WEBVTT 00:00.720 --> 00:02.942 All right , good afternoon , everyone . 00:02.942 --> 00:04.887 Thanks very much for your patience 00:04.887 --> 00:07.230 today . Just to few things at the top , 00:07.239 --> 00:09.239 we'll get right to your questions . 00:09.239 --> 00:11.329 First , as you are aware , Israel 00:11.340 --> 00:13.284 confirmed today , the death of the 00:13.284 --> 00:15.396 leader of the Hamas terrorist group , 00:15.396 --> 00:17.284 Yaa Sinar . We'd refer you to the 00:17.284 --> 00:19.396 Israelis to discuss the details , but 00:19.396 --> 00:21.062 this is clearly a significant 00:21.062 --> 00:22.396 development and a major 00:22.396 --> 00:24.507 counterterrorism achievement . As you 00:24.507 --> 00:26.618 saw from our read out earlier today , 00:26.618 --> 00:28.673 Secretary Austin spoke earlier today 00:28.673 --> 00:30.673 with is Israeli Minister of Defense 00:30.673 --> 00:32.784 Gallant to discuss the reports on the 00:32.784 --> 00:35.007 killing of Sinar and to get an update , 00:35.007 --> 00:37.062 I would highlight that when the call 00:37.062 --> 00:39.173 occurred . The ID F was still working 00:39.173 --> 00:41.451 to confirm Sar's death during the call . 00:41.451 --> 00:43.451 Secretary Austin also reaffirmed us 00:43.451 --> 00:45.507 support for Israel's right to defend 00:45.507 --> 00:47.229 itself and reiterated that the 00:47.229 --> 00:47.060 deployment of the terminal high 00:47.069 --> 00:48.736 altitude area defense battery 00:48.736 --> 00:51.380 represents the United States unwavering . 00:51.389 --> 00:53.445 And during an ironclad commitment to 00:53.445 --> 00:55.759 Israel's security , the secretary also 00:55.770 --> 00:57.603 expressed strong support for the 00:57.603 --> 00:59.548 immediate release of all remaining 00:59.548 --> 01:01.492 hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza . 01:01.492 --> 01:03.548 We'll have much more to say from the 01:03.548 --> 01:05.659 department on the death of Sinar very 01:05.659 --> 01:05.440 soon and we'll keep you updated 01:06.099 --> 01:08.432 separately as we announced last evening , 01:08.432 --> 01:10.543 us military forces including us , air 01:10.543 --> 01:12.766 force B two bombers conducted precision 01:12.766 --> 01:14.432 strikes against five hardened 01:14.432 --> 01:16.543 underground weapons storage locations 01:16.750 --> 01:18.989 in Houthi controlled areas of Yemen . 01:19.510 --> 01:21.510 Us forces targeted several of the 01:21.519 --> 01:23.686 Houthis underground facilities housing 01:23.686 --> 01:26.110 various weapons components of the types . 01:26.120 --> 01:27.898 The houthis have used to target 01:27.898 --> 01:29.564 civilian and military vessels 01:29.564 --> 01:31.509 throughout the region . Us central 01:31.509 --> 01:33.453 command is still conducting a post 01:33.453 --> 01:35.564 strike assessment so I don't have any 01:35.564 --> 01:37.731 details to provide on that front other 01:37.731 --> 01:40.400 than to say that we struck exactly what 01:40.410 --> 01:42.354 we intended to hit . We'll provide 01:42.354 --> 01:45.199 updates as appropriate as Secretary 01:45.209 --> 01:47.209 Austin highlighted in his statement 01:47.209 --> 01:49.265 last night , the employment of the B 01:49.265 --> 01:51.376 two bomber was a unique demonstration 01:51.376 --> 01:53.542 of the United States ability to target 01:53.542 --> 01:55.765 facilities that our adversaries seek to 01:55.765 --> 01:57.931 keep out of reach no matter how deeply 01:57.931 --> 01:59.765 buried underground , hardened or 01:59.765 --> 02:01.709 fortified . And it demonstrates us 02:01.709 --> 02:03.653 global strike capabilities to take 02:03.653 --> 02:05.542 action against these targets when 02:05.542 --> 02:07.598 necessary anytime anywhere . It also 02:07.598 --> 02:09.653 sends a clear message to the houthis 02:09.653 --> 02:11.376 that there will continue to be 02:11.376 --> 02:13.320 consequences for their illegal and 02:13.320 --> 02:15.320 reckless attacks which put innocent 02:15.320 --> 02:17.209 civilian lives and us and partner 02:17.209 --> 02:19.320 forces lives at risk shifting gears . 02:19.320 --> 02:21.431 Secretary Austin arrived yesterday in 02:21.431 --> 02:23.580 Brussels and today participated in AD 02:23.589 --> 02:25.880 ISIS ministerial the first session of 02:25.889 --> 02:27.833 the NATO Defense Ministerial and a 02:27.833 --> 02:30.000 productive meeting of the NATO Ukraine 02:30.000 --> 02:32.350 Council in his opening remarks at the 02:32.360 --> 02:35.289 the ISIS Ministerial Secretary Austin 02:35.300 --> 02:37.244 highlighted the work over the last 02:37.244 --> 02:39.133 decade of the global coalition to 02:39.133 --> 02:41.078 defeat ISIS . And I quote , for 10 02:41.078 --> 02:43.244 years , this coalition has tackled the 02:43.244 --> 02:45.244 scourge of ISIS . Our success stems 02:45.244 --> 02:47.300 from our resolve , our commitment to 02:47.300 --> 02:49.522 working together and our willingness to 02:49.522 --> 02:51.633 adapt these core elements will remain 02:51.633 --> 02:53.744 at the heart of the next phase of our 02:53.744 --> 02:55.856 mission . Tomorrow , Secretary Austin 02:55.856 --> 02:58.022 will participate in the second session 02:58.022 --> 02:57.940 of the NATO Defense Ministerial and 02:57.949 --> 03:00.005 engage with his NATO counterparts to 03:00.005 --> 03:02.060 discuss strengthening the collective 03:02.060 --> 03:03.671 security of the alliance and 03:03.671 --> 03:05.616 international support to Ukraine's 03:05.616 --> 03:07.616 defense . We'll continue to provide 03:07.616 --> 03:09.838 readouts and updates on the secretary's 03:09.838 --> 03:11.893 engagements throughout his travels . 