Barack Obama Quotes About Syria

Quotes about: Syria

4th Of July Abortion Abraham Abuse Accountability Achievement Acting

I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are. That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.

Barack Obama

Country, Mean, Safe Haven

"Obama outlines ISIS strategy: Airstrikes in Syria, more U.S. forces". Nationally televised address, edition.cnn.com. September 11, 2014.
In Iraq and Syria, American leadership - including our military power - is stopping ISIL's advance, instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition, including Arab nations, to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group.

Barack Obama

Leadership, Military, War

Sixth Presidential State of the Union Address, delivered 20 January 2015
Now let's make two things clear: ISIL is not 'Islamic.' No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL's victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly al Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq, and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria's civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognized by no government, nor the people it subjugates. ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way.

Barack Obama

Leadership, War, Taken

"Is It ISIS or ISIL? That Depends On Who You're Asking". Interview with Arun Rath, wvik.org. September 14, 2014.
Isil poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, and the broader Middle East - including American citizens, personnel and facilities. If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region, including to the United States.

Barack Obama

Safe Haven, Iraq, People

"James Foley on the Dehumanization of War: Acclaimed Filmmaker Haskell Wexler Shares 2012 Interview". www.democracynow.org. September 12, 2014.
In the fight against ISIL, we cannot rely on an Assad regime that terrorizes its people; a regime that will never regain the legitimacy it has lost. Instead, we must strengthen the opposition as the best counterweight to extremists like ISIL, while pursuing the political solution necessary to solve Syria's crisis once and for all.

Barack Obama

Islamic, Fighting, People

"US military action in Syria to pose new challenges for Obama administration". Interview with Barney Porter, www.abc.net.au. September 12, 2014.
I think there are hard-liners inside of Iran that think it is the right thing to do to oppose us, to seek to destroy Israel, to cause havoc in places like Syria or Yemen or Lebanon, if they don't change at all, we're still better off having the deal.

Barack Obama

Change, Thinking, Israel

"Obama Compares Iran Deal To A House Under Contract, Awaiting Appraisal". "The Two-Way" with Steve Inskeep, www.npr.org. April 7, 2015.
On issues like Ukraine, on issues like Syria, we've had very significant differences [with Russia].

Barack Obama

Russia, Ukraine, Differences

Source: time.com
I would have I think made a bigger mistake if I had said, "Eh, chemical weapons. That doesn't really change my calculus." I think it was important for me as president of the United States to send a message that in fact there is something different about chemical weapons [in Syria].

Barack Obama

Mistake, Thinking, Important

Source: www.cbsnews.com
With respect to Syria, we are going to continue to work as we have over the last five, six years to push towards a political transition and settlement.

Barack Obama

Years, Political, Transition

Source: time.com
Angela [Merkel] and I also agreed the need for a comprehensive and humane response to the devastating humanitarian crisis in Syria and for the influx of migrants and refugees from around the world. We need to build on the progress achieved at the U.N. Refugee Summit, which yielded new commitments from some 50 nations and organizations.

Barack Obama

Commitment, Organization, Progress

Source: time.com
Rand`s [Paul] a libertarian. He has a view of the world that I don`t share. He said that we shouldn`t have any troops in Iraq. He agreed with Obama that was a disaster. When there was a chance to do something constructive about Syria with a no-fly zone, he said we don`t need one.

Barack Obama

Iraq, Views, Libertarian

Source: www.nbcnews.com
Just because Iran and Syria may recognize Assad's weaknesses doesn't necessarily mean that Assad recognizes his weaknesses.

Barack Obama

Mean, Iran, Weakness

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com
I don't expect that the president-elect [Donald Trump] will follow exactly our blueprint or our approach, but my hope is that he does not simply take a real-politic approach and suggest that, you know, if we just cut some deals with Russia, even if it hurts people or even if it violates international norms, or even if it leaves smaller countries vulnerable or creates long-term problems in regions like Syria, that we just do whatever is convenient at the time.

