is any closer to reality. mubarak's out the army's in and the question now who's next. to. which way the country's going to. say it's nearly a week since he gyptian generals promised to lift a fifty year state of emergency but there's still no sign of when that will be the army knows his limitations when the decision was taken not to drop and fire not to do any slaughter in. within their own people the most of the ability to be the next the controllers the controllers of egypt but they do want to be the controllers of the piece and therefore the army if it once can keep the state of emergency in place for as long as it says it's necessary but not everyone thinks its intentions are noble finian cunningham is a middle east expert in bahrain from way visual and internet communications have been cut by the authorities in egypt similar. protesters refer to

supposedly eventually the state of emergency. drill in a country where nearly thirty years but the must. be buying me so called assurances and money and what right to be skeptical on. intentions of the military my lucy arm is a photographer who couldn't wait to capture egypt's revolution on film but he was stopped at the border by gyptian soldiers. so just how different is egypt today under the generals from the egypt of yesterday under mubarak which an emergency all of that. central component of the government apparatus when our arab like or the present are. more or. generals and for as long as a state of emergency remains in place the hopes that both me. of egypt to the

streets remain up in the air but egypt is not the only country the middle east that lives in a state of emergency across its border here in israel depending on who you talk to this country to has its emergency doors our marriages even the small it is because we live in a bad neighborhood day you have. in israel you are too much to see our elected politicians. israel is another state in the region. in part or somebody and it. becomes democratic. but israel routinely relist wars of aggression against neighbors and karen stranger. is generally not a state of emergency his oil is living its usual life no one moved from from the center for themselves or from the north to the center but whatever it is there's no denying that a country in a state of emergency is a country where democracy is ignored and if in egypt the generals don't make clear

signs to move towards democracy soon and many protesters might be wondering what exactly they were out on the streets for the r.t. tel aviv and with us voicing its support for the revolts one expert on the middle east believes the wave of demonstrations could actually pose a threat to america. one so we definitely do have the peoples of different countries of burien of the round definitely of the rack of libya of yemen of egypt we've seeded who really want to have change now the other aspect that i think that we have to be very careful about is that this will be and i think it is probably being either macro manage and control even and probably is going to be used to favor the interests of certain global power structures load the united states would like to see regime change in iran but at the same time they would like to see no regime change in bahrain and in egypt they probably knew that regime change was on the way because of the age of hosni mubarak and what iraq is another problem

altogether so i think that we have a generalized situation which the united states is for in the state department finding very difficult to control. the big guns of america's military establishment taking defensive action on capitol hill to protect their budget defense secretary robert gates warned cuts any deeper than the seventy eight billion dollars proposed by president obama would have quote tragic consequences christine personified who's really standing to benefit. times are tough for many on main street but most in government agree before assisting people like this it's more important to assist people like this. perhaps this is one reason the us military budget is more than fifty percent of the entire world and once again the top brass came to washington to defend defense it is my judgment that the department of defense needs an appropriation of at least five hundred forty billion

dollars for fiscal year two thousand and eleven for the u.s. military to properly carry out its mission maintain readiness and prepare for the future defense secretary robert gates also discussed cuts he's made to the military budget on programs no longer needed what you may not know is that most of the seventy eight billion dollars he's cut would take place in twenty fourteen and twenty fifteen when there will be a new secretary of defense and possibly a new president still and this was his announcement last month that i'll describe how these reform efforts are followed through to completion will make it possible to protect the u.s. military size reach and fighting strength despite a declining rate of growth and eventual flattening of the defense budget over the next five years as far as that flattening budget here's a look at current spending compared to previous war efforts and even after the cuts experts say in twenty fifteen the military budget will still be about one hundred billion dollars larger than in the bush years and about fifty billion more than the

