http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/politics/obama-cnn-new-day-interview/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
Obama tells CNN key decisions nearing on Syria, Egypt
By Alan Silverleib, CNN
updated 6:37 AM EDT, Fri August 23, 2013
(CNN) — The time is nearing for a potentially definitive U.S. response to alleged Syrian government atrocities and an increasingly violent military crackdown in Egypt, President Barack Obama said in an exclusive interview broadcast Friday on CNN’s “New Day.”
The U.S. remains “one indispensable nation” in the volatile Middle East and elsewhere, Obama told “New Day” anchor Chris Cuomo.
“We have to think through strategically what’s going to be in our long term national interests.”
Asked by Cuomo whether the U.S. government is now facing a “more abbreviated time frame” on key decisions in Egypt and Syria, Obama repeatedly gave a one-word response: yes.
(snip)
Asked about claims by anti-regime activists in Syria that Bashar al-Assad’s government used chemical weapons in an attack that was said to have killed more than 1,300 people, Obama responded that officials are “right now gathering information” and that “what we’ve seen indicates that this is clearly a big event of grave concern.”
“It is very troublesome,” the president stressed.
Obama said U.S. officials are pushing “to prompt better action” from the United Nations, and are calling on the Syrian government to allow an investigation of the site of the alleged attack outside Damascus.”I am sympathetic to Senator McCain’s passion for helping people work through what is an extraordinarily difficult and heartbreaking situation, both in Syria and in Egypt,” Obama replied.
“But what I think the American people also expect me to do as president is to think through what we do from the perspective of what is in our long term national interests.”
Obama warned against getting “mired in very difficult situations ... (and) being drawn into very expensive, difficult, costly interventions that actually breed more resentment in the region.”
(snip)
“My sense ... with Egypt is that the aid itself may not reverse what the interim government does,” Obama said. “But I think what most Americans would say is that we have to be very careful about being seen as aiding and abetting actions that we think run contrary to our values and our ideals.”
The president said the administration is currently “doing a full evaluation of the U.S.-Egyptian relationship,” and that there is “no doubt that we can’t return to business as usual, given what’s happened.”
“There was a space right after Mr. Morsy was removed in which we did a lot of heavy lifting and a lot of diplomatic work to try to encourage the military to move in a path of reconciliation,” the president added. But “they did not take that opportunity.”
(snip)
FULL TRANSCRIPT
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/politics/barack-obama-new-day-interview-transcript/index.html
Agence France-Presse @AFP 14m
#BREAKING Britain believes Syria regime behind chemical weapons attack: Hague
Agence France-Presse @AFP 19m
#BREAKING Russia says Syria rebels preventing objective probe of chemical attack claims
Agence France-Presse @AFP 21m
#BREAKING Russia slams ‘unacceptable’ calls in Europe to use force in Syria
Agence France-Presse @AFP 39m
#UPDATE Obama says Syria chemical attack claim ‘a big event’ http://u.afp.com/4GC
Agence France-Presse @AFP 1h
#BREAKING Powerful explosion in centre of Lebanon’s Tripoli: AFP
Expand
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Israel strikes Lebanon after rocket attack http://u.afp.com/4Gm
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Russia urges Syria to cooperate on chemical weapons probe
Obama saying....”after Mr. Morsy was removed in which we did a lot of heavy lifting and a lot of diplomatic work to try to encourage ...’the military’... to move in a path of reconciliation”.....
Yet again he’s covering...
The Egyptian administration ‘made it clear’ the reason International Leaders were permitted even coming into the country, at that stage, was to assist ‘the Muslim Brotherhood Leaders and Morsi’ to negotiate and come to an agreement, and see the reality of the situation......who til then flat out refused to negotiate with the Egyptian Administration.....and this time and time again regardless of how they approached them or what was presented as a solution to the stalemate.
It had nothing to do with the Military at all...rather to persuade Morsi and the MB to discuss and come to a resolution....and time and time again they refused all International Leaders as well.
So Obama is outright lying.....though of course he wanted to see the Brotherhood back into the Administration at pretty much all cost. He failed....