a shopping mall on saturday still hold about 30 hostages. at least 59 people died in the attack, 175 are wounded. president obama called kenya's president to express his condolences. cnn correspondent at the scene reports sporadic gun fire. >> this is gps, the global public square, welcome to all of you in the united states and around the world. i'm fareed zakaria. we have a very special show for you today. an exclusive interview with bill clinton. on the plan to rid syria of its chemical weapons -- >> who cares how it came up?

>> on president obama asking congress to approve a syrian strike. >> i don't think he had to go. >> on america's duelling political parties. >> i think it is still a noble calling. >> plus a european country where unemployment is at a 20-year low and the stock market is hitting reported highs. this is not fiction, this is not monaco, i will explain where this is. and the symbolism of the one fingered salute is understood around the world. but there's a new sign in egypt, the four fingered salute. here's my take, when the obama was selling it's case for military action against syria, it used every argument it could come up with, from preserving international norms to preventing another holocaust.

one could have dangerous consequences for american foreign policy. chuck hagel asserted in some way that we had to act militarily in syria to preserve u.s. credibility with iran. a month into the scholarship on international relations finds that countries don't work that way. what you might do in one situation, says very little about what you might do in another different situation. in other words you really don't have to attack country a, to let e. i'm fredericrick whitfield country b know that you're a tough guy. this has been a particularly bad time for obama officials to our -- kenya's government says thump their chests about about 30 people are being held credibility. for the past few months t 4hostage by 10 to 15 gunmen. iranian government has been sending remarkably conciliatory signals. these started with the election there are helicopters flying overhead. this terrible scene has been of roushani as president. unfolding since yesterday when gunmen bursted into the upscale

mall in nairobi and opened fire. we now know 59 people were killed and 175 more were hurt. quote, it is good to have centrifuges runs, provided today kenya's president vowed to punish them. people lives and livelihoods are also running, he said to great >> they shall now get away with their despicable and beastly applause. since his election, president acts. the cowardly perpetrators who rouhani has been sending are now in the building, we will conciliatory exchanges every few punish the master minds swiftly days. he said he wished jews and indeed very painfully. everywhere, a blessed new year. >> the pentagon has offered he's prepared to shut down the support, but no requests have been made, a photographer for the "new york times" when bullets starred flying and he nuclear -- rouhani is not the described the chaos. >> it was very con fusing inside and not only for the few man running iran. photographers in there, but also for the security forces who are but khamenei is a smart trying to contain the situation, politician who wants to stay in

trying to evacuate civilians. power by limiting internal it became clear within a few discontempt. minutes of getting inside the so on december 17, hamanni said mall, that no one really knew where the gunmen were. >> we'll have the very latest on that iran -- he also affirmed this situation coming up at 2:00 when we say that no country eastern time. i'm fred reekericka whitfield. should possess nuclear weapons, we ourselveses are definitely one week ago, larry summers not trying to possess them. this could all be camouflage and withdrew his name from congress smoke screen, but there is tension to be the next chairman another possibility. of the federal reserve. the international sanctions against iran are haunting that summer's tenure under president country. clinton is part of the controversy surrounding him. so what does clinton think about summers and his decision and about the new contender in chief, janet yellen? listen in. are you disappointed that larry the arab spring's problem -- the summers has withdrawn his name from consideration for the fed chairman job? >> well, he's a friend of line and i think that a lot of the

criticism to which he's been chance f in these circumstances, coming subject about what he did in my administration is not accurate. to a deal with the west, diffusing some tensions, easing i also consider janet yellen a the sanctions and reviving the iranian economy would be friend and i think she has shown extremely useful to the regime good judgment, she's done a at tehran. fabulous job at the fed. at the very worst it would be -- she was really good in the reasonable offer that would cabinet of economic advisors signal to the iranian people when she wormged in our that if the regime is willing to administration. i think she would be great if the president chooses to appoint credibly four square nuclear her. but i think there's this kind of weapons, ordinary iran yaians wd cartoon image that's been developed that somehow larry have a better future. for more go to cnn.com/fareed, summers was a one-note johnny just trying to let big financial titans ravage the land. you can read my "time" column and it's just ludicrous. i mean he played a central role this week. let's get started. in helping president obama use the power of the government to we'll spend most of the hour try to bring the country back today with bill clinton, who when we were on the brink of this week will open the ninth sliding into a depression when

