Chemical weapons Quote by Samantha Power
“Syria is important because it lies at the heart of a region critical to U.S. security, a region that is home to friends and partners and one of our closest allies. It is important because the Syrian regime possesses stores of chemical weapons that they have recently used on a large scale and that we cannot allow to fall into terrorists' hands.”
About This Quote
Source Congressional Testimony: “Syria Policy” (2013)
Syria’s strategic location and chemical weapons pose security risks; preventing terrorist acquisition is vital
In simple terms: Control of weapons prevents terror spread
Key Takeaway
Secure dangerous stockpiles
Themes
security
geopolitics
non‑proliferation
Mood
serious
urgent
Type
political
strategic
When to use this quote
- diplomacy
- military planning
- policy making
Key Concepts
Deterrence theory
regional stability
Questions to Reflect On
- How to enforce non‑proliferation?
- What diplomatic tools are effective?
A Different Perspective
Complex politics may limit direct action
![“What happened in Syria was, President [Barack] Obama had made a statement announcing what he called his "red line": You can't use chemical weapons, you can do anything else but [use] chemical weapons.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/265/noam-chomsky-42_announcing_what-happened-in-syria-was-president-bar_433560.jpg)
![“For example, the use of chemical weapons [in Syria]- some on the Democrat side have said well, this encourages the North Koreans to use chemical weapons against our troops.” quote by Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/807/rand-paul-606_chemical-weapons_for-example-the-use-of-chemical-weapons_270335.jpg)
![“Actually, he gave false evidence [of chemical weapons]. In this case,[John] Kerry didn't even present any evidence. He talked "we have evidence" and he didn't present anything. Not yet, nothing so far ; not a single shred of evidence.” quote by Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/336/bashar-al-assad-1027_cases_actually-he-gave-false-evidence-of-chemi_361245.jpg)
