Christiane Amanpour Explodes on Fellow Panelists Over Syria: 'I Can Barely Contain Myself at This Point

An intense debate broke out on "AC360 Later" on Thursday night when CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour exploded on her fellow panelists during a segment about potential U.S. military action against Syria.

Taking aim at anti-interventionists, the normally very calm Amanpour became visibly agitated and shouted down her fellow talking heads, unleashing on blogger Andrew Sullivan and making an impassioned case for U.S. involvement following the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

The initial tension became evident when Sullivan discussed separating emotion from public policy. Breaking her silence, Amanpour made it known that she fiercely disagreed with what her fellow panelists were saying about the complicated international crisis.

Christiane Amanpour explodes during CNN segment about Syria (Photo Credit: CNN)

"I can barely contain myself at this point. ... How many more times do we have to say that weapons of mass destruction were used and as bad as it is to decapitate somebody it is in no means equal?," she rhetorically asked.

"We can't use this false moral equivalence about what's going on right now. They tried to do it in the Second World War, they tried to do it in Bosnia, they tried to do it in Rwanda and they tried to do it now. There is no moral equivalence," continued Amanpour, noting that former President Bill Clinton is still apologizing 15 years after the Rwanda crisis.

When her fellow panelists attempted to jump in, she scolded them, snapping, "Wait just a second" and "Excuse me!"

Going on to call the U.S. the "most moral country in the world," she proclaimed that the Syrian government's actions should not go unchecked. Amapoour could barely get through her comments, as she was visibly stirred. She, again, clashed with Sullivan.

"I'm so emotional about this," she said after a pause.

"Exactly," proclaimed Sullivan.

Christiane Amanpour explodes during CNN segment about Syria (Photo Credit: CNN)

Rather than backing down, Amanpour said she had a right to be emotional and that she was determined to finish her commentary on the matter, which she did, adding, "It is not emotion -- this is history coming out."

The correspondent said that it is not in America's best interest to look away from events like this, while her co-panelists patently disagreed.

Watch the heated segment, below:

(H/T: Mediaite)

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