antidote to that mainstream media and author of the american way of war how bush's wars became obama's sir thank you for sitting down with us today good to be here i'd like us to start off by taking a look at the extent of the u.s. military presence throughout the world right now it's global i mean that's the first thing you can say the pentagon is a little hard to tell in detail the pentagon usually admits to about yearly to about eight hundred military bases or sites from macro to micro but in their count they don't include anything in a war zone and at tom dispatch you know we've done some reporting for instance on the afghan war or the present afghan war zone where we have upwards of four hundred bases again from tiny combat outposts to a normal basically american towns with boardwalks with fast food joints and whatever that we just built more or less from scratch and there are certain countries where the countries are embarrassed that their military bases there it's really hard to say i mean eight hundred to

a thousand maybe more depending on what you're counting it's an awful lot it's an imperial presence of a kind i don't think we've ever seen in history and it's particularly strange because the bases traditionally bases more or less where the way you kept colonies but for us the bases are actually the thing when you say global it's a frightening word it sounds like every single country throughout just globe has some form of military presence from the united states that i can't swear that it's every city probably isn't every single country but a striking number of countries i don't actually know the number right here but i mean if you think if you if you take this another way and you think to yourself. the u.s. military now has a kind of secret military inside it and those are the special operations forces which have been incredibly peeved up and taken over certain activities that we.

once were more cia type activities in the bush and now obama period special operations forces and there are thirteen thousand of them according to the washington post stationed outside the united states their station now in seventy five countries there are only one hundred ninety two countries in the us i think that's the latest figure so you're talking about somewhere upwards of forty percent just for special operations forces so it is a lot now it's very interesting that to draw that dividing line between declared war is an undeclared wars which you raise this point in your work often most americans are aware of declared wars with iraq but afghanistan over the last several years what about the un declared boys how come nobody really talks about bad wars skirmishes whatever you know it's hard to know in this country what people know i mean i mean even the wars the afghan war for instance has disappeared more or less disappeared for years at a time from i think from the media well from public consciousness you know it's hard to say what the u.s. media you could always find something i mean there's something there and that is

that it's not there's ever no coverage but you have to be a news jockey like me you have to be reading the inside pages of the papers the war in the pakistani border line and americans obviously know very little about that i mean we are proud of our drones and so we're caught always between calling it a covert war and actually. that actually bragging about it and americans are remarkably detached from the wars that being are being fought in their names and the various other military positions and so on and so forth on the globe it's one of the things that i focus on as is just the degree to which we are doing things that americans could know about basically don't we have to put some of that blame on the media who is essentially responsible for bringing some of that information to the u.s. and i have to ask you do you feel like the media and the military are sort of sleeping in the same bed at this point i think the military may have but there's a there's a history with the military of. post vietnam history of trying to put journalists

in bed with it when you are embedded with the military there's an element of stockholm syndrome there just has to be with it and you tend to if you're out with american troops in afghanistan you are in the end i mean your life is at stake you are at the end going to a dead a fight with american troops let me ask you this you've spent years the ciphering sort of the military's agent of the u.s. foreign policy when when when should that line be drawn between you know reasonable national defense and really kind of paranoid expansionism is that line ever drawn any more no but basically it basically is no longer drawn and so what you really get this you get american treasure poor into by the multi-billions into you know into into remarkably strange wars approach i've long been convinced that if osama bin laden you know had a dream for him in a nightmare for us it was to involve us in in inconclusive wars in distant

lands would cost us a fortune there's a kind of intelligence national security bureaucracy that's fed in this country all fear and americans are irrationally scared of terrorism since two thousand and one the number of americans who have been you know killed by by terrorist actions is it's above shark attacks but below anything else dangerous in our world you know and yet the fear level is so who remarkably high and everything is justified upon us those lines are drawn and we don't think seriously about what our national interest is and we're paying for it now you've mentioned money and apparently the pentagon is going to be able to enjoy as much as seven hundred twenty six billion dollars next year or something along those that ice that's and i have to ask you i mean it might seem a sort of a naive question but it has to be asked couldn't this money be put to better use and especially now in this economy of course you know. commanders in afghanistan

