on techknow. on techknow. dive into the dive into the stories and go stories and go behind the scenes at behind the scenes at >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello there, welcome to this news hour. i'm laura kyle in doha with the world's top news stories. [ explosion ] a major escalation in yemen, shia rebels intensify their efforts here the capitol as

ceasefire talks collapse. i'm james bayes at the united nations where foreign ministers are meeting to discuss the situation in iraq. >> for scotland the campaign continues and the dream shall never die. >> alexa sammon announces he'll be stepping down. and alibaba has made its debut on the new york stock exchange and is already more available than amazon, ebay, and facebook. ♪ ceasefire talks between the yemenee government and shia rebels have collapsed. fierce fighting is continuing for a second day in the capitol sana'a. battles began on the outskirts

of the city on thursday. [ explosion ] now, though, the two sides are attacking each other just a kilometer from the presidential palace in sana'a. international airlines have canceled flights in and out thf the capitol. the u.n. envoy explained why the talks have failed. >> translator: i had talks over the last two days here. i tried to bridge the gap on a number of issues. they agreed on a number of points to create an agreement based on the result of the national dialogue. then i found the situation in sana'a has deteriorated. it's unfortunate arms have been used at a time when we are trying our best to reach a peaceful solution to this

process. >> we're joined now via skype from sana'a. it sounds like there has been a pretty rapid escalation of violence there in the capitol, what can you tell us. >> the affirmation have an richeted up in the last 24 hours. [ inaudible ] entire area of north sana'a is under houthi control, with thousands of families evacuating the areas, and even government check points leaving their posts. and the government is trying to weaken the movement by conducting continuous air strikes. but it appears it has not been enough to halt the houthi. >> the line is not too clear, but we're going to persevere, because we know communications with sana'a are pretty tricky at the moment. you are saying, i believe, that

air strikes have been conducted, but at what point do you think we're going to see the army actually being deployed in sana'a? >> this is the problem, the president does not want the army to be involved. he is trying to have -- to [ inaudible ] peacefully. he knows if the army is involved, a clear war will take place, because both sides are powerful. so the air strikes are not directed at the houthi fighters, but directed to ensure that the expansion of the houthi -- [ inaudible ] and limit them to those areas instead of coming closer. the houthis are just four miles away from the president's own house. the military check points were also [ inaudible ] the hue hue -- houthis are now in charge of those check points.

it's very tense right now and negotiators do not seem to be taking it lightly. >> what does this fighting right in downtown sana'a mean to anyone like yourself in the city? can anyone leave their home? or has the fighting taken over the city and people having to stay in doors? >> those who live in the central part of sana'a, are more -- are safer because the clashes are happening in the north part of sana'a. thousands of families left their houses north of sana'a, and now they are either living in hotels or with relatives. those areas are completely controlled by militants in the street. gunmen are everywhere. some with the houthi, come with the president. the president insisted that

pro-government militants fight the houthis. so it's hard to tell who is who. >> okay. thanks very much for joining us. let's remind viewers how we got to this situation in yemen today, and here is the brief time line for you. in february 2012, following months of riots, the president stepped down. the houthis attacked in the north. by february of this year, they had begun to move south. they then captured a province shall capitol, but withdrew after warnings from the u.n. and yesterday saw the full scale battle between the army and the

rebels in sana'a. our correspondent is back from yemen, spent years following these developments. if we pick out one point there, the houthis have been going against the government since august. how is it -- escalated so rap rapidly to this point? >> well the houthis say they have been sidelined as a political faction in yemen, and that the only way for them to make their voice heard is to use violence. so they captured one area, and started a civil disobesence campaign. the government is not really genuine about a change, therefore, they escalated and then fighting erupted on the outskirts of the capitol, and now the fighting is about 1 kilometer from the presidential

palace. they want change, and they say by change we mean radical change. >> do you think we're going to see the army being deployed? >> the situation has reached a point where we can confidently say that yemen has exhausted all dip diplomatic means to stop the violence. now we have two options. the president might ask the united nations security council to target the houthi leader with sanctions or mobilize people behind him and say i will go for war against the houthi. and if he decides to go for war, you should expect battles in huge areas of the country. he needs thousands of soldiers and pro-government militia to

join in that fight. >> so you are not just talking about a battle between the houthi rebels and the army, you are talking about other factions -- >> absolutely. you are talking about an army that has weakened by years of instability and violence. the most sophisticated units are fighting against al-qaeda. it's not easy for him to deploy thousands of soldiers to the north, because it is not an easy situation. you are just going to end up in a situation where you have more civilians joining in this fight. and this is why people are concerned about an all-out civil war. >> certainly a situation to keep an eye on. thanks very much for joining us here in the studio. we're now going to take you live to new york where we can see pictures of the u.n.

