it is in response to the question, back when he did a kuwait troop town meeting. when he said to go to war with the army you have, not the one you want. this is his response. >> i am truly saddened by the thought that anyone could have the impression that i or others are doing anything other than working urgently to see that the lives of the fighting men and women are protected and cared for in every way humanly possible. i hope and pray every family member of those who have died so bravely knows how deeply i feel the loss. when i meet with the wounded or families or with the families of those lost their grief is something i feel to my core. host: those are some personal moments to critics of his policies. guest: those remarks in kuwait to the troops are those people remember the most. he was very upset with the way those remarks were reported. he thought there were taken out of context. if you read them all he argues he showed more sympathy and understanding for the position the troops were in. nonetheless, the tone did resonate with the troops. they seemed to re

the episode that we mentioned earlier about the farmer in kuwait was actually an exception where the troops seem to ask particularly poignant questions of him. one explanation of that maybe if it was a group largely made up of reservists. but it was a little further into the war as well and a lot of resentment and frustration were building. but he generally was well received by the troops and so he enjoyed visiting with the troops all over and having tips with the generals were more mixed. and one of the things in writing the book that most impressed me was going back to some of those senior officers with whom rumsfeld got along the best and hearing them describe their relationships reflect on their dealings with rumsfeld, and even those like general abizaid, like fer clark, the head of the navy, even those who had the reputation for having figured out how to deal with rumsfeld had very mixed feelings about the relationship that they had with him. >> host: did most of them when you asked for interviews give good access? >> guest: yes i can't complain about the access and i also zero

-kuwait relationship going forward? >> i think it's going to be important, what's going to have to be answered is how long the iraqis will want to have a u.s. presence on iraqi soil. i think that you'll get both perspectives, they take polls on such things. but i think the iraqis who are running the country believe that an additional u.s. presence through these advise and assistbury gadse is helpful. more almost for an external threat, defense against an external threat than internal. i think they believe they can hand they will internal threats themselves. i don't know how long those advise and assist brigades will be there i don't think it's like a situation we had in germany or ja ban after the war. these are proud people. in some ways we're still infidels to them and in some ways it's a national embarrassment they continue to have international forces inside their country. i think it will be as soon as the iraqis feel their military is strong enough to protect them against both external and internal threats and we'l

that was not a battle for the emir of kuwait. we don't care anything about the emir of kuwait. that was to keep a bad guy, saddam hussein, from getting his foot on half the energy reserves. that was a war for energy. so i have a bill that i passed, i passed it as a democrat once, it failed. it didn't get through. passed it as a republican with democratic and republican support. it passed this body. the chairman, ike skelton, voted for it at the time and that bill is now underway. i want to say a few words about that bill because i think you're entitled to know and i'm very hopeful that the other body will look closely at this and i'm going to be working toward that. i haven't had the time or the opportunity to work toward it and neither did i have the incentive to do anything to kill this bill. i urge everybody within the sound of my voice here to vote for this bill and commend ike skelton for his leadership and his devotion to the men and women that fight for this country and care for this country. i think unfortunately this bill he chose to redirect the funds which by law, pu

they're closing several bases and i'm hoping you had to baghdad on july 5 in be in kuwait july 20. he will be states side -- and, you know, he has been on several deployments and i'm just ready for him to host: come homcome h. host: how long has he been there? caller: he has been there 14 months of this last time. it has been extremely hot over there. i live in the south where it gets in the '90s, but he is enduring 130 degrees in temperature over there. there are no tears today because it was just great talking to him. even though we have different political views his boots on the ground over there has given me the opportunity to not be shy and to call this program. with my motherly instincts i have been emotional time and time again on this program. i love him, am proud, but just want him to come home because i think -- every base i have been on from fort lewis in seattle to fort bragg to fort jackson he has done his training at fort mead. these soldiers -- everyone has to understand, they're so -- they love what they do in the duet for love of country. host: thank you. the video

