>> coming up on c span 3 tonight, the confirmation hearing for the nominees for qatar, iraq and egypt. and in a little less than two hours, a hearing on sport security. in four hours, a conversation on u.s. plans to withdraw military forces from afghanistan. >> one of the things people don't always recognize is that during the war of 1812, it was fought from 1812 until after 1814, early 1815, and it was really about the america reestablishing its independence against the british. this was sort of our second american revolution, and this flag is the object for which francis scott key penned the

words which became our national anthem. >> the image in 1995 that the flag was made to look whole and restored and there's a whole bottom section that was reconstructed. when the flag was moved into the new exhibition space, there was a deliberate decision not to do that again and what we wanted was that the flag becomes a metaphor for the country. it's tattered, it's torn, but it still survives. the message is both the survival of both the country and the flag. we're not trying to make it look pretty. we're trying to make it look like its endured its history and can still celebrate its history. >> this year marks 1812. learn more about the flag that francis scott key wrote about. sunday night at 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. eastern.

part of american history tv. >> the president's nominee to the u.s. ambassador to qatar says the u.s. is cautiously optimistic about how that country will handle the five taliban pretty much ners -- prisoners swapped for bowe bergdahl. the nominee for ambassador to qatar testified at a confirmation hearing along with the ambassador to iraq, egypt and honduras. our first panel today we have nominees for u.s. kbors to egypt, iraq, and qatar. in egypt on sunday, field marshall cisi was sworn into office. i remain concerned about the state of media repression in

egypt, intimidation of activists. that said, the people of egypt have taken to the streets to protest successive governments and there's no reason not to expect protests again if the sisi government is does not to meet its promises. when it comes to assistance, continued u.s. aid must be based on the hoe taltity of our shared interests that now includes the egyptian government take steps toward a sustainable position. that is not only my view but it's also the omnibus appropriations act. in iraq, while political leaders

are deal making. the conflict continues to surge in western iraq as a spillover from syria has enable the islamic state in syria to take hold. we must support iraqi security forces. syria's questions remain unanswered. iraq's role in syria, iranian influence in iraq and the commitment of the iraqi government to protect the residents of camp liberty until we can conclude a resettlement process. qatar presents another set of issues. i know that there are many who have questions about the context of the negotiations, the qatari's government role in the

talks. its multifast set strategic importance goes far beyond the bowe bergdahl bd- taliban deal. this is not the time to debate those terms. it is time to confirm an ambassador who will enforce the terms. i look forward to hearing from you with what you see as your role in qatar broadly as well as on this issue. if confirmed, i'm monitoring this commitment and i want to make it clear that congress will play an active oversight role on this issue. that said, i look forward to hearing from the nominee. with that, let me turned to senator corker for his remarks. >> thank you, mr. chairman and thanks to all three of you for your desire to serve in this way. we obviously have three very

qualified nominees and going to very important places, and i think to a lesser degree in qatar but certainly to a degree there are two issues that overwhelmingly will affect the surface of both ambassador jones and bekroft and that is the black hole that we have right now in syria and i know that both of you have already experienced that in the countries in which you are serving right now and the fact that we have never really put in place any kind of policy or strategy or even laid out what our objectives are clearly and that's obviously having a very destabilizing effect on iraq and jordan where both of you have been. we also have a situation where there's just no regional strategy. you know, administration, unfortunately, continues to hide behind, you know, classified briefings and those kind of

things, and is unable to layout a coherent strategy for the region, and so again all three of you enter places where that has created significant difficulties and again i thank you for your desire to serve. egypt since 2011, there's been no stabilization there. the country is really no better off relative to many of the issues that we care about than it was. i do have hope, maybe greater hopes than our chairman just mentioned, for egypt going forward and i no he that they are very important relationship for our country. iraq, we're continuing to read daily, the devolution that's happening on the ground. it's very parent. in qatar because of our inability or lack of desire or just whatever in taking a lead

relative to the syria -- syrian opposition, qatar obviously has taken a role thavltd unhealthy. i understand that may be tapering back some now but that's a very important relationship. so i look forward to our questions and answers. i want to thank you each of you again for the lives you have led that have made you so qualified for the positions that you are ascending to and i thank you for being here today. >> thank you, senator corker. let me welcome our first panel nominees, all decorated career foreign service officers. none is a stranger to the demands of serving abroad. they are robert stephen becroft, to be ambassador to egypt, and stuart jones to iraq, and dana smith to be ambassador for

qatar. he is a career foreign service officer, the rank of minister counsel and currently serves in baghdad. stuart e. jones is no stranger as a career foreign service officer. he's currently serving as our ambassador in jordan. dana shell smith is truly a global diplomat. served throughout the world in her capacity as a public affairs officer. she too is a career foreign service officer. currently serves as senior adviser to the under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs. so let me thank you. let me join senator corker for your service both past and moving forward in the future. we have a large audience than we normally have for nominee so i assume that maybe there may be some family members or friends, if they are here with you, we

would urge you to induce them to the committee when you have your time to testify. we understand and appreciate that families are a big part of the sacrifice and the service and we honor their willingness to have you be willing to serve our country as they themselves face sacrifices as a result of it. your full statements will be included in the record without objection, so we ask you to summarize your openings in about five minutes or so so we can enter into a dialogue with you and with that, we'll start off with you, ambassador beecroft and ambassador jones and then move to ms. smith. >> thank you very much. i'm honored to appear to you as the president's nominee as the u.s. ambassador to the arab republic of egypt. if confirmed, i look forward to working closely with you and

