long. so i set out to the arab league criticizes airstrikes in libya as a multinational coalition launches an aerial offensive against gadhafi forces because it's reported killed. as bins national community steps up if it's to stop probably government forces even with things it's nice and to defend itself and once even in the capital city of tripoli to join you know a few moments from will. go calls for an end to what it terms an indiscriminate use of polls like foreign policy in libya and pull civil military action to remain within the parameters of the u.n. resolution. meanwhile america says its role of

a military intervention will be limited but that's not stark comparison to the beginning of the two thousand and three iraqi invasion. paul strode the majority of americans oppose the u.s. involvement beneath eventually for more on this join me danny checkdown from washington in just a few minutes. very good evening from moscow you're watching reality news channel it's ten pm here now my name is kevin and the top story the arab league criticized international strikes against targets in libya following reports of dozens of civilian deaths the organization was key to gaining international support for the u.n. back no fly zone but now says the military actions gone too far america says u.s. and allied forces of no halted an offensive by colonel gadhafi forces against

rebels in benghazi but fighting is still being reported elsewhere tonight paula has the latest from the capital tripoli. we are hearing reports of new airstrikes that are being carried out on the ground we're also hearing reports of military planes all being loaded with weapons at american bases in is unique and that which planes are on their way to libya now the american army has come through that it dropped some salty conventional bombs from the two stealth bombers not yet clear what was the exact target of those bombs but certainly amongst them was libyan air fields we're also being told that based on the constant satellites off firmly keeping an eye on the southern part of the city of sets where there are ten tons of mustard gas now the american army has defied the first phase of this operation is complete it says it is well satisfied that a no fly zone is firmly in place that there hasn't been any lydian helicopters or aircraft in the skies indeed that it hasn't even been an attempt to take them out

into the skies at this stage there are five countries that are involved the united states britain france canada and it to be the united states remains at the helm it's focus at the moment is to completely destroy all seriousness to a missile defense systems belonging to the gadhafi regime and at that stage it will hand over the reins of power to the coalition forces we are hearing reports that on the ground of heavy clashes intense shelling in the city of misrata which is some two hundred kilometers to the east of the capital tripoli this fighting has been ongoing for at least three days now now it's impossible for us to independently verify this we've been trying to reach the city to move in two weeks but it is in clamp down government forces have prevented any kind of movement in and out but i was on the ground are saying both in that and massacres on the both the government's tanks are in the same time of the town and that they completely demolishing it we're also hearing from state television that the number of

civilians who have been killed in these waste and it is strikes has not increased from thirty nine to sixty four and a high. and fifty two people remain injured some of the questions that are being asked on the ground a number one why is the fighting in misrata being able to continue why is there not more focus by the international community in terms of what is happening there and also the growing tally of civilian deaths how many more people are going to have to die before the situation here comes to an end gadhafi spoke for about fifteen minutes it wasn't actually his face that he saw but rather the image of a gold dust that was crushing an american fighter jet his tone was incredibly defiant incredibly angry he urged the libyans to defend themselves and the understanding that he will be opening warehouses to make ammunition and guns and weapons available to the civilian population and that as many as one million libyans could very soon be arming themselves he also said that this was an act of terrorism to quote him he said we will not be we will stay and liberate our country

now we're also hearing from the taliban as can be expected they have condemned this international reaction to what is happening here in libya they have urged the islamic world not to remain neutral but to step up and do something a correspondent on the ground there in tripoli paula moscow has called on coalition forces to revert to refrain from using indiscriminate force peter all of us outside russia's foreign ministry with the story the latest statement it's being released by the russian foreign ministry the ministry says that it's unacceptable for military force to be used for anything other than the protection of civilians in libya they also called they see is the indiscriminate use of force by coalition there you know here part of that foreign ministry statement. we strongly called upon the relevant states to stop the indiscriminate use of force we believe it is unacceptable to use the mandate laid out in resolution one thousand nine hundred

