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4 More Years Of Failure Abroad

HILLARY CLINTON WAS THE ARCHITECT OF OBAMAS DISASTROUS FOREIGN
POLICY
As Secretary Of State, Clinton Was The Presidents Principal Adviser On U.S. Foreign Policy.
Serves as the Presidents principal adviser on U.S. foreign policy. (Duties Of The Secretary Of State, U.S. Department of
State, 1/20/09)

As Secretary Of State, Clinton Carried Out U.S. Foreign Policy. The Secretary of State,
appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the Presidents chief
foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the Presidents foreign policies through the State
Department and the Foreign Service of the United States. (Duties Of The Secretary Of State, U.S. Department of State,
1/20/09)

Obama Himself Has Described Clinton As Someone Who Helped Champion Our Efforts From Her
Position At The State Department. At another point, Obama talked about his foreign policy and
described Clinton as someone who helped champion our efforts from her position at the State
Department. (Maggie Haberman, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: Its Complicated, Politico, 9/24/14)
Since She Served In His Administration, Clinton Will Have An Especially Tough Time Trying To
Make The Case That She Would Provide Anything Different Than Obama. Any Democratic nominee
would have the same problem: Its especially challenging to follow a president of the same party and
make the case that youd really provide something different. But the problem would be especially tough
for Clinton since she served in the Obama administration and since shes already talking about the
need for a policy vision. (David Nather, Searching For Hillary Clintons Big Idea, Politico, 7/7/14)

Aaron Miller Op-Ed:[C]linton Could Never Have Become Obamas Top Diplomat And
Functioned So Well In That Job Had They Not Been Largely On The Same Page In Terms Of
How They Saw The World Indeed, Clinton could never have become Obamas top diplomat
and functioned so well in that job had they not been largely on the same page in terms of how they
saw the world and what America should do about it. They both are transactors, not ideological
transformers smart, pragmatic centrists largely coloring inside the lines in a world of long shots
and bad options. (Aaron David Miller, Op-Ed, If Hillary Clinton Had Won In 2008, What Would Her Foreign Policy Have Looked Like? The
Washington Post, 8/15/14)

In A 2011 Email, Clinton Aide Philippe Reines Urged Clinton To Do All Five Sunday Shows To
Reinforce Her Role As Obamas Chief Foreign Policy Adviser And Americas Chief Diplomat.
(Philippe Reines, Email To Hillary Clinton, 1/28/11, State Department Release, 12/31/15)

CLINTONS FOREIGN POLICY WOULD REPRESENT OBAMAS THIRD TERM

If Youre Trying To Figure Out Hillary Clintons Position On A Key Issue, Often Theres An Easy
Way To Know: Its Usually The Same As President Barack Obamas. (Perry Bacon Jr., Why Hillary Clintons Ideas Are
So Similar To Obamas, NBC News, 8/15/15)

Its Not Surprising That Two Democrats Agree On Many Issues, But The Overlap Between [Clinton
And Obama] Is Striking. Its not surprising that two Democrats agree on many issues, but the overlap
between the pair is striking. The similarity likely illustrates an awareness from Clinton that distancing
herself from Obama would not help her in the Democrat primary. It also reflects the deep connections
between Obamas team and Clintons. (Perry Bacon Jr., Why Hillary Clintons Ideas Are So Similar To Obamas, NBC News, 8/15/15)

Many Of Clintons Top Advisers Were Deeply Involved In Some Of Obamas Top Policy
Achievements. (Perry Bacon Jr., Why Hillary Clintons Ideas Are So Similar To Obamas, NBC News, 8/15/15)

Clinton Vowed To Continue And Build On The Work That She Began As Secretary Of State Under
Obama. CLINTON: So I will build on the work that I helped to start back in the Obama Administration
and be very aggressive in reaching out to countries. (Hillary Clinton, Remarks, Rochester, NH, 1/22/16)
Miller Op-Ed: But What If [Clinton] Had Been The One In The Oval Office Since 2009? How
Different Would Her Foreign Policy Be From President Obamas? But what if she had been the one
in the Oval Office since 2009? How different would her foreign policy be from President Obamas? These
questions are clearly more than a thought experiment. If she runs in 2016, potentially the first secretary
of state since James Buchanan to ascend to the White House, voters will want to know the answers. There
would certainly be stylistic differences between Clinton and Obama. (Aaron David Miller, Op-Ed, If Hillary Clinton Had
Won In 2008, What Would Her Foreign Policy Have Looked Like? The Washington Post, 8/15/14)

More Often Than Not, Clinton And Obamas Interests Do Align. The joint appearance
highlighted a reality for the current president and his former secretary of state: Her political needs
arent always in sync with his, but more often than not their interests do align. (Maggie Haberman, Barack
Obama and Hillary Clinton: Its Complicated, Politico, 9/24/14)

NBC News Headline: Why Hillary Clintons Ideas Are So Similar To Obamas (Perry Bacon Jr., Why
Hillary Clintons Ideas Are So Similar To Obamas, NBC News, 8/15/15)

The Full-Throated Support By Clinton For Many Of Obamas Policies Also Illustrates The
Similarities In Ideology Between The Two. The full-throated support by Clinton for many of Obamas
policies also illustrates the similarities in ideology between the two. That was clear even in 2008, when
they had a bitter primary campaign against one another but largely agreed on most major policy issues.
(Perry Bacon Jr., Why Hillary Clintons Ideas Are So Similar To Obamas, NBC News, 8/15/15)

Clinton And Obamas Similarities Were Clear Even In 2008, When They Had A Bitter
Primary Campaign Against One Another But Largely Agreed On Most Major Policy Issues.
The full-throated support by Clinton for many of Obamas policies also illustrates the similarities
in ideology between the two. That was clear even in 2008, when they had a bitter primary
campaign against one another but largely agreed on most major policy issues. (Perry Bacon Jr., Why Hillary
Clintons Ideas Are So Similar To Obamas, NBC News, 8/15/15)

The White House Is Not Surprised Clinton And Obama Have A Similar Foreign Policy
Approach
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest: Im Not Surprised Clinton And Obama Have A
Similar Approach To Foreign Policy. QUESTION: And the last thing I want to ask you about, former
Secretary of State Clinton giving a big policy speech over in Minneapolis. I was sort of doing a tick-tock of
where she differs from the President on foreign policy, and there doesnt seem to be a great deal of
difference. And so there have been -- theres been some criticism, people say its Obama 2.0 if she
becomes President. Is that an accurate reflection from your vantage point? And is that a good thing?
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY EARNEST: I would first observe that having served as the Presidents
Secretary of State during his first term in office, that Im not particularly surprised to hear that even after
your careful review that youve determined that their approach to a large number of foreign policy issues
is at least similar. At the same time, I would leave it to the campaign to describe to you exactly what kind
of policy agendas she is putting forward. And she certainly has a well-earned reputation as an
independent thinker, and so Im confident that there are probably some areas where she would disagree
with the President. But to hear that, based on your analysis, that their approach is generally similar, Im
not surprised to hear that. (Josh Earnest, White House Press Briefing, Washington, D.C., 12/15/15)
Former White House Advisor David Plouffe On Charges That Obama Was In Control Of State Dept.
Policy And That Clinton Had Her Hands Tied By The White House: No, Thats Not True At All.
BLOOMBERG ANCHOR: A critical question for our David Plouffe. He is a Bloomberg contributor and of
course his experience with the President at the White House. Heres the rap: Secretary Clinton had her
hands tied by a White House that was in control of state and they learned that lesson and John Kerry has
more control now. Is that a true discussion? FORMER SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER DAVID PLOUFFE:
No, in fact, she was picked largely because the President knew he was going to have to spend so much
time on the economy during the crisis that he needed a Secretary of State with the footprint and the
ability to go out there and represent the country and execute business. So no, thats not true at all.
(Bloombergs Surveillance, 12/13/13)

When Asked How Much Responsibility She Bears For The Current Global Crises, Clinton
Said, It Doesnt Do Us Much Good To Point Fingers At Each Other. I asked Clinton, in an
interview last week for National Public Radio, how much responsibility she bears for turmoil in
Ukraine, Gaza, Iraq and Syria. It doesnt do us much good to point fingers at each other, she said.
Her 2016 rivals are already pointing. (John Harwood, Shes Gone From Foggy Bottom, But Global Chaos Still Hurts Hillary,
CNBC, 7/30/14)

Despite Crises Around The Globe, Clinton Has Praised Obamas Leadership

In A 2015 Interview, Clinton Gave The Obama Administration An A For Its Overall Performance.
CLINTON: Id give him an A. I don't think he gets the credit he deserves for saving our economy from
falling into a great depression, for saving the auto industry which represents millions of jobs up and
down the supply chain, for beginning the crackdown on Wall Street abuses with Dodd-Frank, for getting
the Affordable Care Act passed, for really being as responsive as he could possibly be given the
obstructionism that he faced with the Republicans in Congress. (Hillary Clinton Interview With The Boston Globe, 10/17/15)
Clinton, January 2013: Due To Obamas Leadership, America Today Is Stronger At Home And
More Respected In The World. CLINTON: Today, the world remains a dangerous and complicated
place, and of course, we still face many difficult challenges. But a lot has changed in the last four years.
Under President Obamas leadership, weve ended the war in Iraq, begun a transition in Afghanistan, and
brought Osama bin-Ladin to justice. We have also revitalized American diplomacy and strengthened our
alliances. And while our economic recovery is not yet complete, we are heading in the right direction. In
short, America today is stronger at home and more respected in the world. And our global leadership is
on firmer footing than many predicted.(Hillary Clinton, Remarks On American Leadership At The Council On Foreign Relations,
Washington, D.C., 1/31/13)