other members of congress to advance the interests of the united states. i'm also pleased to share this hearing with my colleagues. i look forward to working closely with them on the many issues facing the united states in the middle east. mr. chairman, i've spent much of my career working in the middle east, including assignments in syria and saudi arabia and as ambassador to jordan and iraq. my experience has made me aqutly aware of egypt's importance inside and outside the region. as the most populous country, it's an important country. egypt is the third largest market for u.s. goods and services in the middle east, and the united states is the second largest source of foreign direct investment in egypt. approximately 8% of global maritime commerce flows through

the suez canal every year and u.s. flagged vessels moved over 1.9 billion tons of cargo through the suez in 2013. i cannot stress enough the importance of egypt's upholding of its peace treaty with israel. after repeated conflicts beginning inch 1948, the two advise have not seen war since 1973. conditions in egypt thus have implications for the security of israel and our allies in the arab world and beyond. increased instability in egypt would encourage migrant flight. it would threaten global commerce with an ensuing ripple effect on international economies. for these reasons and more we have crucial interests in egypt, preserving regional peace and stability, creating economic prosperity and increased opportunities for foreign

investment, and building inclusive democratic institutions and civil societies that undermine violent extremism. as president obama said in his may 28 address in west point, support for human rights and democracy goes beyond idealism. it is a matter of national security. while views may differ, there is agreement that egypt's success as is vooittle important to the united states. if confirmed, i commit to work with congress to help achieve this goal. i want to commend the american personnel, local staff at our u.s. mission who have been carrying out cageous and difficult world during this time. 12 cabinet level agencies at the mission are advancing our national security objectives,

protecting the welfare of american citizens and business and pursuing our work with the government and people with egypt. as confirmed, i look forward to joining in their efforts. it is the distinct honor to have been nominated by president obama and to serve as u.s. ambassador to egypt and thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. chairman, i look forward to answering any questions you or members of the committee may have. thank you very much. >> ambassador jones. >> thank you, mr. chairman. rampinging -- ranking member corker, members of the foreign relations committee. i'm deeply honored today to appear as president obama's nominee to be the united states ambassador to the republic of iraq. i'm grateful to the president and to the secretary for their confidence in me. if confirmed, i will work closely with you to advance u.s. goals in iraq. i look forward to building on the excellent work of my predecessor and friend, steve

beecroft. i'm delighted to share this panel with dana smith. with your permission, mr. chairman, i would like to induce my daughter, dorothy jones, a rising sophomore at duke university. she flew up to be with me here today. my wife and barbara and sons are in iman. i'm grateful my family has been game for every new busting. i'm grateful for the opportunity to serve. one of our largest and most complex missions. i've served in iraq twice and as director for iraq affairs on the national security counsel. these jobs have helped me to prepare for the complexity and challenges of the assignment ahead. we are all familiar with the history of iraq's past decade. it is impossible to serve in iraq without recalling and honoring the sacrifice and

achievement of our u.s. servicemen and women and civilians. more than 4,000 lost their lives there. but they also put an end to the oppression and regional threat of the is a -- saddam hussein regime. today we're committed to building a strong iraq. iraq has indeed made important economic and democratic process. it is now engaged in a fierce battle against islamic state of iraq, and one of the most dangerous groups in the world. monday's attack on mosul highlights just how dangerous this group is. we will continue to work with our international partners to try to meet the needs of those

who have been displaced and we will look for ways to support the government and the security forces in their -- in their conflict with isil. overall, violence in iraq has reached levels not seen since the height of the u.s. surge in 2007. suicide invests and vehicle bomb attacks are averaging nearly 70 per month since the beginning of this year. the united states has taken important steps to help iraq combat this shared enemy. we've provided urnlly needed military equipment and the iraqis have told us that our equipment and advice are making a critical difference. i would like to thank this panel for making these transfers possible. in addition to military equipment transfers, we've strengthened our information-sharing relationships and are developing programs to improve border security. we've also initiated a high-level dialogue between our senior military leadership and key iraqi military commanders.

security assistance however is only one element of our assistance. and it is connected to intense political and economic engagement. the united states has also encouraged iraq to adopt a holistic strategy to isolate isil from the population and to develop a strategy for sustainable security. this strategy will require continued engagement between iraq's political leaders, sunni tribal leaders and others. from a political standpoint, iraq's successful national election on april 30 was a victory for efforts to strengthen iraq's democratic institutions. while prime minister mall la -- malachi fell short. it will be up to iraq's

political leaders to form a government of the will of the people. despite its challenges, its tremendous economic growth over the last decade has been impressive. it's averaged 6.5% growth since 2005. it's now producing 3.2 million barrels of oil a day. the united states and iraq have partnered to share best practices on fossil fuel production and exports. the government also faces a challenge in its natural resources in distributing the wealth created by its resources to its population and to use its oil wealth to promote growth in other sectors. iraq's economic growth offers exciting opportunities for u.s. firms, particularly in key sectors such as infrastructure, development and construction. if confirmed, i look forward to

promoting secretary kerry's shared prosperity agenda as ambassador to iraq. mr. chairman, as i've discussed, iraq posts a challenging security environment. if confirmed as ambassador, i will bear responsibility for the safety of all u.s. personnel in iraq, including at embassy baghdad and our couldnnsulatcon. if confirmed, i will work close with our security team on the ground as well as our diplomatic security professionals back here in washington to ensure that our people are well protected. this will be my highest priority as well as to protect the safety of american citizens in iraq. since u.s. troops withdrew from iraq in 2011, the embassy and consulates have significantly reduced our staffing. as of june 2014, we have approximately 5,300 staff. if confirmed, i will continue to examine staffing levels to ensure that we have the appropriate number of personnel

