solution morally superior to president bush's. and you hold the same standard. that says a lot about your credibility. >> of two us, we agreed and the world didn't come to an end. >> here's another thing we agree on. your opinion matters. you can weigh in on our fire back question on facebook or twitter. should the u.s. trust russia's offer to rid syria of chemical weapon. right now 41% of you say yes. 59% say no. >> the debate continues online at cnn.com/crossfire. you can go to facebook and twitter. from the left, i'm van jones. >> from the right, i'm s.e. "outfront" starts right now. >> the most important speech of president obama's second term, convincing an extremely skemt cal nation that action on syria is necessary now. we count down to that speech.

plus, they were married for a week and then the husband found dead in the bottom of a cliff. what police say happened to his wife. and apple launch twos new iphones today. we'll give you a new look at that. let's go "outfront." good evening, everyone. i'm erin burnett. the president puts a halt on his own plan. president obama addresses the nation tonight. he was going to make the case for striking syria, but his plan has changed rather dramatically in the past 24 hours. from striking to not striking, just like that. jim acosta is at the white house where the president is getting ready for this crucial address to the united states. jim, you have new reporting on what we're going to hear tonight. >> reporter: that's right. you just talked about some of the dramatic changes that have taken place over the last 24 hours. you will hear that reflected in the president's speech. i just finished talking with a white house official who talked

about the four themes you'll be hearing in the president's address to the nation at 9:00 eastern. in just a couple hours from now, he is going to first explain why syria is in the national interests. the official goes on to say, second, you'll their president talk about why it is in the national interests for assad to be held accountable for that chemical weapons attack. then third theme will be basically about how the president is going to say this is limited in duration and scope. this is not going to be another iraq or syria. and then finally, and perhaps most importantly, the fourth theme is what they're calling a diplomatic opportunity. this is obviously about the russian proposal for syria to give up its chemical weapons. the president wants to talk about that. the president wants to explain that he is putting the option for military force to the side to pursue the diplomatic option. >> reporter: after a fast paced 24 hours a syria, administration officials say president obama's big speech to the nation tonight will put diplomacy back on the

table. so today, he was up on capitol hill, telling lawmaker what administration officials told cnn. that there is now less pressure for congress to authorize military force against syria. >> it is important we do this well, not quickly. >> that's because the world has changed, since secretary of state john kerry's seemingly impromptu comments calling on bashar al assad to give up his chemical weapons. a remark russia found too tempting to pass up. >> turn it over. all of it. without delay. >> reporter: according to a senior administration official, after kerry opened the door to a diplomatic solution, he homd on the phone with sergei who came back with a proesal. the russian plan was then batted back and forth between the white house and start. before the president decided to give it a chance. >> it is a potentially positive development. >> reporter: official said the u.s. and russia had been quietly discussing the stock pail for

nearly a area, adding that it even came up at the g-20 sum last week. >> we challenge the regime to turn them oh to the secure control of the international community so that they can be destroyed. >> reporter: after kerry's comments were initially described yesterday as off the cuff, he is now owning his remarks and warning members of congress, the plan to disarm syria only works if the threat of military action is real. >> a lot of people say nothing focuses the mind like the prospect of a hanging. >> reporter: according to the russian news agency, syria is willing to disclose the location of its stockpile and join international agreements barring chemical weapons use. at a hearing, defense secretary chuck hagel cautioned what could happen if assad blows this opportunity. >> we will be back here, revisiting this issue at some point. the next time we revisit, this it may well be about direct american casualties and the potential security of this country. >> reporter: one final thing the president will be talking about

tonight, while he is calling for a delay when it come to military action, it is not in the words of one white house official, an indefinite delay. that was the word from lawmaker, informing them that he does not see this as something that can last forever for the syrians. they have to action next and act soon. >> all right. thank you very much. we'll be talking about the time line of this. that is crucial and we have developments on that tonight. i want to get to our second story "outfront." that is trusting putin. is this bet on vladimir putin giving the white house the best bet? the white house has embraced the idea of syria giving up chemical weapon, at least publicly. the idea came from russia. john kerry, as you know, scoffed at it yesterday dismissing it as a joke saying it can't be done. is the president putting himself in a position where he is left with, you're trusting one guy is he is vladimir putin? >> well, vladimir putin and