03:11.893 --> 03:14.116 And finally , the Department of Defense 03:14.116 --> 03:16.338 continues to be fully engaged with FEMA 03:16.338 --> 03:15.710 and the whole of government relief 03:15.720 --> 03:17.887 efforts related to hurricanes , Helene 03:17.887 --> 03:20.109 and Milton . And we'll continue to work 03:20.109 --> 03:21.942 with our federal state and local 03:21.942 --> 03:24.164 partners to ensure we're supporting and 03:24.164 --> 03:23.880 coordinating response efforts in 03:23.889 --> 03:26.270 support of our fellow Americans . As of 03:26.279 --> 03:28.446 earlier today , the National Guard had 03:28.446 --> 03:30.770 more than 4200 guardsmen , nearly 600 03:30.779 --> 03:32.890 high water vehicles , helicopters and 03:32.890 --> 03:35.112 more than a dozen watercraft from seven 03:35.112 --> 03:37.223 states mobilized for the response and 03:37.223 --> 03:39.279 recovery mission following hurricane 03:39.279 --> 03:41.501 Milton . The US Army Corps of Engineers 03:41.501 --> 03:43.723 has approximately 450 people supporting 03:43.723 --> 03:45.390 with temporary roof support , 03:45.390 --> 03:47.335 infrastructure assessment , debris 03:47.335 --> 03:49.335 control , flood response and more . 03:49.335 --> 03:51.390 Meanwhile , the department's support 03:51.390 --> 03:53.501 for us , the US government's combined 03:53.501 --> 03:55.723 response for hurricane Helene continues 03:55.723 --> 03:55.669 as well . The National Guard has 03:55.679 --> 03:58.550 roughly 2500 guardsmen , 65 high water 03:58.559 --> 04:01.050 vehicles and 11 he hel helicopters 04:01.059 --> 04:03.699 excuse me from 13 states mobilized . 04:03.860 --> 04:06.320 Approximately 1400 active duty soldiers 04:06.330 --> 04:08.386 are mobilized as well . Working with 04:08.386 --> 04:10.386 federal state and local partners on 04:10.386 --> 04:12.441 coordinate response efforts . Active 04:12.441 --> 04:14.552 duty forces have engaged been engaged 04:14.552 --> 04:16.163 in road clearing , commodity 04:16.163 --> 04:18.163 distribution and access to isolated 04:18.163 --> 04:20.320 personnel . The US army Corps of 04:20.329 --> 04:22.440 Engineers has more than 500 personnel 04:22.440 --> 04:24.329 engaged in 33 missions across the 04:24.329 --> 04:26.519 region supporting debris control , 04:26.529 --> 04:28.362 temporary power , infrastructure 04:28.362 --> 04:30.570 assessment , flood control and safe 04:30.579 --> 04:32.779 waterways assessments . Secretary 04:32.790 --> 04:34.957 Austin continues to receive updates on 04:34.957 --> 04:36.679 these response efforts and the 04:36.679 --> 04:38.901 department continues to be engaged with 04:38.901 --> 04:41.234 interagency partners in support of fema , 04:41.234 --> 04:43.012 the White House state and local 04:43.012 --> 04:45.012 governments . The secretary and his 04:45.012 --> 04:47.179 team are also focused on dod personnel 04:47.179 --> 04:49.346 and their families who may be impacted 04:49.346 --> 04:51.512 by the hurricanes that be glad to take 04:51.512 --> 04:51.239 your questions . We'll start with 04:51.250 --> 04:53.239 Associated Press , Tara , thanks 04:53.250 --> 04:55.361 General Ryder . Does Secretary Austin 04:55.361 --> 04:57.440 have plans to talk with Minister 04:57.529 --> 04:59.739 Gallant again later today ? Now that 04:59.750 --> 05:02.859 the death has been confirmed and does 05:02.869 --> 05:04.869 the building assess that this death 05:04.869 --> 05:06.869 creates a greater opportunity for a 05:06.869 --> 05:08.869 cease fire ? Will you see Secretary 05:08.869 --> 05:10.813 Austin press that further with his 05:10.813 --> 05:13.036 counterpart ? Um So I don't have a call 05:13.036 --> 05:15.258 to uh announce now , uh as I'm sure you 05:15.258 --> 05:17.425 can imagine , I'm , I'm sure Secretary 05:17.425 --> 05:19.647 Austin will speak with Minister Glat uh 05:19.647 --> 05:21.980 at the earliest opportunity . And again , 05:21.980 --> 05:24.036 we'll we'll read that out uh when it 05:24.036 --> 05:25.702 happens uh in terms of uh the 05:25.702 --> 05:28.579 opportunities that this presents um you 05:28.589 --> 05:30.589 know , I , I would highlight uh the 05:30.589 --> 05:32.311 President's statement where he 05:32.311 --> 05:34.478 highlighted the fact that there is now 05:34.478 --> 05:36.645 an opportunity for a day after in Gaza 05:36.645 --> 05:39.200 without Hamas in power . And so it does 05:39.209 --> 05:41.098 present an opportunity here for a 05:41.098 --> 05:43.265 ceasefire . It presents an opportunity 05:43.265 --> 05:45.320 for the release of all the remaining 05:45.320 --> 05:47.542 hostages and of course , we'll continue 05:47.542 --> 05:49.487 to work toward that end . And then 05:49.487 --> 05:51.850 secondly , on the B two use last night , 05:51.859 --> 05:53.915 is there another aircraft that could 05:53.915 --> 05:56.026 have carried the munitions that the B 05:56.026 --> 05:58.248 two delivered ? And if so why use the B 05:58.248 --> 06:00.137 two instead of something that was 06:00.137 --> 06:02.248 closer to the region ? Yeah , so uh a 06:02.248 --> 06:04.415 couple of things on that . Uh First of 06:04.415 --> 06:04.359 all , you know , in the US military , 06:04.369 --> 06:06.369 we have a , as you know , we have a 06:06.369 --> 06:08.450 wide range of uh aviation capability 06:08.459 --> 06:11.040 that can carry a wide assortment of 06:11.049 --> 06:13.640 munitions . Uh The B two in particular 06:13.649 --> 06:16.679 though uh has a large payload , uh the 06:16.690 --> 06:20.359 ability to uh operate around the world . 06:20.369 --> 06:22.536 Uh as I highlighted in the topper , we 06:22.536 --> 06:24.647 can strike anywhere any time . Uh And 06:24.647 --> 06:26.813 in this particular strike using its uh 06:26.813 --> 06:28.980 unique capability and ability to carry 06:28.980 --> 06:32.170 a large payload uh to deliver munitions 06:32.179 --> 06:34.670 that could uh penetrate and strike 06:34.679 --> 06:36.850 these deep underground facilities that 06:36.859 --> 06:38.769 were storing components that the 06:38.779 --> 06:41.109 houthis have been using . Uh Again , it 06:41.119 --> 06:43.470 also sends a very clear message uh that 06:43.480 --> 06:47.109 we can strike uh targets uh of this 06:47.119 --> 06:49.341 nature anytime anywhere from around the 06:49.341 --> 06:51.230 world . Thank you , Jennifer . Um 06:51.230 --> 06:53.397 General Ryder , when was the last time 06:53.397 --> 06:55.563 the US had a read on where Senar was ? 