arabia for that. ♪ ♪ theme >> good morning, this is aljazeera. i'm dell walters, these are stories we are following. >> our military operations will not cease. >> defiance and determination from syria's foreign minister as the assad regime stairs down the possibility of action from a u.s. led coalition. >> this international form cannot be violated without consequences. >> america's toughening position as secretary of state john kerry says the u.s. is now all but certain syria has resorted to using chemical weapons. >> new dangers as the nation's biggest forest fire now threatens thousands of buildings, water and energy sources and america's cherished

trees. >> a senior muslim brotherhood leader accusing the military run government there are terrorism. >> the secret service agent grabbed her hand and the gun. >> this chilling flashback as former president gerald ford recounts an assassination attempt on his life 30 years ago. ♪ theme >> syria's foreign minister says a potential u.s. strike on syria would serve the interest of groups there in response to a chemical weapons attack that killed 355 people last week in damascus. in a speech moments ago, assad's second in command telling secretary of state john kerr we his regime has not gone against

the u.n. investigation. >> it has said that the government used a chemical agent. i categorically deny to mr. kerry, i reiterate there is no single country in the world that may use a weapon of mass destruction against their own people. if those who are using our armored forces are in position of any piece of evidence that we have used this chemical weapon, i dare them to bring it forward to the public opinion. >> and for its part, the white house has postponed, put off a wednesday meeting with russia, instead the obama administration now said to be weighing its

response to the attack. there will be no u.n. inspection of the site of that alleged weapons attack. that has been postponed until tomorrow. samples were selected monday. they are confident the team has collected the evidence that it needs. u.n. ambassadors take to go twitter to blast the assad regime this morning, august: >> a similar tone struck this morning by current white house national security advisor susan rice, herself a former u.n. ambassador, saying. >> secretary of state john kerry saying any evidence collected in syria is important and there is

little doubt that the assad regime is behind the attack. >> what we saw in syria last week should shock the conscious of the world. it defies any code of morality. let me be clear. the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, killing of women and children and innocent bystanders by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity. by any standard, it is inexcusessable and despite the excuses and eequivocations that some have manufactured, it is undeniable. >> this is the way things are shaping up, the obama administration is looking at a number of military options against syria. navy officials tell aljazeera there are four destroys proper the sixth fleet based in the eastern mediterranean sea, guided with armed missiles. there are two carrier strikes groups in the gulf, supported by

destroys, a submarine and supply ships. earlier this year, a number of f16 jets were left in jordan following military exercises there. the u.s. also operates two air bases in turkey that could be used should there be any future attacks. we are on the ground in lebanon. david, the teams were able to visit the hospitals and collect the evidence they need. will this be enough? >> they were very productive on that monday visit. here in lebanon there has been resignation, i guess to the fact that this has played out the way they expected here. they expected the syrians to did that any use of the chemical weapons. they expected a further delay in terms of the u.n. in specters going in. they had basically predicted there would be some form of delay, the reason it was cited by the syrians is that there's a

problem interacting with the rebel groups and they can't establish safety for the u.n. until wednesday. people here thinking that delay would happen. the only really concern here about all this is the fact that they think it's too predictable. everything that has taken place simply has taken, it's like telegraphing punches. they said now the syrians will have time on their hands in order to pull back from any sensitive military locations. they can minimize the damage that may come from a strike, and again, that word resignation, where they think perhaps that too much is known too soon, so that the effect of all this, the outcome might not be that powerful or as much as what the united states or this coalition may hope to accomplish. dell. >> david, with things being the way they are on the ground in syria, is there a sense that they can pull back. their weapons are deployed, they are fighting an ongoing conflict. >> they are doing that, and they

are fighting that conflict. there's been talk here, dell in lebanon of hezbollah elements that have crossed the border and gone to fight for the assad regime and others that fight on the other side all pulling back militarily in terms of personnel so that they're not in harm's way should there be a strike. yes, it could be one that perhaps has great effect in terms of hardware, but probably a minimal effect in terms of the individuals active on the ground there. they'll be well out of harm's way. it's believed before anything actually takes place. >> david jackson on the ground in beirut, some 65 miles away from the syrian border. david, thank you for being with us this morning. >> there are voices within the u.s. congress on both sides of the aisle on the intervention issue. joining us now is representative gregory meeks here from new york. he is a member of the house foreign affairs committee, canningman, thanks for being with us this morning. >> good to be with you.

