Posted on 08/31/2013 1:50:26 PM PDT by mdittmar
Edited on 08/31/2013 3:13:23 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Text of President Barack Obama’s statement Saturday on Syria, as provided by the White House:
___
Good afternoon, everybody. Ten days ago, the world watched in horror as men, women and children were massacred in Syria in the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century. Yesterday the United States presented a powerful case that the Syrian government was responsible for this attack on its own people.
Our intelligence shows the Assad regime and its forces preparing to use chemical weapons, launching rockets in the highly populated suburbs of Damascus, and acknowledging that a chemical weapons attack took place. And all of this corroborates what the world can plainly see _ hospitals overflowing with victims; terrible images of the dead. All told, well over 1,000 people were murdered. Several hundred of them were children _ young girls and boys gassed to death by their own government.
This attack is an assault on human dignity. It also presents a serious danger to our national security. It risks making a mockery of the global prohibition on the use of chemical weapons. It endangers our friends and our partners along Syria’s borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq. It could lead to escalating use of chemical weapons, or their proliferation to terrorist groups who would do our people harm.
In a world with many dangers, this menace must be confronted.
Now, after careful deliberation, I have decided that the United States should take military action against Syrian regime targets. This would not be an open-ended intervention. We would not put boots on the ground. Instead, our action would be designed to be limited in duration and scope. But I’m confident we can hold the Assad regime accountable for their use of chemical weapons, deter this kind of behavior, and degrade their capacity to carry it out.
Our military has positioned assets in the region. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs has informed me that we are prepared to strike whenever we choose. Moreover, the chairman has indicated to me that our capacity to execute this mission is not time-sensitive; it will be effective tomorrow, or next week, or one month from now. And I’m prepared to give that order.
But having made my decision as commander in chief based on what I am convinced is our national security interests, I’m also mindful that I’m the president of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy. I’ve long believed that our power is rooted not just in our military might, but in our example as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. And that’s why I’ve made a second decision: I will seek authorization for the use of force from the American people’s representatives in Congress.
Over the last several days, we’ve heard from members of Congress who want their voices to be heard. I absolutely agree. So this morning, I spoke with all four congressional leaders, and they’ve agreed to schedule a debate and then a vote as soon as Congress comes back into session.
In the coming days, my administration stands ready to provide every member with the information they need to understand what happened in Syria and why it has such profound implications for America’s national security. And all of us should be accountable as we move forward, and that can only be accomplished with a vote.
I’m confident in the case our government has made without waiting for U.N. inspectors. I’m comfortable going forward without the approval of a United Nations Security Council that, so far, has been completely paralyzed and unwilling to hold Assad accountable. As a consequence, many people have advised against taking this decision to Congress, and undoubtedly, they were impacted by what we saw happen in the United Kingdom this week when the Parliament of our closest ally failed to pass a resolution with a similar goal, even as the prime minister supported taking action.
Yet, while I believe I have the authority to carry out this military action without specific congressional authorization, I know that the country will be stronger if we take this course, and our actions will be even more effective. We should have this debate, because the issues are too big for business as usual. And this morning, John Boehner, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell agreed that this is the right thing to do for our democracy.
A country faces few decisions as grave as using military force, even when that force is limited. I respect the views of those who call for caution, particularly as our country emerges from a time of war that I was elected in part to end. But if we really do want to turn away from taking appropriate action in the face of such an unspeakable outrage, then we must acknowledge the costs of doing nothing.
Here’s my question for every member of Congress and every member of the global community: What message will we send if a dictator can gas hundreds of children to death in plain sight and pay no price? What’s the purpose of the international system that we’ve built if a prohibition on the use of chemical weapons that has been agreed to by the governments of 98 percent of the world’s people and approved overwhelmingly by the Congress of the United States is not enforced?
Make no mistake _ this has implications beyond chemical warfare. If we won’t enforce accountability in the face of this heinous act, what does it say about our resolve to stand up to others who flout fundamental international rules? To governments who would choose to build nuclear arms? To terrorist who would spread biological weapons? To armies who carry out genocide?
We cannot raise our children in a world where we will not follow through on the things we say, the accords we sign, the values that define us.
So just as I will take this case to Congress, I will also deliver this message to the world. While the U.N. investigation has some time to report on its findings, we will insist that an atrocity committed with chemical weapons is not simply investigated, it must be confronted.
I don’t expect every nation to agree with the decision we have made. Privately we’ve heard many expressions of support from our friends. But I will ask those who care about the writ of the international community to stand publicly behind our action.
And finally, let me say this to the American people: I know well that we are weary of war. We’ve ended one war in Iraq. We’re ending another in Afghanistan. And the American people have the good sense to know we cannot resolve the underlying conflict in Syria with our military. In that part of the world, there are ancient sectarian differences, and the hopes of the Arab Spring have unleashed forces of change that are going to take many years to resolve. And that’s why we’re not contemplating putting our troops in the middle of someone else’s war.
Instead, we’ll continue to support the Syrian people through our pressure on the Assad regime, our commitment to the opposition, our care for the displaced, and our pursuit of a political resolution that achieves a government that respects the dignity of its people.
But we are the United States of America, and we cannot and must not turn a blind eye to what happened in Damascus. Out of the ashes of world war, we built an international order and enforced the rules that gave it meaning. And we did so because we believe that the rights of individuals to live in peace and dignity depends on the responsibilities of nations. We aren’t perfect, but this nation more than any other has been willing to meet those responsibilities.
