overseeing the official august thirty first end of the american combat mission in iraq operation iraqi freedom is now over and all combat troops have left the country washington says this means the end of the seven year long war that killed over four thousand u.s. troops however around fifty thousand american service personnel will stay to train and support iraqi forces they will be able to take part in combat but only if the iraqis asked them to do so but analysts say baghdad does not control the country which remains split and plagued by insurgent violence last week dozens of iraqis died in a wave of terror attacks british m.p. and critic of the war paul flynn says operation iraqi freedom has barely lived up to its name and has cost the u.s. dearly. its border a government that is corrupt to the iraqis and so very fragile freedom because there's still huge divisions between the sunni's the shiites held on by al qaeda

but if it's a freedom it's it bored out a huge cost it cost seven hundred fifty billion dollars for the americans it's their last fall a half thousand of their soldiers at least two hundred thousand iraqis are being killed three million iraqis are exiled from their homes it's an advantage to the iraqis but border at a huge cost most of them wanted to get rid of saddam hussein but they've had seven bloody terrible years and into the cost to the reputation of the united states as a peace making nation. three russian pilots abducted in sudan by rebels have now been freed and they're currently in darfur the largest town of niala pilots were kidnapped two days ago by armed rebels in the volatile region last sunday the russians who provided transport for peacekeepers were employees of a sudanese airline which they said they were released with. the incident is the

latest in a wave of kidnappings targeting foreigners in the country an american aid worker was freed on monday after being held for more than one hundred days. coming up for you a little bit later in the program here on r.t. people in the u.s. state of louisiana that their guns confiscated off the hurricane katrina and now firing back. in eastern india crop failure due to a severe two year drought is pushing one village to take extreme measures the inhabitants are threatening to commit mass suicide saying it's a better option than to continue suffering because of the lack of food and as artie's charan singh reports they've asked the government for aid but claims so far little has been done. here in the village of you know remote part of eastern india . molly spends time with his family including his little grandson this may look like one happy picture but the reality is quite the opposite with no food to eat.

and over twenty other farmers in the small village of about three hundred families have threatened to commit mass suicide. intimately we will have to die sometime so horny suffer like this every day it's better to die now we're so hopeless that we've come to the conclusion that committing suicide is the best option would like to die early without food to eat how many days per person when. the region has had an acute drought for two years now this has driven villagers from jakarta write a letter to the president of india and the state government asking for rations and in a geisha in facilities if help. they say they'll commit suicide a column of them love them he says because we requested immediate aid from the governor and some development that could provide us with employment such as digging

a new well and improving the road to a village which is in a bad state the families are desperate as the state of charge couldn't grapples with the forty two percent rainfall deficit this year. has field which would have been full of crops at this time of year but lice baton instead. of used up all receipts but over the last three years there hasn't been enough water we want crops to grow seeing the desperate situation you know homes we're thinking what is the point of living. the suicide request has to the local administration into action promises of food and development have been made but little has actually reached the village officials at the district headquarters didn't respond to our request for an interview meanwhile going to just wait for the promised. all the senior officials have visited us from the local administration at the loom with our elected member of parliament they've given us this year ensues but i do

knew when to expect action it may take five days fifteen days or even a month. and clearly not so important to the government. this crisis has been in the making for two years now and this letter has just brought it out into the open with an entire village driven to despair the government will have to take urgent steps to prevent this from snowballing into a major crisis got and saying r.t. from the village of. coming to you live from the russian capital this is r.t. it's not just turning seven minutes past the hour let's go let's get some more details now on the story of iraq and american combat troops being withdrawn here in the deadline of course being august thirty first we're now joined live from paris a by john laughlin from the institute for democracy and cooperation so all combat troops are out but there are many forces already allow to take part in combat operations if the iraqis are asked them to so if you think the combat mission is over or assist with draw more to do with obama's fulfillment of an election

campaign promise. that's exactly what i think there's no real withdrawal at all on the country fifty thousand troops are going to remain in iraq so what we're dealing with here is a political package it's an administrative change the troops who are already in iraq will stay there the name of the mission changes but they will still be combat troops they will still be engaged in combat operations after all an american soldier died again only on sunday so this is indeed all about presenting or rather creating a reality which in fact does not exist now operation iraqi freedom it may be officially over but has washington really brought any freedom to the iraqis is there any semblance of a so-called democracy in existence that. i don't think so i mean of course there is now a multi-party system which they didn't have before but on the other hand the collapse

