london aims at a failed state at a terror training camp leading to speculation and invasion is the next step. eleven am in the russian capital you're watching r.t.m. arena joshie now anything up to fifty thousand people are expected to gather in central moscow on saturday for another protest against the results of russia's parliamentary election earlier this month the mass rally is being organized by various opposition groups who claim the voting was rigged artistic work is going off joins us live now for more so you are tell us what we can expect from this gathering today. final preparations are underway here at. central moscow there was a sound check going out going on on the stage final instructions are being given

out to the police very tight security here as well kind of at the moment it reminds from a gracious for a large music concert and a big crowd is expected today here this rally was authorized for fifty thousand people but a little bit over that confirmed they're planning to attend this event on a one of these social networks meanwhile to those points of view organizers have managed to gather over one hundred thirty thousand u.s. dollars to sponsor the summit. nations though do you see the baby boom peacefully just like you did on december tenth the square right near the kremlin where the biggest protest rally in russia in the last two decades happened when not least twenty thousand activists gathered saying that the recent parliamentary election was rigged and demanding revolt in the country. now that if i.

preparations as he said are in place so tell us a bit more about how the russian leadership in reacting to these protests so far. as of the economy's been in terms of moderates to be investigating all of the allegations of violations during the election over fifty criminal cases have been opened so far the results from over twenty polling stations have been canceled across the country need to define said that each russian citizen has the full legal rights to voice his or her opinion as long as it's within the framework of them off the law and so the president has also stressed that any from occasions or an attempt small foreign influence will not be accepted now these words were said that is there and you know state of the union address where the president is also listed a set off changes the proposals we should already been deemed a sweeping political reform of the entire system aimed at bringing a liberal change into its in these proposals include those returning in the

elections of regional governors easing the procedures to register political parties and to take part in presidential elections and song then actually the president made these proposals and submitted them already to the newly elected state duma. are the people behind the rallies and who should we expect to turn up today. well the opposition in russia currently is not some unified general force it consists of groups and teams are some of them have been there before for some time now some of them are worthy of it have emerged just recently but in fact all of them put their efforts together just earlier in december following the parliamentary vote on december fourth the opposition does have some well known figures in russia like the former deputy prime minister but he's so who's also. known to be

a link with all washington's national imbalances for democracy it's also found himself more recently in the horn scandal when someone is still rubber solutions for leaks to the internet and when talking about his fellow opposition party states often didn't really pick out wars let's call it that you something obscene language there as well there's also the thing that all bollixed you know why me a blogger anticorruption back to this stuff here is critical to the kremlin but was also know that you. too often. say some aggressive behavior nationalist the oriented speeches you know there are going to be here as well celebrities journalists writers actors public figures as well including the first and last president of the you want to start the program much of your thanks very much indeed for this update on the bring us the atmosphere from the venue where people will be gathering later today is going on record there.

now as much of the christian world gets ready for christmas there's a little festive spirit in syria the capital is recovering from two suicide blast which left over forty people dead and more than a hundred injured the arab league is searching for a solution to the crisis in trying to find out the truth behind the unrest syrians just want the bloodshed to end artists are for three ports. in confusion in damascus as the capital which until now has remained largely spared from the violence starts to feel the effects of an escalating conflicts. going on the first day of the league's war it was a bloody tragic day the people of syria will never forget these terrorists this time of year the capsule is usually brightly lit it is chris stevens he can succumb to send to the population get ready to celebrate christmas but these scenes of devastation are a harsh contrast. and

a stark reminder of just how much the country has changed in the past nine months. last year at christmas we used to wish health and pray for people in other countries that were going through hard times with war we never thought that this year it would be us. this year is totally different because of the situation in our country. the priests here planning their own mark of respect for the coast. of syria our people to avoid the external signs of festivities but to go. there one really feels like celebrating anyway when the country's hospitals are full of casualties the government claims it's fighting militant groups sponsored from abroad meanwhile the opposition originally marked by its insistence on peaceful protests it's now been joined by growing numbers of army

