obama's sir thank you for sitting down with us today good to be here i'd like 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 at the present afghan war zone where we have upwards of four hundred bases again from tiny combat outposts to the 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 were the way you kept couple an ace 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 this globe has some form of military presence from the united states that i can't swear that it's every so it 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.

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 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 is an undeclared wars which you reach 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 are you 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 that is that is it's not that there's ever no coverage but you have to be

a news junkie 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. 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 made of 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 is a thing 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 off 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 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 debts 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 trees three we have piled up many towers of dead and 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 and 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 a 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. 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 any us military isn't. there many authors out there here in the united states talking about it how come this point is 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 he had made a similar 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 and 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 less and 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 goes hard thank you very much for sitting ton of 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 it was a bit 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 scientists not. time to. market why not. find out what's really happening to the global economy with mike stronger for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune in to cause a report on our. little beasts. which writer. of the song still fresh in his.

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russia signs a multibillion dollar deal the power of vietnam's economic ambition to the meeting and sees moscow a good deal to build the country's first atomic plant and. u.s. and russia joined forces for the first time to wipe out drug labs and more than two hundred million dollars worth of heroin in afghanistan the operation came as a result of an increased pressure from moscow to block the flow when entering iraq through. a spy scandal brewing after reports georgia has detained twenty members of the legend of washington. police who have refused to either confirm or deny the claim. voted in brazil's first female

president pledging to continue the outgoing leader's anti-poverty policy as she beat opposition rival forces said you know the second round of. let's now take a look at what's happening in the world of sports with kate. hello welcome to the sports news point here the headlines marching on alexander could recall scores a senate win three now it's time to align your care six points clear at the top of the russian premier league. ball moving up a little gravel like one mill 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 i think that 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 high went over a lot mia who are in a real relegation battle the host went in front of the quarter of an hour off the donkey last of each five time to see. the second one three minutes before the break leading would be strong launched across instant there's a cough provided an easy thing and. then six minutes off the restarts downing the rushes strike it's true again humidity isn't in 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 on. the wall there was a dramatic finish in the net net and from the time the party late in the first top maka fashion was sent off for a second card after what looks like a debatable clue about the referee pot luck i still took the three points distance to secure stats and in the dying minutes it quantifies taking the brunt of the spot

celebrations and that's on top notch x. defeats in the table. housewives' on one and one many times one cause the only goal time in the fifty seven is at times to back up this shot a lot. after the five inches. constrain the drop zone along the severe. wall spot an object conceded and only don't only in the game tell that it didn't manage to spill only he climbs up until yesterday john salvaging a point for the visitors to stick to six table. the last game of the day ten man satin came back to draw a long long effect as to sky he lose ground on the top two so much nets it open for the all in man off to thirty nine minutes before an exit of on off level to the head inside straight off the interval but stay with quickly on the back foot as rizla naku chef sole read off the fifty three minutes however sanson held on for the draw on the points. and on saturday force base pontac moscow came from behind

to stay in the hunt for a place in europe next season i am so i found themselves a goal down went on record gauche netted ought to twenty minutes but spot tuck went into the right level aiden mcgeady provided the cross needs topspin venison on to the finish line won want to lose the weight stays until the final minutes and substitute center is nice he's not done with ups and looking to make no mistakes on the spot spotlight sometimes there are three secrets the m six placed on the must also remain in the chase for you right the next passata coming from behind to make the wrong time to look but on c.b.s. the twentieth gelato dave to this it is a surprisingly often hour not in six minutes the first taking means telling franchitti to the level i was in on days with dentical head at the time why i respect that to the chinese the ones today it's not some good off this entire

time it's three one i was tired and was shocked at the force right across from alex on the ball than i i reading when mike c. rodriguez scored the eighty six minute win as liverpool rose six places to twelve after one though when adults and their. it's needed just a point out of the relegation zone but the late victory ensured that and back to back wins for the first time really hodgson well earlier there were two dogs in england kevin nolan scored a hat trick on a day been added a brace this new cost with thrashed ten on sunderland five want to send jane to 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 scholes. tennison to license has won the w t a championships opportunity wild number one caroline wozniacki in the final into leinster how it's true the i said to take its sixth straight and was cruising through the second when first nancy found