bashar al assad. the two men who arguably started the civil war in syria and have stood in the way of every peaceful attempt to end it. that's why i think you're hearing deep skepticism from even inside the administration. i spoke to one u.s. official and he said, there is grudging recognition. you cannot ignore this plan but it doesn't mean we'll accept the term. the obama administration in a position now, forced again by putin and russia where they at left a to have look at this or they're accused of dismissing diplomacy. tame, as you heard the president and the white house saying today, they're going to keep this authorization of force alive. and they say that will only strengthen diplomacy. >> and of course the russians and the syrians, you have to take the military option off the table for to us negotiate so you can see how this could go nowhere possibly. but you say, there's skepticism within the white house. it could mean a whole different. when i say different, i guess i'm saying bigger engagement. the pentagon has he is made would it take 75,000 troops just to secure the chemical weapons

in syria. so is it possible that this plan, instead of removing a strike and removing a military option, actually make one and a much more involved one a lot more likely for the united states? >> it is possible. did i a lot of looking into this as to exactly how big a job this would be to get the weapons out of syria. they have a thousand tons of chemical weapons. six known sites. many more unknown sites. we know they've been distributed around the country. not only because of the civil war but the looming threat of american attacks. those are a lot, a lot of whackamo coming forward. why this plan? i'll tell you, i spent some time in government. one thing learned is that making policy is like making legislation. it is not pretty. the administration like to say that this is where they wanted to be when secretary kerry made those comments yesterday. that was part of a broader plan. i heard a lot of surprise when that comment came through. i think there's some scrambling going on here.

>> thank very much. we're going to talk about that later in the hour. he talk about so many unknown sites. where are these weapons? we have an "outfront" investigation on that. now our third story "outfront." another story. the national showdown over guns. across the united states there is a growing movement against gun control laws. in the state of colorado, a recall vote is underway to oust two prominent democratic state senators who had backed some of the toughest gun control laws in the country. missouri tonight on the verge. get this, of becoming the first state to make it a crime for federal agents to enforce federal gun laws. you may scratch your head at that one but let me explain. that means it would be a crime to enforce things like background checks. george howell is "outfront." >> reporter: the way this gun owner sees it, the ongoing debate over the second amendment and states rights all come down to missouri. >> there are people saying that this is the same as seceding from the union. and missouri did not secede from

the union in 1868 and it does not do so bypassing this law. >> it is called house bill 436. a proposal that would essentially nullify federal gun control laws. technically, that could allow a citizen to own a machine gun in missouri. the controversial bill would put federal agents in jeopardy of legal action if they try to enforce the laws, and make it illegal to publish the name and addresses of firearm owners. the leg already passed once due to republican led house and senate. only to be vetoed by democratic governor jay nixon who says it violates the u.s. constitution. lawmaker vote again this week. this time, on whether or not to override the governor's veto. the author of the bill is hopeful. >> this bill doesn't put one new gun on the street. it doesn't broaden anyone's scope or ability to purchase a firearm.

it doesn't even advocate the ownership of firearm. it strictly says that missouri will protect the second amendment rights of missourians. >> reporter: but opponents worry such a law could all but end any joint operations between local and federal law enforcement agencies when it come to taking guns off the streets. st. louis police chief sam dodson has been one of the most vocal opponents. >> this bill, if the legislature overrides the governor's veto work preclude us from enforcing those laws. basically putting a sign on missouri that says, okay, criminal, it is okay to come to missouri. we won't prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. like illinois, kansas, like every other state in the union. >> reporter: what do you say to people who believe this bill go too far? >> i don't think it goes too far. i don't think it go that far at all. i don't think it will have that much impact on life as we know it. on law enforcement as we know it.

>> reporter: jamesson believes the proposed law sends a message. >> a warning to the federal government not to overstep its bounds and not to interfere with the second amendment rights of missourians. for erin burnett "outfront." carney, missouri. >> a pretty incredible story. we look forward to your feedback on it. still to come, complete coverage of the president's speech on syria. plus, a week after his wedding a man dies falling to his death off a cliff. the wife's story doesn't add up, according to police. then the person who confessed on video who killed a man while driving drunk is in court. and two new iphones. my mantra?

