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% 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 horro rs of World War I
a century ago, civilised 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 civilised nations as a force for stability and peace.
Hopefully some day we will 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% 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 is 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 World War I, more than 1 million people had been killed or injured
by chemical weapons. We never want to see that ghastly spectre return. So today, the
nations of Britain, France and the United States of America have marshalled 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.