the pharmacy stores mission and health care market as a whole. .. the provisional agenda for this meeting is the situation concerning iraq. the agenda is adopted. it is my pleasure to warmly

welcome this turnout of ministers and the distinguished members. the numbers of people who have travelled from afar. some who are going to turn around and go back and come back again. but the extend of dedication of so many to be able to give here is a statement in and of itself about the importance of the matter that is under discussioni discussioni discussionism. we are grateful to the countries that understand the seriousness of this moment and we express our great gratitude to avenue within. in accordance with rule 37, i

invite the representatives of the countries listed, italy, japan, lebanon, the netherlands, norway, poland, qutar, saudi arabia, spain, turkey, and the united arab emrites to participate in this. in line with rule 39 i invite the special representative of the secretary general and head of the united nations assistance mission for iraq to participate in this meeting. it security council will again item two of the agenda and i give the floor to a the nikoli.

>> thank you. thank you mr. president and the council and honorable representatives. it is an honor to brief the security council on behalf of the secretary general. this is the first time i address the council on the damage of the iraq state. on behalf of the mission, let me thank the council for their interest and unity of expressing support for the people and government of iraq and making it possible for the mission to fulfill its mandate. your calls for political engagement, timely elections and a government process haven't gone unnoticed. your announcements, through the

adoption of 2170 resolution continue to encourage the people of iraq they are not alone. iraq's transition has been painful and scarred by violence but the people have shown an unmatched perseverance to rise up. they came out to vote in a competitive election that was foll followed by a peaceful transition of power. they seek to strengthen the relationship between the ethnic and religious communities. the government is looking to the international community for support as well. today when iraq faces a life-threatening danger from the advances of isis the people of iraq look to your counties, members of the security council, neighbors, allies and friends

and to the united nation for the removal of the threat to peace in iraq and the rest of the region. isis from the beginning of there the year have captured parts of iraq and taken resources and their network spans to globe to reach out to recruit foreign fighters in the battle to dismantle the iraq state. months before mosul fell, other provinces were fertile ground the mission. they underscored the evolving of strategy of terror. it is still undermining authority through kidnapping, assassination and violence. it seeked to use the discontent among communities and turn it into bitterness and violence. it uses consolidated control to

present danger to the region and international security. the combined efforts of airstrikes and kurdish operation have allowed for some areas to be allowed brought back under the control of legite authority. they have saved hundreds of lives and safeguarded infrastructure and despite these successes however, isis has been able to take control of key towns in certain provinces. i am encouraged to report in the face of the growing threat, the security cooperation and coordination governor the federal government of iraq and

the other governments have increased. up to 1.8 million people have been displaced and 850,000 are seeking refugee. an additional 10,000 families from the province have been displaced from their home. the crisis is not just in the north of the country as tens of thousands of people fled to the south where many of them are hosted by families and religious institution. the pressure across the country is growing as the influx continues to create a crisis. with winter approaching, immediate and critical measures need to be enhanced. over 2,000 schools are providing school but the start of the school hear has been delayed by one month. the u.n.mounted a massive humanitarian effort to provide

food, water, shelter and assistance. we continue to reach an estimated 650,000 people who are still in the areas of active conflict. i use this opportunity to call on the government of iraq to put forward a national strategy to address the situation of the displaced people as well as the immediate restration of salaries. their financial commitments to help must be recognized. the u.n.is ready to provide additional assistance and improve the coordination of services. on behalf of the entire family, let me thank the states that have followed through with efforts. i want to recognize the kingdom of saudi arabia that contributed millions of dollars and 60% has

been spent on food and tents and others. i have to note growing concern for humanitarian operations will be exhausted before the winter and additional support is going to be needed. there is a devastating affect on the human rights in iraq. since january there have been 25,000 civilian deaths and 8, 500 killed and more than 16,000 wounded. on behalf of the secretary general and the the entire team i extend my sympathy to the families. min min minorty religious communities have been particular targeted by isis who have sought cleansing

from territory under their control. they have war crimes, crimes against humanity and perhaps genocide. they are investigating the human rights law violations and our team has conducted over 500 interviews with victims and witnesses of the violation. we are verified systematic violations. a public report was published in j july and a second one is under publication. i welcome to decision to dispatch a team to look into violations of international and humanitarian law. it wasn't just the survival of the country at stake but the

existence of communities. all iraqis, no matter what ethnic or religious community they belong to, stand to lose if they fail to cooperate against the terrorism, and radicalism and extremism. there is a plan of understanding that for any plan to agree it needs to be accepted by all. there is an agreement that security can't be provided without the full respect of the constitution, rule of law, international humanitarian law and standards. the conditions that breed this in iraq need to be addressed so the disaffected communities, particular those in conflict areas, should be brought back into the democratic process. the iraq constitution remains the guiding framework for resolving the grievances. fair revenue sharing between provinces and efficient public

service and measures against corruption. and perhaps most importantly the strengthening of ruling law and democratic rules. this will allow the country to move forward. we need to address the human violations of the past and present. left unresolved it will undermine any attempt to solve outstanding constitutional, legal or policy issues. since the appointment, the government has made important steps and has a strong beginning for its collective work. i very much welcome the prime minister's orders to suspend the strikes in civilian areas including isis-controlled area and the public commitment to the protection of civilians. i urge the government of iraq to uphold this commitment. as commander in chief, the prime minister is trying to

restructure the iraq armed forces. these decisions are encouraging steps toward meeting the demand of reform. i welcome the idea of establishing a reconstruction fund and rebuild the areas damaged. i am very pleased to report that the council of ministers initiated the process of drafting a law for the creation of the national guard. this allows for authority to strengthen local provisions and security. in the address to parliament the prime minister committed to resolving outstanding budget disputes. i encourage the iraq government to remove in restoring subsidies starting in september. the federal government and the government should move quickly to reach an agreement on the outstanding payments. and it is time for the revenue and budget sharing to be

resaufbd in line with with the constitution. all members of the international community should continue to work closely, both with the government of iraq and the kirgstan regional government. the stakes are very high for iraq and the people of the region. iraq and its neighbors have an opportunity to restart positive operations based on interest. this cooperation should be open and inclusive of all neighbors who will address isis. 2170, 7804, the paris conference on peace and security in iraq and the discussions held at nato

strengthen support for iraq in their time of needs. the u.n.is ready to support iraq with political and social humanitarian efforts needed to address the crisis. isis is a scorch that brought untold sorrow to the people of iraq and syria. they show contempt for equality and the dignity of worth. this threat can be addressed if iraq, the region and the world come together and work on the bases of the framework of the chapter of the united nations and the relevant security councils. thank you. >> thank you for the briefing. and i think more importantly from all of us we thank the

secretary general and you as the special representative but also heading up the u.n.assistance measure and we are grateful to you. the council has before it the next of the state on behalf of the council. i thank the council members for the contributions of the statement. in accordance with the underi undering -- understanding reached -- among the members i take it they agree with the security measure under the symbol shown here. it is so decided. i now have the privilege to give the floor to the minister of foreign affairs of iraq. >> thank you, mr. president.

