>> moscow relations begin new plunge as obama counsels a meeting with vladimir putin. the u.n. u.s. stressed this appointment the more potential bloodshed is now on the cards to japan's government vows to stop the leakage of the fukushima powerplant. the united states, the higher house, where the three women were held cap if andrade for a decade -- held captive and raped for a decade has been torn down.

the government says militant lands to take over key cities. just stay with us. >> part two of our special debate it is mohamed vi going to see retaliation? thank you for being with us. on the other side of their studio, the journalist. back to the other side, the author and journalist. thank you for being with us. joining us iphone from

casablanca is the former communication minister. in terms of what we have been talking about, the questioning of the people for the first time ever, a change of mind, a -- a change of decision by moroccan king for the first time ever. does this leave mohammed vi in a weak position now? >> first of all, i would like to read something in what has been said here. this is not the first time the people are questioning. maybe not in the same way, not in the same manner, not to the same channels, but moroccan society has always been questioning. at all times, this questioning was fought very often.pi think y attempts to push and to question

both the government and the system in general. >> is he weakened by all of this? >> i don't believe -- actually, it could be the starting point of a more solid and sound system because politics, as you know, is only a matter of negotiation and you cannot expect things to be staying as they are forever . i believe the king is aware of that and that is why he has introduced a number of reforms come including the constitution area reform. -- the constitution or form. and the -- the constitution reform. as a consequence, i believe that he is in a different position

and probably other reforms will come, including the reform of the system and the speeding of the reform of the judicial system. >> bear with me one second an. where showing pictures of the king and some of the victims of the charged pedophile. >> you have to look at how this all took place. you have the apartment in the demonstrations and very quickly afterwards the king reversed the part. this is a king. he is not a resident. this is a person who has very high power in morocco. he didn't have to move so fast. he could've said that this is my decision. it is a sort of thing that has been in the past. for whatever reason, he felt a kinship with what the people on the street were saying >>

perhaps that some -- were saying. >> perhaps that is what some of the people are saying on twitter, to go straight to the king, the truer. >> i think he should in solidarity with the people who were righteous in justice. and he quickly reversed it. in other words, the king admitted a mistake during that is not something that happens every day. >> let's talk about this pedophile. it is absolutely shocking when you consider what this man was convicted of doing. one of our team did a report on sex tourism and the moroccan justice system cited conviction of this very man how they were clamping down on people who are going to rocco -- to morocco to abuse children. it is absolutely disgraceful thing, isn't it? but i want to hear what you feel about this betrayal of morocco,

this image that morocco has where people go to to just that. -- to do that. >> i hope that what happened today can bring awareness about this in we really need strong justice and reforms about this thing. it is not about the king. it is not about the government. it is about something that all people agree. i don't think that it will stop tomorrow. at some things will be done about the children because it is really, really bad and this was a huge mistake during >> the king clearly has a point to say because he is the most powerful person. morocco has three issues. this is another us on and who we spoke of earlier. prostitution of both adults and

children come of healthcare, high unemployment, that is a social time bomb, isn't it? it's amazing that there hasn't been either some kind of uprising or some kind of issue coming forward before. >> morocco is in a state where they were the the -- they would prefer stability anyway over chaos. i think they king's heart is in the right face on the specific issue. -- right place on the specific issue. at the same time come i think he needed to stop the momentum of the protests. last week, people were furious at it took him for days -- it took him four days to react. the story broke on tuesday and he removed his pardon on sunday. people were furious. i think the street had something

to do with him revoking this pardon. >> and the social internet also. what is important to know is that it is not the first time they pedophile was released. i'm sure there are other cases that >> this is an historic issue, isn't it? i recall reading a book that was the first to be fiction. chris but it is true that it is very easy. >> dallas and -- >> but it is true that it is very easy. >> but that was back in 1900. >> because they are foreigners, they are perceived with a certain grace and people are to treat them with hospitality. and because they bring money and they often pray on the lower elements of the society, they are able to get in the good graces of those people and gain a certain amount of trust.

i know that morocco is not the only country that that happens in, but it certainly is highlighted here because i think probably because morocco strung to do something about it. and a lot of countries i've been to, there is a low sexual tourism, but the country turns a blind eye. lsd years, there have been quite a few pedophiles arrested and put on why you should have to say are show trials. >> we can find men and women find that trade in paris, anywhere. >> the vatican. >> but with children, that is an absolute path -- vastly horrible thing. chris i am from marrakesh. the report on first with four was really -- >> i am from marrakesh. the report on first 24 was really accurate. you can get an eight or a nine- year-old or a woman or a girl.

