children are going to take revenge on those who refused to help them, to stop this slaughter by bashir assad. so there are long-term implications, both on a humanitarian side as well as other aspects of -- of this issue. and believe me, it is the greatest blow to iran if bashar assad fell in 25 years, so it is not just a humanitarian issue. if bashar assad goes, hezbollah is disconnected from iran. the whole equation in the middle east dramatically changes. if iran and bashar assad succeed, you're going to see a direct threat of the state of israel, which the israelis understand coming from the golan heights. so this is not only a humanitarian issue, it is a national security issue. if iran succeeds in keeping bashar assad in power, that will send a message throughout the middle east about iranian power, iranian ability and iranian ability to change governments throughout the middle east. so there is a lot at stake here. i hope the president will go to a no-fly zone and give these people the weapons with which they defend themselves as russian arms and iranian arms pour into the country on t

syrian president bashir al assad says the suggestion he has used chemical weapons against his own people is a caravan of lies and he continues to be emboldened by support from the russians who say they are unconvinced by the evidence presented to them by u.s. officials. and this conflict over syria is certain to dominate the g-8 conference which begins next week where president obama and put tine will be in attendance. even before those talks have begun, in fact, even before the white house made its announcement yesterday, the usual suspects were out urging intervention. >> so i applaud the president's decision and i appreciate it. but the president of the united states had better understand that just supplying weapons is not going to change the equation on the ground of the balance of power. these people the free syrian army need weapons and heavy weapons to counter thanks and aircraft. they need a no-fly zone. >> it isn't just republicans who have been urging intervention. former president bill clinton perhaps mindful of his own experience in bosnia believes the crisis in syria now dem

officials say they now that very dean fiv proof syrian president bashir al assad used sayre ingas kills hundreds of people. >> the president has made it clear the use of transfer of chemical weapons or use of chemical weapons has crossed the red line. >> in response they'll now start providing support to rebel fighters. >> if we do not address the chemical compromise in syria before these chemical weapons flow out of syria, not only will israel be in the cross hairs of massive destripgs capabilities, it is only a matter of time that they come here. >> news of the president's decision to support the rebels was met with general approval here on capitol hill on both sides of the aisle. even if he didn't spell out what kind of military support america will provide. >> the main thing about this is he has now said that the red line has been crossed. >> that means there must be consequences. >> but some believe arming the rebels isn't enough. >> they need a no-fly zone. >> senator john mccain who was visited with opposition leaders says syrian air force is too strong for rebel air fighters. >>

could decide this week whether to arm syrian rebels in their battle to oust president bashir al assadere has been hesitation to send weapons groups to al qaeda but the obama administration says arms will go to groups that have been vetted. president obama is said to have no plans to send u.s. forces to syria. >>> and seven taliban insurgents in afghanistan are dead after an attack this morning on the herbally guarded airport in main kabul. the insurgents used rocket-propolled grenades, assault weapons, and at least one large bob. ahead of next year's withdrawal by u.s. and other forces. >>> and jury selection begins today in florida in the trial of george zimmerman. he's the former neighborhood watch volunteer accused in the racially charged shooting death of trayvon martin in 2012. susan mcginnis is in sanford, florida. susan, good morning. >> reporter: anne-marie, good morning. sanford has been preparing for this trial for more than a year. hundreds of spectators and protesters are expected here. the media have inundated this area outside the courthouse. inside, some of the 500 pote

white house announced yesterday that the obama administration has concluded the syrian president bashir al assad regime has used chemical weapons in the fight against the rebels remember when last summer president obama said the evidence would change the calculus of u.s. involvement take a listen. we cannot have a situation where chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people. we have been very clear to the outside regime but also to other players on the ground that a red line for us is we start saying a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized well this red line may have been crossed the white house released an official statement yesterday about syrian use of chemical weapons skating following a deliberative review our intelligence community assesses the assad regime has used chemical weapons including the nerve agent sarin on a small scale against the opposition multiple times last year our intelligence community has high confidence in that assessment given multiple independent streams of information the intelligence community asked to me i

commitment, backed by the force of the united states government, including lethal aid to oust bashir assadar. there are already iranian elements in syria. they're supporting assad. the russians are on the coast, maybe on the inside, so this is a very, very powerful step. but it's also a step that opens the way to diplomacy. assad has completely forfeited any claim to morally remain in power by the use of those chemical weapons. that's simply inadmissible in the 21st century. even in the darkest days of world war ii, when the soviet union was abouting to run over, even the soviets didn't use chemical weapons. it's just not permissible. he's used it, he's forfeited his moral authority. that in turn with the united states commitment to support more actively the rebels means there's an opening now for diplomacy. so i'm very hopeful that we'll proceed on two fronts. we'll be trying to aim -- to help the rebels, but giving them the weapons to resist more strongly, but also using assad's failure in this respect to really empower diplomacy, and bring about the kind of negotiated diplomatic solutio

