orderly, and focused and comprehensive response by law enforcement, first responders, and the larger boston community on that day saved lives. immediate control over the scene by law enforcement and assistance from first responders and medical personnel helped triage, evacuate, and treat the fallen and injured, a scenario they have practiced to ensure no one facility would be overwhelmed. citizens stepped up and played a critical role, it hearing for the wounded, donating blood, and submitting videos that helped identify the suspects -- a powerful reminder of the role public plays not only in providing aid, but also providing useful information. the reason why after i became secretary, i called for the creation and then expansion of the department, if you see something, say something campaign, expanding

this terrible tragedy could have been our worst. for me, the lesson is clear -- for every attack we experience, every threat we face, and every decent intelligence we come across, we learned. we assess our preparations and capabilities. we make changes. we become more flexible and -- in the actions we take and we get stronger and more nimble. the boston attack was not the only terrorist plot we confronted over the past 4.5 years. we dealt with the attempted christmas day coming aboard an

airliner down for detroit. 20 10 air cargo threat as well as other plots that were effectively mitigated. some more international in scope and origin like the christmas they plot was involved a nigerian citizen who purchased ticket in ghama,. flew from legos to amsterdam and attended to ignite a bomb en route to america. from that attempted attack, we learned that relevant information possessed by u.s. customs and border protection needed to be available overseas at the last point of departure for the united states. we fixed that. we learned that our adversaries were moving to nonmetallic devices. we adapted our screening technology and tactics to counter that. and we learned that a single vulnerability in any part of the aviation system can make everyone connected to it vulnerable. since we don't control security at foreign airports, we have to work even more closely with international partners to raise the overall security of the system. we did that. shortly after the christmas day plot, i launched a worldwide

initiative to make these needed changes in close collaboration with our strongest allies. i am proud to say that i october of 2010, this effort led to 190 countries signing onto an historic agreement to improve aviation security, standards, and technology and information sharing. i have had the chance to visit many of those countries over the past 4.5 years. 40 in all across six continents however, our work did not end there. following the 2010 air cargo threat which involved bombs hidden inside printer cartridges departing on international planes to the united states, we launched a second initiative to work with international partners

and the private sector to ensure air cargo coming to the u.s. was effectively screened. we faced a threat, we responded, and we addressed the weaknesses in our systems. while there is always more work to do, our aviation system is now stronger and more resilient. we have a far better idea who is seeking to or aircraft to the united states area and we have improved security measures at home and abroad to make sure we are focused on those who seek to do us harm. of course, not all threats result from terrorism or violent behavior. some come from mother nature and the impact can be just as severe if not more so. over the past 4.5 years, our nation has faced hundreds of disasters including hurricane irene which happens when

multiple states were already dealing with historic floods, making a bad situation even worse. we confronted deadly tornadoes in joplin, missouri, tuscaloosa, alabama, and moore, oklahoma. today, as we find ourselves every summer, we are fighting devastating wildfires in the western states, particularly california. as with our counterterrorism efforts, we learn important lessons from each of these events, most notably -- we built upon the lessons of hurricane katrina to put us in the best possible position to support the response to a major hurricane and make sure that response would be fast, flexible, and comprehensive.

we understood the importance of pre-positioning mass quantities of assets before the storm so they will be quickly available to those in need. we recognize the value of early outreach to governors, mayors, and emergency managers so everyone knows the plan and how to execute. we incorporated rate assessed or declarations into our planning some localities would have the funds they need to make reparations and pay for overtime for police and first responders. we understood the role of organizations like the red cross, the salvation army, and others who are so essential in providing support to survivors as well as federal partners like the department of defense. in short, we knew we needed to engage the whole community in all phases of emergency management. when hurricane sandy threatened the united states in late october, 2012, we had a plan, we had people in place, and we have resources at the ready. sandy was the most damaging

