reason but we don't have to be terribly skeptical or cynical to understand that actually behind the noble motive is self-interest if we look at what happened in egypt the west backed mubarak right to the very last and there was no longer possible to back him when it was indefensible they dumped him and with him with the president of tunisia and then they moved very very quickly on libya what was happening in libya. absolutely terrible in any case in the name of human rights they kind of attacked libya the same with syria you know it's kind of it's a it's a protest movement it's democratic change and reform which are very worthwhile motives to support but there is another agenda there which has to do with broader global and regional strategies what has the libyan scenario failed in syria will the western powers change their tactics i think that libya was the template for syria they kind of went to the u.n. they got the no fly zone was lucian and that opened up libya to aerial attack and i

think they thought that they could repeat this in syria but it didn't prove to be possible largely because of russia actually because russia made it plain that it would not support another no fly and no fly zone of a solution in the security council so this left the government of britain france and the u.s. in particular with you know they had to work out what policy they were going to pursue you know still think they would like to intervene in syria but they realize it's not the end of the last thing of libya is a different situation altogether thanks so much for the risk of much greater dangers about greater because intervention in syria how would you describe that whether you're talking about a buffer zone or you talk american military humanitarian causal as the french foreign minister does it still adds up the same thing as the invasion of another country and syria would resist that around to get involved actively get involved it's hard to take the fallback position i think is to support. certain activities inside syria which are calculated and in the downfall of the assad government and

its replacement by. government will be formed presumably from the exiles from the agitating against the prison would take take over in your book the unmaking of the middle east you chronicle the lawn and lead a history of western invasions in arab lands with all the efforts by the u.n. and arab league the dayton row of arab league is the threat of foreign military invasion for syria is in the past right or not yet of course is still a possibility of course as to the possibly were probably rather do because it's so risky for intervention would be service be however it was done would be to kind of maintain the support for what's happening inside syria on the side of the opposition and their calculation would be that sooner or later these precious if they were interned would result in the collapse of the assad government well as compare syria with the league and iraq to what extent the syrian national council

similar to libya is national transitional council or iraqi national congress rockey national congress was almost a fiction the leader of no support inside iraq whatsoever could live outside iraq for a long long time and he was pumped up because they wanted to create this exiled body called the iraqi national congress so there was an iraqi voice in the propaganda war against saddam hussein the libyan situation the lives of the libyan transitional council as you know basically would affect us from the governing tripoli jump ship but when it got too hot they took a really forming the they went to benghazi and then the transitional national council for all of whom we didn't know we knew someone from all the places we can't part say the syrian national council is largely composed of all the mixture of people who have the roots who are inside syria but the dominant i think part exiles

. has been in paris for a long time like read one. who's based in washington and has very very close ties with the state department you know what kind of clout what part of holder these people have inside syria are they not much. you know so there are similarities between these councils and of course you know that the transitional national council or national transitional council in libya. recognize the syrian national council as a legitimate representative the syrian people it's not that simple as that so it's kind of part of the the campaign against syria of which that that that now the lead part is now the libyan government is now part elections at various levels are currently on to go in in syria with more had so what do you think will bashar al assad remain in power as a result and we have a very very dangerous situation in syria which could have exploded into a very very nasty. probably breakdown inside the country it could lead to regional

war. in this context let's see if this you give me a few months and see how the process works for bashar does have. a base of popular support so. i don't think you can say that the party would be doomed the moment they call free elections that could do well why do you think human rights watch talks and for media neglects the damage done by militant groups in syria it's somewhat of a mystery to me it's a mystery and the city has made some pretty. provocative claims in with regard to syria one of them is that i think it was military people dressing up as doctors in homs hospital because any verification of that if it's a claim made on the basis of online people. and similar claims have been made by other human rights organizations human rights watch the. u.n. human rights council it's committee is all one way it's all about what the

government is doing and making very very extreme claims the government's response to the death of two hundred fifty six children for example. four thousand five thousand of dart there is no desegregation which is what the critical reader would want you know you see these figures were they coming from there's anyone know how many people have been killed in syria so far in its report. the human rights council report said four thousand but there was no expression of that figure where they go. a few days later lovely pillai who's the un human rights commissioner for the security council and said five thousand and the figure echoes around the world and i think it lodges in the popular imagination is five thousand people being killed by the syrian government by the security forces by the whatever whereas in fact i don't think is any doubt at all that a large number of military of civilians have been killed by armed gangs about of

it but by factors so what we actually need to do is to this aggregate these figures like how many people have been killed by the syrian army how many of them were innocent entirely innocent how many of them were men who picked up arms. how many civilians have been killed by armed gangs so forth and so on you need to break the whole thing down but these figures are not broken down since we are in turkey let's talk about turkey a little bit turkey definitely wants to be associated with the changes in this region to be seen as a leading play in this movement so may turkey he used this moment to its advantage turkey before the policy for the last seven years of creating zero zero problems on the borders ok and that meant kind of dealing with iran dealing with syria and turkey and syria had a rather complicated relationship over many many years. and so these problems were