So to all members of Congress of both parties, I ask you to take this vote for our national security. I am looking forward to the debate. And in doing so, I ask you, members of Congress, to consider that some things are more important than partisan differences or the politics of the moment.
Ultimately, this is not about who occupies this office at any given time; it’s about who we are as a country. I believe that the people’s representatives must be invested in what America does abroad, and now is the time to show the world that America keeps our commitments. We do what we say. And we lead with the belief that right makes might _ not the other way around.
We all know there are no easy options. But I wasn’t elected to avoid hard decisions. And neither were the members of the House and the Senate. I’ve told you what I believe, that our security and our values demand that we cannot turn away from the massacre of countless civilians with chemical weapons. And our democracy is stronger when the President and the people’s representatives stand together.
I’m ready to act in the face of this outrage. Today I’m asking Congress to send a message to the world that we are ready to move forward together as one nation.
Thanks very much.
“Everybody” ... yeah here speaketh America’s Pal!
The other thing I caught in that ramble was this: “care for the displaced.” Wanta bet how he will care for the displaced? Welcome another batch of Al Quada “refuges”.
I agree with you. This is merely a dodge of his “leadership” responsibilities and displays his total lack of credibility in the world community and here at home.
It’s a tragicomedy of errors because God’s being called nowhere in it.
This is how God says to us humans “OK, you think your plan is so smart without me? Hold your beers and watch this!”
I’m willing to strike Syria if we get to take out all of their WMDs. They are a real threat to our national security. If that’s not going to be the focus of any strike, then I’m not willing to be involved, because I see no other national security issue at stake.
If we take out the WMDs, then we deny them to BOTH Assad and Al Qaeda, and I’m very fine with neither of them having access to chem/bio weapons.
But, blowing up somebody’s tent, or somebody’s herd of goats, or even 1 or 2 WMD ammunition depots is not in our interest in any way, shape, or form.
...while I believe I have the authority to carry out this military action without specific congressional authorization....
IDIOT
“What message will we send if a dictator can gas hundreds of children to death in plain sight and pay no price?”
For solely the sake of argument, ill grant his point. But why are the Dutch, Norwegians, Japanese, Swiss, or lazy assed Saudis not preparing to attack? I see the rest of the world setting international norms, and then happily leting the USA “go get em”.
I see no American interests here.
Let me phrase what I meant about daring him to do it in a different way, because I didn’t mean it as anyone here is literally saying “I dare you”.
I’m more saying that we on the conservative side have to realize who we are dealing with. In my humble opinion, Obama isn’t that smart. At best, he’s slightly above average intelligence, and clearly has a giant chip on his shoulder having to do with race.
The one thing I disagree with you on is that I dont think he HAS to punt. I think that in the back of his brain he thinks that his all extensive media love with cover any sins. He may, at this point, be deciding that going into Syria is not the best thing, and looking for a way out. My concern is that if we hit too hard with the “I told you so”, he may go into “you cant tell me what to do, mighty whitey” mode and launch, stupid decision that it is, simply to show he’s the HMFIC and that he can. A smarter man would say “I’m not going to make a stupid decision just to prove that I’m in charge”, but we aren’t dealing with a smarter man. We’re dealing with Obama.
So that being the case, I just think it more prudent to encourage the result we want, and if that means letting him have a pass on the golf trip this time, sick as that spectacle makes us, then so be it.
Syria is not the only country with WMDs. Is everyone too young to remember that old word “escalation”? That is the real issue here: the danger of human pride/humiliation letting this thing get out of control. This supersedes all the other “issues.”
I’d suggest that he knows that it was a mistake to say he wasn’t going, and this is going to provide him cover to back out. He’s replicating what David Cameron did.
He’ll take the vote in congress and no matter what happens, he’s covered. If they vote yes, then he can go and blame it on congress if it goes south. If they vote no, he can back out and say he wanted to go, but the evil republicans in congress wouldn’t let him, so he deferred in bipartisanship...and the media will once again kiss his @ss.
He wasn’t this concerned about those massacred at Ft. Hood.
“Ten days ago, the world watched in horror as men, women and children were massacred ...”
So, he was a butt pirate from the get go!
Of course there will be ups and downs for our nation. Of course I am also aware that I, personally have brought us all to a new low. Never before in modern history has America looked so bad, so indecisive, so weak. Thanks to me and my super stardom personality, the weak nation that I run is, slowly moving in the direction of me, in my wake, Mr. Cool, Mr. Know it all, Mr. Community Organizer.
I hope that America, after I am long gone from office and after historians trashed my record will still be a significant power in the world but if not, hey, at least we came into an impressive 3rd.
Read like satire to me. I find it repugnant that we have such a cretin at the head of our once-great Nation. That wasn’t a speech, that was a “I don’t have a clue what to do because my normal BS won’t protect me from being an idiot, so I need to put a layer of insulation in the mix”. He has already made a lie of his ‘splanation on the Constitution by a myriad of executive orders that go contrary to the Constitution - need someone up high to point ou that when it comes to hurting the People, he has no compunction about defying the Constitution. It’s only when he might harm himself that he seems to care about this system of “negative rights”.
Bingo!
Aren’t types of abortion a chemical solution that violently kills the most vullnerable?
Isn’t birth control the use of a chemical against the most vulnerable of the human race, where the chemical is included which causes as a backup to the attempt to thwart fertilization it thwarts implantation, killing the newly concieved person?
H I P O C R I T E !
F O O L !
D E V I L !
This country tolerates this and will pay dearly from above.
Yeah? Well, I decided years ago that I "should" give up drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.
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