between canada and the united states is stronger than has ever been, and we are closely -- more closely aligned than ever before. [applause] president obama: and yet, we meet at a pivotal moment for our nations and for the glow. from this vibrant capital, we can look upon a world that has benefited enormously from the international order that we helped build together. we can see that same order increasingly strained, by the accelerating forces of change. the world is, by almost every measure, less violent than ever before. but it remains riven by old divisions and fresh hatreds. the world's more connected than ever before, but even as it

spreads knowledge and the possibility of greater understanding between peoples, it also empowers terrorists who spread hatred and death, most recently in orlando and istanbul. the world is more prosperous than ever before. but alongside globalization and technological wonders, we also see a rising inequality, and wage stagnation across the advanced economies, leaving too many workers in communities fearful of diminishing prospects, not just for themselves, but more importantly for their children. and in the face of such rising uncertainty, it is not enough to look at aggregate growth rates or stock prices or the pace of digital innovation. if the benefits of globalization accrue only to those at the very top, if our democracies seem incapable of assuring broad-based growth and opportunity for everyone, then people will push back, out of

anger, or out of fear. and politicians, some sincere and some entirely cynical, will tap that anger and fear. harkening back to bygone days of order and predictability and national glory, arguing that we must rebuild walls and disengage from a chaotic world, or rid ourselves of the supposed ills brought on by immigrants, all in order to regain control of our lives. we saw some of these currents at work, this past week, in the united kingdom's referendum to leave the european union. despite some of the initial reaction, i'm confident that the process can be managed in a prudent, orderly way. i expect that our friends on both sides of the channel will develop a workable plan for how

to move forward. and i'm equally confident that the values we all share as liberal market-based democracies are deeper and stronger than any single event. but while the circumstances of brexit might be unique to the united kingdom, the frustrations people felt are not. the short-term fallout of brexit can be sensibly managed, but the long-term trends of inequality, dislocation, and resulting social division, those cannot be ignored. how we respond to the forces of globalization and technological change will determine the durability of an international order that ensures security and prosperity for future generations. fortunately, the partnership between the united states and canada shows the path we need to travel.

for our history and our work together speak to a common set of values to build on, proven values, values that your prime minister spoke of in his introduction. values of pluralism and tolerance. rule of law. openness. global engagement in commerce and cooperation, coupled with equal opportunity and investment in our people at home. as prime minister pierre trudeau once said, a country after all is not something you billed as the pharaohs built the pyramids, and then leave standing there to defy eternity. a country is something that is built every day. out of certain basic shared values. what is true of countries is true of the world.

and that's what i want to talk about today. how to strengthen our institutions to advance these commitments in a rapidly changing world. let me start with our shared economic vision. in all we do, our commitment to opportunity for all of our people has to be the centerpiece of our work. we are so fortunate, because both of our countries are so well-positioned to succeed in the 21st century. our two nations know firsthand the awesome power of free markets and innovation. canadians help run some of silicon valley's most innovative companies. our students study at each other's world-class universities. we invest in research and development, and make decisions based on science and evidence. and it works. it's what has created these

extraordinary economies of ours. but if the financial crisis and the recent recession taught us anything, it that economies do better when everyone has a chance to succeed. for a long time, it was thought countries had to choose between economic growth and economic inclusion, but it turns out that's a false choice. if a ceo makes more in a day than a typical employee makes in a year, that kind of inequality is not just bad for morale in the company, but it turns out it's bad for the economy. that worker is not a very good customer for business. [applause] president obama: if a young man in ohio cannot pay his student loans, or a young woman in ontario cannot pay her bills,

that has ramifications for our economy. it tamps down the possibilities of growth. so we need growth that is broad, that lifts everybody up, including tax policies that do right by working families, and robust safety nets for those who fall on hard times. as john galbraith once said, the common denominator of progress is our people. not numbers. it's not abstractions. how are people doing? of course, many who share this progressive, inclusive vision could be heard right now arguing that protections for people, for workers, fair tax policies, these things are not enough, and that globalization is inherently rigged toward the top 1%. therefore, what is needed is an end to trade agreements and international arrangements that

integrate economies. and i understand that vision. i know why it is tempting. it seems as if, if we draw a line around our borders, it will give us more control, particularly when the benefits of trade and economic integration are sometimes hard to see, or easy to take for granted. and the very specific dislocations are obvious and real. there's just one problem. restricting trade, or giving in to protectionism, in this 21st century economy, will not work. [applause] president obama: it will not work.

even if we wanted to, we can't seal ourselves off from the rest of the world. the day after brexit, people looked around and said, oh. [laughter] how's this going to work? the drag that economic weakness in europe and china and other countries is having on our own economies right now speaks to the degree on which we depend, our jobs, our businesses, depend on selling goods and services around the world. very few of our domestic industries can sever what is now truly a global supply chain.

and so, for those of us who truly believe that our economies have to work for everybody, the answer is not to try and pull back from our interconnected world. it is, rather, to engage with the rest of the world, to shape the rules, so they are good for our workers and good for our businesses. and the experience between our two nations points the way. the united states and canada have the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world, and we are stronger for it. [applause] it means thema: company in quebec can create jobs in north carolina, and a start-up toronto can get investment in texas. the problem is, some of the economies in the fastest-growing

parts of the world, particularly the asia-pacific region, don't always abide by the same rules. they impose unfair tariffs or suppress worker's rights or maintain low environmental standards that make it hard for our businesses to compete fairly. and with the transpacific partnership, we have the ability to not only open up these markets to u.s. and canadian products and eliminate thousands of these unfair tariffs, which by the way, we need to do because they are already selling here under existing rules, but we are not selling as much as we should over there -- but it also affords us the opportunity to increase protections for workers and the environment, to promote human rights, including strong prohibitions against human trafficking, child labor. that way, our workers are competing on a level playing field, and our businesses are less prone to pursue a race to the bottom. when combined with increased investments in our own people's

education and skills and training and infrastructure and research and development, and connectivity, we can spur the kind of sustained growth that makes all of us better off. [applause] president obama: all of us. [applause] president obama: the point is, we need to look forward, not look backward. and more trade can also help to break down old divides. i thanked canada for its indispensable role in hosting our negotiations with the cuban government and supporting our efforts to set aside half a century of failed policies to begin a new chapter. [applause]

president obama: i know a lot of canadians like going to cuba. maybe because they haven't had americans crowding the streets and the beaches. but let's change it. [laughter] president obama: as more americans engage with the cuban people, let's see more economic opportunity and more hope for ordinary cubans. we also agree, as americans and canadians, that wealthy countries like ours cannot reach our full potential while others remain mired in poverty. that, too, is not going to change in this interconnected world. if there is poverty and disease and conflict in other parts of the world, it spills over. as much as we would like to pretend we can block it out. so, with our commitment to new, sustainable development goals,we have the chance to end the

outrage of extreme poverty. [applause] president obama: we can bring more electricity to africa, so that students can study at night and businesses can stay open. we can banish the scourge of malaria, and zika. we can realize our goal of the first aids-free generation. [applause] president obama: we can do that. it's within our grasp. and we can help those working to replace corruption with transparent, accountable institutions that serve their people. as leaders in global development, the united states

and canada understand that development is not charity. it's an investment in our future prosperity. because not only do such investments and policies help poor countries, they create billions of customers for u.s. and canadian products, and they make less likely the spread of deadly epidemics to our shores, and they stabilize parts of the world that threaten the security of our people. in fact, both the united states and canada believe our own security, and not just prosperity, is enhanced when we stand up for the rights of all nations and peoples to live in security and peace. [applause] president obama: and even as

there are times when unilateral action is necessary to defend our people, we believe in a world where wars between great powers are far less likely, but transnational threats like terrorism know no boundaries. security is best when nations work together. we believe disputes between nations should whenever possible be resolved peacefully, through diplomacy, and international organization should be supported, and multilateralism is not a dirty work. and certainly, we are more secure when we stand united against terrorist networks and ideologies that have reached to the very doorstep of this hall. we honor all those taken from us by violent extremists, including canadians.

