she also had the opportunity to say that if you do this, it will disrupt transatlantic unity. she did not say that. she also did not say you americans should not do that. she did not give the president a green light but she certainly did not give him a red light haired >> the last word is yours. >> we have seen multiple escalations. before we provided weapons. providing weapons with respect to escalating further. if he does push back he will pay a price. two, this makes our defense in the baltic states easier. it also sends pidgeon caution about kazakhstan. -- putin cautioned about kazakhstan. three, there is no humiliation for the united states to provide ukraine, there is no humiliation for the united date.

we never said we would send forces to stop them. it makes it harder for putin to in -- continue aggression. europe does not support the supply of weapons. europe did not support when we put missiles into europe in the 1980's during the cold war. and they came along with neuron -- strong american leadership here it if we had it, we have a better chance of outcome. thank you. >> two questions from the audience. raise your hand if you are in favor of arming ukraine. ok, and if you changed your mind, keep your hands up. [laughter] ok, a couple. how many people are on the fence? all right. i want to think carnegie for hosting this.

i want to thank that for panelists --the 4 panelists. mr. ambassador, thank you for coming. thank you to our staff. [applause] our month block visit to historical universities concludes. washington journal's live every morning at 7 a.m. eastern you can join the conversation with your calls facebook comments and tweets. today, speakers include doug stone, the former commander who saw detainee operations in iraq

>> here are some of our featured programs for this weekend. saturday morning starting at 10:00 our nation's governors get together to discuss issues affecting our cities. guest include danny meyer. sunday morning at 11:00, we continue live coverage of the national governors association meeting featuring speakers including jeh johnson. and gina mccarthy. on c-span two saturday, book tv is on the road. part of the 2015 c-span cities to her. wes moore retraces his career

choices to social entrepreneur. on american history tv, c-span3 saturday night just after 7:00, the 1963 interview with malcolm x. sunday evening, john and then does tells the story of husband and wife kgb spy team that infiltrated the cia through the use of sex in the 1970's. let us know what you think about the programs you are watching. e-mail us at comments at c-span.org. join the c-span a conversation. like us on facebook. follow us on twitter.

>> new jersey governor chris christie was in new hampshire on monday. his speech focused on leadership in washington dc and americans reputation in the world. after his remarks, he spoke to the audience. this is just over an hour. >> good evening. thank you very much. thank you. i have all of one town in merrimack county, so i'm not running for anything. i wanted to come here and spend a little time with some good americans and good republicans. very pleased that governor christie traveled up in this weather to be with us this evening as well. he is obviously not afraid of a little snow. nor are we here in the granite

state. i wanted to talk for a few minutes before i had the pleasure of introducing governor christie. i wanted to talk a little bit about why we are here and what we celebrate. this is president's day. as i think of great leadership in america, i think of different time periods. different leaders that we required over building our great nation. i think of quotes, there are so many that we could pull from. but i have a few i wanted to mention and talk about. the first is from our founding father, first president, george washington. something that we hope we can and should live by. it is a very simple quote. it has a very different meaning to a lot of people. to me is not just part of being

a strong leader, but a quote that i think embodies the republican party. it is very simple. the constitution is the guide which i will never abandon. think about george washington speaking about the importance of the constitution. as we endeavor on the challenges today, both here and concord and washington dc, far too many people ignore the basic premise of following the constitution. it is in part why we are here today. there are other quotes from great leaders. the first president i remember remember that i grew up was ronald reagan. america is too great for small dreams.

he was a visionary. somebody who thought that america could always be better. then what we were being offered, at the time. something that i think again is a challenge that we have facing america today. far too many americans feel that our best days are behind us, not ahead of us. which is why the next election election is such an important election. not just for the party, but for the country. requiring real leadership. bold leadership. that is why we are excited in new hampshire to once again host the first of the nation's primaries. there are people like teddy roosevelt who said we must dare

to be great. we must realize that greatness is the fruit of the toil and sacrifice and high courage. another leader that took the world by his hands, demonstrated what leadership meant at a critical juncture in our nation. well, i have had the good fortune of representing the first congressional district for six weeks now. during that time, there are many quotes that i could quote from our current president. the one that i think frustrates americans the most is if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. not exactly a bold statement of leadership. in the first six weeks that i have served in congress this year, the president has issued more veto threats in this state of the union than any other president in the history of the state of the union. think of that for a moment. think of the difference between a ronald reagan, i george washington -- a george washington, and what we have

today as the current occupant of the white house. in the house of representatives we have started on a pretty good path. we are bringing conservative thoughtful, pragmatic leadership and thoughtful, pragmatic initiatives to the floor of the house. that by the way, are getting bipartisan support. we are getting moderate democrats that are starting to realize the error of their ways. energies that streamline and reform the energy process of america. we voted to defund the presidents amnesties -- amnesty proposal. this is just in the first six weeks. [applause] we also put it again

to eliminate obama care which will continue to focus our efforts on . we know at top-down system is wrong for america. [applause] just last week, i found legislation to eliminate the cadillac tax which will hurt every property taxpayer in the state of new hampshire. we are only getting started. not just common ground among republicans but common sense solutions for america. i am thrilled and pleased that i had the opportunity to represent our great state. i will do everything i can to represent you and the best interests of the state of new hampshire. [applause] thank you. i would like to get on with

introducing our guest speaker. governor christie was sworn in on january 19, 2010 and reelected to a second term on november, 2013. under governor christie, new jersey has taken on the biggest in toughest challenges with real solutions and bipartisan cooperation. he has implemented a an aggressive reform to restore fiscal accountability to stay local government. he has lowered jerseys property tax, and help benefit systems, and improved public education to ensure every child has access to a quality education. in his first term, governor christie todd -- fought for and achieved a 2% property tax cap

landmark health benefit reform that will save taxpayers $130 billion, balanced budgets, and did not raise taxes. after years of decline, new jersey's economy has turned around. more than 143,000 private sector jobs have been created under his tenure. in addition, governor christie has made education reform a top priority of his administration. working to turn around failing schools, improving accountability, creating fair and meaningful evaluation system and increased school choice in the states worst-performing district. he has provided billions of dollars in additional aid for schools. in august of 2012, governor christie signed into law a

landmark i partisan tenure reform to increase teacher effectiveness and accountability in new jersey classrooms. since superstorm sandy struck, new jersey has made real substantial strides towards recovery and rebuilding. he has built dozens of reforms to place new jerseyans back in their homes, reopen businesses that were destroyed by sandy. a lifelong new jerseyan, governor christie has a deep commitment. born in newark, raised in livingston, he has lived in new jersey his entire life with the exception of the university of delaware. he and his wife have been married since 1986, where they raised their four children. we are thrilled to have governor christie here in hampshire.