resolved and they did lead to a very good stable balanced relationship with syria and with iran in particular all sudden that policy was reversed instantly but turkey did a sharp right hand i think the turkish government seem to think that the syrian government for the protest movement has got up and running and i think the calculated that's only a question of time before the syrian government goes and therefore i think it want to put it to be it want to be riding a wave ok put itself on the crest of the wave the quest of the wave of reform and change in the middle a sin to be seen as the leader of this movement so. make decisions but fact is that . syria is as i said self said. this is not media if anyone interferes with us like across the borders to cause an earthquake in this region so the stakes for everyone including turkey in this situation a very very high that took him a decision that i think that as

a blogger therefore we support the opposition therefore we support the syrian national council but of space in istanbul therefore we support free syrian army do you think that was a wrong decision in doing so they have antagonize iran they've antagonized iraq. because now iraq is come out quite strongly in support of syria and of course the lebanese government by hizbollah has also been very very critical of turkey so the change in foreign policy has kind of they've dumped the zero problem policy and what they've done act is create problems now if if if assad goes ok then so what us but if it if if if he doesn't somehow manage to ride this out. well then i suppose there's going to be a go on someone's face you know and they'll have to be a pullback from a position that you had to create and actually is not really tenable any longer you've got to deal with this government here like it or not is to keep being sincere in its intentions saying it wants to billet see in syria and stability in

the region it's aligned itself with with qatar and saudi arabia with united states britain and france that's where it is that's what happens and so the rhetoric about humanitarian intervention a buffer zone humanitarian strip has been a kind of several thing in discussion about syria over the last six months and turkey got along with that but they know the dangers they do of course they know that this that if there was a move across the border if turkey somehow we're talking to taking the lead. it would open up a pandora's box of problems you know and i. you know turkey itself has said you know it's no question of invention but it seems to me it is definitely a bit of ambivalence over this issue like it's an option that somehow is still there however it might be carried out.

as being. used to the football. where the timber industry. there is siberian tiger where the ancient native community loses its weight in the modern world. and where the country's mineral wealth starts its way across the ocean. come to the bars creature

russia blows up. wealthy british style. 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 conjure reports .

artie's top stories the u.s. says its warships will stick to their missions near a crucial oil lane out of the persian gulf despite warnings from iran to stay away the standoff continues to drive up oil prices and tension. their public and presidential candidate race gets underway in earnest but voters remain indecisive over just trying to put forward to capitalize the dissolution meant with barack obama. and the euro's woes flare up again after christmas wall. thousands now threatening to ditch the euro zone unless the e.u. and i.m.f. funnel more valid cash into its collapsing economy. and egyptians had back to the polling stations for the third and final round of their parliamentary election

the first vote there since president mubarak was toppled in february last year. time now for the sports news here in r.t. . hello there welcome to the sport and these are the headlines three uneasy manch to city beat liverpool three nailed to race clear at the top of being leashed primarily. while title rivals manchester united have the chance to get level with a trip to newcastle. and basketball kings him off on the weekend after a fourteen month winning streak in russia's top frogs. but first russia have reached the finals of the under twenty world ice hockey championship speaking hosts canada six five and a real thriller in calgary the russians had been six one up after a hard turn from you can you please not itself but the host then stormed back with

four goals in five minutes in the final period to set up a really tense finale however russia managed to hold on i'm defending champions will now face sweden in the final after they came from dying to be finland three two in a shootout. while on to the football where manchester city have beaten liverpool three nil to go three points clear at the top of the english premier league city had lost the sunderland just forty eight hours before this game but put that disappointment behind them with goals from syria where ya touré on the james milner penalty the only blip the sending off of sitting midfielder gareth barry in the seventy minute liverpool were playing without striker luis suarez after deciding not to appeal against his eight match ban for racially abusing manchester united's patrice evra elsewhere spurs the third six points behind city after their one there when i will west brom and sunderland continue to impress under new manager martin o'neill with

a four one victory over struggling wigan but it is sitting there were leading the way. by. we were really lucky to get a game tonight that in that all three four we had some problem in this it on doubt we did a good performance i'm not sure the school way reflects a really good way though obviously it's a must see and we deserve to win but. i think the lesson that we've left from today's. doing for no clinical we're going to suffer. as a lot of things are today that really we can correct well to not have it in take on bolton amongst united have the chance to get back on level terms with sitting there trying to newcastle both sides looking to banks back after a disappointing defeat at the weekend. here with all the you know the clubs like

ourselves you know. the big clubs come along and you've got to get yourself up and ready for and we're looking forward to tomorrow night and i see of the back of a disappointing result fancy that we might might be fired up for as we are after game be more livable so i think you could go well players in the russian premier league is still enjoying their winter break at the moment so it is an opportunity to look back at the pick of their goals from twenty eleven with a net bulging. i

