what is -- but what is important is not the length of the process, but what is important is whether we're be discouraged by obvious calls -- obstacles and backtracking or if we go forward, and i'm convinced if we have the necessary patience, if we are not discouraged by obstacles, if we pursue our path towards monetary and fill call union, and -- fiscal union, then we'll complete this monetary and fiscal union and we'll have overcome our obstacles and reached our mission at the beginning of the crisis, not that only europe survived, but that europe is much stronger than it was since the beginning. [applause] then we'll have a new europe that is more stable.

ladies and gentlemen, oh weaponed the path to the new europe in the last couple weeks, one that is full of solidarity and has more trust. the german government worked a lot for that. we used all the measures we could, and we requested not only solidarity in europe, but also that each government takes us own responsibility. takes its own responsibility as long as the member states are responsible for their own budget, and it is in the current treaty. as long as they take their responsibility seriously, then we will all make it. one's own responsibility is the first pillar of the new path.

some progress has been accomplished, and we recognize it, and we will reward it. ireland, for instance, made huge efforts to regain the trust of the markets. they have had structural reforms. they export more. in portugal, they have a huge consensus to pursue the reforms, and the latest data that we have from portugal are quite encouraging in terms of deficit. in greece, they are working on a bipartisan way to fulfill their duty to strengthen their finances. italy, a few days ago has taken huge reforms, and they have strengthened their objective to have a balanced budget by 2013, and i've talked with the future

prime minister of spain, and he assured me again in spain they're going to pursue the reforms planned in the last government. even the members that are not yet members of the euro to have great efforts to the new structure. let's not forget that it is the citizens who are going to make huge efforts. we are asking a lot for them. we do that so that their countries and the eurozone in general will be more stable, and they deserve all of our thanks and respect. [applause] people have to be responsible, and those who are responsible can count on the solidarity of the other member states. solidarity 1 --

is the second pillar. with the directive at the end of november, we are going to increase the sfs, and last week at the counsel we decided that the central bank, the ecb, has decided to support the esf with its expertise and technical responsibilities. i think this will be very positive. [applause] yeah, you can clap. you can applaud. you can applaud. [applause] yes, you should be better informed. these are good possibilities. good chances for us. we who have guaranteed all of this to the tune of 250 billion euros.

[applause] i think you should not be underestimated with 250 billion. number two, the esm, the mechanism that should replace the esf should be ready in 2012. when we do that, all member states including us will have to pay in capital in this mechanism. i underline all member states, not only the aaa member states will have to put money into the esf. this is the big difference with the esf, and it's an important factor, the fact that capital will now be available, and this increases the credibility that did not exist. the amount will be about 500 billion euros. number three, the imf will have

a fund 245 will be increased with bilat ram contribution from -- bilateral contribution from member state, and so these contributions will be lookout 200 -- will be about 200 billion euros. other members of the international community have been invited to also contribute to this new imf fund. when in fund will be in the imf, they will be managed with all the conditionalities and the strict rules and regulations of the imf. they decided yesterday about the modalities how to work. since the private sector contributes, we are going to stick to the practice of the imf in terms of private sector contributions to the sovereign debt.

the same clauses are going to be applied, the famous tax clause so on the one hand, we will have greece with the voluntary backups, but for the rest, there's much more clarity as to the responsibility of different loaners. number five -- if the situation of the whole eurozone is threatened, we are going to yet take decisions with a higher qualified majority, 85% of the members will have to decide for the regular decisions, for new instruments, for instance, the normal majority is kept. subsidies will be a very last resort. ladies and gentlemen, the crisis that we're going through right now in the euro area is not only

a crisis of the debt. it's also a crisis of credibility, of trust, and the politics and politicians are responsible for that. first, we committed mistakes in the very construction of the euro and the euro zone, and this was aggravated when we added more mistakes, and the principles were not even respected. they were not applied or nobody saw to it that it would be applied. i can only underline that politics in the past caused all these mistakes, and finally, politics decided to correct it and to overcome this crisis of trust and draw conclusions that had to be drawn.

it is only this way that we are going to come out of this acute crisis. also, we need to take prevention measures so that we don't go into the next crisis which would be a lot worse, of course. we have to take preventative measures. that's the third pillar. preventative measures to gain more trust. [applause] we want to have sustainable stability and have new rules, the rules that were in the stability pact that will be respected, will be controlled, and a breach will be punished. these rules should be anchored in a national law or perhaps in the different constitutions of the member states. we are going to have duties that

are going to be at the european level. they will have to be respected with a hesitation or excuses. the translation of the european law in the national law will be supervised by the european court of justice and the commission. this is very important because the court of european justice and the central bank, opposed to politicians, are the two institutions that kept their correct, and therefore, they are still very respected. in the future, we're going to be a lot tougher on the deficit procedure. countries above 3% fall automatically in the deficit procedure unless the majority of the countries decide against it, it's exactly the opposite of

what was in the lisbon treaty, and we're also going to apply that in the deficit procedure, that is to say in the next steps, all of this will be automatic. member states who are in deficit procedures will have to enter into a reform partnership with a detailed reform in order to consolidate their finances. it's no longer the sanctions mentioned earlier in the form of fines, and now in the future it will be binding steps with the commission that is to say it will be the conditionality such as we have for the imf, for instance. the commission and counsel will see to it that all these rules are respected, and we're going

to apply the rule. ladies and gentlemen, we all feel it. the crisis already changed the european union today, and today, we also are getting the bill for all the neglect of the past. last friday, the european council has not committed yet another mistake. such a mistake would be, for instance, to introduce euro bonds. the greek solution, a simple solution, but one not at the root of our problem. they are not appropriate as a measure to save and to solve the problem. the crisis also has certainly enormous importance of the euro for the whole construction the the euro has survived. it is much stronger than the dutch market ever was.

germany noticeably profits from the strength of the euro, and this is only true of the big companies, but also of small and medium enterprises in germany. the euro is much more than a currency. it is a symbol for the depths of the union, and therefore, we're going to be much more united from now on than we ever were before. this is true, especially for the franco-german cooperation, that yielded itself so important and useful in the work that contributed to solidaritying the crisis. [applause] it goes further. we want to use this crisis to improve ourself. this is the chance that this crisis is offering us. the european com last week -- council last week has said that the european union members, euro

or not, will be more tightly united for a better european future. these decision i have discussioned it with my colleague, and i felt they all feel the same thing. we have this new feeling of union, and this will keep way beyond the crisis. it's nothing else than the vision of a real political union, the first contours are showing now. the first sketch. it's much more than just a stability mechanism. a political union means that we're going to grow together with sustainable growth, growth that is turned towards the future, and which will create more jobs in europe.

[applause] therefore, the agreement that we had a year ago with the euro-plus pact will be even more important, but i repeat we all have to fulfill our task, and all of us have to pass laws that take into account other country's situations. every national parliament is at a point now where they have to fake intoing the the situation of the other parliament before they pass along, and we have to take lessons from each other. some tell you it's true. we have been through what we going through one of the worst crisis we have ever known, but we are going to be stronger for it. we all know we're the origins of the crisis. we all are in agreement to fight this crisis. we are all in agreement as to

what way to pursue, and this was unthinkable just a few months ago. the chance of this crisis, and i'm convinced, is much bigger than its risks. it is historical task that we have. the way to overcome this crisis is long, it's hard, but at the end of this path, we're going to have a eurozone that's sustainable, that is stronger, strengthened, and this is the objective. this is the best condition for a good future, a good future for europe, and a good future for germany. the federal government is working on it, and i invite all in this parliament to cricket to it as well. thank you. [applause]

[applause] >> british prime minister cameron was asked wednesday his opinion to veto dealing with the eurozone debt crisis. this came during the last prime minister's questions of the year. this is a little more than a half hour. >> questions to the prime minister, mr. richard fuller. question number one, mr. speaker. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm sure the whole house pays tribute to 35 engineer who died

last thursday as a result of wounds that he sustained in afghanistan. he was a dedicated and highly professional soldier, and at this tragic time, send our prayers to his loved ones, friends, and colleagues. [here here] we had addition to the duties in the house, further such meetings later today. >> richard fuller. >> mr. speaker, i'm sure all members of the house with the prime minister's words about elijah bond. mr. speaker, the people will be disappointed that this week's report in the royal bank of scotland has no penalties for their failure. can the prime minister assure me unlike the last government, his ministers will reenforce financial regulation and not undermind them when he was in office?

[here here] >> my honorable friend is right, and he will know we're looking at specific extra measures in sanctions in terms of what people of the board did, but it was not just a damning report about the board, but also damning of the politicians responsible for regulating, and it just didn't name politicians no longer serving. it also named the shadowed chancellor. [here here] >> ed miliband. >> mr. speaker, can i join the prime minister in paying tribute to elijah bond from 35 engineer regimen who bravely gave his life, improving lives of others, and our throughouts are with his families and friends. as we approach christmas, our thoughts are with all troops serving bravely in afghanistan and elsewhere. many spending christmas away

from their families and friends to ensure a peaceful christmas for us, and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. [here here] mr. speaker, in this, the last prime minister's question of the year, let me remind the prime minister what he had to say in the new year message of 2011. he said this, "uppermost in my mind as we enter the new year is jobs. in light of today's unemployment figures, can e hex plain what's gone wrong? >> well, first of all, let me join the right honorable gentleman to the right contribution to those serving in afghanistan and other parts of the world. what strikes you in this job they are the best of the best. they are brave, courageous, dedicated, and their families give up a huge amount at the same time, so i join him in saying that. let me say about the unemployment figures. any increase in unemployment is bad news and a tragedy for those involved, and that's why we'll

do everything we can to help people back into work. that is why we got the work program that will help 2.5 million people. that's why there's the massive increase in apprenticeships to help 400,000 people this year, and we'll give particular help to young people through the youth contract and work experience placement. we'll do all we can to help people back into work. >> ed miliband. >> the economic structure is failing. the chancellor said at the time of the spending review last year, and i quote, "private sector job creation will far outweigh reduction in public sector employment." will he confirm over the last three months for every job being created in the private sector, 13 are being lost in the public sector? >> let me give him the figures since the election. since the election, there have been 500 in the private sector,

there's been 581,000 extra jobs. in the public sector, he's right. we lost 336,000 jobs, so we need private sector employment to grow even faster, but let me make this point to them because i think this is important. whoever was in government right know, has to make reductions in public spending. now, the only way you can keep people in work in the public sector while doing that is to cut welfare, something we are doing, and he opposes, is to freeze public pay, something we're doing, he opposes, and reform pensions, something we're doing and he opposes. it's all well standing there and complaining about the rise in unemployment if you don't take those step, you'd lose more jobs this in the public sector. >> ed miliband. >> you cannot deny the claim made the public sector would fill the gaps has not been met.

