bam the embassy. >> this creates full diplomatic ties and gives them a full availability to be part of the diplomatic core. now cubans who work here can only travel 25 miles distance from the nation's capital. they also have been unable to open a bank account locally. that changed in may when the president took cuba off the list of terrorist countries. they have served as a protecting power. that has formally ended and now cuba and the united states will be able to communicate directly and it's similar symbolic. >> the same thing is happening in havana.

there is no ceremony going on but we'll check in with our correspondent there. overnight, libby the state department added the cuban flag to the display of the flags of the world. at this embassy now how long has that flagpole been waiting for the cuban colors to be raised? >> it's been five and a half weeks waiting to see the cuban flag raised in washington. of course, people have been waiting for more than five decades since 1961 that the cuban flag was flown at the embassy, and that there was this kind of a presence. we have hundreds of people gathered at the embassy and we have a lot of people on the streets. stephanie, it's mostly the gathering of the of the of people pushing for the lifting of the embargo of the united states against cuba. we're not seeing a high presence

of protesters. by far the signs say lift the embargo now. >> how vocal have congressional critics of the carbon monoxiding relations with cuba. i know we heard from at least one presidential candidate. >> absolutely. and even though there is a real festive atmosphere out here on the streets in washington, d.c. there are a lot of members of congress we concerned about what this move means. a lot of republicans also a couple of democrats as well. we saw a tweet this morning just a few moments ago from congresswoman wait man cuban born from florida she's tweeting out this is a good day. but a bad day for u.s. national security.

marco ruban is a cuban american, himself, he represents florida in the senate, a very powerful block of cubans live in the miami region and there is concern about the castro regime and for decades has made an issue. but. >> libby i can't help but notice it has gotten very noisy where you are. what are the folks chanting, can you make that out? >> right now they're talking about pushing for the normalizing of the relationship. there has been. [ protesters chanting ] there has been code pink presence code pink is a well-known protest organization here in washington. they're they're protesting for

more normalization. you can ethe flag going up behind me. we'll see more of the cheering and protesting happening. >> we're seeing an honor guard deliver this flag, and the honor guard marching out towards the flagpole. this is the first step in the historic process that we're bringing to you live right now in washington, d.c. the opening of the cuban embassy, and the raising of the cuban flag over our nation's capital for the first time in some 54 years. i want to bring in our correspondent, who has spent a lot of time in cuba, including right after the announcement of these warming relations were announceed. david, talk about the symbolic importance of what we're seeing today? >> i think we have to look at the date, september 17th, when this was first announced marked a change between these two

nations. july 20th when that cuban flag first rises over the embassy there in washington. the american flag in havana set to be raised later in august when john kerry will head down there. but this is a significant event. that's bruno rodriguez the cuban defense minister-- >> foreign minister, right? >> yes, foreign minister. he has traveled essentially to take part of this. as the flag goes up what we're going to see this essentially says cuba is open for business. there is a certain permanence when you have an embassy. this island of 11 million people will finally be able to start to do business. it creates a sense of confidence among the business community who say we can essentially do business here in a more profound

way and this island needs it. it's cash-strapped economy. this is historic. >> let's just take in this moment for a second. [applause] >> and there it is, the raising of the cuban flag in front of the now opened cuban embassy in washington, d.c. ending decades of animosity between the two countries in hugely symbolic gesture and

symbolic negotiations that happened in just six months. let's go out to libby casey with this problem. the front-row seat there libby. tell us what happened around you you. >> a lot of people here in washington have waited for this event for decades. we're talking about cuban-americans and activists and american business people who see this as a real break through and the opportunity of doing business in cuba. >> and what you're hearing in the background as far as the

music is the cuban national anthem. again, another hugely symbolic event to be happening to have the cuban anthem to be sung there. john kerry is not there. but roberta jacobson, who was the lead when it comes to negotiations that led to this event, david, she is leading the delegation there. the symbolism aside what does this actually mean for cuba? the opening of the u.s. embassy in havana, and the opening of the embassy in washington. >> this speaks to many, and it says that this is a government that the united states is willing to do business with. you have not seen a lot of changes in terms of human rights abuses. there has been no transition to democracy that we've seen. for those critics of what

they're witnessing today essentially it represents a situation in which the united states over the course of the last half century basically thrown its hands up and said, you know what, you're done. however, you talk to the obama administration you talk to those who say this is a long time coming and it puts those grainy black and white images of the john f kennedys, the dwight eisenhowers when this relationship was first forged and it pushes it forward that many say is long time coming. there are still a lot of hurdles to overcome. human rights, democratic transition burr as we heard in panama when the two leaders obama and castro first met everything is on the table at this point. >> the opponents of this warming of relations called this a complete capitulation by the