defectors and has become increasingly arms after months of quite downs by the government and this violence spreads its prevailing extremely hard to know exactly who is responsible for what. you have for instance. from somebody who is not. the government. it is your position that. the government. taxing killings have been met repeatedly with claim counter-claim an accusation. you know we have to use two different movies to use the. we don't tell me. more. from the truth one of the arab league team will be attempting to cut through the rhetoric and discover his version of events

is most accurate they many remain skeptical about how much they'll be able to achieve but there's one thing that everyone here is hating for and that's for the violence to be stopped the christmas celebration thing going down this religious services will be happening people. are going to be with their country their. russia supports the arab league's mission in syria but attempts to make that backing official in the un security council were a blog by some western states they were based author and political analyst says the u.s. is only interested in flaming the conflict in syria. the reason they would want to provoke regime change is to put in place a government that would be friendly to us and its allies interests and of course to enable those interests to control strategic resources in syria and throughout the region which is the same case that we saw in libya i mean the whole justification

of protecting the population was really just a front to be able to overthrow and assassinate really a moammar gadhafi and put in place a government that would be friendly to the u.s. we have to remember that right after the obama administration would drew troops from iraq to some of those were relocated to the border of syria from jordan and in preparation of arming this conflict and possibly engaging in it as well and i think that these terrorist attacks are part of that or part of maybe a justification to say hey there needs to be a stronger military presence from abroad in order to prevent further military conflict internally in the country that could result in the deaths of so-called innocent civilians. was the year draws to an end we're looking back at some of the major events that shaped twenty eleven today we focus on the crisis in syria with our teams test our cilia sharing her thoughts about what she saw firsthand during a visit to the conflict torn country.

well when we went to syria it was sometime in october and the situation was getting very tense there so our flight arrived at the around three in the morning so you can imagine the surprise and the shock of security forces when three foreign journalists arrive at a time when there was a media bad international journalists there but we're here in the center of the assyrian capital you can see behind me traffic is just about started to flow again going into the city damascus was rather peaceful it was quiet although very tense still because everybody knows what was going on in the country. and what's interesting i think most before for us is that we saw the kind of. diverse opinions on what was going on there was no clear two sides even there were more

than two sides it was not i want the regime or i don't want the regime. and there was one time you were interviewing a young man and he was rather critical of the government so he gave his point of view and what you didn't see on the camera is that there was a group of men around him and us listening to what he was saying. and afterwards after the interview was finished they all came up to us and said get us on camera we want to see what we feel. and then we also spoke to those people who were protesting specifically those who were on the streets in how to stop that's about twenty minutes outside of damascus one of the guys that we interviewed he actually disappeared for two days and he said he was held by security forces he was beaten up after forty eight hours of detention and torture they took all of my money and belongings and threw me out into the. st. we also spoke with soldiers' families

those who have been killed and you can't wholesale feel that they are angry at the protesters because their sons have been lost fathers have been lost husbands have been lost and you can't understand the point of view that they're coming from how console jer's killed their soldiers this is impossible whatever media says this is plainly lawyer. speaking about fear look out tell you one incident we were supposed to interview one of the leaders of the national coordination council the local opposition. the interview with sets and he when we called him he said i might have to cancel because we there were security forces we think who were at the office and they wrote some threats on the wall. we had to our fixer who translated what it meant. it said you're working for the

u.s. we're going to kill you. and so they were there were threats at the members of the f.c.c. particularly the leader. that was a scary time because we they were just outside we didn't know whether they would come in and we asked there are interview are you scared he said you only die once. so the syrians are very i felt hospitable people but when when it comes to political talk when it comes to expressing a political view in a crowd it can really get heated they would. jostle at the rally that we went to it got pretty rough. our camera was procured and so forth. everywhere do you know but that is your job you go in there he try to get you try to do what you can to try to film as much as you can try to put it in as much context and we had to tell sometimes. to tell people please calm down otherwise we

can't get anything on film work here in the south where the syrian capital our gathered show their support for the government i don't think that's a far cry from the images we've been seeing in other cities of the country where there have been reporting a lot of the growing force of any government protesters however want they get about where in this country whenever they'd be the news about syria would never really be everything you say about syria i would really pay attention although everybody here say i think that's correct i don't think that's or that's not as precise as i think it was so i'd like to think that because of my trip there and my experience there. that when i see something about syria i don't take it at face value i remember everything that i gathered and book looks through with through that perspective rather than just what i see. well

