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| Ashton Carter, Defense Nominee, Finds Easy Audience in Confirmation Hearing | Ashton Carter, Defense Nominee, Finds Easy Audience in Confirmation Hearing |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Ashton B. Carter, President’s Obama nominee for defense secretary, appeared on Wednesday morning to be cruising toward an easy confirmation, as Republican senators served up a series of expected questions that he handled deftly. | WASHINGTON — Ashton B. Carter, President’s Obama nominee for defense secretary, appeared on Wednesday morning to be cruising toward an easy confirmation, as Republican senators served up a series of expected questions that he handled deftly. |
| Mr. Carter, 60, a former deputy defense secretary, presented himself as an advocate of forceful yet prudent use of American power overseas. He implored Congress to get rid of the mandatory across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration, echoing military officials who never lose an opportunity to deplore the potential cuts to their budget. | Mr. Carter, 60, a former deputy defense secretary, presented himself as an advocate of forceful yet prudent use of American power overseas. He implored Congress to get rid of the mandatory across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration, echoing military officials who never lose an opportunity to deplore the potential cuts to their budget. |
| He also parried a challenge by Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, over the Obama administration’s strategy to fight the Islamic State, which was lodged against the backdrop of the group’s brutal execution of a Jordanian pilot. “I believe I understand our strategy,” Mr. Carter said, after Mr. McCain had asked him, “Do we have a strategy at this time?” | He also parried a challenge by Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, over the Obama administration’s strategy to fight the Islamic State, which was lodged against the backdrop of the group’s brutal execution of a Jordanian pilot. “I believe I understand our strategy,” Mr. Carter said, after Mr. McCain had asked him, “Do we have a strategy at this time?” |
| Mr. Carter even seemed to get off easy on what was expected to be one of the most contentious issues: the increased pace of transfers of detainees from the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. 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 there. | Mr. Carter even seemed to get off easy on what was expected to be one of the most contentious issues: the increased pace of transfers of detainees from the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. 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 there. |
| 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 Guantánamo than did Chuck Hagel, the current defense chief. The defense secretary has the power to delay the 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, and he ultimately resigned under pressure. | 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 Guantánamo than did Chuck Hagel, the current defense chief. The defense secretary has the power to delay the 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, and he ultimately resigned under pressure. |
| The hearing on Wednesday was the first time Republican senators concerned about the accelerated pace of Guantánamo transfers could question Mr. Carter about where he stood. But Ms. Ayotte simply asked him to promise that as defense secretary, he would not let the White House pressure him into increasing the pace of transfers. | The hearing on Wednesday was the first time Republican senators concerned about the accelerated pace of Guantánamo transfers could question Mr. Carter about where he stood. But Ms. Ayotte simply asked him to promise that as defense secretary, he would not let the White House pressure him into increasing the pace of transfers. |
| “Absolutely, Senator,” Mr. Carter replied. | “Absolutely, Senator,” Mr. Carter replied. |
| In interviews with senators last week, Mr. Carter largely supported Mr. Obama on the 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 to the committee, Mr. Carter said that Sunni tribes need to be integrated into the Iraqi military, that American military resources have been “adequately balanced” to meet terrorism threats in North and East Africa, and that the goal of the fight against the Islamic State is to get to a point where 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 current American strategy in Syria, Mr. Carter’s reply 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 current American strategy in Syria, Mr. Carter’s reply 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 get worse, an answer that will probably find favor with Mr. 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 get worse, an answer that will probably find favor with Mr. 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 from roadside bombs 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 from roadside bombs 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. |