allow me at the outset to express my appreciation of our meeting today in view of the seriousness of the threats we face n face only -- not only in iraq but all over the world. i value colleagues from countries whose presence today proves the gravity of the face we threat. we would like to thank the united states for holding this meeting with a view to mobili mobilizing support. i would like to welcome the briefing by the special representative secretary general. iraq reaffirms their position to race up to terrorism as a group

that should be eliminated. it is important for cooperation among all authorities to take place. the influx of terrorist fighters from all over the world to establish this state of isis is a great danger not only to iraq and syria but the entire region. fighting those in iraq and sparing the iraq people the evil is in the interest of the entire world. this is a war that is being launched against the people of iraq who was fighting on behalf of all other people. they have violated our land and dignity of man. all of the iraq people, muslims, christians, turkmans and others are against this evil.

we would like to restore peace and stability so we can restore public services to the people specially in the affected areas. the actions of isis has led to 1.8 million people to be displaced. in spite of the political and security challenges the newly elected government has cooperated with the united nations organizations in iraq to allevate the suffering of the people and enable security forces to restore their control of the entire territory of iraq and assist the displaced to return to their home. in spite of the challenges and continued threat the iraqi people have been able to hold their national elections, followed by the formation of a unity government that pays interest to the entire

population of iraq and has committed itself to implement the main principles in the documents agreed to by all parties to enhance national unity. we have nationally agreed on the formation of a national government that included all sects of the society and mobilizing internationally and regionally is an affective way to deal with the challenges that face the region. we believe the main responsibility to fight isis and other terrorist organizations on our territory is our responsibility and the responsibility of the iraqi armed forces and the national

guard as well. air support is required by friendly nations. we have taken all measures to enhance national unity and take unified actions. we warned the situation in syria would affect iraq and this major threat should be removed not only from iraq but any other country. iraq is previously called upon on the 25th of june 2014 requesting assistance from the international community. military, economical and financial assistance should continue to iraq to support the counter offensive against isis. removing the threat requires the threat of removal of all of the fighters including in neighboring countries and any military actions against the

isis should be done in coordination with the iraqi armed forces. urgent assistance should be provided to eliminate the suffering of 1.8 million people including women and children and we call upon the united nations to remain committed to the implementation of human rights council resolutions and security council resolutions in this regard with a few of drying up the sources of financing and military support to isis and prevent isis from dealing with the national resources in the area they control. the united nations strategy against terrorism has stressed this points and we would like to stress this point is not going to be removed unless we fight the extremist ideas that support

it. the advocates of such extremist ideas should be prevented from public speech and should be countered at all levels. the people and government of iraq appreciate the roles played by the european nation and united nations and other nations including countries that have assisted unemployin providing p areas where fighting is severe. we are all facing a grave danger that has no respect for human rights or humanitarian aspects. we should work for prosperity, love and cooperation. and particular the humanitarian assistance to the displaced and

reaffirm our appreciation and tha thanks for dedicating and assisting iraq in its crisis. thank you, sir. >> thank you very much were a very important statement and we appreciate your leadership and the new government's efforts. it is my privilege to make a statement in my capacity as secretary of state of the united states. let me start again by thanking every single one of you for participating in this session. i have seen in the last week's travelling around how busy everybody is and how committed to this effort everyone is through their actions as well as through their busy schedules. i am convinced the fact that so many countries are represented

from so many parts of the world really underscores the clear need for all of us to come together, to welcome and support the new inclusive government in iraq and of course to put an end to isis' unfedered barbarity. i want to thank secretary general bond and welcome our new iraq counter part. i don't need to remind anyone here that the last two times the eyes of the world were focused on iraq was when its government was in confrontation with the international community. today we come together in support of the new iraqi government that has made great strides in a short of amount of time and we must not miss this

moment. last week, i made my second trip to baghdad in over two months in order to meet with the new iraqi government. i was very encouraged to hear them reaffirm their commitment and begin to address the deep e division we are aware of. all of these have plagued iraq throughout its modern history. and they are committed to empowering local communities and mobilize and maintain security control in their areas and work with the international community to defeat isis. indeed, iraq has responded to the isis threat with a spirit of unity that the country hasn't experienced in decades, if ever. last month, an iraqi-arab pilot

flew an iraqi airforce helicopter with a kurdish crew with a single goal of rescuing people off the mountain. tragically the helicopter crashed and the general was the only one killed but before he died he told "the new york times" reporter that is mission to rescue the people on the mountain was the most important thing he had ever done in his entire life and career as an iraqi pilot. this historic level of cooperation between iraqi and kurdish forces has resinated in both communities. as the president explained earlier this month, my president, isis is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. it has no vision other than the

slaughter of who stands in its way. in a region that has known so much blood shed, these terrorist are unique in their brutality. they execute captured prisoners, kneeling them down, tying hands behind their back and bullet in their heads. they kill children. enslave, rape and force women into marriage. they threatened a religious minority with genocide. and in acts of barberism they took the lives of two americans and a british aid worker. isis poses a threat to the people of iraq, syria and the broader middle east and if left unchecked these terrorist certainly would pose a growing threat beyond the region because they have already promised, too.

in the face of this evil our only option is confronting with it a campaign that is capable of committing and destroying this threat and confronting it with a campaign that is capable enough to ensure whether in iraq, syria or elsewhere isis can't find a safe haven. as the president explained, the coalition required to eliminate isis isn't only and primarily military in nature.