united states. you talk about the old black and quite pictures, this is what marco rubio said, harbors terrorists an fugitives from justice and the statement goes on and on. marco rubio, a presidential candidate. a lot of critics mostly on the republican side but you'll see democrats who criticize this, too. you'll see reports that there have been more dissidents arrested in cuba since the announcement of talks. >> we've seen a change in how cuba detains people. in the past you would see these long detentions, the rounding up of groups, the sisters the mothers, the friends of a group that essentially had their husbands and boyfriends and fathers rounded up in these crackdowns they're called the

plaque spring in the first part of the century. >> we don't see that any more? >> what we see now are temporary detentions. you'll see groups rounded up who are protesting, causing problems for the government, they're thrown in jail for a period of months and then released. >> we also see that in china and we have a trade relationship with china. what does this mean for u.s. and u.s. business interests. >> this is a win nor cuba. this is cuba saying it's open for business and it needs the money. >> but can it even get the money with the trade embargo still in place? the trade embargo which can only be lifted by the u.s. congress. >> the 800-pound gorilla in the room despite the pomp and circumstance you see in washington, it can only be lifted by an act in congress, and that is unlikely.

but you see all these categories of micro finance telecommunication, agriculture food, all these things can start making their way into the islands. and let's not forget tourism. technically it's illegal to travel to cuba as a tourist but there are 12 categories based on self-reporting. for any intrepid tourist i'm not saying go out and break the law-- >> it's not hard to. >> and there is not this stringent over sight that used to be part of this system that is now in place. you do expect a big infusion of cash. it's not the lifting of the trade embargo which everybody in cuba has been calling for. >> and that the president is pushing congress to do. >> that is historic. the first president to be calling for the lifting of the embear go. the political scene is changing. in south florida supports a

normalizing between these two countries. that's something that has never played out in the past. now it is and we'll see how it goes forward in terms of politics. >> david, thank you. you've been watching the flag raising of the cuban embassy in washington, d.c. we're going to brings this to you live. we'll get reporting live from havana. we want to turn oh other news making headlines. we're learning more about the gunman who killed four marines and a sailor. the family said he was treated for depression and had alcohol and drug problems. they said he's trip to jordan was to escape bad influences at home. meanwhile, investigators are pouring over has computer and cell phone trying to find clues to his motive. bisi onile-ere in chattanooga what else have we learned about

the suspect? >> we learned stephanie that he spent seven months in jordan last year and relatives say that he was there to help clean himself up, but his friends say that when he returned here he was not the same. we know that relatives tried to get him into rehab several times. the most recent time was this past april. in april he was charged with dui. he legendly told authorities i had been smoking marijuana and sniffing powder caffeine. a lot has been going on for this young man and authorities are still trying to determine what led him to go on that deadly rampage last thursday. >> bisi, lawmakers are speaking out about what might have been his motives. >> yes lawmakers have been speculating. they believe there may be some ties to some islamic rebel groups but still nothing is concrete. authorities are treating this

investigation as a terrorism investigation unless something else pops up. there was a congressman out of texas to spoke of this. >> his father was on a watch list. he was under an investigation that was closed. we'll be looking at all those details, but you know, this is again the new sort of threat that is out there over the internet that is very hard--we have 200,000 isis tweets per day. >> and right now there are some stuff happening me. there is a tent company erecting a tent over this memorial. in the meantime we should learn more about this investigation later on today. >> bisi onile-ere with the latest on that suspect and the way the victims are being remembered this morning. you're watching al jazeera america. we'll be back with more news right after this.

>> chad as former president was removed in senegal. he said that there was yelling at the trial was a farce. he denied that his government killed 40,000 people and tortured hundreds of thousands more. we have more from dhakar. >> waiting 25 years for this day. he's finally going to face the man who he believes is responsible for his torture. he has rehearsed the moment time and time again. he knows exactly what he will say and how he will act. one look at the former chadian president, and the memories come flooding back. the electric shocks. the choking. and all the faces of people he was forced to bury during his four-year confinement under the president's rule.

>> his plunged an entire nation for eight long years into desperation and violent darkness. >> chad's commission said that 40,000 people were killed, and 200 tortured when he was in power in the 1980s. most were chadian arabs and political opponents. >> the united states and france supported habre even as he turned his country into a police state. many of the torturers got training in the united states. >> he fled the country. for 16 years victims of torture and campaigners tried to bring him to court. while he lived quietly in senegal. his wife never suspected he would face justice. >> we had an agreement. we came here to get asylum, protection from the state of

senegal. but those who supported us turned against us. we feel betrayed. >> he's now being charged for crimes against humanity in the extraordinary african chambers, a court specifically created by the african union in senegal. hundreds of witnesses are expected to testify including clemont. an african judged by africans, away from the international criminal courts. at stake is the possibility to he set a precedence. >> i think what this trial shows more than anything else is that it's possible for victims and their supporters with tenacity with perseverance with imagination to actually get a dictator to court. >> the trial will not erase the

horrors. but something has changed and perhaps in the process this man may find some peace. al jazeera. >> japanese automaker mitsubishi is apologizing for its actions during world war ii and using american prisoners of war in its plant. james murphy accepted the apology. he was one of those forced to work in the mitsubishi plant 70 years ago. >> for 70 years since the war ended the prisoners of war who worked for these japanese companies have asked for something very simple. they asked for an apology for having to perform forced labor in a compromised areas.

