. >> in the united nations save haven of srebrenica. it was the worst mack kerr the world had seen since 1972. but weeks later with bosnian bon serbs. it led to a cease fire and the dayton peace accords. fast forward to 2014. some experts like david phillips are saying western powers missed the srebrenica moment when world powers realized they could no longer stand on the sidelines. >> the moment to intervene in syria was a year and a half ago when the carnage started. the absence of international intervention has created a today. and that gap has been filled with extremists and jihadis from around the world. >> he says nato could have taken other measures. >> what it takes is vision and leadership. we haven't seen a lot of that coming from western capitols. meantime people are being slaughtered in large numbers. >> reporter: no government structure to take the place of bashar al-assad's regime. >> this needs to be addressed much more seriously than it has been. >> christopher hill now retired heads the university of denver school of in

after 8,000 people were ethnically cleansed at srebrenica, bill clinton acted. none of us want boots on the ground but not to revisit other options which are viable, then i think i think is the only thing that we can do. this is shameful. this is shameful what's going on. >> let me ask you about the viability because it is argued, and it is arguable that perhaps three years ago if we had begun to make relationships with some of the legitimate rebel syrians who wanted a say-so in their government, that is one thing. now you have a situation where lots of fighters have come in from the outside, some of them linked to al qaeda, some of them islamist militants, who are also laying waste to syria. they are -- there's fighting amongst each other, and what the u.s. fears is that you find a legitimate rebel group. you give them the weaponry and somehow it ends up really in the hands of those who want to attack the u.s., and it's just a bad idea to put more weaponry in a situation that is already chaotic. >> isn't it a terrible idea to do nothing? the fact is that we sti

consequences, should we really accept the notion that the world is powerless in the face of a rwanda, a srebrenica? if that's the world people want to live in, they should say so and reckon with the cold logic of mass graves." that was our president. that was the president of the united states. and i agree with every word of what he said. but how are we to reconcile these stirring words with the reality of these images from syria? how are we to explain how the leader of the free world who says that it is a moral obligation of the united states to do what we can to prevent the worst atrocities in our world is not doing more to stop the atrocities that are occurring every single day in syria? where is that president obama today? where is the president obama who has spoken so movingly of the moral responsibilities that great power confers? where is president obama who said he refuse toss accept that brutal tyrants can slaughter their people with impunity while the most powerful nation in the history of the world looks on and stands by? where is the recognition that the -- quote -- cold logic of mass

you remember the seens from srebrenica in the 90s, a trickle of people moving out while the war goes on. and one of the terrible things about the syria conflict is we're going back to the dark ages in the conduct of war-- barrel bombs being dropped in the suburbs of great cities. 60% of hospitals destroyed. it's the disillusion of a country before our very eyes. >> an agreement like this would be one of the only positive implications of the talks that happened in geneva. they're supposed to start monday again. what is your expectation? >> i don't think you have to take my word for it, you can take the word of the diplomats. the french foreign minister expects very little. none going there expect an end to the war any time soon but there is a parallel track. while they're fighting the war, what about the civilians? because the very notion of a nonqatant, a civilian, is being lost in this area. we have nine million displaced from their homes, three million in neighboring countries. it's terrifying to say it-- snipers targeting pregnant women in bread queues at conflict lines. that is a

consequences, should we really accept the notion that the world is powerless in the face of a rwanda, a srebrenica? if that's the world people want to live in, they should say so and reckon with the cold logic of mass graves." that was our president. that was the president of the united states. and i agree with every word of what he said. but how are we to reconcile these stirring words with the reality of these images from syria? how are we to explain how the leader of the free world who says that it is a moral obligation of the united states to do what we can to prevent the worst atrocities in our world is not doing more to stop the atrocities that are occurring every single day in syria? where is that president obama today? where is the president obama who has spoken so movingly of the moral responsibilities that great power confers? where is president obama who said he refuse toss accept that brutal tyrants can slaughter their people with impunity while the most powerful nation in the history of the world looks on and stands by? where is the recognition that the -- quote -- cold logic of mass