CHILDREN FOLLOWING A SUSPECTED CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACK IN
SYRIA. WE WANT TO WARN YOU VERY
CAREFULLY THAT THE IMAGES FOR THIS STORY ARE EXTREMELY
DISTURBING. AT LEAST 350 MORE WERE SAID TO
HAVE BEEN WOUNDED IN THIS ATTACK THAT HAPPENED AT THE REBEL-HELD
CITY OF IDLIB. HERE WE GO.
A TOP SYRIAN MILITARY OFFICER HAS DENIED SYRIA USED ANY
CHEMICAL WEAPONS WHILE RUSSIAN MEDIA CITING THE DEFENSE
MINISTRY SAYS IT WAS A GOVERNMENT AIR STRIKE THAT HIT
AN ALLEGED REBEL CHEMICAL WEAPONS STASH.
THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL WILL MEET THIS MORNING AT 10:00 A.M.
TO DISCUSS THIS ATTACK. IN A STATEMENT PRESIDENT TRUMP
CONDEMNED THE REPREHENSIBLE AND INTOLERABLE ATTACK WHILE
SHIFTING BLAME TO HIS PREDECESSOR, PRESIDENT OBAMA
SAYING IN PART, QUOTE, THIS, THESE HEINOUS ACTIONS BY THE
BASHAR al ASSAD REGIME ARE A CONSEQUENCE OF THE PAST
ADMINISTRATION'S WEAKNESS AND IR RESOLUTION.
PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID IN 2012 THAT HE WOULD ESTABLISH A RED
LINE AGAINST THE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS AND DID NOTHING.
IT CONTRASTS WITH A TWEET FROM TRUMP IN SEPTEMBER OF 2013 WHICH
READS THIS, PRESIDENT OBAMA, DO NOT ATTACK SYRIA.
THERE IS NO UPSIDE AND TREMENDOUS DOWNSIDE.
SAVE YOUR POWDER FOR ANOTHER AND MORE IMPORTANT DAY.
JOE, LET'S LAY IT OUT HERE AND TALK ABOUT THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, ON THIS SHOW WE'VE BEEN EXTREMELY CRITICAL ALL
ALONG TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR
INACTION OR LACK OF STRENGTH AS IT PERTAINS TO SYRIA.
HAVING SAID THAT, THIS IS ON TRUMP'S WATCH.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF HIS FIRST REACTION TO THIS?
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S OUR JOBS TO CRITICIZE PRESIDENTS
WHETHER IT'S WHAT GEORGE W. BUSH WAS DOING IN IRAQ OR WHAT BARACK
OBAMA WAS DOING IN SYRIA. THAT'S WHAT WE GET PAID TO DO.
WHAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES GETS PAID TO DO IS LEAD
US TOGETHER AS A COUNTRY AT TIMES OF CRISES.
HIM CARPING AT THE LAST PRESIDENT FOR THE LAST
PRESIDENT'S FAILURES IS AS UNBECOMING AS, LET'S SAY, BARACK
OBAMA CARPING AT GEORGE W. BUSH. I DON'T REMEMBER OBAMA DOING
THAT SPECIFICALLY IN THIS SORT OF CRISIS, BUT THERE ALWAYS WAS
THAT SORT OF CARPING. BUT BY HIS OWN STATEMENT DONALD
TRUMP NOW PUTS THE RESPONSIBILITY ON HIS SHOULDERS.
OKAY, YOU'RE CRITICIZING BARACK OBAMA FOR WHAT HE DID NOT DO IN
2012, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO FIVE YEARS LATER?
BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND I
PERSONALLY DON'T CARE WHAT HE TWEETED IN 2013.
I CARE WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY, AND I CARE WHAT HE SAID TODAY.
SO, MIKA, THE WAY I READ THAT, HE'S BEING CRITICAL OF THE
PRESIDENT FOR DOING NOTHING WHEN ASSAD USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS.
WELL ASSAD USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS, SO WHAT IS DONALD
TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IN 2017 GOING TO DO,
OTHER THAN COZY UP TO ASSAD'S NUMBER ONE ENABLER IN THE WORLD,
ASSAD, UNLTS HE'S A COMPLETE HYPOCRITE AND WE HAVE EVERY
REASON TO BELIEVE THAT HE IS, HE WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
HE WILL TAKE STRONG AGGRESSIVE ACTION WITH THE WORLD COMMUNITY.
MARK HALPERIN, HE WILL STOP THIS.
