The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 10 entities and six individuals in response to North Korea’s ongoing development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), violations of United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolutions, and attempted evasion of U.S. sanctions.
Today marks the 4th anniversary of the Syrian regime’s deadly chemical weapons attack that killed more than 1,400 people in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta. This tragic event precipitated an international effort that led to the destruction of more than 1,000 metric tons of Syrian chemical weapons. Still, on April 4th of this year, Assad proved beyond a doubt that he still possesses these heinous weapons and is willing to use them against innocent civilians.
Our new strategy breaks from previous approaches that set artificial calendar-based deadlines. We are making clear to the Taliban that they will not win on the battlefield. The Taliban has a path to peace and political legitimacy through a negotiated political settlement to end the war.
Four years ago today, the Assad regime murdered more than 1,400 Syrians using the chemical agent sarin in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta. In response to Assad’s brutality, the international community undertook considerable steps to dismantle the regime’s chemical weapons program with the determination to prevent Assad from ever using such atrocious weapons again.
I am here tonight to lay out our path forward in Afghanistan and South Asia. But before I provide the details of our new strategy, I want to say a few words to the servicemembers here with us tonight, to those watching from their posts, and to all Americans listening at home.
The governments of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States welcome the announcement on August 17 by the Libya National Army (LNA) that it will investigate reports of unlawful killings in Benghazi. We note that the LNA has recognized the arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court prosecutor for a member of the LNA, Major al-Werfalli, and are encouraged by the LNA’s decision to suspend Major al-Werfalli pending an investigation.
We join Venezuela’s neighbors in condemning the illegitimate Constituent Assembly and its authoritarian directives.
SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, good afternoon. I’d like to start by acknowledging the incident in Barcelona which has the hallmarks, it appears, of yet another terrorist attack.
On behalf of the United States of America, our best wishes to the people of Gabon on the occasion of the Gabonese Republic’s 57th Independence Day. The United States values its partnership with Gabon and will continue to support the Gabonese people in strengthening democracy, human rights, and economic progress.
This is an historic day for the United States. Today, for the first time, we will start negotiating to revise a major free trade agreement. American politicians have been promising to renegotiate NAFTA for years, but today President Trump is going to fulfill those promises.