About going to take 100,000 out of the force structure. The air force had made it clear that they would like to close bases under the brac process. We are looking at a situation in which the structure is likely to decline unless we make a decision to reverse that. Host is it easier to close a branch base . Dont think so. I think what is challenging as relocating the unit. If it is a Research Unit that has very Sensitive Research equipment, that has to be handled carefully. It depends on what the nature is. Caller good morning. Thank you for taking my call. What isious as to really going to happen with Guantanamo Bay. To know if Guantanamo Bay is on the list foreclosures four closures. There has been so much talk in the media. As far as being in a hot zone can you comment on that . Guantanamo bay is in an overseas location, in cuba. It is not covered by the brac process. It is only focused on u. S. Domestic installations. Lepore, thank you for your time. The Atlantic Council is where we will take you next. It is an event with Marietje Schaake. That event will take place shortly. We are alive at the Atlantic Council. Last year, Marietje Schaake travel to iran. She will talk about her impressions as well as the nuclear program. Barbara slaven will interview her. This is expected to start in a moment. Live coverage here on cspan. Good morning. Thank you for coming. We have a treat. We are lucky to have a member of European Parliament who had an interesting trip to iran. Thank you from our sponsor that sponsors the iran task force. We focus on every aspect of iran that you can imagine. The issue of Internet Freedom is important. It is something that is frequently in the news. Weekend, thet turkey Prime Minister has tried and failed to eliminate twitter. We are looking to hear more about how iran is managing the internet. We have with us Marietje Schaake. She is with the alliance of liberals and democrats for europe political group. She serves on the committee of where shefairs focuses on neighborhood policy, turkey, human rights, with a specific focus on freedom of expression and iran. Digital agendae and the role of culture in the media in the European Unions external actions. Intellectualn property rights, the free flow of information, and the relation between trade and Foreign Affairs. She worked as an independent advisor to governments, on issues of transatlantic communications, diversity, civil rights, and integration. Welcome to the Atlantic Council. I am very glad you were able to be with us today. We only have an hour. Im going to ask you to talk about the trip you took with the European Parliament to iran. The first such trip by a European Parliament delegation in several years. Tell us what you found when it comes to the internet in iran. Thank you for hosting me. It is a pleasure to exchange with you my observations in our work in the European Parliament. It is often different from how it is perceived in the United States. The bestto obtain results, we should be working ,ogether in a complementary way but in an independent way. Thank you for making this meeting possible. I am in washington with the u. S. Delegation on which i serve as well. We have meetings with members of Congress Starting this evening. They will be going till wednesday. The other delegation i serve on is the delegation for relations with iran. Those typically focus on the parliaments in respective countries. It has been difficult for us to organize any kind of contact or delegation visits for a period of seven years. Involved with three attempts over the past five years to visit iran, which failed at the last minute because of the difficult relations that were there politically. After rouhani became the president , i am sure you have been following this new sense of opening and momentum. It allowed us to travel to tehran and i was able to stay as a tourist. It was a good combination of seeing the country outside of meeting rooms and outside of protocol and the official meetings were enlightening. We were a fivemember delegation. Were women. I think that gave a strong signal without intending so. We were there to explore what openings were there beyond what has been agreed in the interim nuclear agreement. I want to share a few observations and kickoff discussion with you. It was remarkable how much energy and how much of a sense of hope and optimism one got from the streets. I have never felt so welcomed in any country that i have visited. It was very clear that i was a visitor. There are not that many people from the outside. I look a little bit different, even with the headscarf that i was unfortunately forced to wear. Everyone who caught my eyes said welcome to iran, where are you from . Often ine way, excellent english. There was an awareness of the political situation. You mentioned restrictions to the internet. It is clear that most people know ways around these restrictions. We met a number of people walking down the street people were on a date who had met through facebook. Word of ourad heard delegation on the internet. Of hours of at rival arrival, i was advised how to use a vpn to go around the censorship. When governments think they can restrict the liberties of their people, it perhaps only makes them smarter. Soon as twitter was blocked, more people started taking to twitter in various ways. The sense of hope and optimism from ordinary iranians was remarkable. In the official meetings, it struck me how critical everybody was and how openly critical everybody was. That hadsense wrecked the economy, destroyed the country. Very strong words were used. Stronger than i had anticipated. It was remarkable that in each and every meeting we had, we were criticized as europeans because there are some members of our parliament who meets with o and it was a clearly sensitive issue. No members of our delegation believed this