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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.