In 2011, Clinton Claimed That Obama Passed Foreign Policy Challenges With Flying Colors.
NBCS DAVID GREGORY: Final question, Secretary Clinton. When you ran for president, you posed a
fundamental question to--against your opponent at the time, now President Obama, which is, Whos
going to answer that 3 AM phone call when theres an international crisis? And as you hear these
Republican presidential debates and all the talk about foreign policy, do you think that theres a threshold
that theyre going to have to pass to, to show a certain amount of competence? And do you think that
foreign policy from what youve heard will be a disadvantage for this group of Republican candidates for
president? CLINTON: Well, let me begin by saying that President Obama has passed with flying colors
every leadership challenge. I mean, look at what he has done. (NBCs Meet The Press, 10/23/11)
Clinton Praised President Obamas Steady Hand When Making Foreign Policy Decisions.
CLINTON: But, you know, I remember, you know, some of the speeches of Eisenhower as a young girl,
you know? Youve got to be careful. You have to be thoughtful. You cant rush in, especially now, where
its more complex than its been in decades. So yes, are there what we call wicked problems like Syria,
which is the one you named? Absolutely. And we are on the side of American values. Were on the side of
freedom. Were on the side of the aspirations of all people, to have a better life, have the opportunities
that we are fortunate to have here. But its not always easy to perceive exactly what must be done in
order to get to that outcome. So you know, I certainly am grateful for the presidents steady hand and
hard questions and thoughtful analysis as to what we should and shouldnt do. (CBSs 60 Minutes, 1/28/13)

But As Clinton Touts Her Experience, The Threats Facing America Have Grown More
Dangerous
NBCs Andrea Mitchell On Clinton: All Of The Foreign Policy Crises Got Worse On Her WatchSo
Why Is She Qualified To Be Commander-In-Chief? MSNBCS ANDREA MITCHELL: You support her,
but all of these problems that weve just talked about got worse on her watch, as well as on your watch;
the growth of ISIS, the Syrian civil war, the withdrawal from Iraq. So why is she qualified to be
commander-in-chief? (MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell Reports, 1/7/16)

NBCS Chuck Todd: Frankly, Many Of The Issues From Her Time At The Department Have
Either Stayed Bad Or Gotten Worse. (MSNBCs The Daily Rundown With Chuck Todd, 5/12/14)

The Most Important And Toughest Foreign Policy Issues Werent Resolved Under Her
TenureSome Grew More Intractable. At the same time, the most important and toughest
foreign policy issues of the day Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan-Pakistan, the Arab-Israeli
standoff werent resolved during the four years. Some grew more intractable. Though none of

that may be Clintons fault, the lack of diplomatic breakthroughs on her watch limits her legacy.
(Paul Richter, Hillary Clintons Legacy At State: Splendid But Not Spectacular, The Los Angeles Times, 1/28/13)

According To A Leading Stanford Scholar, More Countries Are Challenging The U.S. International
Standing. The international order is unraveling, according to a Stanford scholar. Since the end of the
Cold War, the United States has generally served as the top leader in this world order. But now the power
equation is shifting, and the U.S. may see more countries challenging global rules and norms. (Clifton Parker,
Press Release, Time To Adjust U.S. National Security Strategy Amid Unraveling Of The Global Order, Stanford Expert Says, Stanford University, 9/20/16)

If It Feels As If Terrorism Deaths Are Rising In The West, Its Because They Are. (Margot Sanger-Katz, Is
Terrorism Getting Worse? In The West, Yes. In The World, No. The New York Times, 8/16/16)
Former Acting Director Of The CIA John McLaughlin: Due To Chaos In Syria And Iraq, ISIS Has
More Ungoverned Territory At Its Disposal Than Any Terrorist Group Has Had In Decades. In
fact, the combination of chaos in Iraq and Syria, the U.S. drawdowns in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the
weakness of so many Middle Eastern and African governments give terrorists more ungoverned space to
exploit than has existed in the last couple decades. (John McLaughlin, ISIS Is Hurt But Its End Is Not In Sight, The Cipher Brief,
7/28/16)
In The Short Term, More Actors Will Challenge U.S. Superiority. In the short term, Zegart said, the
world is likely to see more contests for influence and more actors challenging what the United States will
do. When the U.S. is not the guarantor of this order, the dynamic invites boundary testing. (Clifton Parker, Time
To Adjust U.S. National Security Strategy Amid Unraveling Of The Global Order, Stanford Expert Says, Stanford News, 9/20/16)

THE CLINTON-OBAMA FOREIGN POLICY STRATEGY HAS ALLOWED ISIS TO EXPAND

INTO A GLOBAL THREAT
Prior To Clinton's Tenure As Secretary Of State, There Was No ISIS And Its Precursor "Continued
To Struggle To Maintain Relevance." "Through 2011, Coalition forces continued to coordinate efforts
with tribal security forces, killing the majority of AQI's leadership and leaving it in general disarray. [60]
Both Masri and Baghdadi were killed in a joint U.S.-Iraqi raid on April 18, 2010. After the April raid, Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi (not to be confused with the deceased, Abu Umar al-Baghdadi) assumed control of an
AQI severely weakened by local backlash and coalition and local security forces. [61] AQI continued to
struggle to maintain relevance through 2011, when Coalition forces withdrew." ("The Islamic State," Stanford
University's Mapping Militant Organizations, 4/4/16)

ISIS Was Officially Formed In April Of 2013. ISI declares its absorption of an al Qaeda-backed
militant group in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, also known as the al-Nusra Front. Al-Baghdadi says that
his group will now be known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). Al-Nusra Front leader
Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani rejects ISIS's attempt to merge with the group. (ISIS Fast Facts, CNN, 11/1/16)

ISIS Ultimately Grew From The Power Vacuum Created By Failed Clinton-Obama Foreign
Policy
As The U.S. Was Preparing To Withdraw Troops From Iraq Senior American And Iraqi Officials
Are Expressing Concern That Al Qaedas Offshoot Here Is Poised For A Deadly Resurgence. As
the United States prepares to withdraw its troops from Iraq by years end, senior American and Iraqi
officials are expressing growing concern that Al Qaedas offshoot here, which just a few years ago waged
a debilitating insurgency that plunged the country into a civil war, is poised for a deadly resurgence.
(Michael Schmidt and Eric Schmitt, Leaving Iraq, U.S. Fears New Surge Of Qaeda Terror, The New York Times, 11/5/11)

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Blamed The Obama Administration For Making Poor
Decisions That Fueled The Rise Of ISIS. "Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta believes the Obama
White House during his tenure was wrong on some key decisions in the Middle East that are now fueling
the fire that ISIS has set in the region. In a sit-down interview with NBC News' Andrea Mitchell following
the release of his new book, 'Worthy Fights,' Panetta notes that he disagreed with the moves to
completely pull American troops out of Iraq, to not quickly arm the moderate rebels fighting Syria's

Bashar Assad and not acting decisively when Assad crossed the 'red line' of using chemical weapons on
his people." (Andrea Mithcell, "Leon Panetta: U.S. Mistakes Helped Create 'Vacuum' That Spawned ISIS," NBC News, 10/7/14)
Before The War In Syria, ISIS, Laid The Foundation For The Groups Resurgence And Weened Off
Funding From Al-Qaeda. But even before the civil war in Syria presented him with a growth
opportunity, Mr. Baghdadi had been taking steps in Iraq something akin to a corporate restructuring
that laid the foundation for the groups resurgence, just as the Americans were leaving. He picked off
rivals through assassinations, orchestrated prison breaks to replenish his ranks of fighters and
diversified his sources of funding through extortion, to wean the group off outside funding from Al
Qaedas central authorities. (Tim Arango and Eric Schmitt, U.S. Actions In Iraq Fueled Rise Of A Rebel, The New York Times, 8/10/14)

By All Measures, The Clinton-Obama Policy On ISIS Is Not Succeeding And ISIS Is No
Weaker Than A Year Ago
Obamas Current Strategy Against ISIS Has Been Panned As Bad Policy By Former Top U.S.
Generals. But some of his predecessors disagree. James Mattis, a retired Marine general who
commanded Central Command from 2010 to 2013, says the war on ISIS is unguided by a sustained policy
or sound strategy [and is] replete with half-measures. Anthony Zinni, a retired Marine four-star who held
the same post from 1997 to 2000, says he doesnt think he could do so today. I dont want to be part of a
strategy that in my heart of hearts I know is going to fail, he says. Its a bad strategy, its the wrong
strategy, and maybe I would tell the President that he would be better served to find somebody who
believes in it, whoever that idiot may be. (Mark Thompson, Former U.S. Commanders Take Increasingly Dim View Of War On ISIS,
Time, 8/31/16)
Yet Hillary Clintons Strategy To Defeat ISIS Relies On Extending President Obamas Bad Policies.
Hillary Clinton says that defeating the Islamic State terror network is a pillar of her national security
program that she would achieve largely by extending and amplifying policies put in place by President
Obama. (Anne Gearan And Sean Sullivan, Trump, Clinton Offer Competing Strategies To Deal With Terrorism Threat, The Washington Post, 6/13/16)

Hillary Clinton Wants To Intensify President Obamas Failed ISIS Strategy. Hillary Clinton
was a dogged champion for military intervention as Secretary of State. As a candidate, she has
been among the most hawkish Democrats in living memory, outdoing most of this years
Republicans. She has repeatedly called for an intensification and acceleration of President
Obamas ISIS strategy. (A. Trevor Thrall, Why Hillary Clinton Will Be A Foreign-Policy Nightmare, The Cato Institute, 5/17/16)

Clinton Has Said That Obamas ISIS Strategy Is Close To Mine. QUESTION: Anything you would
have said differently or disagreed with respect to President Obamas address [inaudible]? CLINTON: I
was really happy that he made the address. I thought it was very important for him to address the nation.
And you know, I think his take on what needs to be done is close to mine. (Hillary Clinton, Remarks With The Concord
Monitor Editorial Board, 12/8/15)

Clinton On ISIS: We Now Finally Are Where We Need To Be. CLINTON: Look at these
Complex problems. I wish it could be either or; I wish we could say yes, lets go destroy ISIS and
lets let Assad continue to destroy Syria which creates more terrorist, more extremist by the
minute. No. We now finally are where we need to be. We have a strategy and a commitment to go
after ISIS which is a danger to us as well as the region and we finally have a UN Security Council
resolution bringing the world together to go after a political transition in Syria. If the United States
does not lead there is not another leader, there is a vacuum and we have to lead if were going to
be successful. (Hillary Clinton, Democratic Primary Debate, Manchester, NH, 12/19/15)

