from entering the city's waterways might have been enough to save it from the list bought the world heritage committee says the lagoon is still at risk of climate change, flooding and heavy rains. the body says over tourism is also a concern. without action. venice could have its world heritage status removed the entire me. ah, and now the pope stories on al jazeera, at least 183 people are now confirmed to have died in floods in parts of europe without number expect to rise. as the water receives german chancellor angle merkel says she's been shocked by the devastate devastation left by flooding in parts of western germany calling to destruction. surreal and terrifying and the crisis in western europe is only getting worse, more heavy rain as hit parts of eastern germany, austria. and the czech republic is

a slave. it's terrifying. i would say there is no word and the german language to describe this devastation. but what i witness is incredibly comforting is how people are sticking together, how they helping each other, the solidarity among people, the african government and the taliban have issued a joint statement following another round of talks in the category capital. they've agreed to speed up discussions aimed at finding common ground earlier. the taliban express disagreement with proposals on a political roadmap for constant and constitution for a gas stove. it's demanding the release of $7000.00 prisoners. but the afghan delegation says a cease fire is its top priority. this says the taliban makes major territorial gains on the ground that if canister on and concerns grow over a civil war erupting once. the withdrawal of us troops is complete. hundreds of professors in the iraqi capital, baghdad, or demanding justice for those killed during anti government protests. 2 years ago,

activists estimate about 600 people died in the 2001900 demonstrations in central and southern rock protests there is, are also demanding action on corruption unemployment. and the provision of basic services. the government in vietnam has ordered people in the capital hanoi to stay home from monday as the number of corona virus infections rise. the title restrictions mean all non essential. services have been stopped, including public transport to provinces. in the south were 3 quarters of recent cases have been detected. well, those are the top stories that stay with us. talk to al jazeera is coming up next that i'm going to have the latest and all our new stories in half an hour. see you then bye bye news. news. news.

news. news. i am going to start seeing conflicts for more than 40 years from the soviet invasion of the late 970 to the rise of the taliban in 1990. and of course, the us invasion of 2001 the decades of to moral have lead to sick tearing division, political instability and cost countless life international plays from the region and beyond. have made several attempts to bring peace and stability to have the united states has played a central role afghan born american diplomat. so my real that have been leading that if it since 2018. and they also had put much of his focus on negotiations between the us and telephone and then talks between the afghan government and the

taliban, which were mostly held face to face and cut off. but as the us military ended mission and f ganna stone, what's the future of these talks and what role the us play moving forward? the us special representative for f canister reconciliation. so my dad talks to al jazeera ah us special representative fm reconciliation and best of all my health said thank you for talking to al jazeera. great to be with you. i would like to go back in time with the upcoming 2010 of history of 911. do you remember that day specifically? oh yes, i remembered very well. i was on my way to the staff meeting that condi rice who was the national security advisor. i what the under her as a special assistant president bush, to 1st playing heads, the 1st tower. and we all thought that may be playing at last. it

swayed with an accident. and then as the meeting started, an officer from the communication room walked into the situation room, where we had that staff meeting and i was sitting to the left of candy. you said a 2nd plane has had a 2nd hour heard the 2nd tower. and she stood up close that book and walked out there and we all rushed behind her literally that day and a events associated with it. also chain my life in a funded mental way that i'm still in some ways dealing with. so was i remember very vividly and as the person who was born in afghanistan, you're in quite a unique position,

providing the text originated from your homeland and you're in the white house. yes . but bread and bush said to me at one point that if i could quote him, that may be god that the hand and this that i was there this time. and someone more than enough canister on who knew a lot about the african situation and leaders because i had also worked with the united states when the soviets are then rated up canister on i was helping on behalf of the united states, the resistance movement to the soviet and and now again, we are in a situation where major external power is departing. afghanistan. the question is, will the african repeat the mistake that they made after the soviet departure or

learn from it come together and agree on a formula that respects that there are differences of opinion or views or values or ideologies. but yet the citizens, they can compete by and cooperate and where that is difference of view, it can be resolved politically, not by force of arm or one side giving itself the right because of its ideology that should impose done on others. that hasn't work, that didn't work the last time, it won't work this time. so my hope is that the afghans, the african leaders, do not repeat the mistake that they did the last time. and you don't believe you're leaving a power that team this time. well, we are, which is different this time, which we didn't with. what then happened at that time. and because of the,

what we learned, we, as the united states learned from that period was to have a peace process as we were drawing and to support that piece process to bring the warring parties internal, rewarding parties to the negotiating table, which it is. this is the 1st time and the 40 plus years of war in afghanistan, that there warning afghan parties are sitting across the table when the soviet withdrawal happened. the african warring party didn't talk to each other. the agreement was signed between the government in kabul and pakistan, not with them which i have been. and this time it's a ton of one, is one warring party and that is a republic, the government and they are, they are here in doha negotiating. so we, we and i sense a learned and i hope after he, there's with,