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our fourth story, a newly wed accused of murdering her husband. tonight prosecutor say a it was-year-old woman who was having second thoughts about getting married push her husband off a cliff at a national montana and he died. now she is facing second-degree murder charges after the incident. it occurred a week after they were married. casey is covering the story. it is a strange story, a bizarre story. what did she tell police about what happened in that cliff in montana? i know this happened in july and her story has shifted. >> it certainly has. she spoke with the fbi which investigated this case because it happened in glacier national park. what she told them is that she was on a walk with her husband of eight days, cody johnson in glacier national park. the two had been arguing. the argument continued. it escalated. at one point, cody johnson grabbed graham's arm.

she pulled her arm away and then let me read you this passage from the fund affidavit. she stated, she could have just walked away but due to her anger, she pushed johnson with both hands in the back and as a result, he fell face first off of that cliff. now, his body was not found for another three days. and jordan graham was actually the person who told park rangers where to find that body. we reached out to her federal public defender to see if they would comment on how they may defend this case. they would not tell us anything. >> and casey, what have you learned about the relationship between these two? we know they had been married a week. my understanding was that there were signs of problems right before the wedding. >> right. what we have is information again from that fbi special agent's affidavit. she was doing an e-mail conversation with a friend of her who was only identified by the initials k.n.

here's part of what she said. i'm about to talk to him. k.n. responded. i'll pray for you guys. graham then responded. but dead serious, if you don't hear from me at all again tonight, something happened. clearly as we know now, something did happen and it resulted in the death of a young man who had only been married for eight days. >> so many more questions on this story. casey wian, thank you for reporting on that story. >> our fifth story, drunk drivers plea. we told but the story of the man who confessed in a video online that he killed a man while driving drunk. his name is matthew cordle. he appeared in court today. thing didn't go as planned. the hearing came to a sudden halt over accusations that he was trying to get special treatment, programs because of this rather poignant video. he said did i this and i intend on taking responsibility for it. "outfront," pamela brown in ohio. >> i killed a man. >> reporter: matthew cordle's

youtube video confession where he admits to skilling the man in the drunk driving accident has gone viral. viewed more than a million time. his first court appearance didn't go exactly as planned. >> sir, i'm sorry you all came to this whole big thing but there is nothing unusual. no reason to be arraigned here today. >> reporter: had cordle pleaded guilty, everything might have gone difficulty. but the judge said she was thrown for a loop when he changed his plea from guilty to nil. >> we are not going to take an arraignment. have somebody run downstairs, pick a new judge so that he can get his sentence from another judge. >> reporter: she said cordle doesn't deserve special treatment. he should come back tomorrow on a regularly scheduled today for arraignments. he was officially charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and driving under the influence before he turned himself in monday. >> had matt not gone at all, and release that had video, would you still have request an arraignment today?

>> had that not happened, we probably would have been, circumstances would have been different. >> you said you didn't want to give him special treatment. why would you want to and that he tight it today? >> for the victim's family them want closure. >> reporter: he said they have not spoken to the family but wants to apologize to them in person. cordle is expected to enter a not guilty plea on wednesday and then he is expected to turn right back around and enter a guilty plea once a sentencing judge is assigned to his case. for "outfront," pamela brown, columbus. >> thanks. still to come, our complete coverage of the president's speech in syria as he is getting ready to address the nation. he might have a deal. and we'll talk about the very haste on apple. they've come out with some new phones today. two new phones. richard quest on deck to show them to you. and he's a pretty skeptical guy.

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our sixth story, money and power. the iphone. apple unveil not one but two new iphones today. they knew they needed something special. first the 5s. look at those colors. not the traditional white and black. this goal thing, silver and some kind of a gray chromy, something like that. second, the 5c. a $99 device. more on that crucial number. it is intended for emerging markets. apple is betting huge because

the iphone is under pressure. the share of the smartphone mark was 24% in 2011. okay? that was pretty recent, right? last quarter it was only 14%. talk about a plunge. here's the question. bottom line. they say we know we have to do something. we're not doing one, aware doing two. is this enough to turn it around? >> this is a difference in strategy. there are two times of people they are going for very deliberately. you have the 5s, for the mature markets where people will upgrade from earlier models. and then you have the 5c. and the c really, we can break it down into three thing. c for cheaper, the c for color, and it is the c for china. and that's why it is so important. because this is -- >> i like those colors. i don't like this gold chromy thing. >> you can have one of those as well. it gives them the access to these emerging markets where there is not the disposable income to buy the more expensive

model. >> so look at your phone. it is all cracked and broken like every iphone i've seen. are you going to upgrade? >> that's the problem. mine is a casualty of war. the question is whether or not of this, i can now use this. look at the finger. >> the finger is what it is all about. look at the finger. the ability to do this. and open it up by using your finger print. will that be enough for people to spend the extra money? and don't be fooled by this idea of a cheaper one with the 5c. >> it is supposed to be cheaper. it says $99. you tell me -- >> $99. >> an object fus indication, not a lie. >> what is it objefuscating. $99 if you go with a contract. if you want to buy it straight out, it is over $500.