this is in response to a question about a kuwait town meeting. he said you go to war with army you have instead of the army that you want. this is his response to one of the questions from reporters. >> i am truly saddened that anyone could have the impression that i or others are doing anything other than working urgently to see that the lives of the fighting men and women are protected and are cared for in every way humanly possible. i hope and pray that every family member of those who have died so bravely knows how deeply i feel the loss. when i meet with the wounded, with their families, or with the families of those who have been lost, their grief is something i feel to my core. host: those are some very personal moments to the critics of his policies. guest: those remarks in kuwait to the troops are among those that people remember the most about rumsfeld. he was very upset at the way those remarks were reported. he thought they were taken out of context. if you read all of them, he argues that he showed more sympathy and understanding for

type of work that was bid in kuwait using logcap three had@@r . . recommendations, what we're we have a challenge on believe and that this when we go away, have we come up with procedures to permanent which would encourage follow-up? all of you have seen dozens and dozens and dozens of studies as i have with some very valid recommendations that collect dust. so one of the challenges we have, and a challenge you might have is how do we force some of these action all recommendations for word as we turn now the lights? and that is a problem that we face or a challenge that we face which is not much different than every other commission and oversight organization. >> i think if you have hit right on. the three of us now if i look at the example collectively own riding on this so we are going to rely on the commission to give some direction at least which is when you think ought to be done. whose responsibility would it be to follow, the executive for the department or congress or whatever and it is going to come upon us to work with you to put the legis

we saw an example where the same type of work that was bid in kuwait using logcap three had priced out on hundred $20 million that was $55 million less after competition came in. as the competition is a good thing in the environment and there's nothing unique about a board time zone where you can't usually employ competition. >> if i could, mr. flake -- >> if i might add to what the commissioner thibault said earlier in the 12 recommendations that have come from other oversight organizations, two of which we will certainly add a number of our own observations and recommendations, what we're we have a challenge on believe and that this when we go away, have we come up with procedures to permanent which would encourage follow-up? all of you have seen dozens and dozens and dozens of studies as i have with some very valid recommendations that collect dust. so one of the challenges we have, and a challenge you might have is how do we force some of these action all recommendations for word as we turn now the lights? and that is a problem that we face or a challenge that we face which is not

country and much of the oil that's produced comes from very troubled parts of the world -- saudi arabia, kuwait, iraq, venezuela, and more -- so 70% of the oil that we need comes from outside of our country and nearly 70% of the oil that we use is used in transportation. so you see the dilemma here. the dilemma is that we are unbelievably dependent and vulnerable on something over which we have very little control and that is if, god forbid, tonight terrorists interrupted the supply of oil coming into this country from other countries, this economy of ours would be flat on our back. we are unbelievably dependent on oil from other countries, and we have to begin backing away from that dependence. so how do we do that? and by the way, as dependent as we are, visit last year once again and remember what happen happened. speculators took control of the oil market and drove the price of oil to $147 a barrel in day trading. the tries of gasoline went up -- the price of gasoline went up to $4, $4.50 a gallon just like that. there was no excuse for it and no justification for it. there was nothing in s

the episode concerning armor and kuwait was an exception where the troops asked pointed questions from him. one explanation might be that the group was largely made up of reservists. it was further into the war and many frustrations were building. he generally was well-received by troops and enjoyed visiting with them. his relations with the generals were more mixed. one of the things in writing the book that most impressed me was returning to some of those senior officers with whom he got along best and hearing them describe their relationships with him. even those like the general, clark who was the head of the navy, even those who had the reputation for having figured out how to deal with donald rumsfeld had mixed feelings about that relationship. host: did the most give you good access? guest: yes, i cannot complain about the access. also, donald rumsfeld who opened doors for me with different people. it was also helpful to go back and talk with both former officials and retired military officers after they had left and had time to reflect. host: a question about his resignation fr

