you are consuming them. that's next on "consider this." >> first of all, i have not made a decision. i have got options from our military. >> the world waits to see what action the u.s. will take in a suspected chemical attack in syria. >> hello, we have world news from al jazeera. also in this program a former army army psychiatrist is sentenced to death for killing 13 soldiers in fort hood, texas, four years ago. in yemen, children do not

have enough field. [ bells ringing ] and the united states remembers martin luther king and his dream of racial equality 15 years on. >> barack obama says the u.s. military has presented him with options for strikes against syria, but he has not yet made a decision. he's coming increasing pressure from the u.n. and russia to hold off. they want u.n. monitors currently inside syria to complete their investigations into a suspected chemical weapons attack last week. obama said the aim of the military reaction would be to deter future chemical weapon attacks. >> obama: if in fact, we can take limited tailored approaches, not getting drawn into a long conflict, not a repetition of iraq, which i know

a lot of people are worried about, but if we're saying in a clear and decisive but limited way that we send a shot across the bow saying stop doing this, that could have a positive impact on our national security over the long term, and may have a positive impact in the sense that chemical weapons are not used again on innocent civilia civilians. >> reporter: our white house correspondent has more from washington on the domestic considerations the president has to consider. >> reporter: truly the president has not said that he thinks he needs congressional authority. there have been some members of congress who says he has to have permission before he makes military action. but the obama administration has not give any indication that it will do anything but consult and brief congress. remember in libya think did not

ask before or during airstrikes there. truly if you ask yourself could he get a vote in congress right now? it doesn't seem that he could. the american public overwhelmingly say they don't want to get involved in syria, even if they can prove that chemical weapons can be used. >> domestic political pressure has forced the british government to delay plans i fora vote that will not be held until after the u.n. inspector's report, and that is not expected in four days. >> that we are determine to take action against war crimes, in crimes against humanity, that's what chemical weapons constitutes, but we'll go forward on a consensual basis.

that's why we're talking within this country and the coalition over the last couple of years. >> barnaby phillips is outside of parliament in london, robust debate but not on what the government had presented. >> reporter: that's right, not the motion that the government was hoping today. instead, it was a motion condemning the use of chemical weapons in syria, talking about a strong humanitarian response, and talking in principle about how this could involve a military response as well. but quite specifically saying that there will be a second vote a second debate after the u.n. weapons inspectors have released their findings. so what has happened here? essentially the government has had to climb down and make an u-turn. it has run into the cold realities of westminster

politics, it's weak hold over the parties in the governing coalition, and the indications from the labour party that they would not go along with the motion, and that they would hear first as to what the u.n.'s weapons inspectors had to say. of course, the spector that hangs over british politics and as it does many other countries is that of iraq, and that limits political possibilities for a british government to take firm action in a situation like this, and it means we could end up with a rather strange situation with the united states potentially going it alone if they were to act very quickly without their british allies, whom they would have countedden. >> that is the context of the transatlantic special relationship. >> reporter: it is extraordinary. and it's quite ironic, if you like. in theory you've got a

government here which is more to the right, center right government dominated by the conservative party, and. theory a democrat party with president obama obviously in power in the left. so it's not necessarily what you might have expected. how much does this really matter to the americans? well, in military terms let's be honest, not very much.

>> the program claims this whole was found in jabar, close to the syrian capitol saturday. it said some of the soldiers were suffocating. it was the syrian government to call for the u.n. inspection wes inspection team to come in and look at this items. >> the use of chemical agents. >> reporter: this is not the first time president bashara bar

al-assad has youd chemical agents. a rocket was fired in march, a suggestion that the u.s. government rejected. in a raid across turkey, 12 suspected members were arrested. at the time a government official suggested the 12 were in in position of two kilos of sarin gas. but there has been no confirmation from the government. they say use of chemicals two years in the civil war would not surprise many. but the united nations team in damascus may well have to neglect these allegations. delaying any western armed

intervention yet firmer. dominick kane, al jazeera. >> egypt's muslim brotherhood leaders are calling on supporters to stand their ground. they released this video from a secret location in which he told demonstrators not to give up. an u.s. army psychiatrist has been sentenced to death for the murder of 13 people. nidal hasan went on a shooting rage in 2009. >> reporter: we heard from two families of the victims that nidal hasan gunned down. the wife and two daughters of michael cahill talking about the husband and the father who was taken from them. cahill was the the one civilian shot by hasan.

