English subtitles for clip: File:4-23-15- White House Press Briefing.webm

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Mr. Earnest: Good afternoon everybody.

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Before I go to
your questions,

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let me just begin by saying
that I anticipate that many

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of you will have legitimate
questions about the death of

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Dr. Weinstein and the
counterterrorism operation

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that was carried out by the
United States government

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that resulted in his death.

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The President, as you heard
in his opening remarks,

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has taken full
responsibility as the

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Commander-in-Chief for the
operation and for its

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unintended but yet very
tragic consequences.

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The President has directed
all of us to share as much

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information as possible with
you and with the American

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people about what occurred.

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In pursuit of that effort, I
spent a decent portion over

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the last 24 hours talking
with our national security

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team, talking with the
attorneys on our national

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security team to try to
collect as much information

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as possible and to give you
as much detail as possible

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so I could answer your
questions on this matter.

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However, as you would
expect,

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in order to protect our
ability to carry out

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counterterrorism operations,
there are some details,

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including some very basic
details,

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that I will not be in a
position to discuss.

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So, for example, I'm not
going to be in a position to

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talk with precision about
where this operation

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occurred, and I'm not going
to be able to talk in much

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detail at all about how this
operation was carried out.

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But that all said, we're not
planning a background

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briefing here at the White
House.

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I'm here at the President's
instruction to answer as

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many questions in as much
detail as I can,

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on the record and in public.

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And as the President
mentioned,

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our country and our
government's willingness to

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face up to mistakes and
redouble our efforts to

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review protocols and
procedures to prevent them

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from happening again is one
of the things that makes our

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country so unique and
contributes significantly to

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our strength.

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So in that spirit, Josh,
let's get started with

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some questions.

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The Press: Thanks, Josh.

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Let's start just with some
of the facts of what

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happened, to the extent that
you can discuss them.

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How many other people were
killed in these two strikes,

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either local civilians or
militants?

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Mr. Earnest: Josh, I won't
be able to provide specific

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numbers on this.

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I can tell you that in the
specific strike that

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resulted in the death of
Dr. Weinstein and Mr. Lo

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Porto, there was one other
al Qaeda leader who was

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among those that was killed.

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That is the -- Ahmed Faruq,
the American citizen al

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Qaeda leader.

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This was a strike against an
al Qaeda compound,

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and the result was the death
of at least one al

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Qaeda leader.

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I can tell you that the
assessment that we have

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right now does not raise
questions about additional

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civilian loss of life.

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Again, the reason for that
is that the standard that

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was in place and, to the
best of our knowledge,

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was closely followed by our
counterterrorism

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professionals was to adhere
to this

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near-certainty standard.

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And that near-certainty
standard applied to

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two things.

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The first is near certainty
that this was an al Qaeda

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compound that was used by al
Qaeda leaders;

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that turned out to be true.

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That assessment did turn out
to be correct.

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The other near-certainty
assessment was that no

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civilians would be harmed if
this operation were

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carried out.

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Unfortunately, that was not
correct,

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and the operation led to
this tragic,

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unintended consequence.

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The Press: And there's very
little at this point that we

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know about the Gadahn
operation.

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Who was the target of that
operation?

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And were others killed in
that strike?

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Mr. Earnest: Josh, I can
tell you that Mr. Gadahn was

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not specifically targeted.

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But in a fashion that was
similar to the operation

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that we were discussing that
resulted in the death of

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Dr. Weinstein and Mr. Lo
Porto,

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the operation was against an
al Qaeda compound.

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So again, this is a scenario
where U.S.

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officials had determined
with near certainty that an

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operation could be carried
out against an al Qaeda

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compound that was
frequented,

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or at least where at least
one al Qaeda leader

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was located.

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And that operation did
result in the death of

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Mr. Gadahn.

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The Press: So are you saying
basically that there were

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not specific individuals
that were being targeted in

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that strike, but more the
U.S.

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knew this was a place al
Qaeda guys went and so the U.S.

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struck there under the
presumption that they'd be

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likely to take out some al
Qaeda operatives by striking

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that location?

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Mr. Earnest: Yes.

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Again, based on the
intelligence assessment,

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they could conclude with
near certainty that this was

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an al Qaeda compound that
was frequented by al Qaeda

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leaders, or at least an al
Qaeda leader.

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There's one other element of
the near-certainty standard

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that applied to the first
operation,

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the one that resulted in the
death of Ahmed Faruq,

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and that is that there were
hundreds of hours of

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surveillance against that
particular al

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Qaeda compound.

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And this surveillance
included near-continuous

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surveillance in the days
leading up to the operation,

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and that is what led to the
near-certain assessment that

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it was an al Qaeda compound
frequented by an al Qaeda

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leader, and did not include
-- or that civilians would

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not be included in an
operation against

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the compound.

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Obviously, the latter
assessment was incorrect.

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The Press: We know these
strikes took place in

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January, but you said in
your statement this morning

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that the U.S.

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recently confirmed what had
happened and that these

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individuals had died.

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Can you tell us when exactly
was that?

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Are we talking days, weeks,
months ago?

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And how long did you wait
after coming to those

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conclusions before informing
the families of

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these hostages?

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Mr. Earnest: Josh, this is a
good question.

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Let me try to explain how
this process works.

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When a counterterrorism
operation is carried out,

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it is followed by a battle
damage assessment where our

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intelligence professionals
evaluate the region or the

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area where the operation was
carried out to determine the

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results of the operation and
whether or not, if any,

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civilian casualties
occurred.

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And in the process of
carrying out that battle

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damage assessment, that
draws on multiple sources

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of intel.

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There was some indication
that Dr. Weinstein had

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been killed.

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This was not in the early
stages linked directly

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to the U.S. government operation.

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So as intelligence was
collected that indicated,

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or at least raised questions
about whether or not

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Dr. Weinstein was still
alive,

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the intelligence community
that has been devoting

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significant resources to
trying to find and rescue

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him began to explore more
completely whether, in fact,

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Dr. Weinstein was dead and
to try to learn the

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circumstances of his death.

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And only in the last several
days did the intelligence

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community reach an
assessment with a high

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degree of confidence that
Dr. Weinstein had been

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killed in a U.S.

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government counterterrorism
operation.

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The President was briefed by
his national security team

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very soon after that
high-confidence assessment

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was completed.

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Upon receiving that
assessment,

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the President directed his
team,

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as I made reference to, to
declassify as much

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information as possible
about this specific

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operation for two reasons.

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One is to provide details to
the families.

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And two is to be candid with
the American public and with

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the world about what had
happened.

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And the President mentioned
in his statement how he

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believes the United States
derives important strength

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from having the confidence
and courage to face up to

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mistakes when they are made,
even when they are as

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serious as this and, I guess
he would say,

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particularly when they're as
serious as this.

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Let me say one other thing
about our communication with

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the Weinstein family, and
that is that there was an

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open line of communication
with the Weinstein family.

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The Weinstein family was
very aware,

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as they indicated in their
statement today,

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that the U.S.

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government was working
diligently to try to find

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Dr. Weinstein.

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And when there was
intelligence indicating the

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possible death of
Dr. Weinstein,

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that information was also
shared with the family.

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But again, it was only after
the high-confidence

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assessment was completed in
the last several days was

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the family informed that the
intelligence community does

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assess that Dr. Weinstein
was killed in a U.S.

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government counterterrorism
operation.

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The Press: And I know many
of us have been reflecting,

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as I'm sure you have, on the
2013 speech that the

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President gave at National
Defense University laying

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out his counterterrorism
strategy.

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And in that speech, the
President was pretty firm

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about laying out this
standard of near certainty

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that no civilians would be
killed or injured in

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a strike.

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Today, from this podium, we
heard quite a different type

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of rhetoric.

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We heard the President
talking about the fog of war

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and the cruel truth that
deadly mistakes can often

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happen when you're fighting
terrorists.

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I'm wondering, has the
President lived up to the

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principles that he set out
for himself when he gave

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that speech?

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Mr. Earnest: The President
has absolutely lived up to

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the principles that were
laid out in that speech.

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Prior to giving that speech,
there was not a lot of

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clear guidance.

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There were not clear -- or
at least the protocols were

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not as clear as they are
today about how these kinds

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of counterterrorism
operations should be

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carried out.

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And because of the diligent
work of the President and

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his national security team
and our national security

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professionals, there is much
greater clarity about how

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our counterterrorism
officials can both use our

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significant capabilities to
protect the American people

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while also living up to the
very high standards and

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values that the President
expects.

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And so that is what the goal
of those protocols and those

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reforms that the President
laid out in the speech.

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What's also clear and what I
would also readily admit to

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you is that in the aftermath
of a situation like this,

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it raises legitimate
questions about whether

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additional changes need to
be made to those protocols.

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Again, to put it more
bluntly,

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we have national security
professionals who diligently

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follow those protocols based
on what we all -- based on

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everything that we know so
far.

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They follow those protocols,
and yet it still resulted in

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this unintended but very
tragic consequence.

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And that's why the President
has directed his team to

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conduct a review of this
particular operation to see

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if there are lessons
learned,

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reforms that we can
implement to this process.

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What I can also let you know
is that there is an ongoing

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inspector general review of
this matter so that we'll

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have an opportunity for
someone to take an

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independent look at this
particular operation and

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also offer up
recommendations for changes

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that could be made that
could do more to prevent

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these kinds of, again,
tragic,

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unintended consequences from
occurring in the future.

250
00:12:17,369 --> 00:12:20,039
The Press: And lastly on
this issue of revealing what

251
00:12:20,039 --> 00:12:22,179
happened -- there's been a
flurry of statements this

252
00:12:22,174 --> 00:12:24,214
morning from members of
Congress,

253
00:12:24,210 --> 00:12:26,780
not only joining the
President in offering

254
00:12:26,779 --> 00:12:30,249
condolences but promising
rigorous oversight from some

255
00:12:30,249 --> 00:12:32,249
of the relevant
congressional committees.

256
00:12:32,251 --> 00:12:34,421
Does the White House feel
that Congress has a role to

257
00:12:34,420 --> 00:12:37,390
play in figuring out what
went wrong here and how to

258
00:12:37,389 --> 00:12:39,289
possibly prevent it from
happening again?

259
00:12:39,291 --> 00:12:41,091
Mr. Earnest: Well, Josh, I
can tell you that the

260
00:12:41,093 --> 00:12:43,363
President believes that
Congress does have a very

261
00:12:43,362 --> 00:12:45,732
important oversight role
over these kinds

262
00:12:45,731 --> 00:12:46,731
of programs.

263
00:12:46,732 --> 00:12:49,632
That's why in the
President's National Defense

264
00:12:49,635 --> 00:12:51,635
University speech that he
delivered a couple of years

265
00:12:51,637 --> 00:12:54,037
ago he made clear that when
these kinds of

266
00:12:54,039 --> 00:12:56,339
counterterrorism operations
are carried out,

267
00:12:56,342 --> 00:12:59,182
that the relevant members of
Congress are briefed about

268
00:12:59,178 --> 00:13:00,648
each operation.

269
00:13:00,646 --> 00:13:04,686
And that is an indication of
the seriousness with which

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00:13:04,683 --> 00:13:11,093
the administration pursues
cooperating with legitimate

271
00:13:11,090 --> 00:13:13,990
congressional oversight.

272
00:13:13,993 --> 00:13:16,993
And I can tell you that as
these intelligence

273
00:13:16,996 --> 00:13:19,966
assessments about the death
of Dr. Weinstein and the

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00:13:19,965 --> 00:13:23,705
ultimate high-confidence
assessment that he'd been

275
00:13:23,702 --> 00:13:24,702
killed in a U.S.

276
00:13:24,703 --> 00:13:26,703
government operation was
shared with the President,

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00:13:26,705 --> 00:13:28,945
that information was also
shared with relevant members

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00:13:28,941 --> 00:13:31,081
of Congress.

279
00:13:31,076 --> 00:13:32,616
Jeff.

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00:13:32,611 --> 00:13:33,481
The Press: Josh, will the
U.S.

281
00:13:33,479 --> 00:13:34,709
government provide
compensation to the families

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00:13:34,713 --> 00:13:36,313
of the two hostages who were
killed?

283
00:13:36,315 --> 00:13:37,415
Mr. Earnest: Yes.

284
00:13:37,416 --> 00:13:39,156
The Press: Can you give any
details about that or

285
00:13:39,151 --> 00:13:40,051
how much?

286
00:13:40,052 --> 00:13:41,752
Mr. Earnest: I'm not aware
of what the details of that

287
00:13:41,754 --> 00:13:45,054
compensation is, but I can
tell you that compensation

288
00:13:45,057 --> 00:13:46,497
will be provided.

289
00:13:46,492 --> 00:13:47,322
The Press: To both families?

290
00:13:47,326 --> 00:13:48,396
Mr. Earnest: To both
families -- to both

291
00:13:48,394 --> 00:13:50,864
Dr. Weinstein and the family
of Mr. Lo Porto.

292
00:13:50,863 --> 00:13:53,863
The Press: How will this
incident affect

293
00:13:53,866 --> 00:13:54,996
specifically the U.S.

294
00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:58,670
policy, government policy on
usage of drones?

295
00:13:58,671 --> 00:14:03,641
Mr. Earnest: Well, Jeff,
there are certain aspects of

296
00:14:03,642 --> 00:14:06,312
this specific operation that
I'm not going to be able to

297
00:14:06,312 --> 00:14:08,312
discuss, including how this
specific operation was

298
00:14:08,314 --> 00:14:10,054
carried out.

299
00:14:10,049 --> 00:14:12,949
But I can say a couple
things as a general matter.

300
00:14:12,952 --> 00:14:15,822
The first is the President
-- and I had an opportunity

301
00:14:15,821 --> 00:14:18,561
to talk about this with him
today -- believes that his

302
00:14:18,557 --> 00:14:21,257
top priority is keeping the
American people safe.

303
00:14:21,260 --> 00:14:23,300
And in this particular
incident,

304
00:14:23,295 --> 00:14:29,565
it is particularly painful
and tragic that in the

305
00:14:29,568 --> 00:14:33,608
course of carrying out an
operation that was aimed at

306
00:14:33,606 --> 00:14:35,606
trying to protect the
American public,

307
00:14:35,608 --> 00:14:39,378
that an American citizen --
an innocent American citizen

308
00:14:39,378 --> 00:14:41,548
lost his life.

309
00:14:41,547 --> 00:14:45,587
And it highlights the
challenge that our

310
00:14:45,584 --> 00:14:48,084
counterterrorism
professionals confront every

311
00:14:48,087 --> 00:14:52,587
day in terms of balancing
the need to use our

312
00:14:52,591 --> 00:14:55,261
significant capabilities to
protect the American people

313
00:14:55,261 --> 00:14:59,001
with the need to carry out
these operations consistent

314
00:14:58,998 --> 00:15:01,198
with the values that we hold
dear in this country.

315
00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,970
The Press: Can you address
the issue of drones, though,

316
00:15:03,969 --> 00:15:04,969
in any way?

317
00:15:04,970 --> 00:15:07,070
I take it you don't want to
confirm that that's what

318
00:15:07,072 --> 00:15:08,142
used in this particular
strike.

319
00:15:08,140 --> 00:15:09,110
Mr. Earnest: I'm not in the
position to talk

320
00:15:09,108 --> 00:15:12,078
specifically about how the
operation was carried out.

321
00:15:12,077 --> 00:15:12,907
The Press: Can you talk,
though,

322
00:15:12,911 --> 00:15:16,111
about a future review of
drone strategy

323
00:15:16,115 --> 00:15:17,715
more generally?

324
00:15:17,716 --> 00:15:19,556
Mr. Earnest: What I can say
is that these

325
00:15:19,551 --> 00:15:24,291
counterterrorism operations
that are critical to the

326
00:15:24,290 --> 00:15:27,330
national security of the
United States and critical

327
00:15:27,326 --> 00:15:30,096
to the safety of the
American people continue.

328
00:15:33,065 --> 00:15:35,435
At the same time, there is
an ongoing review both by

329
00:15:35,434 --> 00:15:38,534
our national security
infrastructure and by an

330
00:15:38,537 --> 00:15:42,037
inspector general to review
what occurred in this

331
00:15:42,041 --> 00:15:46,881
particular operation and to
make recommendations about

332
00:15:46,879 --> 00:15:49,919
some reforms to the
protocols and policies that

333
00:15:49,915 --> 00:15:52,655
are in place that would make
it less likely that an

334
00:15:52,651 --> 00:15:56,951
unintended consequence like
this would crop up again.

335
00:15:56,955 --> 00:16:02,965
And that's not -- these
kinds of reviews are not

336
00:16:05,264 --> 00:16:09,434
unusual; that our national
security professionals after

337
00:16:09,435 --> 00:16:12,605
every operation try to
review what had occurred --

338
00:16:12,604 --> 00:16:14,604
even when it's successful,
particularly when it's

339
00:16:14,606 --> 00:16:17,046
successful -- to derive
lessons learned and to look

340
00:16:17,042 --> 00:16:19,942
for other ways, or changes
that could be put in place

341
00:16:19,945 --> 00:16:22,085
to strengthen our protocols
both in terms of their

342
00:16:22,081 --> 00:16:24,681
capabilities, but also in
ensuring that they're living

343
00:16:24,683 --> 00:16:29,293
up to the values that are so
important to our country.

344
00:16:29,288 --> 00:16:31,828
The Press: Mrs. Weinstein
said today that she hoped

345
00:16:31,824 --> 00:16:34,424
her husband's death would
prompt the U.S.

346
00:16:34,426 --> 00:16:37,926
government to "take its
responsibility seriously and

347
00:16:37,930 --> 00:16:40,870
establish a coordinated and
consistent approach to

348
00:16:40,866 --> 00:16:44,066
supporting hostages and
their families."

349
00:16:44,069 --> 00:16:45,969
Do you hear that criticism?

350
00:16:45,971 --> 00:16:48,741
Can or should the United
States government be doing

351
00:16:48,741 --> 00:16:52,211
more to support hostages and
their families?

352
00:16:52,211 --> 00:16:53,981
Mr. Earnest: Well, Jeff, I
probably should have said

353
00:16:53,979 --> 00:16:59,649
this earlier, but it's --
the President had the

354
00:16:59,651 --> 00:17:02,091
opportunity to do that this
morning,

355
00:17:02,087 --> 00:17:03,427
but let me use this
opportunity to convey our

356
00:17:03,422 --> 00:17:04,692
condolences to the Weinstein
family for the death of

357
00:17:04,690 --> 00:17:06,430
Dr. Weinstein.

