>> next, a look at the future of syria and the middle east. the first cousin and opponent of syrian president bashar beach.d spoke at palm he is the founder for the group in syria and the imam foundation. this is 50 minutes. [no audio] [applause] >> thank you very much. they can for inviting me and i would like to thank them for this amazing opportunity of the to start with a warning, i have some positive things to say would like to thank them for

appreciate that he is not passionate in many parts of the word right now but you're president of the force in terms of his first term. for election that is entirely democratic, this is for my country and for the children who have yet to see their father's homeland. it was not so long ago -- people of different faiths lived together in an atmosphere of tolerant and harmony. we gird for those times to return to the democracy question dictatorship. and how we should celebrate a democratic elections.

however, to understand this is no longer simple, it has become the heart of extremism and the producing a proxy wars. even the press is beginning to understand. to truly understand what is happening there and what must be done to solve it, we'll take a high-level view and see the common nation of three levels of trouble. they are internal issues, those of the wider region and the cold war. what began on the streets of syria is part of the forgotten arab spring's with peace love and syrians calling for freedom in general western-style democracy became a haunting crown.

this is including iran, turkey and saudi arabia. this is russia, china and the west and they have added more situations in syria. as a result, the crisis crepe like a forest fire, sparks flying across borders and uniting across provinces, you have heard about harry reid who announced his resignation on a visit to saudi arabia. this prompted the u.s. secretary states award, this is in the middle is to stop using lebanon as a proxy battlefield. in the southeast of the region, you'll know about the horrific civil war in yemen. this is for the secretary and bloodshed. former president solid was -- she was looking to gain greater has many in the region. this is largely thanks to the huge areas of the middle east

that exist in a political vacuum to attract the disillusionment, train them quite openly and then send them off with instruction to kill. this is across the internet and fleming individuals to act in areas that are apparently safe and secure. these incidents in the west from brussels and paris to london and also here in the united states received the majority of courage but this is almost daily across the middle east and africa and it is causing mass casualty and every casualty is more division, animosity and dry wood on that fire of conflict. this is to get a global intervention. i have climate change but when it comes to the global phenomenon of islamist extremism, they're either going to help or divided on how best to do so.

while this indecision has rained, the crisis has been leading to the greatest humanitarian crisis of the modern age. i spoke about this for many years in vain but on our new -- renewed rav4 hope, this is the arrival of president trump. and in the previous administration here, it was the complete lack of understanding of the syrian conflict, secretaries of state public is supported what they describe as the moderate opposition to the regime, sadly that is what it meant, these days when the book is love and syrians were wearing the flies at the government and running for peaceful democratic kit -- change is long gone. this is a supposedly moderate opposition that is made up of groups fighting alongside which

is actually al qaeda's branch in syria. remember them? yes, they say that fact is stranger than fiction. they say that the west was sending money and equipment to be used by the group that was directly responsible for 9/11. the bbc found that taxpayers money in the u.k. has been diverted to extremists in syria. sending money and equipment to known in this room should be surprised, general petraeus openly said that the u.s. should support isis but the twin towers were brought down by al qaeda and not isis. fortunately, that bizarre support has ceased. your new administration is trying to speak about the need to not pick and choose the known in this room should be islamic troops to fight but to destroy all extremists who share the same perverted ideology and desire to bring death upon others. including the muslim brotherhood whose sinister modus operandi has been ignored for so long. the u.s. now has a simple strategy, to unite forces with

other global powers in the red fight against islamic state. trump's administration has also benefited from president obama's the structure to the pentagon in almost his final act of the white house to target readers of the syrian authority of al qaeda. i like so many of you which obama well and so i will give him the benefit of the doubt here and agree that late was better than never. although the middle east is a distant prospect, at least we have prioritized our enemy. as we look to bring security to the world, we don't stand three crucial the simple truths, number one, islamic extremism is not a local issue. it threatens every peaceful citizen from australia to austria and from new delhi to new york. there may be many brands of

islamism, with a single objective to establish a single caliphate under sharia law. to that end, they will commit atrocities not only in the region, as we have witnessed in russia and china, as well as europe and the united states. we have seen this again and again. there is no point in the global superpowers arguing about other issues when they share this existential threat. there may be characters in russia and beyond we find it hard to empathize with, but at least we can understand the are rational players with clear interests and room for compromise. radical islam is have no rational agenda -- radical islamists have no rational agenda. they have no diplomatic network, no measurable army to contain, and no interest in peace. focusing our defense against traditional enemies in this

