held in the jail that president obama. and the first foreign journalist killed in syria. was mortally wounded by a grenade along with at least eight locals the country's blamed terrorists for the . opposition groups which are blamed for instigating the violence. and with the implications of the ongoing bloodshed in syria still hard to predict we sat down with a professor of middle east politics dr jeremy sold to get a broader view of what's really going on in that region you're watching. thank you jeremy for joining us here on our team as well as call put it when it comes to the middle east there west talks idealistically and acts brutally if it's true if you agree with this what should be done what can be done to prevent syria from falling into these patterns me look at what's been happening in the middle

east and the policies the western governments of followed they have always had the the noble motive and we're doing this for this very very good 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 the same with the president of tunisia and then they move very very quickly on libya what was happening in libya that was so absolutely terrible in many cases 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 here 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 right played 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 therefore 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 they 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 and i still think they would like to intervene in syria but. i realize that's not saying is that nothing is libya is a different situation altogether expecting much half the risk a much greater danger is a much greater because intervention in syria how would you describe it whether you're talking about a buffer zone over the top american military humanitarian chordal as the french foreign minister does it still adds up to the same thing as the invasion of another country and syria would resist that iran will get involved actively get involved

it's hard to take the fall back position i think is to support. certain activities inside syria which are calculated and then the downfall of the assad government and its replacement by. government will be formed presumably from the exiles from the agitating against i presume 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 possible to put their body rather do because it's so risky for intervention would be so basically however it was done would be to kind of maintain the support for what's happening inside syria on the side of the opposition like the 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 leave here 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 you know the libyan situation the lives of the libyan transitional council as you know basically would affect us from the government tripoli they jump ship when it got too hot and they took a very informing the they went to benghazi and the transitional national council for all of whom we didn't know we knew some known problem they said we can't say

the syrian national council is largely composed or the mixture of people who have the roots who are inside syria but the dominant i think by exiles. has been in paris for a long time like red 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 hold of 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 on national transitional council in libya. recognize the syrian national council as a legitimate representative the syrian people it's not that simple as that but so it's kind of part of the campaign against syria of which that that that now the lid is now the libyan government is now part elections at various levels are currently on to go in in syria with more bad 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. total breakdown inside the country and could lead to a 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 could 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 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 hospital because any verification of that if it's a claim made on the basis of our name people right and similar claims have been made by other human rights organizations human rights watch the. u.n.

human rights council its 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 because were they coming from doesn't even 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 explanation of that figure where they go. a few days later. who's the un human rights commissioner of the security council and so far for. the figure it goes 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 an order whatever whereas in fact i

don't think it's any doubt at all that a large number of military of civilians have been killed by armed gangs about of it but by defectors so what we actually need to do is to 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 use this momentum to its advantage turkey before the policy for the last seven years of creating zero problems on the

borders. and that meant kind of dealing with iran doing with syria and syria had a rather complicated relationship over many many years. and so these problems were resolved and they did lead to very good stable balanced relationships with syria and with iran in particular and all of a sudden the policy was reversed instantly like turkey did a sharp right hand turn i think the turkish government seem to think that the syrian government for the protest movement got up and running and i think the governor calculated that any question of time before the syrian government goes and therefore i think it want to be it wanted to be riding a wave ok put on the crystal the way to question the wave of reform and change in the middle east and to be seen as the leader of this movement. turkey legs but the fact is that. syria as i consulted. this is not libya. if anyone interferes with us like across our borders to cause an earthquake in this

region so the stakes for everyone including turkey in this situation very very high the turkey made this decision that i think that affable go therefore we support the opposition therefore we put we support the syrian national council of space in istanbul therefore we support free syrian army do you think that was a wrong decision in doing so they have antagonized iran five antagonized iraq. because now iraq has come out quite strongly in support of syria and of course the living is governed by his boss has also been very very critical of turkey so the change in foreign policy has kind of that dump the problem policy and what they've done that is create problems now if if if our side goes ok then it's all worked out but if if 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 clear it actually is not really tenable any longer

you've got to deal with this government here like it or not is turkey being sincere in its intentions saying it wants to politically in syria instability in the region it's aligned with with qatar with saudi arabia with united states britain and france but that's where it is that's what stands and so the rhetoric about humanitarian intervention a buffer zone humanitarian strip has been a kind of simple thing in discussion about syria over the last six months until he's gone along with that but they know the dangers they do of course they know the dangers that if there was a move across the border if turkey somehow we're talking to taking the lead part it would open up a pandora's box of problems you know and i. you know turkey itself has said you know there's no question of invention but it seems to me this 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.

