crimes did flawed lab work take away their freedom? >> i was 18 when i went in... when i came out i was 50... you don't get it back... >> shocking truths revealed >> the system with joe burlinger only on al jazeera america this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i am thomas drayden. let's get you caught up on the top stories we are following at this hour. after five years in captivity, sargen bergdahl is coming home from afghanistan. >> in america, we don't have to choose between the health of our economy and the health of our children. >> president obama appears to take on climate change. meanwhile, veterans wait for how changes in washington will affect the medical care. >> this kid with mental health issues has three fire sesarms and 400 rounds

is unreasonable. >> we will hear from richard martinez whose son died in sant a bash a shootings last week. >> thanks for being with us. the american soldier held can'tniv afghanistan for the last five years has been freedom. the white house announced not a long ago that sergeant bo bergdahl is coming back to the united states. randall pinkston in washington d.c. can you give us the history on sergeant bergdahl's case? >> an interesting history and great day for the administration, no the to mention bo bergdahl's family. first word of his release came from the white house from president obama. the 28-year-old was the longe longest-held pow in the afghan and iraq wars. five years ago, bo bergdahl was a private first class. he had only been in afghanistan

about two months when he was captured in june, 2009, by taliban forces. freedom came at 10:30 eastern time this morning. the u.s. military official says a few dozen special operations forces with support from multiple helicopters and overhead certain vail he knew and intelligence executed the operation. 19 taliban were present, but there was no confrontation, no gunfire. while he was in captivity, be bergdahl was promoted to sergeant today, defense department officials say he was able to walk to u.s. forces and communicate with them. he was taken by helicopter to bagram air force base outside kabul where he is receiving medical care and his initial debriefing. u.s. official say the new emir of qatar negotiated his release in exchange for the transfer of five taliban detainees from the u.s. guantanamo prison facility to the custody of qatar. during his captivity, taliban forces released several videos

of bergdahl. in most, he was apparently fo forsed to criticize u.s. military presence in afghanistan and plead for the release of the taliban. in his statement announcing the released to, president obama said, i was honored to call his parents to express our joy that they can expect his safe return. mindful of their courage and sacrifice throughout this ordeal. today, we also remember the many troops held captive and who remain missing or unaccounted for in america's past wars. sergeant bergdahl's recover, said the president, is a reminder of america's unwavering commitment to leave no man or woman in uniform behind on the battlefield. bergdahl's family released this statement saying they were joyful and relieved when president obama called them to give them the news that bo is finally, coming home. we cannot wait, said bergdahl's family to wrap our arms around our only son. we want to thank bo's many supporters in idaho, around the nation and around the world. we thank the emir of qatar of

his efforts and we want to thank this opportunity to thank all of those in the many u.s. government agencies who never gave up. today, we are he can static. sergeant bo bergdahl is the last known american pow in the afghan and iraq wars. thomas? >> it's been a long and difficult five years. randall, the u.s. has been trying to facilitate reconciliation with the taliban for quite some time now. what can you tell us about that? >> well, yes, senior administration official today confirms beginning in 2010 those efforts began to form some kind of deal with the taliban. they were restarting in 2011 and since that point, sergeant bergdahl's recovery was a key part of those reconciliation efforts. they are ongoing and, of course, today, one positive result of that effort, the freedom of sergeant bergdahl. >> randall pinkston in washington. randall, thank you. we should point out, in exchange for sergeant bergdahl, five detainees will be transferred to qatar.

all are alleged to be senior years in the taliban. all have been in the u.s. custody more than a decade. they include the taliban deputy minister of intelligence and a govern in two northern prove convinces. he is accuses offed of ordering murders of thousands. the taliban's former interior minister had direct ties to 0 sam a bin laden. mohammed fazzl is alleged to have committed war crimes. -month-old nabi, a former security official and a radio operator for the taliban. joining us now is juan cole an al jazeera international affairs contributor joining us from ann harbor, michigan good to see you, juan? >> hi, thomas. >> does this release and negotiation signal any change in american diplomacy? >> i think it may signal a change in taliban diploacy. they weren't easy to negotiate with. this is the first time, i think,

a really big deal has been made. >> is there concern that national security could be compromised with the exchange? >> these guys are very bad guys but it's been a long time since they were in power. and i don't think they have any longer the popularity or the levers of power to do much damage. qatar is giving assurance that they will they will be quiet for a year. >> is this a softening of the hard line? >> i think there are some signs that the taliban are becoming divided. there are some who want to play politics with prime minister sharif over there and in afghanistan, president obama is announcing a drawdown of u.s. troops to almost zero in two years. so the taliban are going to want to position themselves to play politics and not just violence in afghanistan, itself.