HE CAN'T CRITICIZE BARACK OBAMA ON ONE HAND FOR TURNING A BLIND
EYE TO ASSAD'S CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN 2012 AND ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN
IN 2017 AND DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WHILE THIS HOLOCAUST
UNFURLS BEFORE OUR EYES. >> WHY IS THIS SUCH A BIG WEEK?
HE'S DEALING WITH THREE OF THE MOST RETRACTIBLE FOREIGN POLICY
CHALLENGES, HOW TO GET NORTH KOREA TO STOP HAVING MISSILES
AND NUCLEAR WEAPON, HOW TO GET CHINA TO STOP TAKING ADVANTAGE
OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE ECONOMY, AND HOW TO GET THE
SYRIAN CIVIL WAR TO END, HOW TO GET ASSAD OUT OF POWER AND
RUSSIA'S INFLUENCE THERE TO DIMINISH?
IN ALL THOSE CASES, THE ONUS IS ON HIM NOW.
HE DOESN'T LIKE HOW PRESIDENT DEALT WITH THOSE THREE ISSUES.
THIS IS THE WEEK WHEN HE'S GOT AN OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU WANT TO
PUT IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY, TO SAY IT'S NOT A CRISIS, IT'S AN
OPPORTUNITY. THIS IS HIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY,
I DIDN'T LIKE WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA DID ON THOSE THREE ISSUES,
I'M GOING TO DO IT DIFFERENTLY. THE STATEMENTS YESTERDAY DIDN'T
SHOW ROADMAP TO HOW HE'LL DEAL WITH ASSAD ANY DIFFERENTLY
EXCEPT TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE HIM IN POWER.
>> POINTING FINGERS BACK FIVE YEARS AGO DOES NOTHING FOR WHAT
HAPPENED YESTERDAY AND THE DAY BEFORE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING
EVERY DAY. SHANE HARRIS, WHY DON'T WE JUST
FACE THE GRIM REALITY? IT SEEMS THERE'S GOING TO BE
VERY LITTLE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CAN DO TO PERSUADE
RUSSIA TO INTERVENE IN SYRIA AND VERY LITTLE DONALD TRUMP IS
GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO TO GET CHINA TO INTERVENE IN NORTH
KOREA IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. >> I THINK WHEN WE WENT EARLIER
TO THE QUESTION OF PEOPLE IN THE FOREIGN POLICY COMMUNITY HAVING
ANXIETY ABOUT TRUMP'S KNOWLEDGE OF NRK OR RUSSIA OR SOME OF
THESE ISSUES. IN SYRIA THIS IS A PLACE WHERE
HE CAN TRY TO DO SOMETHING AND DO MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION HAD DONE. I THINK HE WOULD WIN A LOT OF
POINTS AND BUILD CONFIDENCE WITH PEOPLE, EVEN HOLDOVERS FROM THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION WERE DEEPLY FRUSTRATED WITH THE FACT THAT WE
DREW A RED LINE AND DID NOTHING ABOUT BASHAR al ASSAD'S CHEMICAL
WEAPONS. EVEN TRYING TO WORK OUT SOME
KIND OF RESPONSE WOULD BE MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION
DID AND POTENTIALLY GIVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, LOOK, I'M
TRYING. THERE IS NO PERFECT ANSWER TO
ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. IT'S NOT SITTING IN A BOX ON A
SHELF SOME PLACE. HE COULD ADD LEAST TRY TO DO
SOMETHING AND HE WOULD BE MAKING SOME PROGRESS.
>> REMEMBER JUST LAST WEEK SECRETARY OF STATE REX TILLERSON
SAID THE FATE OF BASHAR al ASSAD IS UP TO THE SYRIAN PEOPLE WHICH
IS A DEPARTURE FROM THE RHETORIC OF THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE THAT
ASSAD NEEDED TO LEAVE. WHAT ARE THE ANSWERS?
NOW PRESIDENT TRUMP FACES THE SAME FINITE LIST OF POTENTIAL
ACTIONS THAT VEXED THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION FOR YEARS.
HE COULD PUT AMERICAN BOOTS ON THE GROUND, SOMETHING PRESIDENT
OBAMA CATEGORICALLY RULED OUT, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SPECIAL
FORCES THERE. HE COULD ESTABLISH A NO-FLY ZONE
AND RISK HAVING TO SHOOT DOWN RUSSIAN OR TURKISH FIGHTER JETS
WHO STRAY INTO THE AREA. HE COULD TRAIN FIGHTERS AND
SUPPLY WEAPONS TO SO-CALLED MODERATE REBELS, AN OPTION THAT
CARRIES A BIG RISK OF INADVERTENTLY ARMING TEAR WRITS,
HE COULD PUSH NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES TO STEP IN AND
ESTABLISH SAFE ZONES FOR REFUGEES.
