>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ and this is the al jazeera news hour, coming to you live from doha, i'm david foster. welcome to the program. this is some of what we have coming up in the next 60 minutes: nato says russia has thousands of troops close to the ukrainian border. 3 million refugees have now fled syria. a country divided pro and

anti--government protesters in yemen take to the streets of the capitol. and i'm phil la vel at the venice film festival. one of thousands of film festivals taking place across the world. so why is there a shortage of movies? find out later in the program. starting the news hour with developments out of ukraine, nato's secretary general says there is no doubt that russia is goved in operations inside ukraine. >> russia continues to supply the separatists with tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and rocket launchers. russia has fired on ukraine from post russian territory and within ukraine itself.

moreover, russia continues to maintain thousands of combat ready troops close to ukraine's borders. >> nato's release satellite imagery claims evidence of russia artillery on ukrainian soil, and of a russian military column on the move. on the ground in ukraine, rebelling fighting in the east have said that they will open humanitarian corridors to allow ukrainians troops encircled civilians to withdraw. ukrainian government leaders say that this is proof that the separatists are directly control interested in moscow. they are in control of large parts of eastern ukraine, and they have also taken the coastal town.

the big fear is they are trying to create a land corridor between russia and the annexed region of crimea. ukraine is saying these are the areas from where the separatists are getting help from russia. get's go to paul beban now. tell us what you have been seeing, paul. >> hi, david, i'm standing in the center square underneath a statue, and the center of the town here is quite quiet, only 20, 25 people. the town is completely in the control of the separatists militia with two tanks on the edges. and we have been [ inaudible ] from the donetsk people's republic [ inaudible ] and ukrainian special forces to -- had to be retired

[ inaudible ] and he said his goal -- or the goal of his fighters was to go all the way from the west of ukraine [ inaudible ] power to repel any ukrainian counterattack against the advances that the separatists militia has been making in the last three days. and he said the people fighting here were veteran from previous conflicts. what i haven't seen yet -- haven't been able to identify yet the type of tanks that we saw in the entrance, what i haven't seen is outright russian forces. not to say they are not here, it's just that we haven't been able to actually set our eyes on them at this point in time. >> okay. thanks. >> we have been given an hour. i'm running around trying to get as much news as we possibly can.

>> thank you, paul beban. let's go to peter sharp joining us from moscow. nato says they are supplying rocket launchers, artillery, and now we have heard from the russian president. >> that's right, david. i think there is a concern among top officials in nato about this crisis. only yesterday a former top british general -- used to be the deputy supreme commander of nato warned because of decades of cuts, nato simply couldn't defend eastern europe if russia invaded. they said that it -- basically barely needs to rearm itself in -- in -- over the coming years, and we know that they will be having a major nato

summit in whales next week, which will give the opportunity, really, for nato, and the nato leaders, and president obama to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the ukrainian president in this time of crisis. >> so vladimir putin saying -- this is a quote from him, that russia should be ready to respond to aggression. doesn't want to take it any further, but ready to reond. what would your view of what kind of aggression he would have to respond to? >> well, when -- when putin speaks he -- he is not a strategist -- regarded as a strategist. he is regarded as a tactician. who knows what provocation would -- would make him take a -- a formal stand. the trouble with putin and the kremlin in this crisis is that

no one is responding to individual allegations by obama, by the eu, by nato. they are basically just shrugging their shoulder and getting on with it. and it makes it very, very difficult. putin's mantra is ukraine's problem is ukraine's problem and we're not here to solve it. it's basically that. >> peter thank you much indeed. the number of ref geese who have fled the civil war in syria is now up to 3 million. it is the biggest humanitarian emergency of our times and not enough is being done to help the united nations says. few could have predicted how quickly the toll would go up. by december 2010, the u.n. said the number that fled the country

was half a million, and doubled in just three months. after that only six months for the number to go to 2 million, and a year on from then, 3 million syrians have crossed the border in search of safety. the bulk in lebanon and turkey, the rest in iraq and egypt. okay. let's go to jordan, which is home to over 600,000 refugees. life clearly not easy for those. we met some of the newest arrivals at a camp east of the capitol. >> reporter: after being stranded in no-man's land between jordan and syria for 11 days, this woman finally arrives to this camp. she came here with her sons for fear they would be detained as soldiers, and left her husband

and daughters behind. they are going to now see where they will live for what could be an extended period of time. her residence doesn't have any flooring. refugees are expected to cover the sand with plastic sheeting. it's her first day here, and she says she is already facing grim challenges. >> translator: at the beginning you had to suffer to adapt to life here. no one could immediately settle into this new reality. i have to get used to this home, and then my neighbors. i'm worried. >> reporter: the camp could one day become the largest in the world. it can host up to 130,000 people. a lot of effort went into the planning of the camp but it needs much more funding. the camp is four month's old, and the 11,000 refugees living here still don't have electricity. the plan was to provide this

service in all of the prefabricated units, but aid agencies haven't received enough money from international donors for this. this man came here two months ago. he says it is impossible to live under the desert's searing heat without electricity for too long. >> translator: we need electricity and proper flooring for our homes. if we don't get these, i expect many people here will return to syria. >> reporter: the u.n. says it will have to scale down its services if the international community does not adequately support syrian refugees. but the number of disasters around the world isn't helping either. >> are very serious crisis around the world, including in this region, obviously choices have to be made and we are affected by this. >> reporter: the fact that 3 million syrians are displaced

out of their country is depressing. and the political solution also seems like an unlikely possibility. >> there is a place where they are absolutely terrified of what might happen next? >> reporter: yes, indeed, david. i'm in the kitchen of one of the restaurants in this refugee camp. it's maybe not an image you would expect to see. the chef is making some delicious food. but it goes to show how some of the refugees in the kurdish area of iraq and they are entrepreneurial, and they want to do something for themselves. he set up this amazing restaurant here that is very busy, but the owner said there is this fear of the islamic state fighters. they got to within 20 or 30

kilometers of here just a couple of weeks ago. he said if they threat engine, he will get rid of his wife and children and pick up weapons to try to drive back the islamic state fighters. you can see down the road this is a fairly well established camp. it has been here four years. there's tarmaced roads. there's air conditioning in some of these tiny houses here. because they have had over 200,000 refugees coming in from syria since the troubles began. now some of those refugees are going back to syria, not because they think it is safe here, but because of this real fear factor that the i.s. fighters may welcome back into the camp. and they are between a rock and a hard spot go to syria where there's violence, or the fear of staying in this camp. and there's a wedding shop here.

can you believe it? and i'm told there are many marriages here. because it shows, david that love does concur all. >> absolutely amazing. sue thank you very much indeed. in a sense life goes on, but it is far from normal. if life couldn't get any more difficult for these people, we understand that the journey out of syria is becoming more and more difficult. >> absolutely. this is the new trend that we are witnessing with people newly arrived that many have been displaced so many times due to shifting front lines and the changing nature of the conflict, and the indiscriminate targeting and killing of civilians. so people who are arriving are -- many of them are in shocking state, both mentally and physically, and in financial

ruin, so they are coming with absolutely nothing and need a lot of help. >> well, maybe even less than they started out with, because we understand that they are being forced to pay smugglers among ore things to get across the border, that there are check points because of the different armed groups, and you, the united nations say you need more help. . in what sense? >> well, if they finally do make it to jordan or turkey or lebanon or egypt, there at least they have safety, but we do face challenges as you heard from the camp in jordan. the conditions are severe. these are refugee camps in deserts. it is hot as can be in the summer, and it's freezing in the winter. we're concerned about gearing up for winter preparations, and yet we are $2 billion short of what we need until the end of the

year to meet just the very basic primary needs of sheltering these refugees as we move forward and as more and more continue to come. >> why are your short? because there are an awful lot of rich countries in the world. >> the rich countries in the world have been very, very generous, actually. it's just as the conflict is -- as we say -- the biggest humanitarian crisis of this era, and there are others. iraq has just exploded drives over 1.5 million people from their homes. these people need to be sheltered and cared for as well. massive funds are needed for them. terrible conflicts in africa and south sudan, and central african republic with incredible funding needs for very, very desperate people. so humanitarian budgets have been depleted. we're calling on donors to look

for other pockets. we are looking for new donors and there have been some that have come forward and provided critical aid but not enough. >> it strike you as slightly ironic that you mentioned saudi arabia here, there have been indications that it caused part of the probably infunding the islamic state? >> saudi arabia has from a humanitarian perspective provided us -- the u.n. with half a billion dollars in aid to help these internally displaced people who arrived terrified and desperate. the origins of it were humanitarian organization, but in any case this money was absolutely critical for us to meet the needs of these people. >> thank you very much indeed.

