To date, which is difficult, as fast as this situation is moving. This hearing today is intended to assess the geopolitical and humanitarian impact of turkeys crossborder attack on u. S. Interests in the middle east, determined how best to salvage u. S. Interests moving forward and evaluate the state of u. S. turkey relations. Before we talk about the current state of affairs in syria, its important to recall the path that brought us here. To begin, the Syrian Civil War is a complex, multisided conflict that has drawn in russia, iran, the u. S. , nato allies, and other entities. Over the course of this eightyearlong conflict, syrias brutal dictator, ai bar shal ai said, with the support of russia and iran, has relentlessly bombed cities and towns across syria, resulting in over 500,000 deaths and leaving over 10 Million People displaced. We are all aware that many confirmed uses of chemical weapons by the russiabacked assad regime, adding to the humanitarian suffering in violations of international law. The syrian, russian, and iranian regimes now hope to build upon the successful defeat of the defl see cleared islamic caliphate. These are the circumstances we find ourselves in today. Beginning in 2011, the Islamic State took full advantage in the chaos in syria to gather its strength. The groups ascendence was accompanied with a nearly unprecedented level of cruelty. By 2014, isis gathered enough strength to spill over the Syrian Border into iraq. Isis captured huge swaths of territory and declared the formation of its socalled caliphate. The world watched as the yazidis faced slaughter. Iraqi soldiers were marched to mass graves. Women and children were sold into slavery. Execution videos made by isis were packaged as recruitment materials. After several false starts, the United States led a syrian, kurd, and arab fighting force in a 91nation coalition, intent on defeating the caliphate. With a limited number of boots on the ground, u. S. And Coalition Air power, coupled with an effective kurdbased air force forced the territorial defeat of isis. Its come at great cost. Nearly 11,000 syrian kurds have been reported killed and many more wounded. That brings us to the present day. Turkeys relationship with the regions kurdish population has been fraught for centuries, particularly over the last three decades. U. S. Support for Syrian Kurdish fighters in the war against isis created massive tensions in the u. S. turkey relationship. Turkey views the syriankurds as an extension of the insurgency group known as the kurdistan workers party, or the pkk, which has fought in insurgency against ankara for the last three decades. The u. S. Has worked for months to help address turkeys security concerns. Let me be clear. Turkeys misguided invasion into Northern Syria now threatens to unravel all the progress the u. S. And our partners have fought so hard to achieve. Isis is defeated, but elements remain that could reconstitute and pose a threat to u. S. National security interests, and those of our allies in the region. Our counterterrorism concerns emanating from syria and the surrounding region remain very real, continuing regional conflict and instability, coupled with opportunities to establish sanctuary space, creates conditions for isis revival with a potential to attack the u. S. Homeland and our allies. Absent continued counterterrorism pressure, isis is likely to return, whether in syria or elsewhere. Only through vigilance will we keep ourselves safe. Partnership with the kurds will remain an important part of that strategy. Turkey has assured us theyll continue to battle the Islamic State. To say the least, i remain skeptical of turkeys counterterrorism guarantees. We have tread this ground before. We have offered turkey the opportunity to come back isis and its affiliates. Turkey has promised to provide forces to combat isis, but turkey has failed to follow through with those forces. Worse, sometimes the forces in question had questionable ties to jihadist or Al Qaeda Linked groups. The fact of the matter is turkeys primary concern is its decades old struggle against pkk. In addition to sacrificing our gains against isis, turkeys actions threaten further instakt and chaos in a country thats already suffered years of destruction and devastation. Reports of syrian and Russian Troops occupying abandoned u. S. Positions underscores that tur keys actions have opened the door to assad and his russian and iranian backers. Additionally, the humanitarian toll of this incursion has been swift and severe. The u. S. Withdrawal has created an opportunity to be exploited by russia. Indeed, on the day the u. S. Brokered ceasefire is set to expire, president erdogan met with president putin to discuss the future of syria today. U. N. Security Council Resolution 2254, the framework for a political resolution in syria, a ceasefire, formation of a Constitutional Committee and free elections remains very much in doubt with putins high level of involvement. We should very strongly discourage unhelpful paralleled talks. Isis detainees and foreign terrorist fighters, many of them at makeshift prisons, add to the complexity. Weve already seen reports of breakouts at the camp, further release or escape of battlehardened terrorists, particularly highvalue individuals, will only serve as a strategic boon to isis. Finally, theres the broader issue of u. S. turkish relations. Prior to the syrian invasion, turkeys increasingly autocratic posture and dangerous tilt towards moscow was a cause for serious concern. That remains a concern today. Turkey has imprisoned americans and u. S. Consulate employees, has jailed more journalists than anywhere else in the world. It also recently purchased and accepted delivery of the russian s400 