358
00:17:06,425 --> 00:17:10,665
And the Weinstein family
right now is enduring

359
00:17:10,662 --> 00:17:14,102
something that's unthinkable
to contemplate the loss of

360
00:17:14,099 --> 00:17:16,269
their loved one in this
particular manner.

361
00:17:16,268 --> 00:17:19,138
And our thoughts and prayers
of everybody here at the

362
00:17:19,138 --> 00:17:22,008
White House is with the
Weinstein family.

363
00:17:22,007 --> 00:17:24,247
And so an expression --
given those circumstances,

364
00:17:24,243 --> 00:17:26,843
an expression along the
lines of what you just read

365
00:17:26,845 --> 00:17:32,355
from her statement is, of
course, understandable.

366
00:17:32,351 --> 00:17:35,151
And what she also noted in
her statement is her

367
00:17:35,154 --> 00:17:37,254
appreciation for U.S.

368
00:17:37,256 --> 00:17:39,256
counterterrorism and
national security

369
00:17:39,258 --> 00:17:41,258
professionals that had gone
to great lengths to try to

370
00:17:41,260 --> 00:17:45,030
rescue her husband and to do
their best to keep the

371
00:17:45,030 --> 00:17:46,570
family informed.

372
00:17:46,565 --> 00:17:48,735
But we have heard from other
families who have been in

373
00:17:48,734 --> 00:17:53,334
this terrible situation
about the need for improved

374
00:17:53,338 --> 00:17:56,208
communication with the
federal government when

375
00:17:56,208 --> 00:17:58,208
they're in the midst of
these circumstances.

376
00:17:58,210 --> 00:18:00,580
And the President has
ordered a review of the way

377
00:18:00,579 --> 00:18:04,179
in which the government and
our national security

378
00:18:04,183 --> 00:18:07,753
apparatus communicates with
families that are in this

379
00:18:07,753 --> 00:18:09,083
terrible position.

380
00:18:09,087 --> 00:18:12,787
And so the President is
familiar with that

381
00:18:12,791 --> 00:18:16,061
frustration that is
understandable and is

382
00:18:16,061 --> 00:18:18,201
articulated in her
statement.

383
00:18:18,197 --> 00:18:21,437
And the goal of the ongoing
review is to try to address

384
00:18:21,433 --> 00:18:22,773
those frustrations.

385
00:18:22,768 --> 00:18:24,768
I don't have any
announcements to make in

386
00:18:24,770 --> 00:18:26,770
terms of the timing for that
review,

387
00:18:26,772 --> 00:18:28,772
but I would anticipate that
that review will be done

388
00:18:28,774 --> 00:18:30,914
relatively soon.

389
00:18:30,909 --> 00:18:31,909
Mike.

390
00:18:31,910 --> 00:18:32,910
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

391
00:18:32,911 --> 00:18:33,911
Two things.

392
00:18:33,912 --> 00:18:35,912
Following up on what Jeff
asked,

393
00:18:35,914 --> 00:18:42,024
can you say that the use of
counterterrorism operations,

394
00:18:42,020 --> 00:18:45,220
like the one that was used
in this incident,

395
00:18:45,224 --> 00:18:49,794
have been reduced because of
the review that's ongoing?

396
00:18:49,795 --> 00:18:52,265
In other words, are things
happening less often?

397
00:18:52,264 --> 00:18:54,964
Are those strikes happening
less often because this

398
00:18:54,967 --> 00:18:56,097
review is underway?

399
00:18:56,101 --> 00:19:00,401
Has something been -- has a
spigot been turned off?

400
00:19:00,405 --> 00:19:03,205
Mr. Earnest: Let me try to
answer your question this

401
00:19:03,208 --> 00:19:06,108
way, which is that the
United States retains

402
00:19:06,111 --> 00:19:09,181
significant capabilities to
protect the American people.

403
00:19:09,181 --> 00:19:14,491
And the expectation that the
President has -- and this is

404
00:19:14,486 --> 00:19:17,286
mentioned in the National
Defense University speech --

405
00:19:17,289 --> 00:19:20,259
is that when these
operations are carried out,

406
00:19:20,259 --> 00:19:22,829
that they follow very
specific protocols and

407
00:19:22,828 --> 00:19:25,628
procedures that balance the
need to protect the American

408
00:19:25,631 --> 00:19:28,771
people with the need to
adhere to very high

409
00:19:28,767 --> 00:19:31,067
standards in terms of
preventing

410
00:19:31,069 --> 00:19:33,039
civilian casualties.

411
00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:37,310
Consistent with those
protocols,

412
00:19:37,309 --> 00:19:40,409
our counterterrorism
operations continue.

413
00:19:40,412 --> 00:19:48,122
And if there are reforms
that are derived from the

414
00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:52,760
review that can strengthen
those protocols or make

415
00:19:52,758 --> 00:19:55,828
those protocols more likely
to result in successful

416
00:19:55,827 --> 00:19:58,567
counterterrorism operations,
then the administration will

417
00:19:58,564 --> 00:20:00,664
act quickly to implement
those reforms.

418
00:20:00,666 --> 00:20:03,966
The Press: And then second,
I appreciate your trying to

419
00:20:03,969 --> 00:20:06,909
give us a timeline of when
you learned what you

420
00:20:06,905 --> 00:20:08,105
guys learned.

421
00:20:08,106 --> 00:20:11,206
But there's almost no times
in the timeline.

422
00:20:11,209 --> 00:20:15,419
So let's just real quickly,
what day did this happen --

423
00:20:15,414 --> 00:20:17,154
did the strikes happen?

424
00:20:17,149 --> 00:20:19,219
Mr. Earnest: I'm not able to
-- The Press: You said where

425
00:20:19,217 --> 00:20:20,757
or how; that's a when.

426
00:20:20,752 --> 00:20:21,452
Mr. Earnest: Okay.

427
00:20:21,453 --> 00:20:23,893
Well, the when is in that
same category.

428
00:20:23,889 --> 00:20:27,289
Unfortunately, there was not
an exhaustive list of things

429
00:20:27,292 --> 00:20:28,362
I'm not able to disclose.

430
00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:31,230
What we have indicated is
that both of these strikes

431
00:20:31,229 --> 00:20:34,929
that were mentioned in my
written statement this

432
00:20:34,933 --> 00:20:37,833
morning occurred in January.

433
00:20:37,836 --> 00:20:38,976
But precisely when -- The
Press: And you won't say

434
00:20:38,971 --> 00:20:39,701
when in January?

435
00:20:39,705 --> 00:20:40,675
Early, late?

436
00:20:40,672 --> 00:20:42,012
Mr. Earnest: I'm not able to
say precisely when.

437
00:20:42,007 --> 00:20:45,347
The Press: Can you say then
-- can you give us some

438
00:20:45,344 --> 00:20:49,384
sense of when you -- when
the government first learned

439
00:20:49,381 --> 00:20:53,521
or first suspected that
Mr. Weinstein was

440
00:20:53,518 --> 00:20:56,888
perhaps dead?

441
00:20:56,888 --> 00:20:59,528
Not yet known that it was at
the hands of the U.S., but

442
00:20:59,524 --> 00:21:03,194
is that February, early
February, late February?

443
00:21:03,195 --> 00:21:05,735
I mean, give us a sense of
the time of when

444
00:21:05,731 --> 00:21:06,731
that happened.

445
00:21:06,732 --> 00:21:08,732
Mr. Earnest: I would say
that in the weeks after the

446
00:21:08,734 --> 00:21:12,604
strike, there were -- or in
the weeks after the

447
00:21:12,604 --> 00:21:19,974
operation, there started to
be some intelligence that

448
00:21:19,978 --> 00:21:23,918
indicated the possible death
of Dr. Weinstein.

449
00:21:23,915 --> 00:21:26,515
And it was in the course of
following up on those

450
00:21:26,518 --> 00:21:29,518
intelligence leads and
developing intelligence from

451
00:21:29,521 --> 00:21:31,921
a wide variety of sources
that the intelligence

452
00:21:31,923 --> 00:21:37,033
community was able to assess
with high confidence that

453
00:21:37,029 --> 00:21:39,199
Dr. Weinstein had been
killed in a -- The Press: So

454
00:21:39,197 --> 00:21:40,937
that initial assessment
would have been in February,

455
00:21:40,932 --> 00:21:41,632
right, if it was weeks?

456
00:21:41,633 --> 00:21:43,833
Because we know the strikes
-- the operations happened

457
00:21:43,835 --> 00:21:44,535
in January.

458
00:21:44,536 --> 00:21:47,906
So in February, sometime,
you guys had that initial

459
00:21:47,906 --> 00:21:50,976
assessment that they might
be dead?

460
00:21:50,976 --> 00:21:53,676
Mr. Earnest: Well, I don't
think that the intelligence

461
00:21:53,679 --> 00:21:56,819
community actually reached
an assessment in February.

462
00:21:56,815 --> 00:21:57,785
I think -- The Press: They
started hearing things.

463
00:21:57,783 --> 00:21:59,283
Mr. Earnest: They started --
The Press: And at that

464
00:21:59,284 --> 00:22:02,684
point, in February, they
also communicated to the

465
00:22:02,688 --> 00:22:05,858
family, hey, we think he
might be dead?

466
00:22:05,857 --> 00:22:07,357
Mr. Earnest: I don't have a
specific timeframe for that.

467
00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:10,229
But what I can tell you is
that as the intelligence

468
00:22:10,228 --> 00:22:14,638
community began to develop
information that pointed to

469
00:22:14,633 --> 00:22:17,133
the death of Dr. Weinstein,
that information was briefed

470
00:22:17,135 --> 00:22:19,105
to the President and that
information was shared with

471
00:22:19,104 --> 00:22:20,904
the Weinstein family.

472
00:22:20,906 --> 00:22:22,306
The Press: And you don't
have the information because

473
00:22:22,307 --> 00:22:24,307
you don't have it, or
because you've -- I mean,

474
00:22:24,309 --> 00:22:26,479
what would the security
risks be of telling us a

475
00:22:26,478 --> 00:22:30,478
little bit with more
precision when some of these

476
00:22:30,482 --> 00:22:31,752
things happened?

477
00:22:31,750 --> 00:22:34,520
Mr. Earnest: Well, as it
relates to -- it's hard for

478
00:22:34,519 --> 00:22:37,089
me -- The Press: And I guess
I get the strike itself.

479
00:22:37,089 --> 00:22:41,659
But kind of being more
precise about this seems to

480
00:22:41,660 --> 00:22:45,230
be in the interest of what
the President just promised

481
00:22:45,230 --> 00:22:46,230
the American public about
transparency.

482
00:22:46,231 --> 00:22:48,271
Mr. Earnest: Well, there's
no doubt that we are having

483
00:22:48,266 --> 00:22:50,706
a rather detailed
conversation about a

484
00:22:50,702 --> 00:22:54,702
previously classified
operation.

485
00:22:54,706 --> 00:22:57,106
And that is consistent with
the spirit of what the

486
00:22:57,109 --> 00:22:59,649
President talked about in
his statement this morning.

487
00:22:59,644 --> 00:23:03,244
I do think that for me to
talk about specific

488
00:23:03,248 --> 00:23:06,248
timeframes when we learned a
piece of information through

489
00:23:06,251 --> 00:23:09,321
intelligence, could
compromise sources

490
00:23:09,321 --> 00:23:10,151
and methods.

491
00:23:10,155 --> 00:23:11,695
And that's something that we
obviously are very mindful

492
00:23:11,690 --> 00:23:14,490
of when talking about these
kinds of matters.

493
00:23:14,493 --> 00:23:16,233
Peter.

494
00:23:16,228 --> 00:23:18,268
The Press: Josh, was the
President the one yesterday

495
00:23:18,263 --> 00:23:20,563
who first communicated to
the Weinstein family that

496
00:23:20,565 --> 00:23:21,835
Warren Weinstein was dead?

497
00:23:21,833 --> 00:23:25,233
Mr. Earnest: No, he was not
the first person to convey

498
00:23:25,237 --> 00:23:26,237
that information to them.

499
00:23:26,238 --> 00:23:31,848
There are members of the
national security apparatus

500
00:23:31,843 --> 00:23:33,843
that had been in regular
touch with the Weinstein

501
00:23:33,845 --> 00:23:36,045
family to keep them apprised
of the ongoing effort to try

502
00:23:36,047 --> 00:23:37,047
to rescue him.

503
00:23:37,048 --> 00:23:39,048
The Press: And so was
yesterday the first time

504
00:23:39,050 --> 00:23:41,050
that they were told of
confirmation that he was

505
00:23:41,052 --> 00:23:42,052
dead though?

506
00:23:42,053 --> 00:23:44,053
Mr. Earnest: Yes, this was
the first time that they

507
00:23:44,055 --> 00:23:46,055
were informed of the
high-confidence assessment

508
00:23:46,057 --> 00:23:48,057
by the intelligence
community that Dr. Weinstein

509
00:23:48,059 --> 00:23:50,059
had been killed in the
context of a U.S.

510
00:23:50,061 --> 00:23:52,061
government counterterrorism
operation.

511
00:23:52,063 --> 00:23:54,063
The Press: Did the President
sign off on either of these

512
00:23:54,065 --> 00:23:56,165
strikes specifically, or
keeping with the policy

513
00:23:56,168 --> 00:23:57,768
because there was a
presumption that there were

514
00:23:57,769 --> 00:24:00,639
no Americans there, that it
was a part of policy that

515
00:24:00,639 --> 00:24:02,979
these strikes could continue
without his official signing

516
00:24:02,974 --> 00:24:05,044
off on these specific
operations?

517
00:24:05,043 --> 00:24:07,043
Mr. Earnest: The President
did not specifically sign

518
00:24:07,045 --> 00:24:08,985
off on these two operations.

519
00:24:08,980 --> 00:24:13,050
There are policies and
protocols in place for our

520
00:24:13,051 --> 00:24:15,051
counterterrorism
professionals to make

521
00:24:15,053 --> 00:24:17,423
decisions about carrying out
these kinds of operations

522
00:24:17,422 --> 00:24:20,422
based on a wide variety of
things,

523
00:24:20,425 --> 00:24:26,995
including an assessment of
near certainty that the

524
00:24:26,998 --> 00:24:33,238
target is an al Qaeda target
and that civilians would not

525
00:24:33,238 --> 00:24:35,638
be harmed if the operation
were carried out.

526
00:24:37,742 --> 00:24:40,882
And that is a decision that
is -- that is a policy that

527
00:24:40,879 --> 00:24:43,449
the President and his team
have put in place that was,

528
00:24:43,448 --> 00:24:45,318
as far we know, followed by

529
00:24:45,317 --> 00:24:47,787
our counterterrorism professionals.

530
00:24:47,786 --> 00:24:50,926
But let me just conclude the
answer by saying that the

531
00:24:50,922 --> 00:24:54,362
President was very direct up
here today when he indicated

532
00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:57,629
that he -- while he did not
sign off on the specific

533
00:24:57,629 --> 00:25:00,529
operation, he does take full
responsibility as the

534
00:25:00,532 --> 00:25:03,632
Commander-in-Chief for the
unintended tragic

535
00:25:03,635 --> 00:25:05,735
consequences that resulted
from the operation.

536
00:25:05,737 --> 00:25:08,237
The Press: Adam Gadahn,
although he wasn't the

537
00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:11,680
specific target of that
second of these two strikes,

538
00:25:11,676 --> 00:25:13,076
is he a target that the U.S.

539
00:25:13,078 --> 00:25:14,378
was trying to find?

540
00:25:14,379 --> 00:25:16,379
And would they, knowing that
he was there,

541
00:25:16,381 --> 00:25:18,381
have pursued that strike
against Adam Gadahn?

542
00:25:18,383 --> 00:25:20,383
Mr. Earnest: Well, the thing
that you know about

543
00:25:20,385 --> 00:25:22,885
Mr. Gadahn, Peter, is that
he had been indicted for

544
00:25:22,888 --> 00:25:25,328
treason in 2006.

545
00:25:25,323 --> 00:25:30,293
That is an indication that
he is somebody who presented

546
00:25:30,295 --> 00:25:32,835
a danger to the United
States and our interests,

547
00:25:32,831 --> 00:25:34,701
and he is somebody that the
United States was very

548
00:25:34,699 --> 00:25:35,869
interested in finding.

549
00:25:35,867 --> 00:25:38,137
The Press: Would the
President have said,

550
00:25:38,136 --> 00:25:41,306
go forward -- or would the
President have wanted to go

551
00:25:41,306 --> 00:25:43,546
forward with said strike if
he knew Adam Gadahn

552
00:25:43,541 --> 00:25:45,041
was there?

553
00:25:45,043 --> 00:25:47,143
Mr. Earnest: Well, it's hard
for me to entertain a

554
00:25:47,145 --> 00:25:48,145
hypothetical like that.

555
00:25:48,146 --> 00:25:51,786
Let me -- The Press: Were
you pursuing strikes to find

556
00:25:51,783 --> 00:25:54,823
Adam Gadahn?

557
00:25:54,819 --> 00:25:55,119
Mr. Earnest: Let me just say
that he was not classified

558
00:25:55,120 --> 00:25:58,920
as a HTC HVT* but he was
obviously somebody who was

559
00:25:58,924 --> 00:25:59,854
wanted by the U.S.

560
00:25:59,858 --> 00:26:01,758
government because he had
been indicted for treason.

561
00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,930
There is a procedure and a
policy -- again,

562
00:26:04,930 --> 00:26:08,770
one that the President put
in place -- for carrying out

563
00:26:08,767 --> 00:26:11,437
counterterrorism operations
against American citizens

564
00:26:11,436 --> 00:26:13,436
where necessary.

565
00:26:14,539 --> 00:26:18,879
But in this case, Mr. Gadahn
was not targeted.

566
00:26:18,877 --> 00:26:21,817
What was targeted was the al
Qaeda compound that

567
00:26:21,813 --> 00:26:23,453
he frequented.

568
00:26:23,448 --> 00:26:28,388
And that strike did succeed
in taking some al Qaeda

569
00:26:28,386 --> 00:26:29,986
leaders off the battlefield.