environment is like sending message via carrier pigeon in the internet age. don't take my word for it. you the words of former u.k. chief of defense staff lord richards, "it is nonstate actors like isis that are the biggest threat to our security. it the lack of understanding and empathy with each other as big power players that is a risk to us all at the moment." yet there are many reasons to dislike russia in syria, including her plan to decide the outcome of the conflict by creating a number of opposition groups working solely in the interest of the regime and in moscow's. but i argue she would have had no need to do so had the west always approached islamism with its current sharp focus. the u.s. and russia tak -- russia taking a different stance groups working solely in the has allowed the flames to burn stronger in the finds of each other rather than working together to throw water.

that coordinated effort is finally happening, and the results on the ground have been swift and positive. the superpowers must prioritize and continue to work as one, but that is only our first issue. the second is to encourage a genuinely secular, democratic opposition movement in syria. and yet the middle east is in crisis. the superpowers of not just been disagreeing on the best way to deal with the problem. they have contributed and continued to clash elsewhere, with russia and china threatened by what they see as u.s. encirclement. in south korea, evidence further north looking increasingly north looking increasingly dangerous becomes strategically more significant. my theory is that the

extraordinary pace of north korean missi ascendancy could not have happened without support of another major power. a member of the russian military general staff referenced this. he said, "if one of the gladiators takes up his shield, it will give him a modest advantage. what would another gladiator to? naturally he also would pick up a shield, and a longer and stronger sword. this is what is happening now as a relic -- as a result of the u.s. missile deployment." 50% of the u.s. navy is now based in the north pacific. admiral john richardson, chief of naval operations, says that that coastline will no longer be respected. the aggression is, of course, not one-sided. japan joined in patrols and china responded as recently as november by sending a fleet of fighter jets and bombers close

to japan's okinawa island. russia is increasingly explicit in its support. russia was agreed -- was aggrieved, yet another step to rock international security and start a new arms race. no surprise that earlier this year, russert deployed -- russia deployed nuclear capabilities on the border, including three submarines, and their only aircraft character -- aircraft carrier. russia is also following the u.s. by increasing its presence across the world. just last month, the head of the russian upper house fence and security committee best defense and security committee suggested a natural response to u.s. aggression would be to reopen bases in cuba and vietnam.

they do not see syria as a separate event from the ukraine to the pacific. they cease to treat these issues differently. there is an increasing chance of being misinterpreted and of a potentially disastrous preemptive strike. it is no exaggeration to speak in terms of a new cornwall -- new cold war. quite the opposite. it is a fallacy to think -- until the recent collaboration over policy in syria, there were

moments, including direct threats of action against the syrian regime, when things became almost instantly hot. my second suggestion for a syrian democracy focuses on events elsewhere in the world, and this is the reality. we can all talk a good game, but there is no hope for anyone inside syria until the global powers start to work together. i asked any of you, if it is possible to develop strategy for syrian peace and harmony in one region when sabres are being rattled increasingly loudly in many other areas. i believe ever more strongly that the west should take a lead by the escalating tensions and talking to the russians and others about how to make progress. the third and final thing we must do is to understand why things are developing as they are in syria on the ground, not just from our perspective, but from that of the people inside the region who must understand

the vested interest of all global powers who wish to redraw the map of the middle east. each has sphere of influence is to consolidate, the people of the region must take possibility for determining their own future. let's turn the clock back to the end of the first iraq war, where maps were drawn back in countries divided into smaller states on ethnic, sectarian, and religious grounds along greater kurdistan. even though part of their own nations were divided, turkey and iran are both happy with this. they believed they could control the outcome, with iran becoming the leader of the shared -- of the shia and turkey the leader of the sunnis. it was a specific arrangement to get iran access to the mediterranean and turkey access southward to the gulf to form a

sort of new ottoman empire in sunni eastern syria and iraq. but it was never actually considered a partner by its western allies. just a tool to bring it about. they did not understand until recently that the new kurdistan not only be in iraq and has become apparent more recently in syria, but would also include the kurdish part of turkey, which would mean losing territory and having a hostile the kurdish part of turkey, which would mean losing territory and having a hostile neighbor. this is why we have begun to see the kurds as an existential stretch -- this is why they have begun to see the kurds as an existential threat they must fight beyond their borders. president erdogan may speak to president assad, as they are both fighting the same enemy. as he pursues outside his own borders and warned the iraqi prime minister that turkey had

