point but let me make some specific points. in iraq of the drawdown is on track. the troops are leaving. the plan is in place. general odierno and investor who are confident. equipment is being redeployed, significant amount to afghanistan as well as back to the united states. the election represented a tide of nationalism and secularism over secretary in partisanship which is an important development. it's not with your who was the prime minister but it is clear the people of iraq and their votes did not increase secretarianism the increase a secular approach. one of the things pointed out by general odierno is that the withdrawal of american forces was a real success and gave confidence to iraqi security forces and they've been able to step up and it represents part of the strategy president obama

announced when he was inaugurated which is to pull our forces out and begin to look at it withdraw and we hope and they are confident by september we will have 50,000 troops in iraq. we have to do more to secure the border and more to continue to degrade aqi sunni rebels that are not tied to al qaeda necessarily and in fact they might in the long run be more dangerous because they are needed by iraqis, not for in fighters. pakistan as i said we've seen a remarkable progress but they are ambivalent about our presence in afghanistan. they want in the long run a government in kabul that is firm to them. they have a preoccupation and their strategic preoccupation with nds of the deciding something that we have to point out. afghanistan.

operations and speed. it was essentially forced entry into a city and we had marines coming in right on top aircraft right downtown clearing buildings, clearing the amount. it has proceeded effectively that we are still again getting the civilians in place to the governing. the next operation in kandahar won't be a assault on a city and a vertical envelopment. it will be essentially not putting forces on the key route in and out of the cities. they're basically interdicting the passage of radical elements and then with the afghan forces and there is an afghani prisons and police presence to use them to stop stabilizing the community. this will be a great political test of president karzai because this is where his family is tried and his politics is

located. and he is going to have to step up and make some critical decisions and operate with us. there is already some signs he recognizes this. he went with general mcchrystal delta kandahar to talk with of locals about the importance of the operation but this is a test. in some respects it is reminiscent of the choice that per minister maliki had around basra back in iraq where he decided he was going to direct forces against his own constituency essentially the shia community, and that proved the turning point in his career, both in terms of his perception internally and externally, and this is the same turning point perhaps for president karzai. two other points. the rules of engagement. general mcchrystal, actually this is on importance of minimizing civilian casualties. this is not from the top, this

is a field commander who understands casualty's along the afghanis set us back in terms of our operations and he has imposed and his forces understand the nature of the rules of engagement and finally we have reports that operations along the border are better. the pakistanis are more cooperative and if we can seal the border more effectively that will assist us immensely in afghanistan. let me stop there and senator kay hagen. [inaudible] [laughter] >> thank you. it was an incredible experience for me to go on this with senator jack reid who i believe has been to iraq about 15 times now and afghanistan nine and pakistan however many. >> [inaudible] and obviously one

of the colleagues, senator kaufman from delaware the professor and just all of his experience it was an incredible experience for me to be able to join them. but i do want to emphasize the importance that my state, north carolina brings to the table and especially in iraq and afghanistan so many military troops we have stationed over there the 82nd airborne and afghanistan the marine expeditionary the group of the marines the national guard to spent two tours and iraq so we have a lot to be proud of in our troops on the ground. one of the things i particularly enjoyed was the ability to eat lunch with many of the troops and lunch and dinner and get to meet them one-on-one. one of the things i've also done is we've gathered a lot of names and they were interested in making a phone call when i got back to either mom, dad, their

wives, siblings, husbands so i've been doing that process and one individual family that i called, this young man was due to go home at some point while we were -- after we left and when i placed a phone call he actually answered the phone and so we chatted for the few minutes and one of the things i asked particular what was it like being back, north carolina for two weeks and he said it's incredibly green and we can all understand that because in afghanistan is brown, brown, brown other than the fact the poppy were in bloom and you would see field after field of the poppy waiting to be harvested which i think we all know $400 million of that goes to the taliban so we are trying to do different measures to prevent that from happening. at the same time, while not hurting the farmer. the idea is we have to provide seeds and other crops which civilians are doing a good job

to help the afghanis grow other crops. shortly after we got back one of the feed giveaways was a farmer's work in attendance in a female on the bicycle came in and blew up and killed 43 people so there is still so much work to be done i will go back to i know senator reid has gone over the details. it was my first time going to iraq. my second time in to pakistan and afghanistan and i think as we pulled down from iraq we heard a detail about the logistical operations of moving about 2.1 million pieces of equipment of iraq whether it will be reconditioned going into afghanistan, leaving it with the iraqi people and or possibly bringing some of it, it is a huge undertaking and i think our contractors are doing a great job on that. i also want to mention quickly the experience and excellent

qualifications of the ambassador at all three countries we were. particularly when we were in iraq period minister maliki just had the election and he was two seats behind allow we and one of the discussions we had with him is the importance of whether he wins or loses is the importance of him being in charge of the caretaker government during this process and i think it's really interesting, too, that the iraqi security forces were out there protecting the people and not the regime's which has been a shift and in pakistan once again i think our ambassador patterson does an incredible job and one

of the works the state department is doing in pakistan and obviously in afghanistan we had an opportunity to meet with president karzai and i think if we are obviously seeing a lot of concern of many people with some of his statements but we also understand i think what senator reid was talking about how hard it is for him to continue doing the job that needs to be done when we obviously talked about rooting out any sort of provincial governor that are corrupt and that was a huge factor that we questioned him about and asked him about. but i think once again, our troops are doing an incredible job in afghanistan and we are concerned about the civilians

obviously the civilians we bring over to help out with agricultural and the different aspects that need to go from being helping along with the government we need more of those and have a lot of discussions. one of the opportunities i was particularly interested in in afghanistan we were able to go out to a operating base and we looked -- we visited another check point site where the americans as well as the afghan national army were pleasing a checkpoint to get there with the afghans taking the lead charge and that is the kind of work i think general mcchrystal is looking to that a sure that we can train the afghan national army and then let them take over and that was i think a good exercise for me to witness stand in the last thing i wanted to share was the operating base where we went and we actually

participated where we were with the tribal leaders sitting in a makeshift tent on the rugs having a discussion and in some parts it found to be cut off like a government leader asking about water, agriculture, the jobs and what he needed and his community and i think that that reinforces the counter insurgency proposal that general mcchrystal is talking about where we actually go into the provinces into the discussions directly one-on-one with the government leaders and we certainly heard quite a bit that day. it was the tribal leaders, his chief of police and chief of security and what he needed about 100 people but we had an incredible experience and once again our military is top notch.

>> i'm going to say to go to pakistan, afghanistan, iraq you have to go with jack reid. it is incredible knowledge he brings. it is worth it just being around him. i will tell you, kay hagen always asks the right questions. the more it gets harder and the other thing is in the world where i think we all agree one of the great things missing is the role of women and not the role of women like we should have women because that is good but they are missing such an incredible as it it's hard to believe how you can pull the country together and kay hagen is the best example you could ever take to these countries on how well competent women are and how smart and how much they are doing and it was great sitting there seeing them reacting to the tough questions. it was really great and i think

that both jack and kay covered just a couple points of ultimate. one of the big problems in iraq and afghanistan first we have been concerned about ever since the first trip i took a year ago was northern iraq what's going to happen to northern iraq. it's clear the only thing that the sunnis and shia agree on is they don't like the current and how that will work out and we went there we went up to kirkuk last year things went trigger. the head of the cashmere got there which the kurdish army did not like the iraqi troops and the just got a new general and he did not like. when you go to a briefing and have the feeling of the next three or four months people are going to be shooting. the quality of the mother teresa is incredible and an example as general odierno who is absolutely incredible group, a

