[Banfield:] Welcome back. I'm Ashleigh Banfield. The international dispute over what to do about Syria's use of chemical weapons is at a fever pitch this hour. President Obama, overseas, is making a last-ditch appeal for international support for a strike against Syria. This is at the G-20 summit in Russia. The backdrop, Russian's president, Vladimir Putin, is warning that he has an unspecified plan of action if any kind of attack occurs. Also Iran weighing in. Its supreme leader warning of dire consequences if a strike occurs. And "the Wall Street Journal" adding to that, reporting that Iran has actually ordered militants in Iraq, next door, to attack the United States embassy and other U.S. interests in Baghdad if, in fact, an attack on Syria happens. And that is a whole lot of mess to deal with. Joining us is CNN military analyst, retired Air Force colonel, Rick Francona, who happened to live for three years in Syria as a military attache. And also joining us is former U.N. chief weapons inspector, Dr. David Kay. Colonel Francona, I want to begin with you, if I CAN. Let's start at the top with Russia and with what president Putin has said in veiled terms. It didn't feel like a threat but it didn't feel like it wasn't a threat. "We have our plan."
[Rick Francona, Former Military Jag & Cnn Military Analyst:] I would venture to say his plan is going to be on the diplomatic side or the economic side. I just can't imagine that the Russians want to get into a fight with us over Syria. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't reach the threshold of something they want to get into a superpower confrontation in the military realm. They've got quite a number of ships in the eastern Mediterranean, it's a small body of water. There's a lot of firepower out there. They may do a show of force, but I just don't see them doing anything militarily.
[Banfield:] So, Dr. Kay, if Vladimir Putin is paying lip service to his allies and making sure he walks this fence, let's go south to Iran and next door, Iraq. You and I have had a couple of conversations off air about the "I" word, and that's Iraq. It's no a place we ever want to be again, and yet we'll be there matter what, aren't we, if Syria enters the picture?
[Dr. David Kay, Former U.n. Chief Weapons Inspector:] We still have both State Department personnel and American armed forces there. A small number. And a lot of NGOs, Americans, are still in Iraq. The amazing thing being commented on for the last year is that Iraq has provided a free flow of Iranian support, both material, arms, as well as personnel across Iraq, both ground and airspace.
[Banfield:] It's been a pipeline. What you are saying Iraq, a place that effectively the United States created as it is now, is the pipeline for the bad guys in Syria. Is that what you're saying?
[Kay:] It's a major pipeline. And I think one reason there's been so little public comment on it is, if you think about it, it is extraordinarily embarrassing to the U.S. government to reveal and talk about something that we've spent billions of dollars and over 4,000 American lives on is now providing aid and comfort to Syria.
[Banfield:] So, Colonel Francona, with that in mind, I'm looking at some of the reports that have been coming in to CNN from the Pentagon to Chris Lawrence and our producers, and they are saying that a defense officials has told them they've received, quote, "many, many calls from the White House" almost every day asking for different options, can you do this, what would it take to accomplish "X," "Y," "Z," if you want to do "X," we'll need rescue personnel, refueling options. The question I have for you, given what you and David Kay just outlined with regard to Iraq, does that mean any kind of plan that's being made at the Pentagon right now is going to really focus on Iraq as well but maybe we won't be speaking so much about how much Iraq will matter?
[Francona:] They'll have a plan. If something happens, if we do something militarily against Syria, there's a whole host of things that will happen, and the Pentagon has to plan for these, and those involve the evacuation of embassies and the personnel and even the NGOs that David mentioned. They've got to take that into consideration. And going back to Iraq, Iraq is not this monolithic country anymore. It's, over the last two years, the civil order has almost broken down, you have the Sunnis resurgent in the north. And while the government is funneling official aid from Iraq into Syria, we're also seeing in the north this is where a lot of the Islamists are coming across as well. So Iraq is the funnel that is causing all the problems
[Banfield:] Despite the problem that no one wants to hear the word Iraq.
[Francona:] When people hear the word Iraq, people shut down.
[Banfield:] Yes, no kidding. And that may be a big issue for Congress. Thank you so much, Dr. Kay. And thank you so much, Colonel Francona. It's always good to have your expertise, especially at times like this. When we come back, I want you to take a look at this video. It's President Assad and his wife. They're shaking hands and they're smiling. Who would think that behind it lies one of the most cruel dictators in the world? So what do you suppose might happen to him and to his wife if he falls? And his people get a hold of him. There's some ugly history here that may lay some groundwork. We're going to show it to you in a moment.