annual meeting of the clinton he took office. when he worked for me, he played global initiative which has done ground breaking work to lower a central role in implementing the cost of drugs available to much more balanced policies the world's poorest people among where we had more private sector its many initiatives. growth. i sat down with the 42 and but we also had good, sensible regulatory oversight. president of the united states at his a offices in harlem i think that he and janet earlier this week handy spokae candidly about the topicless of yellen, i was actually thrilled when i heard that the president was down to two choices, of two the day. and of course, the possibility people i knew liked and, you of another president clinton in the white house. listen in. know, janet's judgment at the fed has been good. she's been right on everything president clinton, you've seen that's happened in this whole the agreement that the united states and russia have reached aftermath of the financial crisis. so if she gets the job, i'll be on syria, you've heard some of thrilled too. the criticisms. what do you think of it? >> president clinton, when you >> first of all, i think if it look at the reaction that so many democratic senators had to is implemented, big if, it is a larry summers, and you look at good thing. the election of bill deblasio. and i agreed with the president, secretary kerry and everybody else who's been involved in this, that the united states

needs to stand strong against chemical weapons, against the proliferation and use of them. we ratified the chemical we this is that turn that you made haves convention when i was the democratic party make to the president. center. it passed 74-26 in the senate and this is the reaction, this is the new, much more liberal and had big bipartisan support. democrat. >> first of all, there's the effects of chemical weapons probably something to that, are horrid, as we have america's growing more liberal, documented in these pictures. the united nations issued a very cultural and more diverse. but again, let's not get carried strong report and the secretary away here. i ran on income and equality in general says no question that sarin gas was used on people in 1992, when i was the governor of the larger damascus area and my state, i took 75% of my elsewhere. so i think it's a good thing to do. people out from under state now there are some that say, well, you know, this gives the initiative to putin. income tax, the bottom 75%. in my first congressional session, we raised taxes on high income people, on corporations, and who cares how it came up, we cut taxes on the working poor, we eliminated the tax john kerry got asked, well, what deduction for lobbying can we do to stop you from corporations. we tried to put a tax on bombing? and he said, make the problem go executive compensation, that away. so putin says, okay, i'll do drvelt work, we tried. that. what happened?

the american people gave the so they say, well, this pushes congress to a group of very conservative republicans. when they passed bills with a russia in a foposition of levere veto proof majority, with a lot and it guarantees that -- there of democrats voting for it, that i couldn't stop, all of a sudden is inherent and enduring benefit in taking a step that has the we turn out to be maniacal potential to rid the world of deregulators. i mean, come on. these chemical weapons because i notice senator warren said the it's going to be difficult for anybody else to use them if this other day, when she introduced happens. now we're a long way between the bill to reinstate the where we are today and whether this happens. but it's worth doing. division between commercial and investment banks, she admitted that the repeal did not create >> let's go to that separate one single solitary financial institution to fail. issue, ensuring assad's canada did a fabulous job in this financial crisis. and they have always allowed banks to issue securities and survival. perhaps in some ways, verges on make loans. why? because they have good capital military assistance that is requirements, good transparency, designed to produce regime good regulation. that's what's at issue. change in dam kas cuss? so i think we need to just calm >> the united states does have a down. there's not as much difference policy and it was started back between the democrats as people when hillary was still secretary think. and i still believe that if we

