back when it comes to summing up their thoughts on the biopick "diana." it's been described as "slow and terribly dull." i'm quoting "wesley snipes in a blond wig would be more convincing." >> now it's time for jessica yellin. thanks, jake. president obama vows to take his action directly to the american people after a bruising attempt overseas leaves looming doubts at home. plus will the president go it alone and act without congress's support. president's from obama's deputy national security adviser into clean-up mode. did he overstep? i'll ask him live just ahead. and our own dr. sanjay gupta

inside a mikeshift camp inside the syrian border where desperate refugees are pouring in for help. wolf blitzer is off today. i'm jessica yellin" in the situation room." >> president obama is a expected to land in hours. the president is at the critical g-20 summit in russia and failed to get international agreement for limited military action against syria. the biggest holdout, the crucial wild card, russian president vladimir putin. add to that the barrage of reporter questions he was hammered with at a lengthy news conference where he was repeatedly hit with questions about congress and whether members there will get on board his plan. here is cnn's senior white house correspondent jim acosta. >> jessica, president obama left the g-20 summit in russia without the diplomatic support he wanted for a military strike

against syria, but his problems don't end there, as there is plenty of skepticism waiting for him back in washington. it was a short overseas trip that took its toll as president obama looked exhausted and admittedly gave lengthy answers, side stepping the question of the first asked first by cnn's brianna keilar. >> if the congress doesn't approve this, will you go ahead with a strike? >> i knew this was going to be a heavy lift. >> reporter: the president declined the answer the question. not just once -- >> brianna, i think it would be a mistake for me to jump the gun and speculate because right now i'm working to get as up support as possible out of congress. >> but three times. >> and you're not getting a direct response.

brianna asked the question very well. >> a. >> the president repeated his case that the u.s. has the evidence to justify a limited strike on bashar al assad's forces for last month's chemical weapons attack. >> my goal is to maintain the international norm on banning chemical weapons. i want that enforcement to be real. i want it to be serious. >> also sounding serious -- >> vladimir putin warned russia is ready to respond either way.

>> translator: will we help syria? yes, we will. and we are doing it right now. we are supplying arms. >> the rhetorical fireworks were a fitting end to what one reporter called putin palooza, with a g-20 summit that would make czars proud the russian president was clearly strutting his stuff. president obama did work in one last dig just before leaving st. petersburg. >> i got my start as a community organizer. >> the president said he would have more to say about the crisis in. >> a stronger case has to be made to the american people. jessica? >> thanks, jim. when president obama delivers that national address to the white house tuesday, he'll be

speaking to americans across the country, giving members of congress an earful on and his actions. chief congress an correspondent dana bash is on capitol hill. >> hi, jet ka ii -- they should be happy by the fact that their lawmakers and senators have come back early and in many cases to try to get the information. the bad news for the president is many have told us they're still undecided and even leaning no and they're hearing very much opposition back home. >> town halls to twitter, lawmakers krooz the country and cross party lines.

now eeming to. >> i say we bail out and say look, you're on your on. >> >> this debate will matter. and so because it will matter, what you have to say matters. >> high clon. >> gop senator jeff session sessions record. >> i also said, number three, i don't think the united states' foreign policy will be destroyed if we say no. >> on twitter, arkansas republican rick crawford

announced he's a firm no saying in the past week to listened. my consistents are add mat mantly opposed to any action in. but some say that pop sis does not mean that it -- i'm going to make my decision based on my diegs signatures. they elected me to make my best judgments. i'm going to do what i think is right. and whatever my case may be, i'm going to go back to my consistents and explain it to them. >> senate intelligence chair dianne feinstein has already defied her constituents' wishes and voted yes. >> there's no question what's coming in is overwhelmingly

negative. there's no question about that. but then they don't know what i know. >> senator chuck schumer has been publicly undecided until now. he's a member of the democratic leadership. and al franken, who rarely talks to reporters in the hallway, did come out and say he had attended about 12 hours of classified briefings and because of that, he is a yes. that may be why the senate majority leader harry read. that is the senate. the house is a whole different story. >> do you get the this. >> i was just talking to and he's torn up about it and says that the president has to do this. he has to address the american public. he said out of maybe 2,000 calls he's gotten, about two or three have been supportive.

on the flip side i talked to some other members who are encliend but they think that the president waiting until tuesday, perhaps a day before, and it may be too little too late because so many of their constituents are already adamantly against this. >> dana bash on capitol hill. next in our special report, they are the victims of gunshot wounds, explosions and worse. our dr. sanjay gupta takes you to the syrian border where thousands of desperate refugees are pouring in. plus damage control after president obama says one thing about going it alone in syria and his plan.

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the number of men, women and children who have fled the bloodshed in syria now tops a staggering 2 million people according the u.n. refugee agency. they say the country is hemorrhaging refugees who are crossing the border with little more than the clothes on their backs. cnn chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta got a firsthand look at the camps in lebanon. >> we're walking distance from the border between lebanon and syria. we've been to some of the refugee camps to figure out how people are being cared for and what they're seeing here specifically. we're here in this secret clinic, it was a mosque, victims of gunshot wounds and explosions and they're getting their care now in this makeshift clinic.

the doctors and nurses all part of that coalition. operating just minutes away from the border. the concern is for so many people here, especially the medical staff, what to do if the numbers grow. if they have dozens or hundreds or thousands more people. they don't have enough resources, enough room or supplies in order to take care of everyone. so trying to come up up with emergency plans. these are some of the consequences that we see what's happening here. so many people have suffered these gunshot wounds and trying to get the best care that they can. back to you. >> thank you, sanjay. to find out more what you can do to help the syrian refugees. visit cnn.com/impact. >> coming up, did the white house official tip the president's hand on syria? i'll ask him. deputy national security visor tony lincoln joins us live.