eighty three by the security council the passing of which was rather and us two purposes which are obviously beyond its provisions which were to protect the peaceful population all the same in continued to say that the foreign ministry here in moscow has received reports that dozens of civilians were killed in schools wounded in those attacks from the from boats from ships stationed in the mediterranean they also said that they've received information that nonmilitary targets have been hit in these attacks on saturday night these include a medical facility as well as roads and bridges now russia has been against the use of force by foreign powers in the libya situation is repeatedly called for dialogue and not military intervention said you lover of the russian foreign minister is in the region at the moment this is part of a double headed visits to to two of libya is very close neighbors to egypt and then

to algeria of course the it's inevitable that the situation in libya will play a part in not just the love of all was initially in those two countries to discuss bilateral trade and other talks between russia and egypt and algeria of course the with them bordering libya the situation in that country will be watched very very closely and inevitably as i say play a part in. those two countries. u.s. cruise missiles were the leading edge of coalition operations in libya despite president obama promising america's role would be limited he also promised no u.s. ground forces would be deployed though some are already pointing to similarities with the invasion of iraq in two thousand and three let's bring in our cities going to countries in washington to give the start line hi there america's exhausted isn't it by two major military campaigns in iraq and afghanistan now the u.s. is involved in another foreign operationally what is the public response to what's

happening. well kerry when you watch american television you get the impression that america's involvement is a really good thing and that there was no other option but intervention but if you look at the polls the majority of americans oppose the u.s. involvement in this intervention fox news gives sixty five percent they're already unhappy that their government is spending tax dollars in inconclusive wars in iraq and afghanistan and adding one more hot spot is the last thing they want efficiency or promise it's going to be a fast war obama said that there will be no u.s. troops on the ground could office military indeed is really no match for the capabilities of the coalition forces it took just hours to cripple his ear defenses the u.s. has launched missiles from its war ships and submarines in the mediterranean targeting at his air defense systems and clearing the sky to make for good out he's not able to shoot down any planes that the coalition forces earlier french warplanes had carried out strikes so gadhafi has ground forces there have been

reports of civilian casualties caused by the attacks there are lots of questions as to how long the operation is going to last also to the limits of the intervention enough for the coalition forces to just disarm could they go beyond that cauldron what the outcome is it would seem change what those questions are those are the questions everybody is asking and the wording of the u.n. resolution that was absolute thursday is really all inclusive short of occupation essential purpose of the intervention is protecting civilians from the rockies it packed with what everybody's talking about the looting down profits i did bombers and attacking his other military assets is one thing it was authorized by the resolution but arming the rebels for example is something very different egypt's military is shipping arms a little what it can do give the rebels in egypt increase when i was very much influenced by washington so it's not just the canal the army versus coalition forces but the fear is that this could turn into fledged civil war and that these

armed supplies could even further inflame the situation history shows that arming the other side of a conflict usually resulting you know death and destruction washington's currently leading. role what's the view. well the u.s. is very careful not to appear as the griping force behind the military actions but by now we know that the u.s. contribution in strikes substantially outweighs that of all the coalition forces combined so it's really a hard task to create the appearance of not being the leading force also the fact that president obama did not trust his trip to latin america is also kind of an indication that he doesn't want to be seen as the nanny is called thing so it was a very calculated decision and what they continue to stress is that it's not just the western powers building the war in the video politically have the support of the arab league as well and now it looks like the support is the menacing the head of the arab league has already criticized the international strikes for killing

innocent people they say the military operation has gone beyond what the arab league backed and they say what happened there first from the no fly zone objectives and. they're also saying he wanted what we wanted was to view the action and not nothing more civilian deaths we know that it was really crucial for western powers to have arab countries assistance so that it doesn't appear as if it's just the west cracking down on yet another arab nation but with this criticism coming from the arab league it will be very it will be difficult to count on their for their support ok we're keeping a very close eye on what's coming out of washington regards this with your help going to your correspondent there thank you well as against protesters continues in other arab countries like bahrain and yemen while the coalition forces are only focusing on libya we got some views about that from steve in chicago based radio host of a political talk show he told us it's because the u.s. only acts on its political interests. it will be years very attention because

