>> i don't know why, anderson, but i think it's important to note that bashir al assad may interpret that as a green light for everything else. in other words, do everything up to but not including the use of chemical weapons. but at the same time, i do understand the concern about the use of nerve gas which is in their inventory, which depending on how heavily populated the area that they use it on, could result in unbelievable deaths that, you know, possibly in tens of thousands if they use the right kind of chemical weapon. so i can understand the administration's concern but maybe they don't realize that they are also sending a green light to bashir al assad that he can do anything short of that. >> what would it mean to try to stop chemical weapons from being used? >> i think it would have to be -- it would be very complicated. i don't think you could send enough american troops on the ground. i don't think that would be an option. you may have to try to take out the stocks from the air. we do know where a lot of them are. frankly, i don't -- i've had significant military backgr

al assad. the minister was also, according to israel's newspaper, in cuba and in ecuador bringing classified letters from assad to leaders there. we couldn't get responses from syrian representatives in the u.s. or from officials of any of those latin american governments. multiple sources in the u.s., europe, and the arab world tell cnn there's no indication assad is ready to leave syria. >> is he the kind of person that would take asylum or will he go down fighting? >> i think there's a real chance that he will huddle along with his sect. the question is whether his sect will want them to huddle with them or not. he has been a failure as a president. he is a very irradic personality. >> andrew has met al assad several times and has worked with his wife. the sect he is talking about are an off chute of shia islam, that dominate syrian politics. if assad does leave, could he be investigated, eventually captured on war crimes charges? >> ecuador, venezuela, cuba, are countries where he could fee

al assad out? >> i mean, we've been working on it for quite some time. we didn't want to get militarily involved. we've seen what happens when we do get militarily involved. we don't like the results. take a look at libya. take a look at egypt, for example. so though we think -- we know we're on the side of right. there's one big ondestruction, and that is russia. russia is a series of clients of russia's, putin has said, you guys, you americans, you can't be sank moneyus about how people live their lives. you want everybody to be like the united states. okay. you saw what happens when you try to foment democracy in places that aren't ready for it. we're here to tell you that if you try to upend assad, even if he is going to ethwe'll go out of business -- >> on his own accord. >> on his own, if you try to do that, you won't like the result, and we are reluktant to go do something that's not going to have a positive effect. we're listening to what putin said. he makes some sense for once. >> colonel

the people who live here are a religious group that's allied itself with president bashir al assad. when we arooived in town to meet the governor syrian state media was waiting for it. they're anxious to show care its community showing supporters willing to reinforce the party line, that it's not a civil war but a terrorist campaign by foreign-backed extreme rifts. >> so are you afraid they'll come here to your city? >> of course, we're afraid, the governor told me, if the countries who support al qaeda and the jihadees don't stop, the conflict will come here. so far local authorities have kept it at baby supporting violent crackdowns on the slightest sign of anti-regime protests. the strategy worked because government critics in this community were always a vocal but small minority. it's made sway da an island of calm and a refuge. about 10,000 of the almost half a million people displaced inside syria have been offered shelter by the local government. they're housed in a former summer camp about two miles from the center of town. we escaped here, says this grandfather, to keep our

intelligence reports are suggesting as this regime gets closer to falling, syrian president, bashir al assad could release sirrin gas to sub due the rebellion. this would be a new phase of the war. it has the u.s. uniting with russia to stop it and some here on capitol hill calling for u.s. military intervention. rockets streak across the syrian sky as the battles across rebel forces and troops move to outskirts of the capital of damascus. jeffrey white says it's only a matter time before the bloody civil war is over. >> you can feel it. you can sense it. looks like the regime is being defeet. >> reporter: intelligence officials say chemical weapons believed to be stored at this syrian base have been primed and ready for use. >> we remain very concerned. very concerned that as the opposition advances in particular on damascus, that the regime might very well consider the use of chemical weapons. >> reporter: so far the u.s. has been very reluctant to use military force to help the overthrow of syrian president bashar al assad. reports he is considering using chemical weapons have some