he joined us and the aftermath of a liberation of kuwait. he is responsible for iraq, iran, and afghanistan policy currently. next, vice-president for policy and an expert on regional security in the least and the central asia and at the russian federation. he has consulted with both the cia and the department of defense and provided assistance on foreign-policy and national- security matters. he is an adjunct professor. he is a member of the committee on the present danger. he is an editor of the journal about security affairs. he most recently finished a book concerning tehran's strategies on confronting the islamic challenge. the next guest has written extensively. he was a research fellow at the congressional research service. he is a member of the committee of present dangers also. he is also on the board of editors of middle east quarterly. i will turn it over to ken. >> thank you. it is good to be back at heritage. i am speaking only in a personal capacity, now reflecting any member of congress or committed. in my brief remarks today

across the border to kuwait. and i was ctu

there is a profile of a sex therapist who has a chat show on kuwaiti cable, kuwait satellite tv. what arabs talk about and questions they ask about their society. host: title once again is "the media relations department of hizbollah wishes you a happy birthday: unexpected encounters in the changing middle east." neil macfarquhar is our guest. caller: since you were born, you know there has not been peace in the middle east. and now you have been over there and have seen that, why is there no peace in the middle east? guest: it is a complicated question. they are young countries and young societies. after world war ii -- the arab- israeli dispute is part of that. it has dragged on for so long. there have been occupation since 1967. it is kind of a bleeding sore. governments have not done -- the arab governments use that as an excuse and a half to do heavy military spending and the need a strong military presence. they use those so-called armies there used to sue in theory liberate the palestinians to oppress their own people. i think the solution is to end the occupation. it will

vital sea lanes open and then the coalition that came together in 1992 to repel aggression against kuwait. in short, america has been a steadfast and reliable security partner for our friends in the gulf and middle east for a long time, and will continue to be. today's -- today's environment in the gulf poses new dilemmas and opportunities to expand national borders. iran nuclear missile program, a terrorist networks, militias and criminal groups, iraq and improved security situation, injuring need to protect the free flow of trade and vital resources and the security situation in afghanistan and pakistan. this also has implications in te east. this covers a wide range of matters, from trade and infrastructure to counter terrorism and regional stability. for a few minutes i want to focus in particular on missile, air time surveillance and defense. we have made good progress in this area over the past two years. several council nations are acquiring or expressed interest in shared early morning. real-time information on air attacks that would allow maximum time for nations to defend themse

in my first war certainly for the people of kuwait when i helped to expel the army of saddam hussein. he remained a threat to world peace and security throughout the region. his weapons of mass destruction program it now appears that he had terminated. not long after desert storm we did not know that. whatever the merits of the decision to go to war in iraq in 2003, the fact remains that we now have a responsibility to try to help iraq be as secure as it can be, not to disintegrate. not to present a threat again. and also not to provide a base for al qaeda in iraq. i fought against al qaeda, which is dedicated to starting a broader war. so, whatever the merits of the decision to invade iraq in 2003 -- and rational people can disagree on that, i think it is hard to make any argument except that an american commitment to maintaining and preserving the stability we bought at such great cost of the past several years is in the interest of the 19 states and of the world. host: the me ask you specifically about this area you know well. it is sunni triangle. what is it like there today? gues

chance to remind his audience that no country has done more to liberate muslims from oppression in kuwait and afghanistan and iraq, where more than 50 million people were freed by -- were freed from two of the most extreme tiredness in history. this is in the this insult to mr. bush that to mrs. the cause for which four dozen americans have died. -- it diminishes the cause for which 4000 americans have died. guest: a case could be made that america has done a lot to go to war to help muslim nations that were under attack. something he could have brought that in. he was basically not trying to challenge some of the narrative out there, but to urge them towards action. but there was another mismom ent, but it was a remarkable speech. he was in cairo on the 30th anniversary of the israel-egypt peace treaty. it would have been useful to have made that point as well. i guess we could do a lot of second-guessing on what could have been there, but for the most part he wanted to engage the muslim communities on their terms, so he did not challenge a lot of their narratives. host: let me go to one

