they both came to the microphones after a tense meeting and said they thought the violence should be controlled and reduced and they didn't really know what to say. so, here you have the opposition really on its heels, and the syrian government and the assad regime back in control with the momentum, with the help of hezbollah, with the help of the iranians, and putin has made it very clear he is going fulfill the contracts. he has with assad for antiaircraft missiles and warships. he intends to stand by him. and you know, officials from the russian government have said all sorts of things about our government's motives and the lack of credibility in assessing the use of chemical weapons and terming there was an attack, et cetera, so this meeting, you can't call it a waste of time but no one expects anything to come out of it. >> the president made a big splash, saying that it's -- assad used chemical weapons on his own people, that would cross