member nations there to pass a resolution requiring allies to patrol their borders and stem the flow of foreign fighters from joining groups like isis. >> the security council will adopt to counter violent extremism. the resolutions must be followed by tangible commitments. so, we're accountable when we fall short. >> that was the president this morning. in his annual address to the entire u.n. that hit on everything from russian aggression to ebola but the main focus was terror. >> the brutality of terrorists in syria and iraq forces us to look into the heart of darkness. we chose hope over fear. we see the future as something not out of our control but something we can shape. it is easy to see this as a distant problem when it's not. if we lift our eyes beyond our borders, if we think globally and act cooperatively, we can

shake the course of the century as our predecessors shaped the post world war ii age. that is the cancer of violent extremism that has rafaged so many parts of the muslim world. i have made it clear america will not base entire foreign policy to reacting to terrorism. instead, we waged a focused campaign against al qaeda and associated forces. the united states is not and never will be at war with the islam. there is no us and them. there is only us because millions of muslim americans are part of the fabric of our country. the ideology of isil or al qaeda or boca the boko haram will wil if it it's re futured in the light of day. >> breaking news from washington this hour. the u.s. treasury department

just named a dozen people suspected of financing these very terrorist groups and is taking steps to freeze any assets they have under u.s. jurisdiction. meantime, those u.s.-led strikes do continue in syria as well as iraq. as many as 200 now since august. the pentagon warns this campaign could take not weeks or months but years to complete. the fbi and homeland security are warning of possible lone wolf attacks here at home out of retaliation for those ongoing air strikes. the intel bulletin was issued out of a caution, we should be clear, not due to any specific threats at this time. now, we start right here at the table with nbc news senior white house correspondent chris jansing. great to see you. >> great to be here. >> what does the president need to achieve in chairing this security council meeting? >> i think it's a similar message to what we saw this morning. he's going to point out these are global issues and they require a global response. that the united states can't do it alone. i also think he maybes a pretty forceful case that the threat is not just the united states. the threat is a global one. we have seen what happened.

obviously, today, the horrific beheadings of a french tourist. we have seen the foreign fighters, the focus of this session come back and reek havoc in europe. one blew himself up, a florida man blew himself up back in syria. they want to prosecute those found guilty of funding them. the truth of the matter is, this doesn't have any real teeth in it. you don't do it. you don't get pushed for it. there could be sanctions. they think it sends an important message to the world they're united against this. >> chris, we see the president there. we're going right to the u.n. security council meeting where the president is speaking. >> document s-2014688. the text of a draft resolution submitted by 101 member states. the full list of co-sponsors of the resolution will be reflected in the official record of this meeting. i wish to draw attention of the council members to document

s-2014-648, a letter dated september 3, 2014 from the permanent representative of the united states of america to the u.n., addressed to the secretary-general, transmitting a concept paper of the item under consideration. it's my understanding the council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. i shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. will those in favor of the draft resolution contained in document s-2014-688 please raise their hands? the results of the voting is as follows. the draft resolution received 15 votes in favor perform the draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2178.

dated 2014. i now give the floor to the secretary-general, his excellency, mr. ban ki-moon. >> thank you, mr. president. i congratulate you on your presidency of this security council this month. honorable members, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. president obama, thank you for your leadership in koven convening the security council summit. this is the second time you have presided over this council on a matter with grave implications for international peace and security. the world is witnessing a dramatic evolution in the nature of the terrorist threat. the last year, terrorist attacks have killed, maimed and depraved many thousands of civilians, the vast majority of them muslims

from afghanistan to somalia to nigeria, from iraq to libya to malia. these attacks have been carried out by violent extremists who thrive in conditions of insecurity and injustice, fragility and failed leadership. these groups ruthlessly high jack hijack religion. they brutalize women and girls. they target and slaughter minorities. they are the enemies of faith. as muslim leaders around the world have said, groups like isil have nothing to do with islam and they certainly don't represent our state. they should more fittingly be called the un-islamic nonstate. yet these groups have become a

