at lee sale stadium, say plenty, it's look forward to you on day 5 of the tournament and our team will have it all covered right here on out of there. let's get around of now. the top stories on al jazeera russian mission strikes have targeted critical ukrainian infrastructure in areas as far west as levin. large part of the country were left without electricity, as russia hit ukraine's power. great fish will say at least 6 people were killed, strikes also affected neighboring, moldova, where half the nation was plunged into darkness before power was restored. ukrainian, president vladimir zalinski addressed the un security council saying the russian strikes are a crime against humanity, diesel, diesel. ordinarily they, in only one day today,

almost 70 rockets has our energy infrastructure. unfortunately, residential buildings will also hits uses hospitals, schools transport, residential areas. everything was affected when the temperature is below 0, outside and tens of millions of people are left without electricity, heat, and water as a result of russian miss authorizing energy facilities. this is an obvious crime against humanity. ok, so the ukranian president, they are telling the a un security to counsel the strikes or a crime against humanity. a 2 day old baby was killed in a rock, had strike on a hospital in the zap or asia region rescue. workers pulled the newborn's mother and a doctor from the rubble of the maternity ward in villainy asked. both of them survived . a teenage boys been killed in one of 2 explosions around the bus stops in west jerusalem. the bloss happened at the height of rochelle on wednesday morning

israeli police say the attacks were coordinated. the explosions are the 1st of their kind in years and took place less than a day after is really forces shot, a teenager in the occupied west bank. officials in turkey say they've hit nearly $500.00 kurdish targets in northern syria since sunday to he is president. richard type of wine is po parliament. he's more determined than ever to secure the southern border. african leaders have declared a whole tar still peace between government forces and m. 23 fighters in eastern democratic republic of congo. the agreement takes effect at 16 gmc on friday. its been a busy day at the fee for workup croatia, making a stuttering start their campaign in katara. they would help to a school drop by morocco. the spain made an impressive start to their campaign. now class in costa rica, the former champions scored an incredible 7 goals. 18 year old gabby became the

youngest, those for the men's well. halley, they finished spain, 7 costa rican niels in spain, a top of the group, off the one game. they played germany next. and finally, the big shock all the de germany losing to japan. germans took the lead early on, but to 2nd half goes from the samurai blue, get japan at $21.00. when those are the headlines inside stories next. ah, turkey says that it's more determined than ever to secure it's southern board up. the military has intensified as strikes on kurdish fighters in northern syria and iraq. so what's caused this latest escalation and who are the main players?

this is inside story. ah hello, welcome to the program. i'm adrian finnegan. tension as increased along turkey as border with northern syria. the turkish defense ministry says that its forces of hit really $500.00 targets in kurdish held areas since sunday. turkey is also reporting casualties among fighters from the s t f. the syrian democratic forces. the strikes follow a bombing in istanbul 10 days ago for which turkey blames the outlawed kurdish group. the p k. k. anchor a says that it's targeting bases in syria belonging to the y p g, a kurdish group with links to the p k. k. since 2016 turkish forces have conducted 3 ground operations. to clear y p g fighters from northern syria. now the president

is promising to conduct another offensive see how the lay of dullness over as though no opperation said plains. canons and drones are only the beginning from hattie to her curry. our determination to secure all of our southern border with the faith thunder. so as to remove the possibility of attacking now, countries lands is stronger today than ever before buckled his look at the areas of control. turkey is striking targets in the border area near manage, which is on the s t f. control the region in yellow free syrian army fighters control the areas in green from where they support turkish military offensives. turkish syrian forces also control of purple parts here and the government of basha, our site has control over most of the country in red, although ice will fighters are still present in the desert in the east, out as the rest of them. costello, as a report now formed

a turkish border with syria to care continue to target the syrian curtis fighter group in northern syria through a white scale air campaign that was started on sunday morning. the decision to target the group came after the officials accused the y p g of planning and carrying out they stumbled. bomba tag a one week before the white scale operation. a continued with shall links are from the turkeys side towards the y p g positions in northern syria and the y p g 's have been a shelling the turkeys side as well. the y p g n o a p k k. a officers say that they are not targeting to civilian areas, however, civilian areas in southeast, in turkey, cities and rebel how the regions in northern syria have been targeted, resulting in civilian that's turkish present. ridge of tape are done well to clear his country's borders with syria, from what he calls terrorism. meaning that he wants to get the armed kurdish

