journal, pompeo courts air support against iran while touting u.s. mideast role. secretary pompeo delivered an address at the american university in cairo. he criticized previous u.s. administrations. saying, the quote - age of self-inflicted american shame is over. >> good afternoon. leaves in-- ladies and gentleme distinguished guests. business leaders, society leaders, egypt international, students, colleagues of the american university in cairo. secretary michael pompeo, susan pompeo, thank you for coming. welcome. it is a very special and particular honor today to begin

the centennial year here in egypt with a visit of a distinguished american leader who is bearing a method of global impact.for centuries, they would've served the citizens of egypt in the wider arab world. as a beacon of inquiry-based american liberal arts education and served as a steppingstone for the citizens out here to successful global engagement. at the same time, we have served generations of the most adventuresome american scholars as the most inviting portal to this dynamic and welcoming part of the arab world. mr. secretary, you are very american personal story and public service inspires us all. as a descendent of immigrants from this mediterranean region, you competed for and won entry to the united states military academy. you then began your career of leadership in national service as an officer in the united states army. he went on to become a successful private

entrepreneur. thereafter, the people of kansas elected you four times to the united states congress. you now have your second cabinet appointment by the president of united states so we wish you success -- in a world imposing unprecedented challenges p thank you for choosing the american university in cairo as a venue to communicate your very important message stay. please join me in welcoming secretary pompeo. [applause] >> thank you, frank. thank you for your service to america. as well in addition to the duties that you perform here. i've had the good fortune to be a frequent visitor here to egypt. and the middle east as secretary of state.

in my prior role the cia director is he with some frequency. and i came here too is a member of congress. every time i come i get to see something new. something wonderful. this trip is especially meaningful for me. as an evangelical christian coming so soon after the christmas celebration, this is an important time. we are all children of abraham. christians, muslims, jews. in my office i keep a bible open on my desk to remind me of god and his word and the truth. and it is the truth, that i am here to talk about today. it is a truth that is not often spoken in this part of the world. but because i am a military man by training i will be very blunt and direct today. america is a force for good. in the middle east. we need to acknowledge that

truth. because if we don't, we make bad choices. now and in the future. in our choices, the choices we make today have consequences for nations and for millions and millions of people for our safety, for our economic prosperity, for our personal freedoms, and those of our children. and there is no more appropriate place than where extended today to have this discussion at the american university here in beautiful cairo. this year marks 100 years since the timing of this institution. and the auc is more than just a university, it's important symbol of america's venture with egypt and what binds our people together. together we've created a modern place of learning in the midst of an ancient civilization with his own risk history of artists, poets and intellectuals. egypt has always been a land of striving.

and yet, aspirations and those of your brethren in the middle east have seen impossible to achieve, these lands witness convulsions from tehran as all systems crumble and new ones struggled to emerge. it's happened here too. and at this critical moment, america, your longtime friend was absent too much. why? because our leaders greatly misread our history. and your historical moment. these fundamental misunderstandings set forth in this city, in 2009, adversely affected the lives of hundreds of millions of people in egypt and all across the region. remember, it was here, here in the city, another americans stood before you. he told radical islamic terrorism does not stem from an ideology. he told you that 9/11 led my

country to abandon his ideals. particularly in the middle east. he told you that the united states and the muslim world needed quote - a new beginning. the results of these misjudgments have been dire. and falsely seeing ourselves as a force for what ails the middle east, we were timid. in asserting ourselves when the time and our partners demanded it. we grossly underestimated the tenacity and viciousness of radical islamism, a strand of the faith that seems to -- other forms of worship or governance. america hesitated. they raped and pillaged and murdered tens of thousands of innocents. they birthed the caliphate across syria and iraq and launched terror attacks that killed all across continents.

america's reluctance, to wield their influence kept us silent as the people ever ran rose up in the green revolution. the ayatollah and their henchmen murdered, jailed and intimidated freedom loving iranians.and they wrongly blamed america for this unrest when it was their own tyranny that had fueled it. and emboldened, the regime spread its influence to yemen, iraq, syria and still further into lebanon. our wishful thinking let us to look the other way as hezbollah, wholly-owned subsidiary of the iranian regime acute related and massive arsenal of approximately 130,000 rockets and missiles. they stored and positioned the weapons and lebanese towns and villages and fragrant violation of international law. that arsenal is aimed squarely