JOINING US NOW, BAZ MA CODE BONNIE AND NBC FOREIGN
CORRESPONDENT AYMAN MOHYELDIN. FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT
HAPPENED YESTERDAY? THESE PICTURES SHOT ACROSS THE
WORLD, HORRIFYING, SHOWING CHILDREN SUFFOCATING TO DEATH,
FOAMING AT THE MOUTH. WHAT HAPPENED IN SYRIA.
>> TESTIMONIES ARE VERY CLEAR, A RUSSIAN-MADE PLANE MAYBE PILOTED
BY A SYRIAN, SHELLED THOSE AREAS.
CHILDREN, WOMEN WERE THE MOST ATTACKED, THOSE WHO SUFFERED
MOST, WHO RECEIVED THOSE ATTACKS AND WHO, IN FACT, DIED BECAUSE
THEY'RE MORE VULNERABLE AND SUFFOCATE MORE EASILY THAN MEN.
IT WAS AN ADD TACK ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
IT WAS AN ATTACK ON CIVILIANS. NOT ON ANY MILITARY TARGETS
THERE. WE DON'T KNOW THAT A LEGITIMATE
MILITARY TARGET WAS HIT. ALL WE KNOW IS THESE CIVILIANS
HAVE DIED, DOZENS, AND THE AIRCRAFT THAT IS A RUSSIAN-MADE
AIRCRAFT THAT BOMBED THE AREA WITH CLEM CAL WEAPONS.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS SARIN GAS OR CHLORINE, THESE WAS
BANNED IN 2013 UNDER UN RESOLUTIONS AND THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION WITH RUSSIA THAT SYRIA HAD DISMANTLED ENTIRELY
ITS CHEMICAL WEAPONS ARSENAL AND IS NOW -- WILL NOT USE THEM
AGAIN. IT HAS USED THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN
AGAINST CHILDREN AND WOMEN. >> WELL, THE WORLD COMMUNITY HAS
DONE, AS YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY TRAGICALLY MORE THAN ANYONE
ELSE, THE WORLD COMMUNITY, WESTERN DEMOCRACIES, THE UNITED
STATES, THEY'VE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WHILE 500,000 SYRIANS
HAVE DIED. WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THE UNITED
STATES, OUR ALLIES IN EUROPE AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO BE PART
OF A COALITION OF THE WILLING TO STOP THESE ATTACKS AGAINST
CIVILIANS? WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE WESTERN
DEMOCRACIES DO? >> LOOK, I THINK WE -- THE
SYRIANS ARE WATCHING AND WAITING TO SEE IF ANY LEADER IN THIS
WORLD, PARTICULARLY PRESIDENT TRUMP, IS GOING TO GO BEYOND
STATEMENTS OF OUTRAGE. WE'VE LADD ENOUGH OF THOSE OVER
SIX YEARS AND FAILURE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
NOW I THINK FIRST OF ALL, THE SYRIAN REGIME'S AIR FORCE SHOULD
BE GROUNDED, NEVER ALLOWED TO FLY AGAIN, AND I THINK IF
PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN SPEAK TO PRESIDENT PUTIN IN RUSSIA WHO
SAYS HE WANTS A POLITICAL EXIT NOW, AN EXIT STRATEGY FROM
SYRIA, WANTS A POLITICAL SETTLEMENT, MAYBE HE CAN ASK
THAT HE DELIVERS, THAT HE DELIVERS ASSAD.
ASSAD SHOULD NOT FLY IRANIAN FORCES WHO SUPPORT ASSAD WHO
ACTUALLY FIGHT FOR ASSAD BECAUSE ASSAD HAS ALMOST LOST HIS ARMY,
HAS NO MILITARY CAPACITY OF HIS OWN ANYMORE.
HE CAN MAYBE REIGN IN THOSE IRANIANS, PUSH THEM OUT, PUSH
THEM BACKWARDS SO THEY ARE NOT FIGHTING SYRIANS EVERYWHERE IN
THE COUNTRY AND ENCOURAGING JIHADISM.
THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS ASSAD IS MANUFACTURING TERRORISTS
EVERY DAY AND IS NOW ASKING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO COME
AND PROPOSE HIMSELF AS THEIR ALLY TO FIGHT TERRORISM.