to carry out our mission. our diplomatic efforts are supported by highly skilled team of individuals at the embassy in iraq, and they represent a wide range of u.s. department's and agencies. this whole of government approach allows us to bring the very best experts our government has to offer and address some of the challenge i've raised with you today. i like to thank everyone at the embassy in iraq for their service as well as the leadership back here in washington, including this committee, that makes this level of interagency coordination possible. our continued success in iraq depends on continued collaboration. mr. chairman, members of the committee, thank you again for the opportunity to address you today. i appreciate and value this committee's oversight of our efforts in iraq and if confirmed, i look forward to welcoming you and your respective staff members to baghdad. your continued engagement on the policy issues that we face in

iraq are a vital element in ensuring our success. i would be pleased to respond to any questions we have. >> ms. smith. will you put your microphone please. >> this is my first time doing this. chairman mennen did he see. thank you for the opportunity to appear for you today as the president's nominee to be the u.s. ambassador to the state of qatar. i'm extremely grateful to president obama and to secretary kerry for their confidence in me. if confirmed i look forward to representing the american people and to working with this committee and other interested members of congress to advance u.s. interests in qatar, and it's a privilege to share this panel with stu jones and steve beecroft. it's been an honor to serve as a foreign service officer since 1992 and to use my reaming only experience and the arabic language in a variety of

assignments. well the foreign service introduced me to my husband. i'm delighted that my aunt and uncle and so many of my friends could be here as well. qatar plays a growing role in the international community with influence that goes beyond its size. we share a productive relationship on key issues. they have been extremely supportive of our commitment to find a solution to the israel and palistinan conflict. defense cooperation is a central pillar of our partnership and it's best reflected of the qatar's hosting of the headquarters and the combined air center.

the renewal in december of 2013 of our defense cooperation agreement is a further testament to our enduring security partnership. if confirmed, i will work to deepen our military ties and expand our regional security cooperation. we have an active and productive dialogue on both counterterrorism and proceed live rags of weapons of mass destruction. it is a founding member of the global counterterrorism forum. these efforts take on increased importance of course. we're working together to improve the capacity of qatar's counterterrorist financing regime and to disrupt illicit cash flows. the united states is also continuing efforts with qatar to support the moderate opposition in syria. qatar believes as we do, and we share the view that the crisis in syria should be resolved through a negotiated political

solution. we are working closely with regional partners to maximize the impact of our collective efforts. qatar has also publicly welcomed the join plan of action reached between iran and the p 5-1 on iran's nuclear program. as you know, qatar played an instrumental role in recovering sergeant bowe bergdahl. their efforts are a testament to our partnership. the u.s. has and will continue to coordinate closely with qatar. we are confident that the security measures that have been put in place, including restrictions placed on the activities of the individuals will substantially mitigate any threat that the individuals may pose to our national security. the emir personally provided his assurances to the president and the administration is confident that the qataris have the capacity and will to deliver on the commitments made. but let me be clear.

if confirmed, i will work each day to ensure that these commitments are upheld. i will consult regularly with the members of this committee as we move forward on this issue. our thriving commercial relationship with qatar continues to grow, presenting tremendous opportunities for american business. qatar is one of our most important trading partners in the region, importing over $5 billion in u.s. goods in 2013. if confirmed, i will make it my priority to advocate for u.s. companies vigorously. qatar also hosts six branches of u.s. universities. if confirmed, i will work to expand our cultural and educational partnerships to promote enduring ties between our people for the next generation. at a u.s. mission with employees from a variety of u.s. government agencies, my first priority if confirmed would remain at all times protecting the safety and security of the dedicated men and women at our mission, as well as of all americans living, working, and

traveling in qatar. chairman, members of the committee, it has been my privilege and great honor to spend my entire adult life in the service of our country. if confirmed, i welcome your views and insights on qatar and the region. i would be pleased to answer any questions you might have for me today. thank you. >> thank you all for your testimony and again welcome to your family and friends. let me start with you, ambassador beecroft, well, let me ask you, are all three of an overarching question. will you make yourselves available if confirmed to the committee and answer inquiries from the committee while you are in post? >> yes. >> yes, mr. chairman. >> absolutely. >> okay. ambassador beecroft, you know, you are going from one difficult

assignment to another one. that's why we have some extraordinary persons like yourself, but speaking for myself as a chairman, let me just say if we are going to continue to see mass death penalty sentences, if we are going to see massive arrests of the young people who in essence created the situation in tahir square that ultimately led to where president sisi can be elected. if the president believes it is sufficient for the united states relationship, then there will be a rude awakening, i hope that in your role as our ambassador that you'll be able to relay to president sisi that we need a

broader agenda to see progress moving forward. not just because that is my view, but the fy-14 appropriations legislation contains certification requirements to release the rest of egypt's fy-14 assistance, including that quote, a newly elect elected government is taking steps to be run democratically. >> how could we make progress to create the political space for the egyptian government to address some of these concerns that by law they must do if we are ultimately going to continue our assistance? >> thank you very much, mr. chairman, i agree with you 100% that we want to have the strongest broadest possible relationship with egypt and we want an egypt that is stable and

secure because it has in respects fundamental human rights democracy and because it builds a prosperous economy. if confirmed, i will engage on all these issues with the egyptian government, and work with them to partner and develop the economy, to build human rights, expand those rights, to stop practices such as the mass trials that you've referred to, which we have condemned and to ensure that justice is individualized. to ensure there is a society and country and government that the egyptian people buy into, that they see their interests are best represented inside the democratic process and not outside of it is that will lead to fundamental long term stability. egypt does have promising prospects. it's demonstrated at time that it can function as an emerging

economy. it can havele real gdp growth of 7%. we need to build upon that. in addition to those concerns, you talked about the economic questions and i'm concern by what i read, president sisi's statements where it sounds like he thinks that greater state intervention in the economy is going to create the opportunities that egyptians need, and i'm not quite sure having just returned from the gulf region that the -- our golf partners who have actually been helpful to the egyptians will have that view. what messaging will we be giving as it relates to how this economy can reviev itself and grow? >> thank you very much. it's of course very much in our interest to see egypt to build its economy, strengthen its economy. it's within our interests to

