each morning at 7:00 eastern on c- span. angela merkel will meet tomorrow with president obama to discuss relations between the two countries' trade the white house will hold a state dinner. we will have live coverage at 8:00. before that, you can also watch live coverage of the test arrival. now discussion on the political unrest in the arab world with the french foreign minister. he called for wider attacks on muammar gaddafi the period from the brookings institution, this is about an hour.

>> we're very honored today to host a statesman's foreign with alain juppe, the minister of foreign and european affairs over france. alain juppe has a very distinguished record of public service. he has been appointed a minister on three occasions. he was minister of foreign affairs are originally from 1993-1995. in that year, he became prime minister of france, serving through till 1997. and he was appointed to his current position in 2011, as he

mentioned to me, he had a short stint as minister of defense and veterans affairs in between. he has been a member of the national assembly, and in the political realm, he helped to create ump party, the party of president nicolas sarkozy. the foreign minister has served as chairman of that party. he was also elected to the mayor of bordeaux, a place that we know very well for its great wine. he played a very important role in terms of modernizing and introducing a been planning in that's -- both in planning in that city where he served as mayor from 1995-2004.

he is the author of several books on politics and farm policy. we're very honored to have him here today after a very hectic round of meetings with the secretary of state and other high officials here. unfortunately the minister has to depart at 7:00. he has to head for new york's so we are glad to have the opportunity to hear him to address us at the statesman's forum. then we will have an opportunity for a few questions and answers. ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming foreign minister alain juppe. [applause] >> thank you, mr. president, for introducing me in such warm terms. i am very happy to be among you,

not only because it is cooler than the second world war memorial were right presented medals to veterans of few minutes ago, because i am permitted to speak to you here today in this prestigious institution. at a time that is clearly a turning point, and i am thinking in particular of the extraordinary changes currently taken pay on the shores of the mediterranean. artisans and our policy with respect to the arab world have for years been inspired primarily by the concern of stability. on the one hand, we have developed close call water act -- cooperation in order to

promote employment and international training, university research, and products in support of young people, and often support for reforms. but at the same time, we often saw the of authoritarian regime as bastions against extremism and safeguards against chaos. we allowed ourselves in the name of security and the fight against terrorism to demonstrate a certain level of tolerance for the government's that were flaunting human rights and curbing their country's development. we turned a blind guy to certain -- blind eye, as set they did not have a right to freedom for modernity. the arab spring changed everything. on december 17, separate from

any political or religious movement, we saw a sawtunisian set himself on fire. little by little we witness the played at -- the flames of freedom throughout the region. this all the arab world enter into a process of openness, of accelerated global change that is a sign of our times. we must not be afraid of th is. he is the fruit of extraordinary courage -- it is the fruit of extraordinary courage. how could we forget the price of democracy? we fought side by side to defend it. how could our two countries which together fought for freedom in the darkest hours of whenhistory of mankind, one rises up against barbarity,

when one defends the tyrant. we must not be afraid of the arab spring because it is that fruit of the tremendous popular momentum. it does not belong to any policy or religion. it is not part of any movement. it is the cry of revolt of young people with no future prospects, young people dreaming of a more just in modern society -- just and modern society. is the political will of responsible citizens rising up against corruption, abuses, and human rights violations. it is an act in faith in man's search of ford and his ability to serve himself. we must not be afraid of the

arab spring because it has universal values of dignity, freedom, respect for human rights, the right of people to choose their own leaders. our two countries have never ceased promoting these values from the american and french revolutions. it was drafted together in the aftermath of world war ii. the arab spring sparked tremendous hope for all of us. for all of that, we know that this irrepressible movements brings with that real risks, the risk that it will be hijacked by extremist forces, the risks of radicalization, the risk that

it will be denied. i am thinking notably of continued attacks against middle east christians and other minorities. france is particularly sensitive to this issue. we also know that the process of change which is getting under way will be long and uncertain, that progress may ultimately be backsliding. that is why we must support the potential for democracy with all our might, without relaxing our effort. allowing the flame of hope kindled by the arab spring to go out would be vindicating the tyrants. it would give free rein to hatred. it would mean allowing these values to be crushed. we have never compromise on

these values. and they are all entitled to them. supporting democratic forces in the arab world means assuming a moral and political responsibility. it means making a choice that is in keeping with our values and our strategic interest. but obviously we are facing tremendous challenges. first and foremost, there is the political challenge. together we must mobilize our efforts to guarantee the success of the democratic transition. this applies to the arab world, to its leaders, and its peoples. from now on, governments know that the regime that fires on its population does not have a

future and can no longer count on the international community's intelligence. the new social contract is to be ratified. everyone must know that they must allow their citizens to voice their opinions. but every situation is unique. it is up to each nation with its history, its culture, and its unique characteristics, to rise. that is a conviction that we share with president obama. in seven countries carried by the winds of freedom of the arab spring, the authorities have made the first move. there are resolutely and courageously and faulted the process of opening up in order to respond to the people. this is the case and morocco,

with a keen as pave the way for major institutional -- where the king as pave the way for major reforms to come. tunisia and egypt, the path toward freedom is a difficult one, which requires satisfying the legitimate thirst for democracy and taking the patient and necessary steps toward democracy, combining the right of everyone to express the views, and respect for law. because the state governed by their rule of law is not just a state that guarantees its citizens' rights, it is also a state based on a hierarchy of norms that everyone has to respect. in activethere fofore

support of egyptand tunisia. i am also thinking about all of libya, where allied of the current regime's crimes against his people, my country did everything to get the international community to intervene within the framework of the u.n. security council resolution 1973, and in accordance with the principle of the duty to protect. we must assume this principle, this responsibility to protect. we're continuing to observe strong military -- exert strong military pressure in libya.

we must not lead them to the acts being perpetrated against them. secondly, to generate in libya political room to maneuver wall the adoptee is increasingly isolated on the -- while gaddafi is increasingly isolated on the international stage. this change of position comes in addition to that of several african countries, all had a states but the president of cynical, all beginning to distance themselves from gaddofi. he will be inflexible with respect, [unintelligible]

and the has been indicted by the international criminal court, as you know. the liberation of the occupied zone and the establishment of a system of international control under the auspices of the united nations. at the same time, we are fully mobilized to support national reconciliation and the launch of an inclusive political process based on the national transitional council whose legitimacy is increasingly being recognized. this process will result in a new libya. that is how we use force in libya, serving the political solution that is our shared objectives. as for syria, the rejection of the reforms and the vicious circle of violence are no less

intolerable than in libya. we do not have two different policies in these two different countries. i would like to denounce the crackdown that has once again killed dozens of people in recent days, including one city where they had already mosser did their own population in 1972. our message to president aside is clearer. it is the same message conveyed by the united states. either he initiates reform or he leaves power -- there is no other solution. it is with this in mind that on france's initiative, the eu decided that assad should be subject to european sanctions. the united states announced the imposition of sanctions against the president and his entourage

beyond the european and american sanctions prettiest -- the security council must take a position, with each country assuming its responsibilities. the international community must make it clear to the syrian leaders that the crackdown is unacceptable and they must change course. that is the goal of the draft resolution we are submitting before the security council. in yemen, lastly, we look for an orderly transition to take place. there is a transition plan which remains solution of the crisis. we hope that they will embark on the path of reconciliation and dialogue, and that they will be able to engage in a democratic process. together with its european and american partners, france will remain along side the yemeni people in order to help them

successfully take this transition. so what should we be doing? as was said very clearly, france texas air -- same approach. it is not enough for us to decide for the people of the changes in a different country, nor do they expect us to. first we must condemn in the strongest possible terms of attacks on human rights using the whole range of instruments at our disposal, but only on the basis of international law, as you are doing in libya. not only the principle of the responsibility to protect. we must also support that country's in the mediterranean as they transition to democracy

in the spirit of friendship and listening. we have no recipes or lessons to offer them, but we have experienced a share and expert advice to convey. when it comes to law and political systems, public freedom and freedom of the press. it was for this purpose for france welcomed a delegation of libyan scholars in paris. will we must now reinvent is our whole practice of diplomacy with the arab world. we must certainly agree with speak with all actors involved in the changes, including islamists, without preconceptions, provided that they respect the rules of democracy and the fundamental principle of rejecting all violence. we must expand their range of our talks doing called all civil

society actors, including young people in you opinion leaders. this is the mission that i gave to all of france's ambassador to the arab world, asking them to reorient our extraordinary diplomatic -- extraordinary is a bit much to qualify our diplomatic apparatus. [laughter] it is a new copy. the sec that challenge we are facing is economic and social. -- the second challenge we are facing is economic and social. during my chips last march and april, i met with young activists, and i measured the extent of their hopes and expectations. i also looked at the intensity