piece of land under dispute, an area where they were pushed out by saddam and he brought and arabs to take their place and they think they should be able to come back and have that land. this is a cultural issue but also it has to be almost a third of the oil in iraq under this particular piece of land. things started breaking up and win the general went up there and grab it and said okay from now on i think 22 checkpoints along the area every one of the checkpoints and iraqi army and u.s. forces. when they go on patrols they do in three. when we go where saddam was caught it's like they are twins. wherever they go above the going to town they are accepted, i go to an air of town they are accepted, it is incredible and

helping defuse what is one of the difficult props. the other thing i would say is we are making progress. it's always great when you see the military standing over the checkpoint with a clipboard and a checklist and the one thing you see where ever you going iraq is there is a checklist. we are getting out of here and i think the fact that elections were carried on by the iraqi security forces is an incredible statement from where we were just six months ago. it turns out afghanistan has been pretty well summed up and the momentum is back on our side and we have a great plan there and clearly the biggest problem governance but i would say that we went to bob rim and met with the folks doing the civilian search through that area and it was truly impressive about how the u.s. civilians and iraqi civilian ministries were working together and had the support of the military working hand in glove you actually can see you

know, this really worked. the other thing i would say is if i took you on a helicopter over a couple of baghdad at about 500 feet you couldn't tell whether you were in an american city. you looked on these towns, neon lights come markets, people moving around, truly the architecture is so much different at night with the traffic lights it really is an incredible how normal it looks. and finally pakistan has jack said and the only reason i'm repeating is because when we left there last april i wouldn't give you a nickel on the afton otuslamabad and it was clear that the military -- it is a different situation. is it ideal? it is not ideal. honestly they are working on

these things making progress. they have problems. there was a good start today in "the washington post" about one of the reasons they can't go into north waziristan because when you go on a clear build and transfer you have to have enough troops to do that and in south waziristan they go and hold but do they have enough troops to continue to hold south waziristan so there is serious problems there. i really believe that one of my favorite quotes there's nothing like the prospect of hanging that streets the mind. the taliban did come the pakistan taliban did is living close to islamabad they got president sarva orie's attention and general ki army and the gup ministers and everybody's attention and that's good for us and things are better in pakistan. >> questions please. >> senator feingold today and speak to specific timetable for

the drawdown of the detailed plan. would that be useful at this point in afghanistan? >> the president already has announced -- >> this is outlining the specific points. >> the president announced at west point last september not only his increase in forces in afghanistan but also by next summer beginning to evaluate our departure of troops and that is the best way to approach. similarly the president is demonstrating when he came in and said we are going to draw down in iraq is happening. we should have 50,000 troops by september. but i think that it's the president's policy is clearly not an open-ended commitment. it is the appropriate commitment and detailed month by month etc is probably to micromanagement.

>> i would like to say remember one of the real concerns both in afghanistan and pakistan is we've lived there twice. after the russians were you read we left again in 2003. we didn't to believe that we set the trips down. they don't understand one of the hard things to expand is are we really leaving in june. i think the president -- i will tell you he was a genius to say we were going to leave in june of 2011 because the government there, the national security forces, the military, everybody understands we are not bring to be there for 25 years so that billy and but i think that going beyond that the also said december of this year we take a look at this and we are going to do it and i'm convinced by that we will know what is coming on and the final thing is right on the point as far as i'm concerned on lookout how we are doing in iraq. we demonstrated the president has made commitments about what we are going to do and have drawn yawns and worked.

i think this is the plan right now is this is a good plan. we just do not want to send the wrong message. ..

>> just to follow-up with the agreement, and was important to have to know what question is the nature of that it will not be 10 combat brigades but a continuing presence to help them stabilize the country and i think that message cannot be confused with we are not going to go back.

>> what about your remarks from president karzai? can there was concern about corruption is there a concern of the criticism to the public? >> i think to be fair the criticism is by his comments prepare it is not a situation where we have the made him the focus of all of our anxiety was happening in afghanistan and we have to understand he is the president of afghanistan and hast to work with us and we have to work with them. sometimes it is trying on both sides but that recognition has to be central. we have to take steps and we

are. the emphasis is general mcchrystal avoiding at all possible hand is critical and on the other side of the equation president karzai has to recognize what he might be saying in afghanistan feeling very passionate and sincere about can be interpreted elsewhere as being unproductive i think our approach has to be working together he is capable of it and will do it and it will be a complicated relationship. >> the day we were there for the legislature only to cast three votes. this is at the center of a storm. hot he is essential to the success of this i am not

downplaying that but there is a lot of change going on in afghanistan he is key and the government is key but as jack says many times we are reacting just to talk about tax comment in a few look of their present prime minister al-maliki he declared independence day the day we left the city the president has not move to be critical of our involvement so again, if your leader one of the countries to have to measure your interest and your consumption so to say his involvement in kabul is the single key thing that is the key but the other side is this man is under incredible pressure every day to balance the parliament and party would

and you have to balance politics. >> thank you very much. [inaudible conversations] and

[laughter] good morning. and the president of the citizens against government waste it is the 20th anniversary of the congressional pig book now want to thank you very much for joining us i want to point* out after congress approves $700 billion for the big bailout and 862 billion for the system as 3.6 trillion budget 1.4 trillion dollar deficit there is a little bit for taxpayers year marks are

reduced the 2010 congressional pig book shows a 10.2% decrease from the 10,260 in 2009 and 16 point* 5 billion in earmarks which is a 15 point* 5% decrease from the 19 point* $6 million in fiscal year 2009. while good news still above the historical average and not at the level that president obama promised when he took office at 7.8 billion and not only standing with me today people prefer it is zero every taxpayer would also like that to disappear. we have our usual oink of little engine that could 465 million for the alton ended june for a project that has been indy pig book since 2004 secretary gays

and you have a veto of any legislation that contains funding for the alternate engine as well as with teeseventeen that constituted 2.5 billion dollars of the 16 point* five of pork. interestingly in the defense bill to 2% of the cost was not a session with a senator that violates house and senate rules requiring the name of congress to appear before each and every aramark. this year there was some competition who could get rid of the growth of days the most earmarks house democrats said they would not earmarked any items that go to four profit entities and republicans said none whatsoever and that was unanimous. but then the senate said we don't care about the house we will continue to earmark.

that is accounting for the top year marker in congress senator concrete -- cocker and the ranking member of the senate appropriations committee we give him the award $490 million support number one in three years in a row and the total exceeds $2 billion during the three-year period ofti dropped o number four hawaiian north dakota are the top two followed by west virginia then alaska and the mississippi. we also calculate how much each member of congress has received and the number of earmarks they have requested number one was senator cochran then of following senator in a way of a wide and mississippi and michigan former committee chairmen byrd and west virginia with 292 million and in the house

congressmen pomeroy came in first followed closely by the two representatives from hawaii act 147 and 138 million respectively they were followed by republican and former committee chairman bill young from florida and stephanie -- from south dakota who came in with $118 billion as people add up the numbers they will match when the individual members are calculated for multiple projects more than one member ask for a project is in our database. several other oink awards held bent on earmarking award 10 million to the national institute for home town security courtesy of congressman rogers of kentucky it is to organize

the higher education institution to get more money for homeland security project spread of the earmarked to help them obtain more earmarks. in 2007 the institute had total revenue of 3.5 million dollars but since then congressman rogers has what your march 21 million for the organization then there's a sister word has several candidates and this year goes to senator tom harkin 7.$3 million to continue the harkin grant program and iowa and the senate day senator burr and west virginia for advanced manufacturing a system that will be added to the bird dropping portion of our website that means everything that is named after senator burr in west virginia. [laughter]

a harkin grant program has received 33 million since 2005 this award will be limited hopefully to only senators or hopefully too no one since the house did not have any earmarks named after sitting members of congress peake says david obey says no to one thing that have been going on, and senator arlen specter and also a representative from pennsylvania $200,000 for design and construction of a small business incubator in scranton pennsylvania. enjoy today by members of congress to fight side by side with those two eliminate earmarks and john mccain both remember when the pigs and the pig book or larger. will also hear from tom price from georgia and also representitive from a georgia and also we before

we hear from our speakers a want to thank our great staff especially our vice president of policy during the 17 consecutive years for our research associate our new policy associate applied in a lot of time and effort to make the of pig book have been. i want to welcome our more than 1 million members of supporters without whom the pig book would not be possible. >> thank you tom for a ride think i have been here most of the 20 years and i would like to say thank you for your great work and all the members of citizens against government waste. you have made a difference in the debate and have given us ammunition when we go home to talk to constituents and to understand how pernicious and corrupting

the process of earmarking is. by to say thank you to my colleagues in the house my dear friend jeff lakeview shares was made the miss congeniality title in the united states congress thank you for your inducement and leader in the senate bill elimination of the practices of the american people who have so much dislike senator demint to i appreciate and also the fact he is willing to stand up others who may be more influential it is interesting this morning that you would be the would unveil the 20th pig book in boston thousands of people are gathered in a tea party this morning.