>> when might we expect a possible strike, and will there be a strike, in your opinion? >> i think that the president of the united states is doing all that he can to gather all of the information that he can to work in a multi-lateral basis with all of our allies, whether it's nato, whether it's dealing with jordan and states gathering the information. if the conclusion is that a moral hazard has taken place, a line crossed. >> is there any doubt in your mind that that happened with the video seen, somebody killed those people. >> that is correct. that's why we heard the statements from secretary kerry yesterday. i think the president has been doing all of his due diligence, making sure, that it's not the united states by themselves, that it's the coalition and he's talking to turkey and talking to jordan, and those that are on the border states very closely to make sure that everybody is

together and to also try to figure out the best thing to do and what happens afterwards, because that's also what's complicate. >> they also talked to members of congress. have you seen inside information that would suggest much more than we know and the fact that the white house has guaranteed, assured that it was the syrian government behind that attack. >> i will tell you that they -- that the united states have gathered information. the president has been very patient with this, and after consultations with individuals on the ground with, with countries, like turkey, like jordan, and wield be very interested in seeing what in fact the inspectors' investigation show, but thus far, it has been conclusive from what the administration has put forth that chemical weapons had been utilized and it's the sirian regime utilized. >> you are a member of congress and i have been told that members of congress take close watches and close looks at

polls, the latest polls saying that the majority of americans do not support military intervention in syria. what do you say about that, and should the united states act unilaterally, if necessary. >> no, and i don't think so the president will. i think that it will be multi-lateral. the president has in a similar fashion that the president and coalition work together on libya. it will not be on a unilateral basis. it will not be putting boots on the ground. it will not be a situation where it's an open ended piece. it will be well-defined roles, i believe. >> we have heard that before about that what happens if we get drawn into a much larger conflict, will you support that based on the actions that could take place in the next couple days. >> i think it's clear if you look at what the president has said, president barack obama, he told the american people what the role that america was going to play in libya, how much it was going to go cost us, what advice he would give our allies

and that is exactly what he did. i expect the same thing here. >> thanks for being with us this morning. >> 10s of thousands of families leaving their homeland seeking safety in nations nearby. over 1.5 million syrian refugees are living in jordan, lebanon, turkey and iraq, more in even distant countries. those camps are becoming overwhelmed. we'll take an in-depth look at anger and frustration overwhelming those camps. stay with us for the continuing developments in syria. >> we have breaking news coming out of sudan, the red cross says several workers have been kidnapped in darfur but have since been released. the team of eight was abducted by unknown armed gunman when they were returning to their base on monday. six of them have been released.

red cross officials are in contact with all political military and tribunal authorities. we'll have more on this story as it continues to develop. >> fire crews are making progress slowly on that growing rim fire out west. the fire is now 20% contained and covers more than 250 square miles. it is located on the edge of yosemite national park, and just one mile from that as he iser voluntary that provides san francisco with most of its drinking water. city officials say they are testing that water daily to make sure that it is not contaminated by the ash from the fire. earlier today, we talked to kelly houston from the governor's office of emergency services. he said right now the biggest priority is protecting the firefighters. >> because of the terrain, it's a rugged terrain. there is a history here of firefighters getting injured and we've lost some in this area. that's all along what's called the highway 108 corridor, the

north side of this fire, inching its way along the mountain side. small communities are under advisory of evacuations. it's seeing what the fire is going to do and staying a couple of steps ahead of it as we have about that doing for the last seven or eight days. >> the white house promised the state of california whatever it needs to fight the fire and recover. the pledge came in a phone call to governor jerry brown. >> firefighters have made headway but the fire continues north and east. more resources arrive by the hour. this has become a top national priority. on monday, california governor jerry brown made a visit to the area. >> what have it takes, i'm going to make sure that the resources are deployed, and the president called me just yesterday. he expressed his support, whatever we need, he'll provide, so between the state and the

