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PRESIDENT MR. PRESIDENT THANKS
SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THE LATEST IDEA FLOATED BY
SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY
PICKED UP BY THE RUSSIANS, IS IT
POSSIBLE THIS COULD AVERT A U.S.
MILITARY STRIKE ON SYRIA?
>> IT'S POSSIBLE IF IT'S REAL,
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S
CERTAINLY A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
WHEN THE RUSSIANS AND THE
SYRIANS BOTH MAKE GESTURES
TOWARDS DEALING WITH THESE
CHEMICAL WEAPONS.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING
FOR, NOT JUST OVER THE LAST WEEK
OR THE LAST MONTH, BUT FOR THE
LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BECAUSE
THESE CHEMICAL WEAPONS POSE A
SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO ALL
NATIONS AND TO THE UNITED STATES
IN PARTICULAR.
THAT'S WHY 98% OF HUMANITY HAS
SAID WE DON'T USE THESE.
THAT PROTECTS OUR TROOPS, AND IT
PROTECTS CHILDREN LIKE THE ONES
THAT WE SAW IN THOSE VIDEOS
INSIDE OF SYRIA.
SO IT IS A POTENTIALLY POSITIVE
DEVELOPMENT.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT IT'S UNLIKELY
WE WOULD HAVE ARRIVED AT THAT
POINT WHERE THERE WERE EVEN
PUBLIC STATEMENTS LIKE THAT
WITHOUT A CREDIBLE MILITARY
THREAT TO DEAL WITH THE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS USE INSIDE OF SYRIA.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO RUN THERE TO
GROUND.
JOHN KERRY AND THE REST OF MY
NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM WILL
ENGAGE WITH THE RUSSIANS AND THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO SEE,
CAN WE ARRIVE AT SOMETHING THAT
IS ENFORCEABLE AND SERIOUS?
YOU KNOW, ONE REASON THIS MAY
HAVE A CHANCE OF SUCCESS IS THAT
EVEN SYRIA'S ALLIES LIKE IRAN
DETEST CHEMICAL WEAPONS.
IRAN, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY
WAS THE TARGET OF CHEMICAL
WEAPONS AT THE HANDS OF SADDAM
HUSSEIN BACK AT THE IRAQ/IRAN
WAR, SO WE MAY BE ABLE TO ARRIVE
AT A CONSENSUS IN WHICH IT
DOESN'T SOLVE THE UNDERLYING
PROBLEMS OF A CIVIL WAR IN
SYRIA, BUT IT DOES SOLVE THE
PROBLEM THAT I'M TRYING TO FOCUS
ON RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS MAKING
SURE YOU DON'T HAVE OVER 400
CHILDREN GASSED INSDRIM
INSTANTLY ABOUT I THESE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS.
>> BAN KI-MOON, THE
SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS NOT ONLY
CONTROL OF THE STOCKPILE OF
CHEMICAL WEAPONS, BUT THEN GO
AHEAD AND DESTROY THEM.
HE'S READY TO TAKE THAT TO THE
U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL.
THAT'S A LOT BETTER THAN
DETERRING THE SYRIANS FROM GOING
AHEAD AND USING THESE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO TAKE
THIS SERIOUSLY, BUT I HAVE TO
CONSISTENTLY POINT OUT THAT WE
HAVE NOT SEEN THESE KINDS OF
JESS IT YOU REALIZE UP UNTIL
NOW.
IN PART THE FACT THAT THE U.S.
ADMINISTRATION AND I HAVE SAID
WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS I
THINK HAS PROMPTED SOME
INTERESTING KOFRGZ.
THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT
I'VE HAD DIRECTLY WITH MR.
PUTIN.
WHEN I WAS AT THE G-20, WE HAD
SOME TIME TO DISCUSS THIS AND I
BELIEVE THAT MR. PUTIN DOES NOT
SEE THE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS
AS A GOOD THING INSIDE OF SYRIA
OR ANYPLACE ELSE.
AND SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN
GET A BREAKTHROUGH, BUT IT'S
GOING TO HAVE TO BE FOLLOWED UP
ON, AND WE DON'T WANT A STALLING
OR DELAYING TACTIC TO PUT OFF
THE PRESSURE THAT WE HAVE ON
THERE RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THIS
PRESSURE, WHICH IS WHY I'LL
STILL BE SPEAKING TO THE NATION
TOMORROW ABOUT WHY I THINK THIS
IS SO IMPORTANT.
>> IS THIS BASHAR AL ASSAD'S
LAST CHANCE?
I WANT WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK
THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ASSAD
TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS BAN, WHICH HAS BEEN IN
PLACE, IS ONE THAT THE ENTIRE
CIVILIZED WORLD JUST ABOUT
RESPECTS AND OBSERVES IT'S
SOMETHING THAT PROTECTS OUR
TROOP EVEN IN THE TOUGHEST WAR
THEATERS FROM BEING THREATENED
BY THESE CHEMICAL WEAPONS.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT PROTECTS
WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND
CIVILIANS, BECAUSE THESE WEAPONS
BY DEFINITION ARE INSDRIM NAN.
THEY DON'T JUST TARGETS SOMEBODY
IN UNIFORM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I SUSPECT THAT
SOME OF ASSAD'S ALLIES RECOGNIZE
THE MISTAKE HE MADE IN USING
THESE WEAPONS.
IT MAY BE THAT HE IS UNDER
PRESSURE FROM THEM AS WELL.
