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Veteran Ariz. senator on 11 years after the Sept. 11 attacks, sequestration, the frosty relationship between Obama and Netanyahu, lack of US leadershi...
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Senator Estes thank -- good.
Am today very -- day.
For America actually for people around the world where were you on -- -- Right here right here where we're speaking in -- There and then of course.
Signal for us to evacuate the building.
Took place to this stage you know we'll never know where.
The plane that crashed in Pennsylvania was handed.
And then everybody evacuated we stood for a long time outside.
Capital here around the grounds here and fortunately it was a staffer of mine and I had a apartment a couple of blocks away and we went over there and spent time with -- -- -- I could get to my residence.
-- I don't know on American will ever forget where they were that day the other day you know we have when we always my age remember where we were when Jack Kennedy shot.
That's going up my father talk about Pearl Harbor and that light I'm not that old news as a child.
You know and now you know every -- eleven you know who could forget the sight of those planes going in the world -- then and of course how everything happened here in Washington.
And in that.
It was the worst of times in the best of times because the best of times was what people did those and went into the buildings those that.
Carried out and risked their lives there to save that of others so it.
You know that those people those quote first responders -- were the best of America and I am.
Very pleased to note that we continued on them.
-- -- a very turbulent times of continued to be so most notably what's going on at least in the Middle East.
Prime minister Netanyahu was hoping to get a red line -- -- to -- you know when action be taken against Iran and what action.
-- -- -- Clinton says that there aren't going to be red lines.
Today reported that Netanyahu report -- said those in the Internet to community.
Who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't heavy moral right place in Matt Light -- for Israel.
And then later today report that prime minister Netanyahu who will be here to speak for the UN wanted to come -- Washington to speak with President Obama it's been report at least right now the President Obama.
Says it tight schedule can't be prime minister.
And -- Well first there have been times where we've had rocky relationships between the United States and -- like.
Go back to the Reagan administration and secretary baker and other times but.
I'm not sure there's been rocky relations at a time when there's a threat to Israel is serious is that that programs nuclear capability.
Would -- to to Israel.
So here's the dilemma the Israelis have.
They have a certain capability which is not as large as ours.
So we can allow the Iranians to go further in their progress towards.
A nuclear weapon.
Then the Israelis -- they can't depend on -- so once it passes the capabilities that.
The Israelis.
Second -- we all know that their.
Information.
It's not always intact and intelligence fact the United States had intelligence assessment back in 2007.
That the Iranians had stopped at I think he might -- recall that.
So the fact that we.
Have not established.
A a point.
Where the Iranians have reached a certain capability I -- the capability to them very short period of time put together in nuclear -- -- it.
Then.
The -- at least feel.
That.
With no red lines then it could just progress on phenomenon and that has contributed to the understandable in my view.
I don't know the word she irritation -- act anger -- dissatisfaction.
On the part of the prime minister of Israel about the United States America.
Whether to prompts others want as the frosty relationship that seem to me that.
That the administration has with Israel that's number one.
Number two is we know where it is -- -- on getting on nuclear weapon as as you -- we've we've had bad intelligence before.
It's curious -- Iran doesn't want.
Nuclear that they don't want nuclear fuel from lots.
A 20% Richmond would be for peaceful they wanna do their own so that makes this of course suspicious.
But bottom line is you know how close are and how good is intelligence happily how much we rely.
I think that it's very clear according to the IAE eight.
-- hand our own intelligence estimates and all of the nations that.
Estimates that they are progressing.
Fairly rapidly towards a point where they could assemble.
A nuclear weapon.
-- fairly rapidly so that's the thing where I'm on opposite.
I don't -- if if we have two years at three years or two months we have no sense -- it's not enough of the level of urgency assigned.
That it's as they say it's complicated.
Are you talking about when they have actually assembled a nuclear weapon or would they -- the breakout point where they could very rapidly -- -- That's another bone of contention between.