570
00:26:29,988 --> 00:26:32,158
The Press: The ACLU put out
a statement a short time ago

571
00:26:32,157 --> 00:26:34,157
where it says, among other
things,

572
00:26:34,159 --> 00:26:36,159
"These new disclosures raise
troubling questions about

573
00:26:36,161 --> 00:26:38,161
the reliability of the
intelligence that the

574
00:26:38,163 --> 00:26:40,163
government is relying on to
justify drone strikes.

575
00:26:40,165 --> 00:26:42,165
In each of the operations
acknowledged today, the U.S.

576
00:26:42,167 --> 00:26:45,107
quite literally didn't know
who it was killing.

577
00:26:45,103 --> 00:26:46,673
These and other recent
strikes in which civilians

578
00:26:46,671 --> 00:26:48,711
were killed make clear that
there was a significant gap

579
00:26:48,707 --> 00:26:51,507
between the relatively
stringent standards the

580
00:26:51,509 --> 00:26:53,609
government says it's using
and the standards that are

581
00:26:53,611 --> 00:26:55,511
actually being used."

582
00:26:55,513 --> 00:26:57,083
What's the White House's
response to that?

583
00:26:57,082 --> 00:26:59,382
Mr. Earnest: Well, I
strenuously disagree.

584
00:26:59,384 --> 00:27:01,954
There is no evidence at this
point to indicate that our

585
00:27:01,953 --> 00:27:04,123
counterterrorism
professionals deviated from

586
00:27:04,122 --> 00:27:05,762
the established protocols.

587
00:27:05,757 --> 00:27:08,797
But it also is important for
us to step back here and

588
00:27:08,793 --> 00:27:11,333
recognize the situation that
we're confronting.

589
00:27:11,329 --> 00:27:15,899
We're talking about the
Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

590
00:27:15,900 --> 00:27:18,140
This is a region of the
world that is

591
00:27:18,136 --> 00:27:20,206
exceedingly remote.

592
00:27:20,205 --> 00:27:22,705
The President talked about
this in his NDU speech back

593
00:27:22,707 --> 00:27:28,547
in May of 2013 that al Qaeda
figures hide out in these

594
00:27:28,546 --> 00:27:30,516
areas because they are
remote.

595
00:27:30,515 --> 00:27:33,555
They hide out in these areas
because they know that local

596
00:27:33,551 --> 00:27:37,691
forces in some cases don't
have the will -- in some

597
00:27:37,689 --> 00:27:40,059
cases, don't have the
capacity -- to go

598
00:27:40,058 --> 00:27:41,228
after them.

599
00:27:41,226 --> 00:27:45,426
And when you're talking
about a circumstance like

600
00:27:45,430 --> 00:27:47,630
that -- and the other thing
that they know because it's

601
00:27:47,632 --> 00:27:51,202
so remote, that the
possibility of putting U.S.

602
00:27:51,202 --> 00:27:53,202
boots on the ground to go
after them is just

603
00:27:53,204 --> 00:27:54,374
not feasible.

604
00:27:54,372 --> 00:27:56,542
And what that means is when
we're talking about an

605
00:27:56,541 --> 00:27:59,841
environment like this,
absolute certainty is just

606
00:27:59,844 --> 00:28:01,584
not possible.

607
00:28:01,579 --> 00:28:03,019
What we can do instead,
though,

608
00:28:03,014 --> 00:28:05,084
is we can leverage
significant intelligence

609
00:28:05,083 --> 00:28:09,153
assets to, for example, in
this case,

610
00:28:09,154 --> 00:28:11,394
actually conduct extensive
surveillance of a

611
00:28:11,389 --> 00:28:13,259
particular compound.

612
00:28:13,258 --> 00:28:16,098
And as I mentioned, hundreds
of hours of surveillance was

613
00:28:16,094 --> 00:28:19,734
conducted against this
particular compound.

614
00:28:19,731 --> 00:28:22,171
We know that near-continuous
surveillance of this

615
00:28:22,167 --> 00:28:26,107
compound was conducted in
the days leading up to

616
00:28:26,104 --> 00:28:27,104
the operation.

617
00:28:27,105 --> 00:28:32,145
And based on that
surveillance and other forms

618
00:28:32,143 --> 00:28:34,343
of intelligence, the
intelligence community did

619
00:28:34,345 --> 00:28:36,915
assess with near certainty
that this was an al Qaeda

620
00:28:36,915 --> 00:28:39,555
compound that was frequented
by al Qaeda leaders.

621
00:28:39,551 --> 00:28:42,551
That assessment turned out
to be correct.

622
00:28:42,554 --> 00:28:44,554
They also had a near
certainty assessment, again,

623
00:28:44,556 --> 00:28:47,256
based on that surveillance,
that there were no civilians

624
00:28:47,258 --> 00:28:50,128
present and that no
civilians would be at risk

625
00:28:50,128 --> 00:28:52,128
if the operation were
carried out.

626
00:28:52,130 --> 00:28:55,070
Now, what we also know is
that al Qaeda considers

627
00:28:55,066 --> 00:28:58,866
these kinds of hostages to
be extraordinarily valuable.

628
00:28:58,870 --> 00:29:03,640
And they go to tremendous
lengths to try to conceal

629
00:29:03,641 --> 00:29:05,541
the location of these
hostages.

630
00:29:05,543 --> 00:29:09,383
And that is why,
unfortunately,

631
00:29:09,380 --> 00:29:12,180
that near-certain assessment
was wrong.

632
00:29:12,183 --> 00:29:14,183
And that is why the
President has directed a

633
00:29:14,185 --> 00:29:17,985
review to determine if there
are any changes that we can

634
00:29:17,989 --> 00:29:22,229
make to determine -- or to
make it less likely that

635
00:29:22,227 --> 00:29:26,167
these kinds of unintended
consequences would

636
00:29:26,164 --> 00:29:27,264
occur again.

637
00:29:27,265 --> 00:29:28,605
The Press: If al Qaeda had
been willing to make a

638
00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:29,500
trade, would the U.S.

639
00:29:29,501 --> 00:29:31,401
have been willing to make a
similar trade that they made

640
00:29:31,402 --> 00:29:34,072
for Bowe Bergdahl, for the
life of Warren Weinstein?

641
00:29:34,072 --> 00:29:35,712
And was one ever offered?

642
00:29:35,707 --> 00:29:37,677
Mr. Earnest: Peter, the U.S.

643
00:29:37,675 --> 00:29:41,015
government went to great
lengths to try to rescue

644
00:29:41,012 --> 00:29:42,582
Dr. Weinstein.

645
00:29:42,580 --> 00:29:44,680
There were significant
resources dedicated to

646
00:29:44,682 --> 00:29:49,492
trying to determine his
whereabouts.

647
00:29:49,487 --> 00:29:49,987
The Press: Did we offer a
trade?

648
00:29:49,988 --> 00:29:51,728
Mr. Earnest: We have been
very clear about the policy

649
00:29:51,723 --> 00:29:53,323
of the United States.

650
00:29:53,324 --> 00:29:56,724
As painful as it is, it is a
policy that prevents the

651
00:29:56,728 --> 00:29:59,968
United States from
negotiating with terrorists,

652
00:29:59,964 --> 00:30:06,434
and that policy was in place
in the course of our efforts

653
00:30:06,437 --> 00:30:10,137
to try to secure the rescue
of Dr. Weinstein.

654
00:30:10,141 --> 00:30:12,141
And again, this is a policy
that,

655
00:30:12,143 --> 00:30:14,243
particularly to the
Weinstein family,

656
00:30:14,245 --> 00:30:15,215
is a very difficult one.

657
00:30:15,213 --> 00:30:18,713
And frankly, I think it's a
pretty difficult policy even

658
00:30:18,716 --> 00:30:21,986
for just the average human
being.

659
00:30:21,986 --> 00:30:25,086
But the analysis is a
reasonable one,

660
00:30:25,089 --> 00:30:29,259
which is that to engage in
the practice of negotiating

661
00:30:29,260 --> 00:30:31,260
with terrorist groups to try
to secure the release of

662
00:30:31,262 --> 00:30:34,502
innocent Americans would
only put at risk more

663
00:30:34,499 --> 00:30:36,199
innocent Americans.

664
00:30:36,201 --> 00:30:37,131
Jon.

665
00:30:37,135 --> 00:30:39,175
The Press: Josh, you won't
even tell us that this was a

666
00:30:39,170 --> 00:30:41,140
drone strike or these were
drone strikes?

667
00:30:41,139 --> 00:30:43,609
Mr. Earnest: Jon, I'm not
able -- despite the

668
00:30:43,608 --> 00:30:45,748
extensive information I am
able to provide about a

669
00:30:45,743 --> 00:30:47,743
previously classified
operation,

670
00:30:47,745 --> 00:30:50,145
I'm not able to discuss
precisely how this operation

671
00:30:50,148 --> 00:30:51,148
was carried out.

672
00:30:51,149 --> 00:30:54,189
The Press: So you tell us
that Adam Gadahn and Ahmed

673
00:30:54,185 --> 00:30:56,255
Faruq were not the targets.

674
00:30:56,254 --> 00:30:58,254
Does the President regret
the fact that they were

675
00:30:58,256 --> 00:30:59,256
killed in these strikes?

676
00:30:59,257 --> 00:31:00,257
Mr. Earnest: No.

677
00:31:00,258 --> 00:31:03,498
Those two individuals that
you mentioned were leaders

678
00:31:03,494 --> 00:31:04,494
in al Qaeda.

679
00:31:04,495 --> 00:31:06,265
They had prominent
positions.

680
00:31:06,264 --> 00:31:08,364
We know that Mr. Faruq, for
example,

681
00:31:08,366 --> 00:31:13,276
was a leader of AQIS -- al
Qaeda in the Indian

682
00:31:13,271 --> 00:31:15,741
Subcontinent -- and that he
was playing a prominent role

683
00:31:15,740 --> 00:31:20,810
in leading that network's
operations and planning in

684
00:31:20,812 --> 00:31:22,512
that region of the world.

685
00:31:22,513 --> 00:31:27,123
We know that Mr. Gadahn has
styled himself as a

686
00:31:27,118 --> 00:31:29,118
prominent spokesperson for
al Qaeda.

687
00:31:31,222 --> 00:31:34,062
And it is for that and other
reasons that he was indicted

688
00:31:34,058 --> 00:31:35,058
by the U.S.

689
00:31:35,059 --> 00:31:36,059
government for treason.

690
00:31:36,060 --> 00:31:38,700
The Press: So the
administration's policy on

691
00:31:38,696 --> 00:31:42,366
the justified killing of
American citizens in these

692
00:31:42,367 --> 00:31:45,207
counterterrorism strikes,
according to the Attorney

693
00:31:45,203 --> 00:31:47,603
General, is that they
represented an "imminent

694
00:31:47,605 --> 00:31:49,875
threat of violent attack
against the United States"

695
00:31:49,874 --> 00:31:52,214
and that capture was not
feasible.

696
00:31:52,210 --> 00:31:55,510
Are you saying that Adam
Gadahn and Ahmed Faruq

697
00:31:55,513 --> 00:31:58,253
represented an imminent
threat of violent attack

698
00:31:58,249 --> 00:31:59,449
against the United States?

699
00:31:59,450 --> 00:32:00,890
Because that, under your
policy,

700
00:32:00,885 --> 00:32:02,725
is the definition of a
justified killing of

701
00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:03,960
an American.

702
00:32:03,955 --> 00:32:07,195
Mr. Earnest: And what I'm
saying is that these two al

703
00:32:07,191 --> 00:32:11,301
Qaeda leaders were
frequenting an al Qaeda

704
00:32:11,296 --> 00:32:13,296
compound that had been
identified by the

705
00:32:13,298 --> 00:32:14,298
United States.

706
00:32:14,299 --> 00:32:17,299
And the United States
carried out a

707
00:32:17,302 --> 00:32:21,072
counterterrorism operation
against those compounds with

708
00:32:21,072 --> 00:32:24,672
the intent of taking al
Qaeda fighters and al Qaeda

709
00:32:24,676 --> 00:32:26,176
leaders off the battlefield.

710
00:32:26,177 --> 00:32:28,377
We do that because we know
that the al Qaeda

711
00:32:28,379 --> 00:32:31,249
organization is actively
planning and plotting

712
00:32:31,249 --> 00:32:32,849
against American citizens.

713
00:32:32,850 --> 00:32:37,190
We have -- as is
encapsulated in the

714
00:32:37,188 --> 00:32:39,188
authorization to use
military force,

715
00:32:39,190 --> 00:32:41,190
the United States is at war
with al Qaeda and its

716
00:32:41,192 --> 00:32:44,532
affiliates because of the
way in which these

717
00:32:44,529 --> 00:32:46,799
affiliates are plotting and
actively planning against

718
00:32:46,798 --> 00:32:48,798
the United States and our
citizens.

719
00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:50,800
The Press: Okay, but what I
asked is: Gadahn and Faruq,

720
00:32:50,802 --> 00:32:53,342
did they represent an
imminent threat of violent

721
00:32:53,338 --> 00:32:55,338
attack against the United
States?

722
00:32:55,340 --> 00:32:58,040
Which is the words of the
Attorney General as to what

723
00:32:58,042 --> 00:33:01,382
would qualify as a justified
killing of an American.

724
00:33:01,379 --> 00:33:03,849
Mr. Earnest: Well, what I
can share with you from here

725
00:33:03,848 --> 00:33:07,018
is that these two
individuals were not

726
00:33:07,018 --> 00:33:11,988
targeted in this specific
counterterrorism operation,

727
00:33:11,989 --> 00:33:15,859
but we know that they were
hit in this counterterrorism

728
00:33:15,860 --> 00:33:18,160
operation and they were
killed in this

729
00:33:18,162 --> 00:33:20,932
counterterrorism operation
because they were leaders of

730
00:33:20,932 --> 00:33:24,732
al Qaeda, and we know that
al Qaeda is an organization

731
00:33:24,736 --> 00:33:26,736
that is actively plotting
and planning against the

732
00:33:26,738 --> 00:33:27,738
United States.

733
00:33:27,739 --> 00:33:29,739
The Press: But is it legal
under the guidelines that

734
00:33:29,741 --> 00:33:31,711
this administration has put
in place,

735
00:33:31,709 --> 00:33:35,849
is it legal to kill American
citizens who do not

736
00:33:35,847 --> 00:33:38,387
represent an imminent threat
of violent attack against

737
00:33:38,383 --> 00:33:39,383
the United States?

738
00:33:39,384 --> 00:33:41,584
Mr. Earnest: What is
permissible under

739
00:33:41,586 --> 00:33:44,286
international law and in the
protocol that the President

740
00:33:44,288 --> 00:33:48,598
has established is for the
United States to carry out

741
00:33:48,593 --> 00:33:53,463
strikes -- to carry out
operations against al Qaeda

742
00:33:53,464 --> 00:33:57,564
compounds that we can assess
with near certainty are al

743
00:33:57,568 --> 00:33:59,568
Qaeda compounds that are
frequented by

744
00:33:59,570 --> 00:34:00,970
al Qaeda leaders.

745
00:34:00,972 --> 00:34:03,742
And that is the operation
that took place,

746
00:34:03,741 --> 00:34:09,711
and that operation did
result in the death of al

747
00:34:09,714 --> 00:34:12,254
Qaeda fighters and al Qaeda
leaders who were in this

748
00:34:12,250 --> 00:34:14,720
al Qaeda compound.

749
00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:15,589
The Press: But would it have
been illegal for you to

750
00:34:15,586 --> 00:34:17,526
intentionally target those
two men?

751
00:34:17,522 --> 00:34:19,522
Mr. Earnest: Well, there is
a separate procedure and

752
00:34:19,524 --> 00:34:24,794
protocol for specifically
targeting American citizens.

753
00:34:24,796 --> 00:34:29,396
And this is the protocol
that was followed in the

754
00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:34,910
targeted operation against
Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen.

755
00:34:34,906 --> 00:34:38,106
So there is a separate
procedure and protocol for

756
00:34:38,109 --> 00:34:39,109
doing exactly that.

757
00:34:39,110 --> 00:34:41,680
The Press: So if it was not
Adam Gadahn who was being

758
00:34:41,679 --> 00:34:45,319
targeted in one strike and
it was not Ahmed Faruq being

759
00:34:45,316 --> 00:34:46,346
targeted in the other
strike,

760
00:34:46,350 --> 00:34:47,990
who was being targeted?

761
00:34:47,985 --> 00:34:52,025
Mr. Earnest: What was
targeted was what the

762
00:34:52,023 --> 00:34:56,293
intelligence community
assessed with near certainty

763
00:34:56,294 --> 00:34:59,694
was an al Qaeda compound
that we assessed with near

764
00:34:59,697 --> 00:35:02,497
certainty was being
frequented by al Qaeda

765
00:35:02,500 --> 00:35:04,770
members, al Qaeda fighters,
and, in this case,

766
00:35:04,769 --> 00:35:05,769
al Qaeda leaders.

767
00:35:05,770 --> 00:35:06,770
The Press: So there was no
who?

768
00:35:06,771 --> 00:35:09,871
There was no specific al
Qaeda leader or leaders that

769
00:35:09,874 --> 00:35:10,874
were being targeted?

770
00:35:10,875 --> 00:35:11,845
It was a compound?

771
00:35:11,843 --> 00:35:12,613
Mr. Earnest: What was being
targeted was this specific

772
00:35:12,610 --> 00:35:15,250
al Qaeda compound.

773
00:35:15,246 --> 00:35:15,876
The Press: In both cases?

774
00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:16,710
Mr. Earnest: In both cases.

775
00:35:16,714 --> 00:35:17,314
The Press: In both cases.

776
00:35:17,315 --> 00:35:18,985
And no names attached to
that?

777
00:35:18,983 --> 00:35:20,083
There were no -- we didn't
have a list of --

778
00:35:20,084 --> 00:35:22,424
Mr. Earnest: That's correct.

779
00:35:22,420 --> 00:35:24,960
What we were targeting
specifically was this al

780
00:35:24,956 --> 00:35:28,196
Qaeda compound that was
based on this near-certain

781
00:35:28,192 --> 00:35:30,192
assessment that this was a
compound that was maintained

782
00:35:30,194 --> 00:35:32,834
by al Qaeda and frequented
by al Qaeda leaders.

783
00:35:32,830 --> 00:35:34,800
The Press: Okay, there's
another story I wanted to

784
00:35:34,799 --> 00:35:38,369
get you on quickly --
revelations regarding

785
00:35:38,369 --> 00:35:42,639
donates to the Clinton
Foundation and actions taken

786
00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:44,610
by the United States
government.