of state, opening the talks in stay together, we're going to have a good, long time when we can win the white house. geneva. but assad has no interest in i'm far more worried about going to those talks as long as something more mundane. >> when the house -- he is certain to survive. i supported two years ago the >> whoever we nominate. i'm more worried about a more proposal that hillary and mundane problem, which is that secretary panetta and then cia we have not succeeded in persuading people to vote in the director general petraeus made to give more robust arms support off presidential years in the same numbers that they do in the presidential years. that's something we have to do. to the syrians. we don't do that, we're going to but i well understood why the have trouble. just like we are today. president was reluctant to do it >> so you're not worried about because as you see in libya, the democratic party? >> no. >> we have got a lot of good people in the party. there's lots of militia groups there who like syria. we have got a lot of good ideas. on the day that our ambassador but i think you've got to giver it to the republicans. they have a much more reliable media base and they just say no. in benghazi, the ambassador was still the most popular foreigner they know what they want. in libya. they want power to cut taxes, libyans marched on the headquarters, unarmed up to these militia groups and forced eliminate regulation, take them to disarm. but it's chaotic, so i get why

government down except for what they like. and they can fill the atmosphere the administration's been reluctant to do that. but this renewed determination with a lot of static. when you're trying to get to get arms there, which has not something done, it requires a been challenged, we have not much more deft strategy because you have to explain what you're been asked to back off of it and trying to do. we know they can't. and it's a little tourer for us, but i feel pretty good about gives them a chance to keep the where we are and where we're conflict going and as cruel as going. that sounds, that's the only demographically, the country is shot we have got for a proving toward not liberal, but negotiated settlement, trying to make sure that we balance the forces a little bit. more we're all in this together. sort of the founding value of so i superintendeport what is a our foundation and i think that being done do do that. has to be the founding value of i'm glad that we're now the country. to preserve individual liberty supporting the groups that are and even a lot of the most friendly towards the west, maybe libertarian influences of the tea party, we still have to the al qaeda related groups will recognize that we have some things in common that we have to do together. get some of the weapons that we're sending to the people we coming up next, president think are more responsible. bill clinton can't have four more years. but i don't zsee any alternativ. on the other hand, there are not just one but two potential

future president clintons. i asked them about both possibilities. >> i would always want her to do the track that we're pursuing doesn't require us to put our what she wanted to do, what airplanes in the sights of makes her happy, what makes her the -- there may be things going feel fulfilled. >> was he talking guiabout his e on that i don't know about there or his daughter? because i don't take security find out when we come back. briefings unless they ask me to. so we could be a better, safer energy company. so in general i support the two tracks that i think the i can tell you - safety is at the heart of everything we do. administration is on, trying to we've added cutting-edge technology, make sure that the rebels have sufficient arms so they're not like a new deepwater well cap run out of the country, because and a state-of-the-art monitoring center, where experts that means no peace process. but ultimately getting back to watch over all drilling activity twenty-four-seven. the peace process in switzerland. and we're sharing what we've learned, there's lots more coming up so we can all produce energy more safely. our commitment has never been stronger. in my exclusive interview with president clinton from why he says you have to give credit to the republicans to why he wouldn't discourage chelsey from entering politics. but first, president obama's decision to ask the u.s. congress for approval to strike against syria. >> i don't think he had to go. >> back in a moment. that way with health care.k

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this coming week is a big one in new york. it's the super bowl of foreign policy. the united nations general assembly. but it's also becoming known for another big meeting, the clinton global initiative. the program brings together world leaders, ngos business leaders, fi. in recent years, president clinton's famous family members have taken a larger role in his foundation. i asked him about that and about the political futures of both hillary and chelsey. on december 16, 1998, the president clinton, you've united states with great britain began a blistering bombing renamed your foundation, and you've added your wife hillary's campaign to strike a blow name, of course, but also

