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U.S. And Russia Announce Plan To Inspect Syria's Chemical Weapons Within Weeks; One-On-One With Bill Cosby; Syria Push Fails To Move America; Inside The Syria Weapons Deal; Colorado Towns Under Water

Aired September 14, 2013 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: A look to avoid air strike in Syria. The U.S. and Russia announce a plan so inspect Syria's chemical weapons within weeks. While it may hold off U.S. military intervention, a new battle started in Washington.

Again, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. It is top of the hour. I'm Don Lemon. And we have a lot of big stories happening right now. We are going to that in just minutes.

But first, we want to tell you that we are going to talk about the flooding in Colorado. The governor is on his way now to give a press conference. Here is the interesting thing. As he is going to the press conference, he stops to help with a rescue. This coming from governor his John Hickenlooper's official twitter account. I says picked up four stranded people, a dog and a cat during helicopter tour of flooded area.

So, we are going to get to that in a moment. We are talking about northern Colorado, Denver, Greeley, Larimer County. I'm sure the governor is going to talk about his rescue in this press conference happening in a moment. These are places where people are dead and people still missing. This is the only way you are likely to get anywhere there, on horseback. The heavy rain started on Wednesday and it just did not stop.

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LEMON: First, the roads covered with water. The black top started to crumble. Then bridges became impossible to cross. Thousands of people, entire communities, suddenly were cut off from anyway to get out.

Today, the sun came out, but it's temporary reprieve. The forecast calls for more rain. This disaster, not just an inconvenience, there's a human toll. Four people reported dead now. And we are hearing about people swept from their cars and would be rescuers drowning trying to save them.

This man almost certainly would have drown when his car flipped into a swollen river near Boulder on Thursday. Thankfully, rescue crews were right there and pulled him to safety.

Remember that the water was windshield high in Longmont, Colorado. That is north of Denver yesterday. Only a city fire engine had the gumption to muscle through this.

CNN's George Howell is live in Longmont, Colorado right now.

As we wait on the governor, George, the weather is cleared up, but not for long. There's more in the forecast. How are people preparing for this?

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, you know, certainly I'm no meteorologist but I have been checking on the forecast. And it says 30 percent here in the Longmont area. So you know, we have been watching this weather system right over the mountain that was coming this way. We felt a few rain drops. Looks like it's clearing up in this area. So, maybe we will dodge more rain and that's great news because I want you to look, Don, at how much water has fallen here in the Longmont area.

Look right over here. That's a bike trail, that's a tunnel that goes through the bike trail. And you see an eight foot clearance. But, I mean, we got to be talking what, maybe six feet of water there. Maybe we can hear how deep that is. I mean, you get a sense of how much water came through here. And the challenge for these officials for the last 24 hours has been getting to the different communities. If you look here, this was somewhat of a stream and the stream has merged with the river and look at that. That's the problem.

And this water, keep in mind, Don, it's got rocks in it, it has got tree limbs in it, all kind of things that make it very challenging to walk through even the most shallow areas. So, you can't get through different places.

The roads are just gone in many communities. And if you get a good look at the flow, I mean, this is a good 24 hours after the storm. Just a lot of water, still rushing down. I'm sure you can hear it through the microphone. That's the challenge they are dealing with, just trying to get around these what were streams, now rivers that cutting off entire communities, Don.

LEMON: You mentioned the challenge of getting around and for rescuers to get to people. But talk to me about those people still cut off by washed out roads and bridges. I mean, what's being done to help them, George?

HOWELL: Right. Well, you know, in some cases, Don, they were able to bring people to safety. The governor, as you mentioned, and we just looked at his official twitter account. Four people, rescued four people. That's great news. And that's what's happening for some. But there are a lot of people stranded.

In Jamestown, we know of at least 200 people who are in that community, you know, who have to be rescued. If you can't get them out, the best you can do and we see these officials doing it, the National Guard doing it bringing food, bringing water. The things that will help them get through, just wait until the water subsides. That's the best they can do. And again, the hope, Don, we know rain is in the forecast. The hope is we will dodge some of it and it won't be as significant as we saw in the last 48 to 72 hours. LEMON: All right. Longmont, Colorado. George Howell is there and he is standing by.

George, stand by, because we are waiting a press conference. We may need you out of that.

The governor, John Hickenlooper there about to hold a briefing.

