the opportunities that are now before us in iraq exist only because of the leadership of these individuals and more than 1 million americans who have served there including nearly 4,500 who have paid the ultimate price. like too many americans i have lost friends in iraq. if confirmed i will do everything in my power drawing all the tools of our foreign policy to build a lasting policy with iraq worthy of their memory and sacrifice. i believe such a partnership is possible and i believe we are not there yet. there is so much the u.s. must do to mitigate risks and increase prospects for consolidating the many gains we have seen. iraq today is slowly emerging from decades of war, isolation and dictatorship. more recently a war that left tens of thousands of iraqis dead and millions displaced. the violence threatened to collapse and reduce many citizens to the most basic identities. this legacy is felt most acutely in the political process. politics is now the primary arena for engagement. that is the good news. the bad news is that their vast differences threaten to ov overwhelm for framewor

honduras options being exported to iraq that is the sort of the cia trained torture model in those countries that worked in the one nine hundred eighty s. being used in iraq and now it's being sent back to honduras and the result is the kind of massacres that we saw on the miskito region over the past two months do you think that the u.s. is using the drug war to just expand it solved militarily in the region and just grow more influence absolutely that's one of the things that the u.s. is using to expand itself militarily it's also you know it's also using its support for coups in throughout latin america the most recent coup of course being in paraguay which is another country where u.s. would like to expand its military influence since it currently does not have bases in the southern cone that have the reach that it would like to have and so you know we're going to see the u.s. supporting the coup just as it supported the coup in honduras and there have been several military bases open in honduras since the coup so there's a direct relationship there how can you. a lot of people don't realize that this is happening i mean when you hear the drug

in the region is very serious. if you look at iraq's agriculture, it used to be the great basket of the world. today agriculture is at best 20% of gdp. but agriculture in iraq uses 90% of iraq's water. that is not sustainable. and it's to the point where if they get the agriculture going again, they're going to have a serious water problem. maliki and the government hosted a conference to this discuss this with some of the regional neighbors in baghdad. maliki said we face a real crisis. we have a common way forward within the strategic framework agreement. it calls on cooperation between the u.s. and iraq to address issues like this. and to call on the expertise. i know there's some in new mexico. to call on the expertise to help the iraqis think in systematized way. do they need dams? do they need to redirect some water supplies? and to work with turkey in particular, to address this problem over the long term. all i will say is it's been overlooked. it's been overlooked because iraq has been involved in a serious sectarian war. now that they're coming out of that phase, these very important

are those who are already bearing the brunt of repression from their own government like iraq used in iraq and now iranians in iran and what's kind of ironic about this particular case is that they were trying to purchase a i pad and this is something you know i phones i pad these these devices can be used to empower people you know presumably you can access twitter facebook social media and you know in the arab spring we saw how this kind of technology was used to to help spread awareness and spark this movement but in this case the iranians are being deprived of using this technology. that's right liz and the thing is that the u.s. government has in recent years taken a step back and ease sanctions on certain software but the problem again is that the sanctions read so broadly that companies like apple like yahoo and google can take an interpretation quite easily away from the us that they become weary of any sort of access to software or hardware that they might have to iranians or in this case an iranian american for fear of what might happen to them what sort of sanction they might re

out the mysterious dark evil foreign fighters from this narrative it's what the americans used all the time in iraq and i don't think lebanon deserves that there are men crossing that border who are lebanese and some of whom are syrian one family said to me when we see them in the darkness we say god bless you and take care clearly weapons are going across the lebanese army found a truckload of weapons two and a half months ago on the main coast road north of beirut oddly enough the u.n. which controls the coast of lebanon with a warship to prevent hezbollah getting weapons didn't spot those weapons which are apparently going to be used against the assad regime however you can take conspiracy theories rather too far in lebanon and believe everything that everybody tells you so you will end up by believing absolutely nothing ok there there's no

in the u.s. is about to increase. it fell from the sky with a boom and with this fiery wreckage comes a lot of questions. >> i knew that they use them in iraq and afghanistan, but i was really surprised. >> reporter: the naval drone was said to be on a routine test flight. right now, unmanned aircrafts are used as border surveillance or to target targets over seas. mike white is now the civil aviation team leader at spectrum in washington, d.c. he says the number of unmanned aircrafts patrolling the u.s. is going to explode. they have to create a plan to have drones in american air space by 2015. >> law enforcement will be using surveillance. the military will be using them for surveillance. >> reporter: concerns are being raised about drones sharing the skies with other aircrafts. white says the kinks need to be worked oh out. >> when it crashed here in maryland, it went into a marsh. we were very lucky. can you guarantee that you can control that? >> reporter: and the cause of monday's crash is still under investigation. back to you. >> thank you. drones can be operated by people who are hundreds or even thousands of miles away. >>> a sho

