in this progressive country- the maori community say more programs are needed to address the chronic despair that condemn of their people to a life locked up. welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are the stories we are following for you. ukraine signing that historic deal with the european union. and iraqi leader saying decisions about the government need to be made. armed u.s. drones in the skies above iraq. details on what is driving the decision. ♪ well that deal that helped

spark a bloody uprising in ukraine has now been signed. signing an association agreement with the european union. russia already warning of skeerous consequences. this as there is talk now of extending the ceasefire in ukraine. germany's chancellor warning that the eu will take action if there is no peace in the next few hours. >> reporter: it came down to a simple flourish of a pen. but this association agreement fundamentally alter the economic prospects of millions of people. this point has brought ukraine to the brink of civil war. the president said his country had paid the highest possible price to make her dreams come true. >> of course, all of us would have wished to sign that agreement under different, more

comfortable circumstances. on the other hand, the external aggression faced by ukraine, giv gives another strong reason for this crucial step. ukraine makes enormous commitment in terms of reform. but it is a document of joint ownership, and joint responsibility. >> reporter: this treaty is not without cost. [ applause ] >> reporter: ukraine benefits from ak -- having access to the european market. and russia continues to expression its anger. in moscow, president putin said the kiev administration had created a rift between the ukrainian people. >> translator: the anti-constitutional coup in kiev and attempts to artificially impose a choice between europe and russia, have pushed society

towards a split and painful confrontation. >> reporter: the united nations estimates more than 100,000 people have fled from eastern ukraine into russia this year. fearful of the conflict and perhaps the future. an army ceasefire due to extire on friday may be extended, though in reality it has been almost meaningless. both sides have exchanged fire, and on thursday separatist militia openly attacked army international guard units. but there have been positive signals too. armed separatists in the eastern city of donetsk released a four-man team from the osce. the men had been ceased and held since last month. it was a relief. >> we welcome tonight the return of our four special monitoring mission teammates after 31 days. >> reporter: but four other ocse

members and dozens of other hostages still remain in captivity. as for the crisis in iraq the fighting there continues. armed american drones are now patrolling the skies. and a new government in iraq will not include nouri malky. the grand master saying a new government needs to be formed right away. the representative saying the next prime minister, speaker and president should be in place by tuesday. that is when parliament is scheduled to meet for the first time. today there is word that u.s. drones are now patrolling the skies above bagdad. libby casey is live in washington. libby has the administration commented yet on the reports that those drones are being used in iraq? >> not publicly, dell. they are siting unnamed sources at the pentagon who are saying these are manned drones flying over bagdad.

the significance of that is they could not just be eyes and ears over the city of bagdad and the country of iraq, but could also act in a defensive way if troops on the ground are threatened. this is very different than air strikes, and the administration says they have not yet made any decisions on whether to launch air strikes inside iraq. but we are seeing aerial operations above the ground, manned planes, as well as unmanned planes, and now these predator drones. there are some photos and footage of the meetings that secretary kerry is engaging in. he has met with the king and that is of course an important step in this process right now. leader talking about both in the middle east as well as here in the united states of grave concerns over a destabilized

iraq, and what it means not just for the iraqi people but the region as a whole. secretary kerry emphasizing his concerns about what the broader implications could be. and also talking about how the u.s. is still willing to play that card of doing strikes inside the country. >> libby casey for us live in washington, d.c. thank you very much. the national security advisor to president jimmy carter joins us live from washington, d.c. good afternoon. >> good afternoon. >> let's begin with ukraine. some saying that what we saw today, that agreement takes that country back to square one. so that being said, do you blame russia's president vladimir putin for the escalating tensions in that region? >> of course. it seems to me that mr. putin's reaction to the choice that the ukrainian people themselves have made is old fashioned,

assertive, and dangerous to european stability. >> there are those that say that what he has been up to is a land grab and he is trying to reassemble the former soviet union. do you agree? this >> i think he is trying to reform the former soviet union under a new name. the soviet union was essentially a cam -- camouflage empire. and that will contribute eventually to his fall from power. >> what then is the best way to deal with vladimir putin going forward? >> by being very clear that the west supports the free choice that the ukrainian people have made, who are not seeking a collision with moscow. we would be willing to settle for an arrangement whereby

ukraine remains in effect a quasi neutral state it joins the european union, step by step, but will not be a member of nato. it can have a free trade arrangement of some sort with russia, but will not be a member of putin's you ray shun union. but mr. putin has to realize that he can no longer control ukraine from the top down, which he was doing, and which he would like to reestablish. >> but what works with vladimir putin? there are complains that this administration is not talking tough or carrying a big stick, but does talking tough work with vladimir putin or does actions speak louder than words? this >> actions, of course, always speak louder than words almost in every situation. but you don't want to overdo it. that's why i think we have to have a concept of a fair settlementment along the lines i

