The President: Thank You.
I want to thank King Salman for his extraordinary words,
and the magnificent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
for hosting today's summit.
I am honored to be received by such gracious hosts.
I have always heard about the splendor of your
country and the kindness of your citizens,
but words do not do justice to the grandeur of this
remarkable place and the incredible hospitality
you have shown us from the moment we arrived.
You also hosted me in the treasured home
of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom who united
your great people.
Working alongside another beloved leader --
American President Franklin Roosevelt --
King Abdulaziz began the enduring partnership
between our two countries.
King Salman: your father would be so proud to see
that you are continuing his legacy --
and just as he opened the first chapter in our partnership,
today we begin a new chapter that will bring lasting
benefits to our citizens.
Let me now also extend my deep and heartfelt
gratitude to each and every one
of the distinguished heads of state who made this journey
here today.
You greatly honor us with your presence, and I send
the warmest regards from my country to yours.
I know that our time together will bring many
blessings to both your people and mine.
I stand before you as a representative
of the American People, to deliver a message
of friendship and hope.
That is why I chose to make my first foreign
visit a trip to the heart of the Muslim world,
to the nation that serves as custodian
of the two holiest sites in the Islamic Faith.
In my inaugural address to the American People,
I pledged to strengthen America's oldest friendships,
and to build new partnerships
in pursuit of peace.
I also promised that America will not seek
to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch
our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust.
Our vision is one of peace, security,
and prosperity -- in this region, and in the world.
Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim
of stamping out extremism and providing our children
a hopeful future that does honor to God.
And so, this historic and unprecedented gathering
of leaders -- unique in the history of nations --
is a symbol to the world of our shared resolve
and our mutual respect.
To the leaders and citizens of every country
assembled here today, I want you to know
that the United States is eager to form closer bonds
of friendship, security, culture and commerce.
For Americans, this is an exciting time.
A new spirit of optimism is sweeping our country:
in just a few months, we have created almost
a million new jobs, added over 3 trillion dollars
of new value, lifted the burdens on American industry,
and made record investments in our
military that will protect the safety of our people
and enhance the security of our wonderful friends
and allies -- many of whom are here today.
Now, there is even more blessed news I am pleased
to share with you.
My meetings with King Salman, the Crown Prince,
and the Deputy Crown Prince, have been filled
with great warmth, good will, and tremendous cooperation.
Yesterday, we signed historic agreements with
the Kingdom that will invest almost $400 billion
in our two countries and create many thousands
of jobs in America and Saudi Arabia.
This landmark agreement includes the announcement
of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defense purchase --
and we will be sure to help our Saudi friends
to get a good deal from our great American
defense companies.
This agreement will help the Saudi military
to take a greater role in security operations.
We have also started discussions with many
of the countries present today on strengthening
partnerships, and forming new ones, to advance
security and stability across the Middle East
and far beyond.
Later today, we will make history again with the
opening of a new Global Center for Combating
Extremist Ideology -- located right here,
in this central part of the Islamic World.
This groundbreaking new center represents a clear
declaration that Muslim-majority countries
must take the lead in combatting radicalization,
and I want to express our gratitude to King Salman
for this strong demonstration of leadership.
I have had the pleasure of welcoming several of the
leaders present today to the White House,
and I look forward to working with all of you.
America is a sovereign nation and our first priority
is always the safety and security
of our citizens.
We are not here to lecture -- we are not here to tell
other people how to live, what to do, who to be,
or how to worship.
Instead, we are here to offer partnership --
based on shared interests and values -- to pursue
a better future for us all.
Here at this summit we will discuss
many interests we share together.
But above all we must be united in pursuing the one
goal that transcends every other consideration.
That goal is to meet history's great test --
to conquer extremism and vanquish the forces
of terrorism.
Young Muslim boys and girls should be able
to grow up free from fear, safe from violence,
and innocent of hatred.
And young Muslim men and women should have
the chance to build a new era of prosperity for
themselves and their peoples.
