Hillary Clinton: Assad regime dishonors Syria

At the conclusion of the "Friends of Syria" conference in Tunisia, which called for a unified strategy against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews spoke with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the prospects for Syria. (Watch the interview at left.)

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Wyatt Andrews: Let's get right to Syria, please. I know and respect that you think the Friends of Syria conference on Friday was a success, but the shelling continues. I don't think we have any evidence that humanitarian aid is going in as the conference demanded. So on what level exactly was the conference a success?

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Well, Wyatt, perhaps I take a longer view than some in looking at the way the Arab League has led, which has been one of the most remarkable developments of the last year, that they would take positions against fellow Arab nations on behalf of the aspirations that we all hold for the Arab Spring.

The fact that so many other countries were present and speaking with one voice, you know, this is not to be I think diminished in its importance. It doesn't mean that we aren't deeply distressed by what has continued.

Andrews: The world is united, I take your point.

Clinton: Well, except for -

Andrews: What does that do?

Clinton: Well, I think it does several things. Sometimes overturning brutal regimes takes time and costs lives. I wish it weren't so. I really, really do. I wish that those around Assad would realize that it may not be tomorrow, it may not be next week, but they're done. I wish the military that serves that regime would quit staining their own honor and stand up for the rights of the people. I wish the business people who are still sitting on the fence would realize that they're going to be so tightly sanctioned that it's going to be a big price for them to pay, and so on.

Because it's not just one man, it is a regime, and we think that we're putting a lot of pressure on that regime and that there will be a breaking point. And we think that the regime itself is dishonoring who they are and what they stand for. They don't represent the Syrian people anymore. They represent a family, maybe the Ba'ath party, a small group of insiders.

And so we are pushing this day by day. But they also have very strong friends. You look at Russia, China and Iran, who are in there determined to keep Assad because he does their bidding. He buys their arms, he sells them oil. This is as clear a contrast between the values that the world now is embracing, and the past.

Andrews: But on the point of the pressure and the pressure you're trying to apply: Our correspondent in Syria yesterday was interviewing some of the people being shelled in Homs. And there was a poignant moment where this man says under the shelling, 'Where are you, friends of Syria?' He specifically mentions the conference. He says Baba Amro - that's the suburb of Homs - is being shelled as if you did not exist - that, meaning the Friends of Syria conference. Does he have a point?

Clinton: Of course he has a point. And you know, I am deeply, deeply distressed for the people he represents who are trapped under this artillery bombardment. But the problem for everyone is you have a ruthless regime using heavy artillery and tanks that are war weapons of the greatest impact against defenseless people. So there will be, and I've said this before, there will be those that are trying to arm these Syrians who are under attack.

But even if they are given automatic weapons against tanks, against heavy artillery, the slaughter will go on. And what I'm wondering is, what about the people in Damascus? What about the people in Aleppo? Don't they know that their fellow Syrian men, women and children are being slaughtered by their government? What are they going to do about it? When are they going to start pulling the props out from under this illegitimate regime?

Andrews: You're sending a message to them?

Clinton: Yes, I am.

Andrews: The administration made a point this week of suggesting that if Assad does not step down, does not stop the violence, that the U.S. would consider additional measures. What are the additional measures?

Clinton: Well, I'm not going to go into that, Wyatt. I think we did signal that this kind of wanton violence is just unacceptable. There are countries that are much closer with a much greater stake in the neighborhood who are looking at what they might do. Obviously we are talking with them to see whether they intend to take action and whether they need any kind of logistical or other support. But no decisions have been made.

Andrews: You're suggesting non-lethal support? Or are you suggesting that the United States may support the closet, back-channel arming of the rebels that is going on now?

Clinton: We have made no decisions to do any of the above. We are in consultations with others who are watching this as we are watching it and trying to determine what more can be done.

Andrews: When I go back to the plight of the folks being shelled and who are very plaintive in their request of the international community to be stronger: The question is, how long does the killing go on before the additional measures that you're talking about kick in?

Clinton: Well, I think Wyatt, if you take just a moment to imagine all the terrible conflicts that go on in the world, we have seen in the last 15 years millions of people killed in the Eastern Congo, in the most brutal terrible despicable ways. It wasn't on TV. There were no Skyping of the jungles that were the killing fields. And I could point to many other places where governments oppress people, where governments are turning against their own people. And you have to be very clear-eyed about what is possible and what the consequences of anything you might wish to do could be.

I am incredibly sympathetic to the calls that somebody do something. But it is also important to stop and ask what that is and who is going to do it and how capable anybody is of doing it. And I like to get to the second-, third- and fourth-order questions, and those are very difficult ones.

Andrews: The U.S. has repeatedly said that it is reluctant to support the direct arming of the dissidents. Why?

Clinton: Well, first of all, we really don't know who it is that would be armed. We have met some of the people from the Syrian National Council. They're not inside Syria. This is not Libya where you had a base of operations in Benghazi, where you had people who were representing the entire opposition to Libya, who were on the road meeting with me, rather, constantly meeting with others. You could get your arms around what it is you were being asked to do, and with whom. We don't have any clarity on that.