arty's looking back at the ten most significant advance of two thousand and eleven as seen through the eyes of our correspondents and in case you missed any you can catch the series online at r.t. dot com. now with the campaign in libya seen as mission accomplished the british prime minister has turned his attention to somalia david cameron plans a summit in february to discuss what to do about what he calls a failed state and britain's secret services have named it the new training ground for terrorists are laura smith explains why one didn't see somalia as a threat. the words of prime minister david cameron somalia is a failed state that directly threatens british interests his solution options ranging from humanitarian aid right through to military intervention and reports suggest that in the new year following the perceived success of the libyan campaign in government circles somalia could be the next target for u.k.

forces newspapers as saying that the royal air force could be sent to help african union troops to support the weak u.s. backed transitional government's equipment and money other main donations despite a tough economic situation at home there are around a hundred thousand somalis living in the u.k. making up one of the largest muslim groups according to m i five somalia is the latest terrorist training ground where british residents from a variety of backgrounds pakistan baghdad dash yemen go to study jihads the risk is that they then come back to the u.k. and carry out terrorist attacks there's also the threats of piracy and the kidnapping of aid workers and tourists but crucially somalia also has boston gas reserves and other natural resources including the rainier which the u.s. and other countries have had their eye on for years many points also to somalia is

to teach position presiding over a large parts of oil transport routes through the gulf of aden and usually find when the military strategists are planning long term intervention somewhere. i'm looking at political map second the oil and gas one of the biggest because a huge somali community around here that i represent most of whom are from the south but not all and they're not saying to me. they're saying can we please have support to get a functioning system of government in place and. some see this as a direct result of the perceived success by the government of the come paid in libya operation me to oust gadhafi successful next stop somalia. coming up on our team what do you look for. do you think that sense of humor it would be appealing in

a world leader think it's an international way of speaking you know everybody gets it and everybody likes it. our own resident in the org asks people on the streets about the must have qualities for the world leaders today. the withdrawal of u.s. troops from iraq has left a wave of sectarian violence in its wake america says it left stability behind but even the largest oil reserves in the world aren't enough to pay for the peace iraqis want our dish on tom's investigates what that means for the reputation of the u.s. in the region and beyond. packing up to head home it may be easy to overlook the total costs of war at least one hundred fourteen thousand iraqi civilians killed as well as four and a half thousand american soldiers millions displaced from their homes not to mention a one trillion dollars financial burden still the former occupiers leave behind some words of encouragement i can say it with confidence that in the next twenty or

fifty years iraq will be a leader here in the in the gulf region that rivals any country inside of the gulf region i think that iraq now is a safe and secure environment it's not a safe and secure is as it should be or it will be but it's it's progressing very well the american occupation of iraq saw the fall of the baddest regime the capture and execution of deposed leader saddam hussein and the implementation of a democratic government but now nearly nine years later these are the country better off well it is i that they below in the halls of the u.s. troop invasion of iraq in two thousand and three and their grievances think the committed made the situation here worse there are so many mistakes committed by the u.s. military leadership especially in managing civilian aspects here this had a negative effect because i said that in fact many here say it was the american mismanagement of iraq and that led to the rise of sectarian violence in the country

people if you us who brings the threat of us to iraq he said yes it. damage to the infrastructure of iraq he said. so i think. we on american must cooperate in order to. put up this. culture that hate. between two peoples the timeline for u.s. troop withdrawal was set in two thousand and eight and while the obama administration initially tried to extend the deadline the official transfer of power came sixteen days ahead of schedule on december sixteenth two thousand and eleven but we hope that the future. all of us many good things if we can look to the acquittal a balanced not my view with see. iraq he follow america must

