Top 31 Quotes & Sayings by Rex W. Tillerson

People who speak up for freedom in regimes that are oppressive are often a threat.

Our priority in Syria, really hasn't changed. I think the President Donald Trump has been quite clear. First and foremost, we must defeat ISIS.

My understanding, I was not standing nearby, but my understanding is that President Xi Jinping said, "Well, no one should kill children." The Chinese have since issued their own statement on the Syria attack itself.

There have been over a million wells hydraulically fractured in the history of the industry, and there is not one, not one, reported case of a freshwater aquifer having ever been contaminated from hydraulic fracturing. Not one.

We're hopeful that Russia will choose to play a constructive role in supporting ceasefires through their own Astana talks, but also, ultimately, through Geneva. And if we can achieve ceasefires in zones of stabilization in Syria, then I believe we will have the conditions to begin a useful political process.

I think the relationship between the USA and Russia is too important. And it's too important to not find a way to move forward.

I think the Russians have played now for some time the role of providing cover for Bashar al-Assad's behavior. The alternative explanation that the Russians put forth is simply not plausible.

We express America's values from the State Department. We represent the American people. We represent America's values, our commitment to freedom, our commitment to equal treatment to people the world over. And that message has never changed.

I've made my own comments as to our vales as well in a speech I gave to the State Department.

We've seen what violent regime change looks like in Libya and the kind of chaos that can be unleashed. And, indeed, the kind of misery that it enacts on its own people.

Once the ISIS threat has been reduced or eliminated, I think we can turn our attention directly to stabilizing the situation in Syria. We're hopeful that we can prevent a continuation of the civil war and that we can bring the parties to the table to begin the process of political discussions.

I don't believe anyone doubts the American people's values or the commitment of the American government or the government's agencies to advancing those values and defending those values.

I think there's a shared view and no disagreement as to how dangerous the situation in North Korea has become. I think even China is beginning to recognize that this presents a threat to China's interests as well.

I would want to be fully informed before advising the president.

I think the Russians need to think more carefully about the commitment they made under the chemical weapons agreements to be the guarantor that these weapons would be seized, they would be removed, they would be destroyed. And since they are Bashar al-Assad's ally, they would have the closest insight as to the compliance.

I think what we're hopeful is through this Syrian process, working with coalition members, working with the U.N., and in particular working through the Geneva process, that we can navigate a political outcome in which the Syrian people, in fact, will determine Bashar al-Assad's fate and his legitimacy.

I feel it's important that in advising the president, if confirmed, that I deal with facts, that I deal with sufficient information. Which means having access to all information.

The military progress both in Syria and in Iraq has been remarkable since President Donald Trump's inauguration. We have continued to liberate areas. We are making tremendous progress in liberating Mosul in Iraq, working with coalition forces, we're moving to position to liberate Raqqa.

Just remember that a pat on the back is only 18 inches from a kick in the behind.

I think the President Donald Trump was quite clear in his statement that he made to the American people that Syria's continued violations of U.N. resolutions and previous agreements that Syria had entered into regarding the Chemical Weapons Accord would no longer be tolerated. I think we have stood by and watched multiple weapon - chemical weapons attacks by the Syrian regime under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad.

The increase in the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are having an effect. Our ability to predict that effect is very limited.

I think continued actions by Bashar al-Assad clearly call into any question of him expecting to have any legitimacy to continue as the leader of Syria. With each of those actions, like attack with conventional weapons, barrel bombs and block humanitarian aid he really undermines his own legitimacy.

As far as I know, the line of communication between the U.S. and Russia continues to be open and the battlefield commanders are able to communicate with one another. I am aware that there have been certain public statements made out of Moscow.

It's important that we keep our priorities straight. And we believe that the first priority is the defeat of ISIS. That by defeating ISIS and removing their caliphate from their control, we've now eliminated at least or minimized a particular threat not just to the United States, but to the whole stability in the region.

I do not think Syria can achieve international recognition in the future - even if they work through a successful political process, you know, the international community simply is not going to accept a Syria led by the Assad regime.

It's important to understand the policy of the U.S. towards North Korea is to deny North Korea possession of a nuclear weapon and the ability to deliver that weapon. Our strategy has been to undertake this peaceful pressure campaign we call it enabled by the four no's.The four no's being that we do not seek regime change, a regime collapse, an accelerated reunification of the peninsula, and we do not seek a reason to send our forces north of the demilitarized zone.

We are making tremendous progress that ISIS really does present to the homeland and to other homelands of allies around the world.

People who speak up for freedom in regimes that are repressive are often at threat.

Obviously, the United States' own founding principles are self-determination. And I think what the United States and our allies want to do is to enable the Syrian people to make that determination. You know, we've seen what violent regime change looks like in Libya and - and the kind of chaos that can be unleashed.

Russia and the USA are two largest nuclear powers in the world; it's a really important relationship. How do we start making this work? How do we live with one another? How do we work with one another? We simply have to find a way to go forward.

President Xi Jinping clearly understands, and I think agrees, that the situation in North Korea has intensified and has reached a certain level of threat that action has to be taken. And, indeed, the Chinese, even themselves, have said that they do not believe the conditions are right to engage in discussions with the government in Pyongyang. And so what I think we're hopeful is that we can work together with the Chinese to change the conditions in the minds of the DPRK leadership.