bsh on "america tonight" - stopping syria's downward spiral. is the u.s.-led effort working. >> in fact, it hasn't turned the war around it's simply stabilized the situation more or less for the moment. >> for the love of the game he gave aum. did he sacrifices his life. >> he would say mum, something is wrong with me, my brain is not working life.

>> a story from michael oku, and the lessons learnt from a boy thank you for joining us, i'm joie chen. we have seen the impacts of thousands of refugees fleeing for their life. after four years of civil war, over the next few days the secretary of state john kerry will meet with russians, iranians and others in vienna, in search of a solution. the crisis reached a fever pitch as russia takes on an overt role and the fighters adding to the chaos. the islamic state making themselves present. >> sheila macvicar with what is happening. >> reporter: washing up on europe's shores, braving the icy weather and dangerous sees. syrians keep coming. this year alone, january september, 290,000 asked for asylum in europe.

in the first week of october alone, more than 42,000 people, mostly syrians arrived in the greek islands bip boat. it's hard to believe that after four years of a brutal war that killed quarter of a million syrians, pushing 4 million out of their country, spawning those known as the islamic state or i.s.i.l., and seeing the regime waging a war. targetting civilians using barrel bombs and weapons. >> that things could get worse. they just did. >> since september, there's a new player in the skies above syria. the russians flying combat sortees a day. russia is not here.

>> if there was questions been russia's intent. we'll look at this picture. vladimir putin welcoming only old ally. syria leader. the first public trip out of this country in four years. >> the task is to stablilize the legal government and create the right conditions for reaching a political compromise. >> i think vladimir putin made the objections clear. >> william pommerant is a russian scholar at a washington d.c. think tank. >> clearly the argument is that they've been invited in. that's the argument made and how he distinguished russia's actions from everyone else's. >> on the grounds u.s. officials and members of the opposition say the objectives are clear. attacks carried out against rebel forces. some of them

allied with the u.s. this was shot near homes on friday in rebel held territory under russian bombardment. the voice says oh, god. civilians were targeted. >> they've been indiscriminate. reckless in syria. they seem to have no difficulty. around where civilians may be. >> earlier this week a russian defence ministry claimed planes flew 154 sortees striking 235 terrorist target in three days. analysis of russian targets shows that many were in areas where i.s.i.l. has no presence, and russian planes are providing air support to syrian regime

troops as they battle to take territory held by the opposition forces. the opposition is no longer advancing, it's hanging on to territory. especially in aleppo. aleppo is now besieged by russian backed government forces on one side, and on the other, i.s.i.l. made its most significant gains in months, base. at a senate meeting this week the secretary of defense refuted claims they are taking only i.s.i.l. >> instead of singularly attacking i.s.i.l., they are attacking the syrian opposition, there. >> it's been 14 months since the u.s. and 14 golf and western nation partners began attacking i.s.i.l. the most significant part of president obama's plan to

degrade and destroy i.s.i.l. in those months more than 7,000 air strikes out. >> it hasn't turned the war around. it's stabilize the the situation more or less for the moment. >> is that enough. >> no, definitely not enough. >> the figures tell the tale. here is what i.s.i.l., in black, controlled a year ago, with the areas where they had no challenge in brown. here is what they control now, a territory of cities, downs, infrastructures, roads and rivers connecting it together. some losses in iraq, some gains in syria. and that loss of up to 15,000 fighters. replaced, say analysts, thanks to savvy social media recruiting.

i.s.i.l. is showing no weakness on the battle field. the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff called the battle tactically stalemated. >> air pour is a military instrument when you deal with an urban environment or against a foe without a lot of big flashy armour presenting inviting targets. >> where there has been success, there has been boots on the ground like the kurdish fighters, trained by the coalition forces. what has not been successful are american efforts to train and equip syrians, and the fault lies largely with the u.s. >> we are asking them to promise to use the weapons in training against i.s.i.l., not the true enemy, the initial cause of the conflict, which is bashar al-assad. inthen we are giving them no protection, how can we be surprised. it's almost as if we are cig