. i. think i am i i. think i i i i. i. i i. i.

i. i i. see crack is there including a couple from cabana who are currently managed by former chelsea star down to tresco he got been promoted to russia's top flight and earlier in the season he spoke with artie's consenting to top off fun you left chelsea three years before i'm on about the club do you feel any regret that you weren't there when salaries went sky high and the blues won the league yeah i think it was about time for me to

leave the club but i didn't know at the time that but i always was going to come and also. in this time i was not in the good relationship with the coach who was the only them i had to leave but i was sorry for sure because after two years i lived since he won the championship you spearheaded team which played in the champions league so why did you decide to make a move to combine a team which has been just relegated to the owner of the club and the government of the region. especially in armenia for me three times in my house from d.c. to come people i think that was going to cities i mean the club i was working i was i was sure it is going in the wrong direction because if you need the money and in this moment disclose disappear from football and i think i did the right thing to do move in the right time before they come to bomb they had five coaches in on you

and i was going to be scared about the situation but they said they want to change something and leave even when you lost three games in the road and there was the pressure a little bit last year i know the owner of the club said. but it's going to be the new federal sort of the combine and he'll trust me do you thing that the world twenty team can change something in this i'm sure percent sure after the world cup that i shall be much better not just in the national to vote also in the club competition and they will love medal from this and it's good for the country because there will be a new stadium of snow airports new streets new hotels i think it's fantastic for russia the world cup will be here and i wish after the world cup i'll be in russia because that will be the time to be here and that was about manager damn press speaking with artie's constantine for top of the season now let's switch to tennis and the council open where defending champion roger federer has brushed aside

twenty ten win in a kind of a junket to reach the second round the swiss maestro also beat the russian in last year's final missing period again this time around federer able to breeze through the gate in setting the mia twenty two minutes taken sixty seven genco was unable to regain his composure after that for start with federate taking the first round match sixty six two in just under an hour this way saying to win the qatar title for a full time distance elsewhere six. calling for a lot he was among those watching sixty eight alex a bomb a lot of junior russian getting a comeback win over felipe overlander. also in round one the tally won the opening set seven five but all of them began to show the resilience which earned him eighteen pins motion of the year award the twenty eight year old making a swift turnaround in the second set to close out a five seven six four six two when i was. watching rafael nadal is staying on track to become the first spaniard ever to win the katter open the top

seeds appeared to be heading for an easing first round victory after winning the set against any kohlschreiber german veteran however was able to take the second thing down the tempo in the third to eventually grind out three set win in just over two and a half hours. i am we will end with basketball where him ki have suffered their thirst league defeat in fourteen months in russia's top flight but it was by the narrowest of margins top four so i could see clearly getting a sixty eight points to sixty seven victory in the league seemed like business as usual for him he at first his day ruled to a fifteen point lead after the first quarter fatality frizzed and leading the charge of getting my sixty points but the men from south america kept chipping away at the deficit thanks largely to brian rush not to make getting high seventy pinky lead by four at half time but couldn't hold off a surge from the visitors the size went back and forth in the final quarter but it

was korea sixty eight sixty seven minutes. while the memphis grizzlies rediscovered their rule i really n.b.a. following a thirty point loss against chicago on sunday really gave you twenty three points to help you so i put away the sacramento kings have some young another solid contributor to the home team exasperates adding twenty points off the bench that still play and they are making an eighty five sixty four degrees and dominating one hundred thirteen ninety six the final school as the kings have now lost for the last five after winning the series and. that's all we've got time for with the weather coming. fall. well. science technology innovation all the latest developments from

around russia we've got the future covered.

the u.s. says its war ships will stick to their missions near a crucial oil line out of the persian gulf despite warnings from the wrong to stay away the standoff continues to drive up oil prices and tensions. are probably going to presidential candidate race gets underway in earnest by the motors were made in decisive over just trying to put forward to capitalize on disillusionment with iraq obama. plus the rise of crime and gang culture among british youngsters from troubled families who say it's their only way of escaping violence at home.

it's seven pm here in moscow this is r t coming to you live from new snow with our top story this evening oil prices have jumped in response to the latest heated exchange between iran and the u.s. over the persian gulf and the critical trade route in the strait of hormuz washington says it's airships will continue their missions in the region despite tehran's warnings that they should stay away iran threatened to block oil shipments through the strait of hormuz if new western sanctions hit its exports the threat came at the same time as a ten day long naval exercises to showcase new aircraft and medium range missiles the u.s. who ships are stationed in the area maintains that it won't tolerate any passage is a time correspondent pepe escobar says sanctions against iran will hurt the global economic completely. you can imagine if he was the other way around if the sanctions were against american exports all boil or.