OBAMA: ... there is -- there is no doubt that when you start seeing chemical weapons used on a large scale -- and, again, we're still gathering information about this particular event, but it is very troublesome...
CUOMO: There's strong proof they used them already, though, in the past.
OBAMA: ... then that starts getting to some core national interests that the United States has, both in terms of us making sure that weapons of mass destruction are not proliferating, as well as needing to protect our allies, our bases in the region.
CUOMO: There's strong proof they used them already, though, in the past.
OBAMA: ... then that starts getting to some core national interests that the United States has, both in terms of us making sure that weapons of mass destruction are not proliferating, as well as needing to protect our allies, our bases in the region.
-CNN interview.
"Core national interests:" The president mentions two, non-proliferation and protecting our allies and our own bases in the Middle East. Presumably, that would be the same in other parts of the world. What are America's "core national interests?"