god people around the world are very interested in us and chicanos and she gun us why because a lot of us are fighting and dying in iraq right now a lot of our party and is a you all may know are in the military. we work hard to create jobs so that latino's don't have to serve in the u.s. army i said recently that we try to tell the truth about military service. because the recruiters painted distorted picture of it the movie. will be in the new york so big business it is going to. sleep through his or literature and chicano studies about the mexican americans in california. and i meant for non those warres del sol law in two thousand and three just after his son's death we will. that's when we begin to work on ways to counter military recruitment. i mean this means a lot somy because i'm a vietnam vet. a slave it on the vietnam. look is done was in one nine hundred ninety doring the clinton administration the military realized there were a lot of young latinos and they could target for recruiting and in most books the most on us in quantity. so knows latinos but as one of them because. you could give iraq war put pres

we'll take you inside the place where they're fixing up thousands of machinery used in iraq and afghanistanimagine looking up and seeing this? the severe weather scare that sent people running at a high school graduation. >> for more than a decade u.s. marines have been steadily rotating in and out of war zones. ever wonder what happens to all their banged up, bullet-riddled military hardware when it comes back from the front lines? cnn's john zarrella has an inside look at a massive maintenance facility that keeps marines ready to fight. show our viewers what you're seeing. >> reporter: wolf, most of us probably don't even think about what happens to all these thousands upon thousands of pieces of equipment coming back from iraq and afghanistan now with the drawdown. a lot of it ends up on an island. think of it like an auto repair shop. >> one thing we found is it has a fuel leak. >> reporter: but not any you've been to. >> it's not like you can take your car to the dealership and say it's skipping. >> reporter: what are they fixing? thousands of pieces of beat up marine corps equipment a

government element in iraq, using site dedicated fixturing and 31 helicopters. missions include medical evacuation, security support, personnel, transportation within iraq and movement of personnel into and out of iraq. we plan to downsize the program under the glide task. in conclusion the scope of the department's diplomatic activity remains are choosing any of our past efforts. a secretary clinton said during remarks at the virginia military academy in april, in iraq we've completed the largest transition from military to civilian leadership since the marshall plan. civilians later partnership with the free and democratic iraq. mr. chairman, we are committed to assisting iraq in securing the team to meet with u.s. assistant towards becoming a secure, stable and self-reliant country efficiently and effectively as possible. thank you again for inviting me here today for ongoing support of the department of state. i welcome any questions you might have. thank you, sir. >> we now recognize mr. peter verga, chief of staff for undersecretary for the u.s. department

in the u.s. is about to increase. >> it fell from the sky with a boom. this comes a lot of questions. >> i know that they used them in iraqnd afghanistan. i was surprised. >> the drone that crashed into the eastern shore was on a routine test flight. right now unmanned aircrafts are used as border surveillance or to do surveillance. >> this year they're going to grow. >> mark white is now the aif aviation team leader. he said the number of unmanned aircrafts patrolling the sus going to explode. >> that's because congress has orderered them here -- ordered them here by 2015. >> they will be used for surveillance. >> the concern has been raised of sharing the high with commercial aircrafts and having one hijacked by terrorists. while there are valid uses, the kings need to be worked out. >> we were lucky it crashed into a marsh. can you say it's going to happen that way every thousand? >> drones can be flown by operators up to a thousand miles away. >>> the northern colorado fire has grown to 68 miles and destroyed 100 buildings and killed one woman. that is said to be 10% contained now. >> we're here for the if -- for the

big crux of the matter, that the national guard and the reserves have been used in unprecedented fashion in the conflicts in iraq and afghanistan. they've been used as an operational reserve. and i know that in briefings that i've been to at the pentagon the army has talked about their force generation model, they refer to as r4-gen. envisions guard and reserve units activating at least once, or they say once every five years, so out of every five-year period you can expect to be deployed out of the national guard or reserve. and more often if you're switching units, you know, and you happen to catch the unit at the right or the wrong time, depending on your opinion, in the cycle. and that's going to be a continued issue, particularly with smaller employers who can stand to absorb that loss less well. i know that there are -- you know, what we've heard from our membership somewhat anecdotally is that they're not getting hired because they're in the guard or reserve and that employers have -- it's one of the questions that they're often asked. you know, are you in the guard or reserve? are you anticipating deploy