he broke the promise. today, figures confirmed youth unemployment not only remains over a million. it's still rising, and long term youths unemployment has gone up by 93% since he made his new year pledge on jobs. isn't the reality he's betraying a whole generation of young people? >> won't take lectures from a party that put up youth unemployment by 40%. that is the case. even his brother admitted the other day that youths unemployment was not a problem invented by this government. it's been going up since 2004. let me explain what we're doing to help young people to get a job. through the youth contract, we're providing 160,000 new jobs with private sector subsidies. with the 250,000 work experience places, half of those people are actually getting jobs and getting off benefits within two

months. that is 20 times more effective than the future jobs fund, but the absolute key to all of this is getting our economy moving. we need private sector jobs, and it is this government that has got interest rates down to 2%. that is why we have the prospects of growth, whereas his plan are for more spending, more borrowing, more debt, more of the mess that we started with. [here here] >> ed miliband. >> mr. speaker, the truth is the promise to the youth next year are as worthless as the promises he made in 20 # 11. let's turn from the broken promise on jobs to the broken promise on the coalition. mr. speaker, let me say, it's good to see the deputy prime minister back. [here here] this -- this is why he said --

this -- [inaudible conversations] this is what he said. this is what he said in his new year's message for 2011, and i'll place a copy in the library of the house, mr. speaker, so everyone can see it. this is what he said, "coalition politics is not always straightforward." i believe we're bringing in a whole new style of government. [laughter] mr. speaker, there's more -- no, there is more. there is more. a more collegiate approach. [laughter] mr. speaker, i'm bound to ask what's gone wrong? [laughter] >> no one in this house is going to be surprised that conservatives and liberal democrats don't always agree about europe, but let me say he

shouldn't believe everything he reads in the papers. it is -- it's not that bad. i mean, it's not like we're brothers or anything. [laughter] [inaudible conversations] he certainly walked into that one. [laughter] ed miliband. >> mr. speaker -- mr. speaker -- [inaudible conversations] i think, i think as sympathy is for the deputy prime minister. his partner goes on a business trip, he's left waiting by the phone, and hears nothing until a rambling phone call at 4 a.m. confessing to a terrible mistake. now, let me ask him, how's he going to pick up the pieces? how's he going to pick up the

pieces of the bad deal he delivered for britain? the council came to conclusion friday morning that the treaty is not going to be signed until march. in the cold light of day with other countries -- with other countries, some very, very foolish person shouted out stop. the person who did that will stop because people in this place must be heard. this -- if there's a member here who doesn't think so, i invite that person to leave the chamber. >> with other countries spending the weeks and mornts ahead to see if they can get a better deal for themselves is not a sensible thing for him to do to reenter the negotiation and try to get a better deal for britain? >> i make no apologies for standing up for britain. [here here] in the last two days, in the last two day, we read a lot about my machine, a lot about the deputy prime minister's opinion.

the one thing we don't know is what would the right honorable gentleman say about it? while he was here monday, his aids were running around the purse gallery briefing him that he wouldn't have signed up to the treaty. here's another try. what's your answer? >> i have no answer on this matter whatsoever for the prime minister. >> order, order! i'm glad he returned from travels, and we wish him a merry christmas, but in this case, it should be a quiet one. [laughter] >> mr. speaker, there's a better deal for britain that he should have got, and that's not the deputy prime minister himself, mr. speaker. here's the trot, last week, he made a catastrophic mistake. this week we discover unemployment highest level in 17 years. mr. speaker, this prime minister thinks he's born to rule, but the truth is, he's just not very good at it. even the sound bite was recycled

from a previous pmqs. >> wensz, the answer was no, today, i think the answer is maybe. this leader of the labour party makes weakness and indecision an art form. that is the fact. now, he was giving me my end p term, my end of year report. let me give him his end of year report. he said at the start of the year and his new year's message the fight started back in scotland, well, that went well, didn't it? he said there's credible plans to cut the deficit. we have not seen sthem. he said he'd stand up to vested interests, but yet backed the biggest strike in years. he achieved one thing -- completely united his party. every single one of them has the same thing, a new leader for christmas. [here here] >> order, order! order! order! the house and short government back benches want to hear their

own colleague. >> thank you, mr. speaker. yesterday's announcements about local television was good news for my constituency where channel 7, the sole survivor from the original bench. does the prime minister agree that local board casting strength in local community, and the big society, and it is in north lincolnshire, would he find time to pay him a visit? >> i'd be delighted to do that. i don't have any immediate plans to visit north lincolnshire, but i think they have good news with the stevens plan going and that's excellent news for the whole region. >> mr. speaker, in the early new year, the government intends to announce a wholesale revision of the national crick limb. -- curriculum, it would be ab sard

to require those coming from abroad to settle in britain to learn about our democracy to take citizenship courses while withdrawing them for the teaching of citizenship and democracy to our own children in our own schools. [here here] >> well, i'll listen carefully to what the gentleman says because i agree with some of the proposals he put forward about citizenship. .. and i think the members in the south would have been to the citizenship ceremonies that he was responsible for and i think it's been a good addition to our country and our democracy. on behalf of the whole house i pay to become for the. we look very carefully about what he says, but the key in has got to be to make sure we teach the basics properly and well, and we test on those basic because if you can't read and write properly, no lessons will mean anything at all. >> justin tomlinson. >> 91% of people are getting financial difficulty believe he

would have avoided doing so had they been better informed. therefore, ahead of the most debate of financial education with the prime minister support our call for compulsory financial education for young people? >> it very much linked in with the last question. i strongly support teaching young children about the importance of financial education, but the point of having a proper review of the cricket is to make sure it's absolute essential and what can be included. >> unemployment is going up and being squeezed at many more people being forced into the house of the payday lenders. will the prime minister act to protect ordinary people who were being prayed and ripped off? >> the honorable lady speaks with great experience because she worked in the vice view before coming to the south and stands up for citizens of ice beer and his right to do so. all of us know what a brilliant job that they do.

she one of the last government wrestled with this question about how to best regulate doorstep lenders and other lenders. and the danger of driving people into the loan sharks to get rid of the record set to become very happy to discuss this further with interested colleagues but it is a very difficult subject to get right but this government is working at it. >> simon wright. >> thank you, mr. speaker. does the prime is to share my concern over the impact of pocket money to fight al qaeda states health, that the social behavior and the damage it has caused? >> i think the audible children makes an extreme important point. there's no doubt in my mind at the very low cost of a cult is part of the problem in our town centers. one of the answers the government has come up with is to ban deeply discounted selling of alcohol but, of course, we need to look at the broader question of low-cost i'll call. i know very carefully the letter that is in the papers this morning from a whole set of

people with great expertise about this and we're looking very careful at the issue. >> mrs. gene chapman. >> this morning we learned the airport is for so. it seems as though unemployment is going up in the northeast, our planes the decrepit isn't yet further evidence that the loss of infrastructure and jobs in the northeast, that this government economic plan is a catastrophic failure of? >> the key thing about the future of airport which is a vital airport is not necessarily who owns it but is it being invested in? is it being expanded? is it working well? that is the key question and the question i know my right honorable friend is looking at carefully. >> shayla murray. >> thank you, mr. speaker. as the prime minister in the oecd and the national institute economic and social research findings this week showing that soaring immigration was not

caused by the prospect of prosperity but just by the open door policies of the last government? and what he stop it from ever happening again and? >> the honorable lady is right. the report said specifically the increase in net immigration to the u.k. was not driven primarily by the economic performance of the u.k. or other countries. instead it points to immigration policy. the fact is under the last government they quadrupled immigration. they let an extra 2.2 million people into the country. the answer is to do with a bogus part and were doing the to put limit on economic migration outside the e.u. and we're doing that and have proper portable and border police commander. we are doing that as well. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the statement saw 400,000 scottish children lose over 40 million pounds due to changes in the tax system. in my constituency that means

600,000 pounds taken from children. why is the prime minister taking money out of children's pockets and while being in the pockets of the bankers? >> i'm afraid to say to the audible jump he is just plain wrong. the child tax credit is going up by 135 pounds and he talks about the bankers. it's this government that is actually put in place a bank levy that will raise more every year than labors one focused tax raising one year. >> thank you, mr. speaker. [inaudible] i'm proud of our vibrant tourism sector because my right honorable friend agree with me that it plays a key role in our local economy and what he insured that the attractions are promoted in the run up to the olympic games? >> i think my honorable friend makes a very important point. there'll be millions of people coming to this country for the olympic games. we need to encourage them not just to go to the olympic games but to visit other parts of the country and returned to britain for a subsequent visit.

there'll we all sort of promotion and schemes that we'll be running to encourage just that. if we can encourage people more joe to visit other places as well as york, we would try huge about of jobs and growth in our region. >> thank you, mr. speaker. on the 16th of december, the 40th anniversary of an independent nation fought a war that cost 3 million lives, i want to be true to the contribution made by this part in supporting the people for the fight for liberty and self-determination. as the second most vulnerable country to climate change could with an estimate 15 to 20 people likely to be affected in the coming decade does the prime minister to agree with me it is now more important than ever before for developing countries from the devastating effects of climate change? >> yes, i absolutely agree with the honorable lady and i think the whole house should recognize what she has done in raising

this issue at this time as bangladesh approaches this important anniversary. written can be proud of that with very good relations with bangladesh and to aid program in bangladesh is not one of the leading once anywhere in the world, from anywhere in the world into the country. we're spending specifically on helping them with climate change eating all the promises that we have. i've met myself with the premise of bangladesh. one of the issues we do have to raise, there are human rights issues in bangladesh and we shouldn't be scared of raising them with the authorities in the proper way. >> in e.u. wide agreement on present transfers come in to force this month which will enable the u.k. to repatriate to jails in their own country in e.u. nationals imprisoned here. given some 13% of our prison population is made up of foreign nationals, will the prime minister a sure that our e.u. partners stick to these new rules and take their criminals back? >> with my honorable friend and

his strong views asking a question about a successful e.u. scheme, it really must be christmas. [laughter] he's absolutely right. we have 13% of our prison spaces are taken by foreign nationals. this is hugely expensive and is e.u. wide agreement is a great opportunity to return people to the national prisons and save money at the same time. >> mr. bob ainsworth. >> is freezing the pay of young privates and corporals while they are fighting in afghanistan, without reference to the armed forces pay review body of reach of the military competent? >> it is this government that double the operational allowance which i think is the best way, the best way to get money to the private and the corporals in afghanistan who are doing such a good job because of course the operational in a flat cash amount of money is of

disproportionate benefit to relatively low-paid people in the armed forces were as a percentage increase would mean more money for the generals and colonels and the brigadiers, rather than fall actually the people on the front line. so i think looking at the operational allowance is crucial but discovered it hasn't just done that. we've extend the pupil premium to forces children. we've actually increased the cancel tax rebates for those who are serving, and for the first time we have written the military covenant into the law of our land. >> i commend my right honorable thing for protecting our national interests by exercising the veto last friday. the people of dudley south thank you for. but did he vetoed commits -- [inaudible] below half 8% of gdp. 16 times the u.k. structural deficit left by the party opposite. >> i think my honorable friend makes a good point which is perhaps why the leader of the labour party is struggling so much to tell us what is his view

about this proposed treaty. on one hand he wants to join the euro if he is prime minister for long enough, on the other hand he wants to sign a treaty -- that's rubbish? he doesn't want to be prime minister for long enough, right. [laughter] he wants to join the euro. he wants to do with very tough budget deficit limits and he wants to increase spending increase borrowing and increasing debt. he tells us he is a five-point plan. i can sum it up in five words. let's bankrupt britain again. [shouting] >> mr. speaker, perhaps the prime minister could tell us what the deputy prime minister did not support his position on europe on monday and wide get that not one single democrat in deep but with the prime is to last night? >> last night there was something of a parliamentary rarity, which was a motion put down by an opposition party raising the prime minister. i'm very grateful to colleagues in the democratic union.