Director Of National Intelligence James Clapper: There Currently Exist More Terrorist Safe Havens
Than At Any Time In History. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who was also at the
Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, estimated that violent extremists were active in about 40
countries and that there currently exist more terrorist safe havens than at any time in history. (Ryan
Browne, Top Intelligence Official: ISIS To Attempt U.S. Attacks This Year, CNN, 2/9/16)

Former Acting Director Of The CIA John McLaughlin: Due To Chaos In Syria And Iraq, ISIS
Has More Ungoverned Territory At Its Disposal Than Any Terrorist Group Has Had In
Decades. In fact, the combination of chaos in Iraq and Syria, the U.S. drawdowns in Afghanistan
and Iraq, and the weakness of so many Middle Eastern and African governments give terrorists
more ungoverned space to exploit than has existed in the last couple decades. (John McLaughlin, ISIS Is
Hurt But Its End Is Not In Sight, The Cipher Brief, 7/28/16)

As Recently As June, ISIS Occupied Over 26,370 Square Miles In Syria And Iraq. The territory
controlled by the ultra-hardline Sunni group shrank from 90,800 sq km (35,000 square miles) in
January 2015, six months after it declared a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, to 68,300 sq km (26,370
square miles), the research firm said. (Maher Chmaytelli and Lisa Barrington, Islamic State Lost Quarter Of Its Iraq, Syria
Territory In 18 Months: HIS, Reuters, 6/10/16)

ISIS Has Gained Control Of Much Of The Oil Infrastructure In Iraq. IS has gained control of
much of the oil infrastructure in Syria and Iraq, and oil sold on the black market was originally the
group's biggest single source of revenue. (Islamic State group: Crisis In Seven Charts, BBC, 8/3/16)

ISIS Possesses Strategic Depth And A Core Territory That Includes Syria. First among them is a
well-conceived structure and geographic orientation that gives ISIS what real countries call strategic
depth. ISIS has long had a strategy that envisions and confidently plans for expansion beyond its core
territory in Iraq and Syria. (John McLaughlin, ISIS Is Hurt But Its End Is Not In Sight, The Cipher Brief, 7/28/16)
CIA Director John Brennan: ISIS Wants To Commit Large Scale Attacks Against The United States.
Four hours after three suicide bombers killed at least 41 people and wounded hundreds more at
Istanbuls Ataturk airport, CIA Director John Brennan said the attacks bore the grim hallmarks of ISIS and
warned that the fanatically violent Islamic terrorist group wants to conduct similar large-scale attacks in
the United States. (Daniel Kaidman, CIA Chief Brennan Looks At Turkish Attack And Sees A Warning For Americans, Yahoo News, 6/29/16)

CIA Director John Brennan: ISIS Will Continue To Attempt To Penetrate American
Defenses. I am worried from the standpoint of an intelligence professional who looks at the
capabilities of Daesh and their determination to kill as many as people as possible and to carry
out attacks abroad, Brennan said in an exclusive interview at CIA headquarters with Yahoo News.
Brennan credited effective homeland security measures and intelligence for the fact that ISIS has
been unable to attack America directly the Orlando and San Bernardino shootings were carried
out by radicals inspired by ISIS but not under its control but he believes the group will keep
trying to penetrate American defenses. (Daniel Kaidman, CIA Chief Brennan Looks At Turkish Attack And Sees A Warning For
Americans, Yahoo News, 6/29/16)

Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart: ISIS Will Probably Attempt Direct Attacks On The U.S.
Homeland. Top U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday that ISIS was likely to attempt direct attacks on
the U.S. in the coming year and that the group was infiltrating refugees escaping from Iraq and Syria to
move across borders. ISIS will probably attempt to conduct additional attacks in Europe, and attempt to
direct attacks on the U.S. homeland in 2016, Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart, director of the Defense Intelligence
Agency, testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday. (Ryan Browne, Top Intelligence Official: ISIS To Attempt U.S. Attacks This Year, CNN, 2/9/16)

THE CLINTON-OBAMA FAILURE IN IRAQ HAS FUELED TERROR AND INSTABILITY

In 2011, Clinton Strongly Defended President Obamas Plan To Withdraw Combat Troops From
Iraq. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday strongly defended President Obamas plan to
withdraw combat troops from Iraq by the end of the year and issued a pointed warning to Iran not to
underestimate the United States commitment to stability in the region. (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Clinton Defends Iraq
Withdrawal Plan, The New York Times, 10/23/11)

The New York Times Headline: Clinton Defends Iraq Withdrawal Plan (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Clinton
Defends Iraq Withdrawal Plan, The New York Times, 10/23/11)

Within Weeks Of Being Elected, President Obama Reiterated His Promise To Withdraw U.S.
Troops From Iraq Before The End Of 2011. In the first weeks of his presidency, Obama flew to Camp
Lejeune, the sprawling Marine base in North Carolina, to repeat a promise made throughout his election
campaign: a pledge to wind down Americas wars in the Middle East. He told the troops that the war in
Iraq will end through a responsible drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011, the deadline set
three years earlier by the George W. Bush administration. (Jeff Gerth and Joby Warrick, Promises Unfulfilled: How A State
Department Plan To Stabilize Iraq Broke Apart, The Washington Post and ProPublica, 8/15/16)

Multiple U.S. Military Commanders In Iraq Advocated For Keeping Troops In Iraq To
Prevent Another Round Of Conflict. Gen. Odierno recently told Fox News: If we had stayed a
little more engaged, I think maybe it might have been prevented. Ive always believed the United
States played the role of honest broker between all the groups, and when we pulled ourselves out,
we lost that role. He had recommended keeping 35,000 troops in place in 2011. I think it would
have been good for us to stay, he said. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, a commander in Iraqs
Anbar province, in his July 9 confirmation hearing to be the next Joint Chiefs chairman, differed
with those who said the U.S. had no choice but to leave because Iraqs prime minister was not
meeting U.S. demands. Im not sure Id say that that meant we had no option to stay, he told the
Senate Committee on Armed Services. (Rowan Scarborough, U.S. Troop Withdrawal Let Islamic State Enter Iraq, Military
Leaders Say, The Washington Times, 7/26/16)

Vital Peace Keeping Programs Were Cut Due To The Cut And Run Troop Drawdown Tactic
Employed By The Obama Administration. Among the casualties was a U.S. Army-run Iraqi tribal
reconciliation program with a record of successfully resolving disputes between Iraqs querulous Sunni,
Shiite and Kurdish factions. Animosity between Sunni tribes and Malikis Shiite-led government would
become a key factor in the Islamic States takeover of Iraqs Sunni heartland in 2014. Asked to account for
such cuts, a State Department spokesman said in an email that diplomats lacked the personnel or
financial resources to continue many of the programs begun by the Pentagon during an era when tens of
thousands of U.S. troops were serving in Iraq. (Jeff Gerth/ProPublica and Joby Warrick, Promises Unfulfilled: How A State Department
Plan To Stabilize Iraq Broke Apart, The Washington Post, 8/15/16)

Iraq Has Now Suffered Under Years Of Conflict Driven By ISISs Rise
The Current Instability In Iraq Makes The Country Rife For An ISIS Resurgence. But this time
conditions are even more conducive to the Islamic States rebuilding. Iraq now is more politically and
socially fractured than it was then. And, as one Iraqi who participated in the Awakening Councils told me,
there is now no Sunni group in Iraq that can fill the void left by the Islamic State. The conflict in Syria
further complicates the situation: Even if the Islamic State is driven from populated areas in both
countries, the open desert border between them will make the group hard to chase. The war against the
Islamic State is unwinnable without filling the political and security vacuum that now exists in too much
of Iraq. The Islamic States eventual retreat from Mosul will be a much-needed victory for the country.
But unless the government in Baghdad enables Iraqi Sunnis to fill that void, it will once again emerge
from the desert. (Hassan Hassan, The Islamic State After Mosul, The New York Times, 10/24/16)
For Many, The Damage Done To Iraq By ISIS Will Be Long Lasting. Even now, as Iraqi forces and
their allies launch a major offensive to reclaim Mosul, the prospects of returning appear bleak. There is
no hope for them in Iraq, Father Khalil Jaar, who has dedicated the past two years to helping refugees
fleeing from Iraq and Syria, told CNN. We have a new arrival almost every week. We have families
arriving from Mosul, Erbil and Baghdad. Those who could get out straightaway could come her to
Jordan. (Jomana Karadsheh, Mosul: The Christian Refugees Who Can Never Return Home, CNN, 10/25/16)
Earlier This Year, The UN Released A Report About The Severe And Extensive Impact On
Civilians, Stemming From The Ongoing Iraqi Conflict. A UN report released today details the severe
and extensive impact on civilians of the ongoing conflict in Iraq, with at least 18,802 civilians killed and
another 36,245 wounded between 1 January 2014 and 31 October 2015. Another 3.2 million people have

been internally displaced since January 2014, including more than a million children of school age.
(Staggering Civilian Death Toll In Iraq, United Nations Office Of The High Commissioner For Human Rights, 1/19/16)

The UN Said The Levels Of Violence Suffered By Civilians Was Staggering. The violence
suffered by civilians in Iraq remains staggering. The so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL) continues to commit systematic and widespread violence and abuses of international
human rights law and humanitarian law. These acts may, in some instances, amount to war
crimes, crimes against humanity, and possibly genocide, the report states. (Staggering Civilian Death Toll In
Iraq, United Nations Office Of The High Commissioner For Human Rights, 1/19/16)

