the life of a foreign journalist for the first time since the unrest began as the arab league to continue its observer mission despite one one of them deciding to quit. what with the implications of the ongoing bloodshed in syria still hard to predict has been meeting with the professor of middle east politics dr jeremy salt to get a broader view on what's going on in the region that interview next. thank you jeremy for joining us here on r.t. 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 look at what's been happening in the middle east and the policies the western governments of followed they have always had 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 while 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 that was 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 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 strategies what has the libyan scenario failed in syria will the western powers change their tactics i think that libya with the template for syria 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 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 resolution 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 or still think they would like to intervene in syria but. i realize it's not the same as not saying as libya is a different situation altogether stakes are much higher the risks are much greater the danger is a much greater because intervention in syria how do you describe it whether you're talking about a buffer zone or you're talking about humility humanitarian chordal as the french foreign minister does. the same thing the invasion of another country and syria would resist that iran would get involved actively get involved it's hard to expand the fallback position i think is to support. certain activities inside syria which are calculated in the downfall of the assad government and its replacement by.

government will be formed presumably from. we presume would take take over in your book the unmaking of the middle east you chronicled alone in a bloody history of western invasions in arab lands with all the efforts by the u.n. and arab league of arab league is the threat of foreign military invasion for syria is in the past right or not here of course is still a possibility of course as to the possible to do rather do because it's a risky foreign intervention would be risky 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 lead and iraq to what extent the syrian national council

similar to libya's national transitional council or iraqi national congress rocky national congress was almost a fiction leader no support inside iraq whatsoever. iraq for a long long time has pumped up because they want to create this 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 government tripoli they jump ship when it got too hot they took of informing their way to benghazi and the transitional national council for all of whom we didn't know we knew some known problem we can't say the syrian national council is largely composed or the mixture of people who have the roots are inside syria but the dominant i think exiles. has been in paris for

a long time like read one. washington has very very close ties with the state department you know what kind of clout holder these people have inside syria are they not much so there are similarities between these councils and of course you know that the transitional national council will national transitional council in libya. recognize the syrian national council as a legitimate representative the syrian people it's not this is simple as that so it's kind of part of the campaign against syria of which that that now the little boy is now the libyan government is now part elections at various levels currently and to go in in syria with more had so what do you think will. 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 it could lead to regional war . in this context let's see if this is given

a few months and see how the process works are rational does have. a base of popular support. 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 foreign 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 our name people. and similar claims have been made by other human rights organizations human rights watch the. human rights council its committee it's 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 have died there's no desegregation which is what the critical reader would want you know you see these figures were they coming from this 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 explanation of that figure where they go. a few days later pillai the un human rights commission or the security council and said five thousand. figure it goes around the world and i think it lodges in the popular imagination it's five thousand people being killed by the syrian government but security forces by the north or 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

it but fact is 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 gangs so forth and so on you need to break the whole thing down but this is not broken 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 leader in play in this movement so may turkey use this momentum to its advantage turkey before a 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 turkey in theory 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 so all of a sudden the policy was reversed instantly like turkey did a sharp right hand i think the turkish government seemed to think that the syrian government for the protest movement got up and running and i think the turkey gobbler calculated that any question of cart before the syrian government goes and therefore i think it want to put it want to be riding the wave ok put on the crystal the way the question the wave of reform and change in the middle east and to be seen as the leader of this movement. turkey leg but the fact is the really serious 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

support the syrian national council of space and istanbul therefore we support free syrian army do you think that was a wrong decision in doing so they have antagonized iran prevent agonized iraq. because now iraq has come out quite strongly in support of syria and of course to live in his government by his pool has also been very very critical of turkey so the change in foreign policy has kind of they've dumped zero problem 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 there are those it's going to be on someone's face you know and they'll have to pull back 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 to keep being sincere in its intentions saying it wants stability in syria and stability in the region but aligned herself with with qatar with saudi arabia with the united states

britain and france but that's where it is let's watch that and 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 and took it 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 right 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 as to where it might be carried out.

