support for isis and syria. the last slide in the deck here you know, i put in here that this was one of the more comical instances of this. they released in november 2017 russian ministry of defense released a photo claiming that it was a u.s. vehicle leading spiders out of syria and into safety in iraq. either an air force officer or an enterprising gamer said that photo looks exactly like an image from the gunship simulator special ops game. that was publicized and this is the same photo, the russians said yeah that was a mistake that the u.s. still supports isis. they are not emotionally invested, it doesn't cost them very much in terms of time and effort, it cost them nothing in terms of money. they understand that we will then have to respond to that which causes us to chase our tales for a while and to put work into finding out where the photo actually came from and refuting it. it really is a way that they can dominate the information space. every once in a while you will see them strike the u.s. partner

there's not going to be two years from now a deal in syria. syria will be great. however it is, it breaks up, and it's over and it ends. i'm very skeptical it will end. it can go on and it will. >> success is, i would say, we kind of alluded to this. it bears repeating, russia has successfully to this point managed a coalition for the first time in a long time. in 2008 in georgia we had some of the chechen militias on their side. in some of the post soviet wars they dealt with using nonstate militias, this is the first time in a long time that russia is managing a coalition that includes iran, and lebanese hezbollah and assad regime and it includes sometimes some of the shia militias out of iraq. they've managed to fairly successfully do that friction points, i agree with michael. two big ones are the israeli/iranian conflict. with which i think both sides see as existential and is playing out in syria. and there's a very, very high risk of actual military confrontation. the russians have a deconflict shun line. israel notifies them when they're going to strike in

syria. my name is jonas. i'm a nonresident. i'm working on the topics of syria and what happens next. welcome to the viewers out there. we had the pleasure of being covered by c-span today. it's not just everyone here but everyone part of this. each panel is on next steps strategy in syria. the panel with me to talk about the questions. i have next to me opposition to the united nations, through also equally important, the founding member of the syrian women's political movement, something we are also going to address. i have my colleague. we have our candidate and former the u.s. commission on international religious freedom. as introduction about for the u.s. strategy in syria, ambassador jeffrey, when he was in newark, laid out u.s. policy to syria. first, the usual material. it's something that's been the policy for quite a while. then, re- implementing, pushed for security council, the solution. to fight for and it covers the material. then as a point, the removal of -- u.s. role and ho

historically in syria. how do you propose we remove 100,000 very determined troops in foreign soil that's not friendly to the united states? boy, is that every good question. we don't plan to do it through military force. >> you heard, that is a good question. why, because i worked for the foreign relations committee. >> i don't know that many members know it. what will we do? that is the inside joke. the more discussion, the less time. very good question. >> give us your magic solution. >> basically, this has to be done through diplomatic effort. i was personally involved in the rollback of 25,000 russian troops from georgia in 2008. we saw the withdrawal of the israeli army from the sinai in 1973. it is perfectly conceivable and quite normal in international relations for these processes to lead to settlements that lead to withdrawals of foreign forces from somebody else's territory. >> so if i understand your answer, it's not that we have some detailed plan to do it. our answer is within the context of s

deutsch's heart to see what happened in syria.een this unfold and with this hearing the last that i will hold on syria, i know that the oversight of our policy will be in more able hands and the pressure on you and the responsibility on you is a noro u and i hope you carry the weig with you and heart with you and make all the right decisions for all the right reasons. i encourage all of our colleagues. to give the attention to syria that it is deserves. syria is two important and we got to use every tool at our disposal to achieve and indoor defeat of isis. get iranian forces out of syria and finally give the syrian people the peace that they deserve, the democracy they deserve, the freedom they deserve. without asad. and may it happen. and thank you so much. thank you mr. deutsch. with that, our subcommittee is adjourned. thank you ladies and gentlemen. [inaudible speaking] riverside literary scene and history. saturday at noon eastern on book tv we visit the university of california riverside citrus variety collection.which hous

syria. one of course was to prevent the fall of the assad government there and the second, as president putin has said repeatedly, kind of paraphrasing, actually, president george w. bush, better to fight them there than to fight them here in reference, of course, to the extremist terrorists in syria. i think those were really russia's two objectives in going in with -- from a russian perspective, a side benefit of hopefully forcing the united states in to some kind of political dialog with russia at a time when, you know, a year and a little bit after the annexation of crimea, the political dialog between the united states and russia had really broken down. of course once russia got into syria in a significant way, then i think the russian government and the russian military developed some additional interests there and i would point particularly to i guess a couple things -- one is the russian military presence became increasingly significant and particularly the basing arrangements became