>> you mention qatar. what does it say about the role of qatar as a mediator in bergdahl's release? >> i think, you know, qatar has seen a lot of diplomatic setbacks because of its support for the muslim brotherhood it's been excluded from egypt, saudi arabia and some of the other members of the gulf cooperation counsel. but in afghanistan, pakistan, it still seems to be able to play a robust diplomatic role. so this is a win for qatar. >> what does it say about the relationship moving forward between afghanistan and the u.s.? >> u.s. relationship to afghanistan is going to change dramatically in the next two years. the u.s. is no longer going to be a militarily occupying force and the afghans will be more on their own. the u.s. will give training and advice but more of a normal relationship and, therefore, the afghan government is going to have to do its own deals with

the taliban. >> will the u.s. be receiving any future intelligence on these five detainees who are released? >> it that's part of the deal that will qatar will keep an eye on them for the u.s. for the for receiver seeable future. >> juan cole, always great to talk to you. arizona senator john mccain spent six years as a prisoner of war welcomed sergeant bergdahl home but he wants to know more about the circumstances of his release. senator mccain said, quote, these particular individuals are hardened terrorists who have the blood of americans and countless afghans on their hands. i am eager to learn what precise steps are being taken to ensure that these vicious and violent taliban extremists never return to the fight against the united states and our partners. the state department said the u.s. citizens carried out a suicide bombing in syria. the attack took place in the

northwest province. a truck blew up near a restaurant frequented by government soldiers. a state department official identified the driver as a florida native named monar sala. his photo appears in an online video purporting to show the bombing. it is believed to be the first time an american has carried out this kind of attack in syria. defense secretary chuck hagel says china's teartorial claims are destabilizing southeast asia. hagel's comments provoked a strong response from beijing. one told if you take china as an enemy, china will become the enemy of the u.s. scott heidler has more. >> u.s. secretary of defense chuck hang ol' here in singapore using blunt language in dealing with china and what he sees as possible destabilization of the region. when china is dealing with these territoryial disputes. he thinks what they are doing is something that could impact the international community. >> china has called the south

china sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. and that's what it should be. in recent months, china has undertaken destablizing unilateral actions asserting its claims in the south china sea. >> in his speech, the defense secretary broad ended out from these teartorial disputes in southeast asia as well as the east china sea. he talked about thailand and the united states's concern over the military coup over the last two weeks and what that could mean for the population in thailand. >> we also respond when nations retreat from democracy as in thailand. we urge the royal thai forces to release those who have been detained and move to restore power to the people of thailand through free and fair e elections. >> secretary of defense hagle underlined the u.s.'s pivot or rebalancing to asia as it draws

down forces in afghanistan, they are looking for the u.s. to have a bigger footprint dip lomatically and militarily. he underlined the military shifting of forces. sixty % of u.s. navy will operate out of this region in six years underlining how important the administration sees this region. >> once again, scott heidler reporting. police in california may have missed a chance to prevent last week's massacre in isla visit a,cal. >> they interviewed him in april. but they never checked the state's firearm's database and didn't know he recently purchased three pistols. al jazeera america spoke with richard martinez who is son was among the victims. he wi he told us this tragedy is proof better guns are needed. >> you don't need a rifle in the city. it serbs no purpose. we don't let people keep nuclear bombs in their basements. why?

because it's not reasonable. i don't have a problem with response ible gun owners that have a reasonable need for -- have some articulable need for the weapon and choose the appropriate we hope for the purpose. i don't have a problem with that. but this kid with mental health issues with this will ammunition is unreasonable. >> the deputies didn't check the gun database because at the time, there was nothing that indicated he posed a threat to himself or to anyone else. president obama is prepared to take on the issue of climate change on monday. the white house will release a proposed set of regulations designed to substantially cut down on carbon emissions. >> now, special interests and their allies in congress will claim that these guidelines will kill jobs and crush the economy. let's face it. >> that's what they always say. but every time america has set

clear rules and better standards for our air, our water, and our children's health, the warnings of the sin i cans and the naysayers have been wrong. they warned doing something about the smog choking our cities and acid rain poisoning our lakes would kill business. it didn't. our air got cleaner. acid rain was cut dramatically and our economy kept growing. >> but what the president wants may be different from what the president gets on the issue. republicanssponding quickly saying the regulations could cost the country 800,000 jobs. >> if it succeeds in death by regulation, we'll all be paying a lot more money for electricity if we can get it. our pocketbook will be lighter but our country will be darker. the administration also slow walks approval of domestic oil and gas protection. it's death by delay for the keystone xl pipeline. we all want clean air and clean water. we don't want costly regulations

