[Baldwin:] The United Nations says 93,000 Syrians have died in the civil war that has ravaged the country now for nearly two and a half years. But it's the deaths of 100 to 150 Syrians that have moved the Obama administration like we've never seen before. Because that's the number of people killed from detected chemical weapons. This is according to a U.S. government report. The global community says using the weapons is a clear breach of international law.
[Gen. Wesley Clark , Fmr. Nato Supreme Allied Commander:] Assad has completely forfeited any claim to morally remain in power by the use of those chemical weapon. That's simply inadmissible in the 21st century. Totally inadmissible. In the darkest days of World War II, when the Soviet Union was about to be overrun by Nazi Germany, even the Soviets didn't use chemical weapons.
[Baldwin:] Now the Obama administration says it will increase, quote, "the scale and scope," these are their words, of its support to the opposition. But Syria's government says it's a lie. Russia, longtime ally of Syria and the president there, Bashar al Assad, also has doubts. Even on the ground, while many support American aid, some Syrians are skeptical.
[Unidentified Male:] America is inventing stories about chemical weapons. Syrian government never used chemical weapons. The rebel have used them, not the government, so they are inventing stories because our army is winning.
[Baldwin:] Want to turn now to Hala Gorani with CNN International. Just join me more on what the aid actually means.
[Hala Gorani, Cnn International:] Right.
[Baldwin:] Let's just first begin with that.
[Gorani:] Right. Well, I spoke just a short while ago to the essentially the spokesperson for the Free Syrian Army, Louay Moqdad.
[Baldwin:] Yes.
[Gorani:] Whose right now based in Turkey, but is regularly in meetings with officials from Europe and the United States. And essentially I asked him, what does this mean, the scale end scope being increased regarding weapons shipments potentially from the United States to the rebels?
[Baldwin:] Right.
[Gorani:] And he said the kinds of weapons were probably small arms and ammunition at this stage. And that what the United States and other European countries are asking for right now are guarantees that these arms will not go to extremist groups. And he repeated the requests from these rebel groups that what they need are not essentially rifles and ammunition and bullets, but that they need surface to air missiles, that they need a no-fly zone and that is not in the cards as far as the U.S. is concerned right now.
[Baldwin:] But he is saying small arms and ammunition?
[Gorani:] He's saying down the line, in the near future, once these guarantees have been provided to the United States, that it appears as though these shipments will go ahead without providing a specific timeline.
[Baldwin:] OK, what about, on the flipside, you have pushback not only from Syria
[Gorani:] Right.
[Baldwin:] Who, again, as we mentioned in this statement saying, you know, this is all full of lies, including also Russia pushing back.
[Gorani:] Russia is an ally of the Bashar al Assad regime. We've seen it time and time again over the last two years. The head of the Russian lower house of parliament is saying these are fabricated, these allegations, that the regime has used chemical weapons against its citizens. Remember Saddam Hussein and the claims of weapons of mass destruction there.
[Baldwin:] Right. Right.
[Gorani:] That's being brought back a lot. But let's put things in perspective. Iraq and Syria are two entirely different scenarios. There you had faulty intelligence as far as Iraq was concerned. Here you have evidence. More and more evidence piling up from different countries conducting independent research and analysis proving that these weapons have been used on a small scale.
[Baldwin:] Hala Gorani, thank you very much. I appreciate it. Coming up here, James "Whitey" Bulger, he was the most wanted man in America. Now he's on trial in Boston, charged with the murders of 19 people. You're about to hear my chilling conversation with one of Bulger's proteges.
[John "red" Shea, Former Mobster:] I mean, look at what he did to informants, allegedly. You know, he executed them because they were ratting on him. And here he is, the biggest rat of all. King rat.
[Baldwin:] Do not miss my interview with John "Red" Shea after this quick break.