and then they've got their mois, their secret service, surrogates like lebanese, hezbollah, that sort of thing they've got going on as they fight this shadow war, i think iran is the biggest threat, senator. >> sir, i would agree that iran is probably the biggest threat. but i don't think we should take our eye off the ball in terms of al qaeda or the violent extremist networks that are out there. as you look at al qaeda senior leadership most of which still remains in the tribal areas you begin to see the franchises east african al qaeda, al qaeda and the islamic lands and what they're doing in terms of north africa and the other al qaeda franchise movements, these are something we need to continue to pay particular attention to because that cancer continues to grow albeit at a slower rate. >> and the average follow-up is the support we should be giving you and the resources that you're going to be needing to meet these threats and keeping the americans safe. i would hope that you would be forthcoming and probably in a private setting that we could sit down and see how we could best

and then they have their mois, their secret service surrogates like lebanese hezbollah. i think iran is the biggest threat, senator. >> admiral. >> sir, i would agree with general mattis that iran is probably the biggest threat, but i don't think we soo take our eye off the ball in terms of the other networks that are out there. if you look he leadership, you begin to see the franchises and east african al qaeda in terms of al shabaab and what they are doing in terms of north africa and the other al qaeda franchise movements. these are something we need to continue to pay particular attention to because that cancer tens to grow at a slower rate. >> and i would hope that you would be forthcoming in a private setting that we should sit down an see how we can best make sure that happens. but again, thank you for your service. i appreciate it very much. >> we whether stayed a journed. thanks to you both in terms of your testimony. i had to leave here for about an hour so i could be with the israelly prime minister and a number of senators and that's what the main focus was.

is what we call the kuds force mois, their secret service, they're surrogates, proxies like lebanese hezbollah and other terrorists that they fund. and on that one it's largely a police and intelligence driven effort as we try to contain that but also our special forces work that issue very, very closely. so four basic threats and we look to how we can check each one of those working alongside some of the most enduring, long-term partnerships we've had in some of the countries out there. >> well, since this is a budget hearing, in your opinion, does the current budget proposal deal sufficiently with the kinds of threats and the responses that we are now providing to those threats? >> it absolutely does, senator nelson. i can say this though because i'm first among equals when it comes to the combatant commanders. basically, if i need something, i go to secretary panetta and i get it. so i'll just tell that you i'm well resourced, sir. >> admiral, from your perspective? >> sir, i'm also extremely well resourced. >> you don't think that the budget was prepared under different assumptions and the

frankly, i think tehran sees a lebanese hezbollah kind of mental model for where they want to go down there. >> have the saudis raised concern with you about iranian involvement in yemen? >> yes, sir. >> what's your assessment of the new government in yemen? are they interested in continuing to cooperate o

frankly, i think tehran sees a lebanese hezbollah kind of mental model for where they want to go down there. >> have the saudis raised concern with you about iranian involvement in yemen? >> yes, ma'am. >> what's your assessment of the new government in yemen? are they interested in continuing to cooperate on counterterrorism matters. >> i believe they are, yes. >> and what's the current status of the dod security assistant programs with respect to yemen? particularly, the assistance program authorized under the most recent defense authorization bill. >> as you know, ma'am, the -- the long delay in president saleh leaving basically derailed internal frictions that were going on. we didn't want our people engaged in what was really something the yemenis had to sort out on their own. so we're going to have to get with president hadi and his organization now and start rkfrankly, in what we were doing. not across the board. not in all areas. i can speak more in private with you on some of that. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator hagan. senator shaheen. >> thank you. general