encourage the economic reforms for the economy to progress. i will note that egypt has a number of economic advantages that we can build upon. it has a relatively well-developed infrastructure, specifically telecommunications, roads, supports. it has access to markets because of its proximity in europe, asia, africa. it has labor that should attract vex as well, and it has natural resources, particularly natural gas that can be developed. so there is the basis for a strong economy. we have to encourage the reforms that will attract investors into the country and to target the assistance so that it addresses the parts of the economy that need to be addressed, in particularly reforms. >> ambassador jones, you know, we had prime minister malachi last year. it was a difficult meeting. i don't know whether or not he

will actually be the prime minister again. i guess my many accounts, he may very well ultimately put the coalition necessary to do that. but as i said to ambassador beecroft as it relates to our relationship with the egyptian government, in this case the iraqis must understand that the use of barrel bombs, that the overflights and transiting of airspace by iran, sending troops and military equipment into syria, with impunity, and the lives of the people at camp liberty, until they are resettled, is going to be part by what this committee judges as it relates to future arms sales, as it relates to our relationship. so i would like to hear from you. we understand the importance.

we honor the lives of those lost in pursuit of a more democratic iraq from the united states and an enormous national treasure, but there has to be some change in the course of events here, including having a government that is more inclusive in which every sunni season an enemy of the state. there are many sunnis who want to be part of iraq as a nation, but they have to be included as well. can you tell me about what you will be messaging there as it relates to these issues? >> thank you, mr. chairman. let me take your last point first, which is, of course, we completely agree that for iraq to succeed, the different political elements, the sectarian groups need to come together and create a shared vision. they need to create a shared vision for their national security. they need to pull together to address the terrorist threat posed by isil, and although the

news from mosul is very bad, i think one positive aspect of this may be that the groups are coming together to address this challenge, at least we're seeing signs of that in the last 24 hours. in regards to the barrel bombs, the use of barrel bombs is completely unacceptable. it's an indiscriminate weapon against civilians and cannot be tolerated. this is something that my colleague steve beecroft has raised with the senior levels of the iraqi government. there has been an instruction handed down through the military that barrel bombs will not be used and we've also heard from military contacts that they recognize that instruction. in regards to the overflights, this is an issue that remains a problem. we are concerned that iran is supplying the bashir regime with overflights with iraq.

i will continue to look for ways to stop this traffic. on the issue of camp liberty, i know this is an issue of particular concern and it's a very important issue. when i was the deputy chief of mission in iraq in 2010 and 2011, we innocenced a terrible attack on camp ashraf in which many people were killed and many wounded. i think the steps we've taken since then are quite positive. moving the residents has improved their security. the government of iraq has also responded to our requests and other requests to improve the security around camp liberty and that's encouraging. but the solution is to remove the members to get them to a safer place. they will not be safe until they are outside iraq. our government is taking the lead on this.

the special envoy for the secretary is meeting with representatives from countries around the world and asking them to take the members and we also have a team in baghdad working toward receiving a group of those here in the united states and i think this is the best solution we can take. >> two final points. i don't want to hear iraq tell us that we need actionable intelligence. when we have it, we'll provide it. but they have a responsibility in doing random surveillance of overflights and that is an excuse that is unacceptable. secondly i agree with you that resettlement of the meks is the ultimate solution. i have hoped and end couraged united states to accept some

members, and be an example to the rest of the world. i may not be from the south, but i think i'll be more genteel. so again i want to thank all three of you. ambassador jones, you know, i visited ambassador beecroft and i've been to iraq like many of us many times, and today when you are there, unlike jordan where you've just -- where you still are, it feels like a vacant, deserted lot relative to our emphasis on it. it feels like we've checked the box and move on, and that we really have lost influence. that's -- i think everybody acknowledges that but we just haven't been really robust at all levels relative to our efforts there.

we had a great conversation yesterday, and we talk a little bit about the lack of the sofa and the fact that our troops are gone and that's contributed to the lack of influence in a pretty big way. you've had two tours there and i mentioned i was going to bring this up just to kind of set the record straight. many of us have felt and maybe even after you say what you say may still feel that one of reasons that iraq is the way that it is is that we, you know, didn't leave behind some presence, and that we actually -- this was actually what the administration wanted to occur. you have a very different perspective of that, and i thought it don't take too long if you will, but i think it would be good for you to share your thoughts relative to why we do not have a presence in iraq today. >> thank you, senator. as you said, we spoke about this yesterday. my view on this is that -- is that the iraqi people really did not come together and ask us to

stay in a way that made it possible for us to stay. and it's as simple as that. no major iraqi leaders with the exception of the kurds came forward and invited us to stay. they didn't go on television. we obviously needed a status of forces agreement for the security of our troops and the iraqis didn't meet us halfway on that so this is the result of that negotiation and that's how it ended. >> from your perspective, the fact that we have no presence there and candidly much lesser influence is a result really of the iraqi people not wanting it to be that way jenchts. >> that's interesting and a very different perspective than i've heard from most, but i appreciate you sharing that. and i would agree with the chairman, we had a pretty terse meeting with malachi here. he's obviously not been a good

prime minister. he has not done a good job of reaching out to the sunni population which has caused them to be more receptive to al qaeda efforts. obviously, the syrian conflict, i know there's analysis today saying that's really not having an impact on iraq. i believe it's having a major impact on iraq, but with our diminished status in iraq, and the fact that we used to sort of play shuttle diplomacy if you will between the sunnis and the shiites. how do you view your role there now under the circumstances that we have and trying to mitigate some of the problems that exist between the -- especially the shiite and the sunni. >> i think i'm blessed to be following in the footsteps of steve beecroft. i think steve has established veked relations with all of the groups in iraq and i think this is a role that we should continue to play.

