Posted on 01/08/2020 12:55:31 PM PST by SeekAndFind
While President Trump didn’t speak to the nation last night, despite reporting to that effect by CNN (Read CNN Reported Trump Would Speak to the Nation Last Night Once Again Getting It WRONG), he did speak just a short while ago. The subject was Iran.
The video is cued to the beginning to the beginning of President Trump’s statement
Key Points
Before President Trump uttered the official greeting of the speech he said, “As long as I am President of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.”
Iran’s nuclear program clearly is a major issue with President Trump. Iran’s nuclear weapons and the grotesque and, in my view, treasonous JCPOA dominated the speech.
On last night’s attacks he signaled that he’s willing to let Iran have their tantrum and call it even. This is important. By staking out the position that Iran has retaliated for the Cuisinart-ing of terrorist thug Qasem Soleimani, Trump puts this incident in the past and any further attacks will be considered new provocations by Iran.
New rules are established
For far too long — all the way back to 1979, to be exact — nations have tolerated Iran’s destructive and destabilizing behavior in the Middle East and beyond. Those days are over. Iran has been the leading sponsor of terrorism, and their pursuit of nuclear weapons threatens the civilized world. We will never let that happen.
President Trump announced that more sanctions on Iran are on the way and he asked other members of the JCPOA to withdraw from the agreement.
He took a great shot at the Obama Administration that caused fecal incontinence across official Washington
Iran’s hostilities substantially increased after the foolish Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2013, and they were given $150 billion, not to mention $1.8 billion in cash. Instead of saying “thank you” to the United States, they chanted “death to America.” In fact, they chanted “death to America” the day the agreement was signed.
Then, Iran went on a terror spree, funded by the money from the deal, and created hell in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The missiles fired last night at us and our allies were paid for with the funds made available by the last administration. The regime also greatly tightened the reins on their own country, even recently killing 1,500 people at the many protests that are taking place all throughout Iran.
Attributing the exact missiles fired to the Obama administration may be a bit of an exaggeration but the essence is correct. With the impounded money released to Iran by the Obama Administration, Iran was able to fund proxy forces in Iraq and Syria and allow Lebanese Hezbollah to essentially buy Lebanon. Even John Kerry admitted, at the time, that some of the money released to Iran would fund terrorism. Without that influx of cash, Iran would be much less capable than it is today.
On the whole, President Trump did exactly what needed to be done. He let it be known that he was not going to engage in an endless round of retaliatory strikes with Iran in response to the Potemkin attack on US forces last night. He set new rules for how the US will confront Iranian adventurism. He pulled the Iranian nuclear program right back to center stage.
Obamabros going into meltdown mode on Iran bc Trump looks presidential as hell today
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 8, 2020
HERE IS THE TEXT OF THE SPEECH:
As long as I am President of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
Good morning. I’m pleased to inform you: The American people should be extremely grateful and happy no Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties, all of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases.
Our great American forces are prepared for anything. Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world.
No American or Iraqi lives were lost because of the precautions taken, the dispersal of forces, and an early warning system that worked very well. I salute the incredible skill and courage of America’s men and women in uniform.
For far too long — all the way back to 1979, to be exact — nations have tolerated Iran’s destructive and destabilizing behavior in the Middle East and beyond. Those days are over. Iran has been the leading sponsor of terrorism, and their pursuit of nuclear weapons threatens the civilized world. We will never let that happen.
Last week, we took decisive action to stop a ruthless terrorist from threatening American lives. At my direction, the United States military eliminated the world’s top terrorist, Qasem Soleimani. As the head of the Quds Force, Soleimani was personally responsible for some of the absolutely worst atrocities.
He trained terrorist armies, including Hezbollah, launching terrorist strikes against civilian targets. He fueled bloody civil wars all across the region. He viciously wounded and murdered thousands of U.S. troops, including the planting of roadside bombs that maim and dismember their victims.
Soleimani directed the recent attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq that badly wounded four service members and killed one American, and he orchestrated the violent assault on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. In recent days, he was planning new attacks on American targets, but we stopped him.
Soleimani’s hands were drenched in both American and Iranian blood. He should have been terminated long ago. By removing Soleimani, we have sent a powerful message to terrorists: If you value your own life, you will not threaten the lives of our people.
As we continue to evaluate options in response to Iranian aggression, the United States will immediately impose additional punishing economic sanctions on the Iranian regime. These powerful sanctions will remain until Iran changes its behavior.
In recent months alone, Iran has seized ships in international waters, fired an unprovoked strike on Saudi Arabia, and shot down two U.S. drones.
Iran’s hostilities substantially increased after the foolish Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2013, and they were given $150 billion, not to mention $1.8 billion in cash. Instead of saying “thank you” to the United States, they chanted “death to America.” In fact, they chanted “death to America” the day the agreement was signed.
Then, Iran went on a terror spree, funded by the money from the deal, and created hell in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The missiles fired last night at us and our allies were paid for with the funds made available by the last administration. The regime also greatly tightened the reins on their own country, even recently killing 1,500 people at the many protests that are taking place all throughout Iran.
The very defective JCPOA expires shortly anyway, and gives Iran a clear and quick path to nuclear breakout. Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions and end its support for terrorism. The time has come for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China to recognize this reality.
They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal -– or JCPOA –- and we must all work together toward making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place. We must also make a deal that allows Iran to thrive and prosper, and take advantage of its enormous untapped potential. Iran can be a great country.
Peace and stability cannot prevail in the Middle East as long as Iran continues to foment violence, unrest, hatred, and war. The civilized world must send a clear and unified message to the Iranian regime: Your campaign of terror, murder, mayhem will not be tolerated any longer. It will not be allowed to go forward.