thousands and thousands of people and tomorrow all over america, hundreds of thousands of non billions will be gathering in different places an outrage that they are tired and tired of the unnecessarily and corrupted influence of spending while the city of phoenix, arizona had a cut the budget by 30% last year in congress we increased domestic spending by 20%. thousands and thousands of earmarks wasteful and unnecessary programs it would take me a long time to enumerate. we have a deficit of 1.4 trillion dollars my favorite bumper sticker recently said please don't tell the president what comes after 1 trillion.

[laughter] pig book provides us with the specific and concrete examples of one what is wrong with washington and what needs to be done. there is a peaceful revolution and it will be manifested in a lot of different ways between now and next november but pig book bringing attention with citzens against government waste who will continuously worked tirelessly on behalf of the american taxpayer i am very grateful for their participation of my colleagues. one additional issue courageously declaring the end to earmarking that is why the most laudable moves made in a long time. senator demint and i will work to try to see the same thing happened among the republican congress of the united states senate and we

want to thank them for you there of leadership when i first new town he did not have one gray hair and his head. thank you. [laughter] [applause] i represent the sixth district of the georgia and imaging bumper stickers i am a great fan because they highlight the sense and the mission and the thought of the american people if you ain't mad you ain't paying attention. this is a sense against government waste has been paying attention and 26 years and 20 years publishing the pig book i want to commend you for the work you're doing purpose of this were not so serious it would be humorous. the highlighted projects that we take delights in exposing but this is serious stuff and the book has

gotten bigger and more colorful to a attract more attention but the american people understand what goes on in washington from a pork-barrel standpoint it is corrupt and corrupting and you knew the names of the individuals who have gone astray because of the process i would suggest the nation has gone astray because of the process i want to commend cgw i look forward to getting through the booklet and the items in the book and asking my colleagues but there are a few i cannot ask that will mention briefly. 81 anonymous projects 81 folks did not have the guts to stand up and say i want to this project. worth 6.5 billion dollars. why are they in the shadow? i urge them to come out and defend the project because

the nation demands it and constituents demand it. senator mccain mentioned the conference stood up and said as a group you will milan request earmarks. that is the kind of leadership the people want to see they'll believe washington is listening and i assure them that cagw is listening and there are many in congress and others joined me on stayed away looking forward to expanding our numbers after 2010. >> the power of the purse was given to congress so we could control spending of the executive branch not so we could multiplied with politically directed parochial projects for our a lot of folks in congress who would argue that remarks don't add anything to a budget. just allows congress to

directed to rather than the executive branch. this is a bunch of baloney. we spend money to a large degree because earmarks are the engine that pulls much rain almost every bill has some kind of kick back whether to nebraska or louisiana purchase major purchases with price tags are pulled through by giving direct spending to an individual member of congress. this has got to change these charts are only the tip of the iceberg the number of earmarks the price tag is small. not to the average american relative to the total budget but the debt we are incurring as a nation i think we're nearly at $13 trillion at this point* in time and a direct result of over 500 congressmen and

senators coming here believing it is their job to take money home to there states' and congressional districts. that is what is driving of control spending. you're respective of the price tag of the aramark it buys votes and then a senior member of our conference where this congress wants to pass a bill they use earmarks and sprinkle them like candies of the folks who say they don't drive spending frankly are not telling the truth. this is my 11th year and i can tell you with complete conviction the reason we're in a situation of out of control spending and a dead and at a place for some members of congress say our debt is unsustainable we have to do something but say i need $1 million for a

local sewer project, that distance between reality and the facts, it just shows you how irrational this bending culture has become that is driven by your marks. so what tom and the organization have been doing is bringing this to the white where this november election i am convinced will be as much about who asks for earmarks than any election we have never had. the leadership across the country are realizing this is the canary in the mine shaft for purview want to know who will be the advocate for the change in this congress you can tell whether or not they will request your march said is a good way to identify candidates that will fight the fight. thank you for brain this to the attention of the

american people and this is the year we will make the election about stopping earmarks once and for all. >> i represent the tenth congressional district in georgia as a family position ic house small things seem insignificant symptoms often indicate more serious and sometimes fatal disease proponents of earmarks argue pork barrel spending only represent a small fraction of a much larger budget the simple truth is earmarks of our major symptoms of fraud and abuse and fiscal year the appropriation bill congress has spent 32 billion on your marks i again is some justify a by pointing how of the total money spent last year that is a lot of money it is $32 billion that represents a huge amount of spending

and point* out that this logic is an example of the air against ignorance and competence we have in washington d.c. because only in washington can you quantify $32 billion at a small amount of money. with $32 billion rica give each unemployed individual in america but check $21,303 i am not in favor of doing that but we could. said the county and state governments have done forced to give back-- cutback in georgia they are struggling to meet the balanced budget requirements of the state constitution that particularly families leads to stop earmarks is the first up in the process. we must take the first step in and change the way washington spends the american people's hard-earned tax dollars and

i applaud the citizens against government waste for transparency and accountability for the american taxpayer. it is up to the american people to the cyber we will go in this nation and at a pivotal point* mode we continue down the road with greater deficits, stop being the earmarking process the you will but ruined the country but we'll take a step toward financial responsibility percoset it is balancing the budget and you stop at the earmarking process? >> when i was a little kid my dad used to have made go in the corral after rebranded a lot of calf's am part of that was the left at year earmarked and they would lila for the ground and just two i could say i

was doing something he collect me -- made may collect them to have the an official tally a few years in congress i am doing a lot of the same name but counting earmarks is not that we did not they agree with see the day a few years ago when the house republicans would stand to call for a complete moratorium with no republican earmarks this year. that is a great thing on the democratic side they said no earmarks for for-profit companies. that is a great start but there are many so-called nonprofits the better word would be tax-exempt company so happen revenues of revenue some are tied up with the dma scandal but is still slated to get her

marks in these appropriation bills coming up. we need to watch carefully the process this year it is all well in good to have the member's name next to an earmarked and these are good reforms we can enact the last couple years but unless they can challenge those earmarks on the floor is of little use and last year we have every appropriation bill come to the floor so just a fraction they could be offered but we need to make sure they do not have open rules. of this year with some members not taking your marks at all it is far more difficult for those who are to justify them. i went to think citzens against government waste for working so long and so effectively and my colleagues for all that has

been done we're making progress. >> digest want to mention the center's 10 senators that are not requesting your marks and 11 democrats and 36 republicans. and the senate is divided evenly but and to account for the senator's efforts to get a moratorium and it was progress prop. remember in 2002 it was to eliminate many he got 12 votes but he is moving in the right direction but also to address any question. >> requesting earmarks you said.