YOU NO EL, AGAIN THIS DOESN'T
SOLVE THE UNDERLYING TERRIBLE
CONFLICT INSIDE OF SYRIA, BUT IF
WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS LIMITED
GOAL WITHOUT TAKING MILITARY
ACTION, THAT WOULD BE MY
PREFERENCE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE DON'T
MAYBE TAIN AND MOVE FORWARD WITH
A CREDIBLE THREAT OF MILITARY
PRESSURE, I DO NOT THINK WE WILL
GET THE KIND OF GRAEME I WOULD
LIKE TO SEE.
>> YOU'RE BEING SEEN ON CNN AND
CNN INTERNATIONAL AROUND THE
WORLD, INCLUDING IN DAMASCUS.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO, MR.
PRESIDENT, IF YOU'RE AMENABLE,
LOOK INTO THE CAMERA, TALK
DIRECTLY TO PRESIDENT BASHAR AL
ASSAD, TELL HIM SPECIFICALLY
WHAT YOU THINK HE MUST DO TO
AVERT A U.S. MILITARY STRIKE.
>> I DON'T NEED TO TALK TO THE
CAMERA.
I SUSPECT HE'S GOT PEOPLE WHO
WILL BE WATCHING THIS.
>> HE'S PROBABLY WATCHING
HIMSELF.
WE'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT
WE EXPECT, AND THAT IS DO NOT
USE CHEMICAL WEAPONS, CONTROL
THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS, AND NOW
BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN ASSAD'S
WILLINGNESS TO USE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS, WE'LL HAVE TO GO
FURTHER AND GIVE THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
ASSURANCES THEY WILL NOT BE
USED, POTENTIALLY BY GETTING
THEM OUT OF THE THERE.
AT MINIMUM, MAKING SURE THAT
INTERNATIONAL CONTROL OVER THOSE
CHEMICAL WEAPONS TAKES PLACE.
THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED, AND IT
DOES NOT SOLVE THE BROADER
POLITICAL SITUATION, I WOULD SAY
TO MR. ASSAD, WE NEED A
POLITICAL SETTLEMENT SO YOU ARE
NOT SLAUGHTERING YOUR OWN
PEOPLE, AND BY THE WAY
ENCOURAGING SOME ELEMENTS OF THE
OPPOSITION TO ENGAGE IN TERRIBLE
BEHAVIOR AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M THINKING
ABOUT IS RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, HOW
DO WE MAKE SURE WE CAN VERIFY WE
DO NOT HAVE CHEMICAL WEAPONS
THAT CAN BE USED NOT ONLY INSIDE
OF SYRIA, BUT COULD POTENTIAL
DRIFT OUTSIDE OF SYRIA.
>> HE SAID IN AN INTERVIEW WITH
CHARLIE ROSE, IF THE U.S.
ATTACK, HE SAID EXPECT ANYTHING,
NOT ONLY FROM HIM, BUT FROM HIS
ALLIES.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A THREAT TO THE
UNITED STATES.
>> YEAH.
MR. ASSAD DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF
CAPABILITY.
HE HAS CAPABILITY RELATIVE TO
CHILDREN, HE HAS CAPABILITY
RELATIVE TO A -- AN OPPOSITION
THAT IS STILL GETTING ITSELF
ORGANIZED AND ARE NOT
PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED FIGHTERS.
HE DOESN'T HAVE A CREDIBLE MEANS
TO THREATEN THE UNITED STATES.
HIS ALLIES, IRAN AND HEZBOLLAH,
COULD POTENTIALLY ENGAGE IN
ASYMMETRICAL STRIKES AGAINST US,
BUT FRANKLY THE KIND OF THREATS
THEY COULD POSE AGAINST US ARE
TYPICAL OF THE KINDS OF THREATS
WE ARE DEALING WITH AROUND THE
WORLD WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN OF
RECENTLY, WHICH IS EMBASSIES
BEING THREATENED, U.S. PERSONNEL
IN THE REGION.
THOSE ARE THREATS THAT WE DEAL
WITH ON AN ONGOING BASIS, THEY
ARE ALWAYS OF CONCERN.
OBVIOUSLY WE SAW THE SITUATION
IN YEMEN JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO,
WHERE WE WANTED TO RESPOND BY
GETTING SOM ATTACKS.
I ASKED THE PRESIDENT ABOUT
THAT.
ONE FINAL QUICK QUESTION, 9/11,
THE ANNIVERSARY THIS WEDNESDAY,
SHOULD AMERICANS EXPECT SOME
SORT OF ATTACK.
>> I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS ON
HEIGHTENED ALERT ON 9/11.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST
DECADE IS BECAUSE OF THE HEROISM
OF OUR TROOPS, BOMB ENORMOUS
SACRIFICES, AMERICA IS SAFER
THAN IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE 9/11,
BUT WE STILL HAVE THREATS OUT
THERE, PARTICULARLY OUTSIDE OF
THE HOMELAND.
WE ALSO HAVE LONE WOLF THREATS,
AS WE SAW DURING THE BOSTON
MARATHON BOMBINGS.
SO WE HAVE TO REMAIN VIGILANT.
WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROTECT
OURSELVES 100% OF THE TIME
AGAINST EVERY THREAT, BUT WHAT
WE CAN DO IS MAKE SURE WE
UNDERSTAND THESE THREATS ARE
REAL, WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED,