Graham Questions Hagel at Senate Confirmation Hearing

Graham I thank you Mister chairman and senator Hagel la congratulations on your point that you're a good honest

man and I really %HESITATION appreciate your willingness to serve the country in the past and we will induce on the future %HESITATION

what percentage of GDP do we spend on defense well %HESITATION where %HESITATION I think here is

probably five percent now in that area in our budget our discretionary budget is that historically higher low well

worn Afghanistan where war around the world with the active %HESITATION so you're angry with me were worn

Afghanistan where war around the world so when you look at spending on defense every senator should be aware of the fact we're still at war do

at war a yes I do okay thank you now now let's talk a little bit about statement she made you've

%HESITATION first Angolan a I don't know why would you say it I didn't have in mind a specific social

do you agree is a provocative statement that I can't think of a more provocative thing to say about

the relationship between the United States and Israel and the Senate or the Congress than what you said name

one dumb thing we've been goaded into doing because of the pressure from the Israeli or Jewish lobby I

can't name one senator intimidated now give me one example of the dumb things that were pressured to do up here we

were talking in that %HESITATION interview %HESITATION about the Middle East about positions about Israel gives a live example of where

the Mideast Israel or anywhere else well I can't give you an example I think you did a great nation said some like that yes

I do I've already said now do you agree with me that Hezbollah's a terrorist organization yes

now in two thousand six year one of twelve senators who refused to sign a letter to the European Union asking

them to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization for the purposes of the U. sanctioning

Hezbollah why were you wanna twelve who refused to sign that letter because I have a generally

%HESITATION any instructions or any documents versus letting our president do that and I they've

already why did you sign a letter to Bill Clinton urging him to do with the %HESITATION the Russians when it comes to their policy against Jewish because I think that's appropriate %HESITATION

approach because I think it's our president who conducts foreign policy well all I could suggest to you is that when

the letters presented to the United States senator about the times in which we live in you can't write

one letter not right the other in my view be consistent and the letter was urging the used to impose sanctions on Hezbollah and you've been a big %HESITATION

believer that we shouldn't go it alone we should do it unilaterally why in the world what you take this chance to

urge the European Union the go ahead and sanction Hezbollah because that may help the world at large deal with this terrorist organization and