tree strike that's the reported view of israeli intelligence following a un inspection the failed to preserve the deadlock. a major credit rating agency downgrades greek debt yet again saying that the fault is all but unavoidable given the politicians in athens finalize the most punishing cuts today talk top stories this hour. international news in coming live from moscow this is the washington says it isn't ruling out what it calls additional measures in syria it seems a hint it could be ready to arm the anti government militia has shifted rhetoric already about the administration it previously excluded this possibility comes despite reports that al qaeda has joined the opposition but that could put the u.s. and the terrorist group that hans around the world on the same side. i mean

bloodshed in syria more extremists are panicked trading the country to help bring down a sot that's according to u.s. intelligence which says all current affiliated fighters were responsible for a series of deadly suicide bombings in damascus and aleppo targeted syrian military and intelligence facilities we've seen over the. extremists sunni extremists from the camp where you will and specifically is al qaida similar will cool or infiltrating the opposition's groups. while fighting in syria continues the violence the neighboring iraq as dropped in some areas by as much as fifty percent in the last few months this as an al-qaeda leader iman al-zawahiri has called on his supporters around the world to back the uprising in syria. he said these men who call

themselves the mujahideen say they're on their way to fight the war against our song. in washington senators asked the head of america's intelligence james clapper i think what happens if thoughts are we prepared for the situation of a possible failed state were al qaeda or enjoys a safe harbor and refuge. from which to coordinate attacks his response bears no optimism there would be kind of a vacuum i think that. would lend itself to. extremists . operating in syria which is particularly troublesome some ask a different question is the u.s. on the same side as all climbing in syria and whether its policies are indirectly aiding the terrorists or american strategists would have to be fools not to see what al qaeda is doing not to ask the question if it's good for al qaeda can it be

good for us and not to look at it and say he may be a ruthless dictator in what he's doing but what comes after him when he falls i think al qaeda does its best work or it works best when it finds a country that is fundamentally a failed state this is why i'm against plan putting reckons in and aiding the anti assad resistance because an all out war there could be a disaster which leaves a failed state and syria even for many of those syrians who are not supportive of their president the fear of the alternative is far greater why are they sitting on the fence or why they are not on the streets with that it would be supporting the movement and they are often too fierce is that one is that poses to be the slightest and that would be think it was the opposition in syria is very fractured they don't seem to be under anybody's control. despite concerns voiced by top u.s.

intelligence officials about anti assad extremists washington has failed to widen its ceasefire to include armed opposition therefore basically ignoring the fears of a huge part of the syrian population who don't want radicals gaining momentum and breaking the country into chaos and then a check out reporting from washington r.t. . iraq has admitted that weapons and fighters a seeping across its six hundred kilometer border with syria to fight the assad regime the army a free iraqis which ones for u.s. troops in iraq is now heading to syria and last government claim that aims to monitor the border for any sign iraqi government is helping the beleaguered syrian regime that has tightened security along the area which is also become a center for smugglers director of international studies at trinity college in the u.s. pushout has told me a letter that he thinks any extremist infiltration into syria is pregnant and opposition could lead to unpredictable consequences if it is the case their

fighters have moved across the border from iraq into syria they have been engaging the syrian army they're joining the kind of resistance there to what he's seen that this is indeed the case no where did they will remain is not precisely the question the issue is how they will begin to characterize an insurgency that currently has. leadership structure that was the problem in libya in libya as well there was a horrific libyan elite it was the fear of the insurgency in washington in paris in london and then on the ground there was it dispersed in particular resistance in which various forms of radical islam were able to come to prominence in a sense the syrian story is very similar the free syrian army is not a crib. this it is not

a single. two foreign journalists have been killed in syria's flashpoint city of homs the opposition claims the american and french citizens died when an army shell hit a makeshift media center the same accusations were leveled against the regime just over a month ago when a french cameraman was killed in a similar incident later it turned out the government rebels were behind the attack homes has been the scene of fierce fighting between the army and the rebels for more than two weeks. the inadvertent burning of the koran the muslim holy book by u.s. troops at an air base in afghanistan has caused two days of protests so far a senior u.s. commander has apologized saying the religious materials were destroyed by mistake but a violent response to the demonstration by security forces that left seven people dead well let's get more on this for me it is defense analyst in a kind of take brass tacks so a second day of violence kill a simple apology from the u.s. a peace protesters. i'm afraid of one of you is not going to work this is the

worst possible nightmare for the americans that so far they have been facing good resistance from the question. but incidents like these are actually galvanizing did not push the element of politics the house violence and these books who are supposedly allied to the american so far are turning hostile this is basically the fall out of this which the americans fear and we can reality what happened if you will extend and expand the base of the stands against the americans one of these i'm not going to work this is the worst p.r. disaster that the american. morning went down the last one memorable so this is having severe repercussions on the safety of u.s. troops now in afghanistan. is he not just the safety the entire outcome of the war of what now depend on events like these they have been triggered and the fallout the domino effect is going to be intense as we said already the americans have

closed down lock down their embassy in kabul unprecedented even. the the fact that the non-partial two militants the cardiacs the house wasn't used books are not joining that with the students and expressing their rage against the americans is basically diverse military nightmare it's a diplomatic disaster it's a political chaos it's a p.r. and that key for them and it is absolutely no way they can come out of this one could not be more happier then to even see that have happened in afghanistan if taliban could not defeat the americans the american marines have themselves dug the grave this is their what will you know even slight piece recently and in but in has that in mazar sharif also you have seen the violence against the first and and un elements the fact is this is expanding now and even slight these are not getting less but increasing every day you talk about the taliban and the protesters being chanting pro taliban slogans just how concerned should the karzai government be