fighter group out of this region to create a safe corridor. it is not only because zonker doesn't want neighbors or of i'm groups in its southern border, but also anchor wants to pave the way for the millions of syrian refugees for their voluntary return back to their homes. sina castle al jazeera for inside story in killers. at turkish syria border crossing the s t f is in the alliance of local syrian opposition fighters founded by the u. s. in 2015. washington began arming them shortly before an offensive to recapture the northern city of rocca from iso, it's made up of largely kurdish faces from the white p jeep. the estie app also includes arab took gland at our 1000000 faces algebra concerns about you or support, especially out of the group launched operations in arab majority areas of northeastern syria. ah,

so let's bring in, i guess, for today's discussion from oxford in the u. k. we joined by a gallup ballet, a non resident senior fellow at the middle east council on global affairs here in doha. is mac rubes where a director of the gulf study center console university. and from washington d. c. were joined by lawrence call, the former us assistant secretary of defense of city, a fellow at the center for american progress. gentlemen, i will welcome to you all kelly. we'll start with you. what our turkey is intentions in northern syria. is it going to launch a ground attack? well, i think that chalk is intention is based on what president is. has been saying one thing about program use it. he did what he said that when he does, his intention is clearly to do and other military operations. first the airstrikes. but i think the intention is to undertake and other general patients as

well through the the, the goal for quite some times. but obviously the regional and international politics will define the nature and then the depth of any special oppressions because the us and russia are major players in the all those titles the border. so therefore, for any grant invasions, for any grant oppressions, for any grant or patients, the u. s. and the russian factors, when the teacher have it in, in the congregation. ok last year. i'm sorry if turkey work to get a ground offensive in northern syria, would it be legal on international law? as you know, this is a conflict and basically turkey has indicated many times that the it will not allow any kinds of that to stability regardless from what i think the issue here is not about international. accept or

not is about how country perceives what's happening. i think turkey is looking at what's happened in toxeme area and it's tom boyd 2 weeks ago as, as a crossing that line. and the basically the u. p g r y, p g, or responsible. and i think the try to send a clear message that, you know, this should not happen and will not allow this to happen. again, this happens as you know, in a, in a context where the whole issue of syria is being putting aside. because basically the most important players and here to talk about russia and, and, and ron, they have different shoes. they are busy and, and turkey does not want to be left alone with the crisis on their border. so that i think the turkish perception that the crisis is behind my as my backyard, and i cannot leave it without action florence cope. how does washington view what

president 3rd one says or is threatening to do? well basically we do not agree with president erewhon that all of the cards are terrorist, not everybody in the y p j as part of the p k, k, the y p j who were supporting to deal with isis. that's how we 1st got involved when the iraqis asked us to come back after isis all was through the government after we had with, with withdrawn our. we also want to protect the rebels who are fighting against the sod. so we do not want to see turkey have a ground invasion here. we want to keep our good relations because there are very, very productive weiss for us in dealing with poke no, with this horrible war and ukraine. kind of just does president good one care?

what is an i the us thinks well, i think, i mean, i mean the full check what the us is, but in the end the decision will be made. i'm obvious that there's a u. s. presence in j major prices probably in the nation on one and other mistakes or fresh and pe space but not forget to maintain. that created a major storm in the u. s. mason ship, but at the last they will probably make a decision based on its own consideration and based on its concern. so yes, what is the fact that what personal problem i will say, the fact that is more important, that the us back given the job graphic location for which the charge is planning to undertake an operation. so i would say that what russia also cares is a major factor, but i think that should take, you would be willing to have

a major presence in information with the us. is the price $42.00, a price will come to russia and iran, another actor in on the ground in syria in just a moment. and also israel, which has an interest in what's going on. but lawrence, i mean, you, you wanted to come in that on that particular answer about whether president one particularly cares about will be us, thinks about what's going on in his own backyard. no, i don't think he does because he has shown he can act independently of asi bought russian air to air defense missiles and even the war between azure bard as your buyer's yard armenia. he didn't care what we thought. no, i think he sees this was an extra special threat, particularly after the november 13th bombing last year of wary. and what about the timing ed lawrence mentioned, the bombing it is the is, is purely to do with the bombing in east amble. or is there more to this?

does president, early one has, will have one eye on his hopes for re election next year. is the president perhaps calculating that there's an opportunity here because his allies, his western allies, are distracted at moment by what's going on a new crane. it is the trigger at the trigger. i mean, if you look at, in a wider context, you see that and recent month center brewery, turkey is playing a major role in a major complex with what's happening in between russia and the crane. and actually turkey is becoming the main access point to russia to the west, and actually the main communicator between the west and, and, and i rush up. so i think a turkey is playing a major role now. and i think what happened and toxeme was triggering was it took up just to push for action for 4 months now. and the recent, i think,