The United States and Israel that is really don't want to wait until they have actually assembled one.
But I don't think there's any doubt that the estimates range between a year and two years but.
But one thing that complicates all of this many times in the past.
Our intelligence has not been that accurate and this virus that we had union.
We and our allies had in their nuclear program set it back considerably.
But all intelligence published intelligence reports that they've overcome that -- -- Is there any more march and sanctions -- -- other -- market cant wait crank up the sanctions when I realize that they hurt the economy but that's not necessarily.
Dissuade someone from going forward nuclear weapons but it is -- more we can do it sanctions.
It may be more -- that we could do but what we've imposed is very very harsh and has.
Cause them great economic difficulties the credit if you look at history as far as sanctions -- current concern going all the way back.
It's very rare that sanctions have really had that kind impact that they were intended.
South Africa and apartheid jumps to mind that sanctions imposed by the whole world.
Did change -- south African policy on apartheid but -- so many occasions where.
They get around these economic sanctions that -- be -- range right now are doing all kinds of things as far as going through different banks and money laundering and trading.
And refined oil to countries with for refined I mean there's all kinds of ways to get around sanctions war.
Just put up with -- -- for the sake of achieving a position which -- upset the entire Middle East believe me a -- into a nuclear weapons causes a whole region to be nuclear weaponized.
The threat of a bomb being transferred to Hezbollah.
I mean it is it it would be a pandora's box of challenges the likes of which we have never seen in the Middle East.
Syria who is having enormous problems and they have at least with -- is.
Chemical weapons.
And of that -- the big question is you know where to those chemical weapons and up and they end up in safe hands and they end up in the hands of Hezbollah.
Where are they going and what are we doing -- not back.
Nothing the United States of America has taken.
-- hands off approach -- 20000 Syrians have been massacred.
And again with Iranian assistance and Iranian participation.
All of the things that the non interventionist.
-- this administration and their.
Media.
Argued that if we intervene.
That these bad things would happen well we haven't -- We've seen.
Hezbollah in.
In Syria we have seen.
Increased attacks using attack aircraft and helicopters.
We've seen it spill over into Lebanon and into Turkey we have seen.
And tragically that dramatic increase in foreign fighters I -- -- al-Qaeda is is is really.
Increasing their their presence there Turkey is now because of the lack of American leadership -- now declared that refugees have to.
Make decisions -- get will go out one way or the other which is -- exacerbate the whole refugee problem.
And the United States.
That present United States has failed to even speak out in -- half of these people who were being tortured raped and murdered.
And now this area -- the saudis for help and out -- helping out.
There is some increase cooperation but there's no American leadership.
And that frankly.
This administration in this present should be ashamed.
Is it a moral issue or tell me you should the people on in my home state of Wisconsin there -- -- that they.
-- Syria that's lousy but that's really far away how does it affect.
-- you know here in the United States is is simply the yeah we have a more responsibility.
Or does it have other impact here.
Our values our interest in our interest our values particularly in this case.
The general Mattis the head of our Central Command said Bashir aside falls is the greatest blow to -- -- 25 years.
The connection to Hezbollah.
Is broken and the Lebanese are are -- then.
They -- have lost so much of their influence in the region -- -- -- great -- And -- -- -- probably need for nuclear weapons -- so it's a squeeze that has absolutely and be and what we might call a Sunni crescent today in the areas so.
It would be a huge blow to them -- -- their strategic position.
In the Middle East second of -- -- The United States of America.
Beliefs that people should not be massacred raped and tortured.
Without us trying to help them.
And first morally second of all we should be providing with the offensive weapons some unfair fight Russian.
An Iranian weapons and people.
And a -- and then Revolutionary Guards are in the Syria as we speak.
And it's not totally unfair fight.
So we ought to be able to do that third of all there are not.
Hey you know unified.
Organization they're splintered into different groups they needed -- guys not a wishing -- the place where they can organized have a sanctuary and no fly zone.