with, with learned also the right us and robin repeating the past mistakes these talks. you speak off, have been ongoing for almost a year now and i've made very little progress. what do you put that down to who's putting on the brakes? well, i think the both sides of i've had their periods of issues. but we have tried to accelerate negotiations. we. i agree with you that it's not made the kind of progress it should have made given the amount of time the past. we believe that there should be a mediator facilitator in the room when needed. this hasn't been the case for the last period. the has been very little facilitation and no mediation. we think that the skills of the united nations that capability should be brought to

bear to help carter in terms of moving the process forward. we believe we also encourage the leaders to more senior level meetings to take place for decisions to be made. were we ever even presented a plan and not that it should be imposed on the 2 sides, but to get them to focus on korea shoes. and we're working very closely with other countries was cut out of course, but also with that allies, even with the so russians and chinese and buxton is the troika. we have a u. s. europe group who we work with the neighbors except for iran because of our relations. we don't, we don't work with iran or iraq doesn't, an iran hasn't decided yet to join one of these groups. such

a strike in particular. so weird doing our best and we are constantly looking at what else could be done to accelerate. there's a famous taliban saying that you may have the watches we have the time. right. do you think they've been counting down the clock on you? well we, they were talking about us, the west, but now they're talking, we're living so it's whatever watches and time they have it with each other. and the question is the same, that they're all afghans. there is no foreigner now to blame out of your military withdrawal was based on the in partaking and meaningful negotiations with the government, which hasn't happened. well, no, we decided to, to, to leave regardless, based on a calendar, we could have decided and the agreement was more of a condition base. the agreement that 4 elements and they were related to each other

. but ultimately, the president of the united states decided to leave based on a calendar. and maybe that more than the polyps to, to, to think that, you know, now they can do with military. but that would be a mistake. they have, they have tripled by most independent analysts say they've tripled the number of districts they control since april. make sure they say they control 85 percent of the country. right. that must be incredibly concerning because that's only happened in a matter of months. well, i think you should be always suspicious of numbers. when the warring parties give numbers, you should add truth at sometimes the 1st casualty of war. so, but they have made significant progress. there's no doubt about that. but nevertheless, i believe that there is no ultimately

a military solution. that dollar cannot impose themselves by monopolizing power because if they do that, certainly we will not recognize that government even some of the countries that recognize them the last time they were in government are now saying no that would not be acceptable. and the dollar say they want, they won't do that. they want that inclusive government and government that respects the rights of all africans. they need to demonstrate that. and the, an agreement with other afghans. you say there's no military solution by your assessment. would it be fair to say, based off the territory grain gain? so the telephone of made over recent months, they were sensually tightening the nurse on the afghan government surrounding these provincial capitols. putting themselves in a better position to negotiate and get their way at the table. perhaps it's not

a military solution that they take over the whole country, but it definitely puts them in a strong position, gaining mr. tree. yeah, they are in a stronger position than they were. couple and no doubt about that. but they are also more vulnerable in many ways and, and they have to provide for all these places that now they have responsibility for how good they're going to do that. they are, they could be extended what is then predictable to could take different turns. but right now there are 2 major forces sitting across the table. the country could fragment, there could be 4 or 5 entities that could ultimately emerge from this, complicating negotiations a lot further. and i believe that for have counted some to work,

the government has to be inclusive, meaning that all major ethnic groups should see themselves and the picture and the government to and the rights of all afghans after be respected. that means that the women are to discriminate against assistance of f canister will need internationally. parliament one. for each though, do you have left with the military leaving to ensure what you're saying, diplomatic gains that woman's rights insured. full recognition is a leverage. assistance is a leverage potential support for opponents as a leverage. i mean, i could go on and on. it would be a mistake by the dollars the think that with the military leverage gone, the military was also a leverage for them out of military. they had a target to head. but now we've taken that out of the picture too. so we have more freedom in some ways it would be a miscalculation of they thought that they can,

they can rule afghan as don b accept that received assistance that they will need have by imposing by military means their will or their government that they would want and to monopolize his political power in afghanistan and not the respect, there are the rights of all afghans and not to honor their commitment that the soil of afghan, a son would not be used against the united states. they say they want to welcome aspirations to have good relations with the united states. they say that aspirations are good relations with the neighbors that aspiration to be a normal country. they say they have lots of problems internally. country had been at war for a long time. or friends with those infrastructure, some of that financial assistance and legitimacy from other regional players where

if iran, china, russia, could come into the mix and say, don't worry about the united states in the waste. don't have to do what they want you to do some money and will be life. well, i will say 2 things about that. one is those with resources and with a record to provide assistance, are not the countries you have named regard to the dentist and the last 20 years. and some of them, their ability to provide is limit that given their own circumstances and some of them that record, even though they have the ability to be generous, is not dead. second, i don't think that's an issue in this case because there is really a consensus in the international community. you expect to tell a bond to be accounted terrorism partner against groups like iso. and you've quoted

in the past ronald reagan trust that verify how have you verify that they will be an honest council at harrison parlour. oh, we obviously our own sources and we monitor the situation closely. and this is obviously the most important issue for the united states analyzed with regard to afghan as well. and that's what doug b and i say that we started this interview with 911. and that took the us and us forces to go to afghanistan. and the dollar bon made commitments under the agreement and that our withdrawal was linked to the commitment on terrorism. and that we hold them accountable to that and we'll,

