i'm randall pinkston. the news continues next live from london. ♪ turkeys military steps up the fight against isil and vows to arrest kurdish rebels as part of the same offensive. ♪ hello there, i'm julie mcdonald, this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up after months of violence burundi's president wins a controversial third term. also ahead -- >> i'm andrew simmons in nairobi nairobi, and i'll bring you the

latest on president barack obama's visit here. in the two years since the islamic state of iraq and the levant has carved out positions across syria and iraq turkey has been reluctant to involve itself militarily. until now. on friday it announced it has begin air strikes against isil in syria, and carried out operations across turkey. more than 297 suspects are in custody. some are expected isil members, but there are members that are members of the pkk. isil has been blamed for a suicide bomb which killed more

than 30 people in the turkish border town. the turkish president urged his country to trust him and his government. >> translator: these are the steps against our national security. our state and government will take needed action against any attack no matter what it is. it is not only for last night. we will take the necessary precautions for our nation's security and peace. last night was just the start of this, and we will keep going in the same way. we're a different struggle from now on. we will do whatever is needed in this struggle. our nation should trust their state. >> tom akerman joins me from washington, d.c. has there been any reaction to turkey's decision to hit back at isil fighters? >> reporter: there's been no official reaction. we should be hearing possibly in the next couple of hours from some people from the state department and the pentagon, but

they are very reluctant to go into great detail about the operational aspects. american officials have been known to say they have been burned before by the turks in terms of commitments to fighting isil and al-qaeda for that matter in iraq. so this is an issue that is very sensitive. what the americans are saying is that as part of this -- as part of this agreement to increase the involvement of turkey particularly with the use of the air base as a launch point for air strikes against isil the u.s. and its coalition partners will intensify their efforts to prevent isil sympathizers or recruits from actually getting to turkey and thereby going

across the border and adding to their ranks. that seemed to be sort of a gesture to the turks sensitivity to the fact that it has been criticized for so many weeks now as being so porous. a point for isil recruits to actually go across the border. so now they are saying that the americans and the europeans will do their own part to prevent them from getting as far as turkey. julie? >> tom i'm wondering also if turkey's decision to arrest pkk members, complicates matters given that the kurds have been an ally of the u.s. in fighting isil. >> reporter: well they are fighting the syrian kurds versus the turkish kurds. also the turks have been

noticeably upset at any evidence that the united states might be giving -- giving help to the kurds. that's part of the complicating issues in the negotiations that lead up to this announcement that the base will now be used as launching point against isil targets. the kurds for many months had been asking for the americans to set up a no-fly zone and a buffer area but in -- along the syrian border and that was in some respect to make sure that the kurds would not expand their -- or the pkk would not expand their cooperation with iraqi kurds across the border. so it gets very very complicated. the united states has been very reluctant to get into that and as for that issue of the no-fly zone u.s. retired general john

allen who is the envoy to all of the countries cooperating in the campaign says that issue has been dropped from the discussion and the turks are no longer making that demand. >> tom thank you. let's speak now to a security analyst and research fellow at the think tank henry jackson society. a very warm welcome to the program. this is messy, there's no doubt about it but what has prompted turkey to move from its ambivalence stance previously? >> i think it must be aware of the intelligence reports stating what a big problem isil has become in neighboring countries and also in turkey. and i think it has also seen what has happened in tunisia not so long ago, where a loan gunmen from the group can carry out a

mass murder and have a huge impact on that country and its economy, and recognize that turkey isn't immune to this sort of thing. it needs to respond. and the turkish government needed to do something. >> how does the kurdish angle complicate things in the fact that kurds from different areas have been working with the u.s. against isil. >> yes, this is an extra element. the turkish government are extremely concerned about agitation about kurdish calls for autonomy. they see what is happening in syria and iraq where the kurds are some of the most effective fighting forces, and obviously there's always been the question of autonomy greater autonomy for the kurds in iraq and that helps explain why it's looking to crack down not just on the islamic state in turkey but

also some of the kurdish groups. that is a lot of different things for the turkish government to juggle successfully. >> robin thank you for joining us. >> thank you. to help find a resolution to the war in syria, qatar will be holding talks between is u.s. secretary of state john kerry and his russian counterpart. our diplomatic editor has more. >> reporter: it's clear there's a new diplomatic push on syria. the idea to bring in regional countries which are on different sides in the conflict. currently the iranian foreign minister after that nuclear deal is in the gulf. he is in the united arab emirates, and the next big meeting is of the gulf cooperation council in ten day's time. u.s. secretary of state john kerry says he will be there

along with lavrov. >> i will be meeting with lavrov in doha and we want to bring the saudis in bring the turks in, and ultimately probably, we have to see what the iranians are prepared to do. but that is a -- you know to deal with daesh, to kill off daesh, isil which we intend to do, we have to change the dynamic of syria, and that's part of why we have been negotiating with turkey in these last weeks and now have some shift in what the turks are prepared to do and there is also a shift in some of the things that we're engaged in. so my judgment is that there are possibilities there, but i'm not going to promise them. i can't tell you where they will go, and i'm not betting on them. >> reporter: the issue of syria will also be raised here in the united states next week.