can walk into a village they have they have a fund so they can find an afghan village elder if they want to do a hearts and minds' sort of thing they can see that the infrastructure is weak that they have canals or filled in or whatever they can just pay money to people to start digging out those canals you can't do that in the united states we're a can't do nation here we can't build anything we just we just decided not to build a tunnel between new jersey and new york city where i live because it was too expensive but we can spend billions building these bases very efficiently and if there are extraordinary in a way can do x. these huge bases in afghanistan or iraq or wherever else i think it's quite startling actually and what about the cost of civilians on the ground civilian lives we have piled up many towers in response to the towers that went down to two thousand tree three we have piled up many towers of dead they don't have memorials nobody thinks about them i mean except obviously their families and their countries

we don't know the numbers in iraq or afghanistan but they are they are startling numbers not only has the idea of peace gone just gone the idea really of diplomacy in the normal sense as opposed to a militarized kind of diplomacy but the very idea of victory the most basic thing to military culture is going on in one of your latest articles you ask this question how old will you be when the american envoy stared state goes down as you often bring up this point of a terror of an internal state of war you know is that essentially it america's destiny ended in one war i'm starting out i actually think not this can only go on so long all things of course must end but in the american case you know we cannot simply continue fighting trillion dollars to three whatever it might be trillion dollar wars add in for night in my this country simply can't afford it and washington thinks that we're in a slow long manageable decline i. i think this country like the soviet union in an

earlier period it's in decline now most this is what americans know asked the question is this country in decline sixty five percent of americans the most recent poll say yes we are in a state of decline americans feel this washington doesn't fully feel this yet but that reality is going to shape this war world of ours will it continue to go on for the next couple of decades or what i know it's a time when i don't know i don't think it's a couple of decades no i mean longer or less no i think it's less i think it's really significantly less i think we are in a steeper decline and we realize we won't be able to afford it to eternally. it will be a necessity to to lessen the american military on the military mission on the planet talking about these issues and us wars and the u.s. military isn't. there many authors out there here in the united states talking about it how come this point does just not get across to washington is it is

a different planets i think washington is had many ways remarkably sealed off from most fresh thinking i think one of the startling things and disturbing things about the arrival of the barack obama in foreign policy terms is that is the people he chose to put around him you know obama picked james jones as his national security adviser but general marie a retired marine general who is a friend of john mccain's and he had made him elections coming up right out nothing's really going to change after that right it's going to be the same thing over and over again it will be worse it will be worse because the we know before the election happens in without being there are november second without even thinking about it we know that whoever comes in the group the the america will be a country that will be able to do less and congress will be able to do less and less is going to happen for a while i mean lesson in sense the. anything new any change anything that would

really set us on the different course i think this is not going to be a happy moment. not a very optimistic prediction time go hard thank you very much for sitting time with us today it's a pleasure. dear mom i'm sorry that i had to do this i've been in so much pain in the past year that i can't take it anymore the stomach and chest pains have been getting worse and no doctor has been able to help me please know that i'll finally be at peace and with no more pain i wish i could have had a life with elizabeth always pictured her being my wife and mother to my kids i love you all see you all in heaven when your time comes i'm going to meet jesus christ. thousands of u.s. troops in iraq received one of these drugs

a drug called lariam and it may have prevented many soldiers from getting sick the question tonight is whether or not soldiers were adequately warned about its rare side effects serious life change and side effects.

there is not enough space for them on the ground. down to. get things nonexistent under the sun. through the gap of adrenaline. discovered deeply hidden secrets. they are seeking to. find the a c. . and even. talking to god. from. under the ground. to for. more news today violence is once again flared up the film these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada as true for child hope for

a shelter on the day. nuclear power to do it now brushes to build the country's first ever nuclear reactor and a deal signed off during president medvedev visit to a summit of southeast asian nations in hanoi. and a new spy scandal looms as georgia refuses to confirm or deny claims that a bus to the network of twenty people allegedly gathering information for russia to police he says it's keeping all the details on the matter secret until the end of next week. and joining forces in the war on drugs russia and the us down on a piano stand at o.p.m. producing labs in their first combined operation to tackle the world's heroin factory the rave mark their return for russian special forces to the country over twenty years after soviet troops left. now in the weeks other main news that's what

i was saying as deputy faces for crimes against humanity we investigate whether the tariq aziz verdict was time to take the heat out of the latest revelations from wiki leaks the online whistleblower has released four hundred thousand classified u.s. files on torture and killings which happened under washington's watch. sports abate is next with andrew farmer and his any under pressure under a bit of pressure today i should say yeah at the top of the russian premier league still but did lose their first game of the season to. last week i will they respond today that's the question arena a tricky game against relegation threatened for them i've got warm up from yesterday just in the tick. you're watching the sport another busy weekend of action coming up. a neat look to