the asian base in syria there is a good for. one year after his release in twenty eleven his friend and fellow activist to krisna ducted the figure of all forat in the syrian legal world to this day nobody has seen or heard from him seems. to me feels it is his duty to continue that common struggle for justice and the key issue here at the jail is run by the intelligence agencies everybody in syria from himself over from the stories of that they should needs who were released or their parents who the confession they value in the jail or the station. they didn't spoke about because afraid they didn't spoke loudly the public the more secret weapon of this regime to put the people in fear in here or just feel. harrop. feel. he still says he's going to appoint was a as a petition. to accept input child. marzan darwish also has a photo of missing lawyer to con his more longside voters of friends and colleagues who have likewise disappeared darwish is a lawyer and activist for the syrian center for media and freedom of expression. dar

this issue in place in syria. one year after his release in twenty eleven his friend and fellow activist high little mark two crews abducted the figure of one for a team in the syrian legal world to this day nobody has seen or heard from him since. believe feels it is his duty to continue their common struggle for justice and the key issue here at the jails run by the intelligence agencies everybody in syria from all the from the stories of the day she needs who were released or their parents who are the patient they dug in this year in the tension. but they didn't spoke about it because afraid they didn't spoke loudly that public the more secret weapon of this regime to put the people in fields in here or just feel. horrible. feeling. he's still going to open it was a as a courtesy. to me except of course i want. marzan darwish also has a photo of missing lawyer took on his war alongside photos of friends and colleagues who have likewise disappeared darwish is a lawyer and activist for the syrian center for media

waiting for a lifeline to syria. good morning where are you why don't you answer to every call brings them closer together. but it hurts because they feel powerless to help. they worry about the ones they've left behind. but really i'm trying to be strong but deep down i'm broken. the war continues to haunt those who fled from syria. and i'm trying to reach them but nobody else has. the war on my phone or two part documentary starts december eighth on t w. this is. tonight the u.s. president's former attorney pleads guilty to congress over. the fleet drawing sharp criticism from the u.s. president who claims that michael cohen is just trying to get a wider prison said he will go to washington for the ladies meanwhile president his camp with a meeting with russian president vladimir putin.

[laughter] so syria. well, can i start with with the next big battle that is going to come to syria? it is a place that, where president donald trump told the russians, you know, hold it. don't go so fast. >> [inaudible] [inaudible conversations] >> can we not -- >> yeah. >> so it is a ohs if poned battle, or do you agree, it is a postponed battle that would still be very bloody, very costly, and when do you expect it to take place? do you think the russians need -- the military, at least? >> i, well, i think, yeah, i do think it more likely than not is a postponed battle. my sense though is that the russians have, are looking to create some breathing room, some boothing space, perhaps finish breathing space, perhaps til the end of the year. and then i think the idea would be to undertake operations should they decide this is necessary, and it depends on what happens in these intervening two or three months, that would be more limited than what was initially feared. but that said, we're already seeing an

over yemen and syria. it's going to take an american involvement. >> egypt, what's it going to look like in ten years. >> beautiful. >> do you care to elaborate? >> promising country, as we just said before. the projects that we are all criticizing will by then jobs will be found. every day that is a new discovery in the night of the artifacts. we have a new museum. i invite you to come to egypt. you'll see the progress that's being done, except for one th g thing. we'll be 120 million by then. since this is where we are going to be living, this is the last pane panel. i want to thank the organizers of everything they have done, but especially for the session that played a big role in making sure we communicated and were on the same page in understanding how to make it nice and smooth and different rather than delivering speeches. he's an amazing person and has been really, really great. this is for you. and we thank an excellent moderator, intelligent, incisive and agreeable. thank you. >> only of the pre

and kurdish forces in syria hold their operation against islamic state claiming they have come under fire from turkey. broadcasting live direct our studios in moscow this is r t international i'm john thomas really glad to have you with us now donald trump has said the u.s. will continue its oil embargo on iran that pledge was made in a memorandum to administration officials sent on wednesday however his national security adviser john bolton has hinted that broader u.s. sanctions targeting countries that trade with iran could be soft. we understand the number of countries in the. immediately surrounding iran some which i just visited last week others have been purchasing oil may not be able to go all the way all the way to zero immediately so we want to we want to achieve maximum pressure but we don't want to harm friends and allies either and we're working our way through that while this is certainly a milder tone from john bolton he was speaking about the sanctions that are set to go into effect on november fifth now at that time a few months back when they were imposed we heard tr