that make little or no difference. >> so here we go, the political battle lines are already drawn. the question becomes: what, if anything, can washington actually do about climate change? skwhoining me for more on this michael gerard, director of the columbia university for climate change. we are going to see a plan by the president to reduce carbon emissions. do you know what this plan will entail? >> it will require the states to come up with their own plans for how coal-fired power plants are going to reduce emissions. in some cases, it will be greater efficient see by the power plants. it might be conversion to natural gas. it might be paying for energy efficiency measures and renewable injury buyer that i customers. >> we have seen these plans before. they have been rolled out as legislation. congress has shot them down. is this going to be different? >> this one does not require con ju impressional action. it will be based upon the president's existing authority under the clean air act which supreme court in 2007 says does

apply to climate change, greenhouse gases. >> is it attempting to do through regulation what he co d couldn't do through legislation. >> he is using this old statute that has been in place since 1970. it's a clunky method, but it will eventually work. >> here we have some republicans. we have energy officials. we have businesses, business owners who say this is simply going to be too costly. it's going to cost jobs as well. is there truth to this argument. >> it will shuffle around some jobs. it may mean that some people will have jobs in wind and solar and natural gas and other industries more than in coal. but the costs of this plan are immensely lower than the costs if we don't deal with climate change. it's costs will be catastrophic. >> what does this mean for the average american? >> for the average american, it means almost nothing in the short-term. it may mean a slight increase in electricity prices in some part of the country it may mean savings to the extent there is more efficient see and less consumption electricity.

>> given the politics of climate change, how much impact will this have globally. >> the power plants in the u.s. from coal are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the u.s., about 40% the rest of the world is waiting not u.s. to act. china is now the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world but they argue until the u.s., which historically was the largest takes, we don't want to. >> do you think it will have a ripple effect. >> in china and most of the rest of the world. >> we will see what the president rolls out. thank you for being with us. >> thank you. >> appreciate your time. a major change yesterday in washington, but does it change anything for veterans struggle to go get adequate medical care? we will explore that issue coming up. next, although a former microsoft executive has agreed to buy the laclippe clippers, w

that be enough to end the racism scandal? you are watching al jazeera america.

tan offer of $2,000,000,000 is on the table for the los angeles clippers, and it could mark a turning point in scandal plaguing the nba for just over a month now. donald sterling's wife, shelly has agreed to sell the los angeles clippers for $2,000,000,000. former microsoft ceo steam baumere. it was signed last night but donald sterling refuses to give up the team without a fight. he gave his wife the authority to negotiate a sale earlier this month, but his attorneys now say you he has a change of heart. any deal must be approved by the nba. the clock is ticking. team owners are scheduled to vote on tuesday. they are going to vote the strip the serials of their ownership rights but the league says it would rather see the team sold

than seized. now, sports attorney, former sports agent and a professor of sports management at the nyu. this story has so many layers. now comes word that sterling is going to sue the nba for a billion dollars. is that going to lead anywhere? >> i don't think that really leads anywhere. >> may be some leverage that he wants to get his lifetime ban addressed, maybe negotiate that but there is no measure of damage if the wife isability sell the team for 2 billion how has he been damaged $2 billio yon dollars. will this deal get done? >> it's so large, it almost has to get done. what's it got announced, the other nba owners love it so much to increase their value. everybody is running their bank, looking for a new valuation. this is great news not nba. >> change the future of any sale, no team will go less than

-- >> you said a new normal if you are a big market major league, your price has gone up dramatically. >> this internal strife between sterling and husband wife, is that going to have any impact on the sale. >> for whatever reason, it appears they actually are partners and have a pretty good business partnership over the years. this looks like the smartest thing that could happen and for the nba, for sterling and his wife. this appears to be a win all around. >> is baumer getting his money's worth, $2,000,000,000 worth. >> no. not anywhere close to value for that. there is no measurement that as up to 2 billion with it other than his team in los angeles and he has the money and sort of under scores this is the open boy's toy. >> he is not going to have to dig into husband pocket. >> the clippers have been profitable, modest lisieux with sterling. i don't man he will have to make more but i don't think the $2 billion is justified. >> what does this mean for the players, if anything? >> the players, i think it puts the end of the nightmare