at our allies, israel. when bashir aside unleased terror on ordinary people and put gassing of the people. condemned the actions but in our hesitation to wield power, we did nothing. our eagerness to address only muslims and not nations, ignored the rich diversity of the middle east and frayed old bonds. it undermined the concept of the nationstate, the building blocks of international stability.and a desire for peace at any cost let us to strike a deal with iran our common enemy. so today, what did we learn from all of this? we learn that when america retreats, chaos often follows. we neglect our friends, resentment builds. we partner with our enemies,

they advance. the good news, the good news is this. the age of self-inflicted american shame is over. and so with those that produce so much needless suffering. now comes the real new beginning. in just 24 months, actually less than two years, the united states under president trump has reasserted his traditional role as a force for good in this region. we have learned from our mistakes. we rediscovered our voice, we rebuild our relationships. we rejected false overtures from our enemies. and look at what we've accomplished. look at what we have accomplished together. under new leadership america has confronted the ugly reality of radical islamism. president trump's very first

trip abroad to this region, he called a muslim majority nations to quote - meet histories greatest test.to conquer extremism and vanquish terrorism. the president joined us, he joined us in denouncing the twisted ideology which has left death and suffering on so many. i think the president for his courage. [applause] as i said in a recent speech i gave in brussels, our words mean something again. and they should. west point told me a basic code of integrity. if we commit american prestige to an action our allies depend on us to follow through. the trump administration did not stand idly by. when bashir aside use chemical weapons against his people. indeed the president at least the fear of the military not once but twice. with allied support. and he's willing to do it again. although we do hope he does not have to. for those who fret about the use of american power, remember

this, america has always been and always will be a liberating force. not an occupying power. we have never dreamed of domination in the middle east. can you say the same about iran? and world war ii, american gis helped free from occupation. then -- with the russians or the chinese come to your rescue in the same way? the way that we have? and, when the mission is over, when the job is complete, america leaves. today, in iraq, if the government imitation, we have approximately 5000 troops. there was once 166,000. we once had tens of thousands of military stations in saudi arabia. now that number is a tiny fraction. when we do set up major bases

as we've done in iran in kuwait, and turkey, it's at the invitation of the host country. in that same spirit, just last year, america had a coalition of allies and partners to dismantle the islamic -- muslims and christians, men, women and children. president trump empowered our commanders in the field to strike isis quicker and harder than ever before. and now, nine percent of the territory, isis once held is liberated. life is returning to normal for millions of iraqis. and syrians. nations in the global coalition should all be enormously proud of this achievement. together we have saved thousands of lives. our allies and partners have helped greatly in this counter

isis effort. france and britain joined our strengths on syria in support of anti-terror efforts around the world. jordan and turkey have hosted millions of syrians fleeing violence peers saudi arabia and other countries have generously contributed towards stabilization efforts. we thank all of them for their help and we urge them to continue. the united states has also helped liberated areas as an important means of preventing the caliphate from reemerging. we provided 2 and a half billion dollars in humanitarian assistance to iraq since 2014. and our churches and nonprofits do good work there every day as well. we and our allies generated nearly 30 billion in grants and financing support to aid iraq's reconstruction and the kuwait reconstruction conference this past year. think about the people we are helping. last year, i hosted the first

ever ministerial advance religious freedom in washington. at the conference are investor recounted his trip to iraq. there he met women that have been sold into bondage produce children had been ripped out of their arms. life under isis was real hell. a living hell on earth. today, those areas are liberated, sterile coalitions power in might and commitment. i recall a line from relate noble -- quote - good is achieving victory every day. it may even be that evil is weaker than we imagine. let's turn to iran. president trump has reversed a willful blindness to the danger of the regime and withdrew from the failed nuclear deal with its false promises. the u.s. imposed sanctions

should never have been lifted. we embarked in a new campaign. to cut off the revenues the regime uses to spread terror and destruction throughout the world. we joined the iranian people and calling for freedom and accountability. and importantly we foster the common understanding with our allies of the need to counteract the iran regime revolutionary agenda. countries can increasingly understand that we must confront the ayatollah, not coddle them. nations are rallying to our side to confront the regime like never before. egypt, kuwait and jordan have all been instrumental in efforts to evade sanctions paid the uae has canceled its importance of -- bharain has exposed the resolution proxies that are active in this country. which is working to stop iran's illicit maritime activities in its region. saudi arabia has worked with us to counter expansion and regional influence.