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>> let's take a look at some of the other top stories. the u.s. unemployment rate ticked down a notch in august falling to 7.23%. that's mostly because more than 300,000 people dropped out of the labor force.

also declining, the u.s. birth rate. it was down last year for the fifth year in a row with just under 4 million babies born. experts say the great recession is partly to blame. the job shortage made many young people postpone plans to start a family. they also say the decline is showing. >> last night peyton manning made seven touchdowns last night, tying the record. the ravens knocked denver out of the playoffs back in january. the final score, 49-27. >> an suv crashing into a convenient store missing this man by just inches. >> and get this. the man was buying a magazine

and he didn't have enough cash so he used a credit card when that happened. if that transaction happened any sooner, the guy would have been walking right out the door. >> if congress says no, will president obama say yes anyway? and a republican senator says syria's president would be acting differently if george w. bush were still president. "crossfire" co-hosts van jones and newt gingrich are here to debate. there are cameras,, police, guards...ds us. but who looks after us online,

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sfx: birds chirping happening now, a situation room special report "crisis in syria." president obama won't say it but it appears a presidential adviser did. will the commander in chief strike syria if congress says no? deputy national security adviser tony blinken is here to explain exactly what he meant. plus george w. bush, barack obama and syria. one senator makes an unflattering comparison. wolf blitzer is off today. i'm jessica yellin. you're in "the situation room." >> president obama's ambassador to the united nations is stating the case for a strike against syria. listen to what samantha powers

said just a short time ago. >> in arguing for limited military action in the wake of this mass casualties mass weapons aprosity, we're not arguing that syrian lives are only worth protecting only when threatened with syrian gas. we're arguing what the world has made claim. >> just one in a series of senior administration officials making the case for congress to authorize a strike against syria. that might over what to do, it would have the co-hosts for the new "crossfire," van jones and former house speaker and presidential candidate newt gingrich. hello, gentlemen. thanks for being with us.

i want to ask you about something senator jeff sessions, republican nor said yesterday, i believe, about the president's plans for military strikes in syria. he had a unique take on the situation. when speaking to tea party activistsout side. >> i do believe in president bush had told bashar al assad, you don't use those chemical weapons or you're going to be sorry, we're guatemalaing a you and this will be a kobs kwens you about not want o bear, i don't believe he would oo ha have -- >> i have no idea what an insand

madman who is willing to gas children is willing to do. and the idea that a senator is willing to put the president on the same plane is shocking. i don't see him walking around loving george w. bush. he made a huge mess over there. we're still trying to clean it up. last thing is ask osama bl-- bi laden if president obama is a tough president. >> now i disagree. they bombed him four times this year, he understands there are

boundaries within which he survives. he's a very shrewd survivor. by contrast when the north koreans fired off a missile when he was in vienna. they said there would be consequences. there are none. i don't take anything away from him for the killing of bin laden. i think that was a big decision and a courageous decision, but you can see he has not had a policy of consistently being -- >> let's talk about iraq. what we're now seeing is people beginning to make the case -- it's been a tough week in syria. syria is what samantha would call a case from hell or whatever. he's had a bad week. you can't take away all the other successes he's had on the world stage with regard to iran. he has built a global coalition that is unprecedented. the united states, russia and

russian -- he's getting us out of two wars. i don't like his drone policy in pakistan. but you have towering achievements that george bush could never come close to. he had a bad week in syria and now he's the worst president. i don't agree. >> i think it takes a lot from the president to call libya a towering achievement. >> it's a disaster because we allow it to be. we reacted with libya and we got the united nations to come in. >> but it's a disaster. benghazi is a disaster. >> you blame the president for gadhafi? >> the level of confusion that we see this week i think is almost unparallel. you almost have to go back to

president obama to get the level of conclusion. the president today say the people elected he to make peace, not war. that's a strange message to send to congress when you're trying to get them to vote to go to war. >> this president respects the american people enough to talk to them about it. the same people who are saying he shouldn't go without -- this president gets beat up no matter what he does. i don't degree with his -- let's put principles above politics. i guarantee you you could find much dumber things. >> let me just say when you use the term owe decider," he decided friday night he'd attack and then go to congress and then he decided he was going to go to

tof. they signed on to a statement in st. petersburg today that says the case relays tonight, much like i was rebd to make peace, not war. >> where is the consistent rational signal being sent that would convince a congressman to vote for this? >> i i am glad we have a president who understands this is a complicated sentence and say these sentences don't match. but if you liesen to the whole of his presentation, he's trying to re, but i think this is a president who is respected around the world because he's not a warmongerer. i am opposed to this president -- but i don't think a tough problem being handled with

some stress and strain here means that he's a failed president or that george w. bush could do a better job. george w. bush could not do a better job than barack obama on foreign policy in the middle east. that i promise you. >> the fact is you have to be communicator in chief before you're commander in chief. when george h.w. bush went into iraq the country was overwhelmingly for it because they built the case, they explained what they were doing. now the president who i think at times reverts to being a university of chicago professor. you suddenly get this wandering around conversation. john kerry said, "i was thinking out loud." you don't want the secretary of state to think out loud when it comes to war. >> you have to make the case. the president is trying to start

the car in fourth gear. now we've got to go all the way to war. so that's a challenge. that's a challenge. however -- >> why is that? >> i don't know. i give you credit for that one. >> who didn't start the conversation? okay, we're going to come back to this discussion. we're going to come back after a break. but van jones and newt gingrich and we'll be back after the break. coming up next, if congress says no, will president obama strike syria anyway? one top official in congress is here in the situation to explain. [ male announcer ] these days, a small business can save by sharing. like carpools... polly wants to know if we can pick her up. yeah, we can make room. yeah. [ male announcer ] ...office space. yes, we're loving this communal seating. it's great. [ male announcer ] the best thing to share? a data plan.

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anthony blinken on npr this morning. >> after the events of august 2 1s, we reached out to congress and we had conversations with members of congress across the country. the one thing we heard from nearly all of them was they wanted their voice heard and their voices counted. >> the president of course has the sthort to act, but it's neither his defire senator the be a kwens. >> that content not exactly in line with what president obama is sayingon the issue spanned

sparking -- the news conference covered what would happen if congress said no. >> the deputy national security adviser said it's not your intention to attack if congress doesn't approve it. is that right >> i don't think that's exactly what he said but i i've answered the question. >> tony, it sure sounds like you're more willing to give a straight forward answer than the president. why is that? >> the president gave a very straight forward answer. the president said earlier in that press conference that there's no point in jumping the gun. we desire and it is our intent to get the support of congress and we're working very hard to do that. that's exactly what he set out to do. as the president said earlier, this is not a political ploy. we seek its support, it's our intend and desire to get it because we believe we're stronger and more effective when we can act together. so that's what i said this morning. i've answered this question a handful of times in the last couple of days. i certainly wasn't looking to make news this morning and give

a different answer. the president said it very clearly and very athor tateively. >> but this morning you did say it's neither the president's desire nor intention to use his authority without congress's backing. do you stand by what you said this morning? >> so what i stand by is that it's our intent and our desire to get their backing and i probably phrased it inartfully. the point is there's no point speculating about what comes next and as the president said earlier, there's no point jumping the gun. we've been spending a lot of time working with members of congress to bring them all the information we have. what we're seeing is interesting. we have virtually no doubt about two propositions, that chemical weapons were used in syria and that they were used by the assad regime against their own people. the only question now is what are we going to do it?