chelsey. what does all that mean? against zasaddam hussein attemp >> well, first of all, it to reduce the stockpile of reflects the reality that it's a joint interprice now. nuclear weapons. that president was william jefferson clinton. so how did he feel about and chelsey has been very active president obama's decision to go for the last couple of years. to congress on syria to seek us and she's helped us reorganize approval? i asked him. the foundation, try to put it on a sounder operational footing, making the kind of thing that mr. president, did the president need do go to congress for can last beyond my ability to oversee the thing on a daily approval on what sounds like two basis and raise all the money every year and all that. or three days of military she's very good at all that. and she's the only one of us strikes. that has any training in public health. so was it a d-- she's got a masters from columbia in public health and about to get her phd at oxford. >> i think he was not required to go. so this is her area. because syria was clearly a hillary is bringing significant violation of international law. new projects to the foundation, even though they didn't sign on to the chemical weapons especially this too small to fail initiative for child

convention, there was an development. and she was the youngest person international pact against ever to chair the organization chemical weapons going back at least 100 years, as a reaction when president carter was in office. she's almost like coming home to what happened in world war for this. and i wanted to rename is is. so i don't think he had to go. foundation because it's really a but i think he believed that joint enterprise and first there were partisan divisions in the democratic party and in the republican to see that it lives beyond me. party, that is that he had >> you can see this gives me an strong support within the opening to ask that she complies republicans for doing something. she will be staying actively engaged in the foundation for the next few years. and i'm wondering, do you have a sense as to whether that will be senator graham, senator mccain true or whether she has other plans? and some of the republican >> i don't. somebody may know, but i don't. i'm not one of the people who caucus. i think after he saw the debate does. >> when you look at her poll in the uk, i think it made him numbers, can any other democrat even get into the race? how would you raise money when you have -- i don't think i've think, you know, this is seen numbers like this, close to 70% democrats say they would something the country ought to vote for her. do better, we can't prevent that >> well, i think, partly that's this is not -- we weren't going because she served well as

secretary of state and because to fly our airplanes into the people across the political spectrum finally got to see her air defense systems. that is if they wanted to take the way those of us who know her action with rockets and see her. and, you know, when you're -- when i was president, she, lake missiles. me, was subject to a long line of relentless criticism. now whether that was right or and she did in the senate. wrong, there's no question that and she made a lot of friends in the senate, among republicans, as well as democrats, people in new york liked her across the it had one positive impact. political spectrum. it was the first time the the russian and the syrians knew country had ever gotten to see that he wanted to bomb and they her as somebody who just, what knew that he might bomb even if you see is what you get. she shows up to work every day and gets stuff done and is very he lost in congress. >> if this agreement falls strong about it. apart, and if the president i think that's -- but these asked the congress to come back polls don't mean much now. we're a long way ahead. i think she would be the first and give him some kind of to tell you there's no such thing as a done deal, ever, by approval if not authorization, anybody. but i don't know what she's you may still have a situation going to do. >> and chelsea, this remarkable, where the senate votes yes and the house votes no. accomplished young woman. do you think that the president but there is also talk that she could use force under those might want to run. circumstances? and i'm just wondering, as a >> i do. father, you have got -- you've

first i think that forthe senats seen the highs of politics, but you've also seen the lows that you said you've been subject to viewed as the more important relentless attacks, and you didn't have to deal with some of body on these things and the the worst, in some senses, fox senate has to ratify treaties, news only came -- only started in 1996, halfway through your for example, under our presidency. constitution. and secondly he does have some given the incredible, you know, international law to fall back on because of the chemical scrutiny that inevitably she's going to go through if she were weapons issue. to jump into politics, would you but right now, we have a advise her to take on a situation in which mr. putin and political career? president assad, they may think >> well, what she said about it, i think, shows, as usual, good that they have dodged a bullet. sense. she said right now she likes the people that represent her and and they have started in an she's happy doing what she's arena of accountability with people who are not naive and that's i think what we want for doing. if there ever came a time where everybody. she thought she could make a unique contribution, she would consider running. i would never advise her not to do it if she wanted to. we should want an arena of look, politics is like pro accountability.