06:55.563 --> 06:58.010 And do you still have uh troops helping 06:58.019 --> 07:00.019 with intel sharing on the ground in 07:00.019 --> 07:02.320 Israel ? Yeah , so I , I , as I'm sure 07:02.329 --> 07:04.551 you can appreciate not going to be able 07:04.551 --> 07:06.718 to discuss uh specific intelligence as 07:06.718 --> 07:08.885 you highlight . And as the president's 07:08.885 --> 07:11.051 statement highlighted , um we have had 07:11.051 --> 07:12.718 special operations forces and 07:12.718 --> 07:14.607 intelligence personnel supporting 07:14.607 --> 07:16.662 Israel's uh hostage recovery efforts 07:16.662 --> 07:18.607 advising on their hostage recovery 07:18.607 --> 07:20.799 efforts uh since shortly after October 07:20.809 --> 07:24.029 7th . Uh And so , uh in that regard , 07:24.040 --> 07:26.096 um you know , by providing them this 07:26.096 --> 07:28.760 information , the Israelis have been 07:28.769 --> 07:31.950 able to go after and look for hostages 07:32.019 --> 07:34.040 as well as find those who have been 07:34.049 --> 07:36.271 holding them hostage to include Sinor . 07:36.920 --> 07:39.369 And in terms of the B two strike , had 07:39.380 --> 07:41.436 you struck these targets before with 07:41.436 --> 07:43.980 other aircraft and munitions and had to 07:43.989 --> 07:46.489 go back and use the B two or are these , 07:46.500 --> 07:48.890 is this a repeat strike ? To my 07:48.899 --> 07:51.121 knowledge , this was a , this was not a 07:51.121 --> 07:53.177 repeat strike again , this was to go 07:53.177 --> 07:56.209 after very specific capabilities that 07:56.220 --> 07:58.059 the Houthis were storing deep 07:58.070 --> 08:00.237 underground . Was it a response to the 08:00.237 --> 08:01.959 23 missiles that were fired on 08:01.959 --> 08:05.279 September 27th at the US destroyers . 08:05.369 --> 08:07.540 This was a response to the continued 08:07.549 --> 08:09.771 illegal and reckless action that we see 08:09.771 --> 08:11.827 by the Houthis as you know , this is 08:11.827 --> 08:13.993 not the first time that we've struck , 08:13.993 --> 08:16.216 but certainly these were unique targets 08:16.216 --> 08:16.190 in the , in the sense that they were 08:16.200 --> 08:19.049 deep underground targets . One question 08:19.059 --> 08:22.989 on Israel , one on the B two , did the 08:23.000 --> 08:25.056 special operations still provide any 08:25.056 --> 08:27.111 information or intelligence that was 08:27.111 --> 08:29.600 used as part of the operations around 08:29.609 --> 08:32.190 the killing of war ? So my 08:32.200 --> 08:34.367 understanding or is that uh you know , 08:34.367 --> 08:36.422 the short answer is no , this was an 08:36.422 --> 08:38.589 Israeli operation . Us forces were not 08:38.589 --> 08:40.989 directly involved . You know , again , 08:41.000 --> 08:42.944 as we've highlighted , we've had a 08:42.944 --> 08:44.889 small number of special operations 08:44.889 --> 08:46.833 forces that have been advising the 08:46.833 --> 08:49.380 Israelis on hostage recovery efforts . 08:49.750 --> 08:51.639 Um And again , as the president's 08:51.639 --> 08:53.639 statement highlighted that included 08:53.639 --> 08:55.861 working side by side with their Israeli 08:55.861 --> 08:58.409 counterparts to help locate and track 08:58.419 --> 09:00.739 Sinar and other Hamas leaders hiding in 09:00.750 --> 09:02.694 Gaza who've been holding people to 09:02.694 --> 09:04.917 include Americans hostage since October 09:04.917 --> 09:06.917 7th last year . Can you say whether 09:07.950 --> 09:10.200 information or intelligence generated 09:10.210 --> 09:12.429 by the special operations ? So there 09:12.619 --> 09:16.219 went into previous killings of uh Hamas 09:16.229 --> 09:18.396 leaders like Mohammed Deif or , or Isa 09:18.396 --> 09:20.618 or others . Again , I'm not gonna speak 09:20.618 --> 09:22.785 about intelligence other than to say , 09:22.785 --> 09:24.951 um you know , uh just highlight what I 09:24.951 --> 09:26.840 just told you in terms of sharing 09:26.840 --> 09:28.785 intelligence and information uh in 09:28.785 --> 09:31.007 support of hostage recovery efforts and 09:31.007 --> 09:33.062 tracking those who have been holding 09:33.210 --> 09:35.043 individuals to include Americans 09:35.049 --> 09:37.105 hostage . And then just a very quick 09:37.105 --> 09:38.882 question on the B twos when the 09:38.882 --> 09:40.827 secretary put out a statement last 09:40.827 --> 09:42.827 night saying adversaries seeking to 09:42.827 --> 09:44.493 essentially place things deep 09:44.493 --> 09:46.827 underground in in , in hardened bunkers . 09:46.827 --> 09:48.882 You haven't used the word Iran . But 09:48.882 --> 09:51.105 that seems a very clear message to Iran 09:51.105 --> 09:53.382 and its underground nuclear facilities . 09:53.382 --> 09:55.549 Well , as I highlighted in my topper , 09:55.549 --> 09:55.130 it was certainly a message to the 09:55.140 --> 09:57.429 Houthis and anyone else , uh potential 09:57.440 --> 09:59.329 adversaries that hide things deep 09:59.329 --> 10:01.551 underground . Um It's a message to them 10:01.551 --> 10:03.496 as well . Tony . One of the unique 10:03.496 --> 10:05.440 capabilities is that the B two can 10:05.440 --> 10:07.718 carry the massive ordinance penetrator , 10:07.718 --> 10:09.996 the 30,000 pound bomb that can go deep , 10:09.996 --> 10:12.218 deep , deep . Oh , was that used in the 10:12.218 --> 10:14.549 first time here ? Yeah , Tony . So for 10:14.559 --> 10:16.969 operation security reasons , um I'm I'm 10:16.979 --> 10:19.146 just not gonna be able to get into the 10:19.146 --> 10:21.312 type of ordinance that was employed uh 10:21.312 --> 10:23.479 in this mission . Uh Again , the B two 10:23.479 --> 10:25.729 is a very versatile aircraft uh that 10:25.739 --> 10:27.739 can carry a wide range of munitions 10:27.739 --> 10:29.549 tailored for uh the particular 10:29.559 --> 10:31.781 operation that it's been tasked to do . 