>> hello, and welcome to the news hour live from al jazeera's head quarters here in doha. syria's foreign ministers denied the government carried out last week's attack, but the u.s. said assad's regime is responsible. >> there is no doubt here that chemical weapons were used on a massive scale. >> hello there, in london, european leaders are reacting to

the chemical weapons claims. the french president said his government is ready to punish those responsible, and called for a vote on the issue. plus tens of thousands flee from their homes from flooding, and the noise pollution on the streets of india. >> western powers and now some arab league nations appear to be moving towards military intervention in syria. just in the past hour the white house press secretary made it clear of the administration. >> there is no doubt here that chemical weapons were used on a

massive scale on augus august 21st outside of damascus. there is also very little doubt and should be no doubt for anyone who approaches this logically. that the syrian regime responsible for the use of chemical weapons on august 21st, out of damascus. >> we're in washington, d.c. patty, hearing from jay carney very little doubt that assad is responsible for the chemical weapon attack, any indication when we're going to see this evidence that they keep talking about? >> well, they are saying they're going to present some evidence. they need to try to convince the american public. polls show the majority of the americans asked do not want the u.s. to intervene even if chemical weapons were used. the administration is arguing that it's dangerous not to do

something, and it's morally important and also in the u.s. national security interest. what they decide to do could be limited in scope. >> the options that we are considering are not about regime change. they're about respond to go clear violation of an international standard that prohibits the use of chemical weapons it is a clear conviction that syria's future should not include assad in power. but the options that we're contemplating are not about regime change. as we answered earlier, resolution of this conflict has to come through political negotiation and settlement. >> they're moving pretty fast here. the press secretary saying that they're prepared to strike an

any time. do you think obama will seek approval from congress before he takes any action? >> right now they're not saying. they're saying they will consult with members of congress, not necessarily ask for their approval. i think it's worth remembering that they did not seek congress approval before libya strikes. remember, it was just late last week that the u.s. president said any intervention would require an u.n. mandate. they're not saying that now. they're arguing that they don't have to go to the u.n. >> thanks, patty. well, syria is denying that it has any involvement in last we week's suspected chemical attack. the government said it will use all means necessary to defend

itself from outside intervention. we'll have more response, but first we have more on the problems facing u.n. inspectors inside syria. syria's response to the threat of foreign military intervention is one of the finest. the international community needs to find another reason. >> we are all hearing the drums of war around us. if they want to launch a war on syria, i think the pretext of chemical weapon is fragile. it is a false pretext. >> i totally deny that we used chemical weapons and those who claim to be in position of evidence i challenge them to layout before the eyes of the public opinion. >> intervention would only benefit al-qaida and israel. >> if a military strike is hallelujahed it woul--it would e

to benefit israel's benefit. >> if they think that the military strike being planned will undermine our military operations, i assure you it will not affect them at all. >> reporter: the military attack last week has shocked the world. western leaders have accused the syrian government of using chemical weapons. now the u.k. france and other countries are talking about a military action away from the u.n. security council. but russia has warned against any military intervention in syria saying such step would have catastrophic consequences. president vladimir putin said there is no evidence yet that the syrian regime used chemical weapons. but now western countries are closer than ever in getting involved militarily in syria's

two and a half yearlong war. it's syrian government says it has to options. either to surrender or to fight to the end. al jazeera. >> well, al jazeer we're acrossr in lebanon. >> the syrian government really trying to defend themselves, saying their troops were not responsible for using chemicals weapons. saying that they're cooperating with the u.n. inspectors on the ground, but at the same time saying that they will defend themselves. it seems resigned to the fact that there will be some sort of military action against them. what kind of action is the question, but there seems to be a consensus that we're not going to see really all-out war where the outcome will be regime change. what we're hearing more is there will be airstrikes against military assets. it seems that the regime is banking on this by constantly

highlighting the threat of the presence of al-qaida forces on the grouped. this is really a concern of the west. they haven't--they've talked about this. the u.s. joint chief of staff themselves saying there is no alternative for the syrian government at the moment because if we get rid of them then it will be groups opposed to the united states who will hold sway in syria. it seems that they're relying on this, that it will be just limited strikes to punish them for what the west sees is alegend use of chemical weapons. but right now they're still confident with the fact that there hasn't been an united opposition, the opposition remains fractured both on the military levels, and this is why it has become so difficult for the west to make a final decision on how to deal with the conflict in syria. >> well, secretary general is calling for those responsible

for tried under international law. >> we call the united nations and all organizations concerned support in reaching the truth as soon as possible and activate international laws and provisions. pend ogen the results of the investigations international communities responsible for take the prove moves to put an end.

