I believe foreign fighters pose a threat to the U.S., and that this threat is exacerbated by the ongoing political and security instability in Libya, if confirmed, I will focus attention on the foreign fighter flow as the department works with regional partners in North Africa to address the challenge posed by the terrorist safe haven in Libya and broader counterterrorism issues.

Ashton Carter

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Effective immediately, transgender Americans may serve openly, and they can no longer be discharged or otherwise separated from the military just for being transgender.

transgender military may

We hope relevant countries will work together in the same direction to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and co-operation.

friendship peace country

I think it's important to America's future and to the future of the American dream and our people and the unity and purpose and cohesion of our society that everybody feel like the pace of change isn't just dizzying, but it can work for them and not against them.

dream america thinking

In strategic affairs, clarity and consistency are very important. by Ashton Carter

In strategic affairs, clarity and consistency are very important.

clarity consistency important

I think it's part of Vladimir Putin's nature to define Russian success in foreign policy as thwarting the United States. That's in his nature. And that is very difficult to align with strategically.

putin united-states thinking

It's too low, and if Europe wants to be a force in the world it needs to be more than a moral and political and economic force, which Europe is because it shares many of our values and demonstrates them around the world. But it has to have the military power that goes with that as well.

political military europe

We have for decades now, and I've dealt with the Russians for 35 years, we have from time to time been able to, even though we have different interests, to align them. That alignment has become more and more difficult under Putin. You see that in Ukraine, you see it in the Middle East. To an extent where he actually defines Russian success as thwarting the United States.

ukraine middle-east years

I came up during the cold war, and during the cold war it was always possible with the then Soviet Union - the Russian leaders behaved carefully and predictably. They didn't engage in nuclear saber rattling. They were able to work with us and align their interests where possible.

nuclear leader war

It takes, as is frequently noted, a network to fight a network. This is going to be our network for fighting ISIL on a regional and, indeed, a global basis, that's the reality -- the recognition of that (is) behind the concept of linking together American counterterrorism and military nodes in the region and around the world so that they operate more smoothly together, so that they can focus on this network wherever it is.

It has been disappointingly slow, so I'm reluctant to make a time projection, i am certain it will fall, and we will assist.

We're going to have to do more in Libya. ISIL is becoming a magnet for groups that previously existed in some cases and that are now re-branding themselves as ISIL, but it's worse than that because ... they're also gaining energy from the movement in Iraq and Syria, which is why we need to destroy it in Iraq and Syria.

There should be no mistake : The United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as U.S. forces do all over the world, america, alongside its allies and partners in the regional architecture, will not be deterred from exercising these rights.

We're going to continue moving forward with that program. by Ashton Carter

We're going to continue moving forward with that program.

I said the number 60, and I can look out at your faces and you have the same reaction I do, which is that that's an awfully small number.

We make sure that they, for example, aren't going to pose a green-on-blue threat to their trainers; that they don't have any history of atrocities.

The terrorism threat to the West, including the United States, from AQAP is a longstanding and serious one, that one we will keep combatting. We obviously will change the way we do that in accordance with the circumstances there.

Finishing the job there is very important. by Ashton Carter

Finishing the job there is very important.

latest-headlines

We've got a lot of work to do, the taxpayer cannot comprehend it, let alone support the defense budget when they read ... of cost overruns, lack of accounting and accountability, needless overhead, and the like. This must stop.

Not only is our civilian infrastructure susceptible to cyberattack, but we have to be concerned about our military infrastructure, there's no point in having planes and ships and armored vehicles in today's world if the network is itself vulnerable.

We need partners on the ground to beat ISIS. by Ashton Carter

We need partners on the ground to beat ISIS.