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| Defense Secretary Nominee Looks to Send Senate Panel Strong Message | Defense Secretary Nominee Looks to Send Senate Panel Strong Message |
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| WASHINGTON — Ashton B. Carter on Wednesday asserted himself as an advocate of forceful yet prudent use of American power overseas when he faced a newly Republican-controlled Armed Services Committee that includes some of President Obama’s fiercest critics on American foreign policy. | |
| Mr. Carter, who would be the fourth defense secretary to serve under Mr. Obama, is widely expected to be confirmed with ease, but he had to navigate a hearing colored by the backdrop of the Islamic State’s most recent high-profile execution, the burning alive of a Jordanian pilot who was part of the American-led coalition against the Sunni militancy. | |
| Tuesday’s release of the video said to be of the execution — described as a “savage murder” by Gen. Lloyd Austin, the head of the Pentagon’s Central Command — will provide fodder for Republican critics who say that Mr. Obama’s strategy to defeat the Sunni militancy needs to be sharpened. | Tuesday’s release of the video said to be of the execution — described as a “savage murder” by Gen. Lloyd Austin, the head of the Pentagon’s Central Command — will provide fodder for Republican critics who say that Mr. Obama’s strategy to defeat the Sunni militancy needs to be sharpened. |
| In interviews with senators last week, Mr. Carter, 60, largely supported the president on a wide range of issues facing the military, like counterterrorism in Yemen and airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, according to congressional staff members. | In interviews with senators last week, Mr. Carter, 60, largely supported the president on a wide range of issues facing the military, like counterterrorism in Yemen and airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, according to congressional staff members. |
| And in his written answers to 328 “advance policy questions” submitted by the committee, Mr. Carter said that Sunni tribes needed to be integrated into the Iraqi military, that American military resources had been “adequately balanced” to meet terrorism threats in North and East Africa, and that the goal of the fight against the Islamic State was to get to a point at which the Sunni militancy “must no longer be a threat to Iraq, the region, the United States, and our partners.” | And in his written answers to 328 “advance policy questions” submitted by the committee, Mr. Carter said that Sunni tribes needed to be integrated into the Iraqi military, that American military resources had been “adequately balanced” to meet terrorism threats in North and East Africa, and that the goal of the fight against the Islamic State was to get to a point at which the Sunni militancy “must no longer be a threat to Iraq, the region, the United States, and our partners.” |
| Asked whether removing President Bashar al-Assad of Syria from power is part of the American strategy there, Mr. Carter carefully danced through the Obama administration’s evolving views on what to do about Mr. Assad. “As the president has said, Assad has lost legitimacy and cannot be a part of the long-term future of Syria,” Mr. Carter wrote in the questionnaire, which was obtained by The New York Times. | Asked whether removing President Bashar al-Assad of Syria from power is part of the American strategy there, Mr. Carter carefully danced through the Obama administration’s evolving views on what to do about Mr. Assad. “As the president has said, Assad has lost legitimacy and cannot be a part of the long-term future of Syria,” Mr. Carter wrote in the questionnaire, which was obtained by The New York Times. |
| “However, the most immediate threat to U.S. national interests,” he added, “is ISIL,” using an acronym for the Islamic State. | “However, the most immediate threat to U.S. national interests,” he added, “is ISIL,” using an acronym for the Islamic State. |
| Mr. Carter did say that he would consider changing the current plans for withdrawing all American troops from Afghanistan by the end of next year if security conditions there grew worse, an answer that will probably find favor with Senator John McCain, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Mr. McCain has repeatedly criticized the announcement of withdrawal as ill-advised. | Mr. Carter did say that he would consider changing the current plans for withdrawing all American troops from Afghanistan by the end of next year if security conditions there grew worse, an answer that will probably find favor with Senator John McCain, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Mr. McCain has repeatedly criticized the announcement of withdrawal as ill-advised. |
| A former deputy defense secretary with a long history at the Pentagon, Mr. Carter is well known on Capitol Hill. He helped accelerate the production and shipment of weaponry and armored vehicles to protect American troops during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. | A former deputy defense secretary with a long history at the Pentagon, Mr. Carter is well known on Capitol Hill. He helped accelerate the production and shipment of weaponry and armored vehicles to protect American troops during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. |
| Now, as the American military is building up again in Iraq, this time to fight the Islamic State, Mr. Carter, if confirmed, must manage the war effort as well as the intense budget pressures on the Pentagon in the face of mandatory spending cuts. | Now, as the American military is building up again in Iraq, this time to fight the Islamic State, Mr. Carter, if confirmed, must manage the war effort as well as the intense budget pressures on the Pentagon in the face of mandatory spending cuts. |
| A number of Republican senators have said they will support Mr. Carter. In 2013, in fact, Mr. McCain credited Mr. Carter’s “insatiable intellectual curiosity” during a tribute to him on the Senate floor. | A number of Republican senators have said they will support Mr. Carter. In 2013, in fact, Mr. McCain credited Mr. Carter’s “insatiable intellectual curiosity” during a tribute to him on the Senate floor. |
| One area that could be testy though, is Mr. Obama’s effort to close the American military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. In a series of secret nighttime flights in the last three months, the Obama administration has accelerated the pace of detainee transfers from there, so much so that several Republican senators, including Mr. McCain and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, have proposed legislation that would place a moratorium on the release of most of the remaining prisoners. | One area that could be testy though, is Mr. Obama’s effort to close the American military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. In a series of secret nighttime flights in the last three months, the Obama administration has accelerated the pace of detainee transfers from there, so much so that several Republican senators, including Mr. McCain and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, have proposed legislation that would place a moratorium on the release of most of the remaining prisoners. |
| Although Mr. Obama still has a long way to go, senior administration officials say the president is expecting Mr. Carter to move more aggressively on emptying the Guantánamo prison than did Chuck Hagel, the current defense chief. Mr. Obama may be commander in chief, but the defense secretary has the power to delay approval of prisoner transfers from Guantánamo. | Although Mr. Obama still has a long way to go, senior administration officials say the president is expecting Mr. Carter to move more aggressively on emptying the Guantánamo prison than did Chuck Hagel, the current defense chief. Mr. Obama may be commander in chief, but the defense secretary has the power to delay approval of prisoner transfers from Guantánamo. |
| Fearful that the freed detainees could become a security threat to American troops abroad, Mr. Hagel moved slowly, frustrating the White House. Ultimately, he resigned under pressure. | Fearful that the freed detainees could become a security threat to American troops abroad, Mr. Hagel moved slowly, frustrating the White House. Ultimately, he resigned under pressure. |
| Wednesday’s hearings were the first time Republican senators concerned about the accelerated pace of Guantánamo transfers could question Mr. Carter about where he stands. |