i understand the delicacy of your position, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. >> thank you. >> on our website, you can see a special feature on those syrian refugees. it shows the number is increasing by the hour. aljazeera.com, aljazeera.com for more on that. and we have more coming up for you on the al jazeera news hour. we'll be reporting on deaths on duty in south korea, where military commanders promise changes over the abuse of con scripts. >> and it looks like petrol is about to get a lot more expense in indonesia, and something has to give. >> and in the u.s., the nfl set the penalties for domestic violence. we'll have the details later on in sport. ♪ the case against six men who

were accused of trying to kill an rwandan army general has ended. he has accused the rwandan president of being behind the attempt on his life. tell us about this one tanya. >> reporter: well, the general very pleased, relieved that there have been at least four of the six men found guilty of his attempted murder, very relieved as i said. he believes that the president was behind it all. that it went all the way to the top to the president's office. he said he felt quite vend indicated and believes this sends a message to his formal ally and the rwandan government. >> the message is they should not be involved in politically motivated actions. they would discuss political

issues, discuss with people instead of killing them. that should be the message, that we should not kill people who are opposed to us, we should have dialogue with them and find a solution to the problem. >> the two men the president and the general -- president of rwanda and the general, fell out enough for him to flee the country. but what are the repercussions on rwanda and south africa likely to be? >> well, south africa certainly will be feeling quite vindicated by these verdicts. they want to send a message that no attempts on any refugees. they have had this general in protective custody. he is surrounded by protective forces. he stays inside. he is under very tight security. but that hasn't prevented

further attempts on his life since these attacks in 2010. so south african officials will be feeling vindicated by it. also they expelled several diplomats believed they were involved in the attempted strangulation on another refugee. there was a big fallout over that. they expelled those diplomats, and rwanda did the same, but i think south african officials will be pieced that this sends a message that this sort of violence on south african soil won't be tolerated. >> tanya thank you very much indeed. elsewhere in africa the first case of ebola has been confirmed in senegal.

scientist say the virus is changing quickly. take a look at the graph just released. it shows the number of cases in west africa, which have been reported since march. and how last week saw more new cases than any other time since the outbreak began. >> reporter: welcome addition in the fight against ebola, a new temporary laboratory in free town. one of just two other labs in the country was closed this week after a member of staff caught the virus. the new facility has only been opened a few days. >> in the past if you would like to test ebola, you would have to send the specimens overseas. the test results would be issued after a few days or sometimes after a week if not even longer. here we can issue the results

since, you know, when we receive the specimens. we can issue the results within three to five hours. >> in guinea, u.n. agency unicef has donated motorbikes to the government to help health officials reach remote villages. it -- >> translator: with an average of five children orphaned you can imagine how this has developed. >> reporter: clinical trials are likely to start in the u.s. next week, and in the uk next month. galaxo smithkline hopes to finish the first phase of trials by the end of 2014. the vaccine has already been tested successfully on chimpanzees. in both elements of the test

vaccine, the flu virus and two proteins from the ebola virus have been known to live in humans. >> from long experience with developing vaccines you have got to be careful when you first put into it humans to make sure above all that it is safe; that there are no unexpected adverse reactions, and that's the reason why you go in very slowly with very few people and follow them carefully. >> reporter: with the number of new cases last week at their highest so far, the w.h.o. has warned that it could take months even years to bring the outbreak under control. military leaders in south korea say there will be changes after a series of scandals

involving the deaths of young conscripts. among them a 22 year old who suffered weeks of constant abuse. >> reporter: the right of passage for almost every young south careen man, the day he leaves his family for nearly two years of military service. but after a summer marked been abuse and death. more are starting to question what they are letting themselves in for. >> translator: actually, i'm sad right now, but i'm pretending to be okay for my parents. >> translator: lately there have been a series of incidents and many parents are so worried. but i trust in my son i'll do a good job. >> reporter: this is the young man who's death is at question. on april 6th he was beaten by fellow recruits while eating and choked to death. his mother said it took some time to uncover what happened. >> translator: at the hospital, i didn't realize, but there were

