Our newest Secretary of Defense, a former grunt, a former sergeant who many claimed would not be able to stand up against generals or handle a security crisis, just completed a five-nation “inaugural” tour — Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates — where he met with royalty, heads of state, defense ministers and, yes, with many generals, but also with privates and sergeants.
From all indications it looks like Hagel had the attention of those generals and the respect and ear of our troops, as he did at an “undisclosed location” towards the end of his trip.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel meets with troops to thank them for their service at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, April 25, 2013.
It was at the conclusion of his trip, in the United Arab Emirates, when Chuck Hagel faced and addressed perhaps the most urgent issue — some say “a crisis” — of his short tenure: The assessment of our intelligence community, “with varying degrees of confidence” that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons — specifically the nerve-agent sarin — on a small scale in Syria.
Today, a White House official “speaking on background” said that there is evidence that the Syrian government used chemical weapons on its own people, but the world needs “clear evidentiary facts” before acting.
The official added: “The chain of custody is not clear, so we cannot confirm how the exposure occurred and under what conditions…If we reach a definitive determination that this red line has been crossed based on credible corroborated information, what we will be doing is consulting closely with our friends and allies and the international community more broadly, and the Syrian opposition, to determine what the best course of action is,” and continued “All options are on the table, and it could run … a broad spectrum of activity across … various lines of activity in Syria.”
When asked by a reporter whether Syria’s actions cross “the red line” mentioned by President Obama several months ago, Hagel responded:
Well, first, I would answer your question this way. We need all the facts. We need all the information. What I’ve just given you is what our intelligence community has said they know. As I’ve also said, they’re still assessing and they’re still looking at what happened, who was responsible, and the other specifics that we’ll need.
As to a red line, my role as secretary of defense is to give the president options on a policy issue. That’s a policy issue. And we’ll be prepared to do that at such time as the president requires options.
What options Hagel presents to the President and, more important, how his Department and our military implement the president’s selected option(s) will certainly be the first test of this former sergeant’s mettle and may very well define the rest of his tour of duty.
Here are some images of Secretary Hagel’s stops and meetings during his five-nation tour:
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak to reporters before a meeting in Jerusalem, April 23, 2013. Hagel is on a six-day trip to the Middle East, where he is visiting his counterparts in Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, walks with Gen. Mashal al-Zaben, Jordanian chairman of defense, in Amman, Jordan, April 23, 2013.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, meets with Jordan’s Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein in Amman, Jordan, April 23, 2013.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel meets with Saudi Arabia’s Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, the country’s deputy defense minister, for a welcoming tea ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 23, 2013.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, right, shakes hands with Egyptian Maj. Gen. Abd Al Halim Fouad as Maj. Gen. Mohamed Said al-Assar looks on in Cairo, April 24, 2013.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel meets with United Arab Emirates Gen. Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, center, the deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, foreign affairs minister, in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, April 25, 2013. Hagel met with defense leaders on his last stop of a six-day trip to the region.
Lead image: Secretary Hagel addresses the troops at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.
All photos: DOD