[inaudible] >> we have 25 republicans in the conference loaded for the one-year moratorium and i think we will continue to build the number a lot of candidates and pat to be the new candidates who looks fake they are in good shape for this election may not request earmarks but the flip side is you are fighting the aramark system that is what we want here. i am not so focused on the old spending culture that is why they feel they are there but i think that is part of the problem i will work fine buildings the numbers and let those who continue to earmark, they feel that is their service.

>> i missed it. >> you have to watch the office to get the joke. [laughter] that is the name of the company is the dunderhead biffle and award it is a real award for a fictional show. [laughter] and michael does a much better job running and eight. >> thank you very much. [inaudible conversations] and [inaudible conversations]

>> this is mission control in houston please call for a check. >> discovery i s us how do you hear me? >> i read you loud and clear. >> this is abc news for commander poindexter it looks like you have a packed house but we're celebrating a lot of anniversaries and will your reflect on the accomplishments of the space program and your vision you would like to see where things go in the future? >> they do for the question and denies talking to you again today. april 12 we celebrated too great anniversary is the first is with our russian partners send it was 1961 of course, the second was the anniversary of the first

launch of the space shuttle with capt. john young and i think it is a great way to reflect on all of the accomplishments as well as international partnership together but as you can see you have three nations represented with cosmonauts and i think is great to rear on the international space station running together with joint technology programs and doing wonderful work for all of humankind. >> i am from bay area houston magazine. the question, what have you enjoyed most about your mission so far and was a beautiful things have been seen?

>> i was very impressed the first time it is a great feeling. >> and of course, it was the launch with the so use rocket ship first launched for me and alexander nine minutes of four bit it is like the orme it was very impressive. >> thank you. i have a similar question

for alexander bread to it was for you to have your lead to a head you seen. >> thank you very much for your question and it was exciting for me and i say it was my first experience to be in space and to blunt the famous. >> kie this is robert pearl floor clay anderson one of the things of apollo 13 which occurred 40 years ago this week the media and public had been turned off from the mission and tell we know you have had minor glitches from this flight but you feel the public should be more aware of the mission when things are

going nominal? >> yes. they should. what we do here is special and difficult and what we do is a great example of what humans can do if they were charged or smite the door together elevate to see everybody pay more attention when we're up here regardless of going well or poorly. >> a question for a doggie looking at the photographs when you attended space camp and thinking of the campers that have followed you can you give a sense of how it compares to what it would be like at age 14 and it looks like you're having just as much fun. >> when i was that space camp one of my simulations was to be in the lab and it

was more of the space have on a shuttle but actually i had a chance to go through the experiments that are going on. of flight we don't have time to participate but this is what i would have imagined as a 14 year-old what a space lab looks like. the shuttle ride was very exciting nothing i could never imagine but high hopes of them all students out there whether attending space cap taste space camp are not are interested in pursuing their passion. >> discovery iss that concludes questions. please stand by for a voice check. discovery iss how do you hear me? >> loud and clear. >> from the associated press

probably for commander poindexter do have any plans are hopes of listening in realtime to the presidential policy speech going on tomorrow afternoon at kennedy space center? you will still be up but i don't know if mission control will try to accommodate you do feel removed being up there and a missing the space goings on with the new policy's being announced? >> that is a good question we are real busy bond were writ with the transfer operations and to morale was the big day to put it back in the payload we're keeping abreast of all current news mission control cents us news every day on the space station they have assets that allow us to get current

news so we stay abreast of most of the current news and as far as realtime i don't know of any plans to tie us and for that at all. >> thank you. and a question for any or from the upside-down women how is it having a crowd for women in space at the same time what does it say for a woman? >> certainly is a pleasure to be part of a mission was two additional women nor three women enjoy 18 terrie caldwell on the air and is a testament to the hard work as women. we have the benefit of the mentor ships of many women now have baying 50 women is space is say testament to

their accomplishments and hopefully inspire young women to follow in our footsteps and pursue their dreams to mike have there been the advantages to have some money on space for this flight eight? >> due to discipline and background we bring in a unique perspective and a different look at procedures or activities of that is that we believe an additional aspect to the mission and it is nice to be able to share this experience with the shuttle and the space station. >> the final question for either clay anderson or the other, if you had to struggle with polls bolts you must be pretty tucker about how tiring was that

how tired are you today and do you really need the day off? >> >> it may seem that we were working hard really weaver doing more thinking pay and working we worked with mission control and those in the space station to figure out a plan to get the tankan plays brett up physically it was not too difficult today we feel fine and if necessary we will go well for future space walks but hopefully those will not be required we will enjoy our day off and we look forward to more work and returning home shirley. >> discovery iss that includes questions. please stand by for a police check.

>> disk every iss had you hear me? >> i hear you loud and clear. >> greetings to all of the members you may have a flawless launch a and i am from sirius/xm radio of a question with only three missions left what are your feelings or emotions knowing this will be your final shuttle mission and the program is winding down? >> thanks for your question and proud to represent the country's and it is just a lucky experience that more people could have but i feel honored to be a part of the

program we hate to see it go now has the vehicle's age it is time to say goodbye and look forward to others and it is time to celebrate all of the accomplishments of the shuttle program has brought over the last 29 years. >> with that in mind capt. where will you be one year from now? >> i think i will be back in houston with my hands up in line for another space flight is. >> hello. i am with the national public radio for the american residents, i do feel there is any need for more crew emergency a space craft when the shuttle is

not talk to? >> -- docked. >> actually we have quite a bit of confidence than the so use that brought us here. there is enough room in case of an emergency the one thing we will miss the most about the shuttle is the magnificent vehicle that it is but the payload power to bring up necessary supplies and this bears and that will be one of the most crucial things we will mess with having only soyuz vehicles attached but as far as our safety and our confidence in the being to evacuate with an emergency i think all of us here feel very confident with the vehicles that we do have. >> discovery iss that

concludes questions from nasa headquarters. please stand by a with a voice check. >> this is moscow. how you hear me? >> we read you loud and clear moscow's. >> i am wondering how does it feel emotionally to be in space with the zero gravity to see the world with dave perspective most of us cannot see. this is your first mission and are you mesmerized issue see the earth? and how does it compare to your first mission? >> the first thing i can share living in space is a wonderful experience and as a kid you sometimes dream of flying and floating we live that now. we ask it an inside focus

gin and it is breathtaking of the windows provide a list of that makes you stop brett favre was working on the weightlifting device and volume was doing fat we've passed over chicago and it was so stunning i just had to take a look. is spectacular. >> also i anders stand that one of the hobbies is singing and how does that affect your vocal range? could we get some music from you? >> no chance of that. [laughter] one of my singing buddies is here with me in the fourth row and when all of the

cameras are turned off weekend a moment of off-duty we plan to crank up the tunes into a little singing but there has not been very much opportunity since i got here it is full of adaptation in getting prepared for the crew to arrive. >> how low. you have received new crew members on board dictated change the process of life on the iss? to mike that is a very interesting question our

schedule is procedures with the sit schedule because we have worked and rest scheduled to be participating in federal activities helping accomplish their tasks. >> working as one accrue quite intense and we are glad to have the opportunity to have the afternoon off we will spend it and thank you tin to technology is i hope there will be test but to think it will have been to the mission of like to see

it start someday because it is very interesting the iss with a technological test base for space exploration for the humankind. >> how often do the crew members get together and where? >> >> we have an informal gathering point* in the module they liars lunch table is located and it is a very good tradition for us to welcome guests around the table and they have space to sit-in but otherwise we ran into somewhere in the station and in the shuttle discovery they are always

glad to see us there we see no borders there is one station. >> this is stacy with russian that today. this is the second mission compared to your first? >> this is my second mission iowa's on the shuttle and the shuttle mission and every day is a new day and very exciting but the station is a controlled and slow pace. i enjoyed both of them but the discovery time have a good memory selanne jury sharing my time with you. >> discovery iss this is houston acr that includes questions from moscow please stand by for a voice checks. >> we are back with you room

just for the jackson event. >> we read you loud and clear. >> before becoming amerus shun to it. [inaudible] what did you think when you were walking to it? >> the people the first time i walked and i realized that it was in this space it was fairly moving.

if it was cherished end their is a lot of experience and experiment that people really use. also, i am very, very happy i have been able. >> this question is two per us well and a half to a may rate hhl and you negative he too yourself for what reason and did you realize said blake it is covering up the shuttle mission? to mike the commander at at budget could be like mike can work and space.