of state power in iraq and the fact that it is effectively an occupied country means that it doesn't have self-determination. i think that people who argue in favor of this war say that the achievement of democracy at least on paper made it worth it i'm not sure of course whether the many hundreds of thousands of people who've been killed would agree with that but even if one can say that the situation has in some respects improved to the extent that there is no longer a dictatorship my own view is that the human cost in terms of jeff's is much too high so no i don't think that things have improved and i don't think that there's a proper democracy there in fact i wonder whether such a thing is ever possible so no weapons of mass destruction were ever found in iraq some experts say that iraqi oil was a factor in the u.s. invasion due to america's unsociable energy appetite the bush administration ranted on about al qaeda which was based in afghanistan and pakistan at the time so why

this seven year war. well it's a monstrous horrible. war which should never have happened and as you've reminded the viewers in your question was based on lies it was based on the lies about weapons of mass destruction. and about the lives on links between saddam hussein's regime and islamic terrorism in fact of course for all its faults the past history in iraq was secular and it was that which kept the lid on islamic fundamentalism in that country so why was the war fought it's a very good question my own view is that of course oil played a role but it's totally backfired because of course the oil price. has not fallen as hoped my view is that probably one of the main motives was personal revenge george w. bush george bush sr jr wanted to as it were to take revenge on saddam hussein for allegedly trying to kill his father and above all for surviving the

first gulf war in the one nine hundred ninety nine to ninety one it was that simple it was that that simple level that i believe in human revenge that george bush jr wanted to wage here and that's why he was determined to overthrow saddam it's a shame that so many people had to die for that revenge to be able to about now do you think that any top british or u.s. government figures will ever be held accountable for what many consider legal invasion we do know that former british prime minister tony blair faced an inquiry into the war this year in london. no because the. point about these tribunals is that they depend on who controls them they'll only be properly be a prosecution if there is some sort of revolution and that's not going to happen certainly not in britain because the opposition our government supported the war in any case blair himself in britain has succeeded in keeping the debate on the question on the issue of weapons of mass destruction he has managed to focus all

the debate on whether or not he lied and while everybody believes that he is a liar he has managed by this device to distract attention from the much more important fact which as i say was that the purpose of the war was to overthrow saddam hussein to get rid of the man and therefore to get quite cleverly really to deflect criticism even though of course he is hated for that war so no there won't be any prosecutions and in any case the legal basis for such prosecutions is rather difficult to find because the only way that one could really prosecute that war would be prosecute would be by prosecuting a crime of aggression a crime against peace and that crime while international crime. does not generally speaking exist in national jurisdictions and it doesn't exist for example in the british or the american jurisdiction so no as usual the victors will go on punished all right john law and from the institute for democracy and cooperation thank you.

residents in the u.s. state of louisiana are fighting for their right to defend themselves police confiscated their guns after hurricane katrina struck five years ago it was an attempt to keep order amid the looting and violence which followed brought has prio shrewder has been finding out many in the state are still angry over what they believe was a violation of the constitution. it's a sunday afternoon in louisiana i just came on here to shoot practice. thanks and guns are a blazing at this shooting range. thanks so our forty percent thank you believe everybody should have the right to defend themselves at any cost in this part of the united states the right to bear arms is part of everyday life i believe person has a right to sue for ask questions later. been robbed at gunpoint before and i know

what it's like i believe that it was. living in america maybe it's that we should be able to carry a handgun but that wasn't always the case so what do you know so we take any weapons. richard stiring and his friend wayne shoom were on lake ponchartrain about a week after hurricane katrina made landfall and i had almost the same away from six inches to a foot of water in the house. but it was still if they went to styron's house to get his things we heard of the. stuff that was going on in the wall and all the shooting and the people that were getting heard some killed from what i've been told. while heading back across the lake the pair was stopped by law enforcement and asked to give up their weapons. away from your war on manage your private property just don't hire me right. as the hurricane took the city

by storm residents felt their constitutional rights were being blown away the armed populace keeps a government in check the government should not be in charge of the populace the populace should run the government and whatever the government has the guns and the populace doesn't have the guns the government does what it wants in the aftermath of katrina new orleans was in complete chaos law enforcement couldn't handle all the problems and on streets like this one every single building with looted except for one occasion spot as they are three smith and wesson club action shotgun twelve gauge semiautomatic joined guido's is the owner of cajun's pub she decided to take things into her own hands there was vans with. them and they were breaking into any businesses where there's no sign of anyone around and they didn't mess with us here because i stood out front. with my shock we don't protected her