iraq's concerns about syria's stability in a post-assad era, the violence over the past year perpetrated by assad's forces is inexcusable. iraq should join with others in the international community and use its position in the arab league to bring increased diplomatic pressure to bear on mr. assad. i also continue to have significant concerns about iran's efforts to exert influence in iraq. i look forward to hearing the nominee's thoughts on this seminole issue, and an assessment of the u.s.' ability to diplomatically mitigate the negative effects of iranian influence in iraq. despite these continuing challenges there is positive news in iraq that we can build upon reflected in a recent public opinion survey fielded by the national democratic institute known as ndi. they found that 48% of iraqis believed that iraq was headed in the right direction. oil exports have increased by 20% this year to nearly 2.5 million barrels a day. american presence is up in iraq and villains levels decreased. we're seeing signs of progress, but this progress is delicate and fragile. in october of last year the state department became the lead u.s. agency in the country. the u.s. embassy in baghdad is the bi

they're useless whatsoever all they do using a little buddy in iraq hears about jesus and they just stamp your passport and say you're welcome but i think the decease your thesis. that arguable when they needed to find something faulty with the boys saw that they didn't see anything about pieces until later though it didn't know they detained them for us and then they used visas as a pretext for the right to see. even the right to have any of guinea of one of the spotlight would be back shortly after we take a break so stay with us we'll continue this them to the human plus. my parents really truly honestly believe that what had happened was as a result of my father's exposure to agent orange i was born with multiple problems . i was missing my leg and my fingers and my big toe on my right foot i use my hands a lot in my artwork i find myself drawing my hands quite a bit to me. for my hands you know just as if anyone would. but they do tell a story they tell us story of. oxen. welcome back to spotlight on an album just a reminder that my guests on the show today are ignorant you and. then

in or wanted to ask. how can the -- you want us to help syria. we're in afghanistan and iraq, how can we be assured that we're not going to send troops eventually, this kens me. and secondly, is diplomatic, anything diplomatic out of the question with these countries? with syria? is that completely out of the question? and then i have another. you mentioned that obama didn't say anything. he did back -- getting rid of mubarak, and he's being criticized for that too. so i don't know -- >> first of all, as far as mubarak is concerned, if you talk to our egyptian friends, they will tell you he was very late in supporting the ouster of mubarak. i appreciate mubarak, i appreciate the long relationship we had with egypt, the camp david peace accords which were vital, all those things were important. mubarak was going to go, my friends. he was going to go because the egyptian people no longer would tolerate that government. and we should have recognized that early on. as far as the difference is concerned, i understand that americans are war weary. i understand that there's a raisin

in iraq. 's successful transition enables us to concentrate on building that long-term strategic partnership based on mutual interest in mutual respect. finally iraq for a substantial fms program is demonstrating his desire for long-term strategic heart worship and its commitment to this program is a testimony to the future of the u.s. iraq partnership. i thank you for your attention and look forward to your questions. >> thank you very much and we will now recognize the honorable mara rudman the assistant administrator for the bureau of the u.s. agency for international development. you are recognized for five minutes. >> thank you is to chairman and ranking member tyranny. thank you for the opportunity to discuss usaid work in the transition from a military-led to civilian-led iraq. our goal is to -- this is critical to u.s. interests in the middle east. is goal made possible through enormous sacrifice by americans and iraqis alike. usaid is adjusting its footprint in iraq in line with the development strategy and programmatic needs. we are focused on iraq sustainable development under the terms

he is also trying to use the health-care bill as president bush tried to use the war in iraq. you might not support where he stands on it but he fights for what he believes in. that is an issue, the idea that he is a strong leader. >> mitt romney is sticking to his guns as well, saying repealing would be his first order of business. >> as you might imagine, i disagree with the supreme court's decision, and i agree with the dissent. what the court did not do on its last day in session high will do on my first day if elected president of the united states, and that this act to repeal obama-care. let's make clear that we understand what the court did and did not do. they said obama-care does not violate the constitution. they did not say it was good law or a good policy. obama-care was bad policy yesterday and it is bad policy today. obama-care was bad law yesterday and today. let me tell you why i say that. obama-care raises taxes on the american people by approximately $500 billion. obama-care cuts medicare -- cuts medicare by approximately $500 billion, and even with those cut

use them as examples, iraq and libya. now, iraq was a very powerful nation. it took us three days in terms of wiping out their army. but we did not count on the people with the bombs and the this and the dirty pool that was played. but iraq was a counterbalance to iran. for years and years and decades and decades, one would go 3 yards over and the other would go 3 yards over. one would use poison gas and the other would use something. but they were basically a identical. and they could not do anything. this was a natural chess that took place over many, many years. military check. we decapitated the iraqi army. so now iran is just waiting. at some point, there is no question, as sure as you're sitting here, unless something else happens first, like somebody wanting to get elected and the only way he will do it is to start a war with iran -- i will tell you what, if iran is negotiating now, they have to be crazy. i said this the other day. they are sitting on hot timber. they are really crazy if they are not negotiating. and, by the way, do, in my opinion, want to negotiate. if you have someone who wants to have war