storm to strike the united states since katrina which made landfall eight years ago just this week. sandy can assure and the most densely populated region of our country. it damaged or destroyed more than 650,000 homes costing more than it did billion dollars in losses and affecting 24 states. it's tropical storm force winds could be felt for 1000 miles, blizzards hit north carolina and west virginia, and dumping up to three feet of snow and the storm's effects extended as far west as wisconsin. in all, sandy took more than 70 lives in the united states. sandy also affected some of our nation's key financial systems and left a large part of new york city without power for more than one week. our posture in the response to this epic storm was to lean forward in our preparations, surge assets and people into the disaster zones as quick as possible and streamline the system's to the victims and cut red tape and find solutions to problems when they arose. before the storm hits, fema

teams had and the floyd -- had been deployed are activated in several states. we supplied water, food, blankets and essential supplies at strategic locations along the east coast and the president provided emergency declarations for 12 states freeing up federal resources. after the storm passed, fema sent teams into the impacted areas to set up disaster registration centers and conduct damage assessment. the coast guard immediately conducted search and rescue. for the first time, we activated the dhs surge capacity force and all -- an all volunteer corps that we created in 2011 to leverage the share talents and experiences and capabilities of employees from across the department. hundreds of employees from ths components like tsa came to new york and new jersey come many of them living on merchant marine vessels in new york harbor for weeks as they provided assistance to people and their families in the affected area. these and other dhs elements

contributed to the strong, coordinated response to sandy. when we encountered a snag or problem, we moved quickly to address it and come up with an appropriate solution. when fuel ships could not enter new york harbor because of debris in the water, we deployed the coast guard to clear a navigation channel. when fuel supplies began to run low, we waived the jones act to allow ships from other u.s. ports to bring in their supplies to increase fuel availability. similarly, when the utility struggle to get power back on, we worked with the defense department and are private sector partners to flight teams and assets from as far as california to help bring those systems back online. the collective response to sandy reflects an emergency management system that is swift and flexible, adaptable and united. it has made all the difference

in our ability to speed resources to impacted areas, identify survivor needs, and help communities recover and rebuild. that said, every disaster by nature is an imperfect and challenging event. we know there are still many who are putting their lives and communities back together after sandy. in any disaster or crisis, there are always challenges, problems arise, the unexpected happens. our work on the east coast is far from done. flexibility and agility are not only about being operational. sometimes, they are about establishing commonsense policies and priorities, using the resources you have.

when i became secretary in 2009, 1 of my first actions was to ensure that we set the right priority for one of the departments most important missions -- protecting our borders and enforcing our immigration laws. over the past 4.5 years, we have invested historic resources to prevent illegal cross-border activity area because of these investments and manpower and technology and infrastructure, our borders are now better staffed and better protected than at any time in our nations history. illegal crossings have dropped to 40-year lows. we also set commonsense immigration priorities with a focus on criminals, national security and public safety threats, repeat offenders, and egregious emigration file leaders. last year, we remote more serious criminals from the united states than at any time in our history. we strengthened our work to combat transnational criminal organizations including those that commit cyber crime and financial fraud, violate international property and prey upon human life.

as part of our effort, we established the dhs blue campaign to unify the departments work to fight the worldwide scourge of human trafficking. while important, we still need to make sure that future changes we needed to make further changes to create a more flexible, fair, and focused emigration system. we instructed our immigration agents and officers to use their discretion under current law to not pursue low priority immigration cases. like children brought to the united states illegally by their parents. children brought here for no fault of their own and you know no other country as their home. congress had a chance to give the so-called dreamers a way to stay in our country through the dream act but, unfortunately, that legislation failed to garner the 60 votes needed for cloture, falling five votes

despite strong bipartisan support. in june of last year, i use my discretion to create deferred action for childhood arrivals, daca, a process that gives young people who meet the strict rick -- criteria legal status to remain in the united states. in just its first year, over half a million individuals have requested deferred action. after a thorough review of each of those cases, including a background check, 430,000 requests have already been approved. daca is no substitute for comprehensive immigration reform which is the only way to face the long-standing problems with their immigration system.