using our good offices to broker solutions to the myriad problems that face iraq. i think we've made great progress in recent months in trying to broker an arrangement by which the hydrocarbon law could be finalized and the relations between the kurdish regional government and baghdad could resolve their problems. i think we can also find ways to support a process of political conciliation between some sun nie groups and the government. this is the role that the united states has played in iraq for the last ten years and i will certainly hope to continue to play that role. i think we do have significant influence because of our continuing presence in the commercial and petroleum sector as well as continuing presence in the military sector, though obviously not with troops on the ground. >> thank you. ambassador beecroft, we talk a little bit about another topic,

and a similar topic, but for different reasons, our influence in egypt itself. i think people have had really strongly held beliefs about what we should and should be doing relative to egypt and aid and i have felt we should continue the relationship, certainly with some contingencies, but -- or conditions, but the fact is we've been sort of on again, off again. people there have perceived us to be in some ways supporting the muslim brotherhood but not the citizens of egypt. you've had some of the gulf countries step in and fill a vacuum when egypt felt we were stepping away. what's your sense of how the leadership of egypt today views the united states and again similar to ambassador jones, how do you expect to be able to step into that situation and exert appropriate influence and shaping in the country?

>> thank you very much, senator. let me first say that we do have a partnership with egypt. the egyptians are continuing to engage with us. we need to take advantage of that to pursue our own interests. our interests and egyptian interests do happen to overlap considerably, i believe. it's not going to always be -- we're not going to always agree on matters, but again, engaging with them, working with them, we can push them in the right direction, what we want to see in egyp we want to see security and stability that's built on the fundamentals of a sound society and be as inclusive as possible. our assistance, i see it as pursuing our interests in egypt and, again, believe that our interests overlap considerably. if confirmed, i will engage with egyptians, i will push them in the directions that we want them to go, encourage them, work with

them and use the assistance to the extent it's approved by congress to further our interests in the country. >> well, thank you, and i appreciate the relationship and conversations that we've had in the past with both the ambassadors and thank you for your willingness to serve in this capacity. ms. smith, qatar has played an interesting role in syria because of a lack of policy from our standpoint. i think they became scas er ber rated and went out on their own, if you will. the reports of that as moving back into a more coordinated effort with us, do you have any existence of their efforts on the ground in syria relative to opposition and are they moving more into the mainstream if you will relative to the type of support they are giving? >> thank very much for that question. yes, we do have the sense that

we are making progress in terms of coordination. it's all of our goal to support the moderate opposition in syria, and, of course, to address the humanitarian disaster that is happening there. qatar has been incredibly generous. they have given $1.2 billion toward addressing the humanitarian needs in syria. and so going forward, what our engagement consists of with the qataris is continuing to find ways to coordinate, to work together in support of the moderate opposition. obviously with the ultimate goal being asad not being in charge anymore. >> in order to give you a chance to say something on the record that i think you authorized to respond to. it's my understanding that the kpee is developing language that allows title x training of the opposition on the dwround in syria. do you know if the

administration supports that or does not support it? >> it's my understanding that the administration does support the language in the ndaa to authorize training and equipment of the moderate opposition. again, i'm not in those policy discussions. >> i understand. i understood you were authorized to say they supported it. i wanted it on the record. with that, i'll close and thank you. i want to say to the other committee members that our staff has been able to go down and read the memorandum the understanding we have between the u.s. and cutter. i wish of it available to all committee members. for some reason, it's not. it's three pages long. my understanding is it's remarkable and our staff had no antenna raised in reading it. i thought i would share it. >> thank you, senator kaine. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you to all the witness for your service and willingness to

serve. miss smith. let me ask you a question that i was curious about. i forgot to ask you this. in cutter under the leadership of the new have there been any particular changes in direction in the u.s.-cutter partnership or relationship that have seemed notable during the time of transformation. as a kind of steady and continuing to dot relationship in the same place it was or have we seen some changes in direction because of that leadership transition? >> if i'm confirmed i would love to be given more fulsome response when i'm there and make my own assessment. my understanding is that our relationship continues to bes close cooperative as it was before. the amere has been in power for just about a year, and of course, he's not new to the government. he was working there for over a decade under his father's rule. while i wouldn't say we're seeing a change, what we are

seeing is continued progress on the areas where we have good and close coordination. and so i have every expectations if i'm confirmed we'll be able to deepen and expand the positive areas where we're working together. >> one of the areas i know there's been tension that the chairman hosted meetings before with the foreign relations committee members had a chance to dialogue with the amere who had the cuttery. have been supporting in syria that created tensions. is that changing are we more in accord now and the government about you know what is the right way to have influence to bring this humanitarian issue and ultimately the civil war to an end? >> it's something we're always watching very closely. i haven't heard from anymore that we're ready to ju declare, you know, everything is wonderful and perfect. we feel we are making progress in our shared understanding.

which groups institute moderate on sipgs and who is worthy of our support. >> thank you for that. you talked about the economic issues in egypt. you know, it seems like that would be a real test for the new president is how quickly he can try to demonstrate some economic improvement. we had a chance to talk about this the other day could you talk about the role the u.s. can play in helping egypt in economic transformation, and also, the role that other allies, the gulf state allies should be able to play. >> thank you very much, mr. senator. as i mentioned earlier in the hearing, egypt does have the fundamentals for successful economy, and it need to be encouraged to take the steps necessary to build that economy. we have a team that is akkively engaged with the egyptians and the gulf states to help target

assistance to egypt and encourage the necessary reforms. one of the things that the president has called for is investment. and investment is key to developing the economy in order to get an investment. you have to have certain sound u fundamentals in place or the investment won't come. among those, are, of course among the stable society based 0en an inclusive democracy that guarantees human right for all egyptians. and provides the security and stability that encourage people to invest. as i mentioned earlier, egypt benefits from certain advantages that should help it get through these crucial times, if it chooses to make the right reforms. among those are infrastructure that is relatively well developed. as i mentioned tell comes, roads, ports, access promise similarity to markets in europe and asia. including the suez canal.

