>> WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER NEWS TO GET TO.
THE PRESIDENT FACING A NUMBER OF PRETTY SERIOUS MAJOR FOREIGN
POLICY TESTS. 100 PEOPLE REPORTEDLY KILLED,
MORE THAN TWO DOZEN CHILDREN IN AN ATTACK IN SYRIA IN A
REBEL-HELD AREA. THE PRESIDENT SPOKE IN THE ROSE
GARDEN. HERE IS MORE OF WHAT HE SAID.
HE CONTINUED TO HARP ON OBAMA ABOUT THIS.
TAKE A LOOK. >> YESTERDAY CHEMICAL ATTACK, A
CHEMICAL ATTACK THAT WAS SO HORRIFIC IN SYRIA AGAINST
INNOCENT PEOPLE INCLUDING WOMEN, SMALL CHILDREN AND EVEN
BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BABIES, THEIR
DEATHS WAS AN AFFRONT TO HUMANITY.
THESE HEINOUS ACTIONS BY THE ASSAD REGIME CANNOT BE
TOLERATED. THE UNITED STATES STANDS WITH
OUR ALLIES ACROSS THE GLOBE TO CONDEMN THIS HORRIFIC ATTACK.
>> I THINK THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAD A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY TO SOLVE THIS CRISIS A LONG TIME AGO WHEN HE SAID THE
RED LINE IN THE SAND, AND WHEN HE DIDN'T CROSS THAT LINE AFTER
MAKING THE THREAT, I THINK THAT SET US BACK A LONG WAYS, NOT
ONLY IN SYRIA BUT IN MANY OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.
>> I NOW HAVE RESPONSIBILITY AND I WILL HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY
AND CARRY IT VERY PROUDLY. IT CROSSED A LOT OF LINES FOR
ME. WHEN YOU KILL INNOCENT CHILDREN,
INNOCENT BABIES, BABIES, LITTLE BABIES WITH A CHEMICAL GAS THAT
IS SO LETHAL, PEOPLE WERE SHOCKED TO HEAR WHAT GAS IT WAS,
THAT CROSSES MANY, MANY LINES, BEYOND A RED LINE, MANY, MANY
LINES. >> I WILL TELL YOU THAT ATTACK
ON CHILDREN YESTERDAY HAD A BIG IMPACT ON ME, BIG IMPACT.
I WILL TELL YOU IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED THAT MY ATTITUDE TOWARD
SYRIA AND ASSAD HAS CHANGED VERY MUCH.
AS YOU KNOW I'LL BE MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF CHINA VERY SOON
IN FLORIDA AND THAT'S ANOTHER RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE.
THAT'S CALLED THE COUNTRY OF NORTH KOREA.
WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM. WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT IS NOT
DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE MY
RESPONSIBILITY.
>> RICHARD HAASS, A LOT TO TALK ABOUT.
THE PRESIDENT TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY ON HIS SHOULDERS.
HE SAID WHAT I THINK MOST OF US WOULD SAY ABOUT BARACK OBAMA, I
THINK EVEN A LOT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ALLIES, ABOUT CROSSING
THE RED LINE, SO I WASN'T AS SURPRISED ABOUT HIM ANSWERING A
QUESTION WITH THAT AS I WAS ABOUT PUTTING IT IN THE INITIAL
STATEMENT. HE SAID IT CANNOT BE TOLERATED,
ASSAD CROSSED A LOT OF LINES FOR ME, MY ATTITUDE TOWARD SYRIA AND
ASSAD HAS CHANGED. HE TALKED ABOUT WORKING WITH HIS
ALLIES. ONE OF WHOM HE WAS STANDING NEXT
TO YESTERDAY TALKING ABOUT BECOMING MORE OF HIS INFLUENTIAL
ALLIES. WHAT DID YOU HEAR YESTERDAY IN
THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS IN THE ROSE GARDEN?
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT, JOE.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT NEEDS TO STOP TALKING ABOUT BARACK OBAMA.
HE HAS A MAJOR OPPORTUNITY TO DIFFERENTIATE HIMSELF FROM
BARACK OBAMA. THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING OF A
REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR DONALD TRUMP.
IT'S HIS WAY TO SHEA THERE'S A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN.
WHEN THE UNITED STATES IS MORE PREPARED TO ACT THAN IT WAS.
