auction, it may not be important how they got there. i'm ray suarez, that's the nds story -- "inside story". on"america tonight"... >> we had someone viciously attack at two different locations people who proudly served our country. >> the the deaths of four marines and fears where the investigation may lead. >> we are conduct having as an act of domestic terrorism and the question - how to protecthe when and women of our armed forces on home soil. >> we have been in contact with the department of defense, to

make sure all the defense facilities are properly attentive and vigilant. >> a "america tonight" special report - attack in chattanooga. >> thanks for being with us, i'm joie chen. >> there was no warning before the carnage began. what law enforcement could call a brazen attack on two military recruiting offices in chattanooga, midmorning, in view of witnesses. we don't know the gunmun's motive -- gunman's motive, but he had targets. those protecting and serving their country. broad daylight in a strip mall. before 11:00am the first sign of crisis shattered the calm and glass doors of a marine recruiting center. witnesses heard gunshots, multiple gunshots, from a shooter that rolled up to the

convertible. as wness swarmed forward, the gunman turned his car to another target. only seven miles away. >> it is incomprehensible to see what happens, and the way that individuals who serve our country were treated. two different locations this individual went to, and as a city, we will respond to this with every available resource that we have. >> within moments, four marines were dead or dying. law men were closing in. the gunman identified as 24 yield mohammod youssuf abdulazeez, a naturalized citizen born in kuwait. >> we do know that someone brutally and brazenly attacked members of the armed

services they popped immediately. and they were able to make sure no loss of life happened. federal investigators stepped in. we are conducting this as an act of domestic terrorism. >> the president moved to ensure military families and the nation protected. >> we have been in contact with the department of defense to make sure that all our defense facilities are properly attentive and village leapt as we sort through what happened. it is a heart-breaking circumstance for the individuals who served our country with great val or, to be killed in this fashion.

>> in this still developing story, our coverage continues from the scope in chattanooga. and our correspondent, jonathan betz - we know that there was some confusion earlier in the day, but the bottom line is four marines yet to be identified were killed. there were other injuries, serious, as well. >> right, many mourning the four marines killed. but prayers and focused on others shot on the shooting sites, including a police officer that was shot and released in the hospital. two members remained in hospital. one was in this position, and there are several prayer vigils. >> we no it's the federal leaders who stepped forward.

they used the term domestic terrorism. why domestic terrorism, why not investigate as a criminal act. that's where they are starting at this point. authorities did slightly back track off of that throughout the day. mainly because of the reality is that authorities don't know publicly - at least publicly - what it is that may have motivated the attack. there was no knowledge of this subject being investigated. authorities are trying to peace together a contact. who or what might have motivated him, and what led to that. it could have been terrorism. it could be work place violence. authorities are going through his history trying to peace together what could have advanced the attack.

>> as we see behind you, there's police activity at the location there, at the second shooting scene where you are, jonathan. but also in the neighbourhood of a suspected shooter. can you tell us what is happening there this evening. >> right, there are several crime scenes that authorities are focussing on, very active, and they are at the home of the 24-year-old suspect, mohammod youssuf abdulazeez. he lives in hicks tonne tennessee. authorities sealed off the neighbourhood. they are talking with his family, friends, neighbours, associates to learn more about the young man. reportedly he was born in saudi arabia, but spent a chunk of his life in tennessee, graduating from high school and university. authorities led away two women in handcuffs from his home. we don't know much else about that. but certainly authority yis are focussing on his life and past

as they try to piece together the motion. >> as you search, there's a sense that a lot of people of chattanooga, and the mayor coming forward to talk about the emotions in the community. >> right, this is hit the heart of many here. it's a hatery otic city in tep see. a lot of people connected to the military have a deep affection and are caught offguard by an attack like this. it's not expected in a small town in middle america, that two shooter. the mayor of chattanooga, and the governor held a conference saying their hearts are breaking for the marines and families, there was deep sorrow and anguish, and anger as well that something like this could happen, and the suspect could have carried off an attack like this.

