i think what happens next, as i said, equipping the free syrian army, moving forward with taking mosul and raqqa, and creating safe havens for these refugees. we need to know if the plan is now to topple assad come need know what the post assad syria will look like, how we get there and how that makes the american people safer. i think the white house should bring to us their plan on syria. i hope that what the plan would contain would be the establishment of a humanitarian zone in northern syria where we can deliberate deliver aid to syrians that would be protected by u.s. and other nations military assets from the bashar al-assad rise. i appreciate president trump making that case to congress about what further military action should be taken if any pair there are some folks in congress who want to see us in protracted military involvement in syria. i think that would be a mistake.
to moving all the chemical weapons come up they planned to do about that, a document released last night from the administration basically said the administration expects russia to change its posture on syria. i don t think they intend to do that. if they leave chemical weapons, if they were complicit, if they leave chemical weapons in syria, do we respond this way every time there is a chemical attack? there s always something to criticize, but truly, republican senators even saying out loud, what is the long-term strategy? and it is so dependent on the posture on of the russians. may be a change as far as backing assad. they may not have a problem if assad leaves, but another in his tribe takes over and they sit at the table and this gets them to the table, charlie, and it changes the dynamic. that is a different posture. interesting that the russians got a heads up, didn t clear out
a atrocities, gassing kids, this feels like a reasonable respons response. this is a targeted, specific, measured response. it also says, i am committing to a redline. that is kind of refreshing. it refutes the putin s puppet narrative and it shows that trump is capable of surprising everyone from enemies to analyze, something he said he would do and he did it, it s funny that he did it while he was having dinner with china. that s like essentially having a meeting and taking a phone call. it does show that you can multitask, which often confuses other politicians. how can he do this and that? he just does it. rand paul called me today and said, let s have a discussion about what this is about. he knows where i am that i am in the camp that would disagree with that assessment that it actually changed anyone s mind in syria.
julie: back to the follow-up from the u.s. air strike on syria. senators are being briefed on the operation at this hour as we speak. meanwhile, the trump administration getting praise and criticism for launching the attack. in fact, in response to a deadly chemical attack in syria, all of this as the secretary of state rex tillerson prepares to travel to russia next week. moscow and washington now at odds over syria s russia continues to support president assad. there is no doubt in our minds and the information we have supports that syria, the syrian were gm, bashar al-assad are responsible for this attack. i think further, it is very important that the russian government consider carefully their continued support for the assad were gm. julie: chief washington correspondent james rosen is a lie from the state department, great to see you. good afternoon, great to be
and i m glad he did it. majority leader mitch mcconnell praise the commander in chief for his response after a brutal attack by the syrian regime using weapons of mass destruction against its own people. the strike was well-planned, well executed, was certainly more than a pinprick, and sent a message, not only to assad that using chemical weapons again is something that he cannot do with impunity. mcconnell said vice president pence called him last night to brief him ahead of the strike, and there was at least some bipartisan support after the people of syria have suffered for so long under a brutal regime. making sure that assad knows when you commit such despicable atrocities he will pay a price is the right thing to do. house speaker paul ryan praise the president for taking action but is now calling on the administration to consult with congress on next steps. some of the senate s top box