there is a role for every country to play including iran. isis poses a threat to all of us. and we are committed to working in close partnership with the new iraqi government and countries around the world to defeat it. that is why i spent the past week consulting with iraqi counterparts and travelling in the middle east and europe, building partnerships and that is why we were focused on >> host:ing the session here today. and i thank the foreign minister for saudi arabia's leadership and >> host:ing their conference in jeda and i thank the president and france for their leadership in >> host:ing -- hosting the conference in paris. from each of these is a greater

commitment to do what we need to do. i have to tell you in the meetings we had so far. members are not talking about if they should support the campaign against isis they are asking how. across each of the lines we are focused on we have seen more than 50 countries come forward with critical commitments. first on military support, countries in the region and around the world are already providing assistance in terms of kinetic action and in the form of training, advising, equipping and providing support. my pleasure to offer up the floor and i want to thank him for his significant efforts in the past months on a number of different fronts. we appreciate egypt's leadership on the cease-fire and it is my

pleasure to recognize you to the floor. >> thank you, john, for your kind words. we have undertaken this in the context of the responsibility and reinforced by your support. thank you for your efforts you have exerted. let me tell you how important this call for the convening of the security council. since they have held a meeting following a series of other meetings for regional and international efforts in order to assist and obtaining security and stability in iraq.

this requires the mobilization of an international position that can take a single line against isis and terrorist group in general, both in iraq and the region, in order to pave the way to uprooting this horrible group in the region. it has been escalated in the middle east. egypt has joined a number of other arab states and the united states of america as an important meeting. we focused on coordination in focusing on isis because it is the gravest threat confronting the region. this comes in accordance to resolution 1270 and the decision of the arab league of the 7th of

september of this year. egypt last monday participated in the paris conference on security in iraq in which the iraqi government reaffirmed the request for military assistance to con front. and also to extend help to terrorist. our meeting today in the security council is an expression of international determination to get together all institutions and regional powers to confront this.

there is a vast surface and rich heritage in iraq that needs to be honored. we look forward to relations of mutual respect among the states, respect of the sovereignty and security. we hope that the government is a government that represents all parts of iraqi society, one that is able to face up to the threat of terrorism. egypt is prepared to give every assistance to assist iraq. we shall cooperate regionally to help. allow me to repeat in this very account of egypt's position

which is that all efforts must be made to revitalize the concept of a nation state away from any secretarism. we meet again to support iraq against isis here. this is a threat that faces us all particularly in the arab region. they are using barbaric acts against anyone that is different. isis isn't limited to one, two or three movements. this is one idea that expresses

themselves with slogans and names and is developing in different parts of the world and at the end of the day it is a world wide organization. egypt more than any other is well aware of the threat of such terrorist organizations. we have confronted the -- f situation. and the very ideas that are the bases of all contempory terrorist organizations. such organizations and similar organizations must be confronted and were confronted in libya, for example. this is important as it is a threat to international peace and security.

at the time when we are stressing as the importance of not ignoring the political and social reasons for the emergence of isis. the international community must be aware that it cannot stop at containment and half solutions in con fronting such extremist organizations. we must confront those states that are helping these terrorist organizations to obtain their narrow political aims on the scene. we have to stand up to our common responsibilities and humanity to confront and defeat this barbaric group. >> thank you for taking the time to come and be here and

particularly to the leadership on the issue. i give the floor to the minister of foreign affairs at berain. >> mr. president, your excellants and ladies and gentlemen, thank you for convening this special session of the united nations security council on iraq. i would like to thank you president for the presidential statement that is very comprehensive and we subscribe to. i would like to thank our formal colleague and now representative of the united nations in iraq for his very comprehensive report. i would like to say congrats to my colleague here for assuming his post and i look forward to working with him especially

during this important time. the security situation in iraq and the spread of darish and the last couple years in syria and iraq is a serious regional and global concern. they are exhibited an appalling level of brutality and disregard for human lives as demonstrated by the deaths of aid workers, journalist and counselless iraqi civi civilians. we should not stop until we have complete annihilation of the group. this is going to happen at the regional and national level in three arenas: the military, financial and ideaological. it is special that countries join iraq and their fight by

providing the correct level of support. when it comes to regional security, bah ran has assumed their fair share of the burden. we join friends and allies and in the fights against pirates in the indian ocean and by keeping a watchful eye around the waters of the arabian gulf, today we stand ready to join allies in the region and world and contribute their share to the necessary fight. we firmly believe the time has come for the countries of the region to take the lead for the terrorist groups among us. islamic institutions and scholars around the world must not hesitate to point out the terrorist cults and legitimize

any religious justification they give. we condemn the authority from sc scholarships and urge them to continue doing so to help us defeat the clear danger threatening muslims and non-muslims alike. stopping the flow of financial resources is crucial to defeating it. the kingdom has a long standing financial center with combatting terrorism and money laundering will discuss ways to combat the terrorist organizations both within and outside the middle east of north africa. the conference will be held the

first week of november with an agreement to using a road map plan to combat the financial intuiti intuitii financialstitutions are not are notia -- institutions are not used to increase cash flow to individuals. and we will make sure the attempts for people joining will be stopped before leaving the country. and those who return after joining such groups are immediately arrested. further, the allevation of the challenges faced is no less important than the fight. minority groups have suffered and the international community

must do everything they can to provide the aid to bodies. we are confidant in the path of peace, security and stability. finally, we must remember that fighting terrorism is a regional responsibility and that all regional countries must adopt the same position regarding terrorism and where it my sface in the region. there are terrorist groups operating across the middle east from egypt to libya to lebanon, syria, yemen and the gulf.

hezbollah and others continue to terrorize and kill innocent people all over. it is necessary to adapt a holistic approach that identifies, confronts, and eventually defeats terrorist in an affective manner. thank you very much. >> thank you for the important list of commits that you are prepared to make and we look forward to taking part in that conference. it will be a very important part of success. i give the floor to the minister of foreign affairs of qutar and i thank for the early and defined commitments qutar has made to the efforts already.

in the name of allah, mr. john kerry, friends, i would like to thank you at the beginning for holding this meeting at such a critical juncture in the history of iraq and the region. i would like to thank the srsg for his briefing. i express that the state of cutt cuttqutar welcomes to president statement adopted in this meeting and i welcome the election of the president of iraq and the speaker of house of representatives and also his assumption of the new

government. such developments are promising and should reflect with positivety in iraq. mr. president, at a time where we look forward to the complete formation of the iraqi government so it will shoulder the dangerous task of facing the challenges, mainly terrorism, it is important for all iraqis to take part of the management of iraq and this is the only means to face the serious challenges facing this country so they would express national unity in the government. you could perhaps agree this only happens through a serious national dialogue. we would support our brothers and sisters in any sect that could seek to maintain iraq and

defeat terrorism. the world is following with much concern and interest the hackeds acts of killing in the region. as we discuss options to face the groupings and to face their danger to the region and the world we think that the success of the international community would only be possible through political will and international efforts and through tackling the causes that has led to a violent that provides incubation for terrorist and organizations need to be the source of funding and we should not submit to their blackmail or link it to religion, nationality or region.