>> russia and china has a veto on the security council and it is highly unlikely that they will authorize any action. that means there will have to be some action ignoring the u.n. i think what you'll hear from the u.s. the u.k. and france there is a moral justification. there is international law on chemicals weapons. the fact that chemical weapons

have been banned and outlawed, and everyone here i'm speaking to, diplomats here, believe all the words we've heard in the last 48 hours it's going to be almost impossible now for obama to back down. they're also suggesting to me that given all that it's more likely we'll see action sooner rather than later. >> in the meantime, we've got the u.n. chemical weapons inspectors still in syria. what is their next move, and any word on when we'll see results of their investigation? >> yes, you have got those chemical weapons inspectors. there are a few problems. nothing can stop the u.s. president going to war if he wants to, we saw that ten years ago in iraq. but the u.n. inspectors are on the ground carrying out their work. i think it's likely that they'll have to try to get them out before they start any military action. we don't expect the u.n. inspectors to come up with any definitive findings for a

consideconsiderable time. the other problem facing the president is the man that the western nations always supported and they like what he's doing in his mission, and he was the the way forward, the representative of the united nations. he'll be briefing the reporters in just a short amount of time. a problem give the words we're hearing from london, paris and washington, and i don't think will halt action if that's what obama decides. >> thanks. on the or side we have a close ally of syria, iran, warning against military intervention. now it says an attack would threaten region stability. iran spokesman said that any attack would only engulf the

region in further conflict. >> u.n. security council has no issue on this regard and is not going to issue any. >> with more international reaction with go to al jazeera fred, who is in moscow, the other supporter of syria. syria is almost a lone voice. saying it's going to be having catastrophic consequences. any indication as to what? >> the russians, of course, said repeatedly this is another intervention in another arab country that would tur lead to unintended consequences and turn

into a quagmire. officials saying without legal backing of the an u.n. resolution it will be a slippery slope to chaos. they warn it's a rush to war just like in 2003, the war in iraq. it's the same old hokey weapons of mass destruction charge. they have decided that there is going to be military action, and they're probably putting their heads together tonight and wondering how they can turn this around, especially if it's a brief action. a barrage of cruise missiles, and then the door to diplomacy might be open again, this is what russia has staked all of its credibility on oh egg boo

part of the geneva 2 process that would lead to a solution. >> thank you very much for bringing us perspective from russia. >> well, there is lots more to come still on al jazeera including still a long way to go. victims of the alabama bombing remember america's civil rights movement five decades on. and afghan president hamid karzai send and new talks with e taliban. 60 successful seasons. we have details of that playoff coming up. >> the momentum building in europe as politicians say how they will response to the chemical weapons attack in

syria. let'ses go to our european center for more. >> well, the french president said his government is ready to punish those who gassed civilians. they also promised increased support for the syrian national council. and the prime minister has called the parliament to decide how the u.k. will respond to the chemical issue. we have the latest. >> david cameron cut short his summer holiday and returned to london to consider what action britain will take on syrian and he suggested that parliament do the same. >> i intend to put forward my motion in parliament so members of parliament will be able to vote. again, decisions haven't been taken, but we shouldn't stand by when we see a massive use of chemical weapons and appalling levels of suffering. >> reporter: so they will decide

an any british involvement in response. more importantly, they might be prepared to commit u.k. personnel and hardware to u.s.-led military campaign. but some m.p.s mindful of recent wars that britain has fought are not so keen. >> we've been told we would be in and out without firing a shot. quite right, the parliament wants to look at question keys, look at the elements and can these be verified. >> both internationally the drums of war, as the syrians put it, are getting louder. >> the chemical massacre in damascus cannot be left without response, and france is ready to punish those who took the