it is indicative of our larger approach, to devote historic resources to the border, reorient our enforcement priorities, and build more flexibility into the system. i believe we are a stronger, more effective department because of these changes. i am proud of our compliments and the men and women across dhs who made them possible. i am proud of how far we have come over the past 4.5 years. i am proud to have played a role in guiding the department to a more mature and stable state of operations. dhs is more focused, capable, and adaptable and we are prepared to confront and even greater range of threats. when i look at the amazing local response to the boston marathon bombing, hurricane sandy and less well-known incidents, i see the tremendous payoff for our nations investment over the past decade. that is not to say our work is done. far from it. many things still need tending and my successor will most

certainly have a full plate on his or her hands. perhaps the best place to end my remarks today is by giving him or her some advice. a kind of open letter to my successor -- in this letter, i will tell the new secretary that you will confront everything i have discussed today -- the evolving threat of terrorism, devastating natural disasters, and the need for strong border security and immigration enforcement. you will need to forge strong relationships with all of our partners including congress, to make sure dhs has the resources it needs to meet our responsibilities to the american people. you will need to continue our work to move to a more risk based intelligence driven community system. as we have done at our airports

with programs like tsa pre- check and global entry which expedite known travelers through security and customs. you will need to support science and technology research, building on the more than 2.2 million dollars we have invested over the past 4.5 years to strengthen chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear security measures. you will need to continue to recapitalize the coast guard so it can meet its ever-growing mission. you will need to continue to ensure the security of key government leaders in events of national significance. and you will face new challenges that we have begun to address but that need further attention. our country will for example at some point face a major cyber event that will have a serious effect on our lives, economy,

and the everyday functioning of our society. we have the old systems reductions in a framework to identify at tax and intrusions, share information with the private sector and across the government, and develop plans and capabilities to mitigate the damage, more must be done and must be done quickly. you will also have to prepare for the increasingly likelihood of more weather-related events of a more severe nature as a result of climate change. and continue to build the capacity to respond to potential disasters in far-flung regions of the country that could occur at the same time. and you must continue to integrate the department. what i have referred to as dhs 3.0 and leave it into its next data development am a to challenging fiscal times, including the ongoing impact of the sequester. you will need a large bottle of advil. [laughter]

now, some have said be the secretary of dhs is the most thankless job in washington. that is not true. no doubt, it is a very big and complex job. it is literally a 24/7 job, that as my successor will soon learn, it is also one of the most rewarding jobs there is. what you do hear matters to the lives of people all across our great nation him and your decisions affect them in direct and tangible ways. you make sure their families are safe from terrorist threats, that their local first responders have equipment and training and funding, and that when disaster strikes people who have lost everything are given food and shelter and hope. and that thanks for that is not owed any single individual or cabinet secretary, but to that 240,000 dhs employees, many of whom work in tough conditions around the clock to accomplish our shared and noble mission,

and that includes some who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. they are the backbone of your nation's homeland security, and over the past 4 1/2 years, it has been my pleasure to serve with them and build a more agile department of homeland security. i thank them, and i thank all of you. god bless you, and god bless the united states. thank you. washington journal

the situation in syria. washington journal live every day at 7 a.m. on c-span. now, from the state department this is 20 minutes.

secretary of state john kerry. >> president obama has spent many days consulting with congress and talking with leaders around the world about the situation in syria. last night he asked all of us on his team to consult with the leaders of congress as well. including the leadership of the congressional national security committees. he asked us to consult about what we know regarding the horrific chemical weapons attack in the damascus suburbs last week. i will tell you are someone who

has spent three decades in the united states congress, i know that consultation is the right way for a president to approach a decision of when and how and if to use military force. it's important to ask the tough questions and get the tough answers before taking action. not just afterwards. i believe it is also important to discuss this directly with the american people. that is our responsibility. to talk with the citizens who have entrusted all of us in the administration and in the congress with the responsibility for their security. that is why this morning's release of our government's unclassified estimate of what took place in syria is so important. its findings are as clear as they are compelling. i am not asking you to take my word for it. read for yourself, everyone, those listening, all of you, read for yourselves the evidence from thousands of sources, evidence that is already available. read for yourselves the verdict

reached by our intelligence community about the chemical weapons attack, the assad regime inflicted on the opposition and on neighborhoods in the damascus suburbs on the early morning of august 21. our intelligence community has carefully reviewed and rewritten you to information regarding this attack. and i will tell you it has done so more than mindful of the iraq experience. we will not repeat that moment. we have taken unprecedented steps to declassify and make facts available to people who can judge for themselves. but still, in order to protect sources and methods, some of what we know will only be released to members of congress, the representatives of the american people.