magnet for foreign terrorist fighters who are easy prey. the united nations and taliban monitoring team estimates that more than 13,000 foreign terrorist fighters from over 18 member states have joined isil and the al nusra front. this growing fighting terrorists is a consequence not a cause of the conflict in syria. a long period of upheaval and uncharacteristically, leadership in iraq coupled with outrageous human rights abuses in syria have created hot topic. there can be no protection of civilians if extreme groups are permitted to act with impunity and the syrian government's

assault on its own people. for more than a year, i have sounded the alarm about vicious and unjustifiable actions of these groups and the danger they pose to iraq. syria, the wider region and international peace and security. we need a creative and comprehensive political strategy in syria and beyond to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. terrorists must be defeated, but we must do so in a way that avoids the deliberate acts of provocation, that they set for us, victimization, radicalization and more civilian deaths. eliminating terrorism requires international solidarity and multi-faceted approach among the many tools we must use. we must also tackle the underlying conditions that provide the violent extremist

groups the opportunity to take root. security must be addressed. over the longer term, the biggest threat to terrorists is not the power of missiles. it is the politics of inclusion. as a peaceful societies and respect for human rights, it's education, jobs and real opportunity. it's leaders who listen to their people and uphold the rule of law. missiles may kill terrorists, but good governance kill terrorism. free and independent societies, free from suffering, oppression and occupation. this is what will kill terrorism. mr. president, distinguished heads of state and government, i recommend the council resolution just adopted and its call for strengthening implementation of the u.n. global counterterrorism

strategy. through the u.n. counterterrorism implementation task force, we are stepping up efforts in support of member states and regions seriously affected by terrorism. through the u.n. counterterrorism center, we are working with member states to enhan enhance understanding of the foreign terrorist and develop and implement policies to combat their flows. through our collective efforts, we must ensure that all counterterrorism actions and policies are consistent with international human rights and humanitarian laws. as a custodian of the charter of the united nations, i want to emphasize that all measures must be fully in line with the goals and values and principles of the united nations. i once again welcome the new unity in the council on this

issue under the leadership of president obama. i hope that this spirit will carry over to other pressing issues, particularly finally bringing peace to the people of syria. thank you, mr. president. >> i thank his excellency, secretary-general, for his statement. i'll now make a statement in my capacity as perfect the united states. mr. secretary-general, heads of state and government, distinguished representatives, thank you for being here today. in the nearly 70 years the united nations, this is only the sixth time the security council has met at a level like this. we convene such sessions to address the most urgent threats to peace and security. and i called this meeting because we must come together as nations and an international community to confront the real and growing threat of foreign terrorist fighters. as i said earlier today, the

tactic of terrorism is not new. so many nations represented here today, including my own, have seen our citizens killed by terrorists who target innocence. and today the people of the world have been horrified by another brutal murder by terrorists in algeria. president hollande we stand with you and the french people not only as you grieve this terrible loss but as you defend against terrorist in defense of liberty. what brings us together today, what is new, is the unprecedented flow of fighters in recent years to and from conflict zones. including afghanistan, in the horn of africa, yemen, libya, and most recently syria and iraq. our intelligence agencies estimate that more than 15,000 foreign fighters from more than 80 nations have traveled to syria in recent years.

many have joined terrorist organizations like the al qaeda front, al nousrah and isil. and i want to acknowledge and thank prime minister abadi of iraq for being here today. in the middle east and elsewhere, they exacerbate conflicts, they pose an immediate threat to people in these regions. as we've seen in several cases, they may try to return to their home countries to carry out deadly attacks. in the face of this dlethreat, y of our nations working together and through the united nations have increased our cooperation. around the world, foreign terrorist fighters have been arrested, plots have been disrupted and lives have been saved. earlier this year, at west point, i called for a new partnership to help nations build their capacity to meet the evolving threat of terrorism,

including foreign terrorist fighters. and preventing these individuals from reaching syria, and then slipping back across our borders is a critical element of our strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy isil. the historic resolution that we just adopted enshrining our commitment to meet this challenge. it is legally binding. it establishes new obligations. the nations must meet. specifically nations are required to prevent and sue express the recruiting, organizing, transporting or equipping foreign terrorist fighters as well as financing their travel or activities. nations must prevent the movement of terrorists or terrorist groups through their territory and ensure their domestic laws allow for the prosecution of those who attempt to do so.

