Authority . Again, you dont have an explicit authorization from congress on the air strikes, on what were doing now. What congress voted on was arming syrian rebels. The question im asking, is the Legal Authority to go into syria now, to do air strikes now, based on this idea of an imminent threat, is that how youre coaching it to congress . With respect to this group of al qaeda operatives and this group of al qaeda veterans, yes, they pose a threat to the United States and to our partners, and we were watching them conduct what we determined to be advanced stage plotting. And the president s been clear under current authority, he has the authority to go after, take that fight to disrupt al qaeda operatives and their associated forces to disrupt that plotting. Hes also been quite clear hes got the authority he needs to take this fight to isil, but this is not americas fight alone. What you saw last night was five arab nations working in a Broad Coalition to take that fight to isil under the authority that the president s been clear he has. Hes also said in his statement of a week or so ago, we welcome congressional action on this because we are better off as a nation when were working together with congress. Would the white house like to see an explicit vote to authorize air strikes inside syria from congress . The president s been clear on this. Theres a number of different ways congress can show their support. We saw one form in the authorization, the broad bipartisan support for the train and Equipment Program for the Syrian Opposition well be working, again, with partners to implement. Lisa monaco, thank you very much. With me now is msnbcs chris matthews, host of hard ball. You add the khorasan threat, the imminent threat. Thats how white house can couch this without going to congress for vote. We had a vote from congress which is different. Arming syrian rebels. I always wonder why a leader tells us something, is it to get us to do something usually or support him in doing something . What are we to do to know what are we to do in reaction to the fact that we hear people have gone over to join isis from america and are coming home, what are we to do with that information . Thats a great question. Just support him in his air strikes . I think that is the answer. I think what they want is the left especially to back the president because of the threat to the United States and the United States. What im thinking of, if im running an Airline Coming out of coming out of istanbul, im going to make sure no one whos been with isis is getting on the plane. No worry about frisking them. They wont get on. Khorasan, whatever route they take to the country, but you have to look at geography and the history of the people that went over there and what they were doing there and their explanation. I mean, Israeli Airlines are pretty smart about this. They do about a 45minute interview with you if they think theres a problem. They did it to me a number of times. Thats one thing that scares the heck out of anybody, a bomb. Theyre talking about the Khorasan Group learning how to plant bombs on airplanes. I talked to a guy thats an expert, you can only carry a certain amount of liquid with your kit is because, beyond that, it can blow the plane apart. Have you to be very careful about what kind of liquids theyre carrying or dynamite on their hands. Thats a huge action thing to do. I hope the airlines are listening to the speeches. Theres nothing we can do, say yes or no to the president about whether to support. In the en, rational americans, the thing that got us into in war is the gut reaction to the beheadings. Biggest news story you and i know in five years. Everybody can imagine being beheaded. They think, i whoa, i dont want that. Theyre the bad guys. The metastasis on this has been very interesting. Americans say, we have no interest going into syria and continuing the arab springs by u. S. Air force toppling Bashar Al Assad, the president characterizing them as dentists and farmers, were not arming them, then the beheadings and a complete turnaround. The American People for this. This is separate from what Congress Said he could do. This is air strikes inside syria. Americans with it, republicans in congress because they killed these guys because they were americans. Not because they were jewish or any other reason they had in their cause. They did it because theyre americans. The American People got the message. If it was me, you or i would say, they would have done the same thing. Theyre going to do women now, do other people. Just think about the reaction thats coming now to these air strikes. Theres going to be reaction. Their way is beheading. Its going to continue. Well see whether, you know, should be fighting a war on that basis . We are. We definitely are. What is the significance of having at least four arab countries, that its not just americans over there. I said this earlier on ronans show. I think its remarkable. The first time in history arab countries, arab states have gone out and killed arab terrorists. Really killed them. I mean, and i always say theres one reason you never have any peace in the middle east is because the Palestinian People have never been willing to kill palestinian terrorists for killing jews, forced the jews to kill them, which has kept the war going. Like all history f youre going to sign a treaty, have you to enforce it. When irish got their free state back in the 20s, they had to kill people who broke the treaty. That was the deal. They had to do it. So, when you find an arab country thats willing to enforce a treaty, respect for another country or go after terrorists and theyre willing to do the dirty work, but im still waiting to see if theyre in the skies with us. I want confirmation we have airplanes