♪ the u.s. say it calls on arab leaders to back the new u.s. military drive against islamic state. ♪ hello there, i'm laura kyle. this is al jazeera live from doha, also ahead on the program. an al jazeera exclusive, the palestinian authority accused of missing the chance to have israel investigated for war crimes. oscar pistorius weeps in court as the judge rules he is not guilty of murder. and demonstrators in

capalonia grow louder in spain's richest region. the u.s. president has outlined a plan for taking on the islamic state group in iraq and syria. barack obama's strategy including air strikes in both countries, plus sending more troops to iraq to advice iraqi forces. but syria says any attack without the content of damascus is considered an aggression. >> reporter: for the past year, the islamic state group has proven to be the strongest and most effective force fighting troops loyal to president bashar al-assad. hundreds of soldiers have been killed in the last month, and the i.s. controls almost one third of syrian territory. the u.s. is faced with a

dilemma, wow to weaken the group without interfering with participate bashar al-assad. >> translator: in syria the question is who will benefit most from the absence of the islamic state when it is defeated. >> reporter: u.s. president barack obama says he wants a moderate force to defeat the i.s., allocate money to train it and give it weapons. it is not the first time the u.s. tries ties to nourish a moe syria opposition. in the that hasn't worked. and some of the weapons ended up in the hands of more radical groups. so what the u.s. do this time so it works. the leading syrian opposition group says it is ready and

willing to cooperate with the u.s. to fight the i.s., but they want to make sure western support will extend to their efforts to bring down president assad. damascus was hoping they would seek the help of the syrian government and its army to fight the islamic state. and that could be translated into political gains for president assad. so far, the u.s. says, that is not going to happen. syrian officials are betting efforts to fight the i.s. without their cooperation will fail. the u.s. and the west will come knocking on the doors of damascus seeking help. >> translator: the syrian regime wants to be seen as the alternative for the islamic state. the u.s. and some other countries will not accept that. so the conflict will continue.

>> reporter: but without ending the islamic state group's presence in syria, the radical group will still have a safe haven, something the u.s. president says he will not tolerate. >> the reaction here in iraq has been strong and positive. the deputy prime minister welcomed obama's strategy saying it is exactly what the iraqis need to deal with the threat from the islamic state. they say the three military parts of the strategy are key, that is sending in their advisors, a total of 475, which makes the total about 1600, and they are advising with training and strategy. also the air strikes are seen as key, weakening islamic state targets and allowing iraqi ground troops to go in. they said this wasn't just about

jihadis versus the islamic state state, this was a regional problem. the foreign minister of iraq is meeting right now alongside the u.s. secretary of state and representatives from other state as part of this anti-islamic state coalition that they will building, so clearly the iraqis are very interested in building this coalition. they say it is a regional problem. the islamic state have reacted on social media. what they have said is they haven't declared war on america. the beheadings which president obama referred to, they say were just a revenge attack. they were blood for blood and soul forsoul, they also accuse obama of waging a proxy war here. and they say they is not going to affect their plans. the investigative unit has discovered the palestinian

authority deliberately chose not to have israel investigated during the gaza war. they called to have israel investigated for war crimes. our investigate has found at the last hurdle they chose not to sign on. mike is standing by for us in ramallah, the investigative unit is in the hague. and here first is the special report. >> reporter: more than 2,100 palestinians, most civilians and many children, were killed. [ explosion ] >> reporter: more than 70 israel list nearly all of them soldiers also parished. following attacks on u.n. shelters, the secretary general condemned israel's actions. >> these attacks were outrageous and unjustifiable.

>> reporter: in the midst of the punishing israeli assault on gaza, appeals were made to the palestinian authority to once and for all exercise its rel non-violent rights, and join the international criminal court or icc, such a move could have triggered a formal investigation into whether both parties committed war crimes during this conflict. this court filing submitted by a french law firm is a complaint made by the palestinian general prosecutor. 12 days later, the palestinian authority foreign minister made a highly publicized visit to the hague. >> we must do everything within our power to bring to justice those responsible for committing war crimes. >> reporter: but this confidential letter tells a very

different story. it was sent by top icc prosecutors here, in response to the visit to the hague, they had a crucial question to ask him before they could open an investigation. the acceptance by the state of icc jurisdiction, requires the written approval by either the head of state or foreign minister, so the icc top prosecutor asked him, did the recent submission giving the icc's jurisdiction have a positive approval. jeffery nigh served for seven years as a prosecutor in the hague. >> this document shows the palestinian authority either never authorized original referral when it was brought on the 25th of the july, or that

their decision has changed, or their decision has been changed for them or under pressure from season else. the decision to do nothing clearly emerges as the consequence of the meeting with the foreign minister on that day. >> it's obvious now the palestinian authority are playing games. they are telling the world one thing and doing something in private which is completely different. the question you would ask yourselves is why don't they want to sign? >> reporter: that is a question many in gaza and around the world will now want answered. >> does this mean that the palestinians have now missed their opportunity to -- to get this icc investigation? >> it certainly has. they have also missed a lot of phone calls from me trying to understand this. i have called the foreign minister several times to get

clarification why when the justice minister submitted something earlier this year, did he not give a positive answer to the top prosecutor. all he had to do was nod his head, and that would have triggered an investigation. but what he -- by not giving a positive answer as this letter that is now available on al jazeera's website shows, the icc says we have no basis to investigate. we can't do it for you. so the hamas party has said they will accept the icc. there's really no reason the palestinian authority can claim they are trying to protect others, given their past history when they didn't care if hamas or islamic jihad was prosecuted so this will be something they have to answer to. >> thank you very much.

