nicholas rasmussen says social media is playing a prominent role in the group asability to recruit fightersrasmussen is director of the u.s. national counterterrorism center. he briefed congress on the matter. he said the militant group is adept at using new media tools to reach a broader online audience. >> just since january 1 of this year, more than 250 official isil products have been published online and the group has shown the capacity to use these products to speak to a full spectrum of potential audiences. >> rasmussen said more than 20,000 foreigners from over 90 countries have traveled to syria to join fighting. he said at least 3,400 of them are from western countries, including the united states. he urged the u.s. government to tighten monitoring of social media sites and cooperate with firms who run them to prevent radical ideas from spreading. >>> the leaders of four nations have gathered together in the capital of belarus. they're trying to seek a political solution to the crisis in ukraine. the presidents of russia and ukraine are taking part. their counterparts from germany

nicholas rasmussen is the directer of national intelligence center. mr. asmussen, do you have a statement? >> i believe i'm next. >> mr. rasmussen, please. >> thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee today for this discussion concerning guantanamo detainees. i'll begin by discussing the intelligence community's support for the process that brian outlined in some detail, specifically the analysis that the intelligence community provides. the community provides a range of tailored intelligence -- >> would you adjust your mic? >> the intelligence community produces a range of assessments aimed at helping policy makers make decisions about the transfer of detainees from the guantanamo detention facility. these include profiles that examine factors relevant to whether individual detainees pose continuing threats to the united states or to our allies. and to echo brian's remarks, we take the risk of reengagement very seriously. the community is continuously evaluating the global threat environment and works to keep decision makers, including

national counterterrorism center director nicholas rasmussen testifies. he'll be discussing security threats facing the u.s. at home and abroad. and the steps that the department is taking to address intelligence oversight. watch that live at 2:30 eastern here on c-span3. >>> the senate today is debating the nomination of ashton carter to be the next defense secretary. his nomination was approved unanimously on tuesday by the senate armed services committee. and the full senate will vote on his nomination today at 2:00 p.m. eastern time. watch that live on our companion network, c-span2. >>> here are some of our featured programs for this presidents' day weekend on the c-span networks. on c-span2's book tv, saturday morning at 9:00, live coverage of the savannah book festival with nonfiction authors and books on topics like the disappearance of michael rockefeller, the british company of elephants during world war ii and four women spies during the civil war. and sunday at 9:00 p.m. eastern on after words, former senior adviser for president obama david a

nicholas rasmussen pegged the numbers between 3500 and 500. at the speech the governor told "the daily beast" that he had misspoken. it is a consequence that the last group produced a group of jihadists that the perceived threat is so large that the country could end up scared enough into electing the brother of the man who brought us our first war with iraq. joining me now is lon cole the professor at the university of michigan. professor cole your reaction to jeb bush's speech today? >> well it just seemed not ready to prime time. he didn't have his figures right. his history was all wrong. you know he said that isol didn't exist a few years ago. it goes back to zarkawi and the mesopotamia of the early zeros and has established the islamic state of iraq at least since 2006. so it doesn't seem to me that he really as of yet has a grasp of the details of foreign policy. >> i was struck with him talking about the iraq war, for instance, he talks about iran's influence, you end up asking yourself how did all of that come about? >> yeah you know

. >> and nicholas rasmussen the director of the national counterterrorism center testified before theintelligence committee earlier this week that terror groups are more organized than ever. he said we can put it up on screen isil otherwise known as isis has reached out and developed affiliated relationships, endorsement-like relationships with groups outside of iraq and syria including in north africa algeria and including i believe yemen. all of that just adds to the picture of an interconnected terrorist network with the ability to share resources, personnel, expertise and trade craft in a way that serves as a multiplier to their own capabilities. and that's a disturbing trend. if isis and al qaeda have been degraded as the administration insists, how is it possible paul for this threat to keep growing? and i guess the other question is and it gets to this encountering violent extremism a summit the prebz and the white house will be holding on later this week. i guess the key is to stop the flow of these fighters coming and stop the flow of these reinforcements coming in. paul, you

next we have the honorable nicholas rasmussen, sworn in as director of the national counterterrorism center in december of 2014. he previously served as nctc's deputy director since june of 2012, prior to returning to nctc he served with the national security council staff as special assistant to the president, and senior director for counterterrorism. thank you, sir. and last but not least, michael steinbach, appointed as the assistant director of the fbi's counterterrorism division by director comey in july of 2014. he joined the fbi in 1995, held a variety of positions at fbi headquarters in the field and overseas during his ten-year career with the bureau. most recently served as deputy assistant director of the counterterrorism position. the witnesses' full statements will appear in the record. the chair francis "frank" x. taylor now recognizes undersecretary taylor for his opening statement. >> chairman mccaul, ranking member thompson, and distinguished members of the committee i'm pleased to be here today with my colleagues from the fbi and nctc to discuss the foreign fighter

next we have the honorable nicholas rasmussen, sworn in as director of the national counterterrorism center in december of 2014. he previously served as nctc's deputy director since june of 2012 prior to returning to nctc he served with the national security council staff as special assistant to the president, and senior director for counterterrorism. thank you, sir. and last but not least, michael steinbach, appointed as the assistant director of the fbi's counterterrorism division by director comey in july of 2014. he joined the fbi in 1995, held a variety of positions at fbi headquarters in the field and overseas during his ten-year career with the bureau. most recently served as deputy assistant director of the counterterrorism position. the witnesses' full statements will appear in the record. the chair now recognizes undersecretary taylor for his opening statement. >> chairman mccaul, ranking member thompson, and distinguished members of the committee i'm pleased to be here today with my colleagues from the fbi and nctc to discuss the foreign fighter threat and our current effo

as both i and nicholas rasmussen explained, sir, when we bring forward a case for possible transfer, we look at the totality of the evidence, what the detainee had done on the battlefield, how they have behaved at guantanamo, what their current -- what our assessment is of their intentions, so it's not just to look at the assessments that were done -- >> mr. secretary, you're not answering the question. if you don't have the information, then submit it. it's important for this committee to know who is low risk, medium risk and high risk. i would have expected you to come to this hearing with that information. >> yes, mr. chairman. i should add that these risk levels, in terms of who is in what category, is classified. we would be happy to have this conversation with you in a classified context as well. i think it's safe to say many of them are in the medium to high risk category. >> well, it would be very important for us to know that as we move forward. >> yes, sir. >> senator tillis touched on this issue of the notification of congress. and i think a lot of people were very disturb

national counterterrorism center director nicholas rasmussen testifies before the senate committee on intelligence. we have live coverage of his testimony at 2:30 eastern on our companion network c-span3. >> this sunday on q&a film maker thomas allen harris explores how african-americans have been portrayed in photographic images from the time of slavery through today. >> it is based in many ways on the work of douglas willis. aground breaking book about black photographers very much aware of this other narrative that was going on as well in which black people were constructed post slavery and even before the end of slavery as something other than human and it was part of the marketing of photographs and memorabilia that and stereotypes that now would be considered and pleasant but now in terms of the way we invite ourselves and the way we might see others. >> sunday night at 8:00 eastern and pacific on c-span q&a. >> louisiana governor bobby jindal was in favor of harming the ukrainian government to defend itself against russia and education reform and questions about his political a