The Debate

Hagel Explains his Southeast Asia Trip … On YouTube

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The Debate

Hagel Explains his Southeast Asia Trip … On YouTube

Chuck Hagel takes to YouTube to explain his most recent trip to the region.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel took to YouTube on Wednesday to explain his recent trip throughout Southeast Asia and the U.S. pivot more broadly.

The nearly three minute video (below) features Secretary Hagel explaining the difficulty he faces in balancing challenges in the Middle East while in Southeast Asia trying to deepen U.S. partnerships. He also describes the importance of meeting face to face with counterparts in order to build trust with allied nations. Near the end of the video he explains his love of swimming…

Along with close up shots of Hagel speaking, the video features a slideshow of pictures from Hagel’s Southeast Asia trip. Hagel spent eight days in the region at the end of last month, with stops in Hawaii, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. He returned to DC on Friday.

So far, Hagel's Youtube account has uploaded three videos. The first one was a message on Memorial Day. The second one (which Hagel wasn't featured in) was on the U.S.-Israel relationship and the MV-22 Osprey.