Transcripts For BBCNEWS 100 Days 20170404 : comparemela.com

Also today, re forging an old alliance. As brexit negotiations begin, the uk government travels to india to begin the early work on a future trade deal. And picture perfect . Or is itjust too perfect . What melania trumps First Official portrait tells us about the new first lady. Im katty kay in washington, Christian Fraser is in london. The pictures are appalling, the pattern all too familiar, and the International Response predictable. Civilians in a rebel held area of syria have been gassed and murdered. It has happened before, with Red Lines Crossed by both sides with impunity. Today, in the seventh year of the syrian civil war, it seems President Assads regime can do what it wants. So far, at least 58 people are known to have died in this latest attack. The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights said the air strikes in Khan Sheikhoun, in the north west of the country, came early in the morning while many were still sleeping. Our Correspondentjames Robbins has the report. He is alive but he is struggling to breathe. Around him, other children are already on oxygen, all of them victims of gas. Other pictures, too graphic to broadcast, Show Fire Crews in the streets of Khan Sheikhoun spraying adults and children where they fell, many of them clearly among the dead. Translation i lost my son, my children, my neighbours, my daughter. They are all gone. I only have god left. Translation all are wounded, some are dead, there are many suffocation cases. We couldnt enter Khan Sheikhoun city because of the systematic shelling. Then, as a syrian activist was filming in one hospital treating victims, this happened. An apparent air strike. This whole rebel held area in north west syria, a last opposition stronghold, has been under heavy bombardment by pro government forces. There is a history of Chemical Attacks in syrias six year long civil war. President assads government had known stocks and was widely accused of this attack in august 2013. That appeared to cross a red line which had been drawn by President Obama but britain and the us pulled back from military action. Instead, the assad regime, under pressure, agreed to surrender its known stocks by the middle of 2014. But later, a Un Commission found evidence of Chemical Weapons being used in attacks in idlib, both in 2014 and 2015. Government supporters are blaming todays poisoning on the rebels, accusing them of storing gas in a factory which exploded close to the town. But the uns syria envoy, while cautious, did not appear to back that account. What we have understood, it was a Chemical Attack and it came from the air. We have been and we will be stimulating all those who have the capacity of finding out technically what happened. Efforts are already being made to gather forensic evidence in the hospitals where todays victims are being treated but it seems clear a war crime has been committed. The use of Chemical Weapons is completely banned under international law, a law which appears to have been violated once again in syria today. James robbins, bbc news. Our Middle East Editorjeremy Bowen is fresh back from mosul in iraq. He has also spent a lot of time in syria. I suppose when a red line has been crossed it can be crossed again and again. Just, 2013, similar scenes in terms of the video that came out of damascus. It was a Chemical Attack and President Obama said that there was a red line, use Chemical Weapons and you will feel my rough. It didnt happen. America actually blinked. We dont know whether President Trump has red lines about this. We dont do what they will do if they do anything if it is from that division was behind it. The russian and Syrian Government are denying involvement in this attack. You know the country well. Is that what it possible . It depends if the reports are true. That it came from an air bombing attack. The last couple of days, that town has been hit heavily by regime and by russian jets. If it did come from an error attack, did someone else have crafted the ever . At the moment, there be no reports of that. This is also in social evidence this point. The fact is that the regime, the world consensus is that this has be done before. What is in it for President Assad . Maybe he wants to deliver a blow to the rebels in idlib. If he has got away with it once, perhaps because he can get away with it again. It was said that the future of syria is a decision for the syria people. Yesterday, the egyptian president , criticised for its human rights abuses, welcomed as a friend. Does this sort of attitude towards autocrats in middle east open the door to this paper . |j towards autocrats in middle east open the door to this paper . I think it probably does. Burke until the Arab Uprisings of 2011 it was commonplace for the west to have its favourite dictators who they could call. They liked the idea of having just one address. One person you could call to sort things out. Many people argue that one of the great problems The Middle East has and why we see so problems The Middle East has and why we see so much violence is that the reign of these dictators from the 19505 reign of these dictators from the 1950s onwards destroyed any chance of Civil Society and Political Action and the growth of parties and different countries, so when there was pressure for a change, it was expressed violently. Thanks for those dots. There has been confirmation of the attack. The White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has been speaking about the attack. This Chemical Attack in syria against innocent people, including women and children, is reprehensible and cannot be ignored by the civilised world. This heinous actions by the Bashar Al Assad regime are a consequence of the past administrations weakness and irresolution period. So, what should, and more importantly what will, the world do now . Former Deputy Secretary Of State pj crowley is with us. He is the author of red line, a critique of us Foreign Policy in The Middle East. President obama, he worked for, when you at the state Department Said the red line and then didnt cross it. When you talk to the members of the Obama Administration about the record on syria, they will say that they got the Chemical Weapons out and that did theirjob. It looks that that is not true. I think the Obama Administration did Mismanage The Red Line in 2013. Why do they got all of the non stocks on Whether Syria has been resupplied is a question to be answered. The Trump White House can say that the situation in syria went from bad to worse during the banner administration. It doesnt mean that it is confronting better Policy Options into that and 70 in thanet obama into dust and 13. In fact, it confronts the same political restraints. Donald trump was elected to fix america, not syria. Do you think there will be any substantive difference between Donald Trumps policies towards syria and Barack Obamas . The Trump Administration is largely following the banner administration policy. It defines its interest in syria in terms of islamic state. Following the Obama Administration. Islamic state will be defeated at some point, sooner rather than later hopefully. The Trump Magician has actually done itself a disservice. The dilemma for the Trump Administration is that you cannot