the discrepancy between 5c and the 5s gets closer. the two get closer and closer. will this be enough? this is incremental. it is not quantum. >> and they need quantum. thank you very much. richard quest. will you replace your broken scarred iphone with a new one? let us know. "outfront" next, a preview of the speech from the white house. it is the most important of the president's second term. the president has to make a case even though he's changed his mind about syria. and syria says it will turn its chemical weapons over as part of a deal with russia. that means trusting putin and assad. and we have news coming in on diana nyad. the 64-year-old woman to become the first to swim from north to cuba. some say she didn't do it fair and square. she is responding right now. that is next. [ male announcer ] these days, a small business can save by sharing.

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just in, long distance swimmer diana nyad, the woman who swam from florida to cuba in 53 hours, is testifying herself at this moment against allegations of cheating. the 64-year-old answering questions from members of the swimmer's forum who questioned how she did it. what she did was swim 100 miles in about 53 hours. at one point during the swim,

some of the citizen risk saying, her speed suddenly doubled. and they're saying that she could have had help. john has been listening in on this conference call she is holding where she is addressing her critics directly. and what did she say? >> you know, there are at least 20 people on this conference call. most of them marathon swimmers themselves and ultimately, the people who are going to have to decide the legitimacy of her swim. she did have an opportunity to make opening remarks. during those opening remarks, she said, i never, ever grabbed on to the boat. i never, ever got into the boat. i would never, we would 97 sully our reputations. we never had any aid from flotation or for forward motion. and she said, we had, we did this in a squeaky clean, ethical fashion. then she said, i swam and made it from the rocks of cuba to the shores of key west. she also welcomed this forum and said, she wanted this to be

complete transparency. the question and answer period is just now beginning. that could last up two two or three hours. >> i know, you want to get back on that call. let me ask you quickly. some poem were surprised, even the president of the united states. there was a tweet about her and listening to your dream and pursuing them. who are the people questioning her? are they perceived as sort of sour works? or are they the real deal? >> we've talked to some of them already. and i asked them flat out. listen, what is the story here? are you going to be able to accept diana nyad if all of this come out tonight during this conference call? and they said, listen. nothing but the best for diana nyad. we want to know how she did it. we want a little more clarity to how she did it. the things that you raised. the thing about the doubling of the speed. there was a period also where she took no fluids and no fad for seven and a half hours. and some of these marathon swimmers are saying, that

doesn't add up. that never happens. those are the things they want clarified. and they said, no problem. we'll go ahead and ratify this as long as we're satisfied with the answers. >> thank you very much, john. and he will get right back on that call. just so many crucial questions raise there'd. i want to get back to our special coverage of the president's either syria. in an hour and a half, he will make his case to the american people. a case that has changed dramatically in the past 24 hours. the president says diplomacy, not strikes, could be the way to go. and in another stunning about face, syria, of course, is now saying it is actually on board with the plan. willing to turn over its chemical weapons to the international communicate. but the devil is in the details. and there are some very serious devils here. jessica yellin joins me. the president said he would strike. then he asked congress to vote. now he seems to be tentatively embracing a deal that doesn't involve striking but brings in the u.n.

weapons inspectors could be involved. time could be involved. how much time? >> that's the big question. i just finished a conversation with a senior administration official. the president will not give a time tonight. and he met with senators today and he told them, he wants them to keep working drafting new res ploogss would incorporate this proposal. he is not in a rush for them to vote. he would rather have them work on the drafts and the white house on that. why no time just yet? they're waiting for second kerry to go geneva to sit down with the rug foreign minister. that will be the first face to face meeting. from there, secretary kerry will report back to the president whether he thinks the russians and through russians, the syrians are serious about this. that is f they are serious, you're drafting a u.n. resolution and we would be talking weeks, possibly months if you come one a weapons protocol. if secretary kerry is convinced they're not serious, then we could be back to the president asking congress to vote within days. >> two very different scenarios today. it does seem like the administration has been falling all over itself. there has been so much

