this is g.w. news live from berlin tonight a major fizzer in nato and the french president warns europe that the military alliance is brain dead but germany's chancellor and nato secretary general they are rejecting president back home plenty of that europe can no longer rely on the u.s. its nato there is unity however that freedom does not come for free will explain that also coming up tonight for dignitaries gathered here in germany as the nation prepares to celebrate 30 years since the fall of the berlin wall among them u.s.

secretary of state might. met american troops in southern germany where he once served as a young army officer in the cold war. and again iraqi they're hoping for a revolution but it's not going to be peaceful protesters tear down blockades and push towards government ministries security forces responded and demonstrators flee but they'll be back. i'm off it's good to have you with us tonight germany's chancellor angela merkel is stressing her commitment to nato rejecting criticism of the alliance that came today from french president emanuel. in an interview published in the. mr newspaper

president says that nato is undergoing what he calls a brain death adding that europe must start acting as a strategic world power at a joint news conference in berlin chancellor merkel and nato secretary general you . declared that the alliance is not dying despite widespread dismay at the recent actions of the united states and turkey in northern syria mr begg went on to reject the notion that the us is turning its back on its european allies but says that more german financial support is needed. the french president shows some drastic manner and seek and i don't see anyone actually when it comes to cooperation in nato such statements are not necessary even if we do have a problem. even if we do disagreement from the german perspective nato is very much

in our interest it's our security alliance it been personally i have said many times here in europe people should take more responsibility for our own fate but the transatlantic partnership is vital for us that soft is one of the ones nato is strong. united states north america and europe we do want to get that done get done for decades we have implemented the strongest reinforcement so collect of the fund since the end of the cold war. european allies are stepping up increasing the richness of the forces investing more in defense of the united states is increasing their presence in europe with more troops more exercises and more investment. in infrastructure. joining me now at the big table is our political correspondent simon young i mean the comments from the french president ok they caught a lot of people off guard but we can't say that they are completely surprising what

do you make of the reactions that we're seeing in particular from the german chancellor well i mean to say is that nato is brain dead is a pretty strong phrase and angle americal and other senior politicians of reacted very negatively against that saying you know no toll nato is absolutely the bedrock of our alliance and that's a message that jim is always keen to send down and not least this week in celebrating the anniversary of the reification of germany which which we saw in germany the reunited germany sort of embedded in the nato western alliance so it's all key for germany and they don't want to talk about splits on the other hand of course there's a grain of truth in it look at turkey syria and the situation going on there and there's a lack of coordination clearly between the united states and the other nato allies and that's a very dangerous and worrying situation what micro said in this interview it does

take things there to a different level than what the german chancellor has said she has said last year that europe and germany can no longer rely on everything that it has from the united states as before but what he's saying is you can't you can't rely on them because they won't keep their word that the big difference there well i think is also pointing particularly to operational problems in saying that you know this is now leading to. military chiefs decision makers plan as i suppose not being entirely clear not perhaps being entirely on the same page and so this is a i think available pretty o.p.'s criticism of the sort of trumping way of doing things that you know one day. point in one direction the next day you point in another one and i think he's saying you know this is creating a real serious difficulty of course again the german reflex is to say well that

there may be problems of that kind certainly of course within nato there's this ongoing tension about who pays for european the brants and the europeans have got the message you know they've got to do more we've got the german defense minister again coming out today actually putting a concrete date when germany's going to spend that 2 percent of g.d.p. on its defense and it is the eve of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall what role is germany playing in the world now are we talking about a confident germany that is stepping up to the plate more than ever before well i think inevitably you know we've seen germany using its you know it's long been understood germany is a sort of economic giant but a small person politically speaking now we see gemini trying to use its diplomatic weight leading initiatives on climate change or other things trying to use its influence within the e.u.

