We have several. Several questions here first and then second, i will go to the last. I have to apologize. Hopefully after the panel there will be time to indirect with the panel here. My question is the integration of these efforts in the knowledge to come out of the story with the ongoing activities in iraq right now. Have mosul. We underlying is clearing the terrain of hostile actors, holding that terrain with security and building it with the institutions that have some permanence to them. The efforts being done by the Iraqi Government in Civil Society, the focus on these highpriority areas that are in the radar screen. I wanted to followup on the comment you made about having a holistic approach to the issues that young people face. Especially the psychosocial aspects of dealing with them. I think all the issues we have discussed, the lack of opportunities, injustice, poverty, are not issues that are going to not going to go away overnight. The people that will be doing with them if they are offered certain highly researched and evidencebased techniques to handle negative emotions that are part of that region, frustration, anger, feelings of high stress. Perhaps they can do with those issues, it can be better and they are not so ready to resort to violence. I am just wondering although this is a very useful and informative research. Are there any studies or interest in doing research on programs that have offering these kinds of tools and techniques especially to young people so that violence is not a first option in the region. Thank you. This came up a little bit about the importance of longterm research but also the importance of longterm programs. Until 2014 u. S. Funding for Civil Society in iraq and peace building was precipitously declining. Concentrateped to the mind. Close toth ramadi being cleared, there is 50,000 for stabilization and more funding. The focus is on rebuilding infrastructure. There is tremendous damage. They will be tremendous need of peace building, healing the divides that isis leaves behind. I am curious how this report has been received by usaid, state department, policy makers, does this seem to be more interest in longerterm funding for Civil Society and also for use which make up a majority of iraq in the longerterm. Thank you. I have to and here and give the panel the opportunity to respond. Diving into a comment you made on corruption within the Police Sector i wonder if you could dive into security and defense corruption a little bit more. Is that the unique pillar of the government that is causing perceptions of corruption or marginalization and his Civil Society looking into Corruption Police in the defense sector. Are they having issues with those sectors in iraq . Ask each one of you will have the a minute and a half to address all these questions and make any closing remarks. The has been one very good trial that i am aware of. The basic finding is that there be alone does not work. Therapy combined with fairly large amounts of cash to reinforce good behavior. It does seem to work. That is one study in liberia. So maybe not applicable in iraq. On your question about the available tools. As i said, very little is being done to the best of my knowledge. I am not aware of any extensive programs that are providing such tools to young people. I want to end on a positive note. On then our experience issue or what we did in Northern Syria, hes building at the local level is possible. It can be successful. You can prevent further violence from interrupting. This is why we are continuing our programming in the region and we call on other agencies to do so. To try and take off things on in order. It question on Effective Program models. It is imperative that you get stabilization policy right. In these areas like ramadi or to that have beent retaken. I think a lot of that is thinking through how you do that most effectively. Most conversations are flavored cotter influence stabilization approach. What this report tries to help in eliminating is how you might address that weakness. Through looking at several people haveveral talked about making large investments in peace building and conflict mitigation. The institutional donors to recognize the importance of those approaches and programs and areas of conflict and stabilization. Maybe we are not investing enough to make them truly effective. I think it is a question of volume. It is a question of getting that voice into conversation area conversation. Whether it is the development flavored program, all of that work we do conflict mitigation work, by duke peace building work, we work with iraqi Civil Society groups. Of engagement in iraq which has been through a period characterized i largescale conflict and fragility is that the has been effective approach and has not been given the prominence in terms of the strategies, Government Strategies or strategies by key institutional and national [indiscernible] its ability to build effective stabilization. Holistic approach is to use programming, i will not speak to that. Three priorityr areas of research. Basic answer the question, what works, what does not work. A Research Agenda and we hope to continue building that research in terms of a what you have been talking about. For peace building and Civil Society. Do you want to comment . No. Ok. It looks back to the previous comment. Thatessage is appropriate levels of investment in iraq it peace building and capacity is an imperative if you want to have effective stabilization. Of a very fragile state. I do not think the survey itself does not look that specifically into perceptions of corruption among particular improve as well. About that. Talk you so much. I like the title of the report to my investing in iraqs piece. From the last questions, it is not only an investment in iraqs pace as it relates to countering and stabilizing after