we hope he will return to me answer many times did we wish him great success. please give -- help me land a warm welcome to governor chris christie. [applause] thank you. >> thank you very it is good to be back. first of all thank you for your continued service. i was happy to lend my support to frank. he is exactly the type of person that we need in washington dc to keep that i eye the ball and get our country moving forward again. i want to thank carrie and kathy for putting together the event tonight and for your invitation for me to be here.

i want to thank jennifer horn, it was great to see her again after being here many times before. steve dupre, and susanna bergeron. in one thing i would like to make sure we do, i was talking about this to a number of votes i met with earlier today. any of the veterans and armed forces we have in the audience would you please stand and be recognized? [applause] >> thank you for your service to our country and for making the world a better and safer place as well. i am really happy to be back in new hampshire. i was here half a dozen times last year in 2014 to help support the candidacy of my

and of my friend will in [applause] he was an outstanding candidate for governor. when i first started coming here, i got all kinds of flak and commentary from my own state. what are you doing in new hampshire? we know what you're doing. you are getting ready to run for president. i know the kind of man walt is. i let them keep talking about that and i kept coming. as chairman of the rga, i was proud to have our organization invest $3 million in walt's campaign. and we came just a bit short of

victory. no where near the blowout some people in the press were predicting. when i watch what your governor is up to here now, presenting her budget, you need walt now more than you needed him last november. i love these politicians who run one way and govern another. i was up here a lot. imagine if she had campaigned on what she is now proposing. higher taxes, more spending, more employees in government and kino. always one of the keys of a free and prosperous state. imagine if she had actually

campaigned on the way she is governing. i suspect we would have walt right now. it is something to remember. certain politicians who try to pretend to be something different than what they are never really change. we saw the kind of campaign she ran against low montane in 2012 and then how she governed for two years. that is why i believed we had a great shot with walt to defeat her. the way is governing now -- the way she is governing now should be a cautionary tale for everybody in new hampshire, no matter whether you are republican, democratic, or independent. she will use this platform as a way to try to increase her own

visibility and run for the next job. let's be careful. we have enough of those types in washington dc already. we don't need you to send anymore there. new jersey is more than filling your quota. let's wah very carefully. make sure we pay attention not just to what politicians say during campaigns, but what they do when they actually have power. imagine if we had learned that lesson in 2012. after watching what four years of barack obama did to the united states of america. i know in 2008, he gave a speech about hope and change. he gave wonderful speeches about how we were not red states or blue states that the united states. he was going to be a unifier for

our country. he was going to bring a different type of politics to washington dc. in that respect, the president has been good to its word. washington has been less productive than it has been before. as i traveled the country in the last year, i can tell you that the reports you hear from around the country that voters are angry is wrong. they are not angry. what i saw when i traveled was a nation of voters filled with anxiety. worry about our country's future. worry about their children's future. it was personified best buy and 82-year-old woman that i met in florida. i was working a rope line

campaigning for rick scott. she summarized what i found the mood of the country to be. as i was shaking hands with people, i shook her hand. they to do a politicians goal, keep moving. she grabbed my hand and held onto it. she's the governor, i have a question or for -- question for you. what has happened to our country? we used to control events. now events control us. if you look at every aspect of this government under this president, she summarized the problem. a tax system that is grossly unfair and encouraging companies to lead our country -- leave our country. he does nothing to fix it.

he says his energy policies are all of the above. that is a bumper sticker. it is beneath the office that he holds. around the world in 2008 eight he tried to convince the american people that america is the cause of violence in the world. that if america would just pull back and give some nice speeches, and tell people we like them, violence would decrease, peace would increase and stability would come to the globe. [crashing sounds] i had nothing

to do with that. i swear. [applause] i think you can tell, i was nowhere near the scene. [laughter] i can't say i have never done it, but i did not do it that time. think about the world today, everybody. i am 52 years old. i don't believe that i have ever lived in a time in my life with the world more dangerous and scary. think about it. i was just in great britain two weeks ago. i have not seen security to that heightened level since right after 9/11. it is difficult to move in certain places in london. because of the concern for terrorist attacks. we saw the murders in france. we watch people concerned about

radical islamic terrorists attacks throughout western europe. a rock is on fire. syria is on fire. egypt is under martial law. jordan is being besieged by a third wave of wartime refugees. israel feels less secure today than it has in decades. turkey is also threatened. you look at the entire region. not only is there not peace, there is not stability. running over it is a terrorist threat brought by both isis and al qaeda. this president had the audacity to tell us that terrorism is on the run. as they are burning jordanian pilots alive, as they are

beheading hostages, does terrorism look like it's on the run? we have not even gotten to eastern europe and russia. vladimir putin has decided that it is time to get the old bands back together. he moves into crimea and ukraine and looks at the baltic states. let's remember, it was secretary of state hillary clinton who hit the reset button with russia. removed missiles from eastern europe and told us that we are moving to a new era of american-russian relationship. we sure did. it was this president who drew a redline in syria.

america will not stand for it. when he did, he said never mind. he allowed russia to intervene in syria. another moment of failed leadership for this president. you see, if you start to list some of these things, i almost feel bad for the president. he is like a man wandering around in a dark room, feeling along the wall for the light switch of leadership. let me tell you something, he hasn't found it for six years and he is not going to find it in the next two years of the white house. this has been an abject failure of leadership of this president and it is time for him to go. [applause] one of the saddest things is that so many of these problems are solvable.

they are only solvable through the exertion of strong leadership by the person sitting in the oval office. my mother taught me a long time ago that if you have the choice between being loved and being respected, pick respect. she said love without respect is fleeting. if you have respect first, love can grow. she was talking to me about women. but it can apply to politics as well. it does. the problem around the world right now is that america has lost respect. folks used to try to be like us because they respected what we did. they wanted to emulate us. our government worked well.

our leaders spoke strongly directly, and understandably. when we made promises, we kept them. when we made threats, we enforce them. when we said we would lead, we did. we let the world. -- we led the world. now, not only do our adversaries not fear us, but our friends are worried. friends around the world don't know what it means to be our friend anymore. will america stand up and fight the fight that needs to be fought? i don't mean militarily. i mean diplomatically and economically. they look at our dysfunctional government in washington dc. let me ask you something, who would want to emulate that right now? i thought recently that the approval rating of congress was