have just expressed. but at the same time we have to be willing to impose sanctions in russia, either use force or the use of force in ukraine, which it is doing and i think is likely to persist in doing, until it is driven home to russia that such actions are too costly for rush itself. and we have to be willing to arm the ukrainians so they can resist and protect themselves more effectively. >> i want to turn to the crisis in iraq, there is a major debate as to whether or not we're seeing fallout from 2003, or failure on the part of the obama administration. what do you say? the >> first of all, you know, a single event has to be linked to a lot of other subsequent events, but certainly the invasion in 2003 undermined iraq, pretty much destroyed it

as an effective state, and that has contributed to the crisis that we're facing today. >> are you convinced as some are, that iraq would be better off if it was split in three? >> i'm not sure to be better off, but i don't think the past can be reestablished. i think the fact of the matter is that we're seeing in this the middle east an intense phenomenon, namely that of political awakening of the masses, and this -- when it takes on religious fervor, becomes very assertive, very militant, and very compromising. >> dick cheney has been sharply critical of the obama administration. is he right, or is he trying to revise history? >> i think he is trying to rehabilitate the extremely tragic, damaging, self f

destructive decision that he and then president bush, the second president bush, made in attacking iraq under false pretenses with false justifications thereby discrediting the united states in the world, and launching the united states into a process that has cumulative contributed to the destruction of iraq as a viable state. >> thank you for being with us today. former national security advisor under the carter administration. now a trustee for international studies in washington. thank you very much. >> thank you. staying with iraq, the country's military now fight in tikrit. >> reporter: these iraqi military aircraft high in the skies over tikrit. in a battle not reported by iraqi authorities or state

media, elite commander units are alleged to try to get a foothold in the university's come pound. they landed in the stadium by helicopter. witnesses reported siting, and two out of three helicopters used were downed. people say they targeted indiscriminately and used illegal weapons. >> translator: there is no isil here. it is a residential area. families live here. >> translator: they dropped barrel bombs here. >> reporter: most of tikrit looks abandoned. >> translator: the families were displaced. they all left. the situation is quite difficult here. there is no gas, no water, no electricity. >> reporter: sunni rebels took control of tikrit on june 11th.

the hometown of former ruler saadam hussein, held fighters. most of the million strong army has been unable to stop advances in northern and western iraq. is -- isil says it has captured many tanks and fighters. it says a further investigation is difficult because of the fighting. but for a beleaguered iraqi army struggling against the on slot of rebels gaining grown, retaking tikrit would be a major morale advance. for many sunni residents of tikrit, hopes of stability remain just that. meanwhile iraqi citizens are now testifying against a group

of american mercenaries, talking about an event in 2007 when members opened fire on cars at a busy intersection in bagdad. the contractors are claiming self-defense. another former worker has already pleaded guilty in that case. the mideast envoy is retiring. the white house says he will go back to the bookings institute. he was tapped by john kerry to help foster a deal, but peace negotiations collapsed in march. a tea party leader in the south is dead from suicide. he was one of three men charged with conspiring to photograph senat senator cockrin's wife.

she suffers from dementia and lives in a nursing home. coming up, we examine the drive to come to the u.s. illegally. and later -- i'm tim friend in rome, where the mayor is appealing for millions of dollars in private done fors. >> the potential for energy production is huge... >> no noise, no clutter, just real reporting. the new al jazeera america mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. download it now

>> we're following the stories of people who have died in the desert >> the borderland marathon >> no ones prepared for this journey >> experience al jazeera america's critically acclaimed

original series from the beginning >> experiencing it has changed me completely >> follow the journey as six americans face the immigration debate up close and personal. >> it's heartbreaking... >> i'm the enemy... >> i'm really pissed off... >> all of these people shouldn't be dead... >> it's insane... >> the borderland marathon only at al jazeera america all this week al jazeera has been taking a close look at the issues surrounding illegal immigration. this year alone more than 50,000 children leaving their families to cross into the u.s. one report saying 72,000 parents with american-born children were deported last year. talking about the issue,s the president told abc news it is a humanitarian crisis. he sent this message to parents. >> that is our direct message to the families in central america. do not send your children to the borders. if they do make it, they will

get sent back. more importantly, they may not make it. >> the large number of children coming to the u.s. by themselves reflects the desperation and violence that exists in some central american countries. and that prompted us to ask why are so many people willing to rip apart their families just to get into the united states. >> reporter: in the stands of a neighborhood soccer field, alex fernandes told me how much he misses his little brother. >> translator: we were always together, him and me. it was like that connection between two brothers. i tried to take care of him. i didn't think he had it in him to leave. now i'm basically alone. >> reporter: this spring the 15-year-old headed north. i met him in april after he traveled more than 2,000 miles. after a failed attempt to cross the desert, he surrendered

himself to the u.s. border patrol, and was allowed to join his father in houston where he has been living undocumented for nearly a decade. back home alex, a college student told me he studies hard and keeps his head down, but the bad guys had their eye on his popular and out-going young brother. afraid of being forced to join a gang, he decided to leave. >> translator: he was getting to the age where he was going to have problems with delinquents and gangs. they forced him to go to the u.s. >> reporter: this area is often called the murder capital of the world. it's the deadliest city on earth in many a country not formally at war. he were told without a military escort we would either be killed or kidnapped. this is a typical neighborhood.