that means some things we do know we can't talk about publicly. so what do we know we can talk about? well, we know the assad regime has the largest chemical weapons program in the entire middle east. we know that the regime has used those weapons multiple times this year. and has used them on a smaller scale, but used them against its own people, including not very far from when the attack happened on wednesday. we know that the regime was specifically determined to rid the damascus suburbs of the opposition and it was frustrated it had not succeeded in doing so. we know for three days before the attack, the syrian regime's chemical weapons personnel were on the ground in the area making preparations.

and we know the syrian regime elements were told to prepare for the attack by putting on gas masks and taking precautions associated with chemical weapons. we know these were specific instructions. we know where the rockets were launched from and at what time. we know where they landed and when. we know rockets came only from regime-controlled areas and went only to opposition-contested neighborhoods. and we know, as does the world, 90 minutes later all hell broke loose in the social media. with our own eyes we have seen thousands of reports from 11 separate sites in damascus, all

of them show and report victims with breathing difficulties, people twitching with spasms, coughing, rapid heartbeats, foaming at the mouth. unconsciousness. death. and we know it was ordinary syrian citizens who reported all of these horrors. just as important, we know what the doctors and the nurses who treated them did not report. not a scratch, not a shrapnel wound, not a gunshot wound. we saw rows of dead wind up in burial shrouds. white linen unstained by a single drop of blood. instead of being tucked safely in their beds at home, we saw children lying side-by-side, sprawled on a hospital floor. all of them dead from assad's

gas and surrounded by parents and grandparents who had suffered the same fate. the united states government knows at least 1429 syrians were killed in this attack, including at least 426 children. even the first responders, the doctors, nurses who try to save them, they became victims themselves. we saw them gasping for air. terrified their own lives were in danger. this is the indiscriminate, inconceivable horror of chemical weapons. this is what assad did to his own people. we also know many disturbing details about the aftermath.

we know a senior official, who knew about the attack, confirmed that chemical weapons were used by the regime. reviewed the impact and actually was afraid they would be discovered. we know this. and we know what they did next. i personally called the foreign minister and i said to him, if your nation has nothing to hide, let the united nations in immediately and give the inspectors the unfettered access so they have the opportunity to tell your story. instead, for four days they shelled the neighborhoods in order to destroy evidence, bombarding block after block at a rate four times higher they had over the previous 10 days. and when the un inspectors finally gained access, that

access was restricted and controlled. in all of these things i have listed, in all of these things that we know, all of them, the american intelligence community has high confidence, high confidence. this is common sense. this is evidence. these are facts. the primary question is really no longer what do we know. the question is what do we, we collectively, what are we going to do about it? as previous storms in history have gathered when unspeakable crimes were within our power to stop them, we have been warned against the temptations of looking the other way. history is full of leaders who have warned against inaction and indifference and especially against silence when it mattered most.

our choices had grave consequences and are choice today has great consequences. it matters that 100 years ago in response to the horror and inhumanity of world war i the civilized world agreed chemical weapons should never be used again. that was the resolve then. that began almost a century of effort to create a clear red line for the international community. it matters today we are working as an international community to rid the world of the worst weapons. that is why we signed agreements like the stark treaty, the chemical weapons convention, which more than 180 countries, including iran, iraq, and lebanon have signed on to. it matters to our security and the security of our allies.

it matters to israel. it matters to our friends, jordan, turkey, lebanon. all of whom live a stiff breeze away from damascus. it matters to all of them where the syrian chemical weapons are and if unchecked they can cause greater damage and destruction to those friends. and it matters deeply to the credibility and the future interests of the united states of america and our allies. it matters because a lot of other countries whose policies challenge these international norms are watching. they are watching. they want to see whether the united states and our friends mean what we say. it is directly related to our credibility and whether countries still believe the united states when it says something. they are watching to see us syria can get away with it. because maybe they too can put

the world at risk. make no mistake, in an increasingly complicated world of sectarian and religious extremist violence, what we choose to do or not to do matters in real ways to our own security. some cite the risk of doing this. we need to ask, what is the risk of doing nothing? it matters because if we choose to live in a world where a thug like bashar al-assad can cast thousands of his own people with impunity, even after the united states and our allies said no, and in the world does nothing about it, there will be no end to the test of our resolve and the dangers that will flow from those others who believe they can do as they will. this matters also beyond the