15%. the only question in my mind is, who were the 15%? who were the people who look at that act and say hey, that the good thing. let's do more of that. we are not working together with each other anymore. we are not respecting each other's opinions and we are not getting anything done. that adds to the nation's anxiety as well. when they see we have problems that can be solved and need to be solved and we are not holding them -- we are not solving them, that adds to the anxiety of the people who are concerned about american standards. i come from new jersey. we are about as blue estate as you can find. 750,000 more democrats than republicans. we haven't elected a republican to congress in 42 years.

the four i was elected, we hadn't and elect -- we haven't elected a republican in 12 years. this is a blue state. when i ran for governor, they told me there was no chance i could win running against an incumbent democratic governor. we won. we won by telling the truth. we won by being direct. they told me in a state that by pulling is pro-choice but as a pro-life candidate -- i am beginning to think it is me. that is a pro-life candidate i could never be elected. there has not been a pro-life candidate elected in new jersey since roe versus wade. i told people what i felt in my heart. i told the truth is i saw it on that issue. i was not only elected in 2009

but also reelected in 2013. i think what really matters to people is, do you get the job done and do you tell them what you believe from your heart, even if they don't agree with every word of it? let me say this to my fellow republicans in this room, as we get ready to enter another national primary season. if the standard you are going to hold every candidate to is that they must agree with you 100% of the time, let me suggest something to you. the only person you agree with 100% of the time is the person you see in the mirror every morning. that is it. no one agrees with everyone 100% of the time. the fact is, if we hold our candidates to that standard, you will get liars. if they believe the only way to get your boat is to tell you exactly what they think you want to hear you will get what you

want to hear during the campaign and the governing will not look anything like what you heard in the campaign. we need to demand the truth from the people who run for public office and then support them to do the difficult things that need to be done to get that job done. in new jersey, i inherited a government that, by the first pay. -- the second pay period of march would not be able to reach payroll. the second wealthiest state per capita in the nation and we wouldn't be able to meet payroll. that is how in debt we were, how in deficit our budget was. the democrats in our legislator wanted to raise taxes again. as they had hundred 15 times in

the eight years before i had become governor. that was to support their 56% increase in spending in the eight years before i became governor. i said no. i vetoed their income tax increase then. i vetoed three more increases after that. we balanced the budget each and every year spending $2.5 billion less today than we did in 2008. having 8000 fewer employees on the state payroll today than we did when i became governor in 2010. still spending a record amount on educating our children. that's prioritizing, that is making hard choices, and that is saying no to the ravenous appetite of democrats and liberals for more taxes and more spending and bigger government.

if we did it in new jersey, for gods sake, we can do it in the united states of america too. [applause] how does it happen? it happens only through strong and principled leadership. that is it. strong and principled leadership does not mean a refusal to compromise. our nation is founded on our constitution. our constitution was a product of compromise. our constitution forces us, if we are going to govern effectively, to cover my. that doesn't mean you, riser principles. there is a broad highway of disagreements and agreements possible in government. we find our way to the areas

where we move our nation forward. we have done that in new jersey. without abandoning our principles. i have been told every once in a while that i'm a little bit too blunt and to direct. i like to fight a little bit every once in a while too much. i had one of your leaders say to me today that we don't want some kinder, gentler chris christie. we want the real chris christie. there is only one. this is it. there should be some comfort for you in that, i hope. [applause] anybody who offers some leadership in this country, not only should they tell you their positions, they should tell you

-- you can't anticipate every issue that will come across your desk. what you need to know is the person. where are they from and who are they tackle what do they believe? before i conclude today, let me tell you who i am and why i am the way i am. this direct, blunt sometimes argumentative and fighting person from new jersey. let's start off with the fact that i am the product of an irish father and a sicilian mother. [laughter] what that means is, i have been trained for a long time in conflict resolution. [laughter] [applause] it's not that my mom was argumentative.

she would tell you she was not. she just never found an argument not worth having. she taught us from a very young age that that is the way you are to conduct yourself. you are to speak your mind. she would speak her mind all the time. ultimately, we would tell her enough. she would say, no i need to get this off my chest. there will be no deathbed confessions in the family. you are hearing it now. that is how our mother taught us to be. i have an irish father who is now 81 years old. he is getting ready for his 82nd birthday this april. i am healthy happy, if you were here tonight, he would make his way around the room even more than i would. he would be hugging you and telling you embarrassing stories about me. my mom passed away about 10 years ago. she fell victim to lung cancer. when my mom initially got sick,

it became clear to us that she was reclining very quickly. i'm sure a number of you in this audience have gone through the same thing. at the end of april of 2004, she was hospitalized again. i was u.s. attorney for new jersey and i was a conference in san diego. my younger brother called me. he said mom is taking a real turn for the worse. if you want to see her again you need to come home now. i took the redeye flight from san diego to newark. i got in the car, went directly to the hospital. i got there in the morning, my mom was there. she was in and out. they started to give her painkillers. finally, she woke up and saw me sitting next to the bed. she hadn't seen in five days. i didn't get a hello or how are you. she asked me what day it was. i said thomas it's friday. she asked what time it was. sheetal me to go to work.

-- she told me to go to work. i told her i was taking the day off to spend it with you. she said it is a workday. go to work. i asked if she was worried about making her taxpayers money worth. she reached over and grabbed my hand and said, christopher, go to work. it is where you belong. there is nothing left unsaid between us. she knew her life was at the end. she told me there is nothing left unsaid between us. she was giving me permission to let her go. that was the last conversation i had with her. later that day she went to a coma and she died three days later. she was right. there will be no deathbed confessions.

what she taught us was that in a trusting relationship, you need to tell the person across from you what you really feel. i know that if she were still alive today to see the circus that my life has become, she would say, christopher, these people that you are asking to support you, that is a trusting relationship. don't hide anything from them. tell them who you are and what you feel. that is what you own them. there will be times i will say things that will make you shake your head. there will be times i will say things in a way that will make you think he could have probably said that a bit better. but what you will never say is that i don't know who he is and i don't know what he believes and i don't know what he is willing to fight for and who he is willing to fight to get there.

