eagle, and he was let loose. he swooped 2700 feet to meet his trainer. it's called a new world record. the goal - drawing attention to endangered birds i'm antonio mora for the latest news head over to aljazeera.com. "inside story" is next. goodnight. cl hello, i'm ray suarez. the syrian masses - people desperate to live normal lives have been the victims and bystanders as forces beyond their control tear the country to pieces. a new report from a big group of non-governmental organizations details terrible suf rings at the hand of their government various groups fighting the government and neighbours with designs on one outcome or

another, in many ways leaving the people of syria to their sad fate. it's "inside story". 20 non-governmental organizations and n.g.o.s issued a report called failing syria, they targeted the united nations security council, and the international community. according to the n.g.o. the 15 members of the council have not lived up to the commitments spelt out in the very resolutions passed by the security council. the report about the syrian conflict says this spiralling catastrophe is a stain on the conscience of the international community, concluding that without action by individual governments, u.n. resolutions means little more than words on

a page. it can no longer be ignored. among the n.g.o.s - oxfam, save the children and the refugee council. we begin with the secretary-general of the coup and a former united nations under secretary general for humanitarian affairs. good to have you with us. in the years since the united nations resolutions were passed. how has the world failed syria? >> the security council has failed syria in so many ways. a year ago the security council promised a viable peace process humanitarian access sources for work and refugees victims, and also protection off the civilian

population. millions more have been displaced. a million homes have been erased. access to the victims has not become better. we have lost contact with millions of people that are now in hard to reach areas. and there is no viable political process. so yes, the security council failed to implement his own resolutions. you know the inner workings well of the united nations, how it gathers resources, how it makes consensus and deploys in the field. have you seen anything like this before? >> i have seen it once before to build up to the iraq war in 2003. against the security council paralysed and we ended up with the iraq war and the iraq aftermath. that still is haunting us in

iraq. now, we have a bigger catastrophe which is syria. the syria war is bigger than any other displacement disaster of people. it's the biggest refugee disaster probably since the 1940 and '50s. we had nothing like it and still we have paralysis among the greatest powers and among the regional powers. >> do you think that at the time the resolutions passed the world community assumed that this was not going to be as long a conflict or comprehensive as it's ended up being. now we are looking at a situation where when the smoke clears millions of people will have no homes to go back to. >> i think it's correct that there was a misjudgment by so many quarters including the

great powers in the security council. they didn't really understand how big and how bat it would become. it's not good the political climate between the west russia and china. russia and china vetoed repeatedly and did so at the time it was a smaller conflict and u.n. action would have been effective. now, they agree to resolutions a year ago, but they all failed to realise this. we don't have enough money for the victims. the armed groups have enough arms to fight against the civilian population. there is no pulling together among the big powers and the regional powers to have the parties go to the negotiating table.

on the contrary they are betting on different horses in this terrible race towards the abyss. >> that betting on different horses. the different views of what the desired outcome in it's like the permanent five have given the bill for the syrian conflict to the people of the country. >> in many ways it is the fact. the bitter reality in the climate between west russia and china has not been as bad since the iraq war. the syrians should not become victims for rivalry among the big powers nor should they be the victims for iran and saudi. shia and sunni leaders fighting each other at - and using syria as the battlefield. so we the humanitarians find ourselves in the crossfire

together with a civilian population. we are cementing, you know despair and bitterness among millions and millions of young syrians, i fear unless there is a total change of policy among the big powers among the regional powers. we'll be having the - we'll be struggling with the effect of this catastrophe for generations to come. >> let's talk more about that. you have the experience in this area. the longer the syrian conflict goes on does it become harder to undo the effects, to get people back into the country of syria, to get them out of jordan out of lebanon and black into building a coherent society in sir qua. >> absolutely -- syria. >> absolutely that is the

bitter reality. now 4 million people are refugees in the neighbouring countries. >> 7.5 million are refugees inside mirria. more than half of the population has been forced out of their homes. now, their places have been taken over by groups that they fear they have nothing in common with. it may take a long time before it's safe for them to return. one estimate i herd by one of the people servicing the ill-faith mediation efforts was that there are 2,000 militia groups with a name. individual groups with 10 or more fighters. it's harder to end a war with

multiple groups fighting each other on the ground than a smaller conflict. however, it's important that we do not give up hope. if we believe that this is only going to have full speed of costs, it will go badly. what we have to believe and argue is that this is a manmade disaster, it's not a tsunami. it's a manmade disaster it can be ended. we have to start in 2015, and by local ceasefires by funding the humanitarian work, negotiating access to the children by giving school to refugee children so they get hope. >> great to talk to you, joining us from the refugee champ in oslo. >> thank you -- camp in oslo.