just here at the scene, we have seen several stop by and deliver food. and also to lay behind me. laying cards, mementos and flowers to honour the victims and their families. >> the quick reaction of military leaders to the attack, a nearly immediate mood to step up facilities all across the country. it's a protocol sadly familiar after attacks on other u.s. military organizations. our military affairs correspondent jamie mcintyre joining us from the pentagon, let's talk about what the pentagon has done already. >> the u.s. northern command, which is responsible for essentially the military aspect of homeland security has not raised the overall threat level. but they'd issued guidance to

individual commanders to take whatever steps they think is necessary. part of the problem was broadly across the u.s. military the threat was raised to alvo to bravo, putting installations on a high security alert. >> there's a limit to what could be done. especially a recruiting center like this one, located in a strip mall, where the point of the facility is to be open to the public, to be welcoming. it's not the kind of facility where you can but up barriers and medical detectors. in terms of the amount of security that you can increase, you can increase your vigilance and try to do more things. there's a limit to how much you can

attacks. >> at the door of a facilities is a sign showing no guns are allowed on site. many would be surprised that a military facility is a place guns. >> a lot of people are surprised. i remember after the navy yard shooting, people wondered why military personnel didn't have guns to protect themselves. that's the standard procedure. u.s. military personnel are not generally armed. here at the pentagon where it's secure, 24,000 work here. none of the military person are allowed to carry firearms into the building. the only armed people are the pentagon force protection. the pentagon police are well armed. that's standard procedure at most military facilities. you'd think

they'd have a gun or side arm, it's not the case. >> it's something of concern in recent years, a notion of soft targets. places that may be targets for domestic terrorists or people that act from outside the united states as well. there are a lot of things that escape a lot of the news attention, but amount to attacks or intended attacks on military facilities. >> we don't hear about a lot of attacks. the fbi director talked about how over the 4th of july, law enforcement thwarted a number of attacks, but he didn't give details, and research department was looking at the history of some of these attacks. when you look at it, these are people that, the fbi or law enforcement discovered that was a person that wanted to bomb soldiers who were eating at a restaurant at forted hood, a guy

that wanted to nigh an explosive packed model airplane into the rafael benitez. a lot are caught by fbi stings, they get a whiff that someone wants to do something, they contact him and get the confidence. this guys, mohammod youssuf abdulazeez, he was not on an fbi radar. he was not someone that anyone was watching or expecting. he was a loan wolf that came out of the blue. >> for al jazeera, military affairs correspondent joint typhoon warning centre at the pentagon next to the coverage in khairat el-shater -- chattanooga, protecting the protectors. obstacles at home. what motivates an attack like this. could anything in the alleged shooters's background identify anything behind the assault?

we continue the coverage in the attack in chattanooga. investigators are looking into the shooter's background hoping to identify a motive for the assault. the trail so far has not revealed much. >> reporter: mohammod youssuf abdulazeez did have a previous encounter with chattanooga police, who released this mug shot of him from a dui arrest, but that was his only brush with the law, at least for the shootings. other bits of his background emerged. along with a year book quote: mohammod youssuf abdulazeez graduated from the university of chattanooga,

tennessee with an electrical degree and interned. he had an active profile posting videos of optical illusions on youtube and showing a daredevil sign. cliff jumping and the most unusual item in his background, evidence of a brief career as a unusual, but what will it mean to the investigation. colonel anderson has a wealth of experience. and after he left active duties, at quantitia coe this must be a hard day for the marines. >> i am sure it is. i don't think there is anybody, any active or former marine that is not grieving tonight. we don't help but notice we discussed with jamie mcintyre a short time ago.

these officers were not permitted firearms at the recruiting station, and this is standard protocol not only recruiting centers. which is most of the people at the pentagon. >> that is true, and it's part of the problem in this country, is we start to see these incidents occur more and more often where people deliver soft targets, when i know the target can't shoot back, they have a tendency to go after them. we can arm every recruiter, and that helps the recruiting station, and arm every reserve center. that's not the issue, the issue is if they become hard target, the other people that own shops

are protected himself. i think that the problem is really there's pervasive gun control mafia that we have in this country that basically advocates for taking guns away. leaving the only guns in the harm. >> i will underscore the point that this is a standard protocol in these facilities, and they are facilities welcoming to the general community as well. they are open in that sense, and it makes them, as it were, soft targets. is there a point in a general review of other sorts of facilities that might be soft targets as a result of this particular attack. >> well, the problem is it's not just facilities, a soft target

can be at grammar school. it can be in church as we have seen. you can't protect everyone unless you arm the citizenry, and allow and encourage them to be armed. i'd advocate that every shop owner in america be required to not only have a gun, but know how to use it in self-defence. >> if we see this happen more and more often. that's probably the only way to deter the kind of things that we saw in charleston. basically it's armed citizenry, themselves. >> i take your point on that. i just want to talk for a moment about another thing that jamie mcintyre mentioned to us, that this individual was apparently not on the fbi's radar or anyone's, as a figure who

might be a cause of trouble. what does that tell you? >> there's probably no reason in the world why he couldn't have bought a gun legally under the statutes we have now. i don't think any of the proposed gun control legislation will do any good in stopping that sort of thing. the only deterrent is someone shooting back at it. i believe it's for a long time. apparently the general feel whenever sac like this happens is slapping on tight er gun controls. we appreciate you being with us. next we look at one of the other its in the news of the day, serving time.

the case of twins aiming to serve the legal system, but say they found themselves targeted by it. >> the fda isn't testing enough. >> now science is pursuing an organic alternative. >> these companies are trying out new technologies. >> no hormones are ever added into our tanks. >> mmm! >> techknow's team of experts show you how the miracles of science... >> i'm standing in a tropical windstorm. >> can affect and surprise us. >> wow, some of these are amazing. >> techknow - where technology meets humanity.

