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>>> SO WHAT NOW FOR PRESIDENT
OBAMA ON SYRIA?
ON TUESDAY HE WILL ADDRESS THE
COUNTRY ON HIS PROPOSAL TO
ATTACK SYRIA IN RESPONSE TO LAST
MONTH'S ALLEGED CHEMICAL WEAPONS
ATTACK.
THIS WEEK THE PRESIDENT FAILED
TO GET INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT AT
THE G-20 SUMMIT.
AND NOW IRAN IS THREATENING
RETALIATION OVER A POSSIBLE
STRIKE.
LET'S BRING IN GENERAL JAMES
"SPIDER" MARX A CNN MILITARY
ANALYST AND A COMMANDER AT THE
U.S. ARMY INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> VA LLADIMIR PUTIN SAYS HE HA
PLAN IN PLACE IN CASE OF A
MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST SYRIA.
NOW WE'RE HEARING OTHERS DO,
TOO.
WHAT POTENTIALLY COULD THESE
COUNTRIES DO?
>> SPECIFICALLY RUSSIA HAS BEEN
SUPPORTING IRAN IN ITS EFFORTS.
I WOULD NOT SUGGEST FOR A MOMENT
THAT RUSSIA WOULD DO ANYTHING
DIRECTLY AGAINST THE UNITED
STATES MILITARILY WERE THE
UNITED STATES TO STRIKE INTO
SYRIA.
CLEARLY ANY RESPONSE FROM RUSSIA
WILL BE ASYMMETRIC AS THEY SAY.
IT WILL BE TO DISRUPT OUR
EFFORTS EITHER TO GALVANIZE
ADDITIONAL INTERNATIONAL
SUPPORT.
IT WILL CONTINUE ITS SUPPORT TO
IRAN AND SYRIA CERTAINLY.
SO THE POINT IS THAT IRAN'S
THREAT AGAINST THE UNITED STATES
REALLY KIND OF GETS INTO
MEDIEVAL WEIRDNESS, IF YOU ASK
ME.
>> AND IT WAS REPORTEDLY
TARGETING U.S. INTERESTS LIKE
EMBASSI
EMBASSIES.
>> VERY SPECIFICALLY U.S.
INTERESTS IN THE REGION, THE
EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD AND ALSO SOME
PERSONAL THREATS AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT.
JUST REALLY ODD, VERY DIFFERENT
KIND OF A RESPONSE THAT YOU
DON'T EVEN WANT TO PAY ATTENTION
TO.
>> SO YOU DON'T REALLY BELIEVE
IT?
>> NOT THAT -- NO, I WOULD
IMAGINE THAT IRAN VERY SERIOUSLY
WOULD TRY TO TAKE SOME EFFORTS
AGAINST THE UNITED STATES AT A
VERY LOW LEVEL, BUT OUR ABILITY,
NUMBER ONE TO DETECT THOSE
EFFORTS AND TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THEM IS PRETTY PROFOUND.
>> YOU KNOW, AS IT PERTAINS TO
THIS ARGUMENT, CONGRESS TRYING
TO EVALUATE EVERYTHING THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS PRESENTING, THAT
THE U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE IS
PRESENTING, YOU HEARD
CONGRESSMAN CHARLES RANGEL, WHO
WAS WITH ME EARLIER WHO SAID
HE'S NOT ON BOARD, AND HE DREW
THE PARALLELS BETWEEN SYRIA AND
IRAQ.
AND HE SAYS THIS NATION DOESN'T
WANT ANOTHER SITUATION LIKE
IRAQ.
DO YOU SEE THESE AS POTENTIALLY
VERY SIMILAR MILITARY
COMMITMENTS?
>> NO, FRED, NO THE AT ALL.
NUMBER ONE, TO DRAW ANY KIND OF
A COMPARISON BETWEEN WHAT WE
TRIED TO ACHIEVE IN IRAQ, WHAT
WE HAVE ACHIEVED IN IRAQ, AND
THE INTELLIGENCE LEADING UP TO
THE DECISIONS TO GO TO WAR IN
IRAQ ARE COMPLETELY DISSIMILAR
FROM WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IN
SYRIA.
IN IRAQ THERE WERE A LOT OF
INFERENTIAL TYPE OF CONCLUSION
THAT IS HAD TO BE DRAWN.
ALL OF OUR INTELLIGENCE AGAINST
IRAQ BEFORE DECISION TO GO TO
WAR WAS GATHERED THROUGH
TECHNICAL MEANS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE HUMAN
INTELLIGENCE REALLY TO SPEAK OF
THAT GAVE US A GOOD SENSE, A
FEEL FOR WHAT WAS GOING ON
INSIDE THE REGIME OF SADDAM
HUSSEIN.
VIS-A-VIS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN
SYRIA, THIS IS ALL DISPOSITIVE.
THIS IS FACTUAL.
WE KNOW THAT CHEMICAL USE WAS IN
PLACE.
WE CAN ATTRIBUTE THAT TO THE
REGIME.
NOW, WHETHER THE UNITED STATES
SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT
IN LIGHT OF THE CIVIL WAR THAT'S
TAKING PLACE IN SYRIA IS AN