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 enormous 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 bases are actually the thing when you see 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 once were more cia type activities in the bush and now obama period those special operations forces and there are thirteen thousand of them according to the washington post stationed outside the united states. they're station now in seventy

five countries there are only one hundred ninety two countries in the u.s. 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 as an undeclared wars which you raised 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 can 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. and actually bragging about it and americans are remarkably detached from the wars that being fought 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 a 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 a kind of paranoid expansion of it is that line ever drawn any more no but basically it basically is no longer drawn in 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 a shark attacks but below anything else dangerous in our world you know and yet the fear level is so remarkably high and everything is justified upon us those are going to 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 nice 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 some of course you know commanders in afghanistan can walk into a village they have they have a fund so they can find afghan village elder if they want to do a hearts and minds' sort of thing they can see that the. sure is weak that they

have canals are 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 if they're 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 trees 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 go on just go on the idea really if

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 eternal 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 ad infinitum i this country simply can't afford it and washington thinks that we're in a slow long manageable decline 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. 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 us 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 so different planets i think washington is in 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 general marie a retired marine general who is a friend of john mccain's and he had made several actions 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 less is going to happen for a while i mean lesson in the sense of anything new any change anything that would really set us on a 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 ten

minutes 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 changing side effects.

wealthy british science. and sometimes of the split. markets why not scandals. find out what's really happening to the global economy in these kinds of reports on our t.v. . sets. they faced it this is not

a provocation but warned. before it and we should step is what you showed us a pretty picture it speaks of they have no idea about the hardships to face. one it is this is it is all of them to new things for any army the life of a usaf is the most precious thing in the world. is of self-sacrifice and heroism with those who understand it fully but you have to live a. real life stories from world war two. victory nineteen forty five don't r.t. dot com. the official. from the. video. and read in the palm of your.

home. the latest news and this week stop stories on our team russia seals the deal to build vietnam's first ever nuclear power plant in a bid to help the country develop as an independent and modern state. visits had to be cooperation with. fresh tensions flare as georgia has reportedly arrested a network of twenty people all georgians for spying for russia to see has refused to either confirm or deny. the first ever joint us russian drug czar. has been hailed a success forces have destroyed four drug labs that accomplice stated

a ton of worth over two hundred million dollars. let's take a look at what's happening in the world of sports with kate. hello welcome to the sports news page here the headlines marching on alexander could recall scores as senate win three now it's time to catch six points clear at the top of the russian premier league. ball moving up a little gravel late one nil when it falls into rice six places to twelve in the english premier league. last lowest and highest mccall you she loses the final of the st petersburg open but kim clijsters triumphs into. the start was vocal was an instant petersburg have restored a six point lead at the top of the russian primarily after

a comprehensive stream male who went over a lot who are in a real relegation battle the host went in front of the quarter of an hour off the donkey last of which five home in. the second in three minutes before the break leading would be strong launched across. some of persia cough provided news even if . then six minutes off the restarts downing the russia strike is true again yet it isn't the second of the afternoon to take his tally of the season to twelve so it isn't it again six points clear of the game found a ruby in. the wall there was a dramatic finish in the net left unfinished in makati late in the first top maka basho was sent off for a second jelena caught after what looks like a debatable clue about the referee pot luck i still took those three points distance to secure stats and dying minutes in the corner why taking the brunt of the spot celebrations. on the spot not checked defeats in the table. also

lets on one one many times one cause the only goal time in the fifty second is at times to back this shot a lot of thanks and after this the five one for once. i stay in the drop zone along the severe. wall spots not to concede and only dull early in the game that i didn't have to school in leeds he cries out in yet john salvaging a point for the visitors who stick to six table. i am the last game of the day ten man sasson fan back to a long long effect as to sky you lose ground on the top two so much nets it open for the all in man off to thirty nine minutes before alexey yvon off level to the home side straight off to the interval and once they would quickly on the back foot as rizla naku chef saul read off the fifty three minutes however sanson held on for the draw on the points. and on saturday fourth place sponsored moscow came from behind to stay in the hunt for a place in europe next season one side found themselves

a goal down when unrefined gauche netted off to twenty minutes with spot tuck went into the right level aiden mcgeady provided the cross in its top scorer verisign on to the finish line i want to want to lose the weight stays until the final minutes and substitute it's in was nice was not done with ups and we're going to make no mistakes on the spot spotlight sometime this week since reports the m six placed on moscow also remain in the chase for a europa league spot off to coming from behind to win they want time to look better and so be it but one leg gelato days because it is a surprisingly easy after now it's not been six minutes the first to take the meat having franchitti to the level i was numb days with my spine dentical head at the time was the face that got to the chinese ones today it's not some good off this entire time it's three rounds i was tired and i was shocked at the force right cross from alex on the ball than i i read england maxi

rodriguez scored the eighty six minute winner as liverpool rose six places to twelve after one though when adults and the reds. moving just to point out of the relegation zone but the late victory ensured that and back to back wins for the first time it really hurts and while earlier there were two dogs in england kevin nolan scored a hat trick i'm reading added a brace this new cost with thrashed ten on sunderland five want to st james's park the black cats have titus bramble sent off after fifty three minutes and grabbed a late consolation for darren bent's aston villa against birmingham and. tennyson compliance has won the w. th championships to continue while number one caroline does not speak in a final kinda hot slice of how it's true the i said to take its sixth straight and was cruising through the second when first nancy found a full hundred then she took it seven five to level a much that's the belgian regained her dominance again in the final set to take six