the resolution we passed today calls on nations to help build the capacity of states on the front lines of this fight. including with the best practices that many of our nations have approved yesterday in which the united states will work to advance through our counterterrorism partnership. this resolution will strengthen cooperation between nations, including sharing more information about the travel and activities of foreign terrorist fighters. and it makes clear that respecting human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law is not optional. it is an essential part of successful counterterrorism efforts. indeed history teaches us the failure to uphold these rights and freedoms can actually fuel violent extremism. finally this resolution recognizes that there is no military solution to the problem misguided individuals seeking to join terrorist organizations.

it therefore calls on nations to work together. potential recruits must hear the words of former terrorist fighters who have seen the truth. groups like isil betray islam by killing innocent men, women and children, the majority of whom are muslim. often it is local communities, families, friends, neighbors and faith leaders that are best able to identify and help disillusioned individuals before they succomb to extremist ideology and violence. to build partnerships of trust, respect, and cooperation. likewise, even as we are unrelenting against terrorists who threaten our people, we must

redouble or work to address the conditions. the repression, the lack of opportunity. too often the hopelessness that can make some individuals more susceptible to appeals to extremism and violence. this includes continuing to pursue a politic solution in syria that allows all syrians to live in security, dignity and peace. this is the work we must do together as nations. these are the partnerships we must forge as an international community. these are the standards that we now must meet. even as we're guided by the commitments we make here today, let me close by stating the obvious. resolutions alone will not be enough. promises on paper cannot keep us safe. lofty rhetoric and good intentions will not stop a single terrorist attack. the words spoken here today must

be matched and translated into action, into deeds, concrete action within nations and between them. not just in the days ahead, but for years to come. for if there was ever a challenge in our interconnected world that cannot be met by one nation alone, it is this. terrorist crossing borders and threatening to unleash unspeakable violence. these terrorists believe our countries are unable to stop them. the safety of our citizens demand we do. i'm here today to say that all of you who are committed to this urgent work will find a strong and steady partner in the united states of america. i now would like to resume my function as president of the council. and i will now give the floor to the other members of the security council.

i begin by giving the floor to his excellency, mr. goodluck -- >> we've been listening to president obama chairing a rare head of state level meeting of the u.n. security council and speaking about passage of resolution 2178 against isis and an international alliance to deal with border crossings. for more on that address there and that unusual meeting, let's bring in two former presidential speesh writers, david fromme who wrote for george w. bush and senior editor at "the atlantic" and dave kusnet. david, let me start with you, the president and ban ki-moon both emphasizing this is unusual. there's only been six times that the security council has met at this high level. of course, the choreography is already done, the alliance already set to pass this resolution. and yet as you well known, presidential words matter a great deal, particularly as we go into bomb a new country here. what did you make of the line the president just walked in

speaking to those allies? >> well, the president is evidently trying to do is to -- after the fact. the bombs has already begun, build a network of legal authority. there is a question on what basis is the united states now at war in syria? remember, a year ago when the president was proposing to bomb on the other side of this war, he insisted he needed congressional permission. this time he doesn't have that permission so he is saying that he's allowed to do so under the grant of authority to president bush to call for war. the bombing has started. he'll try to get permission after maybe on the theory it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. >> david kusnet, the president ended his comments by saying resolution and rhetoric are not enough. they need to be backed up by actions not only by the united states but by other member states. where does that leave him, you know, basically saying the speech i gave is really not the important thing.