we, the united states, command each of these efforts. and for all nations to continue the work for the full array of the regimes activity. the work to curb the regimes deadly ambitions is not confined to the middle east. america's friends and partners from south korea to poland have joined our effort to stop the wave of regional destruction and global campaigns of terror. countries across the globe have cut iranian oil imports to zero and are working toward that goal. private companies in france germany britain and elsewhere have all calculated enriching themselves through work with the regime is bad for business. and bad for the people of their own countries. in yemen, we have assisted our coalition partners as they take the lead in preventing and arranging expansion that would be disastrous for world trade. and regional security. as is always the case with

america, our engagement has also been coupled with robust humanitarian aid. he supported the un talks to put yemen on the path to peace. in lebanon, hezbollah remains a major presence. but we will not accept the status quo. our aggressive sanctions campaign against iran is also directed at the terror group and its leaders. including the son of the head of hezbollah. let's talk about america's efforts to build coalition. the trump administration has moved quickly to rebuild links amongst their old friends and nurture new partnerships. my very first trip in this job included stops in israel, jordan, saudi arabia. in fact after being sworn in secretary of state i visited these countries before he ever went to my office. in washington d.c.. and i welcome your leaders to my office. often. as it did with foreign minister -- in august of last year. coalition building for america

is natural. but in past years we've neglected it. this ministration has enjoyed fruitful relationships in the middle east for hundreds of years but we must keep them and work to keep them. our ties stem back a long ways with 1777 and 1833. our friendship with a country in which we are today, egypt, stems back generations. indeed, this year marks the 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relations with jordan. we are building out a healthy dialogue with the government of iraq. a thriving and young democracy. we are also building relationships for our shared prosperity. it is time for old rivalries to end, for the sake of the greater good of the region. the trump administration is also working to establish the middle east strategic alliance. to confront the regional serious threat and bolster cooperation. this effort is bringing together members of the

corporation counsel as well as egypt and jordan. today we ask each of those countries to take the next step and help us solidify mesa. we also seen remarkable change, new bonds are taking root that were unimaginable until very recently. who could have believed a few years ago, an israeli prime minister would visit -- or that new ties would emerge between saudi arabia and iraq? whether the roman catholic pope would visit this city to meet with muslim and the head of the coptic faith. in october of last year, the israeli national anthem played as an israeli champion was crowned the winner of the tournament in the united arab emirates. who was the first time, the first time israeli delegation was allowed to participate under its own national flag. it was also the first time that israeli culture and sports minister attended a sports event in the gulf. she said in a quote - is a

dream come true. for two years we have talks in order to reach this moment. it was hard for her to stop the tears. i want to thank the authorities in abu dhabi. and our host here, who received us in an exemplary manner. she could not have been happier. these steps our necessary for our shared threats. and they also hint at a much brighter future for the region. of course, our work together is not finished. it is almost never america's work alone. the u.s. knows that we cannot and should not fight every fight or sustain every economy. no nation wants to be dependent on another. our aim is to partner with our friends and vigorously oppose our enemies because a strong, secure and economically vibrant

middle east is in our national interest. and it is in yours as well. let me be clear. america will not retreat until the terror fight is over. we will labor tirelessly alongside you to defeat isis, al qaeda and other jihadist that threaten our security and yours. president trump has made the decision to bring our troops home from syria. we always do. and now is the time. but this is not a change of mission. we remain committed to the complete dismantling of isis, the threatened ongoing fight against radical islamism in all of its forms. but as president trump has said, we look to our partners to do more. and in this effort, we will do so going forward. together. for our part, airstrikes in the region will continue as targets arise. we'll keep working with

partners in the coalition to defeat isis. will continue to hunt down terrorists who seek safe havens in libya and yemen. we strongly support egypt efforts to destroy isis.we support -- as the fighting continues, we will continue to assist our partners in the efforts to guard borders, prosecute terrorists, screen travelers, assist refugees and more. but assist is the key phrase. we ask every nation to shoulder the responsibility for defeating islamic extremism wherever we find it. it is important to know also that we will not ease our campaign to stop iran's malevolent influence and actions against this region and the world. nations of the middle east will never enjoy security, achieve economic stability or advance the dreams of their people for iran's revolutionary regime process on its current course.