Clintons Mismanagement Of The Transition Lead To Instability In Iraq That ISIS Took
Advantage Of
During The Crucial Transition Period Of U.S. Troop Withdrawal, Clinton Oversaw A Period
Categorized By One Department Official As A Strategic Vacuum. There was a period of time after
the transition from the military-led mission to a civilian-led mission when strategic decisions were not
made, with one official calling the period a strategic vacuum, the inspector generals office said in its
2013 report, citing interviews with department officials in Washington and Iraq. (Jeff Gerth/ProPublica and Joby
Warrick, Promises Unfulfilled: How A State Department Plan To Stabilize Iraq Broke Apart, The Washington Post, 8/15/16)
Hillary Clinton Completely Ignored The Transition Process Leaving The Task Of Stabilizing Iraq
To Her Staffers. A team led by State Department Deputy Secretary Thomas R. Nides was put in charge of
reviewing and implementing the reductions, with support from State Department officials in Washington
and Baghdad. Clinton, having lost the argument for a larger force, was briefed about the developments
but left it to her subordinates to decide how the cuts would be implemented, several former and current
administration officials said. (Jeff Gerth/ProPublica and Joby Warrick, Promises Unfulfilled: How A State Department Plan To Stabilize Iraq
Broke Apart, The Washington Post, 8/15/16)
Hillarys State Department Left Iraqi Security Forces Weakened And Vulnerable To ISIS. But an
intensive review of the record during Clintons tenure presents a broader picture of missteps and
miscalculations by multiple actors including her State Department as well as the Maliki government,
the White House and Congress that left Iraqi security forces weakened and vulnerable to the Islamic
States 2014 surge. (Jeff Gerth/ProPublica and Joby Warrick, Promises Unfulfilled: How A State Department Plan To Stabilize Iraq Broke Apart,
The Washington Post, 8/15/16)
Many Programs To Assist In Iraqi Police Training Along With Intelligence Gathering Outposts In
Vital Cities Like Mosul Were Scraped. Documents and interviews point to ambitious plans by State
Department officials to take control of dozens of military-run programs in Iraq, from training assistance
for Iraqi police to new intelligence-collection outposts in Mosul and other key Iraqi cities. But the State
Department scrapped or truncated many of the plans, sometimes at the behest of a skeptical Congress
and other times on orders from the White House, which balked at the high costs and potential risks of U.S.
civilians being killed or kidnapped. (Jeff Gerth/ProPublica and Joby Warrick, Promises Unfulfilled: How A State Department Plan To
Stabilize Iraq Broke Apart, The Washington Post, 8/15/16)
Hillary Clintons State Department Made Sweeping, Across-The-Board Cuts That Extended To
Security And Counterterrorism Initiatives Once Considered Crucial For Iraqs Stability After The
Withdrawal Of U.S. Troops. Senior State Department leaders were at fault as well, according to
documents and interviews with officials who helped manage Iraqi aid programs after the withdrawal. By
early 2012, pressed by the White House to reduce the U.S. civilian footprint in Iraq, the department had
begun implementing sweeping, across-the-board cuts that extended to security and counterterrorism
initiatives once considered crucial for Iraqs stability after the withdrawal of U.S. troops, a joint
investigation by ProPublica and The Washington Post found. (Jeff Gerth/ProPublica and Joby Warrick, Promises Unfulfilled:
How A State Department Plan To Stabilize Iraq Broke Apart, The Washington Post, 8/15/16)
Internal Audits Show That Clintons State Department Carelessly Did Not Fully Consider U.S.
Foreign Policy Priorities In Iraq When Making Cuts To Programs In The Country. But, in scaling

back civilian assistance to Iraq, Clintons aides cut aggressively and sometimes unwisely, internal
auditors later concluded. The reductions met cost-cutting goals but did not fully consider U.S. foreign
policy priorities in Iraq, an internal review by the State Departments inspector general said. Some of the
cuts were not fully implemented until after Clintons departure in early 2013, though the plans were
largely in place, former aides said. (Jeff Gerth/ProPublica and Joby Warrick, Promises Unfulfilled: How A State Department Plan To
Stabilize Iraq Broke Apart, The Washington Post, 8/15/16)

Former Navy SEAL And Deputy Director Of The Office Of Security Cooperation In Iraq
Edward Winters Said The Cuts Took Away The Ability To Stabilize Iraqs Security Forces.
Our job was to prevent this from happening, said retired Rear Adm. Edward Winters, a former
Navy SEAL and deputy director of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, a Pentagon
organization overseen by the State Department that managed the bilateral security relationship.
We felt the capability to do that was being taken away. (Jeff Gerth/ProPublica and Joby Warrick, Promises
Unfulfilled: How A State Department Plan To Stabilize Iraq Broke Apart, The Washington Post, 8/15/16)

THE CLINTON-OBAMA FOREIGN POLICY MISMANGEMENT EXACERBATED

PROBLEMS IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Is Falling Into Deeper Turmoil As The Taliban Threatens Security. Meanwhile,
Afghanistan is sliding deeper into political turmoil, with Taliban insurgents threatening to seize major
cities and more than 1 million people internally displaced by conflict. Many Afghans are becoming new
refugees as they leave the country in their greatest numbers since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. (Zulfiqar Ali,
Afghan Refugees In Pakistan Forced To Leave The Country In Response To Get-Tough Measures, The Los Angeles Times, 8/31/16)

Security In The Country Is Worsening. That is just the beginning. The countrys security
situation is worsening, despite the American militarys increased involvement in the fighting. The
Taliban have seized many districts, and they threaten to take many more. (Mujib Mashal, Afghanistan Is in
Chaos. Is That What Hamid Karzai Wants? The New York Times, 8/5/16)

Afghanistan Suffered A Catastrophic Election Dispute In 2014 And Will Not Meet A Deadline For
Free And Fair Elections Imposed By Secretary Of State John Kerry. The end of September is the
deadline for the government to meet the commitments of a political deal brokered by Secretary of State
John Kerry after the catastrophic 2014 election dispute. By then, Afghanistan is supposed to hold
parliamentary elections, enact sweeping electoral reforms, and amend the Constitution to create the
position of prime minister for Mr. Ghanis election rival and current governing partner, Abdullah
Abdullah. But staying on schedule was already impossible many months ago, and Mr. Kerry has publicly
insisted that Mr. Ghanis government will remain through the end of its five-year term, regardless. (Mujib
Mashal, Afghanistan Is in Chaos. Is That What Hamid Karzai Wants? The New York Times, 8/5/16)
The U.S. Has Fueled Corruption And Instability In Afghanistan. The most virulent foe America faces
in its ongoing war in Afghanistan may be its own inability to police the tens of billions of dollars it has
dedicated to the 15-year-old conflict, fueling corruption in a political system that only further forced its
populace to turn to dissident groups like the Taliban, according to a new inspector general report. John
Sopko, the inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, released the report Wednesday as the first
installation of a lessons learned project his congressionally appointed office is completing. Sopko has
routinely documented bureaucratic waste and mismanagement in Afghanistan as the U.S. withdraws the
bulk of its infrastructure under President Barack Obama's planned drawdown, but this marks one of the
first times his work reflects on the overall conflict. (Paul Shinkman, Report U.S. Caused Afghan Corruption, Instability, U.S. News,
9/14/16)

The Mismanagement Of Cash By The U.S. Fueled The Corruption. The report documents the
huge influx of American development cash the U.S. flowed into Afghanistan, exceeding $20 billion
in 2012 and remaining roughly at that level today. The investments frequently matched and at
times exceeded Afghanistan's own gross domestic product, defying an international economic
principle known as absorptive capacity that says a state can't appropriately absorb aid that

exceeds 45 percent of its total GDP. This excess of cash, combined with what the SIGAR describes
as flawed oversight and contracting practices, corrupted the very government the U.S. helped to
build, attracting maligned officials and establishing a weak rule of law, the report states. (Paul
Shinkman, Report U.S. Caused Afghan Corruption, Instability, U.S. News, 9/14/16)

Al-Qaeda Is Making A Resurgence

While ISIS Dominates Headlines, Al Qaeda Is Making A Resurgence, Grabbing Territory And
Increasing Attacks. Intelligence analysts paid close attention last month when al Qaeda's master
bombmaker, Ibrahim al Asiri whose name tops U.S. kill lists issued an audiotape from his hiding
placeIn 2016, however, a resurgent al Qaeda is emerging from the shadows. While ISIS has been
soaking up headlines, its older sibling has been launching attacks and grabbing territory too, and U.S.
intelligence officials tell NBC News they are increasingly concerned the older terror group is poised to
build on its achievements. (Ken Dilanian, Al Qaeda Makes A Comeback, NBC News, 2/29/16)

DNI Clapper: Al Qaeda Affiliates Have Proven Resilient And Are Positioned To Make Gains
In 2016. Al-Qa'ida's affiliates have proven resilient and are positioned to make gains in 2016.
(DNI James Clapper, Worldwide Threat Assessment Of The US Intelligence Community, House Of Representatives Permanent Select Committee On
Intelligence, 2/25/16, pg. 4)

Afghanistans Top Defense Official Warned That Al Qaeda Is Very Active, A Big Threat To The
Country, And There May Be More Core Operatives Than Previously Thought. Afghanistan's top
defense official has warned that al Qaeda -- the reason the United States first invaded Afghanistan -- is
very active and a big threat in the country. A senior U.S. official said they were concerned about al
Qaeda leaders in remote areas of the country and there may be many more core operatives in
Afghanistan than previously thought. (Nick Walsh, Al Qaeda Very Active In Afghanistan: U.S. Commander, CNN, 4/13/16)

Acting Defense Minister Masoom Stanikzai Said They Are Working Behind Other Networks,
Giving Them Support And The Experience They Had In Different Places. And Double Their
Resources And Recruitment And Other Things. Acting Defense Minister Masoom Stanikzai
told CNN that al Qaeda were keeping a low profile but expanding. They are really very active.
They are working in quiet and reorganizing themselves and preparing themselves for bigger
attacks, he said. They are working behind other networks, giving them support and the
experience they had in different places. And double their resources and recruitment and other
things. That is how -- they are not talking too much. They are not making press statements. It is a
big threat. (Nick Walsh, Al Qaeda Very Active In Afghanistan: U.S. Commander, CNN, 4/13/16)