concern you that we would be having different standards if we have different types of wheat to the kuwait that are to be to government or administration concessions when records or information are attempted to be sought from the government? >> well, number 1i am not sure i simply don't have the experience although i've encountered both cases on the bench, both foia exemption one and a form of state secrets, but i don't have the wide experience to validate what you say that somehow state secrets are likely to involve much more sensitive material. in fact, my chief experiences with foia exception one, and there were some very sensitive materials raised in some of those cases including the aborted helicopter rescue of the people at the end of the carter administration, etc.. but here i want to make another point and that is that the jeppersen caisse if i have the right case pointed out that they believe that different standards might be appropriate because what is at stake in foia xm schonborn is simply a citizen wanting to get the information not having to show any particular injury or any

has bases in imad, kuwait, saudi arabia, bahrain, the persian gulf, afghanistan, pretty much every single country, turkey, iran as a u.s. presence. my question is do think there would tone down the rhetoric and things could be is smoother if we chose to return to a strategy of osher balancing and reduce our presence in the middle east? and i david, do you want to speak to that at all? >> i think that would probably help -- i think it is more than our posture that determines whether they feel encircled and not. >> how could they not feel encircled and favor surrounded if they were in cuba and canada and mexico? >> they also at the same time have a confidence, a new-found confidence despite the presence of u.s. forces especially and iraq and afghanistan year ago they believe they are on the march. number of daily believe they on the march in the region and i have a greater confidence in their ability to present themselves as alternative to the u.s. so i think is probably more than the posture but how relations are and when our interests are in the region that makes them feel encircled and n

mentioned before, work to have a better relationship with its neighbors, and we would like to see an iraq-kuwait relationship that continues to improve and we will continue to be engaged in that. >> is the u.s. going to take any steps to actually do that in the council? >> we are working -- you know, as we look to these reviews, we are obviously in touch with our partners and we will see what steps we will take. again, i don't want to be stepping on the role that our people in new york play, ambassador rice and others, but we are obviously -- this is a time when we need to look at the review of the situation and make sure that we are complying with article 25 of the security agreement, but also working on -- with our partners in the u.n. and working with our partners in the u.n. security council and the secretariat on this. >> the iraqi government says it is forming a economy to assess some of its prisons and overcrowding and prisonner abuses. being that there will be prisoners transferred, could you tell me what involvement the united states has, if any, in the assessment of iraqi prisons in re

appeared this just in it, prime minister von brunn's office says britain will hold a long- awaited in kuwait into iraq war -- prime minister board and brown. he pledged to examine mistakes made during and after the 2003 invasion. lawmakers and anti-war protesters have called for the inquiry to be held in public and to scrutinize what they say were a wide range of errors and post-war planning. the prime minister will make

the nationals and is cincinnati reds, game 1 of the three-game set with detwiler opposing kuwait oh. more after this. ♪ ♪ who's watching? ♪ tell me who's watching. (muffled music) ♪ who's watching... (announcer) it's right here. it's easy. ♪ i always feel like somebody's watching me. ♪ it's the money you could be saving with geico. this is humiliating. stand still so we can get an accurate reading. okay...um...eighteen pounds and a smidge. a smidge? y'know, there's really no need to weigh packages under 70 pounds. with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service, if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. cool. you know this scale is off by a good 7, 8 pounds. maybe five. priority mail flat rate boxes only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. times may be tough today, but the things we all look forward to haven't changed. like owning a home. watching our children grow. and retiring with confidence. so whatever you're looking forward to, m&t bank is here to help you get there. m&t bank. understanding what's important. welcome to

and they're closing several bases, so i'm hoping that he will head to baghdad july the 5th and be in kuwait july the 20th and, you know, he'll be stateside and, you know, he's been on several deployments. i'm just ready for him to come home. >> host: how long has he been over there? >> caller: oh, he had a 14-month deployment this last deployment, so he's been over there a while, and the temperature there is 130 degrees during the day. i live in the south, so i'm not going to complain when it gets to 94, 96 here because he's enduring 130 temperature degrees, and i've called over the years since 2003 about this, but i'm going to behave myself today, and there's no tears today because it was just great talking to him and even though we have different political views, his boots on the ground over there has given me the opportunity to not be shy and call this program because i am a c-span junkie, and i know my mother instincts, i have been emotional time and time again on this program. but i love him, i'm proud of him, and i'm just wanting him to come home because i think he's, every base i've