have been in everything on american. good. sources and also mind. many people. our country right now the u.s. and iraqi governments are working on a new type of diplomatic relations building a new type of trust if you will but now the next step is in the hands of the iraqi government to move the country forward as america's influence waned political infighting and sectarian divisions in the iraqi parliament have diminished as well giving iraqis hope for a strong future i'm overjoyed a bit of fun with that as regards other aspects civil life the political and parliamentarian aspects as well as the economic aspect that lets me see that iraq has good keep abilities to become one of the developed states but as iraq prepares to move past this dark chapter they have

a message for their former occupiers to defend america. police. because he's a great. bruce teach. future to be sure and friends are few right now in a region in which america's reputation lies and friends in the eyes of many in iraq sean thomas. we explore the impact of long wars on returning soldiers at our web site r.t. dot com u.s. troops coming back from conflict zones could face their toughest battle yet with suicide now killing more servicemen and women than at any bullets. also on line three cars minot's completed their journey to the stars is russia so is rocket successfully docks with the international space station bringing in the new crewmembers details on r.t. dot com. now let's take a look at some other stories from around the world

a suicide bomb attack on a paramilitary camp has left at least six pakistani soldiers dead in the northwest of the country the bomber drove an explosive laden vehicle into the camp's office in the town of bondo the taliban claimed the attack was revenge for a u.s. drone assault that killed one of its commanders. the cuban government is set to release almost three thousand prisoners including a man convicted of political crimes however those accused of serious of fancies like murder espionage or drug trafficking will not be granted amnesty president castro said this humanitarian gesture what show cuba's strength ahead of the upcoming papal visit to the country. barack obama has greeted the approval of a short term tax cut extension by congress by asking for and now they're extension president to the move was a make or break moment for the american middle class after he managed to overcome

republican opposition for a landmark victory a conference committee will try to so up a year long deal after the holiday season the bills will extend payroll tax cuts and jobless benefits for millions of unemployed into the new year. to have a presidential elections in the u.s. russia france south korea and many other countries in two thousand and twelve the question on many lips is what does a moderate leader look like today artie's big apple resident laurie hoffman has asked people in new york about what they expect from a potential candidate. important elections will be held in many countries in two thousand and twelve what's it going to take to be a good leader in today's world this week let's talk about that what do you think is the most important quality for a world leader to have right now just empathy for what's going on right now just an ability be able to be flexible just with the american people and the people the

world and a lot of patience i equate intelligence with humor. i mean say oh yeah a quick mind so you think that sense of humor would be appealing in a world leader think it's an international way of speaking you know everybody gets it and everybody likes it that circumstances are controlled all the countries right now so somebody step up and take the reins you know would you follow someone that was strong like that even if you didn't necessarily believe yes yes they're true leader and we're honest with people absolutely is having the ability to lead people more important than having the intelligence or the right kind of policies. yeah i would say it is because you have to have a whole team of people that are actually implementing your work so you have to be able to provide that process for them you know is it important for them to have money so that they understand how it works or is it important for them to not have

so much money that they're in touch with people i think is probably important for them to have come up having no money i mean look at great leaders nelson mandela i mean you look at mary came from larry ended up i mean he understood what it was what it was like to have nothing i think that's probably what made him such a good leader of course for me it was a new apostles the kennedy was because of one the leader of my mind because you had this really man who was my vision was and he's now what he was a man who really wants to lead the nations to the future do you think it's possible in today's world or is it too different a time now than it was in the path of sort of this totally different because of global avoid is a totally very complex and not easy to manage metis including by have a social or social networking is started to change your mind over how to leave the people no matter what qualities we'd like to see in the new world leaders of two

thousand and twelve let's just hope we aren't too disappointed in who they turn out to be. coming up in our team speaks to those who took part in a unique russian space experiment by spending here and half an earth bound capsule to stimulate simulate a flight to mars for that athletes. the

. machine would be soon which brightened if you knew about some from phones to pressure. these food stamps on t.v. don't come.

back you're watching r t these are the top stories up to fifty thousand people are expected to descend on central moscow in a second major protest against the results of this month's parliamentary hold the opposition claims a vote was rigged and want a real action while the russian leadership has promised political reforms. there is no merry christmas in syria worries spiral of violence continued with two suicide blasts in damascus which left over forty people dead the arab league is in the country looking for a way.