federal government, and local officials, we'll get it done. >> battling the flames has been tough, crew's worry about the fire's advance to new communities. there may be more evacuations. >> containment levels might be higher, but the fire continues to rage. >> firefighters win some ground and lose it elsewhere. the fire swept through this camp, torching trees and melting metal. the danger is not over. there's still the task of preventing any fires from reigniting. the tough topography makes this an especially dangerous assignment. >> we recognize this area on the stan is law national forest has had fatalities to firefighters. we are conscious of the terrain, fuel conditions that happen here, something we take seriously. >> more than a week in the rim

fire has become one of the largest wildfires in california history. it is far from beaten. >> sadly, those firefighters not getting any help from mother nature. here's our meteorologist, dave warren. >> yeah, the biggest problem here is a fire this size is creating its own weather patterns you. have to account for that when you look at the actual weather pattern trying to predict what's happening and getting to improved weather conditions. clearly seeing a fire this size, that's the smoke from the fire there in northern california, yosemite national park going from south to north. the visible picture shows the clouds. it is certainly nowhere near the fire site. close up views show how this fire can impact and create its own weather. this is a visible picture from nasa. this is the fire, but these white spots are clouds developed by the heat and rising air from

that fire. it's a huge fire, over with it 50 or just a large fire creating this large updraft, creating its own weather. the air rises from the heat, you get wind gusting into the fire and that's creating what's called a fire storm, and then it provides fresh air to the fire as that heat continues to rice. the wind can really start to gust, so the rains not helping, the rains from all this moisture coming in from the south staying well to the east of california. there's some rain up over washington state, but right in the middle, that dry section is right over the fire, so the rainfall amounts over the next 24 hours nowhere near yosemite national park, a little farther east there, we are expecting rain. temperatures are into the mid 90's, expected to be there again today. hot and dry weather will continue, not really getting any help from mother nature, just continuing to see this hot, dry weather over that same area. >> dave warren, only a bad situation getting worst.

protests continue in egypt both for and against mohamed morsi. most of the muslim brotherhood leadership is behind bars. one left a skatinging message for the military led government. jonathan befz joins us live. >> after that serious crack down on the muslim brotherhood we are hearing from one of its senior leaders not in jail, but wanted by police. he insisted the muslim brotherhood is a peaceful movement. >> let me address this deceptive term of war on terror. first we must ask who are the real terrorists? they are the ones who massacre,

attack mosques and burn corpse. stood steadfast for 48 days, nothing else to say no to the military coup. >> he is a controversial figure in egypt. the military insists he is a terrorist using violence against the government, encouraging his members to take on violence against the military. it is an accusation gaining traction in egypt especially since it is a message repeated on state run television. it's likely a reason he put out that video yesterday, trying to gain sympathy at a time when questions are swirling about the strength of the muslim brotherhood. >> how big of a blow has the muslim brotherhood suffered and what about the milling tear, is there any sign they plan to in

their rule return things back to a democratic society that we're more familiar with? >> well, the muslim brotherhood has certainly been dealt a serious blow, hundreds of members arrested or killed in recent weeks. it continues to organized daily protests, but those protests are smaller and briefer. there's a serious concern of confrontation and of more violence among ranks of the muslim brotherhood and supporters. it's been working underground for decades and insist it will apply pressure on the egyptian government. the government insists it is on the fast track to democracy, reworking its constitution from last year and insists parliamentary and presidential elections are on schedule to be held sometime early next year. >> jonathan betz, thank you very much. >> still to come, it has been one of florida's most abundantly eco systems until now. hundreds of mammals birds and

plant life killed there. >> he was acquitted in the shooting death of a florida teen. we'll tell you why george zimmerman is now saying that the state of florida owes him hundreds of thousands of dollars. >> the weapon was large. it covered all or most of her hand, as far as i could see. >> a chilling presidential memory brought back to life, the hauntedding testimony from president gerald ford, videotaped some 30 years ago.

