“Today, the Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee will meet to discuss the concept of ‘irregular warfare,’ the types of threats our country faces now and in the future, and how we are equipped to counter those threats. I want to thank our witnesses for attending and lending their expertise to this important discussion. We welcome you and your thoughts.

 “There is broad consensus that, while threats from states do still remain, the primary threats we face are transnational in nature – such as terrorism, WMD proliferation and economic instability.

 “Many have expressed the concern, which I share, that our military and entire national security apparatus is not appropriately structured and resourced to effectively counter the irregular threats we face.  Certainly there has been improvement in the years since 9/11, but by and large our national security institutions still maintain a Cold-War era posture.

 “We must adapt our thinking and approach to meet these ever changing, irregular threats. I look forward to hearing from our distinguished panelists today about how we can reform our national security system to more squarely face the threats we face today and better prepare for the threats of the future. Again, I thank the witnesses for being with us today and look forward to discussing this important issue.”