what we draw from the region is that such organizations benefited from the oppressive policies of dictatorships that have caused a security gap and frustration among the mass and public and growing number of grievances and on the other hand such regimes. after being abandoned the international community such regimes are marketing themselves as partners in the international campaign against terroris. we think they work against the interest of people and security and stability in the world. mr. president, the political and the security challenges facing the international community should not detract that from tackling the declining situation

in iraq after the victims have raised horrible levels and in response to the ordeal of our iraqi brothers, cuttqutar has established an air bridge to deliver aid and qutar will continue to work on such responses. i thank you mr. president. >> i appreciate that and working forward to working with you in the days ahead. i give the floor now to the minister responsible for foreign affairs of oman. i start with saying a profound thank you for the members and

the palestinian support you gave us. thank you. >> in the name of allah, the compassi compassionate and merciful one, may i begin by hearing and thanking you for holding this special security council meeting. we thank you for having us participate in the debate. the debate on the difficult context in iraq currently. this is the time for us to see how to tackle the terrorist challenge represented by the so-called islamic state of iraq.

as we know, efforts headed up by an international coalition will be successful and vanquish the terrorist groups in the area. this is our hope. we hope that peace and stability will triumph in this region of the world and indeed in the world on the whole. sir, terrorism striking arab states, in whatever forms or manifestations, motives, justifications, this terrorism should be condemned in all regards and thus my country deplores all terrorist crimes perptrated by the so-called

non-islamic state of iraq. iraq is the cradle of civilization thanks to the support of the international community it shall succeed in gaining the uphand over this situation. iraq has build their civilization over centuries and will not be defeated by terr terrorism and acts we see in iraq today perptrated by the islamic state have nothing to do with humanity nor religion. these terrorist groups should be rooted out, eradicated and the international community should come together in combating this destruction phenomenon. by the means to be determined by

the security council. the world must come together so as to errat all managers of terrorism. through the means planned by the council victory will be ours over the groups. affective, punitive measures should be taken. otherwise, thes group and others will cross borders. into other states. and this could strongly undermine the efforts of the international community. my country, as as always been the case, will support these international efforts,

praiseworthy efforts and we do hope that this shall lead to a victory for the international community. a triumph. this means that the world will triumph on the whole over the organization which is a challenge to humanity. we remain at roarsoid and continue to support efforts like we have in the past to ensure no terrorist group is able to win. this allows to obtain the objecting of the peace and

security. thank you. >> thank you for the things oman is doing. it is my pleasure to give the floor to her excellance and the minister of the foreign affairs of georgia. >> thank you, mr. president. we are meeting at a pivotal time for the security and stability of the european area and beyond. latest developments have demonstrated we cannot take our security for granted and in today's uncertain world all like-minded democracies but stay under the protect freedom and the world based order. european security is being challenged by military aggression against ukraine. georgia has suffered from russia's military aggression in 2008 and the ongoing fight in

the regions. the world is forcing to alter borders and forced a threat to europe being whole, free and at peace. with regard to the middle east, we are shocked and distressed by the development of the security of the situation in iraq. i would like to express strong support to the new government of iraq headed by prime minister and effort to ensure inclusive political process and improve security and stability in iraq despite the challenges presented by isil. at the same time, i would like to reiterate georgia's support for the pepublic of iraq and express hope that during this difficult time iraqi people are united to confront the challe e challenge. georgia condemns in the

strongest terms the acts of terrorist and violence against people based on their religious and ethnic affilations. isis poses threats to the middle east and europe and north america and beyond. it is only with our joint efforts and commitment that we can stop, reverse and prevent this from happening. georgia is a reliable ally and capable in ensuring stability around the globe. we continue to work in iraq and central african republic. our commitment to the global peace and stability is firm. georgia fully supports the efforts of the coalition to defeat isis and bring peace to

the region. we stand ready to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the group. furthermore, georgia's experience from combat missions and successful defense transformation could be used to enhance the capabilities of iraqi and other forces as they are taking fight to the terrorist. we look forward to working with the united states and other coalition partners in coming days and weeks to identify areas where georgia's contribution can provide added value. thank you. ...

the recently formed a government -did the of his excellency which deserves full support of the international community, the united arab emirates which emphasizes that the country and should not fall back again to sectarian policies which called to of cost the security crises. the united arab emirates to all those who attempt to compromise the security. support the international essence and come and terrorism of isis. it also repeatedly shows its position during the latest summit.

support for the condition of the league of arab states and thaw with the new presence in the conference on pages -- please send security. from this podium and i as an arab absolutely reject the entity called the islamic state. i call upon the wall to join us in the rejection and to show solidarity with millions of muslims from orbitz what is dear to gasol the czar criminal gangs

and no more. the united arab emirates believes the war against isis should not lead to the muslim to ammunition of the community but play an important role in the political future of iraq. it is important to work to maintain in terms of of jealousy must be prevented from establishing a safe haven for extremists in our region which can be achieved through immediate and international action in coordination with the iraqi government. this will conclude the development of a comprehensive international provision, the danger of which is not limited

to the terrorist organization but extends to ongoing conflicts in the human, lebanon, somalia, egypt, libya, and north africa and africans their regions. these terrorist groups continued to exploit things and syrian and to achieve goals and without the slightest regard to 70 our national borders no boundaries of a slogan spirit no evidence they only go in a violent states with sectarian extremists.

the issue of foreign fighters which have become -- here organizing on this topic. the extremists in areas suffering from conflicts in order to ensure the continuance. danger for other countries not in the arab or islamic wind. we need to add to is the rational partnerships since then for the root causes of terrorism and their needs to be such a partnership not limited to come batting network isis only. mr. president than by the, the united arab emirates affirms its

rejection of violence and extremism and its commitment to moderation serbs and international partners to fight terrorist groups britain with further emphasizing the importance of wisdom we to adopt a new air general and comprehensive national program been for bringing together the iraqi people with of the exclusion of any group been paid in this context we seek the semblance that the corrosive undertaken the ability. but in the iraqi government and we commend the kurdish forces

the region remains a challenge that statement the united arab emirates have always supported the united people's in all circumstances including the support efforts. providing assistance to those populations affected by violence continuing to provide support. i like to point top, concerning the fight for an improvement and financing and the context to emphasize improvements of the continued international community in providing its support. thank you, mr. president.

