SECRETARY POMPEO: Good morning, everyone.
I want to comment this morning on a few terrorism-related
matters, a terrorist regime, and a couple
other items as well.
Before I begin, though, I want to confirm
with a heavy heart that a United States citizen,
Anil Raj of California, was killed in a terrorist
attack on a UN vehicle in Kabul on November
24th.
There were five other civilians who were injured,
including staff.
We extend our condolences to the family and
friends of the victim following this tragic
incident and send our best wishes for a speedy
recovery for those who were injured.
Attacks targeting UN personnel working to
help the Afghan people are unconscionable,
and we condemn this act in the strongest possible
terms.
Today also marks the 11th anniversary of the
Mumbai terror attack.
We remember the 166 innocent victims, including
six Americans.
The brutality of the attack shocked the entire
world.
It is an effort – it is – excuse me – it
is an affront – it’s an affront to the
victims and their families that those who
planned the Mumbai attack still have not been
convicted.
Moving on to the world’s largest state sponsor
of terrorism, the Islamic Republic of Iran.
President Trump and I have been following
closely the protests that have recently broken
out across that country.
The Iranian people are, once again, on the
streets because of the regime’s poor economic
management.
And instead of addressing their grievances,
Tehran has responded with violence and by
blaming those outside of the country.
Last week, the regime shut down the internet
to prevent the truth about the protests from
getting out.
I asked Iranians – I asked Iranians to share
their messages with the United States so we
could expose and sanction abuses of the Iranian
regime.
We have received to date nearly 20,000 messages,
videos, pictures, notes of the regime’s
abuses through Telegram messaging services.
I hope they will continue to be sent to us.
We will continue to sanction Iranian officials
who are responsible for these human rights
abuses, just like we did last week to Iran’s
Minister of Communications.
The Iranian regime also continues to export
cruelty outside its own borders.
Last week, an Iranian dissident, Massoud Malvi,
was assassinated in Istanbul after he defected
to Turkey from Iran.
The killing of Mr. Malvi is yet another tragic
example in a long string of suspected Iran-backed
assassination attempts outside of Iranian
soil.
The regime’s brutality and amorality know
no international boundaries.
To the courageous people of Iran who refuse
to stay silent about 40 years of abuse by
the ruling regime, I say simply this: The
United States hears you.
We support you and we will continue to stand
with you in your struggle for a brighter future
for your people and for your great nation.
As part of our long-standing strategic partnership
with Egypt, we continue to raise the fundamental
importance of respect for human rights, universal
freedoms, and the need for a robust civil
society.
We call on the Egyptian Government to respect
freedom of the press and to release journalists
detained in a raid last weekend.
Turning to the Chinese Communist Party.
We’ve all seen the “Xinjiang Papers”
released in recent days.
They detail the Chinese party’s brutal detention
and systematic repression of Uighurs and members
of other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang.
These reports are consistent with an overwhelming
and growing body of evidence that the Chinese
Communist Party is committing human rights
violations and abuses against individuals
in mass detention.
We call on the Chinese Government to immediately
release all those who are arbitrarily detained
and to end its draconian policies that have
terrorized its own citizens in Xinjiang.
It’s not just Muslims that are the largest
– that are the target of the CCP’s hostility.
Christians, Tibetans, and other minority groups
have also felt the CCP’s heavy hand of repression.
On a different note regarding China, we congratulate
the people of Hong Kong on free, fair, and
peaceful district council elections on the
24th of November.
The United State continues to support democratic
values, fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong
as guaranteed by the “one country, two systems”
framework, and aspirations of the Hong Kong
people.
I also have a short announcement on Cuba.
Today, the United States is taking action
to prevent Cubametales from circumventing
U.S. sanctions.
Cubametales is a Cuban state-run company and
the primary facilitator of illegal oil imports
from Venezuela.
To further contain their action, we are putting
sanctions on another Cuban company, Corporacion
Panamericana S.A., pursuant to Executive Order
13850.
Cubametales was sanctioned back on July of
2019.
It has since had trouble finding companies
willing to conduct business with it.
It has relied on this company to evade sanctions
as it carries out the oil for repression scheme
between Cuba and Venezuela, a scheme declared
illegal by the legitimate government of Venezuela.
The Venezuelan and Cuban people continue to
suffer at the hands of despotic actors who
put their own interests above the interests
of their people.
Today’s action will further squeeze the
illegal, profitmaking scheme Cuba carries
out to help the illegitimate dictator Nicolas
Maduro and his unraveling network of corrupt
advisors.
And finally, after the holidays, I’ll be
hitting the road for some important diplomatic
activities.
First, I’ll head to beautiful Louisville,
Kentucky.
The University of Louisville will host me
for remarks at the McConnell Distinguished
Speaker Series.
And I’ll share some thoughts on what the
Trump Administration is continuing to do here
in the Western Hemisphere to protect the American
people.
Then I’ll travel to London with the President
for a NATO Leaders Meeting, where the President
and other allied leaders will talk about a
whole host of ways to strengthen the Alliance
– which is celebrating its 70th anniversary.
And then I’ll travel on to Morocco.
It’s one of our strongest partners in the
region.
And I’m looking forward to reviewing our
countries’ strong economic, security partnership
and discussing future areas of cooperation.
And then finally, onto Portugal, to Lisbon.
As is the case with so many of our European
friends, our robust ties are built on shared
values of freedom and democracy.
And I look forward to that visit as well.
And with that, I’m happy to take a few questions.