because syria say that you can't solve the problems of syria without solving the problems of iraq what exact problem in iraq right now is affecting the situation in syria. well i think the more iraq becomes a stable unified country focused on development focused on improving human welfare focused on the moving some of the bolton and off circles that have forced into it in the past the more it can it's going to be able to play a part in creating. the necessary foundations for a regional economy which would necessarily include some kind of partnership with countries like syria with countries like iran with countries like turkey creating a new dispensation a new economic political dispensation in which post-war syria can fit in it is impossible i believe to resolve the problems of each of these countries individually without looking at them in the regional context for example the terrible water crisis that we have in iraq i mean our rivers originate elsewhere the euphrates that originates in turkey and process with syria it's impossible to. a local or a purely a rocky water policy which i

kurdish fighters in northern syria have announced a temporary halt to operations against islamic state the kurdish led it syrian democratic forces say they came under fire from the turkish military on wednesday yes t.f. plays a key role in countering islamic state but is considered by turkey to be a terrorist group the united states on the other hand on and supports the s.d.f. the groups anti eisel operations have recently been focused on the dairies or problems. meanwhile on the other side of syria isis terrorists have gained a ground close to the border with iraq killing more than forty u.s. backed fighters during an offensive that is despite washington's earlier claims that the terrorists were almost defeated that you got a ton of comments from all the boasting you may have gotten the idea that muslim mixtape in syria is so two thousand and sixteen the coalition to defeat isis has liberated very close to one hundred percent of the territory we do a good job with those as we have just absolutely decimated isis but the latest carnage is a clear signal that the terrorists are not ready

and outside syria and besides that who is going to the build syria do you think that as can really the confidence that is necessity among all the donor countries to really help in and in the building syria i don't think that i don't want to actually take any revenge of small to the contrary i believe that we have to really come to terms into one important fact which is. that there is no military solution in syria this has been really. the most important conclusion that we have to do to understand and to work according to mr siniora sank you very much for this interview thank you for your thoughts and for your insights on the situation in your country and around it. it was great having you on our program we were talking to you your other forward lebanese prime minister discussing the situation in lebanon and its complex political and religious tensions that's it for this edition of your next time. seemed wrong wrong wrong just don't all. get to shape out. and in the game equals betrayal. when so many find themselves worlds apart if we choose to look for common ground. you know world a b

i'm not very hopeful that syria would be a. he put back together again how the books were in the study but the rush not know if enough said what the heart of. seem so do you know methadone is still up to us our. men. and about in the we use in the above are let's shoot the mission and know. that the whole rule will live up to being the only he. has asserted that really need to stand then. i could feel. the conflict in syria has become increasingly sectarian it has caused internal displacement of hundreds of thousands of people and the international exodus of refugees on an unprecedented scale in the modern world. some think that a form of such a ration is the only solution. is a set of men young do it takes the equal a minimum could only i should do while i sit on that dual hazel's act and know and know that at the. lit match as a passenger. it could be sent. to the kid we took libby and we shot at the mouth about it but the one with the so we are doing well i hope and i will if luck will fit only if it did then. and i'm at tha

in syria. in yemen. et cetera. and their effort to essentially lebanon-ize iraq and syria, as well as lebanon. in other words, to have enormous power on the street through very well trained and equipped militia forces. but also to have some of the leaders of those forces, or connected with those forces actually in the parliament, so that you have the kind of legislative clout that hezbollah has in lebanon. sadly, none of this actually transpired. the maligned activity continued. if anything, it may have actually increased. helped because of the threat of isis in iraq and to a degree elsewhere. the missile program, the other big concern, continued with the testing and ever-more dangerous and more accurate missile systems and longer range. and ultimately, i think that led this administration, to conclude that even though technically, iran had not violated the jcpoa, that these other activities again were of such concern that they had to reimpose the sanctions that had been put on iran largely by congress, keep in min

goals in syria. one of the ones we've been hearing more and more from the administration is this goal of pushing iran and the proxies out of syria. what do you see as the iran's goal in syria and then the u.s. ability to counter that goal? i guess we'll start in the hot seat first, ken. >> sure. thank you very much. thank you. it's great to be on the panel with some old friends. briefly, because we want to talk about this and a lot of issues i think iran's goals in syria are to maintain the assad regime in power, and maintain its own position in syria. i think that's a new goal. going into this they're more concerned about the assad regime. i think because of the position they've taken it, they see it itself as an asset to iran. i don't think they're going to easily relinquish it. is it possible the united states could accomplish the different goals undersecretary hale laid out? absolutely. they're reasonable goals. but, of course, it's the middle east. they're nothing but big butts. it's going to be