>> thank you very much, your highness. i hope you will also pass on our thanks to his highness for the support that we are receiving with respect to this coalition and initiative will i give the floor now to his excellency, the minister of the state of belgium . >> mr. secretary of state, hon. minister's, allow me to begin the very time the organization of with extremely concerned by the fact that the terrorist groups have taken root in iraq and syria in the responsible for kidnapping with the heinous killings and many crimes. this is not only a foot for the region but for all of us for

this reason 35th unprecedented position of the international community death of the native of military intervention is needed to stop the progress of isil of the wrath the long-term in. the establishment of the new government and the appointment of that the prime minister are, of course plus steps in the right direction, but it would be appropriate to quickly demonstrate fifth to the population pick that the government policies at all levels are and will be inclusive political three establishing both and rereading death fabric of society as a crucial stage which is essentially based on the iraqi government and also

called for a long-term commitment and the support of the international community. in neighboring syria, end up being a political solution yet and supporting the world health special envoy who would be responsible for the solution. along with this political commitment the international community must also demonstrate greater solidarity and the humanitarian level specifically committed itself continue to react shaping the region from the war, there must pay a targeted fight against isil.

it must be ensured that five isil will not benefit from revenues. enclosed cooperation with partners. not being speared. hundreds have joined to use health 310th to france and belgium carry out a terror attack in the very center of brussels last the institutions makes it possible to conduct an inclusive strategy to fight this phenomenon and also attack its whether it is cooperating with several states in this area regarding the military action

itself to my calling for the legitimacy of international action to be strengthened as far as political conditions make it possible by a united nations resolution. melson plans to contribute to the military coalition by the united states with in iraq either through air support missions, supporting transport of military information and training or others because of the current government transition this contribution should be approved by the by parliament -- in libya organizers have demonstrated they can effectively support partners. it is essential for all companies in the region including iran to mobilize against the terrorist threat which isil poses and should

contribute to the different aspects of the collective action . this is an opportunity that should be taken to overcome regional division assumption. it will be indispensable if we want to succeed in protecting freedom, democracy, peace, respect for our culture and respect for human rights. thank you very much. >> they keep. -- thank you. mr. president, let me begin by expressing my appreciation for convening this debate to discuss the situation in iraq which has taken a more troubling turn in the past three months. i also think the minister for his remarks, special

representative of the secretary general for his report. real and political crisis in the middle east brother to brother -- extremism these days by the so-called isil and is abhorrent with brutality is chief among the threats that ravaged iraq and syria and cast gloom over the middle east horizon . thank neither is it islamic or a state. rejecting the stereotypes that that's the name of islam to bloody and violent acts committed by such despicable groups. it has grown out of

assistance provided in the past decade the ultraviolet 625 extremists, we need to be mindful of the situation this so-called isil is not a new phenomenon. if similar groups developed following the invasion of iraq during the years of ensuing ability, the syrian crisis and the support they have received outside the region found a new breeding ground and a new false cause dysentery into a's saxe-coburg-gotha. [indiscernible] in addition to military intervention attempts for

middle eastern societies reflected in the area and the phase initiatives by certain powers of another aspect of the illusion held by certain outside powers in the past decade . military and nonmilitary interventions in the region and the ensuing slaughter and blood feud have helped radicalize and created the perfect conditions for extremists to take it vantage. i do not think that anybody disagrees that extremism is much stronger and more spread out in the middle east today that it was in 2001. mr. president, based upon the experiences built up in the past decade we believe that any real and genuine initiative to remedy their regional comments needs to

originate from within the region and be based on regional cooperation jessica 1/6 science itself sixth, to this rule. we hope that all spaces in the middle east now fully realize that extremas as a threat to them as it is to iraq or syria. those who thought otherwise the to reconsider the 11-year-old policy that chose to be conducive to stability. the international coalition against isil is yet to decide to pursue a serious strategy. in our view to defeat extremism comprehensive strategy should consist of the following. first, fully complying split the norms and principles of international law how

military action. second, expanding support for the government and bad as it fights isil and hoping it strengthen the national unity and territorial integrity as encouraging its all inclusive political system which requires discouraging forces and avoiding tinkering with the sectarian divide. third cover encouraging its base and tapping capacity in the region to fight the war against extremism with the assistance of the international community and working toward unifying and coordinating policy. in the little or foot-dragging will leave a vacuum that will be used by extremists.

consistency in fighting isil were ever it is present will be it in iraq, syria, lebanon, or elsewhere. further acceptances of flick fliers helping into the life of relevant activities to deal with this evidence be a strategy that undermines these authorities including the syrian government that resisted isil for a few years, the segments of population in terms of protection will be a recipe for defeat. it is regrettable that the city was left to the mercy of isil for more than two months under the recent -- ruthless seas, only belonging to distance segments of population.

encouraging the political solution. rectifying the state made in the past fifth engaging in all regional states and international actors to deny extremist access to fund the groups and others. that should include actions to putting an end tomorrow and financial support for extremists coming from some quarters with in certain countries in the region. it is important, especially in light of the fact that groups such as a fourth left the of truth of the by air strikes in tenth tooth in the fifth 93v for war crimes against the palestinians.

the kind of reaction earth to what can only be called genocide against the people of gaza is a good rallying cause for extremist groups such as isil. lumping together violent extremists, directly to the extremist message. the president, an islamic republic of iran is the only country in the region that is capable of and has shown unqualified determination to help the at iraqi government and coordinate and assist before we rose to the challenger leon. before any other help arrived on the scene.

on the same day my government is ready to continue to assist and other governments threatened. thank you. >> thank you for that statement. >> on this weekend is maker house judiciary committee chair talks about some of the issues before the committee including immigration and border security. he also talks about this week's house vote authorizing president obama to arm and train syrian rebels in their fight against isis. watch the interviews sunday on c-span. >> even if just a few of there, recently received from viewers. >> this weekend so many good shows.

the only thing this morning and was hoping to watch the f100 supersaver restoration supersonic jet fighter no big deal. the supersaver, i am hoping that they will show that again-. show it related to that issue 4-5 looking for with to abc now. this weekend. >> the so-called benghazi hearings which convinced today with there is no embassy of any description in the fifth.

hope, that is not being addressed? wife of a unified the top of? >> you are my favorite station. the cannot fifth teach both read in portland, ore. i've wondered if you could tell us how we could manage. >> conference the visit of 10:00 for a supposed to be a show which is the hearings, but we cannot commit. we would like to see that repeated on one of c-span were c-span2 or available immediately. >> and continue to let us know what you think about the programs you're watching . you can send us a tweet

fifth issue of the conversation. lycoris on facebook. follow as on twitter. >> a house foreign affairs subcommittee looked at the chances of terrorist attacks in europe carried out by citizens are now fighting for his blood militant groups in syria. recent reports say hundreds of british, french and germans could pose a legitimate threat. a former representative to muslim communities and a senior fellow at the foundation for defense of democracy is. this is just over an hour.

