SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS AT COUNTER-ISIL MEETING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks at the Counter-ISIL Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Brussels, Belgium
December 3, 2014

Good morning, everybody. Thank you very, very much for being here. Can everybody hear?

Mr. Secretary-General, Mr. Prime Minister, Excellencies, welcome everybody. I just want to begin the meeting by stressing that despite the location, this is not a NATO event. And as you noticed, there are no signs or any evidence other than the location, which is purely a matter of logistics but nobody is meant to misinterpret.

This is the first ministerial-level meeting of the anti-ISIL coalition, and we’re very, very grateful for everybody finding the time to be here. Many have traveled some significant distance to be here. Frankly, this impressive turnout reflects a shared determination to degrade and defeat ISIL, or to use the Arab term, Daesh.

Two and a half months ago, this didn’t exist. This is the work of two and a half months, and it reflects an extraordinary rapid coalescing of effort. And frankly, it is important that everybody reflect on the fact that this is not cosmetic; this is a reflection of actions that have taken – have been taken by more than 62 countries and entities in order to respond to the challenge of Daesh.

I’m very pleased that we’re going to have a chance to hear from Iraqi Prime Minister al-Abadi, whose government and citizens are on the front lines of this battle. And we’re very grateful for the steps that he has taken. Just yesterday he announced a significant agreement on the oil revenues. As everybody knows who’s been involved with Iraq, for years now that has been a long-sought goal and it’s a very significant achievement among many. In addition, there have been significant visits in recent days. Abdullah bin Zayed, Foreign Minister of the Emirates, Prime Minister Davutoglu of Turkey, others have visited Iraq and begun to indicate a new moment in the relationship with Iraq and indeed within the region.

We’ll also hear from General Allen, our special envoy, who will update us on the five public lines of effort that we are engaged in. And we will hear from many of you and we want to hear from people. We don’t want this to be a speechifying session. We would really like to have a dialogue so that we can digest the best thoughts about ways to do things better, things that haven’t been done that should be, or things that could be done differently. We want to plan carefully for the months ahead. And we will hear, including from representatives from Kuwait, Bahrain, Morocco, who have sponsored key gatherings themselves on key issues like communications, money, foreign fighters. These gatherings are just one indication of the dynamic leadership role that the Arab states are playing in the work of this coalition. The Arab states are taking leadership, and this leadership is both necessary and appropriate given that the geographic center of gravity of our global effort is in the Middle East.

One outcome of this meeting will be a statement that encompasses our message that we are united in moving ahead on all fronts and that we will engage in this campaign for as long as it takes to prevail. And there’s a reason that we are confident that we will, and that is all of you around this table, the members of this coalition. Our countries differ in geography, history, background, culture, but we all recognize a common threat, and Daesh is a danger and a threat to the interests and the values of all of us.

In opposing these terrorists, our diversity is, in fact, a source of remarkable strength because it gives us the credibility and the breadth of reach to move against Daesh not only in Iraq and Syria, but to counter any support that might exist for it around the world. Our coalition has been together now for less than three months, as I mentioned, so we recognize the hard work that remains to be done.

Our commitment will be measured most likely in years, but our efforts are already having a significant impact. The roughly 1,000 coalition air missions that we have flown have reduced Daesh’s leadership and inflicted damage on its logistical and operational capabilities. In much of Iraq, Daesh’s earlier momentum has dissipated. With coalition support, Iraqi forces have regained ground at Mosul and Haditha dams. They have retaken territory in the vicinity of Tikrit and expanded the security perimeter around the Baiji oil refinery. In the north and west, Kurdish troops are battling bravely and Sunni tribal fighters are beginning to come on board.

We also continue to strike targets in Syria, where Daesh has seen its command facilities attacked, its oil infrastructure damaged, and its siege of Kobani blocked. It is much harder now than when we started for Daesh to assemble forces in strength, to travel in convoys, and to launch concerted attacks. No large Daesh unit can move forward aggressively without worrying about what will come down on it from the skies.

In coming weeks, the coalition’s train, advise, and assist missions for Iraqi Security Forces will expand. Air strikes will continue as necessary. Step by step, Iraqis are mobilizing to reclaim the land that they have lost, and as the prime minister will attest, to develop the kind of broadly representative government they must have in order to succeed.

We are therefore encouraged by the significant progress this government is making to implement its national program and to unite against Daesh. Just yesterday, the government reached a breakthrough agreement with the Kurdistan region on managing oil exports and revenue that I mentioned earlier. It also issued an order to release detainees being held without formal charges. These initiatives take strong leadership, as exhibited by Prime Minister Abadi, and they will help the work of our coalition.

Meanwhile, there are many ways to contribute to the work of this coalition. The United States is constantly looking for the means to enhance the effectiveness of our actions, and I am confident that each of the coalition members represented here is going to do the same. This matters because the rise of Daesh was rapid, but it, in fact, has left those terrorists very exposed. What was relatively easy for them last summer has become more difficult. Daesh casualties are going up by the day. Muslim leaders across the globe are speaking out against the killers who have sought to hijack a whole faith, and Daesh’s repellent nature is becoming more evident with every ugly execution and every former recruit’s admission of being duped into believing Daesh is something that it most clearly is not.

The leaders of Daesh recently asked their followers to unleash volcanic eruptions of hate in every country. Our own rallying cry is not so dramatic, but it is far more responsive to the needs of people everywhere, and especially in the Middle East where suffering and violence have gone on for far too long. Our coalition does not summon hate, but rather the courage to build a future that is based on shared interests, shared values, and a shared faith in one another. That contrast in goals marks the dividing line between barbarism and civilization, and it explains both why we dare not fail and why we will succeed.

DOD OFFICIAL EXPRESSES CONFIDENCE IN AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Kirby Confident Afghans Can Take Full Security Control Next Month
By Nick Simeone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2014 – With less than a month to go before the U.S-led NATO combat mission ends in Afghanistan, a senior Defense Department official said today Afghan security forces will be ready to take over the job of securing their country come January first.

“We believe that we have achieved the mission of getting Afghan national security forces to that level,” Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters. “They are in the lead right now and by the end of this month they will have full responsibility.”

Some 9,800 U.S. troops are set to remain in Afghanistan next year, as part of Operation Resolute Support. That NATO mission follows 13 years of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, and will no longer include a combat role but will instead focus on training, advising and assisting Afghan forces.
“There’s still some enabling capabilities that they may need going forward and we’re talking about that. That’s part of the Resolute Support NATO mission,” Kirby added.

In recent days, there has been an increase in attacks claimed by the Taliban on key sites around the country, including in the capital, Kabul. Kirby said the attacks did not signal a Taliban resurgence but were to be expected during periods of transition.

“Those attacks have had no strategic effect and I might add that the Afghan national security forces and police reacted bravely and quickly to each one,” he said.

DOD VIDEO: NATO SPEARHEAD FORCE TO ENHANCE ALLIANCE

DOD VIDEO: TROOPS TO IRAQ, PLANES TO POLAND

U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF ALBANIA ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 26, 2014

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Albania as you celebrate your 102nd Independence Day on November 28.