where does that leave him to go next? >> i don't think that's what he was saying. i think he was speaking not only as the president of united states but as a world leader. it was symbolic in that his second speech he was speaking as president this month of the u.n. security council. i think he was in the tradition of american presidents. maybe especially progressive presidents, presidents kennedy and clinton, who addressed the world first by saying they wanted to work with the nations of the world to solve the problems of the world. and then by addressing a specific conflict that the united states is involved in and wants to enlist the world community in. what president obama was doing, which is very much like what president kennedy did in the early '60s and what president franklin d. roosevelt did during world war ii is paint the vision -- paint the picture of a better world that can arise

after we address issues like the conflict with isil. >> david fromme, the president said once again, there is no military solution to this problem. he said, we have to address the underlying conditions. the oppression, lack of opportunity, the hopelessness that lead to terrorism. ban ki-moon said it a little more poetically, i would think, in saying missiles kill terrorists but good governance kills terrorism. these are messages leaders understand but the american people don't really want to hear. they want to hear, we can do anything, especially had it comes to our military. is the president expressing that concept that he believes is true? is he expressing is it properly? >> it's a bizarre thing to say in the context of isil. president mentioned 15,000 foreign fighters in syria. hundreds come from britain, canada and australia. these are not people who are coming from lands where there is a lot of misgovernance. they're coming from extraordinarily well-governed countries and they're turning

their back on good government, on places where there's plenty to eat and lots of jobs. in order to pursue violence. if there is ever a case study, disproving the deputy rivation causes terrorism it's in syria and iraq. >> one thing the president did both in his speech earlier and also here is he is addressing some of our allies, like turkey and qatar, without actually directly, obviously, calling them out. but the measure about foreign fighters, also some of the rhetoric earlier, is? a way critical of their efforts in regard to combating terrorism. how do you think those messages were conveyed and how do you think they'll be received? >> i think those messages were conveyed very artfully because the return to the big point, he began by speaking as american presidents do at u.n. general assembly meetings, by speaking of the problems of the world and

by speaking of how the united states wants to work with all the nations of the world to solve those problems. and it was in that context, and i think an additionaling of presenting the russian intervention in ukraine as an example of what the world community should be opposed to. i think it was in that context that he was making an appeal to the better angels of the world community to oppose the violent extremism represented by isil and al qaeda and some of those other groups. so context is everything. and i think president obama made his appeal in a very good context befitting the leader of the world's greatest power. >> david fromme, on that point of the extremism, you hear the president ban ki-moon both saying, hey, this is not islam when you look at the conduct of isil. and yet from your perspective as a presidential speechwriter, how much can a president really do

there in trying to wade into what is essentially a purist religious debate that spans sunni, shia, hundreds of centuries and now some sunni states saying, yeah, they're against isil but other groups, obviously, as you were just saying, sympathize with them at least pockets of extremism, around the world? >> right. i don't know how much good it does for a president of the united states, a christian president of the united states to say what is and what isn't muslim. i think it's strange for the president of the united states to say whether god approves or disapproves action. when he says no god condones these crimes. well, we all hope not. but it's a strange thing for president to say. in the bush years we would have been very, very leery of having president obama presuming to speak on behalf of god. and i would have thought president obama's speechwriters would have felt some of that same modesty. >> very interesting. thank you for joining us here. we'll continue to watch the special session ongoing of the

security council there. stay with us because "the cycle" is rolling on on wednesday, september 24th. >> these terrorists believe our countries will be unable to stop them. the safety of our citizens demand that we do. and i'm here today to say that all of you who are committed to this urgent work will find a strong and steady partner in the united states of america. ♪ want to change the world? create things that help people. design safer cars. faster computers. smarter grids and smarter phones. think up new ways to produce energy. ♪ be an engineer. solve problems the world needs solved. what are you waiting for? changing the world is part of the job description. [ male announcer ] join the scientists and engineers of exxonmobil in inspiring america's future engineers. energy lives here.

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it is no exaggeration to say humanity's future depends on us who would divide us along tribe or sect, race, or religion. but this is not simply a matter of words.

collectively we must take concrete steps to address the danger posed by religiously motivated fanatics. >> back to our breaking coverage on what's happening at the united nations today. simply put, the president called on the world to act and by u.n. vote, they just did. the security council has unanimously passed an anti-terrorism resolution. that's remarkable since russia can veto any security council resolution and the u.s. and russia haven't seen eye to eye lately. we turn to chair of contemporary middle eastern studies for university of london. this resolution that unanimously passed through the u.n. security council, how many teeth does it have and how is it going to affect the fight against isis? >> i think it's a very significant resolution. not only because it gives the united states international legitimacy because it also shows the world is united and the world is united. even russia and iran are on the same page.

