you. that is the show for today. i'm ali velshi thank you for joining us. pledging justice - the white house promises retribution for the death of kayla muller. >> i.s.i.l. regardless of her death, is responsible for a. >> a young aide worker taken hostage americans flock to watch the big-screen block buster "an american sniper", chris kyle a

trial about to start for his murder accused of clubbing this man for using a golf club as a cane. how that arrest is sparking a movement and a few of a tragedy, footage of a boast disaster nearly a century ago. i'm antonio mora this is al jazeera america. the u.s. wants to intensify an offensive against i.s.i.l. as the group's popularity is gaining popularity in the west. 3400 westerners, including men are fighting with i.s.i.l. and other groups in iraq and syria. it comes as the united arab emirates resumed their role in coalition air strikes, and jordan is reportedly sending thousands of troops to the iraqi border. tomorrow president obama requests broader authority in the fight. he says he was heart broken over the news that 26-year-old kayla

muller was killed. jamie mcintyre has the story. >> reporter: the white house confirmed an f-16 bombed a storage facility in raqqa last friday. they cast doubt on the i.s.i.l. assertion that that strike killed kayla muller. >> the evidence we have is no civilians in the area prior to the strike taking place, calling into question the claims by i.s.i.l. >> photographic evidence by i.s.i.l. that after analysis by the community confirmed kayla's death, but not how she died. the pentagon will not conduct the usual investigation into unintended casualties because it doesn't consider the oil claim to be legitimate. >> we don't have a credible indication that there were civilian casualties as a result

of the strike. let's not forget in whose hands this woman died. let's not forget who is responsible, iail. >> in a statement president obama said muller epitomized all that was good in the world. the young aide worker working with syrian refugees was a consite unit john mccain who yulo guised her on the senate floor. >> on behalf of the people of arizona and the united states congress i want to express the deepest condolences to kayla's parents. >> the parents of austin tise has gone public saying the u.s. lacks guidelines and directions for bringing hostages home safely. >> in an interview with buzz fees the president disputed that the u.s. has not done everything possible short of paying ransom

to free captives abroad. >> i deployed an entire operation at significant risking to rescue not only her, but the other individuals that had been held and missed them by a day or two. precisely because we have that commitment. >> the death of kayla muller put the administrations negotiations with congress over the authority to battle i.s.i.l. in iraq and syria on a fast-track the authorisation for the use of military force would allow the use of u.s. special force, in enduring combat operations. >> kayla muller's family kept her out of the spotlight throughout her ordeal as pope turned to heart break they wanted the world to know more. relatives shared an alert she wrote during captivity, john

terrett has more. >> reporter: kayla muller wrote this letter to her family in the spring of last year. she'd been held by i.s.i.l. since august 3rd, 2013. abducted on her way to a bus station, after spending a night in aleppo. her fellow captives delivered the letter to her family after they were released. she wrote: muller went on to say: she expressed an unwavering faith in god, writing: in prison what we see from that letter is that she continued to be free. >> and optimistic. her friend touched by her

irrepressible spirit. >> kayla tried to teach the guards crafts. making ora gammy. >> reporter: in prison muller thought about her family and the wish to spare them pain. in this plea: the only burden she wanted to share was her work with syrian refugees which brought her to the syrian-turkish border in 2012. >> i want to tell the world about the situation in syria. there's no fuel no electricity, no food. this is the situation. they are shelling there's explosions gun fire violence. we have seen your suffering reflected in kayla's eyes we see it and we intend to do something about it. >> today there is one part of her letter that speakings

resonates with her family, writing: >> sometimes we have to look for it. right now that's what we are all trying to do. a group claiming ties to i.s.i.l. says it was behind a new cyber attack on news week's twitter feed. several posts referred to the so-called cyber calafat. the group took over the twitter account of u.s. central command this year. also today - "forbes" magazine announced chinese hackers broke into its online site and used spying software to target users. the white house says it's launching a federal agency designed to prevent cyber attacks. the goal is to bring together leads from across federal law enforce

enforcement enforcement. the information would be shared. a setback for a group that challenges government surveillance. a judge dismissed a portion of the case brought by the electronic foundation. it violated and intercepted communications. it could not be proved they were spied on president obama had a strong warning for his russian counterpart, saying russia needs to take the ukraine peace talks seriously. they begin in a few hours. a russian delegation with delegates from ukraine, france and germany have arrived. in eastern ukraine, charles stratford reports the fighting is showing no signs of letting up. >> destroyed ukranian tanks and weapons abandoned in the snow. this town is virtually deserted. fighters with the

self-proclaimed army of the donetsk people's republic took control from the ukranian army and they say they are advancing. tightening the noose around the down. >> debaltseve is important. it's a railway junction we want to liberate the territory. people believe in us. they voted for us in a referendum. they trust us. we want to bring them freedom. >> it's not known how many civilians were killed. >> this is around 10km from debaltseve and taken over by the separatists a few days ago. we hear a lot of outgoing shelling. an amount of engine of course and separatists tell us that debaltseve is surrounded. >> ukranian army denied the claim. the day before they were across the front line and saw the tanks digging in close to the only route in and out of debaltseve.