Here is the interesting thing, just coming from the governor's official twitter account saying, picked up four stranded people, a dog and a cat during helicopter tour of flooded area. I know the governor is going to share his experience and talk about that as soon as he steps up to the microphones in Colorado in moments and we will carry it right here on CNN. They are getting inundated.

Elsewhere across the west, floodwaters are also rising, flash flood watches and warnings are in place across Utah as a large weather system sits atop the state.

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LEMON: So, this is Albuquerque, New Mexico today. But parts of the state got six months worth of rain in three days. Emergency officials are hoping the worst is over and they are getting down to the hard work of recovery right now.

Meantime, the Guadalupe mountains, national park along in Texas, national park in Texas been closed right now after rushing floodwaters wiped out roads and trails there as well. We are keeping an eye on all of this for you. And if you want to help out the people really, all over the west, especially in Colorado, the flooding situation there, you can visit our impact your world page CNN.com/impact.

So, we want to get to Syria now. Just days ago, we were reporting on the fierce debate over what seemed like an imminent U.S. military strike on Syria. Today, the U.S. and Russia announced an agreement to locate and inspect Syria's chemical weapons stockpile in just a matter of weeks and to destroy the weapons by the middle of next year.

CNN's Matthew Chance has more now from Geneva.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was this appalling chemical attack on the outskirts of Damascus last month killing over a thousand people that is finally brought Moscow and Washington together. After three days of intense negotiations in Geneva, there's now full agreement, it seems, on how to rid Syria of chemical weapons.

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: We reached a shared assessment of the amount and type of chemical weapons possessed by the Assad regime. And we are committed to the rapid assumption of control by the international community of those weapons.

CHANCE: It is an incredibly ambitious timetable. Syria must hand other a list of sites and stockpiles within a week. U.N. inspections completed by November. By the same month chemical productions and filling facilities should be destroyed would then complete elimination of chemical weapons in Syria by the middle of next year.

One of the key sticking points here in Geneva has been the threat of U.S. strikes on Syria if they fail to do what they are told. Washington says it still retains the right to take (INAUDIBLE) military action.

But under the agreement with Russia, noncompliance would have to be referred to the U.N. Security Council or any punishment would have to be agreed.

Russia is casting it as a diplomatic coup averting the strike against its ally in Damascus and possibly opening the way for a broad political settlement to the conflict.

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): And the successful realms they should accomplish agreement will have meaning not only for the common goal (INAUDIBLE) and destructing all our source of chemical weapons but also to avoid the military that would be catastrophic for this region and for the international relations.

CHANCE: But in Syria, an already catastrophic war continues to rage, making the complex work of ridding this country of its chemical arms, even with an agreement more difficult.

Matthew chance, CNN, Geneva.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Matthew, so diplomats were all smiles in Geneva. In Washington though, the reaction is more complicated. The president had this to say in the agreement quote "represents an important concrete step toward the goal of moving chemical weapons under international control so that they may ultimately be destroyed. "

CNN's Joe Johns joins me now from Washington with the complicated reaction there.

So Joe, the White House is, are they going to frame it as a win/win?

JOE JOHNS, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, I think the White House is framing this as more as a good start, a move in the right direction. Actually, the four paragraph statement they put out used variations of the phrase important step at least three times. So, I figured you say that president's statement is measured, but optimistic. And in anticipation about the criticism about the lack of U.N. enforceability, the president's statement also point out there's time to give the frame work teeth. The statement said the United States will continue working with Russia, the UK, France, the U.N. and others to ensure its verifiable and there are consequences should the Assad not comply with the framework, Don.

LEMON: Not everybody likes this. JOHNS: No. Predictably tough statement today from Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham. They said without a U.N. Security Council resolution under chapter even of the U.N. charter which threatens the use of force for non-compliance by the Assad regime, this framework is meaningless. Assad will use the months and months afforded to him and delay and will deceive the world using every trick in Saddam Hussein's playbook. So, that is going to be a common theme, Don.

LEMON: So Joe, we talked about this. Lawmakers didn't really want to vote on a resolution anyway. I mean, it was -- this was really a tough decision for them. Is this an out for them?

JOHNS: No, it's a temporary out. I think you can call it that. But the fact of the matter is, at a later date, they might have to still vote because if the U.N. doesn't have some type of use of force, then the United States has to contemplate it. So, there is that.