confusion, backtracking. did the president expect the level of back lash he got onner is a i can't that seems to be forced him into this readjustment? >> by all accounts up on the hill and even some acknowledgement by those closest to him, he made a mistake by letting it to go congress saying he would go to congress and then leaving town and going away to russia and letting this simmer for so long. at this point, he just has to push ahead and boy, do you feel bad for his speech writers today. because they have a lot of whip lash to deal with. at this point what they're dealing is making a dual case. one for diplomacy as john points out which could stretch out for months. on the other hand, they will make the case that the president wants them to continue to push forward with the military threat. they argue, none of this diplomacy would be working if it weren't for a credible threat on the table. so you will their president argue that the chemical weapons

remain a real threat to the united states and our national interests and that we have a arraign to potentially engage with, to intervene in syria and we have to take that seriously. >> and john, quickly before we go. what do you is going to happen here? will there ever be a vote in congress? >> that's a great question. i think it depends on the meeting secretary kerry has with foreign minister lavrov. what will they vote on? if they believe they have a process in the united nations, you will get a vote that embraces that. if it collapses with the sxrugss the syrians, then you get to will they vote for military strikes, period. >> i want to bring in a person whose vote will matter a lot. joe manchin, met with the president today. did he say anything to you that moved the needle with regard to syria? >> well, not to move the needle for me with an imminent strike.

i don't believe that's a direction we should be going. what he did say, first of all, i applaud the president for coming to congress and getting our input. i think it is the right move. i think he is listening. i don't think he or anybody else wants war or a strike if we can avoid it. with that being said, there was a better way. myself and heidi hight camp, we couldn't buy that there was an imminent threat. we wanted to have an answer. there had to be bear way. we said that should not, if chemical weapons got us to the brink, should we find a way to secure those weapons and take them off the shelf if you will? so they'll never be used on anybody again. that's what we came one, with asking assad, not asking but basically saying, you have 45 days to sign up with this resolution. that you will join the chemical weapon commission. then if you don't, the president has the ability and base which i, the law behind him to do what he has to do to protect the country.

>> it seem like he is going along. going i know what the chemical weapons. the logistics are so difficult. not only did john kerry dismiss it as a joke yesterday. he is more serious about it. but bashar al assad wouldn't even confirm whether syria has chemical weapons. he said he'll hand them over. so there's all these sites, so many unknown sites. doesn't this mean you have to trust bashar al assad and vladimir putin and isn't that a bad position to be in? >> the chemical weapons commission has experts. they have people. there is a seek wednesday and chronological order they'll have to go through. we have done this. 191 countries have signed this chemical women commission. that's all we're saying. it is already in place. this puts them in, international really, light if you will. everyone is starting to pick

hole and say this won't happen and that won't happen. what if there was a direct risk. i think it is great thaern what inaction would be. i think we should be moofb down a diplomatic course. >> are you worried this will fail because of vladimir putin? obviously, he's talked about this. we want to get rid of syria's chemical weapons. he's put this caveat in there that's crucial. we will only do this if the united states takes the military option 100% off the table. here is vladimir putin today. travis you can't really ask syria or any other country to did i arm unilaterally while military action is being contemplated. >> obviously the united states will not agree to that, right? >> we should not agree to that. we're not asking to disarm unilaterally. just get rid of the chemical weapons and 191 countries have said this he won't produce, they won't use and they're destroying.

that's not unilateral disarmament. russia, syria, none of these should be negotiating. it should be the chemical weapons commission which is what we've identified. we're hoping pass diplomacy that our country goes down. i think it will work. >> one final question. here's what secretary of state said about the repercussions of actions in syria. this goes to the heart of the what the american people care about. here he is. >> we're not going into syria. i don't see any route by which we slide into syria. i don't see the slippery slope. people say you will get dragged in. i do not see that. >> he doesn't see it but a lot of people. do boots on the ground. the pentagon said it would take 75,000 troops to secure syria's chemical weapons stockpile if it went that way. obviously a civil war. 100,000 people have been killed. can you guarantee there won't be boots on the ground? >> there is no guarantee. the bottom line is this. what my constituents in west

virginia, common sense americans can say, if money or military might would have changed the direction of that par of the world, we would have changed it by now. $1.6 trillion, we've spent. been there 12 years, lost thousands of lives. we don't want to go down this road again or even the appearance of going down the road again. the other thing, a super power is more than just super military might that you can use whenever you want to to show the rest of the world how strong. it takes super resistance, super restraint, super negotiating, soorper diplomacy. most importantly, super humanitarian aid when needed. that's what we're best at. and i think, and i really truly think in the last 24 hours, we're moving in that direction. i'm very pleased. i was not comfortable last week and i know we had to have an option. heidi wasn't comfortable. we put something forward. we hope they improve on it and make it better. >> senator manchin, thank you very much. interesting temd bottom line. nobody can guarantee there won't be boots on the ground.

