Joint Press Conference by Secretary Carter and Secretary of State for Defense Fallon in London, England

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENSE MICHAEL FALLON: Well, good afternoon. It's a very great pleasure to welcome Secretary Carter to London.

The United States is and remains Britain's preeminent defense ally. Our relationship works because of the effort our leaders put into it, none more so than Ash Carter.

We are extremely fortunate to draw on his formidable expertise, his experience and his leadership in a darker and more dangerous world.

Our two nations continue standing shoulder to shoulder against multiple and concurrent dangers. And the first part of our meeting this morning focused on operations, where in the Middle East, we're degrading ISIL, reducing the territory they hold, conducting strikes, and training moderate forces.

We're cooperating on freezing their finances, stemming the flow of foreign fighters, and countering their corrupt ideology.

We also spoke about Russia. By propping up Assad instead of defeating ISIL, Russia risks making a grave situation much worse. We want Russia to use its influence with Assad to find a diplomatic solution, and help alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, aggressive Russian behavior continues, threatening our allies in Europe. So, NATO's reassurance role is vital.

At yesterday's defense ministerial meeting in Brussels, I announced that the United Kingdom is joining the Transatlantic Capability Enhancement and Training initiative, TACET, alongside the United States and Germany -- to help deliver a persistent military presence to the Baltic states and to Poland.

I also said we will be increasing our support for Ukraine into the next financial year.

Finally, we discussed Afghanistan. Our collective efforts have helped that country to make huge progress. But there are recent events that are concerning, as we'll be looking closely over the coming months on how best to continue supporting the Afghan government.

Besides our current operations, Secretary Carter and I also discussed the future, and our Strategic Defence and Security Review. How a growing budget lets us concentrate on a full and comprehensive review. How we can take our technological -- we can't take our technological advantage for granted in an uncertain world, and how we must become ever more innovative, harnessing new technology and adapting our operational concepts.

And here, our great nations have some history. Seventy-five years ago, the scientific mission led in the darkest days of the war by Henry Tizard led on to the pioneering technology that helped win that world war, and founded between London and Washington, between our two countries, a scientific partnership that continues to flourish today, with collaborations such as the F-35 stealth fighter, the world's largest defense program.

But today, Secretary Carter and I challenge our teams to tighten their transatlantic ties even further, bringing forward plans to match Henry Tizard's ambition.

First, to tap the brightest brains from government, academia and enterprise. To enhance our capability in cyber, in space and autonomy, and in robotics.

Our nations currently cooperate on a range of innovative research projects, from insect-inspired micro-UAVs to quantum clocks. Some of that effort is concentrated in Imperial College, London, Tizard's alma mater, which we'll both be visiting later today.

But we can do more. So, second, we need to work smarter, drawing on each other's expertise to become stronger than the sum of our parts.

Third, we must jointly test out those innovations, rapidly adapting our plans and concepts to fit the new environment.

And to signal our intent, I am, today, announcing that the United Kingdom will be investing more than 70 million pounds over the next five years in innovation.

That forms a key plank of the new Strategic Defence and Security Review, letting us throw open the doors to ingenuity. Letting us select from the widest possible sources of inspiration, and become innovative by instinct so that we can plan, develop and deliver the cutting-edge capability our future forces need.

Seventy-five years after that mission, in one of the darkest months of the war, the United States and the United Kingdom are evoking the spirit of that mission, electrifying our energies to stand stronger together in pursuit of our security and stability for our two nations and for our allies and partners.

Secretary Carter.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ASH CARTER: Thank you.

Thank you, Secretary Fallon, and it's a pleasure to be here with you in London.

As you may know, Secretary Fallon was the first counterpart I hosted in the Pentagon when I became secretary of defense earlier this year. That was only fitting, given the special relationship our nations share. Simply put, the United States has no closer ally and friend than the United Kingdom.

And for me, it's also a personal relationship. I studied at Oxford, and I have many fond memories of this country, so I'm glad to be back in the U.K. today.

After our NATO defense ministerial in Brussels yesterday, Secretary Fallon and I had a productive meeting today where we discussed ongoing defense issues as well as a range of opportunities to expand and deepen our partnership.