restore six point lead at the top of the russian season and does its final weeks. plus when close is. overcomes a car crash to reach the final of the w.t. a tour championship. run texas school their way back into baseball's will series with victory over san francisco. the first russian premier league leaders and eight are aiming to open up a six point lead at the top of the south today they entertain a lanyard her only two points from safety at the other end of the table so both sides with everything to play for while third place to start that still about aspirations of playing the second automatic champions league spot under way at the table sounds a little later but i'm sure it has already got under way this sunday with second bottom. battling for survival against thompson and it is no millette still with the second half back to start another games terek face but now jake and angie are up against rock the mighty well yesterday moscow side spot i can do now mcbride came

from behind to stay in the hunt for european football next season spacek were four found selves of don't down after twenty minutes in their home game against the last of a and b. how cool showed him to the visitors the spartak went into the bright level aiden mcgeady provide the cross and the league's top score their ballots and added to finish among them was the way stayed until the final many when isaak accord on the ball broke brought down such a jude alexander calls off in the ball to make even made no mistakes in the spot so i spot it taking all three crucial points. and six placed in a moscow off remain in the chase for a year a bleak spot off the coming from behind to win four one at home to rock bottom to the top because lack of surprising surprisingly opened the scoring for the visitors after an hour but within six minutes the house had taken late seven crang it quickly proved the level and then leandro fernandez with no my side dental headed to make it one of the highest then the fact that the four minutes to get alexander

summit goal was on target to make three one stoppage time egocentric of the four for a great cross from alexander. and i. was over in england chelsea came from behind to grab a late two one win black burn and stay five points clear at the top of the premier league but honestly i began to be getting the blues when the six minutes from time elsewhere will stay second after a late winner themselves against west ham united are third on goal difference after beating top until you know the man didn't stop the first and nani a controversial second he had handball on the spurs people thinking it was a free kick but play continued to get the ball in elsewhere for the city suffered a surprise two one defeat to wolves. and everton go to one zero victory. later today liverpool have the chance of climbing out of the bottom three when they called for me but before that there were a couple of. new castle whose sons and. tennis noncompliance is how

to overcome a minor car accident to set up a final against caroline wozniacki the derby. championships in the both recorded straight set victories in their last four matches was the us piece in russian the world number two is of on the t.v. set small clusters dominated to match. that will close is as i said was involved in a minor car accident on route to the stadium and that may have unsettled there at the start with the taking a three love lead in the first set but the belgian men found a form and eventually set on a tie break before wrapping up the second six one to take the match. i in the meantime eco usually is through to the final of the same pages big open but only after a hard for when a fellow russian to me to sue north youzhny to be seventy five there but to soon of strong back in the second to claim it six score and the deciding set went all the

way to a tie break which the world number ten eventually won for a place in the final. and then he will play six. and. later on today he had an easier time begins my change of ukraine even though he needed to overcome a late hawkeye challenge from his opponent conclusion follows in the footsteps of. becoming the second player to reach an eighty two all final. moving to ice hockey and there were a couple of upsets on saturday afternoon in the kontinental hockey league including a surprise defeat for lokomotiv yaroslavl on the road to more the game finished three how about all martin said pulis with the winning goal there and struggling mesler numbers because the nets beat half land by three goals to nil but only their to win of the season express their school to unanswered goals against talk radio a novice a base which moves them into second place in the eastern conference meanwhile

russia's preparations for next year's rugby world cup has suffered another setback after they were thrashed thirty two points to six by argentina's reserve side their second loss to the team in as many weeks is rich poor thing. there's let's many years ago over two thousand eleven rugby world cup gets underway new zealand and they've beaten is russia have a lot of work to do no one is expecting miracles but the newest nation to take part in rugby showpiece event needs to improve fast if they're going to be competitive against the likes of australia ireland in italy as says russia's new banks coach henri paul. the rights of the world cup o. ne already been involved in a short time but that's all the players they know sells anything they need to work according to. the pretty much everyone everywhere. meticulously streeter you know we slowly going to go through the process that is this decision making here to make about who's going to go to the world cup so those are things that you know