group is a serious representative one way or another, there was real concern on the iranian about such meetings taking place. It became clear and we were mostly interacting with the parliament of iran the hardliners are quite comfortable. They are selfconfident and often very critical. If you heard their words the visy the president visa the president. It shows the fight between the hardliners. We had the honor and pleasure to meet. Ands a human rights lawyer a lot of people we saw believe she is a modernday hero for continuing to defend juveniles on death row and others in difficult circumstances, despite the great price this had for her, costing her years of her anddom, being imprisoned all of the restrictions, such as from performing her profession for 20 years. We met her in the greek embassy. It was a very short and sensitive meeting. We did not speak about it was off of the official radar we nominatedd her i her for the most important prize that the European Parliament handout. It was a great opportunity to meet her. She had not been able to visit europe to take the prize. Immediately, within hours after the meeting, hardline media started quoting from the media. A huge discussion interrupted that would last for two weeks in the media. Wasas about whose fault it that our delegation had had this meeting with this person. Was it the parliaments responsibility, the ministry of Foreign Affairs res ponsibility. It is a discussion we have seen when Catherine Ashton visited iran and she met human rights defenders. It is a similar kind of discussion in the media about who is risk whose responsibility this was. It underlines the sensitivity of the topic of human rights. Andn rights are a priority should remain a priority. We should be careful that there um not some sort of zeros equation only focusing on the Nuclear Issue and forgetting about the people that live in systematic and difficult severeion, with the most cases being the large number of executions that take place despite the fact that there is a new president who speaks with much more openness and reform. With people, it was clear that the hardliners, who are appointed, still hold a strong voice and a strong position in iran and use this to disrupt the efforts. One of the other topics where this became very clear was about syria ande in hezbollah. We looked at the new security conference where for ministers were asked about human rights. It shows which responsibilit ies are with the government. That was the topic we discussed, but which was not as easy to get any kind of agreement or steps forward. Something thats we want to pick up on, after the visit took place, what will happen with regards to iran and the role of europe after this year in afghanistan. There is concern among the iran ian establishment about the rise of sunni terrorism in the middle east, but also questions about what will happen to afghanistan, how it may destabilize again, with millions of afghani refugees living in iran and the problem of Drug Trafficking through iran with the destination of europe and other regions. Many issues where we have mutual concern that we could look at. One of the opportunities may be in working together on finding this illicit drug trade while addressing the fact that most people who were executed in iran are executed for drug related charges. The ee you will not and cannot peoplete in arresting that would result in them receiving the death penalty. Is thinking among me iran ian establishment about abolishing the penalty of death for drugrelated crimes. It presents a concrete and tangible opportunity for further discussion about changing that. Home with up, we went a few concrete points on our agenda. We want to try to open up a human rights dialogue with a special representative. Hopefully, being able to visit iran soon. There ismmended an invitation to go to iran, but there is a bit of tension. The question is how that can be resolved. For us, putting human rights on the official agenda, continuing a discussion and not letting it be snowed under the political focus for the nuclear deal is essential. It is essential that iran stays involved in finding solutions to the veranda this and grew some more in syria. To the karen this inrendous and gruesome war syria. There has been a discussion that has been going on for quite a while. There will be resources that need to be made available, but ambassadorsferent on the ground were in agreement can act ee you e. U. More in unity as one voice instead of 28 different voices. A keythat we play such role in the Nuclear Negotiations and when it comes to the region and cultural ties, the Many Exchange students that we have, there are many issues that we and can better address as a European Union as a whole. Act moreshould independently. We often see members being quite divided. Sensitivities as a result of trade relations or other concerns. The European Parliament increasingly taking an autonomous and forceful voice in the discussion. I hope we will continue that. Have extended an invitation to the members of parliament of iran and hope they will visit us mid april and potentially we can further push open the very fragile window of opportunity. Those of us that believe reforms will benefit the iranian people, we need to try to do everything we can to make that happen. We realize those who seek reform are not the only ones in power in iran and that it is an uphill battle, but one that is worth pursuing. Thank you. I neglected to thank the american iranian council, so let me do that. Let me ask one question to get things going and we will open it up. Specialioned the u. N. Rapporteur for human rights. He came out another report where andalks about some pluses the Political Prisoners that were released last fall. There are still Something Like 600 or more Political Prisoners in iran. So allergiciranians to allowing