Albania is a strong and reliable NATO ally and a force for stability in the Western Balkans. I thank the Albanian people for their support of the ISAF and Resolute Support missions in Afghanistan, as well as their immediate and valued contributions to the global coalition to counter ISIL.

The United States continues to actively support Albania’s efforts to meet the requirements for joining the European Union. I commend your progress on the path toward full Euro-Atlantic integration.

On this special occasion, the United States stands with you as a steadfast partner and ally.

READOUT: VP'S CALL WITH ROMANIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT KLAUS IOHANNIS

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
November 25, 2014
Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Romanian President-elect Klaus Iohannis

Vice President Joe Biden called Romanian President-elect Klaus Iohannis to congratulate him on his election victory, noting the impressive voter turnout as a sign of a strong and healthy democracy. The Vice President underscored the strength of the bilateral relationship and expressed appreciation for Romania’s contributions to NATO, its support for Ukraine, and its efforts to degrade and defeat ISIL. The Vice President expressed his condolences for the loss of life in the November 21 helicopter accident and thanked Romania for its sacrifices as part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Finally, the Vice President and President-elect Iohannis discussed the critical importance of rule of law reforms, both as a driver of economic growth and as a national security issue.

SECRETARY HAGEL SAYS RUSSIA'S ACTIONS "DANGEROUS AND IRRESPONSIBLE"

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Right:  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel talks to U.S. Marines assigned to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) on Camp LeJeune, N.C., Nov. 18. 2014. DoD Photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Cassandra Flowers   

Secretary: Russia’s Actions ‘Dangerous And Irresponsible’
By Nick Simeone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today called Russia’s actions in Ukraine “dangerous and irresponsible” and said the tensions provoked by Moscow have probably done more to unify NATO than anything else in years.

“It has brought the world together in a way where they are isolating themselves by their actions,” Hagel said of Russia, as he took questions from Marines during a visit to North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune.

‘Very Dangerous’ Actions

One service member asked the defense secretary if he envisioned the United States becoming more involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russia’s actions toward Ukraine, as well as stepped-up Russian military air flights over European airspace and plans for similar flights over the Gulf of Mexico are “very dangerous,” Hagel said.

“The violations of sovereignty and international law that the Russians have perpetuated continue to require responses,” the defense secretary said. The United States is working with NATO “in shifting our entire rotational rapid deployment focus,” he added.

U.S. European Command chief Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove , who is also NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe, has said Russian military equipment continues to flow across the border into Ukraine, something Russia denies.

NATO AND THE SOUTHERN FLANK

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
NATO Official Discusses Southern Flank, Mediterranean Dialogue
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2014 – Russia’s blatant disregard of international norms in Ukraine is just one example of its attempts to reject an international order that promotes democracy, sovereignty and the rule of law, NATO’s deputy secretary general said in La Hulpe, Belgium, today.

Alexander Vershbow told the conference on NATO-Israel cooperation that challenges from Russia and from NATO’s southern flank share many of the same attributes.

Russia’s continued attempts to destabilize Ukraine “have blatantly breached international agreements and confidence-building measures,” Vershbow said.
And on NATO’s southern flank, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant continues to spew its hatred, “pouring oil on the fire of extremism and sectarianism that is already burning across the Middle East and North Africa,” he said.

“ISIL’s advances in Iraq and the Levant also risk exporting terrorism much further afield, including to NATO and [European Union] member states,” the deputy secretary general added.

NATO Determined to Defeat ISIL, Similar Threats

ISIL is working to overthrow rules-based and values-based order that is the guarantor of freedom, security and prosperity for all nations, Vershbow said, and NATO is determined to play its part to defeat this threat and those like it.
“The capabilities and forces that we are now developing are very clearly aimed at enhancing NATO’s overall resilience,” the deputy secretary general said. “We want to be able to deploy them quickly not only whenever, but also wherever, threats emerge – whether it’s in our eastern or our southern neighborhoods.”
At NATO’s summit held in Wales in September, the alliance also decided to strengthen cooperation with partner nations. The summit also launched an initiative to help partners strengthen their ability to address security challenges.
“This initiative builds upon NATO’s extensive expertise in defense capacity building -- for instance, in Kosovo and Afghanistan,” Vershbow explained. “And we made clear that we stand ready to assist Iraq in strengthening its security sector, if the new government so requests.”

Risk of Extremism Has Grown on NATO’s Southern Flank

The risk of extremism on NATO’s southern flank has grown and produced more fertile territory since the Arab Spring, the deputy secretary general said. The Mediterranean Dialogue – a NATO initiative celebrating 20 years – is more valuable than ever, he added.

“The Mediterranean Dialogue was never intended to have a direct influence on the Middle East peace process, or in tackling the wider challenges of the region,” he said. “But it was a genuine attempt to improve mutual understanding, to dispel misconceptions and to foster a dialogue that otherwise would not exist.”
The dialogue has developed into a unique multilateral forum, he noted. “It’s the only structured framework where the 28 NATO allies, Israel and key Arab countries sit together on a regular basis,” he said.

But more can be done, Vershbow told the forum audience:
-- A firm offer to assist countries in transition with defense and security sector reform, including planning and budgeting;
-- Dealing with surplus ammunition; and
-- Encouraging what he called “good security governance.”
NATO nations have unique expertise in these areas, he said, and the alliance will look to include the European Union in these efforts.

More Focus on Capability Building

Vershbow said he would like to see more focus on capability building. “We want to help the countries of the region to be better able both to address security concerns in their own region and to participate in international peacekeeping and crisis management operations – including those led by NATO,” he said.
This, he added, could involve greater military-to-military cooperation, and invitations to participate in NATO training, exercises and education programs.
“But it could also involve more structured cooperation between NATO and organizations like the African Union and the Arab League,” he said.
The deputy secretary general said he expects a further strengthening of dialogue and cooperation where NATO shares the same values and interests with its partners to better address specific concerns and requirements. “And I see particular scope here for our relations with longstanding, active partners like Israel,” he added.

U.S.-CANADIAN OFFICIALS DISCUSS GLOBAL SECURITY

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Release No: NR-571-14
November 14, 2014

Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work's meeting with the Canadian Deputy Minister of Defense Richard Fadden

Deputy Secretary of Defense Spokesperson Navy Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson provided the following readout:

Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work met with the Canadian Deputy Minister of Defense Richard Fadden this afternoon at the Pentagon.

Work led off the meeting by extending his personal condolences for the loss of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo last month.

The two defense leaders then discussed global security challenges and their collaboration on counter-ISIL operations in Iraq. Work commended Canada for its contributions, particularly in conducting air strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) targets, and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Kurdish forces in Northern Iraq.

Deputy Secretary Work and Deputy Minister Fadden also discussed the situation in Ukraine, noting their ongoing efforts to provide assistance to Ukraine and both nations' contributions to NATO reassurance measures.

Deputy Secretary Work provided Deputy Minister Fadden with an overview of the department's review of our nuclear enterprise. He highlighted that our nuclear arsenal is safe, secure, and effective and that the department is taking action to address the issues identified in the review.

