>> THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE
CONCLUSION OTHER THAN THAT THE
RUSSIAN STATE WAS CULPABLE FOR
THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF
MR. SKRIPAL AND HIS DAUGHTER.
THIS REPRESENTS AN UNLAWFUL USE
OF FORCE BY THE RUSSIAN STATE
AGAINST THE UNITED KINGDOM.
>> Dana: THERESA MAY SPEAKING
AFTER A MIDNIGHT DEADLINE TO
RUSSIA TO EXPLAIN WHY A RUSSIAN
NERVE AGENT WAS USED AGAINST A
SPY IN LONDON.
SHE SAID THE 23 RUSSIAN
DIPLOMATS HAVE ONE WEEK TO LEAVE
THE COUNTRY.
THE U.K. CANCELLED ALL HIGH
LEVEL BILATERAL CONTACT WITH
RUSH 145.
MAY ALMOST VOWED TO IMPOSE
SANTIONS AND CANCELLED AN
INVITATION FOR THE RUSSIAN
FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT.
BRITISH MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF
THE ROYAL FAMILY WILL NOT ATTEND
THE WORLD CUP IN RUSSIA THIS
SUMMER.
LET'S BRING IN NOAH ROTHMAN.
WHAT DO YOU THINK -- FIRST OF
ALL, QUITE GALLING THAT MOSCOW
THINKS IT CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS
AND DISMISS IT.
WHAT SHOULD THE UNITED STATES
RESPONSE BE?
>> I'M NOT SURE WHY THEY
WOULDN'T THINK THEY COULD GET
AWAY FROM THIS.
THIS IS SIMILAR TO ANOTHER
POISONING IN 2006 WITH A
RADIOLOGICAL MATERIAL.
AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS VERY
CAUTIOUS ADMITTEDLY THEY HAVE
EVERY REASON TO TRY TO DOWNPLAY
SOMETHING THAT PRIME MINISTER
MAY SAID IS AN ACT OF WAR.
NOW WE'RE NOT BEING VERY COY
ABOUT THIS.
THE CRISIS WITH RUSSIA HAS BEEN
A SLOW MOTION STKFR THAT WE'VE
BEEN TRYING TO MANAGE FOR THE
LAST DECADE.
WE'RE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO A
DANGEROUS PLACE IN 2014 THEY
DOWNED A CIVILIAN AIRLINER, 2015
A WARPLANE INSRAEUTED NATO AIR
SPACE AND WAS SHOT DOWN.
NOW WE HAVE AN ATTACK USING WMD.
IT'S BEING CALLED AN ACT OF WAR.
RUSSIA MAY MISCALCULATE AT A
CERTAIN POINT AT WHICH POINT WE
WOULD HAVE TO RESPOND WITH
PROPORTIONALITY BECAUSE WE
COULDN'T BACK DOWN FROM SUCH AN
ACT OF AGGRESSION.
THAT'S WHY THIS IS SUCH A
DANGEROUS POWER.
NOT BECAUSE RUSSIA IS A
COMPETITOR.
IT IS NOT.
IT'S BECAUSE IT HAS A CLOSING
WINDOW, A DECLINING POWER AND IS
ACTING VERY AGGRESSIVELY.
WE NEED TO RESPOND IN KIND.
>> Dana: IF THERE IS NOT A
RESPONSE, LIKE A PROPORTIONAL
RESPONSE, THEN I THINK THEY WILL
OBVIOUSLY JUST KEEP DOING IT AND
WORSE.
>> THEY CALL IT DETERRENT FOR A
REASON.
WE NEED TO DETER THESE ACTS OF
AGGRESSION.
>> Dana: WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE
THINKING ABOUT DOING TO ONE OF
THE BALTIC COUNTRIES.
WHILE I HAVE YOU HERE, WE CAN
GET TO TWO OTHER ISSUES.
SYRIA CONTINUES TO BE A HORRIBLE
PROBLEM.
ASSAD IS STILL THERE.
LISTEN TO WHAT OUR GENERAL JUST
SAID.
>> THE USE OF NERVE AGENTS AS A
WEAPON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
--
>> IS IT TOO STRONG A STATEMENT
TO SAY THAT WITH RUSSIAN/IRAN,
ASSAD HAS WON THE CIVIL WAR IN
SYRIA?
>> I DON'T THINK THAT IS TOO
STRONG OF A STATEMENT.
I THINK THEY HAVE PROVIDED HIM
THE WEREWITHAL TO BE ASCENDANT
AT THIS POINT.
>> Dana: THAT'S BIG NEWS.
OUR STATED POLICY WAS THAT HE
HAD TO GO.
NOW ONE OF OUR GENERALS IS
TESTIFYING IN CONGRESS SAYING
HE'S IN A POSITION TO DECLARE
THAT HE HAS WON THE CIVIL WAR IN
SYRIA.
>> IT'S BEEN AN UNSTATED POLICY
TO SAY ESSENTIALLY ASSAD CAN
RULE THIS ROUGH STATE THAT HE
NOW CONTROLS.
BUT WE HAVE SEEDED TERRITORY TO
IRAN, RUSSIA, TURKEY.
IT IS A GREAT POWER CONTEST.
WE HAVE DEPLOYMENTS THERE TO TRY
TO DETRACT FROM ACTION AGAINST
OUR ALLIES ON THE GROUND.
WE WILL BE THERE FOR THE
FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
SEEMS LIKE A GRIM ASSESSMENT
CONSIDERING THAT MR. ASSAD WILL
BE IN PLACE AND WHATEVER PORTION
OF THIS COUNTRY HE CONTROLS.
BUT, THERE'S A PARTITION OF THIS
COUNTRY WE ARE IN CONTROL OF
PARTSIST, RUSSIA AN IRAN ARE IN
CONTROL OF PARTS OF IT.
TO THE EXTENT THAT ASSAD HAS WON
THIS CIVIL WAR IS A PURIC
VICTORY.
>> Dana: JUST THREE WEEKS AGO WE
HAD A SITUATION WHERE AMERICAN
FORCES RESPONDED AND ENDED UP
BASICALLY OBLITERATING RUSSIAN
MISSIONARIES, I'M SORRY,
MERCENARIES WHO WERE THERE
FIGHTING ON THE GROUND.
IN SOME WAYS THE FIRST TOPIC
THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IS ALSO
BEING PLAYED OUT IN OTHER PLACES
AROUND THE WORLD INCLUDING
SYRIA.
>> IT'S ALL PART OF THE SAME
STORY WHICH IS OUR FAILURE TO
CONTAIN A RELAUNCH AGAINST
RUSSIA.
WE INVITED THEM IN 2013 TO
MITIGATE THE CRISIS IN SYRIA
USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS.
THEY DID NOT RESOLVE THAT
CRISIS.
THEY USED IT AS A REASON TO
INVADE IN 2015, TO INTERVENE IN
THAT CONFLICT.
WE ARE ALL IN THIS THEATER
SHOOTING AT EACH OTHER'S PROXIES
WITHOUT VERY MANY MECHANISMS TO
DEESCALATE A CONFLICT SHOULD IT
ARISE.
IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ALLOWED
TO ME TAFT SIZE LIKE IT HAS
BEEN.
NOW WE NEED TO FOCUS ON
DECONFLICT SHUN, DEESCALATION.
>> Dana: A WEEK FROM TODAY PUTIN
WILL BE RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT.
I CAN ANNOUNCE THAT A WEEK