this to be a tragedy, in which there's no hope for the people we are trying to train. al-assad. >> absolutely. >> is that a goal of hours. >> yes. that is part of the problem. there's more than one war, the fight against i.s.i.l., and the desire to move bashar al-assad gets to a political settle. and ends in a war without committing forces. here senator lindsey graham's take on what he calls a half-areas strategy to get to the political settlement. al-assad. >> they are doing that. >> will hezbollah fight for bashar al-assad. >> they are doing that. >> when the people we train to fight i.s.i.l. turns on bashar al-assad, which they will. will we fight with them to replace bashar al-assad. senator. >> if i'm bashar al-assad, this

is a good day for me, because the american government said, without saying it, that they are not going to fight to replace nee. the russians and the iranians and hezbollah, this is a good day for them, their guy has no military credible threat. so, now you tell me what kind of deal we'll get, folks. >> friday, secretary of state john kerry will meet with russian foreign minister sergey lavrov and others. on the table. the future of bashar al-assad, with no consensus that he should stay or go. the gamble for vladimir putin is he can wish a settlement that he can support bashar al-assad or someone else like him in power and do it quickly. >> what makes this a problem is no one knows how to put the border or states back together.

possible. >> the u.s. mourns the loss of the first uggs soldiers. josh wheeler. he died in a firefight with i.s.i.l., as they fought to release prisoners, as the u.s. considers increasing the numbers of boots on the ground, his last. >> joining us here. "america tonight"s sheila macvicar, there'll be talks, where is this going to go? >> well, the talks will by about the futures of syria. it is clear that does not include bashar al-assad. that's not the view of russians and iranians. if you evident agree vladimir putin can accomplish goals. which is what he says. seems to be expectation, there

must be a plan for the process. neither mr vladimir putin nor the iranians are willing to consider bashar al-assad or look a lot like bashar al-assad, that's not what the united states thinks should be happening. >> what is the leverage points. >> remember, the united states role in this conflict is we are fighting i.s.i.l. we are not fighting the syrian regimes. ties ignoring the fact that these two parts sh have this point. we are ignoring one side. how do we go forward. not necessary u.s. soldiers, though the pentagon has used the

compad word acknowledging u.s. forces are in combat. it beans participation in raids, like the raid we saw sergeant wheeler killed. it means there'll be american casualties: there mass to be a way forward to figure out what the future of syria looks like and how to greet i.s.i.l., and there's no strategy, there's a strategy to contain i.s.i.l., not to feed it. >> what about a greater use of states. >> there's only so many allies on the ground that the united states has access to. the ones that are militarily successful are the kurds. they are motivated to protect the kurdish homeland. you have the iraqi national army. there has been issued where they had to be resupplied because

weapons given by the u.s. were seized when they collapsed. the training process has been reinstituted. you have the army, generals dying on the battlefield in syria. telling you how engaged they are in the fight. you have all the participants. they can sit at a table in vienna, they can do deep constrictions. >> sheila macvicar with that. next, more lives at risk. a new desire warning for women and children on the run. later, a final season. fears for the athletes of america's favourite pass some time. and hot on the website - city of the dead.

a housing crisis in the philippines drives thousands into cemeteries for shelter. at aljazeera.com/americatonight

another desperate group on the run. in fast-forward, it's been a bit off the radar, but the raid of violence in central america is unrelenting. lori jane gliha travelled to honduras for a closer look at why this is one of the most violent cities in the world. it's thursday night, not quite 8:00p.m.. and this is the scene a few blocks from our hotel.

>> we just got a call there was another murder in san pedro. from the moment we got to honduras, people have been telling us how dangerous dangerous and deadly the place can be. the locals presume the normal. gang violence. police told us they see at least 15 killings likes this every reek, in a city ranked as the most murderous. many flee the violence. the mexican crackdown is vending many of them back home. >> we know the bus is filled with departees from mexico, and are arriving in honduras. we are heading to the felter to see if we scan catch them. >> as deportees streamed out of the shelter. we met katya and her mother. are you going to try again?

