SECRETARY CLINTON: Good afternoon, and let me once again welcome all of you to New York. We are pleased to be hosting this meeting on Syria.
But I must begin by acknowledging that conditions in Syria continue
to deteriorate as the Assad regime relentlessly wages war on its own
people. And we see more bodies filling hospitals and morgues, and more
refugees leaving their homeland and flooding into neighboring countries.
As President Obama told the General Assembly this week, the regime of
Bashar al-Assad must come to an end so that the suffering of the Syrian
people can stop and a new dawn can begin.
Now, it is no secret that our attempts to move forward at the UN
Security Council have been blocked repeatedly. On Tuesday, I met with
Joint Special Representative Brahimi to discuss alternative strategies,
and I look forward to hearing all of your views today. But the United
States is not waiting. We are taking new steps to meet the growing
humanitarian needs of the Syrian people, to support the opposition as it
moves toward an inclusive, democratic transition, and to further
pressure and isolate the regime.
First, today I am announcing an additional $30 million to help get
food, water, blankets, and critical medical services to people suffering
under the relentless assaults, based on need, regardless of political
affiliation. This brings the total U.S. humanitarian aid during this
crisis to more than $130 million. As the need continues to grow, so must
the emergency response. The UN appeal remains woefully underfunded. All
of us in the international community have to step up, and I repeat our
urgent call for all parties to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches
those in need, to uphold international law, and particularly to protect
medical facilities and personnel.
Second, today I am also announcing an additional $15 million to
support Syrian civilian opposition groups, bringing our total support to
the unarmed opposition to almost $45 million. That translates into more
than 1,100 sets of communications equipment, including satellite-linked
computers, telephones, and cameras, as well as training for more than
1,000 activists, students, and independent journalists. We are working
to help them strengthen their networks, avoid regime persecution, and
document human rights abuses.
As more parts of Syria’s control slip from the regime to the
opposition, we’re supporting civilian opposition groups as they begin
providing essential services – reopening schools, rebuilding homes, and
the other necessities of life. Dedicated civil servants are working to
preserve the institutions of the Syrian state while freeing them from
the regime’s corrupt influence. In these places, we are seeing the
emergence of a free Syria, and the United States is directing our
efforts to support those brave Syrians who are laying the groundwork for
a democratic transition from the ground up.
Over recent weeks, we have seen how important it is for people and
leaders in nations transitioning to democracy to reject extremists who
incite division, conflict, and violence. In Syria, a country that is
home to a variety of religious and ethnic communities, this is
especially important. We know the regime will do everything it can to
pit communities against each other and that extremists will be eager to
exploit tensions and impose their own brutal ideology. So the opposition
and civil society will have to be especially vigilant against this
threat and reassure minorities they will be safe in a post-Assad Syria.
It is encouraging to see some progress toward greater opposition
unity, but we all know there is more work to be done. The United States
supports the efforts of the opposition follow-up committee to build
consensus around the transition plan agreed to in Cairo this summer. I
understand there will be a meeting in Doha to continue the work of
making the opposition stronger and more cohesive. And we look forward to
hearing from representatives of several of the opposition groups about
how they are moving forward.
The United States is also ratcheting up pressure on the Assad regime
and deepening its isolation. Two weeks ago in Morocco, the United States
joined with many of you to pledge more than $3 million in new support
for the Syria Justice and Accountability Center and its efforts to
document human rights violations inside Syria. And let me be clear:
Human rights abuses cannot be tolerated, no matter who commits them.
At the recent meeting of the sanctions working group in The Hague, we
reiterated our call for governments, private financial institutions,
and businesses to do more to cut off the Assad regime from assets and
income that fund its war machines. Those who continue doing business
with entities and individuals associated with the regime risk being
connected to sanctions violations, damaging their reputations, and
exposing them to other potential consequences.
Our government also continues to expand sanctions against individuals
and entities who help the regime procure weapons and communications
equipment used in waging its war. Our most recent measures target
Hezbollah leaders, an arms company in Belarus that is supplying fuses
for aerial bombs used against civilians, and senior figures in Syria’s
military.
But let’s be very frank here: The regime’s most important lifeline is
Iran. Last week, a senior Iranian official publicly acknowledged that
members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps are operating inside
Syria. There is no longer any doubt that Tehran will do whatever it
takes to protect its proxy and crony in Damascus. Iran will do
everything it can to evade international sanctions. For example, last
year Turkish inspectors found a shipment of assault rifles, machine
guns, and mortar shells labeled as “auto spare parts” aboard an Iranian
airliner bound for Syria.
So we are encouraged to hear that Iraq has announced it will begin
random searches of Iranian aircraft en route to Syria, and we urge all
of Syria’s neighbors to take steps to prevent their territory or
airspace from being used to fuel Assad’s war.
The United States is moving forward on all these fronts: providing
humanitarian aid, supporting the civilian opposition, and increasing
pressure on the regime. As President Obama said, “the future must not
belong to a dictator who massacres his people.” Together, we must stand
with those Syrians who believe in a different vision. So there will be
difficult days ahead, but our unity and resolve must not waver as we
continue to do what we can to end the violence and bloodshed, and bring
about a better day for the Syrian people.