the kind of place where axle and his brother assisters grow up. we're not going to take you to that neighborhood, because being here with police protection would draw attention to his family. and that's what they are worried about. this is the kiekd of place where you are either in with the gangs or out, and axle decided to get out. many who don't get out end up in a place like this. juvenile prison. the prison social worker says they face a grim future. what kind of options to kids this age have? is it either the gangs or head north? >> the sad reality is the day they opt out, and step out of the door of the facility to find the same situation that put them here in the first place. inside is just as dangerous. a few weeks ago, five kids were killed here in a gang clash.

in a town square not far from her home, alex and axle's mother agreed to meet me. but even here she was wary of being overheard talking about the gangs and her sons. >> translator: i have to be very cautious to say what i'm about to say. there are some things you are not supposed to say here. you join or you are killed. boys as young as 12, 15 years old have had to leave. leaving is the only situation. axle may be deported what is going to happen to him if he has to come home? >> translator: if he ended up back here, and didn't go back to the states quickly. they would kill him. that is what would happen. paul beeben. later today we'll tell you the story about a hon dur ran family forced to separate in hopes of finding a better life in the u.s.

you can see that reunion today at 4:00 pm eastern time. ♪ >> i'm meteorologist dave warren talking about a lot of rain. flash flooding as well as river flooding all in the midwest. this includes down to parts of western nebraska. there will be severe weather, and you get this quick flooding. this is river flooding. a lot of rain has worked its way in. this activity over the next three days will not help that situation. a few strong storms moving through iowa. and look at this area of rain. friday here is the forecast, north and south dakota down through parts of nebraska and kansas into iowa. here it is on saturday. this is a slow-moving storm, so it dumps a lot of rain over the same area.

by sunday, out of minnesota, south through iowa, into parts of missouri where the heaviest rain is. how much? two to three inches of additional rain on top of inches which has come here in the past month. so well above average here. and this is what it does to the river gauges. this is the mississippi river right into minneapolis. and the river is cresting, but remains above the major flood stage. still seeing moderate flooding at least for the next two weeks as a lot of this rain continues to add to the problem. the waters will start to drop a little bit. but they will remain above the flood stage for at least the next week. flash flooding also a possibility from this storm. right out of the gulf through texas, oklahoma, and up into this storm which is spinning around north and south dakota, and will slowly push east.

this severe water area. that's where it is today. tomorrow it will push towards chicago. and by the end of the weekend still talking about severe weather slowly moving into the midwest. wind, hail, and flash flooding are all possible. >> 6.6 miles could mean success or failure for nasa's orion. it was dropped from a cargo plane from 35,000 feet in free fall before the parachutes were deployed. it could be deployed to perhaps mars by 2020. the price tag to protect the ancient roads used by caesars, senators and saints.

♪ welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are your headlines at that hour. leaders of iraq shiite community

say they want a new government formed right away. the grandal la toe la issued a statement calling for a new go by tuesday. u.s. military contractors from black water security are in court facing charges for killing 17 iraqi civilians. the crisis in ukraine began of the formal president's refusal to sign off on similar deal that was signed with european union today. rome's mayor wants the restoration of some of his city's most famous landmarks to be an international project. >> reporter: he got the idea from alexander the great's tomb.

so when he returned from his egyptian campaign in 28 bc, augustus built this as a symbol of his power. it originally looked like this, and survived as a surcuss and opera house, as well as poor restoration under mussolini. it needs $5.5 million just to reopen to the public. >> this restoration belongs to entire man kind. and i believe we need to look all over the world to get together all of the resores that we can gather together in many order to maintain what we have here. >> reporter: this archeologist showed me around. without more money, her work is restricted. >> translator: the wall made with traditional methods is

wearing out. these ancient walls are crumbling. it's essential that we do something quickly. because we are already losing a big part of this site. >> reporter: we're about to enter the heart of muse lee yum. >> at least 22 family members were buried here. the major says treasures like this will remain hidden from the public without urgent outside help. phil collins has a lot to show for his love of music. but he is donating his entire collection of texas revolution artifacts to the alamo, including a sword thought to have been used by jaim buoy, and there are so many items there

will need to be a new building built to house the exhibit. "techknow" is next. and you can always go to our website, aljazeera.com, 24 hours a day. ♪ to aljazeera.com. >> this is "techknow," a show about innovations that can change lives. we will explore the intersection of hardware and humanity and we are doing it inique ways. this is a show about science by scientists. let's check out our team of hardcore nerds. dr. shay soma are. a, a mechanical engineer. facial recognition technology. it can fight crime by spotting a face in a crowd, but can it keep you out of the club? >> my picture is in the gallery. information. >>