C-SPAN | U.S. SENATE CHAMBER | DECEMBER 16, 2014
IMAGE SOURCE | FROM C-SPAN VIDEO
SPEECH TEXT SOURCE | COMPILED FROM UNCORRECTED CLOSED CAPTIONING
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) spoke against Tony Blinken’s nomination to be deputy secretary of state.
I RISE TO DISCUSS MY OPPOSITION TO THE PENDING VOTE CONCERNING MISTER ANTHONY TONY BLIKEN, WHO IS NOT ONLY UNQUALIFIED, BUT IN FACT, IN MY VIEW, ONE OF THE WORST SELECTIONS THAT — OF A VERY BAD LOT — THAT THIS PRESIDENT HAS CHOSEN.
I HOPE THAT MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL UNDERSTAND THAT NOT OFTEN DO I COME TO THE FLOOR TO OPPOSE A NOMINATION FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES. IN THIS CASE, THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS ACTUALLY BEEN DANGEROUS TO AMERICA, AND TO THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE FIGHTING AND SERVING IT.
SHE HAS BEEN AN ADVISOR, BUT HE HAS BEEN, ” RUN ON ALMOST EVERY MAJOR SECURITY ISSUE FOR THE PAST FOUR DECADES”.
AT THE ANNUAL MEETING ON MAY 6, 2013, HE DISCUSSED A NUMBER OF THE ADMINISTRATION’S ACHIEVEMENTS, IINCLUDING:
- ONE ENDING THE WAR IN IRAQ RESPONSIBLY.
- TWO, SETTING A CORE STRATEGY FOR THE WITHDRAW FROM AFGHANISTAN.
- THREE, DECIMATING AL QAEDA’S SENIOR LEADERSHIP. AND
- FOR, REPAIRING ALLIANCES AND AMERICA’S STANDING IN THE WORLD.
THAT IS AS ORWELLIAN AS ANY STATESMAN I HAVE EVER HEARD. THE CONDITIONS ARE A FAR CRY FROM THE ACHIEVEMENTS THAT SHE DESCRIBES. IN HIS CAPACITY AS AN ASSISTANT, HE HAS BEEN A FUNCTIONARY AND AN AGENT OF A U.S. FOREIGN POLICY THAT HAS MADE THE WORLD MUCH LESS SAFE TODAY.
LET’S JUST REVIEW SOME OF THE ELEMENTS, IN PARTICULAR, AND HIS ROLE IN CONCEPTUALIZING AND FURTHERING IT. U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IS IN SHAMBLES. IT IS, AT BEST, STRATEGIC. AND AT WORSE, AND I STRATEGIC. IT LACKS ANY CONCEPT OF HOW TO RETAIN OUR FOREIGN POLICY GOALS. THIS HAS LED TO FOREIGN POLICY FAILURES, INCLUDING THE CONTINUED SLAUGHTER OF SYRIAN PEOPLE BY PRESIDENT ASSAD. THE BETRAYAL OF OUR KEY ALLIES, ESPECIALLY IN CENTRAL EUROPE — NOT TO MENTION ISRAEL. FAILING TO ACHIEVE A STATUS OR COURSE AGREEMENT THAT WOULD HELP TO MAINTAIN IRAQ’S SECURITY AND STABILITY. FOLLOWING UNWISE STRATEGIES IN AFGHANISTAN, WE WILL SEE THE SAME MOVES IN AFGHANISTAN THAT WE SAW IN IRAQ IF WE HAVE A DATE DRIVEN WITHDRAWAL, RATHER THAN A STATUS DRIVEN SITUATION. AND IN OUR NEGOTIATION WITH IRAN ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS HAS FAILED TO PRODUCE ANY EFFORTS TOWARDS AN AGREEMENT.
I COULD GO INTO MANY OTHER FIELDS, SUCH AS THE GENEVA CONVENTION THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HELP — ARRANGE FOR THE TRANSITION OF POWER. THE ABJECT FAILURE OF THE ISRAELI- PALESTINIAN PEACE TALKS. AND WHAT WOULD EITHER BE AN EMINENT FAILURE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGREEMENT, OR AN AGREEMENT THAT WILL BE DISASTROUS IN THE LONG RUN.
THERE ARE TWO COMMON SAYINGS BBY THE ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS, NOT ME, THAT HAVE DEFINED THE PRESIDENT’S FOREIGN POLICY — LEADING FROM BEHIND AND DON’T DO STUPID STUFF. THESE APPROACHES HAVE RESULTED IN A FAILED FOREIGN POLICY THAT HAS MADE AMERICA — AAND AMERICANS — LESS SAFE.
