THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release April 13, 2018
STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT TRUMP
ON SYRIA
Diplomatic Room
9:01 P.M. EDT
THE
PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans, a short time ago, I ordered the United
States Armed Forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated
with the
chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. A
combined operation with the armed forces of France and the United
Kingdom is now underway. We thank them both.
Tonight, I want to speak with you about why we have taken this action.
One
year ago, Assad launched a savage chemical weapons attack against his
own innocent people. The United States responded with 58 missile
strikes that destroyed
20 percent of the Syrian Air Force.
Last
Saturday, the Assad regime again deployed chemical weapons to slaughter
innocent civilians -- this time, in the town of Douma, near the Syrian
capital
of Damascus. This massacre was a significant escalation in a pattern
of chemical weapons use by that very terrible regime.
The
evil and the despicable attack left mothers and fathers, infants and
children, thrashing in pain and gasping for air. These are not the
actions of a
man; they are crimes of a monster instead.
Following
the horrors of World War I a century ago, civilized nations joined
together to ban chemical warfare. Chemical weapons are uniquely
dangerous not
only because they inflict gruesome suffering, but because even small
amounts can unleash widespread devastation.
The
purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent
against the production, spread, and use of chemical weapons.
Establishing this deterrent
is a vital national security interest of the United States. The
combined American, British, and French response to these atrocities will
integrate all instruments of our national power -- military, economic,
and diplomatic. We are prepared to sustain this
response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical
agents.
I
also have a message tonight for the two governments most responsible
for supporting, equipping, and financing the criminal Assad regime.
To
Iran, and to Russia, I ask: What kind of a nation wants to be
associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women, and children?
The
nations of the world can be judged by the friends they keep. No nation
can succeed in the long run by promoting rogue states, brutal tyrants,
and murderous
dictators.
In
2013, President Putin and his government promised the world that they
would guarantee the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons. Assad’s
recent attack
-- and today’s response -- are the direct result of Russia’s failure to
keep that promise.
Russia
must decide if it will continue down this dark path, or if it will join
with civilized nations as a force for stability and peace. Hopefully,
someday
we’ll get along with Russia, and maybe even Iran -- but maybe not.
I will say this: The United States has a lot to offer, with the greatest and most powerful economy in the history of the world.
In
Syria, the United States -- with but a small force being used to
eliminate what is left of ISIS -- is doing what is necessary to protect
the American people.
Over the last year, nearly 100 percent of the territory once controlled
by the so-called ISIS caliphate in Syria and Iraq has been liberated
and eliminated.
The
United States has also rebuilt our friendships across the Middle East.
We have asked our partners to take greater responsibility for securing
their home
region, including contributing large amounts of money for the
resources, equipment, and all of the anti-ISIS effort. Increased
engagement from our friends, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, and others can ensure that Iran does
not profit from the eradication of ISIS.
America
does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria under no circumstances.
As other nations step up their contributions, we look forward to the day
when
we can bring our warriors home. And great warriors they are.
Looking
around our very troubled world, Americans have no illusions. We cannot
purge the world of evil, or act everywhere there is tyranny.
No
amount of American blood or treasure can produce lasting peace and
security in the Middle East. It’s a troubled place. We will try to
make it better,
but it is a troubled place. The United States will be a partner and a
friend, but the fate of the region lies in the hands of its own people.
In
the last century, we looked straight into the darkest places of the
human soul. We saw the anguish that can be unleashed and the evil that
can take hold.
By the end of the World War I, more than one million people had been
killed or injured by chemical weapons. We never want to see that
ghastly specter return.
So
today, the nations of Britain, France, and the United States of America
have marshaled their righteous power against barbarism and brutality.
Tonight, I ask all Americans to say a prayer for our noble warriors and our allies as they carry out their missions.
We
pray that God will bring comfort to those suffering in Syria. We pray
that God will guide the whole region toward a future of dignity and of
peace.
And we pray that God will continue to watch over and bless the United States of America.
Thank you, and goodnight. Thank you.
END 9:09 P.M. EDT