particularly natural gas. my understanding is egypt has the third largest reserves of natural gas in africa. and a labor market that should be attractive to investors. we need to focus egypt on making the necessary changes so investors see it's a safe and secure environment. again, people enjoy their rights and that they are making the right economic decisions and attract that investment. we can do that by working with the gulf states that are particularly engaged in egypt and stay engaged with egyptians, i hope. >> and one last question human rights front. i know, there's been a question before i walked into the room. i was most troubled when i was there in february about the situation with journalists and probably because the day i was meeting with the egyptian leaders was the day there was a very prominent set of journalists going on trial. the u.s. embassy in egypt asked if i would come one come all press conference to show an example of an elected official doesn't have to be afraid to

answer tough questions from an even hostile press. i got tough questions there. i was used to it. because i've been in politics in the united states. have you seen any signs since the presidential election. any early evidence about the direction of this government will take with respect to press freedoms? or is it too soon to say. >> the president in the inauguration address made mention of the desire to be a president for all egyptians. and to see all egyptians enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms. and i think what we want to do is extent we can to push and take him up on that. and encourage him to follow through. obviously we believe in the strongest possible freedom of the press. the broad e possible freedom for the press. it's very disturbing and unfortunate that journalists have been detained and charged with crimes in egypt.

a society cannot function effectively without -- democratic society without freedom of the press. we need to encage and encourage it. we need to find ways to show that having a free press is in the interest of egypt as a country and the interest of the government, the interest of the people. >> thank you. ambassador jones, thank you for your service. i very much was impressed with your work leading the mission in jordan when i visited last july. i don't have much time left. let me get to it. what do you think about the commitment of the iraqi government the political inclusion of the different factions within iraqi civil society? that's been troubling me. i would like your current assessment of that. >> thanks. thanks, also, senator for your visit to jordan. it was a positive and helpful experience. i think especially as the government faces this terrorist challenge with isio there's a strong incentive and political will to try to unify the groups.

just recently, the prime ministers issued a statement, you know, encouraging national unity and inviting participation in unifying the groups against isio. i think there is political will, and, you know, even before the most recent crisis in mo zul, the prime minister reached out to sunni groups. he brought 6,000 triable members into the iraqi security forces. he's aiming for a number of -- an even larger number. i think there's movement on this. this is obviously something where i think the united states can continue to play a positive role and we should. >> senator. >> thank you, mr. chairman. miss smith, first of all, congratulations on your appointment. interesting time to be going to -- my first question out of the box. we've been debating for a second. what is the definitive pronunciation? qatar. >> how would i say it?

>> qatar. it's probably the best. so let me ask you about qatar. have you been briefed on the memo of understanding? >> yes, i have. >> will that be provided to congress? >> i believe it's been made available to the chair and the ranking member. >> do you know if that will be made to other members as well? >> i don't. i'm sorry i'm not in those conversations. >> what can you tell us about how much of the supervision of these individuals will the united states have the ability to participate in? >> thank you for getting the opportunity to address this. i know, this is very much on people's minds. not only in this room. if i'm confirmed, this goes to the very top of my list of prioritie prioriti priorities. we will be working closely with them verifying both their -- what they have -- the restrictions they have put on

the individuals and the information that they will be collecting on these individuals. also, verifying from our standpoint. we'll be assessing every day every night when i go to sleep just to reassess them whether the people pose any threat to our national security. and so i can guarantee that i will be leading a country team representative of our whole government that will be working on this tirelessly. >> can you share with us in the setting what exactly are the exec taste of the u.s.'s participation in that effort in erm its of providing capabilities. is that something you can share with us? >> i think what can share is we have a good and close and productive information sharing relationship with qatar. and obviously as secretary kerry said, it won't be the only one with eyes on the individuals. i think it's probably best to leave it at that. >> can you give us your

indication or feelings about the capabilities of our government to carry out the obligation committed to? >> it's my understanding they have the capacity to do this. that we have a high degree of confidence in their capacity. and we also assess they have the will to do this. they gave the president personally his assurances and personal commitment to upholding the agreement, so we are cautiously optimistic that there is the ability to do this. of course, i think it wouldn't be an effective way to enter into it with blind faith. we'll be working constantly to verify and assess from our standpoint. >> what is your view in the aftermath of the swap as to the precedent it sets and the risk it poses for americans in and out of uniform in terms of becoming appealing targets for other groups to try to capture

americans for the purposes of carrying out an exchange similar to this. >> sorry. that is something i'm probably not qualified to address. >> let me ask this way. are we concerned in the aftermath that americans serving our country, whether it's in the embassy or as part of any our governmental efforts in can tar. we are concerned about our national security. it's our troop priority. both to people working on the teams and american citizens whether in the country where we are representing america or whether back here at home. so i absolutely safety and security of americans is the number one thing we're concerned about and care about. >> in that light, obviously, we've all seen the what we're aware of in benghazi. when we send men and women to

represent us in the diplomatic core around the world particularly areas prone to terrorism or terrorists. that places a particular danger upon those who serve our country in that realm. what -- can you give us an assessment how you view our security in the embassy there and obviously you've talked about what a priority that would be. if you could share a little bit about to the extend you can the processes by which it becomes a priority and ensure the safety of those working underneath you in that facility. >> sure. this is something that every chief admission is concerned about and particularly focussed on in light of the events in n bengha benghazi. chris stephens was a close friend of mine. it's something i'm mindful of. as we have moved through since the events, every embassy has been looked at and looked at again. it's a primary responsibility of the chief admission to look at

the physical security working with the security team that you lead, swems any threats that are posed day in and day out and how the threat level might be changing. it's a constant give and take. it's a constant conversation, and i think it's probably best to leave it at that. >> thank you. quickly about egypt. what would the administration consider to be sufficient measures by egypt in order to meet the conditions for u.s. military aid? >> i'm familiar with the 2014 appropriations act, but i'm not party to the discusses yet. i look forward to is if confirmed going to egypt. contributing to the discussions and considerations. again, i know it's something the administration is looking at closely. on a daily basis but i'm not in a position to answer the question. i app business. >> let me ask you briefly. there are recents about sexual assault during the celebrations during the last week.

