but it's my opinion that not only should mr. assad step down, but he should stop trying to deliberately mislead the world where he -- his forces engage in an act of violence and it seems it's always followed by some fraudulent promise that they are going to reform and then that cycle gets repeated as well. and i know part of the impediment here is developing a broad enough coalition of nations, governments to support us. and i know we are trying to get an even broader coalition. and one of the challenges we have is engaging russia and china and they are two of the most vocal opponents. i don't know why. i can't understand, but we have to acknowledge it. two of the most vocal opponents against any kind of resolution in the security council. what can you tell us about efforts to engage there and what the latest is. >> senator, there have been intense discussions today up in new york, again, about some kind of u.n. security council action. my understanding from colleagues up in new york couple of hours ago was that the most recent syrian

league and in turkey as i raised before the first panel have a unique and critical role to pressure mr. assad. the economic ties with syria that the united states does not have. i support the efforts to leverage the relationships for a comprehensive regional approach to the crisis and what our allies who have rejected the regime. in addition to strong messages from washington and a concerted diplomatic push, more can be done to pressure syria at international bodies. we need to maintain pressure on syria, the united nations human rights council. we should also continue to pursue a resolution at the u.n. security council condemning the syrian government's. on monday of this week germany called for the security council meeting on syria, which i hope will result in a strong resolution. but some security council members remain resistant. especially in the wake of recent violence, it is unacceptable for the united nations to continue ignoring the courage of the syrian people and the carnage that it brought about by the syrian regime. we must also continue to pursue efforts to the ability of this r

. >> the pressures on mr. assad are building up. the european union is tightening sanctions on people close to his regime. the president told his faithful this week that syria would stand firm, whenever the pressures. he blames armed terrorist gangs for all the trouble. cox newspapers have shown footage -- >> tv and newspapers have shown footage of people with guns and knives attacking the police and security. there has been affected. for some reason, the west will only see with one eye and will only listen with one ear. >> the turks have not supported the call for him to go now. they and the russians say he needs more time to implement the reforms he has promised. the struggle continues. the uprising is not going away, nor is the regime. five months on, nobody knows how this will end and how much longer it will take. bbc news in beirut. >> there has been international condemnation of an attack by the taliban on the british council building in kabul. they set off a car bomb at the gate. 12 people were killed. 4 british council staff

mr. assad might be praying for the uprising to stop. there is little sign that it will. every day, people risk their lives to protest. the more blood this bill, the more they seem motivated to continue. the contest goes on and no one knows how this will end. >> for more on this and what more can be done, let's pick up this with the -- of middle east policy. do you expect there to be a change? >> when you kill someone, there are funeral protests. the end of ramadan will not change anything. what we have had is the president coming out and say that assad must go. both of these were a bit more all boost to the protesters to have been getting slaughtered. >> does this make a difference, that might seem like symbolic sanctions? does it make any difference to the assad regime? >> in general, this is a message. this is not only the people pulling the triggered but those testifying the massacre. it is important and symbolic but it will not change anyone's actions. >> let's discuss, there are a series of things that people could do to try to change the situation. what is most cri

lopez in a perfect world, what should or could the united states do to help mr. assadrture plan? >> well, that's a great question. i remember long ago someone wrote an article, there should be an elbow for dictatordictato. way for them to go to an island, depart gracefully. in a perfect world, none exists. at this stape, the questige, thn you find a way to change their minds it's either reprisal or death in the palace? we don't know enough to know if they're thinking in other terms. i do believe, this is where, again, tsurkey, lebanon, maybe iran will be critical. it's very, very important to start toi issue the if then statements from the state department and european actors. if mr. assad were to do the following the international community would be prepared for this. we're at the stage where we set up the demands and the structure of maximum coercion short of military force and wait for it to play out for a week or two, and i hope then the statements will help give them an out. >> is there a carrot that the international community could offer in that, if then, have y

