well from the democratic pluralism that the west assumed would take that was in fact rushing into that power vacuum is islamicists john all bradley thanks very much for talking to us today now we'll start with the situation in iran because it's very much in the news at the moment the e.u. has banned all new oil contracts with the country and it plans to extend sanctions on the iranian central bank how much do you think that's going to cost iran the e.u. and the global economy in general it's certainly going to cost to run we've seen today the real local currency it's weakest. level against the u.s. dollar in history and the fact is that iran exposed a sizable amount of its oil to the you and coupled with american sanctions unilateral sanctions are already in place against iran it's going to hurt but what we're seeing essentially is the first phase of economic warfare against iran and the problem is that the west has iran all wrong just as it has the middle east all wrong he believes that sanctions will increase the divide between the regime and

the people and historically this doesn't happen there's no proof that this happens whatsoever it's people feel pressured and they look at where that pressure is coming from and that's the west and so it makes them more anti west and that's the only logical outcome he also hopes that if there is serious instability as a result then because iran is very ethnically and geographically divided that certain groups will rise up against the regime or there will be a popular uprising but again it's wishful thinking it's not going to happen at all and we saw years of sanctions in iraq didn't wait is that a comparison that you draw you know and then we saw a war and all of this is leading to war the whole in washington there are allies in saudi arabia and israel are absolutely absolutely determined to bring iran to its knees and it seems like it's now or never and they're going for broke so what will happen next. what does that usually death involve what they're hoping for is that

iran is backed into a corner and some incident occurs whether by accident or design that makes it seem that the rain ians. power as well and then because there is very little support in the west for unilateral strike against iran the fact is especially if it's done at the behest of israel and they need iran to do something whether it's the us carrier it's a mine in the strait of hormuz or whether it's just rhetoric on the part of the iranian regime. it's everyone's up upping the ratchet to the extent that something has to happen and the americans wouldn't have militarized to the extent that they have if they weren't expecting the final outcome outcome to be war do you see that that could be the iranians looking the straits of hormuz the gulf oil export

reaches that now promising that they well you know though it's not saying that it will do that just as a result of sanctions it's threatening to do that in the event that it attacked and that's just one of many things that iran is threatening to do and has the capability to do it you are very worried about ethnic divisions all through the middle east which you say it comes the fore in both iran and also in syria if sunni islamists gain control of most of the middle east what do you think the outcome could be for the majority shiite iran obviously all of this is bad news for iran and in fact if you look back at the arab spring the turning point came in late february when saudi arabia was given the go ahead by washington. and what happened then is related very much to everything that's happening now because it's the only country that is sure majority rule by a sunny minority. and iran has two story claims to the island and the u.s.

navy's fifth fleet is based there saluting crucial to containing iran and so essentially what we've seen is a sunny divide reemerge in the middle east with washington clearly backing sonny powerhouse saudi arabia close american ally and saudi arabia and turkey along with taken control of the revolutions out somewhere and so for example its funding and into the main islamic party in tunisia the muslim brotherhood and more extremist groups in in egypt are on the record as saying they go substantial funds from saudi arabia the yemeni government has openly criticized for interfering in its internal affairs and funding radical islamists and of course in syria the the main opposition is made dominated by the muslim brotherhood and the so-called free syrian army is dominated by not only radical jihadi is from within syria but also

jihad is from throughout the region where we're told constantly that there's no real threat because these are moderate islamic parties but of course the definition of moderate makes absolute sense in any rational because saudi arabia is often described in the western media as a moderate arab state and i lived in saudi arabia for three years and i can assure you there is absolutely nothing moderate about our country that's all you say that . is the miscreants who have stepped into the breach in many of these countries are you saying that these weren't genuine people's uprisings at the time. the idea. behind it is that they hijacked the revolutions and precisely because they were in fact islamic inspired the beginning in tunisia could never have been because it's rather in prison already and the muslim brotherhood in egypt openly came out against the revolution initially the problem is that the. motivation for these

revolutions was economic internees here for example it started in the deep south. south in syria it started in a city near jordan which it been experiencing a drought for three years i mean egypt an extensive opinion poll carried out even among those who went to her just after mubarak fell showed that only nineteen percent of the free and fair elections and free expression and so on of the top of their agenda their main priority sixty five percent was the economy now the people who provide these revolutions foolishly declared their revolutions leaderless and they didn't have an agenda anyone who knows anything about revolutionary uprisings in the past and specifically round the most ready for the seventy nine revolution in iran knows that what happens in the post-revolutionary chaos is that the groups that are most disciplined. and most ruthless politically then fill the vacuum and so when you couple that with the fact that they're then with the funding that we've

been talking about from saudi arabia. able to manipulate the electoral process. they were perfectly poised to to step into the into the cap and fill the vacuum and that's what they've done what about the free syrian army that's fighting for a genuine democracy and you'll see whether or not they're fighting for democracy is an open question what kind of democracy we then have to us and i just took hold and go to the coverage that this jihadi outfit is being given you can't get a word in edgeways and trying to criticize it will trying to illustrate just what a horrible bunch of extremists these people are very string of credible reports that have shown that. especially another persian gulf states have been funding jihad is not only from within the country but from libya for example and i'll swear i. i find it very difficult to believe that. it's all too much go western style