the grad rocket launchers were driving towards the front in the ukrainian military controlled city of kramatorsk 50km away missiles hit aresidential area and military base. >> translation: we were feeding the kids. they were sitting at the table. they started screaming. shells exploded. it was judgment day. we started to round up the kids in groups and tell them fairytale's. it was summer in the middle of winter summer is come and it's thunder. >> reporter: ukranian authorities said the missiles were fired from a separatist-held town. >> in front of you is where the weapon landed the long distant weapon it flew from a southern direction. >> attacks are significantly. kramatorsk is home to the

military's eastern demand. separatists denied responsibility. fighting is intensifying during the day. in a separatist base we find the ukranian army prisoner. bandages cover his burnt face his tank hit in the battle. outside hang the pictures of dead separatist fighters. as a father greaves for his son. of course i'm proud. he was defending his mother land people family. as yet another attempt at ceasefire talks is scheduled for wednesday, sons and daughters continue to be killed in the violence here every day. >> the u.s. is closing its embassy in yemen, and the state department confirmed the news saying staff members had been evacuated due to security. many were recalled in november

as houthi rebels advanced on sanaa. the u.s. insists drone strikes will not stop despite the coup there. opening statements are set for tomorrow in the trial of a man that police say killed chris kyle, a sniper, the inspiration for "american sniper", the movie is factoring into the case. >> reporter: february 2nd, 2013 three military veterans came to the gun range to shoot targets. two would die, chris kyle described as the most lethal sniper in u.s. history, and chad littlefield a friend. charged is eddy ray rout an honorably discharged marine struggling with p.t.s.d.

his sister called 911 saying he had confessed. >> reporter: rout served two years in iraq and deployed to haiti to help the country recover from an earthquake that killed more than 300,000. he lived with his aunt before entering the military and she said he returned a changed man. >> his job was bulldozing bodies and putting them in mass graves. that's what affected him. >> reporter: rout was incoherent and skittish. his mother called police to report her son's strange behaviour and secretly removed the guns from his home. the family reached out to the v.a. >> they did everything they could, but unfortunately, you know, the v.a. takes them in gives them a little - you know

15 minutes of fame and turns around and gives them drugs. and then ships them out. she tried to get them to hold them and they wouldn't. >> then came kyle. his mother new of fame. they and little field settled on going to the gun range. kyle's widow told the f.a.a. in dallas that having p.t.s.d. did not make him less responsible. >> someone taking the lives of two there to help them. that's not p.t.s.d. >> my heart goes out to them. sorry for what happened. other than that. there's no explanation for it. i mean like i say, he didn't just wake up that day and decided he was going to go out and kill two people. that's not him. >> reporter: now it will be up to a texas jury to decide if

more could have been done and whether p.t.s.d. could be a defense. >> two days before the crime was committed against the family's wishes they declined to comment coming up... >> you swung the golf club at me supporters say the man was arrested for walking while black. now he's a symbol in the context over police conflicts.

>> monday on techknow. what if there was a miracle >> grace's stem cells are in this box >> that could save the life of your child >> we're gonna to do whatever we can >> would you give it a try? >> cell therapy is going to be the next big advance in medicine >> tech know, every monday go where science meets humanity. >> this is some of the best driving i've every done, even though i can't see. >> tech know. >> we're here in the vortex. >> monday, 5:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. confusion in bamalabama, where a number of judges are refusing to issue licences for same-sex marriage. a minister was arrested for

offering to marry a couple inside a probate office. a federal judge will hear arguments over whether to force local officials to issue assistances. a new york police officer has been indicted for killing an unarmed man. he could be forced to defend himself in support. >> officers say it was a horrible accident. his gun went off whilst patrolling a stairwell. a grand jury decided he should face justice. >> after cries for justice, u.s. should face charges for the death of an unarmed man. the officer has been indicted on six charges, including second degree manslaughter, including the death in a stairwell. the n.y.p.d. admitted a break