Today, I am going to ask NATO to become much more involved in the Middle East process. Over the last three years, under my leadership, our economy is stronger than ever before and America has achieved energy independence. These historic accompliments [accomplishments] changed our strategic priorities. These are accomplishments that nobody thought were possible. And options in the Middle East became available. We are now the number-one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world. We are independent, and we do not need Middle East oil.
The American military has been completely rebuilt under my administration, at a cost of $2.5 trillion. U.S. Armed Forces are stronger than ever before. Our missiles are big, powerful, accurate, lethal, and fast. Under construction are many hypersonic missiles.
The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean we have to use it. We do not want to use it. American strength, both military and economic, is the best deterrent.
Three months ago, after destroying 100 percent of ISIS and its territorial caliphate, we killed the savage leader of ISIS, al-Baghdadi, who was responsible for so much death, including the mass beheadings of Christians, Muslims, and all who stood in his way. He was a monster. Al-Baghdadi was trying again to rebuild the ISIS caliphate, and failed.
Tens of thousands of ISIS fighters have been killed or captured during my administration. ISIS is a natural enemy of Iran. The destruction of ISIS is good for Iran, and we should work together on this and other shared priorities.
Finally, to the people and leaders of Iran: We want you to have a future and a great future — one that you deserve, one of prosperity at home, and harmony with the nations of the world. The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.
I want to thank you, and God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.
That's not a "slight exaggeration", it's a lie - anything that is not the truth, and NOBODY knows if this statement is actual truth, is a lie - period.
While I greatly admired the tenor of the President's speech this morning, slipping in little digs like this continually feeds ammo to the enemy media.
were paid for with the funds made available by the last administration.
Obama gave them money that had been frozen for decades. To claim "it their money" is a shameless pathetic lie. There was no obligation what so ever to unfreeze those assess until Iran made just compensation for seizing the US Embassy in 1979.
Rational sane leaders do not hand over billions to the leading State Sponsor of Terror knowing it going to be used to attack your own troops and allies. That you scumbags are desperately trying to parse this in such a despicable fraudulent way today make you morally the same sort of scum as them.
It’s almost as if Trump colluded with Iran to embarrass the Democrats and the media. ; )
President TRUMP ….. always does the right thing.
Best President ever.
Thank You and God Bless President TRUMP!
Not necessarily. The agreement was signed in 2013. If, in fact, those missiles were constructed after that date, then they were paid for with the money we released to them. Of course, we may have no idea when they were built - but on the other hand, if they were newer models brought into service after we released funds, then in a very real sense that paid for them. A dollar (or whatever unit of currency) is a dollar is a dollar - they are fungible, and if those extra $150 billion weren’t available, then at least a portion of Iran’s forces literally wouldn’t exist.
Where's the way out?
The money was sent to Iran in the dead of night with no congressional oversight and it was also splattered all over the talking head national news for a time. Touting it as bold and other Horse***t. The exact number was in the billions I know that one report stated 1.2B but I am sure its more.. This is enough money to fund all manner of terror type activity and Iran excels at this.
Frankly, we should have traced all the missiles back to their point of origin and sent our own. I can guarantee our would have hit their targets. The lesson being enough is a enough and the gloves come off.
I try to understand the liberal mindset on issues like this. They bitch when force is used under conditions when they are not in control and praise when they are. Political expediency is their motto... No thought, no ethics, clearly not what I call intelligent. Do they all have a brain tumor? Is it something in the water? Are they just wired wrong? Lately I just shake my head...Lies? Really do you live under a rock?
It should always be called what it was, the unilateral, illegal, unconstitutional, treasonous and treacherous Iran deal.
they released Iranian funds before law suits could be finalized. The money was used against us.
It was a stupid thing for them to do...
What the hell are you talking about?
As someone astutely pointed out, Iran does not need nuclear power as they are sitting on a sea of oil.
There can be only one reason they are developing nuclear anything, and that’s a bomb.
It is very possible that Iran wasn't capable of fighting a sustained war anyway. They might be willing to “make a deal.”
Another RedState never Trump jackass checks in
L
Fallacy of the excluded middle.
Please look up the word “fungible.”
Did you think he meant the exact same paper bills? Add $100 to my checking account and I spend an extra 100 over and above next week. But wait, wait, wait !!! . . . I already had 200 in my account. So it’s a a lie that I spent the 100 you gave me.
Money is fungible. What am I missing?
That would have credibility if Ali Khamenei--an old protegé of Rulloah Khomeini--suddenly is gone from the Iranian political scene. Khamenei was supposedly closely allied with Qasem Soleimani for many years.
That's not a "slight exaggeration", it's a lie - anything that is not the truth, and NOBODY knows if this statement is actual truth, is a lie - period.
The cash payment of $1.7 billion, a settlement of a decades-old dispute between the U.S. and Iran -- was paid in cash, with a planeload of $400 million delivered to Tehran on Jan. 17 2016, the same day Iran agreed to release four American prisoners. A remaining $1.3 billion was reportedly paid out within weeks of that first payment.
The $150 billion, meanwhile, refers to the estimated value of Iranian assets that had been frozen abroad in financial institutions as part of international sanctions. That money was unfrozen by all countries as part of the Iran deal. Some fact checkers have disputed that the value is as high as $150 billion, citing Treasury estimates that it could be around $55 billion in liquid assets.
How do YOU know it’s not true? Is it possible?
You posit: Anything we don’t know to be true is a lie.
OK. “You are a smart person.” Anybody here know if that’s true?
The President’s comments were excellent, forceful and quite diplomatic. I would have asked for the $150 billion back.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
