OIRSpox

The first rule of cyber operations: never talk about cyber operations. The second rule of cyber operations: never talk about cyber operations.

What Russian strategy? If they send it to me I'll be happy to comment on it.

You better believe we are making America and the world safer. Since the start of 2015 we’ve targeted and killed more than 40 high-value ISIL and al Qaeda external attack plotters. We have removed cell leaders, facilitators, planners and recruiters. We’ve shown we can get them wherever they are – in their strongholds in Raqqah and Mosul; in the middle of the desert in Syria; and in shady border towns across the region. We share information across our networks and we applaud as the FBI and partner nations take ISIL operatives off the street.

We knock down the doors and take them in the night, we fly over them and level their hide outs. We destroy the vehicles they are riding in. It’s they who should be scared of not knowing when, where or how the coalition will come for them.

Great question and I'm not sure there is a great answer. The opposition forces in Syria range from violent extremists (like ISIL who we are fighting) to reasonable people who we can work with. The vast majority are somewhere in between and some slide along the scale.

Our challenge is to find forces who will fight Da'esh but will not turn on us later. This is a difficult challenge and we are not always going to get it right, but we have to try.

Sure there's concern, but I don't believe that YPG interests align with Russian interests. We know that they interact, but we believe that at the end of the day they won't be comfortable getting in bed with the Russians.