Senate Armed Services Committee Hearings on Middle East Policy (2015)
January 1, 2016
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The Frame
These hearings represent the formal legislative oversight process used to evaluate and challenge U.S. military and diplomatic strategies in the Middle East during 2015, directly influencing the public record on national security policy.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
U.S. Military Personnel
The strategies discussed in these hearings directly impact the deployment, mission, and operational directives of U.S. forces in the Middle East.
Senate Armed Services Committee Members
Committee members are responsible for legislative oversight and the authorization of military policies discussed in the hearings.
Last recorded activity January 1, 2016.
Next step not available in the current record.
Summary
Key Facts
- The committee held three separate hearings on March 24, September 22, and October 27, 2015.
- The hearings focused on U.S. policy and military strategy in Libya, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria.
- Witnesses included experts from the Council on Foreign Relations, Brookings Institution, and the Center for a New American Security.
- General David H. Petraeus testified on September 22, 2015.
- Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter and General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. testified on October 27, 2015.
- Chairman John McCain criticized the administration's reliance on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.
- The committee examined the status of nuclear negotiations with Iran.
- The hearings were printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services under the 114th Congress.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why It Matters
These hearings represent the formal legislative oversight process used to evaluate and challenge U.S. military and diplomatic strategies in the Middle East during 2015, directly influencing the public record on national security policy.
News Coverage
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift in Middle East Strategy
The hearings document a transition in 2015 from general policy discussion to specific military strategy debates involving the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment30Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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