There Could Be As Many As 300 Core Al Qaeda Operatives In Afghanistan. U.S. officials said
the number of core al Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan could be as high as 300, but that number
does include other facilitators and sympathizers in their network. (Nick Walsh, Al Qaeda Very Active In
Afghanistan: U.S. Commander, CNN, 4/13/16)

Similar To Iraq, The Clinton-Obama Premature Troop Withdrawal Promoted The Instability
We See Today
In March 2011, Clinton Said Her State Departments Actions In Afghanistan Put Al Qaeda On The
Run. CLINTON: In Iraq, almost 100,000 troops have come home and civilians are poised to keep the
peace. In Afghanistan, integrated military and civilian surges have helped set the stage for our diplomatic
surge to support Afghan-led reconciliation that can end the conflict and put al Qaeda on the run. (Secretary
Hillary Clinton, Appropriations Subcommittee On State, Foreign Operations, And Related Hearings, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 3/2/11)

In October 2014, Clinton Said That The Obama Administration Was Able To Undermine Al Qaedas
Capacity To, As An Organization, Continue To Threaten The West. CLINTON: But I think the
evidence, at least to me, that this is a group that will try to pick up where Al Qaeda in Afghanistan left off.
What we were able to do, at great cost, to ferret out and decapitate the leadership of Al Qaeda severely

undermined their capacity to, as an organization, continue to threaten the West. (Hillary Clinton, Remarks At Canada
2020, Ottawa, Canada, 10/6/14)

Obama, October 2012: And Today, Al Qaeda Is On Its Heels OBAMA: And its useful to remember
what weve done. Four years ago, I told you wed end the war in Iraq -- and we did. (Applause.) I said
that wed end the war in Afghanistan -- and we are. I said that wed refocus on the people who actually
attacked us on 9/11 -- and today, al Qaeda is on its heels and Osama bin Laden is dead. (Barack Obama, Remarks
At A Campaign Rally, Miami, FL, 10/11/12)

Obama, November 2012: Al Qaeda Is On The Run. Osama Bin Laden Is Dead. (Barack Obama, Remarks At A
Campaign Rally, Des Moines, IA, 11/6/12)

As Secretary Of State In 2011, Clinton Testified Before The Senate Foreign Relations Committee
That Obama Had Hit The Mark With His Decision To Withdraw All Troops From Afghanistan By
The End Of His Presidency. SEN. BOB CORKER (R-TN): Let me ask you, do you a hundred-percent
agree with what the president had to say last night? CLINTON: Yes, I do. CORKER: In every facet?
CLINTON: Yes, I do, Senator. And this was an -- a very open, candid discussion within the national
security team. Obviously, people forthrightly presented their own views. It will not surprise you that the
views ranged across the spectrum about what should be done and what should not be done. But I think
that the president, you know, with his decision, has hit the mark. (Hillary Clinton, Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S.
Senate, Hearing, 6/23/11)
When Asked If She Agreed 100 Percent With Obamas Afghan Withdrawal Plan, Clinton Said Yes
I Do, And Said She Supported Every Facet Of The Announcement. SEN. BOB CORKER (R-TN): Let
me ask you, do you a hundred-percent agree with what the president had to say last night? CLINTON:
Yes, I do. CORKER: In every facet? CLINTON: Yes, I do, Senator. And this was an -- a very open, candid
discussion within the national security team. Obviously, people forthrightly presented their own views. It
will not surprise you that the views ranged across the spectrum about what should be done and what
should not be done. But I think that the president, you know, with his decision, has hit the mark. (Hillary
Clinton, Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 6/23/11)

Clinton On Obamas Troop Withdrawal Plan: But The Bottom LineIs That We Have
Broken The Talibans Momentum. So We Do Begin This Drawdown From A Position Of
Strength. CLINTON: First, let me say a word about the military effort. Last night, the President
explained his plan to begin drawing down our forces next month and transitioning to Afghan
responsibility. I will leave it to my colleagues from the Defense Department to discuss the
specifics. But the bottom line, as the President said, is that we have broken the Talibans
momentum. So we do begin this drawdown from a position of strength. (Hillary Clinton, Committee On Foreign
Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 6/23/11)

THE CLINTON-OBAMA FOREIGN POLICY APPROACH CREATED A VACUUM IN LIBYA

THAT PROMOTED THE SPREAD OF TERRORISM
Only Armed Militias Truly Have Power In Libya And There Are Two Competing Governments In
The Failed State. Only Libya's myriad armed militias really wield power - and it is felt they often hold
the politicians they supposedly back to ransom. During the uprising, anyone with a gun could command
respect, and lots of armed groups emerged - up to 1,700, according to some estimates. There are two rival
parliaments and three governments - the latest government was formed in UN-brokered talks in
December with the aim of replacing the other two. But this initiative is still on the rocks, partly because of
concerns that the new government is being imposed by Western powers. The oil-rich country once had
one of the highest standards of living in Africa with free healthcare and free education, but five years on
from the uprising it is facing a financial crisis. (Why Is Libya So Lawless? BBC, 9/14/16)
But In Three Years Libya Has Turned Into The Kind Of Place U.S. Officials Most Fear: A Lawless
Land That Attracts Terrorists, Pumps Out Illegal Arms And Drugs And Destabilizes Its Neighbors.
(Paul Richter And Christi Parsons, U.S. Intervention In Libya Now Seen As Cautionary Tale, Los Angeles Times, 6/27/14)

April 2015: Today, No One Involved In Libya Policy Since The Overthrow Of Muammar Al-Qaddafi
Is Satisfied With How Events Have Unfolded. (Derek Chollet and Ben Fishman, Who Lost Libya?, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2015)
Obama Has Said What Happened In Libya Is One Of His Greatest Regrets. As Kuperman rightly
notes, U.S. President Barack Obama has said that what has happened there is one of his greatest regrets
and that he draws lessons from it when considering U.S. military interventions elsewhere. (Derek Chollet and
Ben Fishman, Who Lost Libya? Foreign Affairs, May/June 2015)

But Libya Today Has Deteriorated Into A Virtual Failed State Run By Hundreds Of Private
Militias. But Libya today has deteriorated into a virtual failed state run by hundreds of private militias.
Eighteen months after the initial airstrikes, U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other
Americans were killed in attacks by militants on a U.S. diplomatic post and a nearby CIA site in Benghazi.
The North African nation has become a primary outpost for the Islamic State, which has exploited the
chaos to take territory, train soldiers and prove its strength outside Syria and Iraq. (Kevin Sullivan, A Tough Call
On Libya That Still Haunts, The Washington Post, 2/3/16)

ISIS Has Taken Advantage Of The Turmoil In Libya Following The Failed Clinton-Obama
Intervention
ISIS Militants Have Taken Advantage Of Chaos In Libya To Establish Strongholds In The Region.
Islamic State militants have taken advantage of chaos in Libya to establish themselves in the city of Sirte,
and they have carried out several attacks on oil installations this month. (Obama Calls For Efforts To Counter Islamic
State In Libya, Reuters, 1/28/16)
A Former Intel Operative In Libya Said We Paved The Way For Islamic Extremists To Take Over.
Qaddafi was a bad guy, but by not supporting our secular allies in Libya, we paved the way for Islamic
extremists to take over. Now, in a way, Qaddafi is laughing at all of us from his grave. (Jo Becker and Scott Shane,
In Their Own Words: The Libya Tragedy, The New York Times, 2/27/16)
Former Director Of The CIA David Petraeus On Intervention In Libya: What We Did Was Certainly
Not Enough. Former Director of the CIA and retired general David Petraeus: Its pretty easy in
hindsight. In the wake of Qaddafis fall, we werent quick enough to get in there and try to do something
and actually have a meaningful contribution that could help secure and stabilize the situation its very
hard to say whether additional assets in a comprehensive manner would have been enough. But what we
did was certainly not enough. (Jo Becker and Scott Shane, In Their Own Words: The Libya Tragedy, The New York Times, 2/27/16)
Clintons Libyan Intervention Had Poor Postwar Planning That Led To Violent Chaos And The
Ultimate Rise Of New And Even Greater Threats To U.S. Interests. But where Clinton sees smart
power, her attackers see poor judgment and a failure to learn from mistakes made in Iraq a war that
Clinton initially voted for as a senator, then acknowledged was a mistake during her 2008 Democratic
primary campaign against Barack Obama. As in Iraq, Clinton backed a military operation that toppled a
dictator yet was marred by poor postwar planning that led to violent chaos and the ultimate rise of new
and even greater threats to U.S. interests. (Kevin Sullivan, A Tough Call On Libya That Still Haunts, The Washington Post, 2/3/16)
Post Intervention, Libya Was Farmed Out And The Inattention Was Not Just Neglect, It Was
Policy. The regular situation room meetings on Libya, often including the president, simply stopped.
The revolt in Syria, in the heart of the Middle East and with nearly four times Libyas population, took
center stage. Libya, Mr. Ross said, was farmed out to the working level. The inattention was not just
neglect. It was policy. (Jo Becker and Scott Shane, A New Libya, With Very Little Time Left, The New York Times, 2/27/16)

The Failed Intervention Of Libya Was Clintons Brain Child

Clinton Forcefully Urged The President To Take Military Action In Libya. A few hours later, after
consultations with British and Arab allies and a leader of the Libyan opposition all demanding action,
Clinton joined a White House meeting of President Obamas National Security Council by phone and

forcefully urged the president to take military action. (Kevin Sullivan, A Tough Call On Libya That Still Haunts, The Washington
Post, 2/3/16)
The Washington Posts Joby Warrick: US Officials And Key Allies Offered A Defense Of Clintons
Pivotal Role In Libya. But with NATO operations likely to end this week, U.S. officials and key allies
are offering a detailed new defense of the approach and Clintons pivotal role both within a divided
Cabinet and a fragile, assembled-on-the-fly international alliance. (Joby Warrick, Clinton Credited With Key Role In Success
Of NATO Airstrikes, Libyan Rebels, The Washington Post, 10/30/11)