where exactly is syria's poison trove hid zblen if pits the weapon get handed over, knowing where they are is crucial. and a countdown to the most important speech of the president's second term. she's always had a playful side.

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i want to check with anderson cooper on what's coming up. >> in a little more than an hour, the president will address the american people and make his case. what he will make the case for remain to be seen. some details are emerging. we'll talk about the politics of bob casey of pennsylvania. one of the architects of alternative legislation tonight. and the pragmatic realities of trying to do a deal in the middle of a war zone. we'll talk to david kaye, chief we can in iraq. he joins me at the top of the hour. >> we'll see anderson in a few minutes. obviously, it is a crucial moment for the president tonight. he is going to be making his case to the american public on syria in what could be the

biggest challenge of his presidency. "outfront," douglas brinkley and new york time op ed who spent a lot of time in syria. doug, let me start with you. the president said essentially, i know that there is all this rhetoric around these words. he threatened war. i'm going to strike. and then the united states is not striking at all. is he in uncharted waters in terms of how he has handled this as president? theodore roosevelt said speak loudly and carry a big stick. our big stick is the military. he is in uncharted waters. i think the president tonight has to bring some clarity to what's happening. people are very confused. one day it seem like we're about to go to war. then we're not. we're having a vote in the senate and we're not. it might be a day, a week, a month. hopefully he can realign his administration's posture tonight. >> and i know, you have spent a lot of time there. you've covered this a lot. you're someone who talked well about the president when you think he deserved it. you said this has not been his

finest hour. >> no. i think there have been a lot of zigs and zags here. i think i would compare him not so much to teddy roosevelt as hamlet. i think he has been pretty good in foreign policy. for two and a half years. he dropped the ball and then accidentally drew this red line. didn't seem to happen what would happen when it was crossed. then went to congress. apparently miscalculated the politics of it. this has not been a proud era, a proud moment for the president. >> what does this may not for his credibility? there are critics out there. this is an important moment and when you miss a moment like this, this taints your credibility. this hurts your ability to get things done. is that too dramatic of a statement? >> we don't know everything that occurred and we don't know what obama and putin said together. you remember john f. kennedy in '61 went and saw khrushchev. he threatened him about berlin. ken looked embarrassed.

the wall started going up. kennedy looked weak and then he went to berlin and gave that speech and in turn the around the world around the world made the soviets think they were about totality tearianism. the president was right to blow the whistle. we're in the misdemeanor of tdd. we have to be careful not to judge. >> how does he make the case? i understand there is a moral case, right? how do you make the case for national security when john kerry himself in testimony said that the syrian regime was used for chemical weapons 14 time. that mean the red line crossed 14 time. this time worse than others but still 14 time. and then you hear about atrocities happening in other places all the time in africa work children. why should the american people say now we should act and take this risk now. >> i think there are a couple points one can make. one, there are real risks of intervening, real risks of not

intervening. one is that neighboring countries including jordan might simply collapse. that would be calamity for the region. and i think that also, there is something of real value in reinforcing an international norm against the use of chemical weapons. terrible syria is ak-47 but at the end of day there is something special. >> killing and killing and i think bashar al-assad said to charlie rose. >> yes, but when you do move toward chemical weapons, they are so indiscriminate, they can change the ball game, and i think that reinforcing that is something that he can argue really is something that is worth doing. >> now doug, when you talk about a presidential address in prime time at 9:00 p.m. he did this when he was going to justify strike and he stuck with the address but not going to justify strike. >> true. >> is this an address that makes sense or regrets having to make because he doesn't have a clear