security council holding one of its meetings. john kerry will be chairing meeting. it's an effort to talk about combatting the islamic state in iraq and the levant. james bayes is also at the u.n. headquarters. this is a routine meeting i understand, but of course it is unusual in that it will be chaired by the u.s. secretary of state. and will involve many more countries than currently sitting on the security council. >> yes, it's routine in the sense that the u.n. security council regularly meets concerning the situation in iraq. the u.s., you see john kerry talking to the russian ambassador, he is going to be presiding over this meeting,

because the u.s. have decided that it will have this mainly at foreign minister level. it's up to any countries who they send, and it is clear that russia is not sending its foreign minister. but many foreign ministers are represented including the french foreign minister, the german foreign minister, the jordanian foreign minister, the italian foreign minister, the canadian foreign minister, among others that i have seen there around the table, and it will be a long meeting, because i think most of these people will want to speak. the idea is i think two things, one to try to show support for the new iraqi government, and two from the u.s. perspective to try to build this coalition that they are trying to build against the islamic state in iraq and the levant, known as isil. that is the u.s. objective of this. there will be no resolution, but we believe they are trying to come together with a statement that they should announce at the

end of the meeting. laura, looking to me -- i have watched a lot of these meetings that i expect this meeting is going to start in the next few minutes. here is secretary kerry. >> this meeting is called to order. the provisional agenda for this meeting is the situation concerning iraq. the agenda is adopted. it's my pleasure to warmly welcome this extraordinary turnout of ministers, and their distinguished representatives present in the security council chamber. the participation here today, the numbers of people who have travelled from afar, some of people like laura is going to turn around and go right back, and then come back again, but

the extent of dedication of so many to be able to be here, given the pressing business for everybody in this chamber is a statement in and of it's a about the importance of the matter that is under discussion. so we are deeply grateful, not just behalf of -- of our invitation, but to all of the countries that have understood the responsibility and the seriousness of this moment, and we express our great gratitude to everyone. in accordance with rule 37 of the council's provisional rules of procedure, i invite the representatives of germany, georgia, iraq, the us latic republic of iran, italy, japan, the netherlands, norway, qatar, saudi arabia --

>> so he's now going through the list of all of those that have asked to take part in this meeting. in addition i can tell you there is a syrian representative in the room, but it looks like he won't be invited to speak. i invite the special representative of the secretary general and head of the united nations assistance mission for iraq to participate in this meeting. it is so decided. the security council will now begin its consideration of item 2 of the agenda, and i now give the floor to mr. nikolai, and thank you. >> thank you. thank you, mr. president of the council, thank you, honorable representatives present for this meeting. it is an honor indeed to brief the security council today on behalf of the secretary general. mr. president, this is the

fourth time today i address the council on the devastation brought to betheme of iraq by the islamic state. on behalf of the u.n. mission in iraq, let me thank the security council for itself continued interest and unity in expressing support for the people and the government of iraq. your consistent calls for inclusive political engagement, timely elections, and a government information process have not gone unheeded. your condemnation of the violence has been welcomed by iraqis. and finally your consistently pronouncements most cently through adoption of resolution 2170 continue to encourage the people of iraq that they are not alone. iraq's transition has been painful and scarred by much violence. its people have shown an unmatched ability to persevere. most recently amidst a rapidly

deteriorating security environment, they came out to vote in an election that followed by a peaceful transition of power. moving to restore security to large parts of the country, it also seeks to strengthen the relationships between the ethnic and religion communities. the government is also looking to the international community for support. today when iraq faces a life-threatening danger from the advances of isil, the people of iraq look to your countries, members of the security council, neighbors, allies, and friends, they look to the international community and the united nations for collective measures for the removal of a threat to peace in iraq and the rest of the region. since the beginning of the year, isil and its affiliated armed groups have captured large parts of iraq. they have gained access to a substantial number of weapons and financial resources.

