00:00On March 2nd, the State Department finally told Americans in over a dozen countries to
00:05evacuate, but gave no real guidance on how to do that.
00:10As thousands of flights were canceled, the State Department initially told Americans
00:14to, quote, not rely on the U.S. government for assistance, departure, or evacuation.
00:22Let's be clear.
00:23The Trump administration chose this war.
00:25They planned this war for months, and they made no plans to safeguard hundreds of thousands
00:32of Americans in the region.
00:34There is no excuse for this.
00:36And I just want to draw a comparison here.
00:39In 2006, the State Department requested support from DOD just two days into the war in Lebanon.
00:47Transcom arranged ships, commercial charter, and military flights for nearly 15,000 Americans.
00:56So, General Reed, let me ask you.
00:58If the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense asked Transcom for help to evacuate
01:04Americans, would you provide that support?
01:08Senator, I would.
01:10So, General Reed, we're almost two weeks into this war.
01:14Have Secretary Rubio and State Department made any requests for Transcom to help evacuate
01:21Americans out of the Middle East?
01:24Senator, on the 28th of February, the Department of State made a request to my department for
01:30that, and we have provided some assistance.
01:34So, you're saying they made that request back on February 28th?
01:38Yes, Senator.
01:39So, when we called them yesterday, they said they had not asked you for assistance.
01:44Can you explain why that would be so?
01:47Senator, I cannot explain that.
01:50I just don't understand this.
01:54And you have been helping them all this time?
01:59Senator, what we have done is, through Central Command, have responded to the request
02:03for the State Department to provide airlift at locations that they have specified.
02:10And how much have you airlifted in this period of time?
02:13How many people?
02:13Senator, I'll have to get that number for you for the record.
02:17Can you give me a rough idea?
02:17Senator, it's been in the hundreds.
02:20Hundreds?
02:21Not in the thousands?
02:22That's correct.
02:23But I will say that as we continue to watch the situation, there have been other flights
02:30and other opportunities for American citizens to get out of the way.
02:35Some of that has been by ground transportation and some of it has been by commercial charters
02:40by the State Department.
02:42Are you saying you're not doing more because you think that Americans who are in the region
02:48are currently being adequately served by commercial flights and private vehicles out of the region?
02:57Is that what you're saying?
02:58Senator, what I'm saying is we have responded to requests for specific tasks.
03:03In conjunction with the commercial flights and what Transcom is providing, there are a
03:08number of ways to get our citizens out of harm's way.
03:11Senator, what I'm trying to understand is why you're not doing more because I'm hearing
03:15from my constituents who are stranded there, who've been stranded there for two weeks,
03:20and they're asking for help and they're not getting help from the U.S. government.
03:25And you're telling me that you're not helping because you think they've got plenty of other
03:29ways to get out of the region?
03:31Or is it that Secretary Rubio is not asking you for that help?
03:35I just want to understand who bears responsibility here.
03:41Senator, it is the responsibility of all to care for the citizens that we have in harm's
03:46way.
03:47And as we receive a tasking and the opportunities to do that, Transcom is responding.
03:53Okay.
03:53So, my constituents and other Americans who are trapped in the region are trapped there
04:02because Secretary Rubio is not asking you for help.
04:06Is that right?
04:07I just want to understand what's happening.
04:10We've been asked for help, and we're available to do that.
04:14And so, as we are able and the conditions permit with Centcom, we are involved in all the coordination
04:23to meet our citizens where we can get to them and then transport them to safety.
04:28So, you have provided all the help you've been asked for.
04:30Or you just haven't been asked for more help, is that right?
04:35Senator, we have been tasked and we have responded to each of those tasks.
04:39Look, I understand military speak here, but I don't understand how it is that we could
04:46get 15,000 people evacuated shortly after the war in Lebanon.
04:51And now we've still got thousands, tens of thousands of people trapped in the region.
04:55And I'm not understanding what your answer is here.
04:58And I don't think the American people are either.
05:00Thank you, Senator Warren.
05:01Senator, General Reed, has the State Department contacted you in this regard to ask for help?
05:08The State Department has, just as they did in the response to Lebanon as well.
05:15During that time, there were provisions to get people out by a C-lift and charter.
05:21And so, the amount of people who left, left with Transcom help as well as State Department charter.
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