it is quite clear that no large no important you are in company who are risky us i'm trans just for a number of small deals in iran iran is so marginal for european exporters and when they met in that maybe they gave us sanctions per haps offset to some extent by the euro in blocking stat europe but that is never one hundred percent certain so i think this european blocking statute very limited effectiveness for large companies it might have some as and is in europe who have no or little business in ited states and then might continue to a business but that is fairly not the important point of this is a lot of. what my colleagues say that you're a peer should be thinking long term and should develop its own autonomous capacity thomas capacities mr maher says point to the direction i think we have heard

that before i do not really expect to see a lot of actually following these these promises and these ideas because the real the problems of europe lay elsewhere and the political capital is just not there to develop these capacities so let's then broaden out this discussion because europe and the u.s. have differences on a number of other major issues the trumpet administration impose tariffs on steel an atom many m m ports from a range of countries in march that responded with countermeasures donald trump criticize europe's a more open immigration measures and contrast to his zero tolerance policies the u.s. withdrew from the twenty fifth in paris climate in the agreement last year what share the head of the e.u. council donald tusk described as a mistake and trampas criticize nato members for not contradicting enough to fund the transatlantic military alliance. mysql of ashbrook let me come to you so with

all those differences you know now out in the open have donald trump's isolationist policies i think mr mack can call them aggressive isolationism finally taken their toll on european leaders and now leading to policymaking. well i wouldn't say taking their toll we see this i see this is a continuation of outside forces really pushing the european union pushing individual member states to rethink their priorities we have a situation where the last piece falls into place of speeches that were made along the lines of the european union really having to focus its energies on defense policies on critical policies that underpin the european value system not least the points that you've already mentioned around the paris climate accord and the validity of international institutions like the w.t.

oh so you mention president my call he gave a speech number of months ago that was immediately where he stressed the importance of european defense independence and that was immediately followed and buffeted by the german chancellor so in some respects this speech by michael moss follows a specific tradition almost now rethinking rethinking what europeans can do and what we need to see now is rapid and focused action in some of these areas and there i share my colleague's skepticism that we can do this quickly enough to tackle the plethora of changes that are and challenges that are confronting the european union at the same time you say rapid action which is something that the french president emmanuel maxwell repeated on monday he said you know he actually called this a crisis moment for global multilateralism naturalism he also said that the

post-school western dominated wound ones and danger mr bennett is it and if you know the sort of urgent action that he's calling for in terms of defense because he's saying that you can no longer depend on the u.s. for defense well what does that mean and what does that mean for nato. mr mas has four elements to his strategy and i think they're all very cool headed one in that response to the mark on point on capabilities is to finally invest in our own capabilities germany has been falling short on on that especially on the military front for a for a while now and we need reading need to shape up that's the that's the first element and response to also what mr macaws saying the second is to have a counterbalance to the us soft balancing if you will where they cross red lines or do things that really harm european interests that means this financial autonomy that we've been talking about technological and talk autonomy in some

issues is also part of the puzzle the third is and that comes to your multilateralism point mr mr macaw has talked about new alliances mr moss has been a little bit more specific he called foreign airlines of multilateral lists he teamed up with canada with japan other middle powers who are committed to multilateralism who are you know shocked by the america for a strategy that the u.s. the trump is mish administration is going against the very institutions that it helped create in the donda riding european prosperity that's of course an uphill battle but it's something worth trying and the fourth element of this atlantic strategy or america policy of mr mas is renewed in gage mint with the broader american public of the trump interim administration doesn't represent the whole of america and he has repeatedly said that in the greatest game of things in the u.s.

we still have the best shot at having an ally out outside europe china and russia are even less so benign head to months in their own ways and not at all partners that could make up for the old role of the u.s. mr goss what do you make of everything you hear and can europe sort of forge ahead with these new agreements you know new alliances in everything from financial markets to defense. the short answer would be europe could do it the means are there economically financially and even more the military side but i must say i doubt that the political will exists. we have all these speeches but when these politicians go on and men they have to find majorities in their own domestic parliaments draw create

a european army or to create a european payment system the if people just want one of them in germany if so there's a very great resistance to increase expenditure on defense even a little bit of that on german public finances i'm great shape so i would say yes europe should do it. but i very much doubt it will be done with clever ashbrook what do you make of that these countries despite you know what we hear from specially from mrs merkel and mr met ron are they actually lacking the political will the public support to create a new world order. i would disagree with my colleague daniel gross a little bit we have seen over the summer some very market debates particularly in the public on things like defense spending and the future of german defense policy there's been a very nuanced debate on whether germany might have to consider getting

a nuclear weapon now that's the united states is retreating from the security architecture in europe now that came out to on the side of a clearly of no but what we're seeing in a lot of the. a lot of the questions that have been put to the german public that the german public is actually ahead of its political class they see that it could be important to invest more in german and in european defense spending they're very aware now after a prolonged debate within the german press and within the german media of of the need for an integrated european defense policy so i think there is some movement there but again i would point to the fact that that movement might not be quick enough to tackle all the challenges that the european union faces from the south and from the east particularly the migration question but also an ever more aggressive russia russia announced today that they will stage large military

exercises in the coming months and that is something that the european union needs to find answers for and it needs to find those answers quickly and european unity is the coolest the big question mr bennett let me put something to you we had the nato secretary general jens stoltenberg saying earlier this year that he's worried about the serious differences between europe and the u.s. and some of the wills most important issues is one of the salute of big problems hid that. sort of uncharted territory when it comes to differences between europe and the u.s. . as i said in the mean we've always had differences over the iraq war previously the suez crisis and how we had such big differences on one sun many of them different issues no it we haven't what we haven't had before is the fundamental doll it's about the by ability of the alliance arrangement