of their impatience. if we do not provide them with answers in the short term and that the economic situation in their countries continue to deteriorate, nothing will prevent the emergence of radical movements. nothing will crush the temptation of extremism, it is our responsibility, and our interest to join forces in order to avert this scenario, and promote the emergence of stability and prosperity in this part of the world. that was the very point of the concrete measures adopted at the g-8 summit attended by the tunisian and egyptian troops. a long-term partnership of political and economic to be extended to other countries in the region, engaged on the path of reform. and to receive the financial

support of the gulf countries that wish to participate. the second measure is the $40 billion effort over three years been a fitting egypt and tunisia. $20 billion, $10 billion from a g-eight members, and then from the gulf states. this initial figure could be increase based on what the imf is prepared to ask. the g-8 will implement this measure. i will work with them to this clinton.hillary we decided just today to organize a meeting of the foreign ministers and prime ministers at the beginning of

next september during the general assembly of the g-8 nations. our two countries have a particular role to play in this process. as europeans, our responsibility is all but greater in our special relationship with the arab world both by geography and centuries of shared history. places us at the heart of challenges facing the mediterranean. the eu already reaffirmed their shared destiny in 1995, when in the framework of the bar so on a process, it is a native of the policy of commercial openness with its neighbors. must embrace it fully. presidents are cozy has expressed my country's strong convention in this regard.

it is with this in mind the e.u. representative for policy, proposed of partnership for democracy and shared prosperity, as well as for that 10 countries. to meet these challenges, the eu plans to allocate nearly 7 billion euros in donations between 2011 and 2013 in the context of its neighborhood policy. this aid will be incentive- based. the eu will increase its financial support to those countries ago father and their democratic reform. on the other hand, it would even reduce its effort to those that

do not institute reform. we want to make this neighborhood policy a tool for the mediterranean. this ambitious idea, which brings together the 27 members of the eu and all the country of the mediterranean basin, was launched into thousand eight at president sir cozy's the past. it was to create a balance partnership between the north and south shores based on concrete projects. unfortunately, the union ran up against the deadlocked peace process. the arab spring now shows just how to present this initiative was, it demonstrates the depth of our shared destiny with our arab neighbors, and how essential is to lay out a

project that encourages tangible calls between our two shuras. if this is to assume its full meaning, it is now when our countries will be responsible for new government's that have the will to institute democratic change. that is what france wants the union of the mediterranean to be revised and focus on concrete projects libel to create solidarity between the two shores. the new secretary general has just been appointed. its mission will be to administer projects such as the establishment of an office for youth and the development of solar energy.

but no area of prosperity and stability can be consolidated in the long term without lasting solutions to the two crises that undermine the entire region. how can be credibly support democratic transitions if we do not respond to the aspiration for change expressed by the iranian people since 2009? faced with an ongoing crackdown, together we must main pressure on the iranian authority month. we must guarantee respect for human rights, eliminate every aspect of their nuclear program, and this program, whose military purpose is becoming more and more evidence represents an ever growing

threat to regional stability and to the future of arab transitions. because as we know, their goal is not prosperous democratic middle east open to the war. i want to reiterate the french determination in dealing with the authorities, and abiding by all of the agreements that they have signed. how can we maintain our credibility -- and this is the so that crisis i want to devote -- this would be the south mediterranean. if we do not find a solution to the palestinian conflict? their hopes are no less legitimate than those expressed through the arab spring, and

israel, which has the right to security and peace, must further extend its hand said that the evolution in the arab world works with that and not against it. the peace process will ensure a new era of stability and security in the region, helping them turn away from the extremism and fundamentalism that has long flourished in the absence of palestinian rights. one observation that we share with the united states [unintelligible] time is not on the side of peace. and the second observation is that the palestinian initiative

that the un is fraught with the possibility what that lot. -- with deadlock. we must do everything we can to revise the greater prospect of a solution as quickly as possible. there is no alternative to a negotiated solution. we must promote the swifter resumption of direct negotiations, not only taking into attack -- account what was mentioned, implementation of a two-state solution, to which there is no alternative. i conveyed this message to the israeli and palestinian leaders when they just met during my visit to the region last week in order to revive negotiations. it is the only way to bring an end to the conflict. france has proposed parameters

along with president obama. we would respond to the expectation of both parties. and this is the framework -- the negotiations would first deal with border issues on the basis of the 1967 borders with agreed upon the land to swaps. the fact that president obama spoke in his last speech of this 1967 borders is a breakthrough. we have to put it on our agenda. during the second phase, we would deal with jerusalem and refugees. should the parties agree to this approach -- we have not yet their answers except the palestinian answer, which is rather positive -- france would

support the resumption of negotiations will in conjunction with the u.s. administration by hosting the peace conference in paris this year. we do not want to convene such a conference if we are not sure before that there is an agreement of both parties on a platform of negotiation. on our why we're waiting american friends. as for palestinian reconciliation, i recognize it elisas conflicting reactions. but how could we think that peace agreement would be respected and guaranteed security if not all palestinians were part of it? for our part, we believe that this reconciliation could represent a chance for peace. that would be the case if it

leaves hamas to a ball in accordance with our respective demands. they should agree to reject -- reject violence and recognize israel based on the principles we hold dear. ladies and gentlemen, i think we have an appointment with history. we cannot stand back and witness the extraordinary changes under way as simple spectators. i am sure you understand that friends is willing to meet these challenges -- france is willing to meet these challenges because of our bayous and our destiny in playing out in this year's spring. we want to make -- remained proactive and find produce on

which we can cooperate and take action if military force is needed to protect civilian populations. my country welcomes president onea's courageous vision may 19, which opens up real prospects for the future and most of the choices made by france. with its defining way, your country must play a major role. liberty, when it begins to take root, it supplants rapid growth. amid the arab spring, these words of george washington are particularly resonant. let us unite our efforts to help liberty take root on the southern shores of the mediterranean. true to the spirit of america's

founding father, true to our shared values of democracy and respect for human rights, let us together let the arab world and make the mediterranean the place of peace, stability, and change. thank you for your attention. [applause]

>> thank you very much, mr. juppe, for clear, comprehensive, courageous clarion call for support of freedom in the middle east. we're very grateful to you for that. but is in gym and, in case you are worrying -- wondering who joined us, this is the minister's translator in case he needs a translation of your question. you made a very clear exposition about the importance of being consistent in the support for human rights. you indeed were very clear that there is no difference between the policies of france toward

libya and toward syria. the one thing that i found strange about that was that your repeated the formula that our president has put out there, assad should reform morally. -- raw form or lead. -- reform or leave. but we have not put that on to egypt or others. the brutal way that he has suppressed as people ballet's the very principle that you so clearly articulated. i wonder if you could explain what is the hesitation, if that is an accurate way of putting it. >> it is a very good question. as we say when we do not know how to exactly answer the question. [laughter]

every week the french national assembly has the same question -- why the double standard policy? why don't you do the same thing in libya and in syria? and my answer is always the same. the countries are different. our position is the same. we have condemned in strong terms the crackdown in libya and in syria. but the evolution of the situation was different. at the very beginning in libya, gaddafi was not a sympathetic guy for anybody. he announced that his military was invading been causing --

benghazi and was attacking all the people who ever vaulted. when i was in the security council, at the moment of the discussion of 1973 resolution, i said that question may be of days and even ours. in syria, the situation moves in a different way. at the very beginning, there was a little hope bashir assad was, how you say it in english crush margin someone that we can deal with. >> he announced reforms that he was ready dick implement. -- he was ready to implement.

there was certain hope in the offer of assad to move in that direction. that is why we have waited before condemning his attitude. but now we have done that. the situation is very clear in syria. the process of reform is dead. we think they bashir has lost its legitimacy to rule the country. it is exactly the same position as a levy. the consequence of this condemnation are different. in europe, we of taken our responsibilities and adopted sanctions against the regime. we have adopted a list of people in syria sanctioned. their assets are frozen in europe.

france demanded bashir was at the top of the list. and we have done that. when you presented the draft resolution on libya, we did not that they're easily but as we did not get there easily. it was nine votes, and we knew that china or russia would not veto. that is not the case now. [unintelligible] what to do? this is the point of discussion with hillary clinton. we think that now we must go ahead and circulate this draft resolution in the security

council. we think it will be possible to get 11 votes in favor of the resolution. and we will see what the russians will do. if they need to, they will take their responsibility maybe they see that there are 11 votes in favor of the resolution and what changed their mind. it is a risk that we will take. >> thank you. that is news. i'm sure there are a lot of questions here and with the minister's indulgence i will take three, and i will take notes for you. we would try to get through as many as possible. please wait for the microphone. please make sure that you ask a short question because very -- time is very short period and then we will move on with the minister's answers. at the back there. no, the guy next to you. sorry.