i suspect that many people concluded that labour simply wouldn't get their act together but it wasn't worth voting and as a result we won very easily. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i am sure the whole house, i am sure the whole house will join me in thanking a remarkable man who has served this country and this place, with courage and distinction for nearly 50 years. eddie mackay who is in the gallery right now has been a doorkeeper your forte 23 years, retires on tuesday. before coming to this place he started with the distinction of the scots guard leaving us 20 years of service as a senior warrant officer. the household division you're not promoted to sergeant unless you are exceptional. he saw action during the falklands war in 1982. this company, g. company, led

that successful and might of sort. can i ask the prime minister on behalf of the lord to wish drill sergeant a happy retirement and a happy christmas? >> on behalf of the whole house thank the honorable gentleman for raising this issue and this question. and on behalf of the whole house very much thank them for it is an incredible service. i do sometimes think in this house we can take for granted the people who work so hard to keep it working, to keep it going. and i sometimes want to know what they think of all the antics we get up to in this house we are incredible grateful of the global strategic to our nation to come here at work so hard for so many years. we're all in his debt, and sending good wishes for his retirement. [shouting] >> youth unemployment figures show that in the last quarter 22% of 16 to 24 year old economically active citizens are

unemployed. an increase of 1.2% from the previous quarter. prime minister's earlier today, about with this government is doing for the youth unemployment in this country. could he tell us what it is increasing? >> every increase in youth unemployment is unacceptable. i'll tell you exactly what is happening but in terms of 16-18 year-old young people not in implement education and training, that number is going down. the problem as he rightly says is people over the age of 18, under 24 were finally the job market extreme difficult but the reason that anaheim is going up is because we are losing jobs in the public sector and were not growing fast enough in the private sector. we need to do everything we can to get our economy moving. the absolute key to that is keeping our interest rates low. we have interest rates now down at 2% and if we follow his

parties policy of extra spending an extra borrowing, extra debt, interest rates would go up, more business would go under and we wouldn't get our economy moving. >> thank you, mr. speaker. many members of our house would have encountered examples of banks using the threat of receivership to extract new charges and higher interest rates from their business customers. does the prime minister agree with the it is wrong for banks to use what is extortionist bargaining position in this way? would he agree to meet with me to discuss some of the proposal i've outlined to limit their power and to require banks to obtain a possession order before selling? >> i'm very happy to meet with my honorable friend about this issue. it's vital with not only to get our bank lending to small businesses, but also we make sure that they behave in an ethical and proper way as they do so. we are addressing the first issue in terms of the quantity of lending to the national loan guarantee scheme and the other credit easing measures that the chances it out in the autumn statement but we also need to

make sure that the practices the banks have are typically have an interest in making sure that small businesses are in good health and the need to follow those sorts of procedures to make sure that happens. >> mr. russell brown. >> thank you, mr. speaker. with youth unemployment rising by 65% over the last 12 months, and with the british retail consortium indicating that almost one in three jobs are filled by under 25, does he recognize that the projected -- projected squeeze on the retail sector will only increase the chances of youth unemployment increasing across the entire country speak with the thing though put the biggest squeeze on the retail sector is if interest rates went up. just one percentage point increase in interest rates would see the typical family lose a thousand pounds a year through extra mortgage payment. so that everybody knows where any difficult economic situation and we have to take difficult

decisions but as there is effectively a freeze across the eurozone but the most important thing is to keep those interest rates low so that people it my in the pockets and we can see some good retail recovery. >> david rightly. [inaudible] canna primus to join me this season in supporting the great work these charities to and clicking the street was hundreds of thousands of pounds for the port work of our volunteers? >> i certainly join my honorable friend at this time of year particularly and praising the amazing work that hospices do. many hospices don't see the huge amount of government funding but they have to be very ingenious about how the race money from people up and down the country and collecting and recycling christmas trees so we don't just leave them outside the house but do this thing probably i think isn't that the id and enter the whole house will want to join in praising the work hospices do,

particularly at christmastime. >> the prime minister has been promising legislation but a registered lobbyist for the past 18 months but nothing has happened so far. will be either give us a publication date for a consultation paper leaving the legislation, or he could take on my 10 minute rule which was already published so he could have it now and getting on this? >> i'm a generous sort of bloke, too, so i can tell him that leads to the lobby proposal will be published within the next month. to this government would have moved faster in 18 months and the less government did in 13 years. [shouting] >> adrienne saunders. >> mr. speaker, the prime minister will have received the news this morning of the study in excess, people with diabetes to unnecessary deaths in the condition if -- the national service framework for diabetes comes to an end in 2013.

with the prime minister looked as a way of meeting the challenges that will be on the health service and helping people with diabetes in the future? >> i'm very happy to look at the financial service framework, as he says but i think the key issue with diabetes is both we need to raise the profile of this condition because many people have it and don't know they have it, but the keeping as well if you look at the public health issues because the explosion in diabetes is coming partly from bad diets and obesity in childhood and we need to address those issues otherwise was always going to be dealing with the disease rather than trying to look for the prevention. >> i'm in a generous mood and is always a delight to listen to my colleagues so we'll have a little more. and mcguire. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. earlier this week in -- the coalition government --

[inaudible] can i ask the prime minister that by reducing benefits for disabled children by over 1700 pounds a year is something that identifies his often repeated mantra that we are all in this together and? >> first of all we are not cutting benefits to disabled children. and actually we are upgrading, we are upgrading by 5.2% all of those benefits so that people will see an increase in the benefits that they receive next year. >> last but never forgotten, mr. brian findlay. [shouting] >> mr. speaker, the prime minister will be a where that allows on the west coast are intolerable and getting worse. does he share the concerns that there are delays to high speak to will only make their journeys more unpleasant? and will he provide the

assurance they seek about the future he promised then? >> i'm grateful to my honorable friend for raising this question. the country has a choice but because the west coast mainline is as congested as if we need either to replace it with a traditional line or a high speed line. it's one of the government is a high speed line is the right answer. that's what this consultation has been conducted. and i think it's not just good for people who want to use the west coast mainline but also the successful regional policy in linking of our great c

now secretary of state hillary clinton on the innovation, jobs and the economy. she was the keynote speaker at a hosted aspen institute and pbs news hour. this is a little more than a half hour. >> while you put on your microphone there was a discussion earlier one of the participants said if there were more women involved in business and all these other things that there would be more innovation and it occurred to me that three

out of the last four secretaries of state have been women. now that is gender diversity at its peak, is it not? >> well if it's a good start. [laughter] >> two touche. you said, let me quote a sentence or two. today our foreign economic relations puerto rico me and indivisible. only now our great challenge is not deterring any single military folk but advancing the global leadership at a time when the power is more often major and exercised in economic terms. explain what you mean. >> thanks to you and bob and walter isaacson and the aspen institute for sponsoring this

because this conversation is absolutely essentials. my point in that speech is that if we didn't know already that defense of the 2008 and the follow-on consequences should have taught us that the economic means, the forces of the global economy are going to perhaps more dramatically than in previous times in history shape how the world as organized, who is leading it and for what purposes. what we try to do on the state department is to demonstrate clearly the economic statecraft is and the essentials part of american diplomacy and we want

to use all of the tools and the forces of the global economy harnessed with our diplomacy on behalf of america's interests and values and on behalf of the job creation that we need here at home. so our goal is to firmly anchored economic work and not just the traditional state department role of commercial diplomacy which had been around a long time. we have a thousand economic officers around the world, 300 people here in the state department to read we do business investment trading, open sky agreement, lots of advocacy on behalf of american business, but to look at the global economy now to understand how we are going to influence and to an extent manage it and further the global prosperity american economic leadership,

job growth and all the other goals we seek. >> as a practical matter in the foreign policy world of today where there are problems with russia, iran, china, and in iraq, the war to a more or less. there's afghanistan. there's all kind of things. if you are having to deal with the all the time when the world does a pretty or innovation and a global market place it into those kind of things as a practical matter? >> very well and by necessity. looking at the countries you mentioned starting with russia the united states works hard to make the case they should be a member of the wto and the required that russia finally had to make some changes in the regulatory framework. the hat to open up their markets

more. so very shortly they will be voted into the wto. why does this matter to us? because now we have tools through the wto to deal with some of the economic challenges than distortion coming from the russian economy. take china. obviously we are well aware of the enormous indebtedness in the country which is a different subject and to in part innovate our way forward. but china is now going to have to come to grips with being a responsible stakeholder in the economy as well as in the traditional areas of diplomacy. so we are engaged in conversations all the time certainly secretary geithner, the new commerce secretary bryson, all of us are talking about the economy because it is

one thing to be a developing country and get cut some slack. it's growing at 10% annual gdp growth and you have enormous influence on what's happening we need for rules in the road so that is a traditional area for economic statecraft. or take the iran. we are using economic sanctions to try to influence their behavior. i just came from a conference about south sudan a country the was literally born last year. the economic development is as important as their political development if people will see the results you can go on and on. now what we are trying to do is more firmly in bedle these issues deeply within the state department. so on a specific issue we have

rejiggered our economic effort. we have put into one place the work we do on the economy and energy and the work we do on the environment because they are all interconnected and we are well working for new ways to innovate so we do these quick ideas we are working on and on is we are having an impact on investing conference in january at the state department where we are bringing business investors together to try to explore what new innovative ways we can think about number-one greg or own economy creating jobs for america and number two, creating an environment around the world where it is a much more even playing field where our companies and workers are not from the get go disadvantaged. but second we are also looking for ways to do what we have historically done more effectively so working with

usaid and it's a director we came up with something called the grand challenge program where we are asking people are troubled okay how do we get more information about rainfall or irrigation or drought that can survive to the poor small stakeholders in africa and asia? the cell phones. how do we try to keep babies alive when they are born in very difficult situations when the nearest hospital is a long way away to create a package of intervention that is available in even the poorest communities, and there's lots of examples like that where economic statecraft, innovation which is mostly carried out by acting with entrepreneurs and investors and scientists is part of how we see the mission now. >> going back to my original list andt with russia.

putin has accused you of inciting unrest in the country and of making his situation and the situation for the people of russia worse. does that kind of thing walk on the desire to improve all these economic things the united states wants to do with russia? >> that is a balancing act we do every day. the carry forward higher priorities that are not necessarily in conflict, but which are always in need of attention and sometimes rebalancing in the terms they are sequencing so i think one of our strongest values is our protection and advocacy for human rights and in particular our support for democracy and the recognition that although the elections are not by any means the only definition, they

are kind of conditions that have to be satisfied to go forward. so we are always looking at how we can communicate clearly with the united states stands for and in this case with the russian people deserve. this was not about the united states this was up the people of russia, independent observers reached the conclusion that there was unfortunately a lot of interference and manipulation. russia has one of the most highly educated population is in the world and now a growing middle class with all the aspirations the middle class families have so this didn't come from the outside, it came from within. >> when you made the decision to criticize what was going on in that election, did you consider the possible fallout that would have economically and otherwise with the ongoing relationships with russia?