fact that he has now acknowledged what the french and others and all the rest of us knew, that bashir assadsing nuclear weapons. but just providing arms is not enough. we've got to change the equation on the battleground. and if i might say, i have seen and been in conflicts where there was gradual escalation. they don't win. if all we're going to do is supply weapons then there will be a commensurate resupply by the iranians and the russians and others. so i thank the president for acknowledging that the syrians are using chemical weapons and massacring their own people and i applaud his decision to provide additional weapons. i do not every ounce -- every bone in my body knows that simply providing weapons will not change the battlefield equation and we must change the battlefield equation. to every bone in myse body knows that simply providing weapons willg time. not have good consequences.nk a we will see regional conflict and i yield to my colctleague for i souths carolina. that w >> i thinek that this is required. what doesn't matter to the average american that we contain this war in

they confirm critic's worst fears that bashir al-assad used chemical weapons.oug luzader is live from washington with the latest. >> with the death toll now approaching 100,000 the white house says there is finally enough evidence to ramp up u.s. involvement. the administration now acknowledges that syrian forces have used chemical weapons against their own citizens. according to u.s. intelligence those weapons killed 100 to 150 people. assyrian president bish charr b assad. the president will follow through on a commitment he made nearly a year ago. >> a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. that would change my question. >> we don't know what form it would take and there is a whole range of options here. there is a no-fly zone for direct military attention. one of the biggest critics says this must go beyond just suppliling weapons. >> simply providing weapon also not change the battlefield equation. we must change the battlefield equation otherwise you will see a regional conflict the consequenc

still russia remains a strong ally of bashir al assad. russia has warned the u.s.t of the conflict. wendell goler is traveling with the president live in ireland. wendell, what you can tell us about the meeting? >> well, his aides say that president obama and president putin spent about 20% of their two hour meeting trying to resolve the impasse over the syrian civil war. while they didn't resolve their differences, mr. obama says they do have some common goals we do have differing perspectives on the problem but we share an interest in reducing the violence securing chemical weapons and ensuring that they are neither used or are they subject to proliferation and that we want to try to resolve the issue through political means if possible. >> mr. obama's aides suggest his strategy is to try to convince mr. putin while assad has to go, the rest of the regime can stay in power and negotiate with the syrian opposition. they think putin might bite on that if he is more interested in restoring stability than in protecting assad. back to you. >> jon: but is it doesn't so

even if you are successful at toppling bashir al assad, you then would own this government and the reconstruction of syria for perhaps a decade to come. that's a, you know, hundred billion dollar plus investment for the u.s. taxpayer. we should absolutely have a discussion about this in the united states senate and the united states house of representatives. >> here's the question. we're sending guns because we want to stop the blood shed. we send in guns because we want to end the war and all guns do is continue the war. all they do is keep it going longer. then i say maybe it will end the war faster. no one thinks it's going to end the war faster. it's just going to kill more people with blood on our hands. i go he's aiming for a phony war where nobody gets hurt like in world war i the so-called phony war where nobody really shot at each other. is that what he's aiming for? do you know what the president's aiming for? i can't figure it out. a transition peacefully where putin goes off to russia or perhaps iran? what is he telling you people? >> i acknowledge the president is in an impossible si

>> well, we think the assad regime would have to participate in any type of negotiation. i don't think we've seen any proposal that bashir al assad himself would come to table as a part of that process. what we want to see in the negotiated settlement is not a situation where you dissolve the institutions of the state in syria. but where you see the power and the government coming together, bringing the opposition, maintain the elements of the state, the certain institutions of the state, certain individuals who have been there with the government in the government that, again, can restore the unity of the country, respect the rights of the people, and start to begin again to provide services. so bashar al assad himself we think needs to leave the state here. clearly his regime is going to have to be part of any political dialogue we have in pursuit of that objective. >> do you have a couple of questions? you want to do that, right? can you resolve for us the situation of the student loans? in the senate floor. the republicans to offer what they describe as the president's proposal extending the student loan issues that

syria finds most of the western world supporting the regime of bashir al assad.a consensus, a call to end violence and find a diplomatic solution. the united states and european union agreed to negotiate a free trade pack. talks will begin next month in washington. white house officials feared that would not occur. president obama will leave the summit for berlin and deliver a speech at the brandenburg gate tomorrow day's shy of john f. kennedy's speech with west berliners living in the shadow of the berlin wall. >>> president obama talked about serious civil war? our pbs interview. he rejected criticism that he should have decided earlier to send arms to syria's rebels. >> these folks are carpenters and black smiths and dentists. these aren't professional fighters. the notion there was some professional military inside of syria for us to immediately support a year ago or two years ago -- >> there were some former syrian jerrells that were part of the free syrian army. >> there were those that were a part but i don't think anybody would suggest that somehow there

it is in russia's interest to join us in applying pressure on bashir al-assad to come to the table ina way that relinquishes his power and standing in syria. we do not see any scenario where he restores legitimacy to lead the country. they can best protect their interest by being a partner -- part of a political settlement that israel -- that is real. preserve some elements of the state, the regime, but respects the rights of the syrian people. will beresident discussing the types of aid and assistance we provide into syria. the countries that work with us on that our european allies and the french and the british have been the most prominent in that regard. it will also have opportunities to see the leaders on the margins of these meetings as well. i should have added that we for himte the chance to spend some time with prime minister cameron. he will be having these discussions. given the nature of the assistance and how we provide assistance in situations like an instancenot where we can be specific about every single aspect of what we are doing, but the general point that we made,