THE CLINTON-OBAMA IRANIAN NUCLEAR DEAL WONT STOP THEM FROM GETTING
THE BOMB AND MUCH OF THE SANCTIONS RELIEF WILL LIKELY GO TO TERRORISTS
Clinton: I'm Very Proud Of The Iran Nuclear Agreement. I Was Very Pleased To Be Part Of What
The President Put Into Action When He Took Office. CLINTON: Well, I'm very proud of the Iran
Nuclear Agreement. I was very pleased to be part of what the president put into action when he took
office. I was responsible for getting those sanctions imposed which put the pressure on Iran. It brought
them to the negotiating table which resulted in this agreement. (Hillary Clinton, Remarks At Democrat Primary Debate,
Charleston, SC, 1/17/16)

Clinton: I Was Responsible For Getting Those Sanctions Imposed Which Put The Pressure
On Iran. It Brought Them To The Negotiating Table Which Resulted In This Agreement.
CLINTON: Well, I'm very proud of the Iran Nuclear Agreement. I was very pleased to be part of
what the president put into action when he took office. I was responsible for getting those
sanctions imposed which put the pressure on Iran. It brought them to the negotiating table which
resulted in this agreement. (Hillary Clinton, Remarks At Democrat Primary Debate, Charleston, SC, 1/17/16)

Clinton Has Touted Her Work In Being Part Of The Coalition That Brought Us To The Point Of
This Agreement. CLINTON: Having been part of the coalition that brought us to the point of this
agreement, I think we will have to immediately upon completion of this agreement and its rigorous
enforcement, look to see how we build a coalition to try to prevent and undermine Irans bad behaviors
in other arenas. (Hillary Clinton, Remarks On U.S. Iran Nuclear Deal, 7/14/15)

Clinton Owns A Piece Of [The Nuclear Deal]. She Helped The Negotiations Get Started.
Hillary Clinton hailed the deal that the United States and other world powers struck with Iran on
Tuesday as an important step in putting a lid on Irans nuclear program. Whats bound to draw
attention as the agreements political ramifications come into focus: Clinton owns a piece of it. She
helped the negotiations get started. (Eric Brander and Dan Merica, Hillary Clintons State Department Legacy Tieed To Iran
Deal, CNN, 7/14/15)

The Agreement Did Not Solve The Iran Nuclear Problem

Woodrow Wilson International Center For Scholars Aaron David Miller: Simply Put, This Is One
Terrific Agreement For Tehran. (Aaron David Miller, Op-Ed, Irans Win-WinWin Win Win Nuke Deal, The Daily Beast, 7/20/15)

Miller: Its The Cruelest Of Ironies That Iran Is Reaping Huge Rewards For Giving Up
Something It Wasnt Supposed To Be Doing In The First Place. (Aaron David Miller, Op-Ed, Irans WinWinWin Win Win Nuke Deal, The Daily Beast, 7/20/15)

Miller: The Agreement Will Leave Iran With A Sufficiently Large Nuclear Foundation To Give It
The Capacity To Pursue Nuclear Weapons Down The Road Should It Choose To Do So. The painful
and inconvenient truth is that even before the agreement Iran was a nuclear weapons threshold state.
The agreement will not change that reality. And it will leave Iran with a sufficiently large nuclear
foundation to give it the capacity to pursue nuclear weapons down the road should it choose to do so.
(Aaron David Miller, Op-Ed, Irans Win-WinWin Win Win Nuke Deal, The Daily Beast, 7/20/15)

Under The Nuclear Agreement, Iran Will Be Permitted To Enrich Uranium And Maintain A 3.67
Percent Uranium Level At Its Natanz Facility. The deal reduces the number of Iranian centrifuges by

two-thirds. It places bans on enrichment at key facilities, and limits uranium research and development
to the Natanz facility. The deal caps uranium enrichment at 3.67 percent and limits the stockpile to 300
kg, all for 15 years. (Jethro Mullen and Nic Robertson, Landmark Deal Reached On Iran Nuclear Program, CNN, 7/14/15)
Under The Agreement, There Is A Breakout Time Of Only One Year. In some recent remarks,
Clinton has also hinted at a tougher view than the one that prevailed in Vienna, including her belief that
Irans breakout period the time it would take to enrich enough uranium for a bomb should be
longer than one year. Tuesdays agreement imposes a breakout time of only one year. (Michael Crowley, Hillary
Clinton Endorses Nuclear Deal, Politico, 7/14/15)

Money From The Deal Will Likely Go To Terrorists

In January 2016, John Kerry Admitted That Some Of The Money Iran Receives From Sanctions
Relief Due To The Nuclear Agreement Will Go To the IRGC And Terrorists. I think that some of it
will end up in the hands of the IRGC or other entities, some of which are labeled terrorists," he said in the
interview in Davos, referring to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. You know, to some degree, I'm not
going to sit here and tell you that every component of that can be prevented. (Elise Labott, John Kerry: Some
Sanctions Relief Money For Rian Will Go To Terrorism, CNN, 1/21/16)
Secretary Of State John Kerry Conceded That Funds From Iran Sanctions Relief Are Expected To
End Up In The Hands Of Terrorists. CNBCS ANDREW SORKIN: Okay, so even if it's the least worst
outcome, just to put a fine point on it, do you believe that any of that $55 billion ends up in the hands of
terrorists? SECRETARTY OF STATE JOHN KERRY: I think that some of it will end up in the hands of the
IRGC or other entities, some of which are labeled terrorists. You know, to some degree, Im not going to
sit here and tell you that every component of that could be prevented, but I can tell you this, right now,
we are not seeing the early delivery of funds going to that kind of endeavor at this point in time. Im sure
at some point some of it will. But that has never made the difference of what is happening there. Let me
give you an example. The Saudis alone spend $80 billion a year on defense. The entire gulf state
community spends $130 billion a year on defense. Iran spends $15 billion a year on its military activities.
So, its so incredibly disproportionate that I believe that working with our gulf state partners, which we
are going to do and which we are upgrading, we have the ability to guarantee that they will be secure,
that we will stand by them even as we look for this potential of a shift in behavior. (CNBCs Squawk Box, 1/21/16)

Kerry On Funds Going To Terrorists: Im Sure At Some Point Some Of It Will. (CNBCs Squawk
Box, 1/21/16)

The Associated Press Headline: Kerry: Some Iran Sanctions Relief Likely To Go To
Terrorists (Matthew Lee, Kerry: Some Iran Sanctions Relief Likely To Go To Terrorists, The Associated Press, 1/21/16)

The Clinton Nuclear Deal Helped Lead To The Iran Ransom Swap
In January 2016, White House Spokesman Josh Earnest Admitted That The Iran Nuclear Deal
Created An Opening And We Used That Deeper Diplomatic Engagement To Secure The Release Of
Five American Citizens. QUESTION: Okay, but as I understand it, the Department of State announced
this payment of $1.7 billion to the government of Iran just before the plane carrying the freed Americans
landed in Geneva. You're really telling me that this is an absolute coincidence that this payment just
happened to coincide with the precise moment when the American prisoners were flying to freedom?
WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN JOSH EARNEST: Jon, I think weve made pretty clear that this is not a
coincidence. The fact is, these kinds of diplomatic opportunities. QUESTION: So it was -- because Paul
Ryan has suggested this was a ransom payment. You saw his statement. EARNEST: Hes wrong about
that. QUESTION: But you're saying that this is connected with the freedom of. EARNEST: What Im
suggesting is that the successful resolution of our concerns about Irans nuclear program created a series
of diplomatic opportunities for the United States that weve capitalized on. And we used that opening and
we used that deeper diplomatic engagement to secure the release of five American citizens who are being
unjustly held inside of Iran. And we used that diplomatic opening to resolve a longstanding financial

claim that the Iranians had against the United States in a way that ultimately saves U.S. taxpayers billions
of dollars, potentially up to $6 billion or $7 billion. So this is exhibit A in the administration pursuing
tough, principled diplomacy in a way that actually ends up making the American people safer and
advancing the interests of the United States more effectively than military actions. (Josh Earnest, White House Press
Briefing, Washington D.C., 1/19/16)

Click To Watch
President Barack Obama Approved The $400 Million Transfer, Which He Had Announced In
January As Part Of The Iran Nuclear Deal. The Obama administration secretly arranged a plane
delivery of $400 million in cash on the same day Iran released four American prisoners and formally
implemented the nuclear deal, US officials confirmed Wednesday. President Barack Obama approved the
$400 million transfer, which he had announced in January as part of the Iran nuclear deal. The money
was flown into Iran on wooden pallets stacked with Swiss francs, euros and other currencies as the first
installment of a $1.7 billion settlement resolving claims at an international tribunal at The Hague over a
failed arms deal under the time of the Shah. (Elise Labott, Nicole Gaouette and Kevin Liptak, US Sent Plane With $400 Million In Cash
To Iran, CNN, 8/4/16)

After Every Meeting On The Nuclear Deal, The U.S. Insisted Upon A Separate Session To
Discuss The Prisoners. After every meeting on the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran,
the U.S. insisted there had to be a separate session between the U.S. and Iran on the American
prisoners, the officials said. U.S. officials, however, said this does not set a precedent. This is a
unique arrangement, one U.S. official said. This is a humanitarian gesture. A senior
administration official who briefed reporters said a window opened after the Iranian nuclear deal
and we wanted to take advantage of that window.(Elise Labott, Iran Prisoner Swap: How 14 Months Of Secret
Diplomacy Ended In A Deal, CNN, 1/16/16)

Secretary Of State John Kerry: The Nuclear Agreement Accelerated The Release Of
Prisoners. Secretary of State John Kerry touted he powers of diplomacy Saturday, saying that the
nuclear deal with Iran and six other nations had accelerated the release of five Americans
previously held in Iran. There is no question that the pace and the progress of the humanitarian
talks accelerated in light of the relationships forged and the diplomatic channels unlocked over the
course of the nuclear talks, Kerry told reporters in Vienna. (Reena Flores, John Kerry: Iran Nuclear Deal Talks
Accelerated Prisoner Swap, CBS News, 9/16/16)