arrived take the fight wherever they must, at the start of the syrian conflict, despite the shooting down of a russian jet following hard-hitting sanctions from russia, president erdogan demonstrated realpolitik in action. turkey was given permission to enter syrian territory to fight the kurds to keep the u.s. in check. they also signed a deal to meal -- to build a major gas pipeline under the boxee and -- under the black sea and helped erdogan avoid a coup just last year. a turkish chief prosecutor administered a warrant for attending to overthrow turkey's government. it has been lined up from a a turkish chief prosecutor version of the european union, president erdogan originally said that lined up for membership in the european union, and president erdogan -- lined up for membership in the european union, and president erdogan said this is not the end. the leader of the turkish

opposition in the people's opposition in the people's democratic party's has criticized turkey's dealing with the islamic state. israeli defense mentor -- minister is on the record saying that turkey has paid isis for oil. but why should we be surprised? president erdogan stems from the muslim brotherhood, which it continues to support. don't be full by erdogan turning on isis -- don't be fooled by erdogan turning on isis. he has said that democracy is a train we ride to reach our destination. he was jailed for saying the mosques are our barracks. hardly the words of an elected leader of the western world.

under his leadership, liberals have been peace acute it -- persecuted. many returned under the guise of refugees to spread back home. this been recognized from key players like obama, and explaining to the u.s. -- a british cabinet minister currently leading negotiations to leave the eu quoted the islamic brotherhood as seeing islam's peaceful conquest of the west taking place to the eu. two weeks ago in washington, lawmakers crafted a letter calling on rex tillerson to designate the muslim brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization. this comes on the back of a bill introduced by senator ted cruz proposing the very same.

president erdogan has of course objected. just last summer, he published information detailing the position of all u.s. military positions in northern syria in which has angered the u.s. and directly leading the pentagon to admit it has 1500 more troops on the ground than the 500 had previously declared. erdogan remains a danger to any potential peace. he cannot be trusted. but there are others within his regime who offer some optimism. they include the high minister who seems to act as a catalyst in bringing together the u.s., russia, turkey, and iran to bring to an end the bloodshed in syria. wherever you look, russia is involved.

she has benefited from the vacuum of clear strategy and prioritization of enemies. moscow has recognize and learn from her past mistakes. what were these? there is no rocket science involved in defining them. the first was supporting the wrong allies in syria. hillary clinton took 18 months to realize the so-called syrian national council did not represent the syrian people. but the turkish backed front for a muslim brotherhood. it is 18 months, it transformed into rivers of blood. lessons learned?

sadly not. the west transferred its s upport to add more islamic groups to please the saudis. it is now four years since eric holden confirmed that the army was led by an spreading the philosophy of al qaeda, and was chillingly accurate in his forecast that left in check, the spread of violence and terrorist activity in syria can result in a long and drawnout result in a long and drawnout conflict that extends from beirut to baghdad to yemen. this has happened -- mistake two, branding. if you wish to save the world and discover the magic solution is to be found in banning sugar drinks, you'll get very far if you only ban pepsi and have the rest continue that as they did

before, particularly if you fund some of their competitors. absurd, but that is what the west did for too long in syria when it was only fighting islamic state. meanwhile, other equally cancerous groups were allowed to operate as before, and in some cases were even given u.s. backing. we do now appear to be defeating the group called isis, but they are the effect, not the cause. extremism is rife. we cannot defeat it by targeting anyone group or brand. we must defeat the entire ideology. first on the ground, and then more significantly in the longer term, we must win the battle for the hearts and minds of the poor

, the disadvantaged, and afflicted. if we can't produce a positive alternative, the a laura linney islamism -- the a lower -- the allure of any islamism will be hard to contain. let's go back three years. that was when wikileaks revealed , and i quote hillary clinton, " donors in a saudi contributed the most significant sources of funding for terrorist groups worldwide." vice president biden explained that our allies in the region were our largest problem in syria. he explained they had started a proxy sunni war to bring down the syrian regime by funding and arming groups like the muslim brotherhood and the islamic state. the second in command of the