patrons when law enforcement was nowhere in sight after guarding her pub for about a week we decided to evacuate u.s. marshals came across this and frog saw me with my shotgun you know they pulled about a dozen m. sixteen saw us put her body against the wall. took all my weapons and then left she couldn't believe this was happening in the united states i was furious i had no way of protecting myself beyond the physical destruction they saw their city and even their country transforming before their eyes look at the communist countries look at cuba look at nicaragua look at any country you want to take where the government has the guns of the populace and look at how they live and how they're treated it's a story they want remembered so it never happens again preassure either party new orleans louisiana it is now just off the quarter past the hour here in the russian capital it's good to have your company today. all of our stories videos on blogs

are online any time you want. here's a quick look at what's waiting for you there right now have you ever wondered what space smells like you don't have to guess anymore as we have all the answers on our website. plus the russian empire lost gold may be buried at the bottom of lake baikal. on the water with expedition trying to find the treasure that was seized during the civil war almost a century ago. russia's . except for designated areas has only seen underground betting flourish. and that's operational in the in the country's south and it's failing to rake in any money. now the region's author whose want to relocate it narrowed to the black

sea resorts to attract more lower the stakes for investors. looks at what could be on the cards. this is a gambler spera dice the oracle all kinds of games from the army of one armed bandits to poker and roulette. however most of the time the place is deserted. this is the only legal casino in russia a private company invested ten million dollars into its construction and even though there are a few willing to build gambling spots here in the area it still looks like most in the industry see it as making bats in a burning house last year russian lawmakers banned all casinos and gambling clubs across the country to be replaced by force specially designated and developed serves in siberia western russia the south and east the industry reacted immediately but you know shutting down the facilities moving them abroad or going

on the ground even the most successful zone is mostly being ignored by the un to nurse. most investors a passive many because as a city is far away from other major transportation hubs the local airports under developed in the roads and not like good only and the other factor is that the gambling ban in russia is really hard to enforce. in cities just a few hundred kilometers away from us all police discover illegal gambling down every week. of course it's officially prohibited but in our neighborhood everyone knows where to find the underground gambling den you can have a good time there if you play your cards right in the regions authorities have come up with a new plan to make the rules work they want to relocate the whole seldom gambling zone closer to popular tourist destinations like the black sea coast resort the phenomenal and inspired by les vegas they wanted to be about more than. just gambling. we said why can't we try and do something like that in russia ship

without making the same mistake we can use the best that las vegas has to offer refined by decades of experience essentially we've come up with a new concept in the resort so gambling will be just one of the highlights the idea will have to get support from the russian state duma possibly together with other amendments to help reverse the odds of getting the new gambling rules to work so for no the future of russia. still looks didn't even more questions than answers for its supporters and skeptics why. our team in the region. is now turning just twenty twenty minutes past the hour here in moscow now to some other news making headlines around the world and the mexican police have captured a long sought after a drug trafficker known as the bobby attica valdez has been blamed for what for a vicious tough war that included shootouts in central mexico he also faces charges

in the u.s. where he's accused of distributing thousands of kilos of cocaine from mexico valdez could be extradited to america where he has a two million dollars bounty on his head drug related violence has risen in mexico with more than twenty eight thousand lives lost since the government crackdown in two thousand and six. nato officials say four american soldiers are being killed in a taliban style roadside bombing in east and eastern afghanistan that raises the death toll of on u.s. troops over the last four days to eighteen now eight nato soldiers were killed in a similar attack on monday. the same day in a separate incident. drilling has begun in chile to rescue thirty three trapped miners softer a shaft collapsed earlier this month the hole will be seven hundred meters deep and big enough to pull off one man at a time but the operation could take up to three months the. miners had their first telephone contact with loved ones on sunday. in pakistan floodwaters are finally

receding after five weeks of the worst weather conditions the country has seen in decades the floods are heading for the arabian sea after swallowing two more towns in the south of our viewers have struggled to cope with the natural disaster calling on international assistance but extreme weather claimed hundreds of lives and left thousands homeless. in the u.s. has announced a broader sanctions against north korea. illicit financial activities as well as the arms trade some individuals companies and organizations suspected of financing pyongyang's government have now had their assets frozen tension has soared with seoul since the sinking of a south korean warship in march with the loss of forty six crew an international investigation concluded the north was to blame for the attack which pyongyang consistently denies the time now to delve into the world of business with you

