Page 20 - August 2013 News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Although intelligence collection on north korea poses difficulties given north korea's isolation, the i.c. will continue to dedicate resources to this key challenge. it requires some of our most talented professionals to warn our leaders of impending north korean actions and of the long-term implications of their strategic weapons programs. in syria, we assess that the regime will maintain its momentum on the battlefield provided, as is likely, it maintains support from iran and russia. the continuation of the syrian conflict will worsen already disastrous conditions for syrians and regional s...

Deepening? >> well, as the great correspondents, they have taken all of my talking points, wolf. so i think the key here was the common ground that they are not -- if they have a regime that they can influence that is not bashar al assad, we may have talking points there. but as far as the investigation into the attack that happened on the 4th of april, we're so far apart on that. each side is holding to its positions. if there's going to be an independent investigation, it's going to be just what we saw in august 2013. the u.n. will come in and make their investigation and list a whole string...

Flawed but never looked nearly as systematically at the option of not doing something, the cost and risk of inaction. >> the story, we spoke about this at the time, the story of the friday night, in august 2013, when the secretary of state had made quite a remarkable speech earlier that day about using force in syria because this could no longer continue. s zirin gas. i'm told within an hour of releasing, the president, chief of staff, walked the lawn late at night and changed the policy with no really communication with the secretary of state kerry or with others in the administration. >> any...

August 2013 near damascus also to hit a rebel control area. that's now gone. the administration makes it clear that we'll strike the military force how pofl that message maybe. you cannot possibly over estimate the level of damage done to this airfield, not far away from home where these air strikes with r launched and we don't know the full picture and the amateur videos showed. it does not provide evidence that the round way is able to launch strikes. we'll act gloelly. you cannot do this and expect no consequences. yes, was the damage severe.

Before with assad in august 2013. he used sarin near damascus, crossing barack obama's red line. obama didn't bomb but the u.n. did take away syria's chemical weapons. well, most of them. some experts believing syria may still have hit those behind the 2013 attack to conceal their guilt. assad may have misread trump's willingness to act but may also benefit from this. as his anti-american allies like russia now have to stick by him. >> i don't think, judging putin's character, he's going to back down on syria. he will not back away from assad. he will not come to a compromise with the trump ad...