I was informed I was playing politics by not posting this statement of Donald Trump's. No, I wasn't. I wasn't aware of it. The current administration does not do that much period -- in terms of statements and releases or even briefings. When I'm made aware of one, we post it here (if it's about Iraq) and we've done that with President Barack Obama, with President Donald Trump and even with Occupier Bully Boy Bush. When Barack was president, many in the administration would e-mail stuff or call me about it which is why we rarely missed any releases or briefings or statements during his administration. Anyway, Donald issued the following on January 3rd:
Mar-a-Lago
Palm Beach, Florida
3:13 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Well, thank you very much. And good afternoon.
As President, my highest and most solemn duty is the defense of our nation and its citizens.
Last night, at my direction, the United States military successfully
executed a flawless precision strike that killed the number-one
terrorist anywhere in the world, Qasem Soleimani.
Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American
diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and
terminated him.
Under my leadership, America’s policy is unambiguous: To terrorists
who harm or intend to harm any American, we will find you; we will
eliminate you. We will always protect our diplomats, service members,
all Americans, and our allies.
For years, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its ruthless
Quds Force — under Soleimani’s leadership — has targeted, injured, and
murdered hundreds of American civilians and servicemen.
The recent attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq, including rocket strikes
that killed an American and injured four American servicemen very badly,
as well as a violent assault on our embassy in Baghdad, were carried
out at the direction of Soleimani.
Soleimani made the death of innocent people his sick passion,
contributing to terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London.
Today we remember and honor the victims of Soleimani’s many
atrocities, and we take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is
over.
Soleimani has been perpetrating acts of terror to destabilize the
Middle East for the last 20 years. What the United States did yesterday
should have been done long ago. A lot of lives would have been saved.
Just recently, Soleimani led the brutal repression of protestors in
Iran, where more than a thousand innocent civilians were tortured and
killed by their own government.
We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war.
I have deep respect for the Iranian people. They are a remarkable
people, with an incredible heritage and unlimited potential. We do not
seek regime change. However, the Iranian regime’s aggression in the
region, including the use of proxy fighters to destabilize its
neighbors, must end, and it must end now.
The future belongs to the people of Iran — those who seek peaceful
coexistence and cooperation — not the terrorist warlords who plunder
their nation to finance bloodshed abroad.
The United States has the best military by far, anywhere in the
world. We have best intelligence in the world. If Americans anywhere
are threatened, we have all of those targets already fully identified,
and I am ready and prepared to take whatever action is necessary. And
that, in particular, refers to Iran.
Under my leadership, we have destroyed the ISIS territorial
caliphate, and recently, American Special Operations Forces killed the
terrorist leader known as al-Baghdadi. The world is a safer place
without these monsters.
America will always pursue the interests of good people, great
people, great souls, while seeking peace, harmony, and friendship with
all of the nations of the world.
Thank you. God bless you. God bless our great military. And God
bless the United States of America. Thank you very much. Thank you.
END
3:18 P.M. EST