together. i think if you are a clipper player in particular, you may be looking at the ability to sign free agents and retain your own free agents. >> talked about racism and the nba, this particular team here do you think this will be the end of it? >> i think this does put the story behind us. i don't know if it puts race in sports behind us. that's an open subject that bubbles up from time to time. >> we will see on tuesday? right? >> when the owners have to vote? >> it's a vote they don't want to take. they will do everything they can to make the sale go. >> good to have you with us. appreciate your insight. >> the apple's developers conference will begin. they have said it has acquired beats headphones for $3,000,000,000. they are expected to announce updates to the ios system and possibly preview the newest iphone. honey bees have been dying in large numbers in the united states, so much that the government says their long-term

survival is at stake. >> that's a threat to us. more than a third of our diet relies on bees. >> scientists have a plan to use robots to policy nature crops. some activists are saying no. ♪ activists traveled more than 20 miles to sing the praises of this tiny insect, the honey bee ♪ my bee is alive" they help policy nature 1 third of the world's crop but since 2007, honey be. s have been dying off in what's known as colony collapse disorder. >> according to the u.s. department of agriculture, more than 30% of u.s. honey bees have died in the last five years alone. while the population decline has been going on for some time 42% more died last year than the

previous year. >> scientistsists at harvard have been developing robotic bee that could artificially policy nature crops. ♪ my bee is alive". >> honey bee lovers, rise up about bad scientists. >> harv vard says art official pollination is two decades away and they are not related to come knee collapse disorder. they point to the use of pesticides as a culprit. >> a lot points to the neonicotonoids and effect on the immune system. the next stop is one of the biggest users of pesticides. >> the monsanto corporation. monsanto is one of the world's developers of neonicitonoid

pesticides devastating much of our ecosystem. >> the church of the honey bees. honey beelujah. >> he says these products have been determinedto by the appropriate authorities. harvard lead scientist is a defense agency fellow and received funding from the army for robotic insect research. harv vard said he ex 10 funding is provided by the national science foundation. we can't speak to who may be interested in this line of research. this particular research project, we could use it for bees. we could use it for, you know, surveillance or military. >> at least one firm is interested: defense contractor ba system said a $38 million agreement with the military for spying. it's a worrying thought. >> think about what you are doing. you are making a robot to replace a magical animal that is

dying and the people who are causing the death of that animal are going to receive the intelligence that you are developing in your laboratory. >> it will require -- they are required to speak out about it one song at a time. cambridge, massachusetts. >> still ahead on al jazeera america, leaving the veteran's administration and challenges. >> growing tension over dwindling water supplies in california.

welcome back to al jazeera america. here is an update on the top story that we are following this is hour. the american soldier held captive in afghanistan for the last five years has been freed. the white house announced that sergeant bow bergdahl is coming back to the united states. in exchange for his release, the u.s. will transfer five guantanamo detainees into the custody of the qatar government. his release is coming at a time

when america's treatment of veterans is under heavy scrutiny. yesterday, the secretary of the veterans affairs department resigned. the issue remains and we are going to spend the next few minutes exploring. we begin with rosalind jordan in how we got to this point. >> a few minutes ago, secretary shi shin seki offered his resignation. >> he was the head of the department of veterans affairs better known as "the va." several weeks ago, reports said the 15ix headquarters was lying about how long patience had to wait. partly so managers could win bonuses and promotions. forty people died waiting for an appointment. at the time, shinseki said he thought the cover-up was isolated. more veterans explained it was happening to them, too. then an interim audit that said

phoenix problems were more serious than people thought. 1700 people called for a appointments and had never been scheduled. >> led shinseki to apologize to veterans on friday. >> we are contacting each of the 1,700 veterans of phoenix waiting for appointments to bring them the care they need and deserve. we will continue to accelerate access to care for veterans fwhooiingsd where needed utilizing care both in and outside of the va. >> it was too late. even though they like and respect shinseki, more and more democrats and republicans spent the week calling for his head. the president admitted that in an election year, politics were a factor. we occupy not just an environment that calls for management. we've got to deal with congress and you guys. i think it's ric's judgment that

he could not carry out the next stages of reform without being a distraction, himself. and so my assessment was unfortunately that will he was right. >> president obama may have made a change at the top of the va. but it will take much more than that to fix both the problems and the -- agency and the questions about president's management skills rosalind jordan. >> the man who will lead the department is the current secretary. sloane gibson to replace shinseki. he was president and ceo of the uso which provides services for entertainment troops. he served in the army after graduating from the u.s. military academy in 1975. beyond the political aspects, the question of how american treats its veterans remains and there is a lot to be done. juning me now is david gey for the advocacy group american vet