Andrews: Madame Secretary, what's the fear of arming the rebels?

Clinton: Well, first of all as I just said, what are we going to arm them with and against what? We're not going to bring tanks over the borders of Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. That's not going to happen. So maybe at best you can smuggle in, you know, automatic weapons. Maybe some other weapons that you could get in. To whom? Where do you go? You can't get into Homs. Where do you go? And to whom are you delivering them?

We know al Qaeda - Zawahiri is supporting the opposition in Syria. Are we supporting al Qaeda in Syria? Hamas is now supporting the opposition. Are we supporting Hamas in Syria? So I think, Wyatt, despite the great pleas that we hear from those people who are being ruthlessly assaulted by Assad, you don't see uprisings across Syria the way you did in Libya. You don't see militias forming in places where the Syrian military is not, trying to get to Homs. You don't see that, Wyatt. So if you're a military planner or if you're a Secretary of State and you're trying to figure out do you have the elements of an opposition that is actually viable, that we don't see. We see immense human suffering that is heartbreaking and a stain on the honor of those security forces who are doing it.

[erpicferl]

we should drop aborted babies on syria and warn them that this will be them if they keep being jerks

[scottpatrick1234]

3,000 unborn Americans die every day in the U.S. through legalized abortion? Who is worse: Assad or the U.S. government? 53 million babies have been killed in the U.S. since 1973.

[erpicferl]

thank you abortion providers for not making the world even more overpopulated

[usunus]

Hillary Clinton has made the monumental mistake of thinking that Syria would be as easy as 1-2-3 like Libya.She has not anticipated any opposition in the UNSC.She therefore attacked Putin frontally and bluntly over the alleged fraud in the Russian parliamentary elections.Then came the veritable trauma of the UNSC vote.It rattled even her sidekick Susan Rice,who said the Russian and Chinese vetoes were " didgusting ".In Tunis Hillary called the two naysaying countries " despicable ".Now,she says the Assad regime " dishonours Syria ".These frustrated expressions of her thwarted ambition sound ridiculous, considering how the NTC ruling the Libya she " liberated " presides impotently over daily murder and mayhem.

[Jesus_to_ground_control]

Like a bridge over troubled water*

When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you
I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down!

* Simon And Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water

[weepsyc]

I have yet to see what Ms. Clinton knows about the Arab world. And if she knows anything, she sure hasn't informed President Obama. If the U.S. doesn't care about taking on the responsibility of fueling our own transportation needs, then the U.S. will have to negociate a diplomatic dialogue with certain Arabic regimes in certain Middle Eastern countries. With the globe shrinking, it behooves us to tolerate, and try to use our influence to understand and assist, instead of blowing the MidEast to smithereens.

[spongebob2011]

Keep talking Hilary, it's the same tactics NATO used on the pro-Gaddhafi citizens and military troops in each of the Libyan cities the rebels "conquered". Most especially,Tripoli. NATO bombed Tripoli daily for 6 months, they put complete sanctions on the city stopping all gasoline & oil(no power), all medical supplies were stopped, the food supplies outside the city were taken over by the Rebels to feed their forces, they even blew up the pipeline supplying all the water to the city. Before they finally gave the word to the Rebels it was time to move in for the "kill"!!!

[stanleyblog]

This is all to ferment the turmoil to drive up high gas prices, look at the high gas and diesel prices, this is then passed on to you, in food prices at the store. Everything gets shipped or transported by diesel semi's, ships, trains, you end up paying for these wars. STOP THE CIA from sending arms to the Rebels and paying them and fermenting the turmoil. Cut funding for CIA operations such as this.

[stanleyblog]

Get that Lying Secretary of State Moron Idiot off the news channels. Stop giving her time. She's the one Disrespecting ALL ARABS and All Muslims. She's working for the Bankers and Oil, to ferment more turmoil in the Middle-East. First it was Iraq War I, then Iraq War II (1), then it was Afghanistan (2), then Yemen (3), then Egypt (4), then Libya (5), now Syria (6), the big one will be IRAN (7), like domino's, and the last one will be Saudi's. SHUT-UP Hilary, Your the lying sack of uncooked baloney that disgraces Syria. Leave them alone, STOP meddling in the middle-east.

[bankersvox]

Good for Ms. H. Clinton! I am amazed about how little loss of innocent life by Israel defending itself from ROCKETS causes such an uproar in the World, including CBS and other DRIVE BYes. While Syria and others like EGYPT ( killing Coptic Christians) pales in comparison. This is the DOUBLE STANDARD.

It is noteworthy , the Israel has prepared for humane medical treatment of any Syrian citizens crossing the border needing help.

If memory is any longer than a nano second, please people of the EARTH, recall these dark days in the ARAB world, and we hope that the people of SYRIA becomes FREE and DEMOCRATIC.

[WJP88]

Hilary, can you just shut up ? You have no credibility in Middle East besides what goes on in Syria is none of our business.