全文贴出President Obama给我写的信# WaterWorld - 未名水世界
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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
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