[applause] president obama: with canada's additional contributions, including training iraqi forces, the coalition is on the offensive, and we will destroy the terrorist group isil. [applause] president obama: we will continue helping local forces, sharing intelligence from afghanistan to the philippines, so that we are pushing back comprehensively against terrorist networks. and in contrast to the hatred

and the nihilism of terrorists, we will work with partners across the world, including particularly muslim communities. to offer a better vision and a path to development and opportunity and tolerance, because they are and must be our partners in this effort. [applause] president obama: meanwhile, when nations violate international rules and norms, such as russia's aggression against ukraine, the united states and canada stand united, along with our allies, in defense of our security. [applause] president obama: doing so

requires a range of tools, like economic sanctions, but it also requires that we keep our forces ready for 21st century missions, and invest in new capabilities. as your ally and as your friend, let me say, we will be more secure when every nato member, including canada, contributes its full share towards our common security. [applause] president obama: because the canadian armed forces are really good. and if i can borrow a phrase -- the world needs more canada, nato needs more canada. we need you. we need you. and just as we join together in our common defense, so must we work together diplomatically.

particularly to avert war. and diplomacy results are rarely quick. but it turns out, even the most intractable conflicts can be resolved. here in our own hemisphere, just in the last few weeks, after half a century of war, colombia is poised to achieve a historic peace, and the nations of north america will be an important partner to columbia going forward, including working to remove land mines. around the world, canadian and american diplomats working together can make a difference, even in syria, where the agony and the suffering of the syrian people tears at our hearts, our two nations continue to be

leaders in humanitarian aid for the syrian people and although a true resolution of this conflict so far has alluded us, we know that the only solution to this civil war is a political solution so that the syrian people can reclaim their country and live in peace and canadians and americans are going to work as hard as we can to make that happen. [applause] president obama: here in the nation, we affirm our commitment to keep the peacekeeping that saves lives around the world. there is one threat, however, that we cannot solve militarily, nor can we solve alone, and that's the threat of climate change. now, climate change is no longer an abstraction.

it's not an issue we can put off for the future. it is happening now. it is happening here in our own countries. the united states and canada are both arctic nations and last year when i became the first u.s. president to visit the arctic, i could see the effects myself. glaciers like canada's altabasca glacier are melting at alarming rates. permafrost is thawing, it's not a conspiracy. it is happening. in a generation, arctic sea ice may all disappear in the summer. so skeptics can deny what's happening before our eyes, but the alaska natives that i met, where villages are sliding into the sea, they don't have that luxury. they know climate change is real. they know it is not a hoax and

from bangladesh to the pacific islands, rising seas are swallowing land and forcing people from their homes. around the world, stronger storms and more intense droughts will create humanitarian crises and risk more conflict. this is not just a moral issue. not just an economic issue. it is also an urgent matter of our national security. and for too long, we've heard that confronting climate change means destroying our own economies. but let me just say, carbon emissions in the united states are back to where they were two decades ago, even as we've grown our economy dramatically over the same period. alberta, the oil country of canada, is working hard to reduce emissions while still promoting growth. [applause] president obama: so if canada

can do it and the united states can do it, the whole world can unleash economic growth and protect our planet. we can do this! we can do it! we can do this! we we can help lead the world to meet this threat. already, together in paris, we achieved the most ambitious agreement in history to fight climate change. now, let's bring it into force this year. [applause] with our obama: agreement with mexico that we announced today, let's generate half the electricity on this continent from clean energy sources within a decade. that's achievable. [applause] let's partnera: in the arctic to help give its people the opportunity they deserve while conserving the only home they know. and building on the idea that began in montreal three decades ago, let's bring down dangerous

hfc greenhouse gases. this is the only planet we've got, and this may be the last shot we've got to save it, and america, and canada are going to need to lead the way. we're going to have to lead the way. [applause] president obama: just as we're joined in our commitment to protecting the planet, we are also joined in our commitment to the dignity of every human being. we believe in the right of all people to participate in society. we believe in the right of all people to be treated equally, to have an equal shot at success. that is in our dna. the basic premise of our democracies. i think we can all agree that

our democracies are far from perfect. they can be messy. and they can be sloppy. and they can leave all sides of a debate unsatisfied. justin is just getting started. [applause] president obama: so in case you hadn't figured that out, that's where this gray hair comes from. [applause] but more thana: any other system of government, democracy allows our most precious rights to find their fullest expression, enabling us through the hard, painstaking work of citizenship to continually make our countries better, to solve new challenges challenges, to right past wrongs. and prime minister, what a powerful message of reconciliation it was here and around the world when your government pledged a new relationship with canada's first nations. [applause]

president obama: democracy is not easy. it's hard. living up to our ideals can be difficult even in the best of times, and it can be harder when the future seems uncertain, or when in response to legitimate fears and frustrations, there are those who offer a politics of "us versus them", a politics that scape-goat others, the immigrant, the refugee, someone who seems different than us. we have to call this mentality what it is, a threat to the

values that we profess, the values we seek to defend. it's because we respect all people that the world looks to us as an example. the colors of the rainbow flag have flown on parliament hill. they have lit up the white house. that is a testament to our progress, but also the work that remains to ensure true equality for our fellow citizens who are lesbian, guy, bisexual or transgender. [applause] president obama: our muslim friends and neighbors who run businesses and serve in our governments and in our armed forces and are friends with our children and play on our sports

teams, we've got to stand up against the slander and the hate levelled against those who look or worship differently. that's our obligation. that's who we are. that's what makes america special. that's what makes canada special. [applause] here in canada, here in canada, a woman has already risen to the highest office in the land. in america, for the first time, a woman is the presumptive nominee of a major party in the race for president. [applause] i have a biasa:

on these issues, but our work won't be finished until all women in our country truly equal, paid equally, created equally, given the same opportunities as men. when our girls have the same opportunities as our boys, that's who we need to be. [cheering and applause] president obama: and let me say this, pause i don't feel particularly politically correct on this issue, i don't believe these are american values or canadian values or western values. i believe, and justin believes, and i hope all of you believe, these are universal values and we must be bold in their defense at home and around the world and not shy away from speaking up on

behalf of these values of pluralism and tolerance and equality. [cheering and applause] [applause] president obama: i fear sometimes that we are timid in defense of these values. that's why i will continue to stand up for those inalienable rights here in our own hemisphere, in places like cuba, in venezuela, and also in more distant lands. for the rights of citizens in civil society to speak their mind and work for change. for the rights of journalists to report the truth. for the rights of people of all faiths to practice their religion freely. those things are hard but they're right. they're not always convenient, but they're true.