they reach out to recruit foreign fighters. months before mosul fell to the hands of isil, the province has become the fertile ground for this terrorist organization. the united nations mission in iraq observed and underscores the strategy of terror, a strategy that systematically undermines authorities through kidnappings, assassinations and violence. it seeks to use the disconsent among some communities and turn that into bitterness and violence. it uses the consolidated control over extended territory in both iraq and syria, combined with hatred, fear, and [ inaudible ] to create sheer danger. it is a threat to the region and international security. iraqi security forces and

kurdish peshmerga operations have allowed for some areas to be brought back. they have been instrumental in saving thousands of lives from imminent death. they have protected the city of immigration reform bill, they have safeguarded key infrastructure including dams, and arrested the advance of isil towards the capitol bagdad. most correctly, however, isil forces have been able to take control of key towns. i'm encouraged to report in the face of this growing threat, the security corporation and coordination has substantially increased. mr. president, iraq is facing an escalating emergency with up to 1.8 million people displaced since january. 850,000 have sought refuge in the kurdistan region alone. in the past fortnight an

additional 10,000 families have been displaced. the humanitarian crisis is not just in the north as tens of thousands have fled to the south. the pressure on local communities across the country is growing as the continuing influx has created a massive shelter crisis. with winter fast approaching, immediate and critical measures need to be enhanced. as over 2,000 schools are cur rengly providing shelter, the start of the school year has already been delayed by one month. the u.n. has mounted a massive humanitarian effort to provide, food, water, shelter, and other assistance. we continue to try to reach an estimated 600,000 people who are still in the conflicted area. i call on the international

community to continue to assist. their efforts must be encouraged, and their financial commits to help this humanitarian catastrophe must be recognized. let me thank those member states who have responded to our call for assistance. i want to also recognize the kingdom of saudi arabia, which has contributed some $500 million u.s. dollars out of a total of $712 million for the u.n. effort in iraq. over 60% of this donation has already beening spent on tents and other items. i have to note with growing concern that funding will be exhausted before the winter and additional support will be needed. the current crisis has had a

devastating effect. the u.n. estimates since january there have been some 25,000 civilian casualties including at least 8,500 killed, and more than 16,000 wounded. on behalf of the secretary general, and the entire u.n. team in iraq, i extend my deepest condolences to the families and vic rims of terrorism. minority communities have been particularly targeted by isil, who have sought their systematic and deliberate cleansing from territories under their control. they have perpetrated acts that may amount to war crimes, and possibly genocide. the u.n. mission in iraq continues to investigate reports of violations and abuses of international humanitarian and human rights law. our teams have conducted over 500 interviews. as a result of this, the u.n.

has verified systematic and wide-spread human rights violations committed by both by isil and associated groups and also abuses supported by armed groups supported by the government and others. a public report was published in july while a second is cur rengly under preparation. on account of the gravity of the crimes committed by isil, i welcome the decision by the u.n. human rights council to dispatch a mission to iraq to investigate abuses. mr. president, the fall of mosul forced people to understand it was not just the survival of their country at steak, but the very existence of their communities. all iraqis no matter what ethnic or religious community they belong to, stand to lose if they fail to cooperate. today there is a growing understanding that for any security plan to proceed, it

needs to be broadly accepted by all. security cannot be provided without the full respect of the constitution, rule of law, and human rights standards. the conditions that breed discontent and violence in iraq need to be addressed as a matter of priority so the disinfected communities should be brought back into democratic process. the iraqi constitution remains the guiding framework. reforms that re -- allow to better delivery, devolution of authority, fair revenue sharing, and efficient public service, and measures against corruption, and perhaps most importantly, the strengthening of rule of law and democratic accountability. transitional justice and reconciliation are impossible without addressing the human rights violations of the past and the presence.

left unresolved past grievance will undermine any attempt to undermine any issues. since its appointment the go has made important steps and has -- has a strong beginning for its collective work. i very much welcome the prime minister's recent orders to suspend iraqi air force strikes in certain area including in isil controlled areas, and his public commitment to the protection of civilians. as commander in chief, the prime minister has taken the initiative to restructure the leadership of the iraqi armed forces. these are encouraging steps towards meeting the demands for reform. i further welcome the council of minister's decision to establish a reconstruction fund. the u.n. standings ready to assist in this respect. i am most very pleased to report that the council of ministers