10:31.989 --> 10:34.100 Uh And I'll just leave it there . And 10:34.100 --> 10:36.100 th has this , has the Thaad Battery 10:36.100 --> 10:37.767 arrived ? And is it now fully 10:37.767 --> 10:39.822 integrated with uh with Israel's air 10:39.822 --> 10:41.933 defense systems ? Uh So you , you saw 10:41.933 --> 10:43.989 our statement earlier in the week uh 10:43.989 --> 10:46.156 that uh troops have begun to arrive in 10:46.156 --> 10:48.156 Israel . Uh and the components have 10:48.156 --> 10:51.289 begun to arrive uh in Israel . It's 10:51.299 --> 10:53.679 going to be fully operations capable in 10:53.690 --> 10:55.857 the near future . I'm not going to get 10:55.857 --> 10:57.579 into the specific dates uh for 10:57.579 --> 10:59.801 operation security . I will say that it 10:59.801 --> 11:02.023 has been integrated into the uh Israeli 11:02.023 --> 11:04.140 air defense uh as well as our broader 11:04.150 --> 11:07.190 us uh efforts , you know , regionally 11:07.200 --> 11:09.422 to support the defense of Israel Navy , 11:09.422 --> 11:11.478 destroyers , possibly , or swap data 11:11.478 --> 11:13.700 with the navy destroyers in the Eastern 11:13.700 --> 11:15.922 med for air defense and kind of provide 11:15.922 --> 11:18.109 an umbrella . So , so the way it works 11:18.119 --> 11:20.349 is from a sort of from a theater 11:20.359 --> 11:22.960 standpoint , um you know , the the US 11:22.969 --> 11:25.020 works closely with Israel and , and 11:25.030 --> 11:27.197 other partners when it comes to things 11:27.197 --> 11:29.252 like air defense to coordinate uh to 11:29.252 --> 11:31.363 exchange information , to ensure that 11:31.363 --> 11:33.474 we have a holistic picture uh and can 11:33.474 --> 11:35.808 respond to contingencies throughout the , 11:35.808 --> 11:37.919 the area of responsibility to include 11:37.919 --> 11:40.141 that supporting the defense of Israel . 11:40.289 --> 11:43.880 Thanks . Let me go to John or 11:44.570 --> 11:46.626 yeah , and then I'll go to Charlie . 11:47.299 --> 11:49.059 Thank you very much . Uh This 11:49.070 --> 11:51.070 administration has been saying that 11:51.070 --> 11:53.630 Hamas have been largely distraught and 11:53.640 --> 11:55.690 that's why Israel can agree to a 11:55.700 --> 11:57.533 ceasefire . And today , the vice 11:57.533 --> 11:59.478 President said that Hamas had been 11:59.478 --> 12:01.760 decimated , would you say to your 12:01.770 --> 12:03.770 Israeli counterparts to the Israeli 12:03.770 --> 12:05.603 government that if they made the 12:05.603 --> 12:07.881 decision to agree to a ceasefire today , 12:07.881 --> 12:10.048 especially after today's development , 12:10.048 --> 12:12.214 that that wouldn't be a silly decision 12:12.214 --> 12:14.214 militarily that they can trust that 12:14.214 --> 12:16.326 decision . Well , and as I'm sure you 12:16.326 --> 12:18.809 can appreciate , I'm not gonna provide 12:18.830 --> 12:20.886 military to military advice from the 12:20.886 --> 12:24.090 podium to our Israeli counterparts . Um 12:24.299 --> 12:27.150 To your point , Hamas has been uh 12:27.159 --> 12:30.609 incredibly degraded as evidenced by the 12:30.619 --> 12:33.190 killing of their leader , a significant 12:33.200 --> 12:34.969 number of their forces and cer 12:34.979 --> 12:38.859 certainly uh do not resemble anything 12:38.869 --> 12:41.147 close to what they were on October 7th , 12:41.380 --> 12:43.739 uh or the ability to conduct the kinds 12:43.750 --> 12:47.159 of operations we saw them . Um So I'll 12:47.169 --> 12:49.447 leave it to the Israelis to talk about , 12:49.447 --> 12:51.669 you know , their plans as it relates to 12:51.669 --> 12:53.891 Hamas . Um But as I highlighted earlier 12:53.891 --> 12:56.113 and as the president highlighted in his 12:56.113 --> 12:58.169 statement , uh the killing of uh and 12:58.169 --> 13:00.058 the death of Sinar certainly does 13:00.058 --> 13:02.113 present an opportunity and I'll just 13:02.113 --> 13:04.447 leave it there just one quick follow up . 13:04.447 --> 13:06.690 So as far as I understand this 13:06.700 --> 13:08.700 administration thinks that it makes 13:08.700 --> 13:11.033 sense right now to agree to a ceasefire . 13:11.033 --> 13:13.289 That's pretty clear . I guess again , 13:13.299 --> 13:15.466 I'm Department of Defense . So broadly 13:15.466 --> 13:17.875 speaking , we absolutely support a 13:17.885 --> 13:20.044 cease fire so that we can ensure that 13:20.054 --> 13:22.945 humanitarian assistance is getting into 13:23.044 --> 13:25.825 Gaza , that the Palestinian people can 13:25.835 --> 13:27.724 see a restoration of security and 13:27.724 --> 13:30.304 stability . But we also recognize the 13:30.315 --> 13:34.125 threat that Hamas has posed to Israel . 13:34.135 --> 13:36.604 And so we'll continue to consult with 13:36.794 --> 13:39.016 Israel and our partners in the region , 13:39.016 --> 13:41.469 but obviously want to see a ceasefire 13:41.479 --> 13:43.201 as soon as possible . And most 13:43.201 --> 13:45.035 importantly , the release of the 13:45.039 --> 13:47.289 hostages that continue to be held by 13:47.299 --> 13:50.570 Hamas . Charlie Sinar had American 13:50.580 --> 13:52.669 blood on his hands and the vice 13:52.679 --> 13:54.735 president was willing to go a little 13:54.735 --> 13:56.790 bit further than you will from there 13:56.790 --> 13:58.901 saying American Special Operation and 13:58.901 --> 13:58.820 intelligence personnel have worked 13:58.830 --> 14:01.052 closely with their Israeli counterparts 14:01.052 --> 14:04.280 to locate and track Sinar , he's dead 14:04.289 --> 14:06.400 now . So we're not at risk of foiling 14:06.400 --> 14:08.567 any sort of intelligence around that . 