DIPLOMATIC AND HUMANITARIAN PARTS OF THIS IMPORTANT STORY,
THIS CRISIS. AND WE START WITH NEW JERSEY
SENATOR BOB MENENDEZ, FROM THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS KMEEL
WHO BACK IN 2013 ON THE COMMITTEE VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE
U.S. TAKING MILITARY ACTION IN SYRIA.
GOOD EVENING, SIR. >> GOOD EVENING.
DO YOU THINK SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES WHO DIDN'T VOTE WITH
YOU BACK IN 2013 HAVE REGRET TONIGHT?
>> WELL, THE COMMITTEE AS WHEN I WAS CHAIRMAN PASSED AT THE
REQUEST OF PRESIDENT OBAMA AN AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF
MILITARY FORCE FOR THE PURPOSES OF ENDING THE CHEMICAL WEAPON
USAGE THAT ASSAD WAS USING AT THE TIME.
AND HE WENT TO THE G20 SUMMIT IN RUSSIA AND TOLD PUTIN I HAVE AN
AUTHORIZATION, AND IF YOU DON'T GIVE -- GET ASSAD TO GIVE UP THE
CHEMICAL WEAPONS, I'M GOING TO LOOK FORWARD TO USING IT.
AND THAT ULTIMATELY TURNED WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE ALL THE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS OVER TO A U.N. ENTITY. THE REALITY IS THAT, YOU KNOW,
WE ALSO AT THAT TIME GAVE PRESIDENT OBAMA CERTAIN
AUTHORITIES TO HELP MODERATE VETTED SYRIAN REBELS FIGHT THEIR
OWN CAUSE SO AMERICAN TROOPS DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THERE AND
UNFORTUNATELY THAT DIDN'T GO THE WAY WE WOULD HAVE HOPED WOULD BE
SEEN. THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS WERE
LARGELY TURNED OVER TO A U.N. ENTITY.
NOW WE SEE A RESURGENCE OF THIS EM THAT HAS A REAL CONSEQUENCE
AND RUSSIA, WHO WAS A PARTY AT THE TIME, IT'S JUST AMAZING TO
ME THAT IN THE PRESIDENT'S CONDEMNATION TODAY WHICH I'M'M
GLAD TO SEE AT LEAST HE CONDEMNS THE ATTACKS, BUT HE HAS NOT ONE
WORD ABOUT RUSSIA'S COMPLICITY IN THIS PROCESS.
>> THE PRESIDENT SAID TODAY IT CROSS A LOT OF LINES FOR ME,
MEANING HIM. TALKING ABOUT THE LITTLE BABIES,
OF COURSE, INNOCENT CIVILIANS KILLED.
WHAT IS THAT LINE? I KNOW THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD
THAT FAMOUS RED LINE REMARK THAT EVERYONE KEEPS RAISING, BUT WHAT
IS THAT CROSSED LINE AND SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE HIM TO DO OR NOT TO DO?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW FOR THE PRESIDENT WHAT HE MEANS BY IT
CROSSED A LOT OF LINES FOR HIM AND WHAT HE INTENDS TO DO.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHEN YOU CAN TALK ABOUT CROSSING A LINE BUT
YOU DON'T EVEN MENTION RUSSIA AS A PARTY THAT IS EMPOWERING ASSAD
AND GIVING HIM, FOR EXAMPLE, AIR SUPPORT, I THINK THAT THE
ATTACKS THAT TOOK PLACE ULTIMATELY TOOK PLACE BY
DROPPING FROM AIRCRAFT. THAT'S THE RUSSIANS.
AND THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE IRANIANS THROUGH HEZBOLLAH THAT
ARE BOTH PROPPING UP ASSAD. SO, IT SEEMS TO ME YOU HAVE TO
CHALLENGE THE RUSSIAN AND THE IRANIANS TO SAY YOU JUST CAN'T
CONTINUE TO PROP UP ASSAD WITHOUT A CONSEQUENCE.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR IF YOU'RE GOING TO ENGAGE
ANYONE, IT SHOULD BE MODERATE VETTED SYRIAN REBELS TO LET THEM
FIGHT IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY SO YOU CAN CHANGE THE DYNAMICS.
