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Special Report Panel Roasts Obama Administration Over Syria's Chemical Weapons

January 30, 2014

Fox News' Special Report panel roasted the Obama administration Thursday night over revelations that Syria had removed less than five percent of its chemical weapons under the agreement it made last fall.

The Obama administration sharply criticized Bashar al-Assad and the Syrians for falling so far behind on its obligations Thursday, and the panel didn't hide its derision.

"Surprise, surprise," syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer said. "That Assad isn't being honest, and he's holding back over 90 percent of his chemical [weapons.] And remember, this is over 90 percent of his declared inventory. You can be sure there's all kinds of stuff that's hidden ... Obama's own Director of Intelligence said today to the Congress that the [chemical weapons] deal that the Russians had arranged essentially established the legitimacy of Assad in the middle of a civil war where he had been on the run. So it was the American stamp of approval on Assad."

Calling the entire saga a "farce," Krauthammer hit Obama for allowing Russia to re-assert its authority in the region and that, despite the administration's bluster, the chemical weapons remain.

Judge Andrew Napolitano slammed Obama for being contradicted by his own administration less than two days after declaring the imminent elimination of Syria's chemical weapons during his State of the Union address.

"He has shown an incredible willingness and facility at lying," he said. "All the senior people in his administration have profoundly, directly defied what he said about Syria is complying with this agreement. Russia dominates the area. The American people have zero appetite for American military intervention. What is he going to do? He is stuck."

The civil war is continuing to spiral downward in Syria, and CIA director James Clapper testified Wednesday that a Syrian militant group with ties to al Qaeda wants to attack the U.S.

The Hill editor A.B. Stoddard said there were very people on either side of the aisle making the case that the U.S. had strategic interests in the Middle East. She acknowledged legislators like Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) do, while Obama will not.

"You have the president pretty much refusing to really speak to the American people about what's going on in the Middle East," Stoddard said.