. >> the pressures on mr. assad are building up. but the president told his faithful this week that syria would stand firm, whatever the pressures. he blamed armed terrorist gangs for all the trouble. >> syrian tv and newspapers have time and time again showed footage of people with rifles and guns and knives who are attacking the police or security, who are throwing them into the river. unfortunately, for some reason, the west will only see with one eye and only listen with one ear. ssad will take -- they and the russians they need more time to implement the reforms he has promised. and so the struggle continues. the uprising is not going away, nor is the regime. by month on, nobody knows how this will end and how much longer it will take. >> israeli aircraft have continued strikes on the gaza strip in retaliation for attacks that killed eight israelis on thursday. medical workers say several workers were killed, including a number of civilians and including at least one child. during the day, palestinians fired rockets from gaza i

now the prime minister has called on mr. assad to end the violence. >> i want to see the bloodshed in syria stop. one cannot achieve prosperity by cruelty. those who aim to achieve prosperity through cruelty will drown in the blood they shed. >> until now, the syrian opposition is fluid, unable to agree a unified position. but at a meeting of activists in turkey on tuesday, there were signs that may be changing. >> we agreed on shaping aspects of syria as a civil and modern country, with a new constitution which guarantees full rights to citizens. >> last week, the president told the u.n. that all military options in his country had ceased. but continuing reports of brutality and killings would seem to contradict that. dominic cain, "bbc news." >> a 5. magnitude earthquake rocked the east coast of the united states on tuesday. the epicenter was in charlottesville and richmond in virginia, and the quake was so powerful it could be felt several hundred miles away in boston. >> the earthquake rattled nerves up and down america's east

countries such as france germany and britain and the european union all issuing statements calling for mr assad to step down in addition u.s. president barack obama did sign an executive order calling for more sanctions against the syrian government clearly this is a circumstance where pressure is mounting international pressure from all angles and it is a story in a situation of pressing situation that will continue to be discussed within the united nations and among many countries around the world. cheeseman important reporting for us there now while far as advisor at the anti-terrorism caucus says if assad doesn't step down and continues with his policies syria will be in for a very bumpy ride it all depends on how president assad quit that power if it's of his own will if he decides to leave like ben ali or quit like mobarak then you going to have the process but even that process is not going to be easy because the international community doesn't know much about the internal mechanisms of syria syria didn't have a regime that was open so if he quits on his own which would be the best optio

army is mostly going from an ordinary officer corps from a minority called khalid writes from which mr assad comes but the country is a majority sunni country and it's been very influenced by neighboring iraq. people in syria are scared to death that the same part of secular violence. discrimination that has come to prevail in a row. well will infiltrate their country i think there are real similarities in some ways to libya. that is to say the situation is more complex than the outside world understands and it would be easy to make a mistake it's not wise to intervene in syria. and second because he probably in many ways is the neighbors in this case turkey. and also saudi arabia as the course for the arabs in the united states would be well advised and probably president obama's statement was influenced by the fact that the king of saudi arabia the president of turkey the prime minister of turkey have both come out called for that for president assad to either reform or really but i was going to ask you about that i mean to what extent do you think the u.s. has been you know before choosin

that's a stickier question what is what effect is this going to have on the situation in syria with mr assad it's definitely bringing more pressure on on president assad without question and that really is syria is the next domino in this domino effect we've seen happening throughout the arab spring now saudi arabia. few months ago took a whole bunch of oil money and past my recollection is it was an average of about ten thousand dollars per citizen to basically you know keep their society closed but also keep it stable is that strategy going to work for saudi arabia and for some of the other you know qatar the emirates some of these other. fairly hard fisted autocrats that have put the velvet glove you know will provide a social safety net over their iron fist. it's hard to know i you know i got off the phone from a friend who lives in jeddah about ten minutes ago and this sort of uprising is the farthest thing from her mind in a she's a housewife and mother of three she's looking to go back to work do i think that most of the people in saudi arabia right now are concerned with leadership i

mr. al assad is an indication that the regime recognizes this will be its most testing four weeks. a look at "the guardian." it's headline is "under the hammer," saying the overwhelming truth after four months of protest that assad has lost even the bare minute to govern. there is no way back. the u.s. president barack obama has said this situation is horrifying, that it's brutal, but the u.s., in reality, kyra, many analysts say does not really have a lot of leverage in a situation like this. >> we are following pretty dramatic pictures. zain, thanks. >>> he is a changed man thanks to the u.s. army. >> how much more weight have you lost? looks like you have lost even more weight? >> i'm around 175. another 15 to when i was in the states. >> but the changes this soldier are more than just physical. coming up next, we will catch up with mcclain in the combat zone two years after first meeting him.