obviously diametrical i will work on myself i would have to work with the cause of technique and skill work to continue their preparations for the event in new zealand russia have been playing two tests against argentina second string the russians will be opening encounter of over forty points last weekend and we're hoping for a much improved performance seven days later. for the majority of the first half they would give a good account of themselves and would have been in front but we would go kicking and opportunistic try from the visitors scrum half thomas could barely as the hosts were trailed by just cool points going into the half time break despite applying some early pressure falling resumption russia would soon find themselves further behind as visitors long problem both managed to bundle is way over the line from close range and the home side were left with a mountain to climb just minutes wait despite being down to fourteen men they certainly didn't individual yours and one published staley is was on hand to finish

a slick move and put argentina into twenty to six lean meaning russia needed to convert a tries just to draw level those to be no way back for the russians who are beginning to tire an argentine. as great a fitness would prevail as they would run into late scores to secure a thirty two points to six picture e. m in the first half was quite a positive thing. apart from the try against a rather playboys who came in the first ten minutes because he controlled most of all we had most of the position we were in small with and most of zero as a negative so that's a little something to work on but i think we keep ourselves in the game we were all kick as he goes we work in all of you know a lot we were with mr l. for half of the board while off but the last two games we've given a few guys are on the for in general prefer a lot of game time and that's great for the development and improved performance by the russians who now face japan as bait continue their build up of the world cup but in reality the team needs to become much fitter and stop making elementary

mistakes a big going to have a chance of even competing on the same level with some the world's top sides in september two thousand and eleven richard bumpily dancey moscow now over in the states the texas rangers have got their thirst win in baseball's world series defeating san francisco fourteen to cut the giants lead to two one in the series texas had to come into saturday's home game in arlington looking to restore some pride after being thrashed in san francisco was a fraud going but the key moment was when rangers number nine hit a wall and here smacked jonathan sanchez for a two x. three run homer in the second innings that proved to be enough to win the game and gives the rangers a chance to level the best of seven series win the side return to the ballpark on sunday. i go you know it's nice mid-morning has certainly established himself as a major league player. he's just a battler he goes up there in. he uses every bit of talent. when he gets

but you don't usually miss it it was a huge homerun for us tonight but it's on the board gave us a little breathing room and who is took it from there and it was also a victory in the n.b.a. for the mobile keep ups they got their first win of the season beating charlotte on home court ninety eight to eighty eight said this was andrew bogut first game since breaking his hand to dislocate and now buying up bad fullback and i hope the bridge just fourteen points bans and full drop to this one in the first quarter which led to a quick counterattack where he made it twenty one fifteen to the puck. brandon jennings not his first career trip to double the twenty point lead in the walking to the ninety eight eighty eight victory. jennings right. in other games atlanta scored washington by ninety nine point nine five sacramento away when is that cleveland poland also came out when is it new york washington and

indiana claims high winds over detroit from philadelphia respectively. memphis easily defeated minnesota and home court one hundred nine one thousand nine months and you only had no problems in a way. brings us to the end of the sport for the moment more a bit later on next i would it's the way. to go as you have a. huge you're covered. soon

which will brighten if you move from phones to parachute. stunt on t.v. don't comb. brain

nuclear power to viet nam rushes to build the country's first ever nuclear reactor in a deal signed object ring president of the head of space it to a summit of southeast asian nations in hanoi. georgia refuses to confirm or deny claims that a bust of a network of twenty people allegedly gathering secret information for russia. and a major crackdown of ghana stands opium producing labs of the u.s. and russia hold their first joint operation to tackle the world's heroin factory. and among that week's main stories such as saddam hussein's deputy faces death for crimes against humanity we investigate whether the tariq aziz verdict was time to take the hate out of we can weeks exposé of torture and killings which happened under washington's watch.

one pm in the russian capital you're watching r.t. when we return joshua welcome to the program it's been confirmed that russia will build vietnam's first ever nuclear power plant the deal was signed by president medvedev who has been on a visit to her annoy southeast asia is one of the world's economic powerhouses but needs to modernize its hannity supply to continue its rapid growth as our has more . one of the things that most news outlets will be focusing on and everybody will be focusing on is the agreement signed to build vietnam's first ever nuclear power plant a deal that is said to be worth over five billion u.s. dollars and is said to significantly boost energy resources and of course. more stable existence and economic growth a deal hailed by both sides as a.