i think the president today made a very forceful speech. regardless of whatever criticism has of president barack obama. this is a president that talks about collective security. he talks about unifying security. he talks about the u.s. leading a broadly based coalition. he talks about american leadership won the context of international law. but the reality is this is a very complex and difficult fight. words are wonderful. the resolution is wonderful. but i don't very much whether in the end we're going to see the defeat of the so-called islamic state in the next few months or next one or two years. at the end of the day, this is a long struggle. i think the president is correct to say this is a generational struggle. you need multiple tools. not just air power, but you need also also in terms of governance. at one point for your american

viewers, extremism and extremist factions of al qaeda variety are a manifestations of a greater kritsz, structural crisis. state failure, dismal economic and social policies. again for your own viewers when we talk about the middle east and the arab world, the entire population has been pauperized. you have about 40% of population who live either in poverty or below the poverty line. institutions are fragile, lack of leadership. and i think the president in a way has alluded in terms of talking about governance to these bigger questions, but the reality is, i don't think this particular coalition will be able to defeat other extremism or even the so-called islamic state, either in the short term or long term, given the limitations on the tools available to the president and the international community. >> professor, i wonder if there

is a member of this -- and i use member in an ironic way -- member of this coalition that no one is actually talking about. iraq's national security adviser met with bashar al assad and syrian state media's summary, the readout of that meeting include assad saying syria supports any international counterterrorism effort. many read that, including me, that he welcomes our attacks in syria. is that your impression? >> it's not an impression. it's a fact. the syrian government has fully embraced the american air strikes against the so-called islamic state. in fact, it has gone beyond the call of duty to do so. even the russians and iranians have been reluctant to do so. they wanted a price. they wanted to bargain. the iranians wanted american flexibility on the nuclear

talks. russians want also flexibility on ukraine. yet, the syrian government is basically -- has fully embraced the american air strikes. why? because the syrian government would like to legitimize itself. i'm sure all of you have noticed, the president this time did not really say much about the syrian president. in the last few years, as you know, he was vehemently critical of assad. he hardly said a word. he stressed the point about finding a political, diplomatic solution to the syrian crisis. he said even cynics who do not believe in this particular -- i mean, potential solution, there is no military solution to the syrian conflict. so, you can imagine how the syrians feel about this particular point. and the shift in the american -- in the president's tone. >> right. that's why great politics can be so depressing. assad having killed over 170,000 people.

many of them innocent. now we moved on to what is simply the greater danger on the bloc. i want to read to something you wrote. a precondition to any bigger solution would be to end the regional war by proxy between sunni-dominated saudi arabia and shia-dominated iran, which supplies nourishment for isil. what do you mean? >> i mean that basically isil or isis, the islamic state, are basically extremists who breed and feed on sectarianism. and what we have in the middle east in the last ten years, again for american viewers, a new cold war between sunni dominated saudi arabia and shia-dominated iran. you have the sunnis represent about 90%. shiites 10%. this particular war by proxy in iran and syria, bahrain, inflame

sectarian tensions. you have extremist organizations like the so-called islamic state, portrays themselves as the defender, persecutor community. again for your viewers, isil was not interested in attacking americans. not like al qaeda. it's not interested in the far enemy. has never been. so, in this particular sense, without resolving the the new cold war, sectarian war by proxy, even if you degrade isil, it will find communities. it has been able to blend itself with sunni communities. another point, and i know we don't have the time, air strikes in the last few weeks have not really made any major shifts in iraq. because, again, sunnis have not turned against the so-called islamic state. there's a great deal of mistrust. and without dislodging the so-called islamic state from within the local communities,

again, you can do a great deal of degrading but you'll never be able to dislodge the so-called islamic state from the local communities in mosul, falluja, tikrit, and other towns and cities. >> i was wondering if you would weigh in on comments made by former presidential speechwriter david prfromme on this program. he pointed out isis has received fighters, 15,000 fighters from 80 different nations. many of them economically prosperous. many of them with good governance. and he said that that yrnld undermines the argument that terrorism is fed by deprivation. i wonder what you'd say to that. >> everything that i have read. i have worked on this particular topic for years. i've written several books. without a fertile environment, these extremistextremists, al q qaeda in iraq, are basically social epidemics that feed and

