particular particularly fiscally. as for the priority in the election, it goes back to the famous reagan question that allowed him to defeat jimmy carter. romney is going to ask that question. he already has. and barack obama is going to try to persuade the american people since this is a referendum on his performance in his first term that we are actually better off than when he first came into office. >> i think it will depend on the state of the european economy but make homi can talk about the you'european issues. i don't think they'll be given a choice. the iranian situation either will be resolving itself or not and either way will be the dominant foreign policy issue in a crisis management mode in the first year of -- in 2013 under virtually any circumstance. where i think people will look

to opportunities if they wanted to define, i think where the opportunity lies is in the tightening up the alliances with india, with turkey, with south kcore yeah, with australia and sort of forging new patterns of c cooperation with those actors and i suspect either party would look to opportunities there. >> homi? >> i'm with strobe on this. before looking abroad and being effective abroad, fixing the fiscal and fixing growth is essential and both will have to think hard about how to do that. >> okay. well, what our program calls for at the moment is for a closing thought from each of these gentlemen to try to sum up all of the things that we've talked about or perhaps the one thing that we didn't or the ten things that we didn't. we'll just move down the line and which ever way or whoever wants to go first. homi, do you want to start us

out? strobe? >> i think it's appropriate that iran came up towards the end. i would just make one observation yet again about the irony and perversity of the effect an election year has on our foreign policy. as you've been following in the newspapers, there has clearly been more progress than the pessimists had expected, not as much as the optimists may have hoped for on iran. one of the constraints on president obama, though, as he figures out how to get to his end game over the next couple of months in iran is dictated by the election. that is, in order to get a big deal with iran, he would have to give away enough so that he would be vulnerable to the charge that he gave away too much. so the dynamics of our election process is going to drive him towards a modest -- or even minimalist agreement which is a lot better than none, by the way, but makes it necessary to

wait until the next administration for a big deal if there is one to be got with iran. >> my sense on the -- is that whoever wins the election will have to quickly come to grips with how aggressively do they want to address the issues of global governance and what to do about international institutions and about forming new alliances and whether that actually -- whether it requires or not a y major overhaul or a muddling through a kind of process. i think there will be a big question about whether the so-called it tilt to asia can actually be implemented or whether it's iran or syria or europe, something will keep dragging the president's attentions and priorities away from the large dynamic emerging

economies in asia and then finally about whether the foreign policy of the united states will continue to be broadly speaking dominated by security concerns and military interventions or whether it will become more driven by economics, by development, by global growth. >> you started us off so finish it out. >> two points. one, what's the test? i think if you look back in 2015 or early 2016 and you're trying to judge did we do well? did we not in foreign policy terms, the question i would want to most focus on is are we in a tighter alliance and a productive alliance with india, with brazil, with turkey. critical emerging powers whose participation in economics is going to matter a great deal. china will be a different

category and we'll have to handle it differently and manage it in a complex sense but below china, these other actors who are the new swing states, who can tilt us in a positive direction or keep us in a very complex space, are we in better shape in terms of our relations and our structures for cooperation with those actors, that's cast as we look back. the second issue i think we have to talk about is we have a pattern of global economic investment in this country and trade relations, et cetera, centered in major metropolitan cities. i heard john warner in the room next door talk about the thing he thinks has to happen most which is to start driving foreign direct investment and global economic investment to rural communities and to communities outside of major urban centers for two reasons, one, in terms of what we're going to do to kind of kick start growth and, second and more importantly, to start educating those parts of the american public that have so far not seen the profit from globalization to start showing a profit from globalization and

the nature of global integration. in other words, educating the american public about the world we're in cannot be an abstract discussion about bricks or who is up or down. it has to be a genuine felt economic reality that integration is a positive thing in terms of generating jobs. and so maybe that's a 2016 comment more than a 2012 comment. i think those two features, can we change the pattern globalization is generating profit and jobs and are we going to be in better shape in terms of alliances with the new players on the international stage. >> all right. well, a lot to think about. thank you to homi and to strobe and to all of you for being here. [ applause ]

starting this weekend c-span's "washington journal" begins its spotlight on columnists. on saturday mona charen. sunday colbert king. monday matt lewis. tuesday clarence paige who writes for the "chicago tribune." on wednesday s.e. cupp who has a show on glenn beck's website. and the series wraps up thursday with katha politt of the nation. watch starting at 9:15 a.m. on c-span. in looking ahead news makeers this sunday, democratic national committee chair debbie wasserman schultz talks about the