reagan years so what's going on here economist richard wolfe says it's simple all the beneficiaries of government spending the companies that get subsidies the military producers who sell goods to the government the working people who get some benefits even if they're small all of them have mobilized to hold on to what they get to make it politically costly for and the congress man or woman to go against the. here's congressman buck mckeon chairman of the house armed services committee who has fought cuts tooth and nail there will be winners and losers in this process tough choices must be made but i will not support initiatives that will leave our military less capable and less ready to fight. in addition to the wars in iraq and afghanistan and the health and safety of men and women serving and there are also other expenses more than eight hundred military bases in places like the marshall

islands and the seven million dollars sponsorship by the army of notecard. usually pleas for money come close in the name of life or death drastic reductions in the size and strength of the us military make millet armed conflict all the more likely with an unacceptably high cost in american blood and treasure but the real treasure lies with those with the real power according to trends research institute director gerald solent says simple is they had a writing on the wall it's called the military industrial complex is in charge of the nation and until that changes there will be an invisible cloak around the pentagon that will allow no one to touch its budget what you will think i the things that are sacrificed the basic cuts in services the roads that go on repair and people who are forced to live on the streets and a continuing decline in the health education and overall quality of life for most

americans in washington christine for sound card saying. well meantime some experts believe the pentagon's warnings of catastrophic consequences caused by further cuts is just butwell to get more money. it's a cut in the planned growth in spending so we're actually going to spend more next year than we spent last year according to the obama administration or that's what they'd like congress to do so it's not really a cut and then the seventy eight billion over five years is about two point five percent of what we were planning to spend so if you think that's a major cut fine but it's just two point five percent so it's not very substantial when they're saying the cuts are catastrophic you saying the continuing resolution that congress wants to pass for the rest of two thousand and eleven doesn't have as much money as they've asked for so the seventy eight billion they say well that's sort of ok because that's what we asked for they're sort of being alarmist about the two thousand and eleven budget we need money for the rest of the year and they're saying if we don't get enough it's going to be end of the world i think

obviously they have a parochial interest in being alarmist about that but as far as china goes i mean china is always a always something that people who want to spend more money particularly on the navy and the air force like to talk about it's a big power it has a big military so it's an easy easy way to justify a whole lot of defense spending if you think we have something to fight a war with china over. you're with r t it's good to have your company now and still to come this hour here on r t locked up in the land of the free liberty takes a back seat to justice as the prisons fill up we take a look at one man's bid to redress the balance. three years after declaring independence from serbia because of who continues to face social and economic turmoil the recent elections there were widely criticized russia's envoy to the un pointed to a number of violations and voiced concern that radical parties were able to gain votes with high unemployment and rising poverty self-proclaimed a vulcan republic of course

a vote is offering fertile ground for hardline islam there are now growing fears the region could be turning into a major terrorist target right in the heart of europe and those artes sarah ferguson finding out extremist rhetoric speaking imported alongside foreign aid. press time in causeways capital and the mosques overflowing ninety percent of the population here are muslim and known for their liberal interpretation of the faith but there are now growing concerns that a fundamentalist strain a visit a hobby as it is taking the most fundamental strain of. the fundamentalist strain is from from the harbison so i think when you have this kind of ideology saying you have to literally follow and shout from the qur'an. you can quite easily have a situation where for example terrorist acts can be justified one hobby is i'm originally from saudi arabia and many mosques destroyed in the balkan conflicts are

being rebuilt with saudi money in fact the saudi government has poured tens of billions of dollars into building mosques schools and charities worldwide charities that in kosovo helping support poor members of the community. don't have jobs sure the charity bring in food which we need for i would children of the order but with nearly half the population employed and widespread poverty because they could be becoming a fertile breeding ground for the influence of well financed wahabi the impact of saudi financing in course of a now is clearly evident and the fear is that it's not just the money that. there will be ideology as well a lot of the saudi money is i mean often this is this is tied up in ideology and i don't think saudi arabia massively keen on the west especially for. building