it shows a mob assaulting a woman and the policeman struggling to save her is circulating the internet. how would you work with the government to make sure that the prosecution -- how would you work with them to ensure it's a priority for them in this new government? >> the act you're referring to and others like it which have been reported are extremely d disturbing. with women should have the ability to go anywhere they want in the country just like a man. they should be at full participates in egypt's democratic and social processes. we need to engage with egyptian government. we need to make clear these activities are unacceptable. i recognize that egypt including president see see has made statements to the effect it's unacceptable. he called on security forces to do everything they need to do to enforce the law. we have ongoing programs about

sexual and gender violence and women's right. we need to pursue the programs as well through our existence consistent with the law. >> let me -- for the record, i'm verifying this right now. but my understanding that the memorandum of understanding of kwau tar is available to leadership as well as members and appropriately cleared professional staff members of several committees including the senate foreign relations committee. which means that any member and those professional staff who have been cleared for intelligence briefings will have access to the memo. all members will be able to read it. with that, senator johnson. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i thank the witnesses and the willingness to serve. miss smith, when did you review the memorandum of understanding? >> earlier this week, senator. >> on monday or -- >> i believe it was monday. >> is your security clearance higher than that of a united states senator? >> i can't answer that question.

i don't know what your security clearance is. >> okay. i appreciate the fact, mr. chairman, now we have the opportunity to review that memorandum of understanding. i think the point of my question is as an nominee to be ambassador, you know, i think you should certainly be able to review that. i think we should have been as well. we simply were not until apparently late last night. >> i would like to make the commitment to you, mr. senator, if confirmed i will be delighted to consult with you and any of the members and committee and staff as closely and regularly as you like. >> in your testimony you said we're confident that the security measures put in place including restrictions placed on activities of the individuals who substantially mitigate any threat that the individuals may pose to our national security. did you by any chance see the video of the celebration as though five detainees were welcomed in qatar? >> it didn't look particularly restrictive environment to me.

>> if confirmed, we're going to be focussed on the national security. we'll be looking at not only the directly threatening types of things they could be doing, but things that substitute prop began draft and -- >> because i was not able to look at the memo of understanding, i will look at it. can you tell me, there were restrictions in terms of public displays for propaganda purposes within that memo of understanding? in other words has qatar violated that based on your understanding? >> i think the best thing i can say here is that there will be a restrictions on some of the activities of the individuals. i would be delighted to consult with you in a different setting. >> okay. ambassador, how would you ass s assess -- how would you describe the result that is occurring in iraq now after we have withdrawn all of our combat forces?

how is that going? >> iraq is facing a very, very severe challenge from terrorist group particular terrorist groups. particularly the islamic state of iraq. it has suffered set backs. if there's a silver lining in this, it's that we're seeing iraqis over the past few days start to pull together in ways they haven't before overcome sectarian divide. we've seen the curds start to talk to each other and cooperate on the battle field. we have seen iraq putting together a conference to sue nighs to reconcile with as many groups as possible and engage them in the fight. it's a uphill battle and struggle. we're doing what we can to help them in ways of providing assistance for military equipment, military weapons, ammunition. and providing training and providing sharing as much intelligence as we can with them to fight the battle.

>> just kind of a one-word, couple word assessment of the result. success? >> on the battle field it's difficult. it cannot be considered a success. it's a huge challenge. >> ambassador jones, what would you describe the result after our pull out of combat troops in iraq? >> thank you, senator. as ambassador just characteri d characterized, i think the government of iraq continues to face severe threat, which has now penetrated iraq through the influx of foreign fighters across the syrian border as a result largely nonexclusively, of course, of the syrian civil war. the isio posed a significant threat not only to iraq, but to iraq's neighbors. and i think the united states has a commitment to support iraq

and the security. we'll continue to work through the measures that ambassador bee kroft outlined to try to support the iraqi security forces in this challenge that they face. >> now that we've seen elements of iraq now we have seen them shed the uniforms, going door to door to get civil yab clothes so they can meld in the population. do you see any silver linings? >> i think what ambassador bee kroft said was that i think the escalation of the threat posed by isio is having an impact in baghdad of drawing the political factions more closely together. and i think in the last 72 hours we've seen a series of meetings where the various political elements are coming together and drawing up plans and looking for ways to cooperate for the national security be.