there has been some criticism, especially from republicans, that that rewards the syrian -- mr. assadassad's regime. the state department at this point is saying that he is valuable there. he is a symbol, they argue, out to the people of syria that the u.s. supports them and also victoria newland saying that the ambassador and the embassy are able to get information about the opposition, and that's another key. they are hoping that this opposition will strengthen and will be able to become a cohesive group. >> jill, just 20 seconds here question lick. what are the odds of military action now in syria by the u.s.? >> basically can say not going to happen, at least at this stage. nobody has the appetite for it. that would be far too big at this point. they are talking about economic and diplomacy. >> jill dougherty, thank you very much for the update. >>> the fbi now investigating a threat against david letterman. we'll tell you who is calling for him tongue to be cut off. that story is next. digest best buy award. a s then they gave us an iihs top safety pick and you... well, you gave

king and dull a has released a statement read on satellite tv, a first rebuke for mr. assad. "the kingdom does not accept the situation," the statement said. the king demanded what he called the stoppage of the killing machine and bloodshed. it's immoral and against islam, he said. it seems repugnant and alarm over al assad's violence ram dan offensive may be what pushed first the gulf cooperation council and then the arab league and then the saudi king to break the deafening arab silence. >> we are alarmed by the situation in syria. an arab country with a big role in the region. >> reporter: ancient southern city and cradle of the syrian revolution where today the army guns blazed on. the syrian leader, deaf to the tongue-lashing he's now had from fellow arabs, neighboring turkey and the west. and as his isolation grows so syria drifts towards the abyss of chaos as king abdullah warned. >> sreenivasan: street violence spread to more of london and beyond today, as british police reported more than 215 arrests. the trouble broke out saturday night when several hundred youths a

but, look, it's my opinion that not only should mr. assad step down but he should stop trying to deliberately mislead the world where he -- his forces engage in an act of violence and then it seems it's always followed by some fraudulent promise that they're going to reform. and then that cycle gets repeated as well. how about -- and i know part of the impediment here is developing a broad enough coalition of nations, governments, to support us and i know we're trying to get an even broader coalition. and one of the challenges we have is engaging russia and china. and they're two of the most vocal opponents. i don't know why and i can't understand it but we have to acknowledge that two of the most vocal opponents in the resolution in the security council. what can you tell us efforts to engage there and what the latest is? >> senator, there have been intense discussions today up in new york, again, about some kind of u.n. security council action. my understanding from colleagues up in new york a couple of hours ago was that the most recent s

as i raised before in the first panel, have a unique and critical role to play here to pressure mr. assad. they have economic and diplomatic ties with syria that the united states does not have. i support these efforts to leverage these relationships for a comprehensive regional approach to this crisis and applaud our allies who have rejected the assad regime. in addition to strong messages from washington and a concerted diplomatic push, more can be done to pressure syria at international bodies. we need to maintain pressure on syria at the united nations human rights council. we should also consider to pursue a resolution at the u.n. security council condemning the syrian government's behavior. on monday of this week, germany called for a security council meeting on syria which i hope will result in a strong resolution though some security council members remain resistant, especially, in the wake of recent violence, it is unacceptable for the united nations to continue ignoring the courage of the syrian people and the carnage brought about by the syrian regime. we must also continue to