marks on his body. his sister questioned whether he was beaten. military police came to take prick sures. when we asked whether they were scars, they went away without answering. >> translator: prosecutors later alledged he had been beaten nearly a hundred times a day before his death. it's a story that has hit home for families across south korea, and it's not the only one. in june until bullied conscript killed five fellow soldiers. the president has called for a reform of military culture. but there have been promises before. a military that has long relied on iron discipline has in the past pledged action after such incidents and yet they keep happening. >> translator: the number of in -- incidents have gone down,

but added to that is suicide cases they are often related to physical or sexual abuse. but they are targeted and simply suicide. >> reporter: since his death his family learned he suffered sexual abuse, sleep deprivation. >> translator: i done want him to have died in vain. i hope all of the bad practices and abuses in the military will disappear. >> reporter: a hope shed by new recruits and their proud but worried parents. we're going to take a look at the world weather, or more specifically steph is going to. >> we have all been worried about the volcano in iceland, but another one has erupted on

the sly without telling anyone. we have some pictures. it shows that volcano there with the huge plume of smoke, and it's the smoke that of course causes all of the problems for the flights because they have to divert around it. it's not the only place where we have had disruptions for flights over melbourne we have had a lot of fog. that's now the fourth day that it's with us, and it looks like we're going to see it again on saturday. the reason being is this high-pressure here. then this high-pressure gave us the very calm, still conditions with the clear skies, and the very, very light winds. those are perfect conditions for fog to form. so that's why we have seen such thick fog over the past couple of days. it's all going to change now thanks to this weather system here. this system has already given us

very heavy rain. for some of us we have seen almost as much rain in august as we have seen since 1907. ahead of that the winds are picking up, and that's why the fog should move out, david. >> all right. thank you very much. when we come back, dozens of united nations peace keepers are being held hostage in golan. and the driver learns his fate after the crash with the other grand prix driver. we'll tell you about that in a couple of minutes. ♪

♪ good to have your company on the al jazeera news hour. i'm david foster. the head of the u.n. says russia is violating ukraine's sovereignty by sending in troops and weapons. the number of refugees who have fled fighting in syria has surpassed 3 million. that's 5,000 a day or thereabouts. the united nations says this is the biggest humanitarian emergency of our times but not enough is being done to help. in senegal the first case of ebola has now been confirmed. it is the fifth country to be hit by the virus. the health minister says a

student arriving from neighboring guinea carried the disease. galaxo smithkline is speeding up guests. but the spread of the virus could eventually hit 20,000 people. russia's foreign secretary says there is no proof, but nato's secretary general say there is no doubt that russian troops are in ukraine. >> reporter: nato's ambassador met in emergency session to discuss how best to respond to the escalating crisis. >> despite moscow's hollow denials, it is now clear that russian troops and equipment have illegally crossed the border into eastern and southeastern ukraine. this is not an isolated action, but part of a dangerous pattern. >> reporter: on thursday, nato

produced these satellite photos, which said it proved russian artillery are operating on ukrainian soil. >> translator: the government of ukraine would like to ask parliament to consider the law on abandoning ukraine's non-aligned status and reintroducing the cause toward becoming a member of nato. >> reporter: if a nato member is attacked other members are obliged to respond militarily. nato's secretary general said ukraine's membership was not discussed but hinted any decision ukraine took would be respected. >> each and every nation has an inherent right to decide itself on security policies, and its

alliance affiliations. >> reporter: in moscow the russians are still denying everything. >> translator: from the very beginning of this, we have been blamed for everything. it's not the first time that we hear all sorts of conjecture, and not once have facts been presented to us. there have been reports showing russian troops from space, but as it turned out it was a computer game. there is a meeting where ukraine will now dominate the discussions, tightening and widening eu sanctions on russia is a real possibility. eu leaders will take up that issue on saturday in brussels. united nations says there must be an unconditional and immediate release of its peace keepers who have been held

hostage by syrian rebels. 44 of them captured on thursday on the syrian-controlled side of the occupied golan heights. jackie tell us what the latest news you have is, jackie. >> reporter: the latest has come from the syrian human rights observatory, they say they have information that those peace keepers are due to be released within hours. they go on to give more explanation of why they were captured. apparently rebels alledge that sometimes government troops hide within u.n. bases. and that's the explanation for why they have been laying siege to a base house of filipino peace keepers and captured 43 fujiian peace keepers. that's the explanation they have