six three and if the try fail. then that means on michigan has kind of surprising victory over former champion economy and fire at the st petersburg i think because i play i lifted the trophy after streit set six three seven six when it comes out of the second from kazakhstan to win a team from title following and i'm going to have success and come back at it this year it. has moved on to the ice now and that was a stunning result in the kontinental hockey league as work as you grok came from two goals down two in st two on penalties defending champions. and there were also big results on sunday night sky awesome piece just bad one for three western conference leaders h.t. did on the visitors were two goals up after the first period that would have to back that you eventually took the victory on penances the army ya got net is the visitors were never in overtime as albion got one two one and often at least half the human xcor twice in the third period to win five three a time to various spots

at moscow and never behind and won three one time she said as bad luck to number one for three on penalties are still moments. as i say that was a shock three one defeat for not a moon to god because i had opened for the high side the end of the first period so i started to second banana cooking but after the power play to double and there's advantage however at this point also i can that's a power play on the blueline on luck and that's not to say zyklon ish needed aluminum so i'm still on the list to go advantage in a quick counterattacks skulls did give me all kind of hope of saving the gang of the strike back at sixteen. this is price they got a big trade and turning. right a g.p. now and while champion who guy lorenzo i held off a strong challenge from yamaha teammate valentino rossi two in the portuguese motor g.p. for the third year in

a row the runs over to rossi with eleven laps to go before speeding to for an eight point six second victory on the right and i had a physio so perhaps not only in the race of the season but for the renzo it was his first victory in two months and spaniard could wrap up the season but it's one of the next sunday. the fb i just award and it's been almost crashed many times i think everyone by you know in the lab a then. i thought was going to win the race but little by little i was simply my luck dying he was just filling in the same base so i got him. and then then go finally to rugby and this weekend russia where thrashed thirty two points to six by argentina's reserve side the loss was their second to that team in as many weeks and then to their preparation for next is well below all cup with all his which of empathy. was less many years ago the two thousand and eleven rugby world cup gets

underway new zealand and then putin's 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 and says russia's new backs coach henri paul they're a good team there are you know they do the right to be the world cup oh no i still want to be involved in a short time but i know it's hard for the players they know themselves they need the fruits they need to work hard to contact the pretty much everyone everywhere the checklist needs pretext and you know we're 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 you know those are things that you know officer steve diamond in the choli will work on myself i'm going to have to work with the guys on technique and skill work to continue their preparations for the event in new zealand russia been playing two tests against argentina second string the russians trust me if i

encounter i'm over forty points last we can and we're hoping for a much improved performance seven days main town but 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 troy from of this to strum half promised benny attack her. true but just all points going in trying to break. this point applying some early pressure falling resumption russia would soon find themselves further behind as visitors no problem balls managed to bundle is way over the line from close range on the home side with less of a mountain to climb just minutes away turn despite being down to fourteen men who certainly didn't individuals and one publish still is was on hand to finish a slick move and put argentina into twenty six lead russia needed to convert a tries just to draw level those to be no way back for the russians who were beginning to tire and argentina's greater fitness would prevail as they would run

into late scores to secure a thirty two point six victory. in the first officer of the thing there are power from the tri games to run a play by sea captain the first ten minutes because he controlled most of all we had most a position we were in small with and those officers it's a negative side that's the thing that has something to work on but i think way we keep the cells in the game the way i'll kick his ego has been working all or you know a lot you know with my style i'll fly after that one fly off but the last two games we've given a few guys are on the fringe and all prefer a lot of game time and that's great for the development and improve performance by the russians no way to plan if they continue then build on the old camp but in reality the team needs to become much beaten stop making elementary mistakes a big and on the chance of even competing on the same level with some the world's top sides in september two kinds of levon rich uncle to be hunting. and that's all

the sport for this one isn't by. technology here. we've got the future covered.

human. passenger liner sailing in the black sea. august thirty first. g.e. ships if twenty three twenty. four kilometers off shore if the crashes into another vessel. four hundred twenty three people die. the official. from the. video on demand. and streets in the palm of your.

question. will build vietnam's first seven nuclear energy plant in a bid to further economic cooperation. if the deal was. but all the details of the said they were. also in this week's top stories a fresh rift as georgia allegedly arrests a network of twenty gathering classified information for russia. and russia. success as the first operation destroys four drug labs to staff.

you're watching r t coming to you live from the russian capital welcome to the program now russia will build vietnam's first ever nuclear power plant dimitri medvedev said the deal will help vietnam develop as a powerful independent and modern state the russian president's visit to hanoi comes as moscow looks for closer cooperation with southeast asian countries got there you know reports from the vietnamese capital many deals were signed today during the russian president's official visit to one noyo bought this deal is perhaps the most important and this deal is said to be worth over five billion u.s. dollars and will certainly help vietnam stablish stability in its energy sector vietnam of course suffers from a lot of blackouts or a lot of electricity shortage it helps president.