america supports them or a key member in support circle isn't star your hero but just our support because there are it is very ironic because around two thousand and three. the establish were approached washington relations with here in meetings with u.s. officials including secretary of state clinton who were expressing very warm. peaceably to see me because what's going on now was. an ordinary each minute flake america undertakes it is not just after it isn't when we are two weeks in advance this is playing months in. europe which spirit spirit gets to pick out your troop deployments and there's no massaging of the good in america appearing to us for

a mere. duty to go in war illegally is the nikkei gratian against another country if you marry people that if you can pierce it it's humanitarian intervention force or steven lemon chicago based radio host of a political talk show will stay with radio host now stars of the radio but also an antiwar activist as well real showmen is no stranger to this program could see again that's my joining us from california as you are. forces of last assault against his own fellow countrymen as we've witnessed hundreds have died surely didn't it something had to be done. you know normally if your partner so you're going to have a million people slaughtered in iraq a half million in afghanistan a saudi invasion orchestrated and controlled by the united states in robert gates reign in which the population is being subjected to nerve gas in which doctors and

surgeons and medical people are being rounded up in shock and disappeared the hospitals seized the doctors and surgeons taken out of the operating room is gathered into the second floor taken out in shock others disappeared those who are not how to be a family location is determined so that they can be followed up there are one hundred thousand armed thugs that the united states is sponsored through the regime in iraq and it is carrying out a reign of terror i have been coordinating with the general confederation of trade unions in bahrain that is launched the under limited general's right through resolution into san francisco labor council and the international raunchier workers and. let's focus on libya because time i began says i've got a lot of what i have to put in change of the coalition delayed four weeks didn't it before acting bethel giving libya they say to sort out its internal problems how

low would you have left the violence go on then. what we please the we're dealing with here is an uprising in libya not rising that is linked to that which took place in egypt and in the region at large and the workers at roslin who sees me oil fields please keep in mind because often the regime says nine hundred ninety s. and in total collusion with the united states not only were u.s. special forces training could offer these people but congolese arised and the addition of joint statements the un to weren't kara and the oil companies had been rather the order of fields and been turned over to exxon and co town and mobil and to any end to rust cannot be rewarded with five percent of the shares of theone richard perle the prince of darkness one of his principal advisors khadafi is part of the us imperial hedge omonia he had capitulated to imperialism in the late one

nine hundred ninety s. they are making a noriega out of him today because they want to have troops on the ground to dictate the outcome of the struggle in libya and in the surrounding countries it is a naked undertaking and a country selling regimes of the arab league with. muso who is after all a colleague of mubarak giving their approval even as the saudis and the us direction are slaughtering the population in buck rein in yemen humanitarian concerns are granted to me riddle to do with the role i put it saying that i thought may doesn't the fight like it does phase broken i was saying that justify that intervention. there is no we know just the case and for imperial forces to intervene in libya and is nonsense about a ceasefire being violated is nothing more than hypocrisy and an excuse for intervention long under drawn towards the french integration the germans in the

mountains in the americans want to gain control not merely of the growth but the forty four point two billion dollars of world reserves and above all to dictate the outcome of the uprising and therefore they render their client cannot because noriega to create a rationale and pretext you seriously believe that if they are thousand libyan poor what motivate the nato countries and be a client states of us imperialism and yet another intervention every so-called humanitarian intervention whether it's in somalia or whether it's in congo or whether it's in libya have the intended subjugating of population seizing resources and what they are above all concerned which is not only the outcome of this not going to be popular masses in libya but that which is unfolding in tunisia and in egypt and across the region because if they took out bar it it wanted to put custom