Missile Defense system despite the loud protests of turkeys closest allies. Now were forced to confront a turkey that acts blatantly against u. S. National security sbrepss and brutally attacks u. S. Regional partners over our moes strenuous objections. While i appreciate efforts to reduce the violence through negotiations, if turkey maintains its aggressive path, it must bear a cost for undermining u. S. Security interests. Thats precisely why Ranking Member menendez and i have written legislation to sanction, block arm sales, and impose costs on turkey if it continues its illadvised syria invasion. I took a little liberty by saying the Ranking Member and i. There were many members of this committee who had input into this. I want to compliment the staffs, both the majority and the minority, for working so hard on a bill that we think is a good bill. It is still a work in progress. We have a number of other fronts that have been opened up with other bills being offered. In fact, some members of this committee have part nerd on some of those bills. I would urge when these kinds of things happen that we try as best we can to act as a committee. We are much stronger when we are together, and i think that a bill that comes out of this committee with a real push from the vast majority of the committee, it would be very helpful. And we hope to be able to move the bill that we are working on and continue to work on today in the very near future. Ambassador jeffrey, das palmer, i would appreciate hearing your thoughts on this Current Crisis and its future implications. I appreciate your time, and thank you for your attendance here today. I hope you can provide some guidance on how the administration intends to tackle this difficult situation and provide some ideas for a constructive path for the United States congress to take moving forward. With that, senator menendez. Thank you, mr. Chairman. First of all, let me thank you for holding a hearing as quickly as this one. I think that the urgency of now, as it relates to syria and our interests, cry out for a hearing like this, and i appreciate and applaud your Quick Response to it. I want to thank ambassador jeffrey and deputy secretary palmer for coming before the committee. Ambassador, i understand you came out of retirement for this post. Im not going to suggest you need a mental check. And i applaud your commitment to serving our country. I think its incredibly important. Ambassador jeffrey, we understand that you and ambassador satterfield and our core of military leaders on the ground spent the past months work of diplomacy, balancing an increasingly belligerent nato ally. However, your recent efforts, in my view, were hamstrung from the outset since december of last year when President Trump made abundantly clear that he was more swayed by president erdogans manipulative threats and persuasions than advice from his own diplomatic and military corps. Indeed, the president s decisions over the past month are yet another betrayal of u. S. Foreign policy to russia. A betrayal of our kurdish partners who fought and died alongside us in the battle against isis, who are now throwing in their lot with the russian and iranianbacked Syrian Government. The regime that barrel bombed and gassed its own citizens and uses isis as a political tool. A betrayal of our ally, israel, as the current chaos further empowers irans pursuit of a land bridge from tehran to the mediterranean. And a gift to isis, which has been given the time and space to regroup, as well as thousands of civilians continuing to flee even under this socalled ceasefire. Everyone in the region is recalibrating their relationship with the United States. As thousands of kurds who we once called partners pelt u. S. Troops with rocks and potatoes, president erdogan held a press conference with president putin today in sochi, where he said we will continue to make big steps with my dear friend mr. Putin to provide the longlasting peace and stability to syria. The betrayal is fully in view in that press conference where russia has agreed to join turkey in cutting a swath of land for turkey that ultimately at the end of the day is a cleansing of kurds who have historically had these as part of where they have lived going back in time. As the pause in hostilities expires as we sit here, its clear the United States has been sidelined. Russia and the murderous assad regime are calling the shots. We dont even have clarity about whether, where, and how many u. S. Troops might remain. If there was any doubt before, erdogans intentions are clear. An ethnic cleansing mission in northeastern syria at the expene expense of broader regional stability, including the fight against isis and a partnership in cooperation with the United States and other nato allies. Nato members commit to upholding principles laid out in the articles of the north atlantic charter, including solidarity with allies in the alliance as well as dedication to democratic principles and practice. In recent years, turkeys behavior has belied nearly every single one of those principles. Purchasing the s400 Missile Defense system from russia and developing increasingly Close Relationships with kremlin. I know that i hear the majority leader and even some of my colleagues suggest we have to worry about not pushing turkey into russias arms. Theyre there. They bought the s400. They could have bought the u. S. Patriot Missile System, interoperable as a nato ally. They were meeting with russia and iran about the future of syria. And they strike a deal with russia to ultimately pursue their interests. Erdogan has cracked down on human rights and eroded Democratic Institutions in his country. The most journalists imprisoned anywhere in the world is not north