EVEN PRESIDENT OBAMA’S MOST STRIDENT SUPPORTERS HAVE BEGUN TO QUESTION THE PRESIDENT’S FOREIGN-POLICY DECISIONS. IN AN ARTICLE TITLED ” DAMAGE TO OBAMA’S FOREIGN POLICY”, THE “WASHINGTON POST” AUTHOR — — A KEY SUPPORTER — WROTE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WAS DRIVEN BY MESSAGING PRIORITIES, RATHER THAN SOUND INTEREST-BASED . POLICY
SO WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ALL THESE ISSUES, MY FRIENDS’ LET ME GIVE YOU A FEW. ON IRAQ — I AM NOT MAKING THIS ONE UP — MISTER BLINKEN SAID —
IRAQ IS LESS VIOLENT, MORE DEMOCRATIC, AND MORE PROSPEROUS. AND THE UNITED STATES MORE DEEPLY ENGAGE THERE, THAN AT ANY TIME IN RECENT HISTORY.
LESS VIOLENT, MORE DEMOCRATIC, AND MORE PROSPEROUS.
AT A WHITE HOUSE BREEDING, HE SAID — AND ALL THESE ARE QUOTES — PRESIDENT OBAMA AND VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN COME TO OFFICE WITH THIS COMMITMENT TO AND THE IRAQ WAR RESPONSIBLY. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PRESIDENT OBAMA AND VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, THE PRESIDENT ASKED TO OVERSEE OUR IRAQ POLICY — WE HAVE FOLLOW THAT PATH TO THE LETTER.
HE WENT ON TO SAY — THAT EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY, MANY PREDICTED THAT THE VIOLENCE WOULD RETURN AND IRAQ WOULD SLIDE BACKWARDS TOWARD SECRETARY OF WAR.
GET THIS, HE SAID — THOSE PREDICTIONS PROVED WRONG.
OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, SHE WENT ON TO SAY, VIOLENT — HE WENT ON TO SAY, VIOLENCE HAS DECREASED — WEEKLY SECURITY INCIDENTS FELL FROM AN AVERAGE OF 1600 IN 2007, 2008, TWO FEWER THAN 100 TODAY.
THEN HE WENT ON TO SAY — IN DECEMBER, AFTER MORE THAN EIGHT WRENCHING YEARS, PRESIDENT OBAMA KEPT HIS PROMISE TO END THE WAR RESPONSIBLY. WHILE IRAN AND IRAQ WILL INEVITABLY MORE INTERTWINED THAN MANY OF ITS NEIGHBORS WOULD LIKE, HE WENT ON TO SAY — OONE THING WE HAVE LEARNED, OVER MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS IN IRAQ, IS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF ITS LEADERS, INCLUDING THE PRIME MINISTER, ARE FIRST AND FOREMOST IRAQ IN NATIONALISTS.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THE IRANIANS ARE PROBABLY THE MOST INFLUENTIAL NATION IN IRAQ, CERTAINLY UNDER MALKI. AND IN 2013, HE SAID — IF WE STILL HAVE TROOPS IN IRAQ TODAY, THE NUMBERS WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY SMALL. THEY WERE NOT HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN COMBAT. SO THE IDEA THAT THEY COULD OR WOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT THE VIOLENCE THAT IS GOING ON NOW IN IRAQ SEEMS TO ME DETACHED FROM THE REALITY OF WHAT THE MISSION WOULD HAVE BEEN HAD THEY STAYED IN ANY SMALL NUMBER.