trans. he is a retired navy lieutenant. it's great to have you with us. i want to say first of all, is shinseki's resignation enough? >> i think it really will come to be in the next week or so when we have a chance to meet with sloan gibson and see what the plan is for going forward. one of the unfortunate things, i know there was a lot of call for shinseki's resignation, but most of the veteran service organizations feel the accountability really needed to start at the middle management area and let shinseki take the lead and implement the accountability and start making the changes that are needed. >> in looking ahead, what do you think is needed for the next leader of the administration. >> well, part of it is really changing the culture. there is a lot of inner

promotions and opportunity for people to game the system and to really do things their own way. so, i think when sloan comes in, he really needs to make a dramatic change to the administrative procedures, start bringing in some subject matter, experts to really look at the va as the major healthcare system that it is and implement some best practices, change procedures, hold people accountable for exercising the directives and the procedures that they have been taskedto. >> you feel a deeper cleaning, a sweeping of the veterans administration is needed? >> absolutely. and it needs to start at the -- at the manageament level, especially at the hospital directors, the ones that, back

in 2010 with the shawn heart, hart memo, that was clear guidance that they are the ones that were directed to implement those memos and those procedures that's where the accountability needs to start. >> thank you for joining us. appreciate your time? >> thank you, thomas. in california, a drastic move to save water because of an ongoing drought there. the state's ordered nearly 3,000 residents in sacramento valley to stop pumping water. it's the biggest restriction in decades. as al jazeera's stephanie stan reports, there are some who are exempt from following the rules. >> that's causing some friction. >> in the middle of the desert, 60 miles outside los angeles, water is plentyiful and farmers are flourishing.

eugene nemeker owns this alfafa farm. a far cry from many drought stricken farms further nor north californians have been fighting over water rights for more than a century. it's a battle between the haves and have nots thanks to special designations by the state dating back to the late 1800s. they gave some land owners unlimited access to rivers and streams while others who don't have senior rights have been required to conserve. >> these have been established for a long, long time. and people that own those rights have invested a lot of money in their operations. so i don't think they should be cut off. >> some 38 he on owenties have these senior water rights. more than half are major corporations including the state's biggest utility, pacific gas and electric. this year, the state cut its water deliveries to farmers and cities by 95% but senior right holders are exempt. >> water rights are allocated on a first in time, first in use

basis. the people who were there first have a prior claim to the water that is allocated. >> add to that, senior water rights holders are allowed to estimate how much water they use so the state doesn't necessarily have an accurate picture of how much water they actually consume. this is one of four pumps that pull water from an underground well to irrigate crops. with an unlimited water source, this farm has been largely unaffected by the drought. still, eugene nebeker, who is also self reporting welcomes stricter monitoring. >> in times of drought, it seems logical we know how much water is being used. >> with the drought expected to continue, the battle over california's most precious resource will also rage on. stephanie stanton, al jazeera, lancaster, california. for a better understanding of what's happening in california, let's bring in me meteorologist rebecca stevenson. >> it's interesting. you start looking at the numbers of rainfall and not in the water necessarily. let's just go back to

january 1st and start to total up how much rainfall we have in a few select cities sacrament 0, we were just talking about that. dpafrt tour from normal since january 1st is coming up on four inches of rain, also, similar stories for los angeles but when you look at the full water year starts july 1st, it's impressive numbers about how dry it is in the southwest but historic rainfall places just recently ab event from mobil, pensacola and florida and you could see they have 32 inches of rain more than what they need or more than average for that matter or normal for you whereas the seattle area, you are also for this city or so far, january 1st, coming up on 10 inches of rain, more than you need. so, it's interesting to see just how wet parts of the east coast have been, how dry the west coast has been, but not all of the west coast.