14:08.567 --> 14:10.849 But are you not willing to give us an 14:10.859 --> 14:13.250 idea ? I'm not sure what I said . That 14:13.260 --> 14:15.260 was contrary to that . I , what I , 14:15.260 --> 14:17.482 what I was asked was , was there direct 14:17.482 --> 14:19.989 us involvement in this particular 14:20.010 --> 14:22.121 Israeli operation ? And I said , no , 14:22.500 --> 14:24.710 us special forces or intelligence know 14:24.719 --> 14:27.090 where sin was when this happened . Uh 14:27.099 --> 14:28.821 Again , I'm not gonna get into 14:28.821 --> 14:30.988 intelligence . What I'm telling you is 14:30.988 --> 14:33.155 this was an Israeli operation and that 14:33.155 --> 14:35.099 we've been sharing information and 14:35.099 --> 14:37.043 intelligence in support of hostage 14:37.043 --> 14:39.099 recovery efforts and the tracking of 14:39.099 --> 14:41.140 these leaders who have been holding 14:41.380 --> 14:44.500 hostages to include Americans . And so , 14:44.669 --> 14:46.725 you know , and , and so much as it's 14:46.725 --> 14:49.059 helped to inform Israeli operations uh 14:49.070 --> 14:51.659 in general writ large , um you know , 14:51.669 --> 14:54.140 certainly it has played a role but in 14:54.150 --> 14:56.760 terms of this particular , you know , 14:56.770 --> 14:59.000 what happened today or last night , 14:59.010 --> 15:02.690 again , it's an important question and 15:02.700 --> 15:04.922 I just answered it . So let me go on to 15:05.219 --> 15:07.386 Joseph . I know you said the secretary 15:07.386 --> 15:09.608 spoke to his Israeli counterpart before 15:09.608 --> 15:13.330 the SARS death was confirmed . But did 15:13.340 --> 15:15.780 he did the secretary ? I mean , because 15:15.789 --> 15:17.845 as far as we know , you guys haven't 15:17.845 --> 15:19.900 received the day after plan from the 15:19.900 --> 15:22.178 Israelis in Gaza yet , is that correct ? 15:22.178 --> 15:24.400 Um Again , from a department of defense 15:24.400 --> 15:26.233 standpoint , um you know , we're 15:26.233 --> 15:28.233 continuing to talk with our Israeli 15:28.233 --> 15:30.178 counterparts in terms of what that 15:30.178 --> 15:32.456 would look like . Certainly , you know , 15:32.570 --> 15:36.289 um it will be a complex undertaking but , 15:36.299 --> 15:39.369 you know , more follow on that , just 15:39.380 --> 15:41.602 follow up on that . Does the department 15:41.602 --> 15:44.030 think there's anything more to be done 15:44.039 --> 15:46.130 militarily in Gaza from the Israeli 15:46.140 --> 15:48.084 point of view ? So that's really a 15:48.084 --> 15:50.196 question for the Israelis . Again . I 15:50.196 --> 15:52.307 think we've been pretty clear that we 15:52.307 --> 15:54.362 want to see a ceasefire . We want to 15:54.362 --> 15:56.584 see a restoration of a significant flow 15:56.584 --> 15:58.820 of humanitarian assistance into Gaza . 15:59.090 --> 16:01.770 Um We want to uh ensure though that 16:01.780 --> 16:04.229 Hamas is not in a position to conduct 16:04.239 --> 16:06.239 the kinds of attacks that it did on 16:06.239 --> 16:08.419 October 7th . Certainly they are , you 16:08.429 --> 16:10.540 know , down for the count in terms of 16:10.540 --> 16:13.390 their , their leader . Um But , you 16:13.400 --> 16:15.567 know , again , I'll defer the Israelis 16:15.567 --> 16:17.622 to talk about their comfort level on 16:17.622 --> 16:20.840 that last one . What's the secretary 16:20.849 --> 16:22.905 going to do in the Vatican ? I think 16:22.905 --> 16:25.016 he's got that on the last part of his 16:25.016 --> 16:27.238 trip . Uh He's got an official visit uh 16:27.238 --> 16:29.460 the Vatican City . Again , we'll have a 16:29.460 --> 16:31.460 read out of that one when he visits 16:31.460 --> 16:33.738 there . So we go to Wafa . Yes , ma'am . 16:33.738 --> 16:36.071 Thank you , General . Uh Over the years , 16:36.071 --> 16:38.580 Hamas has shown resilience um uh with 16:38.590 --> 16:40.880 replacing uh leaders when they were 16:40.890 --> 16:44.169 killed . So what's different now , why 16:44.179 --> 16:45.690 the assessment within this 16:45.700 --> 16:49.340 administration that uh the killing of 16:49.349 --> 16:52.619 uh Sinar would remove a significant uh 16:52.750 --> 16:55.340 obstacle in Gaza ? Well , I mean , as 16:55.349 --> 16:57.293 you highlight and this is always a 16:57.293 --> 16:59.460 challenge with terrorist organizations 16:59.460 --> 17:01.460 is that , you know , you remove the 17:01.460 --> 17:04.270 head and another uh is , you know , 17:04.280 --> 17:06.479 quickly replaces . Uh so , you know , 17:06.489 --> 17:08.600 I'm certain that's something that the 17:08.600 --> 17:10.711 Israelis will continue to keep an eye 17:10.711 --> 17:12.711 on as will we . Uh but I also don't 17:12.711 --> 17:14.933 think you can discount the significance 17:14.933 --> 17:16.878 uh again , from a counterterrorism 17:16.878 --> 17:18.878 standpoint . Uh The , the role that 17:18.878 --> 17:20.711 Sinar has played in leading this 17:20.711 --> 17:23.828 organization , uh also as the uh the , 17:23.838 --> 17:25.948 the architect , so to speak of the 17:25.958 --> 17:28.698 October 7th Hamas attack against Israel . 17:28.848 --> 17:30.792 Uh It's significant that he's been 17:30.792 --> 17:32.904 taken off the battlefield . Let me go 17:32.904 --> 17:34.959 to the phone here real quick , Dan , 17:34.959 --> 17:36.904 the Moth Washington Post General . 17:36.904 --> 17:39.300 Thanks for your time . Um I wanted to 17:39.310 --> 17:41.366 get your assessment . Uh does , does 17:41.366 --> 17:43.366 the Pentagon have an assessment and 17:43.366 --> 17:45.477 maybe it would be a better way to put 17:45.477 --> 17:47.643 it uh of whether with the uh the death 17:47.643 --> 17:49.866 of Sar , whether this is a particularly 17:49.866 --> 17:51.977 uh dangerous time uh for us troops in 17:51.977 --> 17:54.199 the region , whether you anticipate any 17:54.199 --> 17:56.254 kind of retaliation by uh any of the 17:56.254 --> 17:58.421 militias or Iran or , or anything as a 17:58.421 --> 18:00.421 result . Yeah , thanks Dan . Um You 18:00.421 --> 18:03.219 know , I can't predict the future and 18:03.229 --> 18:05.340 I'm not going to speculate , I mean , 18:05.340 --> 18:07.562 we already know that the Middle East is 18:07.562 --> 18:09.896 in a very tense situation right now and , 18:09.896 --> 18:11.896 and have taken significant steps to 18:11.896 --> 18:14.062 ensure that our forces that are in the 18:14.062 --> 18:16.007 region as well as our citizens are 18:16.007 --> 18:18.339 protected and So as we always do , uh 18:18.349 --> 18:20.405 we'll continue to keep our head on a 18:20.405 --> 18:22.516 swivel , protect our forces , support 18:22.516 --> 18:24.627 the defense of Israel and