i think that is the essence of leadership. it is the essence of what you should demand of anyone who asks to lead in the society. to let you know who they really are hearing and what they really believe in. let me be clear about that with you. i believe this country is an extraordinary place. it is the one rate hope for peace and liberty and freedom in the world. i believe that we cannot and should not be the first generation that leave this country weaker and lesser than it was left to us. i believe that we need to take the risk that will lead to us seizing a great opportunity

presented to us as a country. i believe the only way that is going to happen is through our leaders displaying strength and vision and toughness and speaking directly and honestly not only to our people, but to the rest of the world. we haven't had that for the last six years under this president. we need to get back to that. we need to get back to it quickly. i will end with this. frank mentioned president washington. he was truly one of our great founders. but my favorite of our founders was from the state who is your neighbor. john adams was an extraordinary leader for this country.

when our country was approaching its 50th birthday and adams was approaching the end of his life at the same time, he was concerned that our citizens were losing what it really meant to be an american. the essence of what their responsibilities were. so he wrote in his diary for posterity, for us, adams wrote for us. the future citizens of this country that he helped define. what did he write? adams wrote, "you shall never know the great sacrifices that were made to secure for you your liberty. i pray you will make a good use of it, for if you do not, i shall repent in heaven for ever having made the sacrifice at

all." adams, in his typical straightforward, blunt him a direct way laid the challenge at the feet of every generation of americans that would come after him. he did not want to die without laying that honest challenge before each and every generation that would follow him. think about those words. i pray you shall make a good use of it. for if you do not i shall repent in heaven for ever having made the sacrifice at all. we are confronted today with the very real possibility that the 21st century would not be an american century. we are confronted with challenges at home and around the world that need to be confronted. we know what adams would tell us if he were here today. get to work.

like my mother told me by that bedside. get to work. this country is too great and too filled with promise. if tomorrow can be greater than its today that and it's yesterday's if we are willing to stand up and fight for what we believe in and take on the challenges that make some uncomfortable but have always made america great. i am not willingly going to be a member of the generation who leave this country lesser and weaker than it was when i was born 52 years ago. i don't believe that good people in this state will willingly be part of that generation either. now it is time for us to decide. are we willing to fight confronts the difficult choices to lead our citizens and the

world again? i believe we are. we just need to have the type of leadership in our country that inspires us to follow it. we have time to make this decision. but we have no time to waste. i am a peer tonight, not only to support really good republicans at every level of government you are doing great things to make our country a better place, but i'm also here to let you know that we have a lot of work to do . we have a lot of work to do to repair the damage that has been done to our country over the last six years. i will do my best to work with all of you to be a part of the solution to what ails america. i know that solution is the strength that lies within each of every one of you.

the great news is that is up to us. like no place else in the world, it is up to us. we have, within our grasp, the ability to make the 21st century the second american century. we have within our grasp the opportunity to give our children and even greater place to live and raise their families. we have within our grasp the opportunity to make the world once again a stable and peaceful place. i know there is no way that guy from new jersey is going to go down without swinging on this one. i believe in the live free or die statement. you understand that too. [applause] let's get to work, everybody. let's make this country a better

place. let's fight for the things that deserve to be fought for. let stand up for the principles we believe in. let's make the solemn pledge to each other that we will leave america better than it was left to us. if we fulfill that, adams will not repent in heaven for having made the sacrifices he made. he will rejoice at the fabulous country that he helped build and that we may even greater. thank you all very much. [applause] >> all right. thank you so much, governor. intro new hampshire style, we have true for a few questions. if you would like to ask a question, please raise your hand.

can will come to you with the microphone. over there. >> governor, thank you. traditionally, we have seen that elected presidents are able to pass one maybe two uses of signature legislation. were we fortunate enough to have you as our next president, what would one or two q of those signature pieces of legislation be for you? >> i would say two things and then add a third thing that i think is extraordinarily important but wouldn't depend on legislation. the first is, we have to change this ridiculous tax system in this country to one that encourages entrepreneurship and spurs economic growth better

than the anemic 2% of growth we have now. that is what will increase opportunity and lifestyle in this country. it is something we absolutely have to do. within the first 100 days, if i were to run for president and be elected, he would change this tax system so that people and companies aren't leaving the country anymore, but are wanting to stay here and invest in america because they feel they are being treated fairly and given the right type of encouragement to be a will to develop and grow. secondly, we would pass a national energy policy. one that takes full advantage of all of the resources that we have available to us to help grow our economy and make the world more peaceful and stable. the fact is, america has great gifts that we need to take advantage of not only for our own citizens, but for the world. as i said before, all of the above is not a national energy policy. it is a bumper sticker.

we need to get down to the granular level of a national energy policy that gives us the opportunity to exploit the opportunities we have in this country. that would also lead to extraordinary economic growth. thirdly, the intention to reestablish american leadership around the world by first reestablishing our relationships and friendships with our allies and making sure that our adversaries understand that we wish ill on know people in this world, but we will not stand for tierney in the world that threatens our way of life and the way of life of our allies. we need to do both. that is something a president can do without any legislation but through his or her intention, honesty and time to spend with the leaders around the world. [applause]

>> halfway across the room. a question was submitted ahead of time. we are from new hampshire. if we go to the ocean, we say we go to the beach. you say you go to the shore. you clearly get reelected multiple times in a blue state. we are saying the same thing with beach or sure. how could you translate the same thing you have done in new jersey to the national level. ? >> i don't think there are different brands of honesty. straightforwardness and honesty is what it is. in new jersey, i told you what a blue state we were. i got 48 and a half -- 48.5 percent of the vote. i ran for reelection against a female opponent, a state

senator. i got 61% of the vote for reelection. i won by 22 points. i had 22% of the african-american vote, up from 9% four years earlier. honesty and straightforwardness plays no matter what neighborhood you are in a new jersey, or what state you are in in america. that's the way you would do it. [applause] >> another question over here. >> governor, my name is wayne. recently, i have seen a lot of veterans coming back to school. i think that is encouraging. i'm the son of a 100% disabled veteran. i've seen what happens when we don't take care of the veterans when they come home. i think we have a crisis in this country that we are ignoring. i'd like to think -- i like to know what you would think of

doing to support them. >> we should be keeping the promise we made them when they volunteered to provide the service. the scandal that is happened at the veterans administration is a national disgrace. the fact that our veterans were being kept away and turned away from the health care that we promised them both for their physical well-being and their mental well-being, is an unacceptable state in this country. it not only affected those veterans, it affected the morale of the active fighting men and women as well. they look at it and ask if it is their fate. the need to make the veterans administration, not just a governmental compartment but people who understand that their mission every day is a moral promise that we have made two men and women who have put their lives on the line for our country.