they recognize the link of lebanese hezbollah will be kind if in fact the bashar al assad false.they have never gotten along that well. theory is that the taliban if they are going to help the taliban and to some degree fighters in afghanistan. we also see their makeshift altar around the world of course break down here to washington d.c. for they attempted to kill an arab ambassador. so this is an ongoing affair. i think it is now with this regime something we sent you have to accept as part of their aspirin and we certainly take a lot of prudent steps to mean team are on force protection. but we also see them trying to find a way it can take of anything that any of these. the weakening causes the comma. i think they were pretty well robust they are. iranian revolution not been seen as an example for any of the arab nations in their awakening. so it is not completely successful, but at the same time, it is highly concerning. >> my time is about a. i have to ask you briefly, is all this activity and nutrition diary and evidence of disputed people including the regions really have

mckibben bellicose about closing the streets and the they've got their mois, their quds force led lebanese hezbollah. that sort of thing as they fight the chateau war. i think iran is the biggest threat, senator. >> i would agree it is probably the biggest threat i don't think that we can take out by of the ball in al qaeda or the violent extremist networks that are out there as you look at al qaeda senior leadership's most of which remains in the finale of the minister tribal areas but to begin to see the franchise as and al qaeda arabian peninsula and al qaeda in the islamic plant in mog read and what they are doing in terms of north africa and the other dhaka the franchise movements this is something we need to continue to pay particular attention to because that cancer continues to grow albeit at a slower rate. >> and i will follow-up as a support we should be giving you and the resources that you are going to be needing to meet these threats and keeping america safe. i would hope that he would be forthcoming and probably in that private setting that we could sit down and see how we can best mak

so the fbi has noted that there are hezbollah operatives that are not lebanese. that are iraqi. that are iranian. or otherwise. th should be aware of. >> is it possible that they would metamorphose into selecting persons who are of american ancestry? >> we haven't seen that as much as we've seen with sunnis recruiting are people have converted to sunni islam. there is a small number of that type of thing. my bigger concern as i get to my testimony, is their ability to leverage criminal networks of the types that mr. braun has discussed. these are nonmuslim, and they're not hezbollah. they're not qods force, but by virtue of working together, they're able to do things on behalf of the group, knowingly or otherwise. and we know that hezbollah lever ands criminal associations. here, in europe, for operational purposes, in part to get around the extras strict tours that have been put in place post 9/11. >> when we talk about these networks, are they likely to be persons who are from the country that we're in? >> not the criminal -- the criminal networks? >> yes. >> not necessarily.

hezbollah. he didn't say seven lebanese christians, these were members of hezbollah.d, you know, that made about page 20 in "the washington post," barely touched on in the national media, but clearly important to those who realize it's a threat. megyn: mike, this is one of the things they talked about this morning, how quickly could these operatives or members, whatever you want to call them, become operational as terrorists within the united states. the answers were not good. >> no, absolutely. i mean, that's the point. they could already be here in place. it's no secret there's massive tensions. i mean, you know, the iranians and the police there and the people who control the hezbollah strains, they read the newspapers just like everyone else. so i think it's entirely possible that operate is have come in -- operatives have come in. i was trying to make the point it's not hundreds of operatives, so we shouldn't worry about massive attacks on cities in the dozens, but kinetic attacks on people, probably something like we've seen where it's explosives, attacking on b

hezbollah has a far reach? remember their horrific actions in lebanon in the lebanese war. but if you could focus on the homegrown terrorism and your depth of understanding of hezbollah's impact in influencing individuals that are here in the united states that would be the late -- the least perceived operative, is that the way they are working, that they would be working with the least perceived operative, someone who may not show themselves clear to be intending to do wrong? well, does someone feel -- >> yeah, i'm not really -- congresswoman, i'm not really the right person. >> dr. levitt, he's pointing to you. >> i'm sorry. i didn't know if you were asking me or him. i think hezbollah will work through its own operatives and through its own network some criminal. but the fbi has made public the fact that hezbollah has proactively also started looking for people who don't fit the main profile and, therefore, it's incumbent upon us to be aware of that as well. again, since hezbollah has the ability to -- people who may not be followers. this is a line of investigation that