palestinian human rights groups say there were a number of attacks that should be investigated for alleged israeli war crimes. and this report from gaza. >> reporter: the israeli military did this. one of many tacks that israel said was targeting terrorists. four boys playing near the beach sparked an international outcry. according to witnesses it was in the early afternoon of july 16th that the four children were playing around their father's fishing hut behind me. there was an ire strike and one of the children was killed instandly. the other three tried to run for cover, they made it over this fence and across the beach, then there was another israeli strike. and the three managed to escape that, and then as they ran for cover there was a final hit and the three children were killed in the attack. the boy's father has little hope

in international justice. >> translator: i want israel to be punished in court and be punished more than once because they committed so many crimes. if they kill our children, they kill us too. >> reporter: if there ever is an independent international investigation into war crimes, then it's attacks like these which should be scrutinized. according to the organization human rights watch, on july 24th, four israeli munitions hit in and around an elementary school, killing 13 people and 6 children. this is an aftermath of a israeli strike at an u.n. camp. at the time more than 3,000 people were sheltering here. human rights watch says 20 people were killed including 3 children. the israeli military has ordered a fact-finding mission, lead by

a military if i recall which it says will examine what it describes as exception incidents during the war. rights groups are calling it is farce. >> the [ inaudible ] claimed there should be a national consensus among the political factions to approve it. all political factions, including hamas, they have written approval, so no problem. now it is the political will, whether president abbas will go for it or not, i think he should go. because they are not willing at all to foresee justice. >> reporter: until that time it seems unlikely the people of gaza will see anyone held for the killing and destruction they now endure. let's go over to mike who

joins us from ramallah. he was just saying he had no response from palestinian leadership despite its best efforts. what have you heard from there? >> well, there's been no district response from the palestinian government what over to the issue of the icc. we have spoken to several sources within the executive committee, and what has emerged in these conversations is that the whole issue has been very contentious within the palestinian government, and fattah and the plo. there has been the decision taken not to sign the document which would have brought the icc into play pending a national dialogue. this was an issue which has been playing on palestinian minds in recent minds and weeks, however, has been pointed out that on the

23rd of august, hamas agreed it would submit to icc investigation. that particular stumbling block appeared to have been removed. then we are hearing that the linkage between the icc and go ing to the u.n. security council has been part of the debate. abbas has a new plan which he wants to offer to the u.s. he has said if this plan is not accepted, and negotiation plan then he is going to go to the u.n. security council, and if there is a veto, then he will go to the icc, in other words he is using the threat of the icc as leverage to avoid a u.s. veto in the u.n. security council for action to be taken against israel. so many, many arguments going on. what was very important about this particular information given was there was not

agreement within the palestinian government or the plo with the linkage between the i cc and the u.n. security council. what is very clear too, is that the palestinian public generally wanted the palestinian government to go to the icc sooner rather than later. >> okay. mike, thanks very much the update there from ramallah. still ahead here on the program. the campaign for net neutrality why major websites slowed down their speeds in protest. ♪ on al jazeera america

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hello again the top stories this hour here on al jazeera. u.s. secretary of state john kerry says arab states will play a critical role in the fight against the islamic state group, but no country will be sending in ground troops. he is meeting with leaders a day after barack obama's plan to take on the fighters. the palestinian authority backed away from joining the international criminal court. it was necessary for the icc to investigate war crimes aledgedly committed during the 50-day assault in gaza. by not signing up to the icc, the palestinian authority left the door wide open for israel to launch its own inquiry. >> this is a gift -- a golden gift from participate