fifth fifth >> i call this committee to order. you will be discussing an emerging threat to europe in which is an area that we are focused on but also an emerging threat to the world and i am going to connecticut -- sixth in five 1/5 -- last month thank you for a refund with open with his opening statement.

and i will ask my colleagues for opening statements as well. i yield. >> thank you for holding this important and timely hearing. i would like to thank our esteemed witnesses. our employees that you are able to join us a long history in massachusetts. i am happy to see his legacy move on through his knees testifying before us today. today's hearing is particularly relevant given its geographic proximity to the conflict zone. social now for a complete internet and propaganda have become the fifth violence. these tools are cheap and effective even for a group

like isil which seems to have plentiful resource is being used. for this reason i think the nexus of our counter-terrorism strategy should focus on various facets of the recruitment and communication strategy. this has been the root of the problem for decades and is what we must attack. of course we need the cooperation of our transatlantic and regional partners, the national counter-terrorism center estimates that as of this month as many as 12,000 individuals have traveled since 2011 in order to support the armed militants there. this figure includes well over 1,000 european citizens and more than 100 americans. the other estimates from our allies overseas expect these numbers to be even higher. this can serve as a barometer for what may come. and for this reason we must

to facilitate better information sharing and communication. the fbi and intelligence agencies are already been working with domestic and international partners to attract foreign fighters struggling to the mideast. as such, interagency cooperation and information sharing will undoubtedly be put to the test as agencies seek to coordinate and respond to the threat particularly across international boundaries. for this reason i will continue to be a strong advocate for incorporating local law enforcement into this framework and utilizing the force multiplier effect. as i mentioned earlier, the mindset and recruitment of these militant who have come to the western nations that go on to rape, kill comes to bear. the trans-atlantic community can fight terrorism by determining its causes and devising a proper countermeasures. .. countermeasures. in particular the message

promoted by heritage and the cultural history is important to help young people find their true identities with that backwards propaganda to destroy the history. and i think it is important for our partners of the fight for those that impacted and affected for what they can do are they protecting those from being coerced? a true partner to confront radicalism would only do what they could do to take place abroad but is zero tolerance for extremism to go unchecked at home as well these are important questions with evaluating

the when evaluating the capabilities of our international partners who in most cases are more prone to attacks by radical groups than we are. yet radicalization is occurring across the world in rural in urban settings, wealthy and poor communities and among all education levels. in the long run we must ensure that courses of action we pursue are not only targeting terrorist groups but the polarizing policies that often lead to this kind of societal division. further this must include both genders for it is not only men who take up arms that women who play an integral role in the stabilization and organization of society within isil as well as other exchanges groups. muslim women in particular are growing increasingly conservative closed environments and this will have an effect on future generations. the subject at today's hearing is of utmost concern to our own national security and i look

forward to hearing each each other when mrs. perspectives on this timely issue and that i thank the chairman and yield back. >> thank you very much. this morning's hearing is on the emerging threat of islamic foreign fighters going to syria and iraq and the specific threat that they pose when they seek to return to europe and how does that impact us in the united states as well. in 2011 the syrian people rose up in revolt against their government. over three years later to area has been torn apart by ethnic and sectarian strife. it is an open civil war. radical islamic terrorist groups including al qaeda have taken full advantage of this chaos. possibly as many as 15,000 foreign fighters have entered syria from around perhaps 80

different countries to take up arms in this fight. it appears that several thousand of those fighters came from europe and hold passports in european countries. many of these islamist have joined in a heinous brutal anti-western terrorist organization that has grown to contest the vast territory in both syria and iraq. we face a terrorist group which controls land and has proven its abilities on the battlefield. it is also one of the richest terrorist groups in the world. they profit from criminal activity, extortion, black-market oil sales and of course the easy capture or you might say gift of vast amounts

of american military equipment that we have generously provided iraq. this is a mega-million-dollar operation on their part. it is a nightmare to think about the kind of attacks isil could pull off given their financial resources, their geographic safe havens and in access to so many recruits with western passports. the filmed beheading of james folding and steven sotloff and david haines tells us all that we need to know, it's all we need to know about the intentions of this terrorist organization. terrorists are holding the knife in the beheading videos spoke with a british accent.

that indicates the magnitude of the security challenge that we face. we have party began to see the threat of terrorism emanating from syria this week. a yemen born naturalized american citizen was indicted for attempting to provide support to isil in new york state. dozens of people have also been arrested just this week in australia and in the balkans in connection with plots to aid isil and conduct terrorist attacks in the west. and the worst terrorist attacks in the west perhaps it is a little too soft. maybe we should understand what the terrorist attacks in the west means are tearing apart of the bodies of women and childr children, civilians, people who just want to live their lives

and this group of other human beings forward ever reason they have, will at random murder our fellow citizens and people who live in western countries. perhaps as we will hear from our witnesses we will hear about mutt mode if we are talking about here. perhaps to terrorize western civilization out of a huge section of the globe. in may a muslim terrorist who traveled to syria shot and killed four people in a jewish museum in brussels. those victims were honest ordinary people who could be related to any of us. during our discussions this morning i hope to learn from the panelists about why isil's bloody message of hate and violence attracts far too many

of european muslims? what are the viable options for european countries in the situation to prevent terrorists from returning home? what attracts them to it and how can we prevent them from coming back to their home countries and conducting this type of horrible murder on innocent people in our society's? how can we better work with our european allies and let me add working with her and left -- european allies and russia to defend ourselves against the shared threat. finally let me just note that i think we would do well to learn from europe's immigration experience as we talk about reforming our own laws. this problem is not owned to counter terrorists but it's a

question of how different people can fit together in a free society. we have a lot to cover so with that let me turn to the ranking member has already been heard from. other members perhaps have short opening statements. >> thank you mr. chairman. isis as you have said is a threat that we need to understand has to be reckoned with. i fear the west, especially the united states underestimates them. unlike many of the terrorist groups that have set up governance in northern iraq and syria. they have oil, they have money and they are determined fighters and as you said they have a lot of american equipment already. the united states has supplied equipment to iraqi's and try to train them in the first

encounter with isis in northern iraq they cut and ran. a lot of americans believe they just threw down some small-arms and mres and pamela took off running. not so. here's an m-1 tank that the iraqi government was given by the united states. confronted with isis they failed and now isis controls an m-1 tank belonging to the americans. here's a pray they celebrated after capturing several humvees abandoned by the iraqis that we subsidized and at the bottom to me is the most alarming. these are for humvees american-made given to the iraqi troops to fight the isis and after they cut and ran now this is on the syrian truck or an isis truck headed to syria to fight in syria. i think we underestimate who these people are. foreign fighters are already coming back to europe and launching attacks.