been giving. >> 43 -- thank you, jackie. i said 44, but the other ones, the ones from the philippines encircled, is that siege now going to be lifted as well? >> well, as we understand, there have been contacts from the u.n. with the various parties on the ground. the u.n. won't say exactly who they are talking to. they say they are also talking to other countries in the region. that comment from the syrian human rights observatory refer to the people being held hostage, but one could not imagine that the u.n. would wish to negotiate the release of one while negotiating with the others. in may of last year when other peace keepers were taken captive, on those occasions both times negotiations successfully result interested in the peace keepers being released.

>> all right thank you. now news out of yemen. there government loyalists and their houthi rivals have held separate protests in the capitol. from there comes this report. >> reporter: a day of mass gathering across yemen. here, government loyalists gathered in this street. it was the focal point of the 2011 prodemocracy movement that toppled the president. but now they say they are united against the shiite houthis. >> translator: we're here to [ inaudible ] if for whatever reason violence erupted here it will spread across the country. it will be a catastrophe. >> reporter: talks have reached no where. the standoff between the shiite

rebels and the president has lead to the worst crisis the country has seen since all of the feuding factions began two years ago. there doesn't seem to be any education -- indication that the government and the houthis are willing to reach a compromise. they are calling for their own people to take to the streets on a daily basis. another defiant crowd on the other side of the city. the houthis dismiss accusations they are plotting to seize power. >> translator: we took to the streets to denounce corruption. we are a rich country with huge natural resources, but we are very poor because of wide-spread corruption. >> reporter: protests remain confined. the rebels insist this is a fight for democracy. the man who lead their friday

prayers is a sunni cleric, a tackful move to discredit those who say the houthis are more driven by a sectarian agenda. the wife of one of the al jazeera journalists jailed in egypt has given birth to a baby boy. this is baher mohamed's third child. the mother of peter greste visited the two in hospital. baher mohamed released a letter written to his new-born son in which he says: he along with mohammed fahmy and peter greste have now been in prison for 244 days, falsely accused of helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood. in june, peter greste and mohammed fahmy were given seven

year sentences. baher mohamed another three because he had a spent bullet he picked up at a protest in his possession. the al jazeera network is demanding their immediate release. in columbia, former employees of general motors have sewn their mouths shut to put pressure they open on the company to give more compensation for work-related injuries. this is their latest protest since being laid off three years ago. only four workers of the original 60 are left, and gm is accused of firing injured employees to avoid paying medical benefits. malaysia airlines has announced a major restructuring to try to sort out its future. it is costing the job of 6,000 airline workers as rob mcbride

reports. >> reporter: it is a complete makeover designed to pull the airline back from the brink of its air tragedy predicament, but it comes at a cost in terms of dollars invested and jobs lost. >> today we announce a 12-point enabling plan to sustain a recovery to profitability and revive our national flight carrier. >> reporter: staff will be cut by around 6,000, nearly a third of the work force. almost $2 billion will be invested to restructure the airline with the goal of returning it to profitability in three years. the job cuts are as bad as feared for a work force that feels it is bearing the burden for the past mistakes of management. >> they must have a good leader who really can turn the industry

in the clear direction, you see? clear direction. 100% [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: the current management stays unchanged until the middle of next year. industry watchers say, a solution had to be this radical. the fate of its national flag carrier is a national issue. it's not just the airlines reputation that has been damaged, the malaysia brand has also taken a knock. attempting to repair both, this film, sponsored by the airline to mark the upcoming national holiday, aims to rebuild a sense of pride. but also running on social media, images pur porting to show empty malaysian planes as the airline suffers. >> you already see empty flights. ticket prices are plunging, and

there's no historical data to show how long. there's just no historical reference. >> reporter: the airline believes it now has the right formula to move forward, but given its unprecedented challenges, it is a journey into the corporate unknown. rob mcbride. millions of argentinians have been on a strike complaining about unemployment. this is just a month after argentina defaulted on its international debt. drivers in indonesia are filling up on petrol because of a fear of a sharp rise in price. >> reporter: long lines at petrol stations after the supply of cheap fuel was rationed.