NOW, YOU DON’T HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. TAKE THE WORD OF SECRETARY GATES, SECRETARY PANETTA, AND ANY KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON ABOUT IRAQ. I WILL ANSWER TO THE COURSE FOR THE RECORD, INCLUDING AMBASSADOR CROCKER WHO SAID — OF COURSE WE COULD HAVE LEFT A RESIDUAL FORCE BEHIND. BOTH PANETTA AND GATES SAID THE SAME THING. AT NO TIME WAS THERE A PUBLIC STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES THAT THEY WANTED TO VERY SERIOUSLY. IN FACT, THEY TRUMPETED THE FACT WHEN THE LAST AMERICAN TROOP, AT THAT TIME — NOW WE HAVE MANY BACK — BUT WHEN THEY LEFT BRAGGING ABOUT WHAT A GREAT DAY THAT IT WAS. ON FOX NEWS WITH CHRIS WALLACE, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014
FINALLY, PRESIDENT OBAMA SPOKE TO THE UN THIS WEEK, BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY LAST YEAR IN WHICH IS IN REAR ENDING A DECADE OF WAR. HOW COULD THE PRESIDENT HAVE BEEN TO RUN? BLINKEN — THE PRESIDENT IS EXACTLY RIGHT. WE ARE NOT SENDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN TROOPS BACK FROM IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN OR ANYWHERE ELSE. WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE SPENDING TRILLIONS OF AMERICAN DOLLARS. WALLACE — HE SAID ALL OUR TROOPS HAVE LEFT IRAQ. IN FACT, HE HAS JUST SENT 1600 TROOPS BACK INTO IRAQ. HE SAID WE HAVE DISMANTLED THE CORE OF AL QAEDA, YET THE COURSE IS AN OFFSHOOT OF THE CORE OF AL QAEDA AND, IN FACT, FOLLOWS THE DIRECT LEADER. BLIKEN — THEY FLED. BECAUSE WE’RE SO SUCCESSFUL, THEY FLED. THEY REMOVE THEMSELVES. THEY WENT TO SYRIA. AT THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE, OCTOBER 30, 2014, THE WHITE HOUSE SOUGHT TO LEAVE A RESIDUAL FORCE IN IRAQ, BUT THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT SIMPLY REFUSED. HE ARGUED THE FINAL DECISION TO WITHDRAW ALL U.S. TROOPS WAS NOT THE RESULT OF A FAILURE TO NEGOTIATE. IT IS SOMETHING WE WORK VERY HARD, HE SAID, BUT FHA OCCUPATION — AFTER A 10 YEAR OCCUPATION, THEY DO NOT WANT US TO STAY IN IRAQ. WE WERE FOCUSED ON ISIL — BUT THE PROBLEM BEGAN TO OUT RUN THE SOLUTION — OUT RUN THE SOLUTION FEARED BY THE CONFLICT IN SYRIA. IRAQ THE ONE CAN ONLY DRAW ONE OF TWO CONCLUSIONS. ONE, THAT HE IS ABYSMALLY IGNORANT OR SIMPLY NOT TELLING THE TRUTH. BY THE WAY, HERE’S WHAT RYAN CROCKER SAID ON IRAQ. QUOTE — AS A FORMER AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ 2007-2009, DO YOU THINK IT WAS A MISTAKE NOT TO PUSH HEART FOR THE STATUS OF FORCE AGREEMENT WITH IRAQ BEFORE THE U.S. PULLOUT?” I WOULD REMIND MY COLLEAGUES, RYAN CROCKER, PROBABLY THE MOST RESPECTED MEMBER OF OUR DIPLOMATIC CORPS ALIVE TODAY. HE SAID, “I DO. WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN THAT AGREEMENT IF WE HAD BEEN A LITTLE MORE PERSISTENT, FLEXIBLE AND CREATIVE. BUT WHAT REALLY COST US WAS THE POLITICAL WITHDRAWAL. WE CUT OFF HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH IRAQ WHEN WE WITHDREW OUR TROOPS. THERE WERE NO SENIOR VISITS. VERY FEW PHONE CALLS. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY MADE ONE VISIT PRIOR TO THIS CURRENT CRISIS MAINLY TO LECTURE THE IRAQIS ON HOW BAD THEY WERE BEING FOR FACILITATING IRANIAN WEAPONS SYSTEMS TO SYRIAN BASHAR ASSAD BASHAR ASSAD AND WE LEFT THEM TO THEIR OWN DEVICES, KNOWING IF LEFT TO THEIR OWN DEVICES IT WOULD NOT WORK OUT WELL. YOU HAVE MR. BLINKEN’S COMMENTS AND JUKS TO POSE THEM WITH — JUXTAPOSE THEM WITH CROCKER. HERE’S WHAT LEON PANETTA SAID, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE — QUOTE — “IT WAS CLEAR TO ME AND MANY OTHERS THAT WITHDRAWING OUR FORCES WOULD ENDANGER THE FRAGILE STABILITY THEN BARELY HOLDING IRAQ TOGETHER. ” THAT’S FROM SECRETARY LEON PANETTA’S BOOK. THEN HE WENT ON TO SAY MY FEAR IS I VOICED TO THE PRESIDENT AND OTHERS IS IF THE COUNTRY SPLIT APART OR SLID BACK INTO THE VIOLENCE THAT APPEARED IN THE YEARS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE U.S. INVASION IT COULD BECOME A NEW HAVEN FOR TERRORISTS TO PLOT ATTACKS AGAINST THE U.S. IRAQ’S STABILITY WAS NOT ONLY IN IRAQ’S INTEREST BUT ALSO IN OURS. I PRIVATELY AND PUBLICLY ADVOCATED FOR RESIDUAL FORCE THAT COULD PROVIDE TRAINING AND SECURITY FOR IRAQ’S MILITARY. THEN HE WENT ON TO SAY, THOSE ON OUR SIDE — TALKING ABOUT THE PENTAGON. THOSE ON OUR SIDE VIEWED THE WHITE HOUSE AS SO EAGER TO RID ITSELF OF IRAQ THAT IT WAS WILLING TO WITHDRAW RATHER THAN LOCK IN ARRANGEMENTS THAT WOULD PRESERVE OUR INFLUENCE AND INTEREST. THAT IS A STATEMENT BY LEON PANETTA. ON AFGHANISTAN — I’LL MOVE ON TO AFGHANISTAN. MR. BLINKEN SAID — QUOTE — “WE’VE BEEN VERY CLEAR. WE’VE BEEN CONSISTENT. THE WAR WILL BE CONCLUDED BY THE END OF 2014. WE HAVE A TIMETABLE, AND THAT TIMETABLE WILL NOT CHANGE.” THIS IS WHY I’M SO WORRIED ABOUT HIM BEING IN THE POSITION THAT HE’S IN. BECAUSE IF THEY STICK TO THAT TIMETABLE, I AM TELLING MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE WILL SEE THE REPLAY OF IRAQ ALL OVER AGAIN. WE MUST LEAVE A STABILIZING FORCE BEHIND OF A FEW THOUSAND TROOPS OR WE WILL SEE AGAIN WHAT WE SAW IN IRAQ. SO LET’S MOVE ON TO SYRIA. AN MSNBC INTERVIEW IN 2014 RESPONDING TO A QUESTION ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S COMMENT IN AUGUST 2014, CALLING IT A FANTASY TO SAY THAT ARMING THE SYRIAN REBELS THREE YEARS AGO WOULD HAVE HELPED THE SITUATION. BLINKEN: FANTASY WAS A NOTION THAT HAD WE STARTED TO WORK WITH THESE GUYS — TALKING ABOUT THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY — SIX MONTHS EARLIER THAT SOMEHOW WOULD HAVE TURNED THE TIDE. THAT THAT WOULD HAVE TURNED THE TIDE. BLINKEN: DO YOU KNOW ASSAD HAS BEEN A MAGNET FOR EVERY EXTREMISM WE’RE FIGHTING AGAINST AND IT IS INCONCEIVABLE WITH SYRIA BEING STABLE WITH ASSAD AS ITS LEADER. HE HAS FORFEITED ITS LEGITIMACY. ISIL IS THE WOLF IT THE DOOR BUT THE ANSWER TO ISIL IS THE MODERATE OPPOSITION. THEY NEED TO BE BUILT UP SO THEY CAN BE COUNTERWEIGHT TO ASSAD. NEAR TERM THEY NEED TO BE BUILT UP SO THEY CAN HELP ON THE GROUND TO HELP DEAL WITH ISIL. CANDY CROWLEY: ISIL IS THE WOLF AT THE DOOR BUT ASSAD SPHRS THE U.S. IS CONCERNED — AS FAR AS THE U.S. IS CONCERNED IS THE NEXT WOLF AT THE DOOR? MR. BLINKEN: AS LONG AS ASSAD IS THERE IT IS HARD SYRIA BEING STABLE, YOU CONTINUE TO BE A MAGNET FOR EXTREMISTS WE’RE FIGHTING. CROWLEY: A TRANSITION IS NOT THE SAME AS WE WILL ACTIVELY HELP YOU BRING THIS GUY DOWN. BLINKEN: THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH ASSAD IS TO TRANSITION HIM OUT SO THAT THE MODERATE OPPOSITION CAN FILL THE VACUUM. THAT’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON. THE MORE YOU BUILD THEM UP, THE MORE YOU MAKE THEM A COUNTERWEIGHT, THE MORE POSSIBLE THAT BECOMES. LET ME JUST REMIND MY COLLEAGUES OF WHAT’S HAPPENED. THERE’S A GUY NAMED CAESAR WHO ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO SMUGGLED OUT THOUSANDS OF PICTURES. THESE PICTURES ARE THE MOST GRIPPING AND HORRIFYING THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN, AND THEY WERE PICTURES, ACTUAL PICTURES WHICH HAVE BEEN AUTHENTICATED OF THE ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY BASHAR ASSAD. THEY ARE WRENCHING, THEY ARE HEARTBREAKING AND THEY ARE TERRIBLE. NOW, 200,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BUTCHERED IN SYRIA. THREE AND A HALF MILLION ARE REFUGEES. 