and the un to get things moving and you know the military area is an area where it's more difficult for germany because of history there is a strong strain of pacifism of course in germany still in a reluctance to get involved germany of course does have $3000.00 troops in various military operations around the world so you know we're seeing a more confident will present more project gemini and who's projecting the simon to be there's a lot of controversy within the country that you've got the defense minister. pushing some people say it should be the german chancellor who's pushing that i mean whose message should we be listening to i think that's very good question right now because of course we're coming towards the end of angela merkel's. she's no longer head of her own party the christian democrats the woman who is the defense minister and a great crime current value is running that policy and she is pushing ahead with

these big initiatives talking about setting up a national security council getting decision making on defense maxes more quickly through the paula meant having troops stationed in asia all sorts of plans that she says she knows of controversial and the charts as she has been wont to do over the years he's watching and waiting seeing what happened seeing what other people make of that of course that's something that people have criticized medical for for many times as she is known for doing exactly what you're saying there so i mean young as always and thank you well another crucial actor in the history and the future of germany is as we said the united states u.s. secretary of state why pompei oh he is here in berlin to mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall he and his german counterpart moss did some reminiscing today to try and improve current relations between the 2 countries. it was a visit that touched him on a very pass no 11 he was secretary of state my pump you accused the 1st day of

a stay in germany to return to his home and then to terry base he was stationed here as a soldier in the eighty's one of his key banc been patrolling the full mobile on separating east and west germany to get the german foreign minister. this was also no occasion to east the recent tensions and us german relations. it was a bit of a walk down memory lane for me they're very. very strong but you could say. you could say i saw a piece of history that i was a tiny little part of that back in the late 1980 s. i think it's indicative of the credible poured relationship between our 2 countries german foreign minister expressed gratitude for american support of the german variant a fixation process because we are committed to you with great sudden terror and gratitude we owe our freedom to you as well as our unity.

should annoy. on friday my phone peel meets with german chancellor angela merkel and brendon to discuss current issues in foreign policy. well as part of the w.'s a special coverage of this anniversary we're looking at what for many east germans was their 1st time shopping in the capitalist west on the 9th of november mind to get a knowing the night that the wall came down east germans crossed the border by the thousands and many headed straight to west berlin's most famous shopping boulevard known as the 1st in don it's a street that was a showcase of consumerism in the divided city today w. is returning to that famous street and looking at what it meant for many germans from the communist east to see it for the 1st time i think. one of the top destinations for east berliners exploring west berlin was the luxury car

a department store which was famous throughout the country even before the war caught evade was ready for the rush many east german shoppers stayed up all night for the opening. first and foremost we decided that all our guests should get a free cup of coffee here so they can warm up 1st. the grocery department was overflowing with exotic products and new experience for many. if. accompanied my eyes i don't know what i should buy 1st or what i should eat 1st i thought some muscle simply proud these are new to me. these were nervy days the east germans had to head back across the berlin wall by 8 o'clock in the evening no one knew if they would be allowed out again. and here are some of the other stories now that are making headlines around the world turkey's president richard. whiskeys

me a high german court. let's find out which story we're going to air i'm going to wait for my producer to tell me where we're going. a high german court has ruled that a german woman living with her 3 children in the whole camp in syria must be allowed back into germany despite having joined so-called islamic state authorities had arranged to accept the children but not their mother citing safety concerns turkey's president. reiterated his morning that he will let refugees travel to the european union if he does not get more e.u. support to accommodate them over 3000000 syrian refugees are living in turkey. iran has resumed uranium enrichment at an underground nuclear plant a further significant breach of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers it follows the united states' unilateral withdrawal from the agreement and its reimposition of

sanctions against tehran. discover football is a network that attempts to empower women through the forceful tools of the world's most popular sport football or soccer today the network kick started its latest project right here in berlin aimed at women in the middle east and north africa. to feel is supporting discover football in their quest to promote gender equality in her native lebannon. she is a pioneer of women's football and former captain of the lebanese women's national team is rose head coach of various national youth teams in lebanon so she knows what she's talking about and she's joining me now here and it's good to have you on the show your smiling you've got reasons to be happy today don't you should why i'm talking about i need to be had exactly what one of the key ideas behind this