now it's not about spilling blood. it's the war of the barricades from one side and fears blockade from the other. invisible border it has cut people from the land for twelve year. the conflict that divided serbia into two hostile parts is still not over. if they shoot something inappropriate for public they can easily be shown to accept casualties of war ok. i wish he would have never happened but it has happened. in a war a t.v. camera becomes an unnecessary what destroys their own safety all foreign nationals

including journalists and inspectors should leave. and this clear what happens with such witnesses i got on my site. many checks to. shoot a merciless shooting on our. mind. would be soo much brighter if you knew about someone from fines to

christians so. these friends starts on t.v. dot com. bookstores are not your storm brews over iran as the west accuses it publication amid suspicion is developing nuclear weapons well to robin claims the us and israel for the assassination of the fourth song to sing to me is. another scandal erupts in afghanistan some from iran the preview appear to show us marines urinating on the pictures of militant fighters sparky uproar among afghans. involved in syria claims a lot from a foreign journalist for the first time since the arrest began as the other big powers to continue its observer mission that despite one moment of deciding to quit . i'll be back with more news stories in fifteen minutes from now in the meantime the sport is next with human.

good to have you with us and this is sports a plenty ahead of the next ten minutes or so including the stories in per. capita old plushest in moscow take a massive step towards the kid play offs up the expense of cross-town rivals spartak. first blood liverpool will take a narrow lead into the second leg of their carling cup semifinal with manchester city thanks to stephen girard. let the games begin the in order all winter olympics get going on friday we have the lowdown on what to expect in austria. on the ice where we started with the continental hockey league it's not too often the heavyweights c.s.k. . struggle to make an into the playoffs but a place in the last sixteen was essentially up for grabs when the sides met on that

wednesday constantine to top off watch the action. ok darby between sports talk and say scott was to become even more important as the teams battled hard for a place which comes with a chance of a playoff in the western conference both sides were under extreme pressure to ask us off for ten defeats in eleven matches among them a repeat of the cage old record a humiliating loss to or move a nothing while spar tuck struggled to get back on winning form with a new coach behind the bench and they should aim for with no real science for success the game started cautiously with both teams putting defense first the hosts had possession but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock mean away through the opening period we call it a fork in was first on the rebound after you get the feel of the shot who earned his first point in the sixth game since his second comeback from the n.h.l. in the second test back at collecting penalties and sparta finally converted it in

and bondage of having an extra man a grandson of it says college and various mikheil of yours to get paid for me failing to level matters scoring his fifth of the season the nekton again continued in the last frame right up to the fifty three minute when sergei shaka capitalized on a power play for his fifteenth goal of the season to give the arm a man billy sparked up threw everything at their rivals for an equaliser the red and whites pulled a goaltender but only in vain as the visitors shot an empty netter to seal a final score we won i think forces fundamentals game so good in the forests. and build it. still better with my game in the first four into. maybe less panic now and the whole thing is going to get going and i think we have a lot are my chances and. put that into the park and that in that manner that's

what it is that i want for lunch really the rest going to start calling the other way. you know you we've. got our moments where we should have to the very. calm managed to bounce back up to eight nothing defeat to beat duke or see two rivals and ten points separate the teams in the rankings and it seems sparkplug will need a little miracle to secure a live police in the playoffs. brings us on to football where its advantage liverpool in their carling cup semi final clash with manchester city steven gerard making all the difference thirteen minutes in converting a penalty kick following this challenge and daniel agger by city staff and salvage the referee pointing to the spots with cup and doing the rest all in all a deserved win for the reds with the second leg gone for discussion out on the field on january twenty fifth crystal palace be part of one will and the other

first leg semifinal id are. also just the english premier league game on wednesday night tottenham level on points with second place a month chest united following a two no win over mid table everton are in. a cult letting either side of the break in the one sided in cost. in spain valencia are through to the last eight of the cup of the re the spire the second leg home defeat to sivia on wednesday to the second half we go where the visitors break the deadlock twenty minutes after that we start soldano the man napping after finding himself one on one with the bell and see a shot stopper the host still needing just four minutes to level. tickets first to respond to the broken ball severe would then regain their lead right up the death thanks to an own goal from victoria grew as so too on severe on the nine to two in our group get meaning it is the lead team who had found to the next stage on the

