National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster delivered a speech at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. on Thursday where he compared atrocities carried out by the Assad regime in Syria to the Holocaust.
In addition to targeting the Syrian regime in his remarks, the national security advisor also called out Russia and Iran for assisting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for strikes on civilians, using chemical weapons, not complying with ceasefires, and not allowing aid reach civilians.
McMaster said the United States is documenting atrocities in Syria by the Assad regime for use in future prosecutions, fighting alongside partners such as the Syrian Democratic Forces to defeat ISIS, and providing aid to assist civilians.
"Following Assad's April 4, 2017 sarin attack on innocents, President Trump launched a powerful missile strike on the Syrian air base from which this attack originated, destroying over 20 percent of the Syrian Air Force," McMaster said. "Our actions sent an unmistakable message: using these horrific weapons is never acceptable and we will hold perpetrators accountable."
"Unfortunately, many of these life-saving efforts to resolve the conflict, to defeat ISIS, to deliver humanitarian aid, and to deter chemical weapons attacks are impeded by the Assad regime's sponsors in Tehran and in Moscow," McMaster said. "All civilized nations must hold Iran and Russia accountable for their role in enabling atrocities and perpetuating human suffering in Syria."
McMaster continued by detailing some of the support–frequently condemned by the the Trump administration–that Russia and Iran have provided to the Assad regime.
The national security advisor's speech at the Holocaust Memorial Museum came as the museum holds a special exhibit entitled, "Syria: Please Don't Forget Us."