they recognize that their link to lebanese and hezbollah if assad falls so we see this throughout theregion. they have never gotten along that well, the iranians with the taliban but yet they are willing to help the taliban to some degree fight us in afghanistan. we also see their mischief all around the world and of course right here in washington d.c. where they attempted to kill and arab ambassador. so this is an ongoing effort. i think it's now within the regime something we have to make part of our modus modus operandi and we certainly have taken a lot of prudent steps in our own force protection. we also see the trying to find their way and take advantage of anything in any of these arab awakening causes that. they have tried in cairo and i think they were pretty well rebuffed there. the iranian revolution is not being seen as an example for any of the arab nations in their awakening. so it's not successful but at the same time it's highly concerning. >> my time is about up. i was about to ask you briefly, is all of this activity and the region via ran evidence of the fear that

we focus on hezbollah as a terrorist organization. they own lebanese politics now in a way they didn't 30 years ago. in that sense, hezbollah is a different adversary than they were when george tenet spoke. the second and final thing is irans different as well. what we've seen in the past year is that attempt on the saudi ambassador in washington and also attempts across the world in places like thailand, so they're showing capability is one thing. the real difference is they're showing the intent to go after people in ways they weren't five, ten years ago. >> thomas, would you agree with that, that they are showing the intent? and if so, what would be the potential risks or types of attacks that they might try in the united states? >> well, i agree with phil. certainly the intent is there and the capability is up for the iranians. i agree they view hezbollah in a way differently than they have in the past so that forces the iranians to increase their capabilities and their ability to reach into the united states or to hit u.s. interests in other parts

he's -- weapons hezbollah, complice knit the murder of american soldiers in iraq and lebanese politics so at the least we want this conflict to burn on. and if we're not going to -- the opposition we want the saudis, the turks to do it. we do not want to let assad off the hook. >> john look at who the on suggestion is. the opposition has got to for of hamas, the support of al- qaeda, they've got the support of a muslim brotherhood. if that opposition wins, the christians go to the wall in syria. this is a horrendous mess. we know the devil got in there but there's devils coming. my judgment the united states should work along with the russians to put an end to this conflict. [everyone talking at once] >> the sovereignty of the state -- that is the -- failure agreement, or will it be huynh assistance? >> it's a sickening huynh. people are starve to go death and freezing to death. and i think -- yes, the saudis are beginning to talk about arming the opposition. the opposition is not a bunch of angels, but i think it's innerrable assad will go, and if you don't arm them it prolongs -- [ev

hezbollah you know what we have repeatedly stated that the lebanese resistance forces are forced to bear arms due to the ongoing occupation of a part of nobody's territory by israel that israel continues to make its own. is across the territory by sea and land on a daily basis which is a constant source of danger and that is why we cannot tell the freedom fighters in southern lebanon to lay down their arms while they are faced with constant threat from israel that israel needs to stop pressuring and threatening us all the time so that we can feel that our peace security and stability are not endangered that we will still need a force capable of protecting us against such current threats we can revisit this issue once occupation is over and lebanese territories are liberated and. the u.n. security council is closely following the events in the middle east and that lebanon has many friends around the globe including some of the council's members would be possible for a u.n. security council resolution. to end its daily flights over the lebanese territory. we are against a policy of double

hezbollah has a far reach. i remember their actions in lebanon and of the lebanese war, but if you could focus on the homegrown rrorism and your depth of understanding of hezbollah impact of influencing individuals that are here in the united states would be the least perceived operative is that the way they are working that they would be working with the least perceived operative, someone who may not show themselves clear to be intending to do wrong? >> i'm not the right person -- >> he's pointing to you. >> didn't know if you're asking me or him it's to some networks criminal, but the fbi has made public the fact that hezbollah has practically also started looking for people who don't fit the mean profile, and therefore it is incumbent upon us to be aware of that as well to since hezbollah temperature people who might not be willing followers this is also the line of investigation that foreign attention. all of these efforts that have been put in place since 9/11 make it difficult for the established operatives we may already know about through the other intelligence that we put out there and so it is to be e