CAN WE SEE THIS IS THE TRAP THAT ASSAD HAS PUT TO THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS NOW SEEING
ASSAD COULD STAY. THESE STATEMENTS ARE A BLANK
CHECK FOR ASSAD TO CONTINUE. THAT IS HOW THE SYRIANS
YESTERDAY READ THE ATTACK. >> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US.
WE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. WILLIE GEIST, IT DOES SEEM TO ME
WHILE ARMING REBEL FACTIONS ACROSS SYRIA NOW IS FAR MORE
DANGEROUS TODAY THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN
THERE ACTUALLY WERE MODERATE FACTIONS THERE STILL FIGHTING.
CERTAINLY THE WORLD COMMUNITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT A
WAY TO ENACT A NO-FLY ZONE AND LET THE RUSSIANS KNOW THAT WE'RE
GOING IN AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, THAT WESTERN DEMOCRACIES
CAN NOT STAND BY ANY LONGER AND WATCH 3-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN GASSED
BY RUSSIAN AIRPLANES WHETHER THEY'RE SYRIAN PILOTS DROPPING
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION OR RUSSIANS.
>> JOE, WE CAN GO BACK TO TAPES, YOU, MIKA AND ME OVER THE LAST
SIX YEARS AND HAVING THIS EXACT CONVERSATION, SAYING HOW LONG
ARE WE GOING TO STAND BY? NOW IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS.
AYMAN MOHYELDIN, THERE ARE 5 MILLION PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEFT THE
COUNTRY, HALF A MILLION KILLED, 6 MILLION INTERNALLY DISPLACED
IN SYRIA. A LOT OF PEOPLE THIS MORNING
AFTER SEEING THOSE PICTURES YESTERDAY SAYING DO SOMETHING.
THAT'S A LOT MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT SOUNDS.
WHAT'S THE MOST REALISTIC APPROACH THE UNITED STATES AND
THE WEST CAN TAKE. >> IF THERE WAS SUCH AN EASY
ANSWER TO THAT, WILLIE, I'M SURE THEY WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED IT BY
NOW. YOU HEARD RECOMMENDED BY BESSMA,
GROUNDING THE SYRIAN AIR FORCE. THE UNITED STATES ALONG WITH
MEMBERS OF ARAB COUNTRIES COULD CARRY OUT AIR STRIKES AGAINST
SYRIAN AIR FORCE TARGETS TO PREVENT THEM FROM CARRYING OUT
THESE TYPES OF BARREL BOMBS, CRUDE BARREL BOMBS OR CHEMICAL
ATTACKS ON TARGETS ON VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
THAT COULD BE ONE IMMEDIATE MILITARY ACTION ON THE TABLE.
THERE IS A LOT OF COMPLEXITY WITH CARRYING OUT MILITARY
ACTIONS IN SYRIA. KEEP IN MIND PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
MET WITH PRESIDENT OF EGYPT, MEETING WITH KING ABDULLAH.
HE HAS TO NAVIGATE IN THE ARAB WORLD AND MUSLIM WORLD DIFFERENT
OPINIONS AND STRATEGIES. THE PRESIDENT OF EGYPT SAID THE
SYRIAN GOVERNMENT AND SYRIAN ARMY BELONGING TO ASSAD SHOULD
BE SUPPORTED. KING ABDULLAH OF JORDAN IS
PROBABLY GOING TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT PRESIDENT ASSAD OF
SYRIA HAS TO GO. PRESIDENT TRUMP IS WAKING UP TO
A REALITY OF VERY DIFFERENT INTERESTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
IF YOU ADD TO THAT THE COMPLEXITIES OF THINGS LIKE THE
MUSLIM TRAVEL BAN YOU'LL START TO SEE WHY IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET
THEIR SUPPORT WHEN THE UNITED STATES WANTS TO GO INTO ACTION
IN SYRIA IF THAT'S THE COURSE THEY DECIDE TO DO.
>> MIKA, I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT WILLIE SAID.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT. WE COULD GO TO TAPE OVER THE
PAST SIX YEARS AND WE COULD FIND ONE LEADER AFTER ANOTHER LEADER
COMING ON THIS SHOW, AND WHEN WE SAY PEOPLE ARE DYING, THEY'RE
USING BARREL BOMBS, THEY'RE USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS, USING
WEAPONS OF MASS -- EVERYBODY THAT COMES ON THE SHOW HAS
ALWAYS SAID, WELL, IT'S HARD, IT'S HARD, IT'S DIFFICULT, WE
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. YES, WE KNOW THAT.