up there flying and bombing. The uae has admitted to doing it, jordanians might have admitted to it. Friends in high places. I want to see the pilots up there bombing, not just using their airfields. In history weve used a strong man to contain the islamist in their country. We did it in egypt with mubarak containing muslim brotherhood, hussein contained whatever shiite militias inside that country and now we have strong men are back every one of our allies is a monarchist. The emirates, jordan, king hussein, a good one, but another inherited monarchy, same with saudi arabia. We got rid of the baathist who look good compared to what we got. We got rid of hussein. We got rid of gadhafi. The other tradition in egypt begins with nasr in the army. Inherited through the army. We dont have any democratic allies. We either have army people or we have monarchists. Is that why theres still a reluctance, even though now we are arming and training for a full year, i guess, militants, but were not willing to go to the point where were willing to train them to topple the saddam regime because you have one more place you dont know what you get . Yeah, look, the arab street has never been with us. The arab street didnt like jewish immigration of 20s, never liked israel state. If there was a vote over there . Is there wouldnt be a israel state. Youve got to be kidding. The neocons, what i held against them was the dubious argument is that we have to topple every neighbor thats a problem with israel and then israel would be better off or well be better off. I never saw the evidence of that in history. So, whatever their motives were, they werent right. Well, and the countries that are helping us now, none of them, with the exception of jordan, are really cooperating in that other project, which is trying to gettis the Israeli Palestinian peace going. Who is doing a good job is kerry. Its not time for applause but theyre working hard. The United States government is working hard to avoid a war with iran. We have an ingredient to fight terrorists. In the end, is that really going isnt that the most positive outcome, potentially, here . As you said, now we have a new basis for coalition, that we all agree we have to fight this . You know why theyre on our side . Selfinterest. Theyre the number one targets. They can talk about coming to get us, the United States, the real targets are the monarchiem, jordanian, saudi arabia, emirates. Thats where they would like to grab control and build a caliphate. Theyre not going to build a caliphate in san jose. Thats not the plan. May be the dream but not going to happen. Chris matthews host of hardball. Were going to send the entire show on the aspects of this war. We are at war. Were actually saying it. Chris matthews, ind indisspinsible hardball. We are listening to bill clinton who is giving some remarks at Clinton Global Initiatives. I want to bring out the president but i want to start by thanking him for being with us for what is a very busy week every year, the opening of the u. N. , but because of all the turmoil in the world, its a particularly busy week this year. Hes been part of our annual meeting every year since 2008. And im very grateful for that. It reflects his lifetime commitment to and belief in citizen activism. Just a koim weeks ago i was honored to join the president at the white house to celebrate 20th anniversary of americorps. It was one of my proudest achievements because all of those 900,000 young people who have done that are now out making a difference in the world, like you are. An astonishing twothirds of them chose a career in some form of public service. Although not a lot of governmental. A lot ngo work. Im grateful to him for continuing that movement. And far too many places around the world, people are still not free, however, to join together to do this kind of work. And that reminds us of the importance of government, at least to empower people, to do the kind of things youre advocates and spend your lives on. Every successful government needs a strong government, a strong private sector and a vigorous Civil Society. I know from hillarys time at the state department that the president has always supported this and has done what he could to support people like you from his current position. So, for many reasons, im especially grateful to him for being here, for continuing to believe that as he strives to stop bad things from happening around the world, the rest of us are supposed to do more to make good things happen. So, please join me in a warm welcome to president barack obama. [ applause ] thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thaushgs everybody. Please have a seat. Good afternoon, all of you. I was just discussing with president clinton that if chelsea begins delivery while im speaking, she has my motorcade and will be able to navigate traffic. Because actually its pretty smooth for me during the week. I dont know what the problem is. Everybody hypes the traffic, but i havent noticed. Always wonderful to follow matt damon. I saw people trickling out after he was done. These are the hard core policy people who decided to stay for me. I want to thank president clinton for your friendship and your leadership and bringing us together. As only he can. Bill first asked me to come to cgi when i was a senator. And as president ive been proud to come back every year. As president bill asked americans to serve their country. We recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of americorps on the south lawn. Bill asked you to better our world. And together youve touched the lives of hundreds of millions of people. And its a testimony, i think, to any leader, not just what they themselves do but how they can inspire action from others. By that measure, obviously, bill