Our meeting comes at a critical time in the United Kingdom's defense planning. As our nations continue a cooperative dialogue on the U.K.'s Strategic Defence and Security Review. We're honored that the British government is interested in our input, and we are interested in turn in their thoughts on our defense strategy.

These exchanges are another indication of our close relationship and a new way to strengthen our strategic collaboration as we look to leverage our unique capabilities to engage the world and confront common threats together as strong, principled allies.

To that end, I want to thank and commend you, Secretary Fallon, for helping ensure that the United Kingdom will continue to live up to the pledge that all NATO allies made to each other at Wales last year: to invest at least two percent of GDP in defense.

I realize this is a commitment that calls for tough choices, but it sends a clear and important signal to the world that the United Kingdom is determined to continue its significant contributions to NATO's collective defense and to sustain its historic global leadership role. And we encourage other NATO allies to make this same decision.

Today, the U.K.'s leadership role takes on new importance, as Europe and NATO focus on how to address new challenges in a more complex security environment.

Over the last week, I witnessed U.S. troops working and training alongside their NATO counterparts to meet the challenges facing NATO's southern flank, including the serious effects of ISIL and state instability in North Africa and the Middle East as they spill over into that region.

And I'm grateful that the U.K. remains a stalwart member of our global coalition to counter ISIL, contributing to strike and reconnaissance efforts in the air as well as the wide range of other efforts that the minister referred to that together constitute the campaign -- the necessary campaign -- to defeat ISIL.

Meanwhile, from NATO's east to its south, we must also stay united to deter further Russian aggression and coercion, from its destabilizing actions in Ukraine to its air incursions into NATO airspace over Turkey.

As we've seen in the last few days, Russia's actions in Syria carry risks, both to the region and to Russia itself. Their strategy in Syria is fundamentally flawed, and the mistakes Russia is making there will have consequences, and will only inflame the Syrian civil war.

There is another path. Instead, Russia could use its significant influence in Syria to bring about the political transition from Assad that we all know is the real solution. Whether Russia does so or not is up to the Kremlin.

We also agreed that, as members of a strong and principled alliance, NATO allies have to work together to address 21st-century threats, and that requires 21st-century capabilities.

The 20th century NATO playbook was successful in creating a Europe whole, free and at peace. But the same playbook would not be well matched to the needs of the 21st century.

So together, we must write a new playbook, which includes preparing to counter new challenges like cyber and hybrid warfare, as well as adjusting both our posture and our presence to adapt and respond to new challenges and new threats.

Recognizing today's new security environment, the United States and the United Kingdom share a common drive to innovate for the future, making sure our forces stay at the leading edge of technology.

That's why Secretary Fallon and I have agreed that our defense institutions will work together on a combined approach to innovation, ranging from technology and operational concepts to war games and talent management.

And I'm looking forward to visiting Imperial College this afternoon to see some of Britain's leading innovators in blast injury studies, swarming systems and robotics.

Before we take questions, I want to close by expressing my deep thanks to Secretary Fallon and the United Kingdom for your friendship, your unwavering strength and unquestionable commitment to the cherished values our nations share.

Thank you, Michael.

SEC. FALLON: Thank you, Ash.

We have time now for a few questions. I'm going to begin with the home team, if you'll excuse me. Jonathan Beale, BBC.

Q: Thank you.

If I could first of all ask, Mr. Carter, Russians are saying that all the cruise missiles they fired from the Caspian Sea hit their targets. The Pentagon's been saying four missed. I was wondering, who should we believe, and how do you know that they did miss?

And then if I could just add on to that, Britain is not taking part in airstrikes against ISIL in Syria. How important is it that Britain is part of those airstrikes?

And also -- to Mr. Fallon -- would you concede that, given Russia's intervention, it is now going to be much harder for you to persuade M.P.s to vote in favor of British military airstrikes in Syria as well as Iraq?

SEC. CARTER: Sure. Well, for the -- for the first part about the Iranian impacts of cruise missiles, we did have some indications that that was the case. That -- if so, that would indicate malfunctions of those missiles.

I can't really say any more than that about the information we have. And with respect to the U.K. role, I really think I'll let the minister speak for the United Kingdom. Obviously, we welcome the partnership and have just the closest partnership with the U.K. across the board in everything we do, including in Syria.