medics on the corpse but the stakes are enormously high with the general strike in bahrain and with the workers on strike in egypt in the steelworkers demanding that the wealth of that ten percent that owns ninety percent of the country could be seize that production could under work its control rather i have nothing as a vein that we're out of that's all i'm afraid it's always good to put the opposing view to vote is always good a response and your thoughts about it on the program well showmen radio stuff and then activists joining us there thank you. british forces join the action in libya from the very beginning it's submarines and fighter jets carrier while tipple strikes against gadhafi forces our correspondent laura reports next than on what the u.k. public think about being involved in another conflict. what we heard before this started and what has actually happened now there's quite a big difference both in what actually happened and in in the perception of that a new fly zone sounds to your mind on the street like

a relatively no you key thing it just sounds like people won't be allowed to take take off planes but of course i think what people didn't fully understand was that in order to stop it after its planes taking off one would actually have to shoot them down and certainly what we've seen so far in this military intervention and we should remember any just the beginning is one hundred cruise missiles fired at the u.s. it dropped. bombs on libya the u.k. alone they have fired missiles launched from submarines which are currently stationed off the coast of libya and we've also seen going from the sky from tornado jets which were flown all the way from the u.k. people are staying on the street why are we going to libya when we're not going to other places that are seeing large scale civilian casualties caused by governments and civil war with seeing a lot of casualties thousands of casualties in the ivory coast where of course their main export is no poil but in fact and there are there's also been an extremely serious situation going on in some years in somalia and the situation

continues that's a very volatile again no intervention from from the u.k. or from the u.s. and of course given the general economic backdrop that we see here people are talking a lot about the cost of war they have heard their government saying repeatedly over a series of months we have got no money we've got no money for pensions we've got no money for public sector wages for higher education the cost of which is going up by by three fold and yet the government has seemed to be willing to get involved and yes you know the war seemingly at the drop outs in even off the defense cuts have been made in the u.k. william hague the foreign minister has come out and said that there will still be a will still have the full three largest military capability in the world's poorest people are also worried about what's become known as mission creep happen. in iraq it happened in afghanistan two wars in which british streets were involved over a long period of time again it was agreed that what would happen was that it would go in to establish stability and change for the just regional power and obviously

that hasn't happened yet in either of these countries so there is definitely a worry that we will go to libya and start military intervention there and just not not be able to leave for a period of years there is certainly a fear here in the u.k. that this is just the beginning of this intervention. where you can correspondent laura multinational coalition forces so the real libya to defend the civilians and stop the bloodshed the political writer donna johnson told r.t. that the atrocities actually begin when nato members become involved the whole notion that you have a resolution to protect civilians by calling in nato is absurd nato is not equipped to protect civilians nato is pretty cute compounds unconcern cruise missiles where nato does and united states does what it's quick to do and it is not equipped to protect civilians if the new united nations had wanted to protect civilians they

would have sent in a neutral observation team and i could have been very rapidly from different neutral nations to find out what was really going on on the ground because in fact we don't know what is really going on the ground there have been reports of atrocities if there were proof and photos of those atrocities committed by the gadhafi regime i think we'd be seeing them every hour on the western television screen we're not seeing them and so i am not sure that that is really the case of course now there will be atrocities and now there will be deaths because nato is involved and they're always brings about atrocities and death. well let me bring you up to date on the latest developments on the day two of the intervention there the head of the country's armed forces says he's all in all units to observe an immediate cease fire this latest one we've got come in front of us this comes on day two of the sale of the international a military operation over the country to enforce a no fly zone to protect civilians and pro-government forces multinational that

coalition says it's following the u.n. resolution by carrying out military strikes in libya earlier the arab league criticized the attacks by the u.s. u.k. and france because they've caused civilian deaths russia's also called on international troops well below described as an indiscriminate use of force meantime the allies claim that they've effectively established now a no fly zone over libya washington says it expects more strikes later but they are free for his part for the long war against the international coalition libyan officials say at least sixty four people have been killed in one hundred fifty wounded in the allied assault ok here today too and all the events at r.t. dot com on that are happening in libya and also on our twitter and facebook pages and at you tube to.