in 1981 you recall you were opposed to the use of -- in 1981 you were opposed to the use of preventative force against iraq's nuclear program. and i wonder when you look back on that, what were you thinking about that at the time? what was your reason for opposition? >> and say iran -- in history, we have many very friendly relations and now very dangerous. so i'm asking myself, why are we really against iran? is it just because the nuclear bomb? the world against iran is that in the 21st century the iranian leaders, not the iranian people, are the only one that wants to renew imperialism. we can't accept it. from that it started. that's the reason many arabs are against not iran but the iran n iranian -- the iranians don't say it should be arabic because they're not arabs. they want to say muslim because they're muslims. and we see the way they want to construct an empire. by sending money. sending arms. hanging. bluffing. we cannot support it. the world cannot support it. whether you're a russian -- speaking with putin and medvedev to say we cannot support a nuclear iran. now, if iran will win, the whole m

in yemen in iraq even in north africa using hezbollah and he think american bases in the gulf if the summary unfolded that israel attacked iran and there are nations that would help iran acquire nuclear weapon is that a realistic scenario or yeah i mean in a way that could be kind of a scenario that we're going to have or see there but i would say that the problem with a nuclear iran is not that iran is going to the story as well i do not believe in but. it would be kind of a source of inspiration a nuclear iran. for many radical groups in the region. will start to actually act in a different manner and now when they have kind of for you to back up. this is the thing so i'm not sure that the game is i mean you know the main issue is in the question as you put it i think that what we have here is kind of psychological. moving across to so it is all has been surprisingly quiet and inactive in terms of developments there is it because time is on as well signed all because it does not want to see regime change there well i think that there's that is pretty confused about that this is kin

us. they are concerned for example. like groups in iraq. syria. are likely believed by the us to be behind some of the spectacular bombings and terrorist attacks in syria on the one hand you have the u.s. saying that they are concerned about the armed opposition and their links to. the hardest on the other hand you have us providing so-called non-lethal aid to the armed opposition in and basically giving apparently a green light to other countries to arm the opposition so yes there is a contradiction in policy. for american secretary state hillary clinton has sparked a war of words with their russian counterpart sergey lavrov off accusing moscow of selling attack helicopters to press and asset something not even the pentagon seems to know about. it has more on the diplomats fiery exchange. while the top top u.n. official may have labeled the syrian conflict a full fledged civil war according to the u.s. secretary of state russia could actually be to blame for the escalating crisis secretary of state hillary clinton to raise some eyebrows and stirre

as we all know, it is a shame for men and women to risk their lives for us in iraq and afghanistan, only to come home and to literally have no home whatsoever and the living on the streets or in their cards. -- in their cars. they're finding ways to literally and homelessness. when i was listening to the deputy secretary, he identified a number of things. i am familiar with those interventions. we realize there is no single way to end the veteran homelessness or veteran homelessness -- or homelessness in general. one of the things that does matter is that key working relationship. while we worked together for a long time, what i have seen in the last three or four years has been phenomenal. it was reignited as a program. i had a chance of being on a team to create it. as i look around government, there are very few examples i've ever seen -- and i have been around government almost 30 years -- were you have two agencies to work together well. that is not easy to do. it is certainly adding value that you can never get by just trying to do everything. they may not be good at everything. th

they already know the and even according to the us their concern for example. like groups in iraq. to syria. are you know likely believed by the us to be behind some of the spectacular bombings and terrorist attacks in syria on the one hand you have the u.s. saying that they are concerned about the armed opposition and their links to. jihad is on the other hand you have the u.s. providing so-called non-lethal aid to the armed opposition and be sickly giving apparently a green light to other countries to arm the opposition so yes there is a contradiction in all of. russia's foreign minister has condemned some countries demands that moscow puts pressure on the outside regime to stop violence insisting that pressure must be applied to both sides in the syrian conflict but the comments came during circle of bribes visit to tehran where the syrian dominated the attend . everyone should stop the violence in syria if a part of the international community understands kofi anon is planned only as a demand for russia to make the syrian leadership stop fighting then i declare that this is a pr

the spectrum, and as we all know with absolute shame for men and women to risk their lives for us in iraqin afghanistan and earlier engagement, only to come home and to literally have no home whatsoever. and if you're living on the streets or in their cars. that's one reason why secretary donovan from hud has been arm in arm with secretary shinseki at the va in tiny ways to literally and veterans homelessness by 2015. it's very complex. when i was listening to deputy secretary gould, he identified a number of different interventions, and because of have the chance to work with va for a while, i'm familiar with intervention. just like the va, hud has interventions because we realize there is no single, simple solution to ending federal homelessness or homelessness in general. one of the key things that really does matter that's harder to measure used key working relationships. and i certainly have seen, for instance, between hud nba, while we have worked there for a long, long time to do what i've seen in the last three or four years has been phenomenal in terms of really a great read enga