They concluded the meeting by reaffirming their commitment to sustaining a strong bilateral relationship and to continue working together on issues that transverse their shared borders.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS ON VELVET REVOLUTION ANNIVERSARY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
On the Occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Velvet Revolution
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 13, 2014

Twenty-five years ago, the people of Czechoslovakia rose up to peacefully demand their freedom during the Velvet Revolution. Those students, artists, and union workers led by Vaclav Havel helped usher in the historic wave of freedom that swept across Central and Eastern Europe liberating millions of people who lived behind the Iron Curtain.

The American people were inspired as the Velvet Revolution took hold, the Communist state collapsed, and the barbed wire was pulled down along the borders of West Germany and Austria. We watched with admiration as a Czech nation that had seen its dreams deferred – but had never lost its faith – overcame a system of tyranny with the force of non-violent protest and a simple demand for svobodne volby – free elections.

Today, the democracies of the Czech Republic and Slovakia are strong EU partners and NATO Allies of the United States who are committed to building a peaceful and prosperous world.

On this historic anniversary, I salute the bravery and spirit of those who poured into the streets of Bratislava and Prague a quarter century ago to demand a free and better life. And I congratulate the people of the Czech Republic and Slovakia on 25 years of freedom and democratic governance.

AMBASSADOR PRESSMAN'S SPEECH ON CHAPTER VII MANDATE RENEWAL SUPPORTING PEOPLE OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Ambassador David Pressman
Alternate Representative to the UN for Special Political Affairs 
New York, NY
November 11, 2014
AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Madame President, and thank you High Representative Inzko for your briefing today. The United States continues to support your mandate under the General Framework Agreement for Peace. We commend your work, and offer you our strong support for your role as a member of the Peace Implementation Council.

Madame President, before commenting on High Representative Inzko’s briefing, I would like to say a few words about the resolution that was just adopted by the Council.

This Chapter VII mandate renewal reaffirms the Council’s willingness to support the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina in their efforts to sustain a safe and secure environment with the assistance of the EUFOR mission and NATO Headquarters Sarajevo, and to implement the civilian aspects of the General Framework Agreement for Peace with the help of the Office of the High Representative.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has expressed, without reservation, its strong support for this mandate renewal and for all of the language therein. The United States joins Bosnia and Herzegovina and the members of this Council and the EU Foreign Affairs Council in our continued support for the EUFOR mandate. And we are disappointed that one delegation did not join consensus in responding to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s own request for continued Security Council support.

Madame President, this has been a highly eventful and important year for Bosnia and Herzegovina. In February, thousands of protesters in cities across the country joined together to express dissatisfaction with economic and political stagnation. Although the protests briefly – and regrettably – turned violent, and although some political actors attempted to use the protests to discourage public discourse and stoke ethnic tensions, the plenums that resulted from these protests provided a positive and peaceful venue for active political engagement.

Shortly after our May debate in this Council, Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced severe flooding that resulted in dozens of deaths and displaced thousands from their homes. The flooding also contributed to economic concerns, causing billions of dollars in damage. As the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina work toward recovery, they are undoubtedly more aware than ever of the need for properly functioning democratic institutions and for political leaders that will work together at all levels to make social and economic progress.

In this regard, the United States commends Bosnia and Herzegovina on holding general elections this October. The elections were orderly and conducted in a competitive environment, although we also cannot ignore that there were several irregularities, as noted by the OSCE observation mission.

As finalized results are expected today, it is our hope that governments will form as quickly as possible and that the elected representatives of the people will look for ways to move the country forward positively and to compromise, where needed.

Further, we call on the political parties and institutions to meet their obligations to implement the ruling of the BiH Constitutional Court on the electoral system for Mostar.

Madame President, we support Bosnia and Herzegovina’s long-expressed goal of Euro-Atlantic integration and continue to believe that the integration process is the surest and most expeditious path to the country’s long-term stability and prosperity. We note Bosnia and Herzegovina recently reiterated this goal during the recent General Debate, in which Serb Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Radmanovic stated unequivocally that his country’s ultimate goal was, “full, legal integration into the European Union.”

Euro-Atlantic integration will not happen without continued efforts by a variety of stakeholders. We welcome the reform initiative proposed by the British and German Foreign Ministers last week to get the country back on track for EU membership, and we will work with our European partners to support the adoption and implementation of this reform agenda. We also will work with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s newly elected leaders to press for the resolution of the listing of defense properties in order to activate its NATO Membership Action Plan. We hope the new government seriously engages on the reform agenda to build a more effective, democratic and prosperous state, and to progress towards the country’s goals of EU and NATO integration.

As the High Representative noted in his report, authorities have again failed to make any concrete progress on the outstanding 5+2 objectives and the conditions for the closure of the Office of the High Representative. We also share his concern over the Republika Srpska’s lack of compliance with its obligation to provide the High Representative with timely access to officials, institutions and documents, and we urge the relevant authorities to comply.

The United States strongly supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina as guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Accords. We note that some political leaders persist in their attempts to use divisive rhetoric to distract the public from economic and political stagnation.

The recent elections proved that an increasing majority of citizens are tired of these distractions and seek true leadership from their officials. We condemn divisive rhetoric, and during the coalition formation period, we urge parties to seek partners that are prepared to work toward a future for all of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Finally, I want to again reiterate the support of the United States for the renewal of the EUFOR mandate under the Chapter VII of the UN Charter. The United States commends the work of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo and EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and we believe EUFOR and NATO Headquarters Sarajevo – successors to SFOR – are essential in sustaining a safe and secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, providing vital capacity-building to the government, and offering reassurance across ethnic lines that the international community is committed to the country’s stability.

We remain hopeful for the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina and we will continue to work with the international community and with the country’s institutions to encourage progress in each of these areas and to improve the lives of its citizens.

Thank you, Madame President.

DOD LEADERS PRAISE PROGRESS MADE AGAINST ISIL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel holds a press briefing with Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, Oct. 30, 2014.  DoD photo by Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp. 

Pentagon Leaders Laud Progress Against ISIL

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2014 – Defense Department leaders today praised the progress made against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Iraq and Syria as implementation of the broader comprehensive strategy in the Middle East continues.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed progress and strategy during a Pentagon news conference.

Hagel began the news conference by highlighting the recent transfer of two NATO bases – Camp Leatherneck and Camp Bastion -- to Afghan security forces as part of “significant progress” in Afghanistan. He praised U.S. forces for their service in Afghanistan, as well NATO partners, for their contributions.
“I also want to thank our [International Security Assistance Force] partners for what they’ve done,” he said, “and in particular, the Afghan national security forces as they have continued to make progress -- significant progress in defending their country.”

Turning to Iraq, the defense secretary said he spoke with Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi last week about Iraqi force preparations to take the offensive against ISIL.

Gains in Northern and Central Iraq

“Over the past week, we’ve seen Iraqi and Kurdish forces begin to do that,” Hagel said. “And they’ve made some gains in both northern and central Iraq. Their initial progress is encouraging, but these are just first steps … in what we have said will be a long and difficult multiyear effort against ISIL by the local Iraqi forces on the ground [with] support from the U.S, as well as coalition partners.”

Tomorrow, Hagel said, the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division headquarters will take command in Baghdad, coordinating all U.S. forces in Iraq.