be ready to 18:24.627 --> 18:26.880 respond to any variety of contingencies 18:26.890 --> 18:29.400 should they arise ? Let me go to Phil 18:29.410 --> 18:33.140 Stewart Reuters . Uh 18:33.150 --> 18:35.709 Yeah , hi . Um So I started to go over 18:35.719 --> 18:37.689 this again but um I , I'm a little 18:37.699 --> 18:39.699 confused , I thought uh Sinar was a 18:39.699 --> 18:41.979 particularly vexing target um for 18:41.989 --> 18:44.045 intelligence uh for the intelligence 18:44.045 --> 18:46.100 community . And , and you know , the 18:46.100 --> 18:48.100 comments today suggest that you did 18:48.100 --> 18:50.280 have a fix on him at some point and 18:50.290 --> 18:51.957 that you , you , you may have 18:51.957 --> 18:53.910 contributed uh to the intelligence 18:53.920 --> 18:55.920 picture that you know , that led to 18:55.920 --> 18:58.089 this operation without us support . So 18:58.099 --> 19:00.432 could you just explain , you know , did , 19:00.432 --> 19:02.599 did us intelligence then are you , are 19:02.599 --> 19:04.766 you suggesting us intelligence had had 19:04.766 --> 19:06.839 a fix on sin ? Uh What what I'm 19:06.849 --> 19:08.905 suggesting Phil is that , you know , 19:08.910 --> 19:11.077 just to be crystal clear , this was an 19:11.077 --> 19:14.869 Israeli operation . Uh There was no us 19:14.880 --> 19:17.219 forces directly involved . Uh The 19:17.229 --> 19:19.989 United States has helped contribute uh 19:20.000 --> 19:22.540 information and intelligence as it 19:22.550 --> 19:25.260 relates to hostage recovery . Uh and 19:25.270 --> 19:28.140 the tracking and locating uh of Hamas 19:28.150 --> 19:30.819 leaders uh who have been responsible 19:30.829 --> 19:33.089 for holding hostages . Um And so 19:33.099 --> 19:35.280 certainly that contributes uh in 19:35.290 --> 19:38.310 general uh to the , the picture . But 19:38.319 --> 19:40.541 again , this was an Israeli operation . 19:40.630 --> 19:42.630 Uh And I would refer you to them to 19:42.630 --> 19:44.686 talk about uh the details of how the 19:44.686 --> 19:47.069 operation went down . Thank you . Uh 19:47.089 --> 19:48.700 Let me go to Howard Altman . 19:52.719 --> 19:54.839 Hey , thanks . Uh will appreciate a 19:54.849 --> 19:57.182 couple of questions about Ukraine . One . 19:57.380 --> 19:59.436 What is the Pentagon's assessment of 19:59.436 --> 20:02.400 how many North Korean troops are in 20:02.410 --> 20:05.930 Russia to ready to fight in Ukraine ? 20:06.390 --> 20:08.979 And secondly , what is the Pentagon's 20:08.989 --> 20:11.469 assessment of how the KK 20:12.219 --> 20:14.219 incursion is going ? There are some 20:14.219 --> 20:16.219 reports that Ukraine has lost about 20:16.219 --> 20:18.163 half the territory invaded . I was 20:18.163 --> 20:19.997 hoping you can give me the , the 20:19.997 --> 20:19.890 Pentagon's assessment of both of those 20:19.900 --> 20:21.789 things . Thanks . Yeah , thanks , 20:21.789 --> 20:24.069 Howard . Um I definitely seen the , the 20:24.079 --> 20:26.949 reporting in the comments about 20:27.349 --> 20:30.949 potential uh D pr K forces , you know , 20:30.959 --> 20:33.449 going to Russia or going to Ukraine . I , 20:33.459 --> 20:35.489 I can tell you right now . Um We're 20:35.500 --> 20:37.611 looking into those , we can't confirm 20:37.611 --> 20:40.339 or corroborate those reports if true , 20:40.349 --> 20:44.000 that would demonstrate uh a an increase 20:44.010 --> 20:46.670 in the cooper operation between Russia 20:46.680 --> 20:49.410 and North Korea . Uh And I think that 20:49.420 --> 20:52.089 would also demonstrate uh the , the , 20:52.250 --> 20:55.089 the situation that Russia finds itself 20:55.099 --> 20:57.560 in uh the , the dire situation that it 20:57.569 --> 21:00.589 finds itself in , in terms of um its 21:00.599 --> 21:02.710 forces on the battlefield . As you've 21:02.710 --> 21:04.650 heard us recently say the , the 21:04.660 --> 21:06.920 casualties that Russia is experiencing 21:06.930 --> 21:09.239 on the front lines uh are extremely 21:09.250 --> 21:12.130 significant , uh upwards of 600,000 21:12.339 --> 21:15.329 killed or wounded . Uh And so , uh it 21:15.339 --> 21:17.959 just demonstrates uh the desperation in 21:17.969 --> 21:20.359 terms of identifying additional forces 21:20.530 --> 21:22.752 uh for their , for their military , but 21:22.752 --> 21:24.808 it's something that will continue to 21:24.808 --> 21:27.086 keep a close eye on and then I'm sorry , 21:27.086 --> 21:28.974 your second question . The second 21:28.974 --> 21:31.141 question was about Kirs . There's some 21:31.141 --> 21:33.252 reporting that Ukraine has lost about 21:33.252 --> 21:35.419 half of the territory it gained in the 21:35.419 --> 21:37.586 Kurd incursion . Um I'm just wondering 21:37.586 --> 21:39.697 if the Pentagon his assessment of how 21:39.697 --> 21:41.919 that's going based on the information I 21:41.919 --> 21:44.030 have that , that is not accurate . Uh 21:44.030 --> 21:46.252 There has been some incremental , small 21:46.252 --> 21:48.930 amount of territory retaken by the 21:48.939 --> 21:51.469 Russians in KK , But at this stage , uh 21:51.479 --> 21:54.199 nothing uh that we would consider 21:54.209 --> 21:56.800 significant . OK . Come back to the 21:56.810 --> 21:59.540 room here . Thank you , General . Uh In 21:59.550 --> 22:02.160 President's statement , he used a very 22:02.199 --> 22:05.079 active language in terms of the 22:05.250 --> 22:08.119 involvement of the US intelligence and 22:08.250 --> 22:10.280 providing this information to the 22:10.290 --> 22:12.699 Israeli side . Uh Is this cooper 22:12.709 --> 22:16.270 operation was from September 7th up 22:16.280 --> 22:19.910 until now . And uh was it a two way 22:19.920 --> 22:22.839 intelligence sharing or you only giving 22:22.849 --> 22:25.339 them information that you have ? Yeah . 