limits of syria's borders. it's about whether iran will now feel emboldened in the absence of action to obtain nuclear weapons. it's about hezbollah and north korea and every other terrorist group or dictator that might contemplate the use of weapons of mass destruction. will they remember the assad regime was stopped from those weapons? or will they remember that the world stood aside and created impunity? our concern is not just about some far off land, oceans away. that is not what this is about. our concern with the cause of the defenseless people of syria is about choices that would directly affect our role in the world and our interest in the world.

it is also profoundly about who we are. we are the united states of america. we are the country that has tried, not always successfully, always tried to honor a set of universal values around which we have organized our lives and our aspirations. this crime against conscience, this crime against humanity, this crime against the most fundamental principles of international community, against the norm of the international community, this matters to us and it matters to who we are and it matters to leadership and our credibility in the world. it matters if nothing is done. it matters if the world speaks out in condemnation and then nothing happens. america should feel confident

and gratified we are not alone in our condemnation and we are not alone in our will to do something about it and to act. the world is speaking out. many friends stand ready to respond. the arab league pledged "to hold to the syrian regime fully responsible for this crime." the organization for islamic cooperation said we needed "to hold the syrian government legally and morally accountable for this heinous crime." turkey said there is no doubt the regime is responsible. our oldest ally the french said the regime "committed this vile action and it is an outrage to use weapons that the community

has banned for the last 90 years in all international conventions." the australian prime minister said he did no want history to record we were "a party to turning such a blind eye." so now that we know what we know, the question is what will we do? let me emphasize, president obama, we believe in the united nations. we have great respect for the inspectors who endured regime gunfire and obstructions to their investigation. but as ban ki-moon has said again and again the un's investigation will not affirm who used these chemical weapons. that is not the mandate of the investigation. they will only affirm whether such weapons were used. by the definition of their own mandate, the u.n. can't tell us

anything we have not shared with you this afternoon or that we don't already know. and because of the guaranteed russian obstructionism of any action through the u.n. security council, the u.n. can't galvanize the world to act as a should. so let me be clear, we will continue talking to the congress, talking to our allies, and talking to the american people. president obama will ensure united states of america makes our own decisions on our own timelines based on our values and our interests. we know that after a decade of conflict the american people are tired of war. believe me, i am too. fatigue does not absolve us of our responsibility. just longing for peace does not bring it about.

history will judge us all harshly if we turn to a blind eye to a dictator's use of weapons of mass destruction, against all common understanding of decency. these things we do know. we also know we have a president who does what he says he will do. and he has said very clearly whatever decision he makes in syria will bear no resemblance to afghanistan, iraq, or even libya. it will not involve any boots on the ground. it won't be open-ended. it will not assume responsibility for a civil war that is already well underway. the president has been clear -- any action will be limited in

response to ensure the use of chemical weapons is held accountable. and ultimately, ultimately we are committed. we remain committed. we believe it is the primary objective, to have a diplomatic process that can resolve this through negotiation. because we know there is no ultimate military solution. it has to be political. it has to happen at the negotiating table. we are deeply committed to getting there. so that is what we know. that is what the leaders of congress now know. that is what the american people need to know. that is at the core of the decisions that must now be made for the security of our country and for the promise of a planet where the most heinous weapons must never again be used against the most vulnerable people. >> president obama

ofke about syria's use chemical weapons. this is 20 minutes. >> everybody all set up? obviously i'm grateful to have

my fellow presidents here as well as the vice president. before i begin, i want to say a few words about the situation in syria. as you have seen, today we released our unclassified assessment detailing with high confidence that the syrian regime carried out a chemical weapons attack that killed well over a thousand people, including hundreds of children. this follows horrific images that shocked us all. this kind of attack is a challenge to the world. we cannot accept a world where women and children and innocent civilians are gassed on a terrible scale. this kind of attack threatens our national security interests by violating well-established international norms against the use of chemical weapons, by further threatening friends and allies of ours in the region, like israel and turkey and jordan, and it increases the risk that chemical weapons will be used in the future and fall into the hands of terrorists who might use them against us. so i have said before and i meant what i said, that the