democracy employer is unwilling freedom is what we're seeing in syria basically said islamic revolution absolutely if we've been hearing constant greatly exaggerated predictions of the syrian regime's d. minus for eleven months now if a popular revolution was going to happen it would have happened already the fact is that though they may have no great love for the cucumber face president. the. general feeling of better the devil we know and you talk about the arab league do you think that the mission in syria has essentially played into the hands of days to exacting pressure on the syrian authorities and it is overstepping its mark when it makes demolishes while the mediating the arab league essentially has no credibility on the arab street and everyone knows that it's the top of the g.c.c. and so it's

a means not to create momentum that the arab league itself can then implement all the recounting and has imposed sanctions and suspended syria and could possibly impose a no fly zone what they're hoping to do is what they did with libya before you remember before the u.n. resolution on libya the arab league convened inconveniently almost all of those who voted were from the gulf cooperation council in support of the no fly zone in libya what the arab league mission is trying to accomplish is get enough evidence concrete evidence about human rights abuses on the part of the outside very seem to then take that to the u.n. and the evidence will be so strong that even russia and china would feel compelled to work but as of now one month after this mission started they seem to know the monitors seem to know more about what's going on the ground than they did at the beginning and so it all looks like you know we're going back to square one and in contrast to libya so far western nations. i'm not going to go into syria why do you

think that it doesn't have a see people. in the way that it's not on the coast in the way that for example. benghazi was on the coast in libya and so. difficult militarily to get in supplies it's also not resort to resource rich. you know obviously they went into labor go because it has a great deal of oil and they continue to support saudi arabia because they have a great deal there's no great pale immediate payoff when it comes to syria but there is a great deal to be gained. but they can buy time and they're hoping for an internal collapse or barring that the arab league somehow money she's to weaken the regime enough that we've had for example the. mayor of saying that our troops should be sent in and so the west is quite happy for the time being for the arabs to do that . thank you very much thank you.

to them. this month by the particles that make up the fabric of the universe find what you're looking for in the deep siberian forest fire lasers in fibers pull out your tablet a little new gaming religion and with your begin all of that here. technology on page here on along we. lewis moved.

you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else and you hear or see some other part of it and realize that everything is ok. i'm tom harpur welcome to the big picture. wealthy british.

market why not. come to. find out what's really happening to the global economy with my stronger for a no holds barred the global financial headlines tune into a report on. the headlines on odds he amass marchin poland us the country signs up to a global pact to take down internet piracy it covers everything from movies and music to fashion and fall. masuda tools but it's fear the deal will give big corporations too much power to take web users offline. heavy clashes in syria troops storm a densely populated damascus suburb after a confrontation with opposition fighters last week the un security council meantime could a vote in the next few days on

a resolution aimed at stemming the escalating conflict. in the battle for russia's top job goes viral with creative thinking the new weapon in the arsenal of politics internet campaigns and you tube videos are fast becoming more powerful tools than conventional t.v. debates. hardwell a big very warm welcome to you you know coming back into the studio for the latest action from your world of sports i want to start to the year is turning into for russia as queen of the courts exactly right maria sharapova she's back in the big leagues rory she's into the it's truly an open final we're going to have a look at how she got there in just a second. well indeed great to have you with us this is sports today plenty ahead over the next ten minutes including the stories and. sharapova versus azarenka

a russian all the belorussian will do battle for the really an open title this year with the world number one ranking also stake. doesn't exist in moscow defeats solidoodle f.a. is in basketball's euro link to stay perfect in the tournaments. on final and liverpool die in manchester city to book their place in the carling cup decider for a second tier side part of city away. we begin truly an open where there will be a distinctly eastern european flavor to the women singles final this year after maria sharapova boot her berth at the expense of petrik a veto of a few hours ago the twenty four year old russian involved in a tough old tussle against the czech sure hope of a thaw eventually wrapping up the win six two three six six four that means the world number four will now take on the turiaf branko jelen roots this side or the

winner also set to take over the world number one ranking from carline was in the. house a ranking herself seeing off the friending champion kim clijsters of belgium also one from sets to qualify for her first major final minutes native seeing at the time six four one six six three meaning it's russia versus bella ruth in some ways a winner takes all. she was really dominating she made me run so much i felt like you know. i'm running like a marathon out there but. i'm just trying to start to be more aggressive. to play my game and start from the beginning you know i have one myself to go on have another i don't know hour thirty minutes forty five minutes to make a difference so that's why it was my mental. meanwhile two of the sports greatest served up yet another classic grand slam encounter at melbourne park rafael nadal

proving once again to have the opera roger federer when it mattered most a meeting worthy of a title at stake with federer and nadal trading sets early on were number two rough then turned up the pressure by taking the third seven six with the third reich federer not able to hit the heights again to thaw as the nine champion themselves taking it in four sets six seven six two seven six six four he'll be aiming for a second destroying open title levon runs overall world number one and defending champion novak djokovic meets on the murray on friday and the other loss for. want of football were liverpool take on cardiff city in england's carling cup final for the reds drew their second semi final leg with manchester city to apiece to advance on aggregate city who lost their first day clash of the stones by a single goal thus needing to up their game in their return fixture and they