has ininitial tered the process of drafting a law for a national guard, this will strengthen local provision. the prime minister has committed to resolving outstanding budgetary disputes. encourage the government to swiftly move forward. they should move quickly to reach an agreement on outstanding payments, and finally, it is time for the persuasive issues of budget and revenue sharing to be resolved. as always the united nations in iraq is ready to continue facilitating this process. all members of the international community should continue to work closely, both with the government as -- of iraq and the kurdistan regional government,

in the assistance it needs. mr. president the stakes are very high, iraq and all of its regional neighbors have an opportunity to restarred positive bilateral relations. this cooperation should be open and inclusive of all neighbors who can contribute to addressing the issue of isil. the recent adoption of 21.70, the paris conference on peace and security in iraq, and the recent discussions held at nato all strengthen international support for iraq in its time of need. the u.n. stands ready to coordinate the efforts needed to address the current crisis. in closing, mr. president, let me be very clear. isil is a scourge that has brought untold suffering to the

people of iraq and syria. nay are not only ignore, but they also show disdain for international law, and have perverse ideas of justice evident against the deep proog humanity has shown over centuries. this can be addressed if the world and region together come to work under the framework of the chapter of the united nations and the security council resolutions. thank you. >> the secretary general general of the united nations special representative in iraq talking about the devastation caused by isil, the humanitarian chaos in iraq, and also the responsibilities of the iraqi government and what they have now to do to solve some of the problems, and their role in solving some of the problems. now the security council is going to hear from, i think the

iraqi foreign minister in a moment, but i think we should listen to john kerry for a moment, because he is talking about the presidential statement they are going to adopt. >> -- issued as a document of the security council under the symbol s/prsd/2014/20. it is so decided. i now have the privilege to give the floor to its excellency, the minister of foreign affairs of iraq. >> translator: [ -- i also plan

[ inaudible ] who's presence today proves the gravity of the threat that we face. we would also like to thank the united states for holding this meeting with a few to mobilizing international support to face up to isis. i would also like to welcome the briefing by the special representative of secretary general and head of [ inaudible ]. iraq reaffirms its position to face up to terrorism as an international scourge that should be eliminated. it is extremely important for coordination and cooperation amongst all parties to take place. the influx of terrorist fighters from all over the world to establish this state of isis is a grave danger not only to iraq

and syria, but to the entire region. fighting those terrorists in iraq, and sparing the iraqi people their evils is in the interests of the entire world. this is ta -- a war being launched against the people of iraq who is fighting on behalf of all other peoples. they have violated our land and the dignity of man. all of the iraqi people muslims, christians, turkman, and others are all against this evil. we would like to restore peace and stability so as we can restore public services to the people, specialsly in the affected areas. the actions of isis has lead to the displacement of more than 1. million iraqs.

however, in spite of the security and political challenges, the newly elected government has cooperated with the united nations organizations in iraq to alleviate the suffering of the people and to enable security forces to restore their control of the entire territory of iraq, and despite these challenges and continued threats, the iraqi people has been able to hold its national elections. followed by the formation of a unity government that pays interest to the concerns of the entire people of iraq and all of its factions, and has commit itself to implement the main principals of all parties to enhance social cohesion and take the necessary measures to face

up to terrorism. we have nationally agreed on the formation of a national government that includes all sects of the society, mobilizing all efforts, internationally and regionally to face up to terrorism is an effective way to deal with the other challenges that face the region. we believe the main responsibility to fight terrorist organization on our territory is our responsibility and the responsibility of the iraqi armed forces and peshmerga forces and national guard as well. however, air support requires assistance from other nations. we have taken all measures to take unified action. we had previously warned that the situation in syria would eventually affect iraq and this major threat should be removed.

iraq has previously called upon your security council on the 25th of june, 2014, requesting assistance by the international community, and therefore, i would like to state the following: military, economic and financial assistance to iraq should continue to support its counter offensive against isis. removing the threat of [ inaudible ] requires the removal of all of its fighters, including in neighboring countries, and any military actions against isis should be done in coordination with the iraqi armed forces. urgent humanitarian assistance should be provided to aleaf at it the suffering of more than 1.8 million people including women and children, and we call upon member states of the united nations to remain to make it to

the implementation of human rights council resolutions and security council resolutions in this regard with a view to drying up the sources of financing and military support to isis, and to prevent isis from dealing in the natural resources in the areas that it controls. the united nations strategy against terrorism has stressed these points, and he would like to stress that this threat will not be removed unless we fight the extremist ideas that support it. the advocates of such extremist ideas should be prevented from public speech, and should be countered at all levels. the people and go of iraq appreciate the roles played by the united nations, european