787
00:35:44,609 --> 00:35:46,609
I want to take the second
part first.

788
00:35:46,611 --> 00:35:49,181
In hindsight, given what has
happened with Russia over

789
00:35:49,180 --> 00:35:56,120
the last year or two, was it
a mistake to allow a Russian

790
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,260
company to essentially
corner the market on uranium

791
00:35:59,257 --> 00:36:00,227
in the United States?

792
00:36:00,224 --> 00:36:03,664
Was it a mistake to allow
that transaction to go

793
00:36:03,661 --> 00:36:06,501
forward, allow them to
control basically one-fifth

794
00:36:06,497 --> 00:36:08,497
of the uranium supply in the
United States?

795
00:36:08,499 --> 00:36:10,499
Mr. Earnest: Jon, I'm not
familiar with that

796
00:36:10,501 --> 00:36:11,501
specific transaction.

797
00:36:11,502 --> 00:36:13,502
I know there's been some
reporting on this today,

798
00:36:13,504 --> 00:36:15,504
but I can take your question
and see if we can get back

799
00:36:15,506 --> 00:36:17,506
to you on the specific
transaction that you're

800
00:36:17,508 --> 00:36:18,508
talking about.

801
00:36:18,509 --> 00:36:20,509
The Press: And the
memorandum of understanding

802
00:36:20,511 --> 00:36:23,251
that governed Hillary
Clinton's financial

803
00:36:23,247 --> 00:36:27,187
dealings, the financial
dealings of the foundation

804
00:36:27,184 --> 00:36:31,424
and her husband's speaking
fees -- first of all,

805
00:36:31,422 --> 00:36:33,492
can you make that memorandum
public?

806
00:36:33,491 --> 00:36:36,561
Because I don't think we've
ever seen it.

807
00:36:36,561 --> 00:36:38,031
Mr. Earnest: This is a
memorandum of understanding

808
00:36:38,029 --> 00:36:39,529
that resides at the State
Department,

809
00:36:39,530 --> 00:36:41,600
so you can ask them about
their policy for disclosing

810
00:36:41,599 --> 00:36:42,369
it or not.

811
00:36:42,366 --> 00:36:43,166
The Press: Okay, we've asked
for that.

812
00:36:43,167 --> 00:36:46,267
I'm wondering if you can --
I mean, this is -- I mean,

813
00:36:46,270 --> 00:36:47,710
in the interest of
transparency this was

814
00:36:47,705 --> 00:36:49,605
supposed to be all about
transparency.

815
00:36:49,607 --> 00:36:52,207
Can we see that memorandum?

816
00:36:52,209 --> 00:36:54,479
Mr. Earnest: I think the
goal of the memorandum was

817
00:36:54,478 --> 00:36:58,278
to ensure that even the
appearance of a conflict of

818
00:36:58,282 --> 00:37:04,192
interest was avoided by
ensuring that there was

819
00:37:04,188 --> 00:37:08,758
greater transparency and
greater knowledge about the

820
00:37:08,759 --> 00:37:10,099
contributions that were
being accepted by the

821
00:37:10,094 --> 00:37:11,734
Clinton Foundation for the
charitable work that

822
00:37:11,729 --> 00:37:13,169
they do.

823
00:37:13,164 --> 00:37:15,204
That was the goal of the
memorandum.

824
00:37:15,199 --> 00:37:16,899
The Press: I mean,
essentially,

825
00:37:16,901 --> 00:37:18,601
then-Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton promised

826
00:37:18,603 --> 00:37:21,703
that she would make public
the donations to the Clinton

827
00:37:21,706 --> 00:37:26,976
Foundation and also speaking
fees for President Clinton.

828
00:37:26,978 --> 00:37:31,278
Isn't it clear now that
Secretary Clinton did not

829
00:37:31,282 --> 00:37:33,382
abide by her own memorandum
of understanding with

830
00:37:33,384 --> 00:37:34,754
the President?

831
00:37:34,752 --> 00:37:36,592
Mr. Earnest: I'm not sure
that that's clear,

832
00:37:36,587 --> 00:37:38,587
but you should go ask
Secretary Clinton's team

833
00:37:38,589 --> 00:37:39,459
about that.

834
00:37:39,457 --> 00:37:40,027
The Press: Well, I'm asking
you,

835
00:37:40,024 --> 00:37:41,994
because we now read that
Uranium One,

836
00:37:41,993 --> 00:37:45,963
a foreign company, donated
over $2 million to the

837
00:37:45,963 --> 00:37:48,603
Clinton Foundation while she
was Secretary of State.

838
00:37:48,599 --> 00:37:52,139
That would seem to be a
pretty clear violation of a

839
00:37:52,136 --> 00:37:56,036
memorandum of understanding
as it's been explained to us

840
00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:57,040
by you.

841
00:37:57,041 --> 00:37:58,541
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
for the details of this

842
00:37:58,542 --> 00:38:00,812
transaction I'd refer to
either the State Department

843
00:38:00,811 --> 00:38:02,511
or Secretary Clinton's team.

844
00:38:02,513 --> 00:38:06,713
Obviously, that's not
something that was reviewed

845
00:38:06,717 --> 00:38:07,817
at this level.

846
00:38:07,818 --> 00:38:10,258
The Press: And we also know
that, previously,

847
00:38:10,254 --> 00:38:12,994
that a $500,000 donation
from the Algerian government

848
00:38:12,990 --> 00:38:15,490
went to the Clinton
Foundation while Hillary

849
00:38:15,493 --> 00:38:16,623
Clinton was Secretary of
State.

850
00:38:16,627 --> 00:38:19,127
Again, isn't this a clear
violation of a memorandum of

851
00:38:19,130 --> 00:38:21,830
understanding that said
that, first of all,

852
00:38:21,832 --> 00:38:23,972
there was going to be an end
to foreign donations,

853
00:38:23,968 --> 00:38:26,138
and these donations would --
and donations to the

854
00:38:26,137 --> 00:38:27,977
foundation would be made
public?

855
00:38:28,806 --> 00:38:29,206
Mr. Earnest: Again, I'd
refer to you Secretary

856
00:38:29,206 --> 00:38:29,806
Clinton's team about that.

857
00:38:29,807 --> 00:38:31,107
The Press: Well, can you
check in on this, as well?

858
00:38:31,108 --> 00:38:32,778
This is an understanding
with the President, right?

859
00:38:32,777 --> 00:38:33,647
This was -- Mr. Earnest:
Yes,

860
00:38:33,644 --> 00:38:35,884
but you're asking about
their compliance with this

861
00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:38,320
particular matter and
whether it lived up to the

862
00:38:38,315 --> 00:38:40,215
standards that Secretary
Clinton had set for herself.

863
00:38:40,217 --> 00:38:42,387
And so I'd refer you to
Secretary Clinton's team to

864
00:38:42,386 --> 00:38:44,956
render some judgment on
that.

865
00:38:44,955 --> 00:38:46,295
The Press: One thing
Secretary Clinton's team has

866
00:38:46,290 --> 00:38:49,560
referred us back to the
White House on whether or

867
00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:52,860
not any agency objected to
that Uranium One deal,

868
00:38:52,863 --> 00:38:57,873
again, that allowed the
Russians take steps towards

869
00:38:57,868 --> 00:38:59,608
cornering the uranium
market,

870
00:38:59,603 --> 00:39:00,773
which seems pretty
significant.

871
00:39:00,771 --> 00:39:04,311
If any -- referred us to you
if there's been

872
00:39:04,308 --> 00:39:05,138
any objections.

873
00:39:05,142 --> 00:39:06,842
So will you please find out
for us if there were any

874
00:39:06,844 --> 00:39:09,484
objections made by any
agency of the United States

875
00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:12,950
government for the Russians
making such a bold move

876
00:39:12,950 --> 00:39:15,420
towards cornering a
significant section of the

877
00:39:15,419 --> 00:39:16,189
uranium market?

878
00:39:16,187 --> 00:39:17,057
Mr. Earnest: I will take a
look and see if there's

879
00:39:17,054 --> 00:39:18,224
information that we can
provide on that

880
00:39:18,222 --> 00:39:19,592
specific matter.

881
00:39:19,590 --> 00:39:21,230
I know the other thing that
has also been pointed out

882
00:39:21,225 --> 00:39:24,025
here is that this was a
decision that other

883
00:39:24,028 --> 00:39:25,398
countries had the
opportunity to weigh in on,

884
00:39:25,396 --> 00:39:27,466
as well.

885
00:39:27,465 --> 00:39:29,905
And that seems like a
relevant fact in terms of

886
00:39:29,900 --> 00:39:31,700
the completion of this
specific transaction.

887
00:39:31,702 --> 00:39:32,472
The Press: I'm asking about
our country,

888
00:39:32,470 --> 00:39:33,200
but I appreciate it.

889
00:39:33,204 --> 00:39:34,034
Mr. Earnest: Understandable.

890
00:39:34,038 --> 00:39:35,708
And if there's information
that we can provide, I will.

891
00:39:35,706 --> 00:39:37,976
I'll try to do that.

892
00:39:37,975 --> 00:39:38,675
Jim.

893
00:39:38,676 --> 00:39:40,816
The Press: Before we get
back to the operations and

894
00:39:40,811 --> 00:39:43,711
the news of today, I just
wanted to follow up on Jon's

895
00:39:43,714 --> 00:39:46,354
question about the Clinton
Foundation.

896
00:39:46,350 --> 00:39:48,720
Do you feel and does the
President feel that the

897
00:39:48,719 --> 00:39:52,689
Clinton Foundation -- that
Hillary Clinton provided

898
00:39:52,690 --> 00:39:55,430
sufficient information about
the foundation's activities

899
00:39:55,426 --> 00:39:57,626
while she was Secretary of
State?

900
00:39:57,628 --> 00:39:59,628
Are you fully satisfied with
the disclosure from the

901
00:39:59,630 --> 00:40:01,000
foundation and her
disclosures?

902
00:40:00,998 --> 00:40:03,838
Mr. Earnest: I haven't been
presented with any evidence

903
00:40:03,834 --> 00:40:07,534
to indicate that somehow
there has been insufficient

904
00:40:07,538 --> 00:40:09,538
information provided to the
administration.

905
00:40:09,540 --> 00:40:11,540
The Press: And getting back
to the operation,

906
00:40:11,542 --> 00:40:15,482
I wanted to ask about Gadahn
one more time.

907
00:40:15,479 --> 00:40:18,449
You mentioned he was a
prominent spokesman for al

908
00:40:18,449 --> 00:40:20,919
Qaeda, but had he moved into
an operational role

909
00:40:20,918 --> 00:40:22,018
in any way?

910
00:40:22,019 --> 00:40:23,859
Mr. Earnest: I don't have
any additional assessment

911
00:40:23,854 --> 00:40:27,224
about his activities to
share with you other than to

912
00:40:27,224 --> 00:40:30,894
note that he was an al Qaeda
leader who frequented this

913
00:40:30,895 --> 00:40:33,495
particular al Qaeda
compound.

914
00:40:33,497 --> 00:40:37,567
He is somebody who did serve
as the public face of al

915
00:40:37,568 --> 00:40:39,668
Qaeda in some of their
communications.

916
00:40:39,670 --> 00:40:41,670
He is somebody that was
wanted by the U.S.

917
00:40:41,672 --> 00:40:44,072
government both for treason
and for providing material

918
00:40:44,074 --> 00:40:46,114
support to terrorists.

919
00:40:48,846 --> 00:40:52,416
And there was an assessment
of near certainty that an

920
00:40:52,416 --> 00:40:57,626
operation against this
compound would succeed in

921
00:41:00,090 --> 00:41:02,860
taking out members of the al
Qaeda leadership.

922
00:41:02,860 --> 00:41:05,360
And in this case, that
assessment was correct.

923
00:41:05,362 --> 00:41:08,662
The Press: And I know there
are -- as we've talked about

924
00:41:08,666 --> 00:41:10,706
here, there are some details
that you can't provide,

925
00:41:10,701 --> 00:41:12,701
and so I may be going
through some red

926
00:41:12,703 --> 00:41:13,703
lights here.

927
00:41:13,704 --> 00:41:17,804
But what was it about the
surveillance of these

928
00:41:17,808 --> 00:41:20,878
compounds that gave the
counterterrorism officials

929
00:41:20,878 --> 00:41:23,778
confidence or high levels of
confidence that these were

930
00:41:23,781 --> 00:41:26,751
al Qaeda compounds that were
about to be struck?

931
00:41:26,750 --> 00:41:27,890
Mr. Earnest: There's not
additional information that

932
00:41:27,885 --> 00:41:31,725
I can share about the
intelligence that led to the

933
00:41:31,722 --> 00:41:33,422
near-certainty determination
that was reached.

934
00:41:33,424 --> 00:41:34,354
The Press: Okay.

935
00:41:34,358 --> 00:41:39,698
And can you say whether or
not these were ground forces

936
00:41:39,697 --> 00:41:42,297
that carried out these
operations?

937
00:41:42,299 --> 00:41:44,639
Mr. Earnest: I'm not able to
discuss exactly how the

938
00:41:44,635 --> 00:41:45,735
operation was carried out.

939
00:41:45,736 --> 00:41:46,406
The Press: You can't say
whether they were ground

940
00:41:46,403 --> 00:41:47,243
or air?

941
00:41:47,238 --> 00:41:51,338
And getting back to the use
of drones,

942
00:41:51,342 --> 00:41:56,012
does the President have any
second thoughts now about

943
00:41:56,013 --> 00:41:58,313
their usefulness in carrying
out these kinds

944
00:41:58,315 --> 00:42:00,585
of operations?

945
00:42:00,584 --> 00:42:02,754
Mr. Earnest: Well, first of
all,

946
00:42:02,753 --> 00:42:05,393
the thing that we do know
about these kinds of

947
00:42:05,389 --> 00:42:09,629
counterterrorism operations
is that they have made al

948
00:42:09,627 --> 00:42:13,297
Qaeda less capable of
receiving recruits.

949
00:42:13,297 --> 00:42:16,497
They have succeeded in
diminishing al Qaeda's

950
00:42:16,500 --> 00:42:18,500
command and control
capability.

951
00:42:20,604 --> 00:42:24,204
And we know that as a result
of some of these operations,

952
00:42:24,208 --> 00:42:26,408
al Qaeda leaders have
changed their behavior and

953
00:42:26,410 --> 00:42:29,080
are now intensely focused on
their own personal security.

954
00:42:29,079 --> 00:42:33,719
And we know that when al
Qaeda leaders are focused

955
00:42:33,717 --> 00:42:38,227
intently on their own
personal security,

956
00:42:38,222 --> 00:42:40,422
that means they have less
time and energy and

957
00:42:40,424 --> 00:42:42,694
attention to devote to
plotting against the

958
00:42:42,693 --> 00:42:44,033
United States.

959
00:42:44,028 --> 00:42:46,168
So that is an important
thing.

960
00:42:46,163 --> 00:42:47,703
The Press: So drone strikes
work?

961
00:42:47,698 --> 00:42:50,738
Mr. Earnest: Well, what the
President indicated -- and

962
00:42:50,734 --> 00:42:53,574
the President went through a
lot of this in his National

963
00:42:53,570 --> 00:42:55,840
Defense University speech.

964
00:42:55,839 --> 00:43:02,179
Our preference when dealing
with suspected terrorists is

965
00:43:02,179 --> 00:43:07,049
to capture, detain, debrief
and prosecute them.

966
00:43:07,051 --> 00:43:09,821
And we -- the Obama
administration has a very

967
00:43:09,820 --> 00:43:14,490
strong track record of doing
exactly that in locations

968
00:43:14,491 --> 00:43:16,191
all around the world,
frankly.

969
00:43:16,193 --> 00:43:18,833
Bu the fact is, as I
mentioned earlier,

970
00:43:18,829 --> 00:43:23,099
in some areas of the world,
particularly in remote

971
00:43:23,100 --> 00:43:27,270
locations where extremists
are hiding out,

972
00:43:27,271 --> 00:43:29,641
local authorities have
limited capacity and,

973
00:43:29,640 --> 00:43:32,110
in some cases, limited will
to go after

974
00:43:32,109 --> 00:43:34,379
these extremists.

975
00:43:34,378 --> 00:43:37,378
So the limited capacity of
local forces and the remote

976
00:43:37,381 --> 00:43:40,951
nature of these environments
is precisely why these

977
00:43:40,951 --> 00:43:43,021
extremists are hiding there.

978
00:43:43,020 --> 00:43:47,860
And what the President made
clear -- again,

979
00:43:47,858 --> 00:43:49,958
and he made this clear more
eloquently in his National

980
00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:52,060
Defense University speech
than I will from here -- but

981
00:43:52,062 --> 00:43:55,002
what he made clear is we
can't use Special Operation

982
00:43:54,999 --> 00:43:56,999
troops to go after every
terrorist in the world;

983
00:43:57,001 --> 00:44:01,101
that we can't conduct an
Osama bin Laden-style raid

984
00:44:01,105 --> 00:44:02,405
against every terrorist.

985
00:44:02,406 --> 00:44:04,406
There are a variety of
reasons for that.

986
00:44:04,408 --> 00:44:06,678
One, it would be an
unacceptably high risk to

987
00:44:06,677 --> 00:44:08,777
our men and women in
uniform.

988
00:44:08,779 --> 00:44:13,749
Two, it would actually be a
higher risk to civilian

989
00:44:13,751 --> 00:44:16,821
populations than some of the
other capabilities that we

990
00:44:16,820 --> 00:44:19,020
often use; that the
deployment of a large

991
00:44:19,023 --> 00:44:20,323
number of U.S.

992
00:44:20,324 --> 00:44:23,624
forces on the ground could
lead to a fire fight with

993
00:44:23,627 --> 00:44:26,127
local civilians that we
don't actually have

994
00:44:26,130 --> 00:44:27,560
argument with.

995
00:44:27,564 --> 00:44:29,564
It could leave some local
populations with the

996
00:44:29,566 --> 00:44:32,406
impression that the United
States is seeking to occupy

997
00:44:32,403 --> 00:44:34,543
territory in their
neighborhood.