despicable decision to gas the innocent. >> reporter: the u.s. u.k. and france are well aware that russia and china would most likely veto military action if it went before the u.n. council. britain's parliament will vote on the government as yet to be decided proposals on thursday, but if the talk coming from washington is to be believed the bombs could be falling by then. >> well, let's talk about the french response with our correspondent in france. france pretty convinced also that the assad forces are responsible for the attack. >> yes, he was very categorical about that. he said it was very clear no one was under any doubt that a chemical attack had taken place, and it was also very clear who held the responsibility for that namely the authorities of bashir al-assad. now the french, like the british, are holding various

consultations, formal meetings, and on wednesday there will be a melting of the defense couple. the president is bringing together his military chiefs, and then the conclusion will be passed on to the parliament. they're going through the same motions, if you like that we're seeing in the united kingdom. he does seem convinced already, and it seems that heads of state, heads of government have reached an addition on what they believe happened even though they're interested in hearing what the u.n. investigators find. >> well, let's look at the situation on the ground in syria, and the fighting continues. opposition rebels say they've taken control of the town from government drops. activists say the fighters seize large amounts of ammunition left

by the forces. they've also reportedly blocked the supply road. the fight forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes every week. in the past

>> this camp is all the fault of bashir al-assad. the troops, they are all to blame. >> that has led some in authority to take measures. important offices and workplaces have been secured giving the camp a prison-like atmosphere. aid agencies have noticed and try to manage it the best they can. >> to deal with this long-term displacement issues and psychological issues, we try to provide a fair sense of community.

>> time stands still for the refugees who try to do the best they can. >> we bring you more on the situation in the program, but for thou other news. the senior member of the muslim brotherhood in egypt accused the government of using threat of terrorism to crush all opposition. al jazeera has obtained an

exclusive message. his 17-year-old daughter was killed by forces earlier this month. >> if the protesters had any type of weapons why didn't they use them to defend themselves and those massacred. if the brotherhood had weapons, where couldn't they use them when their leader was arrested. how can he claim that we are terrorists while throughout the year head as military, he never once classified us as terrorists. >> protests are not the way to heal divisions within the country. follows week-long demonstrations by opposition forces against the government which organizers call the weak of departure. >> we also do not believe that

taking to the treats is a democratic way for resolving political differences. mobilizing masses of people against the other is no democracy. the only democratic way is to resolve them is through state institutions. mobilizing people will create division and insecurity and mayhem. >> president of afghanistan has met with the president of pakistan. they want to arrange a meeting with the taliban in an afghan peace council. >> in a surprised development the president has extended his stay in pakistan because of the encouraging signs as far as progress is concerned. the afghans warned the pakistanis to use their influences in bringing the

taliban leadership to the negotiating table. there was some talks that there were discussions behind closed doors, that the second in command of the taliban movement when arrested in 2010, that he may be transferred to 2008. there was also progress as far as economic ties between the two countries was concerned. pakistan is the third largest, porter of pakistani goods to afghanistan, and was promising to improve o the building of a motor way to kabul, building a project on the river, which was also a source of much friction because earlier the indians had shown interest in developing that project. therefore they were encouraging signs. however, the important thing was that if afghanistan was going to a political as well as military transition for the first time in over two decades, the national

army was taking over security operations and by april afghanistan would have a new president. so a lot will depend on the future make up of the government and the willingness of pakistan to be on board as far as those talks are concerned. >> the top security official in the iran caucuses region has been killed. he was shot dead when guns fired on his car. his driver was also killed. the president said he would bring an end to insurgency that has killed hundreds. hundreds. six civilians were found by

a roadside in roadsid in the pr. much more to come on the news hour. we'll have analysis on the syria and why the international community seems poised to take action now. plus, we'll be meeting some of the families who lost loved ones in last week's suspected chemical attack near damascus. and in sport one of the top clubs in aussie ruled is thrown out of the final and given a record fine. find out why in sport.