>> george zimmerman is going to ask florida to cover some of his legal fees. an attorney for the former neighborhood watch plans to file a motion. he wants the state to cover between $200,000 and $300,000 in legal bills. a florida jury acquitted zimmerman on charges of second degree murder last month. he was charged in connection with the shooting death of trayvon martin. state law requires that florida pay his legal cost because he was acquitted. >> nidal hasan is the army psychiatrist accused in the shooting rampage at fort hood

texas. he was convicted last week. jurors are considering the death penalty or life in prison. the last time the u.s. military executed a soldier was back in 1961. hassan killed 13 of his fellow unarmed soldiers and injured more than 30 others at that texas army base. >> a newly released videotape shows eyewitness testimony in the 1975 assassination attempt on president gerald ford. that testimony coming from the president himself. the videotape shows ford answering questions about the attempt. a jury convicted lynette, squeaky fromme. this is the first time a sitting president has ever given oral testimony in a trial. >> she was three to four feet from me when i first noticed her. she appeared to want to come married. i had the impression she did

come forward. i didn't see the precise movement. i stopped, because i had the impression she wanted to speak to me or shake my hand, and as i moved to either shake hands or speak to her, i then notice said the gun. as i indicated, it in her hand was approximately two feet from it. >> now ford videotaped that testimony for use in squeaky fromme's trial. she was sentenced to life in prison, released in parole in 2009. she now lives in new york state. >> doctors at duke university trying to new way to deal with obesity. they are encouraging patients to maintain, rather than reduce their weight. we report on what the researchers found. >> researchers focused on african-american women, who they say are not as likely to suffer from the social stigma of being

overweight. the doctor found that with many of his patients. >> african-american don't have the same pressure as white women to have a very slim physique, because we are accepting of a more voluptuous physique. >> as long as they don't become morbidly obese, they are not as likely to develop heart disease and diabetes. doctors at duke university of trying to new approach with their patients, try to maintain and not gain. >> if a woman can maintain her weight and stay at a lower level of obesity, many later life health risks will be off set and the risks reduced. >> researchers divided nearly 200 overweight or obese african-american women into two groups, one participated in duke's program and were given a health code and a game meship. the other met with a doctor to discuss weight loss. tanya was in the shape program. >> instead of eating cheetos and a pepsi at woke, i would buy like vegetable chips and try to

drink water. >> doctors say maintaining weight is easier than trying to lose it. you only need to you with the one to 200-calories a day. >> that's usually not consuming a both of soda or not having a few extra cookies after dinner. >> the other group gained 11 pounds over three years. the majority stayed steady on the scale and sometimes last weight. >> i lost at least 10 pounds doing that and i didn't do anything extra special. >> although the research focus said on african-american women, maintaining is important for anybody that is obese. >> rains so heavy in mexico, it's responsible for widespread destruction and even loss of life. >> appalling conditions triggering a build-up of frustration and anger. the overwhelming flood of ref fuse in iraq and the conditions they are forced to live with.

>> one thing you don't want to do is face the cardinals alan craig with the bases loaded. we'll show you when aljazeera turns to sports. ... s ...

antonio mora brings you smart conversation that challenges the status quo with unexpected opinions and a fresh outlook. including yours. mission.

>> there's more to america, more stories, more voices, more points of view. now there's are news channel with more of what americans want to know. >> i'm ali velshi and this is "real money." this is "america tonight." sglovrjs our -- >> our news coverage reveal more of america's stories. >> welcome back. i'm dell walters, these are the stories we are following at this hour on aljazeera. as the u.s. military considers options in sir yes, officials in damascus say they will defend themselves using all available means in case of a u.s. strike. >> out of control wildfires are

spreading across northern california. they've already burned nearly 225 square miles there, that blaze edging closer to a reservoir where san francisco gets its drinking water. >> extreme flooding and landslides from pouring rain blamed for 13 deaths in eastern mexico. >> to the situation in syria, u.s. secretary saying the whole world is watching as chemical weapons teams investigate a site near damascus where 355 people were killed last wednesday. the white house saying it has postponed a meeting with russia that was supposed to take place tomorrow. the obama administration now weighing its response to the attack. the u.n. teams continue their investigation tomorrow. they've already interviewed witnesses, collected samples from the area, as well. secretary of state john kerry saying evidence is important, because he says there is little doubt syria did use chemical