most powerful country in the world apologized for telling the truth, when in fact he and the in ministration should have been acting on it. qatar president of i directly -- was identified directly come up with its role in terrorism and insisting that qatar must choose most powerful country in the their friends or live with the consequences. saudi arabia poses a more complex problem. it has long poured millions of dollars into support for global terrorism. saudi intelligence has supported extremist groups from afghanistan to syria to egypt and mali. isis and saudi explains the regular news reported of stoning's and the headings -- and beheadings. this is positioned as opposing the syrian regime, but humanitarian aid to syria is being stopped, and it is not present that weapons are falling into the hands of terrorists. russia actually challenged that,

not least because the groups told them to carry on fighting. in 2014 the u.s. government invested $500,000 to create a invested $500,000 to create a new rebel force in syria, beneficiaries ended up fighting up alongside. $100 million per soldier, quite an apprenticeship program. imagine the impact of that money had been directed towards schools and hospitals in syria.

fast forward to 2017. worryingly, the bbc published a detail last week about how in the ruins, hundreds of isis fighters and the families were allowed to escape under the gaze of british led coalitions. this came only a month after the guardian newspaper reported something identical on the syrian border with lebanon, where the lebanese government and hezbollah allowed isis fighters to return to syria. there are pictures of them on posters in the likeness of a football team. president trump has had a clear

change in strategic direction. humana -- he may not indicate in a subtle way, but he gets to the point fast and he understands that choosing between islamist groups is akin to choosing -- saudi arabia has promised to tackle extremism in the country and abroad. this is a truly uplifting out comments of hers at times. much commend these visionary leaders -- we must commend these visionary leaders. in early september, king salman ordered the authority to could -- just a week ago in riyadh, the crown prince gathered defense ministers from across the region

to say that we will not allow terrorists to disturb our peaceful religion. just a few days ago, president mccrone -- french president macron -- from a personal perspective, this has made nature medicine proud. i have been asking for the u.s. and saudi to take this stance for many years, and to deal with i have been asking for the u.s. qatar. your president has done just that, calling the country out for supporting terror and applauding the sanctions of saudi. qatar is desperate in need for partners.

is meant preparations with iran. this creates protection in the short term from the saudi alliance. turkey deploy 5000 troops at its own military station in qatar. france is trying to get their sanctions lifted. rex tillerson has pointed out the logistical problems the blockade has caused. but trump and saudi must hold firm. the egyptian foreign minister has described qatari funding for islamist groups in war-torn libya, accusing qatar supporting

terrorist groups in libya by financing mercenaries and extremist groups, remaining a severe threat to international security. i appreciate that my focus has been on islamism. this is not a mistake. i truly believe this is where lurks the greatest danger to syria, the middle east, and the world. but does not make me a supporter of the regime, despite my surname. far from it. iraq and libya have demonstrated it may be easy for the west topple the regime, but it is much more difficult to control what happens afterward. we must plan a viable alternative that does not excite the current war between the polar opposites come but that what happens afterward. we must plan a viable alternative that does not excite the current war between the polar opposites come but that represents the silent majority of syrians i referred to earlier, the unique group of ethnicities who want -- which is why i found it the organization, because we must be democratic and we must be free, to commit to equality under the rule of law, which conveniently would pull in other islamist groups. there are genuine reasons for optimism. russia succeeded in the region by often pointing out hypocrisy in dealing with states and groups who support the thing we fear most. had i spoken to you a year ago, i would have also included saudi

by often pointing out hypocrisy arabia, who in does the muslim brotherhood leaders to take up arms and kill. but the recent events presents an alternative. the u.s. president is prepared to stand up to extremism, who has also been clear that extremists provide a great threat for global security. let us not but russia on too high a pedestal. they have no intentions of paying for the reconstruction of syria and it will not let the national unity government form unless they have a say in the formation of the opposition. this is our next challenge. the question of what next looms ever closer. once putin and trump have driven isis from the battlefield, there will be an opportunity to form a unity government. this is already become a game of

charades. the russians are pulling the strings. first they announced they would hold a so-called syrian conference at the end of november. this was intended to gather the regime, the proxy opposition groups, and those fetid by russia -- those vetted by russia. the real motivations were to pressure the syrian national coalition and the eu backers to accept the new deal of russia with agreement by the u.s., iran, and turkey. it would refuse to contribute financially to syrian reconstruction. simultaneously, russia and saudi gathered all opposition groups, excluding all elements of the excluding all elements of the qatari backed muslim brotherhood. the turks agreed as long as the kurds were not invited. the outcome was a proposed group