a full time to bench me to get seven five to level a much but's the belgian regained her dominance again in the final set to take six six three and if they tried they. had the means on the skin has claimed a surprising victory over former champion economy and fire at the st petersburg i think because that play lifted the trophy off their straight set six three seven six when it comes to the second from kazakhstan to win into the title following and going to be a success and come back this year it. has moved on to the ice now and that was a stunning result in the kontinental hockey league as a rookie as you grok came from two goals down to win three two on penalties defending champions. and there were other big results on sunday night sky awesome pieces bag one four three west and close the swedish h.t. did on the visitors were two goals up after the first period that we're back at you then she took the victory on penances the army yeah got net is the visitors were

never in overtime as albion got one two one afternoon east after humidex court twice in the third period to win five three a time to various spots like moscow whenever behind and one three one hundred you sent us about the number one for all three on penalties i asked him a moment's. as i say that was a shock three one defeat for now i'm willing to go to class open for the high see the end of the first period so straight to the second one cooking but not to the crowd by double and there's a fountain however it's just past also i think that's a bit out of place in the green line on block and what's not to zip ghoulish maybe illuminate so he's still on the list to go advantage in a quick counterattacks his skull did give a lot of hope of saving the gang of the strike back to strike. this is this place they got the 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 much a g.p. for the third year in a row the runs over to rossi with eleven laps to go before speeding save for an eight point six second victory on the right and read the physio so perhaps not only race of the season but still arends that it was his first victory in two months and spaniard could wrap up the season. in small island for the next sunday. the fb i just award and i've been i was crushed many times i think everyone by you know in the lab a then. i thought is going to win the race but little by little i was simply my luddite he was just dealing 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 year's when they will come up

with will his which a couple things. is less many years ago till the two thousand and eleven rugby world cup gets underway new zealand and then 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 and says russia's new backs coach a report there could see there are you know they do the right to be the world cup oh no i so want to be involved in a short time but i know it's hard for the players they know themselves they need the front so they need to work on contact with the pretty much everyone everywhere the checklist needs to be turkey 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 obviously of diamond nickel i 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 to chance against argentina second string the russian trust me if i encounter i'm over forty points last we can and we're hoping for a much improved performance seven days of a town for the majority of the first half they would give a good account of themselves and would have been in front before we would go kicking and opportunistic troy from of this destroyed hard trying to danny i tell you. trail but just points going in the whole time frame. despite applying some early pressure falling resumption russia would soon find themselves further behind as visitors long probables 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 the certainly didn't individuals and one publish still is was on hand to finish a slick move upward argentina into twenty to sixteen russia needed to convert a tries just to draw level those to be no way back for russians who were beginning

to tire and argentina's greater fitness would prevail as they would run into late scores schiro thirty two points to six victory. in the first off as part of the thing there are power from the try against the run a play by those who came in the first ten minutes we were seeing control most of all we had most of positions we were in small with and those off the it's a negative side that's the thing that has something to work on but i think today we keep the cells in the game we were able kick his ego has been working all of you know a lot you know with my style i'll fly after that one fly off but the last two games we were given a few guys who 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 you know ways to kind of make continue then build on the ball count but in reality the team needs to become much fitter and start 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 thousand seven rich uncle to be counting. and that's all the support for this bill isn't by. hungry for the full story we've got it's. the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers on the. in

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change every green little hotel. the deal was. all the details of the trip stay with. the u.s. and russia joined forces for the first. more than two hundred million dollars worth of. brewing after reports. twenty members of. brazil's first female president.

recapping this week's top stories in news headlines this is certainly glad to have you with us russia will build vietnam's first ever nuclear power plant dmitri medvedev said the deal will help vietnam develop as a powerful independent and modern state the russian president's visit to hanoi. looks for closer cooperation with southeast asian countries. reports from the vietnamese capital. this is perhaps the most important. to be worth a billion u.s. dollars. and it's. a lot of electricity shortage.