Floor Statements
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OPENING STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN AT NOMINATION HEARING OF THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE- U.S. STRATEGIC COMMAND AND U.S. AFRICA COMMAND
November 18, 2010
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And let me thank our distinguished witnesses for joining us this morning and for their service to our nation.
“If confirmed, your respective commands will prove critical in countering a variety of strategic, asymmetric and terrorist threats to the United States.
“General Kehler, Strategic Command is responsible for ensuring freedom of access to space and cyberspace, and coordinating global missile defense plans and operations. The missile threat from rogue nations like Iran and North Korea is increasing, but equally worrisome is China’s growing air and conventional missile capabilities. According to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission 2010 Report to Congress concludes: China has the ability to strike five out of six U.S. Air Force Bases in East Asia.
“The report also highlights China’s increasingly sophisticated cyber warfare capabilities. Earlier this year, a Chinese Internet service provider redirected global internet traffic for at least 18 minutes, briefly hijacking what the Commission report refers to as a ‘large volume of Internet traffic,’ including data from the U.S. military. A large-scale cyber attack against Google in China was also reported. An incident Google described as a ‘highly sophisticated and targeted attack on its corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property.’
“As commander of U.S. STRATCOM, you will serve a critical role in countering these threats and advocating for our own nuclear, missile defense, space, and cyber capabilities. One of these responsibilities which the Senate has spent considerable time reviewing the New START Treaty, its references and legally-binding limitations on ballistic missile defense and the modernization of both the nuclear weapons complex and the triad of nuclear delivery vehicles. I look forward to hearing your views on the Treaty’s handling of missile defense, the current health of the nuclear weapons complex, and the need for investing in the development and deployment of the next generation of delivery vehicles.
“General Ham, I believe you are nominated for this command at a critical time –not only with respect to security on the continent, but with respect to possible growing threat to our homeland. In the past, I have been critical of U.S. military involvement on the Horn of Africa. Other than providing more financial support for the UN mission (AMISOM) there and humanitarian support, I’m unclear of what the Administration’s short- or long-term plan is to achieve stability on the Horn. But the threat from the region to our friends, our interests and even our homeland has changed significantly in the past few years.
“AFRICOM was born in the shadow of a COCOM fighting two wars. Concerns about basing, rather than the mission dominated the debate for years. And given the command’s integrated interagency command structure, AFRICOM remains unique among equals. And it’s why AFRICOM must be prepared and resourced to protect Americans, American interests and America security throughout its area of responsibility.
“In 1998, Al Qaeda launched attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 12 Americans. Al Qaeda and related groups have executed subsequent terrorist attacks in East Africa, including an American suicide bomber in Somalia in October 2008. And this summer in Uganda, Al Shabaab, a Somali Islamist insurgent group with ties to Al Qaeda, conducted its first successful attack outside Somali territory, killing 76 people, including one American.
“While Al Shabaab has focused primarily on its neighbors, then Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, at a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, testified:
“‘We judge most Al Shabaab and East Africa-based Al Qaeda members will remain focused on regional objectives in the near-term. Nevertheless, East Africa-based Al Qaeda leaders or Al Shabaab may elect to redirect to the Homeland some of the Westerners, including North Americans, now training and fighting in Somalia.’
“On August 5, more than a dozen Somali Americans/permanent residents were arrested. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that 14 people are being charged with providing financial support to Al Shabaab.
“I trust that AFRICOM will continue to deliver its unique brand of interagency theater security cooperation and building partner capacity. However, it is imperative that AFRICOM also evolve and acquire the necessary capabilities to identify, deter and counter all relevant threats to our nation’s security. I look forward to our witnesses’ testimony.
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
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