International cooperation in dealing with crises and avoid the openended conflicts that left american troops bogged down in iraq and afghanistan. A day after obama revealed his plans for the final u. S. Withdrawal from afghanistan, a reminder of the dangers that still fester there. A u. S. Consulate vehicle is attacked and two americans injured. Critics are sure to say its another example of a weakened president defied on the world stage and no longer packing the threat of swift and decisive military action. Last hour on cnn secretary of state john kerry pushed back against those who say obama backed down during russias military intervention in ukraine. It is very clear that the opposite of what you just laid out has happened. Putin was threatening to come in with troops. In fact, those troops are now being withdrawn. Theyve had a successful election for a president of ukraine. I think the president s policy has worked. I think the European Alliance has been strengthened. The unity between europe and the United States is what has empowered this election to take place and made it clear to russia that the west is unified lets peel away some of those layers. Michelle kosinski is at the white house. And in london, correspondent jim sciutto is standing by. Ill start with you, michelle. Reporter we will hear some announcement on syria. We know its going to include some increase in assistance to the moderate Syrian Opposition. Jay carney, the white house spokesman left a sort of cliffhanger for us. He gave a briefing as the president is on the weight of this speech. Hes asked is this going to mean military training for those opposition fighters as has been talked about these last two days. He said im going to leave it to the president on that. Were just going to have to wait and see what president obama has to say. What this means is military training. However, i will say that secretary of state kerry, in doing these interviews today with broadcast networks did say in no Uncertain Terms that this would be no american boots on the ground. So we know its going to be some additional assistance. Also, the president is going to announce what he would like to see happen to be approved by congress, this antiterrorism fund, a Partnership Involving a number of nations that would train other countries to fight radical to fight terrorist elements within those countries. The problem is Cnns Barbara Starr brought up a good point on that. Even if this does go through and it would be about 5 billion ideally, would it really work . In some of the countries where an effort like that would be most useful or most needed, those are the places where the governments are the most changeable or undefined, most difficult to work with, enacting Something Like that. There are obviously some questions surrounding this. Syria seems to be one area in this address where the president can be proactive and make a real announcement that could change things in the near future, carol. Well see. Michelle kosinski, stand by. Jim sciutto is in london. The rub on president obama is hes wooerk on the world stage. Does the world perceive the u. S. President as weak . Reporter i think the harsh answer is yes, in some places. I think they can be an exaggerated point of view. The u. S. Ive spent a lot of time overseas going back to the george w. Bush days, youre either too hot or too cold. In the bush days u. S. Is too aggressive. Many people say now the Obama Presidency not aggressive enough. Meanwhile, there is more respect out there than i think we acknowledge in these places because people know theres a weight that the u. S. Carries that other countries cant compete with. That said, there are questions about the obama Foreign Policy. This speech comes at a crucial time and a difficult time for his Foreign Policy. Crucial because halfway through his second term hes talking now about Foreign Policy decisions that are going to define his legacy. Difficult because so many of the Foreign Policy challenges now are in extremely challenging phases. Michelle mentioned syria, two years in, 100,000 dead. You cant argue u. S. Policy worked there. Libya, you successfully deposed moammar cat daffy, but you cant call that a success either. Its been dragged back by events in the middle east and even events in europe with the crisis in ukraine. Although it was a largely successful election there on the weekend, big portions of the eastern part of that country did not vote, 10 , 15 turnout because russianbacked militants still operating there with free reign. This is an extremely challenging time for Foreign Policy. And even if it is exaggerated that america is weak on the global stage, there are real questions out there, but also hear at home about what exactly is the obama Foreign Policy. How do you tie these regions and efforts together. What is the driving force . What is the mission . Is the mission just reducing expectations of what america can accomplish . Thats one of the chief criticisms. That will be one of the key challenges for the president today, to define how you tie all these things together. What is the Mission Statement for obama and for Foreign Policy . Thats whats been lacking. Well be listening, michelle kosinski, jim sciutto, many thanks to you. Stay with cnn as we await president obamas expected speech on Foreign Policy, it should come your way about 10 15 eastern. A team of correspondents and analysts ready to discuss them all. Our special coverage begins at 10 00 a. M. Eastern. The difficult task of returning life to normal on the class of one day after 20,000 stand shoulder to shoulder calling for an end to gun violence. Stephanie elam is in Santa