it is not just another job. it is the fulfillment of a sacred promise that our nation's citizens have given to those who been willing to sacrifice for war. the first way to fix that problem is to reorient the veterans of ministration as to what their mission really is. it is not just the veterans, it is those who are serving now. second, it's a ring the type of management into effect that is going to demand those type of result. third is to make sure that it is funded so that not only their physical health is dealt with, but their mental health as well. i think those of the ways you deal with those issues. >> we have time for one more question. this young lady up here. >> thank you. governor christie, i wanted to thank you for your strong support for national education and earth and common core in the classroom. i know you have expressed some concerns previously about the obama administration's

interference with that. now that you have teachers unions in new jersey and elsewhere, attacking higher standards and also trying to avoid testing to measure those results, is now the time to stand up for higher standards and accountability? >> sure. it absolutely is. let's be sure that we know that this higher standard should be determined by the people who were educating the children in those particular states. my concern about what the administration has done is the federalization that takes education further and further away from parents, it's not the kind of education that i think we want or need in this country. there is nothing more personal for a mother or father then the education and the future of their children. what we need to be doing is encouraging parents to be even

more involved. my concern about what is happening in this debate is that, by federalizing this and taking it further away, you can't do that two things at the same time. you can't take it to washington dc while also saying that the role of parents is vital. the two things are opposites. we need to have absolute standards. i believe in making sure that we test. we are taking some heat for that in new jersey now. i believe in testing. we need to know if our children are learning and if they are meeting standards that will help them maximize their god-given ability. i am very concerned about the idea that we would federalize this. the further education moves away from the parents home, away from the local school, and even the local board of education or education commission, i think it is a problem.

we need to empower parents first in four months, -- we need to empower parents teachers, and administrators to set high standards and enforce them in a way that meet the community's expectations for their children. i don't think there should be any debate about there being high standards. the question is, who determines the standards. should a bureaucrat in washington dc be deciding it or should local school boards be deciding it where you or i as a parent can walk into the meeting and say, excuse me, i object. war to applaud them for standing strong for something and then they have the community's support. that is the essence of the right type of educational system. there are a lot of other problems that we talk about. it is antiquated. we need to modernize it. we need to adjust to different

types of children who need different types of things. there can be one-size-fits-all for education. the child who is in a single-parent home or a home where both parents work three or four jobs, that child leave the different level of support from school that a child who has more support at home. this is not about making parents at fault. this is about adjusting to the circumstances we have and trying to maximize the god-given ability that is in each of these children, whether they live in a major city or on a farm, within a higher performing suburban school or lower performing school. i think high standards are exactly where we need to be. 80 to be high standards that the community determines it is comfortable with so they will support it and be a part of the team that makes our children the priority. not the comfort of adults, but the needs of our children. i will tell you that i think

this is the biggest fight that we have for america's continued economic strength. we can no longer continue to be 25th in math and 27th in science in the world and consider we will still be the number one economic power in the world. we to focus on this. if we still consider ourselves more concerned about whether everyone is going to like us and everyone is going to feel comfortable and every adult is going to feel good more than we care about whether our children are producing, we are going to wind up falling behind. it is a really important question and a really important area that i care deeply about as a governor. i think we need to encourage everybody from the community level up to focus on this. these children are going to be who will determine the greatness of america. we as parents and supporters in the community need to be focused on it. thanks for the question.

i will say i have done what hundred 27 townhall meeting since i been governor of new jersey. i know i have to get back home. this is really nice. i hope when i come back that we are going to get more questions and more time to have a conversation and back and forth. if any of you haven't seen that, go on the internet and look at some of our more interesting interactions with my constituents back in new jersey. we have a lot of fun. we discuss important issues. i know you like to do that appear. more i come back, the less speech you were going to get and the more time you will get to ask me questions and challenge me. that is when i most company. thanks for being here tonight and for being great republicans. thank you very much. [applause] >> we wanted to present to

governor christie a little taste of new hampshire. i wanted to thank howard and robin for putting this basket together. it has lots of goodies. they do so much for coming. >> inc. you. my son patrick who is 14, i told him i was going to new hampshire. the last time i was here, i bought maple syrup with walt. the kids loved it. especially patrick. i told him and my other kid they were home from school today. they saw me leave to come up here. they had two different reactions. patrick said, "are you going to bring home syrup/" he is going to be really happy. bridget asked where i was going. i told her i was going to new hampshire. she rolled her eyes and said

"the president's thing." that is what bridget think that all of you. thank you very much for the gift, i appreciate it. [applause] [indiscernible]

>> thank you, governor, i really appreciate it. [indiscernible] >> my wife and i made this maple basket for you. >> thank you. >> you are so welcome. [indiscernible] >> thank you both. >> would you mind signing this? >> not at all.

[indiscernible] >> thank you so much. we appreciate it very much. down south, baby. [indiscernible] >> can i get a quick picture please? >> i enjoyed the speech. >> thank you.

>> how long will you be mulling this over? >> i'm not mulling anything. >> let's make this dinner happen. >> that would be great. [indiscernible]

i'm going to get we be for god's sake. -- weepy which one of these characters. >> they follow me everywhere. >> thank you for your hard work. [indiscernible]

>> back again. how are you? >> good, how are you. >> this is ryan mccormick. >> thank you for coming out. >> my pleasure. i am happy to be here. >> how are you? really nice to meet you. [indiscernible]

>> how has your trip been so far? >> it has been pretty busy. >> small world. we have friends that say hello. >> thanks for coming in. >> my pleasure. thank you. >> of course. >> thank you, sir. good luck to you. >> thank you.

>> they come back in different iterations. >> governor, could i ask you a quick question. ?? >> keep an eye on me. good.

the internet can stand on its own. the federal government shouldn't be preventing the state-by-state decisions. the federal government should stop telling states what they can and cannot do. >> i know you have patched up relations with mitt romney. >> patched up? >> do you think he would make a good president?

>> my relationship with mitt romney has always been great and it continues to be great. the person who gets nominated to run can be speculated about. i think it is presumptuous to speculate now. i've not even announced i am running yet. [indiscernible] >> don't worry about it. >> that is what he told me. >> you get what you get, giuliana.

