Itself as a large land mass. About 7 of ukraine with the occupation of Eastern Ukraine and as i said with a ceasefire with the beginning to pull back of heavy weapons those that have access to that territory increasingly monitors have had access to encourage and accelerate that process. Is the answer is zero . As of todays zero. How has it delivered against ukraines ability against syria . Drew bipartisan generosity we have supplied over to a hundred 66 million of support that is training for the National Guard and providing lots of really. What about weaponry . What has been given to the Ukrainian Government to recapture the territory . Those including shortrange or longer range have not provided that assistance but we have provided with that, that protection. With your indulgence another minute . Their reason the congressman from new york the house passed a resolution in march of this year about 88 bipartisan vote that is overwhelming and a little unusual. That resolution is an overwhelming bipartisan practice that the house strongly urges the president to fully and immediately exercise provided by congress to provide ukraine with lethal weapons system to enhance the ability to defend their sovereign territory from the unprovoked and continuing aggression of the Russian Federation for i hope to carry that back this administration that message with the double benefit since he helped ukraine fight against russians and i would submit it weakens russia is serious. And syria would help to leave alleviate that problem. Ted thousand isis spiders having killed this year but it seems like despite that they have been replaced by new recruits. If we destroy them how do we cut off the new recruits . That is a big challenge. I will tell you the steps undertaken various under general allans position unfortunately he is getting ready to leave that with the uae to message and get to the young men to persuade them that isil is not a viable future we have work to the turkish government to close the border most of the border is now closed in the worked with them to deport individuals to try to cross over. We have worked with the gulf allies of those who may undertake extremist activity but it is a big challenge because to tap into the sunii grievances and a big way as we press on this obviously a that is key to restrain the growth of ijssel. Have we had success . Really they are a handful of americans and quite frankly though Law Enforcement agencies and communities they work with is key to have good relations in these communities to these young men who are susceptible but the sophistication of these messages is very alarming better as time goes on we are Getting Better to understand the counter message. We dont talk much about syria about what is our strategy to deal with that . To have an outcry that affiliates the al qaeda family it to be successful on the battlefield i am sure to have some non extremist fighters because some have been affected and essentially have nowhere else to go so the strategy is they will not be part of any political settlement that has been developed over time. I yield back. Ambassador, the understanding with russia as a secretary pulled together to russia has been violating turkish airspace was there an understanding they will cease and desist against our nato allies . The date of the russian incursion as you know, the Nato Alliance issued a strong statement. Did you get an assurance they would cease and desist . The turks have now gone and a reassurance. But not us in the meeting that we call together . They say it is it and unacceptable to be in the nato air space. Did we get insurance from the russians . They made clear to us they do not intend to do it again but obviously we have to watch what they do rather than what they say. Do we have any engagement with their military activities . This is about russias escalation into syria. In terms of direct negotiations the department of defense conducted a very limited exercise with the russians we have an agreement on safelight that we have tested but were not collaborating with them where we can be. No, no, no my question is not collaboration rules of engagement that there isnt a collision. That was the goal of this agreement but we have now concluded we will stay away from each other with an emergency communication and the emergency hot line. Thanks for yielding. I will assad not yield to you have more time that all of us combined. Just kidding. Ambassador patterson. To save you have been involved in those conversations you recall that . Is the president aware . The and our Senior Leadership meets on these issues. How long have these conversations been going on . Quite a while. Easily two years. You said that russia was spending 2. 5 Million Dollars per day on military excursion. How long can they sustain that . I said between two and 4 million per day and it could be more than that. In a country like russia where there is only one prime Decision Maker if russia does sizes to make this a private priority it could be for some time. See you have not calculated what is the outlay of expense . It was about 8 million per day. So two or four times the amount russia used with those air strikes . That would include iraq but were not the russians in rehab different standards you said earlier the gulf countries are were not taking in refugees but they were very generous with their money . Was that you embassador . I am fascinated by my colleagues idea to orlandos in the ukraine to defend or with the russia x expense as one of you have said to be very generous with their money does that help in that regard . As that question then raised . What about the question why wont they take refugees . They have very different types of societys. But they do want them to continue as they know it. The isil runs their society will be gone. Yes and they have paid close degree of military cooperation with our partners cyberand military and intelligence with the very close relationship. They could pull up the tent city to take refugees even with the european nations . Dont you agree . I am not sure that is true with the level of social services and infrastructure is better in europe but we do want them to play