presidential race, the political landscape for the u.s. house and senate this year, and money in politics in the 2012 cycle. that's on c-span at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern. then on monday c-span's live memorial day coverage begins with president obama at the tomb of the unknown soldier at arlington national cemetery. speakers including defense secretary leon panetta and actor tom selleck will be live at the vietnam veterans memorial for an observance at the wall. our live coverage begins at 10:50 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> i want people to get from the book is a better understanding of who she was, what she was like because there have been a lot of books written and most of it has been written by people who have talked to friends and friends of friends, maybe don't have the information themselves. i happened to be there. i knew her. >> from late 1960 through 1964

former secret service agent clint hill served on the protective detail to first lady jacqueline kennedy. >> there's no gossip in there. it's what happened, things she liked, liked to do, how humorous she was at times, how athletic she was at times and how intelligent, and how rambunctious she was. she tried to put me to the test many, many times. i did my best to meet that. >> more with clint hill sunday night at 8:00 on c-span's q&a. welcome to old cow town museum, wichita, kansas. >> here in the city of wichita, of course waking up the city for 22 years, and we think we have a heck of a start. that's why the mayor comes in every wednesday. today he'll be talking a little bit about the problem we're having in the city with taxicabs. so 9:20. hang on for that.

>> book tv and american history tv explore the heritage of wichita, kansas. >> well, they're modest looking paper wrapped binding but what it contains is an alphabetical list of the members of the senate and the house of representatives done in 1831. i believe this was issued only, as it says here, for the member's immediate use only. not that they had xerox machines but they were not supposed to loan this out because, as you can see, it would tell you exactly where everybody lives so you could go and but ttonhole tm and punch them if you didn't like it. >> watch for book tv and american history tv in wichita on c-span 2 and 3. british prime minister david cameron updated the house of commons last week on international plans to prevent iran from developing a nuclear weapon. and the plan to leave afghanistan by 2014.

last weekend he attended the g-8 summit in washington and the nato summit in chicago. this is about an hour. the go-8 we reached important decisions. i want to take each in turn. mr. speaker, deficit reduction and growth are not alternatives. it was my view, president obama's view and, indeed, france will balance its budget at a faster rate than britain. britain in two years we've cut the deficit we inherited from the last government by more than a quarter. and our approach has been endorsed again by the imf this week and also oecd.

at a time of tight budgets, a proper growth plan requires not just a credible fiscal policy, but also structural reforms to make our economies more competitive, active monetary policy, and innovative use of our hard won credibility to ensure investment in long-term infrastructure. we are taking all of these steps in the u.k. and promoting them across europe as well. and in every area we need to do more. prime minister monte and i have gathered ten eu leaders to call for the completion of the single market in digital and services, classic structural reform. president hollande is coming forward with proposals. the ecb has helped supply liquidity to european banks. i will be pursuing all of these elements at the ininformal european council tonight and at the formal council in june, after which i would be making a statement to the house. growing our economies also means doing everything we can to get trade moving. at the end of the g8 meeting there was a serious discussion

about the potential for an eu/u.s. trade deal. the eu and u.s. together make up half of the world's gdp. there's a huge amount of work to be done. and a further effort and report will be made next month. this could have a positive impact on both sides of the atlantic. mr. speaker, the greatest risk facing the eurozone and the world economy is the situation in greece. the future of greece is for the greek people to determine, it is for them to decide what is best for their country. i don't believe we can afford to allow this issue to be endlessly fudged or put off. the greek election should in effect be a straightforward choice between staying in the eurozone with the responsibilities that entails or taking a different path. the eurozone and europe as a whole needs to have contingency plans in place for both eventualities. this should involve strengthening banks, protecting financial systems and decisive action to prevent contagion. mr. speaker, i can tell the house that whatever the outcome,

this government will do whatever is necessary to protect this country to secure our economy and our financial system. alongside the discussion on the economy, i have two further priorities at the g8 to continue the good work of the g8 on development and support the arab spring and support democracy on reform. on development, the new alliance on food is aimed to help 50 million people lift themselves out of poverty over the next 15 years. they need to show transparency. in return they get substantial report to generate. this is a great combination of promoting good governance and helping africa to feed its people. i'll be building on this during the olympic games in the u.k. encouraging the private sector to create jobs is one of the best routes to sustain nl, equity growth in poorer countries. but aid still has a vital roll to play.

for the first time in a decade, the amount of aid given to the world's poorest countries has fallen back, promises are being broken and this is wrong. britain continues to honor its commitments, other nations should continue to do likewise. we will once again produce the report which shows who has and has not kept their promises. the g8 also raised important questions on iran and syria. there was backing for the annan plan and for future missions if assad doesn't change course. it was significant that the russians agreed to this text. i raised burma and the need to support the nations of a lasting and irreversible democracy. i want to make this a feature of the g8 next year. i'm sure the whole house will look forward to her addressing the house next month. mr. speaker, let me turn to the nato summit. some people write off nato as a relic of the past. i believe it is vital to our future security. the threat nato countries face largely come from beyond our borders.