weapons against its own people. the u.s. military is ready to act on president obama's orders and syria is responding. >> if they falsely believe that the military strike being planned will undermine our military capabilities, i confirm you that it will not at all. one result of syria's ongoing conflict, nearly 40,000 arrived at a camp in northern iraq last week, adding to the 160,000 who are already on the ground there. refugees are angry and frustrated with their living conditions. >> imagine if this was your

home. not for one month or even six, but for over 18 months. then imagine sharing it with 60,000 others. it's no wonder then that the syrians living here are losing hope they'll ever return home. a serious war drags on, the initial relief escaping the conflict has disappeared. there have been a few riots in this camp over the past four months. the anger's easy to find. as soon as we start filming, we are surrounded by people wanting to tell us how they feel. >> we aren't used to living like this. we would rather go back to syria and end our suffering here in this place, but we can't, because of our children. they might be killed and raped in syria. this camp i'm in, the militias, they are all to blame. >> that anger has led some in authority to take measures.

important offices here have been secured, giving some parts of the plant a prison like atmosphere. aid agencies try and manage it as best they can. >> to deal with long term displacement issues, we try to provide a sense of community, and that they manage their own life with community management. >> as part of that long term process, many refugees have taken up manual labor jobs to support themselves and their families. it allows them to buy groceries and other goods, creating a formal but crucial economy in the camp. >> this place has the feel of a permanent town, but the more permanent it becomes, the more issues arise. >> this camp has a very different atmosphere from the ones that have just been set up for the newest syrian refugees. there is still a sense of relief that they managed to escape war. here, that dissipated a very long time ago. there's a sense of anger now and

the longer they live like this, that anger is only going to get worse. >> with any kind of solution political or otherwise to be achieved for the conflict, time stands still for the refugees, who try and make due the best they can. >> it is not just a rock. the flow of people have been crossing the border into lebanon. she joins us now live. what are you seeing on the ground there? >> underground in lebanon, you mean the reaction from the prime minister, most people here are describing really, that press conference as very defensive, really. syria defending itself, reiterating that its troops did not use chemical weapons, and that they have been very cooperative with the u.n. inspection team and syria saying

that the west, as well as gulf countries are using this as a pretext to launch a military attack against jair. they seem to be resigned to that fact, but syria is confident to a certain extent simply because it believes any possible strike against syria will not lead to regime change. it will be limited. it will be seen really as punishing the government for its alleged use of chemical weapons, and that's why we heard the syrian foreign minister stress and concentrate on al-qaeda linked groups in syria. he knows they're powerful and the west is really worried about their presence on the ground. there's no alternative to the syrian government at the moment, a very fractured opposition on both the military and political levels. >> you saw the report about refugees flooding into iraq. what is the situation on the ground in lebanon. are they dealing with the overflow of this conflict?

>> over the past two years, yes, thousands and thousands of syrians have crossed into lebanon, some of them who are, you know, well off are able to rent apartments, others actually sleep on the side of the roads. very few refugee camps, this country cannot cope and help them. what we are expecting to see really is a massive in flux of refugees if and when those u.s. led strikes actually happen. can you imagine how the people of damascus will react. the government has a lot of military bases there and a lot of those are situated in civilian neighborhoods. what we understand from activists again, we cannot confirm this but are hearing more and more the government is moving their weaponry, military hardware close to civilian neighborhoods, which will be difficult for the west if they do carry out any strike to avoid civilian casualties, which will definitely work in favor of the syrian government. if those strikes happen, yes, we are expecting more refugees to

pour into lebanon. this country is already coping with hundreds of thousands, really, many people unable to afford to eat, and very little help from the outside, really. >> thank you very much, joining us from beirut, lebanon. >> the refugee hardship in syria is a stark reminder of the hardship there. as the u.s. allies weigh ones, we want to talk about what is going to happen next. joining us is douglas olivot from the new american foundation. i guess the question that has to be asked at this point in time is you heard the secretary of state yesterday. how much international agreement does there need to be, if any, to engage in that region? >> that's going to be an interesting question for the administration. it's very clear we will not get a u.n. resolution, thanks to the russians and chinese, who will certainly veto one. anything that happens will be outside that norm of national legality.

