September 10, 2013
President Obama addresses the nation on Syria.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Good evening --
I just addressed the nation about the use of chemical weapons in
Syria.
Over the past two years, what began as a series of peaceful
protests against the repressive regime of Bashar al-Assad has turned into a
brutal civil war in Syria.
Over 100,000 people have been killed.
In that time, we have worked with friends and allies to provide
humanitarian support for the Syrian people, to help the moderate opposition
within Syria,
and to shape a political settlement. But we have resisted calls for military
action because we cannot resolve someone else's civil war through force.
The situation profoundly changed in the early hours of August
21, when more than 1,000 Syrians -- including hundreds of children -- were
killed by chemical weapons launched by the Assad government.
What happened to those people -- to those children -- is not
only a violation of international law -- it's also a danger to our security.
Here's why:
If we fail to act, the Assad regime will see no reason to stop
using chemical weapons. As the ban against these deadly weapons erodes, other
tyrants and authoritarian regimes will have no reason to think twice about
acquiring poison gases and using them. Over time, our troops could face the
prospect of chemical warfare on the battlefield. It could be easier for
terrorist organizations to obtain these weapons and use them to attack
civilians. If fighting spills beyond Syria's borders, these weapons
could threaten our allies in the region.
So after careful deliberation, I determined that it is in the
national security interests of the United States to respond to the
Assad regime's use of chemical weapons through a targeted military strike. The
purpose of this strike would be to deter Assad from using chemical weapons, to
degrade his regime's ability to use them, and make clear to the world that we
will not tolerate their use.
Though I possess the authority to order these strikes, in the
absence of a direct threat to our security I believe that Congress should
consider my decision to act. Our democracy is stronger when the President acts
with the support of Congress -- and when Americans stand together as one
people.
Over the last few days, as this debate unfolds, we've already
begun to see signs that the credible threat of U.S. military action may produce a
diplomatic breakthrough. The Russian government has indicated a willingness to
join with the international community in pushing Assad to give up his chemical
weapons and the Assad regime has now admitted that it has these weapons, and
even said they'd join the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits their
use.
It's too early to tell whether this offer will succeed, and any
agreement must verify that the Assad regime keeps its commitments. But this
initiative has the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons without
the use of force.
That's why I've asked the leaders of Congress to postpone a vote
to authorize the use of force while we pursue this diplomatic path. I'm sending
Secretary of State John Kerry to meet his Russian counterpart on Thursday, and
I will continue my own discussions with President Putin. At the same time,
we'll work with two of our closest allies -- France and the United Kingdom
-- to put forward a resolution at the U.N. Security Council requiring Assad to
give up his chemical weapons, and to ultimately destroy them under
international control.
Meanwhile, I've ordered our military to maintain their current
posture to keep the pressure on Assad, and to be in a position to respond if
diplomacy fails. And tonight, I give thanks again to our military and their
families for their incredible strength and sacrifices.
As we continue this debate -- in Washington, and across the country -- I need
your help to make sure that everyone understands the factors at play.
Please share this message with others to make sure they know
where I stand, and how they can stay up to date on this situation. Anyone can
find the latest information about the situation in Syria, including video of tonight's
address, here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/syria
Thank you,
President Barack Obama