nations, and other nations including our brotherly countries that have assisted in providing the needs of the displaced and people in affected areas where fighting has been severe. we are all facing a grave danger that has no respect for human rights or humanitarian aspects. we should all work for the opposite culture of love, prosperity, and cooperation. finally we would like express our thanks to the humanitarian aid to the displaces, and reaffirm our after appreciate, and thank [ inaudible ] and his team for assisting iraq in this crisis. thank you, sir. >> thank you very much your excellency for a very important statement, and we appreciate

very much your leadership and the new government's effort ts. now it's my privilege to make a statement in my capacity as secretary of state of the united states. let me start again by thanking every single one of you for participating in this session. i have seen in the last weeks traveling around how extraordinarily busy everybody is, and how committed to this effort everyone is through their actions as well as through their incredibly busy schedules, so i am convinced that the fact that so many countries are represented here from so many parts of the world really underscores the clear need for all of us to come together to welcome and to support the new inclusive government in iraq, and of course to put an end to isil's unfettered barbaricity.

i don't need to remind anyone here that the last two times the eyes of the world was focused on iraq was when its government was in confrontation with the international community. today, however, we come together in support of the new iraqi government that has already made great strides in a short amount of time, and we must not miss this moment. last week i made my second trip to bagdad in just over two months in order to meet with the new iraqi government, and i was very encouraged to hear them reaffirm their commitment to govern in the interests of all iraqis and finally address the

deep positions we're all aware of, including those over energy resources, regional autonomy and the composition of the security forces. all of these have plagued iraq out there its modern history. they are also committed to empowering local communities to mobilize and maintain security in their area, and work with the international community to defeat isil. indeed iraq has responded with a spirit of unity that the country has not experienced in decades, if ever. last month an iraqi arab pilot, major general [ inaudible ], flew an iraqi air force helicopter with a kurdish crew, and a zitti member of parliament, and with the single goal of rescuing azittis. tragically the helicopter

crashed. the general was the only one killed. but before he died he told a reporter that the mission to rescue the azitis was the most important thing he had ever done in his life. this historic accomplishment has resinated deeply in both communities. as the president explained earlier this month, my president, isil is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. and it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who standing in its way. in a region that has known so much bloodshed, these terrorists are actually unique in their brutality. they execute captured prisoners. kneeling them down, tying their hands behind their back, bullet through their head. they kill children.

enslave, rape, and force women into marriage. they threaten a religious minority with genocide. and they took the lives of two american journalists and a british aid worker. isil simply poses a threat to the people of iraq and syria, and the broader middle east, and if left unchecked, these terrorists certainly would pose a growing threat beyond the region because they have already promised to. ultimately, history will judge how the world responds to this moment, to this challenge. in the face of this sort of evil, we have only one option, to confront it with a holistic global campaign that is committed and capable of degrading and destroying this terrorist threat. to confront it with a holistic global campaign that is

committed to isil not finding safe haven. as president obama as explained and everyone is well aware of at this point, the coalition required to eliminate isil is not only or even primarily military in nature. it must be comprehensive, and include close collaboration across multiple lines of effort. it's about taking out an entire network, decimating and discrediting a militant cult mass car raiding as a militant movement. the fact is there a role for nearly every country in the world to play, including iran who's foreign minister is here with us today. isil poses a threat to all of us, and we're committed to working in close partnership

with the new iraqi government and countries around the world to defeat it. that's why i spent the past week consulting with my iraqi counterpa counterparts, building partnerships, and that's why we were so focused on hosting this session here today. and i thank foreign minister for saudi arabia's leadership in hosting their conference in jetta, and i think president hollande and laura in france for their leadership in hosting the conference in paris, from each of these has come a greater and greater commitment to do what we need to do. i have to tell you that in many of the meetings that i have had so far, leaders are not talking about if they could support our campaign against isil, they are asking how. and already, across each of the lines of effort that we're focused on, we have seen more than 50 countries come forward with critical commitments.

