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US preparing for the worst in Syria?

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    President Obama warns of consequences if chemical weapons are used

  • Duration 6:03
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Top story today Syrian military is now waiting for orders.

After loading nerve gas chemicals into their weapons -- -- move.

Comes as clashes with the rebels continue to intensify.

Throughout the country clearly the leadership I sat side is feeling on the ropes in many ways at this moment.

And the US is warning the Asad regime against.

Crossing what has been laid down as a red line in this issue and that would be the use of chemical weapons which we could not tolerate them.

Watch us.

The world is watching.

The use of chemical weapons.

Is and would be totally unacceptable.

And if you make.

The tragic mistake of using these weapons there will be consequences and you will be held accountable.

Strong words -- from President Obama joined now by retired four star general Jack -- Former vice chief of staff of the army Annie Fox News military analyst general good morning good to have you here.

Good morning look at where we -- with us.

Well we don't know what he's gonna do -- it's clearly our intelligence and operational planners.

-- certainly considering a worst option and that is that he would use it.

I mean -- fact of the matter is 40000 people have died in his attempt to preserve his regime.

The only reason he has those weapons ought to guarantee.

Regime preservation.

So I think we have to assume that if pushed.

A -- would use those weapons and we have to be prepared to I think preempt the use of them.

Yeah I mean he has to make a calculation.

There are reports that he is considering different places that he could go -- -- acts south.

-- it be singing about leaving it would make it less likely that he you know would would go to this extreme.

To use chemical weapons but he wants to really hang on to power Arnie he feels backed into a corner on the ropes which there's indications that.

Said he does at this point.

He needs to feel that there might be and an ability to -- not -- my point right.

In order to go forward.

-- -- -- exile but that's another matter but if he's gonna stay in and fight to the end and I think this is a realistic option on our planet but considering.

I don't think quite frankly -- he takes you know all threats.

Of the -- and reprisals that seriously I mean -- truth be known it sounds tough but they're very vague there's nothing specific the bottom.

But he also sees the United States disengaging.

From the Middle East.

And radical Islam is on the rise in the in the middle -- he's he solely on the stands.

That the United States has been less engaged and -- not obviously very engaged.

With the opposition forces in serious I'm not convinced that he takes our threats very seriously.

What do you think the larger regional implications are here because this is a fight that has already started to.

Move across the borders in many ways and to Turkey.

Destabilizing impact some places like Jordan as well what's the big picture here general.

Well the big picture is -- volatility in the Middle East and revolutionary change that sweeping through and and the fact of the matter is that Syria will impact on -- countries that are surrounding that.

But meet the -- certainly a while they'll make -- SA and they they are not gonna take any action here.

I mean it's it's a known fact that the -- wanna separate state and this is an opportunity.

-- to unite the Kurds in the region.

You Syria as part of that we also know that he did the al-Qaeda.

Are in serious part of the opposition.

You could make a case that.

In the east where they've demonstrated some -- that they would declare that.

The Islamic -- Of Syria and establish that as a base for future al-Qaeda operations Jordan has problems right now.

There's not very public but the fact of the matter is.

The king is being undermined and is serious challenges you know to his continuing averaging as we know what that is significant problems there.

You know it I mean it sounds like you know the worst case scenario that you're describing -- really a realignment.

Of these nations I eat you know an Islamist rule.

Put in place in many of these countries we -- scene that that impact of that.

Happening in Egypt now we know that Hillary Clinton is speaking with the foreign minister of Russia this morning.

What do you expect you know -- In an optimistic perspective.

What can be done at this point to -- exert our influence in a positive way in the region and do you think there's any chance of that happening.

Well I think shall.

Probably and join the Russians to your stop pulling back to support.

From the -- but I think that's unlikely and and they have a based on there on the Mediterranean.

It's significant for them have a strategic relationship.

You know -- with Syria I don't think they're walking away from a -- any any time soon.

If these chemical weapons are used what do you expect the US reaction to be.

Well I would hope that we would do so open about it before they use that our intelligence service would see the preparation of the weapons for deployment.

And the readiness of the -- who receive them and that we would preempt at least those sites that are being -- read the Israelis I think.

Would clearly want to bomb those yankees -- you hit them without having a negative impact of releasing those gas since.

It depends on where the site is and is proximity you know tuned population centers etc.

and also depends on what.

What type of agent is at that site.

Nonetheless the second problem that we have -- and the one that concerns us.

Quite dramatically is some of these weapons fall into the hands of radical groups.

That would use -- -- terrorist weapons later on and that would mean at some point.

Regardless of how this conflict is going to end that we would have to secure.

Those chemical sites that we wouldn't do it just by ourselves but think it would be a regional approach to secure those sites there.

So many concerns -- so many levels general -- as always thank you could attack came this morning.

We're talking about -- of what's --

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