mr. bashar al- assad. they have economic and diplomatic ties to syria that the united states does not have. i support these efforts to leverage these relationships with an approach to this crisis and applaud our allies who have rejected the bashar al-assad regime. more can be done to pressure syria with international bodies. we should also continue to pursue resolution at the u.n. security council, condemning the government's behavior. though some security council members remain resistant, especially in the wake of recent violence. it is unacceptable for the united nations to continue ignoring the courage of the syrian people and of the carnage brought about by the syrian regime. we should also continue to pursue efforts to construct the ability of this regime to conduct business abroad. i welcome the new european union sanctions this week. they impose freezes and travel bans on five more government officials. we should examine it expanded sanctions on the banking and energy sectors. i want to applaud the

mrs. clinton came tout and said assad was a great reformer and we can work with him. i smelled a rat. >> that was me. >> greg, you asked why we can't just take this guy out. first of all, because we don't live in a movie. >> i do. >> i know you do. it is the movie of your life. >> it is a major mission. >> don't know where it is going to go. i know i die at the end. >> can we fast-forward? >> spoiler alert. andy was a ghost the whole time. sorry, america. >> come on, man. >> and then bill dies in a cross country trip. >> bill turns out to be a dude. >> i like the spotlight. >> second of all, don't we have a policy preventing the assassination of foreign leaders? >> we do, but i wouldn't say we directly would take him out. and i don't say we necessarily kill him. we should encourage removal. >> i agree. you never said that. greg said why can't we just take this guy out? and that's what i was referring to. >> it is a policy. unless you declared war and that's the problem in libya. we can't assassinate him because we haven't declared war on libya. if you declared war it

mr. mubarak was put on trial, president assad escalated his campaign against a city that no one thought hewould be willing to take by force. hama was the scene in 1982 of one of the most violent episodes in the modern middle et, when the president's father killed 20,000, perhaps more people there. his son is trying to retake a city in some ways liberated. the security forces had withdrawn from hama since june. there was a notion of freedom inside that city. there was a leadership to take the place of the government. now secondhand reports of bloodshed. >> rose: does the outside worlde fighting? >> i don't really think they do, to be honest. i think the international community has not gone as far as the protesters and dissidents would want them to go. of course the united states ande called for the president to step done. this is a government, a government run by a family largely, that's going to hol on to power at all can $costs. i interviewed a few months ago the cousin of president assad. he said, we're not going to get on a boat and sail away. we're going to fight till the end. we're se

mr. ambassador, today president obama called for president assad to step down saying the future of cira muste determined by its people, but president bashar al-assad are standing in their way while he is imprisoning, torturing, and slaughtering his own people. the time has come for president assad to step aside. how do you respond? >> i think this is an unacceptable statement coming from an important -- heavy weight administration in the war affairs. we were expecting the american administration to go in a different direction, actually. >> would you deny those? that your president -- do you deny, though, your president his government has tortured and killed thousands of citizens? >> i deny categorically and unequivocally these bloodsheds and killings said to be taking place in my country. the way they are described by the media. >> we see countless videos of children with broken bodies, people being shot at as they try to retrieve the wounded and dead bodies of their friends on the street and we see protests after protests broken up, firing live ammunition to crowds. are all of these lies? >

angry reaction from today mass kuls after president obama called on the syrian president assad to step down. mr leaders of the -- mr. obama and leaders of the european union say his brutal oppression of his people make him unfit to rule. >> reporter: aides to secretary of state hillary clinton say they are tightening the noose on bashir assad, that his names are numbered. they are also cite sights the i.s. because the obama administration waited 118 days before declaring assad should step down. >> the u.s. has been engaged in a relentless effort to pursue a set of actions and statements that make crystal clear where we all stand and generating broader and deeper pressure on the assad regime. >> reporter: today's sanctions represent the third round since the assad regime began. 32 syrian and iranian individuals and entities have been targeted. today's round of sanctions backed by similar moves restrict u.s. dealings with petroleum sectors. they say this will choke off assad's abilities to continue with the crackdown. he's unlikely to be swayed by president obama's call for resignation other new