>> you will always take into account and that there might be times when our criticism is private and other times when it's published. when it is a one-off and other times it is persistent because you are always trying to calibrate what will work. i'm not into just criticizing for the sake of criticizing. you are trying to give voice to and support people who are standing up for values that are important and but to kind of link your point in may way directly to the economy i think the evidence proves, and we certainly believe that middle class people, societies that have upward mobility the opportunity for the entrepreneurs to start businesses, grow the businesses, create jobs and wealth all of that is in america's interest and when the government is either heavy-handed or largely the economy of the country is

driven through the state owned enterprises that disadvantages our businesses and by extension our workers and investors are people or if you have oligarchs that control so much of the wealth that it's difficult for people with a good idea in their own country to be able to break through to start the business that doesn't end to the intellectual property of the entire world or create additional opportunities for our investment. so all of this is played out against the backdrop of what we believe granted based on our experience that i think it has been proven to be pretty universal both for political freedom and economic freedom which are the best route to a social and economic success. more openness, more accountability and transparency weather is in the elections or being able to study business are

in the overall business calculation of benefits to us as well as the people who are experiencing it. >> the earlier panels much time and many words were used to talk about the relationship with china and how it affects all the things that are of concern to everybody in the world. first let me ask you how would you describe the relationship with china? is china a competitor, is it an enemy, a collaborator, a friend? describe it. >> we describe our relationship and i think it is accurate at this point in time as a positive one, a cooperative and comprehensive one. that doesn't mean we are not competitors in the economic field and for political influence that goes with the territory. we compete with countries all over the world on a range of

issues but in the obama administration what we have tried to do is to be very clear that we want a positive relationship with china. we do not begrudge for fear a peaceful rise of china. we think that that is in the interest of the chinese people and it's a remarkable story of economic growth over the last 30 years. we also think it's in our interest as well. we want to have a positive relationship. at the same time countries go through phases kind of like individuals to and china is often wrong. they have developed a strong economic engine for growth that is not only benefit in the chinese people, but also having quite dramatic effects elsewhere in the world. the hunt for natural resources is almost inexhaustible because

of the population and the rising expectations of their people. there are ways to do it that will be sustainable and ways to do it that are not. so we engage with the chinese as we do with others are around the world. there are mining practices that will not have damaging environmental effects and there are those that do. so let's work together in the global community to try to be more responsible. you can go down the list and there are many issues like that where under the umbrella or something we call the strategic economic dialogue that tim geithner and i jointly chair we have working groups on a vast array of subjects that don't break into the lines before advancing science and technology cooperation, sending 100,000 students to study in the china, increasing dramatically the visas that we offer, we've

increased in the last year by 32% we are hiring 100 more had to decatur's because we want them to have the relationships and done anthon but we also have differences as we do with our friends. >> one of the differences that was discussed at length was in the context at one of the main things the united states is always contributed to the world thus to this day is its ideas we are an ideal society and it comes into the society what are you doing about that? >> regulating as we do on behalf of our companies and our entire economy we are looking for leverage points. as i say the rules of the road to protect the property to tighten our own control so we

don't see the leakage of the intellectual property but again on the scale it is occurring it is quite large but it's not a new problem. americans have faced intellectual property challenges and outright espionage from other countries and business people and many places but the scale is different and the control over the economy because you are not dealing with a free-market economy, you were dealing with a still very government control the economic system which means you have different challenges in trying to compete with china and when i was opening up, they were very welcoming and american businesses to get vantage of that can get now they are trying to say to themselves okay we want to do this ourselves now and we have advanced to the point we can begin doing this so

what is the shortcut cracks and we see the short cut been taken and it's deeply distressing. it would be one thing if you were competing against another business doing that but you basically of the chinese trade and government lubber that this to deal with, so we had to come to the defense of and the champion of the businesses fighting this out on a case by case basis but we have to begin to move china along with others to accept the global rules about how we are going to protect the global intellectual property. >> one of the panelists this morning made the point from his perspective he thinks china is yet to come to grips with accepting it leadership responsibility. >> orval is an expert and he's right and that's one of the arguments we are making on an almost daily basis. >> how do you make that

argument? >> we say it at the highest levels of the chinese government and our constant interaction with them. and you know, you can imagine the ambivalence by the chinese because, you know, they look at what they've accomplished in 30 years and they see how much more they have yet to do. the see the lack of developments in many parts of the countryside , problems they think they might run into, unemployment is the wages naturally rise and then chinese businesses start to look elsewhere for cheaper labor. they are trying to manage a galloping horse so to speak and we come in and say okay you are now the second-largest economy in the world or your growth trajectory is still incredibly fast and how point you are influencing what is going on and you need to be more thoughtful

about that. and you need to engage in a more responsible leadership role. this is not a conversation that is by any means over. it's an ongoing conversation. we've engaged the chinese and talking about their business and development practices and places like africa and south america with. we've talked about water management we have a long list under the responsible leadership. >> do you feel any movement, any response? >> a perfect example. it hasn't gotten a lot of publicity but the durbin climate conference that concluded turned out a whole lot better than a lot of us would have fought going into it and our

negotiating team was just superb because when the president and i went to copenhagen back in 2009 for the climate conference, and we had these intense never-ending meetings with high-level official heads of state in the government from all over the world and the chinese were there with the premier, we pushed hard to make some progress and you might recall we crashed a meeting that brazil and china and india and south africa were holding and i walked in and sat down and said what's happening? [laughter] we pulled up chairs and became known as the copenhagen accord and the chinese climate negotiator was absolutely dead set against it, but again, on this appeal to responsibility,

the prime minister from india, the president from south africa, they see the larger pictures we've reached the accord. we couldn't put enough meat on the bone but coming out of durbin just now chinese were dead set against accepting responsibility that were in any way comparable to what they refer to as developed countries. they want to keep growing like the engine that they are but without those responsibilities to go back to the point. our position as you are now the largest greenhouse gas emitted in the world we cannot act as though you are botswana. the deal hammered out was by no means perfect in the climate otherwise was two for the first time and the differentiation

between the developed and developing in terms of what we all have to do to meet the global challenge. so they had to stay there longer, they had to hammer it out. we had a lot of work to do to actually get it in writing by 2015, get it in force by 2020, but this is the kind of slow, hard persistent work that is required because, you know, if you were china, you would rather keep growing and not have anybody hold due to account. we talk about rebalancing the global economy. that would on balance of only the global economy, but the way that we do work together around the world on a range of issues. so we have to move for that responsible position. >> move to another part of the world. the air of spring. what would be the economic consequence for the united states on that? >> first i think it is important to remember with the arabs bring

started into tunisia by a vegetable vendor to make a living for himself and his family. he wasn't protesting for what we think of x federal or political or human rights except in the broadest definition of that he was protesting because the corruption and the degree of local officials, the interference with the ability to do business in the market, the constant demand for bride is finally was just too much and he protested by burning himself to death but was the spark that ignited the arabs bring and much of the work that we are doing in supporting the space transition is as much about the economy as it is about political freedom, democracy building etc, and you can understand why because you

look at any of the last decade of u.n. reports on arab development other than the elite, the oil producing countries that were able to spend a broadly, there wasn't a the trade, there wasn't a lot of innovation. the governments were incredibly hostile and cumbersome to deal with if he wanted to start a business and on and on. our emphasis has been how do we support the space aspirations and how do we ensure that the aspirations are married to that because in all of these transitions people expect change immediately. they expect a better job, a rise in income, expect to have their business left alone by the many hands of government officials who are holding them out, and we

know if we can't bring economic progress we are not going to see the kind of institutional foundations for the changes we want. >> but in general good for america, right? >> i think we are always better off being on the side of democracy but we have to keep our eyes open. there is no guarantee that this will be an easy road for the people themselves or frankly for us. wasn't so long ago in our history we were engaged in the cold war that brann countries had a space elections if the elected people we didn't like to take some action on but which didn't always turn out as well as it should have. now in the 21st century with inter connectivity and information so broadly available i think number one we are for

democracy but we are for democracy that actually meets the definition which is more appropriate than just sending a okay have an election one time and whoever wins, good for you, you are now in charge. no, you have to ended the habits of the heart that deutsch took -- de toqueville wrote. that is one of your concerns the religious minority, an ethnic minority, are they going to be protected and viewed as full citizens? there's a lot of history, culture, religious discrimination, pushing the other way. women, you know, are women who were in the squares in tunis or cairo supporting the fighters in libya? are they going to be given the chance to fulfil their own potential? so there's a lot of unanswered questions that say nothing of

the geopolitical implications for israel and our interests but supporting space transformation and economic transformation is in america's interest. >> speaking of israel, was what newt gingrich said about the people of palestine helpful? >> no. [laughter] >> i think he recognized that from what i read. he realized that was one of those innovative moments that happened. [laughter] >> we are still on subject. still on subject. pakistan. in that part of the world pakistan couple always with india, pakistan being the trouble spot. that relationship is really deteriorated hasn't it with the united states? >> it's a difficult relationship and has been for many years. you can go back and trees the

difficulties our country has encountered. we've gone through periods of closeness and distance, and part of the reason we keep going back and looking at it is a very important relationship and it's especially important with respect to our work in afghanistan but this actually links to some of your previous questions because pakistan is so poor and needs so much reform and their government in the fundamental services that it's a constant vicious cycle if you can't have a decent tax base so you can actually have school for universal the education than you are going to have families desperate to get their sons a ticket, turn them over to madrassas that are going to