a democratic structure which we. see as being right for the mosques is the place to be carefully monitored by the islamic community in cost of a to ensure that their adhering to moderate teachings. cannot be underlayer control because really how to appoint the mom and v. of a semi coming to redo a point three months re control however recently a mosque was closed down after a petition to remove him and he was allegedly using money to win a for the pool it was hit with a legally built mosque in the path of marina the am i was able to operate but ten years they were both being closed down now locals are asking why it was left for them to take action because you could tell there was something not tried going on there were young children full body karma and she was taking the religious trips abroad so we felt we had to do something about it. the moderate muslim community

here has made it clear that hardline teachings will not be tolerated there are warning signs the fundamentalist islam to be sneaking in the back to the right into the hearts. serafin r.t. because they. are just now or just one in quarter past the hour here in moscow you with r.t. nato is keen to get the few remaining western european countries not members of the alliance on board sweden is one of those being enticed now but norberg swedish and the nato activist tells us here at r.t. the expansion is simply part of american attempts to strengthen its influence in europe and beyond. walt are they doing to get them on the hook what are they doing what are they promising them or i really i don't have the answer because for me it's an insane. it's pure insanity hall many

things can united states government show that they don't care about people's when they show they torture in for instance all these terrible torture places. in every place they are violating international law all they are violating all treaties all treaties and they come away with it. well you can catch the full interview in about fifteen minutes time right here on to remember there are always plenty of stories for you to explore dot com here's a look at some of the items you'll find there right now facing jail for speaking out lithuanian politician trouble for his views on who's to blame for the rest of the country twenty years ago with. the official in laws. and why he wouldn't want to go in the u.s. . hopes and describes american health care as evil and says he's glad he's

a canadian the full story at all as you can also watch the best videos. on this go to some of the new. now making our international headlines this hour. sunk along northeast vietnam it killed eleven tourists and a local guide it's believed at least twenty one foreign travelers were on the vessel when they went down before dawn a local official said nine people and six crew have been rescued so far it's not

clear why the boat sank but it's known that the weather was calm at the time of the incident. the u.s. senate has voted to extend the controversial patriot act for ninety days giving lawmakers time to discuss its future the anti terror laws allow enforcement agencies to tap phone access business records and to carry out surveillance on suspects but the act has faced criticism among those who consider those powers an infringement on civil liberties the extension was passed comfortably approved by a vote of eighty six to twelve. colombian rebels have released the last two captors over the group which had been expected to be freed last weekend fark freed a thirty five year old police major seized in two thousand and seven and an army corporal captured in two thousand and eight and brings the total number of hostages released over the past week to six countries president criticized the rebels

accusing them of kidnapping two factory workers at the same time. it's the self-styled land of the free but also the country with more prisoners than anywhere else now one activist has launched his own orthodox protest against the criminal justice policy in the united states he says that something needs to change in a system which is too quick to condemn people to a life behind bars and a study of chocolate reports. the parking lot where the prison cell where the man inside it the inmate michael to bond moved in out of his own free will michael spent thirty hours building his prison cell made out of plywood and even parts of his own. a roof top is generator strategically placed right here keeps the cell lit and warm throughout this cold winter months the main goal of the man once convicted of armed robbery to bring down the number of prisoners in the u.s. slavery still exists in the united states of america to him and his supporters in

slaved are over two million prisoners packing jails across the us a country with the highest prison population in the world. and use the same in the same area were. disgusting to me it's not somewhere i want to be in. the ex-con is now teaching children about the horrors of prison life to deter them from crime in the future. a message reaching these kids and one that mike hopes to get across to the masses writing a book with the same title from inside his cell he lends support to those for whom crime is part of everyday life. right now the self-made convict says one of the biggest problems is american prisons are big business and thirty three thousand dollars a year. is like this come and. go. for

every rock you bring me. how many rocks would you bring and in this diary khana meet many youngsters are stuck between a rock and a hard place you can't the whole country and especially during the recession you know poverty is synonymous if you've got poverty you're going to have michael also cites a flawed justice system for the high conviction rates especially of the poor with lawyers selling freedom to the highest bidder if you can't afford to pay for the case you want to get crazy. where is the counterpart the money is a little bit of the locals are attracted to mike like the. bees to honey in their town the problem is too large to ignore six or seven in eight hundred is getting arrested each day a problem across the u.s. but less than five percent of the world's population but almost a quarter of the prison population of the planet look at i thought now we are all