>> and but then the setian of the birth of the station is you are going well on time but it does a great night him it is beating the japanese broke out? >> thinks it to them to work the job is going very smoothly and we are supporting together and getting the support some of our mission is up front. if i score myself we're doing 100%. and of the japanese this will be the last shuttle mission and the it exterior

is the base for this mission and i think. even though this is the last shuttle mission, it to take advantage to experience of the future space exploration and. >> it has been 11 years since you got involved in this training and what did you think at the very moment when the shuttle was launched after 11 years? >> you are right. it has been 11 years and three experienced. of the mission in training has been for one year so when the shuttle is launched, i really realized

that we're going through this space and it is a moving and touching moment. then with the space shuttle that is the same as markup and i saw that was the same as the markup but in the next instance i got the movement is. >> yesterday, know the day before, you had with nine -- but i have that two but you to discuss the children of the universe and i say you are looking at the star and this guy and the space that you came to the space did it change your view of nature or thinking

in general? >> >> even with the mental school. i hard to the element of the arts and of the universe are the same prayer iran was touching and when i came to the universe i really realized the art, the parts of the universe i do not know how to express the view of the nature from the space that is the touching and a beautiful and the spectacular with the ability your the potential of the human power. it has evoked 10,000 or more people involved in the exploration.

you are admired and is supported by a lot of working mothers supporting their families. yes. and also you would express the gratitude to your family and people surrounding you. in the japanese culture it is hard to say something. please give us some advice regarding these managers. >> thank you very much for your question. there is no gender difference in the states and i 8md expanded universe when they came to the states i was very inspired so it has

been 11 years for me to come to the states. please do not rush. when the time comes, anybody can come. it was not only my capabilities but my family and husband and children and other people supporting me end if it was hard for me that i did not want to think the gratitude. >> good to this planet keeping you this space station like and japan and also to express the meaning and the value as a human

being too deep bed execute the mission. . .

was it worth waiting for these 11 years and since there are four women up in this case did you do anything special for them >> i think even if it takes so many years is worth coming over here. the sunset and so beautiful the

atmosphere grows like a rainbow color and so beautiful. we are taking pictures together. wi-fi iraqis for the first time what did you think and did you communicate when you were off-duty? >> i was so happy to tell the truth because one of my colleagues came to this base so i was nostalgic and happy to see the off-duty time and on negative duty time, too the activity was done together so we

were communicating in japanese language so i [inaudible] your duty was then manipulate and if you're going to come back to space again type of would you like to engage in? >> [speaking in native tongue >> translator: i enjoyed manipulation and the load shop, too anna that payload activities are so enjoyable so the next time i come back i can enjoy them, too and if i can stay for

a long time maybe i can invoke in the conspire met, too. >> this was the last japanese shuttle mission. what would you like to communicate to the japanese people and bring back from space >> [speaking in native tongue >> translator: thank you three much for your question. this might be the last japanese shuttle mission the states exploration does not end and there are a lot of technological development and expected in the inc's they can be brought back to the arc for the future space

exploration and space development. thank you. >> discovery this is houston, thank you. that concludes the event. >> thank you. nasa headquarters, moscow and japanese media discovery we are now resuming operational audio. >> nasa is considering adding an extra day to the space shuttle discovery mission. the decision on the repair will be made tomorrow. and president obama travels to the kennedy space center in florida on thursday. the president will talk about the administration's plans for changing the direction of the nation's human space flight program.

now a hearing on security efforts along the nation's southwest border. the witnesses are the heads of customs border protection and immigration. they discuss the at and attrition efforts to combat the violent drug cartels among the border into mexico. david price of north carolina shares the appropriations of committee. this is about one hour and 20 minutes. >> the subcommittee will come to order. this morning we will be focusing on the southwest border and the challenges that the department

of homeland security continues to face in that part of the country. our southwestern border region possesses a rich history, shared culture over the centuries and landed on surpassed natural beauty. it is not a faraway land please but an inextricable part of homeland. with millions of hard-working families and vital and diverse economy. cross border trade is an important part of the picture. 80% of mexico's exports and half of its imports are with united states and 10% of the country's overall trade is mexico. however the trade statistics exclude drugs. over 90% of the cocaine entering the country is estimated to pass through mexico which is the country's largest supplier of marijuana and methamphetamines. the u.s. appetite for drugs as nurtured powerful and corrupt cartels with tens of billions of dollars in criminal proceeds.

these international criminal organizations routinely violate our borders to traffic drugs and weapons and money and to smuggle undocumented aliens. but it's the violence of the cartel's and the disruption that now dominate the news. over 18,000 people including 79 americans have died in mexico since president culbert own confronted the cartel's. the fertility, the world and disregard for by standards including women and children and the impunity with which of the cartels have opatpalling. the question we raised in the prior hearings when we go today is are we making progress against the cartels, making our borders harder to export -- exploit, and reducing the risk of violence will spread. >> i believe there is not much point in debating with the cartel violence spilled over into the united states were

close relationship with mexico means we cannot ignore the violence regardless of when and whether it crosses the land physically. the death in march of three persons associated with the u.s. consulate intensified assaults against border patrol agents including the murder of two. the kidnapping and murder of u.s. residence in texas and the recent homicide arizona rancher all remind us of the threats of marco violence. the truth is the cartels are engaged in criminal activities every day in the cities and communities on both sides of the border and not just along the border. we need to focus on meaningful ways to deal with cartels and their violence on the border and beyond. this hearing falls on the first anniversary of the administration announcements of its southwest border initiative. secretary napolitano noted

during a recent visit to mexico that cbp and i.c.e.'s enhanced efforts have resulted in record caesars of drugs, firearms and smuggled cash. she also cite the unprecedented cooperation with mexico on the information sharing during training. cross border communications and trade. today from our witnesses we want an assessment of how successful the dhs efforts are and can become and we will pose such questions as how would you agree efforts to prosecute drug and trafficking cases in mexico given that mexico has its own immigration issues. well of our cooperation help improve u.s. security against a temps by non-mexicans to enter the u.s. through mexico. does the fiscal year 2011 budget in april cbp and ilyse to sustain a long-term effort to counter the cartel's. how effective for the joint efforts of the federal, state and local agencies including

backing them up when they are seriously out mant or outgunned? we also want to understand how investment we have made to date are complicating life for the cartels. these include the secure border initiatives. the border enforcement security task force, the deployment of air and marine aspects, tunnell detection and the stylish and a four per operating locations are checkpoints. our subcommittee is pleased to welcome this morning commissioner of u.s. customs and border protection and assistant john morton the director of u.s. immigration and customs enforcement to bring us up-to-date on the status of this issue in light of expanded stuffing equipment and other resources that the congress has provided to enable the agencies to work with federal state and local partners as well as with the government of mexico to overhaul the cartels. the secretary appeared on this topic with the commissioner's

first time for the subcommittee. we welcome. we expect your unit law enforcement and personal experience is given a realistic perspective what can be accomplished on the border. we look forward to hearing from you from both of you today. we will insert your complete statement and the hearing record so we would ask you to summarize your presentation and a five minute oral presentation to be we will begin with commissioner bersen followed by mr. morton the first one to this debate could turn to the distinguished ranking member. >> thank you mr. chairman and thank you for this hearing because there is no more important topic for american security than the southwest border. commissioner bersen has as the tremendous this marks your first appearance before the