failed states, terrorism, nuclear proliferation. because of this it makes sense for nato to be prepared, to link up with partners around the world, to act out of area and to spendless on past conflicts like battle tanks and more on the technology needed for tomorrow's conflicts. all of these things were agreed at the summit. that's not to say nato shouldn't take steps to defend nato and europe. it should. we declared the missile defense capability to protect europe is now operational. it was particularly good to have a special session with the partners who work with nato around the world, and in particular, the 50 country that make up the nato-led alliance in afghanistan. attacks by the insurgents are down. transition to afghan control is on track. over the next few weeks, we will reach the point where 75% of the population will be living in areas where afghan forces are in the lead for security. the vital next steps are to deliver the final stages of transition. to continue the buildup of

afghan security forces and assure they are funded for the future. britain is pledging 70 million pounds. $100 million a year. it's right that other countries should step up and contribute to the future of afghanistan. irrespective of the role they've played so far. the summit, i believe, marked a turning point in these contributions with almost a billion dollars being pledged to support the afghan security forces. britain has played a leading role in this alliance for reasons of our own national security. three years ago some three-quarters of the most serious terror plots, had linked afghanistan and pakistan. i'm now advised that figure has fallen to around a half. our aim is an afghanistan able to take care of its own security without the need for foreign troops. an afghanistan that can prevent al qaeda from returning and pose a threat to us and our allies around the world. the tremendous hard work of our courageous service men and women is making this pop.

possible. after ten long years our servicemen and women will finally be coming home. i pay tribute to their service and sacrifice. it's beyond measure, and we remember in particular, all those who have given their lives in this vital task to keep this country safe. and i commend this statement to the house. >> prime minister, i'm grateful for the statement. let me start with the nato summit. on afghanistan, we welcome the summit's confirmation, that the transition from isaf to afghan security force it's set for completion by mid-2013. let me echo the prime minister's words about our troops. they have served heroically in afghanistan for over a decade now. i am sure i speak for the whole house when i say we want to see them home with their families, and home in the right way. with respect for the professionalism they have shown. to that end, can the prime

minister give a clear timetable of expected drawdown of british troops between now and 2014. can you tell how many british personnel you expect to remain in afghanistan after 2014, which services are likely to be drawn from and confirm this will remain under a nato command control structure. can you tell whether he's had discussions with president zadari on the important issue of land access across pakistan so vital for supplies. turning to the political situation in afghanistan, does the prime minister agree to honoring the sacrifices and bravery of our troops, means taking the political challenge there as seriously as we take the military challenge. given the final stage of the military campaign is now underway. what concrete steps will now be taken before the chicago summit to secure an inclusive political settlement within afghanistan and between afghanistan's regional partners. does he agree with me that the international community has been talking for a long time about

the political sentiment we need. and we need far greater urgency in seeking the settlement to be there when our troops come home. let me turn to the g8, mr. speaker. on syria and burma, we join with the government in calling for an immediate end to violence. mr. speaker, on the issue of the global economy, what we desperately needed was a plan for growth. a plan for growth for europe, and the international community. i have to say, he did entertain this side of the house with the description of president hollande as his new best buddy. given that he endorsed his opponent in the most fullsome term. he said, nicolas sarkozy has my support, i say it clearly. now, mr. speaker, the foreign office, we're a bit perturbed about this.

they started briefing, and said, all the chip the on one card, it turned out not to be the eighth, it was an error of judgment and not what was advised. perhaps he can tell us when he stands up whether he was advised to see president hollande. i think we can all concur after today, the prime minister has a habit of shooting from the hip. i think that's certainly true. mr. speaker, the reality is that the reason why we didn't get the conclusions of this summit and the action we needed is that the international community is divided, not united as the prime minister said. it's divided between those who believe we must have a decisive shift toward growth, president obama now joined by president hollande, and those who believe the answer lies in more of the same. the german chancellor and this prime minister. for two years he's been the high priest of austerity. he's been telling the world that austerity alone is the answer.

but now, of course -- now, of course, the recognition has dawned that it isn't working, and he finds himself on the wrong side of the argument. that's why he's scrambling around to say president hollande is his great friend. recovery turned to recession. no growth for 18 months. 1 million young people out of work. i do say, he was fond of quoting the imf report from yesterday, what he didn't quote is what christine lagarde said. growth is too slow and unemployment too high. yeah, hack on a sec. policies to bolster demand before low growth becomes entrenched are needed. that's not his position. his position is more of the same. and so we have the ultimate irony of a prime minister who's delivered a double dip recession lecturing other people on how to get growth. now what did the prime minister actually achieve in this summit? we know some of the things he did.