reduce the level of political extremism until you have a solution to syria. And we dont at the present time. Its Kristina Mladenovic theresa may has said that need an investigation in syria. What are the chances of ever bringing some of the book from it. The russian and syria governments are doing in 2017 precisely what they did in 2013, to my involvement and saying that it was the rebels. Denying involvement. In 2013 the resolver da Un Investigation Team there that was able to at least validate that a Chemical Weapons attack it did occur. In the us, that intelligence is linked that the specific syria units that dealt with Chemical Weapons. It is optimal for us to have another investigation to be able to identify whether it was an Airattack Oran be able to identify whether it was an air attack or an indirect result on and marketing attack on a facility with chemical gas. Do you think that President Assad is sitting in the back this in damascus listening to the United Nations and looking at the Trump Administration thinking, the world is not going to intervene, all bets are off and taken to retire once. Andi are off and taken to retire once. And i can do what i want . Syria, iran and russia have calculated that the policies come with risk. We must focus on the sad reality in syria that the regime backed by russia are going to do what they can and use whichever tool at their disposal to defeat the syria opposition. Thank you forjoining us. Senatorjohn mccain was quick out of the blocks on this. He called for a different policy. He wa nts to he called for a different policy. He wants to support the free civilian army with more arms. He was simply condemn it generally the abuses much more loudly. I wondered when i was listening to that. Does Donald Trumps based went to focus on base, who clearly want to focus on smashing iis, to the look at this and shift Public Opinion . It would be nice to think so. But weve been here before with previous Chemical Attacks, previous images of children in distress in syria and there is a day or two of Public Outrage and john mccain s songs at the forefront. He is the republican hawk on Capital Hill Anti Sets out with indignation. And he set out. Maybe there will be a different outcome now and this will lead to something. I suspect that what we have heard about the President Assad regime feeling it has some immunity is the realistic situation. These Images Will Horrify Donald Trumps base for the next 2a hours and then we will move on. That is the sadness of this war. The hasbeen much reaction. Nothing so far on the twitter feed of donald trump. Today, he has been diverting attention from the russia investigation. Miss rice has been ms rice has been accused of unmasking members of Donald Trumps Transition Team that were named in confidential intelligence reports. The name of any us citizen incidentally caught up in surveillance of foreign officials is usually redacted theyre just us person one. In certain cases, Intelligence Agencies can request the persons real name be released or unmasked. It is not illegal. But mr trumps team says the Obama Administration wanted to unmask people for purely political reasons. High when to put it in context. In december, susan rice is sitting there when obama gets rid of some diplomats. She is getting intelligence on how the russians are responding. Up pops some american names that is incidentally collected. It seems to me that she surely has to ask, it is herjob, to ask these americans are good talking to the russians. If that is how it happened. We are to be incredibly careful there is no evidence that the Trump Administration was colluding with the russian government to affect the vote. We cannot speculate too much. Was susan rice asking for these names to be unmasked for intelligence reasons, legitimate as youre suggesting, or for political reasons . Because she wa nted for political reasons . Because she wanted political information about the trump transmission team. That would not look very good. I think they were and lots more questions about this and it puts the onus on the obama team to answer questions for once and not russia. That is probably frequent about russia. On friday the us senate will vote on whether or not to confirm Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee neil gorsuch. They got to decide whether or not voting through. The democrats have enough votes to stage a filibuster, potentially thwarting the appointment. The photo of the Judicial Branch goes jane obrien explains why this vote matters. Hes got mad with the media, riled by russia and been given a headache by health care. But its the federal courts that have really made President Trump fume. Just a short time ago attacking the legal system. Were going to fight this terrible ruling. And now he has the chance to shake them up. Its conceivable that President Trump could replace one third of the judiciary in four years. The Republican Controlled Senate was loathe to confirm President Obamas nominees, therefore you got a big backlog and there are over 100 vacancies on the court. Thats a record or darned close. So he has greater potential to impact our federaljudiciary than any president in recent memory. While all eyes are on mr trumps for the Supreme Court, neil gorsuch, the president s power to appoint judges will ripple through the entire judicial system. When you think of the american judicial system, think of a giant pyramid. At the top stands the Supreme Court. Only a handful of cases get to the Supreme Court. Then you have the intermediate courts and then the big base of that pyramid, they are the Federal District court. Thats the face of justice in america. They handle thousands of cases. Interaction with the American People and the judiciary, thats where it all happens. Thats why theyre all so incredibly important. Federal courts rule on a whole range of issues including guns and immigration and abortion. They also have the power to thwart the best laid plans of congress and the president. The federal courts actually have the last word on whether something will fly in this country or not. Giving President Trump the power to appoint these judges, thats raw political power. Lets speak now to our resident commentator, former advisor to president george w bush, and republican political strategist, ron christie. Talk to me about the political strategy of this because neil gorsuch is going to be a Supreme Courtjudge. We are the democrats deciding to fight this as much as they are when it could be causing them problems in one Election Campaign . Its simple. The democrats feel that they have to the base. They have to play to play to those that but that Hillary Clinton will be the next president. They are really disappointed by the fact that the justice that President Obama had pointed out to get a hearing. This is payback time. It is about to miss jetting to the base that they are fighting and that they will stop donald trump anywhere possible. This is really all about politics and not about how good of a judge neil gorsuch might be . Yes, some people say hes qualified. He might be qualified but they might not like his positions. Some of these democrats might disapprove of what you would do with america. This is about ideology. Of course it is very conservative. He is an original list, wants to hold to the ori