in the end, it is this respect for the dignity of all people, especially the most vulnerable among us, that perhaps more than anything else binds our two countries together. being canadian, being american is not about what we look like or where our families came from. it is about our commitment to a common creed. and that's why together, we must not waiver in embracing our values, our best selves. and that includes our history as a nation of immigrants. and we must continue to welcome people from around the world. [applause] president obama: the vibrancy of our economies are enhanced by

the addition of new striving immigrants. but this is not just a matter of economics. refugees escape barrel bombs and torture, and migrants cross deserts and seas seeking a better life. we cannot simply look the other way. we certainly can't label as possible terrorists vulnerable people who are fleeing terrorists. [applause] president obama: we can insist that the process is orderly. we can insist that our security is preserved. borders means something. but in moments like this, we are

called upon to see ourselves in others, because we were all once strangers. if you weren't a stranger, your grandparents were strangers, your great-grandparents were strangers. they didn't all have their papers ready. they fumbled with language, faced discrimination, had cultural norms that didn't fit. at some point, somewhere, your family was an outsider. and so the mothers, the fathers, the children we see today, they're us. and we can't forsake them. as americans and canadians, we will continue to welcome refugees, and we can ensure that

we're doing so in a way that maintains our security. we can, and we will do both. [applause] president obama: we can, and we will do both. we're increasing our support to central america so that fewer families and children attempt the dangerous journey north. this fall at the united nations, we'll host a global summit on refugees because in the face of this crisis, more nations need to step up and meet our basic obligations to our fellow human beings. and it will be difficult and budgets are tight, and there are legitimate issues, and not everybody is going to be helped. but we can try. people of good will and compassion, show us the way. greek islanders pulling families to shore and germans handing out sweets to migrants at railway stations.

a synagogue in virginia inviting syrian refugees to dinner. and here in canada, the world has been inspired, as canadians across this country have opened up their hearts and their homes. we've watched citizens knitting tuks to keep refugees warm in the winter. and we've seen your prime minister welcome new arrivals at the airport and extend a hand of friendship and say, you're safe at home now. and we see the refugees who feel that they have a special duty to give back and seize the opportunity of a new life. the girl who fled afghanistan by donkey and camel and jet plane and who remembers being greeted in this country by helping hands and the sound of robin singing and today, she serves in this chamber and in the cabinet, because canada is her home. [applause]

president obama: a country is not something you build as the pharaohs built the pyramids. a country is something that is built every day, over certain basic shared values. how true that is. how blessed we are to have people before us day-by-day, brick-by-brick, build these extraordinary countries of ours.

how fortunate, how privileged we are to have the opportunity to now, ourselves, build this world anew. what a blessing. and as we go forward together on that freedom road, let's stay true to the values that make us who we are, canadians and americans, allies and friends, now and forever. thank you very much. thank you. [cheering and applause]

[crowd chanting] translator: mr. president, it is a great honor for me to thank

you for being here today and to address our parliament >> i want to thank you for being here today and for addressing this joint session of our parliament. the obvious enthusiasm with which you have been received has already spoken far more eloquently than anything i might add about the admiration which we have for you. [applause] >> as our two countries both seek to advance the same principles that you have already mentioned, we share the same hopes and dreams, not only for ourselves, but for that and our brother nations as well. because of the shared belief in upholding these principles,

canadians from across this great country have followed your presidency closely, and we have watched you face many challenges. but through it all, you have persisted with calm, with reason, and with an unwaivering clarity of purpose. the result has been an extraordinary legacy for the american people and for the whole of the international community. [applause] >> the great american philosophy and war veteran philip haily when writing about the turmoil in the world said that, we are, each of us, living in the eye of a hurricane. the destructive and cruel power in the world in both the nature of our fellow human beings is

always swirling around us. but in the center, in the eye of the hurricane, there can be peace and calm and our job, individually and collectively, is to do our best to push out the borders of the eye of that storm to expand the calm, to expand the reasonable and the good that is and can be in the world we live in. mr. president, in a world that has so often seemed driven by ways of anger and destruction, by unimaginable acts of violence and forces beyond our control, you have stood tall. you have stood tall for the power of reason over passion and principle over politics. in your own words, you have us.ioned

in your very own words from the audacity of hope, you have cautioned us that we will need to remind ourselves, despite all our differences, just how much we share, common hopes, common dreams, and above all, a bond that will not be broken. [applause] >> in closing, mr. president, on behalf of all of my parliamentary colleagues and, indeed, on behalf of all canadians, i thank you for the very inspiring words you shared with us today, for your years of leadership in the world and most especially for your very strong and enduring friendship with our great country canada. thank you. [applause]

>> mr. president, prime minister, mr. speaker of the senate, excellencies, honorable senators, members of the house of commons, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. [speaking foreign language] translator: mr. president, on behalf of all of us who are in the chamber, i want to thank you for addressing us today. it's really nice to be back in ottawa and to be able to receive you when the city's at its loveliest. >> the last time you dropped by in february of 2009, the weather was decidedly cooler. so all of ottawa still remembers that you braved the cold to stop in at a nearby bakery and pick up some maple leaf cookies for your daughters.

[laughter] you mentioned the few flecks of gray you have in your hair. but when prime minister trudeau visited you in washington, you very kindly prepared him for the graying of leadership, by telling him if, in fact, you plan to keep your dark hair, you'll have to start dyeing it early. [laughter] >> now, it could be worse. [applause] >> there is an inscription imbedded in granite on the international friendship memorial that marks the opening of the st. lawrence seaway and power project dedicated by vice president nixon near prescott

, ontario in 1959. it reads as follows: this stone bears witness to the common purpose of two nations whose frontiers are the frontiers of friendship, whose ways are the ways of freedom, and whose works are the works of peace. [speaking foreign language] translator: it would take much too long to count the ways in which canada and the united states have come together to create a better life for their own people, but also for humanity. however, over the years, several of our respective leaders have commented on the close friendships between our two countries. >> almost 40 years ago, former prime minister pierre trudeau remarked in a speech to congress, the friendship between our two countries is so basic, so non-negotiable, that it has long since been regarded as the

standard for enlightened international relations. [applause] [laughter] president obama: and when you last visited us in 2009, sir, you echoed those sentiments saying as neighbors, we are so closely linked that sometimes may have the tendency to take our relationship for granted, but the very success of our friendship throughout history demands we renew and deepen our cooperation here in the 21st century. and as a good neighbor, here you are again doing just that. mr. president thank you for your visit, for your friendship, and for strengthening the enduring ties of family that bind our two nations together. [speaking foreign language] thank you very much and have

a safe trip home. [applause] [applause]

>> c-span's washington journal. live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. and coming up, a local fellow for the wilson center and international service professor. she will join us to discuss the economic and diplomatic fallout to leave the european union. and then, she will talk about legislative efforts to repeal the affordable care act. and a congressional reporter will discuss the findings issued by republicans on the select committee on benghazi. that committee investigated the attack on the consulate.

we will talk about the committee democrats and the responses by the white house and former secretary of state clinton in her presidential campaign. be sure to watch "washington journal." join the discussion. >> cia director john brennan talked about global terror threats and the recent attacks in istanbul. this is one hour. >> hello everybody, and welcome to the council on foreign relations. i am judy woodruff.

i am delighted to introduce the speaker this afternoon. i don't there could be a better time or moment to hear from the director of the central intelligence agency. without further ado, please welcome director brennan. [applause] brennan: good afternoon everyone. it is indeed a pleasure to be back of the council to compare notes on a remarkably complex and dynamic international scene. i look forward to talking with judy and the council memberships about topics in the headlines. i would like to offer some brief opening remarks to kick off the conversation today.

whenever i administer the oath of office to new officers at our headquarters in langley, virginia, i told him the are coming aboard at a critical moment in the agency's history. and a 36 years since i first entered government i have never been witnessing a time with such a daunting array of challenges to our nations security. notable among the challenges is that some of the institutions and relationships that have been pillars of the post-cold war system are under serious stress. as you all know, the united kingdom voted last week to leave the european union. of all the crisis the eu has faced in recent years, the u.k. vote to leave the eu may well be its greatest challenge. brexit is pushing the eu into a period that will prevent virtually every thing it does in the coming weeks, months, and even years ahead. skeptics around europe, including in denmark, france, italy and the netherlands are to demanding referendums on multiple eu issues. this will surely make decision-making and consensus in the eu much harder. no member state has ever left the union. europe is entering a period of uncertainty as the u.k.