breed on instability, on poverty, on socioeconomic inequities, on collapse of state institutions, civil wars, on sectarianism, on tribalism. the reality is even if you take out foreign fighters, you're going to have a potent organization that basically is a product of the sectarian in the region. the argument, even though you might say some people join this organization because of ideology, because they are difficult luted, because they're foolish, but the reality is on the ground without addressing the structural conditions, the fragile state institutions, the fragile states, the lack of governance, hugely, bad governance, i think you're going to have these parasites, social epidemics infiltrating the politics because the immune system is very weak. that's why all kinds of social epidemics infiltrate these days. >> thank you so much.

up ahead, how all of this will play politically. our breaking coverage continues next.

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we just discussed the world's response to the president's speech. let's bring you back home for washington's reaction. not that anyone is there to react. dana milbank is there because those washington post columns aren't going to write themselves now, are they? beer's looking good, brother. the president today continued his prl way of speaking about the middle east, which is different from previous leaders and other major leaders today in america are speaking about the middle east. saying they have to do it themselves. let's listen to a bit of the president from earlier today. >> ultimately the task of rejecting sectarianism and rejecting extremism is a generational task. and a task for the people of the middle east themselves. no external power can bring about a transformation of hearts and minds. >> he's saying that the middle east can be changed but that people there have to do it

first. that we can't do it. americans like to hear, we can do anything. we can control the world. so, i imagine that's a message that goes over better at the u.n. than to a greater american audience. >> well, i think so, toure. i was struck by the change in the president's tone. i went back and looked at his cairo address, the famous speech from 2009. you really saw a completely different emphasis here in saying to the muslim world, look, you guys have to deal with us. in fact, he gave them instructions, homework, if you will, to come back in a year and report on what progress had been made in countering these extremists. in terms of a domestic audience, well, he has a delicate mission here in terms of being -- getting -- rallying the public in favor of a military action while also cautioning them and saying, don't worry about it. no boots on the ground. not our problem in the long term. so, it's a difficult balancing act here. but it was -- i thought it was quite a strong speech. of course, it just echoed

moments ago in the security council. >> i think if you look at thins, i mean, as you're pointing out, this is a difficult place for the president to find himself in and is not where he wanted to find himself at this point in his administration, but he built a coalition for strikes in syria that was pretty unlikely and impressive. he gave, as you psd, a very strong speech, i thought. articulating what could even be seen as an obama doctrine of kind of taking your time and waiting and building that coalition and really looking to the globe for support in your mission. and then passing a resolution in the security council. that's always no easy feat. i think you have to say this is a pretty good day for the president in terms of what he wanted to accomplish. >> certainly in terms of domestic politics, he looks strong. both in what he achieved there, in terms of building the coalition. and i also think in terms of his language. i noticed you had david fromme on earlier. he's the guy who actually came up with the axis of evil phrase. and i think you heard some of

that language. the network of death that obama was talking about today. so, there was a little bit of an echo of george w. bush. perhaps not as much of a cowboy there, but a very confident president. and americans will react well to that. he's even built up piz own coalition of the willing, which even has andorra in it. >> the white house has this goldberg legal justification saying they're authorized by 002, regarding iraq, that our acts are in defense of iraq and therefore we're authorized for that. is congress going to go for that in the medium term or will congress have to take another vote on this? they're all campaigning now. is there a willingness of congress to come back and take that up? >> can you imagine them coming back before their precious re-election campaigns are up and vote on something as trivial as

war? there will be lots of gum flapping but they'll take their sweet time. this president, as presidents before him, have run circles around the war powers resolution. they'll find one way to do this or other, unless and until congress can provide more authorization. but, look, i moean, congress can't, as we've seen over the last few years, can't get anything done. if we're going to leave matters of war and peace up to congress to get its shoes tied, we'll have bigger problems. >> i understand that feeling and people are rightly skeptical of all the politics around such important issues but we know in our history, vietnam remade our politics. the iraq war remade the democrat party's politics, very sadly for many people who look at this anti-war president who is forced, whatever your view, by necessity or by at least his strongly held views to go into