CLINTONS RUSSIA RESET FAILED AND NOW RUSSIA IS AS AGGRESSIVE AS EVER

 Clinton On The Russia Reset, June 2014: I Thought It Was A Brilliant Stroke, Which In Retrospect

Appears Even More So, Because Look At What We Accomplished. BBC HOST: You famously pressed
the reset button. Are you embarrassed by that now, that gesture? CLINTON: No I thought it was a
brilliant stroke, which in retrospect appears even more so, because look at what we accomplished.
(Interview With BBC, 6/13/14)

Clinton, July 2014: [W]hat I Think I Demonstrate In The Book Is That The Reset Worked. PBSS
JOHN HARWOOD: Lets talk about Russia for a second And so I guess my question is, you say in the
book that America cant solve everything but nothing can be solved without America; were the
indispensable nation. If neither approach, the Bush administration or the Obama administration, worked
with Putin, what exactly are we indispensable for? CLINTON: Well, I would take issue with the way you
characterize that, because what I think I demonstrate in the book is that the reset worked. It was an effort
to try to obtain Russian cooperation on some key objectives while Medvedev was president, and of
course Putin still pulled the strings but he gave Medvedev a certain amount of independence to negotiate,
number one, a new arms control treaty, which was absolutely necessary. (NPRs On Point, 7/24/14)
In March 2009, Clinton Presented Her Russian Counterpart With A Reset Button, Illustrating The
Obama Administrations Desire To Press The Reset Button With Russia. When it comes to Russia,
the Obama administration has been talking about pressing the reset button. Its meant to symbolize a
possible new start in U.S./Russian relations, which crashed after Russia invaded Georgia last August. So
when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton greeted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva Friday
before sitting down to their working dinner, she was all smiles when she presented him a small green box
with a ribbon. Lavrov opened it and, inside, there was a red button with the Russian word peregruzka
printed on it. (Jill Dougherty, Clinton Reset Button Gift To Russian FM Gets Lost In Translation, CNN, 3/6/09)

(Jill Dougherty, Clinton Reset Button Gift To Russian FM Gets Lost In Translation, CNN, 3/6/09)

The Reset Lies In Tatters As Russia Is Now Recognized As One Of The Countrys Biggest
Threats
Clintons Russia Reset Policy Now Lies In Tatters. But most experts agree that the policy now lies in
tatters, with Russian President Vladimir Putin openly fueling anti-American sentiment at home and
pursuing confrontational policies abroad, such as the invasion of Ukraine and the annexation of its
Crimea region. (Olivier Knox, Russia Reset Architect To Next President: Dont Try That Again, Yahoo, 5/27/15)
The New York Times Editorial: The Pentagon Has Put Russia At The Top Of Its List Of National
Security Threats The Pentagon has put Russia at the top of its list of national security threats with its
plan to increase the deployment of heavy weapons, armored vehicles and troops on rotating assignment
to NATO countries in Central and Eastern Europe. (Editorial, The Pentagons Top Threat? Russia, The New York Times, 2/3/16)

The New York Times Editorial Headline: The Pentagons Top Threat? Russia (Editorial, The
Pentagons Top Threat? Russia, The New York Times, 2/3/16)

Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford: Russia Presents The Greatest Threat
To Our National Security. U.S. SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: And sir, Im sure youve had the opportunity
to form opinions on what our threats have been and what our threats are today. What would you
consider the greatest threat to our national security? CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
GENERAL JOSEPH DUNFORD: My assessment today is that Russia presents the greatest threat to our
national security. (Committee On Armed Services, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 7/9/15)
Secretary Carter Claimed Russias Recent Aggression Demonstrated That Russia Has Clear
Ambition To Erode The Principled International Order. Despite the progress that we made
together in the aftermath of the Cold War, Russia's actions in recent years with its violations of
Ukrainian and Georgian territorial integrity, its unprofessional behavior in the air, in space, and in
cyberspace, as well as its nuclear saber rattling - all have demonstrated that Russia has clear ambition to
erode the principled international order, Carter said. (Ash Carter: Russia Sowing Seeds Of Global Instability, The Associated
Press, 9/7/16)

Previously Defense Secretary Carter Made The Case That Russias Intervention Beyond Its
Borders Pose A Bigger Danger To U.S. Security Than Does The Immediate Threat From
The Islamic State. On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter previewed the Pentagon
budget proposal for fiscal 2017, making a case for why Chinas rapid military buildup and Russias
intervention beyond its borders pose a bigger danger to U.S. security, and merit larger
investments, than does the immediate threat from the Islamic State. (Missy Ryan, Pentagon Unveils Budget
Priority For Next Year: Countering Russia And China, The Washington Post, 2/2/16)

Even Bill Clinton Has Knocked Hillarys Russia Reset Policy, Conceding It Had Few
Accomplishments And Went From Our Attempt To Do Better To Estrangement. BILL CLINTON:
The only thing that has survived the estrangement of the United States and Russia from our attempt to
do better is something called the New START Treaty, negotiated by Hillarys State Department, which
makes us much safer from this prospect from an accidental or intentional nuclear exchange. In a
dangerous world, I think thats a pretty good deal. (Bill Clinton, Remarks At A Hillary Clinton Campaign Rally, Nashua, NH, 1/4/16)

The Russian Military Said It Was Considering The Possibility Of Putting Military Forces In
Cuba
The Russian Military Is Looking At Cuba As One Area To Expand Their Presence On Faraway
Outposts. The Russian military is considering the possibility of regaining its Soviet-era bases on Cuba
and in Vietnam, the Defense Ministry said Friday, a statement that comes amid growing U.S.-Russia
tensions over Syria. Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov told lawmakers Friday that the ministry is
considering the possibility of establishing footholds far away from Russia's borders. Responding to a
lawmaker's question if the military could return to Cuba and Vietnam, Pankov said the military is
reviewing a decision to withdraw from them, but didn't offer any specifics. As for our presence on
faraway outposts, we are doing this work, he said. (Vladimir Isachenkov, Russia Military Considers Return To Cuba, Vietnam,
Associated Press, 10/7/16)

Putin Originally Pulled His Military From Cuba In 2001 While Trying To Establish Better Relations
With The United States But Russia-United States Relations Are At The Worst Point Since The Cold
War Era. In 2001, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military to pull back from Cuba and
Vietnam as he sought to bolster ties with the United States. The U.S.-Russian relations now have plunged
to the lowest point since the Cold War times amid strain over Syria and Ukraine. Moscow has lamented
that Washington never appreciated Putin's goodwill gesture. Asked Friday about the possibility of the
Russian military's return to Cuba and Vietnam, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov refrained from specific
comment, but added that the global situation requires various players to mull possible responses. (Vladimir
Isachenkov, Russia Military Considers Return To Cuba, Vietnam, Associated Press, 10/7/16)
As Relations With The U.S. Deteriorated, Russia Began Evaluating Plans To Expand Its Global
Military Presence. Amid the deterioration of ties with the West, the military began pondering plans to

re-establish its global presence. A small naval supply facility in the Syrian port of Tartus is now the navy's
only outpost outside the former Soviet Union. Oleg Nilov of A Just Russia, one of the factions in the
Kremlin-controlled lower house, pointed at the U.S. and its NATO allies' deployment near Russian
borders as he argued that Russia needs to regain its Soviet-era bases It's time to reach agreements to
return to faraway outposts if they don't understand the language of diplomacy, he said during debates.
(Vladimir Isachenkov, Russia Military Considers Return To Cuba, Vietnam, Associated Press, 10/7/16)

CLINTONS ASIA PIVOT HAS FAILED

In Her Essay Americas Pacific Century, Clinton Describes The Asia Pivot As Putting A
Substantially Increased Investment Diplomatic, Economic, Strategic, And Otherwise In The
Asia-Pacific Region. As the war in Iraq winds down and America begins to withdraw its forces from
Afghanistan, the United States stands at a pivot point. Over the last 10 years, we have allocated immense
resources to those two theaters. In the next 10 years, we need to be smart and systematic about where
we invest time and energy so that we put ourselves in the best position to sustain our leadership secure
our interests and advance our values. One of the most important tasks of American statecraft over the
next decade will therefore be to lock in a substantially increased investment diplomatic, economic,
strategic, and otherwise in the Asia-Pacific region. (Secretary Hillary Clinton, Op-Ed, Americas Pacific Century, Foreign Policy,
10/11/11)

It Was Clintons State Department That Was Mainly Responsible For The Administrations Attempt
At A Strategic Pivot To Asia And it was Clintons State Department that was mainly responsible for
the administrations attempt at a strategic pivot to Asia, designed largely to counter Chinas growing
influence. (Michael Hirsh, The Clinton Legacy, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2013)

Clinton, 2011: The Pivot To Asia Is Among The Most Important Diplomatic Efforts Of Our
Time. This kind of pivot is not easy, but we have paved the way for it over the past two-and-ahalf years, and we are committed to seeing it through as among the most important diplomatic
efforts of our time. (Hillary Clinton, Op-Ed, Americas Pacific Century, Foreign Policy, 10/11/11)

In A May 2012 Email, Clinton Wanted To Clarify That Her State Department, Not The White
House, Had Come Up With The Asia Pivot. (Hillary Clinton, Email To Jake Sullivan, et. al., 5/14/12, State Department
Release, 12/31/15, FOIA # F-2014-20439)

Clintons Asia Pivot Failed To Resonate And Suffered From Weak Commitment By The
Administration
Governments In The Asia Pacific Argued That The Obama Administration Loves To Talk About
Making The Pivot But Not Walk The Walk. The White Houses problem is that even after years of

talking about the strategic rebalance to the western Pacific, the president and his administration still
face a wall of skepticism from regional governments and critics inside Washington. Obama and his top
officials love to talk about focusing on Asia, the argument goes, but they do not walk the walk. (Philip Ewing,
Obamas Asia Pivot, A Work In Progress, Politico, 4/21/14)