world has an obligation to make sure that we maintain the norm against the use of chemical weapons. i have not made a final decision about various actions that might be taken to help enforce that norm. but as i have already said, i have had a military and our team look at a wide range of options. we have consulted with allies, we have consulted with congress, we have been in conversations with all the interested parties, and in no event are we considering any kind of military action that would involve boots on the ground, that would involve a long-term campaign, but we are looking at the possibility of a limited, narrow act that would help make sure

that not only syria, but others around the world, understand that the international community cares about maintaining this chemical weapons ban and norm. we are not considering any open- ended commitment. we are not considering any boots-on-the-ground approach. what we will do is consider options that need to narrow concern around chemical weapons, understanding there is not going to be a solely military solution to the conflict and tragedy taking place in syria. and i will continue to consult closely with congress in addition to the release of the unclassified document. we are providing a classified briefing to congressional staffs today and will offer that same classified briefing to members

of congress, as well as our international partners. i will continue to provide updates to the american people as we get more information. with that, i want to welcome the presidents to the white house. these countries that they represent all share a very deep tie to the united states, both as allies, and because of the people-to-people relations we have with these countries. i want to thank all the presidents who are here and their nations for all that they do to promote democracy, not only in their own country, but around the world. the baltics are among our most reliable allies in nato, and our

commitment to their security is rock solid. our soldiers sacrificed together in afghanistan, and the baltic ports continue to support our troops as we transition the nato mission. today we will spend time talking about our shared commitments to the transatlantic trade and investment partnership negotiations, which will add jobs in the baltics and the united states. we are working on development assistance and projects, including building institutions and strengthening society in the emerging democracies in eastern europe and central asia. we will obviously have discussions about our nato discussions about our nato relationship and the security concerns that we share together. so again, i have had occasions to meet with all three presidents on a wide variety of settings. they have been outstanding friends of the united states. we are proud of them. i want to thank each of them for their leadership. we know how far estonia, latvia, and as a way to have come in the past decades, so i want to give each of these leaders an

opportunity to say a few words. we will start with the president. >> thank you. i would like to begin by thanking president obama for inviting us here and we are quite grateful to the administration -- to the united states and you personally for your leadership and support. the main issue on our agenda today is global and regional security and the question on everyone's mind is the situation in syria. for estonia, the use of chemical weapons is deplorable. the attack demands a response. violations cannot be overlooked. when it comes to our security, we appreciate the commitment the united states has shown to our region and europe as a whole, and we attach great importance to continued u.s. engagement in european security. the transatlantic security link is unique and enduring, as are

the common values that underpin it. we take our responsibility to our common defense seriously. we will remain committed to nato's mission in afghanistan. we have spent 2% of our gdp on defense. we believe in maintaining a strong transatlantic link in energy and security. i look forward to exchanging views, as i look forward to discussing what we can do together internationally to promote our common values, democracy, human rights, rule of law. we cooperate with countries that lie to the east and south of us ukraine, moldova, georgia, tunisia as well, to name a few. i'm sure that this global operation aimed at helping countries transition from authoritarian to democratic rule will be expanded in the future.

recently we have heard a lot of talk about events. today we are on the verge of a new rebalancing of the u.s. focus, this time to the nordic baltic region, our region being one of the most secure, stable, and prosperous in europe. we are proud to be part of it, proud of the partnership we have with the united states here, just as we are proud of our alliance and enduring friendship of the american people. >> i would like to add that the regional security -- we're talking about economic security, and also on energy security. the united states plays a very serious role. we are open to have nato as a center of excellence for energy security, and with the united states, for nuclear security. this is important because we are on the borders of nato with other not-so-secure regions, and the

involvement of the united states is so important for our region. as the country in which resides today the european union's council, we are engaged in starting negotiations on an agreement between the united states and european union, and i'm happy that we got one thing and now we are waiting for a second one, and i think it is generational challenges and opportunities for all of us for the united states and europe to move past these kinds of relations and to have very efficient outcomes. we would hope we will be able to do this. together with the military, new challenges, we are trying to battle new economic challenges together with the cyber challenges, which we're facing all the time. i want to say that everything, every day practically we see this aggressiveness, and new

forms of challenges our region is facing. i can also confirm that nordic and baltic cooperation is a new phenomenon, a unique phenomenon in europe, which is very much reliable, and you can comment on that as being strategic partners for the united states. >> it is important for the american people -- [indiscernible] when the baltic-american charter was signed, a dramatic moment for us, we are thankful to you during your presidential time.