football. it's a contact sport. if you don't want to get hit, what we started with those chem kell o' -- you should stay on the >> president clinton, do you sidelines. but you can't complain when you believe when reviewing this get into an arena where you know, particularly in the modern whole business of edward snowden age, where the power, the and this whole revelation, do you think we have crossed a line influence are widely diffuse and there's so much static in the air, it's hard to establish just on government intrusions? a common basis of just facts. do you think we need to have but it's still an incredibly kind of a national conversation rewarding thing to do. so i would always want her to do or some kind of a real what she wanted to do. what makes her happy. what makes her feel fulfilled. but if she wanted to do it, i would never discourage her. i think it is still a noble comprehensicomp hen comprehensi comprehensi calling. >> mr. president, thank you very comprehensive over view to say much. >> thanks. we have got to rein this back, or are we speaking in the right place? >> both those things could be true. up next, a new symbol of i was talking to a friend of protest. why four is better than five or mine who is into this business even one. my customers can shop around-- who said i'm a civil libertarian see who does good work and compare costs. who's not a ludite, that is i it doesn't usually work that way with health care. believe that we have to try to but with unitedhealthcare, protect ourselves and we have to i get information on quality rated doctors, use big data to do it. treatment options and estimates for how much i'll pay. the stated policy is that we

that helps me, and my guys, make better decisions. i don't like guesses with my business, look for patterns in telephone and definitely not with our health. calls, patterns in innovations that work for you. communications. but in the absence of some that's health in numbers. evidence to tie you or me or unitedhealthcare. anybody else to terrorist groups, the underlying messages peace of mind is important when so we provide it services you bucan rely on. with centurylink as your trusted it partner, would not be penetrated. we now know that's not exactly the case. you'll experience reliable uptime for the network and services you depend on. and it's interesting, we know multi-layered security solutions keep your information safe, and secure. that this foreign intelligence surveillance court has done a better job than we thought. and responsive dedicated support meets your needs, and eases your mind. it is that they tried to be vigilant about this, and that the nsa and other agency centurylink. your link to what's next. apparently inadvertently went beyond what the congress gave them approval to do. i would go more upon the

procedures. i think it would be a good thing for the american people have to a debate on this. we had to use big data, we had to protect privacy. i think it would be a good thing if there was a little more transparency about the decisions of this court and because they clearly have tried to do a good job and they were clearly disturbed when they found out that even though it may be intentionally that the government went beyond on a couple of occasions what they had authorized them to do. >> mo a major world economy at the polls today, but the big areas of contention between the parties aren't syria or the economy. instead, the public is debating whether to dedicate a day of the

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with custom communications solutions and responsive, dedicated support, we constantly evolve to meet your needs. every day of the week. centurylink® your link to what's next. the annual u.n. general but it doesn't usually work that way with health care. assembly begins this week in new york. and that brings me to my with unitedhealthcare, i get information on quality rated doctors, question of the week. every year, the representatives treatment options and cost estimates, of all member states get to give so we can make better health decisions. a speech. every year, the same country that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. goes first. what country is it? a, brazil, b, the united states, c, the united kingdom, or d, china? stay tuned and we'll tell you the correct answer. go to cnn.com/fareed for more of the gps challenge and lots of insight and analysis. you can also follow us on twitter and facebook. and remember, if you miss a show, go to itunes.com/fareed and you can get it. this week's book of the week is, "innocent abroad," by martin indyk. if you look closely at photographs of john kerry

shuttling around the mideast, you'll see one key aide at his side, martin indyk. he was also the clinton administration's point man on the middle east, and these memoirs of those years are gripping, giving you a behind the scenes accounts of diploma and i high politics that is surprisingly relevant today, primarily because little has changed. the prime minister he dealt with for many of those years is bibi netanyahu. now for the last look. egypt's revolution has entered a new phase, the war of symbols. on the one hand, you have egypt's current custodian, general cici. here is his face, painted on to chocolate. if you don't care for sweets, here's a sandwich named after him, the cici mix. there's an entire tumblr site dedicated to spotting images of cici. on the other hand, literally a hand has become the other side of the story. this four-fingered salute is being considered the symbol of defiance against military rule.