a more active role and we do want them to provide funding for these activities. Gerry connolly asked the question and did your opinion what will happen if the russian aircraft dropped say bob a bomb over there . What happens . We have these procedures in place that were designed to avoid any conflict. With our pilots be authorized to shoot them down . Without getting into classified information where we anticipate the russians have been far from the territory because their operating against isil and our concern it is is support of assad. Keep our fingers crossed. I yield back. I will play off some of the comments that we talk about our goal is to destroy isil it is clear we dont have the forces but i think miss kelly pointed out the coalition of 10,000 isis spiders and the challenges it is replaced to have success but that is to stop the replacement talking about what we can do with the border with those with african countries or the western states. I do think were losing of propaganda war bin and isil has shown they can use the internet very efficiently and social media efficiently and maybe this is a question for you, are we doing enough to slow down their ability to recruit . We are Getting Better. For instance that has to be an arab and in an arab country they have begun to put out products to discourage young men from joining isil. Working with a broad range of coalition a working groupon messaging and we have a large operation at the state department that works on designing the most appropriate message. So we are making progress. Let me take to misha. That has the most she heidis per capita than any country in the world but we have worked on intelligence issues encountered messaging and trading religious leaders. I dont want to overstate this but we have our making progress. The chairman has led us on hearings but we have to redouble our efforts we dont have to fight them on the battlefield. I agree that russias involvement is very counterproductive and exacerbating a challenging situation indus certainly escalating the refugee crisis and it does threaten to wreak havoc with our allies like turkey as they struggle with the refugee crisis. There has been some discussion to create a safe zone within syria but those that believe the conflict zone . It would take a massive commitment of their power air power with the fights fight against isil. Nine is considered viable because of the enormous resources it would require for the population in it. Is that an option being discussed . Not an easy option. That is constantly under review but that is the current status. I yield back. We now go to the chairman emeritus. I continue to be extremely frustrated by the administrations inability to articulate a strategy in the middle east as a whole despite the office audit does not appear the president really wants assad to assume removed from power but have on the region are the allies are the National Security if they dont wish to do anything about it do we need additional evidence to prove the current chaos is not working . The president seems to read out the clock until it is somebody elses problem i dont think history will look kindly on these choices. I would like to get some yes you and knowing answers do you believe that isil and assad are separate issues . No. There interlinked. You believe the atrocities are a recruiting tool for isil . Absolutely. Is it possible to defeat isil of the massacres continue with help . They are linked. Is a possible to negotiate a solution with the opposition . Possibly. Are we pressuring iran and russia to stop the assad massacre . On a daily basis. Should we infer the president agrees war with russia and iran school to keep assad in power than he would have us believe . They said many times his departure is critical. With the National Security objectives in syria if it is complete opposite . Is the goal is to have sufficient Common Ground with a political settlement he is not naive about this this is what the followup process is about. Does that entail keeping assad in power . No. Absolutely not but it may entail some negotiation for his departure. And we work with hugh to achieve that supplement to go somewhere else . With the vienna process obviously our gulf allies as they are intimately involved and were constantly in touch with members of the moderate opposition from those leaders in exile. To the sea and as is imperative to deal with that situation . With the gulf allies and they are determined you will not remain in power. To followup and then with the different communities we represent with those civilians from the assad regime. And how is that parity manifested . We provided over to the halfMillion Dollars so were trying to support the syrian population under great stress. So as we prevent assad from attacking his own people. Said those that we have seen heavy are protecting and yet those airstrikes seem to be targeting those that are supposed to be the good guys. Cadre mentioned a 90 of the strikes were the antireceive forces and then we can talk more about bad. There has been a lot of discussion in the open press about likeminded factors and with another band of bad guys. With those that we would normally see as our enemy. As the al qaeda affiliates it is possible some members of the opposition had in our else to go. And we will read with that thinking. They give to our witness list for being here but i have to tell yearold i am concerned the absence of a coherent strategy to defeat isil by russia and the escalation to define what success is continues to plague us in syria the best way to press the administration to vigorous the debate the use of military force that the president is required to articulate a strategy with the al likelihood of success i realize it is complicated there are not easy answers but if your written testimony indicate the strategy of the conflict with the policy and military action to achieve a political transition of course, that is not a strategy but a goal. So we need a detailed plan of action to achieve those and it is a strategy. That is what we are missing and what is critical. The said the coalition has made progress in the military campaign against isil but as of october