998
00:44:34,538 --> 00:44:35,838
That, of course, is not
true,

999
00:44:35,839 --> 00:44:38,439
but I think that is a
reasonable conclusion if

1000
00:44:38,442 --> 00:44:40,442
you're living in a remote
region of the world,

1001
00:44:40,444 --> 00:44:43,244
and you turn around and you
see several dozen or even

1002
00:44:43,247 --> 00:44:44,617
several hundred U.S.

1003
00:44:44,615 --> 00:44:47,715
American military personnel.

1004
00:44:47,718 --> 00:44:50,988
So the truth is that
narrowly tailored

1005
00:44:50,988 --> 00:44:55,188
counterterrorism actions are
actually the least likely to

1006
00:44:55,192 --> 00:45:00,002
result in civilian or
innocent loss of life.

1007
00:44:59,997 --> 00:45:03,897
However, what is abundantly
and tragically clear this

1008
00:45:03,901 --> 00:45:10,111
morning is that even
narrowly tailored actions do

1009
00:45:10,107 --> 00:45:13,307
not completely eliminate the
risk of innocent loss

1010
00:45:13,310 --> 00:45:15,880
of life.

1011
00:45:15,879 --> 00:45:20,949
However, the President is
determined to push his team

1012
00:45:20,951 --> 00:45:22,951
-- and this is a conviction
that's shared by other

1013
00:45:22,953 --> 00:45:24,953
senior members of the
President's national

1014
00:45:24,955 --> 00:45:28,595
security team -- to review
and, where necessary,

1015
00:45:28,592 --> 00:45:31,832
reform the protocols that
are in place to allow us to

1016
00:45:31,829 --> 00:45:34,199
continue to carry out the
counterterrorism operations

1017
00:45:34,198 --> 00:45:36,198
that are critical to our
national security,

1018
00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:39,600
while also ensuring that
those actions live up to the

1019
00:45:39,603 --> 00:45:43,273
high standards and values
that our country cherishes.

1020
00:45:43,273 --> 00:45:44,273
The Press: One last thing.

1021
00:45:44,274 --> 00:45:46,274
I know there's a lot of
other questions in the room.

1022
00:45:46,276 --> 00:45:48,676
But it had to have been
known by counterterrorism

1023
00:45:48,679 --> 00:45:52,579
officials that al Qaeda
leaders in compounds that

1024
00:45:52,583 --> 00:45:55,323
they might have high
certainty is an al Qaeda

1025
00:45:55,319 --> 00:45:58,689
compound would likely be
holding Americans hostage,

1026
00:45:58,689 --> 00:46:01,089
or have the potential for
holding Americans hostage.

1027
00:46:01,091 --> 00:46:07,001
Is that a part of the risk
that is taken when this kind

1028
00:46:06,997 --> 00:46:08,937
of operation is conducted?

1029
00:46:08,932 --> 00:46:11,072
Mr. Earnest: Well, there are
obviously a variety of risks

1030
00:46:11,068 --> 00:46:13,338
that are associated with
these kinds of operations.

1031
00:46:13,337 --> 00:46:19,007
And what is clear is that
our national security

1032
00:46:19,009 --> 00:46:21,349
professionals go to great
lengths to try to reach this

1033
00:46:21,345 --> 00:46:23,785
near-certainty assessment.

1034
00:46:23,780 --> 00:46:26,550
They rely on multiple
sources of intelligence.

1035
00:46:26,550 --> 00:46:29,490
In this case, one of those
sources was hundreds of

1036
00:46:29,486 --> 00:46:32,686
hours of surveillance of a
specific compound,

1037
00:46:32,689 --> 00:46:35,259
including near-continuous
surveillance of that

1038
00:46:35,259 --> 00:46:38,159
compound in the days leading
up to the mission.

1039
00:46:38,162 --> 00:46:40,902
We know that as our national
security and

1040
00:46:40,898 --> 00:46:42,898
counterterrorism
professionals are trying to

1041
00:46:42,900 --> 00:46:45,000
reach this near-certainty
determination,

1042
00:46:45,002 --> 00:46:48,172
that they will seek out
credible but contradictory

1043
00:46:48,172 --> 00:46:51,912
sources -- or credible but
contradictory intelligence;

1044
00:46:51,909 --> 00:46:54,849
that they're looking for
intelligence that would wave

1045
00:46:54,845 --> 00:46:58,015
them off reaching this
designation,

1046
00:46:58,015 --> 00:46:59,715
or reaching this assessment.

1047
00:46:59,716 --> 00:47:02,786
And then, these kinds of
assessments are also

1048
00:47:02,786 --> 00:47:05,856
subjected to a thorough Red
Team process,

1049
00:47:05,856 --> 00:47:08,256
where essentially you have
intelligence professionals

1050
00:47:08,258 --> 00:47:11,058
who are not part of
developing this intelligence

1051
00:47:11,061 --> 00:47:13,061
who will review the
intelligence that's been

1052
00:47:13,063 --> 00:47:15,433
collected to try to poke
holes in it,

1053
00:47:15,432 --> 00:47:17,432
to make sure that it
actually represents the

1054
00:47:17,434 --> 00:47:18,434
complete picture.

1055
00:47:18,435 --> 00:47:20,435
The Press: So in all these
hundreds of hours of

1056
00:47:20,437 --> 00:47:22,537
surveillance, it just wasn't
ever seen that these

1057
00:47:22,539 --> 00:47:24,439
hostages were present, is
what you're saying?

1058
00:47:24,441 --> 00:47:26,441
Mr. Earnest: Well, I can't
talk in detail about what

1059
00:47:26,443 --> 00:47:29,713
was seen in the -- what was
gathered in the course of

1060
00:47:29,713 --> 00:47:31,053
conducting this
surveillance.

1061
00:47:31,048 --> 00:47:35,188
But I think it would be
reasonable for you to assume

1062
00:47:35,185 --> 00:47:38,255
that if they had detected a
civilian in the compound,

1063
00:47:38,255 --> 00:47:40,255
that they would not have
been able to reach this

1064
00:47:40,257 --> 00:47:42,297
near-certainty assessment.

1065
00:47:42,292 --> 00:47:45,592
But they did, but
unfortunately that

1066
00:47:45,596 --> 00:47:48,096
assessment was incorrect.

1067
00:47:48,098 --> 00:47:48,998
April.

1068
00:47:48,999 --> 00:47:51,339
The Press: Josh, I want to
find out,

1069
00:47:51,335 --> 00:47:53,735
when did the President talk
to the Italian

1070
00:47:53,737 --> 00:47:54,467
Prime Minister?

1071
00:47:54,471 --> 00:47:57,071
Did he talk to him about
this last week when both of

1072
00:47:57,074 --> 00:47:58,814
them were meeting in the
Oval Office?

1073
00:47:58,809 --> 00:47:59,839
Mr. Earnest: He did not.

1074
00:47:59,843 --> 00:48:01,983
The President had a
conversation with Prime

1075
00:48:01,979 --> 00:48:04,279
Minister Renzi just
yesterday.

1076
00:48:04,281 --> 00:48:05,651
The Press: So what was the
conversation?

1077
00:48:05,649 --> 00:48:08,449
If you could tell us what
was in that conversation.

1078
00:48:08,452 --> 00:48:10,292
Mr. Earnest: The
conversation was relatively

1079
00:48:10,287 --> 00:48:14,187
short and very direct, and
the President delivered a

1080
00:48:14,191 --> 00:48:17,691
message to Prime Minister
Renzi that's consistent with

1081
00:48:17,694 --> 00:48:19,994
the message that he
delivered here.

1082
00:48:19,997 --> 00:48:23,967
And the President spoke in
his statement this morning

1083
00:48:23,967 --> 00:48:31,977
about how the values that
motivated Mr. Lo Porto to

1084
00:48:31,975 --> 00:48:36,415
travel a great distance from
his home country and from

1085
00:48:36,413 --> 00:48:40,513
his family, and try to meet
the needs of the local

1086
00:48:40,517 --> 00:48:43,287
population in Pakistan to
help people find their way

1087
00:48:43,287 --> 00:48:47,027
out of poverty is consistent
with the kinds of values

1088
00:48:47,024 --> 00:48:50,624
that certainly are embodied
by the life of Dr. Weinstein

1089
00:48:50,627 --> 00:48:53,067
and are the kinds of values
that we cherish in

1090
00:48:53,063 --> 00:48:54,063
this country.

1091
00:48:54,064 --> 00:48:56,264
And I think that's a
testament to the bonds and

1092
00:48:56,266 --> 00:48:59,166
values that the United
States and Italy have in

1093
00:48:59,169 --> 00:49:02,369
common and were on full
display in the lives of

1094
00:49:02,372 --> 00:49:03,742
Dr. Weinstein and Mr. Lo
Porto.

1095
00:49:03,740 --> 00:49:07,180
The Press: Was there any
kind of concern from the

1096
00:49:07,177 --> 00:49:09,947
Prime Minister that he was
here and with the magnitude

1097
00:49:09,946 --> 00:49:12,316
of the situation, that it
would have been discussed

1098
00:49:12,316 --> 00:49:16,356
during their conversation in
the Oval Office last Friday?

1099
00:49:16,353 --> 00:49:19,823
Mr. Earnest: No, that was
not communicated to

1100
00:49:19,823 --> 00:49:22,323
the President.

1101
00:49:22,326 --> 00:49:23,956
The Press: And also on
another subject.

1102
00:49:23,960 --> 00:49:26,960
Today, Loretta Lynch will
get that vote that you've

1103
00:49:26,963 --> 00:49:30,063
been -- that the White House
has been looking for.

1104
00:49:30,067 --> 00:49:32,767
Any comments about the
anticipation of a vote?

1105
00:49:32,769 --> 00:49:33,839
Mr. Earnest: Well, that
vote,

1106
00:49:33,837 --> 00:49:35,837
as I've mentioned before, is
long overdue.

1107
00:49:35,839 --> 00:49:39,739
And we are hopeful that
Senate Republicans will

1108
00:49:39,743 --> 00:49:42,543
finally do the right thing
and allow the nomination of

1109
00:49:42,546 --> 00:49:47,456
this very well-regarded
career prosecutor to come up

1110
00:49:47,451 --> 00:49:48,451
for a vote.

1111
00:49:48,452 --> 00:49:51,152
And we're confident that if
they follow through on their

1112
00:49:51,154 --> 00:49:56,294
promise to give her a vote,
that after a long delay she

1113
00:49:56,293 --> 00:49:58,693
will finally be confirmed
with bipartisan support as

1114
00:49:58,695 --> 00:50:00,695
the next Attorney General of
the United States.

1115
00:50:00,697 --> 00:50:01,897
That will be a good thing.

1116
00:50:01,898 --> 00:50:02,968
The Press: Do you expect an
approval today?

1117
00:50:02,966 --> 00:50:05,066
Do you expect an approving
vote today?

1118
00:50:05,068 --> 00:50:07,268
Mr. Earnest: That's the
indication that I've

1119
00:50:07,270 --> 00:50:12,280
received from our staff that
works closely with the

1120
00:50:12,275 --> 00:50:15,215
United States Senate, and I
hope that information

1121
00:50:15,212 --> 00:50:16,212
is correct.

1122
00:50:16,213 --> 00:50:18,883
And again, if she receives
that vote today,

1123
00:50:18,882 --> 00:50:21,622
that is a long overdue step
in completing her

1124
00:50:21,618 --> 00:50:23,458
confirmation process.

1125
00:50:23,453 --> 00:50:24,323
Major.

1126
00:50:24,321 --> 00:50:25,091
The Press: Josh, did the
U.S.

1127
00:50:25,088 --> 00:50:28,028
government at any time have
a sense of where

1128
00:50:28,024 --> 00:50:29,764
Dr. Weinstein was?

1129
00:50:29,760 --> 00:50:34,930
Mr. Earnest: Major, I can
tell you that our

1130
00:50:34,931 --> 00:50:37,301
intelligence professionals
and our counterterrorism

1131
00:50:37,300 --> 00:50:40,370
professionals expended
significant resources to try

1132
00:50:40,370 --> 00:50:43,610
to locate Dr. Weinstein and
rescue him.

1133
00:50:43,607 --> 00:50:46,047
And this was work that went
on -- has been underway

1134
00:50:46,042 --> 00:50:51,552
since he was first taken
hostage back in 2011.

1135
00:50:51,548 --> 00:50:54,948
So this is a long-running
effort that the President

1136
00:50:54,951 --> 00:50:58,921
was regularly briefed on the
status of the effort to

1137
00:50:58,922 --> 00:51:02,092
find him.

1138
00:51:02,092 --> 00:51:04,132
But that's about all I can
say about -- The Press: Was

1139
00:51:04,127 --> 00:51:06,527
there ever an operation to
try to rescue him?

1140
00:51:06,530 --> 00:51:09,200
Mr. Earnest: Not that I'm
aware of.

1141
00:51:09,199 --> 00:51:10,499
The Press: In this
assessment,

1142
00:51:10,500 --> 00:51:13,270
was it ever raised by the
Red Team or others that he

1143
00:51:13,270 --> 00:51:15,670
might be in this compound?

1144
00:51:15,672 --> 00:51:18,772
Mr. Earnest: Well, I'm not
able to talk about what

1145
00:51:18,775 --> 00:51:21,715
specifically -- how this
assessment was reached.

1146
00:51:21,711 --> 00:51:25,511
But given the very high
standard that is put in

1147
00:51:25,515 --> 00:51:29,385
place, this near-certainty
standard,

1148
00:51:29,386 --> 00:51:34,256
I think it is reasonable for
you to conclude that the

1149
00:51:34,257 --> 00:51:36,627
intelligence professionals
who evaluated this

1150
00:51:36,626 --> 00:51:40,396
particular situation -- both
in terms of drawing on the

1151
00:51:40,397 --> 00:51:43,137
available intelligence,
including the hundreds of

1152
00:51:43,133 --> 00:51:45,933
hours of surveillance --
that they had no idea that

1153
00:51:45,936 --> 00:51:47,006
he was there.

1154
00:51:47,003 --> 00:51:49,373
The Press: How sobering is
it that hundreds of hours of

1155
00:51:49,372 --> 00:51:53,012
surveillance proved to be so
fatally flawed?

1156
00:51:53,009 --> 00:51:54,379
Mr. Earnest: Well, the first
is,

1157
00:51:54,377 --> 00:51:58,117
is that it is an indication
of the lengths to which al

1158
00:51:58,114 --> 00:52:02,284
Qaeda goes to conceal the
location of hostages that

1159
00:52:02,285 --> 00:52:03,285
they take.

1160
00:52:03,286 --> 00:52:05,856
And this is, again, an
indication of just how

1161
00:52:05,856 --> 00:52:09,656
highly valued these hostages
are by al Qaeda.

1162
00:52:09,659 --> 00:52:11,759
It's an indication of how
difficult the work is to try

1163
00:52:11,761 --> 00:52:15,501
to find these hostages so
that they can be rescued.

1164
00:52:15,499 --> 00:52:18,039
And that's the first thing.

1165
00:52:18,034 --> 00:52:21,374
But obviously what occurred
is very tragic.

1166
00:52:21,371 --> 00:52:23,371
And you all had the
opportunity to see the

1167
00:52:23,373 --> 00:52:25,443
President up close and
personal when he delivered

1168
00:52:25,442 --> 00:52:29,642
his statement here, and I
think it was clear from

1169
00:52:29,646 --> 00:52:35,256
watching him deliver his
remarks how personally he

1170
00:52:35,252 --> 00:52:36,522
takes this.

1171
00:52:36,520 --> 00:52:40,060
He's the Commander-in-Chief,
and his top priority is to

1172
00:52:40,056 --> 00:52:41,996
protect the American people.

1173
00:52:41,992 --> 00:52:45,232
And it is particularly
painful that an operation

1174
00:52:45,228 --> 00:52:47,328
that was carried out
consistent with his policies

1175
00:52:47,330 --> 00:52:50,370
to try to protect the
American people,

1176
00:52:50,367 --> 00:52:53,167
unfortunately and tragically
resulted in the death of an

1177
00:52:53,169 --> 00:52:55,569
American citizen -- an
innocent American citizen.

1178
00:52:55,572 --> 00:52:57,942
The Press: In that National
Defense University speech,

1179
00:52:57,941 --> 00:53:00,781
the President went to great
lengths to talk about the

1180
00:53:00,777 --> 00:53:03,617
difficult cost-benefit
analysis and the risks

1181
00:53:03,613 --> 00:53:06,313
involved in how they weigh
upon him.

1182
00:53:06,316 --> 00:53:09,186
Mr. Earnest: And I had an
opportunity to talk to him

1183
00:53:09,185 --> 00:53:10,185
about this today.

1184
00:53:10,186 --> 00:53:12,186
There is probably -- this is
as good an illustration as

1185
00:53:12,188 --> 00:53:15,158
any of the difficulty in
weighing those

1186
00:53:15,158 --> 00:53:17,098
competing priorities.

1187
00:53:17,093 --> 00:53:19,093
The Press: Since you had
that conversation,

1188
00:53:19,095 --> 00:53:21,135
allow me to ask you: Knowing
what he knows now,

1189
00:53:21,131 --> 00:53:24,431
does the President believe
this series of operations

1190
00:53:24,434 --> 00:53:26,434
was worth it?

1191
00:53:26,436 --> 00:53:29,936
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
the standard that the

1192
00:53:29,940 --> 00:53:32,180
President has set for these
kinds of counterterrorism

1193
00:53:32,175 --> 00:53:35,975
operations is near certainty
that civilians would not

1194
00:53:35,979 --> 00:53:36,979
be harmed.

1195
00:53:36,980 --> 00:53:38,980
The Press: But I ask that
because you've made it clear

1196
00:53:38,982 --> 00:53:40,282
to us you were not targeting
anyone.

1197
00:53:40,283 --> 00:53:42,383
This was a compound.

1198
00:53:42,385 --> 00:53:45,125
That's not in pursuit of any
particularly identified,

1199
00:53:45,121 --> 00:53:49,161
vetted, or thoroughly
established operational

1200
00:53:49,159 --> 00:53:50,729
leader of al Qaeda.

1201
00:53:50,727 --> 00:53:52,367
It was a compound.

1202
00:53:52,362 --> 00:53:54,432
And there was nobody in
particular,

1203
00:53:54,431 --> 00:53:56,771
as we understand it, based
on what you've told us,

1204
00:53:56,766 --> 00:53:59,566
the United States government
was seeking to attack

1205
00:53:59,569 --> 00:54:01,139
or eliminate.