and one of the issues you discussed was the restore ation of syria rebuilding of syria. how is russia is russia. is russia ready to you to invest money into this rebuilding it's not just about investing money we are ready to launch full scale work in these sectors of the syrian economy that would be profitable both to us and to the syrian state and the syrian people as part of our joint work. in europe which will be able to create new jobs in syria to restore infrastructure in syria there are a lot of things to do in syria trust me. and you can and should be should it's not just about direct investments. as for the humanitarian component we as you know we are constantly providing humanitarian aid to syria but you and i believe that our european partners are very understanding just in that respect they are ready as well to cooperate with us in these along these committer and lines we've talked about that even in you because in your permission some ball earlier. but. when i talked about the provision of. various. medical aids. and mr crone and others for very understanding

goals in syria. one of the ones that we have been hearing more and more from the administration is this goal of pushing iran and its proxies out of syria. if we could start there, i would like to go on a broad sense, what do you each see as the iran school in syria, and then the u.s. ability to counter that goal? i guess we will start, you will be in the hot seat first, can. >> sure, thanks very much courtney. i want to thank all of you. it is great to be on this panel with some very old friends. briefly, because obviously i want to talk about this and a lot of different issues. i think iran's goals in syria are to maintain the offset resume and power or the control of syria, and make its own position in syria. i think that is a new goal, going into this i think they were much more concerned about the regime, i think that because of the positions they have taken they now see that as in and of it self an asset to iran, i don't think they are going to easily relinquish it. is it possible that the unite

when did they get involved in the syria conflict. i happened a lot earlier than i have initially recorded it. i did that in mid- 2012. but i found out a actually got involved. i think it was march 2012 when they have that. now morgan sitdown and head that. t some of the rebel backers were coming to the fall. on the opposite side of the conflict. he is iranian backed. they did not intervene. the russian air force intervened in 2014. and turned the tide.d o that was a decisive moment in the syrian uprising. but in the book i outlined how confused not only the u.s. that all of the rebel backers. they would pit different rebel groups against each other. they were actually fragmenting them. they would pit them against each other so they would compete for supplies so that they would compete for proceeds. they would compete for influence. it was a very fragmented landscape that the u.s. was trying to understand. it was not a passive player. what is the current situation in syria? >> one thing is clear asad is not going anywhere. it's much o

than nine months and has been delivered to more than fifty thousand people in the rock band camp in syria it's in a rebel held area surrounded by government forces more than seventy british business leaders have signed a letter calling for a second referendum on briggs it it follows a march by more than half a million people in london last month demanding another vote talks have been stalled over the status of the irish border. and those are the headlines will have borne news funerals here after upfront next. the right to quit. adequate who decides what is and housing is not just about four walls and a roof it's about. have peace security and most important committee un special rapporteur. talks to al-jazeera. after more than seven years of a never ending conflict in syria does one of the world's most famous war crimes prosecutors believe they'll ever be justice for the victims and also on the show is god's on the brink of war. more than two hundred dead in gaza this year alone three palestinian kids killed in an israeli air strike earlier this week rockets fired into israel from gaza and

how does that -- >> send you back to syria. >> what happens if you go back to syria?be taken to the army. >> how different is damascus from beruit? >> oh, it's really, really different. in damascus i was always afraid of the government. some people died because they cursed the president. i left syria and i found hope here and i screamed in the streets, cursing the politicians and everything. it's all right. nobody is going to come arrest you. i really love this place with all my heart. >> is all of the chaos and the violence worth it for change? is it worth dying for? i mean, things were -- there was order when you grew up. there was order. >> yeah. >> no freedom, but order. would you go back to that? >> i don't think that there is anything worthy in the world of human blood. there is nothing more important than human being. >> you were never able to yell out loud, you'll never be able to do the things you do now, you'd go back? >> i was alive. >> lots of people were alive, so. rosy tone moisturizer. increases cell renewal. boosts skin's rosy tone... instantly. age pe

