BETTER -- I THINK SYRIA WOULD BE A LOT BETTER OFF RIGHT NOW THAN
IT HAS BEEN. >> WITH ME, HOUSE INTEL
COMMITTEE MEMBER WILL HURD AND AMBASSADOR FROM SYRIA.
NICE TO SEE BOTH OF YOU. >> PLEASURE.
>> FIRST TO YOU, CONGRESSMAN. DO YOU THINK RUSSIA WAS INVOLVED
BEFORE IT HAPPENED? >> WELL, RUSSIA IS -- THEIR
CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH SYRIA, ESPECIALLY IN THAT CONFLICT
ZONE, TO THINK THAT THE SYRIANS WOULD DO SOMETHING AS SERIOUS AS
UTILIZE CHEMICAL WEAPONS AND NOT TELL ONE OF THEIR CLOSEST
PARTNERS IS -- IT'S HARD FOR ME TO IMAGINE THAT.
BUT WE HAVE TO GET THIS RIGHT. WE HAVE TO DO A PROPER REVIEW OF
THE INTELLIGENCE KNOWN BEFORE AND AFTER IN ORDER TO MAKE A
CASE, IF INDEED THE RUSSIANS WERE INVOLVED.
IF THE RUSSIANS WERE INVOLVED, I THINK THIS HELPS US BUILD A
LARGER COALITION OF COUNTRIES TO WORK AGAINST THEST THE RUSSIANS
PUT PRESSURE ON THE RUSSIANS TO SEE BASHAR AL-ASSAD LEAVE POWER.
>> AMBASSADOR, YOU WERE AN AMBASSADOR TO SYRIA AMONG OTHER
NATIONS. DO YOU THINK THAT THE PRESIDENT
OF SYRIA, ASSAD, WOULD ACT AND GAS HIS PEOPLE WITHOUT GETTING
THE NOD FROM PUTIN? >> I THINK IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT PUTIN AND TURKEY CONVOLKSED A PIECE
CONFERENCE, A CONFERENCE TO HAVE A CEASE FIRE NOT LONG AGO.
AND THE OPPOSITION FIGHTERS AND THE ASSAD REGIME AGREED TO A
CEASE FIRE. AND ASSAD BROKE IT IN THE
ENVIRONS OF DAMASCUS AGAINST RUSSIA'S EXPRESS INSTRUCTIONS.
I'VE SEEN THE ASSADS OPERATE OVER MANY YEARS, FATHER AND THE
SON, AND THEY'RE NOT PAWNS OF ANYONE.
SO, WHILE I'M NOT SAYING IT'S THE RUSSIANS DIDN'T KNOW, I'M
SAYING IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THEY DIDN'T.
>> AMBASSADOR, WHO NEEDS WHO MORE?
DOES ASSAD NEED PUTIN MORE THAN PUTIN NEEDS HIM OR THE OTHER WAY
AROUND? >> WELL, ASSAD NEEDS PUTIN MORE
THAN PUTIN NEEDS HIM. BUT ONE THING I WOULD POINT OUT
IS EVEN WITHOUT RUSSIA, HE WOULD STILL HAVE IRAN BACKING HIM
ALONG WITH ALL THE MILITIAS THEY BRING INCLUDING HEZBOLLAH,
SHI'ITE MILITIAS FROM IRAQ, PAKISTAN I AND AFGHAN
MERCERNARIES AND THE LIKE. >> CONGRESSMAN, WHAT WOULD YOU
LIKE TO HAVE THE SECRETARY OF STATE CONVEY TO VLADIMIR PUTIN
TOMORROW ASSUMING HE GETS TO SPEAK TO HIM?
>> I THINK HE NEEDS TO MAKE IT CLEAR THE SUPPORT OF THE ASSAD
REGIME IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND BASHAR AL-ASSAD IS A, MORE OF A
PROBLEM TO HIM THAN A PARTNER AND THAT --
>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UNACCEPTABLE, IS THAT SORT OF
LIKE JUST TELL HIM HE'S BAD OR SOMETHING LIKE -- THERE HAS TO
BE SOME TEETH TO THAT. >> IN THE FUTURE, WHAT I THINK
THAT MEANS IS THAT THE FUTURE POLITICAL SOLUTION OF WHO
CONTROLS SYRIA MEANS ASSAD IS NOT INVOLVED, YOU KNOW.
THE REASON WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH REFUGEES IS BECAUSE OF
ASSAD. THE REASON THAT THERE WAS A
CIVIL WAR THAT CREATED A SPACE TO ALLOW A GROUP LIKE ISIS TO
COME IN IS BECAUSE OF ASSAD. ASSAD HAS VIOLATED THE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS CONVENTION ON MORE THAN A DOZEN OCCASIONS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE ONE FROM A WEEK AGO, BUT HE'S DONE THIS
ON MANY OCCASIONS. SO, HE CANNOT BE INVOLVED IN THE
FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY AND THAT MEANS THE RUSSIANS NEED TO PULL
BACK THEIR AIR FORCE AND TO SUPPORT ASSAD AND SYRIAN FORCES.
>> WHICH BRINGS THE QUESTION, AMBASSADOR, IF ASSAD GOES, WHO
TAKES OVER? >> THAT'S THE REAL QUESTION
NOBODY ADDRESSES, AND IT'S A VERY SERIOUS QUESTION.
WHILE I AGREE WITH THE CONGRESSMAN COMPLETELY, THAT
ASSAD'S A BRUTE, A WAR CRIMINAL, AND THAT HE CAUSED A LOT OF THE
REFUGEE PROBLEM, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER WHO WAS ON THE OTHER
SIDE. IDLIB PROVINCE IS CONTROLLED BY
AN AFFILIATE. THE SAME PEOPLE WHO DID 9/11,
SUBWAY ATTACKS IN LONDON AND MADRID, ET CETERA, ARE ACTIVE IN
SYRIA. THEY HAVE AN ISLAMIST COALITION
BEHIND THEM, AND THEY'RE PROBABLY THE STRONGEST FIGHTING
FORCE IN THE COUNTRY. SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
REGIME CHANGE, WE DID REGIME CHANGE IN IRAQ, WE DID REGIME
CHANGE IN LIBYA. YOU HAVE TO EXPECT UNEXPECTED
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