God's help, this summit will mark the beginning
of the end for those who practice terror
and spread its vile creed.
At the same time, we pray this special gathering may
someday be remembered as the beginning of peace
in the Middle East -- and maybe, even all over the world.
But this future can only be achieved through
defeating terrorism and the ideology that drives it.
Few nations have been spared its violent reach.
America has suffered repeated barbaric attacks --
from the atrocities of September 11th
to the devastation of the Boston Bombing, to the horrible
killings in San Bernardino and Orlando.
The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror.
So too have the nations of Africa and even South America.
India, Russia, China and Australia have been victims.
But, in sheer numbers, the deadliest toll has been
exacted on the innocent people of Arab, Muslim and
Middle Eastern nations.
They have borne the brunt of the killings
and the worst of the destruction in this wave
of fanatical violence.
Some estimates hold that more than 95 percent
of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim.
We now face a humanitarian and security disaster
in this region that is spreading across the planet.
It is a tragedy of epic proportions.
No description of the suffering and depravity
can begin to capture its full measure.
The true toll of ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas,
and so many others, must be counted not only
in the number of dead.
It must also be counted in generations of vanished dreams.
The Middle East is rich with natural beauty,
vibrant cultures, and massive amounts
of historic treasures.
It should increasingly become one of the great
global centers of commerce and opportunity.
This region should not be a place from which
refugees flee, but to which newcomers flock.
Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites
in one of the world's great faiths.
Each year millions of Muslims come from around
the world to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Hajj.
In addition to ancient wonders, this country
is also home to modern ones -- including soaring
achievements in architecture.
Egypt was a thriving center of learning and
achievement thousands of years before other parts
of the world.
The wonders of Giza, Luxor and Alexandria are proud
monuments to that ancient heritage.
All over the world, people dream of walking through
the ruins of Petra in Jordan.
Iraq was the cradle of civilization and is a land
of natural beauty.
And the United Arab Emirates has reached
incredible heights with glass and steel,
and turned earth and water into spectacular
works of art.
The entire region is at the center of the key
shipping lanes of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea,
and the Straits of Hormuz.
The potential of this region has never been greater.
65 percent of its population is under
the age of 30.
Like all young men and women, they seek great
futures to build, great national projects to join,
and a place for their families to call home.
But this untapped potential, this tremendous
cause for optimism, is held at bay
by bloodshed and terror.
There can be no coexistence with this violence.
There can be no tolerating it, no accepting it,
no excusing it, and no ignoring it.
Every time a terrorist murders an innocent
person, and falsely invokes the name of God,
it should be an insult to every person of faith.
Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death.
If we do not act against this organized terror,
then we know what will happen.
Terrorism's devastation of life will continue
to spread.
Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence.
And the futures of many generations
will be sadly squandered.
If we do not stand in uniform condemnation
of this killing -- then not only will we be judged
by our people, not only will we be judged by history,
but we will be judged by God.
This is not a battle between different faiths,
different sects, or different civilizations.
This is a battle between barbaric criminals who
seek to obliterate human life, and decent people
of all religions who seek to protect it.
This is a battle between Good and Evil.
When we see the scenes of destruction in the wake
of terror, we see no signs that those murdered were
Jewish or Christian, Shia or Sunni.
When we look upon the streams of innocent blood
soaked into the ancient ground, we cannot see
the faith or sect or tribe of the victims -- we see only
that they were Children of God whose deaths are
an insult to all that is holy.
But we can only overcome this evil if the forces of
good are united and strong - and if everyone in this
room does their fair share and fulfills their part
of the burden.
Terrorism has spread across the world.
But the path to peace begins right here,
on this ancient soil, in this sacred land.
America is prepared to stand with you --
in pursuit of shared interests and common security.
But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait
for American power to crush this enemy for them.
The nations of the Middle East will have to decide
what kind of future they want for themselves,
for their countries, and for their children.