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that is after now confirmed reports emerging from syria that forces loyal to president bashir al assad are preparing bombs with chemical weapons. syrian soldiers fighting with rebels for control over the outskirts of damascus. now, witnesses tell cnn that 30 people were killed today in street battles across syria. we're also learning about a car bombing in the city of homs and a horrible, horrible discovery. dozens of bodies believed to be victims of a massacre. the same time rebel fighters, they are taking on syrian forces literally house to house in the country's largest city. that is aleppo, and that is where we find our arwa damon today. >> reporter: for two months the streets here have been a war zone. part of a bigger battle for control of aleppo, syria's largest city. this father of four is one of the rebel fighters here. this is our country, our homes that are being destroyed, he tells us. he used to sell thread. now he runs logistics for his unit. so what he is explaining to us is that this was street to street fighting, and it took his unit quite some time to advance and righ

these are people who are loyal to president bashir al assad. they are shiite. they were talking openly about their loyalty to the government, openly expressing their shia faith. they are trained by iranian revolutionary guard. they are allied with hezbollah. we were told that they wanted to exchange us for four iranian agents and two lebanese people who are from the amma movement, and they want other members that have been captured by the rebels, they captured us in order to carry out this exchange. >> and as richard pointed out, other journalists are still being targeted and still being held in syria. in newtown, connecticut, the pain, the sadness still raw as sandy hook elementary school remains closed indefinitely for the ongoing investigation. students there will go back to classes tomorrow at a different school in the neighboring town of monroe, connecticut. today two more young victims, 6-year-old jessica rekos and 6 jerld james mattioli are being laid to rest. wakes will be held for first graders charlotte bacon and daniel gerrard barden and for a teache

. >> reporter: david, despite increasing criticism and warnings, the government of bashir al assad is revving up its activities. this area was bombed last night. regarding chemical weapons, commanders we have spoken to are very concerned that the government could use chemical weapons. they are completely not prepared for that eventuality. they don't have gas masks. they don't have medicine. there's no early warning system here. they have appealed for some kind of training, but so far on the ground there is nothing that could protect them from any kind of deadly chemical weapon that could be used. they are also, rebel commanders we have spoken to, not very encouraged by what they are hearing from president obama. they don't think that these kind of warnings of unspecified consequences will make any difference on the ground. they say the white house and president obama has warned the government not to attack civilians, yet civilians have been attacked. they have warned the syrian government not to use disproportionate force, yet clearly disproportionate force has been and is being used

al assad. here's what the president told barbara walters. >> we made a decision that the syrian opposition coalition is now inclusive enough, is reflective and representative enough of the syrian population that we consider them the legitimate representative of the syrian people in opposition to the assad regime. >> this, by the way, comes nearly a month oafter britain ad france recognized the coalition. the move is important to the coalition. it is looking to get rid of this man, al assad, but it doesn't mean washington will be giving them weapons any time soon. that is a huge sticking point. defense secretary leon panetta is saying there is no new intelligence indicating assad's regime is moving any closer to using the chemical weapons that had so many people on edge just earlier this week. >>> tonight, we are also learning that an american has been held in north korea for more than a month now. according to south korean newspapers, kenneth bayh is a tour operator who was detained after someo

al-assad. intelligence was raising fear that the regime was preparing to to the weapons against rebels. now senior u.s. officials tell us that government forces have been moving chemical weapons on or near syrian airfield and it is believed that components of deadly sarin gas have been loaded into bombs at the airfield. monday, president obama warned syria not to use its chemical arsenal. we will stay on top of this developing story on this thursday morning. >> the u.s. made it very clear any use of chemical weapons by the assad regime would be a red line for the country we would, unlo unlike up until now, invoke military action to solve the situation, rebels getting close to damascus, a precarious situation, any use of chemical weapons would spawn deeper u.s. intervention. so something militarily families may want to keep an eye on as that develops. >> 100 people dying a day since the weekend. >>> in damascus. >>> major developments in the case of the missing leukemia patient. >> last seen on

international support for syria's president bashir al assad appears to be fading. >> a russian diplomat said assad was on his way out. this morning, russia's foreign minister denies those statements. but nato says the end is near. martha raddatz reports. >> reporter: it could all end soon here in damascus because while assad is in control in the capital, rebels are moving closer. now, just outside in the suburbs. the battle is bloody. at the regime's military hospital, there are said to be 40 wounded treated a day, while the rebels, like this fighter who lost both feet, received treatment from a dentist. their hospital bombed. >> the rebels have shown that they have a stomach for a fight. they've shown they can endure pain, and they have the conviction that if they don't fight on, they'll be killed. >> reporter: some 200 of their recruits training at an army base they said they captured. >> what do you think will happen to assad? >> killed. must be killed. >> reporter: but who exactly are these rebels? >> we don't have a good sense. and to the extent that external organizations are in t