22:25.349 --> 22:27.405 So uh as we've said before and , and 22:27.405 --> 22:29.516 we've talked about this publicly . Um 22:29.516 --> 22:31.910 we sent a small number of Special 22:31.920 --> 22:34.810 Operations Forces uh to Israel to work 22:34.819 --> 22:36.930 out of the embassy to support and you 22:36.930 --> 22:38.763 know , to advise the Israelis on 22:38.763 --> 22:40.875 hostage recovery efforts . And to put 22:40.875 --> 22:42.875 this in the context , remember that 22:42.875 --> 22:44.930 there are American citizens that are 22:44.930 --> 22:46.597 being held hostages . So it's 22:46.597 --> 22:48.597 appropriate that American uh forces 22:48.597 --> 22:50.597 would be assisting and advising the 22:50.597 --> 22:52.819 Israelis on on those recovery efforts . 22:53.439 --> 22:55.770 Actually is comparing this with , I 22:55.780 --> 22:57.780 mean , putting mentioning Osama Bin 22:57.780 --> 23:01.520 Laden's death as well . So 23:01.530 --> 23:04.800 it sounds like the US sees this like 23:04.810 --> 23:07.239 the killing of the group that was 23:07.250 --> 23:09.405 responsible of that attack , which 23:09.415 --> 23:13.155 Israel used to show it as uh the 911 23:13.165 --> 23:16.464 of Israel . Uh So do you think that 23:16.474 --> 23:19.744 this is going to be like an 23:19.755 --> 23:23.724 opportunity to uh uh uh cease fire ? 23:23.734 --> 23:26.160 Uh Well , again , I think the 23:26.170 --> 23:28.392 President's statement speaks for itself 23:28.392 --> 23:30.448 and as I already highlighted in that 23:30.448 --> 23:32.670 statement , he highlights the fact that 23:32.670 --> 23:34.837 this is an opportunity for a day after 23:34.837 --> 23:36.837 in Gaza without Hamas . And so I'll 23:36.837 --> 23:40.349 just leave it there Constantine going 23:40.359 --> 23:42.530 back to the deployment since , as you 23:42.540 --> 23:44.660 say , you know , most of the unit 23:44.670 --> 23:46.781 appears to now be in Israel . Are you 23:46.781 --> 23:48.948 able to offer any more specifics as to 23:48.949 --> 23:51.116 uh what the unit is or where they came 23:51.116 --> 23:52.893 from , what army base they were 23:52.893 --> 23:55.089 deployed from ? Um cons I don't have 23:55.099 --> 23:57.266 more to provide for , for you from the 23:57.266 --> 23:59.321 podium here . Other than to say , uh 23:59.321 --> 24:01.880 the unit did deploy from the US . Um 24:01.890 --> 24:04.765 And it's an air defense capability that 24:04.775 --> 24:07.795 will be integrated into the broader air 24:07.805 --> 24:09.584 defense capabilities that we're 24:09.604 --> 24:11.694 providing in the support of Israel's 24:11.704 --> 24:14.395 defense and slightly related question . 24:14.405 --> 24:17.474 Um You know , as , as we sort of look 24:17.484 --> 24:19.834 forward to Israel's future , you said , 24:20.334 --> 24:22.556 you know , the flow of humanitarian aid 24:22.556 --> 24:24.612 is important for it to resume . Does 24:24.612 --> 24:26.390 the dod see itself as playing a 24:26.390 --> 24:28.314 significant role in getting that 24:28.324 --> 24:30.869 humanitarian aid into Israel ? Uh So 24:30.880 --> 24:32.713 right now , from a US government 24:32.713 --> 24:35.479 standpoint , of course USA ID uh is the , 24:35.489 --> 24:38.400 is the lead organization on us efforts 24:38.410 --> 24:40.466 to get aid and there certainly the , 24:40.466 --> 24:42.688 the department uh helps to advise and , 24:42.989 --> 24:44.767 um , you know , will support as 24:44.767 --> 24:47.119 necessary to include on the diplomatic 24:47.130 --> 24:49.410 front . You know , as you have seen in 24:49.420 --> 24:51.364 some of our readouts recently from 24:51.364 --> 24:53.476 Secretary Austin's conversations with 24:53.476 --> 24:55.642 Minister Gaunt , that has been a topic 24:55.642 --> 24:57.698 of discussion and continues to be an 24:57.698 --> 24:59.920 important topic of discussion . So , um 24:59.920 --> 24:59.500 if we have any , you know , I don't 24:59.510 --> 25:01.621 need anything to announce right now , 25:01.621 --> 25:03.621 but if that changes , we'll let you 25:03.621 --> 25:05.732 know . Yes , sir . Thank you . I have 25:05.732 --> 25:07.954 several on Ukraine . Um First President 25:07.954 --> 25:10.066 Zelensky said that the latest weapons 25:10.066 --> 25:12.121 package for Ukraine we saw yesterday 25:12.121 --> 25:14.288 included some long range weapons . Was 25:14.288 --> 25:16.288 this attack or something else ? And 25:16.288 --> 25:16.099 could you also specify which air to 25:16.109 --> 25:18.276 ground munitions were included in this 25:18.276 --> 25:20.387 package ? Yeah , I , I appreciate the 25:20.387 --> 25:22.553 question . I'm , I'm not gonna be able 25:22.553 --> 25:22.074 to go into more detail beyond what was 25:22.084 --> 25:24.306 in the readout . Secondly , uh does the 25:24.306 --> 25:26.473 Pentagon support the implementation of 25:26.473 --> 25:28.251 Zelensky s victory plan that he 25:28.251 --> 25:30.417 presented these days specifically when 25:30.417 --> 25:32.473 it comes to lifting restrictions and 25:32.473 --> 25:34.584 long long range strikes inside Russia 25:34.584 --> 25:36.751 and continuation of Ukraine's military 25:36.751 --> 25:38.806 operations on Russian territory . Um 25:38.806 --> 25:41.569 Well , you know , I , I know that uh at 25:41.579 --> 25:44.420 the , the NATO uh defense Ministerials , 25:44.430 --> 25:46.709 uh and in his consultations , uh you 25:46.719 --> 25:48.775 know , in , in his conversations and 25:48.775 --> 25:50.608 consultations with his Ukrainian 25:50.608 --> 25:52.830 counterpart . Um You know , we continue 25:52.830 --> 25:55.380 to learn more about uh the President's 25:55.390 --> 25:57.800 victory plan . Um I can tell you what 25:57.810 --> 26:00.359 Secretary Austin does support is uh 26:00.369 --> 26:03.290 Ukraine's uh success in terms of 26:03.300 --> 26:05.522 defending their sovereign territory and 26:05.522 --> 26:07.633 the freedom of the Ukrainian people . 26:07.633 --> 26:09.800 And so we're going to continue to work 26:09.800 --> 26:11.967 closely with the Ukrainians uh closely 26:11.967 --> 26:14.133 with our allies and partners to ensure 26:14.133 --> 26:16.356 that we understand Ukraine's needs . Uh 26:16.356 --> 26:18.133 And that we're supporting their 26:18.133 --> 26:20.356 capability requirements on the battle . 