>> ali veslshi brings you a rare firsthand glimpse inside iran.

on the president's agenda a close watch on chattanooga, but he stepped up his focus on crime and punishment. he was the first sitting president to visit a prison. he highlighted an issue of mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenders. here is sara hoy

this pair are about to graduate from howard university when two u.s. marshalls knocked on their frond door. >> heard a banging on the door. next thing there was flash flights, d.e.a., fbi, slammed be on the ground. >> reporter: the garrison definition, 25 years old, had plans to attend law school, end. >> they tested them for trucks. they put them in a conspiracy and made them responsible for a table of drugs. - marijuana, gun, bullets. >> reporter: federal agents told her that a man they knew through an auto shop, a confessed drug dealer identified them as being part of a drug wing, accusations that the garrison, who had never been in trouble with the law before, denied. >> did you partake conspiracy. >> no, we didn't.

>> reporter: are you innocent? >> yes, we are. >> reporter: they were both found guilty after a 4-day trial. convicted. >> initially because i wasn't caught in possession of anything, no phone conversations, no photographs or anything of that nature. so when, of course, i'm like they can't lock me up for this, this is crazy. >> in 1998, the once inseparable wins were forn apart. despite being a nonviolent first offense minimum sentencing lawns sent lawrence to prison in kentucky for 15 years, and lamont to ohio for 19. said. especially when it came to african-americans. at that point we knew we were being railroaded. we expected it. my mother prepared us. we were young black men. >> reporter: when the verdict was read, their mother couldn't believe what they were hearing.

>> when they said guilty, i passed out. >> she turned to mother to activist, refusing to give up on her boys. >> what did you decide to do? >> i never made a conscious decision, i went to work. >> reporter: she talked to anyone that would listen about her son's flight. racism in the criminal justice system needs to stop, anyone not doing their job, making racist comments need to go. >> in response, congress passed an antidrug abuse act in 1986. the law set mandatory minimums, of five years for possessing five years of crack cocaine. the same sentence, tracking 500 grams.

>> president george bush unveiled his antidrug policy. if we face this evil, this will be nothing but a handful of useless chemicals. >> according to the u.s. sentencing commission. 83% of those, crack cocaine, in 2013, were black. 32% sentenced 10 years or more. >> one thing i know in this universe, you can't bend or change the numbers. the draconian laws were created to locus up. >> tuesday, president obama called for criminal justice reform, addressing the n.a.a.c.p. convention. his speech a day after commuting the sentences of 46 drug innocences. offenses. >> our nation is robbed of men and women that could be workers, taxpayers, could be more actively involved in their

children's lives, could be role models, community leaders. and now they are locked up for a nonviolent offense. >> crack cocaine was a big deal in washington d.c. in the 1980s. it was a new drug and cheep. >> julie is the founder of fan. a nonprofit oaring ice nation dedicated to sentencing reform. . >> the drug war was in full phlegm, congress said it would stop the problem, creating mandatory prison sentences, discouraging people using drugs, and we'd be a happy country the u.s. has less than 5% of the world's population, a quarter of the world's prisoners were incarcerated here. in 2010, the tide

began to turn. last year, the u.s. sentencing commission voted unanimously to reduce sentencing guidelines, affecting 70% of drug farnds. >> it's too little, too late. my brother and i will never feel the effects of this. we were given a lengthy sentence for first-time offenders. there are other men and women in prison because of these laws. they are change of course, but what about the people that are still in that focus on the scales of justice will continue, and our attention on developments in chattanooga. for now, that's our look at "america tonight". telus what you think. come back, we'll have more of >> government committees. >> they're spending money, they're not saving it. >> costing millions and getting nothing. >> it's a bogus sham. >> america tonight investigates. money for nothing. >> they've gotten away with it for years.

one year on from mh17, few answers and still no justice for the 298 people killed when the jet was brought down. ♪ ♪ i am jane dutton and you are watching al jazerra. also on the program a gunman kills four marines at a u.s. navy building in tennessee. yemen's exiled government declares that the southern port city of aden has been liberated. but the fighting goes on. german m.p.s are on vote on the 85 billion euro greek