germany held his first trial against an alleged german born jihadist in may 2013. terrorist killed 13 people in a museum in brussels. british prime minister david cameron said last week they have already been at least six plan terrorist attacks in the e.u. countries from isis and the threat won't stay in europe as the australians have found out this week. they come from visa waiver countries and many of these individuals are able to travel to the u.s.. we have to work with european friends to identify and track foreign jihadist in syria and convince them that this is a group to be reckoned with and they are a threat to all civilized peoples. they cannot be allowed to return home and continue their jihad. i then introduced h.r. 5406 the foreign terrorist organization passport revocation act exactly for this purpose. this bill calls for the state department to revoke u.s.

passports to individuals who are fighters for any foreign terrorist organization or helping to support it anyway. american citizens to fight for isis or traitors and benedict arnold's and they are not welcome back into the u.s.. without mr. chairman i will yield back. >> thank you very much. >> thank you mr. chairman. i appreciate you being here. this is a very important topic. in lieu of what's going on in our world today as mr. keating spoke about radical terrorist group scurrying around the world it would be wise and prudent for us to address this before it gets worse. we have reports, suspected reports in the country of things that are already happening. we have to think about the boston marathon bombing. is this the beginning of a way that's going to happen that's unacceptable? in lieu of what's going on in the middle east we need to talk about isil coming over here and they said they were coming to

america. we have to pay attention and not allow that to happen. i think they have to be dealt with. we need to do more here to secure our borders and i would like to hear ideas from you on securing our borders not just the southwest border but all of our borders. in addition to the task force that people that have western passports we introduced a bill this week called the terrorist nationality act that sounds like other members have done too that will strip citizenship away from people that have a known affiliation with foreign terrorist groups. i look forward to hearing suggestions on what we can do to make our country safer and with that i yield back. thank you. >> thank you all very much. we have two great witnesses with us and we plan to have a great discussion after your testimony.

first, joscelyn a senior fellow with the foundation for defense and democracy and senior editor of the low for journal publication which tracks counterterrorism issues and is a widely respected expert on al qaeda and its related groups around the world. he writes and contributes often to "the weekly standard" and makes guest appearances on television and radio. he has appeared before other foreign affairs, house foreign affairs committee hearings. we are pleased to welcome him to the subcommittee. also we have with us ms. farah pandith is the fisher family fellow at the kennedy school of government at ann arbor university. she was appointed in 2009 is the

first ever special representative to the muslim communities by secretary of state clinton. she worked in that capacity to communicate with muslim communities around the world on behalf of the united states government. for her achievement she was awarded the secretaries distinguished honor award in 2013. prior to her appointment she held senior positions in the u.s. agency for international development and the state department's bureau of european and eurasian affairs. she has also worked as the director of middle east regional initiatives for the national security council. she has earned a master's degree from fletcher school of law and diplomacy at tufts university. we appreciate the witnesses and i guess -- it's a tossup here. how about if we go with

ms. pandith. >> good morning and thank you to the house foreign affairs committee for inviting me here today. mr. chairman and members of the subcommittee on europe eurasia and the threats to europe it's my honor and pleasure to be here today for this important and timely hearing. my name is farah pandith. i'm a senior fellow at the kennedy school of government at harvard university. my opinions and my written and verbal testimony or my own. i have come before you today to talk about the threat of foreign fighters returning to europe and what the united states could and should be doing about it. as a political appointee in the george w. bush and obama administrations i spent a decade working on the impact of the extremist ideology on local milenials especially in europe. i saw first-hand the complex properties on which extremists prey on young muslims tear apart

communities and threaten stability worldwide. in january of this year i left government for the attention of writing a book that would explain what i have seen and what we can do to win the ideological war against extremism. i firmly believe we can win. i'm a proud american and i know first-hand the many men and women who serve our nation with passion and commitment in steadfast determination to keep us safe from harm. i've been honored to work with and for them. i also know they respect our president has for all faiths. both administrations in which i have served have openly stated the heinous acts of terrorists do not by any means represent the religion of the -- my interest and involvement in the issue of extremism is not typical. out of college i served in the george h.w. bush administration that attend the fletcher school of law and diplomacy. it was their 1993 that i focus on national security was awarded a grant to travel toish mayor

during a very delicate and unstable time. i conducted interviews with militants and began to understand the power of ideology and the impact they were having on an older culture heritage and way of life. i stayed in massachusetts after graduate school but felt called to serve after the events of 9/11. al qaeda was trying to define my country and my religion. i could not sit back and watch. for more than a decade since i worked closely on the issue of extremist ideologies impact on muslims. during my tenure at the national security council that danish cartoon crisis broke out and in 2006 we found ourselves unprepared for the reality that something that happened in copenhagen could have an effect on life in kabul. then assistant secretary for european and eurasian affairs dan freed asked me to serve as a senior adviser to focus solely on europe and recalibrate the

way our embassies engage with muslims. our country has never had that position and ambassador frieda understood how vital it was that we reach out more boldly to muslims in europe to gain an understanding of their experiences and analyze the impact on them of extremist narratives. for two years i traveled across europe and met with local communities getting to know what was happening within communities and between generations and ethnicities. to push back against extremist narratives several initiatives that address the ideological threat posed by extremist. these initiatives identified credible muslim voices within muslim communities and by partnering with and supporting them help them to wield greater influence among young muslims. susceptible to extremist messages. several of these initiatives such as initiative against

violent extremism continue to operate today and dependent of the u.s. government. the most vital fact i cleaned from thousands of conversations i had across europe was that muslim youths were having an identity crisis and they were searching for answers. extremist narratives are filling the intellectual vacuum created by this crisis and governments were ill-equipped to deal with it. a similar dynamic continues to unfold before your eyes with ever more violent and gruesome duplication. in order for isil or other extremist organizations to persuade someone to join his army these groups must be able to appeal emotionally to a young person eager for meaning and a sense of belonging. this morning i want to make five points related to foreign fighters, their threat to us and what america should be doing to fight back. first of both men and women are at risk today. just yesterday we saw in a new report than an austrian teenage girl who joined isil is now