started off in the right way and i feel the young levelling modish with half an hour ago. liverpool striking back right away stephen girard the man converting from the spots here put the blues would again take a lead to his finish but sitting in the driving seat on the way he scored but liverpool weren't to be denied creek bellamy's goal making it to two in the night allowing douglas is charges to progress to. barcelona have once again got the better of real madrid the spanish and european champions making the semifinals of the cup at the rate at the expense of last. went into the game leaving one will not advantage was double two minutes from the break thanks to petru before the half time whistle had blown it was too middle of the night letting rip with a mouth to the beauty from the edge of the box or rejuvenating reale would take the field in the second period goals from rinaldo on karim benzema levelling

proceedings but to two was how it would end three two in our group gets another defeat from renewal for the joint from of the year and you. are princes to the hardwoods were. in the europa league shows no signs of slowing down the army men twelve zero thanks to victory over turks on a dual f.a. is here in the russian capital robert downey and watch the action. what does it take to edges out today cisco wins these games shoot much more than the first lead by the two time n.b.a. champ than. the other man starts ahead of their first home game in the early ixtapa sixteen or just flow lists eleven wins out of eleven games in the tournament this season and the muscovites produced their victorious dozen in style in front of a cheering home crowd in fact it was only the first quarter which saw some tough

competition on the court. but as soon as the host center not kristi each star a dominating in the paint both scoring and rebounding the ominous lead began to grow. the turkish side was far from giving out that easy they were struggling and grabbing points well to scott plate shown their class over and over again for eight thirty six but intermission. the game kept the same course in the second half here cisco starman hundred go with a slam dunk and even when they are man missed. they still school in the end. making cisco look like a team which hardly has a weak side start saving your him against a team like airbus with thirty points you know. we can differ with a good thing and. sometimes rushing to our shots.

is just. the start of saying no it's really. a wall we play great defense the regime and that is very important often facing your problems are not french for gamers who are huge advantage. for the first half to get things or game pretty close but. to break away and it was all. so the confident on the way to the year least one for the durham and the last one in two thousand and eight robert for the known party. now things are also going to plan for russia's other representatives in the euro league next the third beating reigning champions palace and i caught on wed and stay to move to the summits of their top sixteen group and also the hosts though who had established a twenty two seventeen lead after the opening quarter the next improving their shooting in the second oh i want to finish the first half just

a point behind the greeks and then after the big break the visitors would dominate and we don't work on top scoring for the winners with twenty three points the game finishing up eighty nine eighty three in favor of the russians. in women's basketball moscow region side sparta on cape moved top of girly group c. after thrashing cross basket toronto on home court pretty slow out of the starting blocks whoever even the italians sixteen to the good quarter won over porky chapman charges quickly find their groove afterwards the second quarter belonging to the moscow ladies having twenty four points while toronto could only manage eight forty twenty six the score at the big break sparta they didn't let up by their in in suing a couple of periods seventy seven fifty three how the school board would look up to finish up a comfortable win for the four time really threw back into

a pool decision in their battle with contact kruk off for first place in groups. and finally this ski courses which will be used for the sochi twenty fourteen winter games will get plenty of breaking in big for the main event still world cup stage and february among the event set to a lawyer gold medal hopefuls the chance to get to grips on the future lympics lopes the. hu tour course will be tested by f.i.f.a. world cup competitor starting february he says youth team will be first to try to months before three athletes from their country come pete in the senior section dunhill skiing on super combined on the menu at the top women stars may be in for a surprise the course director saying challenging changes have been made specifically for the meetings so. as far as skiing is concerned we have substantially remodeled the women's course who basically added four hundred challenging meters to the course and that's true it should really pulls

a lot of problems for the female skiers in their fancy downhill descent. thomas your sport for this hour to join me again and two hours time we're going to have a look at the tennis semifinal be tween the doll on federer much more besides rory's here and a few minutes there with all the news before that the weather. you

know how sometimes you see a story and it seems so for lengthly you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else you hear or see some other part of it and realize that everything you thought you knew you don't know i'm tom harpur welcome to the big picture. on. morning news today violence is once again flared up. these are the images go for all of them seeing from the streets of canada. china

corporations are old today. i i. the country signs up to a global pact to take down internet piracy with packers making their mark in the protest. people fear that these documents will give corporations too much power to take regular users offline i'll explain why in just a few moments. heavy clashes in syria as a resolution to oust president assad is laid on the un's table but russia pledges

to put a stop to any possible intervention. in the battle for russia's top job goes viral with internet campaigns and you tube videos becoming more powerful tools than conventional t.v. debates. third consecutive session of growth for the russian ruble versus the u.s. dollar yet another percent against the greenback and the markets are also very positive by now the reasons and all the latest business news and. a very warm welcome for you from all of us here. in poland right now key websites are being hijacked while thousands of internet freedom supporters are marching outside in a major two pronged protest.