And there's still quite a bit of criticism for the president coming from all side. The left, they never wanted any type of forceful intervention anyway. And there were a lot of conservative Republicans who had problems with him not going far enough. So, it's kind of all over the place.

LEMON: Joe Johns in Washington. Beautiful evening there in Washington as well.

JOHNS: Spectacular. The past couple days, actually.

LEMON: Really. Good. Not bad here, either. Not bad.

All right. Always good to see you Joe Johns. Thank you. Forget we are on television sometimes.

How effective is today's deal? Some believe it gives Syria enough time to move their chemical weapons out of the country. One of our next guest believes well, they may already be doing just that.

Plus, who is the big winner in this deal? It may be Israel. That discussion is next.

Plus, more of my conversation with comedian Bill Cosby and his thoughts on leadership in the black community today. You don't want to miss that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL COSBY, COMEDIAN: What we need is for people to realize I want to raise my kid. I want to go back and get my three kids. I want to take on that responsibility. I want to love my children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Let's now dig into the details on that potential -- and the potential impact on today's deal in Geneva. The agreement between the U.S. and Russia to find and destroy Syria's chemical weapons.

I'm joined now by some very astute analysts in Washington. Retired lieutenant colonel Rick Francona is a CNN military analyst. Here in New York, Fouad Ajami, senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution and also Christopher Dickey, the Paris bureau chief and Mideast editor for "Newsweek" and "the Daily Beast."

I'm looking right at you Christopher Dickey because in "the Daily Beast" that you called this deal a diplomatic breakthrough and you say Israel is the big winner here. We have not heard, I haven't, from a lot of people saying that this is a diplomatic breakthrough. They are saying oh my God, the U.S. is limiting its, you know, power in the Middle East.

CHRISTOPHER DICKEY, PARIS BUREAU CHIEF, MIDEAST EDITOR, NEWSWEEK/THE DAILY BEAST: I don't get that. I mean, first of all, it reminds me a lot actually of George W. Bush in 2002, when he went to the U.N. threatened war, said that the international community had to meet its responsibilities to disarm Saddam and he shook things up to the extent that we suddenly had inspectors going back into Iraq. We have a lot of stuff happening.

The difference then and now is that George W. Bush wanted to invade Iraq and Obama does not want to invade Syria. So, there's that. But the main thing is, even though it's been a mad scramble, I mean, you can't say that this administration has looked organized in this whole effort. At the end of the day, they threatened force and they got what they said they were threatening force to achieve, which was to get chemical weapons taken out of the content.

LEMON: You say they don't look organized. Some people say this has been a brilliant strategy on the part of the Obama administration whether it was orchestrated effort or not, they are going to come out.

DICKEY: You know, I sort of hate sports metaphors, but it's like a baseline player in tennis. They were waiting for the balls to come across, scrambling after them, rushing them and falling back from the net and things lobbed over their heads. And finally, at the last minute, they score a surprise point.

LEMON: Fouad Ajami, go ahead because you are sitting there going, wait, I don't believe anything you say.

FOUAD AJAMI, SENIOR FELLOW, STANFORD UNIVERSITY'S HOOVER INSTITUTION: No, I think look, the president didn't want this whole engagement in Syria. He never prepared for it. He was not ready for it. He had made this remarks about the red line and then he had to make good on his own threat. But, if you take a look at what happened now and what the issue is about, we reduced the whole Syria conflict to the use of chemical weapons. Chemical weapons are not the issue. The issue is the brutality of the Assad regime to the population.

LEMON: I understand that. And that many people will agree with you. And there is, you know, hundreds of thousands of people have died before in recent months. But, chemical weapons are what got us to this particular situation where something appears, at least on the surface, to be happening or done about the situation in Syria. You disagree with that?

AJAMI: I like the word appears. Appearance are very deceptive here. Our access to Syria would be very difficult. We are going to go and by November, we have a clear sense, supposedly by mid November of the chemical weapons Syria has. And then by mid-2014, when Bashar will have brutalized his country for another several months, then we are going to disarm Bashar.

I mean, this is really kind of wishful thinking. We don't have that kind of access. We don't know Syria that well. We can't just walk in and Syria is going to reveal their secrets to us.