the storm track has been coming into parts of washington for the year keeping things very rainy for the west side of the cascade range and again very dry and eastern washington. now, as we go into wyoming, we had some showers move through. looking at wyoming, you were pretty dry before. how is it that you have such issues with flooding right now? so we look at temperatures. going in to the 70s, we will see things stay very warm here for a stretch of time, from now into mid to the end of the week. and that's only going to help snow melt. so snow melt will cause problems in our rivers, especially since the rivers in eastern washington, but, also, what we are watching closely in wyoming is the wind river and, also, the tinsley creek where we have flooding going on right now. flood warnings in place for the rising rivers. we haven't even touched the southeast where heavy rain -- we have had over two inches of rain in the last 24 hours for new orleans. >> we are dealing with slow-moving systems. right? >> yes. definitely these are slow moving in the west and,

also, the one over the gulf of mexico. >> i know you will be following this closely. coming up next on al jazeera america, a man once held hostage by the taliban joins us to talk about his experience. also, for many people, it's one of the most traumatic decisions they will face, medical decisions about terminally ill family members. still ahead on al jazeera america, why doctors don't want the treatment they prescribe. >> tonight on tech know. >> we probably ought to put the goggles on now. >> visionary technology. >> these goggles will help surgeons detect tumors that are less than one millimeter in size. >> life changing. >> these have the potential to revolutionize the way that we approach patients with mini cancers. >> tech know, every saturday go where science meets humanity. >> this is some of the best driving i've every done, even though i can't see. >> tech know. >> we're here in the vortex. >> tonight, 7:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

welcome back. the top story on al jazeera america, sergeant bo bergdahl has been freed in afghanistan. he was captured five years ago in exchange for his release, the u.s. will transfer five

guantanamo detainees into the custody of the qatar government. joining us, david rhode while working as a journalist, he was captured and held from november, 2008 to 2009. it's great to have you with us. what was your experience like? >> i was very isolating. it's amazing that bo bergdahl has survived five years in captivity. like him, i was taken into pakistan, a safe area the taliban have where the pakistani government does not control this large portion of the northwest part of the country. >> that's why they were labeled hold him so long. >> in your own experience, you were working as a journalist. how were you captured? >> i was invited by the taliban and instead of speaking with me, they abducted me and two afghan colleagues. i was in afghanistan but they quickly took me into pakistan where they have the safe haven. >> what were the conditions like? >> it was sort of an isolated compound. i was moved from house to house. i think he would have been moved as well. you know, they are very worried

about drone strikes. there were many happening at that time. it's just amazing, again, that bo has kept going and kept himself alive for five long years. >> what do you think he is going through knowing your own experience in the release. >> he's -- this will sound strange. he is elated. many people think, my gosh. this will be traumatic. this is the happiest day of his life. anything is better than this captivity. he can now eat when he wants, walk when he wants. i am just so happy for him and for his family. >> what is that transition like, though, reentering society? >> i was a civilian. you know, i came back to my family. i am sure he will see his family but the military is debriefing him now. they will checking on him medically and debrief him. i think there is a chance he will see his family maybe at a base in germany and he will come back to the u.s. there will be a lot of attention in the beginning and that will sort of overwhelm him and that will fade and, you know, he will decide what to do with the rest of his life. >> you bring up a good point because you are a civilian captured. there are other civilians being

held. >> yeah. i just in terms of today, it's an amazing day. it was an amazing effort the administration made. the u.s. doesn't have a clear policy on what it does when someone is kidnapped by, you know, militant groups. there is another american prisoner in pakistan who wasn't free today warren weinstein. he is an aid worker. he will 273 years old in juvenile. two journalists have been abducted in syria who have been held for over a year. what happens in those cases? i want to say we don't want to forget them to go either. >> you raise a good question. what needs to be done? what needs to happen? >> there is a problem. framing many people governments are paying very large ransoms when there are french civilians that are kidnapped. the american government and the brett issue government in particular refuse to pay those ransoms. so, it's about time that, you know, western nations have a clear and unified policy. will they pay ransoms? will they not pay ran some? these americans are sort of trapped in syria and in pakistan with their governments not

paying ransoms, you know, while european governments will pay. it's a very difficult situation. >> here we had a deal that was made. we have five prisoners from guantanamo bay released back to the qatar government. what do you make make of that move? >> i think it was a proper deal. we are not holding prisoners today from the vietnam war. you know, the war in afghanistan is coming to an end. this is a prisoner exchange. people might do agree with that. let's have a discussion about guantbay. how long is it going to be kept open? how long is the united states going to continue to hold roughly 150 people? you know, they have been there for 13 years without trial. you know, what are we going to do with those people? how long should guantanamo bay stay open? >> what does this shay about a tamtable? >> it is. there are a lot of splits in the taliban. i think this is a positive sign that some element of the taliban was willing to make this deal. they kept their word. they released bergdahl and trying to the cooperate splits that's a step forward. this is a hopefully sign.