>> do you expect the security force to turn the tide and capture them back? be we hope for that outcome. i think it's -- for the united states to support the outcome. >> you're going to iraq and god bless you for being willing to serve. you said there are 5300 u.s. personnel in iraq. are they going to be safe? >> that's a very good question, senator. thank you for your kind words. the compound as mentioned earlier, i was the deputy chief of mission from baghdad from 2010 to 2011. i've worked in the compound. we've taken extraordinary measures to ensure the safety and protection of our personnel. we're going have to make sure and be individuvigilant to main those. we can't stay behind the walls. we have to be out. i know, the ambassador is out to meet with iraqi contacts in baghdad and other part of the

country. we have to do the best question to reduce the risks and ensure that we can do our jobs and stay safe. >> can you tell me of the 5300 personnel how many are security forces and are those military personnel or state department? >> yeah. it's a complicated question. i would love to go into the details with you in another setting. suffice to say we have a significant number of diplomatic security officers who are state department officers. we also have, of course, the marine security guards. we have contract guards assigned to protect the perimeter. it's a significant number. i'll be happy to get back to you with the details. >> i wish you god speed and safety and best of luck. i hope this security of yourself and those serving with you on the ground in iraq is the top priority. >> thank you very much. i appreciate that. >> thank you. miss smith my questions have largely asked and answered. i won't pursue them. i was instructed the nominees

that there will be -- the record will be open until -- for the next 48 hours. to the extent that questions are submitted to any of you. i would urge you to respond to them expeditiously so we can move your nomination before a business committee meeting of the foreign relations committee. and with a gratitude for your willingness to serve, this panel is excused. i would call upon our second panel today james kneeland nominated to be the ambassador to honduras.

if we could have everyone who is not staying for the rest of the hearing please leave the room. all right. as we have everybody exit, let me for the sake of time and those that are going to be coming. our second panel is james kneely nominated to behonduras. it comes at the time when it is facing serious challenges from

crime and violence. the government is struggling to economic well being of their citizens. and how the government will handle the underlying issues of crime and violation. last week president obama announced a creation of new interagency task force to address what he called an urgent situation stemming from unaccompanied miners crossing the southern border the united states. many who are from honduras. i look forward to hearing the views on the be way forward. to address the humanitarian crisis. also, on our panel is gentry smith nominated to be the director. he's a career member of the foreign service class administrator councillor serving as deputy secretary and assistant director for counter measures at the state

department. a position he's held since 2009. he served as reemgtal security office in tokyo and the u.s. embassy. he served as security office and deputy regional security officer during two separate tours in cairo. we welcome do you the committee. if you have family members, we urge you to introduce them to the committee. we appreciate their willingness to join in your service on behalf of our country. your full statements will be included in the record. without objection. i ask you to summarize your openings in five minutes or so so we can enter into a diagnose wi -- dialogue with you. it is an honor to be appear before you as the president's nominee as the ambassador to hon occur russ. i'm grateful to the president and secretary of state for their

trust and confidence. after 30 years in the foreign service, i appreciate the privilege and responsibility it is to be considered for conformation as ambassador. i respect the role of the senate in ensuring of the united states has a foreign policy that reflects our nation's value. i would like to recognize my wife who is here today and our four children. all born while we were learning overseas. our foreign service family. we have been in it together from the beginning. this is their day as much as mine. i believe i have a sister and brother, and brother-in-law and many friends here. i thank them. i see my son arrived from california. i'm glad to see him. mr. chairman, the headlines don't always tell a positive story about honduras. it's a country that faces challenges. many of them associated with the direct and indirect effects of the narcotics trafficking and organized crime. it's a challenge to establish

strong democratic institutions. establish a rule of law culture, attacking punty and corruption, reduce crime, attract investment and ensure a prosperous future for the citizens. i share with many members of congress a concern about the consequences of slow economic growth, impunity, weak institutions, corruptions, and extreme violation in honduras. i share the view that everything is related impunity and lack of accountability and transparency promote a weak rule of law culture. they discourage investment and encourage illegal migration to the united states. we are partners with you in seeking to influence it in a positive direction. mr. chairman, in such circumstances, some will ask if u.s. engagement there makes a difference. i believe that it does. and that is in our interest to stay engaged. honduras with greater accountability and transparency

will establish stronger rule of law institutions and be more likely to protect human rights. with a vibrant middle class means a larger overseas market for american made products. strong human rights protection means enhanced security in our region. the united states is committed to partnering with the government of honduras to promote prosperity, govern nans, and security. in order to do so, we need willing partners in honduras who have the political will to tran form their society, the capacity to seize drugs, and the commitment to arrest, prosecute, and sentence criminals. they also need to guarantee the human right of their own

citizens. mr. chairman, honduras is at the crossroads. we have seen early signs that the government is ready to take important steps to improve the lives of its citizens. in may, for the first time, the extradited a drug trafficker to the united states an important strike against impugn fip the new government is dedicated scarce resources to better combat trafficking and persons. they have fired corrupt police, they have indicted the entire board of directors of the social security institute for corruption, and they have invited the united nations to set up a human rights office. they have also formed a task force to investigate unsolved murders in a particularly conflictive area of the country. there is no doubt that the government has a big job ahead. i'm fully aware of the serious doubt expressed including in the u.s. congress regarding the willingness and ability of the government of honduras to take needed steps to improve the human rights situation.

if confirmed, i commit to work tirelessly in this area. mr. chairman, i've been a deputy chief of admission in three embassies. i'm the deputy civilian commander at u.s. southern command. i've spent the last 30 years in nine foreign postings working to promote democracy and human rights, enhance law enforcement, and security partnerships and promote u.s. exports and investment. mr. chairman, thank you, again, for the honor of appearing before the committee today. if confirmed, i pledge to work with you and your colleagues to advance the vital interest of united states in honduras. i look forward to answering your questions today and any time in the future. >> thank you. we didn't give you the appropriate introduction. you have 30 years of experience joining the service in 1984. most repeatedly deputy chief of admission in canada and located in spain, hungdre hundred gar -

honored to appear before you today as president obama's nominee to be the next director of the office of foreign missions. i'm grateful for the confidence the president and secretary kerry have demonstrated in nominating me for the unique and important position. my entire professional life has been dedicated to public service. beginning with my first career as a police officer in raleigh, north carolina, to my assignment at the embassy in tokyo and cairo. and my current role as deputy assistant security. i've strived to improve the conditions in which our colleagues live and work. i believe my dedication and commitment in this regard will serve me well if given the opportunity to lead the office