>> thank you, mr. minister. i attended your press conference with hillary clinton and there seemed to be no enthusiasm for your call for peace conference. t think that that idea has lost steam? -- do you think that the idea has lost steam? >> right here. your question. >> thank you, mr. minister. in your remarks, if you pointed out that there is a convergence between the need to have political reform and also the huge economic expectations just a day in the "and at times cause " there is a news of an imf bridge loan to egypt because of its disastrous economic outlook.

you also mentioned all large program articulated of aid that will support the whole region. do you think that this will be enough, given the very significant socio-economic problems that you correctly described in terms of young people with no jobs and no prospects and then nothing, and that in other words, the kind of aid that the west and the eu in particular is capable of delivering will be enough to shore up the situation before it deteriorates? thank you. >> we will take one from a lady here. >> my question to you, i do not know if you are aware of the recent violent rap --

repression. your country is very close ties with the monarchies. >> yes, the microphone. i was not expecting that responds to the french initiative when i arrived in washington yesterday. but if you will perceive what hillary clinton said, if you understood that our starting point is the same. we all to get a thing -- we all together think that this is dangerous and counterproductive. if nothing goes before next september, the situation in the general assembly will be difficult for everyone.

for the europeans, because we will have to make our decision. france will take our responsibilities in september. other european countries will of different choices. i am not sure it will be a compatible situation for the u.s. it will not be a success for they american diplomacy, of course. the resolution of the general assembly will not change the situation tremendously. i think that israel [unintelligible] and for the palestinians, made

it a success if the resolution passed would be -- because of what happened after the vote of the resolution, i am not sure, the real situation in the daily life of the palestinian population would change. cts that we the fa must do something to avoid the situation in september. what to do? there is no alternative except the resumption of the negotiations. and that is why we are pushing both parties to sit around the table of negotiations to resume the process. and that is the spirit of the proposal i made to president abbas last week and prime minister netanyahu in jerusalem. what did we say?

we had a framework of negotiation, of platform of parameters come up with two or three important ideas. first, for both parties renouncing violence. accepting the former agreements. and third, recognizing the state of israel as a sovereign state with a guarantee of security. fourth, the negotiation and all other claims after the negotiation. and then in two steps, inspired by president obama's speech, first we start with the border, the line of 1967 with mutually- agreed swaps, and the question of security, and in the second step, the issue of refugees and

jerusalem. all of those issues should be solved in a single agreement, and we rode in our paper that nothing is agreed before everything is agreed. we think this agenda and platform of negotiation is an interesting one prefers reaction of the palestinian side was positive. the israeli prime minister told me we are reflecting on it. it is not a rejection. it is not a note. it is not a no. there was a very good sign. and with my american counterpart today, we have decided to work on this idea, to explore the possibility of a breakthrough,

and we are ready to advance the text through changing the process, and maybe the best change would be the statement and then a conference. but we agreed that a conference the would-no conference unless there is agreement on the agenda. that is the point where we are. we're continuing this initiative. we have relative optimism it is a change and we have to take to change. the second question about the socio-economic situation in egypt, you're right. the political process of democracy transition will not succeed if we do not first address the very difficult economic situation of that country. not only tunisia and egypt, but

also morocco, to a lesser degree, and maybe also jordan. in egypt, tourism has completely fallen down and it is an important resource for the economy of the job, the best of egypt. -- an important resource for the economy of egypt. the people who demonstrated on tahrir square are expecting improvements in their lack. -- in their life. we must absolutely help them to avoid this economic collapse. you asked me about the $40 billion, a large amount of money. that question is not the amount of money.

the question is the rapidity. are you able to give this money for useful projects. that is why the g-8 instructed its foreign ministers to act on action plans in order to mobilize this money as soon as possible. the to nation government has already proposed an action plan -- tunisian government has already proposed an action plan. in morocco, i'm rather optimistic on the situation, because the king has announced an ambitious program of reform. if the product of a new constitution is carried out, it will be a real change in the regime.

maybe the emergency of real constitutional monarchy -- emergence of real constitutional monarchies. so we must help them on that and there are some reasonable concerns. demonstrations continue in the streets, but there is no repression. my information, there is not the same reaction as in syria, or in yemen. the regime does not use violent means to stop those demonstrations. once more, it is a question of rapidity. i think they must accelerate the process of reform if they want to convince the population of the good will and determination.

and we have to support this process. >> one thing, foreign minister. president obama was criticized in his courageous may 19 speech for not mentioning saudi arabia. and you did not mention saudi arabia, unless i missed it. what is the message to saudi arabia? they are not exactly reformers according to your very clear agenda. how should we deal with saudia arabia? >> step by step. [laughter] but our method is the same. there is no future for oil regimes in the arab countries if the process of reform is not launched and implemented. saudi arabia must also implement a program of reform.

>> we of time for too quick question. i promised the gentleman who grabbed the microphone. make it quick and then we would go down here. >> an american observer on the events in libya has commented that the evidence was not persuasive that a large-scale massacre or genocide was either likely or imminent. if he is right what nato has done in libya is attack the country that was not threatening anyone. in other words, aggression. are you concerned that as nato deals more death and destruction in libya, the international criminal court may decide that your country may need to be prosecuted rather than mr. gaddafi? >> could you comment on the

french government's relationship with the turkish government in terms of the middle east uprising? [unintelligible] in libya, the turkish government has blamed the french government, claiming that the french government did not wait for the results of mediation conducted by the turkish .overnment' and now you have launched a plan in israel and the palestinian conflict while the turkish government is working on the process of reconciliation between hamas and fatah? and last week there was a huge

terrorist organization [unintelligible] how you define the relationship? >> on the first question, the answer to your question -- just one figure. everyone would know the situation in libya, estimates that the number of casualties, people killed by the regime, with plans, tax, heavy weapons against his population, it was around 10,000 or 15,000 people. i am not sure that the coalition did the same job.

>> it is an understatement. >> we're fighting for the libyan population and i think it is in respect of the 1917 -- 1973 resolution. so i am calm and serene with the action of the icc. i know that the icc is already prosecuting gaddafi. i have no time to describe all the relationships between turkey and france over the whole region. turkey is a great country. turkey is a friend. we have a good relation with turkey on many levels, cultural ones and so on. i am the chairman of a

sympathetic institution, and so we have many links for historical and geographical resonance with turkey. we have a problem with turkey. france does not support the candidacy of turkey to the european union. it would take half an hour to explain why because it is a complex matter. that is why the relationship between turkey and france are so difficult at the moment. i've tried to warn them and to explain a proper place for turkey in the resolution of the libyan crisis. that is why there was contact in rome and doha and this week. we need turkey.

i am not sure that they are still blaming the french in libya. and turkey is a member of nato, so it turkey disagrees with nato intervention on libya, turkey has all the means to stop this intervention. so i think that is the position of turkey, far more complicated in your statement. >> unfortunately our time is up, for your time is up because you have to catch a >> you have been very gracious in sharing your ideas with us and we are very grateful to you. thank you very much. [applause]

>> next, rick santorum announces his run for the republican nomination for president. in new york congressman anthony wiener today admitted to sending messages and suggested photographed women on line. he also said he will my resign. then, afghans national security forces can take the lead as early as december 2014. >> connect with c-span online. continuing conversations on facebook, political places and beyond with sportswear, and highlights on our youtube channel. c-span and social media, connect today.

>> former pennsylvania senator rick santorum announced his candidacy for president. said president obama's health care plan is a major factor for his seeking the nomination. [applause] ♪

[cheers and applause]

>> thank you, everyone. that was so encouraging. good morning, pennsylvania, and good morning, somerset county. it is wonderful to have you here with us today, a special place for our family. we are surrounded by the greatest blessings in our lives, our seven wonderful children. [applause] we just celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary.