the arabs of mesopotamia greater syria and the his. remains part of the ottoman empire which was undergoing its own changes. where that and how does. that. democrat or will you measure. at the very near future. a while michalis well but as i licked the. measures thirdly when i mostly. moderate government i learned a lot of the i looked at a lot of the year mostly million or. more in one thousand or eight the committee of union and progress the young turks. overthrew. just seconds and restored the eight hundred seventy six constitution. this reduced tension at the top of ottoman politics but also created inciting among arab groups in the empire and let her hear much more of a new dictatorial. the more we. can the better home. can and who knows i'll call me to get paid have it of god but only. if you can sure tell you. a. recent carefully and remember really. so far i think. there would be your but it does because it would have. been lead. to a drive to three key and. more american lot of b. you. know who work for the who are americas by

efforts to contain iran and syria. he's also served in the bush administration as a senior advisor in the state department and the deputy assistant secretary of defense in the pentagon. before coming to the hudson institute, he was a senior fellow at brookings institution, and he's also taught at nyu, princeton, and the university of central florida. and his latest book "ike's gamble" is out there and soon to be a major motion picture may n= -- maybe. i don't know, but michael, take it away. michael: i wish that was the case. thanks, jim. i like to start by just putting it -- the trump policy in the kind of widest possible perspective. there are two, i think, ideas out there in the world about how how you should, how we should be dealing with the iran challenge. i am going to, for the sake of discussion, i'm going to call one of the european plan and then the european/obama plan and then the american plan. these are sort of ideal types i'm talking about. i don't think any country has a perfect representative of what i'

they knew how strong the french interest in syria was. on the first of october nine hundred fifteen the french ambassador to britain paul campbell wrote to his prime minister. to tell him that london had requested a french representative to draw the borders of an arab kingdom with syria. in this document the french ambassador suggested hans want george. would manage the general consulate in beirut for over a year and knew the syrian issue better than anyone else. aloft also just because diplomat sit down diplomat here diplomat kamel is a. hundred years of insecurity but eventually some pass on the. good of so. long some of the stuff i mean the dishes. don't miss them. in the diplomatic. it says on the song the kid also plays a good and as yet it is something. called the diplomat less it's a different so deep as the bus don't bust you so close good. evening. we have something to talk about. this year because i was almost sure your nice to see you again place your feet in the dorm the french representative pico had his first meeting with th

they knew how strong the french interest in syria was. on the first of october nine hundred fifteen the french ambassador to britain paul campbell wrote to his prime minister. to tell him that london had requested a french representative to draw the borders of an arab kingdom with syria. in this document the french ambassador suggested hans want george peacoat would manage the general consulate in beirut for over a year and knew the syrian issue better than anyone else. aloft also just because diplomat sit down diplomat here diplomat kamel is a. hundred years in the game circular debate events. his all clear good also. offered some bare loss some of the stuff i mean the data. dawn was just there. in the diplomatic. song the kid also plays a call and yet as yet it is something that's kind. of the diplomat less suited to get so depressed the bus stop bus. pulls good. evening. i'll. let you. resume assume your own eyes you were going to place your feet in the dorm the french representative pico you had his first meeting with the british in l

us secretary state might pompei was promising grave consequences to anyone shipping oil to syria and trying to prop up assad as he put it itself to the us treasury department on tuesday set up sanctions on three oil companies selling a raid in oil to syria and a number of associated individuals as well you know it states today sanctions and international network that the iranian regime and russia are using to provide millions of barrels of oil to the assad regime this is in exchange for the movement of hundreds of millions of dollars to the i.r.g.c. could force that money is then passed on to terrorist organizations like hezbollah and hamas the new round of sanctions targets to russia based on oil companies with one reigning in the six individuals talk to from various countries including iran and russia moscow has condemned washington's latest move saying it lends support to terrorists in syria. the effort to charge others with providing oil to syria which is battled terrorist aggression for seven years looks like a statement of support for terrorists and similar cheney asli an effor

rebuilding wattle syria has taken center stage during talks between the u.s. secretary of state on the un's outgoing special envoy to syria the phone call highlighted the importance of humanitarian groups in the region comes as a report reveals that u.s. aid money is actually lining terrorists pockets because d.s. has the story. american taxpayer money cash that is almost wholly in the u.s. mindset inviolable money but has seen politicians jailed for the slightest misuse is ending up in the hands of al qaeda in syria now that's a sick twisted if anything a new report has found that medians medians of dollars in aid to syria has been funneled to terrorists since late twenty seventeen u.s. agency for international development office of the inspector general investigation have uncovered numerous instances of possible or confirmed diversions to armed groups in government in northwestern syria including hayat time of year a designated foreign terrorist organization the. h.t.s. nusra front they have many names in short al-qaeda is wing in syria facts of the matter t