150,000 ARE STILL IN BASHAR ASSAD’S PRISON EXPERIENCING THINGS LIKE THIS. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE LITTLE CHILDREN HERE. THESE ARE LITTLE CHILDREN. THEY HAVE BEEN MASSACRED BY BASHAR ASSAD. WHAT HAVE WE DONE? WHAT HAVE WE DONE IN RESPONSE TO THIS? FIRST OF ALL, AMAZINGLY THESE PHOTOGRAPHS HAVE BEEN AUTHENTICATED BY THIS GUY CAESAR. HE DID TESTIFY BEFORE THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. IT DIDN’T SEEM TO RISE TO THE INTEREST OF THE SENATE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OR THIS ADMINISTRATION. I WAS IN A REFUGEE CAMP IN JORDAN WHERE AT THAT TIME THERE WAS SOME, I THINK, 75,000 REFUGEES. I WAS BEING TAKEN AROUND BY A YOUNG WOMAN, AND SHE SAID, SENATOR McCAIN — IT WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER. SHE SAID SENATOR McCAIN, SEE ALL THESE CHILDREN? I SAID YES. SHE SAID THOSE CHILDREN BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE ABANDONED THEM, SENATOR McCAIN, THAT YOU AMERICANS HAVE ABANDONED THEM. WHEN THEY GROW UP, THEY’RE GOING TO TAKE REVENGE ON YOU. SO HERE WE ARE, THIS INCREDIBLE SLAUGHTER, MASSACRE, TORTURE TAKING PLACE, AND WHAT IS THIS ADMINISTRATION DOING? TRYING TO MAKE A DEAL WITH THE IRANIANS AND LEAVING BASHAR ASSAD TO WREAK HAVOC ON THE SYRIAN PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL ABLE TO FIGHT, BUTCHERING THING WITH A THING CALLED BARREL BOMBS. MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES KNOW WHAT A BARREL BOMB IS. IT’S A HUGE CYLINDER AND IT’S PACKED WITH EXPLOSIVES AND NUTS AND BOLTS AND PIECES OF SHRAPNEL. AND BASHAR ASSAD UNIMPEDED FLIES OVER, THERE’S HELICOPTERS AND OTHERS, AND THEY DROP THESE BARREL BOMBS. THEN WHEN THEY CAPTURE THESE PEOPLE, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT IS DONE. SO — AND TODAY IT IS CLEAR IT’S WHAT’S HAPPENING, IS THAT WE ARE ATTACKING ISIS IN SYRIA. WE ARE NOT ATTACKING BASHAR ASSAD, THIS BUTCHER. IN FACT, BASHAR ASSAD HAS INTENSIFIED HIS ATTACKS ON THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY. INTENSIFIED THEM. AND NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE MORALE OF THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY IS VERY LOW. SO GENERAL ALLEN AND OTHERS HAVE RECENTLY PROPOSED A NO-FLY ZONE OR AIRCRAFT EXCLUSION ZONE, SOMETHING WE’VE BEEN ARGUING FOR FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS. THIS PRESIDENT STILL REFUSES TO DO IT. IT’S HEARTBREAKING. IT’S HEART IT BREAKING AND IT’S TRAGIC. AND IT WILL GO DOWN IN AMERICAN HISTORY AS ONE OF THE MOST SHAMEFUL CHAPTERS BECAUSE OF OUR FAILURE AND THE PRESIDENT’S PERSONAL DECISION NOT TO ARM THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY WHEN ALL OF HIS KEY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR — HIS SECRETARY OF STATE, HILLARY CLINTON; HEAD OF THE C.I.A. , GENERAL PETRAEUS; AND SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, SECRETARY PANETTA — ALL STRONGLY RECOMMENDED PROVIDING ARMS TO THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY. IN THE CASE — SO I’LL MOVE ON. ON