isis but also in an investment in preventing violence down the road. I think it is a worthwhile investment. And stabilization probably a year ago may not have been part of the it was incorporated more recently. We can see more efforts going into supporting dialogue efforts and that is definitely the right trend. I hope that will increase. Ourse join me in thanking panelists and the researchers on the great work they have done with a round of applause. [applause] the chair of the House Oversight and Reform CommitteeJason Chaffetz will talk about the role of his committee and talk about some of the ongoing investigations. Live from the breaking Brookings Institution at 8 30 a. M. Eastern. The head of the Small Business administration testifies at a hearing about a report on mismanagement. We have live coverage from the house Small Business committee at 11 eastern also on cspan2. Cspan takes you on the road to the white house and into the classroom. This year, our student cam documentary contest asks students to tell us what issues they want to hear from the president ial candidates. Get all the details about our student cam contest at cspan. Org. Now, a pentagon update on military operations in iraq and syria. We hear from stephen ford at this 40 minute briefing. Good morning, everybody. Welcome, we are pleased to have joining us today live from baghdad colonel steve warren. Looking good as always. It can hear us, well turn it over to you. Thank you. I can hear you loud and clear. I will jump right in. It is great to see the Pentagon Press corps as always. Before i get started i wanted to let you know something that today is iraqi army day. The anniversary of the founding of the iraqi army in 1921 on the state. We commend the iraqi army for their accomplishments thus far and in the past. We look ahead to their future victories. A few battlefield updates for you before we move on to questions so let me get through it. I,terbody in ramad counterterrorist forces continue eastward into the inner core of the city. Enemyave encountered contact, machine gun fire, rpgs, and sniper fire. Coalition airstrikes continue to enable their dance area it is no secret that i sold is not care one bit for the safety and the lives of the iraqi people. As iraqi week, Security Forces have been clearing the city, they discovered civilians ,ivilians were injured by iuds and being used as human shields and being shot for attempting to run. In sharp contrast, over the same timeframe, Security Forces have helped hundreds of civilians. ,heyve cleared our children and were given food, water, and medical attention. Is conducted a synchronized isil conducted a synchronized attack. What is important to note this of the isf are able to either put the attackers back immediately, or regroup and counterattack. Moving over to syria over the the Democratic Forces of killed about 140 extremist while liberating dozens of villages and squareing more than 310 kilometers of terrain. Groupinent arab fighting are currently holding the west side of that, demonstrating continued integration between arabs and kurds. As a reminder, this force consisted of syrian kurds, arab s, and other ethnic groups in Northern Syria that are all determined to defeat isil. Battalion holds the dam, other forces are advancing to the south. These troops have experienced some counterattacks to the west. In the north, the Democratic Forces are also receiving mortar fire. In each case, they have repelled all attempts to regain any territory or stronghold. We are receiving reports of isil fighters are shaving their beards and trying to hide in the civilian population. Ground. Tinue to lose i will mention our airstrikes for a minute. We continued to increase both the pace and the intensity of airstrikes in iraq and syria. When coupled with local ground operations we see isil reacting and moving around the battlefield. In turn, that makes it easier for us to strike. In december, we estimated 2500 enemy fighters were killed in Coalition Airstrikes across iraq and syria. Finally, i want to give you an update on operation title wave 2. sis operation targets isil illicit oil structures. On january 2, Coalition Aircraft struck six and Oil Separation points. And to isil collection points collection points was upset he began, they conducted 65 strikes against oil targets. This has reduced their revenue by about 30 . We estimate that isil produced 45,000 barrels of oil per day before title wave 2. It has been reduced to about 34,000 Barrels Per Day now. To close out, in addition to chipping away at their socalled we are also fitted them in the pocketbook. That includes that concludes my opening remarks. I guess bob burns is on duty. What is your question . Ramadi andntioned the Iraqi Government has declared victory. I wonder if you could give us an idea of the way of the province. And as to the focus going forward. Therein Northern Iraq seems to been an increase in the number of u. S. Airstrikes in the mosul area. Falluja . S happening in col. Steve martin sure. Words, tell you iraqthing happening in right now . These are the areas the Security Forces have control of. There are still more work to be done as i mentioned. They are clearing from the west to the east and getting into these smaller neighborhoods. It is very tightly constructed there. The roads are restrictive. Some are deserted now. The Security Forces are now very methodical, very deliberately moving through these neighborhoods. Rescue anyying to civilians that remain in hiding. Of course, they move house by house. This operation will continue for some time. s go to the other map what this map is as it is a comes up. Reference, upt of his north, down a south, you can see the lake as the main geographical feature. In the lower righthand corner you see falluja. Moving upstream we passed through a couple of towns that had ramadi. That