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... hi, my name is jonathan betz, and i'm from dallas, texas, and i'm an anchor for al jazeera america. i started in a small television station in rural arkansas. it's a part of the country that often gets overlooked. but there are a lot of fascinating people there, a lot of fascinating stories there. i like that al jazeera will pay attention to those kinds of places. what drew me to journalism is i like the idea that we are documenting history. al jazeera documents it like none other. and to be a journalist, and to be part of a team like that? that's an incredible blessing. sure that stories don't escape them. >> every day a storm of views.

how can you fully understand the impact unless you heard angles you hadn't considered. consider this, antonio mora brings you smart conversation that challenges the status quo. stories that matter to you. [♪ music ] >> hello again. the top stories here on al jazeera. white house spokesman jay carney said the syria regime is responsible for the suspected chemical attack near damascus last week. carney said it cannot go unanswered. the syria's foreign minister has denied forces have carried out the attack and would defend

itself of all means against a military strike. and fran's president said he's ready to take action against those who are responsible for the chemical weapons attack. his comments come as more and more western countries say they are ready to take action. let's take a listen to more of what the white house press secretary jay carney has to say. >> it is absolutely in the national security interest of the united states and in the international community that the use of chemical weapons on the scale that we saw on augus august 21st cannot be ignored. it must be responded to. to allow it to happen without a response would be to invite further use of chemical weapons. >> let's speak now to former u.s. ambassador to syria, and joins us from washington, d.c. thanks very much for being on the program.

now the response that we're all hearing, it's along the lines of a punitive strike. i'm just curious what that is going to achieve, and whether those achievements will be enough to by pass the u.n. security council, to warrant by passing the u.n. security council. >> first and for most it will achieve the united states of america because he has said rebeatedly that use of chemical weapons crossed the red line. we've never seen chemical weapons used on this scale before, the pictures are horrifying, and the loss of human life is great. there will be those who are maimed for the rest of their life from these powerful nerve agents. we're seeing the punch being telegraphed like rarely i've seen before making me think that the u.s. is going to use weapons

from offshore, and maybe other stand off weapon offshore weapog aircraft. >> is there any talk from any corner of going back and trying again to get unanimous resolution of the security council? >> look, i don't mean to be glib, but we've been there, and we've done that. we know that russia and to a lesser extent china are going to protect the assad regime no matter what it does. no matter what evidence is produced it's going to say that it is inconclusive, punitive action is not justified, and to the united states, much has occurred during the clinton administration in the balkans and places like bosnia and kosovo, we'll have to find a way to act with the coalition of the

willing. if you like. >> but the u.s. seems pretty certain, it said there is very little doubt that assad was responsible for this chemical attack. we're still waiting to hear or see any evidence that backs up that claim. what sort of evidence do you think we'll be needing to see? >> obviously at this point the administration has intelligence that it believes is very convincing that the syrians did is it this. now keep in mind that the u.s. has access to satellite photography, human sources, tissues, maybe even samples from the area that was attacked. so they seem convinced that this has occurred, and they seem to have the support of western powers like france and britain as well as turkey and

saudi arabia. i think the idea that there will be an attack is a forgone conclusion. the only question is when and what targets, and how long. >> and how the assad government will react. you were ambassador to syria when bashir was in power. he said there will be a response. what sort of response do you think they might carry out? >> well, he says many things. he said there would be a response to the attack that israel carried out several years ago from a suspected nuclear reacting along the euphrates when they do testing of chemical weapons and hit damascus. he said there would be a response and there wasn't. obviously terror tactics are always a possibility but they usually come much, much later

than any time soon. >> very good to speak to you. thank you for taking the time to join us. >> thank you. >> now one palestinian family is mourning the loss of 11 members killed in the suspected chemical attack. they do in the believe that an international strike is the answer. we went to meet them in the west bank. >> reporter: in the hours after last week's suspected chemical attack, pouring over video online and on tv. her uncle, his children and grandchildren all live in the suburb of damascus where the attack happened. she thought she saw him along the weapons, so they tried to call his number. >> i was watching tv with my mother, and i was telling her, he looks just like my uncle. when my husband came back from

friday prayers i told him let's call them. i had a bad feeling something happened. my cousin answered, we said, what is the latest. he said, we have bad news. her cousin said her uncle and his whole family were dead. 11 relatives, including six children. ahmad's brother was among them. >> i saw it on tv. when i saw it i was out of my mind. i thought to myself, i lost my brother. he lives there. i was out of my mind. the killing of a small child is a crime. it's a crime. >> reporter: you might expect the relatives here to be calling for retaliation on those who dropped the chemical weapons, to be supportive of any kind of strike. but they say this would not stop the war, and they think this will cause more suffering on the innocent civilians. >> of course they shouldn't. at the end of the day it's not the regime that is going to lose, it's the people. it's not the regime. there will be casualties, syria

will be in ruins. >> reconciliation is good. if they reconcile and agree to put their hands together and be one. >> reporter: she said the last time she spoke to her uncle and asked why he didn't leave. he said he can't leave. if he lose it, he will loss it. it will be like losing palestine all over again. in the end he and his whole family lost their lives. >> well, as we've been reporting u.n. inspectors have been continuing their investigation in the alleged chemical weapons attack in syria. >> laura, while the team has suddenly been facing some difficulty in getting access to those sites, they have at their disposal technology that will make their mission relative simple. they spoke to al jazeera about exactly what is involved.