I THINK IN SYRIA, ACTUALLY GIVEN WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY, AND EVEN
IF HE HADN'T SAID IT, I BELIEVE THERE'S A NEED TO ACT THERE
MILITARILY. THERE'S A WHOLE RANGE OF OPTIONS
WE CAN TALK ABOUT, WHAT WHAT IT IS WE MIGHT DO TO PENALIZE THE
GOVERNMENT. IT SAYS WE'RE MORE INVOLVED
THERE -- IT SAYS YOU CAN'T USE A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION WITH
IMPUNITY. THAT CONNECTS TO THE NORTH
KOREAN ISSUE. WHEN YOU'RE THE LEADER OF THE
UNITED STATES, YOU CAN'T SEE THE KWARS ON THE CHESS BOARD IN
ISOLATION. WHAT WE DO HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR
HOW CHINA SEES NORTH KOREA AND WHAT NORTH KOREA IS GOING TO DO.
I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT I BELIEVE A NECESSITY FOR
THE UNITED STATES TO SAY ANYONE WHO USES A WEAPON OF MASS
DESTRUCTION, THEY ARE GOING TO PAY A PRICE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE GOING TO WAR IN SYRIA, DOESN'T MOO EN WE
SWITCH TO REGIME CHANGE OVERNIGHT.
IT NEEDS WE NEED ACTIONS TO HURT THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT, POSSIBLY
HELP THE SYRIAN PEOPLE. THAT WILL SEND A MAJOR MESSAGE
AND MAKES CHINA UNDERSTAND IT CAN'T CONTINUE TO ALLOW THE
NORTH KOREAN SITUATION TO DRIP. THIS IS A MAJOR TURNING POINT
BECAUSE THE TWO BIG ISSUES IN THE PRESIDENT'S INBOX ARE COME
TOGETHER WITH THE THIRD. IT'S GOING TO MAKE HIM REASSESS
HIS WHOLE VIEW OF VLADIMIR PUTIN.
THE RUSSIANS ARE SAYING THIS IS ABOUT THE REBELS.
IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER HERE. I THINK WHEN THE HISTORY IS
POTENTIALLY WRITTEN OF THIS ADMINISTRATION, THIS WEEK COULD
TURN OUT TO BE PIF IS TOLL. >> THIS COULD TURN OUT TO BE
PIVOTAL. MIKA, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY
NOT ONLY FOR THE PRESIDENT TO DIFFERENTIATE HIMSELF BUT MORE
IMPORTANTLY FOR WESTERN DEMOCRACIES AND FOR OUR ARAB
ALLIES WHO I WILL SAY THIS ADMINISTRATION, AT LEAST SUNNI
ARAB ALLIES HAVE A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION THAN THEY DID THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
WE'VE HEARD IT PERSONALLY. SOME LEADERS TELLING US THAT
THEY, QUOTE, LOVE DONALD TRUMP, TO OUR SURPRISE, BUT THEY DO.
HE'S GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING AN ALLIANCE TOGETHER AND NOT
INVADE SYRIA, BUT AT LEAST MAKE SURE THAT THE ALLIES' RESPONSE
TO THIS ATTACK IS MEASURED, BUT ALSO FOCUSES PERHAPS ON THE
SYRIAN AIR FORCE AND PERHAPS OUR ALLIES HELP GROUND THE SYRIAN
AIR FORCE. WE, AS A COUNTRY AND WE AS A
CIVILIZATION CANNOT STAND BEGIN AND ALLOW ANOTHER CHEMICAL
ATTACK TO GO UNANSWERED AGAIN BECAUSE, QUOTE, IT'S HARD.
YES, IT'S HARD. IT'S EVEN MORE HARD LIVING IN A
WORLD WHERE TYRANTS GET THE GREEN LIGHT TO USE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN HAS ASSAD HAS DONE.
BARACK OBAMA GAVE ASSAD A GREEN LIGHT TO DO THAT.
THE WEST GAVE ASSAD A GREEN LIGHT TO DO THAT.
THE QUESTION NOW IS WILL DONALD TRUMP CONTINUE TO GIVE ASSAD THE
GREEN LIGHT, OR WILL HE WORK WITH ALLIES WHO ARE WILLING.
AT ONE POINT I HEARD THE FRENCH WERE WILLING TO WORK WITH BARACK
OBAMA TO HELP GROUND THE SYRIAN AIR FORCE.
I WOULD GUESS, MIKA, THOSE OFFERS WILL BE COMING IN FOR
HELP IF THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS TO DO.
>> MAJOR OPPORTUNITY. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS
MORE. WE HAVE MUCH MORE AHEAD ON THESE