and authorities say he was gunned down while trying to save soldiers. he rushed at hasan withing in but a chair, and was gunned down in the process. we heard from a mother of 19-year-old specialist jason hunt calling hasan a coward. hasan was emotional when his sentence was read in court. this is also the beginning of an automatic appeals process that will take years. and i should also mention that no u.s. soldier has been executed since 1961. >> now we often hear about foreign forces being killed in afghanistan, but the deaths of a began forces sometimes go unreported. al jazeera has access to a military hospital where metics are treating on wounded soldiers

and even taliban fighters. we have the story from kandahar in the south of afghanistan. >> reporter: afghan second lieutenant has lost a leg. another is pinned together. a month ago his army truck ran over a landmine. >> i had four sandstorms with me. we were going towards a checkpoint to check on my boys. the blast killed three of my men. >> reporter: he said there was no question the improvised explosive device was planted by the taliban. local civilians are recovering from wounds inflicted by bombs hidden in the ground. >> most of our patients are victims of roadside bombs, landmines, suicide attacks, but mostly ieds. >> reporter: the afghan government has stopped giving out figures bu, they don't just treat soldiers and civilians

here. hospital officials won't let us in, but behind this daughter are four injured taliban fighters. >> doctors say they treat the taliban like any other patients. >> we talk to them every day because the taliban are infidel. we try to win their hearts and minds with words and educate. >> reporter: once the taliban fighters are stable doctors say they will turn them over to afghan intelligence officials. the intensive care unit a double amputee is awake and talking 24 hours after being admitted. doctors say it shows the high quality of care here. like the army military personnel are working to become independent but they still need training, finances and logistics from n.a.t.o. and international donors. but most important thing for now is getting patients to the hospital quickly to give them the best chance of survival.

al jazeera at the kandahar military hospital in afghanist afghanistan. >> in northern sri lanka, and she has been hearing of deaths and disappearances. more on that after a moment. and the opening of the world's oldest film festival.

>> welcome back. u.s. president barack obama said the military has presented him with options for strikes against syria, but he's not yet decided whether to attack.

he says the goal of a limited tailor strike is to deter the further use of chemical weapons. the british government has dropped plans for a quick vote in parliament on military action into syria. a final vote won't be held until the release of the u.n. inspectors' report which is not expected for another four days. an u.s. army psychiatrist has been sentenced to death for the death of 13 people. he went on a shooting rampage at a military base in texas in 2009, and 32 people were wounded in the attack at fort hood. yemen does not have enough food to feed its population of 24 million. 60% of yemeni children under the age of five are malnourished. we're joined now from the capital, tell us more. >> reporter: well, the situation is really difficult here. it's quite ironic to see why it has the second highest rate of malnutrition in the world after

information. afghanistan. it has never been a top priority for the government. the government has been concerned wit with al-qaida. it has not been able to get it's act together. as we go into the mass report, this is not about breaking the cycle of poverty in yemen. it has to do with the new infrastructurhugeinfrastructuree developed and yemen having access to drinking water. it has 14 cubic meters of water a year, neighboring countries are a thousand. which means you'll expect more outbreaks of diseases in the country, which also leads to malnutrition. children will continue to die of malnutrition until the yemeni

government find a solution do t it. >> a new child introduced to the therapeutic feeding hospital. the three-year-old sufferedded severe malnutrition at bit. by the time her family brought her here, it was too late. her brain had had been permanently damaged and she'll never be able to talk. her glazed eyes and stunting are signs of malnutrition, and she now requires they are putting food. >> 1 million child in yemen is affected with malnutrition. if not treated the child can have complications like these children in this hospital. if not treated properly the child could easily die if his first two years of age. >> most of these children rely on peanut milk to survive, and they'll have to spend a month here to recover.

moving to the city to street her chiltreat herchild. she said she spends $25 a day. her husband is one of thousands of yemenis who live on $1 a day. >> this is my first child, and it breaks my heart to see him sick. i need to know how to treat my child, but at the same time i don't have money to buy medicine. i borrow money to look after my child. >> reporter: once release from hospital the chirp need to be monitored for at least two months. one of the biggest obstacles that health officials face here that malnourished children need treatment, but their families cannot afford to come back for a follow up, which means that children will not recover fully. there is also another problem, the lack of access to drinking water which also leads to the out break of diseases that

causes malnutrition. >> yeyemen has economic problem, access to clean water and hygiene practices. >> reporter: agencies donate to help against its nutrition issues. at least $1 billion for the next ten years to be able to completely irradicate malnutrition, but yemen is hard to solve it's own problems, particularly political instability. then the government has to give reassurances to the international community that

this is on the agenda. >> thank you. the al jazeera america says one of its peace keepers has been killed after it's troops attacked rebe rebels in the democratic republic of congo. >> reporter: the governments have been fighting with the m 32 rebels since sunrise. the gunfight something heavy, they're using rocket and they're right at the front line. it's been calm for the last two days. before that it was several days of heavy fighting and now it's resumed. this time the government helding the troops with helicopters bombing opposition. they've gained some crowd from the m 23 rebels.