“But our military campaign is only one part of the broader comprehensive strategy required to defeat ISIL,” he said, “choking off its resources and recruits, and supply lines and de-legitimizing its murderous ideology are just as important as [Iraqi] Prime Minister [Haider al] Abadi’s efforts to build an inclusive Iraqi government that must earn the trust and confidence of the Iraqi people.”

The Future of Syria

Hagel said the realities of ISIL controlling vast areas of Syria and Iraq are forcing a coalition of more than 60 countries to come together to deal with this “immediate threat.”

“The future of Syria,” he said, “which the nations of the Middle East have a significant investment in that stability, is going to require all elements, not only of our government, but all of the countries in the Middle East and others working together to find a solution to bring peace in Syria, to stabilize that region of the world.”

Officials constantly are assessing, adapting and working through different options, Hagel said, because the situation is complicated and long-term, and there are no short-term easy answers to it.

“That’s why we meet so often on this issue,” he said. “This is why we are building, and continue to build, an effective coalition in the Middle East to deal with these issues.”

Training and Equipping Moderate Opposition Update

The chairman was asked to provide an update on the status of the department’s program to train and equip the Syrian moderate opposition.

“The command-and-control apparatus is in place,” Dempsey said. “The sites have been selected, and the reconnaissance conducted to determine what infrastructure we’ll need to accomplish the mission.”

Coalition partners are beginning to contribute trainers to the efforts, he added, though the recruiting and vetting has not yet begun.

Expanding Mission Area in Iraq

Dempsey discussed the possibility of expanding the train-advise-assist mission of U.S. forces in Iraq, currently oriented around Irbil and Baghdad, to include Anbar province.

“There’s three components to the train-advise-assist mission,” he explained. “Initially, the Iraqi security forces, and I include in that the [Kurdish peshmerga forces], … mostly oriented around Baghdad and Irbil, and then there’s the issue of the tribes and trying to find a way to … enable them.”

Also, Dempsey said, a program is in place to begin to restore some offensive capability and mindset to Iraqi security forces. “We need to think about how to do that with the tribes,” he added. “We also need to make sure that the Iraqi security forces are not spread out in ways that prevent them from supporting each other.”

Dempsey pointed to areas such as al-Asad, and Iraqi units such as the 7th and 9th Iraqi army divisions, which he said are “somewhat isolated.”
The Iraqi security forces, he said, need help with planning and executing and with linking up groups that are isolated. “And then,” he said, “I think that becomes a platform for reaching out to the tribes.”

The third component, Dempsey said, is the national guard concept, which -- if the Iraqi government takes a decision to form it and passes a law -- probably would begin to be implemented in 2015.

“You need all three of those, eventually,” the chairman said. “Right now, we’re focused on the Iraqi security forces.

CHAIR JOINT CHIEFS SUMMARIZES NATO LITHUANIA MEETINGS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, center, talks with Army Gen. John Campbell, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, right, between sessions of the NATO Military Committee conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, held Sept. 20-21, 2014. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen.  
Dempsey Recaps NATO Meetings in Lithuania
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2014 – Russia’s continuing aggression in Ukraine, vulnerabilities posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other threats along NATO’s southern borders, and the alliance’s continuing commitments in Afghanistan were the chief topics in meetings with NATO’s chiefs of defense in Vilnius, Lithuania, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.
In a statement summarizing the meetings, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey added that today’s agreement between Afghanistan’s presidential candidates to form a new national unity government “puts us in a much better place than we were a week ago.”

“Now we need a signed security agreement and a NATO [status of forces agreement], both of which should be accomplished fairly quickly,” Dempsey said. The agreements are necessary for U.S. and NATO forces to have a role in Afghanistan beyond the current mission, which ends Dec. 31, and both candidates said during the election process that they would sign the agreements.
The chiefs of defense also elected Gen. Petr Pavel, the chief of staff of the Czech Republic's armed forces, to be the next chairman of the NATO Military Committee, the chairman said. “His appointment is significant, because he will be the first Eastern European military leader to take the job,” he added.
Pavel will take the post in July, succeeding Danish Gen. Knud Bartels, whom Dempsey called “a trusted friend.”

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER CAVUSOGLU

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu Before Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ankara, Turkey

September 12, 2014

FOREIGN MINISTER CAVUSOGLU: (In Turkish.)

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to have my dear friend and colleague in Ankara. This is third meeting, it’s going to the third meeting of us after Wales and Jeddah. And we have spoken on the phone several times again. And you know the issues that you can imagine on what issues we are going to focus during the meetings, particularly what’s going on in the Middle East and particularly in the Syria and Iraq and challenges and the threats. And since we got this chance, of course we would like to discuss some other issues besides the bilateral one – Middle East – I mean, the peace process over there, cease-fire, and maybe Armenia, Cyprus, definitely Ukraine.

Once again, I would like to welcome my dear friend. I’m looking forward to having (inaudible) to discuss all these issues. John, would you like to say something, both in English and Turkish, please? (Laughter.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. It’s a great privilege for me to be back in Ankara. I’m happy to be here in Turkey, and happy to be here with Mevlut. He and I have gotten to know each other quickly. We’ve had very in-depth conversations about all of the subjects on which Turkey and the United States are deeply involved. And we are important partners, obviously, in NATO, but not just in NATO. We have concerns with respect to what’s happening from Libya to Mali to the Horn of Africa and throughout the Middle East, and of course, now the events in Iraq. So we have a great deal to talk about.

Over the last year and a half I grew to have one of my closest relationships in foreign policy with Ahmet Davutoglu, now prime minister. And we worked extremely closely, talking frequently. So far in my relationship with Minister Cavusoglu, we are already engaging in that kind of discussion. We met in Wales, we talked about the urgency of dealing with ISIL and the urgency of dealing with the support for the Government of Iraq. And of course, together we will be chairing a counterterrorism forum and the United Nations General Assembly in a few days.

So we have a very full agenda and I look forward to constructive conversations both with him, with the new prime minister, and with the new president and my old friend, President Erdogan. Thank you all very much.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL WORKS WITH TURKEY TO COORDINATE RESPONSE TO ISIL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz escorts Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel after their meeting at the Ministry of National Defense in Ankara, Turkey, Sept. 8, 2014. DoD photo by Glenn Fawcett  


Hagel Reaffirms Turkey’s Pledge to Help Defeat ISIL
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel yesterday held a series of meetings with government and defense leaders in Turkey’s capital of Ankara to begin coordinating that nation’s role in the NATO coalition forming to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.

Hagel was in Turkey as part of a six-day trip that included participation in the NATO summit in Wales last week and meetings with government and military leaders in Georgia. The secretary’s 16th international trip began Sept. 3 and ends today.

In Ankara, Hagel met with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz and Chief of the General Staff Necdet Ozel.

Afterward, during a roundtable with reporters traveling with him, Hagel noted the consistency of the Turkish government’s commitment to the country’s role as a critically important NATO partner and as a leader in their part of the world.

A democratic, Muslim Turkey

“They are a democratic Muslim country that has done an exceptional job over many years of building an economy and opportunity for their people,” Hagel told the reporters. “When we look around the world … Turkey, I think in many ways, can be seen as a model for engaging and practicing a vibrant democracy.”
Hagel said Turkey will be involved in all efforts, as President Barack Obama articulated on the last day of the NATO Summit, to build a broad international coalition to combat the threat posed by ISIL. The secretary later named the “core coalition” countries as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Turkey.