goals in syria. one of the ones we have been hearing more and more from the administration is the school of pushing iran and its proxy out of syria. if we start there i'd like to go in a broad sense what do you eat just see as iran's goal in syria and the u.s. ability to counter that goal? i guess we will start with ken. >> thank you very much courtney and thank all of you. it's good to be on this panel with some very old friends. briefly i want to talk about a lot of issues. i think iran's goals in syria are to maintain the assad regime and power and its own position in syria. i think that's a new goal. going into this they are much more concerned about the assad regime and the alawites. it's because of the position they have taken they see that in and of itself is an asset to iran. a i don't think you easily relinquish it. as a possible united states could accomplish different goals that under-secretary hail laid out? perfectly reasonable goals in the kinds of things we have done in other places. i

kurdish forces in syria their operation against islamic state claiming they've come on the. ground in its latest offensive. with the week's top stories on their main headlines off today welcome to our sunday program the week. the president of china has instructed the country's military to be war ready raising the specter of a potential conflict over trade territory but how much of this is just possible posturing. takes a closer look so here's the thing the chinese government almost never says anything you wouldn't expect thing. they're incredibly careful reserved at least with their tongues so when the chinese president orders his military to prepare for war serious indeed. the military to concentrate on that in these four war the chinese are preparing for war out loud. how over how did we get to this well trump for one aside from land blasting the chinese at every opportunity is tariffs his sanctions his trade war he's also being very heavy handed congress has just approved a second arms deal with taiwan in eighteen months. kind of untruthful the sales of weapons by the uni

the arabs of mesopotamia greater syria and the. remains part of the ottoman empire which was undergoing its own changes. kind of person i shall bear that address or. that. year or democrates year or you measure least. at the very near future. a while michalis well but as erlich fee. measures a third me when i'm a silly. morgan i live a lot of b. i lucked out a lot of the year mostly million. in one thousand or eight the committee of union and progress the young turks overthrew didn't have me just act. and restored to the eight hundred seventy six constitution. this reduced tension at the top of ottoman politics but also created in fighting among arab groups in the empire and let her hear much more of a new dictatorial. more. likely. to be home. and who knows i'll call me to get. them is. there really is that what i did a few short. and. a. recent carefully and remember the. so far i think there will. be more and that your but it does because it would have. been the lead. toward the three key and. more american below what i would be

which countries are doing their fair share i mean if we look at syria. for example. it certainly seems that jordan and lebanon and turkey are really taking the brunt of this in terms of the numbers of refugees that they have taken in but a lot of people would be asking why aren't other countries stepping in a particularly other arab gulf countries and since we're talking about a global problem here as well why not countries in asia like china what to countries like south korea and japan for example should they be stepping up more here this is war wasn't a local one was not a region was global poor that maybe were involved in that war since the beginning of the war on our repeated appeal from the beginning of the year. the u.n. and as an international coalition received about twenty billion dollars twenty billion dollars went into syria and the surrounding countries that's still not enough because our peers were much much higher five times higher than that now i think the international community have been to a certain extent generously for the syria situation but they

efforts to create iran and syria.s also served in the bush administration as a senior advisor in the state department and deputy assistant secretary of defense of the pentagon. before coming to the hudson institute he was a senior fellow at the brookings institution and he's also taught at nyu princeton and the university of central florida. his latest book ike's gamble is out there and soon to be a major motion picture may be. take away. >> i wish that was the case. thanks jim. i like to start by just putting it the truck policy in the widest possible perspective. there are two ideas out there in the world about how you should be dealing with the iran challenge. for the sake of discussion i'm going to call one of the european plan and then the european/obama plan and then the american plan. these are ideal types i don't think any control is a perfect representative of what i'm talking about. and they are two different theories of iran. the european and obama idea was that the way to deal with the iran challenge was t

syria. i want to say one thing about iraq being essential in the so- called persian presence that we are always talking about. i also would like to say that we at the beirut institute of very proud that the doctor has been a member of the board with us for 6-7 years. syria. please help me out as i have a lot of recent questions and i want to be shorter in the questions. >> it is totally impossible. said i don't want to interrupt you because you get upset and i don't want to make you upset. how do you see syria? >> i see syria as a meltdown of a country that has spewed violence extremism and instability and a tsunami of refugees into neighboring countries, but all the way into countries of our western european nato allies calling the biggest domestic populace pressures there since the end of the cold war. i see it as this incredible place where the enemy of my enemy does not necessarily be my friend. the alliances were you take the relationship with turkey, and we have some, interest with tur