project. first of all i would like to thank you for. being here with you. this project. starting this today as i am here in berlin to or to need to cover football members in order to to discuss about the points for the project that will be held and the ban on next year enjoying 202020 there's a lot going on in your country right now the world has its eyes on lebanon why do you think that football is the right way in the right vehicle if you will to improve gender inequality as you know football is the most important thing and what is the fair play so you talk about 1st place where you discuss many things up regarding the points that are going on in lebanon specially and evaluation as you

see you know and new always the political sides saw we are working now on sports for development on 3rd play and specially gender equality so when you talk about gender equality that means that men and men and women are the same level so you say that but talk to me about what it's like in the world of sports me what are the main problems that women footballers face in lebannon. first of all the. second that women's football do not have. it is that as men especially and that the sellers for football players men and women are like so down 3 but that's an international problem too right yes yes yes but specially in lebanon that they are not accepting we have some some sit is that sometimes it is that do not accept women that to play football specially that it isn't that and you know some

not allowed. to play football when she is like above 14 what do you say. to when you have a girl who wants to play football and her parents are standing there with you and her father says no it's my daughter she can't play what do you say to the father like i face the straw blim in my school at the national events and he can list for girls and boys in south. that i have a good start to the playing football since she was 7 years old and now she is she's 9 and 8 and her father is not accepting her to play football because she's a girl and she's playing with the boys so i'm trying my best because she she took me as a role model i'm sure she's like. she needs to play football she loves to play so what and she is trying to force that to allow her to play for the father then if he is allowing her to do that the father is trusting you yes that's a huge responsibility that you have got on your shoulders yeah and you're fine with

that it's does it does it sure scare you select i like i like when parents trust me is just where is their daughters with it with whom yeah so and specially when you know you when you tell them that i was in the same place where you are is now and like keep the play football and keep enjoy the game that she wants to play you know we saw. earlier this year we saw the u.s. women's soccer team at the world cup you know we heard time and time again that the women are paid the same as men and as you said we also heard though that women may actually be better players than the men what do you say about that i'm putting you on the spot 100 percent right really annoyed because nowadays in every way like sports statistics everything women is the same as men so funny woman is more smart than men for me ok ok so what

is starts from mind from smugness then physically so that because that's what you're talking about football you're not talking about here at the newsdesk. about it about i did stated ok. maybe it's been wonderful talking with you and you're doing thank you you're doing really important things and you do it with a smile which you know i think will definitely help you on and off the pitch thank you so much thanks for joining us and good to meet you. all right i want to turn now to iraq where protests against the government are continuing in the so-called battle of the bridges over control of crucial parts of baghdad there is still everything to fight for and in other parts of the country protests are blocking ports stopping exports of oil and imports of food. for iraq's protest is this will too is a symbol of a country divided it's

a time to stop them getting too close to government ministries they strive emphasize tear it down. the get the book while the pictures might look similar this is not europe in 1909 it's rather the start of another deadly clash in baghdad. with protesters again running for their lives and security forces apparently once more firing live rounds into the crowds evident known we are not afraid of your bombs or sound grenades or your smoke bombs we want to get rid of the government because we the young people of iraq are dying because we have missed out on our youths of margins of it. it has been dubbed baghdad's battle of the bridges because bugs sod's a struggling for control of the crossings of the tigris river approaches says one to reach the green zone on the other side while security forces want to stop them

from getting there and. the now there's a strategic style made on the straits but it's one that's paralyzing the city and increasing pressure on the authorities. to the much the better your politicians have destroyed the country for years have taken what's ours get out we don't want you paralysis to outside the capital protests is resuming a blockade of one of the country's main ports from here food imports into the country and oil laves that. political crisis that's already heating the economy threatening any remaining stability this country still has. and returning to our top story tonight germany's chancellor angela merkel has stressed her commitment to nato today she rejected harsh criticism of the military alliance that came from french president emanuel. speaking at a joint. news conference in berlin today medical and nato secretary general yes