>> you have a lot of experience with counter insurgency operations. if the u.s. does go ahead, proceeds with military action, what type of action do you think it should do? >> there's no way for the united states as an outside power, any outside power to do counter insurgency operations right now. an outside power has to cooperate with a government. i don't think we want to cooperate with the assad government, and the opposition is to fractured, they're not really a force you can work with. >> the american people, the latest poll saying they are exhausted, fed up with overseas involvement. have we reached the saturation point with rewards to the united states wanting to be behind something, even though we saw those images coming in from syria and if we have reached that point, what does the president do? >> well, i think you've answered your own question. certainly the american people are tired of intervention, there's no question about that. it's been a long time since 9/11

and america's been at some type of war ever since and the people are tired. what does the president do? that's a very good question. he's caught in a very difficult place. >> what are the main u.s. interests in syria? we often hear the united states talk about our strategic interests. what are our strategic interests for getting involved. >> we now have an interest in no one proliferation chemical weapons have been used, what do we do? second we have the matter of the assad regime, does he stay, go, and what succeeds him. third, we have a real problem now with al-qaeda and affiliated group and islamist safe havens in syria. the head of al-qaeda in iraq has relocated to syria. he is planning, strategizing, raising money. it is a real problem. >> that is the question. if you get rid of assad, there

is a possibility of al-qaeda being much stronger. if you don't get rid of assad, there is assad. it is a no-win situation? >> it's certainly a difficult one. all three of these interests of certainly intentioned with each other and some down right contradictory. >> douglas, thank you very much for being with us. he is with the new american foundation. thank you very much for being with us. >> we want to remind you that aljazeera is committed to bringing you the very latest definiteliments continuing the ongoing crisis in syria. for instant updates, we urge you to visit our website, aljazeera.com. >> the hurricane season's latest tropical storm being blamed for more than a dozen deaths in mexico. rains from fear that want prompted flooding. hundreds were forced from their homes.

13 people died after mud slides buried their homes, hundreds were told to evacuate before the storm hit. safety workers came by and told us to leave, because the water was coming. the storm flooded streets, homes, and businesses, schools were closed. supplies were stacked up in shelters, where many waited out the storm. >> they told us to leave because a big storm was coming, so we're going there. it's better to be safe than sorry. >> officer hand tigged 14 mud se in the area. >> we want to check on the situation now and find out whether there is going to be any relief in sight there, as well. >> keep it right there, right to

the map. this area has fallen apart as that moved over land. this cluster on the pacific side could see some development over the next 48 hours. that's what we're watching across mexico and the gulf of mexico. nothing else really developing in the tropics there, but watch that go area closely. some of that moisture is working its way into the southwest, this causing problems, because it's dumping a lot of rain in the same area. we could see flooding from that across the southwestern states there, including the california, arizona, up through utah. there's a potential for heavy rain with these showers not only this afternoon, but again tomorrow, could see some flash flooding watches in effect for that region. the moisture then turns to the east, so really clipping a portion of idaho and light rain. a lot of that rain from that moisture is staying in the southwestern states. temperatures in the midwest there, the northern plains, well, they're really starting to heat up. at this hour, when it's

79 degrees in the morning, you're in for a very hot day in the plains states. there are a number of heat warnings and watches in effect for the entire area there, it's just west of chicago, this is an excessive heat watch, an excessive heat warning. temperatures could easily climb to 100. when you factor in the humid, 105-110 heat index values. temperatures in chicago are 95 today, then slightly cooler with the patting shower or thunderstorm tomorrow right about 90 thursday, friday, and saturday. a little cooler weather coming into the northeastern states. there was rain that came through the past 12 hours. it's moved off the coast, we're drying out, there's a cooler breeze. temperatures getting nice and comfortable here the new england states over the next few days. >> in sports, john henry smith wants to talk about baseball. he says two teams going for first place. two teams, first place, three games. john henry smith.

