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Ashton Carter, Defense Nominee, Finds Easy Audience in Confirmation Hearing Ashton Carter, Defense Nominee, Says He Would Consider More Military Aid to Ukraine
(about 5 hours 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 Obama’s nominee for secretary of defense, told senators on Wednesday that he would consider increased American military assistance to Ukraine, including the sale of lethal arms, as part of the country’s effort to fight Russian-backed separatists in the east.
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’s comments, which came as he cruised through a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, echoed those of senior administration officials, who in recent weeks have indicated that the White House is rethinking its opposition to arming Ukraine in what is turning into a proxy war with Russia.
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?” Thus far, the United States has not provided the type of lethal aid that Ukraine has asked for, out of fear of further inflaming the situation.
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. But the “ability of Ukraine to find its own way as an independent country” is now at risk, Mr. Carter said. Russia, he said, has “obviously” not respected Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
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. Mr. Carter’s comments came as Republican senators served him a series of expected questions that he handled deftly.
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. A former deputy defense secretary, Mr. Carter, 60, 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 defense officials who never miss an opportunity to deplore the potential cuts to the military budget. And he parried Senator John McCain’s challenge of the Obama administration’s strategy against the Islamic State, particularly in the aftermath of the brutal execution of a Jordanian Air Force pilot.
“Absolutely, Senator,” Mr. Carter replied. “I believe I understand our strategy,” Mr. Carter said after Mr. McCain had asked him, “Do we have a strategy at this time?”
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. Mr. Carter even dodged what was expected to be one of the most contentious issues — the Obama administration’s recent increase in the pace of transferring detainees out of the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Several Republican senators, including Mr. McCain of Arizona and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, have proposed legislation that would place a moratorium on the release of most of the remaining prisoners.
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.” Although there are still more than 100 detainees at Guantánamo Bay, senior administration officials say the president is expecting Mr. Carter to move more aggressively on emptying it than did Chuck Hagel, the current defense secretary.
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. The defense secretary has the power to delay approval of prisoner transfers from Guantánamo, and Mr. Hagel, fearful that freed detainees could become a security threat to American troops abroad, moved slowly. His actions frustrated the White House, and he ultimately resigned under pressure.
“However, the most immediate threat to U.S. national interests,” he added, “is ISIL,” using an acronym for the Islamic State. Wednesday’s hearing was the first time Republican senators could question Mr. Carter about Guantánamo transfers, 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.
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. “Absolutely, senator,” Mr. Carter replied.
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. And “you will commit to this committee and to all of us that you will not allow the release of someone that you think could re-engage in terrorism so that our men and women in uniform will be confronted with them again?” Ms. Ayotte pressed.
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. “I do, senator,” Mr. Carter said. “As in everything else I do, I’ll play it absolutely straight.”
In interviews with senators last week, Mr. Carter largely backed Mr. Obama on the wide range of issues facing the military, like counterterrorism in Yemen and airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, according to congressional staffers.
And in his written answers to 328 “advance policy questions” submitted to the committee, Mr. Carter said that Sunni tribes in Iraq 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 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 that country, 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.
Mr. McCain said he expected that Mr. Carter’s confirmation would go before the full Senate before the next recess, which is to take place the week of Feb. 16.