LEMON: Colonel, I'm going to get to you. But I see Christopher Dickey here wanting to --

DICKEY: Well, you know, I think it's a little bit more dynamic than that. First of all, the agreement with the Russians, they puts all this question of compliance under chapter 7 of the U.N. charter, which basically opens the door to military intervention with U.N. approval, something that didn't exist before. I think there's a lot that can happen between now and six months from now, but not the use of more chemical weapons.

LEMON: And Colonel, listen, you don't have to be -- I know you are a polite man. You don't have to be so polite because there are sitting here and they have like immediate access, you can jump in anytime.

Let's talk about this access. Let's talk about logistics and you can respond to whatever you want. You want to respond to something they said, but I want to ask you about because Syria's possible chemical weapons can be located, secured, destroyed by the Middle East, by the -- excuse me, by the middle of next year.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL RICK FRANCONA, RETIRED, MILITARY ATTACHE: We'll be able to destroy what we know of and can find. But the problem is finding them and getting an accurate count. We don't have a really good handle on what the Syrians have because they have been making it, they have been moving it. They have used a little bit of it. But -- and I think it's going to be very, very difficult to pin it down and get an accurate count from anybody.

But I think Chris made a very interesting point. You know, the Israeli's come out, the big winners in this. That's only if we get all the chemicals, which I don't think we are going to get.

There are different kinds of chemical weapons. There are the strategic chemical weapons that is not used and there is the tactical ones which he has. And if I was Bashar Al-Assad, I would have moved all the strategic stuff by now. It would be somewhere else we're never going to find it because I find it inconceivable that he is going to give up his deterrence like he has with the Israelis.

LEMON: OK. Grab a pen and piece of paper and mark down all of your thoughts because everybody is we are not going to go here. We have lots more to talk about. And what I want to ask and answer after this -- after we go on to this break is, you know, we keep talking about the outcome, we are talking about the outcome, how we got to the outcome. It is the outcome that the administration -- you brought up this point, it's what the administration wanted initially, but everyone keeps saying, but you did this, but you did this. They say you did this, this and this. In the interim, if you get from point a to point b, does it matter the roads you take here and are we looking at this in the proper perspective?

Don't answer that yet. We are going to talk about that in a bit because we have some developing news happening in Colorado. The governor is about to talk about the epic flooding they have been dealing with there and how his helicopter stopped during an aerial to rescue four people and their pets. We are going bring it to you live once it happened.

But in the meantime, Comedian Bill Cosby's message to young black men on the importance of going to college.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COSBY: Just go and sit there and understand you are going to get an education because that's what happened to me. At age 19 1/2, I just knew that I didn't want to do certain things. And it wasn't what they were doing to me, it's what I wasn't doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Wise words from a man who should be heard. More next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: More now with my conversation with Bill Cosby. He attended a commemoration today of the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. That tragedy killed four little girls.

Before today's event, he and I talked. And I asked him about our country's next generation of leaders. That is a conversation had just been having with a president of Miles College in Alabama who has seated next to him. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: So, I want to ask you about, I have been talking and thinking, you know, after the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, the anniversary of four little girls, about leaders. And especially African-American leaders, who are they? Where do you see? Do we need one? Do we need leaders in the same sense we needed a Dr. King or Vire Ruston (ph) or a James Baldwin? Where do you see our leadership now?

COSBY: I think it has to come from the same place. I think it has to come from the universities. I think, women, strongly because when you see 70 percent in research that says they are the leaders of the household, what we need is for people to realize I want to raise my kid. I want to go back and get my three kids. I want to take on that responsibility. I want to love my children.

You know, one of the great pictures that, I mean reaches me because it is special is to go to, for instance, the essence affair and walking around to see, yes, to see a black male with his child on the shoulders and holding. I mean, that means something. And I'm sure that this president of the college knows what it feels like to welcoming the fresh people in and look out and see father serious about it. Because it's not difficult to do and you don't have to just jump up one day. You can ease yourself into it.

Of course, we have great things happening. Graduates of the naval academy, the military academy, graduates of all kinds of Morehouse and Miles and Colleges like that.

LEMON: Harvard and Yale.

COSBY: By the same token, we need those people, go to community college. OK, you backed up and didn't do well. You quit school but now you find you need that high school credential. Go to the community college. Get yourself there. Put your body in line. You are going -- I don't like the phrase reinvent yourself. You were never invented. Go. Sit there and understand you are going to get an education because that's what happened to me.