[indiscernible]

>> ladies and gentlemen, to introduce the president, john f. kerry. >> i'm pleased to share with you the threat posed by violent creamism has really been a top priority for president obama. from the day he became commander in chief. very few months after he took office he spoke at a university in cairo and he stated clearly that on his watch the united states would "relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security because we reject the same thing that people of all facedzes reject, the killing of innocent men women and children. he continued, it is my first duty as president to protect the american people. in the years since president obama has proven that he understands the best way to do that it is to protect not only the american people but also

innocent people everywhere. and to work together as a global community to fight back against the vile president extremism that attacks all of us. that is why he has literally spent the full measure of his six years of president rebuilding america's re lationship with the rest of the world and it is why he has put a premium on perm diplomacy and consistently sought to act not as the world's policemen but as the world's partner. it is why in the face of isil's rise he decided to mobilize a global coalition to confront the network of murderers and thugs, a coalition that today includes more than 60 countries working along multiple lines of effort to degrade and destroy isil. and it is why, understanding that the scourge of violent extremism extends beyond any one group he has convened so many partners here from so many sectors and so many countries

for this international summit. he understands that we have to do a lot more to eliminate this threat and he knows that we must do it together. ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states barack obama. [applause] >> thank you very much. thank you, john. good morning everyone. i want to thank john kerry not only for his introduction but for the outstanding leadership of american diplomacy. john is tireless. if he has not visited your country yet, he will soon. and i want to thank you and everybody here at the state department for organizing and hosting this ministerial here today. mr. secretary general distinguished guests, we are

joined by representatives from governments because we all have a responsibility to ensure the security, the prosperity, and the human rights of our system and we are joined by leaders of civil society including many faith leaders because civil society reflecting the views and the voices of citizens is by the success of any country. i thank all of you and i welcome all of you. we come together from more than 60 countries from every continent. we speak different languages born of different races and ethnic groups. belong to different religions. we are here today because we are united against the scourge of violent extremism and

terrorism. as we speak, isil is terrorizing the people of syria and iraq. and engaging in unspeakable cruelty. the wanton murder of children. the enslavement and rape of women. threatening religious minorities with genocide, beheading hostages. isil-linked terrorists murdered egyptians in the signi pen ins la, and their slaughter of egyptian christians in libya has shocked the world. beyond the region we have seen deadly attacks in ottowa, sydney, paris, and now copenhagen. elsewhere, israelis have endured the tragedy of terrorism for decades.

pakistan taliban has mounted a long campaign of violence against the pakistani people that now tragically includes the massacre of more than 100 school children and their teachers. from somalia al shabab terrorists have launched attacks across ny geia. bokeo hah ram kills and kid nams men women and children. the united nations in september i called on the international community to come together and eradicate violent extremists and i challenge countries to come to the general assembly this fall with concrete steps that we can take together. and i'm grateful for all of you answering this call. yesterday at the white house we welcomed community groups from the united states and some from

your countries to focus on how we can empower communities to protect their families and friends and neighbors from violent ideologies and recruitment. and over the coming months many of your countries will host summits to build on the work here and to prepare on the general assembly. today i want to suggest some areas where i believe we can focus on as governments. first, we must remain unwaivering in our fight against terrorist organizations. and in afghanistan our coalition is focused on training and assisting afghan forces and will continue to conduct counter terrorism missions against the remnants of al qaeda in the tribal regions. when necessary the united states will continue to take action against al qaeda affiliates in places like yemen and somalia. we will continue to work with partners to help them build up their security forces so they

can prevent ungoverned spaces where terrorists find safe haven. and so they can push back against groups like al shahab and bocko hah ram. in iraq, syria our coalition of some 60 nations including arab nations, will not relent in our mission to degrade and ultimately destroy isil. and as a result of a separate ministerial here today, many of our governments will be deepening our cooperation against foreign terrorist fighters by sharing more information and making it harder for fighters to travel to and from syria and iraq. related to this, and as i said at the united nations last fall nations need to break the cycles of conflict, especially sectarian conflict that have become magnets for violent extremists. in syria assad's war against

his own people and deliberate stoking of sectarian tensions help to fuel the rise of isil. and in iraq, the failure of the previous government to govern in an inclusive manner helped to pave the way for isil's gains there. the southeastern civil war will only end -- syrian civil war will only end when there is an inclusive government and serves all ethnicities and religions. and across the region the fights will only end when there is dialogue and not through proxy wars. so countering violent extremism begins with political civic and religious leaders rejecting sectarian strife. sect we have to confront the warped ideologies espoused by

terrorists like al qaeda and isil especially their attempt to use islam to justify their violence. i discussed this at length yesterday. these terrorists are desperate for legitimacy. and all of us have a responsibility to refuture the notion that groups like isil somehow represent islam. because that is a falsehood that embraces the terrorist narrative. at the same time, we must acknowledge that groups like al qaeda and isil are deliberatively targeting their propaganda to muslim communities, particularly muslim youth. now, muslim communities including scholars and clerics therefore have a responsibility to push back not just on twisted interpretations of islam, but also on the lie that we are somehow engaged in a clash of civilizations that

america and the west are somehow at war with islam. or seek to suppress muslims. or that we are the cause of every ill in the middle east. that narrative sometimes extends far beyond terrorist organizations. that narrative becomes the foundation upon which terrorist s build their ideology and try to justify their violence and that hurts all of us including islam and especially muslims, who are the ones most likely to be killed. obviously there is a complicated history between the middle east, the west, and none of us i think should be immune from criticism in terms of specific policies but the notion that the west is at war with islam is an ugly lie.

and all of us, regardless of our faith, have a responsibility to reject it. at the same time former extremists, have the opportunity to speak out, speak the truth about terrorist groups. and oftentimes they can be powerful messengers in debunking these terrorist ideologies. one said this wasn't what we came for to kill other muslims. those voices have to be amplified. and governments have a role to play. at minimum as a bassic first step, countries have a responsibility to cut off funding that fuels hatred and corrupts young minds and endangers us all. we need to do more to help lift up the voices of tolerance and

peace especially on line. and that is why the united states is joining for example, with the uae to create a new digital communications heb to work with religious and civil society and community leaders to counter terrorist propaganda. within the u.s. government, our efforts will be led by our new coordinator of counter terrorism communications. and i'm grateful that my envoy has agreed to serve in this new role. the united states will do more to help counter hateful ideologies. and today i urge your nations to join us in this urgent war. third we must address the grievances that terrorists exploit. including economic grievances. as i said yesterday, poverty

alone does not cause a person to become a terrorist any more than poverty alone causes someone to become a criminal. there are millions billions of people who are poor and are law-abiding and peaceful and tolerant, and are trying to advance their lives and the opportunities for their families. but when people, especially young people, feel entirely trapped and impoverished communities, where there is no order and no path for advancement, where there are no educational opportunities, where there are no ways to support families, and no escape from injustice and the hue millations of corruption, that feeds instability and disorder. and makes those communities ripe for extremist recruitment. and we have seen that across the middle east and we have seen it across north africa.