first, on military support, countries in the region and around the world are already providing assistance, both in terms of kinetic action, but also in the form of training, advising, equipping, providing logistical support and so on. countries like egypt have committed to significantly enhance the coordination between its forces and iraqi and kurdish forces, but even further away from iraq, countries like australia are committing to deploy fighter jets and support aircraft and personnel. germany in recognition of the grave threat posed by isil reversed its long-standing policy against offering lethal aid. france last night conducted its first air strikes against isil targets in iraq. these forms of assistance,

provided at the request of iraq, and with full respect for its sovereignty are essential to combatting isil, but they are only part of a comprehensive approach that is required. we're also seeing overwhelming support when it comes to humanitarian assistance. dozens of countries have so far committed almost $1 billion to the u.n. lead humanitarian response in iraq, thank colludes donations from countries within the region, saudi arabia, qatar, and elsewhere, as well as funds from countries on the other side of the world, japan, new see lan, south korea, and more. we're seeing encouraging progress in the effort to dry up isil's illicit funding as well. and barrain has volunteered to host a meeting to further develop a counter terrorism

plan. we must also stop the flow of foreign fighters to isil. men and women who carry passport from around the world, including nearly every country rep sented in this room. this is another area where countries have begun to take important steps, including criminalizing the recruitment, preparation of their citizens. and finally, there is an urgent need to counter the poisonous propaganda and gross distortion of islam that isil is spreading far and wide. it's time to put an end to a group that is so extreme that it bans math and social studies for children. it's time to put an end to the sermons by extremists that

brainwash young men to join this effort. saudi arabia's top cleric this week came out publicly and declared terrorism a heinous crime, and called isil in particular the order of satan. all of this is vital, because we know preventing an individual from joining isil or getting to the battlefield in the first place, that's the most effective measure you can take. but iraq itself and its security forces on the front lines must be leading the way. that's one of the reasons why it's imperative that we all go the extra mile to help iraq fully reintegrate into the region and the global community of nations.

and that is starting to happen. last week, iraqis long estranged from their neighbors, were not just ininvited but warmly welcomed to international meetings. and what is different abc today's meeting, and this is one reason why we're so grateful to so many ministers for traveling here. is the last meetings the world did not share in the deliberation as it went on, they heard afterwards. today the world can listen to each of the ministers and understanding the breadth and scope of the support for this effort. so we're well on our way. but i hope today the progress that i have described will continue, and more partners will come forward and more commitments will be announced.

make no mistake, our work to build and enhance this coalition will continue well after this week is over. i commit that to you, and president obama firmly commits that. and one of our most respected military experts sitting behind me, general john allen who served in afghanistan and iraq and knows many of the people in iraq for his service in anbar has agreed to come to the state department and oversea the u.s. effort to match up each country's coalitions with the country's total needs so the line of effort is coordinated. i look forward to hearing each of you this afternoon. i close by thanking everybody for joining this discussion, and i'm absolutely confident that through a global campaign, we can support the promise of the new government in iraq, and we

can defeat any isil threat, wherever it exists. i now resume my function as president as the council, and i give the floor -- secretary of state john kerry there giving a speech as the u.s. representative around the security council, the security council meeting that he is chairing and some strong words there about isil. he said they were terrorists pure and simple, unique in their brutality. he said there was a spirit of unity in the international community to defeat them. he said this was going to be a holistic global campaign. and interesting comments also about those in the room. the mentioned general john allen, whom president obama has appointed as head of the u.s. campaign against isil. he was sitting behind the secretary of state -- behind him, while he made his speech. he also mentioned there were all of these other foreign ministers there, the rwandan foreign

minister speaking right now. we have 36 more countries to speak at the security council debate. 27 will be represented by ministers, and one is very important in the fact that secretary of state john kerry directly referred to him. there has been a lot of discussion about u.s. iran you know cooperation on isil. well, the iranians are here at this meeting called under the u.n. presidency, and the iranian foreign minister is going to address the security council in the coming hours, laura. >> thanks very much, we'll of course keep a close eye on that meeting in new york. for now let's turn to the former assistance secretary for defense, senior fellow at the center for american progress joins us from washington, d.c. lawrence, we heard john kerry talking about there only being

one option to tackle isil, and that was a global holistic campaign against it. do you think at this stage he has got that? >> well, i think we have a very good start in iraq. and one of the things he mentioned was how the saudis have condemned isil -- you know, equated them to satanic. and i think that's important, because in order to deal with this, you are not going to be able to kill them all, basically you have to put them in such a position that young people don't want to keep joining them. and i think the secretary also emphasized that, and i think as you commentator said, one of the most interesting things, he said all of the global community including iran were going to work to deal with this problem. >> absolutely. i was going to pick up on that next as to how exactly iran is going to get involved.