[applause] thanks to the love and support an example of my precious mom and dad, who are here with us today, who we just love like crazy. [applause] my mom and dad have been married for 64 years. 65 years. that have been such a great example to us. i come before you today to introduce the man i love and admire. he is a man of enormous strength with a tremendous commitment in the values that have made america great and the experience to lead it forward. he has led the way in the fight on so many critically important issues from into ottoman reform to tax policy to national security to foreign policy to the protection of the most innocent and vulnerable among us. never walking away are hiding

from the tough battle than hard issues. peggy noonan summed up his character in "the wall street journal." she said he faces what the public tries to finesse. [applause] he is a man of deep and abiding conviction, with the wisdom to apply them to the issues at hand and the tenacity, passion, and skill to win the day. it is a man who loves america and love the americans. that is what motivates him and all of the santorums. i present to you my husband, rick santorum. thank you so much. [cheers and applause]

>> thank you. thank you very much. let me just first kasay to my wife, karen, and to the children behind me. i am one blessed man. thank you. they have not an ally of being involved in public life. as we all know, that is not an easy life, and they have stood behind me every step of the way. not only have they stood behind me but that have led me and encouraged me and fought side- by-side with me. they get so much for your love and support. god bless you. thank you. i want to thank all of you for coming out here today.

it is a beautiful day. it is always beautiful in somerset county. you must think i am not from somerset county if i said that. let me just thank everybody here in the local community for the great cooperation and support and being here and showing up, and for being where it all started for the santorum family. that is why we are here because our american journey started here in somerset county. it is great to be here. thank you for coming out for us. [applause] the most common question i have had over the past 20 months was, are you running? the answer i always gave, no, i am not running, i am walking.

the reason i was walking is because i wanted to get out and talk to americans all across america. dozens and dozens of states over the last couple of years with a heavy sampling on iowa, new hampshire, and south carolina. i was out talking to people, listening to people, trying to get a sense as to whether what i was feeling inside, the anxiety and the concern i had for the future of our country, was something that was shared. the answer to that was what happened zero little over two years ago, with the birth of the tea party, and people standing up and holding up the constitution and talking about -- those or balloons in that shot. not that i have not had my shots. people have understood, they

understand that something is wrong, there is something at stake here in america that is important. it is important for us and for the future of our country. what is it? is it the economy? sure, it is the economy. who can say is not the economy when we are looking at this but that rate of growth and the discouragingly high rate of unemployment. not 9.1%, but 15% of people who really want to get work and cannot find work. you can look at this administration and say what did they do in response? they just send money to state capitals to keep the government workers on the payroll and forgot about the rest of america out here trying to survive and grow.

gas prices. we are here in mineral which somerset county. we have: gas and all sorts of resources here and we have a president who does not want us to access those resources, and then complains that the price of energy is high. [applause] if you look at the record of spending under this president, he came in with a problem, and then he kept digging in the hole he was then. now for every dollar we spend, 40 cents is borrowed. 40 cents they can be put on every man, woman, and child to pay the interest on for the rest of their lives. who are we, who are you, mr. president, to say that you and

your administration should take 40 cents out of every dollar and borrow it from future generations to prop you up? it is a horrible penalty on working and saving americans. he has devalue our currency and devalued our culture. through not standing up for the defense of marriage act. federal funding of abortions. he is the value and our dollars and our other currency, our moral currency.

all of this is bad enough, but i think americans now realize there is even more. there is something more that is concerning america. that is why i am here in somerset county. i am here because my grandfather came to this county way back in 1927. did he come here because the government was promising him all sorts of benefits? promising him all sorts of handouts and bailouts? no, he left the country where the government made all the promises. he had a job on a mail train after world war i. he lived in a beautiful idyllic town in the mountains, right down on olague. i have visited, and is truly

gorgeous. i said why would anyone want leave eight brothers and sisters, leave a stable job at a beautiful place at the foot of the dolomite mountains? one word, one reason, freedom. [applause] he was watching what mussolini was doing. he was watching what he was inculcating into his oldest son. and he said, i will not stand for this, and so he left and he came here. it took a trip to detroit, but eventually came here and started in the coal mines in northern somerset county. in carpenter's part pennsylvania.

and he worked to give his children, my dad who was 7 years old when he came in 1930, the opportunity for freedom, to live your dreams, because he knew that america believed in him, believe in people, gave people a shot. if they work hard, they could succeed. that is the america that my grandfather came to. that is the america that my dad live then. that is the america that we need again today. [applause] that is what is unique. the president of the united states just a few weeks ago in responding to polarize budget said this. he was talking about medicare and medicaid and unemployment insurance. he said the country is a better

country with those programs. i will go one step further, he said. america is not a great big america was not a great country until those programs. ladies and gentlemen, america was a great country before 1965. america was a great country before government decided that it had to start taking from those -- i am sorry, we have someone who i think he has got to them. if there are any emergency personnel who can get here, i want to make sure that this person get some help. >> get some water.

>> maybe get a chair. [applause] [inaudible] >> i would appreciate if everyone would just say a prayer

for that young lady. america is a great country. not because of our government. it is because our founders founded a great country. [applause] iers whour tea part raise our constitution up. that constitution which is the owner's manual for america. but in the constitution that they hold up is also another document that is always printed there. it is the declaration of independence.

the declaration of independence is the why of america. it is who we are. we hear a lot of talk about american exceptional as some -- exceptionalism. all men are created equal and endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. [applause] our founders did something revolutionary with that statement. prior to that time, where they came from, rights did not come from god to every individual. that is not with those countries believed. rights came to the sovereign, to the king, to the government, and then the government would

distribute the rights. they left those countries because they did not want a keen to tell them what rights they had, because they knew what rights they had from god. [applause] in the constitution they established the framework to do one thing, to some of the mission of america, what transformed the world, what made this the greatest country in the history of the world. the principal purpose of america was to make sure that each and every person was free. that is the purpose of america.

ladies and gentlemen, that is at stake now, more than it has ever been in modern times. we are facing a time when we have a group of people led by president obama who believes that america's greatness is in government, not its people. there is one singular act that is the linchpin, and that is obamacare. obamacare does something that no other entitlement has ever done. it makes you buy something. more importantly, it is the government for the first time is going to have its clutches to create dependency on every single american. not those who are old or sick, but every single american now

will be hooked to the government with an i.v. they will say if you want that health care, did you have to give us more power. margaret thatcher said this after doing her -- an assessment of her time against ronald reagan. she said there was one thing that stood in my way, the british national health care system. why do you think they work so hard? what it is think they are willing to break every rule. what you think they are ready to lose this election. what you think they ignore the polls and jam it down the throats of the american public? why do you think they cared so much about passing this bill? power. because they knew they would get you. juan williams said to me, let me

tell you what president obama's team is telling me. americans love entitlements. once we get them hooked, they will never let it go. they want to look you. they don't want to free you. they don't want to give you opportunity. they believe in themselves, the smart people, the planners, the folks in washington who made decisions better than you can. they are saying to seniors, we need you to trust us. we will make decisions on what every senior can have. did everybody -- did anybody ever look at the medicare prescription drug plan? it is exactly the model paul

ryan is asking for. seniors love the medicare prescription drug plan. it is exactly what we are proposing for medicare. give people the resources to go out and choose for themselves what is best for themselves. [applause] our founders knew that establishing freedom, writing it in that document, was the easy thing to do. they were students of history and they do the hard thing to do was to maintain freedom over the course of time, over the course of leaders who would try to sing that siren song to give up that freedom in exchange for security. that is another reason i am here in somerset county at this time. i am here because just a few miles from here in pennsylvania,

almost 10 years now, a group of average americans, a traveling salesman stood with his back against the wall and rallied and lead people, average americans, to do what needed to be done to save freedom in america. [applause] on this day, d-day, june 6, 1944, almost 60,000 average americans had the courage to go out and charge those beaches of normandy, to drop out of airplanes, who knows where, and take on the battle for freedom.

average americans. the very americans that our government now and this president does not trust to make a decision on your healthcare plan. those americans risked everything so they could make that decision on their health care plan. [applause] we are facing enormous challenges today, certainly of a different kind, but they will test whether this generation will keep faith with those patriots and keep america the greatest country in the history of the world. today across america, people are looking for a leader who is optimistic and who believes that we must meet those challenges,

and that we can meet those challenges, that we can keep faith, not with the government, but with three people. in 2008, a wearied public, a troubled public from a financial crisis, looked to a president, looked to elect a president, and president obama took that faith that the american public gave him and wrecked our economy and centralize power in washington d.c., and robbed people of their freedom. i believe now that americans are

not looking for someone that they can believe then. they are looking for a president who believes in them. fellow americans, it is our watch. it is our time. it is our time for all of us to step up and do what america requires us to do. i am ready to lead. i am ready to do what has to be done for the next generation, with the courage to fight for freedom. with the courage to fight for america. that is why i am announcing today that i am running for