1206
00:54:01,137 --> 00:54:06,147
And I'm just wondering, that
standard of not seeking

1207
00:54:06,142 --> 00:54:09,782
anyone and having a specific
target resulting in the

1208
00:54:09,779 --> 00:54:12,649
deaths of these two innocent
hostages,

1209
00:54:12,649 --> 00:54:14,989
does the President consider
it worth it?

1210
00:54:14,985 --> 00:54:17,025
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
it's important,

1211
00:54:17,020 --> 00:54:19,220
because in this instance
we've gone to great lengths

1212
00:54:19,222 --> 00:54:21,622
to declassify as much
information as we can,

1213
00:54:21,625 --> 00:54:27,095
for us to scrutinize these
two situations.

1214
00:54:27,097 --> 00:54:29,097
As it relates to the
operation against the

1215
00:54:29,099 --> 00:54:32,639
compound that resulted in
the death of Adam Gadahn,

1216
00:54:32,636 --> 00:54:35,536
you had the intelligence
community reach a

1217
00:54:35,538 --> 00:54:37,538
near-certain assessment that
this was an al Qaeda

1218
00:54:37,540 --> 00:54:40,710
compound and it could be
carried out without harming

1219
00:54:40,710 --> 00:54:43,250
any innocent civilians.

1220
00:54:43,246 --> 00:54:45,616
Those assessments were
correct,

1221
00:54:45,615 --> 00:54:51,055
and that operation did
succeed in taking an al

1222
00:54:51,054 --> 00:54:54,454
Qaeda leader off the
battlefield.

1223
00:54:54,457 --> 00:54:59,127
The other operation that
resulted in the death of

1224
00:54:59,129 --> 00:55:03,229
Ahmed Faruq, the al Qaeda
leader who was frequenting

1225
00:55:03,233 --> 00:55:06,403
that compound, also resulted
in the death of

1226
00:55:06,403 --> 00:55:09,643
Dr. Weinstein and Mr. Lo
Porto.

1227
00:55:09,639 --> 00:55:11,809
The near-certain assessment
that it was an al Qaeda

1228
00:55:11,808 --> 00:55:14,478
compound and that it was
frequented by an al Qaeda

1229
00:55:14,477 --> 00:55:16,147
leader was correct.

1230
00:55:16,146 --> 00:55:21,916
What was not correct is that
an innocent civilian would

1231
00:55:21,918 --> 00:55:22,988
not be harmed in that
strike.

1232
00:55:22,986 --> 00:55:25,226
The Press: Weighing all
those things,

1233
00:55:25,221 --> 00:55:26,021
was it worth it?

1234
00:55:26,022 --> 00:55:28,062
Mr. Earnest: And so I think
the point is simply this --

1235
00:55:28,058 --> 00:55:30,658
that when it comes to that
particular operation,

1236
00:55:30,660 --> 00:55:33,430
the protocols that are in
place,

1237
00:55:33,430 --> 00:55:36,870
had our intelligence
professionals known that

1238
00:55:36,866 --> 00:55:40,236
there were -- or even
suspected that there were

1239
00:55:40,236 --> 00:55:44,076
innocent civilians in and
around that compound,

1240
00:55:44,074 --> 00:55:46,874
then the operation would not
have been carried out

1241
00:55:46,876 --> 00:55:48,876
because it would not have
been consistent with the

1242
00:55:48,878 --> 00:55:51,378
protocols that the President
and his team

1243
00:55:51,381 --> 00:55:52,611
have established.

1244
00:55:52,615 --> 00:55:55,515
And again, that is what
makes this all the more

1245
00:55:55,518 --> 00:55:59,928
tragic, is that the protocol
that was in place has a very

1246
00:55:59,923 --> 00:56:03,963
high standard for only
moving forward;

1247
00:56:03,960 --> 00:56:07,060
that the operation -- the
protocol is in place to

1248
00:56:07,063 --> 00:56:10,403
ensure that the operation
will only be carried out if

1249
00:56:10,400 --> 00:56:14,770
we can be confident with
near certainty that an

1250
00:56:14,771 --> 00:56:17,811
innocent civilian will not
be killed or harmed as the

1251
00:56:17,807 --> 00:56:19,207
operation is carried out.

1252
00:56:19,209 --> 00:56:22,909
And in this case, despite
hours,

1253
00:56:22,912 --> 00:56:24,982
hundreds of hours of
surveillance and other

1254
00:56:24,981 --> 00:56:28,281
sources of intelligence,
including near-continuous

1255
00:56:28,284 --> 00:56:30,284
surveillance of the compound
in the days leading up to

1256
00:56:30,286 --> 00:56:33,686
the operation, the presence
of these civilians was

1257
00:56:33,690 --> 00:56:35,290
not detected.

1258
00:56:35,291 --> 00:56:36,691
The Press: In that speech,
the President also

1259
00:56:36,693 --> 00:56:40,263
established the way by which
if an American is being

1260
00:56:40,263 --> 00:56:42,833
targeted, Congress and the
Justice Department are

1261
00:56:42,832 --> 00:56:44,902
brought into the
conversation.

1262
00:56:44,901 --> 00:56:46,771
As I gather it -- I think
this is an assumption,

1263
00:56:46,770 --> 00:56:48,670
but I just want you to
confirm it -- because no one

1264
00:56:48,671 --> 00:56:52,311
was targeted, that process
was not carried out?

1265
00:56:52,308 --> 00:56:56,178
Mr. Earnest: There is a very
process if the intelligence

1266
00:56:56,179 --> 00:57:00,219
community determines that
it's necessary to target a

1267
00:57:00,216 --> 00:57:02,316
counterterrorism operation
against a specific

1268
00:57:02,318 --> 00:57:03,458
American citizen.

1269
00:57:03,453 --> 00:57:06,823
That protocol -- that policy
was not pursued in this

1270
00:57:06,823 --> 00:57:10,623
instance because there was
no specific American citizen

1271
00:57:10,627 --> 00:57:11,627
who was targeted.

1272
00:57:11,628 --> 00:57:15,098
What was targeted was a
compound that our

1273
00:57:15,098 --> 00:57:18,798
intelligence officials
assessed with a high degree

1274
00:57:18,802 --> 00:57:22,572
of confidence, with near
certainty that was

1275
00:57:22,572 --> 00:57:24,372
frequented by al Qaeda.

1276
00:57:24,374 --> 00:57:28,144
And again, in both of these
instances, that assessment,

1277
00:57:28,144 --> 00:57:30,884
that near-certainty
assessment was correct.

1278
00:57:30,880 --> 00:57:33,850
The Press: What are we to
conclude from the potency --

1279
00:57:33,850 --> 00:57:36,150
or about the potency of al
Qaeda in this particular

1280
00:57:36,152 --> 00:57:39,352
region that a compound in of
itself was a

1281
00:57:39,355 --> 00:57:41,595
legitimate target?

1282
00:57:41,591 --> 00:57:44,991
That compounds without
anyone identified within

1283
00:57:44,994 --> 00:57:48,134
them, operationally, are so
threatening to the United

1284
00:57:48,131 --> 00:57:50,101
States that they must be
carried out?

1285
00:57:50,099 --> 00:57:54,839
That suggests to me a level
of anxiety about the potency

1286
00:57:54,838 --> 00:57:57,478
of al Qaeda still in that
region.

1287
00:57:57,473 --> 00:57:58,913
Mr. Earnest: I think what
you should conclude is that

1288
00:57:58,908 --> 00:58:03,178
it demonstrates a level of
determination and resolve to

1289
00:58:03,179 --> 00:58:07,379
continue to apply pressure
against the remnants of core

1290
00:58:07,383 --> 00:58:11,223
al Qaeda that still are
living in the

1291
00:58:11,221 --> 00:58:13,561
Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

1292
00:58:13,556 --> 00:58:15,556
And we know that these kinds
of counterterrorism

1293
00:58:15,558 --> 00:58:17,758
operations have made al
Qaeda less capable of

1294
00:58:17,760 --> 00:58:21,230
receiving recruits, have
made them less capable of

1295
00:58:21,231 --> 00:58:23,771
exercising some command and
control.

1296
00:58:23,766 --> 00:58:26,566
And we know that it has made
these al Qaeda leaders

1297
00:58:26,569 --> 00:58:29,139
intensely focused on their
own personal security in a

1298
00:58:29,138 --> 00:58:31,738
way that detracts from their
ability to plan and plot

1299
00:58:31,741 --> 00:58:33,041
against the United States.

1300
00:58:33,042 --> 00:58:35,842
And the President and his
team are determined to keep

1301
00:58:35,845 --> 00:58:38,285
up that pressure because we
know that pressure is

1302
00:58:38,281 --> 00:58:40,251
critical to the safety and
security of the

1303
00:58:40,250 --> 00:58:41,250
American people.

1304
00:58:41,251 --> 00:58:43,921
At the same time, they're
also determined in ensuring

1305
00:58:43,920 --> 00:58:46,090
that these kinds of
operations live up to the

1306
00:58:46,089 --> 00:58:48,559
high standards that the
President has said for not

1307
00:58:51,961 --> 00:58:54,561
injuring or killing innocent
people.

1308
00:58:54,564 --> 00:58:56,964
The Press: Just to follow up
on Jonathan's question about

1309
00:58:56,966 --> 00:59:00,736
the Clinton revelations --
you seem very nonchalant

1310
00:59:00,737 --> 00:59:01,737
about them.

1311
00:59:01,738 --> 00:59:04,778
And I'm just curious if you
believe the President is

1312
00:59:04,774 --> 00:59:07,014
comfortable with everything
he has learned in the last

1313
00:59:07,010 --> 00:59:10,880
couple of days, and that to
his satisfaction -- I'm not

1314
00:59:10,880 --> 00:59:14,180
talking about the Secretary
of State's compliance;

1315
00:59:14,183 --> 00:59:15,953
this was an agreement with
the President of the

1316
00:59:15,952 --> 00:59:16,752
United States.

1317
00:59:16,753 --> 00:59:19,693
To his satisfaction, do you
believe this administration,

1318
00:59:19,689 --> 00:59:22,659
the President of the United
States is comfortable and

1319
00:59:22,659 --> 00:59:25,129
satisfied with what's
happened,

1320
00:59:25,128 --> 00:59:27,728
what's been revealed, and
what the Secretary of State

1321
00:59:27,730 --> 00:59:30,670
did in accordance to her
agreement with him?

1322
00:59:30,667 --> 00:59:32,967
Mr. Earnest: At this point,
there has not been any

1323
00:59:32,969 --> 00:59:37,639
evidence presented that
would prompt the President

1324
00:59:37,640 --> 00:59:40,840
or anybody at the White
House to be unsettled by

1325
00:59:40,843 --> 00:59:42,843
Secretary Clinton's conduct
as Secretary of State.

1326
00:59:42,845 --> 00:59:45,315
In fact, everyone here at
the White House,

1327
00:59:45,315 --> 00:59:47,515
including the President,
continues to be very proud

1328
00:59:47,517 --> 00:59:50,117
of her service to this
country as Secretary of

1329
00:59:50,119 --> 00:59:51,689
State of the United States.

1330
00:59:51,688 --> 00:59:52,688
Jared.

1331
00:59:52,689 --> 00:59:53,989
The Press: I want to follow
up on a couple of Jon's

1332
00:59:53,990 --> 00:59:57,530
questions, specifically
regarding Faruq and Gadahn.

1333
00:59:57,527 --> 01:00:00,427
Would they have been
eligible targets under the

1334
01:00:00,430 --> 01:00:02,400
criteria that Jon mentioned?

1335
01:00:02,398 --> 01:00:05,438
Mr. Earnest: Well, Jared,
the things that I can tell

1336
01:00:05,435 --> 01:00:11,845
you is that neither
Mr. Gadahn nor Mr. Faruq --

1337
01:00:11,841 --> 01:00:12,871
The Press: I know they
weren't targeted.

1338
01:00:12,875 --> 01:00:14,275
I'm asking whether they
would have been

1339
01:00:14,277 --> 01:00:15,007
eligible targets.

1340
01:00:15,011 --> 01:00:15,811
Mr. Earnest: Not only were
they not targeted,

1341
01:00:15,812 --> 01:00:17,612
they were also not
classified as

1342
01:00:17,613 --> 01:00:19,513
high-value targets.

1343
01:00:19,515 --> 01:00:22,785
But they were and had been
identified as

1344
01:00:22,785 --> 01:00:24,855
al Qaeda leaders.

1345
01:00:24,854 --> 01:00:27,654
In the case of Mr. Gadahn,
he'd even been indicted for

1346
01:00:27,657 --> 01:00:30,597
treason and for providing
material support to a

1347
01:00:30,593 --> 01:00:32,633
terrorist organization.

1348
01:00:32,628 --> 01:00:39,068
So that is an indication of
how serious we considered

1349
01:00:39,068 --> 01:00:40,538
the threat from them to be.

1350
01:00:40,536 --> 01:00:45,946
We know that Mr. Faruq was a
leader in al Qaeda in the

1351
01:00:45,942 --> 01:00:49,942
Indian Subcontinent; that he
was a senior official as the

1352
01:00:49,946 --> 01:00:51,886
al Qaeda network was
plotting and planning in

1353
01:00:51,881 --> 01:00:53,281
that region of the world.

1354
01:00:53,282 --> 01:00:56,482
So these are individuals who
had a leading role in al

1355
01:00:56,486 --> 01:00:58,686
Qaeda and the al Qaeda
network.

1356
01:00:58,688 --> 01:01:05,298
And that is why the
near-certainty assessment

1357
01:01:05,294 --> 01:01:09,264
that a strike against these
al Qaeda compounds would

1358
01:01:09,265 --> 01:01:13,035
result in the death of an al
Qaeda leader resulted -- or

1359
01:01:13,036 --> 01:01:14,336
turned out to be true.

1360
01:01:14,337 --> 01:01:16,077
The Press: But I want to ask
you about that indictment

1361
01:01:16,072 --> 01:01:18,512
because you said earlier
that the President has no

1362
01:01:18,508 --> 01:01:22,908
regret for the death of
Faruq or Gadahn.

1363
01:01:22,912 --> 01:01:25,212
They weren't taken prisoner,
they weren't

1364
01:01:25,214 --> 01:01:26,884
targeted directly.

1365
01:01:26,883 --> 01:01:29,723
Essentially, a death penalty
had already been carried out

1366
01:01:29,719 --> 01:01:32,889
for a sentence, a trial for
treason that will never

1367
01:01:32,889 --> 01:01:33,889
now happen.

1368
01:01:33,890 --> 01:01:37,090
Does the lawyer in the White
House regret that;

1369
01:01:37,093 --> 01:01:39,793
that this justice process
wasn't able to be fully

1370
01:01:39,796 --> 01:01:40,796
carried out?

1371
01:01:40,797 --> 01:01:43,267
Mr. Earnest: Well, Jared,
these are very complicated

1372
01:01:43,266 --> 01:01:46,236
issues, and these are issues
that are considered in very

1373
01:01:46,235 --> 01:01:48,335
painstaking detail in the
speech that the President

1374
01:01:48,337 --> 01:01:50,737
delivered to the National
Defense University back in

1375
01:01:50,740 --> 01:01:51,740
May of 2013.

1376
01:01:51,741 --> 01:01:54,811
So I certainly commend a
quick look at that speech

1377
01:01:54,811 --> 01:01:55,811
when you get an opportunity.

1378
01:01:55,812 --> 01:01:57,812
But let me just say as a
general matter that our

1379
01:01:57,814 --> 01:02:00,584
preference, as the President
said in that speech,

1380
01:02:00,583 --> 01:02:03,253
is always to capture,
detain, debrief,

1381
01:02:03,252 --> 01:02:04,522
and prosecute terrorists.

1382
01:02:04,520 --> 01:02:06,490
And we have a very strong
track record of doing that

1383
01:02:06,489 --> 01:02:08,959
successfully in a way that's
consistent with our values

1384
01:02:08,958 --> 01:02:11,228
and in a way that is
consistent with the national

1385
01:02:11,227 --> 01:02:13,267
security interests of the
United States.

1386
01:02:13,262 --> 01:02:15,502
But the fact remains that
there are some regions of

1387
01:02:15,498 --> 01:02:18,868
the world where local
authorities have limited

1388
01:02:18,868 --> 01:02:22,038
will -- in some cases, it's
just limited capacity -- to

1389
01:02:22,038 --> 01:02:24,238
be able to go after these
individuals.

1390
01:02:24,240 --> 01:02:27,410
In fact, we know that that's
precisely why the terrorists

1391
01:02:27,410 --> 01:02:30,450
or the extremists are hiding
out there.

1392
01:02:30,446 --> 01:02:33,916
And in many of these cases,
it's just not feasible to

1393
01:02:33,916 --> 01:02:37,456
deploy American boots on the
ground to go get them.

1394
01:02:37,453 --> 01:02:43,363
We can't order up a Special
Operations raid every time

1395
01:02:43,359 --> 01:02:46,659
we suspect that a terrorist
might be somewhere.

1396
01:02:46,662 --> 01:02:50,972
In fact, to do so would
subject our military

1397
01:02:50,967 --> 01:02:55,607
servicemembers to an
unacceptably high risk.

1398
01:02:55,605 --> 01:02:59,375
It would pose an even higher
risk to local civilian

1399
01:02:59,375 --> 01:03:03,575
populations than some of the
more narrowly tailored

1400
01:03:03,579 --> 01:03:05,619
counterterrorism operations
that we carry out that don't

1401
01:03:05,615 --> 01:03:07,615
involve putting boots on the
ground.

1402
01:03:07,617 --> 01:03:09,617
So this is -- in fact, we
know that these kinds of

1403
01:03:09,619 --> 01:03:12,019
narrowly tailored actions
are actually the least

1404
01:03:12,021 --> 01:03:14,761
likely to result in the
innocent loss of life.

1405
01:03:14,757 --> 01:03:17,197
And that's part of what
makes them such an

1406
01:03:17,193 --> 01:03:18,633
effective tool.

1407
01:03:18,628 --> 01:03:20,128
The Press: I guess what I'm
asking about is the cavalier

1408
01:03:20,129 --> 01:03:21,129
tone here.