But the U.K. makes its own decisions and has its own force issues and so forth that -- I'm really going to let the minister speak for that himself.

SEC. FALLON: Well, thank you.

ISIL remains a threat to the people of Syria, to Iraq, to the Middle East, but also a very direct threat to the United Kingdom. And we will continue to build the case for military action in northeast Syria, where ISIL is headquartered, where its command and control is, and from where its supply routes are being used to fuel its campaign in Iraq.

And the Russian intervention doesn't change that. We continue to build the case for support for military action in the new parliament.

Now, let's be fair, and -- yes.

Q: (inaudible) -- I have two quick questions for each of you, please. For each of you to answer. It's a two-parter.

With the reports, first of all, of the Iranian general who has been killed in Syria, I'm wondering if you could give us any more information on what you know about the presence of Iranian troops in Syria, and whether you have seen that growing? And at what pace, recently?

And secondly, the NATO secretary general said yesterday that Russia is sending its most modern weaponry into the region. I'm wondering if the two of you see this as much as a Russian military operation as you do a message to NATO of Russian military might?

SEC. CARTER: Well, first, with respect -- I've seen those reports, also. I can't confirm them.

Obviously, we know that Iran supports Assad, and that is one of the range of Iranian malign influences throughout the region that the United States is committed to countering. That's why we stand with our friends and allies throughout the Middle East, as we have emphasized in connection with other activities of Iran around the region.

But I don't -- I can't give you any further information on that particular report.

With respect to NATO, I think, to the -- that NATO and Europe have stood strong and united with respect to actions Russia has taken in the last few years. First in Ukraine, now with respect to the incursion into Turkish airspace.

To take Ukraine, first Europe stood together, NATO stood strong, and costs were imposed on Russia.

With respect to the annexation of Crimea and the incursions into Ukraine -- and that continues, that unified response to Russia continues in Europe. And you see that reflected in the actions that NATO has taken, and in fact, that the U.K. has taken just in the last week to strengthen our posture in Europe, and strengthen the NATO posture.

And with respect to Syria, we were just -- as Minister Fallon indicated yesterday, in Brussels for a NATO ministerial. Earlier in the week, NATO immediately stood strongly behind Turkey in the protection of Turkish airspace as NATO airspace. And that we reaffirmed at the ministerial yesterday in Brussels.

So, NATO has stood strong and united throughout.

SEC. FALLON: Thank you.

Well, NATO is certainly determined to prevent the Russian intervention from diverting any focus on our effort against -- the coalition effort against ISIL, or to destabilize the Eastern Mediterranean. And an incursion into Turkish airspace, of course, is an incursion across a NATO border.

And that only has reinforced the determination of NATO members to protect each other and to look to their collective security. And our contribution to that, I announced yesterday. We are joining the American-German TACET initiative. And we are stepping up and continuing the support we are giving to the Ukrainian armed forces as well.

Right. Let's go this side. Debbie Haynes, Times. The Times.

Q: Thank you very much. I'm Deborah Haynes from The Times.

First, for Secretary Carter. There's some reports that the Obama administration has abandoned the Syrian training program for moderate rebels. Could you talk about that?

And also, looking on the ground today, Islamic State seems to be taking advantage of the Russian airstrikes, and is getting quite close to Aleppo. What does that tell you about the genuine Russian strategy?

And Mr. Fallon --

SEC. FALLON: That's two questions so far.

Q: -- on Afghanistan --

SEC. CARTER: That's just me.

Q: -- on Afghanistan, the U.S. is considering keeping troops in Afghanistan beyond next year. Is the U.K. also considering retaining our footprint there beyond 2016?

Thank you.

SEC. CARTER: With respect to the issue of training forces in Syria that will take the fight to ISIL on Syrian territory, that is an important ingredient of our overall counter-ISIL strategy, and the United States remains committed to that.

We have been looking for now several weeks at ways to improve that program. I wasn't satisfied with the early efforts in that regard, and so we're looking at different ways to achieve the -- basically, the same kind of strategic objective, which is the right one, which is to enable capable, motivated forces on the ground to retake territory from ISIL, and reclaim Syrian territory from extremism.

So, we have devised a number of different approaches to that going forward and taking them to President Obama. And I think you'll be hearing very shortly from him in that regard about the effort -- the proposals that he has approved, and that we're going to go forward with.