the decision now that congress has to make for itself is are we going to take action? the president's been very clear about what he proposes to do. and it is our strong desire and intent to get their support and we believe we'll get it. >> so this issue goes to the heart of the confusion about why the president even went to congress to begin with. if he won't agree right now that congress's vote is binding, why is he even making members take a difficult vote at all? >> so a couple of things. right after the incident on august 21st, the chemical weapons attack, we spent a lot of time reaching out to members of congress across the country because it was their recess. and we asked what they thought we should do during the consultations. but one thing was nearly unanimous and that is that members of congress said they wanted to be heard, they wanted their voices heard and they wond their votes counted and the president took this to heart and

he believes we're stronger and more effective if we can work together. that's why we went to congress and the american people want to hear where congress is on this. they know where the president is. they want to hear where congress is too. >> but if you can't get their agreement, you will reject what they say? >> again, jessica, there's no point in jumping the gun as the president said earlier today. right now we're working hard to get their support, we believe we're making good progress. look what's happened over the last couple of days. we had a couple of days ago the leader in the house, mr. kantor, the speaker, mr. boehner and nancy pelosi on the democratic side come out in support of the authorization. then we have a bipartisan group through the senate foreign relations committee. so we're building momentum and support, that's what we're focusing on. >> aren't you just giving wavering members a free no vote

so they take no plame if things go south? >> look, everyone has to stand up and be counted one way or another. people will look to see how they vote and that's the way it should be. and members of congress, given all the information that we have, have to make their best judgment about what is in the information interest of the united states. we know what we believe to be in the national interest, we have to stand up to enforce this principle that's been around for hundreds of years that you can't use chemical weapons. since world war i, poison gas was used to terrible effect. since then no one has been exposed because of that. countries around the world are waiting and watching to see what we will do. and if we don't act, they'll assume they can act with impugnity. >> cnn is getting a report that

the administration could deploy long range bombers. is the operation expanding? >> i can't get into detail. we're talking about something is in scope and duration is limited, effective and narrow. that's all can i say on that at the moment. >> wall street journal is reporting if the u.s. does attack syria, extremists aligned with iran plan to attack the u.s. embassy in raug. is there -- can you confirm that report. we spend a lot of time trying to understand what all the risks and unintended consequences are. i can assure you that in this is stance we're talking at the -- at the end of the dave we do not

believe that syria or iran or anyone else wants to pick a fight with the united states. >> and finally, the president is giving a big speech on tuesday night. first of all, is it going to be in the oval office? and how make or break do you think that's going to be? >> we have to leave some surprises for you sorry i can't take it in his place. the president has talked to the american people about this before, he'll talk to them again and i think we can all look forward to the case he makes. >> tony, thanks for coming on, we appreciate it. >> thanks, jessica. >> hope you have a good rest of the day. >> thank you. >> coming up, tony blanken, deputy national security visor at the white house. coming up, we ak from co-host van jones and how will the president sell the country on military force? we're watching a special report "crisis in syria."

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given security council paralysis on this issue, if we are seeious about -- serious about upholding a ban on chemical weapons use, then an international response is required and that will not come through security council action. >> two of the co-hosts of our new "crossfire" are back. former adviser van jones and former house speaker and presidential candidate newt gingrich. gentlemen, you heard what the president just said. do you agree if the president were to get the united nations

security council to buy in and support his effort, would that be a plus? >> obviously it would be a plus. and even though it's unlikely that could happen given russia and china's position because of russia, i think we're making a mistake not to try. people got real mad at george w. bush when he went to the united nations, colin powell about that huge presentation and then the u.n. turned him down and he went to war. well, obama is skipping that step all together. i don't know how democrats who criticize george w. bush for ignoring the u.n. can give him a pass not to go. i think a press conference from john kerry and a speech from samantha powers not enough. >> i think they're two different questions. the united nations is a public relations place to get together and chat. very useful. but this is a sobering reminder that there is no world -- the

president is running around saying the red line is the world community's red line. well, if the most populous nation in the world, china, if the largest country in the world geographically, russia, doesn't think it's a deadline, if you can't get a majority on the security council, it a little bit world community as those who agree with him. >> but this is -- since world war i, there's been an international norm. this has been outlawed for years and years. i think that the challenge we have right now is, you've got to meet three tests here. if the u.n. gives you that mandate, then under international law, it's a legal war. you don't get that mandate, it's an illegal war, but it can still be a legitimate war if you get a big, global coalition like clinton did with kosovo. we don't have legality from the u.n., we don't have legitimacy from a big global coalition, so it puts the president in a very difficult spot trying to sell this to the american people.

my concern is, you know, don't we have other tools? what if there were a dome over syria, where the missiles just couldn't get in there, would we quit and go home are get very creative? we'd come up with cyber attacks, arms embargoes, peace offensive. there's other stuff to be done. somehow, this president has put himself in a position where his very mild comment about a red line now means he has to go to war immediately. he never said he's going to war to go immediately. i think he's rhetorically put himself into a box. i think there are other options here. >> i think you're right in the sense that he has stepped a step, got himself into this mess, but notice what people don't want to admit here in the city, the russians like assad. you talk about an arms embargo, the russians are major suppliers. the iranians don't care about anybody's embargo, they're sending troops to al assad. so, i think this is a much bigger problem. >> we have to wrap up, but i have to say, this is an excellent tease, because i can't twit watch your new show,

counting down to the debut of cnn's new "crossfire," starting monday at 6:30 eastern right here on cnn. thank you, gentlemen. selling the case for military action to the american people is never easy, but some cases are more challenging than others, and that may have something to do with what's going on at home. august 1998, when president clinton fired on presumed terror targets in sudan and afghanistan. >> our target was terror. our mission was clear. >> reporter: he was in the heat of another battle at home. three days earlier, he'd testified -- >> i engaged in conduct that was wrong. >> reporter: right. remember her? >> hey, don't touch her! >> get off her! >> once again, your full name. >> monica smeal lewinsky. >> reporter: the cynical media linked his military action to the sex scandal. >> video stores are scrambling to meet the skyrocketing demand for the 1997 film "wag the dog."