>> you did that well. you're a pro. >> i did it twice. >> the national league central has seemed like a two horse race, two horse race between the cardinals and pirates, but as the announcer hollers down the stretch they come, the reds are lurking in third place, just two and a half games out of the top spot monday night. the visiting reds jumped on the cardinals 4-0 before sluggers jumped all over reds pitching, holiday going yard, turning a rout into a tight one. a grand slam, 7-10 with bases loaded this year, but that was the most impressive clutch knock. the cards take sole possession of first place. it was just a month and a half ago that mets pitcher matt harvey was starting the all-star game. his world has turned upside down, the result of a partially tosh legment in his elbow.

the mets placed harvey on the disabled list after an m.r.i. revealed an injury could lead to tommy john surgery. the mets are hoping that several weeks of rest will allow the ligament to heal on its own. harvey's 9-5 this season with a 2.7 e.r.a. if it turns out he needs surgery, his 2013 season would be over. >> in tennis, the last grand slam of 2013 is underway in flushing, new york. day one featured several top players, including serena williams. she has won eight tournaments this year. on paper, it looked far from easy, but on the court completely easy. she romps 6-0, 6-1. williams highly motivated by falling short in her last tournament. >> i think it was best that i lost in cincinnati, even though i wanted to win, it was best i lost. it gave me a little push to

actually get more motivated and work on things i needed to do and not be laces and just go through the motions. i honestly was so nervous today, i was really, really uptight. i told my coach you know what, and i really nerve talk about it, i said i'm really nervous going into this match. he gave me pointers which definitely helped me out, but i was definitely a little tight. >> on the men's side, nidal on a tear have been won back-to-back titles before coming to new york. he kept the good times rolling, making short work. he improved to 6-0 on hard courts this year. >> weather you accept that the nfl said modern era began in 1960 with the start of the a.f.l. or 1970 when the league merged with the n.f.l. no undrafted free agent has started a season opening game.

the buffalo bills are poised ho host the new england patriots in the opener. the rookie has compiled the highest q.b. rating this season, so has got some school. tuel talks what this means. >> you never know what's going to happen. you always got to be ready. that's something i said from the day i walked in this building, i'm going to prepare myself, because you never know what can happen. me going back to college, red shirt, the first time i played in the coliseum in 2009. it's happened to me before. i came here and started just preparing like i was a starter since day one, so it's -- it can happen. >> exciting time for that young man. finally, kurt busch signed a deal with stuart haas racing, joining kevin stuart, and danica patrick. that is your look at sports. >> two teams. >> two. >> not one. >> fighting for first place. >> fighting for first place.

>> three games. >> you've got the pennant race down. >> he fought the taliban, saved the lives of his fellow soldiers. we're going to show you the army sergeant awardeds nation's highest military honor, when we come back. than the ups and downs of the dow. for instance, could striking workers in greece delay your retirement? i'm here to make the connections to your money real.

>> we continue to follow breaking news concerning jair. moments ago, british prime minister david cameron recalling his parliament back from their summer break to tackle the issue of the crisis there. russia said fortune ministry warned military action against the assad regime would be extremely dangerous. the united states has postponed its meeting with russia tomorrow to weigh the crisis. we are standing by in moscow. fred, should the united states be worried about president putin arming assad. >> i don't think there's much

russia can do. it was made clear yesterday that russia will not try to counter intervene in anyway. so no war with russia. it's not on the table or even a remote threat, but everything short of that, including extreme diplomatic chill, i think the russians are feel blindsided by these events of the last week. just a couple of months ago, they thought everything was going their way. their client, bashar al-assad was winning and is still winning on the battlefield. they thought they got the americans to agree to a peace conference in geneva where they would bring assad to the table, the americans will bring the rebel representatives and some kind of a settlement would be hammered out. now that's yesterday's scenario, and the russians are warning of catastrophe. they're warning that america's