the u.n. security council will be briefed and be addressed by secretary general ban ki-moon. there are certainly new moves on the way on the subject of syria. but the syrian government says it is not currently ready for new peace talks. ♪ burundi's electoral commission has announced president pierre nkurunziza will continue for a controversial third term in office. he secured almost 70% of the vote but this wasn't a hard-won victory. many opposition parties didn't run. and nkurunziza's decision to run for a third term defied rules set out in the constitution, and triggers months of protests that often turned deadly. haru haru mutasa is following the story. do you think people will be able

to accept this result? >> reporter: it's a wait and see, the next few days will be quite crucial. those who don't want him to have another third term in office are saying they won't accept it but the question is how will they react. the head of the commission came out and said it was a big turnout, and many participated. the east african community, one of the few election observer teams that came to this country, because a lot of people boycotted, released a preliminary report that says the people voted under a climate of fear. they said -- and the voter turnout was between low and average. so conflicting reports from the observer mission that was here. but that said a lot of people are more concerned about the future. >> and there was a lot of talk about nkurunziza saying that he wouldn't stop a unity government. is there a small amount of optimism that that might happen in the short-term?

>> reporter: people realize compromise may be the only way out of it. we saw it in kenya and zimbabwe. it seemed to work for a short time, and then it later didn't work. people concerned about violence breaking out right away say maybe this could stop that from happening. but they know that the politicians here don't trust each other. some of them even hate each other. how will they sit around the same table in the same government and work together. the main -- is key to this. when we asked him, he said yes -- nkurunziza. i don't trust him, but i'm willing to talk about him. but he said i can't do five years of sharing power with this man, because i don't trugs him. i'll agree to maybe one year but after that we need to have another election. >> haru thank you. still to come on the program, winning the war against polio, nigeria celebrates a near without any reported cases of the disease.

♪ >> reporter: and war-weary iraqis face new troubles as the country's economic woes face them.

>> "inside story" takes you beyond the headlines, beyond the quick cuts, beyond the sound bites. we're giving you a deeper dive into the stories that are making our world what it is. >> ray suarez hosts "inside story". only on al jazeera america. ♪ welcome back. a remind ever -- of those top stories. turkey has begin air strikes against the islamic state of iraq and the levant in syria, and more than 297 people have been arrested. they say they will treat groups like isil and the pkk without

distinction. >> translator: these are the steps against our national security. our state and government will take needed action against any attack no matter what it is. it is not only for last night. we will take the necessary precautions for our nation's security and peace. barack obama has just touched down in the kenyan capitol in what is the first-ever trip to the country by a sitting u.s. president. these are live pictures from nairobi. security is tight. while in his father's homeland president obama is expected to focus on economic innerves and meet kennian entrepreneurs, and hold talks with the kenyan president. andrew simmons reports from the kenyan capitol nairobi. >> reporter: nairobi's skyline as u.s. forces move in. the americans are monitoring all air space in kenya ahead of the

u.s. -- president's arrive. any personal fulfillment in this trip will be tinged with the hiem line of human loss. from the bombing in nairobi, the al-shabab attack nearly two years ago, to al-shabab's attack on the university that killed nearly 150 people only three months ago. while this sum submit all about innovation entrepreneurship, and economic growth the rest of barack obama's visit isn't expected to be positive all the way. issues such as security good governance and corruption are go ing to be on the agenda and there could be some tough

talking. >> reporter: the u.s. has had an uneasy relationship with kenya after the violence that followed this 2007 elections. the president was indicted by the international criminal court accused of crimes against humanity. those charges have now been developed. that's why this presidential visit is going ahead. he will be asking obama for more assistance. >> we have been working very close collaboration with american agencies in our fight against terror and i am certain that that is an agenda that will shall further strengthen. >> he will ask for more support from the u.s. more training by our forces. >> reporter: the mall has reopened. no memorial here. it's intended to be a die fiant

move to show normality, but kenyans are still skeptical about whether or not enough is being done to help them. and they'll be looking to a u.s. president with kenyan roots for help. iraqi army has released figuresover the number of soldiers killed in fighting islamic state of iraq and the levant. the army says 77 soldiers and shia popular mobilization fighters were killed in car bomb attacks. numbers go against information isil released suggesting a much higher death toll. the army and isil engaged in a propaganda campaign. medical forces say four civilians have been killed in fallujah. iraq is turning to the world bank and imf to help it out of a budget crisis caused partly by

the war against isil. but as jane arraf reports, some investors are defying the risks. >> reporter: it took a lot of effort to get this frozen yogurt chain to baghdad. it's one of the first american franchises here. they have also brought in the iran ice creme band. all an indication that war weary iraqis are hungry for novelty. the businessman behind this says he managed to open the shop without help from the government. >> we has to invite foreigners to train our employees and did not get visas. the products were delayed more than four months, and the machines also delayed. >> reporter: the government says it wants private investment but it admits there are a lot of obstacles. there are lots of risks in opening a business anywhere, but in most markets the possibility