korea, iran, or russia. Theyre in turkey. And erdogans aggression in the region extends to the exclusive Economic Zone of cyprus, where Turkish Military ships bully International Energy companies conducting legitimate exploration activities. And over the weekend, the New York Times reported on turkeys interest to pursue Nuclear Weapons. This is not the behavior of a constructive democratic actor or nato ally. But im hoping we can use todays hearing to get a full assessment of how the United States is now pursuing our interests on the ground in syria. The president s effective abandonment of american interests in syria, opening the door for turkeys incursion into northeastern syria, has unequivocally harmed American National security, potentially increased the threat of terrorism against the homeland, and against americans and solidified russian and iranian political and military power across syria and beyond. The American People are smart enough to see through the president s hollow claims of fulfilling a Campaign Promise to bring american troops out of the middle east. He simply moved most of the troops from syria into iraq, where reports today say that leadership in iraq is saying they cannot stay there. And has also sent thousands more troops to saudi arabia over the past year. How is that getting out of the entanglements of the middle east . So as we must, when president s do not, the congress has stepped in to put americas interests first. I was pleased to join senators young, murphy, and gardner from this committee in introducing a resolution condemning turkeys actions, calling on the president to reconsider his decision, and for a comprehensive strategy against isis. Moreover, as the chairman has mentioned, we have worked on legislation actions but calling on the administration to submit a comprehensive review of our counterisis strategy. Humanitarian and Stabilization Assistance for kurds in syria in areas libertied from a isis and accountability for crimes against humanity as well as sanctions in russia as well. So, mr. Chairman, i look forward to this hearing. And i look forward to working with you to move this bill to the committee and to the floor. I think the fierce urgency of now continues to dictate that we move expeditiously. Thank you, senator menendez i couldnt agree more and also we do need to Work Together because it obvious that a once strong ally in turkey and fellow member of nato has gone in a bad direction and wound up in a bad place. I think its best to Work Together to do this and there is good signs there is involvement from every member of in committee. Ambassador jeffers jeffery, thank you so much for joining us today. The honor lk james f jeffery, a special representative for syria engagement and special envoy to the Global Coalition to daeft isis a senior american diplomat with variety of experience having served as Deputy National security adviser from 2007 to 0u. As well as the United States ambassador to turkey from 2008 to 2010. Ambassador, i think youre about as well qualified as any person to sit in that seat and help us wrestle with a very difficult situation a and a situation much different than what you found it when you were dealing with turkey. So with that, the floor ises yours. Please flnlt us. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, mr. Ranking member, members of in committee its an honor to be here. I have submitted a written statement for the record. What i would like to do is summarize our views in the next few minutes and then answer questions. As you have symbioticed, the focus of todays hearing is a tragic situation in northeast syria and including the u. S. Turkish agreement to bring about a cease fire on the 17th of october and the Just Announced a few hours ago russian turkish agreement for a cease fire in other parts of the northeastern strip. But to understand what has happened, how the Trump Administration has responded and what lies ahead, it is important to keep in mind the underlying situation. Specificrily the most horrific destabilizing and dangerous conflict of the 21st century as the senator just mentioned the syria haves a war raging since 2011. Devils brew mixes together the three champion of. Assad, organizably worse than saddam or chaffedy. Ideology state of the march on iran and islamic terror to al news ray. Exploited by russia. Thus all actions in syria are driven by our core object he was defeating islamic terror, restoring syria to a civilized state, and ensuring the removal of all iranian commanded forces from that country. Some argue these object he was are too ambitious. But frankly we have no other choice than to pursue them in order to lead the world out of the crisis. Now in dealing with todays situation in northeast syria turkey is obviously the immediate heavy. It acted unwisely and dangerously as you have indicated despite as im ready to despite warning after warning and incentive after incentive from this administration to choose ditchly including a package of economic and security commitments and a visit to washington. As a result, millions of vulnerable syrians are syria democrat forces sdf forces in the israel and nol israel, jordan and iraq and the gulf and in the end turkey itself through this intervention are all made less secure and isis made more emboldened. But in digging ou of the mess let us remember with turkeys actions we face another all too common regional phenomenon with the nato state. A major neighbor to a conflict feels that its existential security is not advanced by american policies and acts against them. As we in the administration you in greens congressen a partnered allies around the world strive to overcome the crisis its critical to keep in view the larger issues and objectives. Tha