mr. ambassador, today president obama called for president assad to step down saying "the future of syria determined by its people, but president bashar al assad is standing in their way. his calls for dialogue and reform have run hollow while he is imprisons, torturing and slaughtering his own people. for the sake of the syrian people, the time has come for president assad to step aside". how do you respond? >> i think this is an unacceptable statement coming from an important heavy weight administration in the world affairs. we were expecting the american administration to go in a different direction, actually. >> do you deny, though, that your president, his government has imprisoned, tortured and killed thousands of syrian citizens in the past five months alone? >> i deny categorically and une equivalent okayally all these wrong references to bloodshed and killings taking place in my country. the way they are described by the media. >> we've seen countless videos of children with broken bodies returned after weeks in detention. we've seen people being shot at as they try to retrieve t

mr. ambassador, today president obama called for president assad to step down saying "the future of syriat be determined by its people, but president bashar al assad is standing in their way. his calls for dialogue and reform have run hollow while he is imprisons, torturing and slaughtering his own people. for the sake of the syrian people, the time has come for president assad to step aside". how do you respond? >> i think this is an unacceptable statement coming from an important heavy weight administration in the world affairs. we were expecting the american administration to go in a different direction, actually. >> do you deny, though, that your president, his government has imprisoned, tortured and killed thousands of syrian citizens in the past five months alone? >> i deny categorically and une equivalent okayally all these wrong references to bloodshed and killings taking place in my country. the way they are described by the media. >> we've seen countless videos of children with broken bodies returned after weeks in detention. we've seen people being shot at as they try to retrie

journalist neil clark to discuss this now i thank you very much mr clarke for joining us first of all let's talk about timing president assad has just announced that all military operations have been stopped in the country now why is this call for his resignation happening now. well of all good all along the what we us and its allies really want is regime change in syria and they're not really generally interested in the terrible situation of. having dialogue between both sides and that's the reason it's happening today because we've had ten days ago president assad said that he was going to introduce a multi-party system in syria today he said the operations against the opposition. and what do we get instead of us saying well that's good that's a good move we get these calls for him to step down so you're saying they're calling for him to step down now because he's willing to negotiate exactly i mean i mean it really blows the gaffes of what the u.s. really wants a man is regime change and why do they want regime change in syria is it because of the regime's human rights record but no it isn't because of course there's lot

department is holding back, concerned that if the president publicly makes that demand and assad stays in power, mrobama and the u.s. could end up looking weak. >> i come from the school that actions speak louder than words. >> reporter: meanwhile, after a brief confirmation hearing in washington. >> the syrian government is unwilling to lead the democratic transition that the syrian people themselves demand. >> reporter: u.s. ambassador robert ford is on his way back to syria. in early july, he infuriated the asaid regime by visiting opposition centers like the city of hama, but some in congress want to pull forward back to washington. keeping an ambassador in syria, they argue just rewards the assad regime. senator robert casey thinks that recalling ford is a bad idea. >> as long as we can keep him safe and the embassy folks safe, i think it's important he stay there, engage and keep building within the country the kind of coalition you need to bring about the kind of substantial change that has to happen in syria. >> reporter: pressing syria at the united nations, the administration hipped to co

mr aftermath. of the transform transform conflict analysis center in berlin think serious religious tension will begin if the opposition topples president assad. showing signs of those. who are minority shiite minority has been against the sects in syria but all. the legal position forces who you can vote for who you hope to please and how can we get food going to do because hundred like weaver who will start in the month a truck a lot of words. that is yet clearly in religious conflict as long as everybody's you know it was looking but if we are successful but when we may see some tension. and actor even him a loose was at a faster hour in the university in amman thanks the revolution in syria is filled from the outside and aimed at igniting a civil war. i think that the nato alliance using some regional tools like turkey and the gulf corporation council are working very hard to instigate instability in syria and this sort of instability will take it's like bent specifically they are working on agitating a civil war within syria and they want to call that every day gun that they want to but the purpose of such a war is to bring syria down to

