Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  I would like to join you in welcoming back Secretary Carter and General Dunford.  Given the security challenges facing the U.S. and our allies, every appearance you make before this committee is timely and appreciated. 

While significant work remains to defeat ISIL, the U.S. and Coalition military operations have resulted in important gains in both Iraq and Syria.  Most notably, ISIL has been driven from a significant amount of the territory they once held.  In just the last few weeks alone, ISIL has lost its hold on the city of Manbij (MAN-bidge), a number of key border crossings in Syria, and several key towns in advance of the Mosul offensive in Iraq. 

The cumulative effect of these coalition operations has been to cut off key lines of communication for ISIL – thereby restricting their ability to bring in additional fighters and move equipment and personnel across the battlefield.  As a result, it appears that ISIL is under more pressure now than at any other time in the campaign.  Unfortunately, it appears the cessation of hostilities that went into effect last week has had mixed success and may be failing entirely.  We look forward to your assessment of progress on the military aspects of this campaign and whether a renewed cessation of hostilities is possible.

Our military commanders are also rightly focused on ensuring our military operations support the efforts of our diplomats and other policymakers to address the continuing political challenges in Iraq and Syria.  Even after the coalition retakes Mosul and Raqqah, the work of our diplomats, military, and intelligence community will not be over.  Ensuring ISIL is dealt a lasting defeat will require not only continued military support, but also assistance in achieving the political reforms necessary to address the underlying causes of ISIL’s rise.  This will require that the civilian agencies of our government are provided the critical resources necessary to perform this work.

With regard to Afghanistan, I support the President’s decision to maintain approximately 8,400 troops in the country into next year.  This decision sent an important message to the Afghans, our allies, the Taliban, and others in the region that the U.S. remains committed to ensuring a stable Afghanistan.  We look forward to your assessment of this year’s fighting season and what more we can do to support the development of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.

Despite a challenging security and political environment, the Afghan National Unity Government continues to provide a stable and responsible partner for the U.S. and our allies.  I am, however, concerned about continued reports of corruption in Afghanistan and the slow political progress on the broader reform agenda.  Both of these issues present a strategic threat to continued international support of Afghanistan.  In light of these challenges, I hope you will also discuss the efforts of the U.S. and our allies to build institutional capacity and enable necessary reforms in Afghanistan.      

In Eastern Europe, Russia continues its pattern of confrontational and antagonistic behavior.  They persist in the use of hybrid tactics to foment discord and political gridlock throughout the region, their aviators have harassed U.S. ships and aircraft deployed to the region, and they continue to provide support and training to separatists in eastern Ukraine, in violation of the Minsk ceasefire agreements.  EUCOM and NATO have undertaken robust efforts to deter such behavior.   I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the progress of, and future plans for, such efforts.

North Korea remains one of our most difficult national security challenges.  Earlier this month, North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test – demonstrating that the North Korean regime has little interest in resuming Six Party talks.  While we have made significant efforts to put strong and effective sanctions in place to curb North Korea’s nuclear development, China’s unwillingness to enforce those sanctions to the full extent of its ability has undermined U.S. and international efforts to bring North Korea in line.

Finally, our long-term military strategy depends upon a budget that focuses at least five years into the future.  Last year, Congress passed the 2015 Bipartisan Budget Act, which provided the Department with budget stability in the near term.  However, there is no budget agreement for Fiscal Year 2018 and beyond.  Without another bipartisan agreement that provides relief from sequestration, the Department will be forced to submit a Fiscal Year 2018 budget that adheres to the sequestration-level budget caps and could undermine our defense strategy including the investments made to rebuild readiness and modernize platforms and equipment.  We must not let that happen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.