>> well, they already are involved in iraq. syria is a much more difficult problem. i don't think there's a real problem in iraq. i mean, the iranians helped in freeing the turkmen in amolly, they had a big role in getting mr. maliki to step aside. the real question is if you can continue them or roll them back to syria, what comes next and what role will iran want to play there, given their support for assad. >> all right. thanks very much, lawrence for bringing analysis to the u.n. meeting being held on iraq. ♪ now on other news, scotland's first minister has said he will step down from his post after voters said no to

independence from the united kingdom. he said the independence campaign will continue and the dream will never die, adding to that, we hopes the promises made by the british government will be kept. >> the real point is this, the real guardians of progress are no longer politicians at westminster or even at hollywood, but they are energized activism of tens of thousands of people who i predict will refuse to meekly go back into the political shadows. for me right now, therefore, there is a decision as to who is best placed to lead this process forward. i believe this is a new exciting situation with great possibility. but in that situation, i think that the parliament and country would benefit from new leadership. therefore, i have told the national secretary of the

scottish national party that i shall not accept leadership on the 13th and 14th of november. after the membership ballot i will stand down as first minister to allow the new leader to be elected by due parliamentary process. >> let's go live to lawrence lee. lawrence how is news of smonds stepping down? >> well, his opponents say he is very slightly totalitarian. they say he is smug and conceited, and i think a lot will be glad to see him go. his supporters see him as almost visionary. the problem for the nationalists, frankly when he goes, is who to replace him with because he has been such a big

figure in scottish politics for the last 20 years ago. >> what has been the reaction to the vote? >> the no camp they are relieved. they are trying to not look to celebratory. the yes camp in desolate people tonight. but 45% of the vote, that's a high water mark for them. but the whole of scotland on both sides is feeling pretty pleased with itself. it has been a brilliant political exercise. 85% turnout is a model, really. >> all right. thanks very much. let's go down south live to paul brennan in westminster in central london. the news of alex samonds stepping down took us a little bit by surprise. what has been the reaction?

we have had the british prime minister david cameron say alex is a huge talent, and we disagree profoundly about a separated scotland, i admire the dedication he has made. and the queen said as we move forward we have a common and enduring love of scotland. she talked about mutual respect and support and they will work constructively for the future of scotland. >> paul, briefly, what happens next? >> very accelerated program of legislative reform. they expect to have a draft bill before the parliament building behind me by january. that is going to have to be necessary because in order for the promises that have been made to the no complainers to persuade them to vote against

independence, they are going to have to give some sort of accelerated and enhanced spending and welfare reforms for scotland. the three main parties have very different visions as exactly how the promises can be delivered. >> okay. paul brennan reporting live for us from westminster. thanks very much. bringing us the very latest on that momentum vote for scotland, and the united kingdom, which stays united. and the chinese online retail giant alibaba has made its debut on the new york stock exchange. it is already more valuable than amazon, ebay, and facebook. [ cheers ] >> shares started trading at just over $92 each, that was 36% higher than initially thought. and values alibaba at a whopping

$228 billion. that brings us to the end of this news hour. martine dennis has another half hour of bulletin right up next for you. ♪

>> a firsthand look at the >> a firsthand look at the ongoing battle against the isil ongoing battle against the isil threat. >> bombs are cracking off in the threat. >> bombs are cracking off in the distance... distance... >> this is a booby trap >> this is a booby trap in the islamic state in the islamic state >> ...a sniper around the corner >> ...a sniper around the corner here... >> from the front lines, here... >> from the front lines, josh rushing reports, josh rushing reports, on al jazeera america on al jazeera america

>> protestors are gathering... >> protestors are gathering... >> there's an air of tension >> there's an air of tension right now... right now... >> the crowd chanting for democracy... >> the crowd chanting for democracy... >> this is another significant >> this is another significant development... development... >> we have an exclusive story >> we have an exclusive story tonight, and we go live... tonight, and we go live... welcome welcome back, everyone, this back, everyone, this is al jazeera america, i'm tony is al jazeera america, i'm tony hello everyone, i'm tony harris in new york city, we are standing by right now for a news conference by the embattled nfl commissioner, roger goodell. it really is damage control at this point following a string of high profile domestic violence cases. he is expected to announce two