1409
01:03:21,130 --> 01:03:23,300
Because when you say there's
no regret,

1410
01:03:23,299 --> 01:03:26,439
but you say we prefer one
option versus the other,

1411
01:03:26,435 --> 01:03:29,875
but no regret that they're
gone, that they're dead,

1412
01:03:29,872 --> 01:03:32,472
wouldn't it have been better
if they had been brought

1413
01:03:32,475 --> 01:03:33,475
to trial?

1414
01:03:33,476 --> 01:03:37,616
And isn't the lack of
precision here contributing

1415
01:03:37,613 --> 01:03:38,713
to that deficit?

1416
01:03:38,714 --> 01:03:42,184
Mr. Earnest: Well, again, I
think I disagree with your

1417
01:03:42,185 --> 01:03:44,255
characterization as the
attitude that's on display

1418
01:03:44,253 --> 01:03:45,253
today as cavalier.

1419
01:03:45,254 --> 01:03:47,254
I think this is -- we're
demonstrating a pretty

1420
01:03:47,256 --> 01:03:48,556
seriousness of purpose here.

1421
01:03:48,558 --> 01:03:52,098
And what I would say is that
-- I've said a couple of

1422
01:03:52,094 --> 01:03:54,664
times now that our
preference is to capture,

1423
01:03:54,664 --> 01:03:56,304
detain, debrief, and
prosecute

1424
01:03:56,299 --> 01:03:57,699
suspected terrorists.

1425
01:03:57,700 --> 01:04:01,740
We've done that in a large
number of occasions in a way

1426
01:04:01,737 --> 01:04:04,337
that has enhanced the
national security of the

1427
01:04:04,340 --> 01:04:05,370
American people.

1428
01:04:05,374 --> 01:04:08,174
So yes, I would stipulate
that our preference would

1429
01:04:08,177 --> 01:04:11,017
be, for somebody like
Mr. Gadahn,

1430
01:04:11,013 --> 01:04:13,253
to walk into a law
enforcement agency and turn

1431
01:04:13,249 --> 01:04:16,649
himself in, and have an
opportunity for us to detain

1432
01:04:16,652 --> 01:04:18,652
that individual, to debrief
him;

1433
01:04:18,654 --> 01:04:21,094
we have a process for
debriefing individuals in

1434
01:04:21,090 --> 01:04:22,560
that kind of scenario.

1435
01:04:22,558 --> 01:04:29,298
And we would subject him to
American justice.

1436
01:04:29,298 --> 01:04:30,868
That would be our
preference.

1437
01:04:30,866 --> 01:04:35,076
But when we're talking about
these kinds of scenarios,

1438
01:04:35,071 --> 01:04:39,941
it is just not feasible and
not wise for us to deploy

1439
01:04:39,942 --> 01:04:44,212
American boots on the ground
to detain every suspected

1440
01:04:44,213 --> 01:04:46,083
terrorist that we come
across.

1441
01:04:46,082 --> 01:04:48,182
The Press: One last one.

1442
01:04:48,184 --> 01:04:49,214
Just a quick factual one.

1443
01:04:49,218 --> 01:04:53,288
Were any other nations
involved or informed as part

1444
01:04:53,289 --> 01:04:55,789
of either of these attacks?

1445
01:04:55,791 --> 01:04:58,161
Mr. Earnest: I can't speak
to the involvement of any

1446
01:04:58,160 --> 01:04:59,830
other countries.

1447
01:04:59,829 --> 01:05:01,399
I can tell you that
notifications,

1448
01:05:01,397 --> 01:05:04,267
obviously as I mentioned,
were made to the nation of

1449
01:05:04,267 --> 01:05:07,007
Italy, specifically the
Prime Minister,

1450
01:05:07,003 --> 01:05:10,203
because of the death of the
Italian hostage.

1451
01:05:10,206 --> 01:05:14,576
I can tell you that the
nations of both Pakistan and

1452
01:05:14,577 --> 01:05:18,247
Afghanistan have received
notifications about this

1453
01:05:18,247 --> 01:05:23,017
matter because the operation
was carried out in the

1454
01:05:23,019 --> 01:05:24,859
Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

1455
01:05:24,854 --> 01:05:26,594
The Press: Were they
informed before or after the

1456
01:05:26,589 --> 01:05:27,589
attack was carried out?

1457
01:05:27,590 --> 01:05:34,000
Mr. Earnest: The information
that was conveyed to them is

1458
01:05:33,996 --> 01:05:36,736
the same information that
was conveyed to all of

1459
01:05:36,732 --> 01:05:37,732
you today.

1460
01:05:37,733 --> 01:05:40,033
So this was obviously a
recent notification.

1461
01:05:40,036 --> 01:05:41,006
Viqueira.

1462
01:05:41,003 --> 01:05:41,633
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1463
01:05:41,637 --> 01:05:44,677
I want to get this question
in because tomorrow marks an

1464
01:05:44,674 --> 01:05:46,314
anniversary, an inauspicious
day.

1465
01:05:46,309 --> 01:05:50,079
It was 100 years ago, the
Armenian -- the killing of

1466
01:05:50,079 --> 01:05:52,419
1.5 million Armenians in the
waning days in the

1467
01:05:52,415 --> 01:05:53,885
Ottoman Empire.

1468
01:05:53,883 --> 01:05:56,483
Is the death of 1.5 -- the
killing of 1.5 million

1469
01:05:56,485 --> 01:05:58,285
people, is that a genocide?

1470
01:05:58,287 --> 01:06:00,887
Mr. Earnest: Mike, it has
been the policy of the

1471
01:06:00,890 --> 01:06:03,560
United States to freely
acknowledge the massacre of

1472
01:06:03,559 --> 01:06:09,669
more than 1.5 million
Armenians that took place

1473
01:06:09,665 --> 01:06:11,635
100 years ago tomorrow.

1474
01:06:11,634 --> 01:06:15,504
And it's a somber day and
it's a somber remembrance.

1475
01:06:15,504 --> 01:06:19,644
And in fact, there is a
delegation -- an American

1476
01:06:19,642 --> 01:06:22,482
delegation being headed by
the Treasury Secretary,

1477
01:06:22,478 --> 01:06:24,778
Jack Lew, to go and
participate in the

1478
01:06:24,780 --> 01:06:29,650
ceremonies that will mark
this tragic event.

1479
01:06:29,652 --> 01:06:33,022
The United States mourns the
loss of those who were lost

1480
01:06:33,022 --> 01:06:36,022
in that tragic series of
events.

1481
01:06:36,025 --> 01:06:40,595
And we continue to reiterate
our belief that the candid

1482
01:06:40,596 --> 01:06:44,136
and frank acknowledgement of
those kinds of tragic

1483
01:06:44,133 --> 01:06:50,143
incidents serves to make it
less likely that those kinds

1484
01:06:52,475 --> 01:06:54,475
of events will happen in the
future.

1485
01:06:54,477 --> 01:06:56,747
And we believe that all
parties have a vested

1486
01:06:56,746 --> 01:07:00,216
interest in acknowledging
the truth about

1487
01:07:00,216 --> 01:07:01,216
that massacre.

1488
01:07:01,217 --> 01:07:03,217
The Press: Josh, you
mentioned -- you used the

1489
01:07:03,219 --> 01:07:05,219
phrase "candid and frank,"
so I'd like to quote back to

1490
01:07:05,221 --> 01:07:07,391
you with when Senator Obama
said when he was campaigning

1491
01:07:07,390 --> 01:07:10,430
in 2008: "America deserves a
leader who speaks truthfully

1492
01:07:10,426 --> 01:07:13,526
about the Armenian Genocide
and responds forcefully to

1493
01:07:13,529 --> 01:07:14,529
all genocides.

1494
01:07:14,530 --> 01:07:16,900
I intend to be that
President."

1495
01:07:16,899 --> 01:07:20,639
He used the genocide word
then; he won't use it now.

1496
01:07:20,636 --> 01:07:22,606
Armenian groups say he's
betrayed them.

1497
01:07:22,605 --> 01:07:24,145
Has he betrayed them?

1498
01:07:24,140 --> 01:07:26,310
Mr. Earnest: Mike, the
President has spoken

1499
01:07:26,308 --> 01:07:29,708
forcefully about the value
and importance of

1500
01:07:29,712 --> 01:07:35,152
acknowledging that
particular tragic incident

1501
01:07:35,151 --> 01:07:36,221
in history.

1502
01:07:36,218 --> 01:07:38,488
And the President has spoken
to that repeatedly.

1503
01:07:38,487 --> 01:07:41,127
And as we have traditionally
done in the past,

1504
01:07:41,123 --> 01:07:43,763
we'll acknowledge the
anniversary tomorrow in a

1505
01:07:43,759 --> 01:07:45,999
statement from the
President.

1506
01:07:45,995 --> 01:07:47,025
JC.

1507
01:07:47,029 --> 01:07:50,899
The Press: Josh, how intent
is this administration with

1508
01:07:50,900 --> 01:07:55,940
its allies on capturing and
neutralizing the head of

1509
01:07:55,938 --> 01:07:58,778
ISIL, Mr. al-Baghdadi?

1510
01:07:58,774 --> 01:08:01,644
Mr. Earnest: Well, JC, we
use a wide variety of

1511
01:08:01,644 --> 01:08:04,284
elements at our disposal,
including our ongoing

1512
01:08:04,280 --> 01:08:07,220
support for Iraqi security
forces to apply significant

1513
01:08:07,216 --> 01:08:10,016
pressure to ISIL and ISIL
leaders.

1514
01:08:10,019 --> 01:08:12,519
And the President has
engaged in a strategy in

1515
01:08:12,521 --> 01:08:15,661
working closely with the
coalition of 60 nations to

1516
01:08:15,658 --> 01:08:17,928
degrade and ultimately
destroy ISIL.

1517
01:08:17,927 --> 01:08:22,867
And part of that strategy
involves applying pressure

1518
01:08:22,865 --> 01:08:27,235
and, where necessary and
available,

1519
01:08:27,236 --> 01:08:29,976
taking ISIL leaders off the
battlefield.

1520
01:08:29,972 --> 01:08:32,412
And that's a strategy that
we'll continue to pursue.

1521
01:08:32,408 --> 01:08:34,248
We've enjoyed some success
in that so far,

1522
01:08:34,243 --> 01:08:35,983
and we're going to continue
to pursue it.

1523
01:08:35,978 --> 01:08:38,248
The Press: And he is the
Supreme Leader of ISIL,

1524
01:08:38,247 --> 01:08:40,287
as you know.

1525
01:08:40,282 --> 01:08:41,922
It's needless to say --
Mr. Earnest: I'm sorry?

1526
01:08:41,917 --> 01:08:42,857
The Press: And he is the
ultimate,

1527
01:08:42,852 --> 01:08:44,352
the Supreme Leader of ISIL.

1528
01:08:44,353 --> 01:08:45,383
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
that's how he's

1529
01:08:45,387 --> 01:08:46,457
described himself.

1530
01:08:46,455 --> 01:08:47,155
The Press: Fair enough.

1531
01:08:47,156 --> 01:08:47,856
Mr. Earnest: Okay.

1532
01:08:47,857 --> 01:08:49,257
The Press: Loretta Lynch has
been confirmed, Josh.

1533
01:08:49,258 --> 01:08:50,928
Mr. Earnest: We'll have a
statement on that shortly.

1534
01:08:50,926 --> 01:08:51,726
The Press: What do you think
about it?

1535
01:08:51,727 --> 01:08:53,367
56 to 43, she's confirmed.

1536
01:08:53,362 --> 01:08:54,932
Mr. Earnest: That's
obviously good news and

1537
01:08:54,930 --> 01:08:58,870
we'll have a more robust
statement from the President

1538
01:08:58,868 --> 01:09:00,268
on that shortly.

1539
01:09:00,269 --> 01:09:01,339
Kevin.

1540
01:09:01,337 --> 01:09:02,537
The Press: Josh, thanks.

1541
01:09:02,538 --> 01:09:05,978
I just want to do a little
housekeeping on timing.

1542
01:09:05,975 --> 01:09:09,615
How long between when the
President was briefed on

1543
01:09:09,612 --> 01:09:13,752
what happened and today,
what's the gap there?

1544
01:09:13,749 --> 01:09:16,319
Mr. Earnest: Just about --
several days is the way that

1545
01:09:16,318 --> 01:09:17,318
I would describe it.

1546
01:09:17,319 --> 01:09:21,359
And that time period was --
has been used over the last

1547
01:09:21,357 --> 01:09:23,657
several days to work to
declassify as much

1548
01:09:23,659 --> 01:09:26,559
information as possible
about these two

1549
01:09:26,562 --> 01:09:28,162
specific operations.

1550
01:09:28,163 --> 01:09:32,203
The Press: In 2012, the New
York Times in an article

1551
01:09:32,201 --> 01:09:37,911
about the administration
made the suggestion that

1552
01:09:37,907 --> 01:09:41,147
there is a briefing,
sometimes including about

1553
01:09:41,143 --> 01:09:45,443
100 members of the
administration and security,

1554
01:09:45,447 --> 01:09:48,587
by video-teleconference
whereby the administration

1555
01:09:48,584 --> 01:09:52,424
engages in sort of, for lack
of a better description --

1556
01:09:52,421 --> 01:09:55,621
"Bob, pick who's next in the
line,

1557
01:09:55,624 --> 01:09:57,064
who's the next target."

1558
01:09:57,059 --> 01:10:01,629
And I'm curious if Gadahn in
particular was one of these

1559
01:10:01,630 --> 01:10:04,130
so-called next-in-line
targets that the

1560
01:10:04,133 --> 01:10:05,933
administration was looking
for.

1561
01:10:05,935 --> 01:10:07,805
Mr. Earnest: Well, Kevin,
what I'll say is that

1562
01:10:07,803 --> 01:10:10,443
neither Mr. Gadahn nor
Mr. Faruq was considered to

1563
01:10:10,439 --> 01:10:13,139
be a high-value target.

1564
01:10:13,142 --> 01:10:16,682
We obviously were mindful of
the risk posed by those two

1565
01:10:16,679 --> 01:10:18,949
al Qaeda leaders, but they
were not considered to be

1566
01:10:18,948 --> 01:10:20,218
high-value targets.

1567
01:10:20,215 --> 01:10:26,125
And I think I remember the
story that you're

1568
01:10:26,121 --> 01:10:27,491
referring to.

1569
01:10:27,489 --> 01:10:29,789
It was after that story ran
that the President gave the

1570
01:10:29,792 --> 01:10:31,792
speech at National Defense
University,

1571
01:10:31,794 --> 01:10:36,134
where he laid out in pretty
specific fashion the kind of

1572
01:10:36,131 --> 01:10:38,801
protocol and policy that
should be followed when

1573
01:10:38,801 --> 01:10:42,201
considering counterterrorism
operations like this.

1574
01:10:42,204 --> 01:10:45,744
And imposing that kind of
order and imposing those

1575
01:10:45,741 --> 01:10:48,841
kinds of reforms to the
system that would contain

1576
01:10:48,844 --> 01:10:52,984
the way that those decisions
are made was an important

1577
01:10:52,982 --> 01:10:54,452
national security
achievement.

1578
01:10:54,450 --> 01:10:57,720
It's important that our
policies and protocols are

1579
01:10:57,720 --> 01:11:02,690
able to adapt to our
ever-changing and

1580
01:11:02,691 --> 01:11:04,461
improving capabilities.

1581
01:11:04,460 --> 01:11:07,560
And the President's speech
that he gave at National

1582
01:11:07,563 --> 01:11:10,203
Defense University is
indicative of his commitment

1583
01:11:10,199 --> 01:11:13,439
to ensuring that we have an
adaptive set of protocols

1584
01:11:13,435 --> 01:11:16,335
that allows us to maximize
our ability to keep the

1585
01:11:16,338 --> 01:11:20,408
American people safe while
also adhering to the kinds

1586
01:11:20,409 --> 01:11:22,409
of values that we hold dear
in this country.

1587
01:11:22,411 --> 01:11:24,681
The Press: A quick follow-up
on something Jon was asking

1588
01:11:24,680 --> 01:11:27,280
you about with regard to the
former Secretary of State

1589
01:11:27,282 --> 01:11:28,952
Hillary Clinton.

1590
01:11:28,951 --> 01:11:31,491
You said that you've seen
nothing,

1591
01:11:31,487 --> 01:11:33,987
or the administration or the
President has seen nothing

1592
01:11:33,989 --> 01:11:37,129
that would shake your
confidence in her or in the

1593
01:11:37,126 --> 01:11:40,066
job that she did while she
was the Secretary of State.

1594
01:11:40,062 --> 01:11:43,902
And I'm curious if you feel
like the donations to the

1595
01:11:43,899 --> 01:11:46,869
Clinton Foundation while she
was Secretary of State --

1596
01:11:46,869 --> 01:11:48,869
some of them from foreign
governments,

1597
01:11:48,871 --> 01:11:51,411
some not previously
disclosed -- does none of

1598
01:11:51,407 --> 01:11:53,377
that trouble the
administration?

1599
01:11:53,375 --> 01:11:54,275
Mr. Earnest: It doesn't,
Kevin,

1600
01:11:54,276 --> 01:11:56,416
because the President and
the administration continues

1601
01:11:56,412 --> 01:11:59,752
to have strong confidence in
the decision-making of

1602
01:11:59,748 --> 01:12:02,488
Secretary Clinton, and that
she was somebody who served

1603
01:12:02,484 --> 01:12:04,554
this country and this
President extraordinarily

1604
01:12:04,553 --> 01:12:07,153
well as the Secretary of
State.

1605
01:12:07,156 --> 01:12:08,156
Mark.

1606
01:12:08,157 --> 01:12:10,927
The Press: Josh, are you
able to say or give any

1607
01:12:10,926 --> 01:12:14,026
detail about the size of the
compensation package you

1608
01:12:14,029 --> 01:12:15,029
mentioned earlier?

1609
01:12:15,030 --> 01:12:17,030
Mr. Earnest: I don't have
those details.

1610
01:12:17,032 --> 01:12:20,772
The Press: Will you at some
point?

1611
01:12:20,769 --> 01:12:21,769
Mr. Earnest: I'll see if we
can get some more details

1612
01:12:21,770 --> 01:12:22,340
about that precisely.

1613
01:12:22,337 --> 01:12:23,777
I can just -- what I can
confirm is that both

1614
01:12:23,772 --> 01:12:26,342
Dr. Weinstein's family and
Mr. Lo Porto's family will

1615
01:12:26,341 --> 01:12:27,641
be compensated.