subcommittee to be given your extensive experience working in southern california and your service in this administration's border czar over the past year look forward to hearing your views on the border security. and back to the assistant secretary morton. we meet again. i appreciate you being here and look forward to your strong views on the border enforcement as well. as the chairman noted, it has been over, just over a year since this administration launched its southwest border security initiative, an effort that has surged resources to further enhance our border security and support the courageous actions of the mexican government against the cartels. while this initiative has resulted in some noteworthy seizures of drugs and modest

interdiction of weapons, the murder rate continues to soar. the purity of marijuana and methamphetamine remains stubbornly high and mexico appears years away from sufficiently reforming its customs and immigration services as well as sustaining resilient local law enforcement. in fact, the cartels appear in gold and as ever demonstrated by the continued escalation of violence and the recent assertion of a well-known mexican drug lord to the media that, quote, mexico's's war on the drug trade is futile even if the cartel bosses are caught or killed, and of the quote. so during. according to several published reports, mounting drug violence in mexico has killed more than

19,500 people since president tone for launched his effort against the cartels in 2006. furthermore, the pace of homicides continue to escalate. most notably in juarez as the transit where the average number of murders per month approaches 200. more than six murders a day on average in one city on the border in mexico. but just as this drug war seems to be reaching a tipping point, my fear is though our political resolve to adequately sustain this fight is on the verge of slipping the president's fiscal even touch it not only curbs' cbp's operational resources and reduces funding for border security technology and infrastructure it also severely

cuts the coast guard and its drug interdiction capabilities to the point where the amount of cocaine seized will decline by an estimated 11.3%. explain that. such reductions to operations will undoubtedly in power the cartel's and put more pressure on the border. in the midst of this drug war, when our border under siege how can we possibly support a budget that is knowingly letting our guard down and allowing more drugs, more illegals and contraband to flow across the border into the country? how can we justify this? and apart from the dhs wall fiscally but in budget request,

there are other hon pressing her questions. how can we accept the administration's recent pronouncements of the troubled spi net program when we have yet to receive the legislative required expenditure plan for that program for the next fiscal year, for fiscal ten, the current fiscal year? and why does the administration repeatedly assert that, quote, violence is not spilling over when one, our own just department amidst the cartels that would reach all across this country and to every city and now almost every village durham that cartel organizations all across this land not just on the border. this also gets the border patrol continuing to increase and

indigent was murdered in cold blood last year. another with its face caved in a few days ago, a well-known arizona rancher murdered last month on his own property, u.s. consulate personnel murdered. another consulate balm the past weekend and as "the washington post" reported on april 4th the cartel's contract killers are operating with near impunity on both sides of the border but including the u.s.. contract killers hired by a foreign cartel murdering americans. what are you going to do about that?

and beyond the efforts of the past year and escalated violence what are the next steps that need to be taken against this threat? if there's one thing i'm certain of and my experience as a state prosecutor for 11 years, the d.a. and my years here in this body it is that drugs was a grave and unrelenting effort to the safety and security of the united states. therefore we must do all we can to secure the border, for to these cartels and put a stop to their savage criminality and their murderous ways so the challenge presented to the dhs is clear. my question which is the same as the border violence last november is whether or not we are up to the challenge and when

i pose this question i am now wondering whether we have the proper resources in place to simply disrupt this organized cross border crime. i'm wondering just as i did last november whether we have the will to actually break its back. now i realize that is a tough chore and i'm quite certain that it is a worthy fight and surely this country has the capability to protect our border from organized criminal ventures spreading its tentacles across every inch of america. this is a serious problem securing our border is not a

mere luxury, it is a worthy fight we must win. as of today mr. chairman i'm not only interested in assessing the progress in this fight with the cartel's, i'm interested in learning what more we can do to combat this clear and present threat to the united states and its citizens. thank you bet. >> thank you. all right we will now begin with the commissioner. >> good morning chairman price, ranking member rogers, members of the subcommittee and staff i appreciate this opportunity to provide an update on our efforts to combat the threat of violence along the southwest border and to discuss my vision for the southern border has customs and border protections new

commissioner. the committee has been extremely supportive of the cbp over the years in meeting our difficult mission and we are grateful for your support and continued guidance. the significant investments you have made in cdp helps protect the country from a variety of threats in putting those generated by organized criminal organizations operating trends nationally in mexico. before serving as the cbp commissioner of worked many years as a prosecutor on the border and in other positions with dhs and the department of justice. during this time i worked closely with what both u.s. law enforcement colleagues at all levels, state, local, county, federal and tribal as well as with our counterparts in mexico. the level of cooperation that we see today between the united states and mexico under

president felipe colin none is unprecedented and provides a historic opportunity. president tauter run's willingness to address the growing problems in the drug cartels is nothing short of her a quick. it presents a unique opportunity to expand the deepen coordinated law enforcement operations between the countries. we recognize this is a journey that will not be accomplished overnight but the important point is that it is a journey which the first steps have been taken. having worked and lived most of my life in border communities i recognize the concerns of our citizens regarding drug-related violence that has taken place on both sides of the border. it has been and continues as a deeply serious threat. most recently the tragic murder of robert, an arizona rancher

and a leader in his community is an outrage and a tragedy. it points to the continuing problem. secretary napolitano has committed significant resources to bring this pillar or killers to justice. immediately after the shooting the cbp provided air and marine assets and trackers to find signs of the suspects. furthermore, cbp dispatched additional mobile surveillance systems, supplemented air surveillance and transferred and employed 64 additional border patrol agents into the area. while individual incidents of violence are not a new phenomenon along the border, we are determined to prevent the kind of widespread violence that continues to take place every day in northern mexico crossing over the border into the united states in the form in which it appears in mexico.

in march of 2009 secretary napolitano announced the comprehensive southwest border strategy aimed at preventing spillover violence and helping the government of mexico crackdown on drug cartels in that country. over the past year, cdp has supported that initiative by adopting the doctrine of responsibility acknowledging the drugs coming north as part and parcel of a cycle of violence that involves both cash and weapons going south. the deal with these issues national security issues for both countries cbp has increased cooperation with mexico to coordinate border inspections of law enforcement operations. we've enhanced our information sharing and continue to build intelligence cooperation. we've deflect joint strategic approaches to our common

problems. and we've continued to increase capacity building at 473. just last month cbp opened the operations intelligence coordination center in tucson arizona. this new facility serves as a centralized location for gathering and disseminating a real-time data. actionable information to help increase security along the southwest border and to put information into the hands of our agents on the ground. since last november when active commissioner jason testify before this subcommittee cdp has continued its enhanced efforts on an album operation to prevent weapons and currency and fuel drug-related violence that occurs in mexico. as a part of this strategy we've expanded our license plate reader program, the lpr program. we invested non-interest of technology and deployed additional border patrol agents

on the scene to the wheels of deployed mobile response teams, canine teams and other resources to increase the post search operations looking at what is leaving our country as we concentrate on what is coming into our country. these outbound efforts have been successful. they are an important step in the right direction. since the southwest border initiative was launched last year cbp has seized more than $30 million in the southbound cash along the southwest border. it together with our cooperative efforts with i.c.e. the numbers are greater and growing. let me to conclude in a moment to address the huge strategy. in addition to keeping america's borders safe and secure cbp recognizes we must promote economic competitiveness throughout north america. security and trade and promise

go hand in hand. security comes first. but we can be economically competitive as we enhance our security. we will adopt strategies and simultaneously improve security and expedite legitimate trade and travel. smarter targeting and risk segmentation allow law enforcement authorities mike cbp to focus their energy on the relatively small amount legitimate cargo that poses a threat to the public safety as well as to our economic prosperity. we can have an enhanced security while reducing the cost of inconvenience. the legitimate goods and local travelers. cbp has made some turn this strides in this area by implementing a traveler programs such as the fast program the free and secure trade program and the secure electronic program on the southern border.