>> reporter: the film is about a president who fakes a war to divert attention from a sex scandal. but polls show the american public supported his decision. unlike obama, he launched the missiles in secret, then explained later. january 1991. president george h.w. bush, the first gulf war. >> the skies over baghdad have been illuminated. we're seeing bright flashes going off all over the sky. >> pentagon officials say it should have come as no surprise that this attack started tonight. >> reporter: the nation was for it. saddam hussein had rolled into kuwait. u.s. allies backed the mission, but there was also this. >> the increase in oil prices resulting directly from saddam's invasion is hurting our country, too. >> reporter: the u.s. was being crushed by a recession at home. >> oil prices would be up about $10 a gallon for gas, certainly $5. >> reporter: and all politics is

local. cut to 2003. >> at this hour, american and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm iraq. >> reporter: this shock and awe was sold as a way to prevent another 9/11. >> we cannot wait for the final proof, the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud. >> reporter: when the intelligence proved flawed it left the country with a hangover. >> they're war-weary, they're tired, they have a distrust of their leaders. >> reporter: the nation was open to an antiwar president. >> i was elected to end wars, not start them. >> reporter: the president now trying to sell new warfare to that same war-weary public. and coming up, we are getting new information about u.s. military options for a strike on syria. details when our special report "crisis in syria" continues at the top of the hour. and straight ahead, new york

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new york city police have put the brakes on an alleged speed demon whose dash cam video became an internet sensation. here's cnn's jeanne moos. >> reporter: he called himself afroduck, but instead of swimming around manhattan's perimeter, afroduck raced around it. speeding and weaving on roads not designed for that, then posting this dashcam video to youtube of the complete loop driven late at night. 24 minutes and 7 seconds. are you impressed?

>> yeah. >> reporter: this cabbie was. our cnn courier wasn't. >> i mean, middle of the night, i'm not impressed. do that in the regular day, i'll be impressed. >> reporter: this is called outlaw racing, along the 26 1/2-mile route around manhattan, the driver ran one red light, stopped at six. he added the music of afrojack and posted his record 24-minute drive. his average speed worked out to around 66 miles per hour. >> you know, he's lucky the cops didn't stop him. >> reporter: but afroduck's luck ran out. days after the video went viral, 30-year-old christopher tang was arrested and charged with speeding, reckless driving, unsafe lane changes, following too closely and reckless endangerment. >> i'll comment later. >> reporter: afroduck's wings have been clipped. police confiscated his 2006 bmw z-4. what tools did they have to catch him after the fact? >> we now have a license plate.

we use that position in the city that will assist in this type of investigation. >> reporter: the car blog jelopnick spoke with afroduck when he was still anonymous, asking "what was your hairiest moment to the lap?" to which he answered "none, i was always in control." one angry poster said "people are likely to be killed and kill others trying to beat this record." imagine having this guy bearing down on you. give us a brake! jeanne moos, cnn, new york. >> thanks, jeanne. i'm jessica yellin. "the situation room" continues right now with my colleague, joe johns. >> thanks, jess. happening now, a "situation room special report: crisis in syria." president obama refuses to tip his hand about whether he'll order an attack if he doesn't get a green light from congress. cnn is leading the way to get answers. plus, the pentagon expands its military options, including plans for a long-range strike against the syrian regime. and would bashar al assad

and his allies launch a revenge attack against the united states? there are already reports of threats to americans. welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. wolf blitzer's off. i'm joe johns. you're in "the situation room." right now, president obama is heading home from the g-20 summit in russia, hoping to head off a potential train wreck for his syria policy. he'll address the nation on tuesday as congress considers military action to punish the al assad regime for that poisonous gas attack. there are huge questions about whether the president will get the approval he's asked for and whether he's prepared to launch an attack anyway. but the military planning goes on, and we have new information about the options. here's our chief national security correspondent jim sciutto. >> hi, joe. the options are going to include attacks more rigorous than originally advertised. early on, the thinking had been

this would be limited to sea-launched cruise missiles, now four destroyers in the u.s., but they may send bombers from the u.s. with the goal of delivering measurable damage to the assad regime. from the president in russia today, a growing emphasis on degrading syria's military capability, rather than a more symbolic shot across the bow. >> when i say limited is both in time and in scope, but that is meaningful, and that degrades assad's capacity to deliver chemical weapons. not just this time but also in the future. >> reporter: pentagon officials describe a white house repeatedly asking for revised options to attack. one of those options is expanding the campaign to include long-range bombers flown from the u.s. and firing the joint air-to-surface standoff missile, which allows bombers to fire outside the range of syria's extensive air defense systems. the bombers would compliment a blistering barrage of sea-launched cruise missiles.

military officials emphasize no final decisions have been made about which options to employ, and target lists will keep changing as syrian forces have been given ample time to disperse and conceal troops, military hardware and chemical weapons sites. still, the president insists the delay has not diminished chances of success. >> my military assured me that we could act today, tomorrow, a month from now, that we could do so proportionally but meaningfully. >> reporter: today, ambassador to the u.n., samantha power, argued that any military action would be connected to a broader effort to end the civil war. >> this operation combined with ongoing efforts to upgrade the military capabilities of the moderate opposition should reduce the regime's faith that they can kill their way to victory. there is no risk-free door number two that we can choose in this case. >> well, politically and

militarily, pentagon and the administration has the same goldilocks problem it's had from the beginning, which is selling an attack that's not too vigorous for skeptics of military action and not too weak and strategically limited for supporters. ostensibly, it's a virtually impossible balancing act to pull off, but it is what the administration, joe, is faced with now. >> jim, samantha power really seems to have found her voice in this job relatively quickly. >> she has. she's always been a very powerful voice, one of the chief advocates back before our involvement in syria and early on for more vigorous u.s. response to libya but also now for a more vigorous response to the syrian civil war. so, here she is now, the next advocate after secretary kerry saying and pushing that same administration point, that if we don't act, the risks of inaction are greater than the risks of military action. >> jim sciutto, thanks for that. if the united states attacks

syria, iran reportedly is threatening retaliation in the form of an attack on u.s. embassy in iraq, and that's not the only potential danger for americans. our brian todd is looking at that. good evening, brian. >> good evening, joe. you know, we've been speaking with security experts about the spectrum of possible retaliation, and when you look at this as a whole, americans in the region could be vulnerable to a range of attacks from terrorism to mob violence to a conventional military strike. if american tomahawk missiles fly towards syria in the coming days, what about the blowback? >> i think the united states needs to be prepared for syria to respond to an attack. one of the things that they have available to them are russian missiles. >> reporter: commander kirk liphold knows what it's like to be in harm's way. he commanded the "uss cole," hit by terrorists in 2000. syria's hezbollah hit this israeli ship with a missile in 2006. top u.s. commanders say american ships will keep a safe distance, but what could also be in the