february 11, it will mark 40 years since the oppression regime came to power in tehran. america's economic sanctions against the regime are the strongest in history and will keep getting tougher. until i ran stress behaving like a normal country. the 12 demands that we stated in may remain in force because the regime threat to the region and doors. in syria, the united states will use diplomacy and work with partners to expel every last iranian -- and work to bring peace and stability to the long-suffering of syrian people. there will be no u.s. reconstruction assistance for areas of syria held by a side until i ran and as proxy forces withdraw. until we see irreversible progress towards a political resolution. in lebanon, the united states will work to reduce threat of hezbollah missile arsenal which is aimed at israel. and can reach all points inside

of that country. many of these rockets are equipped with advanced guidance systems courtesy of iran. and that is unacceptable. iran may think it owns lebanon. iran is wrong. in iraq, united states will help our partners build a nation free of iranian influence. this past may iraqis rejected sectarianism in the national election. and we will support that wholeheartedly. the people there refuse to be cowered by iranian bathtubs and groups, iraqis have strengthened ties with arab neighbors. peacefully resumed cooperation between the kurdish region in baghdad. and renewed their focus on fighting corruption. and in yemen, we will continue to work for a lasting peace. i think this is clear but it is worth reiterating. the united states fully supports israel's right to defend itself against the

iranian regime aggressive adventurism. we will continue to ensure that israel has the military capacity to do so decisively. the trump administration will also continue to press for a real and lasting peace between israel and the palestinians. again, we have been here to our word. president trump campaigned on a promise to recognize jerusalem, the seed of israel's government. as the nations capital. in may, we moved our embassy there. these decisions on her a bipartisan congressional resolution. the president acted on this commitment. the united states also is working to keep our bilateral relationship strong. over the next few days, i will hold in-depth discussions. we'll talk about the shared goals, just as it did in jordan and iraq this week. and as i did today with president sisi in the foreign

minister. as we seek an even stronger partnership with egypt, we encourage the president to unleash the creative energy of egypt's people. and promoting free and open exchange of ideas. the progress made today can continue. i also applaud the presidents efforts to promote religious freedom. it stands as an example for all leaders. and all peoples of the middle east. i was happy to see our citizens, wrongly convicted of improperly operating ngos finally be acquitted. and we strongly support president sisi so that this does not happen again. more work certainly needs to be done to maximize the potential of egyptian nation and its people. i'm glad that america will be partner in those efforts. let me close here with a couple of final thoughts. first, it is never easy to

recognize truth. but when we see it, we must speak it. america has been criticized for doing too much in the middle east and a woman criticized for doing too little. but one thing we've never been is an empire building or oppressor. just look at our history together. history which i have recounted today. look at our fight against common enemies. look at our coalition building. and finally, just look around you at this university. which is existed now for a century. it is not a coincidence that many other american universities like this one thrive all across the middle east. from beirut to saloom in the -- our hopes for you and a better future we decipher all nations of the middle east. i want to thank you all for being here today. may the lord bless each and everyone of you. thank you. [applause]

>> coming up this weekend on booktv. saturday at 6:45 pm eastern california democratic senator kamala harris details her life and career there her book, the truths we hold. an american journey. >> i believe the strongest politics are coalition politics. and that is at the heart about understand the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. and again, rejecting the idea that we live in silence and we don't share values and concerns in the middle the night we don't share the same kinds of thoughts about what we need or what our family needs. the vast majority of us have so much more common than what separates us. >> at 11 pm eastern author

dennis talks about his latest book, last call for liberty. >> if i may say so, with the crisis we have seen growing over the last several years, i have rarely ever heard an american leader today addressing the present crises in the light of the founding vision. addressing the better angels of the american leadership in the light of liberty and justice for all that comes from the declaration. in other words, there is at the moment, no lincoln like vision and courage and leadership. no one will make america great again. unless they asked what made it great in the first place. >> sunday, on "after words" the book it was all a dream. the broken promise to black america. the author is interviewed by danielle belton. >> barack obama got nominated for president of course. then you know, our political

climate is changed. so you know, i think for me was the idea that american dream maybe is possible for black americans. and maybe it wasn't created for us you know this idea that you can do better than your parents if you just work hard enough. it doesn't matter. your lot in life. but you know, it just, it doesn't seem like that's actually the reality. even now. and the things are really profoundly disappointing thing. at least for me.>> which booktv this weekend on c-span2. >> here is some of what we are covering on friday. on c-span live coverage of the house begins at 9:00 a.m. eastern time. they are expected to debate and vote on interior department spending bill. on c-span2, the senate debates middle east policy. they gaveled in at 10 eastern time. and on c-span three a

discussion about the meaning of american exceptionalism and u.s. foreign policy. our live coverage of the german marshall fund event is at 10 am. at 12:15 pm live coverage of a new america discussion about there. >> to capitol hill now and the senate floor. when democrats tried to bring up spending bills to reopen the federal government. majority leader, mitch mcconnell, objected. this is about 30 minutes. >> now today is the 20th day of the trumpet shutdown. tomorrow it will tie the record for the longest shutdown in american history. and 800,000 autoworkers will miss a paycheck. tsa agents and