UN Meetings Reflect America's Diminishing Status

President Barack Obama will chair a U.N. meeting Tuesday to discuss countering terrorism in the Middle East. The following day, Russia will chair its own meeting on countering terrorism.

Their efforts represent two competing visions for the Middle East and may signal America's diminishing influence.

As Obama has sought to pull America's military out of the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been more than happy to fill the vacuum.

At the United Nations Monday, the two leaders reportedly discussed working together to fight ISIS. But a key issue is dividing them -- what to do about Syria's bloody dictator, Bashar al-Assad.

"When a dictator slaughters tens of thousands of his own people...that is not just a matter of one nation's internal affairs," Obama said.

Putin sees it differently.

"We think it is an enormous mistake to refuse to cooperate with the Syrian government and its armed forces who are valiantly fighting terrorism face to face," Putin said.

The United States still insists Syria's future cannot include Assad, but analysts say America's clout is shrinking as Putin seeks to raise Russian influence in the region.

The United States now finds itself on the outside of a new alliance between Russia, Iran, Syria and America's ally, Iraq. The U.S. has learned that Iraq will share intelligence with the Russian alliance.

Obama sounded open to working with them too.

"The United States is prepared to work with any nation, including Russia and Iran, to resolve the conflict," he said.

But critics say it has been Obama's own policy of retreat that has allowed Russia to get stronger in the Middle East, while at the same time reducing the influence of the United States.