“ISIL is a threat, as President Obama [and other leaders] have said, to its own region of the world first,” Hagel said. “It's a threat to every country, it’s a threat to every society, and Turkey lives right here.”

Productive discussions

The secretary said his conversations with the Turkish leadership were productive.
“I didn't come here to ask for specific missions that they would take on or specific roles they would perform,” he said. “It’s up to every country to decide what's in their interest, as well as the collective interest of the region and, in Turkey's case, NATO. The main reason I was here today was to start coordinating with the leaders of Turkey on working through some of the challenges as we go forward and think through how we are going to deal with ISIL.”

He said Obama would detail the strategy for dealing with the terrorist group from the U.S. perspective later this week.

“It was very clear to me in my conversations today with the Turkish leaders that they clearly saw that as the overall objective here, when we start thinking through what we're dealing with, both short term and long term,” the secretary said.

Reaffirming Turkey’s commitment

Hagel described the meetings as a reaffirmation of Turkey's commitment to be part of the effort to destroy ISIL and everything ISIL represents to the local region and to all countries.

“Foreign fighters came up in the discussions I had with all the leaders, as did every dimension of what we're dealing with here,” he said. “The issue of foreign fighters has [come] up in every conversation I've had in the last month, whether it was in Australia or India.”

The issue also was a big part of the conversation in Wales, Hagel noted.
All nations are examining the threat of citizens of their own countries participating with ISIL and other dangerous terrorist groups in the Middle East, the secretary added, and are looking for ways to work together to address the threat of foreign fighters. “That's not a military responsibility only,” he added. “It’s law enforcement -- it's all of the departments of each of our governments.”
Resolving the ISIL threat

Hagel said it was clear in his conversations with the president, the prime minister and the defense minister in Ankara that resolving the immediate ISIL threat will involve good, responsible governance.

“That’s what President Obama has talked about in Iraq,” Hagel said, “and I'm looking forward to hearing fairly soon that that a new government under Mr. Abadi in Iraq has been formed. It's the anchor [by] which these countries will have opportunities to go forward.” Last night, several hours after the secretary’s remarks, Iraq's parliament did approve a new government headed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

Obama called the prime minister yesterday to congratulate him and the Iraqi people on the new government, according to a White House statement, and applauded the efforts of Abadi and other Iraqi leaders to form a new, broad-based government.

Fighting a common enemy

The president also underscored the need for the United States and Iraq to continue working closely with the international community to build on recent actions to counter the threat posed ISIL, and the Iraqi prime minister expressed his commitment to work with all communities in Iraq and with regional and international partners to strengthen Iraq’s capabilities to fight against the common enemy, the statement said.

Hagel said good governance is important in Iraq, “because the military part of all this is … important, but it's not the only part.” It includes economics and diplomacy, he added, “and … the ability for countries to govern themselves and find opportunities for all their people.”

SECRETARY HAGEL COMMENTS ON GEORGIA'S STATUS AS ENHANCED NATO PARTNER

FROM:   U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Right:  Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is escorted past an honor cordon by Georgian Minister of Defense Irakli Alasania during a ceremony welcoming Hagel to the defense ministry in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sept. 7, 2014. DoD Photo by Glenn Fawcett. 

Hagel: U.S. Backs Georgia’s New NATO Standing, Boosts Defense Support
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made his first official visit to Georgia today following his participation at the NATO Summit in Wales, meeting with government and military leaders and congratulating the U.S. military partner on its new status as an enhanced NATO partner.
Hagel began his 16th international trip Sept. 3; a six-day visit that included participation in the NATO Summit in Wales last week and meetings with government and military leaders in Georgia and Turkey.

Meeting with the defense minister

This morning, after an official welcoming ceremony at the Ministry of Defense in Tbilisi, Hagel met with Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. During a press conference that followed the meeting, both reaffirmed their nations’ close defense partnership and the shared goal to build even stronger military ties.
“I also expressed the gratitude of the American people for the … significant contributions Georgia has made to operations in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Over more than a decade of fighting together, our two militaries have forged a deep and enduring friendship and a strong and vibrant partnership,” Hagel said.
In 2012, the U.S. and Georgian presidents agreed to an enhanced defense cooperation program to accelerate Georgia's defense reforms and modernization, increase Georgia's level of NATO interoperability and improve the nation's defense capabilities.

As a result of the agreement, the United States and Georgia have increased cooperative training events and dialogues among subject matter experts.
Because Georgia is a committed and dependable U.S. partner, the defense secretary said, the Defense Department fully supports Georgia's defense modernization efforts and will continue to help the nation fulfill its Euro-Atlantic aspirations -- including membership in NATO.

New NATO status

Hagel and Alasania discussed how the substantial package of measures for Georgia that NATO leaders endorsed at the Wales summit will strengthen the country’s relationship with NATO, Hagel added. These include expanded defense capacity-building efforts, more joint training exercises and enhanced interoperability capabilities.

Georgia was one of five nations to achieve the new elevated status of NATO enhanced-opportunities partners, and Hagel said the United States would make a substantial contribution to the new alliance effort and to continuing bilateral U.S.-Georgia capacity-building efforts.

“Today the minister and I discussed the necessary steps for Georgia to acquire the U.S. military helicopters that they have requested,” Hagel said, adding that Georgia's new status would help the nation advance its preparations toward NATO membership.

Russia

Hagel said the deepening ties between NATO and Georgia are especially important given the “dangerous and irresponsible actions of President [Vladimir] Putin toward Ukraine.”

Putin’s illegal annexation of Crimea, which the United States does not recognize, the secretary noted, “and the ongoing military campaign that Russia is mounting in eastern Ukraine, pose grave threats to regional stability, as had its actions inside Georgia's internationally recognized borders.”

The United States continues to call on Russia to fully withdraw its forces from Georgia's borders, Hagel said, adding that the United States welcomes the restraint Georgia has shown in this situation.

“Russia's actions here and in Ukraine pose a long-term challenge that the United States and our allies take very seriously. But President Putin's actions have also brought the United States and our friends in Europe, including Georgia, closer together,” Hagel said.

Battling terrorism

“We will need a close partnership to counter another key security challenge -- the growing threat of violent extremism,” the secretary added.

Hagel said he and Alasania discussed ways Georgia could play an important role in a partnership with the United States, Iraq and coalition partners to destroy the ISIL threat.

“This is a galvanizing moment for NATO and our partners,” Hagel added. “I believe that the summit in Wales put us on the right path to respond to President Putin's challenge over the long term, as well as the threat of ISIL.”

After the press conference, Hagel made his way to a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, stopping first at Heroes Square to lay a wreath.

Heroes Square

Heroes Square, built in 2009, honors those who died protecting Georgia’s territory. Etched into the main monument, a tall pillar of marble and methacrylate, are the names -- about 4,000 in total -- of Georgian military cadets who died fighting the Red Army in 1921, the leaders of an anti-Soviet revolt in 1924, and those who died during military actions in Abkhazia in 1992-1993 and in the five-day war in South Ossetia in August 2008.