>> thank you for having me. >> despite repeated efforts, fighting and dying goes on unabated with the syrian government fighting to save the area. the united states and a long sleight of international partners agreed about getting rid of i.s.i.l. and not about whether to leave bashar al-assad for another day. when we return we look at the states and strategy for different parties and interest and what they mean for the future of syria. stay with us it's inside story.

welcome back to al jazeera america, i'm ray suarez. what to do about syria as the civil war enters its fifth year. secretary of state john kerry appears to open the door to

negotiating with syrian president bashar al-assad. here is what he said on c.b.s. "face the nation." >> i'm convinced with the efforts of our allies and others there'll be spread pressure on bashar al-assad. >> and you'd be willing to negotiate with him. >> well we have to net. >> the state department pulled back saying washington would never negotiate with bashar al-assad. turkey, a nato ally is angry that a new coalition has lowered the priority for bringing down the bashar al-assad regime. iranian forces and iranian-allied iraqi fighting men are prominent in the fight against iraq as iran is at odds with the united states over just about everything. and iran is pulling for bashar al-assad to hang on in syria. american partners in the fight against i.s.i.l. include sunni monarchies that detest iran and want to push back the powerplay

across the middle east. under relationship status fill in - it's complicated. we look at the syrian conflict with an executive director of the american-iranian council and a researcher at princeton, working with former senior diplomat who serves as iranian representative at the global partnership for the prevention of armed conflict and director of government relations of syrian-russian relations, welcome to you both. are all the forces all the different countries removed in syria and iraq fighting the same war or multiple wars in tandem on the same piece of land? >> i think syria is different to iraq. thank you for having me it's a pleasure to see you again. they are fighting different wars.

a reputed research center in the u.k. tell you that only 6% of bashar al-assad's counter-terrorism targeted i.s.i.s., and 6% targeted i.s.i.s. the iranian militias iranian g.i. c, they were spotted along the borders with jordan. they are working hand in glove. it's on the ground aiding and abetting the regime and the war crimes. so the iran is fighting along side the regime. and it's fighting against the citizenry. >> how would you answer the question. are we looking at one regional war or one war in tandem? >> all right. the conflict is raging in the middle east is multilayered.

it's not just about the influence of regional powers we have international community and world powers dealing with ideologies and interests in the middle east. what has happened unfortunately, in the syrian conflict. it spilled over to neighbouring countries by humanitarian crisis or the rise of i.s.i.s. or d.a.e.s.h. when we talk about the battlefields or battle theatres that the countries and groups are fighting. they involve the bashar al-assad government fighting the opposition. at the same time you have a multitude of other more pressing rise of d.a.e.s.h. coming across the border that has sidelined the issue, and the importance of the syrian conflict within the country has become more of a regional pressing issue for the united states and allied forces and ironically with iranian,

fighting against i.s.i.s. it is more complex than what it was in the beginning of the crisis in syria in 2011. how important is iran in helping the bashar al-assad regime keep its deprip on whatever small -- grip on whatever small part of syria where it remains in control. >> there's no question that the iranians have been providing assistance to the st peter's basilica government. it goes back to syria and iran seeing each other as a regional ally a defense agreement between the two countries, and there has been deep-rooted cultural and trade. it's in the interests of iran to have bashar al-assad in power, and maintain influence in the region. that's an open secret that this

is the case. it is paramount for iranian involvement for any solution and this is where i want to emphasise that point. >> okay. so rain wants bashar al-assad to remain in charge. we saw the secretary of state dropping his guard and conceding that the united states recognises that bashar al-assad is in power in syria, even as it prosecutes the war against i.s.i.l. the french foreign minister said over the weekend that that was a big mistake. conceding that bashar al-assad remains in power is absolutely necessary for bringing peace to the region. >> we spoke with the department of state over the weekend. as you mentioned, it issued a statement clarifying the statement of secretary kerry, we do not believe that secretary

kerrry meant exactly what he said - that syrian opposition is committed to transition talks with members of the bashar al-assad regime. they went to geneva in 2014 to negotiate a solution and try to hasten the end of the conflict engulfing syria, and the regime did not engage in geneva in good faith. so secretary kerrry called it a magnet of terror. we do recognise that there needs to be a transition. we recognise that there needs to be... >> you heard imam a moment ago, they are not going anywhere. >> it's not the only thing i know about secretary of state john kerry, i know where he stands, i'm not going to define him by the statement. we know what his thinking is. we know about his conversations with us. we know about his conversations with our regional allies and