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>> republican president attended it tim pawlenty will be in chicago tomorrow. the former minnesota governor will be talking about the economy and laying out his plan to overhaul the federal tax code. live coverage from the

university of chicago begins at 11:00 a.m. eastern on c-span3. after more than a week of denial, new york congressman anthony wiener admitted that he said suggested photos and messages from his twitter account to several women. he apologized for lying but said he would not resign from the united states congress. his news conference from new york is next. >> thank you very much for being here. good afternoon. i would like to take this time to clear up some of the questions that have been raised over the past 10 days and take all responsibility for my actions.

i would like to make it clear that i made terrible mistakes and they've hurt the people i care about the most. i am deeply sorry. i have not been honest with myself, my family, my constituents, my friends, supporters, and the media. last friday night, i tweeted a photograph of myself to a woman in seattle. i continued with that story and stuck with that story, which was a mistake. this woman was unwittingly dragged into this and bears no responsibility. i am so sorry to have disrupted her life in this way. the picture was of me and i sent it. i am deeply sorry for the pain that this has caused. in addition, over the past few years, i have engaged in several inappropriate conversations conducted over facebook and twitter with women i've met online. i have exchanged messages and

photos of an explicit nature with six women over the last three years. these communications took place before my marriage, though some have taken place after. i never met any of these women or have had physical relationships at any time. i have not told the truth, and i have done things that i regret. i brought pain to people i care about the most. for that, i am deeply sorry. i apologize to my wife, our family and, as well to our friends and supporters. i am deeply ashamed of my terrible judgment and actions. i will be glad to take any questions. >> [inaudible]

>> i came here to accept the full responsibility for what i have done. i am deeply regretting what i have done and i am not resigning. i have made it clear that i except responsibility for this, people who want to draw conclusions about me are free to do so. i hope that the people in my district will see this as a deeply regrettable mistake. >> [inaudible] >> it is more inappropriate, the things that have done since i have been married. my primary apology goes to my

wife. i should not have done this. >> [inaudible] why would you do this after you were married? [inaudible] what were you thinking? >> i do not know what i was thinking. this was a destructive thing to do, and i am apologetic for doing it. it was deeply hurtful for the people i care about the most. it was something that i did that was just wrong. i regret it. >> [inaudible] is that a violation of the public trust? >> [inaudible] >> i did not -- listen, i will try to tell you everything i can remember. my blackberry is not a

government blackberry. >> [inaudible] >> no, i cannot. i regret not being honest about this. this was a big mistake. i was embarrassed. i was humiliated. i am still to this moment. i was trying to protect my wife and myself from shame. it was a mistake and i really regret it. >> [inaudible] >> this was a mistake and i am very sorry for it.

i take it seriously, but where i go from here, i take it seriously. this was a destructive thing to do that i deeply regret. >> [inaudible] >> i love my wife very much. i love my wife very much. we have no intention of splitting up over this. we have been through a great deal together and we will weather this. i love her very much, and she loves me. >> [inaudible] >> in some cases, i initiated them. these are women that i met on facebook. >> [inaudible] >> i am deeply apologetic, first and foremost, to my wife.

everyone that i misled, everyone in the media, my staff, they all deserve an apology. >> why did you do such a thing? >> it was a very dumb thing to do. it was a destructive thing to do. it was not part of any plan to be hurtful to my wife, it was not part of a plan to be deceitful to you. it was not part of a plan. it was a destructive thing that i did. if you are looking for some kind of the explanation for it, i do not have one. except that i am sorry. >> [inaudible] >> i did not think of it that way.

from time to time, i would say to myself, this is a mistake. this conversation, someone could listen in on. i know that -- in this case, it was me doing a very dumb thing. >> [inaudible] >> i did not see any of the pictures that were released today. i can tell you that there were some women that i had conversations with, inappropriate things were sent by me, and i accept responsibility for that. >> [inaudible] >> the last thing on this day, when i have done this time to my wife and family, i am standing before all of you and accepting this -- the last thing i am

thinking about is next year's election. i need to make sure that this never happens again. and that i make it up to my wife and to my family and to all of the people i have harmed. >> [inaudible] >> i will try to handle this and i have not ruled out seeing someone, but i am not blaming anyone. this is not something that can be traded away. this is my own personal mistake. this is a the weakness that i have demonstrated. for that, i apologize. >> some of these relationships date back as much as three years. >> [inaudible] >> almost from the moment -- when you say something like

that, i was embarrassed. i did not want it to lead to other embarrassing things. it was a dumb thing to do, to try to tell lies about it, because it just led to other lies. almost immediately after, i knew that i was putting people in a very bad position. i did not want to continue doing that. >> [inaudible] did any of these women ever ask for anything? >> no. >> when did you tell your wife? >> my wife has known about some of these online relationships since before we were married. we spoke frankly about them because -- we spoke frankly about them. she did not know until this morning that i had not been telling the truth about whether

i posted the twitter posting. >> [inaudible] >> i am here to express my apologies to my wife and family. anyone who was misled, all of you were misled. i have an apology for all of them. i believe that everyone deserves an apology. here is what -- >> where is your wife right now? >> i apologize to the media. i apologize to my wife and my family. >> where is your wife right now? >> she is not here. >> [inaudible] >> i have a loving wife.

it is not anything llike that. i treat it as as a frivolous thing, not acknowledging that it was causing harm to some many people. >> [inaudible] >> i spoke briefly to leader pelosi. she said to be truthful and to say what you know. she was thankful that i was doing that today. she was not happy, and she told me as much. my primary apology is to my wife. but she made it very clear that she thought what i did was very wrong and she was not happy about it. she is very disappointed. she also told me that she loved me and wanted us to pull

through this. >> [inaudible] >> i did a regrettable thing. for that, i apologize. >> did you have phone sex with these women? >> i never met any of these women. i never was in the same room with them. i never had a physical relationship with them whatsoever. i am reluctant for their privacy. the exchanges were consensual, but i am not going to dispute any think that any of the women have come forward to say. every right to do so. i will not make any efforts to characterize those. >> to do it on congressional

time as a congressman. >> and congressional time could theoretically be anything. congressman work long hours. i do not believe that i did anything that violates any laws or my oath to my constituents. what i did was something that demonstrated a the personal failing and that is why i'm here to apologize. >> is there any other type of behavior? [inaudible] have you solicited within the service for women? >> i have never had sex outside of my marriage. i've never done anything that you described. i have never done anything that you have described. >> [inaudible] >> i am not making any excuses

for my behavior. i do not do drugs. i was not drinking. that was not because of this. this was me doing a dumb thing. and doing it repeatedly and lying about it. that is all there is. i am here to accept responsibility. i am not asking to shift the blame to anyone else. >> [inaudible] >> i did not speak to her, we exchanged some text messages. mostly for me to express my apologies that she got dragged into this. we exchanged some perfunctory direct messages, but we had never spoken. >> [inaudible] >> i have not. my wife is a remarkable woman.

she is not responsible for any of the best. -- any of this. it was visited upon her. she is getting back to work. she is not responsible for any of this. i apologized to her. >> [inaudible] >> people have to make that determination. i am here to express my apologies. i am here to take responsibility great beyond that, my constituents have to make the determination. it is up to them if this is something that will make them not want to vote for me. i will try to work to win back their trust. this is a personal failing of mine. i worked very hard for my constituents for a long time. nothing about this should reflect on my official duties or my oath of office. >> [inaudible]

>> i certainly used bad judgment, that is for sure. if someone wants to draw that conclusion. i cannot stop them. i am here to accept responsibility for some very bad decisions. i do not know the exact ages of the women. i will respect their privacy. they were all adult. to the best of my knowledge, they were all adults. they were engaging in these conversations consensually. >> [inaudible]

>> are you surprised by the reaction to colleagues have? [inaudible] >> i was not telling the truth. i had done something that was dishonorable. i had lied. i do not begrudge anyone for not leaping to my defense. this is not anyone else's fault. this was me. i did it. i take responsibility for that, and i am not looking to point blame or shared responsibility with anyone. i will go back to work and i will try to convince them that this was a personal failing, an aberration from which i have learned. all i can do is just keep doing

what i have done, work very hard every day. there was nothing about this that changes in liability or -- my ability for record about getting bills passed or filling potholes or community service. this was a personal failing and i hope that they see it that way. i do not begrudge them if they do not vote for me. that is their decision. and i am going to have to work very hard. >> [inaudible] >> i do not want to get into anybody else's situation, but i can tell you about mine. it is one that i regret. it did not have to go with my government service. it has to do with a personal weakness. people can draw their own conclusions about that. i am not resigning. i will try very hard to go back

to work. i will try to be a better husband. she was very unhappy, very disappointed. she told me as much. she also told me that she loves me, but she deserves much better than that. and i know that. >> [inaudible] >> my primary concern about the entire incident was my concern about some of these relationships that had becoming public. it seems that what i have done by denying the original action had only started to make things worse and only served to people being asked tougher questions. the better thing would be just to tell the truth. let the chips fall where they may.