syrians' range, u.s. forces deployed in turkey. look how close the u.s. base at incer lick is, well within the missile range. rick francona, a u.s. military in syria, says bashar al assad is unlikely to risk striking americans militarily. >> i think the risks associated with this operation are pretty limited. >> reporter: but there's an attack risk from forces other than assad's military. >> to do something against an american interest, an american company, an american family, yeah, there are risks involved. >> reporter: last year, u.s. embassies in several middle east countries were attacked, and the most serious threat of all? terrorism. >> syria is a state sponsor of terrorism and has been since the list was made in 1979. so, it has ties with a whole host of groups that could carry out attacks against americans or american installations abroad. >> reporter: hezbollah is among the most dangerous of those groups. also, iran's top ayatollah

threatened that america would "definitely suffer" if it launches a strike. the "wall street journal" reports iran has instructed militants to attack the u.s. embassy in iraq if america strikes syria. the "journal" says the order came in a message intercepted by the u.s. from the head of the quds force, unit of iran's revolutionary guard known to carry out attacks abroad. but american officials have this warning for anyone who would try to retaliate, starting with syria's president. >> if assad is arrogant enough, and i would say foolish enough, to retaliate to the consequences of his own criminal activity, the united states and our allies have ample ways to make him regret that decision. >> still, precautionary measures are being taken. the u.s. has already evacuated some americans from its embassy in lebanon and told people in a consulate in southern turkey to be vigilant, joe. >> already signs of potential blowback. >> that's right. >> but i guess the question is whether any of this would be

enough to stop the united states from attacking? >> there's no indication that it would be enough to do that yet. the analysts we spoke to said these are all worst case scenarios, but they have to be part of the calculus. they have to think about these things going forward, because the minute you launch the tomahawks, everybody's got to be vigilant all around that region. >> for sure. thanks so much for that brian todd. coming up on our special report, the changing u.s. attack plan against the syrian regime and the risk of something going very wrong. and will the president strike without the support of congress? his response to that question has been asked over and over again. ♪ ♪ unh ♪ ♪ hey! ♪ ♪ let's go! ♪ [ male announcer ] you can choose to blend in.

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cnn's brianna keilar pressing hard today. president obama on syria. you'll hear the question he didn't want to answer when our "special report: crisis in syria" continues next.

president obama is refusing to say exactly what he'll do if congress fails to approve a military strike against syria. our senior white house correspondent brianna keilar pressed him on that question during his news conference at

the close of the g-20 summit in russia. >> reporter: joe, president obama downplayed that this would turn into a long, drawn-out, unilateral war between syria and the u.s. if the u.s. were to take military action, and yet again, syria were to use chemical weapons, saying that would mobilize international support and that there would be a much broader reaction. now, there's also a big question, and it remains, about whether president obama will act if both chambers of congress don't okay a strike. >> on the resolution to authorize the use of force, one of the big challenges right now isn't from republicans, but it's from some of your loyal democrats. it seems the more they hear from classified briefings that the less likely they are to support you. if the full congress doesn't pass this, will you go ahead with the strike? and also, senator susan collins, one of the few republicans who breaks with her party to give you support at times, she says,

what if we execute this strike and then assad decides to use chemical weapons again? do we strike again? and many democrats are asking that as well. how do you answer her question? >> well, first of all, in terms of the votes and the process in congress. i knew this was going to be a heavy lift. i said that on saturday when i said we're going to take it to congress. you know, our polling operations are pretty good. i tend to have a pretty good sense of what current popular opinion is. and for the american people who have been through over a decade of war now with enormous sacrifice in blood and treasure, any hint of further military entanglements in the middle east are going to be viewed with suspicion, and that suspicion

will probably be even stronger in my party than in the republican party. you know, since a lot of the people who supported me remember that i opposed the war in iraq. so, i understand skepticism. i think it is very important, therefore, for us to work through systematically making the case to every senator and every member of congress, and that's what we're doing. but for the american people, at least, the concern really has to do with understanding that what we're describing here would be limited. and proportionate and designed to address this problem of chemical weapons use and upholding a norm that helps keep all of us safe. and that is going to be the case that i try to make not just to congress, but to the american people over the coming days,

okay? >> whole congressional approval what if the senate and the house does not? would you go ahead with the strike? >> you know, brianna, i think it would be a mistake for me to jump the gun and speculate, because right now i'm working to get as much support as possible out of congress. >>. >> reporter: president obama will address the american people on tuesday night from the white house, and he has a long way to go in trying to convince them that this is the right move. a recent nbc news poll showed 50% of those polled believe there should not be a u.s. military action against syria, and four out of five say it shouldn't happen unless there's congressional approval. joe? >> brianna keilar reporting from russia there. we heard the president hedging on whether he'll strike syria without congressional approval. earlier today, his deputy national security adviser seemed to be more revealing. anthony blinken told npr that it's not the president's intent or desire to act if he doesn't

have the okay from congress. in the last hour of "the situation room," blinken told my colleague, jessica yellin, that there really wasn't any difference between what he said and what the president said today. >> so, what i stand by is that it's our intent and our desire to get their backing, and i probably phrased it inartfully. but the point is, there is no point speculating about what comes next. and as the president said earlier, there's no point jumping the gun. congress now has to decide. we've been spending a lot of time working with members of congress to bring them all the information we have. >> blinken stressed that the administration believes congress will authorize the use of force against syria. coming up in our special report, a virtual look at how the u.s. might attack syrian military assets and the risk that some kind of rescue operation might be needed. and red-hot anger across america as voters tell members of congress to stay out of syria.

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he's a strong obama supporter but still undecided on the war on syria. congressman elijah cummings has some advice for the president when our "special report: crisis in syria" continues. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] with these types of plans,

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that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is. it's not clear when or even if the u.s. is going to strike syria. military planners are trying to stay flexible about strategy as well as targets as congress prepares to debate an attack next week. tom foreman's in our virtual studio, along with our military analyst, retired major general james "spider" marks. hey, tom. >> hey, joe. you know, what's really clear here is that this plan for a possible attack on syria is still evolving. we talked a lot about the idea of ships coming in here, unloading with a bunch of cruise missiles into this country. that would be the core of the plan, but we don't know, it could be much, much more. missiles can be launched from ships, and of course, they can also be dropped from bombers. they can be fired from submarines. is it possible that we, in fact, could see all of these in use?