these programs complement the glenchur program at airports and the nexus program on our northern border. the expedite entry for low risk travelers and cargo while allowing our officers to focus on more high-risk individuals and shipments. working with the public private and international partners we believe we can continue to have greater security and greater prosperity to. finally let me speak to you again for this opportunity to appear here my first as many as the cdp's new commissioner. i'm honored to be built to share with you the good work the men and women of the cdp do each day to safeguard the nation's security. thank you. >> thank you, commissioner. mr. norton. >> mr. chairman, mr. rogers, members of the committee, thanks once again for inviting me to appear before you to testify on

this subject. let me also take a moment to welcome my new colleague, commissioner bersen to his post. he is great insight and experience when it comes to the border into mexico and i look forward to working with him as we train i.c.e. and cbp on making the border and much more secure and safe place. since i last testified before you on this subject, we have as both the chairman and mr. rogers noted witnessed several acts of violence against u.s. citizens and in particular we have seen the outrageous killing of three individuals associated with u.s. commerce what in juarez and the cow were the murder of the rancher in on the mexican northern border. first let me say on behalf of all ec i expand heartfelt sympathies to lesley ann reed is, her husband, arthur as well

as jorge and to the family. while i can't get into the specifics of the open and on the investigations into these cases, i can assure you one thing, both i.c.e. and cbp acted very swiftly and aggressively in response to both sets of killings. we are working with partners in mexico and the united states as we speak to try to solve these murders and bring the killers to justice. in the case i.c.e. is the lead agency assisting county sheriff's office with the investigation assigned special agents full-time to the case and we've devoted full resources of the office in mexico to this and we've offered a reward to bring the killers to justice. my message today to use simple. i.c.e. shares the concern that many have over the presence of

organized crime in mexico and along the border. we are committed to vigilance and sustained attack on the criminal networks that seek to smuggle drugs, guns, money and people to and from mexico. this commitment is more than rhetorical. thanks to the increased appropriations we've received from the subcommittee over the past two years there has never been in the history of our agency more i.c.e. agents and deportation officers devoted to the selfless border and the results are promising. let me start with the staff. approximately one-quarter of the special agents are devoted to the fight offices in the four border states. the same is true of the detention and removal officers. a quarter of our entire staff. we have now ten of our 17 border enforcement security task forces on the southwest border.

two in california, three in mexico -- excuse to come to in mexico, three in arizona and three in texas. we have the letter informed in mexico city itself. by the end of the year we will have 40 i.c.e. agents in mexico both mexico city and in border cities along the border. again the largest presence we've ever had in any country in the history. we have six special assistance united states attorney's devoted to prosecuting border cases in border u.s. attorney's office is and i am personally committed to significantly increasing the number and we are in the process of working with the deputy attorney general to do just that. to give you a flavor of the results over the past year, we have seen in the houston office a 64% increase in the drug seizures from san diego, 23 present increase in the drug seizures, 30% increase in currencies teachers and in phoenix a 50 per cent increase in criminal convictions and

overall 11% increase in administrative arrest of criminal offenders along the southwest border. as welcome as the successes are we intend to do more. the drug-trafficking cartels remain a very serious threat to both mexico and the united states fueling unacceptably high levels of violence in juarez and elsewhere in mexico. this is a fight. it is a very real and nasty fight and it's one that will to keep results and deep commitment to win but we have to win. there is no rational alternative. i see is going after the cartels and other organized criminals in mexico in many ways. first pursuing initiatives on the southwest border firearms trafficking, and we are also attacking the alien smuggling industry and transnational gangs to operate on both sides of the border and in this respect we are increasingly doing it hand in hand with our other federal

law enforcement partners namely the dea and the fbi. second, we will continue to match our power of investigation seizure and deportation with the cbp impressive power of inspection and interdiction. between the two of us, working closely, we can make the border and transit zones but the mexican side and u.s. side hostile place is for the criminal networks. third, we're going to increase efforts with mexican law enforcement to investigate cases, share intelligence and been proved professionalism training and i want to focus on the concrete here, real cases, real criminals, real jeal time. fourth, we need to develop better intelligence sharing among all of the federal and local law in force the agencies involved and finally i want to harness the full power of the local law enforcement partners on intelligence offices in the town the week to attend southwest border. all of these are described in more detail in my submitted

written remarks but they just reflect the absolute commitment we have to try to get this right. since my last testimony here we also stepped up specific efforts in and around juarez and el paso. this involves taking such extraordinary steps as stopping all removals of criminals and not the criminals to juarez. we are expanding the illegal drug program in which we prosecute with the mexicans individuals in mexico for the offenses that occur in the united states and we are working with the mexican equivalent. let me close by saying we -- we are seeing results from the efforts. i can assure everyone here we are mindful of the seriousness of the problem. we spend an enormous of of time trying to think about getting it right, doing things differently, being more innovative. it is a very serious challenge. alan and i have talked about a lot. we are both sober individuals.

we are not crittenden in any way this isn't a challenge that confronts the nation. we have a long, long history and federal law enforcement and i think it's great to be an important combination of the power and federal government, cooperation with state and local law enforcement and a much better and improved relationship that will lead to success at the end. thank you >> thanks to both of you for your testimony. you mentioned the cooperative efforts underway with the mexican government to get he elaborated on their results that's produced what to expect from it, what you hope we can accomplish in that regard because we all know that that cooperation is absolutely

essential. mr. secretary, secretary napolitano well with her counterparts in the state and defense met with their mexican counterparts in february and march and signed agreements on intelligence sharing, border and air security cooperation and we would be interested in your take on the significance of those agreements and what difference they will make in your work and what kind of results you would anticipate. but let me be a little more specific. i would like first commissioner bersen to ask you about the efforts on the mexican side to greatly beef up military and law enforcement presence in the northern part of the country. when the president, president calderon took over in 2006 to the mexican military in charge

of security and policing for juarez and other northern mexican areas and it was reported at the time the local police were demoralized, corruption problems, they were overwhelmed by the cartel's. now there's been a replacement of those military forces or replaced in number of them with federal police who've now arrived as of april 8th. what can you tell about that? what can we conclude from that? is that good news in the sense that signaling enhanced capacity from the police? what mix of forces are we looking at and what would be your assessment of the way on the mexican side these forces have been deployed? >> mr. chairman, of all of the remarkable changes that have taken place in mexico and the bilateral relationship with regard to confront an organized

crime, one of the most extraordinary was the recognition and public acceptance by president calderon that much of mexico's law enforcement and judiciary if not all of it was subject to corruption and that corruption in the tentacles and influence of organized crime have tainted will enforcement and the judiciary tall levels of mexican society. since that time, since 2006, they have begun under president culbert run's leadership the transformation of law enforcement into a reliable instrument of public policy focusing for the most part on federal police and federal enforcement authorities. ssp, the secretary of public safety in the engineer of