>> the u.n. weapons inspectors will have sophisticated equipment with them and simpler equipment, the sort of stuff that we have here. first of all, i suspect most of the inspectors got this clipped to their belt which will identify if there is an agent, a nerve agent. it will tell you if it's sarin or others and will test for mustard gas. it seems that the most logical explanation was that a nerve agent was used and probably sarin. we have a very simple device here that works with antibodies, and will identify up to eight toxins or pathogens like anthrax, ricin, and this is a quick test that could be done in the area. you'll get an answer in a few minutes. we start off with an one size fits off respirator that can be

put on in a few seconds. this will give you comprehensive protection against even the strongest chemical weapons for some period. i think allied with that is basic advise, ideally you should move upward because the gas will be moving rapidly downwind, and you should move to high ground. these coming clouds, hold your breath for 20 or 30 seconds and get through that cloud, and there is a strong chance that you'll survive. the planning that went into this attack seems to be some detail. a pre-conventional bombardment to blow the windows and doors out so the chemicals much more easily get in the buildings. then the chemical bombardment which force people into cellars. it's heavier than air, so it deploys a couple of feet above the ground and then sinks down and then stops finding the

lowest level. that goes into air raid shelters close increasing the casualty count. then we're hearing reports of the syrian armies following up in those areas once they knew the chemicals would have lost their effect. >> let's bring other european news. the authorities confirm the raid was part of an investigation in two complaints made by a russian mp. a champion of the controversial gay propaganda law that was recently introduced and which bans all gay rights rallies, in france 3 million people now without work with unemployment expected to reach 11% by the end of year. jobless claims have risen to and a new all-time high. the president of france had pledged to reverse the trend by the end of the year.

and france's top court lifting the sales manned of a mercedes vehicle. it had been frozen because it refused to stop using a banned air conditioning unit. dealers say thousands of cars sales jobs were at risk. let's rejoin laura. >> thanks very much. now more than 18,000 people have been made homeless by flooding in south sudan's upper nile state. floodwaters also destroyed crops in low lying areas. we report from the sout area. >> floodwaters have been rising for the past two weeks. almost 20,000 people have been forced to leave their flooded homes. they've taken shelters in

churches, schools and other public places. many people have lost everything with women and children the worst affected. >> we came here because of the floods. the water destroyed our homes so we came to dry ground. we lost our property and everything. we need food and shelter. >> reporter: according to aid organizations, the health conditions are getting worse and iwith the water, the conditions are perfect for malaria. >> the effects can be minimized, especially knowing these are low lying areas, and knowing every rainy season this will happen, knowing that the effects will be the same. >> reporter: not only homes but crops have been destroyed putting the food supply of this community at risk. flooding is typical at this time of year and it can have some

devastating affects on already vulnerable populations. the aid organizations are offering assistance, but there are concerns if there is more rain the situation could become even worse. al jazeera, south sudan. >> still ahead another twist in the gareth failed transfer saga. coming up. ç]

>> the scars of the u.s. civil

rights movement can still be felt 50 years later, and that's apparent in this city of birmingham, alabama. when civil rights leader martin luther king won his first major victory but at a heavy cost. >> less than three weeks after martin luther king jr. announced his dream of racial justice a nightmare struck birmingham. a bomb explode underneath the 16th street baptist church, the center for king's non-violent campaign to integrate the city's schools, businesses and parks. as they finished sunday school three girls aged 14, one aged 11 were killed. among them addy may corpulence whose sister was among the injured. >> i said called her but she dit answer. >> the brother of cynthia wesley rushed to the church but left before they could tell him that her body was identified in the