so if we are serious about countering violent extremism we have to get serious about confronting these economic grievances. here at this summit, the united states will make new commitments to help young people. including in muslim communities. to forge new collaborations in entrepreneurship and science and technology. all our nations can reaffirm our commitment to broad-based developments that creates growth and jobs. not just for the few at the top but for the many. we can step up our efforts against corruption. so a person can go about their day and an entrepreneur can start a business without having to pay a bribe. and as we go forward, let's commit to expanding education including for girls. expanding opportunity including for women.

nations will not truly succeed without the contributions of their women. this requires, by the way wealthier countries to do more. but it also requires countries that are emerging and developing to create structures of governance and transparency so that any assistance provided actually works and reaches people. it is a two-way street. fourth we have to address the political grievances that terrorists exploit. again, there is not a single perfect causal link. but the link is undeniable when people are oppressed and human rights are denied, particularly along sectarian lines or

ethnic lines when dissent is silenced it feeds violent extremism. it creates an environment that is ripe for terrorists to exploit. when peaceful democratic change is impossible, it feeds into the terrorist's propaganda that violence is the only answer available. so we must recognize that lasting stability and real security require democracy. that means free elections where people can choose their own future. and independent judiciaries that uphold the rule of law. and police and security forces that respect human rights. and free speech and freedom for civil society groups. and it means freedom of religion. because when people are free to practice their faith as they choose, it helps hold diverse societies together.

and finally we have to ensure that our diverse societies truly welcome and respect people of all faiths and backgrounds and leaders set the tone on this issue. groups like al qaeda and isil pedal the lie that some of our countries are hostile to muslims. meanwhile, we have also seen most recently in europe a rise in inexcuseable acts of anti-semiticism. or, in some cases anti-muslim sentiment or anti-immigrant sentiment. when people spew hatred towards others because of their faith or because they are imgrapts it feeds into terrorist narratives. if entire communities feel they can never become a full part of the society in which they reside, it feeds a cycle of fear and resentment. and a sense of injussty upon

which extremists prey. and we can't allow cycles of suspicions to tear at the fabric of our countries. so we all recognize the need for more dialogues across countries and cultures. those efforts are indeed important. but what's most needed today perhaps are more dialogues within countries. not just across faith but also within faiths. violent extremists and terrorists thrive when people of different religions or sects pull away from each other and are able to isolate each other and label them as they as opposed to us. something separate and apart. so we need to build and bolster bridges of communication and trust. terrorists traffic in lies and stereo types about others --

other religions other ethnic groups. so let's share the truth of our faith with each other. terrorists prey upon young impressionable minds. so let's bring our youth together to promote understanding and cooperation. that's what the united states will do with our virtual exchange programs named after ambassador chris stevens to connect 1 million young people from america, the middle east, and north africa for dialogue. young people are taught to hate. it doesn't come naturally to them. we adults teach them. i would like to close by speaking very directly to a painful truth that's part of the challenge that brings us here today. in some of our countries, including the united states, muslim communities are still small and relative to the

entire population, and as a result many people in our countries don't always know personally somebody who is muslim. so the image they get of muslims or islam is in the news . and given the existing news cycle that can give a very distorted impression. a lot of the bad, like terrorists who claim to speak for islam, that's absorbed by the general population. not enough of the good. the more than 1 billion people around the world who do represent islam. and are doctors and lawyers and teachers. and neighbors and friends. so we have to remember these muslim men and women, the young palestinian working to build

understanding and trust with israelis but also trying to give voice to her people's aspirations. the muslim clerics working for peace, with christian pastors and priests in nigeria and the central african republic to put an end to the cycle of hate, civil society leaders in indonesia, one of the world's largest democracies parliamentarians in tunisia working to build one of the world's newest democracies, business leaders in india with

we're all in the same boat. and we have to help each other to get out of this crisis. distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, i thank you for

being here today. we come from different countries and different cultures and different faiths. but it is useful for us to take our wisdom from that humble worker who engaged in heroic acts under the most severe of circumstances. we are all in the same boat. we have to help each other. in this work you will have a strong partner in me and the united states of america. thank you very much. [applause]

>> very strongly armed. said you must go with us. they took me to a place where

other hostages in a camp with wires, a cage. so of course i was very afraid. >> we just arrived at the restaurant. not about five minutes. suddenly the boom was -- and in that time, i don't know if this bomb or earth quake or something like that, just like boom. and then everything is very, very dark. and i realized that my hand was burning. and i tried to shut out the fire. it was very, very traumatic for me because even today you have to change -- every two days touf change your bandage because i have burns on my

bodies, my hands and my back. >> i should have taken the train with him as every thursday. but the night before a friend of mine told me and she told me she was going to pick me up at a different station so that i could wake up later. so this is what i did. and my brother took the train. >> my --

>> good morning, all. that video very briefly are some of the images of terror and much of the rationale for our being here today. nobody wants the good to die young.

and we all have an enormous obligation, enormous responsibility to find the ways to meet this scourge. this is the ministerial component of these several days here in washington. and i want to thank everybody. i know that the schedule of any minister in government today is enormously challenging. so for all of you to come here and spend this much time is really a reflection of the deep commitment and concern about the challenges that we face. and at the white house yesterday, local practitioners and civil society leaders from around the world gathered to highlight the community-led efforts that can prevent terrorist recruitment and infiltration. there's been a silly debate in the media in the last days about sort of what you have to do. you have to do everything.

you have to take the people off the battlefield who are there today, but you're kind of stupid if all you do is do that ask you don't prevent more people from going to the battlefield. so we have a broad challenge here. and mostly it is to talk about facts and realities and to take those realities and put them into a real strategy that we all implement together. no one country, no one army, no one group is going to be able to respond to this adequately. and we see that in the numbers of countries that are now being touched by it. so our goal today is to build on the discussions of the last two days by looking at ways both to address the most alarming threats that we face, but also to get practical, to strengthen the role of civil society. in particular, women, youth and victims. and to insure that civil society has the space to be able to operate.