in the home and so i think churkin r.t. philadelphia and i would be getting more reaction on that story glenn ford at its hour of black agenda record thinks it will be hard to change a prison system which is so deeply flawed people who would in slave black folks and the people in my circles don't consider that the main impetus to mass incarceration is money it is a political tool to control folks but if you want to do that you have to get large segments of the society on your side you have to make prison profitable for lots of people lots of companies and you also make it profitable for little towns in upstate new york in downstate illinois towns that would be suffering serious terrible unemployment if they didn't have a prison in their county so you you you you do two things you whip out

a and hysteria which is really a racial hysteria and the numbers show it around mainly drugs and you create a profit motive for people to vote to incarcerate masses and masses of black people and it works and that's why we have by far the worst imprisonments record on the planet. right now a toughie to get the latest the business off that yulia is not. polo time for a business on date and gas from his joining the elephant oilfield project in libya in an essence will jail with a tell an energy company any the deal was sealed cheering russian president dmitry

medvedev a visit to easily on wednesday and the gender of the visit included a number of often comic issues archer's nothing but isn't rome with the details well first of all an agreement was signed on washes involvement in developing the elephant oil field in libya russia's gas from will acquire thirty three percent stake in the project taking half of the shares from its hourly is any company in the south stream project was also discussed during president visits to rome the gas pipeline that's meant to deliver gas from russia to the south of europe of course energy corp is crucial for russia and italy but also the two countries have agreed to invest jointly into major infrastructure and energy projects in the north of africa members of the russian delegation have also said that they expect up just thirty italian companies to participate in russia's skolkovo innovation center where we're discussing

a number of projects with italian energy companies including eno's as well as machinery manufacturing firms i hope will reach agreements with both big companies that will become our partners and with small research groups that are interested in cooperating with school. it's really is russia's second largest trade partner in the european union after germany and according to preliminary reports trade was . have increased by nearly twelve percent since two thousand and nine reaching up to thirty six billion u.s. dollars last year. let's see how the markets are faring that sour european stocks are positive but just marginally on thursday as a lot of earnings news set some stocks in motion the eighty systems is down three percent after its profit missed estimates but banking shares are pushing the indices higher world bank of scotland is reading percent and lloyds banking is gaining three percent resource shares is suffering xstrata is down about three

percent and. is suffering a loss of one percent. and in russia the indices are continuing their upward trend taking from wednesday the standing good chances to stay up on positive close in the u.s. and asia and higher oil prices and another bunch of statistics from the u.s. to later in the day will be i by investors here let's have a look at something ghosts of the blue chips are climbing this hour for fun continues to gain for a second straight session most of the energy shares are giving ground on high oil. the listing off their russian rail operate a freight one may take place in london though the issue is still open to question that's according to president. this is the government to decide what will be the formula low or throw it is a show of discomfort that is not settled yet sure oh you know the fifty years of

the procedure will fly pure then possibly unloveable but if it's real beer if it is the direct selling there to build build rush. that's it for me now joining me in less than one else time for more business news and. web site are two dot com slash business.

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headlines. for political reform with violence. in the middle east and north africa . to use. our country to see. america's top military officials. as defense. reductions would have quote tragic consequences. is pushing a massive cuts to the rest of society. and three years since declaring independence continues to face. it could be turning into a training ground for terrorists from saudi arabia is coming in alongside extremist

islamic teaching. that most western european countries are fully paid up members of nato but a small number are not and the alliance is keen to bring them on board sweden is among those nations but peace activists. see that moves to tempt it into the arms of nato as just another example of america's ongoing quest for influence is coming up next. i cannot ignore burke is on a mission her goal to tell the world how far and how much nato has gone in taking over the globe and tells our t. why the activist has dedicated her life to stop what she calls the u.s. nato war machine in the south korea and japan where you guys were there so proud to be one of the.