18 months turkey was not happy of what happened. the nurse have see it not have celiac and turkey is planning actually took, took but send back a number of a to see that are produced to, to the. and they wanted to make sure that not enough that of syria is a stable as secure. and i think if these kinds of things will continue, i think it will be backfire on turkey. they will not be able to go on on that plan to return some of the syrians to their own on country. so in it, there are 2 things you have to consider when is the context was basically what's happened in when it comes to russia, crane and, and the role of turkey. and also to what happened inside inside 20 was related to returning students and the future the next year, and the election and turkey. and what's another place or the lawn is looking for a benefiting from all those opportunities and the direct them in a way that it the he has bill. he benefit from them that the okay can calipers and is it too cynical of me to, to,

to say the go present. another one has an eye on reelection next unit and it's, it's a predicted we had a tight race. of course, in an operational on the scale or on the board with, with syria would, would do him good, wouldn't it electrically? no pressure will certainly will strengthen the nation on these nation stealing in the country time when we're government in call with emissions action partners. so we've got yes that will that will serve popular lecture me. but i think if you look at the number of the previous operations, so i mean, a change of mind change. and so the mentor oppression took place, and there were both quite long function action as well true. but, but yes, i mean, the oppression of such when problem the problem or also electro need to go work in the coming election. so it's called, what are the implications for, for the nato alliance of this?

well basically we also are concerned about iran's role and here we still haven't been able to get the nuclear talks back on track or ran, announced that it's come close at a 2nd sight now to getting a, a nuclear weapon where concerned about russia was obviously what they're doing in ukraine, and basically we would like them to, you know, and this, and this har and this horrible horrible war where also concerned about stability in the, in the government, in iraq. i because of, if this thing he gets out of hand in northern syria and the isis was able to reconstitute itself because nobody's paying attention to them that would obviously on the line, the government, iraq. so all of these things are interrelated. you've got russia who got turkey,

who got syria, and don't forget, you still have the syrian civil war where russia is working with syria and iran to keep the sodden power. luxury of swearing after russia withdrew the bulk of its forces from syria. iran was the only pro, asked that country to have a significant military presence in, in syria. israel is concerned about that as lawrence was just telling us. and it has continued to, to carry out air raids in syria. what are the implications of this a potential turkish ground offensive in northern syria then for both iran and the israel it's obvious the more the more of these kinds of operation continue. it means basically there is no light, then the power it comes to the future of syria. basically country like syria is becoming fresh. i the state is become the really offense. tell the state actually

where, where many players are playing on the, on the, on the ground. and none of them is actually the government of syria. i mean, today a measure of iran was killed in damascus. and ronald cruising is right of that. and this is, and this is added to a number of those iranians were killed in the last 57 years and syria through the israelis. so actually there is, there is an ongoing, i would say confrontation or actually war between iran and israel in syria on the land of syria, basically. and that is a major, i'll say, a major conflict between both sides. i think is lately never dreamed dream of it because iran has been basically on the border with it. and that's, that's an issue happen actually because russia didn't offer israel and that with the green light, iranians without any kind of regret. so basically,

what's happening in now, it's complicating that it may complicate the relations between russia and iran and russia now in need for iran. then one side, the other side. it may improve the relation between russia and, and as well as been in and out, becoming as a prime minister or a but russia, the most pretty distracted with war in ukraine. much of if, if, if turkey did go into northern syria, i mean, how, how it russia react, would it, it would be very vocal about it very disapproving by me. this or in italy could do . absolutely. they have nothing actually to stop it. i think they are, i think they are a statement already done. they're not happy of this, but let's remember the point i have a great already. i shall wants to have a good ties with turkey, especially at the moment where turkey is securing a good communication line between russia and the west. especially when it comes to the issue of energy and the, the, the hope that this kind of line will keep, will,

will continue as long as this conflict was going on at this, the minimum of the communication that russia have with international community. can it how to syria and iran, and i suppose it iraq fit into to turkeys world view and it's view of its own backyard. do you see a situation in which there could be any sort of reset in relation to a reproach? what have you like between turkey and syria? what i think you, you actively important question what my you say at the brother regional level, when it comes to mission with the goals upset and used to every set and it's going to you and no normal edition to be the order of date. but when you come closer to home, meaning to get a policy or children's mission with sir. yeah, you're walk and and, and also towards the region cottage, job postings,