the u.s. led military exercises in the baltic recently. also to afghanistan -- [indiscernible] of course we see the future together at the same time being very active in europe. we are working and thank you for supporting us to become members. our thought was to look for new possibilities in europe and using past experience, and also

to seek partnerships, which is particularly important in relations with afghanistan. to deliver this country -- [indiscernible] lastly -- but at the same time, we felt much more at having this good neighbors set forward and such partners as the u.s., we can move forward quietly, and today's meeting is a demonstration -- of the united states in the baltics. thank you. >> on syria -- [indiscernible]

>> we are still in the planning process, and obviously in consultations with congress as well as the international community are very important. my preference obviously would have been the international community already acted

forcefully, but what we have seen, so far at least, is an incapacity at this point for the security council to move forward in the face of a clear violation of international norms. i recognize that all of us, here in the united states, in great britain, and many parts of the world, there is a certain weariness given afghanistan, a certain weariness given suspicion of any military action post-iraq, and i appreciate that. it is important for us to recognize that when over a thousand people are killed, including hundreds of innocent children through the use of a weapon that 98% or 99% of humanity says should not be used

even in war and there is no action, then we are sending a signal that that international norm does not mean much. and that is a dangerous thing to our national security. obviously, if and when we make a decision to respond, there are a whole host of considerations that i have to take into account in terms of how effective it is and given the kinds of options we are looking at, it would be very limited and would not involve a long-term commitment or a major operation. we are confident we can provide congress all the information and get all the input that they need, and we are very mindful of that, and we can have serious conversations with our allies

and friends around the world about this, but ultimately we do not want the world to be paralyzed. and frankly, part of the challenge we end up with here is that a lot of people think something should be done, but nobody wants to do it. and that is not an unusual situation, and that is part of what allows over time the erosion of these kinds of international provisions unless somebody says no. when the world says we are not going to use chemical weapons, we mean it, and it would be tempting to leave to others to do it. and i think i have shown consistently and said consistently my strong preference for multilateral action whenever possible. but it is not in the national security interests of the united states to ignore clear violations of these kinds of international norms.

the reason is because there are a whole host of international norms that are important to us. we have currently rules in place dealing with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. we have international norms that have been violated by certain countries, and united nations has put sanctions in place, but if there is a sense that over time nobody is willing actually to enforce them, then people do not take them seriously. i am very clear that the world generally is more wary. certainly, the united states has gone through over a decade of

war. part of our obligation no as a leader of the world is to make sure that when you have a regime that is willing to use not -- willing to use weapons are prohibited by international norms, there are people, including children, that are held to account. thank you. calls, moment, your tweets, and e-mails live on "washington journal." 50thhen the red ribbon anniversary of the march on washington.

>> very often what you see as the causes of the first lady become so entwined with her causethat she keeps that and that image through the rest of her life and we can talk about roselyn and her commitment to mental health. and we can talk about barbara bush and her commitment. ready for and her commitment to sobriety and addiction. lux monday night, historians richard burton smith and edith m ayo preview the second season of first ladies, influence and image. at looking at the private lives and public role on monday night at 9:00 eastern on c-span, c- span radio, and c-span.org. >> next on "washington journal,"

the latest developments on syria with michael hirsh of the national journal. and then the debt limit with d amian paletta. "washington journal" is next. >> our concern with the cause of the defenseless people of syria is a bout choices that will directly affect our goal in the world and our interests in the world. it is also profoundly about who we are. >> secretary of state kerry making the case for potential military strikes in syria as a response for the use of chemical weapons. president obama also speaking yesterday, saying he is still waiting operation -- us bill weighing options -- still weighing options. we want to hear from you about not only what was given, information wise, but if you are