Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced the following upcoming Committee events:

Tuesday, October 29

Hearing: Next Steps on Egypt Policy

10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 29 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

The Honorable A. Elizabeth Jones
Acting Assistant Secretary
Bureau of Near East Affairs
U.S. Department of State

The Honorable Derek Chollet
Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
U.S. Department of Defense

Ms. Alina Romanowski
Deputy Assistant Administrator
Bureau for the Middle East
U.S. Agency for International Development

Tuesday, October 29 

Joint Subcommittee Hearing: After the Withdrawal: The Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Part II)

2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman

Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific

Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

Frederick W. Kagan, Ph.D.
Christopher DeMuth Chair and Director
Critical Threats Project
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research

General Jack Keane, USA, Retired
Chairman of the Board
Institute for the Study of War

Ms. Lisa Curtis
Senior Research Fellow
Asian Studies Center
The Heritage Foundation

Stephen Biddle, Ph.D.
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Defense Policy
Council on Foreign Relations 

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “As the Administration’s deadline to finalize the Bilateral Security Agreement with the Afghan government approaches, it’s becoming clear that there are still major obstacles to overcome. It is vitally important that the BSA adequately address the safety and well-being of our brave men and women who will remain in Afghanistan after 2014. We must get this right to ensure our gains made in Afghanistan will not be reversed and so that we can continue to honor our fallen heroes. This hearing will focus on the status of the BSA, the April 2014 elections, and will also closely examine the role Pakistan plays in the future stability of Afghanistan.”

Chairman Chabot on the hearing: “As the 2014 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan quickly approaches, mounting internal political and security uncertainties are escalating the probability that Afghanistan will unravel unless the Administration changes its political strategy. Little agreement on how to conclude U.S. involvement there is ultimately threatening to plunge the entire region into a condition more unstable than it was 12 years ago. This instability is further compounded by lingering suspicions between the U.S. and Pakistan.  Although the Administration points to recent improvements in the U.S. relationship with Pakistan as cause to release $1.6 billion in military and economic aid, we need to be more cautious. Pakistan’s leadership changes have not obviated its own internally divergent interests, still heavily influenced by extremist groups, which could undermine U.S. objectives.  This hearing is a critical opportunity to evaluate the implications of the President’s irresolute withdrawal plan from Afghanistan and the challenges confronting the U.S.-Pakistan relationship.”

Tuesday, October 29

Subcommittee Hearing: Guo Feixiong and Freedom of Expression in China

2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29 in 2255 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman

Invited witnesses include: 

Ms. Zhang Qing
Wife of Guo Feixiong

Ms. Yang Tianjiao
Daughter of Guo Feixiong 

Pastor Bob Fu
Founder and President
ChinaAid Association

Mr. Chen Guangcheng
Chinese human rights activist

Mr. T. Kumar
Director of International Advocacy
Amnesty International

Chairman Smith on the hearing: “This hearing will focus on the persecution and suffering of recently imprisoned Chinese writer and human rights activist Guo Feixiong and his family,” said Cong. Smith, chairman of the House human rights subcommittee, noting that Guo is the better-known pen name of Yang Maodong.  “Guo is a dissident writer and attorney who has defended the rights of journalists and villagers fighting local corruption. He is a seminal figure in the rise of China’s rights movement.  The hearing will also discuss how free speech and expression—which are supposedly guaranteed by the Chinese constitution—are being marginalized and trampled upon by the Chinese government.”

Wednesday, October 30

Subcommittee Hearing: China’s Maritime and other Geographic Threats

10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 30 in 2255 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Chairman

Invited witnesses include: 

Perry Pickert, Ph.D.
Retired Career Intelligence Officer

Mr. Rick Fisher
Senior Fellow
Asian Military Affairs
International Assessment and Strategy Center

Mr. Steven Mosher
Director
Population Research Institute  

Chairman Rohrabacher on the hearing: “The Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats will hold an open hearing with outside witnesses to assess Communist China’s maritime and other territorial claims that threaten regional and global stability.  China’s greatly expanded offensive naval, air, and missile forces, coupled with its commercial fleet, numerous paramilitary organizations, and conventional military forces have projected power and asserted sovereignty far beyond Chinese self-defense, risking rapid and unpredictable escalation towards war between several of the largest economies in the world. We intend to highlight this situation and address solutions.”

Wednesday, October 30 

Joint Subcommittee Hearing: Establishing a Syrian War Crimes Tribunal?

1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 30 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman

Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

Mr. David M. Crane
Professor of Practice
Syracuse University College of Law
(Former Chief Prosecutor, United Nations Special Court for Sierra Leone) 

Alan White, Ph.D.
President
AW Associates
(Former Chief Investigator, United Nations Special Court for Sierra Leone)

The Honorable Jeremy Rabkin
Professor of Law
George Mason University School of Law

The Honorable Stephen G. Rademaker
National Security Project Advisor
Bipartisan Policy Center

Mr. Richard Dicker
Director, International Justice Program
Human Rights Watch 

Chairman Smith on the hearing: “The Syrian civil war has been the stage for some of the most horrendous crimes against humanity in recent history,” said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the House human rights subcommittee.  “There is considerable evidence of deliberate attacks on civilians by all sides. Those responsible for the mayhem and deaths of an estimated 100,000 people and counting must know that they will be held to account for their atrocities. This hearing examines the creation of a war crimes tribunal to achieve that end.”

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “The Syrian conflict has resulted in the deaths of at least 100,000 over the last two years and has forced more than 2.2 million Syrians to flee to neighboring countries. War crimes are being perpetrated by both the Assad regime and extremist elements on a daily basis with both sides committing atrocities that are so appalling that they shock the international community’s conscience. With no end in sight to this conflict, it’s important to once again shine the spotlight on the humanitarian aspect of this crisis and discuss what steps responsible nations can take to hold accountable those who are guilty of these horrendous actions.” 

***See foreignaffairs.house.gov for updates. 

 ***Coverage note:  All Foreign Affairs Committee proceedings are webcast live at foreignaffairs.house.gov/live-video-feed.

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