is about a third of the way across the map at the very bottom. Continuing up river, you eventually get to about two thirds of the way across the screen. Furthertinuing upstream you get to the upper lefthand corner of the map. That is kind of the central Euphrates River valley. Central and lower, falluja is fairly low. Next, falluja we start with that. It is currently in the process of being isolated. By the iraqi Security Forces. As we saw in ramadi, they will then constricty, it and eventually clear it. No timeline yet for how long that will take. Thes another area where enemy is fairly well dug in. Falluja is another tally really dont want to give up. Moving to the river valley, wwe undereen hit is still enemy control. That has to be cleared. Really from north of ramadi all the way up, all of that area and cut the area between the river and the lake is still enemy controlled. This is kind of what is next for anbar. All of this area needs to be cleared out. The attacks that we saw over the weekend really up into yesterday , really they originated from forces moving around in that kind of ungoverned and largely open space between the river and lake. That is where i sold is able to generate its force and is ablete into isil to generate its force and infiltrate into the areas heading southwest. The iraqis have a campaign plan, obviously it is their decision. They will decide for the next main effort will be. I wont tell you what it will be until they announce it. We are here to support them. Whatever they decide is there next focus, this coalition will be there to support them. That that answer your question . Does, i ask you about mosul as well. Is the airstrike increase real there . Mosulteve martin yeah, we have been conducting shaping operations around there for almost a year now. Everything from individual , to highvalue individual target strikes, these are examples of shaping operations. As is the operation to seize the city of sinjar which is shaping our operations. There have been quite a number of strikes in the last six months. Weve got about 760 strikes in that time. 305last 30 day to this been. It has been a fair number. There is nothing significant to report, this is mostly opportunity, dynamic strikes that have found enemy forces. Some of this because of the pressure that is being put on them. Our operational objective here is to place pressure across the entire breadth and depth of this battlefield. On this enemy is wherever he is. As we do that, and as replaced this pressure on them, it forces them to want to move. To try to get away from that pressure. Movement creates targets. As we see, we will strike them. Mosul will be an area where it will try to gravitate to. It will try to reposition around that in an effort to stave off the inevitable. That will be in assault on mosul. They have been under Islamic State control is that increasing any difficulty in retaking part of that area . Still hold toyou the estimate you provided two weeks ago that there was about a dozen or so Islamic State fighter still in ramadi . Or is it bigger than you first thought . Col. Steve martin i will left a check. I think i have to check on them. I think we have control of that wil. This enemy does not control the dam. That answers that. Muddy, numbers are tough you on ramadi, the numbers are tough. Group, maybe five or seven maybe as many as a dozen fighters in these groups. This group may be centered around a machine gun or maybe centered around rocket propelled grenades. Theyre called squad sized elements. We see these elements still able to operate in some of the neighborhoods that are not yet been cleared. We still see that. Fighters almost 60 inside ramadi in the last 24 hours. They are there. As we see them, we strike them. It is difficult to get a total number of enemies inside given turnover the last two weeks. The way we get those numbers is through watching for long periods of time. Itn the enemy was in ramadi was relatively static. There was no fighting going on. We were able to observe through various observation techniques, using the information be gained from that, we were able to get a good estimate of what the enemys strength was. Given the fighting, some are probably trying to come in, the resolve this motion. It is more difficult to get a good number on what is there. There were stories earlier this week that tunnels under ramadi might make it more difficult to round up the remaining Islamic State fighters. Is that what you are seeing . Col. Steve martin sure, yeah, there are tunnels. We saw that in sinjar, as well. It is one of their techniques. We also see things like holes in housesor two separate sharing a little space in between. So they can move from house to house undetected. These are the types of defense is that this enemy has in place inside of ramadi. This is why Security Forces the to be very deliberate, very methodical, and very carefully moved to these neighborhoods. I would like to ask to give me the best estimate you have on the size of the isis fighting and syria. S iraq also, is there a distinction to be drawn between the sort of localed isis fighters and forces. Those of a may be allied with either paid or share their sympathies. To what extent do you see big operations in ramadi moving forward hoping to peel off those groups . Col. Steve martin we estimate there is between 2030,000 i members of members of isil operating inside iraq and syria. There are two flavors, if you will. There are the foreign fighters, the more hardcore and fanatical members of this outfit. Recruits. Is local in some cases, conscripts. The way that isil organizes is using the local forces, as their grunts. They are not treated very well, they are paid less. They are given less interesting assignments. Their foreign fighters are more even. They are generally better trained, better equipped, better paid. Cases,