that is why i am here. >> are you addicted? >> all i can do is give you the facts. i never met these women, and i never had much desire to. to me, it was almost a frivolous exchanged among friends. i did not make an important enough distinction about how hurtful it was. >> [inaudible] how long do you know that these women are not under age? >> i know that i had no intention of speaking with underage women.

no information that i have now shows that i did. whenever you engage with anyone, and that is always true in social media, you are relying upon their characterization. i took them at those characterization's. >> [inaudible] >> look, i am sorry, and i continue to be. but i do not backseat anything the--- i do not see anything that i did that violated the rules of the house. i engaged in inappropriate online conversations with people, that included photographs, and it was a mistake. i do not believe that i did anything that violates any laws. >> [inaudible] >> i did not have the sense that they were complete strangers. these were people that i had developed relationships with online.

i believe that we had become friends. that was clearly a mistake. i clearly regret that. i do not know her, and i still don't really know her. she was a follower who we had a cursory direct contact. she was having trouble with some people who were giving her trouble because she was following me. it was a mistake. i want to make it very clear. there are long list of people that i harmed here, but this poor woman was one of them as well. i deeply regret that she got dragged into this. >> [inaudible]

>> i suggest that people not do dumb things like this. not do things like this, there is nothing inherently wrong with social media. nothing inherently wrong with these outlets. what i did was a mistake. >> [inaudible] >> i know a time did i try to do anything to cover anything up. she did reach out to me and expressed how she had been set upon, and i expressed my apologies to her. but there was no coaching of any sort going on. it was just me saying as i said

today, how deeply sorry i was. >> [inaudible] >> my staff has never had any contact. my staff did not know the actual story. i misled them as well. they only heard the full story late this afternoon as i was getting ready to come over here. they are another group of people who i have let down. they knew nothing. >> was there anything predatory about your behavior? >> the women i have been in contact with, i do not know their ages. the people i have had these engagement with on facebook are not young. >> [inaudible]

>> i am deeply sorry that i lied about this, but at the end of the day, i was embarrassed. i lied because i was ashamed of what i had done and i did not want to get caught. did i violate the constitution of the united states? i certainly do not think so. if people want to say that this is a violation of my oath, people are entitled to that viewpoint. >> [inaudible] >> i do not believe i will use its the same way, that is for sure. i deeply regret the way i have used it to date. for my use of twitter, it is something that i found useful.

facebook is a way to get out the message. i certainly would not do the things that i have done. >> [inaudible] >> of course. i did not. they were inappropriate. they were part of a consensual exchange of e-mails and i do not want to violate the privacy of the women who were involved. it was clearly a mistake. thank you. >> or you fully erect? >> house minority leader nancy

pelosi has a ask the ethics commission to investigate representative winner after he admitted to sending these messages on line. up next on c-span, the tenet general william caldwell, commander of the nato mission in afghanistan, it gives an update on afghan security forces. then the french foreign minister talks about the political unrest in the arab world. and then a hearing on wartime contracts in iraq and afghanistan. on tomorrow's "washington journal," of report on illegal drugs and the group's founder. last week the thiel foundation

gave $100,000 to 24 people under the age of 20 who agreed to drop out of school and start high- tech companies. we will talk with james o'neill of the program. a look that the history of walter reed medical army center which is scheduled to close the september. norvell coots and and others will join us. "washington journal" each morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span. angela merkel will meet tomorrow with president obama to discuss relations between the two countries. the white house will hold a state dinner for chancellor merkel. we will have live coverage at 8:00 p.m. eastern. if you can also like to live coverage of the guests or rifles.

-- our rivals. >> connect online with twitter, facebook, and four square, and programming highlights on our website. >> the commander of the nato training mission in afghanistan talks about the training of the afghan security forces, its army, and police, as they prepare for the reduction of u.s. and nato troops. if the tenet journal william caldwell is interviewed at the brookings institution by its senior fellow, michael o'hanlon. this is about one hour and a half.

this is our exit strategy and our to get home. more than anything ounce, and for those of you not familiar with how military command arrangements work, a general caldwell as one of the big three pieces of the overall effort under general petreaus and has done no sow -- has done so in remarkable perseverance its november 2009 along with his staff. prior to this assignment, he ran the combined center at fort leavenworth, which means he educated military officers and partners here as well. he has had a number of previous deployments, including iraq,

where he was a spokesman, and also in haiti, panama, and in operation desert storm. a remarkably distinguish courier. we're very fortunate that on his trip back to washington, he can take time with us. he will begin with a presentation for about a half- hour, and then we will join forces appear on stage. i will ask him a couple of questions and we will go to you. we're fortunate to have c-span covering this and other media, which it is important for the american people to hear from one of their commanders of the effort is going to train and improve the afghan army and police. we're looking forward to having that conversation. remember to identify yourselves and speak clearly if we -- if you ask a question, because we want people around the country to hear. without further ado, please welcome lieutenant-general caldwell.

[applause] >> first of all, thank you for the opportunity. i greatly appreciate this. we just blew it back again from afghanistan. -- flew back in from afghanistan, and we have not been back in america since november. a number of foreign embassies are here, and there are rigid and they are a key critical part of what we are doing in afghanistan. i have immense respect and admiration for the fact that a nato commission can be like, having served in this capacity for 20 months. i want to tell you about an afghan security force. we call that the ansf, which consists of the army, the police, and the air force.

we will share couple of things. i will be showing you have pictures on the screen, pictures that will give you a visual understanding of some of the context of the information i will talk about. i'll be glad to take any questions that anyone has and talk about that. i can tell you this -- there has been significant progress in the development of the afghan national security force over the past 20 months. a lot of people ask me how they are doing and i can tell you they have made significant progress, not only in terms of the growth of the number but of the quality, which is just as important if not more. you hear very often that the gains are not yet irreversible, and their sterile our challenges. so as i go through this presentation, i do not want to mislead anyone that there is not more than ample challenges to be taken on and worked in the future. there are. but it should not undercut the

incredible progress that has been made with our afghan counterparts and the international community over the past 20 months. what we normally say is, a transformation occurred in the afghan national security force. he said tremendous growing pride in themselves and in who they are. a greater sense of nationalism exhibited, especially for the army forces, then there was 20 months ago. and they're beginning to take the lead for security in small select areas and in the lead for training in small select areas. but it is critical and imperative as we move forward. we are entering into a critical period of development, a time of uncertainty, really. they are going to be tested very heavily by the enemy, the insurgent forces operating inside of afghanistan. there will be a challenge internally by propensities about how to act in what to do.

and this will all happy -- happened while they are trying to get on to their own 2 feet and continue to grow and develop. what we did today to emphasis the forced to achieve the lead for security will have lasting implications for the future. i was recently at that third graduation ceremony for the national military academy of afghanistan, a place where we as a coalition along with our afghan partners educate and train the next generation of leaders. these new we graduated lieutenants will play an incredibly remarkable and key element of development of the security forces. on that day in march, president karzai addressed the graduates and spoke about the security transition. the process of turning over responsibility for afghanistan security from the international community to the afghan government and its people. what struck me at that ceremony,

having served their now since the fall of 2009, just how much transition really means to the afghan people. there is a real desire on their part to take responsibility for their own security. for afghans, transition has really become a matter of national pride and personal honor. you will find that in their culture, but it is becoming very recurrent in the discussions that you have with them as we continue moving forward. i can tell you that the afghan people want to take their responsibility for defending their families, their communities, and their nation. icn in younger groups in the training center. i can see the incredible difference from the fall of 2009 when we barely had 800 recruits coming in today where we have over 10,000 serving -- signing up to serve their country. talk and some of the hospitals

and clinics, and what happens -- what strikes me is their desire like i see in my own army to rejoin their comments and continue to serve the nation. it was not readily apparent 20 months ago and i see it retain and now has echoed through the different words and talk to the young men. the a/s and that is working toward the day to defend afghanistan and the population, being done by their men and women. the transition is an aspiration of the afghan people. there are thousands every month that are joining the police and army forces of afghanistan. our vision in keeping with the goals set by president karzai last june and reaffirmed by the international community this past november at lisbon, is to set the conditions for transition of national security responsibility to the afghan government by the end of december 2014. achieving security transition in afghanistan is a major