It is a choice between two futures --
and it is a choice America CANNOT make for you.
A better future is only possible if your nations
drive out the terrorists and extremists.
Drive them out.
Drive them out of your places of worship.
Drive them out of your communities.
Drive them out of your holy land, and drive them
out of this earth.
For our part, America is committed to adjusting
our strategies to meet evolving threats
and new facts.
We will discard those strategies that have not
worked -- and will apply new approaches informed
by experience and judgment.
We are adopting a Principled Realism,
rooted in common values and shared interests.
Our friends will never question our support,
and our enemies will never doubt our determination.
Our partnerships will advance security through
stability, not through radical disruption.
We will make decisions based on real-world
outcomes - not inflexible ideology.
We will be guided by the lessons of experience,
not the confines of rigid thinking.
And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms
- not sudden intervention.
We must seek partners, not perfection --
and to make allies of all who share our goals.
Above all, America seeks peace, not war.
Muslim nations must be willing to take on the burden,
if we are going to defeat terrorism and send
its wicked ideology into oblivion.
The first task in this joint effort is for your
nations to deny all territory to the foot
soldiers of evil.
Every country in the region has an absolute
duty to ensure that terrorists find no
sanctuary on their soil.
Many are already making significant contributions
to regional security: Jordanian pilots are
crucial partners against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
Saudi Arabia and a regional coalition
have taken strong action against Houthi militants
in Yemen.
The Lebanese Army is hunting ISIS operatives
who try to infiltrate their territory.
Emirati troops are supporting our Afghan partners.
In Mosul, American troops are supporting Kurds,
Sunnis and Shias fighting together for their homeland.
Qatar, which hosts the U.S. Central Command,
is a crucial strategic partner.
Our longstanding partnership with Kuwait
and Bahrain continue to enhance security
in the region.
And courageous Afghan soldiers are making
tremendous sacrifices in the fight against
the Taliban, and others, in the fight for their country.
As we deny terrorist organizations control of
territory and populations, we must also strip them
of their access to funds.
We must cut off the financial channels that
let ISIS sell oil, let extremists pay their
fighters, and help terrorists smuggle
their reinforcements.
I am proud to announce that the nations here
today will be signing an agreement to prevent the
financing of terrorism, called the Terrorist
Financing Targeting Center -- co-chaired by
the United States and Saudi Arabia, and joined by
every member of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
It is another historic step in a day that will
be long remembered.
I also applaud the Gulf Cooperation Council
for blocking funders from using their countries
as a financial base for terror, and designating
Hezbollah as a terrorist organization last year.
Saudi Arabia also joined us this week in placing
sanctions on one of the most senior leaders
of Hezbollah.
Of course, there is still much work to do.
That means honestly confronting the crisis
of Islamisc extremism and the Islamic terror of all kinds.
We must stop what they are doing to inspire, because they
do nothing to inspire, but kill.
We are having a very profound effect if you look
at what's been happening recently.
And it means standing together against
the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression
of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter
of Christians.
Religious leaders must make this absolutely
clear, barbarism will deliver you no glory --
piety to evil will bring you no dignity.
If you choose the path of terror, your life will be
empty, your life will be brief, and your soul
will be fully condemned.
And political leaders must speak out to affirm
the same idea: heroes don't kill innocents; they save them.
Many nations here today have taken important steps
to raise up that message.
Saudi Arabia's Vision for 2030 is an important
and encouraging statement of tolerance, respect,
empowering women, and economic development.
The United Arab Emirates has also engaged in the
battle for hearts and souls -- and with the U.S.,
launched a center to counter the online spread of hate.
Bahrain too is working to undermine recruitment
and radicalism.
I also applaud Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon
for their role in hosting refugees.
The surge of migrants and refugees leaving
the Middle East depletes the human capital needed
to build stable societies and economies.
Instead of depriving this region of so much human
potential, Middle Eastern countries can give young
people hope for a brighter future in their home
nations and regions.
