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There's going to be a security vacuum vacuum. the one thing we could probably predict, if the opposition ever does get rid of gadhafi, then their one common thread will have disappeared and for all we know then, they'll start fighting among themselves. you'll have to provide some national order. gadhafi never allowed an army to really grow up that has a national reach. this is -- even if we're successful, this is going to be extraordinarily messy. >> people say we know who the opposition is. look at the makeup of the council running benghazi now, they are doctors, former government people, sec...

Better be ready to step in. it could be the arab league or the french or some other european union but you need a lot of help on the opposition and some peace keeping force because there will be a security vacuum. the one thing we can predict if the opposition ever does get rid of gadhafi their one common thread will disappear. and for all we know they will fight among themselves. so you have to provide national order because gadhafi never allowed an army to grow up that has a national reach. even if we are successful, this is going to be extraordinarily messy. >> people say, look, we know who...

Saleh steps down. how would his absence undermine u.s. counter terrorism efforts? >> i think it's important to point out that the security vacuum already exists. with the demonstrations that have been going on, with the diversion of forces, with the pre occupation by the government officials, we already have the vacuum that al qaeda can exploit. and so, to the extent that a negotiated agreement on some kind of transfer, elections, new constitution and all of the rest. to the extent that that process can begin, we will work with whoever the yemeni people will select. we're not backing any parti...

If there is a security vacuum in the country, that al-qaeda could have some impact on how things evolve in libya, which would obviously be detrimental to american interests, but also, european interests, and for libyan interests, frankly. so i think it's very important that the international community rally to fill that vacuum before they do. i also think that it's important that the united states in particular finds ways of protecting the oil fields in libya so that gadhafi can't wreak the havoc that he promised just a week ago. jon: we had some video up just a moment ago of apparently one of...

Know, the other arab leaders have been very supportive of mubarak and very concerned about what could come next. they see foreshadowings of what could come in their own countries, so they have been very concerned that the united states not be pushing mubarak out of office. what the administration has had to do in recent days since this all started was to, first of all, getheir own heads around the fact that their long ally of 30 years is not going to be able to hold on to power, that that was not tenable, and then begin to slowly reassure those in the region that this does not mean that the un...