and eu take stock of the situation and began staking out their negotiating positions. discussions will dominate the eu agenda in the months ahead. negotiations for the exit agreement will not begin until the prime minister notifies the eu of the u.k.'s intention to leave. prime minister david cameron said he will occur under his successor. member state leaders excluding the u.k. will be meeting in the coming days and weeks to begin laying the groundwork for those negotiations. i would like to take this opportunity to say this will not adversely affect the partnership between united states and united kingdom in the months and years ahead. i spoke to my counterpart in london early monday morning. we reaffirmed to one another that the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our services are only destined to grow stronger in the years ahead. these ties are and will always be essential to our collective

security. i presume a few of you have questions about terrorism and the so-called islamic state of . i know our collective hearts go out to the families of the latest victims of the horrific terrorist attacks perpetrated, as well as incited by isil. the despicable attack yesterday that killed thousands and injured many more certainly bears the hallmarks of isil's depravity. let me say a few words about some important issues we have t the cia and our colleagues throughout the global community are watching closely. i will start with the overarching challenge of instability, which continues to grip large sections of the globe. global instability is one of the defining issues of our time. its implications are hard to overstate.

as instability spreads, extremists and terrorists are finding sanctuary in ungoverned spaces. energy supplies are being disrupted, political reform is suffering as too many government opt for authoritarian measures at the expense of democratic principles and respect for human rights. most devastating of all is the human toll. last week, the united nations reported the number of people displaced by global instability and conflict had reached 65 million, the highest figure ever recorded. and a host of countries from east asia to the middle east in west africa, governments are under stress. institutions struggle to provide basic services and maintain law and order. as governments in these regions recede from the center of national life, more people are shifting their allegiances away from the nationstate and towards subnational groups and identities. leading societies at once embraced the national identity to fracture along ethnic and

sectarian lines. nowhere is this trend more evident than in the middle east, a region i have studied closely for much of my professional life. when i lived there i liked to walk the neighborhoods and villages to observe the rhythms of daily life. i remember seeing people of different backgrounds and beliefs living side-by-side, secular and devout. today the divisions are often marred by suspicion and distrust and even outright hostility. extremist groups have played a key role in fueling these tensions, luring impressionable young men and women to join their cause and spreading false narratives meant to divide and inflame. in some areas a whole generation of growing up in an environment of militarism without developing the skills to contribute or even to engage in modern day society. the underlying causes of these trends are complex and difficult to address. the long-term consequences of these developments are deeply

troubling. global instability is an issue that affects all countries, from russia to china to the united states. it must be met by strong collective response from the international community. i am certain this issue will loom large on the agenda of the next administration. another strategic challenges dealing with the tremendous power, potential, opportunities and risks residents in the digital domain. no matter how many geopolitical crises are in the headlines, the reliability, security, vulnerability and the range of human activity taking place within cyberspace are constantly on my mind. on the cyber security front, organizations of all kinds are under constant attack from a range of actors. foreign governments, criminal gangs, cyber activists and others. in this new and relatively uncharted frontier, speed and agility are keen. malicious actors are shown they can penetrate a network and

withdraw in a very short order, plundering systems without knowing they were there until maybe after the damage is already done. i served in the white house. cyber was part of my portfolio and it was always the subject that gave the biggest headache. cyber attackers are determined and adaptive. they often collaborate and share expertise. so many different ways, with an ever-changing array of tools, tactics and. moreover, our laws are not adequately adapted to the emergence of this new digital frontier. most worrisome from my perspective is that there is still no political or national consensus on the appropriate role of the government, law enforcement, homeland security, and intelligence agencies in safeguarding the security, reliability, resiliency and prosperity of the digital domain.

the intelligence community is making great strides. as we move forward, one thing we know is that private industry will have a huge role to play as the vast majority of the internet is in private hands. protecting it is not something the government can do on its own. right up there with terrorism, global instability and cyber security is nuclear proliferation. and delivery systems both tactical and strategic to make the real potential of a nuclear event. unsurprisingly, the top of my list of countries of concern is north korea, whose authoritarian and brutal leader has pursued a nuclear weapons program to threaten regional state and the united states instead of taking care of the impoverished and politically repressed men, women and children of north korea. what else is there besides terrorism, global instability, cyber security and nuclear proliferation that worries the cia director and keeps us busy around the clock and around the globe?

mr. brennan: as a liberal arts guy from the baby boomer generation, the rapid pace of technological change during my lifetime has been simply dizzying. moreover, as we have seen with just about every scientific leap forward, new technologies often carry substantial risks to the same degree that they hold tremendous promise. nowhere are the stakes higher for our national security and in the field of biotechnology. recent advances in genome editing that offer great potential for breakthroughs in public health are also cause for concern. the same methods could be used to create genetically engineered biological warfare agents. though the overwhelming geordie -- majority of nation states of tended to be rational enough to refrain from releasing a menace, without unpredictable consequences, a subnational terrorist entity such as isil would a few compunctions and

-- in wielding such a weapon. the scope of the threat, as well as measures to mitigate it were laid out clearly last october in a report of the blue-ribbon study panel on bio defense chaired by former senator joe lieberman and homeland security secretary tom rach. the international security response to this issue lag s behind the technology driving it. effectively countering this danger requires the development of national and international strategies, along with the consensus of the laws, standards and authorities that will be needed. as cia officers and their colleagues work hard to protect our country on the darker side of technological change, we are mindful of how even beneficial advantages can have destabilizing effects in the long run. agency analysts drawing from academic studies and other elements of the ever-expanding pool of global open source information seek to offer our national leaders early warning of potential challenges that could arise from the advances we are seeing today across the spectrum of technological

endeavors. as former defense secretary and director bob gates is fond of saying, when intelligence officer smell flowers, they look around for a coffin. [laughter] mr. brennan: that remains a good depiction of our mindset. one example, taking a page in the biotech and life sciences sectors, is have a wide range of breakthroughs that potentially could extend life expectancy such as new methods of fighting cancer and a greater understanding of the aging process could reinforce the trend towards older populations in advanced nations. some of the world's leading economies, and even the lesser economies, if a stronger -- could face even stronger headwinds from having significantly larger portions of retired people and older people relative to working age citizens. another example is the array of technologies often referred to collectively as geoengineering. they could potentially help reverse the warming effects of global climate change.

one that has gained my personal attention is stratospheric aerosol injection. or sai. a method of seating the stratosphere with particles that can help reflect the sun's heat in much of the same way that volcanic eruptions do. a program could limit global temperature increases, producing -- reducing some risk associated with higher temperatures and providing the world economy additional time to transition from fossil fuels. this process is also relatively inexpensive. the national research council estimates a fully deployed program would cost about $10 billion yearly. as promising as it may be, moving forward would also raise a number of challenges for our government and for the international community. on the technical side, greenhouse gas emission reductions would still have to accompany sai to address other climate change effects such as ocean acidification. sai alone would not remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. on the geopolitical side, the technology's potential to alter

weather patterns and benefit certain regions of the world at the expense of other regions could trigger sharp opposition by some nations. others might seize on the sai benefits and back away from their commitments to carbon dioxide reductions. and as with other break your technologies, global norms and standards are lacking to guide the employment and implementation of sai and other geoengineering initiatives. i could go on about things that fascinate me, but rather than talk about them, i thought it -- i would stop here and start the conversation with judy. and then i can take some questions. i very much appreciate the invitation to come back here. to the council on foreign relations. as i say to other groups and speak to, it is a tremendous honor and privilege every day to be referred to as a director of central intelligence agency. i lead an organization full of patriotic men and women to take -- who take great risks and put themselves in the front lines in order to keep your fellow americans safe and secure entity