him go . A canadian visit by special rapid tour is it just him or another person in that position, do you think they would allow a visit and can the e. U. Be a bridge in that area . Uses vpn, butan did you ask officials why they use all of these filters when people find a way around it, when the foreign minister has his own twitter account, when the Supreme Leader has his own twitter account . Find it ridiculous from blocking people who use it easily . Of thehe position sensitivity, i think for iran politicalatter what side they are or whether they are old or young, whether they are students or politicians, the notion of the double standard being applied to their country is very widely shared. Theres a sense that the west is meetingn almost every there was a reference to other countries where women cannot drive. Human rightsthat are not only a problem in iran, but we care about the situation of the iranians, so when we are in iran, we address those. That is rapi the sensitivity. I do believe that the eu can play an Important Role in bridging that gap. I hope iranian officials will take us up on the suggestion to send the ee use special rapporteur to make initial contact. Opening for a dialogue, but the question from side, mostly coming from hardliners, was that we do not apply preconditions that it is an open discussion and we should respect the difference in culture and in the constitution. That makes some topics, like the flight of very difficult. When it comes to censorship and filtering the internet, it was part of the discussion. At one point, i wanted to point out the fact that i had asked palm and terry parliamentary questions and the problems that sanctions cause iranians. I had hoped to show my counterpart these questions, but my website is blocked in iran. That was a bit of a painful moment because i was confronted with the fact that my website was blocked. The website of the chair of the iran litigation was not. There seems to be some reason for that that i do not know. I asked about this paradox, or tension between the supreme theer, be president , foreign minister, and officials tweeting, sometimes officially sometimes very affectively about their ideas and wishes and many iranians being unable to seen that see that. It is a lively debate in iran. Andorship is not necessary in these discussions about use of sociale media, there were differences of opinion. Being engaged on social media also lets the genie out of the bottle. It is unsustainable if leaders go on these platforms to not allow the population, one day or another. We saw the most remarkable use of social media by the president when the struggle between hardliners and reformists came to the surface at the moment where he was about to address the nation on national television. This broadcasting was delayed for about an hour. Probably to hamper his efforts in one way or another. In any case, the president himself took to twitter to say i do not know why, but i am being delayed in addressing the nation. In that case, it is clear that his audience was a national one. It is national tv that was delayed. He wanted to address the situation. After he tweeted this, the delays were solved and he was able to give his address. What is important in this example, and another of other issues is that we need to remember that not everything that happens in iran immediately meets the eye. It is not immediately obvious or explicit. There are changes gradually happening below the surface. I believe that the population of iran, highly educated, tech savvy in many ways, many trained engineers and tech savvy after having lived on censorship and monitoring for such a long time, they will be an important force in making that change go forward. Thank you. Let me open it up. Wait for the microphone and introduce yourself. I see we have a card up. That is a great way to get my attention. Lease. Please. Thank you for your insights. My questions relate to trying to tie together crimean and the Nuclear Negotiations. If i had to wishes, one would be that we approve key tip, but harry reid is not listening. We probably have more problems here than we do elsewhere. The nuclear agreements. And haveu see ttip. You see crimea enhancing we stand on the Nuclear Issue. Thank you. I am the spokesperson for my political group. Ttip is the partnership where we are seeking to take away barriers in trade and look for more common standards. I think you are right to relate these issues. Ttip has the potential to redefine the transatlantic relationship for the next generation. We should not forget that this relationship mostly leans on the shoulders of the world war ii generation. My parents were born in world war ii. The death of the notion that americans were liberators is almost in explicit but very substantial. Ask a younger generation, the average 20yearold of today, liberator is not necessarily the word that comes to mind when they think of the United States. This generational change will be very significant and is often not a part of the discussions and i believe it should be. U. S. And between the the eu and the public and how they see the u. S. Has been damaged by the awareness of what the nsa has been doing and the fact that being an ally does not matter in terms of being a citizen and being under surveillance. That trust has been damaged. I believe there are quite a few circlesn foreignpolicy who wish that crimea and the crisis there will bring together the u. S. And eu to make them overcome these issues of trust. Believe this crisis forces americans and europeans to Work Together. It forces europeans to Work Together more effectively than they have. Hasrly, the euro crisis overshadowed another crisis europes position in the world. That is coming to the surface. What is the overarching issue when you look at the nuclear deal in crimea . The role of russia. Russia has a