cut, tough case to make tonight? >> i don't think he regrets it but doesn't have the tough case to make. it has to be a realignment. we're a nosey culture. he was all over yesterday on the television shows. i don't think we'll get big news -- >> miley cyrus yesterday was 12 times more popular than syria. >> in 19 83 ronald reagan we lost marines and he didn't go in and strike but he looks good in history. he said look, we can always have a war in the middle east. we have to be careful to play judge how the president will look in history just by the day by day clock of this thing. it could turn out in the end that he is seen as somebody who blew a whistle on chemical weapons, got a deal with russia that's sustainable. >> could be a win sner. >> it's possible. >> thank you both very much. appreciate you both taking the

time on this important speech. syria said it's willing to turn chemical weapons over. what will it take? when you walk into a weapons stockpile room in syria, what do you find? we have a special report next. y. mm. some laxatives like dulcolax can cause cramps. but phillips' caplets don't. they have magnesium. for effective relief of occasional constipation. thanks. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. 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. at&t mobile share for business. one bucket of data for everyone on the plan, unlimited talk and text on smart phones. now, everyone's in the spirit of sharing. hey, can i borrow your boat this weekend? no. [ male announcer ] share more. save more. at&t mobile share for business. ♪

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so, the big question of the hour is this one:what will it

take to dismantle syria's chemical weapons stockpile? john kerry dismissed it as a joke, something you couldn't do but now they are taking it ser youszly. they believe the assad regime has one ton of weapons, sulfur, mustard and sarin. finding the chemical weapons sites and accounting for them is say challenge because the international community only knows where some are. tom foreman in washington with rick who live in syria for three years. tom, i guess, to start off to you two, how difficult is this? >> well, you know, erin, this is like a flying car. great idea but in execution it gets complicated and here is why. intelligence sources, some in congress and the white house say look, we know where it's made. we know where it's all stored, but if they really want to get at this stuff, they have to have corporation from the syrians.

w? >> they had ten days to put it into secure locations. >> so if we go to a location, for example where we expect to find barrels and barrels and barrels of chemical weapons and in that location we find a fraction of it, u.s. forces or u.n. forces find a fraction of it, what happens? >> we say we think there should be this much here. you tell us there is this much here. how do we reconcile that? they will say they destroyed it, moved it, something. we have to get into business of accepting the word on where chemicals are. >> erin, as you might guess that could turn into months and months of new negotiations. >> right, because of course you can see why they would not want to tell us where they are for obvious reasons. then, tom and colonel, what about the basic things? you go in that room and missing a lot and find some and transport them through a civil war, which

including elements friendly to al qaeda who want to take them and use them. how the heck do you do that? >> that's exactly right, erin. the second big issue, transportation. you might want to consolidate these in something like a port or air field, which you can defend, but these roads are tretd rous. >> this is a problem. this stuff is heavy. it has to go by road. you can't fly it. things that need to go by heavy truck moving over roads through war zones, areas the rebels might control and if the islamist portion knows there are chemical weapons in the trucks, they may want to take them. >> erin, another detail that makes it complicated. >> really complicated to use a nice word, right, impossible might be a word someone else might use. you're talking about a country embroiled in a civil war, colonel, if thesis lomest elements know the chemical weapons went through, is there

any way to do it in a low-risk way, to secure the chemical weapons in syria would require 75,000 troops? >> yeah, this is -- a low-risk way. in a nutshell, we've been talking about all day, security, security in a country in a civil war. what about this colonel? if you came in here and said send in the u.s. force and surround all these things where they are, keep them away from the army and rebels? >> this sounds good but the united nations won't send u.n. inspection teams or peace keepers into this environment and that's what we have here. you have the question how long will they will be there? there are teams in syria for 30 years. are we wanting that commitment? >> there is a lot of fate that would have to be put in syria and the russians for any of this to work, at least as we understand it now, because at the moment they are the architects of this plan such as

it is, erin? >> pretty incredible when you think about the risks for the united states and around the world. >> thank you. thank you for watching as we get ready for the president's speech, of course, tomorrow september 11th we'll be joined by the chairman of the comity. right now it's time for right now it's time for anderson. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com erin, thanks. good evening evening. four themes we're told including delay in the march to military action to explore russia's proposal for ending the chemical weapons crisis. he'll not issue the full-throated war cry we expected 36 hours ago. things have certainly changed, nor will lawmakers who met today with the president will talk solely about legislation authorizing the use of force against syria. they are already considering alternatives, nor will secretary of state kerry will scamling to line up the willing to strike syria. instead he'll travel