mass made. >> at this point. this was an accidental discharge. >> the 27-year-old officer had been on the job less than 18 months and fired a shot. the department stripped him of his gun and badge. at a time when thousands protested officer officer involved kill in new york and around the country. as the family calls for justice, the head of the police union said officer leang deserves due process writing: gerley's girlfriend says she intend to sue the city for $50 million. if the officer is convicted. he could be sent to prison for 15 years. >> thank you, jonathan

this week we are looking at race in america. after retiring he took a walk using a golf club instead of a cane. last summer a police officer accused him of threatening her and threw him in gaol. allen schauffler looks at the case sparking outrage. >> reporter: in seattle golf-club carrying protesters called for reform all because of this. last july 9th, a police officer confronts him, saying he threatened her with a golf club. >> can you put that down please? >> what? >> i thought she was looking for a shoplifter. that's what i thought. >> 22 sometimes the officer arrived win gait to drop the golf club. five times she accuses him of

threatening her. . >> nowhere in the dash cam video released by police is winn gate shown swinging the club. the air force veteran and retired bus driver who said he never had a problem with police is hauled off to gaol to face harassment and obstruction charges. the putter locally defined as a weapon and confiscated. >> you have your hand behind your back. >> former washington state representative don mason heard about the arrest. >> if this had been a white man this age doing what mr winn gateways doing, the officer would never have stopped or noticed him. quietly, mason went to work on winn gate's behalf with a racially mixed team hoping to clear his name.

seattle police has concern, they are working under department of justice rules. a federal monitor to keep an eye things after federally racial incidents. mason and supporters made progress. police chiefs don't apologise to black men. not in this country. not in this city. but chief o'toole did. that's a win. i'm not going to take that from here. did she have a lot of work to do with it? yes. >> i appreciate it. something have to be done. that woman did a lot of damage she really did. >> the seattle police department offered a public apology. the golf club returned. william winngate is suing the city tore $750,000. >> after 16 years of the securing politicians, and the

media, jon stewart is leaving "the daily show." the big announcement left and footage of the worst disaster history. we talk to the man who found it.

zoo nearly a century ago, ss "eastland" capsized. footage of the 1915 disaster surfaced. it was carrying 35 hunt people on the way to a picnic. 844 people died innate minutes. it remains the deadliest accident history. it was uncovered. we are joined from chicago. this is not one of the most deadly event in illinois but in american history. more died in the fire and you

found it by fluke? >> yes, by fluke. i was searching for letters written by immigrants back to the old country. and there's a new web site funded by the european union, bringing together manuscripts. i searched for chicago, and found letters discussing what people felt about the law. that's what my diser takes is about. i was on the coach with my dog. i use films for presentations, and noticed a couple of dutch news reels, and... >> and there this was in the middle of the noose reels. >> exactly. >> i looked through it. it was amazing to see this pop

up. the chicago river is deep and wide. dell us why this happened why so many died. >> if you are familiar with chicago, this is at a spot where if you take the elevated trains across the liver, heading into the loop it's an area between clarke and la salle treat. it was an excursion held for the workers. the chip was over capacity. it was top heavy, a reaction to the titanic disaster. and the ship was docked on the chicago river. we are not sure what cuffed it to capsize. it was top heavy, might have been passengers going to one

side of the boat or the other. but it capsized and in the area of the river that is about 20 feet deep i believe. but because there were people below deck. they were trapped in the hull and individuals on the deck were crushed. it's a heart-breaking tragedy. it was so close to the shore. usually with these disasters, it's in the middle of nowhere. >> nowhere you would not see video like this it would be out in the middle of the ocean, in a lake in an area where the river is not wide. and the widow shows an aftermath, you have video from a week after, where it shows the ship raised. this is something that almost everyone in chicago knows about. what has the reaction been in chicago when news came out of

this? >> i knew i had an amazing document. but i'm just shocked. there has been an emotional rehabilitation to both clips. and i've gotten messages from individuals who said my great-grandmother as on the ship or my great-great grandparents were supposed to be on the ship. and we've had reaction of folks that didn't know about the disaster and it brings it home. >> it's an incredible story. it's amazing that you found this. we are glad you joined to talk about it finally jon stewart is leaving "the daily show." he made the announcement during taping of today's episode. he started in 1989 and made it into a powerhouse of satire.

he did not say what he was doing. he has 20 prime time emmys and two pea bodies for his work. i'm antonio mora thanks for joining us. for the latest new head to aljazeera.com. "inside story" is next. have a great night. hello. i'm ray suarez. this week gay people started getting married in alabama. but the tug of war over same-sex marriage is not quite over. 81% of barack obama voters approved a ban on same-sex marriage. a federal judge struck down the ban. at the 11th hour the chief judge in the state of alabama tried to nullify the ruling ordering judges not to issue licences