RIGHT NOW BETWEEN RUSSIA AND IRAN'S ENGAGEMENT, THE PENDULUM
HAS SWUNG BACK TO ASSAD AND, YOU KNOW, HE BELIEVES THAT HE CAN
SUSTAIN AND SURVIVE THIS FIGHT. THAT DYNAMIC NEEDS TO CHANGE AND
THE DYNAMIC THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE THAT RUSSIA AND IRAN THINK THEY
CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS PROXY WAR, ENGAGED IN SYRIA, WITHOUT
ANY CONSEQUENCE. >> ALL RIGHT.
THIS DISCUSSION BEGAN PRIMARILY
BACK IN 2012 ABOUT CHEMICAL WEAPONS AND, OF COURSE, NOW THE
LAST 36 HOURS EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT.
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS BETWEEN 2012 AND NOW THAT
THERE'S BEEN OTHER USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGAINST
CIVILIANS IN THAT AREA. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CONFIRMED
OR NOT, BUT SUDDENLY NOW YOU KNOW THE WORLD IS UNDERSTANDABLY
AND RIGHTFULLY HORRIFIED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
BUT HAVE WE NOT MONITORED THIS IN 2013?
HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER INCIDENTS OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS USED AGAINST
CIVILIANS THERE? >> THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER FORMS.
THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS AS WE UNDERSTOOD UNDER THE LISTING BY
THE U.N. OF WHAT IS A CHEMICAL WEAPON WAS LARGELY TURNED OVER
AND DESTROYED. BUT NOW OTHER ELEMENTS OF WHAT
WOULD BE -- WE WOULD CONSIDER A CHEMICAL WEAPON IS BEING USED BY
THE ASSAD REGIME WITH RUSSIA. AND, SO, AT DIFFERENT MOMENTS IN
TIME, THAT HAS BEEN A QUESTION, AFFIXING BLAME AND
RESPONSIBILITY HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE.
BUT THE REBELS DON'T HAVE AIRCRAFT.
THEY CANNOT DROP THIS TYPE OF BOMB ON CIVILIAN POPULATIONS.
SO, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR WHO IS RESPONSIBLE.
>> SO, WHAT IS YOUR ESTIMATION OF THE FACT THE PRESIDENT BLAMES
ASSAD, SYRIA RIGHTFULLY, HE BLAMES PRESIDENT OBAMA, AND I
THINK UNFAIRLY, AND HE DOESN'T MENTION RUSSIA.
SO, WHAT'S YOUR CONCLUSION FROM THAT?
>> WELL, MY CONCLUSION IS THAT HE IS NOT COMMITTED TO ACTUALLY
ENDING THE HORRIFIC SET OF HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHES AND/OR
ENFORCING A RED LINE IF YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO TAKE ON RUSSIA.
AND THIS ADMINISTRATION HASN'T BEEN WILLING TO TAKE ON RUSSIA
IN ANY ITERATION WHATSOEVER,
WHETHER IT'S THE CYBER ATTACK ON OUR ELECTIONS, WHETHER IT'S
WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE BALTIC S, THE ANNEXATION OF CRIMEA.
ABOVE ALL, THIS IS THE MOMENT I BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT MUST ACT
RESOLUTELY AGAINST RUSSIA BECAUSE THEY ARE EMPOWERING
ASSAD, OTHERWISE ASSAD WOULD BE GONE.
>> ONE QUICK QUESTION, MILITARY ACTION OR NOT?
>> WELL, I DON'T THINK AT THIS MOMENT YOU HAVE THAT CAPABILITY.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN ENTER INTO SYRIA AND PUT AMERICAN BOOTS ON
THE GROUND AND BE SUCCESSFUL. WHAT YOU CAN BE DOING IS REALLY
ENGAGING ROBUSTLY IN HELPING MODERATE VETTED SYRIAN REBELS
FIGHT FOR THEMSELVES, CHANGING THE DYNAMIC ON THE GROUND, AND
THEN LEAD TO A POLITICAL SOLUTION, BUT THERE IS GOING TO
BE NO POLITICAL SOLUTION FOR SO LONG AS RUSSIA AND IRAN THINK
THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITHOUT
CONSEQUENCE AND ASSAD BELIEVES HE CAN SURVIVE IT.
THEN THE EQUATION DOESN'T EVER
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