Across the street, facing the obelisk, an eternal flame is flanked by an honor guard of two soldiers.

Afterward, Hagel met with the prime minister at the State Chancellery and later in the day at the President’s Palace with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili.

Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby provided readouts of the meetings.

In his meeting with the Georgian president, Hagel thanked Margvelashvili for his leadership and for the contributions Georgia continues to make in Afghanistan and other peacekeeping missions.

Georgia in Afghanistan

Georgian armed forces members have served in Afghanistan since 2004. The first full Georgian unit deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. Georgia is the largest non-NATO troop contributor to the International Security Assistance Force, with more than 10,000 soldiers having operated with Marines in Helmand Province.
To date, 29 Georgian soldiers have died and 276 have been wounded during their service in Afghanistan. Beyond 2014, Georgia has agreed to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces and has pledged financial assistance.
Meeting with the defense minister

Kirby said Hagel also praised the efforts of Defense Minister Alasania in helping the two militaries maintain a strong defense relationship, and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to working with Georgia on a range of bilateral and alliance initiatives.

The two leaders discussed a host of regional security issues, the admiral said, including Russia's continued aggression inside Ukraine and the threat its actions pose to the regional and international order, and the threat posed by ISIL in the Middle East.

Common concern

One concern was common to Hagel’s meeting with Margvelashvili, and earlier in the day with the prime minister, Kirby said; the problem of foreign fighters flowing into Syria to join extremist groups and the threat those fighters represent to their homelands.

Hagel updated Margvelashvili and Gharibashvili on U.S. efforts to build a coalition of nations willing to contribute to continued operations inside Iraq and against ISIL, Kirby added. And the secretary thanked the Georgian leaders for their willingness to consider ways to support that initiative.

“In both his meetings this afternoon,” the admiral said, “Secretary Hagel pledged to continue the close dialogue and cooperation between our two countries.”

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS ON BUILDING ANTI-ISIL COALITION

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks at Top of Meeting on Building an Anti-ISIL Coalition Co-Chaired by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, U.K. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, and U.K. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Celtic Manor

Wales, United Kingdom

September 5, 2014

Good morning, everybody. We are very appreciative for everyone who made the time to get here early (inaudible) in order to start the day with another meeting, with an extra meeting. But we thought it was really critical given the urgency of (inaudible) with respect to ISIL (inaudible) everybody together in order to try to get on the same page and talk through the margins of the NATO summit what we can do over the course of the next days.

We’re operating under a little bit of a time constraint. I promised Philip – and we’re very grateful, Philip, for your willingness to cohost this effort and provide facilities, and thank you, again, for the stewardship of this NATO summit. There’s a flyby taking place at 7:45 (inaudible). Okay, (inaudible). The – yeah. And we’re going to try – we’re absolutely going to (inaudible) time so that we can get up there and (inaudible).

Everybody here understands what ISIL is and the challenge that it represents. I would say to all of you, including those of you – the defense ministers who are now with us, but we had a very provocative conversation last night among the foreign ministers regarding some of the overall challenges we all face, the number of failed states and the challenges of disorder in so many countries. In many ways, I believe ISIL presents us with an opportunity. And it’s an opportunity to prove that we have the ability to come together, that our capacities for defense are not so frozen in an old model that we can’t’ respond to something like ISIL, that we can’t pull ourselves together and effect the coalition of clearly the willing and the capable to be able to deal with ISIL.

Contrary to what you sort of heard in the politics of our country, the President is totally committed; there is a strategy that is clear, becoming more clear by the day. And it really relies on a holistic approach to ISIL. That is to say that we need to do kinetic, we need to attack them in ways that prevent them from taking over territory, that bolster the Iraqi security forces, others in the region who are prepared to take them on, without committing troops of our own, obviously. I think that’s a redline for everybody here, no boots on the ground. Nevertheless, there are many ways in which we can train, advise, assist, and equip. There are kinetic operations we can run in direct support of Iraqi security forces.

And we’ve proven the model in the last weeks – breaking the siege on Sinjar Mountain, breaking the siege of Amirli, breaking of momentum that was moving towards Erbil, and in effect picking up enough intel to understand that the minute we hit them, these guys are not 10 feet tall. They’re not as disciplined as everybody thinks. They’re not as organized as everybody thinks. And we have the technology, we have the know-how. What we need is obviously the willpower to make certain that we are steady and stay at this.

There is no contain policy for ISIL. They’re an ambitious, avowed genocidal, territorial-grabbing, Caliphate-desiring, quasi state within a regular army. And leaving them in some capacity intact anywhere would leave a cancer in place that will ultimately come back to haunt us. So there is no issue in our minds about our determination to build this coalition, go after this. I’ll give you a quick take at what we are looking for and what we’re going to do.

When we say holistic, we mean every aspect of this group, and I think this could become conceivably a model that can help us with Boko Haram, could help us with Shabaab, with other groups if we can do this successfully. And NATO needs to think of it that way as we consider sort of our role in this new world we’re living in. We need to go after their financing mechanisms and sources, and we need to elicit broad-based support within the world of (inaudible) as well as in the world of normal banking and cover entities, businesses and so forth. Which means our law enforcement and intelligence agencies are going to need to coordinate and work together that have a clear part of an agenda within this framework.

We need a major humanitarian component that needs to be coordinated with the economic component, which will be real, to help Iraq get on its feet. We need a foreign fighter component. President Obama is going to be leading a National Security Council meeting in New York in the course of UNGA. We want – hope everybody will take part in that and help us lay down a critical agenda with respect to how we deal, all of us, with foreign fighters, which is a challenge to every country here, which is partly why we are all here.

In addition, we need an all-military aspect. Some people will not be comfortable doing kinetic. We understand that. Or some people don’t have the capacity to do kinetic. But everybody can do something. People can contribute either ammunition or weapons or technical know-how or intel capacity. People can contribute advisors. We’ve just put another 350 people on the ground in an effort to build up our advisor capacity. We’re building up our ISR platform and intel capacity. We also are building up the kinetic capacity, and that will be a clear part of this.

We very much hope that people will be as declarative as some of our friends around the table have been in order to be clear about what they’re willing to commit, because we must be able to have a plan together by the time we come to UNGA, we need to have this coalesce. We need a clarity to the strategy, and a clarity to what everybody is going to undertake.

So we’re convinced that in the days ahead we have the ability to destroy ISIL. It may take a year, it may take two years, it may take three years. But we’re determined it has to happen. There are obviously implications about Syria in this, and we can talk about that if we want in the course of the morning. But let me turn to Philip, and then I’d – after the defense secretaries have each had a chance to say something, I’d like to get our friends from France and Australia to weigh in, because we’ve already been able to have some conversations. And in that order if we can, and then we’ll just move very quickly around the room.

So Philip, thank you.

WALES SUMMIT AND NATO'S CHANGING ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN

 FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

FACT SHEET: Wales Summit – NATO’s Changing Role in Afghanistan

NATO’s mission in Afghanistan has been the Alliance’s largest and one of its longest-running military operations, with 50 coalition countries contributing a peak of 140,000 troops over a 13-year campaign.  The United States, together with NATO Allies and partners, support a sovereign, stable, unified, and democratic Afghanistan and will continue our partnership with Afghanistan based on the principles of mutual respect and mutual accountability.  Moreover, we believe that an Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process is the surest way to end violence and ensure lasting stability for Afghanistan and the region.