Barack Obama

Country, Hurt, Real

Source: time.com
ISIS is a virulent, nasty organization that has gained a foothold in ungoverned spaces effectively in Syria and parts of western Iraq. We have to take it seriously. They've shown in Paris what they can do in an organized fashion.

Barack Obama

Fashion, Isis, Organization

Interview with Steve Inskeep, www.npr.org. December 21, 2015.
For America to get more entangled militarily in Syria is a serious step, and we have to do so making absolutely certain that we know who we are helping; that we're not putting arms in the hands of folks who eventually could turn them against us or allies in the region.

Barack Obama

Hands, America, Allies

Source: genius.com
I do think that it is impossible for us to think only in terms of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and not think in terms of what's happening with Syria or Iran or Lebanon or Afghanistan and Pakistan. These things are interrelated. And if we are looking at the region as a whole and communicating a message to the Arab world and the Muslim world, that we are ready to initiate a new partnership based on mutual respect and mutual interest, then I think that we can make significant progress.

Barack Obama

Thinking, Progress, World

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com
I make no apologies for us wanting to do this [bombing Iraq and Syria] appropriately and in a way that is consistent with American values.

Barack Obama

Apology, Iraq, Way

Source: www.wbur.org
There's no way to resolve Syria without Iran being involved, given its financing of Assad and the fact that Hezbollah is probably the most effective fighting force that Assad can count on.

Barack Obama

Fighting, Iran, Hezbollah

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com
It's time to "stop being ambivalent." ... They (groups like the Islamic State) have no ideology beyond violence and chaos and the slaughter of innocent people.

Barack Obama

Islamic, People, Groups
Even as we implement the nuclear deal and welcome our Americans home, we recognize that there remain about differences between the United States and Iran. We remain steadfast in opposing Iran's destabilizing behavior elsewhere, including its against Israel and our Gulf partners and its support for violent proxies in places like Syria and Yemen.

Barack Obama

Home, Israel, Iran

"President Obama Gives Statement About U.S.-Iran Deals This Weekend". "Weekend Edition Sunday", www.npr.org. January 17, 2016.
We are engaging in the diplomatic efforts that are required within Iraq among the Shia, the Sunni and the Kurd, among friends, like Egypt, and Turkey and Saudi Arabia, but also enemies like Iran and Syria. They have to have buy-in into that process.

Barack Obama

Egypt, Iran, Turkeys

Source: www.politico.com
And, as a consequence of the pressure that we've applied over the last couple of weeks, we have Syria -- for the first time -- acknowledging that it has chemical weapons, agreeing to join the convention that prohibits the use of chemical weapons, and the Russians -- their primary sponsors -- saying that they will push Syria to get all of their chemical weapons out. The distance that we've traveled over these couple of weeks is remarkable.

Barack Obama

Couple, Distance, Justice

"Full Transcript: President Obama Speaks Exclusively to George Stephanopoulos on 'This Week'". "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos, abcnews.go.com. September 15, 2013.
If 90 percent or 95 percent of those - chemical stockpiles [in Syria] were eliminated, that's a lot of chemical weapons that are not right now in the hands of ISIL or Nusra or, for that matter, the regime.

Barack Obama

Hands, Isil, Weapons

Source: www.cbsnews.com
I don't regret at all saying that if I saw Bashar al-Assad using chemical weapons on his people that that would change my assessments in terms of what we were or were not willing to do in Syria.

Barack Obama

Regret, Assessment, People

Source: www.cbsnews.com
On Syria, it's clear that the indiscriminate attacks on civilians by the [Bashar] Assad regime and Russia will only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe and that a negotiated end to the conflict is the only way to achieve lasting peace in Syria.

Barack Obama

Russia, Way, Conflict

Source: time.com

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Born: August 4, 1961
Occupation: 44th U.S. President
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