>> tom, i would expect to see all of these, primarily submarines in eastern mediterranean. they are already located there. but bear in mind, we don't know the plan, but i would expect to see bombers involved. this is a b-52. i would also expect b-2s coming out of whiteman air force base, the stealth bomber, which is in missouri, comes over the atlantic, refuels in the vicinity of italy, and then will launch its munitions at targets in syria without ever having to penetrate the air space. >> this is a lot more complicated, involving a lot more hardweare and people than just firing from the ships. the ships have hundreds of missiles. why would you want such a complicated system. >> well, it's not that complicated. it's a matter of physics. you can only launch so many cruise missiles from these ships. so, you want to get more platforms. you want to launch them from the air. so, you want to maintain continuous pressure on the regime, so assad has to keep his head down, doesn't know what's going on and has no ability to respond. >> so, as each of the armaments

come in, they keep unloading and unloading, wave after wave hit, and they have no ability -- >> simultaneous attacks. >> but there is some complexity involved and here's the risk that risewise it. let's say one of these planes were to come in here, it strays into air space or develops mechanical problems, and suddenly, we have a plane and a pilot down inside syrian territory. doesn't that change the whole equation? >> well, it doesn't change the whole equation, but there is friction of war. this is a human endeavor. things will go wrong, but you anticipate and you plan for those. for example, there are marines that are afloat with the navy so that they're in a position to respond. and the air force has very sophisticated, highly trained search-and-rescue capabilities that are already prepositioned. they will not leave fallen comrade behind. >> so, the idea is still a standoff approach, nobody goes in the air space, nobody goes on the ground, but being ready to in case something goes wrong and they have to? >> absolutely correct. things can go sideways.

>> and yet, as we said, joe, from the very beginning, still evolving, evolving, evolving, and we'll see where it winds up and if, in fact, there is an attack at any point. joe? >> absolutely. a lot of questions there. thanks so much, tom. coming up, senator john mccain is just one lawmaker facing angry voters back home who want to stay out of syria. we'll give you a taste of the backlash. and an influential house democrat tells me why he can't make up his mind right now about syria and what he wants to hear from president obama on tuesday. nascar is about excitement. but tracking all the action and hearing everything from our marketing partners, the media and millions of fans on social media can be a challenge. that's why we partnered with hp to build the new nascar

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i'll ask an undecided democrat in congress what he needs to hear. and the power of the presidency. how barack obama may be making it difficult for the next person in the oval office. wolf blitzer's off. i'm joe johns. you're in "the situation room." vice president biden is meeting with some house and senate members in the white house situation room today to try to persuade them to vote for military action in syria. lawmakers are feeling the heat from the administration and from angry voters back home. cnn's athena jones has been listening to the reaction across the country. >> war for us! you sent you to stop the war! >> if we shoot a "shot over the bow" and aren't willing to finish the battle, we're worse off than when we started. >> reporter: across america, people are showing up to have their voices heard on syria. >> i think we should stay the hell out of there! >> reporter: and by and large, they're not happy.

[ applause ] from arizona to missouri to alabama, senators got an earful from their constituents about whether missile strikes are a good idea. >> we've put missiles in there, it's not going to do anything. you're going to -- boots are going to be on the ground. >> this is what i think of congress. they are a bunch of marshmallows. >> reporter: it's their last chance to go face to face with the people who voted them into office before they head back to washington and decide the country's course of action. >> that's a good question. >> reporter: republican senator jeff sessions says he hasn't decided whether he'll support missile strikes. on the one hand -- >> we cannot as a nation take it upon ourselves to take military action or declare war any time any dictator in the world violates some u.n., some treaty -- >> reporter: but on the other -- >> to turn down the president's request is not a matter to be lightly done.

>> reporter: some in his town hall audience near alabama questioned the rationale for the attack. >> i'm not sure it was a chemical weapons attack. i think it was a pesticide attack. i think that the al qaeda could get a hold of pesticides. yeah, i think it was set up to get the united states to come in there and do al qaeda's dirty work. >> reporter: it got more heated in arizona, where republican senator john mccain, who supports the strikes, faised a skeptical crowd. >> people like me have to come to the people we represent and have a conversation with them and try to get all the facts out in front of us. >> i do not believe we can differentiate between the good and the bad guys. >> when are we going to start dealing with the major problems in this country? >> reporter: still, not everyone was opposed to action. >> it's an immense power, a superpower. we need you. >> and i applause senator mccain. >> this debate will matter. and so, because it will matter,

what you have to say matters. >> reporter: in kansas city, missouri, democratic congressman emanuel cleaver, who's against u.s. action in syria, also heard from strike supporters. >> this is not just the first red line that we have drawn and that he has crossed. he has been crossing red lines for 2 1/2 years. >> reporter: but they were outnumbered by opponents. >> i say we bail out of everybody and say, you guys are on your own. >> reporter: and back in washington, members on both sides of the issue say the word they're getting from constituents is a very loud no on military action. >> i and the people i represent said not just no but something like heck no. don't get involved in this. >> my constituents as well overwhelmingly are saying absolutely no to dragging us into another foreign war. >> my job is to represent the people of utah, and right now, we're just not convinced. >> reporter: now, the senate could vote on a resolution as soon as wednesday, but it's not yet clear when the house could take it up. joe?