>> prisoners of worse worked in force labor camps during world war ii. the race for the republican presidential nomination has taken a nasty turn. many are calling on donald trump to apologize for saying that senator mccain is not a war hero. >> i'm very disappointed in john mccain-- >> unapologetic. a defiant donald trump refusing to take back disparaging comments he made about senator john mccain's war record. >> do you owe john mccain an apology? >> no, not at all. >> the firestorm erupted saturday at a republican forum in iowa. after the reality tv star turned gop presidential hopeful questions senator mccain's

status as a war worry hero. >> he's not a war hero. he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people who weren't captured, i hate to say. he's a war hero because he was capture. >> his plane was shot down over north vietnam in 1967. during his five and a half years as a prisoner of war mccain endureed bouts of torture but refused early release to show solidarity with other american pows. >> donald trump owes every veteran, and in particular john mccain an apology. >> john mccain is an american hero. >> mccain's friends senator lindsey graham said trump's comments all but disqualified him to to become president.

>> democratic presidential hopeful hillary clinton also spoke of trump's political bombshell. >> there is nothing funny about the hate he's spewing about immigrants, their families, and now the insult he has directed as a genuine war hero senator john mccain. >> trump and mccain has been exchanging insults since last week when the arizona senator aused accused trump of firing up the crazies in the party. >> in an interview mccain said that he's fair game for criticism because he is a public official. he needs no apology from trump but american veterans do. but as trump's war service he was never drafted.

he received four student deferments while at the school of business. once graduated he received a medical deferment because of bone spurs he said if he had been able to serve he would have. bruce lee was 32, 32 when he died. we have more on how people are honoring his legacy. >> his statue is always a big draw as his legacy still exists more than a generation ago. at at fighting gym where his particular brand of kung fu is practiced people emulate his hallmark lightening moves. >> ricky is a master who learned his skill from a master who learned directly from bruce lee.

it provides a living link not only with the unique fighting style that lee developed but the accompanying philosophy. >> not only kung fu but life, work and life as a human being. >> jeff chen has grown up in that philosophy seeing his first bruce lee movie at a teenage center san francisco. like many of his generation he faced discrimination, but lee taught him it was suddenly okay to be chinese-american. >> although that period was short, it was in 1973--it was like magic like overnight chinese males became the big man on campus. >> coming to hong kong for the opening of his exhibition, hundreds of exhibits of the all too brief of lee. from the autographed handbook

written by unknown lee in 1963 to his eventually break into international movies that made him famous ten years later. it's also a testimony to the struggles of being a chinese character in america. among the movies with "the green hornet" his first movie, he was among the lowest paid in the cast. fighting on screen. fighting off screen he continues to inspire in different ways. al jazeera hong kong. >> all right, we want to take you live now again to the new cuban embassy in washington, d.c. the speech is opening they're beginning. let's listen. >> present at this event the honorable jacobson and heading the delegation of the u.s. government made by oh high

officials from the department of state, the department of justice, the department of commerce, and the department of the treasury. >> clearly they're beginning the introductions for the list of speakers here. david, it's significant bruno rodriguez, who is david is our correspondent who has been to cuba several times we'll bring him in now. bruno rodriguez has never been to washington, d.c. >> that's right. >> but not only will he be opening the embassy in washington, d.c. and he'll be speaking with john kerry at the state department. this is not symbolic but also hugely substantive. >> absolutely. you cannot over state the

importance of the raising of flags here. cuba wins here. the raising of the american flag in havana, but the united states wins in the long term in some respects. diplomats in cuba will be able to travel all across the island now. previous they were able to travel in the confines of havana. >> hold on one second. this is bruno rodriguez. let's listen in to what the foreign minister has to say. [ speaking spanish ]

>> okay, clearly he's speaking in spanish. we think he'll translate himself in english. but while we're doing that, let's continue with those spots of how this may benefit the u.s. in the long term. >> first of all the bruno rodriguez talking about the change and different forces in the country and the united states that brought this moment to fruition, but going back to the point of how this will benefit the u.s. prior to this announcement on december 17th, and the manifestation there after diplomats were not able to travel outside of havana. now they will be to, and diplomats within what was previously the u.s. inter section had always been focused on sort of corralling these groups, these groups who were pushing towards democratic transition pushing towards the the end of the human rights abuses but they've been