-- and to do what they can to keep the country's security secure. thank you so much. [applause] judy: i think we are all impressed with the array of challenges and issues you deal with on a regular basis, director brennan. i do want to come back and i want to come back to what is in the news right now. that is the latest attack in istanbul. what the administration has been saying, and i think you referenced it just now, is that it has the earmark of isis. how much is known about who is behind this and why does it point in their direction? mr. brennan: to my knowledge there is no credible , responsibility of this point, but that is not surprising. in most instances, isis is not

that have not claimed credit responsibility for attacks perpetrated inside of turkey. i think what they do is they carry out these attacks to gain the benefits from it in terms of sending a signal to our turkish partners. at the same time, not want to potentially alienate some of those individuals inside of turkey that they may still be trying to gain support. judy: why are they able to pull off these attacks with what seems to be great regularity without the ability to prevent them from happening? mr. brennan: i think there is a variety of reasons. first, when individuals are committed to carrying out these attacks, these so-called suicide attacks they kill and maim so , many people, they really don't have to worry about an escape route. it makes carrying out the attack so much easier because what they do is they just want to make sure they're able to penetrate whatever sort of perimeter

defense there might be. in a lot of these civilian areas there is no perimeter defense. , that is part of what an open society is. they are able to get their hands on weapons, automatic weapons whether they are legally , procured in some countries or through the black market in others. also they are able to take , advantage of the technology that allows them to communicate quite securely without having intelligence agencies able to understand what it is they are plotting. being able to fabricate a plot, carry it out among a small group of individuals, 1, 2, or more, it is unfortunately a feature of our times that isil has been determined to carry out these attacks. judy: is it something the rest of the roads to get used to? i don't think we should ever get used to it. i think what we have to do is try to redouble our efforts to try to uncover what they are doing, stop them, and also go to the source. those who are directing and orchestrating these attacks.

and isil -- most of the attacks are either directed or incited by their external operations group which is resident in syria. judy: in several news interviews you have done recently, you made a point of saying our efforts have not reduced isis' capability and global reach. there is a frustration that seems to come through, not that there is an expression on your face, but what is it? what does it mean to someone who has been working in this area for so long? mr. brennan: any intelligence or law enforcement professional who has responsibilities to prevent these attacks from occurring, those involved in counterterrorism for quite some time, are interested and determined to do what we can to destroy these organizations that give birth to these horrific attacks.

as i have said recently, we have made significant progress with coalition partners in syria and iraq where most of the isis members are resident right now. but, isis's ability to continue to propagate its narrative as incite to insight -- and carry out these attacks, i think we still have a ways to go before we are able to say we have made significant progress against them. judy: is it a need for better intelligence? do we need more resources, more money? what is it? withrennan: the challenge isis, as compared al qaeda. al qaeda had a core of several hundred individuals. isis has tens of thousands of individuals scattered to west africa, southeast asia and beyond.

there is the scope of the problem, number one. number two, they have made sophisticated use of fumigation sophisticated communication systems. upon the fed instability that has racked the middle east. isis and al qaeda had nothing to do with the initiation of error spring, for they have taken advantage of the collapse of governments and the movement of people, goods in this 21st century world. i think in many respects they can facilitate but isis is trying to do. we have seen that they don't even have to reach out and touch somebody. the horrific attacks in orlando, an individual was able to access the material. they are also able to guide and direct and deploy. there is a range of challenges that intelligent security

agencies have. also, share information among nations around the world. we saw that in the aftermath of brussels attacks in paris. -- and paris. we're trying to work with european partners. there are 28, soon to be 27 eu members. they have different legal systems, different structures. how are they going to share information in a rapid fashion in order to stop individuals who we may have a bit of data on? judy: speaking of that with the , brexit vote you said it's not going to affect the u.s. partnership of great britain, with the u.k. but what about , these other 27 or 28 members give or take? how can it not affect your ability, the ability of the cia and other members of the intelligence community in the u.s. to deal with every one of these different entities? mr. brennan: that is what we do right now. much of our interaction is with the intelligence security services and bilateral channels. we're trying to have multilateral sharing arrangements where we can all collectively use the information that we individually collected.

and have access to. the eu has not been an operational element of the counterterrorism effort. it is more of a policy and governance structure. i do not see it with our ability -- it affecting our ability to work with the eu on the counterterrorism front. judy: ecc must cooperation with the partners of the u.s. the have with intel sharing? mr. brennan: i don't think i said seamless. i don't think that the brakes it is going to adversely affect how we deal with the brits. i think there is a lot of work to be done to put together a mission architecture that will allow europe as a whole to share information in a timely fashion. we are working with the brits as well as the rest of the europeans, but it is not just a european issue. it's middle eastern and african countries. this will be a journey we will be on for quite some time. judy: here in the u.s. with the

orlando attack, with what happened in san bernardino, do you feel you have learned something from those incidents that they put you in a better position to understand what to do to prevent or to get into the minds of these young people, mainly young men, who are carrying out these isis inspired , what appear to be isis-inspired attacks? mr. brennan: the take away is that this country has done a great job since 9/11 making the american homeland much more difficult for terrorists organizations to penetrate, physically. and send people over because of things like the watchlist and very close cooperation between law enforcement and intelligence. i have tremendous respect for the fbi's capabilities. i interact with jim coming on a regular basis. the fbi has a real challenge because there are individuals who could be in their home who have no interaction with other people, but will be on the internet and will be shaped

, and influenced, by what they are seeing in terms of its narrative and will decide on their own, maybe with a spouse or others, or maybe a loan to -- alone, to carry out an attack. if they get their hands on a weapon or explosive material, they could do great damage for the signatures that are traditionally associated with traditional terrorist groups are seen. judy: what is the cia's role in working with the fbi on that? it is a domestic challenge, but the cia -- mr. brennan: the cia are working with our other partners, the nsa and others, we share as much data information as possible. any lead we may have from overseas collection or access, we make sure it is shared with our partners. any of the trends or developments we see in terrorist organizations in terms of their modus operandi, we share that immediately. and so it's a constant

, interaction between all the different elements of the u.s. counterterrorism community. it has helped protect this country. the vulnerabilities that existed at 9/11 that the hijackers took advantage of, they no longer exists. however, there are other ways that isis can adapt to the reality to be able to carry out these attacks. judy: i want to come back to isis in syria and iraq because yes, there has been some progress as you say, but it is frustratingly slow. you are dealing with -- you have the iranians playing a role in iraq and to a lesser extent in syria. certainly in iraq. do you see the iranians as being supportive, being in a supportive role, because of the side they had taken in iraq? or do you see them as being in the opposite? mr. brennan: yes. [laughter] mr. brennan: there are things

they can do and have done to address some of the terrorist threats they face, which are similar to the ones we face. one of the things about isis that distinguishes it from al qaeda it has an anti-shia dimension to it. that is how it has sort of rolled over many parts of iraq. because of the years where the sunni community felt shia dominated in the influence in baghdad was not addressing the needs of the community. they are very concerned about that. at the same time, iran is still identified as the leading state sponsor of terrorism because of what they have done. they are both a part of the problem, but they are also -- i am hopeful that maybe with the growing influence and ascendance of some the more moderate elements within the iranian government -- that we may see iran truly move towards rejoining the community of nations and fulfilling its role and responsibility.

