Ashton Carter: If Confirmed, I’ll Recommend Changes in Afghanistan if Need Be

MCCAIN: "Are you aware of the problems that Jordanians are having with acquiring some of the weapons that they need?"

CARTER: "I’m not, Mr. Chairman. I learned of them this morning, as well. And if I’m confirmed, I definitely want to find out what they are and resolve them because we need partners on the ground to beat ISIS. And the Jordanian people have clearly reacted the way that encourages us to support them in combatting what is really a savage and nasty —"

MCCAIN: "Thank you. Last week General Mattis was before this committee. He said, 'In Afghanistan we need to consider if we’re asking the same outcome there as we saw last summer in Iraq, should we pull out all our troops on the administration’s proposed time line and the gains achieved at great cost against our enemy in Afghanistan are reversible.' General Cain said, 'All we accomplished in Afghanistan will be at risk as it was in Iraq if the troops are pulled out not based on the conditions on the ground. How can we not learn the obvious and painful lessons from Iraq?' Do you have a position on  a withdrawal from Iraq? Do you believe that it should be calendar based as it is now? Or should we be looking at the conditions on the ground to base those decisions?"

CARTER: "Mr. Chairman, thank you, and also thank you for your consideration about the -- [at] the back. I appreciate that. The campaign in Afghanistan has been close to my heart for all the time that I’ve been associated with the Department of Defense. I’ve been there a number of times. I think that success is possible there, but as you indicate, requires the United States to continue its campaign and finish the job. I understand we have a plan. The president has a plan. I support that plan. At the same time, it’s a plan, and if I’m confirmed, and I ascertain, as the years go by, that we need to change that plan, I will recommend those changes to the president."

MCCAIN: "Well, all I can say is, it’s not a matter of years. It’s a matter of weeks, actually, because one of the major withdrawals is going to start this coming June so I hope that you will assess that as quickly and as carefully as possible."