of this year half of all the territories as opposed to july 2014 when they controlled onethird so is that correct that isil has more territory now than they did . And how is that progress . Certainly there has been progress with the efforts of everybody and considerable progress at the top of my head those very important ones with the battlefield that was a leader of isil was the intelligence bonanza so there was progress but everyone else has said it will be a multiyear campaign with considerable resources to prosecute. To support the moderate opposition who is the moderate opposition as they authorize another 100 million expenditure . There are reports there are as many as 1,000 armed militia groups and it comes about working alongside some of those groups. Who are we talking about as we speak about moderate opposition . Do day include elements. I will take a civilian moderate opposition that is the groups in syria at livid turkey and lebanon and other places at that is decided by dash designed to keep them viable for a future syria. Even in areas under control of isil we provide money to city council and health clinics. The president had Just Announced the Kurdish Forces in that region. Can you tell me what the end goal of this is . How can we be sure this limited deployment doesnt have a wider deeper military engagement . Finally, you mentioned Financial Support and a number of refugee organizations and there is not sufficient support from golf countries. Are there other countries that are not doing as much as they should be . We are hearing very different stories from refugee organizations that they are dealing with the crisis on the ground. Let me provide you with a list of support i have from the golf. I think some of the traditional refugee agencies, there is not enough money. There is simply not enough money for this enormous humanitarian catastrophe. Let me stress that. I think the golf nations have been generous and often their money is put through local red cross and local agencies. Perhaps there is some concern about that, that they are not going through international ngos. What about the 50. We talked a lot about this dreaded g of the Ground Support and working with partners. These 50 special forces are to work with the Syrian Arab Coalition which has had success in controlling the border and to improve their capacity. I think anything else will be provided to you in a classified letter. Thank you. We go now to dana from california. Thank you very much. Let me just say, i am very frustrated by talk about russia and i spend my entire lifetime to defeat the soviet union. I was very pleased to be part of the Reagan Administration where we brought down a regime who wanted to impose an atheist dictatorship throughout the world to promote their ideology. Russia is expected to be treated as friends after the fall of communism and what has risen instead is a hostility that i find so overwhelming that it is damaging, not only is it damaging russia and their ability to establish themselves in a new world role, role, because it is after all a major power in the world, they have interests even if they are not communist. They are major power with interest, just as we are. But the double standard that we have been judging russia is just overwhelming. We sit here and say russia wants to keep asad in power, how horrible that is because asad is a dictatorship as if saudi arabia is in a dictatorship and wouldnt murder millions of people or thousands of people to stay in power. What about other golf states run by kingdoms who would murder their people and great number. They are no different than ashad. A fact they might be better than ashad because some of them are religiously motivated to the point, sort of like communism was a religious conviction, well well their form of islam sometimes put them at odds with sunnis or shiites killing each other. The double standard that we have been judging russia with and basing our policy on that double standard has caused us great harm. Putin, five years ago try to work out a compromise with us. We turned him down that would have created some sort of resemble us of stability in syria. Now thats gone to hell we cant look at him as a partner in cooperation to make it better. I believe that is what prevented us from creating a policy that will create a more stable middle east. Gaddafi, we made an agreement with him about qaddafi. What did we do . We broke that agreement and that resulted in order to have the alternative, the non qaddafi, non islamic alternative in power. Did that make it any better question i know. Half of libya is controlled by people who want to murder us because they are radical muslims. Had we been working with the russians all along in good faith, i believe the situation in the middle east would have been different. I think it wouldve been better, more stable and let me just note that i can remember the charges, the monstrous charges against us in iraq. How horrible it was that our troops were murdering people by the thousands. Most of those reports were false and wrong. They were lysed by people who wanted to achieve a political and by claiming that we were massacring people intentionally in iraq. I dont know, is it possible that some of these reports that we are getting that asad is a murderous dictator, but some of the magnitude of his oppression and murder of his own people might be exaggerated to achieve certain political and . I would think so. I have a little time to answer, let me give you a question so you can bill please feel free to disagree. I believe it i know you have your beliefs too. Their honest disagreements. Let me just ask then about, if then ashad is removed and we get this third alternative, why want to be just the same as what happened with qaddafi where the radicals who hate us see a weaker adversary and it will come in and replace whatever that regime is very quickly with a regime that will control all of syria and they will be radicals that will be our worst nightmare. Why wouldnt that happen in syria the way it happened in libya . I need to say something. With respect, i cant let it go by in comparison of a shot with qaddafi. These countries are not in our image but