That means promoting the aspirations and dreams
of all citizens who seek a better life --
including women, children, and followers of all faiths.
Numerous Arab and Islamic scholars have eloquently
argued that protecting equality strengthens
Arab and Muslim communities.
For many centuries, the Middle East has been home
to Christians, Muslims and Jews living side-by-side.
We must practice tolerance and respect for each other
once again -- and make this region a place
where every man and woman, no matter their faith
or ethnicity, can enjoy a life of dignity and hope.
In that spirit, after concluding my visit in
Riyadh, I will travel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem,
and then to the Vatican -- visiting many
of the holiest places in the three Abrahamic Faiths.
If these three faiths can join together
in cooperation, then peace in this world is possible --
including peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
I will be meeting with both Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas.
Starving terrorists of their territory,
their funding, and the false allure of their craven ideology,
will be the basis for defeating them.
But no discussion of stamping out this threat
would be complete without mentioning the government
that gives terrorists all three -- safe harbor,
financial backing, and the social standing needed
for recruitment.
It is a regime that is responsible for so much
instability in the region.
I am speaking of course of Iran.
From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms,
and trains terrorists, militias, and other
extremist groups that spread destruction
and chaos across the region.
For decades, Iran has fueled the fires
of sectarian conflict and terror.
It is a government that speaks openly of mass
murder, vowing the destruction of Israel,
death to America, and ruin for many leaders
and nations in this room.
Among Iran's most tragic and destabilizing
interventions have been in Syria.
Bolstered by Iran, Assad has committed unspeakable
crimes, and the United States has taken firm
action in response to the use of banned chemical
weapons by the Assad Regime -- launching
59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air base from where
that murderous attack originated.
Responsible nations must work together to end
the humanitarian crisis in Syria, eradicate ISIS,
and restore stability to the region.
The Iranian regime's longest-suffering victims
are its own people.
Iran has a rich history and culture, but the people
of Iran have endured hardship
and despair under their leaders' reckless pursuit
of conflict and terror.
Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner
for peace, all nations of conscience must work
together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for
terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian
people have the just and righteous government
they so richly deserve.
The decisions we make will affect countless lives.
King Salman, I thank you for the creation of this
great moment in history, and for your massive
investment in America, its industry and its jobs.
I also thank you for investing in the future
of this part of the world.
This fertile region has all the ingredients
for extraordinary success -- a rich history and culture,
a young and vibrant people, a thriving spirit
of enterprise.
But you can only unlock this future if the citizens
of the Middle East are freed from
extremism, terror and violence.
We in this room are the leaders of our peoples.
They look to us for answers, and for action.
And when we look back at their faces, behind every
pair of eyes is a soul that yearns for justice.
Today, billions of faces are now looking at us,
waiting for us to act on the great question of our time.
Will we be indifferent in the presence of evil?
Will we protect our citizens from its violent ideology?
Will we let its venom spread through our societies?
Will we let it destroy the most holy sites on earth?
If we do not confront this deadly terror, we know
what the future will bring -- more suffering and despair.
But if we act -- if we leave this magnificent
room unified and determined to do what
it takes to destroy the terror that threatens the world --
then there is no limit to the great future
our citizens will have.
The birthplace of civilization is waiting
to begin a new renaissance.
Just imagine what tomorrow could bring.
Glorious wonders of science, art, medicine
and commerce to inspire humankind.
Great cities built on the ruins of shattered towns.
New jobs and industries that will lift up millions
of people.
Parents who no longer worry for their children,
families who no longer mourn for their loved ones,
and the faithful who finally worship without fear.
These are the blessings of prosperity and peace.
These are the desires that burn with a righteous
flame in every human heart.
And these are the just demands of our beloved peoples.
I ask you to join me, to join together, to work
together, and to fight together, because united,
we will not fail.
Thank you.
God, bless you.
God bless your countries.
And God bless the United States of America.
Thank you very much.