>> joining me now is congressman elijah cummings of maryland. thanks for coming into "the situation room," congressman. >> good to be with you. >> where are you now on syria? you've talked about opposition of your constituency back home in maryland, but you've also talked about those compelling, awful pictures of dying children in syria. where's your heart right now? >> well, i've got to tell you, i haven't decided yet, and i'm still gathering information. i'm anxiously looking forward to the president's address on tuesday. i wanted him to address the country and i asked that he do it, and i'm glad that he is. i think that's very, very important, because you just stated, and i'm glad you mentioned it, not only must i listen to my constituents, but my constituents must have a better understanding of why the president has asked the congress to agree with his decision to go into syria.

and not only must the president convince the congress, but he must also convince the public. and i think that's very, very important. so, i'm still gathering information. a lot of questions that i have. i'm getting most of them answered. and again, we have another several days to gather even more information. so, then what i'll do is i'll take the classified information that i'm getting, combined with the public information, and then just my experiences in life and the guidance from god and make a decision. >> my colleagues here at cnn have told me that you've spoken very recently and very emotionally about the video you've seen from syria. what was it that struck you about that? >> well, when i saw these young children lying dead, having apparently been poisoned with

some type of chemical weapon, wrapped in white sheets or clothing, lined up on the ground, i think anybody who has any kind of sympathy has to feel for that. and if you have kids, it really hits you. that these lives have been taken by a person who i believe just has just a disregard for his own citizens. and so, that, it just, it hits you. and so, one of the things that i'm trying to deal with here is how do we make sure that we send a strong message, which the president is trying to do, to people like president assad, and not only assad, but other folks who may have these kinds of weapons, to say this is -- you

cannot do this. but on the other hand, i want to make sure that if we do go into syria that it's a limited strike and that it's one whereby we do no harm. and so, that's a hell of a balance. >> you've come out of a number of briefings just -- >> i just left one, yeah. >> have you heard anything new that was persuasive? and are you convinced that it was assad who was directly behind this chemical attack? >> yeah, i am convinced that it was, and this is after three briefings and then watching the senate hearing. but there's a lot of information, joe, that i can't share. and that's one of the frustrating things about this whole process. when you are trying to have discussions with your

constituents and they have a certain amount of information, but i, not only do i have the information that they're getting from people like you in the media, but i also have information that is classified that i cannot share. and so, that makes it kind of difficult, because i want them to have a full understanding, and that's why the president's address is so important, because i think the president can lay out the case based upon what he has seen and what he is -- and he can lay out his thinking. >> it sounds, though, like you're saying to us that perhaps he hasn't made his case. what do you think he needs to say in order to get the message across to the american public? >> i cannot say exactly what he needs to say, but one thing i think -- and just based upon what my constituents have told me, they've got to know that, they've got to know what the goals are, and then they've got to know that the goals and the

objectives are achievable, they've got to know that this is a limited strike, they've got to know that there is high probability of effecting this in efficiency. they've got to know that there will be minimal loss of life. and they've got to know that there are going to be no boots on the ground. but the other thing that the president has to do is he has to make sure he conveys the moral message, because i believe that that is a major thing that's controlling here. explain to them that this is not just about this moment, but this is about generations yet unborn. and so, this is a critical moment in his career as president, but it is a moment that, based on the decisions of the congress and the president, will affect generations yet to be born. >> congressman elijah cummings of maryland, always good to talk

to you. thanks so much. >> thank you. >> thank you. straight ahead on our special report, we go inside the president's uphill battle to get congress behind a strike on syria. but first, as we count down to the debut of cnn's "crossfire" this monday, here's co-host van jones with a "crossfire" classic. >> one of the great things about "crossfire," it's not just about politics. back in 1986, frank zappa came on this show all cleaned up in a suit and tie to talk about dirty lyrics in music. check this out. >> it's a good idea to write lyrics that say incest is good for you? does that make any sense? >> well, it might make sense to prince. that's his business, because that's mainly the song that they're talking about, okay? >> don't you have an opinion on it? >> my opinion is he's got a right to sing it, he's got a right to say it and i've got a right -- [ everyone talking at once ] >> where does the right to advocate incest come from? >> it's not advocating incest. >> there are songs that advocate incest.

>> tell me them. i haven't heard them. >> i don't think you're being candid with us. you know what those songs are. you said there's a right to do this? where's the right come from? your group was mothers of the invention. >> mothers of invention. >> you make up a lot of stuff, like what was in the mind of the founding fathers. would you look in the camera -- >> what camera? are you directing the show now? >> you certainly need some direction, mr. zappa. >> are you going to spank me here? what's up? >> i'm not into spanking. >> i love it when you froth like that. [ male announcer ] don't miss red lobster's endless shrimp. it's as much as you like, any way you like. try classic garlic shrimp scampi and more. only $15.99, offer ends soon. so come in and sea food differently. now, try seven lunch choices for $7.99.

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learn more at purinaone.com wrong turns on the road to your know yofuture. afford that's why we build tools like our career guidance system. it's kind of like gps, you know, for your career. it walks you through different degree possibilities and even lets you explore local job market conditions, helping you map a clear course from the job you want, back to you. go to phoenix.edu and get started today. president obama hinted today it's a battle within his own mind as he pushes for military action in syria. ahead, our political panel on the damage to his presidency that's possible. more of the special report coming up next. you know throughout history,

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i was elected to end wars, not start them. there are times where we have to make hard choices if we're going to stand up for the things that we care about, and i believe that this is one of those times. >> that's president obama on the dilemma he faces as he pushes for military action in syria. let's bring in our political panel, chief political analyst gloria borger, chief political correspondent candy crowley, anchor of cnn's "state of the union," and our chief national correspondent, john king. gloria, i'd like to start with you. give me some idea, from your perspective, how much of an internal conflict is this for this president? >> oh, i think we see it playing out before our very eyes, you know? just in the bite you used, where the president said, look, i wasn't elected to start wars, i'm somebody who wants to end wars, you know. this is a president who rose to

prominence because of his antiwar sentiment. he's somebody who's winding down a couple of wars. and i think you heard that kind of ambivalence today at his press conference, and i think when he speaks to the american public next week, he's going to have to be a little less ambivalent and a little more full-throated about why congress needs to vote to authorize military action. i think we've seen the pros and cons kind of play out enough at this point. now it's time to tell the american public why we ought to do what he wants the public to do. >> candy, we just heard from congressman elijah cummings. here's a guy from a heavily democratic district. his last election that district voted overwhelmingly, almost 80% for president obama, yet he says he's getting tons of people coming to him saying don't go for the syria attack. do you think they miscalculated just the kind of opposition they were going to see?

