Issues at my time in congress. If you have some questions, i will take questions today. I want offer my condolences to the people of australia for the tragic loss of life and property from the wildfires across that region. Americas thoughts and prayers are with them in the personnel putting their selves in harms way and the dozens of u. S. Firefighting personnel standing sidebyside with our australian friends fighting the flames. This was in sidney just past summer, we had a truly Unbreakable Alliance and they are great friends and we are happy to be able to help the aussies in this time of need. In asia, we noted the appointment of the new head of the Hong Kong Chinese liaison office. He has expressed hopes that hong ong will return to the right path. The right path, as i said before, is for the Chinese Party to commit to the independent rule of law and freedoms that the chinese living on the mainland unfortunately do not enjoy. They will continue to work with hong kong and the Chinese Communist Party Officials to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in all, and promote the high degree of autonomy. In afghanistan, there is an aspect of that conflict that deserves more attention, and is the Islamic Republic of irans involvement there. Iran has refused to join the regional and Inter National consensus for peace and is, in fact, today actively working to undermine the Peace Process i by continuing its long and global effort to support militant groups there. Most people know about irans proxy networks in the arab world but the regime also has a relationship of the taliban and related groups. Such as the haqqanis, the tora and the mulea groups and theirups entitlement in irans dirty work will only harm the afghanistan piece process. A couple items in the hemisphere. In venezuela, i want to thank and congratulate juan guaido and relit jat reelection, a a itimate reelection with decorum of 100 deputies. The intimidation and bribery could not rail venezuelan democracy or nor could its use of military forces. I applaud how venezuelas Political Parties came together to support his reelection. Will continue es to support president guido and guaido and we support the venezuelan people because we believe the western hemisphere should be a hemisphere with freedom everywhere. I also want to highlight the work of the oas, who have been instrumental in moving the region in that direction. Its an example of truly utstanding and effective multilateralism. The secretary general is the leader we need for the o. A. S. To proactive ly address the challenges facing the region, promoting democracy, upholding human rights, fostering economic development. I have more to say about the oas and the Multilateral Forum in the coming weeks. On the theme of basic freedoms, i want to commend members of the Council Members for the january 2 statement in which they expressed deep concern of the inhumane and painful conditions which Uyghur Muslims in china are subjected. Recognizing what i have been saying for months. The Chinese Communist party is committing mass human rights abuses of and ethnics and other muslims held in detention. We are happy with what he did and we ask all countries, particularly those belonging to the islamic coordination to deny its the Chinese Communist party and a broader war on faith. Moving to europe. Prime minister tatis is here. I will have a meeting today alongside President Trump. Politicalecretary for affairs, david hale, will be thisling to brussels later week. We will have conversations with 28 european counterparts. This is a meeting happens about every six months. This gathering is important because it precedes a foreign ministerial on iran. Thats just been scheduled. It shows once again our close cooperation with our European Partners on issues of mutual concern. While davids there, the issue of iran and iraq will be featured prominently in their conversations and they will have an opportunity to discuss syria, north korea and china as well. One more Personnel Matter i want to thank ambassador john bass who i have come to know in my time of service, both as the director of the cia and secretary of state. Of service in ur kabul was one of our most important commissions. He is a man of incredible integrity and has helped that country to a brighter, more peaceful, and more secure future for the people. I would like to welcome the two new ambassadors. Including ambassador sullivan. Glad they are getting after the and im happy to have more follow them out there. I am happy to take a few questions. In honor of the new year, i have 2020 questions to ask you. I will pair them down for the brevity. There continue to be questions about the nature of the intelligence that led to the strike that killed general soleimani. Can you be more specific about how immanent this was and what exactly it was . Secondly, why not allow the foreign minister to come to the u. N. To speak at the Security Council . And lastly, did iran factor into your decision not to run . Secretary pompeo last one is easy. I said the same thing yesterday i said for months. No, no real news there. I will stay serving as secretary state as long as President Trump shall have me. You can excuse me of being nconsistent but not on that one. Second, you know, we dont comment on visa matters. To the United States on visas, so i cant add the former e of ministers travel to the United States. We will comply with our obligations under the u. N. Requirements in the agreement and we will do so in this particular instance and more day. Ly