>> encouraging for the other prisoners who are being held? >> it is. and maybe for, you know, the afghan government to reconcile with the taliban, the u.s. government, you know, we are leaving. i don't think there will be any sort of peace deal between the u.s. and the taliban. maybe there are some more moderate taliban that would negotiate with the afghan government. >> david. rohde, thank you for coming in? >> thank you. >> talking about your own experience. technology and advances in medical research have made it possible to extend the lives of terminally ill patients. >> can come at the cost of dignity and quality of life. a study recently published in the medical journal plus one shows that many doctors, themselves, don't want that type of high-intensity care. joining us is the author of the study, dr. bjperical, the director stanford's palliativ care. >> thank you for clienting me. >> what are we talking about when it comes to the high-intensity care? >> high-intensity care

particularly means being admitted to the intensive care unit, being connected to machines that help you breathe. sometimes having feeding tubes and a whole variety of medications that basically means that you have to stay in the intensive care unit and have intense, high intensity supportive care in order to continue to live. >> the study was very intriguing. i am you conducted a study that shows doctors prefer to die gentlely and naturally but they recommend these end-of-life measures. why the disconnect? >> i am not sure that there is actually a disconnect. it is in my practice, having cared for numerous patients over the years who have been in a tragic illness. at some point, everyone gets ill and they need interventions at the point that may require that they stay in the intensive care unit. at that point and even in talking with other doctors anecdotally, i found that the

doctors including myself all say something like, i don't know why the family wants to continue these kind of treatments for the patient. >> uh-huh. >> i say at this point, the patient is not able to speak for themselves. in a situation like that, i have heard other doctors say the same sort of sentiment. much of it was anecdotal. we wanted to understand whether this was a prevailing sentiment. >> that's what our data showed. you asked about a disconnect. i don't think there is any disconduct. >> okay. >> i think everyone is extremely well-intended. doctors want to do the best possible care for their patients. patients, if you look at existing data from the california healthcare foundation and other data sources, it's pretty clear that patients don't want to be a burden to their families when they are terminally ill. they don't want them to be burdened with the ing mesal cost and physical cost. patients are well-intended. families always want the best possible care for their loved one. i don't think there are any bad

actors. i think the script that is bad. >> sure. i think doctors go through heroic measures to save their patients. you bring up a valid point you want i want to get to. oftentimes, it's the family member who has to make such a decision. what sort of questions should they ask their doctors? >> i think it is importants even before that, for the patient to actually have a conversation. i think everyone needs to have a conversation with their family members in terms of what they will want and what they would not want. when it comes to the end of life and the questions that the family member should be asking is first to the patient saying: how long? how do you envision your end-of-life to be? what matters to you? what add value to your life? and then the question that they should ask the doctor is, as each treatment is introduced and as the doctor gives the options, which is what i do in care, the question to the doctor is: is your opinion? what would you recommend and if that point, if the doctor says, i am not sure that doing an icu

admission is the -- quite the right thing or it may be prudent to think about discontinuing technology, then the family should pause and say help me understand a little bit more. why do you say that? and that will give an opportunity for the doctors to say, i don't think that the treatment is actually helping at this point. pro longing the dying process. it's really the tipping point where the -- at some point in every illness, the treatment actually can become more burrensom than the disease action are it's sell. what i mean by that is we want to do everything possible for people to live as long as possible. >> that's what i do. but at some point, there is a tipping point in any illness process where every technology in the world is not really going to help the patient. >> sure. >> instead, the technology will

burden the patient and prolong the dying process. it's at that tupping point where you want to stop high-intensity treatment and really focus on comfort and quality of life. there is data to show patients when they get early access to palliative care live long ter, constant palliative care, people actually end up having better quality and quality of life. >> it is a fascinating study and a conversation we should be having with our family members. dr. vj periochle thank you for joining us. criminal investigators use high tech tools to identify victims and suspects of violent crime. forensic science isn't perfect. jacob ward reports on why sometimes the guilty and innocent get mixed up. >> forensic science is deeply flawed. in 2009, the national academies of science issued a scathing report that said the techniques

for languainking finger princip hair and other evidence to individuals have never been scientifically validated. it recommended creation of an independent federal research lab that sets national standards. >> hasn't happened. and even cutting-edge dna analysis hasn't been validated in the sort of rigorous, open way that science otherwise demands. the f.b.i. which overseas the national dna database called codis does not allow it to be used by defense lawyers or researchers. only by prosecutors and law enforcement and then, selectively. >> we wouldn't have access but we would be able to send a known dna sample from a profile from a crime scene, send it to the department of justice. they will be able to access it to see if it cross references with another sample. >> bika barlow became a defense attorney in san francisco. she says most dna samples submitted as dna evidence are incomplete?