entel kathen in extremism and on and on and on. so part of what we've tried to do with pakistan in the last three years is provide support for them to make the tough decisions. they have to reform their agricultural sector, the energy sector, they've got to begin to wean their citizenry of of subsidies in order to generate some kind of competitive economic environment, but the fact is so few people pay taxes in pakistan and hardly anybody among the elite and the rich pay taxes so there is no basis on which to build the kind of system of services people would at least feel like okay maybe it hasn't gotten to me yet, but my children's life will be better. so you have turmoil, extremism,

all kind of internal difficulties. so it's not only the political choices that are made. it's the weak economic leadership that has gripped the country, and frankly one of the problems i see throughout the world, and elite that is not willing to invest in the future prosperity and success of their country in part because they are doing pretty well. they have for generations. in part because they don't see a connection between a few grow the pie you actually have a chance to do even better than if you shrink the pie and your piece is comparatively not growing as it is a troubling set of economic conditions as well as political that we are trying to work with them on. >> in iraq the president is speaking as we speak at fort bragg to close down the american

involvement. how would you summarize the accomplishment of or the meaning of the iraq war? >> i think it is too soon to tell. i believe that it's going to be years before we can make a final judgment. but having spent the last two days working on iraq meeting with the premise for maliki with the ministers of his government obviously in the oval office of the president it is a functioning state, it is a democratically elected leadership, it is able to protect its own internal security mostly although they face a lot of challenges, and there's a great commitment to investment and trade that they

have made. this was over the chamber of commerce yesterday. so the agenda is a good agenda. translating it into the heart of the daily work of setting up a government ministries that actually function in a productive way opening up to businesses that's going to take time. everybody points to the north to the kurdish part of iraq and its flooding in. people obviously when you think about iraq and you think about it done's influence 40 about iran but turkey has invested twice as much as iran and the last decade, the north is booming in many ways but they live in a very dangerous neighborhood and they do have real enemies, internal and

external, so they are moving in the right direction, we just have to keep doing everything we can to keep them on that path. >> get the cost and the u.s. lives and resources? >> i think again that will be a retrospect for the historians, but the iraqi people now have a chance to chart their own future which they didn't have before. >> madam secretary, thank you very much. [applause] >> and thanks to all of you who have participated in this morning of discussion about innovation and the economy etc., etc.. thank you. [applause]

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

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>> the listener pointed out that the words were broadcast at a time in the afternoon when a child had been turning the dial

and would have come would have come across those words. >> a road to the white house coverage continues with tonight's event in iowa on abortion and the 2012 election. it was hosted by citizens united with gop candidates rick santorum governor rick perry newt gingrich and representative michele bachmann. this is about 45 minutes. [applause] >> good evening everyone. thank you so much for making the appreciation for life your priority to beri here tonight as i'm so grateful for this wonderful event that was put together.

by the way, merry christmas to everyone who is here tonight. s ] of all seasons, this is the season where we celebrate life and birth, the birth of our savior, jesus christ. our kinsmen redeemer, the one who came to give his life as a sacrifice for us so that we can find a way where there was no way to come back to the father, the father who gave us his very life in the beginning, who formed adam out of the ground from dust and breathed into his nostrils so that the first life was known at that time in the garden of eden. isn't life precious? i'm so thankful for that gift. here we are talking about the upcoming president reel -- presidential race in 2012, and as far as i'm concerned, this is

the seminal issue of our time. life and what we do with the issue of life. [applause] this issue is not just a box we check. it's not a bone that we throw some way, and too often, those of us who called ourselves pro-life have found ourselves on the receiving end from politicians where they tell us they are going to do something and why is it that it's the pro-lifers that are told to stand against the wall, maybe later we'll get to your issue. i'm here to tell you tonight as president of the united states, pro-lifers will never again be sent to stand against the wall. we will advance the cause of life in my administration. [applause]

the number one way that we will advance and cause life is the full scale 100% repeal of obamacare. [cheers and applause] this is so important because in obamacare for the first time in the history of the united states, we have taxpayer funded abortions. that has never happened before in the history of the united states. as a matter of fact, we have the hyde amendment that prevented more abortions than probably anything else that was done in washington, d.c., but now under president obama, we have thee most pro-abortion president that we've ever had in our nation, and with the president michele bachmann, you will have thee most pro-life president that we would ever have in our nation. [applause]

we know president obama's the most pro-abortion because when he was a state senator, he wouldn't even get behind the born alive act, a child can literally be fully born, and president obama still was the only person in his legislation that couldn't bring himself to protect that fully born baby. he's been truthful to his word. he's remained the most pro-abortion president, not only in obamacare do we have taxpayer funded abortion, but we also have for the first time chemical abortions that will be fully covered under obamacare, and this last august 1st, in the most stunning display of raw power, president obama said this, he ordered all private insurance companies to offer for the first time because he said so, all contraceptives, all

birth control devices, and also the morning after abortion pill to anyone who wants it without a co-pay and free of charge, and we just saw several weeks ago that his administration was willing to put the pill called plan b, essentially a three-day pill they put in grocery store aisles where little girls could find it next to bubble gum and next to candy. ..

if that would happen, we know within a nanosecond nanosecond plan b would be available on the grocery store aisles. we aren't ever going to allow g that to happen because 2012 is it. e the election when we realize our dreams of not only advancing incrementally but taking a quantum leap in the pro-life cause. pro-life fight because with one fail swoop if we repeal obamacare, we will repeal taxpayer funding of abortion and we will repeal planned parenthood essentially having an open field day in every public school classroom in the united states. because that is also what obamacare does. under my administration, planned parenthood will be 100% fully defunded, $300 million gone. [applause]

planned parenthood is one of the most political organizations in the united states. this is an organization that is in great deal of -- what would you say? as president of the united unitd states, i believe that life as i said must be protected from conception until natural death. this is again for me not something that is political. it's all of life and i believe the first president of the united states who has willingly participated with the lord god almighty and bringing human life, not only once but five times. we have five biological children that we are so grateful for and we also have another child that is in heaven today, one they came to us and ended its life in

the form of a miscarriage. that baby was 12 weeks old and i want you to know that happened while i was with a doctor in the hospital and the doctor place that baby on a towel and said that beautiful child who is a human being in my hand on that towel. that baby was perfect. i know without a shadow of a doubt every baby that god creates is perfect. because we are created in the image and likeness of a holy god. there is nothing that god creates that isn't perfect. all of life is perfect. i will protect that life not only is one who has had the thrill of participating in the process of birth but also one who believes down to my toes and how important this is, not just talking the talk but walking the walk. when we were 19 we heard

dr. frances schaeffer who said that abortion is the watershed issue of our time and i agree with that, that it is. we had stood outside pro-life centers in the middle of winter counseling and praying with women. we took unwed mothers into our home. we drove them to pro-life centers. i held women's hands as i went to the childbirth experience with them and also my husband and i have broken hearts were at risk kids so we took 23 foster children into our home, whom we raised and lovingly launched them off into the world. you see our god has drafted all of us into his tree of life and now it is our chance to stand up for life. thank you for this opportunity to be with you tonight. we can't get this wrong in 2012. we have to choose wisely and we have to choose life. merry christmas everyone and thank you for allowing me to be with you. i love you all.

god bless you. merry christmas. [applause] >> the please welcome the 58 speaker of the house of representatives, newt gingrich. [applause] [applause] >> well first of all thank you all very much for coming out tonight. it is a terrific opportunity for me to be here with dave bossy and citizens united who produced this film and somewhere out there, i am not quite sure where he is sitting is kevin knobloch.

right here, kevin is a very dear friend of ours and made second -- seven documentaries with him and i regard him very highly. i think you will find this to be a very powerful film that will have a big impact. i just talked to governor huckabee in the back and thanking him for doing this. these movies really matter and they really matter for a very practical reason. we are engaged in a cultural struggle with a secular e.u. lead that believes that life is random and has no moral meaning. and the whole reasoning behind roe v. wade is a utilitarian phony science reasoning that has collapsed under the weight of modern technology. and the fact is as the country became more and more aware of the meaning of roe v. wade it has turned more and more against abortion and this has been a cultural thing. it is normal everyday people

saying no, this is wrong and it goes to the heart of what it means to be an american. the fact is the base of this country, the key to american exceptionalism is the declaration of independence, which says we hold these truths to be self-evident. that we are all created equal and we are endowed by our creator. with certain inalienable rights among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. that is central to defining an american. your rights come from god to each one of you personally and they are in alienable. that means no judge, no bureaucrats no politician can get between you and the rights god has given you. that means the defining when you become the person is central to

the whole question. after all of the state can decide you're only a person when the state declares it, then why stop at roe v. wade? why not go to euthanasia? why not decide if you are -- at 14 or 12 or 10? that is why at its heart, this is the central moral question of our lifetime. now, should you decide that i should be your nominee and should i end up as president, there are three parallel facts that immediately start moving us in the right direction. the first track is on the very first day about two hours after the inaugural to sign a series of executive orders. one of the very first executive orders will reinstate ronald reagan's mexico city policy of no u.s. money going to pay for abortion anywhere in the world. [applause]

a second executive order will reinstate president george w. bush's conscience policy that says no doctor, no nurse, no pharmacist, no hospital can be forced to perform a procedure against their religious beliefs. [applause] at the very same time legislation on that first day will go up to the congress, asking it to defund planned parenthood and put all of the money into adoption services to give young women the choice of life rather than the choice of death. [applause] and finally, we will

aggressively pursue the strategy that professor rob george of princeton has raised which is the 14th amendment clearly allows the congress to define personhood, and that should mean that we can pass a bill defining personhood as beginning at conception and you don't need a constitutional amendment. it is written in the 14th amendment. it would be an act of congress and you can put in the same legislation blocking the courts from reviewing it which is a procedure the jeffersonians used in 1802 and clearly as part of the constitution. that could once and for all fundamentally re-center of this debate where it ought to be because the minute you start saying to people alright, when do you think life begins? what do you think happens if a pregnant woman is attacked and the baby dies? is it a baby or is it an accident of the state? that frankly to me was the final defining moment. i believe that a woman is carrying a baby. i don't believe that woman is

carrying an instrument to be defined by the state and i believe we have an obligation to protect that baby. [applause] and this film -- [applause] this film is going to be a major step in the right direction of educating and reaching people in their heart, which enables them to then open up their head. i think it is going to be very profound and very effective and i'm honored to be here tonight. kevin once again i am so thrilled with your work and i'm delighted to be here with you. thank you all very much. [applause]