And that would be on the Turkish most likely over in the Syria into Syria and Turkish border.
That way they could adequately defend themselves and I want to emphasize no one and I know especially me once boots on the ground.
But we can bring this conflict to a close everybody says that it's inevitable that -- side is gonna fall I agree.
But how many months how many more have to -- Before the United States of America would do what's necessary and assist these people you know one of their for -- and resistance leaders said the other day we remember.
-- remember who helped us -- That's Isaac in some -- to pick and choose him and Lotta -- and that appliances Sudan's ousted an election.
You know is equally troubled them -- but I won't.
Take a good time with acts don't like I I agree with you.
I -- I it's unbelievable what's going on there I mean the the slaughter of the people in the mountains in Sudan and with president Bashir.
Killing his people's army governments to divorced.
I agree and we should provide every help we can.
And there are ways we can assist us like I said in Syria we don't want.
We don't want -- -- we don't want to send troops but there are ways to assist there's also ways we can assist more in Sudan but they may be different ways every situation.
Is different.
Sequestration.
My it -- deeply troubling at least to me is that when the budget deal was cut.
There's a super committee created.
They didn't come up with the -- in November of last year so automatically -- the sequestration.
And in spite of that.
That even since the November December January February following until about nobody has done anything about it.
And and members of congress -- the -- have not been handcuffed in the basement when they couldn't do anything about it and now becomes this.
Draconian situation.
By the way that's the best short description of it that I've heard what we are facing.
Is draconian measures that will cut defense spending by a half a trillion dollars on top of already 460 billion dollars in cuts.
Which have already been mandated.
Which the secretary of defense and our uniform chiefs has said it will devastate.
Our national security in fact one marine deputy commandant said we could respond to -- a crisis -- after these kinds.
Draconian measures are taken.
Who I support for their collection defense but they've got to be done with a scalpel and not with a -- -- Whose fault is it that it's not being done.
Today that's waiting for the lame duck whose fault is that the summit summit because you know what it could be dispute know once he's been working on it today.
If that actually some who's been working hard but we haven't had much success.
I'll take the blame for Kate went on blatantly knowing him -- ranking member on armed services committee.
Even I -- senator Lindsey Graham and -- few people on capitol but the bottom line is there's been no progress since last November.
We need to present -- United States to call us over and say okay we need to fix this and how can we do that -- -- -- and that.
He's not I don't know why he's not doing it maybe he's not as concerned as the secretary of defense and the uniformed service chiefs are I don't know.
But I know this.
That if he called us over.
In the face of what's gonna happen to our nation's security.
That I think all of us would be willing to accept cut some kind of a deal.
And by the way they'll be lost a million jobs a trillion dollars and layoffs that would have to be made that would be.
Huge magnitude as I say lost of a million jobs.
And it is particularly.
Bottoms and I think it's -- fact that how the American people that played on this because.
In the event no agreement was was met last November and not -- and even though something could have been done since it.
These cuts don't go into effect until after the election in January and that was deliberate -- that was deliberate so that no one had to make the hard decisions now.
Facing the electorate.
That's why the American people are cynical about us that's -- the approval rating is ten or 11% whatever it is and I've often mentioned that I have -- anybody in the category that approval process like to ask them what they like about us.
But so yes we have we have not done what the American people expect us do.
But I do believe that the president as commander in chief that's his title.
And responsible foreign national security.
Dutch -- must play a leadership role and sit down with -- us and get this resolved.
That these defense.
Industries have to make plans are pentagon estimate plans.
And as we get closer and closer to the first of January.
They're basically in a quandary.
What -- think the presence if you were here and I asked to weigh you know.
Why's that someone working on now we have realized -- -- congress senate widely working -- now.
I don't know the answer to that.
Except to say that I believe that the present.
Was not carrying out his responsibilities as commander in chief.
If the sequestration.
Has the effect that the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and our uniformed service -- decision well.
I believe them.
Senate thanks -- I must say thank you.
