put pressure on the russians to see bashar al-assad leave power. ambassador, you were an ambassador to syria among other nations. do you think that the president of syria, assad, would act and gas his people without getting the nod from putin? i think it s quite possible. we have to remember that putin and turkey convolksed a piece conference, a conference to have a cease fire not long ago. and the opposition fighters and the assad regime agreed to a cease fire. and assad broke it in the environs of damascus against russia s express instructions. i ve seen the assads operate over many years, father and the son, and they re not pawns of anyone. so, while i m not saying it s the russians didn t know, i m saying it s quite possible they didn t. ambassador, who needs who more?