>> the please welcome the governor of the great state of texas, governor rick perry. [applause] >> hi guys, gals, how do you. it is an honor to be here with you tonight and i told somebody, i said just think about being in iowa in december. [laughter] you have to have the real reason to be here. and i got here in the weather was so magnificent. i called my wife and i told her honey, it's 54 degrees. that is just awesome. is like telling somebody to come to texas in august. maybe not. let me say how honored i am to be with the men and women tonight who are truly on the front lines of renewing our culture in this country and that is exactly what you do and what

you are all about, and i want to extend my sincere thanks to a man that i have had the great privilege to get to know in a personal way and travel to iraq and afghanistan with him as a governor and a person who daily still makes a difference in this country, strengthening our country's core because of what is in his heart. that is governor huckabee. [applause] and to citizens united, just i mean for producing this gnome and for sharing the inspiring message that it has and sharing it with a culture that is so desperately needs to hear this. you know, we are in troubling

economic times. i mean, you know these pocketbook issues take center stage in the national dialogue that we are having. you know it's hard to think about anything else when you are sitting around your coffee table and you are one of 13 million people who don't have a job and you come home and your children look at you and you still haven't the dignity to kate take care of in the way that you want to. one out of -- if you are one of those 45 million americans that are on food stamps today, i understand the great angst that is in peoples hearts about these economic times we are in? but conservatives and people of faith disengage from the great moral debate of our time at the expense of the moral fiber of our great nation. we cannot disengage from that great debate. i often wonder what our founding

fathers would think about america if they were to be able to see it again today and the greatest distance that we have drifted from their vision of a land where life is in an alienable right, granted not by the institution of man but by the grace of god. the fact is, america is a nation founded upon the principle that human life is sacred and it must be defended. our belief in the dignity of human life is not only written into the declaration of independence, it is evident by the actions of brave men and women of every generation who have risked their two days for someone else's tomorrow.

protecting the lives in many cases of people they have never met and would never meet. we defend freedom. because our founders knew it is the birthright of every human being created in the image of god. while the men and women of our nation's military defend america's founding principles abroad, those same values come under attack right here at home. we now have a president who has mandated that religious groups provide their employees with insurance coverage for abortion, even if it is against their religious beliefs. this administration stopped providing millions in federal aid to catholic charities because they refuse to provide abortions service. or consider this example in my

home state. this year, i was proud to fight for and to sign a state budget that defunded planned parenthood. [applause] since then there have been 10 planned parenthood clinic's that have shut down. [applause] but this week, the obama administration, they declared that texas has violated federal law and if texas has refused to support the president's pro-abortion agenda with their tax dollars, we could lose millions of dollars in health care funding. i can assure you of one thing, if washington d.c. is looking

for a fight, they found one. [applause] [applause] i'm not going to back down from the side as a governor and i've had the great honor to be the president of the mac you can bet i won't back down is your president either. i will and taxerpayer money funded abortions. [applause] and i will do something else. i will work to and lifetime appointments for federal judges who legislate from the bench and to impose their belief, these legislators and judges do not deserve a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. [applause]

and i will stand with you as we work to pass the human life amendment to the united states constitution. but if there is one thing, if there is one thing that i can leave with you, it's this. the greatest victories in the battle for life is not going to be one in the halls of government. it is going to be one in the hearts of men. and yes, we must change the law but we must also change hearts and minds. that is why this film, the gift of life, is so important to our efforts. it represents a new strategy to restore our culture, one that replaces the acrimony of politics with the testimony of

real people, who have been faced with the most difficult choices. they chose life. imagine the impact this film can have on a young woman dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. someone who tunes out the political dialogue, but who might be open to watching a dvd with a friend. imagine the difference that you can make, not in just one life but imagine the great joy she may experience one day not too far down the road as she tucks her little one in bed, thanking god that she chose life. some children are not born into ideal circumstances, but never,

ever let it be said that there is such a thing as an unwanted child. every life is precious. every life is a precious gift from god. it is worthy of our protection and to all of you who joined me in that purpose, in that effort, i wish you merry christmas and god bless you. thank you. [applause] [applause] >> please welcome to term united states senator from the commonwealth of pennsylvania, rick santorum. [applause]

>> thank you. thank you. thank you. [applause] thank you very much. thank you so much. it is great to be back in iowa although i have been here for a little bit of time. 99 counties. by the end of this week i will have done 350 town hall meetings in the state of iowa. how about that? [applause] and on behalf of karen and all my kids, all seven of my kids, just want to thank the people of iowa. you have just been absolutely the most hospital, welcoming and i might add tough folks in doing your job and standing up and fighting for the things that you believe in and this primary process. i am so pleased to see such a

big crowd here tonight. you know i get the question all the time, all the time, well you know when you look at these polls, are the social issues really as important? i bet you don't get that question, do you? are the social issues important you know, and is it just the economic issues? it's always just the economic issues and that is what is driving this election. i always tell the press, has a vote yet been cast? the answer is no. the vote has not yet been cast and the issues and was important to the people of iowa is not going to be reflected on national polls are polls taking a snapshot in time. we will see come caucus day whether the issues that are important to the heartland of america speak out. ladies and gentlemen this is the most important election of our lifetime and there is no more important foundational issue. i talk about this all over iowa,

not just in front of a pro-life convention. there is no more foundational issue at stake in our country band faith and family, freedom and life. those of the foundational principles. [applause] we cannot be a strong country economically or anything else. we cannot have limited government unless we are moral and decent people living out moral and decent lives, respecting life and embracing and supporting the american family. it is the bedrock. it is the bedrock of our economy. it is the bedrock of our country. it is the bedrock that allows limited government because when the family breaks down and respect for life and moral values break down, then government gets bigger and bigger and bigger. ladies and gentlemen, you

understand that here in iowa. you get it. you get that the social issues aren't the unique set aside issues. no, they are central to every issue that we deal with an america. why? because america is a great moral enterprise upon which everything is founded. people have called for a truce on the social issues. think about that for a second. i agree. [laughter] they have called for a truce on the social issues. some in our party have called for a truce. think about what a truce is. 1.2 million abortions in america. marriage is marriages being imposed systematically here i judges in the state of iowa but all across this country court after court stepping forward to change the will of the american public, which in 32 states, 32 times voted to support traditional marriage. fleecy embryonic stem cell

research now being funded via the president. fleecy abortion conscious clauses stripped away. we see a basement of human life on a daily basis and people in our party called for a truce? it is a surrender, not a truce. and under a santorum presidency there will be no surrender. i did i think five or six events today, lots of town meetings all over the place and reporters talking to me. you are coming. this is your crowd tonight. you are the social conservative candidate in this room. that is what they have said. santorum is not doing as well because he is the social conservative in their room. my record is as good on economic

issues and foreign-policy issues i would argue as anybody. [applause] well -- but the reason they call me the social conservative candidate in this race is because i have been in the foxhole out on the frontline, fighting for the social conservative fight on a national scale. authored every major pro-life legislation that ever passed the united states senate over the past 20 years. [applause] i fought, i fought in the trenches standing up for life. i didn't do it representing utah for south carolina. i did it representing the swing state of pennsylvania. i did so with pride. i am proud to say i am on the social -- and i'm proud of it. do you know why?

because as i said before this country is based on the moral foundation and unless we get the moral issues right we will never get the economic or the foreign policies right. [applause] i know i'm standing in between you and that movie so i'm not going to be much longer. you want to know all the things i'm going to do? i was the first candidate to put out a 25-point plank of everything that i would do as president and everything from the funding planned parenthood to reimposing the gag rule, something that george w. did not even do which is to make sure that anybody who receives funds for family planning cannot prefer for abortion. george bush would not overturn that. that will be overturned in my administration. [applause] and more importantly it's about what we see tonight, to give for

life. more importantly this will tell the story. jesus taught us all through the bible that the best way to communication is through -- and what i found is a united states senator and one i believe in my soul is one of the most important roles of of the president is to tell americans the truth and do it in a way that connects with people, tells the story. that is why this movie here tonight is so important. for those to step forward and tell the story of what the pro-life movement really is. i speak at a lot of crisis center's all over the country. i believe in that movement, if movement that expresses the love of the pro-life movement. the child and the mom and all those involved in the very difficult decision in the world today. it tells the story of the

pro-life movement that is so important because it just doesn't get out through the filter of the media. this is a movement about one thing. it is about love. it's about opening our arms to all of god's children and loving them and embracing them and welcoming them, welcoming all of god's children. we know, i always get a kick out of the left when they say the republicans are anti-science. how dare you not believe in global warming. you are anti-science. and yet, when you confront them and this is one of the reasons i have some problems with some of the folks running for office these days when they say i believe life begins at conception. it is like i say, i believe the sun rises. [laughter] why would you say you believe something that is a fact?

[applause] it is a scientific fact. it's an undeniable scientific fact. why do we hedge it? why do we state it? why do we confront them with the truth? that is what this movie does. it confronts with the truth and that is what you do. you who are worriers for the pro-life movement. you go out everyday every day and your life changes. parading in front of the abortion clinics, standing and witnessing for life, helping of those crisis pregnancy centers, fighting for the love, fighting and loving every child of god. that is the face of the pro-life movement. i just want to encourage you, you may think that we are failing as you had seen so much of that. so many failures but we are not.

we are not. because you are being faithful. as mother teresa said god does not call on us to be successful. he calls on us to be faithful. i want to share one story and then wrap up with you because this is a night about stories. there was a story when i was debating the partial-birth abortion bill back in 1998. it was late at night and we have had debated all night long, and all day long. i had debated that day six hours against barbara boxer. i think i will have a little time off in purgatory for that but that's another story. [applause] anyway, at the end of the evening, at the end of the evening at 8:00 at night we are wrapping up the senate in voting on this -- and something was working on the inside that maybe i needed to say more.