this is our time. to reclaim the american dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many we all want that war we breathe the we hope. to me the american dream is to live in peace and prosperity and freedom and a government under socialism is not a government of free. you . have very motivated out for us the country who are activists who are willing to fight for what they think is right for themselves but the fact is forty four bridge.

we are counting. properly counting and i think it's spread by it's cutting off our. it's making the marker see. all but impossible. he.

the headlines on out see the crisis in relations between washington and tehran is aggravated by the assassination of a fourth iranian scientist in two years iran blames israel and america for the plot but says it will not do rail the country's nuclear program. the first of a foreign journalist is killed in syria's unrest a french camera man was mortally wounded by a grenade along with at least eight other locals are the country's authorities blamed terrorists for the attack meaning the armed opposition group which it blames for instigating the violence. on the ten year anniversary since quantum of bay greeted us first prisoners has been mobbed by protests in the u.s.

sunday brought people took to the streets demanding the release of those still held in the jail that president obama about to close. and i would use both and in full in about fifteen minutes first is here with the latest action from the world of sport. hello the sports announcer good telecom today again coming up in the program. cross city arrival rate serious carbon spot talk on the road in a most good way to extend the gap between the sides to ten points. unexpected result seven jerad games loophole a narrow away big trick against manchester city in the us that go the carling cup semifinals. and to lose but still go through valencia advance to the

last eight of the cup del rey despite a second leg to face to seville. so let's start with our stock away in the catch else says the biggest rivals and main competitors for a playoff spot spot in the russian capital the game finished three one at the scala karina but out of has all the details. regarding between sports talk into this car was to become even more important as the team's battle for a place which comes with a chance to play out in the western conference i both sides were under pressure to score some ten defeats and no matches i am a repeat of the cato record simulating your strong move nothing i will spark talk struggle to get back a movie or movie new close behind the bank unleashing it with no real signs for success the game started cautiously with both teams getting different first i the hosts had possession but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock midway through

the ring we go a bit off more than most course in the rebound people at the front who are going in the sixty sixty second come back from the n.h.l. in the second case can't get the luck to penalties and spurred on by only converting in and want to try living next to a man. the grandson protégés college and very speaker like you are going. to level matters scoring his feet of the season the neck to make game continued in the last spring right up to the feet deep meaning once again shook up to the wise them a power play book is fifteen goal of the season to give the man belief sparked up threw everything at their rivals for an equaliser the red and white goaltender but the only thing is the visitors shot him empty netter to see what final score we won i force it's fun to win those games so it's good and course. i build a. bit better with my game the first four into so maybe less panic

now and hopefully it's going to get going i think we had a lot of hardware chances and we've. put the puck in and that you know that hurts when you think you miss them even if i want for lunch early the refs going to start calling the other way. you know you we we had better moments where we should or should a very. calm minish to bounce back up to the wishing eight nothing defeat to beat duke or see two rivals and style ten points to break the teams in the rankings and it seems part luck will need a little miracle to secure their place in the playoffs. for a team. that's not saying look at their results from wednesday night two more games were played across russia a simple phrase they destructo managed to take only one point. as the one time i say side to face them in a shootout was another surprise result and since that is the locals scar the town

they discounted it for not some goals against visiting sevastopol. then football liverpool have beaten managed to sit in the third of the current cup semifinals the game finished one nail in favor of the visitors at the end tots ted steven gerrard made. all the difference for two minutes in converted how to keep following this city's chef and sandwich in the area referee had no other option but to point to the spot experience made no mistake a sending the ball past the keeper into the right hand corner the second leg will be played and returned to face. through to the last eight of the copper del rey that despite a second like home defeat to seville in the last sixteen and we go straight to the second half where the visit is opened the scoring in the sixty fifth minute. broke clear and easily beats the keeper the hosts needed four minutes to lower matches