republic. >> that was your sister. i didn't stay. instead, i left. >> reporter: violence was nothing new to birmingham which saw so many attacks on blacks that it became known as bombing ham. but king's southern christian conference encouraged people young and old to march through the streets. accused of risking the safety of school children in birmingham's direct action campaign king drew criticism from some of his civil rights allies yet one year later government passed the civil rights act banning discrimination based on race, color, sex or national origin. this year the girls were awarded the congressional gold medal,

symbolic gesture that sarah collins rudolph, who lost an eye in the past, doesn't feel it was enough compensation for her family's suffering. >> they never gave my sister restitution. >> he regrets acting out in acts of violent crimes after the bombingibombings, but his memorf king is still vivid. >> being knocked down by water hoses, and i knew i stood up for what i believe in. [♪ singing ] >> reporter: a song still sung half a century later. tom ackerman, al jazeera,

birmingham, alabama. >> and now let's get to the sports. >> thank you very much. the never ending gareth bale saga took another twist. he didn't go in for training. here are shots of bale in training but his no-show at spurs seem. his record signing with real madrid, and they refused to answer any questions about bale's possible transfer. well, one man never short of a few words is moren morinho. >> i think the person who start

the story has to finish the story. so i think it's time for the good of everyone, it's time to finish the story, to one side or to the other side. he was fantastic. after that, he wants to leave. he has to say. or he decided now that he doesn't want to leave any more, his problem. >> now there have playoffs taking place right now. the winners of these will be involved in the group stages on thursday. austria vienna holding a lead. and all those games currently goalless having kicked off just a few minutes ago. there is one match in germany.

the win would have taken them three points clear at the top of the bundesliga. bayern did stu grab the equaliz, the final score 1-1. djokovic will get his campaign under way. he faces lithuania in the first round. on court now is the former number one set up. the september 11tthe seventh ral surrounding several sports teams in australia has claimed it's first victim. the bombers have been thrown out of this even's afl finals and

find a record $1.8 million over their controversial supplement program. with a the teams were given experimental drugs including extracts of pigs brains and bark. the substances are not illegal but potentially harmful. they have been suspended and stripped of their draft picks for the next two seasons. the supplement program had treated players as human being lab rats, but the players should have been more careful about what they were taking. >> some point they should have been asking is all that to do with the olympic athletics professional footballers, what am i taking and what are the consequences of that. they believed they were being led properly by the football club, the liability under the code also applies to professional footballers in australia. so there are mixed feelings

about that, yes, maybe because they're playing a team sport and they trust their team coaches. but in the end the responsibility lies with them. >> yankeesal less rodriguez hit his 650th home run, but it wasn't enough to see of off the toronto blue jays. he launched the ball out of the park, that wassed a good as it got for new york. the rbi double as blue jays run to a 5-2 win. coming from behind for with a franked slam, the game ended 8-6 with st. louis leading the national league central division. team u.s. is being

investigated over a cheating scandal. the americans have admitted that the catamarans that they used were illegally altered. they forfeited their victories but now a five-man jury is looking into whether individual team members engaged in gross misconduct. if so, they could be banned from the event and may have to forfeit one or more. in team new zealand gets under way september 7th. that is all the sports for now. >> thanks very much. now, india's capitol new delhi has more cars than the city of mumumbai and calcutta combined. but many say the government is not doing enough to fix the problem of noise pollution. >> more than 7 million cars

jostle for position on the streets of new delhi. the slidest delay and. [ horns honking ] drivers honk constantly an without restraint. it's gotten so bad that one group has resorted to guerrilla tactics. they began the campaign five years ago. >> we can't live peacefully. students can't study in school. patients can't rest in hospital. the pollution has injected in our system like a cancer. we have forgotten the definition for honking which is only for emergency. >> reporter: india law said drivers should not honk outside of schools, hospitals and at intersections.

>> yet in this ough auto parts ,

louder honors are popular. [ horning honking ] it hurts the ears and at 118 decibels it's as powerful as the thunder clap. >> people come in to replace their car's pre-fitted horns with these loud horns. here people won't move out of your way at any cost. you have to use a horning. >> the anti-honking campaigners know that their advice is probably going in one ear and out the other. >> some people use very abusive language. some very dirty faces, but i don't care. my aim is to help my nation. my aim is to prove that we're civilized people. >> and they're determined to change things one driver and one vehicle at a time. >> stay with us here on al jazeera. that's all from me for now.