gen. dunford: about 6,000 arabs. >> what percentage of the force is that? gen. dunford: that's about 20%. >> ok. so if you're wondering why turkey is a little upset we're arming people inside of syria aligned with a terrorist group that's fighting the turkish government. turkey could do more but i think this whole concept is quite frankly absurd. i got back from saudi arabia they believe that they're not going into syria as long as they think assad is going to win and damascus will be controlled by the iranians. have they expressed to you their displeasure our policies towards assad? sec. carter: i'll take that. but i do want to get back to the turks, though. thanks for going there and talks to them. they're a nato ally. it's important. and we do discuss with them our effort to, which is an important effort and one that's important to protecting -- >> secretary carter, i've got two minutes left. i'm not asking you to tell me what they told me. i know what they told me. they may have told you something different. i think the saudis having been there just last week

gen. dunford: i'll -- i'll -- mr. manchin: what are you -- gen. dunford: we are aiming at -- mr. manchin: i know what you are aiming at, what i'm asking, hat will it take to do the job? gen. dunford: that is the number we are shooting at, and i hundred 80,000 and anything ess than that is inadequate. the general of the armys, their priorities are in fact about readiness and that is the principal thing that's the eneral and i have focused on in the army. and bringing a total army back to levels of readiness that are necessary. if i can loop back to your special forces point, also, senator, we have a lot more than 300 special forces. not like we have to make these people. we're sending them there. we have tens of thousands of special forces. excellent people, yes, exquisitely trained people. it's not like we don't have them to apply to syria. we're applying them in the number and manner that makes sense at this moment. let me ask the chairman if he wants to add to those questions. gen. dunford: right now in this budget year i was more concerned with the capability of the force than

gen. dunford: -- mr. sullivan: dropping bombs -- gen. dunford: yes, flying over -- think it would be helpful to pass this onto the president and to the people, to the press, i mean, even last to the50 forces go middle east, but they are not in combat roles. i think leveling with the american people is very useful. i know the two of you are doing that, but if you could pass that message onto the president, i think that would be useful. gen. dunford: can i think you by the way for what you said? it is general milley and it is a whole bunch of -- sec. carter: our country is blessed. mr. sullivan: i would like to follow-up on sen. cotton: line -- i would like 's follow up on sen. cotton line of questioning, but we see a very important strategic significance about what people are calling for strategic triangle in the south china sea. the chinese have already established two legs of the triangle, the fighters and radars are part of that radius that you see around the shaoal. what is the strategic significance if the chinese do start to build up