[inaudible] i think it is a very positive step and one that will overtime began to produce dividends. secretary napolitano as well as secretary morton and myself have been to the headquarters in mexico city which just and a corporate and technological sense is impressive indicates the commitment that's been made fiscally to build a federal law enforcement presence. the plan is to move towards 20,000 federal police and what we've seen recently in juarez was the decision that recognized while the military because the lack of local law enforcement would continue to have a role to play in dealing with organized crime that infected the long term solution was to substitute the military presence with a law enforcement presence and that is beginning to happen in juarez which the primary enforcement duties are being transitioned to

psychiatry garcia with the military remaining but in a protective stance, and i believe that is the way it will show significant improvement in the near term as well as over the longer term. >> your assessment is that this number 18 mark of increased capacity, greatly improved capacity on the part of the police and secondly that that is the optimum long-term pattern the military would remain in that supportive role but would not be the primary force. what return to the controlled substance pilot project that is an agreement between the mexican attorney general, i.c.e. and cdp that enables them, the mexicans to prosecute drug smuggling cases for whatever reasons those

cases are declined by the u.s. attorney's office. there's a similar program for aliens smuggler prosecution on the oasis program. so assistant secretary bersin, you refer to the first to convictions from this new drug prosecution program. you don't make a reference to the prosecution's for alien smuggling. but can you tell about the impact under way or that you anticipate from the to cooperative programs? is there reason to believe the mexican authorities are able and willing to accelerate prosecution's? what kind of specific reports can you give us? >> i can tell you that the initial results are very promising here in less than a year we've gone from having no pilot programs addressing drug

prosecutions on the mexican side to the to and we are in active discussions with the federal prosecutor's office about expanding it. the basic idea is simply this, but we have a number of drug offenses that occur on our side of the border particularly points of entry that for a variety of reasons i.c.e. is able to investigate with assistance from cdp but are not accepted for prosecution and that mexican federal law provides a fairly significant penalty for that conduct and reaches that conduct assuming mexicans were involved and the mexican standards of proof are different and allow prosecution in certain instances where we can't do it so it makes a lot of sense and so far so good and we've done the same thing with smuggling offenses for quite

some time off through oasis and i am cautiously optimistic we are going to stop the considering the pilots and move to a broad based prosecution program hand-in-hand with mexicans for low-level offenses involving mexicans on their side and as we've seen the a starting to convict people and send them to jail. >> thank you, mr. rogers. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> by every account, public and private, the threat on the border is increasing. the violence is increasing. the audacity of the criminal cartels is growing by the minute according to the department of justice most recent national drug threat assessments released

in february of this year the cartels are not only, quote, the single greatest trafficking threat to the united states, they also have operations in every region of the u.s. and are expanding into the more rural and suburban areas according to cnn reports. and the cartel's according to that report has partnered with u.s. street gangs and prison gangs for drug distribution to such the extent that, quote, mexican drug trafficking organizations control most of the wholesale cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine distribution in the united states as well as much of the marijuana distribution. do you agree with that?

>> yes, sir. >> the report also says that a greater levels of heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine are blowing across the border than ever before. and project availability of such drugs to increase. have i understated the threat that is on the border? >> i think not, mr. rogers. >> then how can you justify coming here to this congress and asking us to decrease the amount of money and personnel and border patrol faced with this ever growing threat to the security, how can you justify that? >> congressman, with regard to the fiscal year 2011 request that the love of the border patrol agents we've seen

remarkable committee and that growth will continue to increase while we saw a slight decrease from 09 to 2010, 20,000 to wondered 94, the cbp officers including and 20,019 border patrol agents we will maintain a level of 20,163 over 20 ladens in fact with regard to the border patrol budget calls for maintenance the unprecedented levels that this committee has been instrumental in providing us on this border. >> you're still cutting air and marine operations. and coast guard. >> the cuts in the introduction agents but not in the assets, yes it's from 891 to 839 under

the budget that is -- >> when you finished the first iteration of the budget request you would have cut 1100 border patrol agents. some of us read 1100 coast guard's personnel and then when you heard the noise appear against that kind of cut you came back with a budget request that restored some of that personnel but you're still cutting the air and marine operations and other aspects. i just wonder how in the dickens you can justify that given the threat we are facing by all accounts including your own. >> mr. martin, you've been silent for a while. what do you say? >> i.c.e.'s budget has the

increase and the budget for this year annualizes the enhancement we receive in fy 2010 and i'm quite confident the president's budget is going to sustain us of the highest levels ever and we all of a modest increase. >> you know, mr. chairman, the old-fashioned idea of the border patrol and i see is supposed to do is to protect us against the traditional threat along the border. illegal aliens particularly. but the problem on the border has evolved into huge changes and huge danger and that is criminality, drugs and contraband and that sort of thing which is a law enforcement

problem and i've been long critical of the administration the previous one and this one for not recognizing that the border is more of a criminal problem than it is now anything else yet we do not have enough of the nation's law enforcement manpower on the border. i'm talking st john, dea and those agencies that buy drugs and criminality and this thing is getting out of hand and i wonder what either of you see that we could be giving that we've not thought about or not planned for yet. are we doing all that we can do? >> congressman, there are always improvements that can be made in terms of the strategy and resource in taking place over the last decade in the the last five years i think what we do is continue to get better and

improved the mix and alignment of other resources that have been provided. 21,000 border patrol agents prepares favorably to what existed when i first met you 15 years ago by a factor of almost six. we've seen dramatic increases in the lead to develop the capacity of these wonderful men and women who served as journeymen who have the opportunity to become journeymen border patrol agents. we need to build on the intelligence sharing and build on technology that is available and coordinate with were sister and agencies like i.c.e. in a more effective way. all of this is a work in progress so i wouldn't for a moment suggest the work is done with the challenges that are supreme, they are. but in fact we stand better

resources than we have been and we need to develop and see that the resources that have been given our deployed most effectively and aligned with technical equipment capacities that are frankly unparalleled for would exist in the past. >> on the point of the border facing the level of criminality that needs to be reflected in the changed strategy and approach. i think that is one of the sort of great promises i.c.e. holds. as you alluded to the often thought of in the context of enforcement but at the same time we of the second largest agency with nearly 7,000 special agents. we sold jobs to investigate crime and we need to harness both of those powers in a

focused way on the border to address the problems that have arisen and in terms of what can we do better one of the things you mentioned earlier on the report from the department of justice that pointed up the relationship between the cartel's and gang members and district level distribution we did something differently this year and it was the first time we've ever done it and we need to do more of it and that is i.c.e. does a lot of transnational gang removal. we've typically done in terms of looking at ns 13, look at this gang. our day here on lawfully, let's remove the members from the community from the general public safety perspective. for the first time we took the report you were talking about and said this time let's focus on those gangs that also have a direct connection to the cartels and the distribution of narcotics, and we did a nationwide and we ended up with nearly 800 people and that is

the kind of thing where we to match the civil power with criminal power in a coordinated way so that we are not as removing gang members we are removing the gang members furthering the efforts of specific cartels and we are going to do more of it. >> my time is about expired. can i ask one quick question and it relates to the gangs, the contract killers the cartels are now engaged in and contract with the dollar apparently responsible for thousands of murders on both sides of the border. what can you talk about what we are doing time in trying to break the cycle timing of the gang of killers? >> i'm not familiar with a level of contract killings at that particular report refers to. i will say this and i prefer to see more about it in private rather than public.

the relationship between i.c.e. and dea is the closest it's ever been in our country's history and i don't want to suggest it's perfect. we can always work to make it better but there is a lot going on in that regard i think is promising. we need to do the same with fbi, i.c.e.'s rolph am i border patrol security has been good but not particularly strategics 20 to welcome that some more in that area. >> the "washington post" of april 4th carried the story about the heavily tattooed gang long operating across the border in el paso to the drugs, stealing cars and in juarez the organization according to this report now specializes contract killing for the alves drug cartel and according to the u.s. law enforcement it may have been involved in as many as half of

the 200600 murders in the city in the past year alone and that is just one town, one city. can you follow-up on that and give us a report? >> would be happy to. >> thank you. >> thank you. let me thank you for being here with us today and what you for all of us to the country keeping us safe. commissioner and mr. secretary, as you know i represent one of the largest districts in the nation. i of 785 miles along the border. i have 17 border stations and points of entry and crossings and three border patrol sectors and i want to take this opportunity to invite both of you to come to the district. i have had the sre