latest developments in the syrian crisis mr dunne so opinions on how to help syria overcome its crisis are divided obviously the u.s. and e.u. are urging assad to step down with russia saying the syrian leader should be given more time what could be a factor of a split like that be. well it's important that the split is bridged i think that the europeans and americans they've spent five months giving us time to implement reforms and their patience clearly is at an end so i'll be interested to see what moscow says is their kind of timeline in terms of when they think this could possibly happen otherwise the americans have been very clear they know their influence and ability to change syria behavior is limited they've always said they'd have to reach out to countries that are closer to syria and russia is one such country and a very important country so i think the americans will now and the european specially really have to work hard to persuade the russians that they are right on syria and that russia is currently wrong so that is the next important step let's read a little bit between the lines what does this latest rhetoric by western nat

mr. obama to make the same demand of bashar al-assad a sponsor of terrorism.five months an estimated 1800 syrian civilians have been killed. asked about the contrasting approaches u.s. officials say they have enacted punitive measures on bashar al-assad and each country will change its own way. john mccain, the ranking republican on the armed services committee called steps by the u.s. good news, but added, better late than never. rick: for more on this let's bring in jonathan shanzer from the foundation for dense of democracies. i can't imagine johnathon, bashar al-assad hearing what president obama had to say today, and saying, all right i'll go. what is the purpose of a statement like this. >> it's an important shift by this administration. we have been standing by while 2,000 people were killed and 3,000 people have gone missing and are presumed dead. it's important we get on the right side of history. i think senator mccain is right. better late than never. i wonder what prompted this. it was a bloody weekend but not more bloody than the last five months.

call for syrian's assad to step down with the syrian ambassador to the united states, michael ord. >> mrere able to sneak through egypt. egypt says that did not happen. what's your proof? >> all of our intelligence services agree, john, that the terrorists came out of gaza across sinai. that's not the first time this has happened. >> i want to focus on the attack in a moment. but in terms of what has happened in the region and the change of the government in egypt, israel had a peace treaty. there was generally security along that border. do you have an increasing problem with the new military government that you didn't have under the mubarek regime? >> it's not a problem with the transition government. it's a problem the fact that the egyptian army and the egyptian police are preoccupied elsewhere. and we are concerned about the growing instability and lack of control in sinai. it's not just terrorists coming out of gaza but it's bedouin blowing up our gas line there which provides 40% of our natural gas has been blown up five times in the last few months. israel in an extraordinary ges

mr. secretary. >> thank you. >> russian president dmitry medvedev and made a new appeal to the syrian president assad to carry out reforms and reconcile with opponents saying it would be risking a bad fate of the rush -- if he failed to do so. next, discussing the anti- government protests in syria. this is hosted by the london- based front line club, a charity organization that promotes independent journalism. >> we do start on time. we know how busy you are and we have a lot to cover, so i will not say much at all except to encourage you please, this is your meeting. if you are not hearing the other side explained please say early, did not wait until the end and say you are disappointed. say it early. i sat and too many audiences board, and we intend it to discuss this life changing issue properly, which means with you telling us where you want us to go. we intend to keep our discussion in four area. we will end with predictions. we will update the situation on the ground, the protesters, the regime. those are the topics. welcome, everybody. could i ask the panelists to introduce yourselves and give us in a sta

tweeted a short while ago saying that under the assad regime syria has been in iran proxy, a supporter of terror, i joined barack obama in calling for mr. a sad's resignation. read that at twitter.com/c-span and look for the members of congress list. live coverage today coming up. later on today a look at the shifts in political demographics in the u.s. that gets under way at 12:30 eastern. the american enterprise institute. later the gallup polling group reports on public opinion on the u.s. education system. that's live at 3:00 p.m. eastern. and on c-span2, this afternoon, the chairman of the national transportation safety board will talk about saveation safety. she'll address the airline pilots association. that's live at 4:00 p.m. for politics and public affairs, nonfiction books, and american history, it's the c-span networks. it's all available to you on television, radio, and online. and on social media sites. search, watch, and share all our programs any time with c-span's video library. and we are on the road with our c-span digital bus and local content vehicles, bringing our resources to local communities and showing events