>> translator: people will suffer when prices go up. if fuel is more expensive, it will be really difficult for me. schools are expensive and electricity has gone up already. >> reporter: raising fuel prices is one of the most sensitive issues in indonesia. after huge protests in 2012, the government of the president implemented the 33% increase in fuel prices one year later, but the country spends a lot more on fuel subsidies than health care ade indication. this is among the cheapest fuel in the world. indonesians play a maximum of $0.55 a liter, but it's clear that the country can afford it

no longer. those who benefit most from the subsidies are not poor. something analysts say has to be better communicated to the public. >> translator: we have already conveyed the message to the people that most of the proit ins from the subsidies are only being enjoyed by rich people. poor people hardly enjoy them. we are telling this to the people, but maybe we should do this more often. >> reporter: despite mounting pressure by economists, the national oil company, and parts of society, the president has refused to raise the fuel price once again. this and a lack of policy for alternative energy sources are seen as one of the biggest failures of his government. >> translator: there is no justification as to why we're still using oil as our main source of energy. it's only because of the so-called oil mafia in our country making big profits.

i don't know if that is why he refuses to raise fuel prices or because he is worried about the poor people. >> reporter: indonesia now has to wait for the next president to come into power in late october. recall eyes will be on the new president to solve the problem once and for all. there has been a warning of a serious terrorist incident as a possibility in the uk, word that there might well be one. we're expecting david cameron to make a statement any time soon. we'll be live in downing street for that in just a moment. and someone who has been around forever in tennis circles is powering on and still there at the u.s. open. ♪

♪ every film festival wants the biggest movie premiers and the hottest in box office, at least stars, but increasingly they are having to share, and reshow each other's films, apparently because there is just not enough good stuff out there. does it mean that some festivals have had their day. phil lavel reports. >> reporter: they love recycling here in venice even when it comes to the world of movies. that director won an award at cannes only a few months back.

william defoe is about to make the same trip. different festivals, different jobs, but the same faces. there really does seem to be a lot of playing the same hand at the festivals this year. this film was first shown in berlin and now is being passed to venice. like i wise all of these movies are being screened here, and when this festival is over they will be passed to toronto. remember, all of these festivals are fierce competitors and yet there is this increasing feeling they are becoming ever-more reliant on each other. and the reason? apparently there are not enough quality films to go around. >> the good films, i mean are fewer and fewer. it's much more easier and cheaper to produce today.

but the quality is not always the one we should expect. >> reporter: getting the stars on the red carpet gets the headlines, the cameras there, and that in turn attracts another type of person looking for screen time. >> politicians around the world have realized that they are great for promoting a city. it is not just about the films? >> oh, no. to some extent it's about putting a politician in front of the camera with a famous actor or director and saying we are bringing the best in the world to you. >> reporter: numbers appear to be growing not falling in festivals, but in a world where anyone is a filmmaker, all you need is one of these. the question is how long before the sun starts to set on them. >> now on to sport.

>> thank you very much david. the nfl has announced a new domestic violence policy. jessi jessi jessica taft reports. >> reporter: it was the video that shocks the nation, ray rice apparently dragging his unconscious fiance out of a casino elevator after striking her, but what drew even more anger was the punishment handed down by roger goodell, a two-game suspension. a move that raised questions about the stance on domestic abuse. now gaedel has outlined a new policy. it calls for a six-game suspension for a first offense, and an indefinite leave for a second offense. perhaps the most telling of the new policy is that it applies to

all nfl personnel. >> what came out of the nfl today is extraordinary in terms of its leadership, it's a decisivene decisiveness, and its commitment to really make a difference on this issue. >> reporter: gaedel acknowledged that its handling of the rice case vrment : he policy applies to all incidents involving force not just domestic violence. the policy is not retroactive. and everyone starts with a clean slate. some formula one news now. mercedes say they have taken disciplinary action following the crash. another such incident will not be tolerated. they also said that rosburg

apologied -- >> i'm going to interrupt you, david cameron talking about a possible terror threat in his country. >> today i want to set out the scale and nature of the threat we face. and the approach we are taking toment combat it. we have all been shocked and sickened by the barbaric murder of james foley. and the voice of the murders appearing to be british. the ambition to create an extremist caliphate in the heart of iraq and syria is a threat to our own security here in the uk, that is in addition to the other al-qaeda-inspired terrorist groups that exist in that region. the first isil terrorist acts on