repeating the mistakes that it made in afghanistan, iraq, libya and so on, but that's about the limit of what russia can do. >> fred, you are joining us live from moscow, thank you very much. >> continuing developments in egypt, the arab league holding a meeting in cairo to discuss the situation in syria. aljazeera's mike ha hanna is in cairo. mike, what can you tell us about that meeting? >> this was an urgent meeting called in the past 24 hours. it's been underway for about three hours. it is at ambassadorial level. foreign ministers on present any decision that could be taken there would likely be referred back to the foreign ministers for their resolution on that particular issue, so that meeting ongoing arab nations trying to agree on a common front to the sirian crisis. >> mike, we're seeing a united front with regards to the united states and its western allies, divided when it comes to china

and russia. how are the arab league reviewing events that just unfolded in syria? >> well, there's not likely to be any agreement should there be military action contemplated, in particular the concept of air strikes. egypt is very, very opposed to any such strike for a number of reasons, arguing that would create instability in the region, a greater influx, which would further destabilize an unstable country. egypt would be oh poled, you have cutter likely to be arguing in favor of military intervention. these two vastly imposing positions, if there is a resolution called on strikes, it would definitely not be a united one. >> joining us from cairo, before from moscow, thank you very much. >> an ecological nightmare

unfolding in florida. hundred was manatee and bottle nosed dolphins are dying, every attempt now being made to save them. >> this i also florida's indian river lagoon, a once pristine ecological area that recently has gone awry. >> there have been over 300 manatee's have died. we've had over 50 bottle knows dolphin deaths within this past year in the same area and about 250-300 pelicans died this past spring. >> the lagoon is on central florida's east coast. the surrounding area is also home to more than a million people who have seen the sea life disappear as the population has increased. peter is a fisherman who's felt the impact of the vanishing sea life. >> i've still got a lovely view,

but it's not teeming with fish, not with fisherman, not with kids water skiing. it's deep and flat and most of it's dead. >> at the center of the mystery, the disappearance of vast regions of sea grass. >> we've lost 47,000 acres of sea grasses. that's about 60% of the sea grasses that were in the lagoon. >> the sea grass is vital to the eco system, a staple of a healthy manatee diet and hatchery for the fish. >> they're kind of known as the rain forests of coastal water bodies. >> politicians, scientists and concerned citizens met last week to find out what's killing the habitat. erik draper, executive director of audobon florida echos what is said. >> we are dumping highly contaminated water.

>> the water has brought with it fertilizer run off from farm fields and contaminants from homes with septic tanks. scientists say it's likely caused and algae super bloom, which killed the sea grass and upset the delicate balance. a four-point plan is greed upon to begin looking for solution. they hope to restore that balance. >> behind me are white p.v.c. pipes marking a spot where scientists are transplanting sea grass to see if it will take. >> unless they deal with the suspected source of the contaminants, their he was might not work and more animals and habitat will likely die. >> charles perez, aljazeera, palm bay, florida. >> for the first time since vietnam, two living soldiers from the same battle have been awarded the medal which honor. it is the nation's highest military award. monday, president obama presented the award to army

staff sergeant sergeant ty cart, honored for his heroism saving fellow soldiers in a battle with the taliban in 2009, a proud moment for all involved, including his nine-month-old daughter. the president said he would try to keep things there brief as the cheerios she was eating might run out. we were tracking a number of developments in our extensive coverage in the ongoing crisis in syria. a live report in beirut straight ahead. aljazeera continues in just two minutes. morgan radford is up next. we'll see you then.

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♪ theme >> good morning, i'm morgan radford and these are some of the stories we're following at this hour. >> for our military operations will not cease. >> defiance and determination as the assad regime faces growing pressure from the west. >> new dangers as the nation's biggest forest fire threatens critical water and energy supplies and not to mention america's cherished trees. >> extreme flooding in mexico triggering landslides claim the lives of 13 people. >> it's a very short trip, but a very steep price. we'll tell you about amateur astronauts ponying up big bucks for a rid