Slotkin Vows to Address Global Security Challenges

By Jim Garamone

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2014 – If confirmed as the next assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, Elissa Slotkin told a Senate panel today that she’d develop U.S. policies and partnerships to address security challenges in an increasingly complex world.

Slotkin, currently the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs is the principal adviser to the defense secretary and the undersecretary of defense for policy on security policy and strategy involving Europe -- including NATO -- the Middle East and Africa.

“America’s security interests in these parts of the world are as profound as they are vast,” she said.

NATO Alliance

The United States needs to ensure the NATO alliance is prepared to meet the challenge Russia poses with its aggressive behavior, Slotkin said. The U.S., she added, must also meet the threats emanating from the Middle East and North Africa and proliferating extremist groups in both Central Asia and Africa. There is also the challenge posed by transnational criminal gangs in the Western Hemisphere.

Slotkin spoke about a Turkish request to create a no-fly zone or a buffer zone against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant inside Syria along its border with Turkey.

“The idea of a safe zone or a buffer zone or a no-fly zone is something the Turks have been talking to us about for a couple of years now,” she said. “We’re in regular discussion about their proposal.”

She noted Vice President Joe Biden talked about the proposal with Turkish authorities during his visit to the country last week.

“We currently don’t think a no-fly zone fits the bill, but it is something that the elements of which we are looking at very closely to see if there is a proposal that advances our combined objectives,” she said. “The proposal involves a full range of air and land elements.”

Assistance for Ukraine

On Ukraine, U.S. officials are looking at proposals to provide lethal defense assistance.

“I think it is important to note that we have provided over $116 million worth of security assistance to the Ukrainians,” she said. “More important than that is the joint commission we have set up with the Ukrainians, the 25 visits that our generals have made from U.S. European Command to work on the medium and long-terms of the Ukrainian military to build them into a truly substantial force.”

In Iraq, Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi “is saying the right things and starting to do the right things on the critical issue of reform and reconciliation in Iraq,” Slotkin said.

“This is different than what Prime Minister (Nouri al-) Maliki did, particularly after 2011,” she added. “In fact, Prime Minister Abadi has been deconstructing some of the things that Maliki did during his time.”

Abadi removed 20-plus Ministry of Interior officials today for corruption and mismanagement, Slotkin said.

If confirmed, Slotkin said she’d push to build capabilities and capacity for allies worldwide.

“We’ve all talked about the complexities of the world problems, the unpredictability of the world and there is nothing more important than the capacity and capabilities of partners in addressing those common threats,” she said.