that's why europe needs to hedge that's why europe needs to have a plan b. those doubts and the need for the plan for plan b. come at the worst possible moment because europe is the siege by anti-liberal forces also from with from within and by and anti-liberal author terry and powers russia and china from without so it's a very precarious moment but europe doesn't have any other choice i agree with mr goss that of course it's easy to say you're going to pull this off because there are so many countervailing forces but those politicians who believe in europe and to believe that even a big country like germany is no longer enough sufficient to hold its own in this kind of tumultuous world they need to kind of invest to try to convince the public and make the most off this situation that in terms of the turmoil is is indeed unprecedented and should they use you know the issue of iran to come

together and stand up to the u.s. on this most of us will go to you. i don't think iran will make much. effect or will have much effect on european public opinion. and this stronger. support for european unity and action comes actually from putin from trump himself by questioning the value of the alliance to some extent by the military will turn out go on so the more people in europe a cvs that they're surrounded by very unstable regimes unstable states the more of course the likely order increase that something will be done so to this extent actually we're trying to storing might have some bush beneficial

impact but as a colleague said we're europe would quickly enough and the greatest danger i see that somebody on the outside miscalculates and things that somehow europe is so it's a united that a foreign power can take advantage of it in this kind of ashbrook even if they can't do it quickly enough you account also for to just. wait it out the stumps trump presidency can they. no and i think you've seen cohesive action at least you know for the european union large steps they agreed last year on partly in the defense dimension on what they call permanent structured cooperation the european union is working with nato to define in which areas the european union could have strategic autonomy mr maass added to his op ed if you will yesterday in his speech to the collected diplomats of germany that he is vested it also creating

a civilian for so to enhance civil military cooperation so there are different areas in which the european union has the legal way both legally and politically to do more it needs to figure out very clearly its relationship with nato and it cannot sit out what the trumpet ministration plans to do in fact we have known since the beginning of the tram campaign that one of the goals of mr trump himself and some few people within his administration to pick european european union apart strategically because then that would allow him to negotiate within ideally that's what he believes none of that is true and under european law but to negotiate individually with european countries is that there is what he fareed is streak in the u.s. administration and yes mr bennett i'm going to need to the european union i'm going to give mr by the last would this clip ashleigh because we don't have very long left the can the european union remain united against this trump

presidency do you think it is not united on on a number of issues for example the north stream dealing with russia there are divisions already and the administration if it still wants can play divide and rule very effective the europe that's why countries like germany france really need to invest very hard in maintaining european unity there now. of pills are probably have to swallow as germany along the way that means we cannot go against the liberalism domestically of poland hungary as forcefully as we would like to if we want to keep for example and hungry in the board in confrontations with china and. and the us and russia saw a tricky situation but we have to keep trying mr bennett thank you very much i will have to end that somewhat positive thoughts and in catherine clutha

ashbrook and harvard and daniel gross and brussels and frank you too for watching you can see the program again any time by visiting our website dot com and for further discussion do go to our facebook page that facebook dot com forward slash a.j. inside story you can also join the conversation on twitter at a.j. and sad story for me elizabeth for on i'm in the whole team here bye for now. for thousands of years farmers and shepherds lived off this land. but such

a traditional way of life is under increasing threat. al jazeera world travels to the jordan valley where illegal settlements are expanding and the israeli military cordons off more of the land. what will become of the palestinian farmers and does the palestinian authority have any power to help shepherds of the jordan valley on al-jazeera and under ported world on. u.s. and british companies have announced the biggest discovery of natural gas in west africa but what to do with these untapped natural resources is already a source of heated debate nothing much has changed they still spend most of their days looking for water for the dry river beds like this one five years on the syrians still feel battered or even those who managed to escape their countries haven't truly been able to escape the war. desperate for a better life millions of people have sought refuge in europe sometimes their

dreams of century are realized but sometimes disenchantment and hostility drive them home. in the second of two films on these contrasting experiences people and power meets the returning migrants now determined to discourage others from following the same impulse. to gambia back home on al-jazeera. we understand the differences. and the similarities of cultures across the world so no matter how you take it al-jazeera will bring you the news and current affairs that matter to you al-jazeera. you're watching all just their arms the whole robin in doha these are all top news

stories the u.s. has defended its support for the saudi a morality coalition fighting in lebanon defense secretary james mattis says washington's backing for the coalition is constantly under review he says he's hoping for a u.n. brokered because she ational the conflict in yemen stacy is a former state department official who served in the obama administration he says think creasing number of civilian deaths in yemen has forced the u.s. to tone down its support for the saudi ever auti coalition well it shouldn't be surprised that at this point in the conflict both the u.k. of the us are beginning to have some serious concerns that they're actually arry publicly in a slightly new way of course speaking privately to the saudis and the immoralities for some time. these concerns have been expressed or so these are strong allies in the gulf and in the west with each other and cross these regions and they have been

for years and of course the u.k. and the u.s. support their intelligence logistics weapons and things have been in place for some time but what the u.s. and the u.k. can no longer continue to support is the ongoing full of civilian deaths and human rights violations which of course is happening on both sides but i think what we're hearing both from secretary madness and from the u.k. as well is that the modest unconditional support for this at least publicly is now changed to modest conditional support for the time the the u.n. security council has been debating a report calling for seen the offices and meanwhile as military to face genocide charges released on monday it details mass killing and gang rapes of raping the muslims investigators say at least ten thousand people were.