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FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Senate Hearing on Global Defense Threats (2016)

Original title: EMERGING UNITED STATES DEFENSE CHALLENGES AND WORLDWIDE THREATS

January 1, 2017

national security foreign policy defense budget terrorism military strategy

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing provides the official record of the U.S. government's assessment of global security risks that informed the Fiscal Year 2017 defense budget and military policy decisions.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Military Personnel

Troops deployed in regions like Afghanistan are subject to ongoing security threats and operational requirements discussed in the hearing.

Department of Defense

The agency is responsible for implementing the defense budget and strategies discussed during the oversight process.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document contains the transcript of a 2016 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing regarding worldwide security threats. Intelligence officials and experts briefed the committee on challenges including , Iranian regional activities, Russian military actions, and North Korean nuclear development.

Key Facts

The committee held hearings on February 9 and December 6, 2016, to review global threats and the Fiscal Year 2017 defense budget request.
Approximately 9,800 American troops were stationed in Afghanistan as of February 2016.
ISIL expanded its territorial control and influence in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Egypt, and Libya.
North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test in early February 2016, violating U.N. Security Council resolutions.
China increased land reclamation in the Spratly Islands from 400 acres to 3,200 acres within one year.
Russia annexed Crimea and continued military intervention in Syria and Ukraine.
Iran continued development of ballistic missile capabilities and support for militant groups in the Middle East.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

The hearing was held to receive testimony on global threats to the United States and its allies to assist the committee in its oversight of the President's 2017 defense budget.

Which countries or groups were identified as primary threats?

The committee discussed threats from , al-Qaeda, the Haqqani Network, Iran, Russia, North Korea, and China.

Why It Matters

The hearing provides the official record of the U.S. government's assessment of global security risks that informed the Fiscal Year 2017 defense budget and military policy decisions.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Rapid Expansion of Chinese Infrastructure

The testimony highlights a massive, rapid increase in Chinese land reclamation in the Spratly Islands (from 400 to 3,200 acres) over a single year.

China

Connected Entities

organizationISIL“Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant”Map →

personJames R. Clapper, Jr.“Director of National Intelligence”Map →

personJohn McCain“Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee”Map →

organizationSenate Armed Services Committee“Congressional committee overseeing defense policy”Map →

personVincent R. Stewart“Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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