undertaking. it requires the cooperation and partnership of the international community and the afghan government. from the ministry of the interior to the individual policemen and each and every unit in those organizations. achieving transition will only be the beginning of our challenge. we have an equally responsible -- responsibility that when we do transition to afghanistan forces, but that it indoors and it will last. it has to last. it is not enough to just transition. it is just as important, and the challenge that we will face is ensuring that what we do does last. during my time in afghanistan, i have been constantly reminded of the previous efforts by major powers to build an afghan government and security force. wherever you go in afghanistan, there echoes of the previous

efforts that succeeded in building a government and a very robust security force. but the effort failed to make it last. all that reminds us is that today, as we move through and continue our mission, that we have the responsibility to ensure that this transition in tours. again, and i continue to say because it is so critically important that we think about how we are going to make this last. i will share with you about the nato training mission is doing with the afghan government to achieve this in during security transition, that places afghans in the lead by december 2014 and then ensures that it lasts. i want to show you the investment made in the afghan national security force by the united states and the international community and studying the conditions for transition said that you can

understand our strategy for achieving this critical milestone. with an afghan population of 30 million people, it is clear that the ansf must be of sufficient size and strength to achieve security throughout their entire nation. with the extreme terrain in afghanistan, and you get a better sense of the magnitude of the security challenge. literally anyone who stood at the foot of the hindu kush or has looked over the deserts of canada are -- kandahar, can understand the security of those miles of land the size of the afghan security forces important. the nato training mission in afghanistan and the security ministries have focused on afghan formations in significant numbers. we produce entire units along with individual soldiers and

police been prepared to deploy and fight and serve their nation. we literally at this point have developed into producing almost an industrial method of producing this forces in the police and army necessary for against him. since november 2009, when this was established, the ansf has grown by nearly 100,000 soldiers and police. today their strength is just over 296,000 strong. true afghan surge, when you think about it. in less than 20 months, over 100,000 new formation and individuals were added in. today the ansf is less than 10,000 from reaching its goal that was set by the international community at the lisbon conference in 2009. this remarkable growth has been enabled by the significant

investment of the united states and the international community in the training mission. increasing congressional funding to include trainers and advisers and the assignment of talented leaders to the mission has directly and able the expansion of the capacity and of the quality of their force across afghanistan. however, increasing the size of the force does not come without its associated challenges. one such challenge is attrition. the unexpected loss of soldiers and police do to desertion in combat losses. attrition in the army, if left unchecked, could undo much of the progress made to date. for a partnership that the minister a high-level and unit level, attrition rates have declined but are still a matter of concern and attention that we continue to remain focused on. ultimately attrition in the ans

at is an afghan problem that requires an acceptable afghan solution. we will not be able to impose of western solution to this afghan problem. but we must help them find an effective solution that works with in an afghan context. another challenge associated with the growth of the forces, which we now call the insider threat, to safeguard against infiltration. we have developed an active in continuous multilayer defense which starts with an eight-step betting problem for all new recruits coming in, the additional afghan and coalition counterintelligence personnel into the formation, and an increased awareness for education and training as to what each and every individual in the police and army should be aware of and the attention to. additionally we work with the security ministry to complete the personal asset inventory to

physically account for every single afghan soldier and policeman and to be sure that each is in that database. recent violence against forces due to erode the harder and trust that is required for an effective partnership, but we cannot allow isolated incidents to detract from our overall efforts. active vigilance, training, and planning on the part of the coalition and our ansf partners are important to combat this threat, and we and our afghan partners take this threat very seriously. today we are turning the afghan army, police, and air force at over 70 sites located in 21 of the 34 provinces across afghanistan. we believe that high-quality, realistic, and challenging training is key to the transformation of the ansf into

a professional, i scale, a trusted institution that meets their nation's need. with a partner with the security mission to expand training capacity and we have improved the quality of training across the nation. we have in fact standardized disparate efforts of different programs of instruction and created national standards not only for the army, but most recently for the police forces. enforcement ofng this at all the different training centers. there are other training centers decide what nato runs, and the key is between the private team, the european union police, the nato training mission-afghanistan, and our afghan partners, we have collectively come together and build one standardized program of instruction and are rigidly enforcing that and using that across the nation as we continue

to develop their police force. we've also recently made the decision with our afghan partners to expand the afghan uniformed police course, the basic patrolmen course for cops on the street, from six weeks to eight weeks. an international decision collectively made with our afghan counterparts to expand the scores to eight weeks which will take effect next month in our first pilot programs. this will allow for increased training in key areas such as human rights and gender issues, transparency and accountability, and intelligence-led policing. improving the quality of training is a continuous process. in addition to the resources of the united states and the international community, thousands of military police, military personnel, and civil servants and civil police have now partnered with the ansf for these trainers and advisers are

truly having a trance more to the effect on the afghan security force members who are now starting to begin to emulate that dedication and duty that professional values in the actions of these trainers that are working side by side with them. while it is important to train afghan soldiers and police, it is also essential that we begin the process of training afghan instructors to take over the responsibility to train their own force. toward that end, we have partnered with the security forces and we're building an afghan instructor training program. it has begun to produce instructors who are now certified to become primary instructors, and more importantly, it is a certification process that allows instructors to train other instructors. it is a long process, though. it will take about two years. it has begun and we have 200 that are certified which will

grow to about 4000 by december 2012. army building permanent and police training commands, which is key if we are born to make this last. they oversee the entire training system within each mystery. they're developing the knowledge, the expertise, and the assistance required to make the ansf training and afghan- lead responsibility that will endure. in addition to training individual soldiers and policemen and collectively training units, we are also beginning to take on and have now for about a year-and-a-half in training afghan leaders. this continues to be our number one priority. as we all know, good leadership provides the foundation upon which any organization develops and improves. in our leader development courses, we train and educate officers and noncommissioned officers and we inculcate in

them a spirit of service, pride, and national patriotism. however, despite our efforts at increasing leader training capacity, we still have a leader shortfalls. it is relatively easy to train in new soldier or policeman, but it does take much longer, time and effort, to train coming educate, and develop a leader. we're working to close these critical shortfalls and provide the train small unit leaders while continuing to grow their force. we believe that trained and effective afghan leaders at all levels is the key to solving some of the most difficult challenges that we find today in the ansf. that is a key point to understand. if in fact they are at this level and their leaders are at this level and need to come up, as the forces continue to grow, we have started to rapidly close the leadership shortfall.

as we continue to grow this force, we are starting to close the leader deficit that exists out there, most at mid grade and that the most junior levels. capable of building professional police units, we're also creating the mechanisms to ensure civilian control over these forces for the subordination to the government is a hallmark of a properly functioning democracy. our ministerial development program plays a key role in this process. to achieve security transition, the ministries must be fully capable of managing the growth, training, sustainment, and employment of their forces. over the past two years, there's been significant process -- progress in ministerial development. they are growing more capable and effective every day. this is made possible since we have 500 advisers that every morning wake up and go to work in these two ministries as a

full-time duty. to work within the ministries of interior and defense to advise and mentor the ministry officials to better manage and to control their security force. our advisers in those two ministries in says that military personnel, law-enforcement personnel, civil servants, from multiple disparate nations that have come together collectively to provide that kind of training inside the ministry. along with the u.s. government, we have 33 civilians, department of defense civilians who volunteered to come and served under the ministry of defense advisory program inside of afghanistan. we have 27 more volunteers in trading today that will deploy at the end of the month to join us in afghanistan. of the first group, 17 arrive last summer, nine of them at electing to stay for a second year and to continue doing what

they're doing inside those two ministers. an incredible display of the willingness on the part of our civilian partners back in the department of defense to be a part of this effort inside afghanistan. afghan leaders in the ministries are increasingly taking the lead in executing key critical functions. we do in fact for the first time starts seeing important policies and development for strategic guidance being done. and this is really a 0.320 months ago, there was no requirement when you graduated from any kind of military or police training to serve in their armed forces. today, they passed a law that now has a requirement for service of up to three years or five years or 10 years depending on what you are patrolman, noncommissioned, or an officer. the key aspect of the development of what professional force, understanding that it through their training program, they incur of responsibility to

serve their country for a period of time. we do recognize that all this progress is threatened by corruption within the afghan national security force. corruption in the force constitutes a very complex problem with no real easy solution. it undermines the legitimacy of the government and nullifies efforts to build the trust and confidence between the security forces and the people of afghanistan. it also weakens the government, strengthens the insurgency, and wastes national resources, not to mention alienating their own people. at the nato training mission- afghanistan, our anti-corruption strategy is to create open and transparent systems all the way down to the small unit level and to help them establish policies and procedures to remove corruption and eliminate opportunities for corrupt behavior. we're also helping the afghans foster professional culture

within their organizations that are consistent with afghan values in which corruption becomes an unacceptable way of behavior. our combined efforts to reduce ansf corruption will take time. reforms are possible, and we will continue to work with the afghan leaders to build a much more transparent and accountable system then we have today. while developing quantity and quality into the force is essential, it is equally important that the ansf have the right equipment and infrastructure to perform their duties. we have made great strides in providing them with what we call capable, affordable, and sustainable weapons, vehicles, and infrastructure. the three inner corrected -- enter correct -- interconnected criteria are very important. the way that we define that is capable if it meets the threat and protects the people. we say it is affordable if it

provides the best value over time. and we say it is sustainable if it is durable enough to withstand the harsh environment there and it is able to be maintained by the afghan security forces themselves. the united states and our partners in the international community have invested heavily in the equipment that meets this criterion. it means mobility and firepower to defeat the insurgency and protect their people. additionally we have made significant investment in the infrastructure within afghanistan such as police stations, training stations, and depots as well as headquarters and barracks. however, equipping the ansf and building its facilities is only part of the solution for there is also an obligation to maintain them and sustain them so that again the echoes of the past do not haunt us in this future.