his diplomacy, and he's an ally within the administration. by necessity, there needs to be negotiations with members of the regime. and the opposition is committed to that. the negotiations will be about a political transitioning. it's not someone. so long as he said in power, they'll you stay in power. >> if nobody gives in it's a recipe tore stasis. >> this is the problem. every solution by the international community had one major player absent from the talks. in switzerland, on two occasions, iran was not there. how can you reach a political settlement in syria without having every party involved. this is why i believe in the future if there is a political

solution, you need the iranians on the table to bring about weight to the negotiations and a political process by pressing bashar al-assad to take concessions. that will not happen if iran is not at the table. >> by the way, iran was invited to the geneva talks and was asked to endorse the geneva community. it is the main document endorsed internationally, and they said no and said that bashar al-assad needs to stay in power. the reason iran was not included - they were invited, they were not included it refused to recognise the legitimate aspirations of the syrian people. time for a break on inside story. for months i have been asking how does it end. is bashar al-assad in power, is syria a state, is there a

kurdistan carved out of iraq. do the enemies retreat to neutral corners after the threat is turned back or do they go after each other. good answers have been in short supply. i try again after the break. still ahead on "inside story".

you're watching "inside story" from al jazeera america. i'm ray suarez. we've been looking at the deepening humanitarian crisis in syria, and the strange bed fellows created by the rise of i.s.i.l. when the smoke cleared and a destroyed, destitute and repopulated syria tries to reemerge, who gets what they want? my guests are with me still. let's talk about syria after the war. is it still a unitary state? >> i hope so. this integration of syria will not be in anybody's positive ambitions for any country. it has already caused so much insecurity in the region and should remain a unified country. that's first and fore most.

i want you to look at satellite pictures. put out two satellite images of syria by night, showing what happened in the last four years. the first image is from march 2011. we labled the city of aleppo one of the largest. here is what it looked like in 2015. with syria says 97% of the lights are out in aleppo. 83% in the whole country since the civil war began. >> guess who's trying to place a siege on aleppo and people in the cities. iran and hezbollah. they made an effort to take over the city. they were pushed back. i am sure they'll try again. that is why i would like to go to the point that your guest brought up. if iran would like to be part of the solution by all means. they need to stop aiding and abetting the regime.

they need to remove their troops, and remove hezbollah from syria, and if they are interested in engaging in diplomatic talks in good faith, i am sure that there could be a chance for that. so far that has not changed. that has not changed their before they continue day in day out. iran could bring that timeline shorter by stopping active participation in the war on the ground in syria. >> mohammed is aware that this conflict is multiple players, and everyone has a role and responsibility in it. the turkish corridor that provided the weapons and ammunition to the opposition the ply and creation the monster of i.s.i.l. the u.s. cover for this continuation of funds and weaponry to go to the opposition that today has created this mess in syria in the region.

iran cannot step back and say we'll hand off the region and the country. the problem is that the conflict retires first and foremost the iranians said over and over again. >> let me jump in there. it's pointed out that a lot of players, and you heard them talk about 2,000 armed militias with names, identities and funds. >> there are a lot of militias but the overwhelming majority are syrians, i'm not talking about i.s.i.s. i mean i.s.i.s. emerged in 2013. but before that the syrian opposition was making advances. the regime lost control of 50% of syria. it was the syrian opposition of locals against the regime. he was the only one in may of

2013, that the tide against the syrian position changed. your guest is talking about turkey... into . >> have they been a protagonist. >> it's the syrian opposition. these are the locals these are the downs people people that owned the city and neighbourhoods. they don't want to be ruled by bashar al-assad. what business does rain have to say, do you know what you are the locals, which president should you have. we are the ones to decide. >> you noted an alliance. what is this. does iran have has a combatant. >> we have little time. i want to give a solution to the issue.

the breakthrough between u.s. and iranens up iran to come through. there's a political solution. no precondition bashar al-assad international community should be on the table when there's a humanitarian crisis they need to start the discussion now. >> do you agree on that much? >> there's only a political solution, and we need to address the crisis. through humanitarian corridor for that to be achieved we need everyone on board. if we could have solved the crisis the war wouldn't be entering its fifth year. i want to thank you both for joining me. thank you for joining us on this edition of "inside story". get in touch on facebook, follow us on twitter and watch next

time, i'm ray suarez. israeli voters go to the polls in an hour to pick a new parliament. hello, live from doha coming up in the next 30 minutes on al jazeera. battling i.s.i.l. in libya, hundreds gather to take on the group in the city of sirte. vanuatu - thousands in the island nation are left homeless by cyclone sam. and the film festival taking the cinema on the