clinton has continued to exert extraordinarily Global Leadership for decades. And i expect for decades more to come. [ applause ] now, in agreeing to come i had an ask as well. I think one of the best decisions i ever made as president was to ask Hillary Clinton to serve as our nations secretary of state. [ applause ] she just welcomed me backstage. Ill always be grateful for her extraordinary leadership representing our nation around the world. And i still have a lot of debt to pay, though, because of two of them were separated far too often. Hillary put in a lot of miles during her tenure as secretary of state. She has the postadministration glow right now. She looks much more rested. So, its wonderful to be back at gci. I cannot imagine a more fitting audience with whom to discuss the work that brings me here today. And that is our obligation as free peoples, as free nations, to stand county courageous citizens and brave Civil Society groups who are working for equality and opportunity and justice and Human Dignity all over the world. Im especially pleased were joined by our many partners in this work. Governments, Civil Society groups, including faith leaders, and men and women from around the world who devote their lives and at times risk their lives to lifting up their communities and strengthening their nations and claiming universal rights on behalf of their fellow citizens. And were honored by the presence of these individuals. As we do every time this year, president s and prime ministers converge on this great city to advance important work. But as leaders, we are not the most important people here today. It is the Civil Society leaders who, in many ways, are going to have the more lasting impact, because as the saying goes, the most important title is not president or prime minister. The most important title is citizen. It is citizens. Ordinary men and women determined to forge their own future who throughout history have sparked all the great change and progress. It was citizens here in america who worked to abolish slavery and worked for womens rights and civil rights. They are the reason i can stand here today as president of the United States. Its citizens who right now are standing up for the freedom that is their godgiven right. And ive seen it myself. In the advocates and activists that ive met all over the world. Ive seen it in the courage of solar, the leader of cubas ladies of white, who faced harassment and prison. Ive seen it in the determination of russians in moscow in st. Petersburg who speak up for human law and rule of rights. Ive seen it for those in senegal who nurture their democracy and Young African across the continent who are helping to marshal in africas rise. Ive seen it in the hope of young palestinians in ramallah who dream of building their future in a free and independent state. I see it in the persevere republicans of men and women of burma striving to build a democracy against the odds. These citizens remind us of why Civil Society is so essential. When people are free to speak their minds and hold their leaders accountable, governments are more responsive and more effective. When entrepreneurs are free to create and develop new ideas, economies are more innovative and attract more trade and investment and ultimately become more prosperous. When communities, including minorities are free to live and pray and love as they choose, when nations uphold the rights of all their people, including, perhaps, especially women and girls, those countries are more likely to thrive. If you want strong successful countries, you need strong, vibrant civil societies. When citizens are free to organize and Work Together across borders to make our communities healthier, our environment cleaner and our world safer, thats when real change comes. And we see this in the spirit in the new commitments youre making here, all the people of west africa and their fight against ebola. Weve also seen the spirit in other cause, the Global Campaign against antipersonnel land mines. Tireless advocates like Jody Williams fought for the ottawa convention. Leaders like Patrick Leahy have led the charge in washington. 20 years ago president clinton stood at the United Nations and pledged that the United States would work toward the elimination of these land mines. And earlier today we announced we will take another important step outside of the unique circumstances of the Korean Peninsula where we have a longstanding commitment to the defense of our ally south korea. The United States will not use antipersonnel land mines. So, we will begin destroying our stockpiles not required for the defense of south korea. Well work to find ways that will allow us to ultimately comply fully and cede to the ottawa convention. The United States will continue to lead as the Worlds Largest donor of global demining efforts for communi efforts, freeing communities and countries from these weapons. But the point is, this started in Civil Society. Thats what prompted action by president clinton and by myself. And promoting Civil Society that can surface issues and push leadership is not just in keeping with our values. Its not charity. Its in our national interest. Countries that respect human rights, including freedom of association happen to be our closest partners. That is not an accident. Conversely, when these rights are suppressed, it fuels grievances and a sense of injustice that over time can fuel instability or extremism. So, i believe americas support for Civil Society is a matter of national security. It is precisely because citizens and Civil Society can be so powerful. Their ability to Harness Technology and connect and mobilize at this moment so unprecedented that more and more governments are doing everything in their power to silence