every finally, there has been much made about this question of intelligence and immanence. I answered it multiple times on sunday and i will walk do it i will walk through it again. Any time a president makes a decision of this magnitude, there are multiple pieces of information that come before him. We presented it in its broad detail and gave him the best information that came from the Intelligence Committee and from those of us who have teams in the field. We evaluated the relevant risks and had the opportunity that might present itself at some point and we could see clearly that not only had soleimani done all the things we have recounted, hundreds of thousands of massacre in syria, enormous destruction of countries like and iraq where they denied sovereignty and the iranians denied people in those countries what they want. This is all soleimanis handy work. We know what happened at the end last year in december that ultimately led to the death of an american. If you are looking for than nce, look no further to the day we got soleimani. Then in addition to that, you have what were continuing efforts on behalf of this terrorist to build out a network of campaigns that would lead potentially to the death of many more americans. Its a right decision. Right. It the department did excellent work, and the president had an entirely legal, appropriate, and a decision that fit perfectly within our strategy and how to conquer the threat, a malign iran more broadly. Keira. Reporter thank you, mr. Secretary. Yes, maam. Mpeo reporter two questions if you dont mind. Irans foreign minister said soleimani was on a diplomatic visit to iraq. The u. S. Strike to take him out was state terrorism. That President Trump is prepared to commit war crimes and iranians are enraged. Thats the first question id like your reaction to that. Second question, President Trump indicated that irans cultural site could be targeted. That true . Are they on the target list and if so, do you consider that a war crime . Sec. Pompeo the statement his first statement was that soleimani was traveling to baghdad on a Diplomatic Mission. Anybody here believe that . Is there any history that would indicate it was remotely possible that this kind gentleman, this diplomat of qassemrder, soleimani, was traveling to baghdad for a Peace Mission . I made you reporters laugh. It was not true. He is a propagandist of the first order. Most of what was suggested in that message was iranian propaganda. In his t you suggested text message or email was propaganda. Its not new. We heard the same lies before. Its fundamentally false. Not there on a Diplomatic Mission trying to solve a problem. I know there was some story there was there representing a saudi peace deal. I have spoken to my partners at great length but i can assure you they will share my views that he was not there representing some kind of agreement that would reduce risk or reduce risk to the lives of americans on that trip. Americans on that trip. Your last piece was about cultural sites. Ill reiteratey, it again, every target thats eing reviewed, every effort being made will be conducted inside the International Law of war. I have worked on this project and am very confident of that. Reporter its an election year, facing two ow crisis with iran and north korea. Re you optimistic about resolving either of those to out them blowing up, so speak, in opportune moments. Irans breakout time when you came into office was considered a year. Now longer or shorter . Secretary pompeo ill lead to to talk ligence team about the details about irans brackout time at the moment. Be ident trump could not more clear. On our watch, iran will not get a nuclear weapon. Into office, iran was on a pathway that was provided by the nuclear deal an h clearly gave them opportunity to give them those nuclear weapons. We wont let that happen. As for the first question, which more broadly. What President Trump laid out in his National Security strategy both north korea and iran is the plan we executed, the strategy we executed for this past three years. We have put iran in a place where never been before, they had to make difficult choices, choices about how to pay for and underwrite their militias around the region. Whether and how to build out their missile program. Where we flip from were eight years before. Its not political. Previous Administration Made a different choice. Underwrite. O we have chosen to confront and contain. Strategies. Fferent we believe ours is successful. It will bely believe successful for iran to behave as nation. Threaten not only americans and our lives to keep americans mission, but s our also to create and enhance stability throughout the middle east. Were confident thats the case. You asked , which we t, we still are hopeful will be able to head down a path. I was here in december sometime of talk e were lots what happened at the end of the year. We have not seen that yet. Engaged and in hopeful we can have a conversation about how to get the denuclearization that kim promised to President Trump back in 2018. Reporter two quick things here on the soleimani strike. Since the Trump Administration withdrew the United States from the Iran Nuclear Deal two years so, the Trump Administration has said repeatedly its pursuing against iran a maximum Pressure Campaign. First question. This soleimani operation, was that part of the maximum campaign . Sec. Pompeo and your second one. Rp wasrter to your knowledge, any Legal Counsel in the executive branch consulted for his or her input surrounding the