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).  Since 2001, ISAF has assisted Afghan authorities in maintaining security and developing the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), per a United Nations mandate and at the request of the Afghan government.  The ISAF mission is part of the overall international effort to enable the Government of Afghanistan to exercise its authority throughout the country by providing security and stability to the Afghan people.  NATO assumed command of the ISAF mission in August 2003.

At the Lisbon Summit in 2010, Afghanistan and ISAF nations, including the United States, committed to transition full responsibility for security to the Afghan Government by the end of 2014.  Afghanistan and ISAF nations reaffirmed that commitment in 2012 at the Chicago Summit and took a step further announcing a mid-2013 milestone after which the ANSF would be in the lead for security nationwide and the ISAF role would transition from combat to support.

Since June 2013, the ANSF has been in the lead, with modest coalition support, and has exceeded most expectations.  Today, ISAF forces focus primarily on training, advising, and assisting their Afghan counterparts.  At the end of 2014, the ANSF will assume full responsibility for security and the ISAF mission will end.

Resolute Support.  At the Wales Summit, NATO Allies and partners reaffirmed their intent to conduct a non-combat train, advise, and assist mission in Afghanistan beyond 2014, known as Resolute Support, contingent upon the Afghans signing a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) and a status of forces agreement (SOFA) with NATO.  This new advisory mission would be at the security ministry and national institutional level, with advising to the ANSF at the corps level and advising to Afghan special operations forces at the tactical level.  This non-combat mission would be centered in the Kabul-Bagram area, with a regional presence in the north, west, south, and east. It would initially include approximately 12,000 troops.  Four Allied nations have agreed to serve as “framework nations” – Turkey will lead in the capital; Germany will lead in the north; Italy will lead in the west; and the United States will lead in the south and east.  NATO is prepared to commence this mission at the beginning of 2015.

For the United States’ part, President Obama announced on May 27, 2014 that the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan will end by the end of this year and, contingent upon a signed BSA and NATO SOFA, the United States would be prepared to continue “two narrow missions” in Afghanistan after 2014:  “training Afghan forces and supporting counterterrorism operations against the remnants of al-Qa’ida.”

At the beginning of 2015, we anticipate 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan with the majority participating in the NATO-led Resolute Support mission.  By the end of 2015, we would reduce that presence by roughly half, consolidating our troops in Kabul and Bagram Airfield.  By the end of 2016, our military presence would shift to a strong security assistance mission based from our embassy.  This presence would serve as the basis for sustained security cooperation with the Afghan government and continued coordination with Allies’ and partners’ efforts to advise and assist the Afghan security ministries and to continue to develop ANSF capabilities.

Financial Sustainment of the ANSF.  At the Wales Summit, NATO Allies and partners renewed their commitment to contribute significantly to the financial sustainment of the ANSF through the end of 2017 and to financially sustain the ANSF throughout the decade of transformation.  The international community has pledged nearly €1 billion annually to sustain the ANSF for 2015 through the end of 2017.  The United States has requested up to $4.1 billion in our 2015 budget, which would help sustain the ANSF surge end strength of 352,000 through 2015.  The United States expects that Afghanistan will assume an increasing portion of ANSF sustainment costs beginning with $500 million in 2015, as agreed at the Chicago Summit.  To ensure that donors can confidently commit their financial support to the ANSF over the long term, NATO Allies and partners welcomed the development of effective funding mechanisms including the strengthening of the Afghan National Army Trust Fund and the establishment of the Oversight and Coordination Body.  And finally, NATO Allies and partners look forward to working with Afghanistan to review planning for a sufficient and sustainable ANSF beyond 2015.

NATO-Afghanistan Enduring Partnership.  At the Wales Summit, NATO nations reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen its enduring partnership with Afghanistan, which would serve as the foundation for longer term security cooperation between NATO and Afghanistan.

REMARKS: PRESIDENT OBAMA AND BALTIC STATE LEADERS REGARDING SECURITY

 FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Remarks by President Obama and Leaders of Baltic States in Multilateral Meeting

3:22 P.M. EEST

PRESIDENT ILVES:  Let me just say that it has been a genuine honor and pleasure to host this multilateral meeting of President Obama, President Grybauskaitė and President Bērziņš here in Tallinn today, a day before the NATO Summit.  American engagement in our region’s security runs deep.  Twenty years ago, Russian troops left the Baltic states.  Ten years ago, Russian troops left -- or we joined NATO.  And we’ve all -- we’ve reached all of those historic milestones thanks to very strong U.S. support and leadership.

Our defense and security cooperation is extremely close.  We appreciate the immediate steps that the United States has taken to demonstrate solidarity with our three countries, with Poland and Romania.  In the past months, we have seen an increased U.S. air, ground and naval presence in our region as well as an enhancement of scheduled exercises.

The four of us share a common vision and goals for the upcoming NATO Summit.  We face a completely new security situation in Europe and we’re pleased that this is reflected in many of the summit’s documents.  We expect the summit to adopt the readiness action plan that will guide Allied nations for years to come through a set of practical steps and measures of reassurance and deterrence.

We expect it to provide a solid framework for allies to contribute to a stronger NATO presence on its eastern border.  Maintaining a persistent presence in this region should include, among other things, increasing the readiness of the Multinational Corps Northeast, in Poland, and giving it more responsibilities for matters of collective defense.  This would help facilitate NATO’s rapid reaction in our region and bolster security on NATO’s periphery.

A good part of our discussion today obviously focused on Ukraine.  We need to think about what more can be done to support this country.  Estonia has doubled its humanitarian and development assistance, and is looking for ways to do more, including assisting wounded soldiers from Ukraine here in our rehabilitation center.  But we should not forget about the other so-called Eastern Partnership countries.  Countries like Georgia and Moldova should not be left on their own as we focus on Ukraine.  They must have the right to make their own decisions, their own security arrangements and alliances.  Continued U.S. support for these countries’ engagement in the region is of vital importance.

We also believe in maintaining a strong transatlantic link in other areas, such as cyber and energy security.  But over the past year, our cooperation on cyber issues has strengthened and now covers many areas on both civilian and military levels.  I keep no tally of cyber-attacks, hacks and espionage, but it is absolutely clear that cybersecurity has become a concern for all of us to a degree we have never seen before -- a domain of warfare in the same category as land, sea and air.

There is no doubt that the security architecture here in Europe has changed in the past year -- and alas, not for the better.  How it will look in a year is difficult to predict given the unpredictability of so many of the actions we have seen.  But I can confidently predict that whatever the future does hold, the Baltic countries and the United States are working together globally to promote our common values -- democracy, human rights, rule of law, freedom, and especially Internet freedom.

Thank you.

PRESIDENT GRYBAUSKAITĖ:  So we had important meeting because we do have in our region today American President, and this means a lot not only for our region and security of our region, but a signal before the summit, NATO Summit, for all Europe.

Today what’s happening on Ukraine’s soil, that open aggression from Russian side against sovereign country, means that the recent attack, not only against Ukraine, it is an attack against the peace and borders of Europe after Second World War.