Barbara this morning. Good morning, stephanie. Reporter good morning, carol. It was a moving vigil, just the beginning of a long road back to healing. Not one more not one more reporter channeleding to end gun violence, around 20,000 people packed a uc Santa Barbara stadium. We are here because we want to share memories of the young lives struck down far too soon. Reporter honoring all six victims murdered in the killing spree at the hand of 22yearold elliot rodger, speakers demanding change so a deadly rampage like this does not happen again. How many more people are going to have to die in this situation before the problem gets solved . Reporter already one proposed change, two California Assembly members announcing legislation tuesday. Leaders on the National Level speaking out as well. There are compromises that will save lives. Keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people, whether theyre severely mentally ill or felons or drug addicts, background checks will help stem and stop gun violence. Reporter more vigils were held across Santa Barbara as video and stories of heroism emerge. This Surveillance Video capturing students inside a pizza parlor ducking and scrambling for cover as the gunman, driving by, fires inside. People are panicking. I said everything is fine, lets just get back there. Reporter a good samaritan, the clerk of a 7eleven ran outside to help a cyclist who was shot, pulling her to safety and health her she would survive. We got a stool and put her down right here. We sat her down. You could see she had two gunshots right here, so you could see the bullets. Reporter 12 others were injured as rodger fired round after round. This morning classes at the university are set to resume. Those two California Democrats plan to introduce a bill that would basically keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and would allow loved ones if they allow someone who is mentally ill and could potentially become violent to alert authorities and hopefully intervene before they could go out and buy guns. Stephanie eel loom lam live morning. New reports saying if you think Edward Snowden was just a whistleblower, youre wrong. He was actually a spy. Inspired dishes like primavera, florentine and tuscany. Fancy feast. A medley of love, served daily. The ambulance racing by you. The ambulance chaser. Chasing the ambulance. A rollerblader with headphones whos oblivious to everything. The cab driver whos checking out the rollerblader. Its 360 degrees of chaos out there. But with driverassist technology, including a blind spot system and a rearview camera, the ford fusion will help tell you when its coming. The ford fusion will help tell you when its coming. Sfx sounds of marching band and crowd cheering sfx sounds of marching band and crowd cheering so, im walking down the street, sfx sounds of marching band and crowd cheering just you know walking, sfx sounds of marching band and crowd cheering and i found myself in the middle of this parade honoring americas troops. Which is actually quite fitting because geico has been serving the military for over 75 years. Aawh no, look, i know this is about the troops and not about me. Right, but i dont look like that. Who can i write a letter to about this . Geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Abe get in punch it let quicken loans help you save your money. With a mortgage thats engineered to amaze thanks, g. If it doesnt work fast. Youre on to the next thing. Neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair has the fastest retinol formula to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. Neutrogena®. Checking top stories for you at 13 minutes past. House Veterans AffairsCommittee Meets tonight to discuss dozens of suspicious deaths at the va hospital in phoenix. The facility allegedly hit patients on waiting lists and some later died. Top va officials are expected to appear. The white house is asking the top lawyer to find out how the identity of the cia station chief in afghanistan was inadvertently revealed. It happened sunday when the president made a surprise visit to u. S. Troops. The names of everyone attending a briefing with the president including that cia chief were emailed to thousands of people on the white house mailing list. A big night for the tea party in texas. Cnn projects John Radcliffe beating 91yearold hall. Conservative radio talk host dan patrick won over David Dewhurst running for a fourth term. Police in canada used facebook to find a baby snatched from a hospital hours after she was born. They posted a picture of the suspect who was disguised as a nurse. The suspects friends recognized her and called police. [ crying ] that was the mothers reaction after Police Brought her baby back. The hospital says lit bring in experts to get answers. Edward snowden was a spy. Thats what he told nbc. The man who leaked 1,000 nsa documents says he was not a low level systems administrator but a cia spy. As you know for nearly a year Edward Snowden has been exiled in russia, unable to leave after blowing the lid on the spying program and earning charges of espionage. Now the man known as a whistleblower is breaking the silence about the other key role he claims to have served. I was trained as a spy in the traditional sense of the world. I worked for the Central Intelligence agency under cover, overseas. I worked for the National Security agency under cover, overseas, and i worked for i developed sources and methods for keeping our information and people secure in the most hostile and dangerous environments around the world. Wow, joining me for perspective, bob beyer, cnn National Security analyst