>> that is really shocking. >> and i don't know what the authorities are doing. you see this all the time did and we don't even know where the borderline is because sometimes you see 14-year-old her 15-year- old teenagers with old european men in restaurants. it is something that you see everywhere. and i don't know if the authorities are doing about it. sure, there were a few tries, but what about the others? >> yes, marrakesh is a place that needs cleaning up. hopefully, all of morocco would be cleaned up from this plague. >> sony, please go. >> i think that beyond the sexual tourism, pedophilia and morocco -- in morocco, it happens frequently. a man come a little boy walking into his shop, he likes young men and stuff t.

it is authorized somehow. >> it makes my stomach turn, the full thought about it. let's bring in the communication minister. thank you for bearing with us. i hope you have been able to listen to what has been said here. i want to ask you for your opinion about this issue of sex tourism in morocco, the exploitation of children in particular, which is very fervent. pre-k's if the king is powerful and the king has absolute control, then isn't the king to blame? >> first of all, you cannot say that the king has absolute control. no man has absolute control. >> shouldn't he have acted? >> one man cannot do everything.

i'm not saying he has no responsibility. this said, it is clear that -- you cannot consider -- look at the world, what is happening here and there. a lot of things that happen, there are responsibilities that are pointed and there are people who are responsible for a mistake or a humiliation for that. you cannot expect every time that there is something going wrong to say that it is the head of states responsible. -- the head of state's responsible. >> we heard from people here, our morocco and guests, the king is supposed to protect the people. >> in deed, he does listen. look at what he has been doing. he took over 14 years ago.

he has been caring about the youngsters and the people. of coarse, nobody can be without mistakes. but it is the fact of not recognizing their and not taking the most to correct what needs to be corrected that could make a difference. let me say something trust actually. -- something contextually. in a society where you have tourists coming, people from all over the world come and have the type of society and have not to have -- and expect to have problems. the role of the state is indeed to make sure that those people who come to morocco for these types of activities be controlled and ousted. but this is something that is in avoidable if you have an open [indiscernible]

there had been some situations where the reaction had not been strong enough for many reasons were not a probe it. and i believe -- or not appropriate. and i believe this has happened over the -- >> so there is some good coming of this. we get the message. one second. we will get some reaction to what he was saying before we bring in others. we have one more reaction by twitter. once the king was aware of his mistake, he took action immediately and identify to the responsible. >> i think it is correct, but we have to be careful with this because there is a tendency to be really indulgent with the power in morocco and especially big king.

ok, he is doing what he can. ok, he is rectifying his mistakes can >> i can't imagine that in britain or other places. >> but i don't think it is enough. he expects more. also, like many reforms in the constitution and even -- never followed up. you make a reform but there is no follow-up >> you expect people to be be caught and be held accountable and be sentenced? >> yes. >> there is no doubt that reversing this pardon is very beneficial in the fight against ophelia. there -- against pedophilia. >> let's take a brief pause to

get more aspects in the debate. >> and a lot of people come around 2000 people had gathered your >. >> this is interesting. >> these were messages sent in from social media from around the world supporting the overturning of a parting -- of the pardon and criticizing. >> a little guy in new york. >> very powerful that little guy holding up the banner.

>> there were photos sent in from mexico, from india, from all corners of the world. indeed, one hashtag that means gentile office. it is essentially what the king was sort of saying. i didn't know. i didn't sign this knowing the contents. dexia supposed to be in charge. this is the thing. >> that is the whole issue. >> you know, we know, you know he doesn't know. clearly, that does not seem to be an acceptable excuse. so there is a photo of the king meeting with the families of the

king. clearly, not just overturning the pardon, but also going to meet the the families of victims and trying to repair the damage and a clear understanding of the risks involved that this was a real mobilization against the monarchy. politicians have also been speaking out in morocco. one is the secretary-general of the -- >> i'm checking your pronunciation. >> she more or less said that the main a royal pardon process, that mafias are at work and for various occasions in the royal palace, gangsters and many can exchange hands coul. she also said that the king is an apology to the moroccan people. he has to take some responsibility. quick something that is something that i do was talking about earlier -- that i got --