26:20.356 --> 26:22.189 One also said that if they start 26:22.189 --> 26:24.356 implementing this victory , but now it 26:24.356 --> 26:26.356 may be possible to end the war next 26:26.356 --> 26:28.356 year . Does the Pentagon agree with 26:28.356 --> 26:30.522 that assessment ? Again , I don't have 26:30.522 --> 26:32.800 anything to provide on that other than , 26:32.800 --> 26:34.911 you know , we're going to continue to 26:34.911 --> 26:36.911 support Ukraine for the long haul . 26:36.911 --> 26:36.744 We're going to continue to ensure we 26:36.755 --> 26:38.755 understand and are supporting their 26:38.755 --> 26:41.744 battlefield requirements . Nancy , the 26:42.035 --> 26:44.257 reports are that there was a round that 26:44.385 --> 26:47.660 brought down the facility where Sinar 26:47.670 --> 26:49.689 was , does the US know what kind of 26:49.699 --> 26:51.699 tank ground and whether it was a US 26:51.699 --> 26:53.810 provided ? One ? I I don't , I'd have 26:53.810 --> 26:55.866 to refer you to the ID F and then in 26:55.866 --> 26:58.032 your announcement about the deployment 26:58.032 --> 26:57.859 of the Thaad , one reason that was 26:57.869 --> 26:59.980 listed for deploying it was to defend 26:59.980 --> 27:02.380 Americans in Israel . I'd like to know 27:02.390 --> 27:04.501 if the department is considering also 27:04.501 --> 27:06.989 deploying any sort of defense to defend 27:07.000 --> 27:09.510 American citizens in Lebanon . Uh I 27:09.520 --> 27:11.520 don't have any new announcements to 27:11.520 --> 27:13.576 make . But , you know , by virtue of 27:13.576 --> 27:15.839 the fact that we have uh DDGS uh 27:15.859 --> 27:18.229 destroyers rather uh and other 27:18.239 --> 27:20.017 capabilities in the region . We 27:20.017 --> 27:22.072 certainly again place the safety and 27:22.072 --> 27:24.295 security of American citizens , whether 27:24.295 --> 27:26.461 they be in Lebanon or Israel uh at the 27:26.461 --> 27:28.628 top of the priority list . And so , uh 27:28.628 --> 27:30.850 we continue to work very hard to ensure 27:30.850 --> 27:32.961 that all Americans are safe . Uh oh , 27:32.961 --> 27:35.072 by the way , uh you know , as , as we 27:35.072 --> 27:38.819 see Iranian uh Houthi uh missiles that 27:38.829 --> 27:41.540 are , that are heading towards Israel 27:41.550 --> 27:43.661 or towards that vicinity , you know , 27:43.661 --> 27:45.661 we certainly have the capability to 27:45.661 --> 27:47.772 take those down . But uh I would just 27:47.772 --> 27:49.717 emphasize that regardless of where 27:49.717 --> 27:51.717 American citizens are , it's always 27:51.717 --> 27:51.449 going to be a top priority for us to 27:51.459 --> 27:53.403 protect them . Are there any force 27:53.403 --> 27:55.570 posture changes or changes in the sort 27:55.570 --> 27:57.681 of security posture in light of Sin's 27:57.681 --> 27:59.848 death ? Do you , is there anything you 27:59.848 --> 28:01.848 tell us in terms of any shifts that 28:01.848 --> 28:03.848 you're making ? No announcements to 28:03.848 --> 28:06.070 make ? Um as I highlighted earlier , we 28:06.070 --> 28:05.939 have a robust posture in the region . 28:06.150 --> 28:08.317 Um And we'll continue to do everything 28:08.317 --> 28:10.483 we can to protect Americans to protect 28:10.483 --> 28:12.539 us forces and support the defense of 28:12.539 --> 28:14.594 Israel time for a few more . Janie , 28:14.594 --> 28:17.760 thank you . General two questions on 28:17.770 --> 28:20.479 Russia , North Korea and Ukraine . 28:21.170 --> 28:24.380 Russia took North Korea side and 28:24.390 --> 28:27.619 criticized the South Korea for carrying 28:27.630 --> 28:31.079 out drone provocation in Pyongyang . 28:31.609 --> 28:34.130 And the Russia submitted their bill to 28:34.140 --> 28:37.150 the House of Representatives to 28:37.369 --> 28:40.969 ratify the Russia North Korea mutual 28:40.979 --> 28:44.270 military cooper operation treaty and 28:45.280 --> 28:48.250 that it would provide the military 28:48.260 --> 28:51.930 support in , in case of conflict 28:51.939 --> 28:55.250 between North and South Korea . How 28:55.260 --> 28:58.270 does the United States view Russia as 28:58.280 --> 29:02.199 direct interation in the South and 29:02.209 --> 29:06.060 North Korea conflict ? Um You know , 29:06.069 --> 29:08.290 Jenny , I would say again that we're 29:08.300 --> 29:10.530 going to continue to work closely with 29:10.540 --> 29:14.369 our rok allies to support their defense . 29:14.739 --> 29:17.130 Um And I'll , I'll just leave it there . 29:17.819 --> 29:21.310 The second question . U President Jens 29:21.859 --> 29:25.160 told the press that North Korea troops 29:25.170 --> 29:28.939 are training in the Russia and far 29:28.949 --> 29:32.579 East and are active in the Ukraine 29:33.089 --> 29:37.050 border area . If this happens , not 29:37.060 --> 29:40.430 only with the war in Ukraine , be 29:40.500 --> 29:44.280 delayed , but military tensions on the 29:44.290 --> 29:47.719 Korean Peninsula will increase . What 29:47.729 --> 29:50.569 is the United States response to this ? 29:51.010 --> 29:52.954 Yeah , I think I responded to that 29:52.954 --> 29:54.788 earlier again . We've seen those 29:54.788 --> 29:57.770 reports . I can't confirm whether 29:57.780 --> 29:59.910 there's North Korean forces that have 29:59.920 --> 30:03.000 gone to Russia and something that will 30:03.010 --> 30:05.177 continue to monitor . All right , last 30:05.177 --> 30:07.288 question , we'll go to Jeff Shog task 30:07.288 --> 30:09.729 and purpose . Thanks . Given the news 30:09.739 --> 30:11.739 cycle . You could announce anything 30:11.750 --> 30:13.861 about aliens or extraterrestrial life 30:13.861 --> 30:15.861 and no one would care . So just I'm 30:15.861 --> 30:17.972 gonna take the shot . What do you got 30:17.972 --> 30:20.619 on UFO S aliens , et cetera ? Go . The 30:20.630 --> 30:23.050 truth is out there , Jeff and the truth 30:23.060 --> 30:25.670 is we have no evidence to indicate uh 30:25.680 --> 30:27.791 extraterrestrial life has visited the 30:27.791 --> 30:29.513 planet . Thank you very much . 30:29.513 --> 30:30.150 Everybody appreciate It ?