U. S. Surveillance flights are already flying over northern syria. According to the New York Times this morning the white house is aiming to enlist a brad swath of allies and neighbors in the region as it considers air strikes. The state Department Said no coordination will be made with syrian leader bashar al assad. Despite a warning by his regime, the u. S. Strikes without permission would be considered an an act of aggression. I want to bring in Richard Engel. I want to start with peter theo curtis. He was not explicitly held by isis. Does his experience underscore how potentially violent the situation on the ground in syria is this. It certainly does. As you mentioned, he was kidnapped two years ago and held by a group that is very similar to isis. Actually, a group that shares a similar ideology but a rival of isis. It was a group that initially was considered the most extreme group in syria until isis came along with the brutality, the savagery and ellipsed even that group which
State officials remembered Todd Maisch as an advocate for the business community who could find common ground between adversaries across political lines.