UKRAINE, WHAT PUTIN HAS SEEN IS THE PRESIDENT MOBILIZING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY BOTH IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINE AND TO ISOLATE RUSSIA FOR ITS ACTIONS IN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA IS PAYING A CLEAR COST FOR THAT, UNQUOTE FROM MR. BLINKEN. THE NOTION THAT THIS IS SOMEHOW THE RESULT OF SYRIA MAKES VERY LITTLE SENSE TO ME. THAT’S BECAUSE IT’S NOT ABOUT WHAT WE DO OR SAY IN THE FIRST INSTANCE. IT’S ABOUT RUSSIA AND ITS PERCEIVED INSTANCE. WHAT MR. BLINKEN DOESN’T UNDERSTAND IS THAT WEAKNESS IN ONE PLACE TRANSLATES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. WHEN I TELL MY COLLEAGUES, WHEN I TELL MY FELLOW CITIZENS THAT WE WILL NOT SUPPLY THE UKRAINE PEOPLE WITH DEFENSIVE WEAPONS, THEY DON’T BELIEVE ME. THEY’VE WATCHED THE COUNTRY DISMEMBERED. THEY’VE WATCHED CRIMEA GO, WATCHED A SHOOTDOWN NOBODY TALKS ABOUT ANYMORE. AND THEY CONTINUE TO CREATE UNREST AND KILLING IN EASTERN UKRAINE AND WE WON’T EVEN SUPPLY THE UKRAINIANS WITH WEAPONS WITH WHICH TO DEFEND THEMSELVES. I SEE THAT I’M NEARLY OUT OF TIME. I’D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I WISH THAT MR. BLINKEN’S WORDS WERE MATCHED BY HIS DEEDS. AT THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM OCTOBER 6, 2014, HE SAID A NEW NOTION IS GAINING CURRENCY, A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT. IT HOLDS ITS STATE SIDE RESPONSIBILITIES AS WELL AS INTERESTS, ESPECIALLY A RESPONSIBILITY TO SHIELD THEIR OWN POPULATIONS FROM THE DEPRAVED AND MURDERERS. THIS APPROACH IS BOLD. IT’S IMPORTANT AND THE UNITED STATES WELCOMES IT AND HAS INCLUDED IT AS A CORE ELEMENT OF OUR NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY ALONG WITH OUR COMMITMENTS TO PREVENT GENOCIDE AND HOLD THOSE WHO ORGANIZE ATROCITIES ACCOUNTABLE. NO ONE CAN LOOK AT THOSE PICTURES, THE THOUSANDS, AND BELIEVE THAT WE’VE HELD BASHAR ASSAD RESPONSIBLE. HE ENDED UP BY SAYING ENDORSING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT IS ONE THING. ACTING ON IT IS ANOTHER. ALL OF US IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL HAVE TO MUSTER THE POLITICAL WILL TO ACT DIPLOMATICALLY, ECONOMICALLY OR IN EXTREME CASES MILITARILY WHEN GOVERNMENTS PROVE UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO PREVENT THE SLAUGHTER OF THEIR CITIZENS. THAT IS A REMARKABLE STATEMENT FROM AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE ACTIONS HAVE CLEARLY CONTRADICTED THAT AT EVERY TURN IN LITERALLY EVERY CORNER OF THE EARTH. SO, MADAM PRESIDENT, I KNOW WE WILL LOSE THE VOTE PROBABLY, BUT I — I BELIEVE THAT HISTORY WILL HOLD THIS ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTABLE, AND HISTORY WILL HOLD THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PART OF THIS ADMINISTRATION WHO ALLOWED THESE ACTS TO GO ON, DISMEMBERMENT OF A COUNTRY CALLED UKRAINE, FOR THE FIRST TIME A EUROPEAN COUNTRY HAS BEEN PARTITIONED SINCE WORLD WAR II. THE NEEDLESS SLAUGHTER OF THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN. AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF SYRIAN CHILDREN. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. AND NOW WE ARE GOING TO PROMOTE THIS INDIVIDUAL TO REPLACE PROBABLY THE FINEST DIPLOMAT I’VE KNOWN, SECRETARY BURNS, WHO IS THOUGHT ONLY — IS NOT ONLY IS MR. BLINKEN UNQUALIFIED BUT HE IS I BELIEVE A THREAT TO THE TRADITIONAL INTERESTS AND VALUES
Last Updated on November 23, 2023 by Real KBrett