At age 19-and-a-half, I knew I didn't want to do certain things. It is not what they weren't doing to me, it's what I wasn't doing. It's a very simple thing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Next, I ask Mr. Cosby about problems with the juvenile justice system today and about those who criticize him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COSBY: The reason I'm giving you this information is because I was living in the projects. I was not taking care of myself in terms of managing my education.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: More, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Just a moment ago, you heard Bill Cosby talking about the next generation of leadership in this country. He also talked about how some young people on that path or simply any path to success can get derailed. He's got some strong words, very strong words for those supposed to help get those young men back on the right path.

Listen now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COSBY: Our criminal justice system in terms of our teenage people, in some cities, if you could walk in and look at how many people are in charge of a kid whose coming in with the suit on and whatever that kid has done or they said he's done, how many people, if they did the job correctly on the chain could make the parents of the child feel better, could maybe the kid won't understand it, but the explanations are there.

We have places that kids go to, boys, juvenile, and the director said to me, of this one place, you know, 70 percent of our kids are medicated. OK, give themselves eight months of taking medication to keep you subdued. By the way, I told these young fellows who were incarcerated, if you don't feel right, if you want to talk to somebody, go see the psychologist.

Afterwards, this woman came to me and said thanks a lot. There will be a line all the way around my -- for people to see me. I didn't say anything to her.

But my point is, if you drug these people and then you release them and there's no prescription for them to get to take to do the same thing and they go back to the same place.

Now about this time, this is when you hear the no grows jump up and say, why don't you talk about the good things? Why don't you?

Because the good things happen to be taking care of themselves pretty well. We are trying to help those geniuses, those not geniuses, people who deserve, because they are human beings on this Earth, in the United States of America. We are trying to get them in a position so they will understand and want to.

LEMON: Why is it so hard for some people to get that message, though? To hear that message, to receive that message and without lashing out?

COSBY: Well, it's because they feel, I think, I think they feel embarrassed. I think they feel embarrassed about -- you know, Sammy Davis said something to me one day. We were in playing in a routine and I told him I knew something. He said, "No, you don't." I said, "Yes, I do."

And I said it. He said, "No, that's not the way it goes." I said the same thing louder. He said, "Bill, saying it loud don't make it right."

And so, every loud voice you hear yelling about something and saying, well, you just -- you lost us. You became a millionaire.

The reason why I'm giving you this information is because I was living in the projects. I was not taking care of myself in terms of managing my education and once the door opened and I saw, quote-unquote, "the light", I started to become very successful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Hmm. Some very wise words from Dr. Bill Cosby. As you know, he gets a lot of criticism and a lot of pushback for that.

Quickly, you are sitting and watching.

CHRISTOPHER DICKEY, MIDDLE EAST EDITOR, NEWSWEEK & THE DAILY BEAST: Well, I think it's right about people needing to take responsibility. I hope people listen to him. I hope younger people understand what a huge pioneer he was. I mean, when I was a kid living in the South and he started to appear on TV, the business of race relationships was about fear, condescension, hatred and he came along and opened up a whole new way of looking at race relationships.

LEMON: Yes.

DICKEY: I think he should be given a lot of credit.

LEMON: His words carry meaning.

FOUAD AJAMI, SR. FELLOW, STANFORD UNIV. HOOVER INSTITUTION: Absolutely, look, I think the word pioneer is exactly right. He went through doors that were locked and closed for African-Americans in this country. And his message of individual responsibility, don't lean on the state. Don't expect help from this government or that government. This message of individual responsibility is very important.

LEMON: It is very important. This isn't talking ending racism or curing racism or discrimination. This is about yourself, right? The message that everyone is responsible for themselves.

DICKEY: Sure, he helped to change the overall context, but now, he wants to make sure people understand who is responsible for moving forward in this society.

LEMON: All right. Thank you guys. We'll talk a little bit more.

We're going to talk about today's diplomatic deal on Syria, put aside the possibility of a U.S. air strike for now, at least. And the White House never could get support from Congress or the majority of Americans. What happened? Was it the message? Was it the messenger? We are discussing that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: So, we have been talking about Syria, chemical weapons, now turning them over to an international community. Of course, Russia is the key here, with the help of Russia.