With respect to Russia -- I'm sorry. How did the second part of your question go?

Q: It seems like --

SEC. CARTER: Oh, wait, yes, I'm --

SEC. CARTER: Well, I -- the -- I understand. The point that we have all been making since the Russians began their activities there is that their actions are going to have the effect of inflaming the very extremism that even Russia claims to want to combat.

So by taking the side of Assad, they bring upon -- they inflame the civil war, therefore extremism, prolong the suffering of the Syrian people. They're going to have the effect, also, of turning everyone against Russia itself. So, this will boomerang, in a very direct way, on Russian security.

And therefore, I don't think it is in their security interests to take this step. But it absolutely has the effect of inflaming ISIL and inflaming extremism, and that's the reason why I have consistently said that their strategy is illogical and self-defeating.

SEC. FALLON: Right. You had a third question on Afghanistan, I think. The answer to that is -- is no. We are part of the Resolute Support mission, which is not halfway through its time span, and we have no plans to change our commitment.

Obviously, we will look and see -- see the review that the commanders of that mission will be making at the end of the first fighting season to see how the Afghan forces have got on and the extent to which they've been able to cope with some of the ebb and flow in fighting that there's been.

Right. This side.

Q: Given that the cruise missiles were launched without any advance warning, what steps will the U.S. and the coalition take to protect their pilots over Iraqi and Syrian airspace?

And then the BBC is reporting that the Saudis are providing advanced anti-tank weapons to Syrian rebels. Are you aware of these reports and do you support the move? And then I also have a question for Secretary Fallon.

SEC. CARTER: Let's see. With respect to the first part, those cruise missiles were intended for ground targets, and obviously it is -- for the Russians to have done that without giving any warning is a further indication that they're not thinking through the consequences of their conduct. But they were not -- their targets were intended to be ground targets.

With respect to the air, I think we've made it clear and the Turks have made it very clear that we're not prepared to have any impediments to our conduct of our counter-ISIL campaign, and of course, NATO stands strongly behind the integrity of Turkish airspace.

With respect to the other, I can't confirm those reports about the -- you alluded to about anti-tank weapons to the Syrian rebels, but these are the kinds of things that are indications of the continuation of the civil war in Syria.

And the -- ultimately, the way out of the tragedy that Syria has become is for a political transition to be arranged so that Assad -- the -- Assad ends his rule, the structures of decent governance, to the extent they can be, are preserved on Syrian territory and the people of Syria can stand up a government again and keep on living their lives. That's where we all need to go.

It's ironic that Russia, which has great influence over Assad, is probably in the best position to assist that very transition, and yet, what they're doing heads in just the opposite direction, prolonging the civil war, fanning the flames of civil war.

SEC. FALLON: You had one for me?

Q: Secretary Fallon, this week the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe said Russia was building a naval arc of steel through its naval build ups in the Mediterranean, in the Baltic and the Arctics.

Are you concerned about the Russian naval build-up in the Mediterranean? And what steps do you think NATO or the U.K. needs to take to change its ship posture in defense?

SEC. FALLON: Well, we've been concerned for some time about the build-up of Russian forces. It's one of the reasons why it's so important for us and other countries to continue to meet the NATO investment pledge to start increasing our defense spending, and I and Secretary Carter yesterday encouraged our -- our allies in NATO to -- to match that pledge in the -- in the same way.

So far as the build-up on the Eastern Mediterranean or shipping -- ships passing through the Bosphorus is concerned, it's, you know, yet another reminder to NATO that NATO has to look to its collective security as a whole.

There is pressure, of course, on the eastern flank. There is concern in Norway, but the movement of Russian aircraft and ships and submarines to the north. But now we have, for the first time, a very real demonstration of Russian pressure on the southern flank.

So we need to look to our collective security and not be -- and not be frightened or diverted by the Russian build-up there, but to get on and carry out the exercises that we have planned and to continue collectively to modernize our own forces and our own fleet.

Now let's go this side. The last just in the third row there I think was first. That's you.

Q: Thank you. Mina Harballou from Al Jazeera channel.