the skeletons or drugs, they just look at that one, the number of crisis, the geographic scope was present in terms of your run, your mission expanding from the south pole cousins all the way to see what the walking but more active from going from vision be concerned to join the wrong. so in your walk you have multiple chrysler playing. one of them is a cherokee p. j. k. dynamics. and other one is turkish. iranian competition. taken place in iran that has implications on the druggist abroad, the national voltage in europe, but also really spoke the same in syria. so you had that on the one hand, present on talking about normal vision with your region from this sort of potential even meeting with this and reduce that also to can large extent that is coming as a result of cooking, pushing a gold rush, pushing as well as well, but how we see the condition by an i'm in northern, northern syria. i think this contrast the image will be the joy to be for sometimes

. but i can the narrative. the new policy would be normalization and the condition with potential government one at the same time doubling on true goals. one of them is tried to send back folders to what we just kind of be in charge bacteria and checking on their money and, and, and push back as much as the current project in syria. the goal for school was he was telling us the us not too happy of respect to the turkish ground offensive in northern syria, not least because there are us forces operating on the ground. how would the u. s. pressure president ado on then? not to go ahead with his plans. would it be done through diplomatic channels or given the took his economy is, is still in a bit of a mess right now. i mean, you could introduce sanctions. do you think against turkey?

well, i think i could use everything that it has short of military force because it does not want the c turkish invasion of, of syria because that would create all kinds of, of problems. it could lead to a war between iran and syria. obviously, the israelis would get involved, the united states made a decision on that, the obama administration not to get involved in serious civil war. but if turkey does ahead and invades day, i'm going to be very hard for us to say out of it. and as you mentioned, we were to got american troops there, they're not getting involved in the civil war. they're still trying to deal with isis on the and the threats that to, to iraq. and as i mentioned before, we're hoping that turkey can play a constructive role and getting negotiations going over the ukranian not civil war . remember in july, even at the height of the ukranian war,

basically how russia in moscow had they had the charts in the syrians together to try and come up with some sort of solution what their position is, weaken because of what's happening in ukraine. and lawrence, i'm very brief on say, if you, if you would, as we said earlier, the s t f in alliance of local syrian opposition fighters founded by the u. s. does . does the us have any sympathy, a tool with turkey over the fact that it, but it's not happy with the s t f? does it understand it's beef? well, i think it does. it understands the problem, as my colleague pointed out with the syrian refugees. and that some parts of had the up, the, the out forces the y p g and that other p k, k, have done some terrible things with turkey. but by and large, the ones we're working with are not responsible for that. their main goal is to protect the courage in iraq, not to go into turkey and turkey lumps all of them together and the p k. k is not

the same as though the y p j. they have different goals, different tactics that they use, and different standards, much or wherever feeding. this is going to be that, but the, the last question he would about a minute and a half to it to answer here. one thing we haven't discussed, of course, is that these aren't empty tracts of land. we're talking about here with no one that is fights us. i mean, people live in this area. and if there's a military offensive going on, despite all of the other things that are happening in that particular part of the world, people once again are going to suffer and are going to be displaced, where they're going to go. who's going to look after the doesn't enter the human side of this and any conflict. my, my, my expectation that cookie text government is but it says that the to the image and the prisoner de la has government. i think what has been done so far is

a message that they are determined to do think i'm not sure they have interest to escalate to have any kind of operation which may affect that image. i think they want to show the turks, people that they are determined are decisive. they will not allow people to employ or affect or threaten their security. however, also they are, i think, what it will be, what it any kind of action will lead to a bad impact of that image. that makes me feeling, feel that any kind of nation it with me i target i to a may attack specific targets, try to avoid a mass impact and also keep it open. keeping open, i mean that there is no time limit for that. they may attack today, they make stop for one week and then target or the attack. so it will not be systematic in one time in one period. ok, check one, there we,

we have to enter the music next. and as we know, the news waits for no one. many thanks it for being with us. our guests galloped valet mushrooms, wary and launch cold. thank you. also for watching. don't forget, you can see the program again at any time. by visiting our website at al jazeera dot com for further discussion, join us at our facebook page. you'll find that at facebook dot com forward slash ha inside story. and of course, you can join the conversation on twitter or handle at ha, inside story. for me, adrian, for again on the scene here though are face to face with us. we'll see you again. ah ah. and

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