Ambassador Tammy Bruce
Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations
New York, New York

AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you to today’s briefers for your comprehensive and informative briefings.

Colleagues, the Syrian Arab Republic continues to make progress on political, humanitarian, and security priorities. Recognizing this progress, President Trump on July 8 informed Congress of his administration’s intent to rescind the designation of Syria as a State Sponsor of Terrorism by the United States.

The lifting of U.S. restrictions on Syria will continue to unlock international trade and investment opportunities, contributing to the rebuilding of Syria. A stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors will enhance peace and security for the Syrian people and for those in the region and beyond.

These developments are an important reminder of how far Syria has come in such a short time. It is in fact remarkable.

Syria was the first country to be placed on the U.S. list of State Sponsors of Terrorism back in 1979, due to then-dictator Hafez al-Assad’s support for multiple terrorist organizations.

Syria remained on that list for decades due to the regime’s support for terrorist groups in Lebanon and Iraq. Bashar al-Assad then enlisted some of those same organizations—notably Hizballah—in his brutal war on the Syrian people, killing thousands and displacing many more.

It is therefore remarkable that today, the Syrian government is a regional leader in the campaign against both ISIS and Hizballah.

We must not, however, lose sight of the work that remains.

ISIS is still a significant threat to Syria and the region. The United States strongly condemns the ISIS attack in Damascus on July 7, during the visit of French President Macron, as well as the attack on July 2. We commend the Syrian government’s rapid response to these atrocities and hope that those responsible will be held to account.

We also express our condolences to those who were wounded and killed in these cowardly attacks. The United States will continue working with Syria to disrupt and dismantle ISIS networks, helping keep Syria stable and Americans safe.

We reiterate our call for the international community to support the Syrian government’s ability to fight terrorism.

The United States also condemns the Iranian regime’s attack on southern Syria last week. Once again, Iran claimed to be attacking U.S. forces when, in fact, it struck a sovereign nation. Just days before and a few miles away, Iran reportedly tried to smuggle dozens of drones and missile components through Syria and into Lebanon to re-arm Hizballah. This is how the regime in Tehran treats its neighbors – not with respect, but as mere tools in its campaign of destabilization and terrorism.

We congratulate the Syrian government for intercepting this shipment intended for Lebanese Hizballah. This is further confirmation that the Syrian government will not allow Lebanese Hizballah or any other group to use its sovereign territory to attack Israel.

Finally, the United States welcomes the swearing-in of the Syrian People’s Assembly on July 12. We hope the Assembly will give all Syrians a chance to meaningfully contribute to the political life of the nation. We encourage the Assembly to act quickly on the many legal reforms that are needed to hasten Syria’s transition—including to revamp the justice system, enhance accountability, enable reconstruction, and enable foreign investment.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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