Our correspondents in Syria are reporting on how the Russians are bombing the civilians, and among them, the moderate opposition that you are trying to help -- you're training to get hold of these cities. Do you have any clear strategy on how to help them?

SEC. FALLON: You want to go first on that?

SEC. CARTER: Well, sure. Well, this is exactly the kind of thing that I'm talking about when I say that the Russians are pursuing a strategy that is only going to cause further tragedy in Syria. And for -- the United States, for its part -- but I think this is true of the entire coalition -- is there to combat extremism.

It is there -- it is not there to combat all of the opposition to Assad, because some of that opposition, so-called moderate opposition, needs to be part of a Syrian political future after Assad and after transition.

So the kind of indiscriminate approach that Russia is taking is wrong-headed. I've said that before. It heads in just the opposite direction from where Russia should be heading if they want, like we do, to have Syria restored as a peaceful and decent place to live, and the kind of extremism that ISIL represents stamped out. The Russians say they want those two objectives, but their actions, as your reporter apparently indicates, head in just the opposite direction.

SEC. FALLON: Well, I too deplore the bombing of opposition groups in Syria simply because they are opposition groups. That's very regrettable, and in particular, the mounting toll of civilian casualties through what looks like the use of unguided as well as guided munitions, as Secretary Carter has said, being deployed quite indiscriminately in civilian areas.

We have been very careful, as part of the coalition strikes in Iraq, to avoid civilian casualties. And I find it very, very regrettable that we've seen so many -- we appear to have seen so many civilian casualties just in the last few days through this indiscriminate bombing of areas that are nothing to do with ISIL at all.

Who is next? Let's take a -- one more from each side. Shall we do that?

Q: Hi, Bill Hennigan, Los Angeles Times.

Secretary Carter, you've mentioned a little bit about the train and equip program and how you see that's -- needs to go forward. Can you elaborate a little bit? Are there plans or new recruiting centers?

You've mentioned in the past working with the Kurdish militias. Is that how you see this program evolving?

SEC. CARTER: The -- the work we've done with the Kurds in northern Syria is an example of a -- an effective approach, where you have a group that is capable and motivated on the ground, that you can enable their success.

We and others have been working to do that in northern Syria, so that's exactly the kind of example that we would like to pursue with other groups in other parts of Syria going forward. And that's going to be the core of the president's concept, which, as I said, he'll be talking about in a few hours.

We think that is an effective and a more effective approach to pursuing the same strategic objective that we've had from the very beginning, which is to assist capable and motivated forces on Syrian territory who are willing to fight ISIL.

That is the key to having a sustainable defeat of ISIL. You have to have that ground component that has to be capable of motivated, local people, and enabling them is what we want to do. And you're exactly right, the Syrian Kurds is an example of that approach, and it's been very effective so far.

SEC. FALLON: Right, final question, this side. The second row, there. Yes.

Q: Hi. Dan Rivers, for ITV News. Just a question to -- to both of you.

To Ash Carter, we've had unconfirmed reports in the last 24 hours from Syrian rebel sources of Russian casualties. Is that something that you've been made aware of?

And to Mr. Fallon, Ash Carter approved the release of the last British detainee in Guantanamo Bay, Shaker Aamer. Have you been given a date for his transfer to the U.K.?

SEC. CARTER: I can't confirm those reports, but I'm not surprised by taking the side of Assad against all opponents in Syria, Russia has, as we have said repeatedly, made itself a target, and so I expect that Russian forces will come under attack.

And the point I've made to the Russians myself, over time, is that by inflaming the kind of extremism that ISIL represents, Russia itself has suffered, in Russia, from exactly that kind of extremism.

This is -- so this is why it is not in any way, shape or form truly in Russia's self-interest to further inflame the Syrian civil war, and that's what's happening under their approach.

SEC. FALLON: One other thing just to add, very briefly, to that.

And we will not let -- and we must not let -- Russian intervention in Syria divert us from our focus on ISIL and doing everything we can, and that includes further military action. Doing everything we can to combat it, (inaudible) it remains such a threat to all of us in the west, to the stability of the region and to Britain in particular.

I haven't got anything to help you with on the release of Shaker Aamer. He's not -- I think you said he's a British detainee. He's not British, but a British resident. But I'm sorry, I haven't got any release date for you.

Thank you all very much. Thank you.