we were two votes short and i thought maybe, maybe if i stayed there laid into the evening and some of the senators would go home and some of these guys don't have much of a life. they might turn on c-span2 to see what's on tv and they might see me. [laughter] and so i went back into the room and i called my wife, karen. we had just had our fourth child, a little girl sara marie and i called and she was crying. it was at 8:00 at night and i said honey, no i should be coming home that i feel like i need to say more. she said, what she always says, she said well that is what makes me stand here in this is what you feel called to do and i will support you. so i went back out there and i said i will only be a couple of minutes. i told the guy in the chair. an hour and half later i finished. okay this is my last story. [laughter] an hour and a half later i

finished and i talked about children with disabilities who were the target of partial-birth abortions because mothers found out late in pregnancy that their child wasn't perfect any more. and thereby wanted to kill it because well it wasn't what they were expecting. i finished and i went home that night, the kids were sleeping karen was asleep. i got up the next morning as i always did, 5:00 out the door, we had lost by two votes. i walked out of that room of the senate chamber and walk to the capitol steps and walk down them and i thought, what hubris on my part. i thought i could make a difference. and in the meantime here is another night where i was a horrible dad, a horrible husband and i let pride get the best of me. five days later i got an e-mail from a young man from michigan

state university and he said as follows. the other night my girlfriend and i were sitting on the couch flipping through the channels and we came across you standing on the floor of the united states senate a picture of a little boy who was disabled, so we stopped and listened. and you told a story the story about how his mother fought for his life. and as you did i look down and i noticed that there were tears running down my girlfriends cheeks. i asked her what was wrong and she looked at me and said, i am pregnant. and i have an abortion scheduled for next week but i'm not going to have an abortion any more. [applause] [applause] in my eyes, my imperfect vision, i was a failure, but god has

better vision. [applause] go out and fight the fight. be faithful. you may not see maybe in your lifetime, you may not see what fruits and what seeds you have planted but that is only because you just did not get the e-mail. [applause] i would appreciate your support. i know all the other candidates have said they need your help and support. they are lying. i need your help and support. [laughter] [applause] you want to send a message? you want to send a message about

the issues you care about that are still important in this election? you know what to do. thank you and god bless you. in a few moments -- and their philosophy is simple. everybody is left to fend for themselves and play by their own rules. i am here to say they are wrong. >> we want to move towards a balanced budget and borrow trillions of more dollars. we believe in rewarding and those who create jobs and we believe -- >> my friends washington is ms and we need to send mitt romney

to washington to fix the mess out there. >> read the latest comments from candidates and political reporters and link to c-span's media partners in the early primary and caucus states. all at c-span.org/campaign 2012. >> in a and a in a few moments a hearing on u.s. policy toward syria.

for each of the commissioners, do you believe that employs, professional staff of the nrc have experienced intimidation, hostile or offensive conduct on behalf of the chairman, by the chairman, anything that would be considered to be intimidating, hostile or offensive by the chairman, any professional staff experience that? vs. >> yes. >> yes. >> yes. >> ladies and gentlemen that is the definition of a. russ: . i hope that we can all agree that is why we voted in the statute.

the united nations estimates more than 5000 people have been killed in protests against the government of syrian resident bashar al-assad. up next the house foreign affairs subcommittee hears about these administrations syrian policy from the state department's release coordinator. this is an hour and a half. [inaudible conversations] the subcommittee will come to order. i want to wish everyone good morning and i want to welcome all of my colleagues to this hearing on subcommittee on the middle east and south asia. and the chairman. as has been well-documented, the

human rights abuses being perpetrated by the regime in damascus are simply horrifying. the report of the united nations independent national commission of inquiry on this syrian arab republic document some of the most appalling and widespread human rights abuses that have been witnessed in recent memory. the commission explicitly notes that extra-judicial executions, arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence and perhaps most disturbingly, the abuse and murder of children. witnesses interviewed by the commission are reported to have witnessed the torture, rape and murder of children no older than 15 at the hands of syrian security forces. one military defector the report noted stated that he decided to defect after witnessing the shooting of it 2-year-old girl by an officer who affirmed that he did not want her to grow into a demonstrator. the english language does not

have words strong enough to adequately condemn the horrifying abuses that have been committed by the assad regime and its allies against the syrian people. the questions of legitimacy, these dispensable -- despicable acts are proof that the assad regime is morally depraved and it is my belief that we and all other responsible nations have a moral imperative to assure that a sadr and his ilk are removed from power as soon as possible. according to the u.n. high commissioner for human rights, the civilian death toll in syria now exceeds 5000 the number of children killed as more than 300. no responsible nation can sit eye and allow this detestable display of depravity to continue. today's hearing however was called to examine u.s. policy. several months ago the subcommittee of the privilege of hearing assistant secretary

feldman and posner discuss the obama administration's human rights policies towards iran and syria. since that hearing, the administration has taken a number of steps on syria for which it deserves credit. although it took far too much time and at least 1900 dead syrian citizens, the administration has finally come out and called for the sheer al assad's departure from power on august 18. it also implemented sanctions against the government of syria and various high-ranking syrian regime authorities many of which have been mirrored by our allies abroad. unfortunately, i fear this is not enough. syria currently stands on the precipice of full-scale civil war. recent reports suggest that the ranks of the free syrian army, the main opposition, continue to swell likely fueled by a rise in defections and the intensified violence being perpetrated against the syrian people by assad, and his band of thugs. as a result the number of

confrontations between the regime and the armed opposition is on the rise. the longer assad remains in power the more likely this conflict is to degenerate into a prolonged conflict that bricks splitting the country along ethnic and sectarian lines. today the administration has discouraged all armed opposition in syria. in his testimony before the senate foreign relations subcommittee on middle eastern and south and central asian affairs assistant secretary feldman stated that quote we do not want to see the situation descendent of further violence. the best way forward is to continue support with a non-violent opposition while working with international partners to further isolate and further pressure the regime. while we understand the syrian people need to protect themselves, violent resistance is counterproductive. it will play into the regime's hands. it will undermine international consensus unquote.

this policy of encouraging nonviolence in the face of brutal tactics of the assad regime grows more untenable by the day. is not our prerogative to tell the syrian opposition to wish you resistance against the ashdod regime -- assad regime when it is backed regime that continues to torture, rape and murder the citizens that comprise up the ranks. it must be pointed out to those that maintain only non-violent opposition is legitimate that it was the assad regime and not the opposition which initiated the violence. the syrian people like all people have the right to defend themselves against the brutality of an illegitimate and repressive regime. moreover i challenge anyone who would defend the assad regime declaring that assad is nearly quelling an international land and internal insurrection to show the assad sirri and it,

excuse me. to show the syrian people by what free and fair means bashar assad or his father maintain power. this regime has declared war on the syrian people and the syrian people have a right to fight back. we must stand with them in this struggle. as helpful as international consensus may be, the outrageous and indefensible veto by russia and china of a u.s. security resolution against syria does not inspire hope that the broader international community will be galvanized to any kind of consensus in time to stave off more death and the outbreak of civil war. in this uprising began, many in washington were fond of pointing out that unlike his father who murdered over 20,000 of his own citizen to quell an up -- uprising bashar al-assad does not have the stomach or such brutality. they were wrong. it is time for us to face the facts that there are nodes

deaths for which the assad regime will not resort to remain in power and to crush all legitimate opposition. asking syrian protesters to remain peaceful in the face of assad's ertl crackdown is tantamount to asking them to commit suicide and i fear doing so made eventually pit us against a legitimate opposition instead of against an illegitimate regime. i now yield to the gentleman from new york, the distinguished ranking member from new york, mr. ackerman, for five minutes. >> thank you chairman very much are calling this very very important hearing and selecting our excellent witness today. i hate to think it's worth considering how far u.s. policy has moved in the right direction since late july when we met with the obama administration officials to discuss the situation in syria as well as iran. back in july the central policy questions regarding syria were,

when with the united united stas finally and explicitly call for bashar assad to step down? win would be finally impose the sanctions available to us and win would american leadership work to move the international community to recognize and respond to the fast horror of the assad regime's pressure? the answer to those questions came in august when the obama administration moved decisively on three elements, later than some of us wished but with more effect than many of us expected. the international sanctions organized by the administration in consultation with allies in europe and turkey together with subsequent sanctions by the arab league, have made it clear that the assad regime's days are indeed numbered. the assad gangs rule which has been characterized at home by unparalleled brutality and endemic corruption and abroad by support for the iranian

hegemony, the version of terrorism against israel and illicit efforts at nuclear proliferation is doomed and deservedly so. clearly the people of syria have embraced a fundamental right to determine not only who will govern syria but the form of government as well. we wish for them what we desire for ourselves, the democratic government, circumscribed by law, accountable to the public and bound to respect the fundamental rights for the people from whom its powers are derived are going sirri today there are sharp divisions between ethnicity, and religions and between believers and non-violence and proponents violent resistance to tear down the assad regime. there are splits between internal activist and external dissidents, between army defectors and civil society leaders. i would say to all those syrians

struck by the lack of unity and common purpose, will come to the wonderful world of democratic self-government. your freedom will not come easily and certainly not without a great struggle to create a common front as in throwing off the assad tyranny and it won't get easier. it just won't. self-governance is the hardest form of government and the most complex but if you want simple and easy, stick with what you have got, assad al-assad and his piggish band of thugs will gladly go back to the way things were. as we in the united states contemplate the end of the assad regime and the events in other parts of the region, are giving many pause in their enthusiasm. the syrians who will replace the assad tyranny may not be jeffersonian democrats. in other countries the most politically coherent and well

organized forces and sear in a society are apt to be those who are organized around religious beliefs. these men and women are not likely to consider themselves are natural allies. this fact does not necessarily imply that they are or need be our enemies. in the years to come a great experiment will likely take place throughout the middle east to determine whether islamic democratic norms can possibly coexist. some may doubt it. it often seems to me that many of those most insistent that the conflict between -- is irreconcilable seem to be among the most enthusiastic when it comes to lowering the wall between church and state here in america. perhaps they know something the rest of us did not. but i believe there is reason for hope as well. democratic norms that are what one by the people who left championed these principles in

their own voices and do upon their freedom with their own courage may prove difficult to set aside in the middle east, much as anywhere else. moreover, we have seen another -- a number of islamic nations outside the arab world, the development of government that while not perfect are recognizably legitimate democratic and bound by the rule of law. just as we cannot assume success it would be equally unwise to assume that arab revolutions cannot ultimately flower the democratic forms. these new arab governments will likely take different forms than then we would desire for ourselves but may still remained legitimate and acceptable to their owners. it is at any rate much too soon to tell. our role in these momentous events is to blend in what what we prudently can and remain consistent advocates of the

truce declared tuesday world on july 4, 1976. the government stood -- derive their power and each of us is endowed with inalienable rights. if we believe these things are as right and true today as they were on that glorious july 4 we must also agree they are right and true everywhere, not with just the bloody hand of oppression lies most -- most heavily. thank you mr. chair. >> thank you very much. the chair will recognize members for one minute that they would like to make an opening statement in the order that they arrived in mr. rohrabacher from california, the chair of the subcommittee on oversight and investigation is recognized for one minute. is the first of all i would like to thank the chairman mr. chabot for holding this hearing. i think that we have many jobs

as members of congress and one is to make sure that the word gets out to the american people about things that are happening overseas better dealing directly with our values as a people and as we have just heard, from the ranking member, there is an uprising going on in syria that goes right to the heart of what our ideals are as americans and i'm anxious to hear the details. this has been one conflict that i have actually been looking at from a distance and have not really been able to determine what those details are, so looking forward to the witness and i would just note that when we talk about the assad family and the dictatorship they have had, that is a secular dictatorship, something that we oppose and the mullah dictatorship in iran is also something we oppose even though that of course is a totally

religious mullah dictatorship. ..