>> i think that is something that ida was talking about earlier. >> a french pedophile was also pardoned back in 2006. he did not really get that much attention. wikileaks talked about it subsequently. what has changed about all of these people demonstrating for the first time, in that article, the talk about the role of new media and state television is quite controlled by the powers that be and the people he came out in the streets were being informed by new media, by social media. >> stimulating as ever, james. thank you for sharing what you found online about the story. thus come back to the main studio. i have another guest who has joined us who is battling his way through traffic to the capital city to a studio there. and i do for taking the time to

be with us. we have been talking about whether the king has been weekend and the topic of sex tourism in morocco. do you feel his position now is very much weaker than it was before the scandal? >> the thing is weakened now because, yes, there was a mistake to my yes, the responsibility is shared between different stakeholders, but they cain was very reactive -- but the king was very reactive. we saw three communiqué from the royal cabinet, which is something very rare and we saw the king receiving the families of the victims. i think the messages well received from all parties, including the king himself. now i think the most important thing is to take the learnings of what has happened. yes, there should be a review of the judiciary system. yes, there should be a review of

this -- i mean, how these decisions are being taken. but the king is always loved by the people. we see it in the streets. we see it in the roads. some people are trying to serve on this issue, on this daniel gates, as you have mentioned, to make of it a way to solve issues with some people in the royal surroundings, namely some of the king's councils. if we see from where these messages are coming, they are specifically from -- they are coming from specific media cycles. his is not the right way to make things move forward. as i said earlier, the message was well received. the people continue believing in their king and we have, in the next days -- >> you're saying that the people

believe in their king. >> i heard it too many times tonight. he did not react swiftly. he reacted five days or. -- five days after the -- five . the media did not talk about it until the first release. >> it sounds like playing the ostrich, having their heads in the sand. you can react to that gave what i want -- to that. what i wanted to ask you was you say the people have faith in the king. is the king and the government and the authorities doing enough to protect moroccan children? first of all, the king or the ro react for

a five or six days later. they reacted 48 hours later the issue is raised in the media on a wednesday. >> people are disagreeing with what you're saying here. i'm just letting you know. >> i can't watch you. sorry. regarding your question related to if the rock and government is protecting our children, i say that there is a lot of work to be done -- if the rock in government is protecting our children, -- if the moroccan government is protecting our children, i say that there is a lot of work to be done. this is a reality that we should face and this is something that we should all, whether it is government or civil society, work to remove it. we can have tourism, cultural twos hi tourism.

we have nice things to see without having this kind of sexual tourism. for sure, we are not the same as what is happening in some asian countries or south asian countries. that is the good thing about it. but we don't want to lower into this. >> we cannot comment on those countries, sir, because they cannot reply. i will have to stop you there. >> i would like to perhaps add some perspective to te way we are at talking about morocco and the king of morocco. especially you and i are sitting here as foreigners and placing a judgment on morocco. i think it is fair that we look at ourselves in america. i'm american. every time there is a presidential pardon, there is controversy. there is a criminal that is released -- that has never been,

to my knowledge, a pedophile released. let's say for arguments sake that it pedophile were released by obama when he leaves. i wouldn't expect an apology. i would expect a reversal or an admission of an -- or an admission of a mistake. and i would expect something be done in america to make sure that nothing happens again. morocco has to apologize for something -- rockets have the right to say that, -- moroccans have the right to say that. but i don't see how i or anyone on the outside would. >> what is interesting about morocco is that, looking at this divine status where everybody loves the king, why is the debate about loving the kang or not loving the king? a mistake has been done and the

question is about protecting the kids. >> i want to answer the previous question. i don't think that it has weakened the king. i think it has threatened him because of the reaction. he did the right thing. he just reversed a decision. he received the families. he didn't really leave them kiss his hand as usual. i don't know if you notice this. so it was good behavior, goodwill. so i don't think, for now, people will be angry against the king. >> why did it take five days for a reaction? was morocco ok with pedophilia for five days? that was the reaction by one of our viewers by twitter. we need to leave it there.

we hope that gives you something to think about. thank you for watching. thanks to all of our guests. thank you for watching.

hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's now 8 clock a.m. on thursday august 8th. i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. the operator of the fukushima nuclear power plant is about to make another attempt to try to get leaking ground water at the crippled facility under control. officials with tokyo electric power company say they'll start pumping out contaminated groundwater onda