al assad. he's been involved in a nearly two-year civil war that has seen the death of nearly 40,000 people. bring in a senior fellow at the washington institute for middle east policy. thanks for being with us. we appreciate it. let's talk about president bashar al assad's options even if he did, let's say, want to make it out hastily by syria. by some accounts i understand he wouldn't even be able to go. why is that? >> well, at this point, president assad has murdered so many of his own people, that it's difficult for him to stay within the country, even in the homeland of his sect, on the syrian coast. or for other countries to accept him, because they realize that in a post-assad syria, a more democratic one, that the syrian people are going to be very angry at whatever country holds president assad. and then, of course, there's the issue of his own personal security. you can just end up with a bullet in the back of his head, and that's why many believe he'll simply go off to tehran, to sy

al assad deploys chemical weapons in the fight against rebel forces in his country. recent reports indicate there has been new activity at syria's chemical weapons sites. >>> the other developing story right now from that highway disaster in japan. you see the latest video here from inside that tunnel that collapsed, sending concrete panels crashing down on cars, killing nine people. investigators now believe a single bolt that was supposed to hold those panels in place may have rusted and become loose. crews are now inspecting tunnels across the country, looking for any more faulty bolts. >>> meanwhile, here at home, the fbi has revealed new information about a suspected cross-country serial killer. 34-year-old israel keyes was being held for the kidnapping and murder of an alaska coffee shop worker. keyes died in jail over the weekend. now, the fbi confirms he's been linked to at least four murders in washington state and one in new york. and, they say, he confessed to killing a vermont couple missing since last year. >>> meanwhile, ford has announced a new recall

the russian's, one of bashir al assad's remaining allieses and u.n. officials don't believe the syrian president can survive this war. that is why there's this new diplomatic push to prepare a new syrian government. secretary clinton and the russian foreign minister agreed to revive a road map for a political transition. it calls for elections that include candidates from the syrian opposition. yesterday secretary clinton acknowledged it's going to be hard to do that while the violence is still raging. >> margaret what's the next step in the diplomatic efforts to resolve this hart? >>? this weekend the u.n. envoy to syria will meet with russia and u.s. to push negotiations. secretary clinton will have a summit morrow could. so that will allow the u.s. to funnel money and aid through the new political structure in order to help the rebels create a new government. >> margaret is the u.s. prepared to provide weapons? >> not likely. u.s. diplomats are advising them on,000 create a military command but not likely to give them arms. officials are concerned

the regime of bashir al assad has to fight back and now they're using scuds. interestingly they went north in the direction of turkey. remember, we've been paying a lot of attention to that because nato decided, proved just last week to send in patriot anti-missile systems into turkey to protect them from any possible attack from syria. so that is a good step. it will take a while for them to get there, but that is a good step. and finally, you know, i was talking to one expert who was mentioning that the scuds can be equipped with chemical weapons. they are not doing that at this point, but that has been a concern. what would the syrian government do with its chemical weapons. so there's a lot of concern here certainly, soledad. >> what other weapons in addition to the scuds has the regime been using? >> reporter: you know, when we had the briefing here yesterday at the state department, they were mentioning a number of them. one of the most disturbing is what are called barrel bombs. and those are incendiary devices. they create flame, fire. they're very dis

he pinted john edwards to be his running mate in 2004 and he gushed over bashir al assad. he's been silent ever since about what's going on in syria. >> brian: the president has been hands off with the state department b. who knows. let's talk about the senate seat he would leave behind. they have 160 days to fill it. scott brown lost by eight. but scott brown favorables in massachusetts were very high. >> right. what happened is that he was elected to replace ted kennedy in a unique january election. there were only 2.2 million voters turned u. this past november was a presidential year. extra million voters turned out. those are the people rush calls low information voters. he brown got 350,000 more votes, but got swamped by elizabeth warren. niece pretty good shape, unless the governor appoints somebody and there is no primary. what scott needs is a divisive democratic primary like he got in 2009 after ted kennedy's death. >> brian: you said you spoke to him last night. what does he see as a scenario that could happen, 'cause people are talk being vicky kennedy, ted ken