of 36, on the eight of whom represented the interests of the previous opposition come in the form of the syrian national coalition, and this newly formed the location is the one now sitting in geneva have a dialogue with the blessing of the eu. the eu now feels they have not been completely marginalized. two crucial actions are unrepresented -- the kurds and -- it most likely outcome right now is a coalition that includes the regime and its president assad, backed by iran and russia, and it has not been invited by the government. this would bring back northern syria under the control of the regime. as president trump has a short

of president everyone does assured -- assured president erdogan that they would not be armed. this is clearly wrong. the kurds should we be -- should be represented as equal citizens of syria. this is a wonderful opportunity to create a representative opposition the group as long as it is committed to the equality of all citizens under the rule of law. that must be our only goal it is -- if this goal is to end. my aim is to prove that there is inarguable substance behind them, that the west has been capable of many mistakes in the middle east that i had ghastly impacts on syria, but there is alternative. after years of making speeches to government think tanks and

democracy groups, i think that events are taking a turn for the better within a context of global aggression that needs to be tempered, at least until the biggest war of them all is won by the middle east and surround areas. coalition, and this newly formed the location is the one now we must believe that we can resolve the issues -- we must cease to believe that we can resolve the issues by deposing tyrants and hoping for the best. we are gathered within the greatest federal solution of them all, and your democracy has stood the test of time. whatever happens, we are

witnessing a new time in the middle east. unfortunately, they are doing it on sectarian, religious, and ethnic grounds. but they cannot blame the consequences on conspiracies and foreign interventions. they can only blame themselves. there has been no shortage of more stable, wealthier, bigger powers looking to use their involvement in syria to further their own interest. often in the mistaken belief that they will be left to carve out their own future influence. in fact, there is another tier of interest bigger, wealthier, more powerful -- more powerful looking out for their own interests. the u.s. and russia must ultimately answer to their own public back home. although i implore the u.s. to act in a certain way, i do not ask you to take responsibility for our future. it is time for the people of the middle east take response

ability for their own -- responsibility for their own future. thank you very much. >> who do you think is doing the bombing at your hospitals? >> the syrian regime has been responsible in large part to the there have also been some terrorist attacks isis, allied groups who have also done some similar terrorist attacks. it all depends.

war wherectarian groups are fighting on sectarian lines syria. >> thank you for your comprehensive discussion. out their own future influence. in fact, there is another tier of interest bigger, wealthier, in jerusalem?-- more powerfulww >> think of every press council had this question, mentioning israel. problems i mentioned, i need to mention israel. i think i have no issues. there have been -- they had the most stable years since what has been going on in the middle east

and arab spring. palestinians are the ones to decide if that is the best solution for them. i heard also there is an agreement with president trump through his son-in-law kushner and the saudi conference to question the solution. if you look at everything that is happening in the past month, you can see there is a kind of international agreement between, not so much europe -- i think the u.s. and russia have -- by having an agreement between the u.s., russia, saudi arabia, turkey to resolve regional issues. you saw the killing of the former president of yemen yesterday. i think it is the beginning of an understanding between iran and saudi arabia that yemen

should be resolved in exchange 's regime justssad a in power. >> negotiations should be between including united states and russia in the region. believe it would make it worse as opposed to better? >> that is due to the former administration. before the russians entered syria, -- the u.s. had a great chance to support the democratic groups in syria. i have sent many letters urging him to instead of doing this, i don't even know how many geneva's. there have been so many failing geneva. after so many years of conflict, theannot present

alternatives -- and the dictatorships, the one responsible for this whole problem and uprising against it and islamists extremists. can you imagine having lost everything and you want genuine democracy in syria and we are looking west as we haveand isla. here -- a lot of people will tell you arabs don't know anything about democracy. that is not true. certainue there is a percentage of syrian advanced extremist that wants syria law. they want syria to the democratic and we cannot offer them the choice between a dictatorship and theocracy. if you asked me today -- last time somebody asked me -- he wrote me an article saying once an opponent of your cousin the now pro-regime. i am not but if you leave me with no choice but to choose someone who will kill me anyway

and between the other who would let me live as long as i keep my mouth shut, i would certainly keep the one that let me live. as simple as that the people don't understand it. , you have toainst be against, no matter what. you have to join forces with isis, al qaeda, whoever. most syrian people do not accept that. >> why do you think this sunnis directed so much. grexit believe they are both guilty as they are both fighting for a stupid notion. if you thousand years ago, who should have been the caliphate 2017.cannot even -- i know you have a lot more