but while it continues to provide support to terrorist organizations and other groups, there is a real problem with tehran. judy: what is the level of communication between your agency and iran? mr. brennan: i don't communicate with iran. judy: zero communication? indirect, not personally. mr. brennan: i do not have any formal leads or relationship or engagement with iran. judy: the agency? mr. brennan: the agency does not. no formal intelligence relations. judy: maybe somebody adhere to phrase it better? mr. brennan: no. [laughter] mr. brennan: but we know the iranians very well. [laughter] mr. brennan: just saying. judy: president assad does not weakenede, certainly

to some extent, seem to be hanging on in syria. there does not seem to be much evidence right now he is budging from his position. how do you weigh where the syrian conflict stands right now? mr. brennan: last year at this time assad was on the ropes. the syrian military was taking it on the chin and a number of areas north of damascus. that is what prompted moscow to decide to send several thousand russian military personnel, artillery,eaponry, tanks, you name it, to prop up the regime they have invested in in the last 50 years. the downward trajectory of their fortunes were reversed as a result of that engagement on the part of moscow. we believe fervently that assad is part of the problem, not the solution. he is the reason, after the atrocities he has perpetrated on his people, that he is lost a -- he has lost all legitimacy in

terms of ruling that country. that is also one of the reasons why we have so many syrian people in arms against assad and the government in damascus and foreign fighters. we believe that although he is strengthened on the battlefield relative to last year, we are continuing to push the russians because the russians play a critical role in this. there will be no way forward in the political front without active russian cooperation, as well as true and genuine russian interest in trying to find a political path. this is not going to be resolved on the battlefield. judy: do you see any progress on that front? mr. brennan: i have had numerous interaction with my russian counterparts. i visited moscow and talked with them. i feel as though they can do more. they probably feel that we can do more. i do not believe they have lived up to their commitments as far as honoring the cessation of hostilities and getting the

trajectory of the syrian conflict on a better course. particularly on the political transition front. judy: how do you turn that around? how do you change that? mr. brennan: the dogged determination of our diplomats led by the indefatigable john kerry who works with others. we have interaction with our counterparts on the washington -- russian intelligence side that try to have a common appreciation of what the situation is inside of syria. i have no doubt the russians are motivated in part in terms of their investment in syria out of concern about the growth of isis and terrorist forces there. whether it be isis, or al qaeda in syria, they are determined to , i think try to crush those , forces. at the same time, we need to recognize these forces have grown because of the problems that have existed in syria and

the syrian government. judy: last question and then we , will open it up to the audience. you said the greatest nuclear proliferation threat still comes from north korea. is there any progress in terms of intelligence, information, communication with the north? is it still chiefly through china? help us understand where that is. mr. brennan: that is another one of the more frustrating aspects of our international agenda. you have someone like kim jong-un who continues to pursue these nuclear and ballistic capabilities irrespective of what his people need. i do not believe he has yet come to realize that the international community is going to remain united against the

nuclearization of the korean peninsula, and that we are not going to accept north korea as a nuclear state. what he is demanding. i think the international community want to be able to bring north korea out of its international isolate station -- isolation. there needs to be a better appreciation on the part of kim ung that-- kim his continued pursuit will only undermine his long-term prospects. he seems to be exceptionally stubborn and not a very good listener. judy: i now want to invite all of you to ask questions. i'm told the meeting is on the record. i think we already knew that. we have microphones we will bring to you. razor hand. then, stand up. we're asking you to tell us who you are, give us your affiliation, keep it to one question so we can get to as

many of you as possible. who has the first question? my. we start right here on the third row? the gentleman in the middle. atlanticgoldwyn, council. i wonder if you could comment on saudi rivalry and how it help or hurt that may relationship? mr. brennan: it is a long-standing rivalry that predates the current leader ship. unfortunately, it has undermined efforts in the past to bridge the gap. unfortunately, the continued problems that exist inside of toq and syria do not help facilitate even the productive

dialogue between charon and syria. there are sharp differences of view about what the future of syria and iraq should look like. so it is important for two large and important and influential countries. and the gulf region, to be able to find some type of -- we are hoping from cash for some of the actors to recognize that -- inside of iran are going to recognize that there needs to be a type of accommodation with the saudi leadership and government and in my engagements with the saudi's, and i do have a relationship with saudi arabia, they are interested in pursuing that if they feel as though the iranian leadership is generally interested in pursuing something other than antagonistic relationships. judy: is that something the u.s. is trying to persuade them of? mr. brennan: i think one of the

real motivating factors behind the jcpoa in addition to stopping iran's pursuit of the program, it was to tamp down the tensions arriving as a result of that with the ultimate aim of having the gulf states, the ones in that region, find a better way to communicate with one another, first of all, and secondly to see whether or not , there will be a repair a of those relationships. in the past, there have been times in saudi arabia and iran when leaders have been able to work together. there are areas where there has been quite a bit of interaction. the iranians have decided not to send this year and because of -- send pilgrims to mecca this year because of the antagonism that continues to exist. we are encouraging this tamping -- this type of tamping down of tensions and dialogue. we are only going to improve

relations if we have dialogue. judy: ok. far against the wall over here. john john sullivan with george : mason university. there have been a number of excellent articles recently in publications talking about the erosion of the democratic trend around the world and the revival of autocratic tendencies. that was not one of the factors you listed, but i wonder in your major and overarching concerns, to what degree do you worry about this fracturing of democracy and the increase of the authoritarian revival? mr. brennan: well we will make , my remarks available on the cia website later today. www.cia.gov. i say in there a lot of these governments and regimes have opted on democratic principles and human rights. i do think that there, unfortunately some of these , governments feel as though they are being overwhelmed by the security challenges they

face and they will be welcoming -- they will resort back to the traditional measures of suppressing the challenges with authoritarian measures. recognize that western-style democracy, which has taken several hundred years to really take root, and it is continuing to be a journey for us, that it is not a light switch that can be just flipped in these middle eastern countries and arab states. billing from very traditional societies, with having the trappings of modernization in some of these cities, there is still socially, culturally, politically, very unfamiliar with the practices and democratic principles that we hold so dear. so, i think we have to be understanding that this is going to take some time. at the same time, we, the u.s. government and the caa, are very

clear -- the cia are very clear in the types of behaviors and actions that we will not tolerate. suppression and abuse of human rights, we cia have not only threaten to cut off relations with some of these liaison partners, we have information that they practice. we have cut off relations. i think we need to keep the pressure on them and make sure shawlhe navigation of the between these governments today and a thriving democracy are significant. we have to help them navigate it. one of the real concerns i have is that the economic challenges these countries face are overwhelming. when i think about the suffering that is taking place in yemen, and it is still in the midst of active fighting, the reconstruction that is going to be required to put the country back together, and syria and

iraq and libya, and the economic reform that has taken place in some of the countries in the region that are not rocked by this instability are also very not insignificant. how do you make the changes while dealing with some of these insidious threats that some individuals who purport to want to demonstrate a protest in the name of democracy are not really interested in a flourishing democracy. they're interested in bringing down one authoritarian regime in order to put up another one. this middle east is wracked by a number of problems that i think it's going to be front and center for this united states government in the next administration for many years to judy: -- to come. judy: yes, in the back. this woman right here. and up. thank you.