as you know, we're very deliberately building and into a tree-centered force in the army -- infantry-centered force in the army. it was rapidly deployed into the fight but it was very dependent on coalition support for communications, logistics, medical, or anything else in this core structure. those elements were not build up but were delayed in potentially toward the end. today there are certain specialty duties being performed truly exclusively by coalition forces, because of this. for example, coalition provides most of the artillery support. route clarence, combat, construction, another critical skills. but over the past 12 months we have established the 12 vocational or special skills required to get the afghans their own capacity to be trained to take on those duties.

you're beginning to train the skills and build those units as part of the phased development effort. we now have schools that train sings such as logistics, finance, communications, a human-resources, intelligence, artillery, engineering, and other important functions. as we continued the building of these important units and specialty for the army and police, we worked carefully and deliberately balance their force with increased capabilities so they eventually will have the ability to sustain themselves and operate independently from coalition forces. again, this is a very critical pillar in our strategy to achieve transition. we want to make it in fact last. these units of the building block upon which we will be able to do that as far as professionalism, and the size of the ansf is critical but it is

the quality of the forces truly imperative. injecting quality is a priority of ours at nato training mission. it is truly the centerpiece of our mission to build lasting, quality into this fourth. professionalism includes developing leaders comment in starring -- insuring stewardship, building systems and institutions, and creating an organizational ito's -- ethos. it will reduce corruption and build much greater pride in who they are and what they're doing. professionalism is a defining characteristic of any military or police organization. witchweed quality through training and leader development, building leaders, and grading -- it requires four critical components but the people, the resources, the strategy and their time. the united states and

international investment in our effort there hasn't had provided us with the resources, the people, which has in fact provided us with the resources, the people, and the strategy. time is elusive. if we want a trade a force that can last, we must have the patience to develop one. we did not build the united states army of which i am a part of an ivory building quality into the ansf requires patience and an enduring commitment. professionalism of the force help close the credibility gap between them and the people of afghanistan. many areas of afghanistan including the hundreds of isolated communities in the ballets, the army and the police are the only visible and real connection between the people and their central government. we recognize them as the foundation for building trust between the government and the

people. it needs to be accountable and it needs to have inculcated within it an ethos of service. our efforts to train policeman and trainers are now setting the foundation for transition. but there is a third aspect but also must be developed, and that is building permanent infrastructure systems and enduring institutions. the soldiers and police that make up the force are important, but it is truly the systems and institutions that will last the generations. they are the key to making it last. clearly systems like recruiting and personnel, training and education, logistics and medical required -- are required to ensure sustained record but these systems are just in their initial stage of development. they will grow into a national

network capable of sustaining their force. i often hear critics say that the afghan national security force logistics and medical systems are completely broken. and although i would not completely disagree, i would respond by saying, how can something be broken that has yet not been fully developed? building the systems for the ansf will take time. the process has started, and it is an important step achieving transition by december 2014. institutions are equally critical to the long term development and professionalism of the four separate institution such as the national military academy of afghanistan, the combined sergeant major course, the police academy, the noncommissioned officer development courses, they are all individual institutions that will become part of a broader institution called the afghan

national security university. it will be a consolidated system of professional education that will continue to transform their forces for generations. in fact, if we are as successful as we hope, it could send become a true model of inter- governmental cooperation within their structure there. i think everybody here appreciates all part of the challenge that we have in afghanistan is the fact that their human capital has been degraded by many years of civil war, and yet one thing that endures is the abundance of the people there, the potential of the people of afghanistan and. we believe that an investment in afghanistan's human capital is truly key to that nation realizing its potential and the ansf becoming an effective and truly professional force produce human potential of afghanistan is very much like the strategic minerals that we hear is hidden

beneath its all that could be mined to provide them tremendous resources. well, they're people are no different. they are there. and they are accessible and they're eager to be educated and to learn. such as the great potential we say of the afghan people, and we believe that investing in human capital is critical to help make the security transition last. to develop this potential, where in the process of building critical specialty in vocational skills within the army and police. all modern self-sufficient security force requires engineers, medical professionals, communications experts, repair technicians, and many other skills to give him an enduring capacity that will last. as part of developing the human to pat -- capital, we help them address their aggression within their force. it is a -- the grid --

degradation within their forces. it is a afghan solution, but women are significantly underrepresented in their ports, accounting for less than 1% of all personnel and their police and army today. we're working to help leverage the potential of women by bringing them into the afghan police and army forces. but it will take some time, but it has already started, and there has been significant progress being made. widespread literacy is another thing we are confronted with. we know through testing that every new recruit that comes into the army and police today, only one out of tin can read and write. only one at 10 he can read and write. they do not account numbers and they can even write their name. it is very difficult for us to

comprehend that. as i've shared with people in the past, when i first arrived in afghanistan and the late ambassador holbrooke talked about literacy training, i said to him, i am a military soldier. i do not do literacy. he told me, if you do not come in general, it will find your job very challenging just like everyone else has before you. and 90 days later, we recognize that we're going to start doing literacy. and we have taken it on with a tremendous vengeance's ever since. today we employ just over 2600 afghan teachers. we have inculcated literacy into every single training program across her afghanistan predicted a magnitude of which we are doing, each day we train over 32,000 afghans have our various training programs. and every single one of them has taken two hours of literacy every single day.

it is absolutely imperative that we help raise their educational level within afghanistan if we are going to make this effort of flowers in your. it is not enough to train them to be a good soldier or policeman. it is important to train them so that they can continue to develop and grow and sustain themselves. literacy is, and we call it, the essential to enable our for the professionalism of their force. we put a tremendous amount of time and effort into doing this. we have trained just over 90,000 young men and how to become literate. it does not mean that they have reached highs crude grade level. we're only trying to give them the basic ability to read and write so that they can function and properly account for things, be able to write a report, be able to read their pay statement, be able to ensure that they are carrying the right weapon with the serial numbers

-- these are basic, critical skills that if we want this forced to endure, to last for a long time, we have to give them those basic skills. it is hard to describe just how meaningful is to the afghans what this literacy effort has done. but what you will see when you go out there is young men who had finished the first program of instruction of 64 hours, wearing that pan proudly in their search. it literally means more to them than any metal or commendation would to be able to put a pin in their shirt to signify that they can write. it is also in powering. for the first time the afghan young men are being given a skill set that can never be taken away from them and something that will last them for the remainder of their life. and when you go and talk to them in this literacy course, they will tell you that this is the most important thing that they now find serving their police

and army, their government teaching them how to read and write. it surely is beginning to on what the potential of that nation. we're also doing it with other programs like the afghan first, where we have gone out and try to establish the ability for afghans to develop their own indigenous capacity to produce the equipment necessary for their police and army. so far we have created just over 15,000 jobs doing this. and today, as of november 2009, we have literally imported every piece of clothing and equipment we issued to them, but today we buy 100% of boots and afghanistan, one under% of uniforms are made in afghanistan, and we're doing sheets, pillowcases, socks, underwear, and it continues to of all as we try a partner with afghans who want to stand up and produce the equipment necessary

for their police and army, of which we need to procure in order to provide for them. there is a proverb that is heard in afghanistan the states -- if you want to go fast, you go alone. if you want to go far, you go with others. the united states is not alone in this effort in building an enduring afghan security apparatus. the american flag flies along that of 32 other nations here. one sixth of the world's countries, all dedicated to seeing this mission and the afghan people succeed in this endeavor. just a decade ago, some of these nations were themselves recipient of security assistance from the international community. today, they are in afghanistan helping to build security there. it is within the realm of the possible that afghanistan. they could in