we'll be watching. and as i said, because of lack of trust, this point, that's why we're doing the kind of repositioning assets so that we are able to monitor and strike there will be some loss since we are not in afghanistan, but we're trying to compensate for that to be able to monitor and response and taliban to deliver. and trust is built based on delivery, then some of that ever will become unnecessary. but that this point is not enough confidence and trust. so as a result we are doing what we're doing. you spend a lot of time building relationships in central asia. as part of this monitoring, do you expect to have a regional basis and central anchor that will help you with the term that's been

used as an over the horizon capability? can you explain what that means? and what that looks like, well, as i said, we use a monitor, i've kind of some from afghanistan by being there. now we're not going to be there militarily. and how do we monitor half canis done? we do it from the neighborhood. and we do it from our global systems and in the neighborhood, we have relations with some countries and we're building relations in that domain with others. and we also want to be able to respond to take action if it's warranted. can i just confirms or over the over the horizon capabilities where you could strike inside afghanistan from another country that is purely reserved for if there is a threat to the us homeland or americans as opposed to if say the telephone decided

to move on cities and to prevent capitals and to cobble at that point you wouldn't strike yes, we are over arise in posture is to deal with the threat of terrorism emanating from afghanistan. have you discussed what the threshold is for you to take military action in the near future? i'm using the example of if you're embassy came on the threat in cobble, would you reengage militarily? well, that's a cause. same mrs. us territory. the better 3? well, i mean, we will defend the embassy. of course we, we, we have made, we have told the dollar that the embassy is anything else. so if they came in to cobble, well,

i don't want to get into that because scenarios and speculate. of course, you know, the president would have to make decisions and we always have a lot of options. but, and we're not not going to speculate, but no, our focus post withdrawal will be as it is now to, to encourage a political settlement. use that influence with others to encourage afghans to do that for the longer term until it becomes unnecessary with trust building and actions that have can stake to that, that is not there. a thread, we also are going to monitor and posture to, to defend ourselves, to, and deal with the threat. you have approximately 650 troops remaining in country at the moment. a couple of 100 of those currently,

a couple international airport. the conversation going on at the moment, the tween, your discussions with nato allies, turkey to secure the airport. now, the taliban have been quite forceful and that if turkish troops or your troops remain after september, that they will be open to attack. where are you out with that now? well, you know the embassy securities as critical. we have had terrible experiences with in been ghazi when our embassy was attacked, they are on we have the read, an embassy in pucks don, burned it, sir. very, very important. there are lots of terrorist or others who may not wish as well. so if the thought of say they would like in the united states and other stuff that

embassies stay, well, it would, if they mrs days, that embassy needs to be secure. that's the we have to be able to reliably count on security for the embassy and then some about appreciate that they're happy for them. well, they say they want they in busy, and that's what comes with that with regard to the airport. yes. embassies and, and they say they want the n g o they want the business people, they want the assistance to continue. wow. you can do what was being that there is no airport, they misses will not stay open. if there is no airport from us, can go and supplies and what have you. so that is a need for a reliable layer for secure also. and it is for the peer, yet it's not an indefinite situation. is for the parent of the war resolve,

there is a political settlement. the telephone has said that they want to tech the airport that they were, they weren't send any rockets, it say, sure. but it won't be safe if turkish or american troops stay to quote unquote protected. well, the question is, there are 2 for one. can we count on the dollar stating that they want? well then everybody that flies in their airlines find that enough and to tolerate or not the only element they don't, they are northern cobble. they're di, she is active and cobbled. we've seen lots of terrible attacks and cobble against she as our targets. they're trying to promote sectarian conflict against the

maternal hospital against the university who says they won't try to target the airport. the purpose is to instigate intensify problems, polarize the situation. so the tunnels can guarantee that they are not in a position to guarantee that. surely the s can guarantee that they have charity for its african government by itself could guarantee they will ask for help from truck . it's not so they are asking they are asking for turkey. it's based on the agreement between the government and, and will be in turkey. so, dollars, good, maybe say something about the district that they are in charge of, that it will be no problem here or there. but their call is very different says of circumstances. i mean we all of our wishlist and our

things ought to be. and there's expectations based on that understanding of the past, but an attack on the airport with the all obviously by them with severe consequences and my it's not by expectation that they will do that. okay, us special representative for africa reconciliation ambassadors. so my head, we all said, thank you for talking to sarah. well, it's great to talk with you. i news news, news, news. news. after one you delay the tokyo, when it picks up time,

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you knew your net back out here. ah, hello and barbara fair in london. these are the top stories on al jazeera, at least a 183 people are now confirmed, who have died in floods in parts of europe, with that number expected to rise as the water receives german chancellor. angular merkle says she's been shocked by the devastation left by flooding and parts of western germany, calling to destruction. surreal and terrifying, more heavy rain has hit parts of eastern germany, austria, and the czech republic is a scrape. it's terrifying.