look at the other big news story of the day that's ongoing in japan and focusing on the fukushima nuclear plant there crews of mileage to attach power cables now they say that to the damaged reactors it could be an important breakthrough in efforts to prevent a catastrophe at the tsunami hit facility i have a band aid on the ground there has the latest for us for r.t. . even though they have attached power cables to two reactors reactors one and two there's no guarantee the cooling systems well actually work because they fear the electronics inside those cooling ponds may have been damaged in the earth and are all the in sealing explosions at those reactors and so what they're doing is not just turning on extra c. just yet because they feel if they do it could mouth unction even more in the pants

and they so living very wary before starting a power to those because they really need those pumps to work and that's the only realistic way they're going to get the situation under control and the temperatures inside the reactor is that what they're doing in the meantime they're still spraying water into the reactors so our department for thirteen hours straight two thousand tons of water into reaction number three but there's only so much that can do because already we've heard that the pressure inside reaction number three is increasing against they're going to have to end it which means a controlled release of steam but with that release of steam is escape or radiate radioactive substances as well now as for the radiation in the regions around fukushima we now know that there have been traces the radioactive substances radioactive iodine in fact found in the water systems in a five neighboring prefectures including in tokyo even says traces of radioactive id it's not considered harmful if ingested just yet but what's more wiring is that

it's there it wasn't never thought this disaster happened in focus shima the radiation levels inside the water are considered to be harmful what's more it's also spread to food products from the region to taiwan it's just reported that some imported far the beans from japan do contain traces of radiation as well so it's a bit of a wind development there and the anxiety now is regarding this radiation is now spreading to anger on the streets because today five hundred and uniquely of protesters joined the demonstration and your antiwar demonstrations in tokyo demonstrating against new. they're holding back are calling for the end of nuclear power in japan they're unlikely to have that demand met but it's a good plan once the situation is under control will certainly be closed because it's been rendered useless now following you said that string of what's inside the reactor it's a rescue operation is still ongoing but it's more of a salvage operation a search operation now because they know what's the chances of finding

a lie are pretty slim that in nine days since you're pregnant tsunami struck how he said that though they had what's been dubbed a miracle today an eight year old woman and a sixteen year old boy were found alive amongst the rubble in a town in a reality creek picture called ishinomaki which was one of the worst hit areas at least two people have been found alive that engulfed a miracle because not only were these sort of things to search and rescue operations following natural disasters like this incident after seventy two hours pretty unlikely to find people alive five percent survival rate up to ninety six hours these people survived for more than double that amount and that was even unseasonably wintry conditions and he said that though the death toll has been steadily rising it's now eight thousand one hundred thirty three and the number of missing is still over twelve thousand other burn in all as late as reporters was on our web site r.t. dot com if you want to catch up with more of that ahead one world renowned

earthquake expert tells r t why japan failed to predict the sheer size of the most powerful quake in its history before it happened. so forced to several negative photos coincided first the japanese are perhaps best equipped in the world against a group says they're living on a continuous seismic hotbed and they predicted an earthquake with nobody expected to make sure nine which is unique you normally magnitude agents who are closed the difference between eight and nine is a lot rhythmic scale each digit increment means a chain time increase of energy or so or you played a mean joke with the. before the eleventh of march quake a quake on the ninth of march in the same zone was considerably weaker only seven point seven which is still big. they decided the forecast had been fulfilled and they relaxed a much stronger quake occurred soon afterwards we. owe you for your fun at one of the devastating surprises nature could be keeping up its

sleeve for the years ahead in a full interview with him getting a record in coming up in just a couple of minutes time also sport ahead in just over fifteen minutes to eunice got news of a tantalizing fix just set up but the cricket world cup see it at. first the cream a little cold a clear cut. second explosive blast deeper than the. surface.