-- president abbas and his authorities, hence undermining the civilians thousands have been killed and their properties were demolished. yemen's feuding factions with working on a new deal with shia rebels. in return the president wants them to end their civil disoh beadance campaign. >> reporter: restaurants like this are flourishing in yemen. a meal here consists of bread, beans and tea. it costs a dollar, but in a country where millions live under less than a dollar a day, cheap food is a luxury. >> translator: what can i do with $150 a month. [ inaudible ] make profits. >> reporter: the ongoing crisis costs yemen $3 billion a year, investigators left as unrest

grew. yemen's annual budget is estimated at $14 billion. but the deficit has reached a staggering 10%. if violence continues, the country might go bankrupt soon. >> if the situation continues as it is, we will most probably have a very serious fiscal situation. our reserves are worth about 16 months of imports in 2011 or there abouts, now it's only three months. >> reporter: this is a businessman. he has already taken measures to ward off the economic difficulties. >> translator: i will have to cut jobs in my company and operate on minimum capacity to survive. this is really bad for the economy. >> reporter: he considers shutting down some of his businesses to minimize growing losses. this is a vibrant commercial hub for low and medium-income

families. most of the people we talk to say this political crisis and the growing sectarian divide are bad for a country where almost half of the population is poor. the hope of political deal will prevent further violence and lead to stability. this man sells dried fruit and says very few customers show up another his shop. like many, he believes the country will continue to suffer as long as there is corruption and instability. now scotland's referendum only a week away, the prime minister has accused the government of [ inaudible ]. following three banks saying they would relocate to england if they left the union. oil firms shell and bp have also expressed concerns about the implications of scottish independence on their

businesses. lawrence lee reports on how a new scottish foreign pollty would differ from that of the uk. >> reporter: one of the gifts any country has is the ability to choose friends and many scots say having their own policies. this man was taking questions from journalists all over the world. everything from fishing rights to student visas. i wondered whether an independent scotland could join the coalition against the islamic state as the uk has. at the moment no. >> reporter: do you think a scottish air force would be participating militarily in that sort of campaign? >> well, we will only -- the attitude of this government and the scottish parliament, we would only participate in

military action which has been sanctioned under international law. >> reporter: scotland's anti-nuclear doesn't want to host the weapons. yet the scottish national party also wants to be in nato, which their partners in the green party don't like at all, though they are prepared to put up with it. >> that's something positive about the rich nature of scottish democracy. we have a range of political views whether it comes to nato, to other aspects of foreign policy, to energy policy, social justice policy or anything else. >> reporter: it goes without saying this new prestige scotland would enjoy hangs like a fog over the political elite. nationalists they an independent scotland would disappear off of

the international map. maybe so. but the real fear is what it would look like without scotland. one former british prime minister said losing scotland would be so humiliating that the uk might lose its position at the u.n. security council. well, as scotland prepares to vote on independence, people living in northeast spain with watching closely. it's national day there, and proindependence demonstrations are being held. one leader wants a referendum on self determination. but the spanish government is firmly opposed. south african olympic athlete oscar pistorius has been cleared of murder charges against him. he sobbed as the judge handed

down her verdict. he still faces a man slouth slaughter charge. tanya paige was at the court. >> reporter: the judge saying the state simply hadn't proved its case for murder or premeditated murder. oscar hunched over in the seats and his shoulders could be seen heaving up and down. that huge weight lifted off of his shoulders. he'll find out if he is found guilty or not guilty on the equivalence of manslaughter on friday. the judge saying that he should have foreseen that someone might be killed if they were hiding behind that bathroom door that he took no steps to avoid causing that death, that he acted hastily and overacted. he'll find out on friday his fate on that charge.

this trial broadcast live to millions of south africans and millions more around the world, the high level of exposure the judge said earlier in the day didn't help in some instances. she had to discount some witness testimony. crucial part of the prosecutor's case where witnesses said they heard a woman arguing, and shouts and screams followed by gunshot. she said she believes that witness' testimony would have been muscled by the witnesses exposure toe the trial. but many other people agreed that the exposure enabled to see their country's justice system at its best. bill gate and his wife are pledging $50 million to help fight ebola in west africa. the donation will be used to do

na -- donate supplies and develop vaccines. some of the world's best-known tech companies have staged an online protest. they deliberately slowed down websites in a dispute over government interference. >> net neutrality what is it, well you see -- see - see -- see -- see -- see >> reporter: no that stutters video is not the fault of your internet section. it is one of the ways several companies staged a symbolic online slowdown protest on wednesday. they say this is how the internet would be effected by most of its users if the u.s. adopts a proposal to modify the existing pollty of net neutrality. >> it is not up to your phone or

cable company to decide which sites work and which don't. >> reporter: but it would provide cable providers to charge extra for charges extra. president obama appeared to side with the critics. >> you don't want to start getting a differentiation in how accessible the internet is to various users. you want to leave it open so that the next google or the next facebook can success. >> reporter: under fire in congress, the commission chairman said his plan would not permit class war fair among internet useders. >> it stops blocking, it stops anything that prohibits consumer access, including prioritization, and asks a broader question as to whether

prioritization should be banned out right. >> reporter: a final decision on the plan could take months. tom akerman, al jazeera, washington. well, you can go to our website, all of the news is there, at aljazeera.com. ♪ hi, i'm lisa fletcher and you are in the "stream." the nation's top domestic security threat may not be who you think. >> oh, my god! oh, [ censor bleep ]! >> here why a new study supported by the department of homeland security, found the sovereign's citizens movement to be the leading threat. and are white supremacists gaining fresh momentum? ♪