The Asian Pivot Has Been Slapped Down. The priorities for Asia were not laid out in any formal
pivot document largely because the goals, based on my many conversations with Obamas Asia team,
were modest: 1) deeply engage China; 2) balance this with a strong alliance with Japan; 3) address the
North Korean problem; and 4) re-evaluate free-trade agreements. In each case, the White House got
slapped down. (Victor Cha, The Unfinished Legacy of Obamas Pivot To Asia, Foreign Policy, 9/6/16)
The Wall Street Journals Michael Auslin Op-Ed Title: Where Obamas Asia Rebalance Went
Wrong. (Michael Auslin, Op-Ed, Where Obamas Asia Rebalance Went Wrong, The Wall Street Journal, 9/2/26)
President Obama Never Followed Through On His Ambitious Promises. As he heads to China and
Laos next week for his 11th and final trip across the Pacific as president, Barack Obama will be focused
on securing his legacy in Asia. Touting himself in 2009 as Americas first Pacific president, Mr. Obama
made Asia a prominent part of his foreign policy, proclaiming a rebalance after the excesses of George
W. Bushs Middle East adventurism. Yet Mr. Obama hasnt followed through on his ambitious promises,
leaving his foreign-policy legacy very much an open question. He will leave his successor with a far more
difficult job in maintaining stability in the worlds most dynamic region. (Michael Auslin, Op-Ed, Where Obamas Asia
Rebalance Went Wrong, The Wall Street Journal, 9/2/26)
A Combination Of Inattention, Surprise, And Mistakes Characterized The Early Years Of Asia
Policy Under Obama. The narrative of this policy, as trumpeted by current and former administration
officials, is predictably positive expounding the bold but careful execution of a strategy from Day One
in the Oval Office. However, the real story may cast a less shimmering glow across the Pacific. A
combination of inattention, surprise, and mistakes characterized the early years of Asia policy under
Obama. (Victor Cha, The Unfinished Legacy of Obamas Pivot To Asia, Foreign Policy, 9/6/16)

The Asia Pivot Has Earned Mixed Reviews From Foreign Policy Analysts Over Chinas
Continued Aggression In The South China Sea. Clintons signature policy project at the State
Department the so-called pivot to Asia earns mixed reviews from foreign policy analysts.
Some say it signaled a lack of commitment to the Middle East, and they note that China continues
aggressive policies in the region. (Michael Crowley and Nahal Toosi, GOP Targets Hillary Clintons Years At State, Politico,
4/12/15)

With Chinas Aggression In The South China Sea, The Pivot Policy Now Looks Inadequate.
With China building fake islands around the South China Sea and threatening to enforce an airexclusion zone in the area, the pivot policy now looks inadequate. (Josh Rogin, Op-Ed, Why Hillary Cant Run On
Her State Department Record, Bloomberg View, 6/3/15)

A Hague Tribunal Found Chinas Construction Of Artificial Islands And Sovereignty Claims Over
Water Had No Legal Basis. An international tribunal in The Hague delivered a sweeping rebuke on
Tuesday of Chinas behavior in the South China Sea, including its construction of artificial islands, and
found that its expansive claim to sovereignty over the waters had no legal basis. (Jane Perlez, Tribunal Rejects
Beijings Claims In South China Sea, The New York Times, 6/12/16)

This Case Is Vitally Important For U.S. Ally Taiwan And The Stability Of The Region Moving
Forward. That could give the governments of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam
more leverage in their own maritime disputes with Beijing. (Jane Perlez, Tribunal Rejects Beijings Claims In South
China Sea, The New York Times, 6/12/16)

In Response To The Ruling, A Former Senior Official Said That China Would Not Back Down From
Its Activities In The South China Sea Even In The Face Of A Fleet Of American Aircraft Carriers. In
a tough speech in Washington last week, a former senior Chinese official, Dai Bingguo, said that the

findings would amount to no more than waste paper and that China would not back down from its
activities in the South China Sea even in the face of a fleet of American aircraft carriers. (Jane Perlez, Tribunal
Rejects Beijings Claims In South China Sea, The New York Times, 6/12/16)

Some Chinese Commentators Predicted That China Would Respond With An Increased
Show Of Force. Some Chinese commentators have said in recent days that the leadership may
respond with immediate military maneuvers in the South China Sea. Whether it will be significant
or large scale I cannot say, said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin
University in Beijing. (Jane Perlez, Tribunal Rejects Beijings Claims In South China Sea, The New York Times, 6/12/16)

A 2014 Report From The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Then Under Chairman Sen. Bob
Menendez (D-NJ), Criticized The State Department For A Weak Commitment To The Pivot.
Nonetheless, the State Department has not substantially increased diplomatic engagement resources to
its Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Department of Commerce staffing levels have not significantly
increased, hindering the ability of U.S. businesses to take full advantage of new prospects. U.S.
development assistance to the region, which saw a modest increase in the ad- ministrations FY2015
budget proposal, is still below levels from several years ago, and the U.S. development approach needs
updating and upgrading. (Senate Foreign Relations Committee Majority Staff, Re-Balancing The Rebalance: Resourcing U.S. Diplomatic Strategy
In The Asia-Pacific Region, Senate Committee On Foreign Relations, 4/17/14)

Stephen Bosworth, Obamas Former Coordinator For North Korea: The Asia Rebalancing
Concept Was Ill Conceived And Bungled In Its Implementation. Stephen W. Bosworth, Mr.
Obamas coordinator for North Korea in his first term, agreed. The rebalancing concept, Mr.
Bosworth argued, was ill conceived and bungled in its implementation. (David E. Sanger and Mark Landler,
Obamas Strategic Shift To Asia Is Hobbled By Pressure At Home And Crises Abroad, The New York Times, 4/21/14)

Historians Will Likely Associate An Aggressive Nuclear North Korea With Negligent Policy.
North Koreas nuclear capabilities will have evolved during the span of the Obama presidency
from a fledgling program to a stockpile of as many as 35 nuclear bombs and potentially a
survivable deterrent. While the pivots defenders might argue that little more could have been
done to stop China or North Korea, historians are often unkind, associating arguably unavoidable
outcomes with negligent policy. (Victor Cha, The Unfinished Legacy of Obamas Pivot To Asia, Foreign Policy, 9/6/16)

Clinton Herself Has Acknowledged That We Have A Long Way To Go, With The Asian Pivot. None
of these criticisms questions the wisdom of the rebalance on the contrary, detractors argue that it
hasnt gone far enough. Given the former secretarys personal involvement in crafting and carrying out
the rebalance, and the fundamental economic and security logic behind it, its hard to imagine a President
Clinton turning her back on such a major U.S. foreign policy initiative. She herself has noted that the
rebalance is a work in progress, as some in the region still have doubts about how the Asia-Pacific fits
into U.S. foreign policy. I think weve come some ways in trying to rebalance, Clinton said in September
at Brookings, but we have a long way to go, and theres much at stake in how we deal with all the players
in Asia.(Catherine Putz And Shannon Tiezzi, Did Hillary Clintons Pivot To Asia Work? FiveThirtyEight, 4/14/16)

Despite Promises Of An Asian Pivot, North Korea Has Become Increasingly Erratic And More
Aggressive
In September 2016, North Korea Supposedly Fired 3 Ballastic Missiles From A Submarine. North
Korea fired three ballistic missiles Monday morning, according to South Korea's military. The missiles
were fired from areas around Hwangju county, in North Hwanghae province, toward the Sea of Japan,
South Korea's military said. Officials said the launch was believed to be of midrange Rodong missiles,
which flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) without giving any prior navigational warning. North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un "expressed great satisfaction" over the launch and called on his country to
bolster its nuclear forces, according to a report on Tuesday in the state-run KCNA news agency. (James
Griffiths And K.J. Kwon, North Korea Fires 3 Ballistic Missiles; Japan Calls It 'Serious Threat,' CNN, 9/5/16)

North Korea Has Completed 72 Major Kinetic And Misile Provocations Under Obama While
Only Completing One Nuclear Test And 19 Provocations During Bushs Two Terms.
Moreover, North Korea remains a stain on the pivot legacy. Under Obama, North Korea has
conducted an unprecedented three nuclear tests and 72 major kinetic and missile provocations.
By comparison, there was one nuclear test and 19 provocations during Bushs two terms. (Victor Cha,
The Unfinished Legacy of Obamas Pivot To Asia, Foreign Policy, 9/6/16)

North Korea Said It Successfully Carried Out A Hydrogen Bomb Test, Which If Confirmed, Will Be
A First For The Reclusive Regime And A Significant Advancement For Its Military Ambitions.
North Korea says it has successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test, which if confirmed, will be a first
for the reclusive regime and a significant advancement for its military ambitions. A hydrogen bomb is
more powerful than plutonium weapons, which is what North Korea used in its three previous
underground nuclear tests. (Euan McKirdy, North Korea Announces It Conducted Nuclear Test, CNN, 1/6/16)
North Korea Has Expanded A Uranium Enrichment Facility And Restarted A Plutonium Reactor
That Could Begin Recovering Material For Nuclear Weapons In Weeks Or Months North Korea
has expanded a uranium enrichment facility and restarted a plutonium reactor that could begin
recovering material for nuclear weapons in weeks or months, Clapper said in delivering the annual
assessment by intelligence agencies of the top dangers facing the country. (Deb Riechmann and Richard Lardner,
Intelligence Officials: IS Determined To Strike US This Year, The Associated Press, 2/9/16)
Intelligence Analysts Believe That North Korea Probably Possesses A Miniaturized Nuclear
Warhead. Some U.S. intelligence analysts now believe that North Korea probably possesses a
miniaturized nuclear warhead, several U.S. officials told CNN. The assessment has yet to become a formal
consensus view of the U.S. government. But it reveals just how far along many in the U.S. believe the
reclusive country has come to gaining a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile that could potentially strike the
U.S. As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's public rhetoric has escalated in recent weeks, concern has
grown inside intelligence circles that he has made progress on several fronts. (Barbara Starr and Ryan Browne, Intel
Officials: North Korea Probably Has Miniaturized Nuke, CNN, 3/24/16)