hello, and everyone, welcome to cnn newsroom. right now there is a desperate search and rescue operation under way across turkey and syria after a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake ripped through the two countries before dawn. the death toll now tops 2,700 and will like will keep rising as crews dig through the rubble. more than 120 aftershocks hit after the earthquake, including one almost as powerful as the earthquake itself. buildings crumbled to the ground. people feared trapped inside. others having to run for their lives. rescuers having to reach those who are stuck under piles of concrete and debris, like this boy in northern syria. you can just make him out buried under the wreckage. thankfully he was pulled the safety. rescuers also pulling this little girl from the debris in another syrian city. the u.s. and other countries are offering whatever help they can. and president biden said he has directed his team to provide any and all assistance immediately. cnn s juman
confirmation after getting a piece of svideo showing what appeared to be something white material on board one of their boats. we did not hear back. carlos, thank you so much. joining me now, secretary of defense during the clinton administration. secretary, thank you so much for joining us. let me get to you respond to the administration s claim that in their view it was safer to bring this balloon down over the atlantic as opposed to when it was first detected, we now know, early last week over the alieutian islands. i take the department of defense at their word. they should have shot it down, but as they explained, they thought there would be a potential hazard the people below, even though it s sparsely populated. nonetheless, felt there was some danger. i also felt in my heart this was