You're listening to the BBC World Service. I'm Gordon Carrera, the BBC security correspondent.

I sat down here in Washington with the director of the CIA, John Brennan,

and I began by talking to him about Syria.

Well first of all the situation of Syria is heartbreaking.

What is happening to Syrian citizens, particularly those in Aleppo,

that have been a target of relentless pounding by air

as well as by artillery, and the wanton slaughter of civilians that both the Syrians and the Russians

are responsible for, is nothing short of outrageous.

The United States continues to support the Syrian opposition, those elements that are not part of terrorist organizations like Isal or Jephal Nusra,

al-Qaeda in Syria. We need to continue to provide that support to them, different types of relief,

humanitarian assistance.

Unfortunately, the Russians have not, in my estimation, follow through on some of their

commitments that they've made.

I think they've drawn out these negotiations as a way to continue to choke Aleppo and to bring the citizens of Aleppo to their knees.

This is something that I think is going to not further the interests of peace in Syria.

I think if anything that's going to further alienate the local population from the Damascus government.

What we, the United States, are calling for is for there to be a transition from the Assad government.

I think only with Assad's departure will you be able to get on the path to peace?

We, the United States, are very strongly opposed to the growth of any type of terrorist

or extremist organizations inside of Syria.

In fact, those terrorist organizations need to be destroyed. But there is a moderate

opposition in Syria that wants to reclaim their country from the dictator's grip that Assad

...