White House Refines Syria Strategy After Airstrikes

WE WILL SIT DOWN WITH A
PSYCHOLOGIST TO SEE HOW
PARENTS CAN TALK TO THE KIDS
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TODAY.
JEFF: THE U.S. IS WORKING ON
ITS SYRIA STRATEGY IN THE WAKE
OF LAST WEEK'S AIRSTRIKE.
ELSA: THE PLAN COULD INVOLVE
MORE MISSILES OR PUSHING
RUSSIA TO GET INVOLVED.
IT'S A BIG MEETING AND A BIG
TEST FOR THE SECRETARY OF
STATE, THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND FOR
RUSSIA.
IN JUST A FEW HOURS, REX
TILLERSON WILL BOARD A PLANE
FOR MOSCOW.
THE NUMBER ONE TOPIC OF
DISCUSSION WILL BE SYRIA AND
TILLERSON MAY BE WALKING INTO
A HORNETS NEST SINCE THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO
COUNTRIES HAS TAKEN A BEATING
IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
EVEN AS THE SECRETARY OF STATE
WAS PREPARING FOR HIS
DISCUSSION WITH OFFICIALS, THE
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
MAY HAVE MADE THE MISSION A
LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT WARNING
THAT OF SYRIAN PRESIDENT
ORDERS ANOTHER CHEMICAL BARREL
BOMB ATTACK IT COULD BE MET
WITH U.S. STRIKES AGAINST
SYRIA.
THE SIGHT OF PEOPLE BEING
BLAST AND BLOWN AWAY ENSURES
THAT IF WE SEE THIS ACTION
AGAIN WE HOLD OPEN THE
POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE ACTION.
REPORTER: THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN
POINTING THE FINGER OF BLAME
AT RUSSIA WHICH WAS SUPPOSED
TO BE OVERSEEING THE SURRENDER
OF ALL CHEMICAL WEAPONS.
REGARDLESS WHETHER THEY
WERE COMPLICIT OR INCOMPETENT
OR GOT OUTWITTED BY THE ASSAD
REGIME, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK
THE RUSSIANS I QUESTION.
THEY CALLED THE AIRSTRIKE A
VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
AND DEMANDED AN UNBIASED
INVESTIGATION.
ON THE EVE, PRESS SECRETARY
SPICER SAYS THE U.S. MISSILE
ATTACK HAS CREATED THE
CONDITIONS FOR REGIME CHANGE.
WE ARE INSURING THAT ISIS
IS CONTAINED IN THERE'S A
DE-ESCALATION OF THE
PROLIFERATION OF CHEMICAL
WEAPONS.
AT THE SAME TIME CREATING THE
ENVIRONMENT FOR A CHANGE IN
LEADERSHIP.
REPORTER: CNN REPORTS STATE
DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS SAY
TILLERSON'S MESSAGE TO RUSSIA
WILL BE THAT THEY WILL HELP BE
HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
ACTIONS IN SYRIA.
WOULDN'T BE A GREAT THING
IF WE COULD GET ALONG WITH
RUSSIA.
REPORTER: SECRETARY
TILLERSON'S MEETING WITH THE
TOP DIPLOMAT ON WEDNESDAY AND
POSSIBLY VLADIMIR PUTIN
HIMSELF COULD GET PRETTY
TENSE.
THEY WILL PUSH THE RUSSIANS TO
STOP POPPING UP ASSAD.
THEY WILL RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT
ELECTION MEDDLING IN THE U.S.
AND EUROPE.
HE WILL BE THE FIRST TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION CABINET
OFFICIAL TO VISIT FOR THE NEW
ADMINISTRATION.
SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN SAYS
TILLERSON SHOULD ISSUE A BLUNT
WARNING TO THE RUSSIAN.
THE UNITED STATES SHOULD
FIRST TELL RUSSIA THAT THIS
WAR CRIME IS UNACCEPTABLE IN
THE WORLD TODAY.
ONE PROBLEM THE RUSSIANS
MAY HAVE IS DECIPHERING WHAT
POLICY TOWARD SYRIA IS.
THERE HAVE BEEN CONFLICTING
STATEMENTS FROM ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS ABOUT WHAT THE U.S.
WANTS AND HOW FAR IT INTENDS
TO GO.
EVEN THE QUESTION OF WHETHER
RUSSIA KNEW IN ADVANCE OF LAST
WEEK'S SYRIA CHEMICAL ATTACK
HAS GOTTEN A VARIETY OF
ANSWERS FROM ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS.
THERE IS A LOT TO BE SORTED
OUT.
JEFF: LET'S TALK ABOUT
POLITICAL FALLOUT HERE IN
AMERICA.
WHAT'S HAPPENING.
REPORTER: WE HAVE NEW NUMBERS
OUT TONIGHT.
THEY SHOW 57% APPROVE OF THE
AIRSTRIKE ON SYRIA AND 36%
DISAPPROVE.
THAT IS A PRETTY SOLID NUMBER
FOR THE HANDLING OF THIS
AFFAIR.
FOR THE QUESTION OF HOW FAR
ARE YOU WILLING TO GO IN
SYRIA, THE ANSWER IS MUCH MORE
CAUTIOUS.
ONLY 18% WOULD SEND MORE
GROUND TROOPS TO SYRIA.
26% SAY NO MORE MILITARY
OPTIONS, ONLY DIPLOMATIC TALKS
AND 15% SAY THERE SHOULD BE NO
MORE U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN THE
INVOLVEMENT AT ALL.
THESE NUMBERS REFLECT THE
DEEPER DIVIDED COUNTRY WITH
NEARLY HALF OF AMERICANS OKAY
WITH SOME KIND OF MILITARY
RESPONSE BUT 41% SAY NO MORE
MILITARY ACTION IN SYRIA.

White House Refines Syria Strategy After Airstrikes

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