BUT AS HENRY KISSINGER SAID, WHEN YOU'RE A LEADER OF THIS
COUNTRY, YOU RARELY GET TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A GOOD DECISION
AND A BAD DECISION. IT'S USUALLY CHOOSING BETWEEN A
BAD DECISION AND A WORSE DECISION.
BARACK OBAMA AND HIS ADMINISTRATION REFUSED TO TAKE
ANY TOUGH DECISIONS ON SYRIA. DONALD TRUMP, HE'S TWEETING AND
HE'S PUTTING OUT, FINGER-POINTING, ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL LEVEL PRESS RELEASES ATTACKING THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION INSTEAD OF TELLING US WHAT HE IS GOING TO
DO, AND I JUST WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED SEVERAL YEARS AGO
IF THE SYRIAN AIR FORCE HAD BEEN GROUNDED WHEN WE WERE ASKING
PEOPLE ON THIS SHOW, DON'T WE GROUND THE SYRIAN AIR FORCE TO
STOP THE BARREL BOMBS, TO STOP THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION,
THE CHEMICAL ATTACKS? I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER
POLITICIAN COME ON THIS SHOW AND SAY IT'S HARD.
WE GET IT. WE'VE HEARD THAT FOR SIX YEARS.
ROLL THE PICTURES, WE WILL SHOW YOU WHAT YOUR RINGING OF HANDS
HAS DONE. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY,
MIKA, HAVE TO COME TOGETHER IN SOME WAY.
>> WE'RE GOING TO BE WATCHING SOME CHALLENGES WITH THAT.
WE HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO HAS CERTAINLY CRITICIZED THE FORMER
PRESIDENT FOR NOT ACTING ON THIS.
HE IS NOW ON THE SPOT. THE QUESTION IS ON HIM.
IT'S ON HIS WATCH. WHAT'S HE GOING TO DO?
WHAT'S HE GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS?
AND THEN THE BIGGER QUESTION WILL BE CAN HE DO ANYTHING GIVEN
HOW HE HAS CONDUCTED HIMSELF, NOT ONLY DURING THE CAMPAIGN BUT
DURING THESE FIRST WEEKS AND MONTHS OF HIS PRESIDENCY BECAUSE
WE MAY FIND THAT BEING CREDIBLE MATTERS.
NOT LYING MATTERS, WORDS THAT YOU SAY MATTER.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE THE SUPPORT OF YOUR PARTY MATTERS.
YOU ASKED THE QUESTION EARLIER, JOE, WHY WOULD ANY REPUBLICANS
DO ANYTHING FOR DONALD TRUMP? WHY WOULD ANYBODY IN THE WORLD
COMMUNITY DO ANYTHING FOR DONALD TRUMP RIGHT NOW?
I'M VERY WORRIED ABOUT THIS. >> AND THE PARTY ESPECIALLY, WHY
WOULD THE PARTY DO ANYTHING FOR HIM WHEN HE'S TAKEN THEM TO
RECORD LOWS IN JUST TWO MONTHS. HIS NUMBERS ARE AT RECORD LOWS.
ONE THING THAT DONALD TRUMP CAN'T DO, IF WE'RE GOING TO GET
ANYTHING DONE, IS TO BLAME BARACK OBAMA.
THAT DOES US NO GOOD TODAY THAN BARACK OBAMA AND HIS
ADMINISTRATION BLAMING GEORGE W. BUSH.
YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK FORWARD AND YOU'VE GOT TO GIVE US SOLUTIONS.
AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW, MIKA, HOW THE WORLD COMMUNITY ALLOWS THE
SYRIAN AIR FORCE TO CONTINUE FLYING AND DROPPING CHEMICAL
WEAPONS ON LITTLE CHILDREN AND STRANGLING THEM IN VIEW OF THE
ENTIRE WORLD. BY THE WAY, IF YOU'RE A
POLICYMAKER, IT'S HARD IS NO LONGER AN ACCEPTED ANSWER ON
"MORNING JOE." COME WITH SOLUTIONS OR DON'T
COME AT ALL. WHAT DO WE HAVE NEXT?
>> STILL AHEAD, WHEN IT COMES TO APPROVAL NUMBERS, OBAMACARE IS
FAR OUTPACING THE TWO LEADERS FIGHTING TO WIPE IT OUT.
WHAT THAT COULD