syria and re-engage iraq. i wonder if you could walk us through your thoughts on that syria vote and where we're headed. it seems you at least have some people who relevant of the future of the republican side, in ted cruz and rand paul and taking up and taking what i would take a difficult vote there. some would say that makes them weak other national security. i don't think so. do you think there's anything positive that can happen here if the republican party has to do what the democrat party did, which is think more deeply about how interventionist we want to be? >> well, i think it already has forced them a bit in that direction because you have that louder international -- the wing of the party that was against the internationalism, the isolationism from rand paul. and he has, as you noted, really quieted down. been somewhat more supportive here. now, the interesting question is, how long does this last? i was at this tiny anti-war rally of the left outside the white house yesterday. they say, yes, the nation is behind us right now, but wait

until some of the footage of the collateral damage starts to roll in and the public support will dissipate. and that is very likely to happen. so, if they wait long enough, then they're actually going to be back in that muddle again where you can't get an authorization. >> friend of the show, dana milbank. thanks for your time. more breaking news. a grand jury has decided that superstar nascar racer tony stewart will not face criminal charges in the death of fellow racer kevin ward jr. stewart struck and tragically killed ward with his car during an august 9th race in upstate new york. stewart calls this the toughest and most emotional experience of his life. adding, quote, while much of the attention has been on me, it's important to remember that a young man lost his life, kevin ward jr.'s family and friends will always be in my thoughts and prayers. it's time to bring it out in the open. it's time to drop your pants for underwareness,

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rights, vac ians, global education and water and sanitation. a lucky 48,000 folks will win tickets. we teamed up behind the movement to broadcast the event so if you didn't get a ticket you can still watch it all right here on msnbc starting at 3:00 p.m. saturday. we'll talk about will.i.am about his project to inspire kids to stay in school. >> there's no guarantee to be the next steve jobs or bill gates. it's not hard. they all have iphones and laptops. that should be the thing we're all focused on. to turn these kids into men and women. every guy and girl in the hood has the same opportunity to be

the next bill gates, the next steve jobs. all-american. these people are american! i mean, and they built big huge companies. and dr. dre and beats, that's a sign of showing just how big you can make it. >> joining me now the host, thanks for being with us. >> do i get to be a friend of the show. >> you're a brother of the show. >> it's an important topic. i'm very cynical about the fluf celebrity interview. education is at the heart of our challenges. and if we fix it, he talked about having his mom send him all the way to the palisades hours away to try to get him to a charter school.

>> tell us how people got tickets for this concert and what activities people are doing to get to the concert. >> that's actually interesting and drew me to this to think it's worth covering. it's a very difficult model. will.i.am is supporting it along with a range of sebltcelebritie they are building a infrastructure of social mobilization, you have to go online and take action items and track the outcome, like lobbying for pieces of legislation, trying to get the government to pass so it gives a bigger impact other than going for people's pennies. >> i love the fact jay z will be there. >> what are gow going to ask jay z. >> how do you cut through the bs, forgive me for saying it,

there's a lot going around right now, and actually drill down to substance, and how to transfer that into a mobilization that matters so some of these issues next year are in different places. >> a lot of very cool people doing very important causes. thanks so much. >> you can catch ronan every weekday at 1:00 p.m. eastern. watch all the great performances this saturday. live coverage kicks off at 3:00 eastern. or stream it live online at glob globalcitizennbc.com. what's seattle's favorite noise? the puget sound! ♪ foghorn sounds loudly ♪ all right, never mind doesn't matter. this is a classic. what does an alien seamstress sew with? a space needle! ♪ foghorn sounds loudly continuously ♪ oh come off it captain!

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thank you for watching the cycle today now with alex wagner starts right now. >> as president obama delivers another strong message against isis, isis sends one back. it is wednesday, september 24th and this is "now." >> we must meet this challenge. ♪ ♪ >> the layers of bad actors that have accumulated in syria. >> no god condones this terror. no grievance justifies these actions. >> beheading people. persecuting religious minorit s minorities. >> terror is not a new weapon. >> the word spoken here today must be matched and translated into action. >> this is going toak