AND UNCERTAINTY AND WHY YOU GET
THE BIG SWINGS IN THE MARKET.
WE'RE WATCHING IT.
>> Bill: VOLATILITY.
>> WHY ARE CHEMICAL WEAPONS
STILL BEING USED AT ALL WHEN
RUSSIA WAS THE FRAMEWORK
GUARANTOR OF REMOVING ALL THE
CHEMICAL WEAPONS?
WORKING WITH OUR ALLIES AND
PARTNERS FROM NATO AND
ELSEWHERE WE'RE GOING TO
ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
>> CAN YOU RULE OUT TAKING
ACTIONS AND LAUNCHING AIR
STRIKES?
>> I DON'T RULE OUT ANYTHING
RIGHT NOW.
>> Sandra: NEW REACTION FROM
JAMES MATTIS ON THE SUSPECTED
CHEMICAL ATTACK IN SYRIA.
THE PENTAGON CHIEF REFERRING TO
A DEAL FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA
MADE WITH RUSSIA THAT WAS
SUPPOSED TO RID SYRIA OF
CHEMICAL WEAPONS.
NOW THE VIABILITY OF THAT DEAL
COMING UNDER EVEN MORE SCRUTINY
AFTER THE SYRIAN PRESIDENT IS
ACCUSED OF CARRYING OUT ANOTHER
CHEMICAL ATTACK KILLING DOZENS
OF PEOPLE, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
JOINING ME NOW IS THE CHAIRMAN
OF THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE MAC THORNBERRY.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS
MORNING AS WE TRY TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED.
WHAT NEW INFORMATION CAN YOU
GIVE US THIS MORNING?
>> WELL, OF COURSE, THERE ARE
PRESS REPORTS OF SOME SORT OF
STRIKE IN JUST A FEW HOURS AGO
IN SYRIA.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN ASSUME
THAT THAT WAS RELATED TO THE
CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACK.
SYRIA IS A CALDRON OF SECURITY
CONCERNS FOR ALL SORTS OF
COUNTRIES AND SOMEBODY MAY HAVE
TAKEN THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF IT FOR THEIR OWN
INTERESTS, NOT NECESSARILY
RELATED TO THE CHEMICAL ATTACK.
>> Sandra: THE PRESIDENT HAS
SAID THAT THEY SHOULD PAY A
PRICE.
WHAT SORT OF ACTION AS YOU JUST
HEARD THE DEFENSE SECRETARY, HE
IS NOT RULING OUT ANYTHING AT
THIS POINT.
WHAT SORT OF ACTION IS AND
SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON OUR
PART?
>> WELL REMEMBER, THIS HAPPENED
ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHERE ABOUT
100 PEOPLE WERE KILLED WITH A
CHEMICAL ATTACK.
THE PRESIDENT RESPONDED WITH A
TARGETED STRIKE AGAINST THOSE
SYRIAN MILITARY UNITS THAT
CARRIED OUT THE ATTACK.
I THOUGHT THAT MADE VERY GOOD
SENSE AND IT SEEMS TO ME WE
OUGHT TO CONSIDER DOING IT
AGAIN WITH OUR ALLIES.
BECAUSE AS SECRETARY MATTIS WAS
JUST POINTING OUT, WE HAVE THE
RUSSIANS NOT ONLY PROPPING UP
ASSAD AND THEIR USE OF CHEMICAL
WEAPONS BUT THE RUSSIANS ARE
USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS FOR
TARGETED ASSASSINATION LIKE
THEY TRIED IN BRITAIN A FEW
WEEKS AGO.
IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR
ALLIES LIKE BRITAIN AND FRANCE
TO STAND WITH US AND SHOW THAT
THESE GUYS CANNOT GET AWAY WITH
THESE ATROCITIES.
>> Sandra: HOW SHOULD WE DEAL
WITH ASSAD?
>> LET ME BE CLEAR WE CANNOT
FIX SYRIA.
BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT
ISIS DOES NOT GET A FOOTHOLD
THERE AND WE HAVE TO WORK WITH
OUR ALLIES TO TRY TO KEEP A LID
ON THINGS OR ELSE WE MAY GET
SUCKED INTO SOME WIDER CONFLICT.
AND IT IS BY BEING THERE THAT
THE U.S. GETS SOME LEVERAGE.
SO I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SOME
NOTIONS THAT THE U.S. WOULD
JUST LEAVE SYRIA BECAUSE WHEN
WE LEAVE, IT CREATES A VACUUM
AND THERE IS NOTHING BUT BAD
GUYS THERE WHO WILL FILL THAT
VACUUM IF THE U.S. LEAVES.
>> Sandra: THE PRESIDENT BLAMES
HIS PRESENTED CESS FOR OBAMA
FOR NOT DOING MORE WHILE HE WAS
IN OFFICE AN TWEETED THIS OFF.
IF PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD CROSSED
HIS RED LINE IN THE SAND,
ANIMAL ASSAD WOULD HAVE BEEN
HISTORY.
WERE THERE MISSED
OPPORTUNITIES, CHAIRMAN, THAT
LED US TO THIS POINT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND THE PRESIDENT IS EXACTLY
RIGHT.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES OF
THE OBAMA YEARS WAS TO DRAW A
RED LINE IN SYRIA AND THEN NOT
FOLLOW UP AND DO ANYTHING ABOUT
IT.
THAT TOLD ASSAD AND PUTIN AND
EVERYBODY ELSE THAT YOU DON'T
HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT
THE UNITED STATES SAYS, WE'RE
JUST A PAPER TIGER.
AFTER THAT SYRIA HAS SPIRALED
INTO THIS TERRIBLE MESS WHICH
PRESIDENT TRUMP INHERITED.
AGAIN, IT IS NOT UP TO THE
UNITED STATES TO FIX SYRIA BUT
WE'VE GOT TO BE THERE AND TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT
ATTACKED BY TERRORISTS FROM
THERE AND THAT WE KIND OF KEEP
THE LID ON THINGS SO WE DON'T
GET SUCKED INTO A WIDER WAR IN
THE MIDDLE EAST.
>> Sandra: AS YOU MENTIONED,
WHETHER IT'S RUSSIA, IRAN,
NORTH KOREA, THE WORLD IS
WATCHING.