legal aspects of the strike prior to its execution . Secretary pompeo ill leave to others to comment on that. A pattern of practice, i have never seen this administration engage in activity of this nature without a thorough and complete legal review of what the bases would be if the president were to make a series of decision during the lawyers review the options presented to the president in advance of them being presented, such that every option has been fully vetted through the legal process. I am confident that is the case, although i do not have specific knowledge but i am confident that was the case. The d, you asked about scope of the strategy and the maximum Pressure Campaign we have had in place. It has a diplomatic component, t has had an economic component, and it has had a military component. Over the ou have seen course of the past may of 2018 when we withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal you have seen us execute that with enormous vigor and energy. Youve seen it diplomatically. Around ilt coalitions the region, the gulf states. On certain files. The e3. Go back and look from may of last year, go look at the in ement that was made warsaw. A united statement centering the instability in the middle east the Islamic Republic of iran. The coalition now in the straits of hormuz, weve ice lated the isolated the iranian regime. Economically, weve seen the sanctions put in place and we watched the regime struggled to figure out how it was they would make it through 2020. They have a budget that will fall short by a significant amount as a direct result of the pressure we have put on the regime. You saw not just this past week but over the last year, you have seen our security component to this. You have seen us reinforce llies in the region by reassuring the saudis and emrates were prepared for what might happen if iran decided to make choices that were bad for the iranian people. You saw more tactically the last few days, the president s response when the iranians made a bad decision to kill an american. They wont make another bad Decision Just like that one. Reporter just to be clear, the soleimani strike was part of the maximum Security Campaign and they should know that some are actions like the soleimani of this uld be part maximum feature campaign . Sec. Pompeo the president has been ambiguous about the seriousness in which we take this. Risk. We are deeply aware of and the preparations we have made to prevent those risks as well as determination that in the event the iranians make another bad choice the president will a way which he did last week which was decisive and messaged iran about the constraints we will place on that regime so it doesnt ontinue to put american lives at risk. In the end, our iran policy is about protecting and defending homeland and securing american lives. I know that the efforts we have with not only last week the strike against soleimani but the strategy we have employed has saved american lives. Im highly confident of that. Thank you. Take one more. How are you . Reporter thank you very much. A question about the issue of cultural sites. The president said coming back after you had been on the sunday talk shows that they are allowed to kill our people and torture and maim our people, they are allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people and we to touch their cultural sites . It doesnt work that way. Efense secretariess persuade he defense secretary esper as made it clear he would not follow in order hitting a site of culture would be a war of crime. Secretary pompeo you are not really wondering. Sunday. Ambiguous on its completely consistent with what the president has said. We ill take every action take will be consistent with the International Rule of law and can the American People assure of that. If you want to look at who has denied religious freedom, denied persian culture thats steep n intellect and they have denied the capacity for the culture to continue. Going back to the holidays, the people they killed, that qassem they have not d, allowed them to go mourn their family members. The real risk to persian culture from the United States of america. Is no mistake about that. Thank you, all. Have a good day. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] the u. S. House gavels. After the pray this afternoon, members will immediately recess eastern. 0 p. M. At that time the house will conduct a vote known as a quorum a prerequisite for any further legislative business for the second session of the congress. The house has yet to decide on impeachment managers or to send impeachment les of over to the senate. And eventually the senate will sit as a jury to hear the case President Trump. There are some reports concerning that possible movement on the senate side. To bring that news to you when the house comes in at to bring that news to you when the house comes in at 2 00 p. M. We will hear from National Security officials discussing iran, olicies toward including the recent u. S. Drone last week that killed an iranian general. New america in washington. Live coverage at 3 00 p. M. Eastern. Our Live Campaign 2020 overage continues thursday at 7 00 p. M. Eastern with President Donald Trump in toledo, ohio, at rally. America great watch live on cspan2, on demand t cspan. Org, or listen on the go with the free cspan radio app. President achment of trump. Continue to follow the process senate n leading to a trial. Live, unfiltered coverage on cspan, on demand at
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