Joining me now is retired Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona. Here in New York, Fouad Ajami and Christopher dickey. And in Los Angeles, Howard Bragman, a veteran PR representative and vice chairman of Reputation.com.

We have been talking about the president, Howard -- I specifically wanted you to talk about this. The president tried news conferences. He tried speeches. He sent his team to Capitol Hill -- all of these attempts to get Americans and Congress behind a military strike. They fell completely flat.

Was it the message or was it the messenger, Howard?

HOWARD BRAGMAN, VICE CHAIRMAN, REPUTATION.COM: I think he didn't care about the message. I have talked to people very close to the president. The president had one goal here, and that was to do the right thing morally. The right thing morally, he felt, was to draw the line in the sand and try to get Congress behind him.

You know, we came out of an administration better with spin than it was with the execution and collaboration. Obama spoke softly, carried a big stick, which is American military might. It looks like he's winning right now. It looks like he's going to get what he wants and I think it's a very important historical teachable moment that you don't have to blow up things to move the needle diplomatically.

He's a lame duck president. Congress people have to be elected every two years. The American people didn't want him. Their choice was unpopular.

He's not playing history. He's playing morality right now. And I think he played it fairly well.

LEMON: You think he's lame duck this early on?

BRAGMAN: I think -- I think the minute you are reelected, you are a lame duck in the second term historically.

LEMON: OK.

BRAGMAN: But this could go down as a good moment for him if it plays out the way it looks it's unfolding.

LEMON: All right. Stand by. I have a lot of things I want to get in here with you, Howard. The White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, here he is, trying to defend President Obama who is criticized for being dismissive. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The American people, at least in my assessment appreciate commander-in-chief who takes in new information and doesn't, you know, celebrate decisiveness for the sake of decisiveness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LENON: So quickly, Howard, there are some other questions. I mean, does that Carney remark explain the White House message problem?

BRAGMAN: I don't think the White House was focused on message. I think the White House was focused on morality and doing the right thing. That's part of the problem, because I would always argue that PR can be the lubrication that helps you get to the Promised Land. It can help you get to that decision.

If the American people had gone along a little more, you know, it was a very good speech he gave. I think more people watched Miley dancing on the VMAs than watched the president's speech the other night. It's hard to get people's attention right now.

LEMON: Looking off because of my panel here. Everyone is agreeing saying yes. You agree, you agree?

It's true. There was a poll that said, you know, 73 percent or 79 percent of people were more interested in Miley Cyrus than they were in what was happening in Syria. It translates to television ratings and news ratings as well.

So, real quickly here, Howard, you look like you are in your 20s. But you have been doing this a long time and watching political issues. Could anyone have sold America's idea or military strike for America, Ronald Reagan, FDR, anybody?

BRAGMAN: I think at this point in history with the hangover from the Bush administration and the war in Iraq, I don't think they could have right now. You know, I have been traveling the country in New York and Florida for the last week. I have done my own listening tour. It's every argument you would understand. The money can be better sent at home. If Assad leaves, who is left? What are we really going to do? Are we going to make things worse for ourselves and for Israel?

People just don't have the stomach for this kind of American intervention right now. And Obama said we are not the policemen of the world, but, in fact, he is saying we are the policemen of the world, if nobody else will do it.

LEMON: Mr. Howard Bragman, thank you for being here. We'll see you soon, Howard.

And to the other gentlemen, stick with me. I want to continue the discussion asking you about the continuing battle between the Syrian government and the rebels beyond the use of chemical weapons.

What is the U.S. going to do about that? Should we do anything? Hold your answers. And we'll get them right after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK, we are talking about today's agreement between the U.S. and Russia to find and destroy Syria's chemical weapons. The deal comes as we hear about disturbing U.N. report quoted by "The New York Times" describing how Syrian government forces are bombing hospitals, attacking medical staff members and denying treatment to the wounded and the sick.

Colonel Francona, my first question is to you -- will destroying chemical weapons have impact on behavior like that?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA (RET), U.S. MILITARY ATTACHE: No, I don't think so. This is nothing new. This has been going on for a long time.

Prior to going after the hospitals, his favorite targets seem to be bakeries, because he knew he could starve the people and a lot of people congregate at those facilities. So, you know, there's no honor in how Bashar is fighting this. It's going to continue and it's going to get worse.

We have seen the violence tick up since the last three or four days.

LEMON: Yes, seemed to tick up a lot.