>> they are what we call partial which means that there is a lot of missing information and conclusions are being drawn that someone matches based on these really marginal samples. >> here is how incomplete dna can point to the wrong person: a truly unique dna profile consists of at least 13 locations mapped on your dna. but often, laps don't map that many, either because they only have partial samples or because they save time or money testing fewer locations. in 2006, arizona revealed that out of 6528 dna samples in its database, each representing a convicted offender, a dna profile of nine locations brought back 122 matching people. this was one of the only studies of its kind and was compelled by a court order. any one of those 122 people could be incorrectly matched to incompletely crime scene dna with 10 base pairs, that number was still too high, 20 matches out of 65,000.

incomplete dna is used as evidence all the time. while arizona had only 65,000 people in its database, california's now holds 1.4 million convicted offenders. even an exact dna match doesn't always identify the guilty party. investigators at the scene of a 2012 homicide in san josecal discovered a stranger's dna on the deceased. they identified a former convict, lucas anderson. >> on the night in question, lucas anderson was here at valley medical center in san jose being treated for alcohol poisoning. so how could his dna have made its way from the hospital to a murder scene? >> the ambulance that transported lucas from san jose to be treated for the alcohol intoxication was then the ambulance that responded to the homicide. the pulse oxometer that measures

your oxygen levels was put on lucas's finger. when they got to the scene of the crime was put on the victim's finger and the dna was transferred in that method. >> in the end, lucas anderson did five months in maximum security confinement based upon dna evidence that put him at the scene of a crime he was nowhere near. coming up, preparing to commemorate one of worldwar 2's most important battles. ♪ over there. send the word. ♪ send the word over there. >> we will meet the american trio who will perform at normandy beach on the anniversary of d day.

recapping a top story on al jazeera america. sergeant bowe bergdahl has been freed by captors in afghanistan. in exchange for his release, five gaupt guantdetainees into the custody of the qatar government. survivors of a different war

will gather in france. next saturday is the seventh anniversary. d day. they will present medals to veterans. part of the tribute will be including a trio from denver as al jazeera jump huli reports, their contribution will remind many of that long-ago era. >> amy. >> christy. marny. >> they go by the name reveille 3? >> pardon me, boy. is that the chattanooga choo choo. >> you could say these women were born in the wrong generation. ♪ over there. ♪ over there. ♪ send a word. ♪ send a word over there. >> their music is a journey back in time to when men went to war, women worked in factories and the andrews sisters cheered on men in uniform. ♪ don't sit under the apple tree, baby just you and me. >> the andrews sister's swing sounds dominated the dance halls

and they entertained battle weary troops and here at home. ♪ the boogie wooingie bulling boy ♪ >> they will revive the trad is. >> we have not had a musical genre that has tied our country together as this music did during that time. >> i would say we had the uniforms. >> before each of their shows, they painstakingly print making sure they have every detail of the andrews sister down pat. >> it used to take me at least an hour. now, i have it down 30 to 45 minutes. >> do you ever worry that what you do up on stage may be considered just a little geeky? >> well, yeah, i mean i go out in my pin curls. you would not believe the look. >> for reveille 3 their shows incorporate more than the look. they are about the letters. >> i hope you think of me as often as i think of you. >> each performance includes

letters home from gis to their loved ones. some are all too real. >> my great uncle died in the battle of the bulge. we have all of his letters and pictures and things that he sent home, and i pulled one of his lines out of his letters for one of them that i read. >> and that connection only as to the bond these women say they feel for their audience when they take the stage. >> we are very honored to be able to represent the united states and allied forces, and it is overwhelming, and i think water proof mascara is going to have to be in order. >> 70 years later, the voices of reveille 3 will replace the sound of battle at nornmandy to close out the ceremonies atoma had a beach. denver. >> a historic sound. by the way, we will have extensive coverage of the septemberth anniversary right here on al jazeera america. i am thomas drayden in new york. "america tonight-weekend" is

coming up next. news updates from around the world, head to aljazeera.com. thanks for watching. rosie perez was three years old when her schizophrenic mother put her in a catholic children's home where she was often abused. >> i had to physically fight back or else, you know, my ass was going to get kicked. >> the oscar nominated actress's new book explains how she overcame odds? >> i felt like i was always acting, always escaping into different