and a former cia operative. Welcome. Thanks. Was snowden really a spy . No. I wonder about his credibility now. When he was in geneva, he was a systems administrator. The cai doesnt take contractors and turn them into spies. Yes, he had a cover, he had a name in chris spon dents when he communicated with langley. The National Security agency doesnt have spies overseas. I have no idea what hes talking about. I do wonder about him now. How so . Well, i mean what can you believe . He wasnt a spy. He didnt get training. He wasnt a spy in the traditional sense. What else can we believe and not believe . Clearly the documents he hacked from the National Security agency are legitimate. But his personality credibility i wonder about. You know what snowden says. He says the government is trying to discredit him by down playing his true position. Americans are split on snowden. Why would he lie about such a thing . If he were somewhat of a spy wouldnt that more easily explain how he had access to all those records, all those papers . No. The National Security agency is sloppy in compartmenting its files. He was able to get through those fire walls, get into them and read them. Im sure hes very good at hacking. Trust me, carol, he was not a spy. I spent too long in this profession. Its not possible in any sense. Everything ive heard, he was a systems administrator. Again, the National Security agency does not have spies overseas. Its got people that monitor computers and the rest that sit in a vault. I would hardly call that being a spy. So another facet of snowdens interview with nbc, he told Brian Williams the only reason hes in russia is because the United States canceled his visa into other countries. Secretary of state kerry says snowden is a fugitive and thats why other countries wont allow him to cross their borders. I think we have sound from john kerry. Do we . Im asking my producers. No sound. Anyway, john kerry said snowden, in essence, is not a patriot and he should come back to the United States to face the music. But by granting all these interviews, and im talking about Edward Snowden now, is he sort of paving the way back to the United States you think . I cant believe that we would just overlook this. Hes done more damage to u. S. Intelligence than anybody i can remember. I dont like the National Security agency snooping into my phone and keeping databases on americans. Its unnecessary. Its subject to abuse. I fully agree with that. But, on the other hand, fleeing to russia, in my terms, its an enemy of the United States, whether we like it or not. Lets dont forget crimea, the ukraine. They are not our friends. He went to the other side and thats a real problem for especially people like me that worked in the cold war. Bob baer, thanks so much for your insight. I appreciate it this morning. Still to come in the newsroom, Donald Sterling responds to the nbas charges against him. Well look into his key arguments for keeping the clippers. Rudy. [ barks ] [ chuckles ] id do anything to keep this guy happy and healthy. Thats why im so excited about these new milkbone brushing chews. Whoa, im not the only one. Its a brilliant new way to take care of his teeth. Clinically proven as effective as brushing. Ok, here you go. Have you ever seen a dog brush his own teeth . The twist and nub design cleans all the way down to the gum line, even reaching the back teeth. They taste like a treat, but they clean like a toothbrush. Nothing says you care like a milkbone brushing chew. [ barks ] and you want to get an mba. But going back to school is hard. Because you work. Now Capella University offers a revolutionary new way to get your degree. Its called flexpath, and its the most direct path, leveraging what youve learned on the job and focusing on what you need to know. So you can get a degree at your pace and graduate at the speed of you. Flexpath from Capella University. Learn about all of our programs at capella. Edu. Surprise, surprise. Donald sterling will now fight to keep the l. A. Clippers to the bloody end, never mind that agreement with his wife shelly to sell the team to a worthy bidder, sterling has disavowed it i. Comes after Donald Sterling sent a 26page response to the nba on the charges levied against them. The league will go ahead and vote on his ownership. Sports attorney David Cornwell joining me to parse this out. Youve read the entire 26page letter i understand. Yes, i did. As did i. He has a couple of good points i think. Lets go through them. He says he was illegally recorded during a private conversation, what he calls an inflamed lovers quarrel in his home. Do nba guidelines cover what is said privately in your home . Certainly the argument looks good on its face. The problem is this is a private organization, its not a government act. Private organizations have selfgoverning. One of the crowning features of self governing is uniformity. There are 15 states that are oneparty consent states, meaning only one party has to consent. 15 states with nba teams in there, so if this has happened in one of those states, for example, utah, that owner under sterls argument could, in fact, be disciplined. So the answer is, if one can, all can. Uniformity is important. That is such a lawyer argument, david. Its a private organization. He waived this right when he became a member of the nba and signed joint venture agreements, all sorts of agreements, he waived this right. Thats why youre the brilliant lawyer and im not. He says the punishment is proportionally disproportion, talking about kobe bryant getting fined 100,000 for unleashing a gay slur, also referring to the nba taking no action about a comment ag