don't bag so that the alliance is not dying despite widespread dismay at recent u.s. actions stoltenberg said that the u.s. is not abandoning nato but that more german money is needed and he put it this way nato freedom does not come for free. or the words of the french president they certainly are jolting but not necessarily surprising to talk about that i'm joined now by mr carsten votes he is a former member of the german parliament for the social democrats he served 2 german chancellor gerhard schroeder and until america as coordinator of german north american relations mr vote it's good to have you on the program so we've got mr macro in the french president saying that europe should not or cannot rely on the u.s. to defend its nato allies do you agree i think it's i don't agree but the american commitment has been less clear and many inside need to observing

that the americans. use the kurds in the halls and syria to get the isis. that. lets them know it's what they just used and therefore the credibility of a vote which is not the result of weaponry the credibility has gone and therefore i think it's quite understandable for many reasons. that many in europe are not also in for eternity to nato but that they are saying we have to spend more on defense especially in the future of the european defense because we cannot rely on that the united states with help us when we have necessary mission to north africa and other parts of europe when you say the credibility of the u.s. is not what it used to be aren't you also saying that the transatlantic times that

have been build up over the past 70 years that they they are weaker or maybe they're weakening no i wouldn't say they make a distinction it's a transcendental it's business. thousands of contacts doesn't the relationship is as strong as in the past sometimes even stronger but what you have problems is that for the 1st time since many decades you have a u.s. administration which is definitely the suing a policy of a narrow 1st you would of american national interest and if it were to suing its policy in such a narrow way it must lead to conflicts with its role inside the mighty bitter alliance and this is what we are seeing and what is happening. when i hear you say that and then i think that today is the eve of the 30th anniversary of the berlin

wall the optimism that the world experience and witnessed november 1909 what happened. i'm still optimistic and so far as you should never forget that those countries not enemies g.d.r. but those countries in eastern europe which at that time vested member of the valse a pact and vested dominated by the soviet union they are now free countries and most of them are members of the european union of nato and so far the success story of $89.00 is. part of the relative of europe today but what has changed we have a more critical relationship with russia today we have an unpredictable u.s. administration unpredictable in many directions and we have a new conflicts in part of the vote like an ethic middle east which we couldn't

predict at that time. i spoke today with a group of us journalists who were here visiting for the 30th anniversary they covered the fall of the wall 30 years ago and what struck me is they they seem very very disenchanted by what has happened in the united states in washington with politics and i heard time and time again the question. what's germany do is there something that germany is doing that we could follow do you see germany now emerging as a bigger leader on the global stage now that some time is past 30 years as the fall of the wall. i would not say as a global leader as a regional be that the thing that is so but this is one big difference between the united states in germany. generally because of its limited size and because of its history and geographic position it can only lead in the mind to let or contact so

many people asking for germination tubes but inside nato inside the you inside broader framework of like minded countries so far as mighty letter is a must and therefore if an american president is skeptical about multilateralism he is touching one of the core elements of our understanding of a successful foreign policy and i think that germans have also a need to pay more for its old is also clear so you're for that germany paying more for the hand of say law. in our old show it's for example may just to propose the baggage that we have to do with them since the others are making propose in the field of defense so our all is really out of order to also lead to higher spending in certain areas but the spending alone is not enough if we do not explain this necessity to the german people cost and vote we unfortunately we're out of time but

we certainly appreciate you coming in sharing your thoughts with us on this 30th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall thank you very much as you very much. you're watching the w. news all be back at the top of the hour with more world news followed by a big day of do you see here that. comes.

to the point of strong opinions from some clear positions international perspectives it's 30 years since the fall of the bowling balls germany is celebrating but the movement against changed with dismay many in eastern germany say they've been left behind and feel like 2nd class citizens so what's going wrong find out gone to the point i'm sure she's. next on d w. their

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design as a way of shaping start. out small 3 part documentary starts november 14th on t.w. . germany's this week celebrating the full of the bowling wolves 30 years ago but the policy mood changed with dismay many in eastern germany say they've been left behind and feel like 2nd class citizens well when the wall came down on the 9th of november 1989 the euphoria was boundless and fun scene with the word if the our name kred to pull people kept saying to each other a miracle it seemed to come to pass in the wool which it appeared so in movable was pianist but that was then and now he's now.