Understand it. he thought it was important. so talk about what you just saw the president s approach on syria. what does he need to do moving forward? i think he has to bear in mind the fact that we are watching as sectarian war. not struggle for democrats but the sectarian war and really a war in a region that is volatile. the name of the game, i think, is to preserve some degree of american influence without american becoming the chief practi proceed twe have to keep that thing in mind. if we can fashion something with the russians, that is all to the good. if we can t fashion something with the russians, then we can support what we call democratic opposition which is the least flungs of the groups engaged in violence so we keep some degree of influence. my warning is don t plunge in on