pregnant. the female workers represent a new and important change in extremist landscape. second, policymakers should be concerned not just for individuals who leave their home countries to fight in the middle east or elsewhere but with the ideology that continues to spread among those left behind. third, european civilization does not construct national identities in a uniform way. as a result we must be nuanced and policy approaches. fourth, we can win the ideological war that extremism by investing significantly in soft power. fifth, three-quarters of europe does not represent the whole story. three ideas bounce around the world's on line keeping the cycle of hatred turning. ideas could potentially feed and more virtuous cycle of peace and respect for others. with coordinated and comprehensive attention we can

dramatically change the patterns of discourse within muslim communities with positive consequences for europe, the united states and our allies. extremist ideology is the greatest threat of our time. the generation that risk is massive, global and digitally connected. it's time we addressed the ideological threat head-on and stop the recruitment from happening. this is winnable if we behave smartly and creatively. thank you again for the opportunity to speak with you. >> thank you very much. that was very thoughtful testimony and i'm sure we will have some serious questions for you. now to our next witness, senior fellow at the foundation for defense democracies. you may proceed mr. toms joscelyn. >> thank you for having me here today to talk about this issue.

we have been tracking the issue of foreign fighters going to syria for a while now a few years going back to late 2011 in early 2012. it's stunning to me that today we have more foreign fighters and syria than were in afghanistan. that's really an incredible metrics. this creates security challenges of course. i have a little bit of the nuanced view of this. we are right to be concerned about the threat of foreign fighters pose to the west. most of them however will not come our way. most of them will remain invested in the fight in iraq and syria. some of them will become disillusioned and for those who become disillusioned they can become partners to us to basically dispel mythology that the jihadist interior some grandiose quest. they can become our messengers in europe and the west to tell people going off to fight in

syria is not as great as the recruiters make it sound. however i want to say this. as the number of foreign fighters increases there are two main problems. one is you have the shooting in brussels as you mentioned. it's a serious threat that you can have someone who is known as a psychopath go back to europe and to your point congressman identifying these individuals traveling around. they have traveled around multiple nations before that attack and were stated still able to move around freely. we have that sort of threat. the second level of threat is a more nuanced one which is if you think that to pre-9/11 afghanistan between 10 and 20,000 recruits went through al qaeda training camps in afghanistan. what al qaeda was doing was trying to identify the most

talented and most dedicated recruits to repurpose for attacks in the west and that gave us for example the hamburg cell. these were individuals identified as being totally committed to training to fly the airplanes into buildings. those recruits were waging jihad in chechnya. they weren't recruited originally to fly planes into buildings in the u.s.. this is how a jihad in afghanistan are also where can be repurposed quickly. as the bubble of foreign fighters increases the skilled professional terrorists the guys who aren't worried about sifting through the pile to figure out who are the best recruits to use against us. u.s. officials say the islamic state doesn't pose an imminent threat to the u.s. homeland. the consensus seems to be that they are not able to launch

terrorist attacks in the west. i would pause on that. history tells us that the threat evolves quickly. al qaeda and arabian peninsula went from a national insurgency to a direct threat against the u.s. homeland within a matter of nine or 10 months. there's a lot we don't know. we need to know collegiate muhamed on 9/11 was in fact in a qaeda operative. we were told several months after 9/11. what worries me is that we don't know about the capabilities. just because we don't think the week they have the ability to attack doesn't mean they won't build in the near future. finally i will say everyone is strictly concerned about isil and the threat it's amazing to watch a threat against two nationstates. i have a slightly different view. i think the greater near-term threat to us is al qaeda operatives in syria right now who european intelligence officials are very worried about

armed attacks against us. these are guys just have it -- and al-nusra which is a branch of al qaeda today. this is how complicated the threat stream is. it's not just isil. you have skilled operatives who are dispatched by the head of al qaeda to syria and what they are doing is carefully sorting through the piles of european and western recruits to figure out who they can use. that is a bigger near-term concern in terms of a spectacular terrorist attack. but the problem is al-nusra is deeply embedded in the assad regime and popular amongst other rebels. i realize the vote on funding and training rebels my one caveat is we have to worry about how the rebels interact. they are not isil.

they are opposed to isil and assad but yet they are al qaeda. it's a very complicated game we have to play to be worried about. i don't hear discussion about that and i'm worried about that. it's just my own, we have to be careful about how we do it and we can get into it more and questioning may be. finally back to the recruits traveling. there was a suicide bomber earlier this year who blew himself up. this is again one of the things that worries me. he managed to travel to and from his home in florida from jihad in syria as he was being indoctrinated to blow himself up in syria. they decided not to use him in attacks against the west but they learned from how he got in and out of the country what they can use for information the future. thank you.

>> we thank both of you for the testimony. again i will start things off and get the congressman a chance to ask questions as well. >> thank you mr. chairman thank you both for your testimony. we are seeing a continuum from the inception of ideology to how they are practically carrying many of these things out. i was clear and both are testimonies and i appreciate that. i want to focus and for a moment on a shared commitment i have with the administration to strengthen women's rights globally and to empower women and their families in transitional societies such as iraq. part of that is stemming this ideology occurring within families. chairman royce and myself earlier this year held a hearing on the importance of women in battling violent extremism in

the name that you mentioned in terms of sisters against violent extremism came up. i know you touched on it in your testimony that women are the first educators of their children. they are in a unique position to spot signs of radicalization and extremism. they are also in a pivotal position to try and deal with that. i think we have to empower women to recognize this, to recognize the signs and give them tools to deal with that. could you comment on the sisters against violent extremism and the overall effort to try and use women more effectively and others more effectively in this fight against extremism and to really quash this ideological growth? >> thank you very much for that question. i talked a lot about the ideology and where it stems and i don't need to explain to all

of you how important family is. as a young person grows up his question of identity confusion, asking questions. these milenials are experiencing something that no other generation has experienced. in the context of the post-9/11 world that is why is that the numbers are massive. one fourth of the planet is muslim. 1.6 billion people. 62% at numbers under the age of 30. these are mono-- millennials who have grown up looking at their life in a different way. everybody has an identity crisis. doesn't matter what religion you were but something specific is happening to a generation that has grown up in the context of 9/11 asking questions that their parents and their grandparents didn't ask. and if they are dealing with a sense of identity and belonging they are looking for answers. the answers that they always go who are not traditional necessarily. it isn't the cleric