of explosions isn't normally part of that risk. doing business in baghdad is not for the faint of heart. economists say iraq needs to expand the private sector to counter high unemployment and rising poverty rates. >> the fight against isis is really costing iraq budget over 23% of the overall budget of 100 billion usd. it is an economic crisis it is a fiscal crisis. the country is short of cash. it's not short of assets but we have to manage and we have to make our priorities. >> reporter: last month the iraqi denar dropped to the lowest level in ten years after the central bank tried to impose

taxes on imports. this clothing comes from turkey but the most direct routes are closed by fighting. >> translator: the transportation company faces difficulties on the road. sometimes goods are lost. >> reporter: before the war the iraqi government solved its cash flow problems by printing money. saddam hussein's building projects abandoned in 2003 included one of the biggest mosques in the middle east. today not far away is another huge project, iraqi and foreign investors are building this giant mall hotel, and hospital complex in baghdad. a lot of people have made a lot of money in iraq enough that the rewards outweigh the risks. jane after raf. al jazeera. polio is still endemic in

parts of pakistan and afghanistan, but nigeria's success has raised hopes that health workers are winning the fight to eradicate the disease. >> reporter: paralysis is the main symptom of polio. these survivors contracted the virus as children probably from drinking dirty water or swallowing human excrement while playing. now they are receiving wheelchairs. this man makes them. >> we'll have to move lots of credit to the government for their sustained effort at polio eradication. the national primary health care development agency rotary

international. >> reporter: these newborns are giving doses of the vaccine. it has taken years of door-to-door campaigning to give 111 million children in the region the vaccine. >> there is total rejection. they have been anticipating this fear that it there is an agenda behind it, either to deal with the population explosion from the muslim community, and secondly to in fact make some of them became barren especially the women. >> reporter: the attitude appears to be changing but there is still a long way to go before nigeria can be declared polio free. scientists will have to analyze the data until the end of september. if all clear, nigeria will be taken off of the list of polio endemic countries leaving

pakistan and afghanistan. but there must be no new cases for the next two years for nigeria to be declared polio free. >> we can't take our foot off of the accelerator. we need to maintain the same level of resources, maintain full commitment of the health workers. >> reporter: this man is hoping that nigeria will become polio free in 2017 so he can stop making wheelchairs for survivors. he says being paralyzed is a warning to parents whoing don't understand the importance of vaccinating babies. and his four children are proof that the disease can be prevented. there's also been significant progress in the fight to control malaria. the first drug designed to make baby's immune has been approved. >> reporter: it has been a long road for drug company gsk. they have spent 30 years and

more than $565 million developing this malaria vaccine, but trials of the vaccine in 11 locations across africa proofed disappointing. it helped children between the ages of 5 and 17 months. but it has little impact on the number of severe cases and deaths from the disease, and was considerably less effective on children up to the age of five months. that hasn't stopped the european agency giving the vaccine a green light. that means the world health organization can now look at how effective it is. before it can be rolled out, governments in affected countries will need to give it approval and funning will need to be found. it's believed a course of the vaccine could cost about $5 per child. two people have been killed in a slooting in the cinema in

the u.s. state of louisiana. a lone gunmen opened fire inside the theater, nine were injured, the 59 year old gunmen is being described as a drifter. he is shot himself as police closed in. the autopsy of a black woman found dead in a texas jail has revealed no evidence that she was killed by someone else. the marks around her neck are consistent with suicide by hanging. bland was arrested by traffic police three days before she was found dead in her cell. romania has sentenced a member of its former communist regime for crimes against humanity. this is the first case of its kind since the fall of romania's leader. he was toppled and then executed in 1989, having been found guilty of genocide. his communist regime is said to have suppressed 4 million people since the end of world war ii.

this man commanded a prison where inbites were beaten starved, denied medical aid, and thousands died there. now he faces the prospect of dying in prison himself. lawrence lee has the story. >> reporter: i was only obeying orders. that was always the defense of this ole man against the accusation that he has carried out actions in a prison camp in romania, which degraded tortured and killed the political enemies. pursued everywhere during his trial, he kept going back to the same arguments used by nazi prison guards in world war ii, that he was carrying out the commands of his political leaders. >> translator: i only executed the order. but they are the ones who must be asked to come to the ministry

of justice. >> reporter: but the problem with that argument is that most of them are dead. he was in charge of the so-called prison of silence between 1956 and 1963 and it too now lies in ruins. most of the prisoners didn't live to see this day either. but still perhaps better late than not at all. >> translator: for more me it's the fact that it has been established that he committed crimes. it doesn't matter how much time has passed the crimes haven't remained unpunished. >> reporter: 20 years in prison may or may not be seen in romania as the same sort of justice that was handed out to the former dictator who was executed along with his wife on christmas day 1989. some look back at soviet times with a sort of warmth. this trial has left many people

unimpressed. still for his victims and supporters, the fact that this man will now almost surely die in jail himself will carry a certain sort of satisfaction. you can find out much more on our website, the address is aljazeera.com. why are did he talk into that theater? why did he turn around and go back in there? >> searching for a motive in louisiana where a man killed two people before turning the gun on himself. president obama lands in kenya. and going deep into the dark side of the internet why it is so tough to