kim: kim dozier with the council. you mentioned that in recent isis, daesh would , have to lose a lot of money, or we really see them on the back foot. is that also possibly time to retire phrases like on the back foot or in retreat? all of these have seemed to change names but the ideology just switches to a new group. mr. brennan: terrorism has been with us for millennia, used by groups over the years for all sorts of political and ideological purposes. the sad fact is that carrying out these acts of terrorism can inexpensive and relatively easy to fabricate, put together, and then carry out. when you have a motivational engine like isil that is able to

encourage as well as artistic -- as well as to participate in this, it makes the situation and the dental even that much more greater and more serious. when i commented in recent testimony that we have made progress on the battlefield, we are still a ways from being able to say we are successfully able thwart this- to isil growth. it really has been generated by what has happened, the phenomenon in the syria-iraq theater, it has a trajectory and momentum carrying it forward. we need efforts designed to go upstream inside of syria and iraq. we need to be attacking the networks in terms of flows of individuals, as well as flows of the narrative and the points that go out as well as working downstream to stop the attacks. whether it be in istanbul, paris, belgian -- belgium,

wherever. it needs to be a collective and combined effort to attack all of these areas. right now, i am still very concerned that the isil generated engine of foreign terrorism outside of syria and iraq still has a lot of momentum that we cannot rest at all and we have to increase efforts. i was struck after i gave that testimony, how a lot of members of the esteemed media were trying to highlight how my comments different from the white house's comments. i must tell you i am , hard-pressed to think about where president obama and i differ on this issue in terms of to talke have been able about with syria and iraq. at the same time, our concern about what this can bring to all of our communities either because the hand can reach that far and they have taken advantage of the openness of our society or because they are doing it via the internet. i think we share a similar view

on the status of isil's fortunes both inside the theater and in terms of what they can do in terms of external operations. judy: in the very back, with the hand up, thank you. yes, you. >> thank you. mr. brennan you said in an , interview yesterday that you would be very surprised if isis was not plotting an attack in the united states. do you have credible evidence that such an attack is in the works and has the chance of such an attack gone up in recent months and weeks? mr. brennan: what i was saying was that we have seen isil carry an array ofte terrorist attacks in the region, beyond the region, directly and indirectly. i would be surprised that isil is not considering carrying out these attacks in the near abroad

or the far abroad. the united states is leading the coalition to destroy as much of this poison inside of syria and iraq as possible. it would be surprising to me that isil is not trying to hit us, both in the region as well as in the homeland. i think what you see in the propagation in their material, they have a magazine that goes out, it says exactly that. it exhorts individual to do it. if anybody here believes the u.s. homeland is hermetically or isilnd that daesh would not consider that, i would not guard against that. do you think we are more hermetically sealed, or more sealed than we were after 9/11? mr. brennan: absolutely. we have gone to great lengths and briefed foreign partners about how we learned some painful lessons as a result of

9/11. and so, the intelligence law , enforcement, homeland security, other communities are than evertter today before. there is a tremendous volume of information and data that is out there. some of it, accurate, some of it, bogus. trying to make sense of it all and put the other pieces together is challenging. i think we're less vulnerable to the penetration but physical , because of the actions taken. as we have seen with the internet as well as with isil taking advantage of technology that allows them to communicate in a very secure fashion, it is certainly worrisome. judy: second row, yes. jim: jim man, author. in your list of challenges, you did not mention china, though there are several areas like ciber, for example where it

, might seem to fit in one way or another. where does it fit into your list of challenges? mr. brennan: as i said, i could have gone on and on about all of the challenges out there. it did not mention ukraine or a lot of issues related to russia. china is a growing power of great economic, political, and increasingly military influence , and presence. ,as we look at what is happening in the south china sea, there is a region for the united states to pay attention to what china is doing on a number of fronts , which we are. that is why the pivot asia or making sure that our allies and partners in that region know that we have not neglected that area. i was out in singapore at this thing rilla--shangri-la

conference. i was at a conference and met with the heads of intelligence services as a way to maintain dialogue and let them know the united states treats this region of the world very seriously, and we have important national security interest we will not get away from. we need to keep our eye on all these balls simultaneously. this is not an effort to try to contain china but to ensure that our interests are protected in advance, as are the interest of allies in the region and we fulfill our obligations. particularly in the area of navigation and the seas. judy: over here. christine: hello, christine vargas. thank you being here today. another one on iran. given sanctions, we are seeing a challenge investing in iran because european banks are

taking a look and saying the financial system, maybe i won't touch it. given that dynamic, are you seeing the moderates in politics surviving until such time as those financial benefits come through, and what event could tip the scales one way or another? thank you. mr. brennan: we are going through a transition period from the time when enron was sanctioned across the board on the many front -- iran was sanctioned across the board on so many fronts and financial institutions and companies adapted to the framework they were prevented from engaging with iran. now, we are positioning to the new environment in terms of what allowed under jcpoa. it is an adjustment that needs to be made and i know officials and others are working with the iranian as well as third parties to make sure what is permissible is understood and how these things can be done.

that takes some time. anytime you're going to make a major adjustment like that. do i think the moderates will survive? absolutely. i think the expectations among some in iran wants to be -- the agreement was signed -- they were quite high. and there will be immediate relief as well as immediate dividends as a result of this. there were some. i think there was a lot be -- that the iranian central government had to do in terms of structural and strategic macroeconomic issues. and impact onfect individual iranians is going to take place over time and we are very much hoping that that impact is going to be felt sooner than later as a way to validate the course that the

president is on. this will take some time. i'm sure some people may be frustrated by it. i know that our government is working to fulfill the obligations that are attended to the agreement. this is taking a bit of time. judy: the third row. >> forgive me, and administrative question. judy: you have to give us your name and affiliation first. >> years ago, i heard you say there was a need for more language training in the agency. i think i'm advanced in that direction because i think, around the world, i am encountering people, and they don't seem to speak the local language. you did say he wanted to do it, and i am just curious to know if it was done? mr. brennan: we only let you encounter the people we want to let you encounter. [laughter]

mr. brennan: we continue to hide our presence overseas. >> [indiscernible] well, i go to many stations and to our folks overseas. n ay are proficient i variety of languages. we have a language where we continue to provide incentives, rewards, recognition for individuals able to not just enhance their language but expand their repertoire of lang widgets. it is something that is critically important. i take your point. we need to have greater language capabilities inside the cia. given that we have global coverage that we need to fulfill, and the list of issues we need to deal with continues to grow and grow and grow and , resources are finite.

we need to be able to spread them around. having the language capability is going to give us the opportunity that we need in order to fulfill our various missions, particularly on the human front, it is important for you to be able to have the ability to interact with individuals you want to work closely with. judy: this gentleman in the fourth row right here in the aisle. >> director brendan scott harold from the rand corporation. thank you for all of your efforts. i wonder if you could come back to china. we had a new election in taiwan in january that process power, the tpp in taipei there are , signs that china is looking to make that relationship more old. i wonder if you could describe your sense of the growing threat from china to taiwan? mr. brennan: i think under putting new jinping

, effects in the ground, as well as the relationship he wants with the country and other s in the region. i think the relationship with taiwan and other regions is an important one. whether or not there will be an adjustment in that, it will be dependent on how beijing views taiwan and vice versa. given there is a new administration in taiwan and given that there is a rather important dynamic going on the region with how china is flexing some of its muscle, i think this also is in a period of transition. it is not a secret to anybody that i think mainland china use that views -- china views taiwan in a very special way. it has aspirations to further solidify relations.