>> police from the central africa republic have clear thousands of protesters. they escaped from rebel fighters. they were on the runway for 18 hours blocking some flights from landing. they have been in turmoil since march when rebels toppled the former president. survivors in the final phase of the sri lanka government against the tiger tamils. they told of grief and disappearance of many of their family members. we have more from the northern district. >> reporter: 39 years old, a widow. life is a daily struggle to bring up a six sons, just one of whom have a job. >> they go to school, so food, cost of schooling, buying boots

and stationery, managing expenses is very difficult. >> reporter: she considers herself lucky to have all of they are children alive after the war. her son is not so fortunate. her son was recruited by the tamil. today there is no trace of them. >> boys would be able to stand by and support us. that's why i am so sad. my husband has difficulty standing alone. >> one of her daughters was also recruited, but she ran away. she is married to a fellow fighter. her husband said the stigma is a burden. >> we hope to get away from the former tiger label. we came out of rehabilitation expecting to put this behind us but we're seen as former fighters. that is a heavy burden to carry.

>> many brought their stories to the human rights agency. they are asking for investigation in the allegations of war crimes in the final end of the civil war in 2009. some told her that family members who surrendered after the end of the war had not been heard from again. while others raised issues like housing and sanitation. >> they have aired their concerns. the disappearances, some of them were told that their sons are alive. they have rebeen told to come for further information, but they got nothing further. >> reporter: the chance to survive the conflict was relatively brief, she told

survivors she would do her best to highlight concerns and needs during meetings with government. al jazeera sri lanka. >> colombian president said he's ready for peace talks following the release of a made hostage. he had been held cap taj by the national liberation army since january. >> u.s. president. barack obama has led the 50th anniversary celebration of martin luther king's "i have a dream" speech. mr. obama remembered an event which may have contributed to his own presidency. [♪ music ] >> reporter: as they march the crowd sang the freedom songs of the earlier generation which gathered before the lincoln memorial half a century ago. they all recall that day as a page in the history books, but some like 69 of-year-old

jacqueline hess were retracing the same steps they had they had taken in 1963. >> we had made a lot of practicing in the past 50 years, but we got a lot more to go. >> reporter: joys ladner still had the badge she wore for the 1963 march. she remembered the opposite progression in her native mississippi. >> coming no north for the marc, and the federal government on the conditions down south did, in fact, give us th the bear brd base of support. >> crediting the civil rights movement for gay lesbian rights, yet there was the recognition of unmet goals of 19th 63. >> reporter: 50 years later these marchs are repeating the same demands economic and political. jobs and justice.

president obama acknowledg acknd progress had stalled. those inequities would have to be tackled in every level of society. >> the successful man who doesn't have to but pays his workers a fair wage and then offers a shot to a man, an ex-con, who may be down on his luck. he's marching. >> reporter: he talked about the politics of division that polarize the government. >> gay rights have been critical of coca-cola sponsorship of the olympics in russia. it accuses coca-cola of supporting hate because of its support of olympics.

>> we go to the world's oldest film festival. >> reporter: the high octane glamour of the venice film festival. 20 films fighting for the prize. one chinese film "gritty dogs" and also on the theme of marginalization where a young journalist comes across a community of jus jews and arabs living together on the outskirts of tel aviv. a dark haunting drama that stars george clooney and sandra bullock as two astronauts who are lost in space after it's

shuttle is shout at. >> this is what is the hardest part of it is, you have to move slow, much slower than you would normally move. yes, there are all these marks you have to hit, but you have to speak fast. it's the trickiest thing you've ever done. >> reporter: not only is a film in 3-d being showcased for the very first time at the venice film festival, but there are two documentaries that are competing for the top prize, the golden lion. that marks a break in tradition here. >> it doesn't make any sense to keep the situation between the narrative themes and other films. both are creative works from filmmakers who give us a sense of what is going on in our work. >> reporter: adopting to audience is key to the high profile. the artistic value is paramount,

but so, too, is the continued commercialization to assure film success. al jazeera, venice. >> and just a quick reminder you can keep up-to-date with all the news on our website, the address, www.aljazeera.com, that's www.aljazeera.com.