we have people stationed in over 1,000 bases all over the world, not counting afghanistan, iraq and kuwait in those feeders right now. over 1,000 bases elsewhere that for some reason we sea and incapable of reviewing deciding whether they deserve to be there, should be there, what is their function, are they adding something of value to the national security interests and what are the people they're doing? can't you take some of them and train them? somebody might have technical expertise, somebody might have the ability wetter than sitting at a base for a reason as validated 25, 30 years ago they may not be valid today. we will be looking at separately but i think it is something to note. the other is national guard and reserve to have expertise particularly in security and other areas where maybe a better identification who is in the forces and their deployment would put them in the proper position and be easier to train police officers and things of that nature for security so somebody in the management structure in the department of defense and state has to be looking at these issues i

our foreign investments in the middle east, even after the first war in kuwait, the big war in iraq, our ongoing presence in the region, these are all costs that the american taxpayers are paying. where's the outrage on the other side of the aisle about all that money that is built in to our reliance on foreign oil. this is money leaving our country never to be seen again. not only are we sending money, but sending our young men and women to risk their lives for those barrels of oil. mr. connolly: if i might interject. when you said that i'm reminded what we went through a year ago this very summer where the volatility of the price of gasoline really hit the pocketbook of the average consumer. you want to talk about cost, it affected peoples' choices, vacations, commutes, affected discretionary travel in terms of shopping, seeing movies, because the cost of gasoline became prohibitive for so many of our citizens. that's a cost, too. mr. polis: they don't fluctuate. the quantities t

he joined crs in 1991 in the aftermath of the liberation of kuwait, and he has twice been detailed to the house foreign affairs committee, and he's responsible for iraq, iran, and afghanistan policy. following ken will be ilan berman, vice president for policy of the american foreign policy council and an expert on regional security in the middle east, central asia and the russian federation. he is consulted with both the cia and the department of defense and provided assistance on foreign policy and national security matters to a range of governmental agencies and congressional offices. he is an adjunct professor, he's a member of the committee on the present danger and the editor of the journal for international security affairs. he is the author of articles, books, and most recently edited the book, taking on tehran: strategies for confronting the islamic republic, and finally speaking will be jim phillips who is our senior research fellow here at heritage in the douglas and sarah allison center. he's written extensively on security issues and international terrorism. he was a re

has a bases in iraq, kuwait, saudi arabia, barain, turkmenistan, azerbaijan, pretty much every country around iran, turkey, has got a u.s. presence. my question is do you think they would tone down the rhetoric a little bit and things could be a little bit smoothfer we chose to return to a strategy of offshore balancing and reduce our presence in the middle east? >> david, you want to speak to that at all? >> um, i think, that would probably help. oh, i'mary. i think that would -- -- i'm sorry. i think that would -- i think it's more than our posture. that, that determines whether they feel encircled or not. >> how could they not feel encircled if iranians were occupying canada, cuba, mexico, for example. >> absolutely. but it's not the only thing, is what i am saying. they also at the same time have a confidence anew found confidence despite the presence of u.s. forces, especially in iraq and afghanistan. they believe they are on the march. a number of the elite believe nat they are on the march in the region and that they have a greater confidence in their, in their ability to presen

if the key participants in the current financial crisis work irrational, please help me identify kuwait was that was irrational. who are we talking about? was it the home buyers real-estate agent earning 20 to 50,000-dollar commissions with no risk but only if his or her client was the winning buyer? d.c. why was in their interest to get them to buy more, not less? certainly on ethical and unprofessional but not irrational from their perspective. with a vast number of financial middleman from the appraisers putting out crazy high appraisals for a fee to the rating agencies who are paid billions of dollars to call john security aaa to the congressmen who took bribes to loosen industry regulation to the investment bankers paid hundreds of billions to peddle this stuff to the mortgage brokers who falsified mortgage applications to guarantee approval, again, highly unethical and in some cases completely criminal but not irrational. what about the home buyer himself? certainly he was irrational to pay 50 to 60% premiums more than the homes worth. but what if i told you that most of these hom