take it was the third to the rebound in the box. took the lead at the very end of the game when villa to defend victor roos call a noun goal in injury time so we want to seville tonight aggregate but it's well and say the advance to the next stage going away goals. over to basketball now where in the n.b.a. the new york knicks have and filled six game winning streak with an eighty five so tonight victory at madison square garden has totally controlled the first half thirteen forward after the first quarter and twelve half time tried to fight back after the big break and nearly managed to equalise midway through the third period . but those efforts proved to be useless when the knicks retained double figures late soon after wards twenty seven points from anthony and twenty from start of the biggest contributions to their fourth win in

a row. for ceremony for the russian youth winter olympic team has been held at moscow demanded porter the pick of the country's hopefuls flying off to for the first ever dinner games which get underway on friday russia will be represented by sixty seven young athletes with women's figure skating traditionally being one of the team's biggest hopes. of the sport three time domestic champ an underling assault vehicle and world junior championships elisabetta took tongue mischa regarded as strong favorites for glory asa coaching finals saying it is the perfect rehearsal head of the twenty fourteen winter olympics. and it's going to be much more than just a completion for me myself and my team might be covered with chasing to represent our country at the winter youth a limpid games it's a big responsibility and a new exciting experience at the same time we will have a great chance to feel what the impacts are all about two years ahead of sochi two

thousand and fourteen what it feels like to live and communicate with other athletes under the pressure and hopefully when. of course we expect some good results from our team at the games hopefully each of them will manage to fulfil their potential despite the pressure which is always there when it comes to big events like this. in winter sports on the lead of tourism and celebrated victory at the world cup event in france in the big final of the swiss faced two canadian races caster so and mail thompson. discipline leader made a mistake which saw finishing last out of four while loading claimed the first sports there which let's hope top ascending to two hundred and eighty nine point thomson came second and third respectively. in the meantime slovenian finn inflator has become the fastest in the men's event and then it's to overtake the

likes of canadians christopher hill paul school and david duncan and also. claimed his first victory. to the runners are spot. on the rise of tim thibeault continues in the n.f.l. with the unpredictable quarterback taking the denver broncos through to the playoffs the playoffs putting the recent stunning overtime victory against pittsburgh to one side to focus on the heavily favored the new england patriots this saturday in the grand scheme of things it's one game and it's a playoff game so it's big but i'm not going to let you too much into it it's just one game and you've got another big win this week. you know it would be fun to be here to be exciting because you're playing new england patriots and we get a chance to play tom brady. in trucks and. to mother around in the playoffs and it's exciting. to the world of hard teenagers now where ferrari are

hoping for much better things from the team and its drivers in twenty twelve the table will introduce a completely revised car for the new season on the third of february team principals define a dominik ali said that the car that competed for ferrari or the f one track throughout last season hadn't been good enough. no doubt that the main reason for the very these important year last year was the product that the car was not performant enough so i think that we have a adjusts to the organisation tried to maximize in. the people that were already in in that i had to bring new stuff you know the fresh air the new we're working in figure eighty with the people there because there's a for the mental thing that we have to do. and finally the dakar rally where splendid ninety roma has one stage ten in the cast competition from what took the stage on is one side four hours over a latest

a fun pit hansell cross the finish line just twenty one seconds behind that made the nine time champions league after ten days a call to more than ninety minutes africa ungentle developers finished their. time in the bikes category honda read a port claimed his first stage victory at the rally his compatriot mark came home second to minutes surreal of france who finished the day third but maintained his overall leading position. ok that's all for me for today more sports news from around the globe in two hours time here not with the union on the all good why. wealthy british scientists are. trying to.

market why not come to. find out what's really happening to the global economy with max concert for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune into kinds a report on our.

it's not about spilling blood. it's the war of the barricades from one side and fears blockade from the other. invisible border has cut people from the land for twelve years. the conflict that divided serbia into two hostile parts is still not over.

the crisis in relations between washington and tehran is i provided by the assassination of a fourth iranian scientist in two years iran claims israel and america. the first foreign journalist it's killed in syria's on rest a french cameraman was mortally wounded by a grenade and what the country's wealth already say was a terrorist attack. and ten years off of the infamous the guantanamo bay group that it's a prison as people in the u.s. on the border demand the release of those still held in the jail that president obama had a valve to close. well so.