1616
01:12:27,643 --> 01:12:30,843
The Press: When would an
amount be arrived at?

1617
01:12:30,846 --> 01:12:32,846
Mr. Earnest: I'm not sure
exactly how that process

1618
01:12:32,848 --> 01:12:33,618
works, but let me know look
into that.

1619
01:12:33,615 --> 01:12:35,255
Lalit.

1620
01:12:35,250 --> 01:12:36,590
The Press: Thank you, Josh.

1621
01:12:36,585 --> 01:12:39,485
Do you still believe that
Af-Pak border region

1622
01:12:39,488 --> 01:12:43,058
continues to be the safe
haven for al Qaeda leaders?

1623
01:12:43,058 --> 01:12:44,858
Mr. Earnest: Can you say it
one more time?

1624
01:12:44,860 --> 01:12:47,930
The Press: Do you still
believe that Af-Pak border

1625
01:12:47,930 --> 01:12:49,200
region continues to be the
safe haven for

1626
01:12:49,198 --> 01:12:54,068
al Qaeda leaders?

1627
01:12:54,069 --> 01:12:54,539
Mr. Earnest: There continues
to be concern that there are

1628
01:12:54,536 --> 01:12:56,406
al Qaeda leaders that are
hiding out in the

1629
01:12:56,405 --> 01:12:59,745
Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

1630
01:12:59,742 --> 01:13:03,312
And because of our
counterterrorism efforts --

1631
01:13:03,312 --> 01:13:05,652
we've talked before about
how core al Qaeda has been

1632
01:13:05,647 --> 01:13:08,417
decimated, and these
counterterrorism operations

1633
01:13:08,417 --> 01:13:11,657
have had an impact on al
Qaeda's ability to

1634
01:13:11,653 --> 01:13:12,653
receive recruits.

1635
01:13:12,654 --> 01:13:14,654
It's had an impact on their
command and

1636
01:13:14,656 --> 01:13:16,696
control capability.

1637
01:13:16,692 --> 01:13:20,492
It's even had an impact on
the freedom of movement of

1638
01:13:20,496 --> 01:13:22,496
some al Qaeda leaders
because they're so intensely

1639
01:13:22,498 --> 01:13:24,838
focused on their own
security now.

1640
01:13:24,833 --> 01:13:28,903
So that pressure that's been
applied to those al Qaeda

1641
01:13:28,904 --> 01:13:31,404
leaders in that region of
the world has had important

1642
01:13:31,406 --> 01:13:34,076
national security benefits
for the United States.

1643
01:13:34,076 --> 01:13:36,076
It's also had important
national security benefits

1644
01:13:36,078 --> 01:13:38,948
for both Afghanistan and
Pakistan, I'd point out.

1645
01:13:38,947 --> 01:13:44,957
But we're mindful of the
continuing threat.

1646
01:13:44,953 --> 01:13:46,593
This is obviously a region
of the world that's

1647
01:13:46,588 --> 01:13:47,658
rather remote.

1648
01:13:47,656 --> 01:13:50,596
We know that local forces
have limited capability to

1649
01:13:50,592 --> 01:13:55,032
operate in some areas of the
Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

1650
01:13:55,030 --> 01:14:00,500
And it's why we continue to
use some of our capabilities

1651
01:14:00,502 --> 01:14:02,502
in that region to protect
the American people.

1652
01:14:02,504 --> 01:14:04,504
The Press: From the
information that you have

1653
01:14:04,506 --> 01:14:08,576
shared with us, since this
morning it looks like this

1654
01:14:08,577 --> 01:14:10,417
compound was inside
Pakistan,

1655
01:14:10,412 --> 01:14:12,012
not in Afghanistan.

1656
01:14:12,014 --> 01:14:13,414
Is that a true assessment?

1657
01:14:13,415 --> 01:14:15,915
Mr. Earnest: I'm not in a
position to be more specific

1658
01:14:15,918 --> 01:14:19,318
about the location where
this operation took place,

1659
01:14:19,321 --> 01:14:21,321
beyond saying that it took
place in the

1660
01:14:21,323 --> 01:14:22,493
Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

1661
01:14:22,491 --> 01:14:24,731
The Press: And no prior
information was shared with

1662
01:14:24,726 --> 01:14:26,726
the governments of
Afghanistan and Pakistan

1663
01:14:26,728 --> 01:14:27,728
before the raid?

1664
01:14:27,729 --> 01:14:30,799
Mr. Earnest: I'm not able to
speak to the specific

1665
01:14:30,799 --> 01:14:32,739
communications between the
U.S.

1666
01:14:32,734 --> 01:14:34,734
government and the
governments of Pakistan and

1667
01:14:34,736 --> 01:14:37,076
Afghanistan in advance of
the operation.

1668
01:14:37,072 --> 01:14:39,642
But I can tell you that in
recent days,

1669
01:14:39,641 --> 01:14:42,681
after the high-confidence
assessment was completed by

1670
01:14:42,678 --> 01:14:45,878
the intelligence community
that Dr. Weinstein and

1671
01:14:45,881 --> 01:14:47,851
Mr. Lo Porto were killed in
a U.S.

1672
01:14:47,850 --> 01:14:49,850
government counterterrorism
action,

1673
01:14:49,852 --> 01:14:52,292
that this information was
conveyed to both the

1674
01:14:52,287 --> 01:14:54,287
Pakistani government and the
Afghan government.

1675
01:14:54,289 --> 01:14:56,959
The Press: And why are you
saying that the local

1676
01:14:56,959 --> 01:14:59,929
authorities have limited
will in handling these --

1677
01:14:59,928 --> 01:15:03,068
against these al Qaeda
leaders?

1678
01:15:03,065 --> 01:15:05,835
In the past, you have
praised by the government of

1679
01:15:05,834 --> 01:15:09,704
Afghanistan and Pakistan in the

1680
01:15:09,705 --> 01:15:10,775
counterterrorism operations.

1681
01:15:10,772 --> 01:15:12,312
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
United States values the

1682
01:15:12,307 --> 01:15:15,377
kind of security cooperation
that we obviously get from

1683
01:15:15,377 --> 01:15:17,447
the Afghanistan central
government.

1684
01:15:17,446 --> 01:15:19,446
There's obviously an
important security

1685
01:15:19,448 --> 01:15:21,448
relationship between the
United States and Pakistan.

1686
01:15:21,450 --> 01:15:23,650
After all -- and I alluded
to this in response to your

1687
01:15:23,652 --> 01:15:27,252
earlier question -- that
many of the extremists that

1688
01:15:27,256 --> 01:15:33,566
are hiding out in this
region have either planned

1689
01:15:33,562 --> 01:15:37,632
or even carried out attacks
in which the vast majority

1690
01:15:37,633 --> 01:15:41,973
of the victims were actually
Muslim citizens of Pakistan.

1691
01:15:41,970 --> 01:15:44,510
And it's an indication that
these kinds of extremist

1692
01:15:44,506 --> 01:15:47,406
terrorist elements that are
operating in the region of

1693
01:15:47,409 --> 01:15:50,709
these two countries aren't
just a threat to the

1694
01:15:50,712 --> 01:15:53,082
American people, they're
also a threat to the Afghan

1695
01:15:53,081 --> 01:15:55,081
people and to the Pakistani
people.

1696
01:15:55,083 --> 01:15:58,123
That's why the United States
government has succeed in

1697
01:15:58,120 --> 01:16:00,120
building strong security
relationships with both

1698
01:16:00,122 --> 01:16:02,722
those countries to try to
mitigate that threat.

1699
01:16:02,724 --> 01:16:05,464
Toluse.

1700
01:16:05,460 --> 01:16:07,630
Mr. Earnest: You mentioned
the Osama bin Laden raid

1701
01:16:07,629 --> 01:16:10,899
earlier, and I wanted to
sort of draw a comparison.

1702
01:16:10,899 --> 01:16:13,399
In that raid there was human
intelligence,

1703
01:16:13,402 --> 01:16:16,742
this courier that provided
information to back up

1704
01:16:16,738 --> 01:16:18,838
whatever surveillance that
the U.S. had.

1705
01:16:18,840 --> 01:16:22,010
In this case, we've only
heard about the hundreds of

1706
01:16:22,010 --> 01:16:25,280
hours of surveillance,
presumably by satellite.

1707
01:16:25,280 --> 01:16:28,220
Can you say if there was
also human in-country

1708
01:16:28,216 --> 01:16:31,416
surveillance and
intelligence that helped to

1709
01:16:31,420 --> 01:16:32,490
back that up?

1710
01:16:32,487 --> 01:16:33,527
Mr. Earnest: Well, what I
can say, Toluse,

1711
01:16:33,522 --> 01:16:36,192
is that the hundreds of
hours of surveillance

1712
01:16:36,191 --> 01:16:39,891
against this specific
compound was a very

1713
01:16:39,895 --> 01:16:44,195
important part of the source
of intelligence that we had

1714
01:16:44,199 --> 01:16:46,199
against this particular
compound.

1715
01:16:46,201 --> 01:16:49,401
It was not the only source
of intelligence, however.

1716
01:16:49,404 --> 01:16:52,874
And this goes to the
near-certainly determination

1717
01:16:52,874 --> 01:16:54,674
that's required before an
operation can be carried

1718
01:16:54,676 --> 01:16:58,446
out; that our analysts
consider a multiple --

1719
01:16:58,447 --> 01:17:01,547
consider multiple sources of
intelligence before reaching

1720
01:17:01,550 --> 01:17:04,420
that near-certain
determination.

1721
01:17:04,419 --> 01:17:08,219
And again, the hundreds of
hours of surveillance,

1722
01:17:08,223 --> 01:17:10,223
including near-continuous
surveillance in the days

1723
01:17:10,225 --> 01:17:12,265
leading up to the mission,
would obviously be a very

1724
01:17:12,260 --> 01:17:14,830
important and rich source of
intelligence,

1725
01:17:14,830 --> 01:17:16,800
but it's not the only source
of intelligence that

1726
01:17:16,798 --> 01:17:20,568
contributed to the targeting
of this specific compound.

1727
01:17:20,569 --> 01:17:22,169
The Press5: And there were
some intelligence officials

1728
01:17:22,170 --> 01:17:24,440
that have said that in the
wake of the Edward Snowden

1729
01:17:24,439 --> 01:17:27,509
revelations a lot of
terrorists have gone offline

1730
01:17:27,509 --> 01:17:29,109
and underground, and that
the U.S.

1731
01:17:29,111 --> 01:17:32,051
is relying too much on
technological intelligence

1732
01:17:32,047 --> 01:17:34,087
and not doing enough of
human intelligence in

1733
01:17:34,082 --> 01:17:35,222
the country.

1734
01:17:35,217 --> 01:17:36,987
How do you sort of respond
to that kind of argument?

1735
01:17:36,985 --> 01:17:38,555
Mr. Earnest: Well, I'd say
two things about this.

1736
01:17:38,553 --> 01:17:44,523
We're obviously talking
about a very remote area of

1737
01:17:44,526 --> 01:17:48,426
the world where even the
capability that's given by

1738
01:17:48,430 --> 01:17:50,970
human intelligence is
limited.

1739
01:17:50,966 --> 01:17:54,206
But I think what I would --
more importantly,

1740
01:17:54,202 --> 01:17:56,272
I think what I would point
out to you is that the fact

1741
01:17:56,271 --> 01:17:59,541
that these al Qaeda leaders
have gone underground is a

1742
01:17:59,541 --> 01:18:04,281
testament to the impact that
this counterterrorism

1743
01:18:04,279 --> 01:18:07,419
pressure has had on their
ability to operate.

1744
01:18:07,416 --> 01:18:09,516
If you have al Qaeda leaders
that are shutting themselves

1745
01:18:09,518 --> 01:18:12,118
off from the outside world,
that are not taking

1746
01:18:12,120 --> 01:18:14,190
advantage of communications
devices and are seeking to

1747
01:18:14,189 --> 01:18:17,859
go underground, that's going
to make it a lot harder for

1748
01:18:17,859 --> 01:18:19,859
them to exercise command and
control.

1749
01:18:19,861 --> 01:18:22,601
It's going to make it a lot
harder for them to be

1750
01:18:22,597 --> 01:18:24,597
involved in broader
organizational efforts of

1751
01:18:24,599 --> 01:18:25,599
the network.

1752
01:18:25,600 --> 01:18:28,340
It's going to be a lot
harder for them to plan and

1753
01:18:28,336 --> 01:18:30,606
direct attacks against the
United States.

1754
01:18:30,605 --> 01:18:34,675
And that's an indication of
an important consequence of

1755
01:18:34,676 --> 01:18:37,176
the pressure that the United
States and our allies are

1756
01:18:37,179 --> 01:18:38,949
applying against extremists.

1757
01:18:38,947 --> 01:18:40,117
The Press: One quick
question on the Time

1758
01:18:40,115 --> 01:18:41,985
Warner-Comcast deal.

1759
01:18:41,983 --> 01:18:46,093
The FCC, the staff has come
out against it.

1760
01:18:46,088 --> 01:18:47,928
I was wondering if the
President is going to get

1761
01:18:47,923 --> 01:18:50,363
involved in this decision
and if he has an opinion

1762
01:18:50,358 --> 01:18:51,228
on it.

1763
01:18:51,226 --> 01:18:52,696
Mr. Earnest: This is a deal
that is being evaluated by

1764
01:18:52,694 --> 01:18:54,894
independent regulators, and
so I wouldn't weigh in on it

1765
01:18:54,896 --> 01:18:56,036
from here.

1766
01:18:56,031 --> 01:18:57,031
Ms. Weinberg, I'll give you
the last one.

1767
01:18:57,032 --> 01:18:58,362
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1768
01:18:58,366 --> 01:19:02,266
I want to ask about the case
of Kayla Mueller who was

1769
01:19:02,270 --> 01:19:04,070
killed back in February.

1770
01:19:04,072 --> 01:19:06,312
At the time, ISIS had
claimed her death was

1771
01:19:06,308 --> 01:19:08,448
because of a Jordanian
airstrike.

1772
01:19:08,443 --> 01:19:10,043
But at the time, at least
for the DOD,

1773
01:19:10,045 --> 01:19:12,585
they had said it was
propaganda.

1774
01:19:12,581 --> 01:19:14,521
So I'm wondering in light of
this reassessment,

1775
01:19:14,516 --> 01:19:17,886
why is the United States so
confident in ruling that

1776
01:19:17,886 --> 01:19:19,586
contingency out?

1777
01:19:19,588 --> 01:19:21,158
Mr. Earnest: For two
reasons.

1778
01:19:21,156 --> 01:19:24,496
The first is that we do not
have a high-confidence

1779
01:19:24,493 --> 01:19:29,033
assessment about what led to
Ms. Mueller's tragic death.

1780
01:19:29,030 --> 01:19:31,170
We were able, through a
variety of intelligence

1781
01:19:31,166 --> 01:19:34,466
sources, able to reach a
high-confidence assessment

1782
01:19:34,469 --> 01:19:37,539
about the tragic death of
Dr. Weinstein.

1783
01:19:40,342 --> 01:19:43,442
The second thing is, what we
have said about

1784
01:19:43,445 --> 01:19:46,485
Ms. Mueller's death is that
ISIL has claimed that she

1785
01:19:46,481 --> 01:19:48,451
was killed in a Jordanian
airstrike.

1786
01:19:48,450 --> 01:19:51,090
And what we do know and what
we have made public is that

1787
01:19:51,086 --> 01:19:53,726
there is no evidence that
were Jordanian aircraft in

1788
01:19:53,722 --> 01:19:58,592
the region at the time of
the strike that resulted in

1789
01:19:58,593 --> 01:19:59,833
her death.

1790
01:19:59,828 --> 01:20:03,328
So what I would just simply
observe is that we are

1791
01:20:03,331 --> 01:20:06,471
continuing to try to develop
sources to get greater

1792
01:20:06,468 --> 01:20:08,738
insight into what led to her
death,

1793
01:20:08,737 --> 01:20:11,937
but we are intensely
skeptical of claims that her

1794
01:20:11,940 --> 01:20:14,110
death was caused by a
Jordanian airstrike because

1795
01:20:14,109 --> 01:20:16,649
we know there were not
Jordanian aircraft in that

1796
01:20:16,645 --> 01:20:18,685
region at the time of that
strike.

1797
01:20:18,680 --> 01:20:21,680
The Press: And that is
sufficient to rule out that

1798
01:20:21,683 --> 01:20:23,623
entirely, 100 percent?

1799
01:20:23,618 --> 01:20:29,088
Mr. Earnest: Well, again, we
don't know anything 100

1800
01:20:29,090 --> 01:20:29,930
percent in that situation.

1801
01:20:29,925 --> 01:20:32,295
That's why we're trying to
gather more information

1802
01:20:32,294 --> 01:20:33,764
about what led to her death.

1803
01:20:33,762 --> 01:20:36,302
But we are, I think
understandably,

1804
01:20:36,298 --> 01:20:41,208
intensely dubious of claims
that a Jordanian airstrike

1805
01:20:41,203 --> 01:20:44,873
led to her death when the
fact is that there were no

1806
01:20:44,873 --> 01:20:49,713
Jordanian aircraft in that
area when she died.

1807
01:20:49,711 --> 01:20:53,881
The Press: But the specific
of the Jordanian airstrike

1808
01:20:53,882 --> 01:20:56,982
aside, has the contingency
been ruled out that it could

1809
01:20:56,985 --> 01:20:59,955
have been collateral damage
from some ISIS

1810
01:20:59,955 --> 01:21:05,525
anti-coalition offensive, be
it something like a drone

1811
01:21:05,527 --> 01:21:06,757
strike or something like
that?

1812
01:21:06,761 --> 01:21:08,531
Mr. Earnest: Well, as we've
said at the time,

1813
01:21:08,530 --> 01:21:12,270
this situation, this
circumstance is still being

1814
01:21:12,267 --> 01:21:16,207
reviewed by our intelligence
sources to try to get

1815
01:21:16,204 --> 01:21:19,104
greater insight into what
exactly occurred.

1816
01:21:19,107 --> 01:21:20,677
Thanks, everybody.

1817
01:21:20,675 --> 01:21:23,845
The Press: Josh, will Lynch
be sworn in today?

1818
01:21:23,845 --> 01:21:25,685
Mr. Earnest: I don't believe
there's a plan to do that

1819
01:21:25,680 --> 01:21:26,850
today, but we'll keep you
updated.