i think this is all a part of that adjustment with new leadership. i think there is sometimes campaign rhetoric that takes place not just here but also overseas that once the reality of governance sets in sometimes those views are , tempered as far as the nature of interstate relations. i will leave it there. judy: let's see. how about in the middle back there in the blue shirt? caller: -- >> george salem. my question concerns the 28 pages you have been on record about, your view of their relative lack of value. my question is timing of release and a level of the declassification whether they will also be released with the investigative report which puts it all in context? mr. brennan: i am only the director of the cia, so i do not make decisions about the release

of a congressional document and the joint inquiry made in 2002 that subsequently was followed up with the 9/11 commission that thoroughly investigated all of the allegations and information in the 28 or 29 pages. there is an executive branch responsibility because the document cited executive branch information. it has been said publicly there has been a review that has been underway, so there will be the appropriate discussions that need to take place between the executive and legislative branches to finalize. i believe it is important attack -- for that document to get out because there is so much conjecture about it. there are a lot of things in there that i think will be used by some to misrepresent the facts or history, but that is why the 9/11 commission thorough research investigation really

should be seen by folks as a much more dispositive of it. there are some other documents that may come out at the same time, as you point out, but i defer to others who have that decision-making responsibility. judy: ok. let's see. to get to somebody, next to the last on the third and. you have had your hand up a long time. yes. >> simon henderson. the washington institute for near east policy. in today's "washington post," we can get a passing reference. mr. brennan: i did talk to david ignatius prior to that. it is a reference to me. >> he did not imply you did. the headline on the online version is "the 30-year-old prince could jumpstart the kingdom or drive it off a cliff."

what can the u.s. do and what should it do to get a good outcome in saudi arabia? mr. brennan: continue to work very closely with the saudi leadership and the saudi government. president obama has been there many times during his administration. we have constant interaction with the saudi government and the political economic security intelligence and military realms. we have very close alignment of objectives in some areas and need to continue to work with them. thesaudi 2013 vision -- saudi 2030 vision spearheaded by prince mohammed is an ambitious view of the future. i think the saudi leadership as credit forserves thinking about how saudi arabia will prosper in the future across a number of different areas in terms of development,

investment, employment, diversification of its economy. it is a very, very important country to the region's ability, to u.s. national security interests, and so, what we are trying to do is make sure there is an active dialogue and an open and candid discussion. between ourselves and saudi arabia. engagedident has extensively and has been open and honest and candid. we want to work together because we agree, and there are areas where there are disagreements. i have been impressed the dialogue has been so candid. it is particularly important now because you have a new leadership. they need to be working as a team. they have a number of challenges on the security front, given what is going on inside of

yemen, along the border and inside of other countries. it is a critically important relationship that we are going to continue to nurture and develop. judy: ok. this gentleman here, third in right here. >> mohammed. would you give us your assessment on whether your agency with egypt is upfront? mr. brennan: we do cooperate with egyptians. we want to make sure we can do what we can to protect individuals inside of egypt and others. in sinai there is an isil group , there but it used to be a local group. that basically pledge allegiance to isil. this was a very active group for i -- the-- the cyan

sinai for a number of years and now it is part of the isis global architecture. their responsibility for carrying out attacks against egyptian security, military there, they pose a threat to the multinational force observers inside the sinai. we work closely with egyptians and we try to give them the information we need to prevent these outrageous terrorist attacks from taking place. whether it be in sinai or other areas. we also have close and open and candid conversations with egyptians and there are areas in which we believe egyptians need to step up their game in terms of their capabilities but also in terms of how they deal with some of these very challenging issues that crossed both the security and political realms. we do have an active engagement with egyptians. judy: all right i think we're , out of time unless somebody has a very short question. anybody volunteer? [laughter] mr. brennan: i knew that was going to happen. >> an old journalist kind of

question. when do you start briefing donald trump and hillary clinton? [laughter] judy: you took my question away. mr. brennan: on these things, we always go one question too long. [laughter] mr. brennan: it is up to the president and the director of national intelligence to make that offer as they have done the past, to those candidates of the two principle political parties after they are formally nominated. the director of national intelligence takes the lead on that. and so the timing as well as the , willingness and interest, candidates, it is something that will be determined as a result of engagements with their respective staffs. judy: you won't do that briefing personally, will you? mr. brennan: i fill my ---fill my cia responsibilities to the best of my abilities. if there is a need for me to be

personally involved in this, i will try to carry out my response to these. [laughter] mr. brennan: if there is not a need, i will not. think johne a brennan, the director of the central intelligence agency. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016]

>> coming up on c-span, vice president biden host a summit on cancer research. then, a senate hearing on sex trafficking. then, president obama meets with north american leaders at a summit in ottawa, canada. [applause] the hard-fought 2016 primary season is over with historic convention to follow this summer. >> colorado, florida, texas, ohio. >> watch if he's been at the delegates consider the nomination of the first woman to head a political party and the first non-politician in several decades. on c-span. listen on the c-span radio app. you have a front-row seat to

every minute of both conventions on c-span, all beginning on monday, july 18. ♪ vice president joe biden hosted a summit in support of his cancer moonshot initiative to boost funding for cancer research. his son died last year from brain cancer. this part is 40 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome carol burnett. ms. burnett: good morning. welcome.

my heart soared when i thought president obama during his state of the union address. he asked vice president biden to lead to cancer moonshot. i sat down and i wrote vice president biden a letter asking to if i could do anything help. i wanted to volunteer. as a result, i am thrilled to be here today. [laughter] ms. burnett: unfortunately, the vice president and i share a common bond. i lost my daughter, terri hamilton, to cancer 14 years ago. she was 30 years old. life.d a passion for she had a great sense of humor. she was inme when and out of the hospital quite often during the last few months. this one night, i got the call

that she had been readmitted. so, i drove to the hospital, and i walked into the room. it was about 3:00 in the morning. i sat by her bed. she was asleep. made aned her eyes and i stupid off-the-cuff joke that i thought was funny. i said, "yeah, yeah, yet the come back and be in the hospital again." she -- missing the be, without missing a beat, she said she missed the food. nurse, sheng and a came up to me and said, i have to talk to you and tell you something about your daughter. i said "what?" she said that when we come into the room in the morning, there she is, baldheaded from the chemo, and she cheers us up. carrie, how i said,

can you always be so cheerful? >she said, every day i wake up this is the key word, every day, i wake up and decide, today, i am going to love my life. well, she loved her life right to the end. i have to say, today is remarkable for many reasons. this cancer moonshot summit is the first of its kind. the countryto cross in all 50 states. a summit like this one is taking place. it's at 270 regional summits in all 50 states, including d.c., what, and one. over 6000 people have come together to share any and all and to share any and all information about cancer. it is remarkable for many

reasons, none, the least of which is hope. means many different things to different people. and thecer patient family affected by it, hope means everything. today, we will see in this room, all of the countries, we have every reason to hope. carrierent who lost my to cancer, i have always felt that joe biden was in my corner. like so many of you, i have aspired -- i am inspired by his vision and determination. he is what the cancer moonshot effort is all about. he knows cancer. he lived through cancer. and he sees that if we fight it together, we can have a world without cancer as we know it. i am with you, vice president

biden. we all are. ladies and gentlemen, without further do, the vice president of the united states. [applause] vice pres. biden: thank you very much. please, thank you. please. please, thank you so much. mr. president, let me thank you by offering this as a venue. .his was an important meeting you know, before i go to the introductions and the she cameons of people, into my office yesterday and it was like we had known each other

forever. i have watched her and it felt like i know her. many here are patient advocates. the stories of our children, spouses, brothers, sisters who have not -- who fought the good fight and ultimately suck comed, it's amazing the spirit of so many of them. she was telling me about carrie and i started talking about -- and i will not do this, i promise, about bo, my son. i was thinking when she was speaking that he was at three different hospitals over the year-and-a-half. by the way, if there are any angels in heaven, they are all nurses. the doc's are ok but they're all nurses. [applause] . >> male and female. you're looking at a guy two months