Why?  Today Ukraine is fighting not only for its own freedom, but it’s fighting instead of us, for us.  So why it is so important our full pledge to support Ukrainian sovereignty, support of the fight against aggression?  And, of course, we need to think about further improvement of security in our region.  And we appreciate the United States’ bilateral commitments and NATO’s commitments for our region, for the NATO members, and Article 5 commitments.

Why today standing here?  We very clearly know what we want from NATO Summit tomorrow, what kind of measures improving our security we ask for -- an updated standing defense plans, additional NATO and U.S. presence in our region, rapid reaction force, and other measures necessary to improve and secure our region’s security.

So today and tomorrow, we are talking and solving the future peace and security of Europe.  Why?  Our responsibility lies on our shoulders, not only thinking about our region, about our countries, but also about Ukraine.

Ukraine today is in frontline for all of us, and we need to take this very seriously and responsibly, helping Ukraine in every measure available in our hands.

PRESIDENT BĒRZIŅŠ:  Thank you, President Ilves, for the warm welcome.  President Obama, welcome to the Baltics.  At the beginning, I condemn the killing of American Steven Sotloff, and express my condolences to his family and friends.  We express our support and solidarity with the U.S. in their fight with terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere.

Today’s meeting proves a strategic partnership of the Baltic states and the United States.  Last year we met at the White House.  This meeting should be continued not less than annually.  Security cooperation based on shared values is a foundation of our relations.

I thank President Obama for the American leadership.  Your support, the European reinforcement initiative is very important for our region’s security.  I’m confident that the U.S. Congress will pass it without delay.  I commend the U.S. in providing troop presence in the Baltic region.  We would like to see the U.S. troops and equipment in Latvia as long as necessary.  We support U.S. efforts to consolidate firm international response against Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.  We must realize that to stop further aggression, solidarity in speaking with one voice is a key.

Today, we discussed the NATO Wales Summit.  The summit will need a clear message about reinforcing collective defense.  We’ll accept complete measures to ensure troop presence, infrastructure, and command structure in the Baltic region.

Transatlantic relations and the U.S. presence in Europe is crucial for the Euro-Atlantic security.  Europe, too, has to invest more in defense.  Latvia will increase defense spending to 2 percent of GDP by 2020.  The parliament of Latvia has passed a special law on it.  Answering the challenge of information war, Latvia will host the NATO Center of Excellence for Strategic Communication.

During the summit, we will discuss what NATO can do together to eradicate the greatest source of terrorism in the Middle East -- militant fighters of the Islamic State.

Together, we go ahead with the Baltic-U.S. cybersecurity partnership that we started last year in Washington.  We reaffirm our commitment to the strategic Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations.  We need to work as fast as possible to enable the signing of this agreement.

We wish to develop a real transatlantic bond between Europe and the U.S. on energy.  Recent developments in Ukraine are the further proof of the urgency to reduce dependency on one supply here.  Thereby, the U.S. involvement is very important for our efforts to make strong energy security and develop integrated energy markets in the region.  It would also benefit both the European and American economic interests.

I’d like to convey my gratitude to our friends and partners for the significant contribution and support in opening the OECD membership talks with Latvia.  The Baltic states and the U.S. have a shared interest in supporting economic development and good governance in the EU Eastern Partnership countries and in Central Asia.  This will be main priority during Latvia’s presidency in the Council of the EU next year.

Finally, I would like to stress that the Baltic states and the U.S. are natural partners bound by a shared belief in democratic governance, the rule of law, and respect for human rights and civil liberties.

Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I am the final speaker, so I will be brief.

I want to thank President Ilves for hosting us today, especially in these magnificent surroundings, which speak to the long and diverse history of this country and the endurance of the Estonian people.  And I want to thank my colleagues, Dalia and Andris, for coming here for this important meeting.

As has been indicated already, we last met as a group a year ago, and I was pleased to host our three Baltic allies at the White House.  The four of us spoke more recently to discuss the situation in Ukraine.  And my main message today is the same as it was last year at the White House:  The Baltic nations are among our most reliable Allies in NATO, and the commitment of the United States to their security is rock solid.

More recently, we’ve demonstrated our commitment to the additional American aircraft that have joined NATO’s Baltic air patrols, and we’ve demonstrated our commitment in the additional training exercises that our forces are now conducting.  And we’ve demonstrated our commitment to the additional American forces that are now continuously rotating through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.  So here in the Baltics, the United States has stepped up its presence.

And we are working to do even more.  As I announced earlier, the initiative I’ve proposed to bolster the American military presence in Europe would include additional air force units and aircraft for training exercises here in the Nordic-Baltic region -- with all three of these allies.  And the NATO Summit in Wales will be an opportunity to bring the Alliance together around a plan to enhance our readiness even further, including infrastructure and facilities here in the Baltics capable of handling rapid reinforcements.

So the bottom line is this:  As NATO Allies, we will meet our solemn duty, our Article 5 obligation to our collective defense.  And today I want every Estonian and Latvian and Lithuanian to know that you will never stand alone.

I want to thank all of these leaders for coming here today. I’d close with this observation.  Nearly 100 years ago, the United States recognized the independence of the Baltic nations.  And for 50 years, you’ve endured a brutal Soviet occupation.  In all those years, the United States never recognized that illegal occupation.  All those years -- even as your flags of independence were often banned here at home -- your embassies stayed open in the United States, and your flags flew proudly alongside ours.  They always will.  Because the United States intends to always stand with you.

So thank you very much, everybody.  Thank you.

END
3:40 P.M. EEST

RUSSIA CONTINUES BUILDUP

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Pentagon: Russia Intensifies Efforts Inside Ukraine

By Jim Garamone

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2014 – Russia continues to build up along its border with Ukraine and has moved sophisticated weapons systems into the country, the Pentagon press secretary said here today.

Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters that Russian military forces are part of those movements. Russian forces are, “facilitating the movement and then helping the separatists use the systems, if not using it themselves in support of separatists,” he said.

NATO has released surveillance photos showing these assets inside Ukraine. Kirby tied the Russian movements to the success that Ukraine has had against Russian-backed separatists in the country. “We believe that that has helped foster Moscow’s intention to intensify these efforts,” he said.

Kirby called Russian actions an “intensification” of the behaviors the Kremlin has exhibited for months.

“Our position hasn't changed,” he said. “We continue to look for ways to support the Ukrainian armed forces and the border guards. We continue to look for ways to reassure our NATO allies and partners, and we continue to call for Russia to pull its forces back and to stop escalating the tension there.”

President Barack Obama addressed the issue yesterday during a White House news conference. Russia has deliberately and repeatedly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the president said. He called on nations of the world to impose new sanctions against Russia.

“As a result of the actions Russia has already taken and the major sanctions we’ve imposed with our European and international partners, Russia is already more isolated than at any time since the end of the Cold War,” the president said.

Obama said he would reaffirm U.S. commitment to the defense of NATO allies and said he would speak with fellow NATO leaders at the summit in the United Kingdom next week.

“We’ll focus on the additional steps we can take to ensure the alliance remains prepared for any challenge,” he said.

Ukraine is not a NATO member, but the United States does “stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them,” the president said.