>> reporter: we arranged to meet katya the next day. katya tells us she made two attempts to reach the u.s. >> reporter: what was the plan when you crossed the border. were you going to in? >> fast-forward to a warning of

a looming crisis, and the u.n. said it's lead by women desperate to the escape the violence in central america. women like katya. the world body is urging rapid indepth crisis before this spins out the control. >> next, strike out. why there's concern for ball players and the risks they take on the field. >> and on the firing line. friday, "america tonight", toe to toe with the n.r.a., in a place you may least expect it. florian mayer in montreal, with the next -- adam may in mont tanna with the next fight. per cent per cent

pass baseball season is rounding third and headed for home. in the midst of the third series, we take time out to consider players at risk. you may not think of baseball as a dangerous game, but as the game gets physical. some have some career ending injuries. michael oku with the store identify a player that had it all by 1995. michael was living his dream. drafted by toronto blue jays, spending six seasons in the minor leagues, leaping, diving, careen are through players before getting a break in the majors. freo personified utility, playing almost every position on the field. it was that flat-out full-throttle style that fans remember the most.

>> you can't watch the kid play and not thing there's someone on the diamond playing with reckless abandon. and as a parent, i imagine there's a mixture of pride... >> and fear. >> reporter :..and fear. his father and stepmother said what he lacked in size he made up for. crashing no walls, sliding head first, sacrificing his body to make a play. >> i think ryan was a great athlete and a hard-working kid. i know other players are better athletes than ryan. they didn't work as hard as rybe. he was the first in the field and probably the last to leave. giving his all would eventually exact a price. i said "ryan, you can't continue to play in way. because you are getting nurt. and you are not going to

continue to play this way. he said this is the only way i know how to play. mum, this is the only way i know how to play. >> by his mid 20s, freo was addiction. those close to him said he behaved impulsively, was angry. >> from there other red flags. >> he would say mum, something is wrong with me, he said i feel my brain is not working right. i feel like someone is pressing my head. >> reporter: by 2010, after eight years in the league. freo was dogged by injuries, and his career was over. by his own count he suffered at least 10 concussions. the divorced father of three

began to coach a little league team. he struggled being off the field. indulging in a new obsession, guns. alarmed, his mother removed weapons from his home. his last communication with her came in a text message. >> he mentioned something about the rifles, and i said "yes, i have them." . he said you missed one. >> she rushed to his home. >> we get out of the car. she said to stay here, don't go in. ryan committed suicide three days before christmas, he was 36 years old. >> did ryan feel that the the condiscussions may have this

something to do with it. >> i think he spoke to another suicide. >> jimmy. >> yes. >> he said "i can relate to that." >> head injuries in sport have become a health hazard and public relations nightmare, mostly affecting football, hockey and soccer. former players have been diagnosed with chronic traumatic enselfa losify, a disease caused by concussions and other form of head injuries, and the symptoms range for erratic moves and behaviour. it can only be detected after death. ryan was the first to be diagnosed. on average, how much concussions occur over the course of a year? >> we have between 20-30 a year.

there's about 750 players. that's not a lot when we look at it. despite it infree questionsly, major league has been working urgently. dr gary green is the director of medical services. >> when did the league become seriously worried or concerned about. in the last 5-6 years, baseball is concerned. over the last four years, new equipment and information has been implemented. instituting a 7-day disabled list, allowing players adequate time to heal. >> we did a

study in 2010. >> if a player had a concussion, you wouldn't put them on a disabled list. you'd lose him for eight days, list. >> reporter: what do you think the lesson of ryan's death should be. >> should be to the public, and should be that concussion matters, it creates permanent damage that if compounded sufficiently, will lead into cpe, in that scr. te is a progressive degenerative disease that will, you know, create suicides. if people cannot handle it. it's important to the family, you know, that the word be gotten out to the youngsters. tell them what the consequence is.

if they want to do it, fine. play as hard as you can, and good luck to him. take protection. not everyone will make it to the big time. >> that's "america tonight". tell us what you think. at aljazeera.com/americatonight. talk to us on twitter and facebook and come back. we'll have more of "america tonight" >> you're the first one on the scene. suicides, homicides, the roof is crushing into somebody's chest. >> what is the number one cause of death for police officers? >> suicide.

chaotic scenes at the austrian slow vena border. thousands of refugees try to breakthrough. plus a pro he isal to create the world's biggest marine reserve. gets the