Fouad Ajami, I mean, what does this deal say to the Syrian opposition? I mean, are they being forgotten in all of the high profile diplomacy over weapons?

AJAMI: We are betraying the Syrian opposition big time. We are walking away from them. We have not armed them.

They depended on us. We did not supply them with weapons. We questioned their honor. We considered them to be, if you will, members of al Qaeda or close to al Qaeda.

These people were depending on an American strike. They were hoping that they would see power and they would see decision from Washington and they were betrayed.

LEMON: Christopher Dickey, how do you scour a country in the middle of a civil war for chemical weapons?

DICKEY: Well, it's difficult to do. But if Bashar al Assad has most or all of them under his control and has put them in areas that are out of the conflict zone, it's not as difficult as it sounds. I think one of the most important things that came out of this agreement that was announced today is the obvious coordination between Russian and American intelligence on this question of the chemical arsenal. Basically, they agreed, this is what he's got and this is where it is.

LEMON: Colonel Francona, I want to ask this question by someone who is familiar in the ways of Washington. They sent me an e-mail saying, "FYI, President Obama knew what he was doing. He didn't announce he was going to Pakistan to get bin Laden, he just did it. To announce a threat was on purpose to get the Russians to get on board with negotiations."

He knew exactly what he was doing. What do you say, Colonel?

FRANCONA: Wishful thinking. I hope the president is that smart. I just don't get the feeling it was played out that way.

You're talking to Howard earlier. He made some great points.

But one of the -- when the president was making a case for military strike, many of us, and I talked to a lot of military colleagues, we didn't -- we didn't feel that sense of outrage, because, you know, many of us are -- we find the use of chemical weapons abhorrent and we thought the red line had been crossed. And we didn't get the sense the president really felt as strongly as he should have.

LEMON: Yes.

Nod the head, yes or no, did he know exactly what he was doing? Was this all planned?

AJAMI: No, look, chemical weapons were used on August 21st. That's one day.

LEMON: Yes.

AJAMI: One day in a chronicle of a war that lasted now for 30 months.

LEMON: Yes.

AJAMI: So, to isolate the use of chemical weapons from all the brutalities, from all the crimes against humanity committed by Bashar, does do something.

LEMON: I've got to run. If you can do it in two seconds.

DICKEY: Yes, if Bashar had kept chemical weapons and could use them, he would win the war. It's as simple as that.

LEMON: All right.

DICKEY: So, I don't know why the opposition is complaining.

LEMON: All right, Mr. Producer, in my ear. We're going to go. We'll be right back.

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LEMON: Colorado governor has arrived now briefing the public.

GOV. JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D), COLORADO: Some estimates about what that's going to take in terms of time and in terms of money. I did talk to the secretary of transportation this morning. Secretary Foxx called me and was adamant that the $5 million they released yesterday was just the beginning and they are 100 percent to making sure Colorado, again, rebuilds better than we were before and we do it as fast as humanly possible.

And they gave us a full commitment of the federal government to work with the state and then, also, obviously, with the county. Our first responders here continue to marvel at the quality of our first responders, the talent and also the level of leadership that we have seen from county commissioners and mayors up and down this Front Range flood of 2013.

I also want to just give a shout-out to the National Guard, you know, Major Todd Stansboro (ph) is flying that Blackhawk and he dropped us down. It was like he would have gotten inside four acorns in a parking space. We were landing on a piece of road that was completely washed out. There was (INAUDIBLE) hundred cubic feet a second, but it was as high as I had seen in my life. We were three feet away from it. Bu that's where we had to come down to pick these folks up.

This is the result of what they call HAATS, High-Altitude Army Aviation Training Site that we have up in Rifle, Colorado. It's where this kind of training for the entire nation takes place. And, you know, we couldn't have been happier than to have both of our U.S. senators right with us, three of our congressional leaders to see just how valuable that training is and the kinds of resources it gives us, not just in war but times of catastrophe as well.

I want to turn it over to senior senator, Mark Udall, and then Senator Bennett --

LEMON: All right. That is the governor of Colorado giving an update and talking about his own rescue in a helicopter, rescuing four people, a dog and a cat on his way to this press conference, as he is touring those devastated areas. It's just amazing how they are being inundated there.

Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Don Lemon in New York. The Tenth Annual Style Awards begins right after a quick break.

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