should be with you in just a moment. for the full story we've got. the biggest issues get voice ceased to face with the news maker. hello and a very warm welcome to the business bulletin and you solve the world's biggest alumium producer has posts that profit to one point twenty seven billion dollars for the top twenty ten off to making a loss in the same period last year the results were considerably better than

forecast and companies ches rallies in hong kong by the company listed in january results says it expects a strong performance for the rest of the year as demand and prices continue to outstrip rising costs. sollars also have been involved in their shareholder dispute for control of russia's biggest mine a new home but jim akutan is in the city of neuros to see the town and tool the plant he will also be meeting the two main shareholders in the company who saw chief lived a pasta and with him at the time in the head of the true bananas twenty five percent of new ground want to buy the other out which and has noted that the conflict is damaging the company and that the solution is urgently needed. and for more on the story i'm joined by our correspondent of course in about who's outside sales headquarters in moscow hello too much you know so what does your son

have to say a bollywood stake in the door to become. well unfortunately as the had the general director all but being one of the world's biggest aluminum producers roussel couldn't take part in the press conference that has just taking place here in the in moscow had corner supreme self as he is a right now in the russian city of norilsk where he is attending a meeting was the prime minister of lies human who is visiting out this city right in the middle of the shareholders conflict well just through. the june june shareholders meeting unexpectedly came up with only three board so it's compared with norris nichols before and dodd caused a start of the shareholders conflict introduced that also god only three said only three says so that the vote was conducted in accordance with all of the rules but

loose also that it was unfairly manipulated well a back in two thousand and eight rousselin interoffice which each over twenty five percent of norilsk every day that all decisions will be made jointly and they will have equal we press. owned the board of the board alpha norilsk nickel house twenty first. as the date for its extraordinary general meeting where shareholders will quote on whether the current board should be removed and if so who will a make up of the new board meanwhile the deputy general director of roussel budget stops a lot of you told us a roussel doesn't plan to sell its twenty five percent stake in norilsk. its strategic stake or also as a strategic investment. to benefit from the. rising. of the stake it's why we look at that for sure.

well there are some fierce and some say that out the end the russian government will step in the in the shareholders conflict if the existing shareholders fail to resolve it in the nearest future meanwhile a prime minister who did already us not that he says some progress in the conflict and i'm sure we'll see more and we'll receive more information on this very topic as soon as the meddling in norilsk is over. but you know thank you very much for this indeed was our t.v. correspondent martina cautionary joining us live from the resource headquarters in moscow and we'll be hearing more from her later in the day it's time to turn to every equity markets. european stocks have for the shop you want to study occurring fifth donaghue trend in global markets risk sensitive stocks are living with banks and commodities seem to shop this losses gloomy outlook for global demand damaging

investor sentiment. around the russian market is suffering here in moscow energy stocks off willing us commodity prices we can. only hope to send in my six banks are also amongst the worst performers fares group longest said. more than one percent so far but for stockholm it's been treating list ways three three only brute gave up more than two percent of the south. russia's second largest oil producer has announced that income for the second quarter fell sixteen percent to two billion dollars that's despite a strong rise in revenues the company says it was hit by taxes and costs were tros faster than the price of crude oil. and the central bank of russia has kept interest rates on hold at seven point seventy five percent at its regular policy meeting widens minister told the bank earlier this week that you did not meet to respond to food price inflation due to the drought situation would

naturally come back into balance. so we have time for now but chief you want to get more right now you can always log on to our website archly dot com slash business. wealthy british style.

markets why not. find out what's really happening to the global economy with max cons or for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune into cars a report on. their conduce childhood was overshadowed by this tragedy. these two feel the fear they faced. and remember every second of this nightmare. it will remain in their memories and hearts forever. and using so. innocent victims. of little angels.

this is also you coming to you live from moscow just joining hawse the hour. it has its military facade washington is accused open in a complete departure from iraq as thousands of troops still remain past the oldest thirty first withdrawal deadline service personnel staying to provide training and support but many americans fear it will result in more casualties. to wipe out a village in eastern india as locals fall to commit suicide if they don't get any help from the government three hundred people are now demanding food and employment . russia is gambling zones fold underground. has proposed building a las vegas style resort closer to a major city.