way a goal scored. with a basketball now or philadelphia's six game win streak come to an end but new york knicks making their home support help be a square garden the hosts totally in control cheering the first half leading by thirteen points after their first quarter and a dozen at the big break philadelphia though hadn't been six games not out for nothing going into the clash edging closer to the knicks in the third period but their efforts would prove fruitless new york retaining a double digit advantage lead on twenty seven points from carmelo anthony and twenty from a maryse of the biggest contributions to the knicks fourth win in a row. to the latest from the car rally now responded no one stage ten in the cars category in argentina coming home just inside four hours following the three hundred fifty one kilometer run. ekk however overall leader

stephan peter hans will cross the finish line just twenty one seconds after him leaving nine time champion peter huntsville's lead after ten days equal to more than nineteen minutes so the african. was third while in the bikes come respond to you on the board claimed his first stage victory at the rally his compatriot mark was second two minutes ahead of the prey of france who finished today third but did maintain his overall leading position. suffered yet another setback in his return to health to the formula one grid the twenty seven year old breaking his right leg in a fall at his home the same one he badly damaged in her crush early last year who was purged with russian for tally petroff missed the entire twenty eleven season with multiple injuries to the initial accident both drivers are of the team but paul ready admitted he wouldn't. being ready for the twenty twelve season in any

case he's yet to recover sufficient mobility in his right hand to drive f one cars boss the final down in the kelly was willing to take a wait and see approach with a talented driver before the latest injury news broke. jr off over sixty countries will get to find out what it's like to sit at the top table from tomorrow with the nor youth olympic winter games to to get underway in austria even sikorsky casts his eye over the first ever global event. extraordinary talent getting noticed in the youth ranks is nothing new across the sporting spectrum but now aspiring winter athletes have the chance to call themselves the limbic champions in the fourteen to eighteen year old age category sixty three sets of medals and fifty disciplines are up for grabs in the side of the nine hundred sixty four and the nine hundred seventy six senior winter games russia have sent sixty seven athletes

to the inaugural event with the figure skaters facing perhaps the largest amount of podium pressure three time domestic champion. and junior world championships runner up you. have every reason to feel confident the games will be similar in structure and format to the sort you twenty fourteen olympics making for a perfect rehearsal for the russian. it's going to be much more than just for me myself and my team might. seem to represent our country at the games it's a big responsibility and exciting experience of the same time will have a great chance to for what it's all about two years ahead of such a two thousand and fourteen what it feels like to even communicate with other athletes under the pressure and hopefully win. expect some good results from our team at the games hopefully each of them to fulfil their potential despite the pressure which is always there. the russian youth hockey team also feeling the

pressure facing off against arch rivals canada on that friday the thirteenth starting date the red machine so lego have had plenty of practice time and the kids still supported m.h.l. youth hockey league these past few months while around one thousand young athletes in total will be vying to take baby steps in the quest to become the next legends of their sport and with the likes of lindsey vonn sidney crosby and benjamin reiki masters the opportunity to seize the day and the podium has never been greater. r t. finally chinese most famous animal has benefited from the country's most popular bust couple player retired a time n.b.a. all star yao ming helping release six giant panda bears bred in captivity back into the wild this week the thirty one year old who protected the rim from n.b.a. opponents promise the decade now offering that same protection to some of his

country's most loved inhabitants making retired from the hardwood last july to to repeated foot injuries the two metre twenty nine centimeter told sensation thus turning his attention to helping conserve china's national symbol might be getting very busy very soon as the wildlife center in the host of two forty is over when it's completed as well as up to one hundred or. so. great to see and others all your sport for our world weather is next year and twenty four hour party.

this is our. to reclaim the american dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that

out of many we are one that one we breathe 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 a free. man. you . have very motivated out cross 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 ok. we are counting. property drowning and i think it's spread by it's cutting off our. it's making the marker see. all but impossible.

mr west accuses it of provocation amid suspicion is developing nuclear weapons while tehran blames the u.s. and israel for the assassination of four scientists in two years. another scandal rocks in afghanistan centered around a video of him to show u.s. marines urinating on the corpses of militant fighters sparking uproar among afghans . and violence in syria claims the life of a foreign journalist for the first time since the unrest began as the arab league powers to continue its observer mission and despite one want to decided to quit.