it would run on the most affordable energy source available. it would charge overnight. it's a reference to the mosque every morning, you'd wake up with a full tank, ready to go. where muslim brotherhood if the car was invented today, it would be the 100% electric nissan leaf. with over 200 million gas-free miles driven supporters clashed recently. and automatic hov lane access, the question isn't "why electric?" it's "why gas?" the message is spreading outside of egypt. [ male announcer ] the 100% electric nissan leaf. turkey's prime minister erdogan has done the four-fingered nissan. innovation that excites. salute in support of the muslim now get a 2013 nissan leaf brotherhood. behind these symbols lie the two for $199 a month. great unresolved issues in egypt ♪ together. will general sisi cede power to a democratically-elected government, eventually, and will the muslim brotherhood be allowed to participate if there are elections? the correct answer to our gps challenge question was, a, brazil volunteered to open proceedings of the special session of the general assembly in 1947. the transition has been upheld ever since. the united states usually goes second. >> mr. president -- >> in 2011, by the way, brazil's president became the first woman to ever open the general

assembly. this year, she's in the news for a different reason. she has called off her state visit to washington, a rare occurrence in international relations. she's protesting in the wake of now for our what in the revelations that the united states allegedly spied on her world segment. imagine if we had national personal conversations. thanks to all of you for elections this week. being part of my program this big debates over the big topics. week. ly see you next week. our two parties would have a big hello, everyone. i'm fredricka whitfield. disagreement. these stories are topping the contrast that with another major news this hour in the newsroom. country which actually is a at the polls today. a tense situation still developing inside a shopping mall, a day after a bloody the hot topics there are, whether or not to have one day a week set aside for massacre. 68 people have been killed. and investigators are still vegetarianism. whether or not mothers should trying to rescue hostages. we'll have the very latest from kenya. pick subsidized child care or keeping their kids a at home. i'm dan simon in estes park, or get this one, whether or not foreign motorists should pay colorado, where the historic floods have put the local tolls. economy at risk, which is all seriously, where in the world is about tourism. i'll have that story, coming up. this wondrous country with no real problems? well, it's one of the world's and it seems like hillary largest economies and europe's largest. german. clinton is the only one not talking about a run for president, until now. what she revealed about her

thoughts on 2016, coming up. germany. part of the reasons why jorans a germans are debating mundane issues is because the major all picture is quite rosy. unemployment is at the two decades low. the main german stock market, the dax is trading at record highs. economic sentiment is at a three-year high. chancellor angela -- disexcite all kinds of dire predictions t euro has survived. the economy recent ran this article about merkel, one woman to run it all. forbes has called her the most powerful woman in the world. merkel has taken important steps to help europe's struggling economies, spending tens of millions of dollars directly and indirectly on them. on the other hand, merkel has

him posed austerity on much of europe which has proved counter productive. her argument is it is the only way to get governments like greece and italy to become more competitive. here's the irony, that's not now german reformed it's own economy. taxes were cut, restrictions were placed on unemployment benefits and companies were given more freedom to hire and fire workers. but this was not coupled with massive cuts in government spending. another irony, merkel was at one time the leader of the opposition, but those very reforms that schroeder passed have given her a -- that will not last for long without the next generation of german reforms. germany is an aging country.

by 2050, the percentage of germans over the age of -- welfare spending will increase dramatically, health care cost will soar, generatirmany's popu is skpmted to increase. france's population will increase by nearly the same amount. all of these factors willikely result in france becoming a bigger economy than germany within the single generation. low fertility rates are of course part of the problem for germany, but it also has very low rates of immigration. remember, germany's one of the more difficult cultures to assimilate into. merkel can do more to forestall these problems. for all her skills, though, she's long been a very reluck

tachblt tangt reformer. if she -- she will need to become colder and enact just the kind of reforms she wants the irish and the spaniards to do. there's more than one way to say practice what you preach in german. up next, more of my interview with bill clinton on the future of the democratic party. >> i still believe that if we stay together, we're going to have a good long time where we can win the white house. i'm far more worried about something more mundane. >> what exactly is he worried about? find out just after the break. my customers can shop around--

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