>> i do think in terms of the public at large, they may have misinterpreted a lot of things going on out there. i'll tell you, i've been gone for ten days, kind of watching this like a normal television viewer, and anyone i talk to, and they ran the spectrum, said what in the world is going on? i cannot believe we're getting into another war. i cannot believe, you know, what good can we do in syria, et cetera, et cetera. there's not a lot of doubt that chemical weapons were used in the public, but there is doubt that the u.s. going in there and, you know, punishing saddam -- sorry, punishing assad, is the right way to go. as far as congress is concerned, there really are two constituencies here, and i think right now you're hearing them hearing their constituents. when the vote comes, let's see how it pans out. it is very, very tough when your president comes to you and says i need to make a military strike, and here's why. it is tough for republicans and

especially democrats to say no to him. and i think we don't want to underestimate the fact that this is the president asking for this. so, i think that the rhetoric you're hearing now is a reflection of the constituents. after all, they haven't been in washington, they've been in their home districts. so, let's see what happens when they get to washington. the president kind of jumps through these hoops, does this national speech, and let's see what happens when the vote comes. >> john, house democratic leader nancy pelosi said something we've heard from a lot of members of congress. i just want to put it up on the screen. said "i do think it would be easier if there was a stronger case being made to the american people. people really have to know more about why the president has made this decision." what kind of language needs to change in order for the president to get his message across, john? >> i think to gloria's point, he has to stop being a law professor, he has to advocate his position, not discuss the critics. every time he talks about this, he says i understand and respect the criticism, i understand and respect the opposition. he's the president of the united states, he needs to speak with clarity. people are confused about this and will look to their president

for help. to candy's point and joe, you had it in the elijah cummings interview, he was almost begging to vote yes. but he needs the president to move the numbers back home. when he goes home, not everyone's going to agree with this, but if half the people are mad at him instead of 80% of the people, elijah cummings will vote yes. >> when the last time he did something limited and did something good? people don't believe it. they look at iraq, look at egypt, look at libya. and they say where is the evidence that the united states can do something in a limited way, no boots on the ground, and walk away relatively quickly and accomplish something in sn that's the president's tough challenge. >> and joe, let's not forget, this is not a plebiscite. in the end, it has to be what the people -- people who have been elected, what they think, what the president thinks. and you know, public opinion,

yes, it sways long wars, and we quick strikes you probably can if that's the end of it but nobody believes that the end of it, when you heard the president today, to john's point, you know, he said well, you know, i went to congress because i really can't make the case that there is an immediate threat to the u.s. or to any of our allies, but, wait, this is not how you should go about selling this thing. >> right. >> he can't lie. i don't think you have to mention that it's not -- it's not an immediate threat. >> right, and he also seems to be contradicting himself to a certain degree to candy's point which is that he has all week long said this is a matter of national security. very important to us. important because iran will be watching, important because north korea will be watching. so, because it's not imminent as he points out, doesn't mean that it's not important. so, he kind of defeats his own case. he's got to make his mission clear to the american people.

he's got to tell them that he can degrade assad -- assad's use of chemical weapons. and that he can deter him from using them in the future and that this kind of a strike will actually achieve that end. >> gloria, candy, john, thanks so much. candy we'll be watching "state of the union" this weekend. >> thanks, john. up next in our special report the danger that hackers would seek revenge online if the u.s. strikes syria. i didn't think it was anything. i had pain in my abdomen... it just wouldn't go away. i was spotting, but i had already gone through menopause. these symptoms may be nothing... but they could be early warning signs of a gynecologic cancer, such as cervical, ovarian, or uterine cancer. feeling bloated for no reason. that's what i remember. seeing my doctor probably saved my life. warning signs are not the same for everyone. if you think something's wrong... see your doctor. ask about gynecologic cancer. and get the inside knowledge.

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it's being described as a psycher pearl harbor, what if syrian hackers retaliate against a u.s. military strike? we'll have chilling details when our special report continues. ch of my grandkids. wish i saw mine more often, but they live so far away. i've been thinking about moving in with my daughter and her family. it's been pretty tough since jack passed away. it's a good thing you had life insurance through the colonial penn program. you're right. it was affordable, and we were guaranteed acceptance. guaranteed acceptance? it means you can't be turned down because of your health.

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so, what are you waiting for? go call now! we'll finish up here. they've proven their ability to cripple companies online and now there's real concerns syrian hackers could retaliate against

the u.s. by targeting america's infrastructure for a potentially devastating cyberattack. >> we'd actually cause a pipe rupture in this process. >> reporter: that pipe is filled with water. but it could be filled with oil even acid. >> there are safeties in here such that when the isolation valve is closed we should also turn off this pump. >> reporter: that didn't happen because these energy researchers were able to hack the controller. >> you can't do anything. as an operator you're completely locked out. >> reporter: it's the same thing used at oil and gas facilities, that means this hack could cause gas pipes and water tanks to explode or overflow. it could also represent modern day warfare. taking down major infrastructure by infiltrating the code that makes it run. >> you can definitely cripple an entire country through cybermeans and attacking infrastructure. >> reporter: kennedy says that if there's a conflict with syria, damascus could respond in

cyberspace. >> they have some very big allies that have a lot of decent capabilities out there such as iran and russia and they're definitely capable of launching, you know, some sort of cybercapability towards us in the united states. >> reporter: with this hack researchers from security consultants summation took control of signals to change what an operator sees, to highlight the vulnerabilities they recently presented their findings publicly. >> as this thing is actually filling we can make it look to the operator that our process is actually lowering. >> reporter: hackers could do it because the unit is connected to the internet with a public ip address, so are other parts of america's infrastructure that are remotely controlled like trains and water towers. >> they don't have security controls in place. >> reporter: how does this manifest itself into the lives of everyday people? >> it could mean that a train runs off the tracks and causes a huge accident. there's lots of kind of unpredictable things that could happen because these systems are in a lot of different areas in a

lot of different industries. >> reporter: and the united states is already on the defensive, after a group calling itself the syrian electronic army took responsibility for disrupting web traffic on major news sites like "the new york times." >> come on! >> no one's going to be able to challenge the military from a pure boots on ground or, you know, actual straight, you know, warfare-to-warfare-type situation but what countries can do is really impact us from more of an information side of the house, what we do electronically. >> reporter: no surprise in washington, billions of dollars are committed to combat the growing cyberthreat. in fact, the government has designated october as national cybersecurity awareness month. lorie siegel, cnnmoney, new york. before we go, yesterday we showed you images and part of a video obtained by "the new york times" apparently showing a band of rebels in syria preparing to execute government soldiers. "the new york times" just put out a correction saying that video was made in the spring of

2012, not in april of this year, as they previously stated. thanks for joining us. erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >r wop word t> pplanned fplanned fo plann againp against america if statstates strikes syria. > plus statstates strikes syria. > plu the case of a 54-year-old teacher accused of raping a 14-year-old student that then killed herself. today a ruling on whether that judge can get a do-over. and how did ariel castro get away with kidnapping three women, holding them hostage for more than a decade? the video, the audio of his interrogation revealed for the first time. let's go "outfront."