we need to identify and amplify credible voices, expanding religious and other education that promotes tolerance and peace and respect for all religions. we need to address the social, economic and political marginalization that is part of this challenge. when i was recently in a country in northern africa, the foreign minister there over a good dinner told me about the challenge of a certain portion of their populati where young people are just prosthelytized and captured at a very young stage, paid money in some cases. and once their minds are full of this invective and this distortion, they don't need to pay them anymore. but what was chilling was this foreign minister said to me, they don't have a five-year strategy, they have a 35-year strategy. and so we have to come together and say what's our strategy? how are we going to respond?

our goal today is to take this chance to think broadly about how to prevent violent ideologies from taking hold and how to prevent terrorist networks such as isil or boko haram or any group of other names from linking up with aggrieved groups elsewhere and how to prevent them from thereby expanding their influence. this morning i expect that the secretary general and president obama will urge us to push ahead as far and as fast as we can to develop the work streams that we have already identified. and some of our efforts are going to take place in public gatherings such as. this. but i think everybody here understands that much of this work is going to be done quietly, don't fanfare in classrooms, in community centers, in workplaces, in

houses of worship, on urban street corners and in village markets. in the months to come, we will have regional summits, and i'm sure we'll have other events which will gauge the progress and measure the next steps. and in new york this fall, our leaders will come together as a group. but between now and then, we must all contribute, and our collaboration and our cooperation must be constant. we need to remember that our adversaries don't have to cope with distractions. they don't have a broad set of responsibilities to fulfill. they don't have the same institutional responsibilities that we do to meet the needs of our citizens. terror is their obsession. it's what they do. and if we let them, their singleness of purpose could actually wind up giving them a comparative advantage.

but with the images of recent outbreaks fresh in our minds everybody here knows we simply can't let that happen. we have to match their commitment, and we have to leave them with no advantage at all. and this morning we will begin with a session devoted to a single word: why? why do people make what to many of us would seem to be an utterly wrong-headed choice and become the kind of terrorist that we're seeing? a question that we need to approach with humility but also with determination. because you cannot defeat what you don't understand. certainly, there is no single answer. in our era, poisonous ideas can come from almost anywhere, from parents, teacher, preachers, politicians, from the pretty

woman on a radical web site who lures people or the man in the next cell who prosthelytizes while in prison. they might grow from pictures seen on nightly news or repression that you don't think about much on the day of occurrence, but which come back to haunt. it could come from the desire to avenge the death of a loved one. in some cases, they may come from a lost job or from a contrast between one family's empty dinner plate and fancy restaurant's lavish menu. the poison might even come from within, in the form of rebellion against anonymity, the desire to belong to a group, people who want a moment of visibility and identity or the hunger for black and white answers to problems that are very complex in a remarkably more complicated world.

we can all understand the search for meaning and doubts about authority because at one time or another most of us have been there. but it's a huge leap between personal disquiet and committing murder, mayhem. so let there be no confusion or doubt what everyone's individual experience might be there are no grounds of history, religion, ideology, psychology, politics or economic disadvantage or personal ambition that will ever justify the killing of chirp, the killing of children, the kidnapping or rape of teenage girls or the slaughter of unarmed civilians. these atrocities cannot be rationalized, they cannot be excused, they must be opposed, and they must be stopped. [applause] whether in classrooms or houses of worship or over the internet

or on tv, our message is very straightforward: to anyone who's in doubt, we can say with conviction to have no doubt there is a better way to serve god, a better way to protect loved ones, a better way to defend the community, a better way to seek justice, a better way to become known, a better way to live than by embracing violent extremism. in fact, there is no worse way to do in any of those things. our challenge then is not really one of martialing facts because the facts are wholly on our side. our task is to encourage the most credible leaders and spokespersons to penetrate the barrier of terrorist lies and to do so over and over and over again. we have to support the right people saying the right things all the time.

that also means that we have to be crystal clear in separating what we oppose from what we should always be eager to defend. we have to be steadfast advocates of religious freedom supporters of right to peaceful dissent, opponents of bigotry in every form and builders of opportunity for all. friends, our arms are open, our minds are open to the ideas, the partnership against violent extremism that we are assembling has room for anyone who is willing to respect the fundamental rights and dignity of other human beings. and so it is appropriate this morning that we will be privileged to hear from the secretary general of the united nations, an organization whose founding, purpose to encourage us all to practice tolerance and live together in peace.

through its efforts at peace-building, conflict resolution, development, the u.n. has always been an invaluable contributor to the long-term battle against international terror and the global partnership that is represented here today. this effort is not something taking place outside of the u.n., this is to support the u.n. institution and to support the efforts that we have all been part of for so long. in 2006 ban ki-moon was chosen to lead the u.n. five years later he was reelected. he has been a voice of healing and reconciliation. and despite that fact that the job of secretary general is nearly impossible, ban ki-moon has become known across the globe for his energy and his commitment, and it's my honor to present to you the secretary general of the united nations, ban ki-moon. [applause]

>> honorary secretary of state john kerry, distinguished ministers, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, i thank the president, barack obama, and secretary of state john kerry for convening this very important gathering on preventing violent extremism. and thank you for your leadership and strong commitment and eloquent speech and giving us a good way forward so that we can work together to defeat this violent extremism and terrorism and discuss how we can build upon what we have been doing so far. facing this profound challenge in a matter that solves rather than multiplies the program may be the greatest test for -- faces in the 21st century.

let there be no doubt -- the emergence of a new generation of the emergence of terrorist groups includingboko haram is a grave threat to international peace and security. these extremists are pursuing a deliberate strategy of shock and awful; beheadings, burnings and -- designed to palaryze and terrorize and provoke and divide us. the victims are as diverse as humankind itself. but let us recognize that the vast majority of the victims are muslims across a broad arc of -- women and girls are subject to appalling

systematic abuse, rape kidnapping, forced marriage, sexual slavery and other unspeakable horrors. no greens can justify -- no grievance can justify such crimes. i commend member states for their determined political will to defeat terrorist groups. we must do all what we can to neutralize the threat. that means responding decisively and competently. but it also means being mindful of pitfalls. many years of our experience have proven that shortsighted policies, failing leadership and an utter disregard for human dignity and human rights have caused tremendous frustration and anger on the part of a people for whom we serve.

we will never find our ways by discarding our moralcompass. we need cool heads, we need common sense, and we must never let fear rule. ladies and gentlemen, in this way i see four imperatives for our common efforts to protect people and uphold human dignity. first, preventing violent extremism demands that we get to the roots. looking for the motivation behind the extremism is a notoriously difficult exercise, yet we know that poisonous ideologies do not emerge from thin air. oppression, corruption and injustice are greenhouses for resentment. extremist leaders