>> we must remain steadfast in our efforts to give the syrian people what they want and deserve that being a governor representative responsive to the people of or to hearing testimony from the witnesses today to engage them and how we can help the syrians to have been oppressed for too long to finally have the government they want and deserve. >> fed gentlemen from nebraska. >> thank you, mr. chairman and it is a time i yield back by does want to thank

the witness for appearing today and the willingness to hold hearings fam i think you. the gentlemen from connecticut? bank we have learned a lot of lessons over the past decade between unilateral action and multilateral action in with the cooperation and willingness of turkey and the arab league to join with us in whole or in part to put pressure on the assad regime looking forward to comments today as to how we can move forward as partners to see the outcome that is best for the region and the people of syria and the united states. thank you, mr. chairman. >> no now introduce our distinguish witness. the special coordinator for regional affairs return to the government service in 2009 to the the special envoy for middle east peace efforts to achieve syria and israeli peace agreements to

advise the secretary of state and other senior u.s. officials on political and security issues. sensor may 2010 he has coordinated the department of state and broader u.s. government's response to the crisis in syria. he previously held senior positions at the department of state and defense for serving as president and ceo of an international consultancy in the vietnam war veteran and holds a purple heart along with other military decorations and civilian awards you want to thank you for your service to our country. and without further ado you are recognized for five minutes spending give mr. chairman the ranking member ackerman and distinguished members of the

subcommittee i am deeply honored to have this opportunity to discuss area with you today and i appreciate the invitation to do so. you have my statement i will dispense with reading it. of a few comments that i hopes sincerely will help us frame the discussion we can have this morning. nine months ago the president of syria elected to respond to peaceful protest with the violence and brutality. for nine months he has stayed on course featuring death and -- death incarceration torture and terror. is it any wonder that peaceful protest threatens to morph into violent resistance. is it any wonder that a

regime that is trying to save itself would rather risk civil war then implement the modest ups called for by the arab league to restore the piece? in a recent interview with barbara walters a person who claimed -- cleanest to the title the presence of the syrian arab republic disclaimed any personal responsibility of the war on the syrian people. they are not my forces he protested. they are military forces belonging to the government. it is difficult to to imagine a more blatant disclaimer of responsibility perhaps a rehearsal for when accountability will come but

for now it is a clear message to all who served with this regime. your president claims to see and hear and know nothing if you're a private in the infantry squad or a minister of government, your president well placed the of blame for crimes committed squarely on new. in another sense however co-president performed the accidental service to draw a distinction between himself and the syrian state. a distinction that the syrian opposition led by the syrian national council is making as it dries up detailed plans for love transition from dictatorship to the rule of law and a distinction between a brutal and dying regime and the

state to which it has attached itself like a barnacle. it is a distinction between a family enterprise that has exploited the labor of over 20 million syrians to enrich itself and in the state structure in theory is supposed to provide basic services to its citizens. the syrian national council makes it clear the regime that the assad family click must go. for all of the weaknesses four to provide basic services to help facilitate the transition. by drying the distinction is performing to buy teleservices to guarantee if the regime goes peacefully and quickly there is no

prospect of state failure. no prospect of chaos. and it is reaching down to serious minorities who fear the prospect of wrenching change even as they despise the corruption and confidence and brutality of the regime. still, there is scant evidence this regime has any intention as saving syria as it tries to save itself. the longer this through she remains in power the greater the chances that syria will dissolve into a bloody sectarian conflict this would be disastrous for syria. it would be disastrous for its neighbors. how to avoid it without the of voluntary stepping aside of a recluse day shrek was

regime is problematical. no one, least of all the united states is seeking to militarize the situation. the closest we have to international consensus at the moment is that the regime must implement the steps called for by the arab league immediately and unconditionally but likely will not do so in front of our most urgent task is to work with others to prevent the peaceful uprising for more filling into armed resurrection do discredit the opposition and complicate international support and most likely lead to a protracted conflict. therefore my bottom line is this. the policy of violent repression will run serious the economy off the rails.

if he is willing to preside over p'yongyang, and if he keeps with the gulf cooperation council has labored the killing machine intact, he may hang on for a period of time. we will keep up the pressure to peel away the unable lawyers but the nightmare of the syrian people maybe far from over. they're nightmare will end. our job is to try to ensure intense sooner rather than later and the at both damages the institution of the state and the well-being of the people. assad and his inner circle contributes to the welfare of their countrymen by stepping aside now without delay when the regime is gone the syrian people will

be assured they have plenty of help to rebuild and reform their state and two recover the honor and dignity squandered by those who have serve themselves at syria's expense. thank you, mr. chairman. i look forward to comments and questions. >> thank you mr. hof we appreciate your testimony i recognize myself for five minutes for the purpose of asking questions. raise concern about the administration continued calls for all opposition to remain peaceful. there is a logic to the policy that i do understand by resorting to violence the administration fears that the opposition may lose some international consensus to give the regime fuel to drum up support. i do not however agree with

the logic. first is opposes countries like china and russia but, those that recently delivered over crude -- cruise missiles would never break with the regime. dividend the brutality we have witnessed if not already broken they are unlikely to be swayed by more dead bodies. second, this puts us in a difficult position to bring into question whether bree would continue to support the opposition if it were to fight back against the regime's brutality. in your testimony state that "we urge against five and resistance not because we are naive, but because we firmly believe the effort to extract the regime from the syrian stay will succeed kimora quickly if it remains entirely peaceful. ".

why? one recent report suggests masses of the attacks on army defectors with the pro-democracy activists. do expect the opposition to stand there and be murdered? has the opposition met with the army? why not and does it have any plans? lourdes for it to remain no longer to have violent and the onslaught would they abandon support and at what point* will the administration reconsider its policy of issuing support for the armed opposition? >> thank you, mr. chairman. neither you nor the members of this committee nor the members of the syrian opposition or the syrian people will hear any sermon from me or anybody in this administration about self-defense. it is clear what is the

strategy of the assad regime is. to attempt to channel peaceful resistance which it cannot handle and it has no clue how to handle peaceful resistance. channel it as best it can in the direction of insurrection because it believes it knows how to handle insurrection. this is the language that that regime understands quite well. what we are hoping, will still have been mainly by virtue of the arab league initiative. there will be a key meeting this weekend.

is that somehow the arab league will be able to persuade baja the syrian regime to except monitor witnesses on the ground. our view is it is much less likely will do worse if there are witnesses present. our view is the best scenario for serious future, the best scenario for a stable transition to preserve stability in the region, it is one that will be peaceful. mr. chairman, this regime has a vote on how all that turns out. i am not about to tell people how to defend their houses and families and they should not do it. i am not about to tell

syrian soldiers who were ordered to commit crimes that they should follow those orders. it is a real dilemma of that we face here. there are no easy answers. >> i hope you are right. i fear you may not be but certainly when you have opposition being peaceful and being done down and children are tortured there is a natural inclination to fight back. i guess egypt is one example where violence was not necessary. of the regime did come down on the bn in the other hand was a different situation and if not the armed uprising and now see a clear way that gadaffi would have been overthrown. only time will tell but we appreciate your insight and you are an expert and thank you again for your service to our country. i will now recognize the gentlemen from new york for

five minutes as well. >> i think the chairman. i just wanted to do personalize as much as growing up on the long island and was a part of the constituency in by a graduate of shriver one of the most prestigious public schools that we have. is any chance the assad regime survives? >> congress man, our view is that this regime is the equivalent of dead man walking. but the real question is how many steps. it is very, very difficult

to predict where project but how much time this regime has. the more time has come of the worst for syria and the worse for the region of that is very clear but i do not see this regime's surviving. >> i would agree with you my view has always been about how long it takes to get to the end sometimes measured what is there that we are others could be doing to speed up the demise of the regime that we're not doing right now? >> one of the tasks that has been assigned to me by the secretary of state is the outrage -- out reach two the

various states, the various political beliefs. one of the phoenix set this committee could do i am sure each and everyone of you have syrian american in constituents'. eight -- each and everyone is soon clear what they had the you are willing and able to reach out to to increase them with the end point* them in my direction. >> quote we tell them to do in for securely in the case that of the minority communities. >> we made to assure them and is

officially to the christian community that seems to be in danger of so many parts of the hour world. >> congressmen, that is an extraordinarily important point*. we are not shy about the fact that we reach out to the syrian opposition.

it is a major part of ambassador for its mission in damascus but it is a major part of my mission in on the outside in of the assistant secretary felt man. we have sustained contacts with the opposition. it obviously is not a creature of the united states of america. it is very independent made up of a coalition of extraordinarily independent people. they have their own thoughts on how to proceed and the transition from dictatorship to rule of law should look like. one of the points to the opposition is they do need to do a more sustained steady job of our

reach -- outreach to the minorities, christians. what goes on? it is the concerns of cease been is what they are hiding behind. but the key reason of but that is why they have remained quiet. while the rest of the country is experiencing a protest on a daily basis making sure syrian christians and other minorities understand that they are part of the solution and to the outside

regime is not only part of the problem but is a problem. >> the gentleman's time is expired. >> congressman rohrabacher. >> i did not get that point* you're making. why? because what? you were saying in damascus it is quiet in that was a success of something. i am not sure the point* you are making. >> my point* is that to a very large degree, this regime is both stoking and hiding behind the fears of minorities and syria. fear of what the role would be in the future at of the this strategy on the part

helps to account for the fact that the central parts of damascus have been relatively quiet but one more point* what our embassy is saying is a great deal more of downtown damascus so it is clearly worried with the future holds. >> can-do say their christian it with the minority neighborhoods? i am trying to get the understandings them like these are areas. >> you're suggesting the minority community with a christians, and this truth of attracted to support the

passat regime? >> what i am saying congressmen, there is virtually no one in syria who has any illusions about the corruption, the incompetence in of the violence and brutality of this regime. no one. not even the people in the inner circle of the regime have those illusions. but minorities and syria to have some concerns. >> so we need too. >> you have a secular regime

syriac is the most religious yet to you have this alliance prepare your suggesting the insurrection to them make its position clear or people of other faiths love have more freedom under a democratic government? >> vf position says the right things if you look and read the statements and good tax of the speeches that have been given it is what we have suggested to the opposition it is messaging and to syria. needs to be more sustained and powerful but i thought

that would be cleared up but the one point* that seems to be a central point* you are making today is that we and some way are opposing the insurrection. i don't know. maybe the state department and burned their history books over there. i don't see where thai rents have ever gone down without a fight. if they are, in the united states to have an insurrection there rose eight -- revolution was an insurrection but mubarak and others were there were not insurrections, these people were tied to the west they were not the