important things to discuss and that new is taking the place after jesus christ was gone. it is just silly. i think it is cultural. education,lack of and authoritarianism. all over the middle east. , uneducatedle people to follow religious leaders and those religious uneducated leaders wait for the people and brainwash them, teach them about this ideology that any normal person if you have lost everything in your life already would not adhere to. i always tell people lost everye -- a lot of people feel societal. fight and feel like

they need to commit suicide. people go to psychiatrists and they get some medicine. they get better. in the middle east, even going and seeing a psychiatrist is bad because if someone learns -- of you have a daughter in your family that wants to see a psychiatrist then no one will marry her. a family of crazy people. even alzheimer's and other diseases are seen in our culture. people started to hide if someone has all timers. he is ok but he has other issues. in the middle east, eventhis au, people have nowhere to go and complain to the government. if any to send their sick children to the hospital, they don't have the money to do that. at the end of the day, where they going to go? a mosque. you have those people, extremist people sitting there and telling

people -- you don't have to commit suicide, you have to help us out. die and kill a few infidels, you will go to heaven. you will have virgins and all of that. you have nothing to lose on earth, you try it. [laughter] >> do you think there is a realistic chance of>> do you tha realistic chance of getting iran out of syria, and if so how do we do it? >> oh, that's a very difficult one. i think today the only one that is able to get iran out of syria is the russians. it is still veryinfidels, you w. difficult because they have wanted for the past six years, drag the region into sectarian war. many in syria want to protection.

they were not able to find this protection with the united states come with france, with u.k. colonialism -- minorities were always protected by the british and the french. the only country that provided that where the iranians. before thebefore the russians we only people providing this support were those minorities or iranians. they will tell you, including many shia in lesbian on are not with hezbollah. who will protect us from extremists? you know difficult ? the majority of sunnis are of course -- they're peaceful, sunnis who have nothing to do with extremism. myself, i believe it is wrong

to even divide between was loans -- muslims -- divide between people, christians. i have a foundation to remote interfaith dialogue which is very important. i think it is silly that in this day and age we talked about christian and islam and judaism and buddhist -- who cares? we are all human beings. the first question i ask you is not where are you from, what religion are you, i don't care. i meet you because you are a human being, because i agree with you. i want to make friends. it does not matter the background. i think differences make us stronger when we unite. this is what this country, the strongest country in the world because it has all of those people uniting together, working together for prosperity and nonsectarian, and that is the

most important thing. that is what creates strength, not by creating more division. >> are there any people locally bring change can from within? it is all coming from the other side? >> the ones who had my views usually don't carry arms so it is very difficult for them to fight. the syrian regime made sure from the beginning to let the islamist groups target those people who are voting for democratic changes, to make them run out of syria because he wanted to put the international community in front of two choices -- it is either that or extremism. it looks like the islamic community has chosen the regime. -- howou are able to would you have envisioned syria

out of this quagmire? is there any realistic possibility? because very difficult, as i said, most people who are left inside are either the regime people who are holding the arms and the islamicists on the other. most people who have money or are educated, most people left and paid to leave. 5 million registered refugees. another 2 million to 3 million as well. there are 7 million internally displaced people in syria. the regime controlled area. when you make them compare where or under better, sharia law. it is very difficult it is still

a possibility. but it is not by doing what they are doing today. the russians think that they won. they won, so they are the ones were going to lead the outcome of the negotiation in syria. the russians, what they going to do, now that they have defeated russiant is a win for and for president trump because he has done in a short time with the previous administration has not done for years. sorry, we cannot say will leave the dialogue until we finish with extremism. now we have defeated them so what is the next step? the next episode bring the board.ion on sorry, there was a syrian national coalition which was internationally recognized by over 120 countries. this is the one that will have dialogue. today, russia has put pressure to say you know what, if you come, you come board.

without. if you don't, we will make a different platform and they will re-create the syrian government with the regime and the new opposition. you will be out, you will be left out. the europeans were very scared of that he does that would not happen.

>> all this week washington

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to you by your cable or satellite provider. >> sebastian gorka talked about the different topics of the russia. brexit and the future of the european union. from the heritage foundation this is 50 minutes. [applause] thank you very much for that introductory remarks and welcome to everyone here to the heritage foundation and i'm delighted to introduce this morning doctor sebastian gorka to deliver the first of the heritage foundation on the topic of defeating terrorism in the age of trump. he is a national security strategist with fox