he watched the football. nice pictures. he went to the gym. he even squeezed in some sightseeing. but, mr. speaker, the only thing that isn't a photo-op is making a difference to the world economy. in other words doing his job. at the g20 last november, the prime minister signed a communique that said this. if issues worsen, countries will take action. the global economy has gotten worse. why hasn't he delivered it? he doesn't believe in it. he's making things worse not better. the chancellor went on television and said the speculation about the breakup of the euro was damaging britain's economy. he said this. it's the open speculation about the future of some countries in

the eurozone which i think is doing real damage. can the prime minister, when he replies explain why he provided to do just that last wednesday and say make up or break up. mr. speaker, it may have rhymed, but doesn't he doesn't he understand it did nothing to help our economy or anyone else's. and mr. speaker, given the seriousness of the position in dwrooes, does he really believe that for him to issue an ultimatum to greek voters over the weekend about their election was really such a good idea. i would have thought after his experience with the frieench election he would realize it wasn't such a good idea to get involved. finally on the european summit tonight, euro bonds are important. a stronger firewall would make a difference. but the crucial thing is demand. doesn't he accept that without a plan for growth and plan for demand in europe, we can't get a solution on deficits in europe which are sustainable.

the problem with this prime minister is he can only offer more of the same. he can't be part of the solution because he's part of the problem. all he offers is more austerity, it's not working in britain. it's not working in europe. it's a failed plan from a failing prime minister. >> five minutes and absolutely no plan. nothing positive to say. i thought it was a -- it's a good joke. it is a good joke about sarkozy. but let me just say this. we all have our faults. but i'd rather have a reputation for being loyal to my friends than knifing my brother. the honorable gentlemen started with nato. he started with nato. he asked some serious questions. let me give him some serious answers. he asked for a clear indication of the draw down. we're going down to 9,000 troops by the end of this year. clearly we need to set out a pathway between now and the end

of 2014. i want it to be based on the conditions on the ground and how well the transition is going in the three provinces we're responsible for. and we'll keep the house updated on how -- we don't want the great cliff edge at the end. i'll keim keep the house squl updated. he asked what would be left at the end of 2014. what we made a clear decision about, is that president karzai asked us to provide training in afghanistan. we will be doing that. we have the assistance of the australians and new zealanders. for that i hope others will join in in. that is the baseline of our request. he asked in terms of training. yes, it will but there will not be combat operations after 2014. he asked about the relationship with pakistan and the ground lines of control, it is essential that they are reopened. i spoke to the prime minister when with he visited the u.k. about it a week or so ago. i spoke to president zadari.

i'm confident progress will be made. but it does need to be made more rapidly than we currently see. he asked about the political challenge. he's right about this, i said all along, alongside the military surge, you need a political surge. we're working hard with the afghans and pakistanis to deliver this. if they lay down weapons, join the political process, that will be open to them. we have to be prepared that the political process won't advance as far as we'd like. that's why we must make sure the buildup of the afghan national security forces goes to plan, so we can hand over in good order, and i believe we will. i welcome what he says on syria and burma. on president hollande, i mean, let me make this point. president hollande said something i think he should adapt but repeat. the national debt is the enemy of the left and the enemy of france. we've never heard him say

anything clear like that. if you look at what president hollande is doing. he was asked how he would stimulate growth. he said, the means cannot be extra public spending, since we want to rein it in. he asks about our approach on growth. we agree with the italian prime minister. we need structural reform in europe. we agree with the frieench president. we need a more active monetary policy in new york. we agree with the german chancellor, the deficit reduction is vital in getting interest rates down. the problem is, europe hasn't had all three. we support all three those things. finally, i just say to him, that nobody i can find in europe -- not even the left wing party in greece, backs his idea of an extra 200 billion pounds of borrowing into the british economy. that is the labor policy, it would put up interest rates, wreck our economy, our prospects, which is exactly what they did in office.

>> did anyone at the summit, the g8 summit, emphasize that the basic calls of the economic and political crisis in europe is not the greek debt? it is the single european currency and lack of a lender of last resort, which is now a threat to the global stability of banks. and may i put it to the prime minister, that until the leaders of the great nations grasp that fact and act upon it, that the turmoil in europe will continue. >> i think my friend makes an important point. a single currency requires an active interventionist central bank behind it. i think this realization is