the continent of europe have now taken place. we now believe that at least 500 people have traveled to fight in syria and moten shally iraq. let's be clear about the source of the threat we face. the terrorist was not created by the iraq war ten years ago. it exists even before the horrific attacks on 9/11. this threat cannot be solved simply by dealing with the perceived grievances, nor can it be dealt with by addressing poverty, dictatorship or instability in the region. the root cause of this threat to our security is quite clear. it is a poisonous ideology of islamist extremism that is condemned by all faith and all faith leaders. it believes in using the most brutal forms of terrorism to force people to september a warp

world view and live in an almost medieval state. a state in which its own citizens would suffer unbelievable brutality, including the enslavement and rape of women, and the exporting of terrorism abroad. so this is about a battle between islam on the one hand, and extremists who want to abuse islam on the other. it is absolutely vital that we make this distinction between religion and political ideology. islam is a religion observed peacefully and devoutly by over billion people. islamist extremist is a poisonist political ideology supported by a minority. these extremelies often funded by fanatics living far away from

the battlefield are used to justify this ideology. we have seen this before in our own country. we saw it with the sickening murder of lee rigby. the links between what happens over seas, and what happens here has also always been there. many who sought to do us harm in the past have been foreign nationals living in britain, or those who have returned from training camps in pakistan and around the world. but what we are facing now from isil is a greater threat than we have known before. in afghanistan the taliban were prepared to play host to al-qaeda. with isil, we are facing a terrorist organization, not being hosted in a country, but actually seeking to establish

and then violently expand its own terrorist state. and with designs on expanding to jordan and lebanon right up to the turkish border, we could be facing a terrorist state on the shores of the mediterranean and bordering a nato member. we have to confront this ideology at home and abroad. to do this, we need a tough, intelligent, patient and come me hencive approach to defeat the terrorist threat at its source, tough in that we need a firm security response, whether that is action to go after the terrorists. international cooperation on terrorists, and counter terrorism on uncompromising measures here at home. but it also must be an intelligent political response. we must use all of our resources. the military were vital in

driving al-qaeda from afghanistan, and we support the u.s. air strikes against isil in iraq. the key point is that military force is just one element of what we can do, and we need a much wider approach working with neighbors in the region and addressing security and politics too. we know that terrorist organizations thrive where there is political instability. so we must support the building blocks of democracy, the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, the rights of minorities, free media, free association, a proper place in society for the army, and we must show perseverance, not -- not just because these building blocks take time to put in place, but because we're in the middle of a generational struggle against a poisonous and extremist ideology that i believe will be fighting for years and probably decades.

we'll always take whatever action is necessary to keep the british people safe here at home. britain has some of the finist military services as anyone in the world. we have already taken a whole range of measures to keep our people safe. we are stopping suspects from traveling by seizing passports, and we legislating to prosecute people for alter ris activity even when that activity takes place overseas. we have stepped up our operational response. we have seen a five-fold increase in syria-related arrests. we have seen cash seetures grow, we are taken down 28,000 pieces of extremist material off of the net this year alone. we made clear that those who carry isil flags or seek to

recruit to isil will be arrested and materials seized. people are rightly concerned about so-called foreign fighters who travel from britain, to syria and iraq, taking part in terrorist acts and then coming back to threaten our security here at home. i said clearly last week that there will be no knee jerk reactions. we will respond calmly and with purpose. and will do so driven by the importance of maintaining the liberty that is the hallmark of what we defending. but we have to listen to the security officers who do so much every day to keep us safe. we agreed that the answer to this threat was not to dream up some sweeping new power, but it is becoming clear that there are gaps in our armory, and we need to strengthen them. we need to do more to stop those

traveling, and to deal divisively with those who are already here. i will be making a statement in the house of commons on monday. this will include new legislation that will make it easier to take meme's pass ports away. we also need to take a comprehensive approach. dealing with this threat is not just about new powers, but how we combat extremism in all of its forms. we need to tackle that ideology head on at root before it takes the form of violence and terror. that means challenging the thinking of extremist ideologue, depthfies the extremists in this country, and countering them by empowering the overwhelming majority. that is is why as prime minister, i have driven a new approach to tackling radicalization and