over this. you see this is what you're saying one thing that the americans and and before them the soviets even miscalculated about b. of the nation is despite the fact of going to fight with each other but i've never foreign invaders and the american presence here the party of some people's backs have reluctantly accepted the americans they have not accepted them as part of their society and culture and faith and you don't like these demonstrate that fact for the fact is that the taliban they have already infiltrated beyond not an army but a bomb have already the sympathies of taliban not as founded on but as question who are plans have also spread across the non-cash who now live and and paladins have also want to make their stance against the bigger third that's the foreign occupation and softening their stance against i thought it in a communities like projects as ours so this is definitely a crisis for karzai but

a much bigger crisis for the americans this perhaps may be an incentive for the us to bring their deadline to leave the country for even further and indeed if they were to leave how stable is the future for afghanistan bearing in mind what you've just said concerning the pressure as again pressures against karzai. you see the fact is that americans never want to leave i understand this is one deception that they have been giving out to the world for long they are talking of creating base they have bases in afghanistan they're the incompatible also and given background in different places they're don't want to have their small fortresses and stay in there and nato supply lines that have been blocked in pakistan has gotten invision level hard going into it almost three thousand five hundred armored vehicles and five thousand containers of explosives and weapons this is you can't do this kind of build up if you want to leave a country americans but not planning to leave the only plan to just put problems to

certain green green zones so these kind of events are definitely going to throw their entire american plan into chaos because it depended on the corporation from the catholics and because ours and this and these events like these are going to make them all style as well. thank you very much for your perspective good to hear from a defense analyst at the prospects think thanks for joining us live in pakistan thank you. israel's intelligence services reportedly said that iran's nuclear program is beyond the point of no return it must now be stopped through military action but after an admission to the islamic republic failed to resolve any of the controversy surrounding the alleged atomic weapons ambitions experts report they were not allowed to visit a key military site suspected of hosting nuclear related activities to run insisting on the purely peaceful nature of its atomic program says the even if it was for the purpose of talks and not inspections the islamic state has stressed its readiness to return to the negotiating table

a failed mission may well lead to more sanctions against iran because a lot is over but reports those penalties can easily backfire on the countries imposing them. putting up with this two years ago would have cost me around seventy five pounds you think that thought well it now costs over a hundred because petrol in britain's never been more expensive the average for a liter of diesel sots over one pound forty three and two dollars twenty five cents the previous peak was during the libyan conflict last may and his people at the pumps who are paying the price again this is a disaster again for motorists and not only are they being stoned month after month now by these fuel price rises but there's also a concern that this is going to spread to the cost of every day items such as food because those transportation costs to get the food store will be passed on to businesses and then the consumer it's a result britain hadn't banked on when threatening to block iran's oil exports to

the e.u. although the blocks of major customer individual members aren't britain imported just eleven thousand barrels last year not even one percent of its total imports but in practice the tough talk back fired iran's struck first by freezing deliveries to british and french companies a move not harmful in itself but one that stoked fears in. already nervous market that iran's saber rattling could be for real it's already threatened to block the straits of hormuz a vital trading route iranis is trying at the moment before these sanctions come into effect to to do what it can to talk up the price of oil without actually sacrificing any production so it's seeking to to benefit from maintaining its exports. a higher price four inch barrel but it's the timing of

sanctions could be worse a loss of production in south sudan yemen and the north sea already driving prices higher with the rain in crude still in demand in asia it's the u.k. and it's motorists that are the hardest hit i thought that a company face. if i was paying for it myself. i don't recall having that. extra people drive in effect how much. yes i think it probably does i think that's why there is a school year. it's hoped the threat of sanctions will bring iran to the negotiating table over its nuclear program but so long as the numbers are rising here in may not be iran is the first to buckle in what's become a dangerous game of brinkmanship experts predict the ongoing tensions could add twenty five percent oil prices by easter either bennett r t london. and now to another nuclear standoff the u.s. will resume direct negotiations with north korea over its atomic ambitions tomorrow

in beijing the talks suspended art of the death of kim jung il aimed at convincing pyongyang to halt uranium enrichment in return for aid let's get more perspective on this and what may be achieved in the negotiations with author research in asia specialist dr tim well given the history of u.s. and north korean relations and the history of talks between the two where do you see these negotiations going. on not very far i'm not alone in that anyone expects very much to happen i think mortals yes you know you can. through the motions. things very unlikely you can see any developments but that there are talks though happening what does it tell us about kim yong moon's leadership. probably not going much in you know change of policy in.

conflict that. you're not in a very limited and main one policy objective is to is to negotiate and. trying to do that or. any. disagreement so the fact that the talks are resuming doesn't really say or say very much about. car because i don't think any great dispute in pyongyang. really so it was just one even has not really much to lose because i suppose if the talks to fail that will strengthen his tough leadership image and if he did succeed which he says pretty unlikely his diplomatic credentials would be given a boost but you're saying that really isn't that significant. well i think i think they know nothing is going to happen and there are various reasons that name one is a neck and neck no incumbent president really wants to get in on.

this thought before the election because the opposition could always beat him lucian can always say is being soft you even accept it and if he is negotiations are successful in a certain winning game and once in the neck and neck to the point of being a good band not only incumbent. candidate. negotiations like this are something they're not particularly interested in so i think they're not going to pursue it but really the are not the reason. they want tension on the korean peninsula as. to contain china so again if it meant fold the. problem though she you know resolution of the. complication between real and united states then the rationale for united states decision in on the korean peninsula and in japan would be undercut and

latin something recently robotron are just briefing funny would these talks. putting the nuclear issue aside in any way improve relations between north korea and the u.s. . oh yes i mean all talks good well not all folks who don't want to keep talking here could what is very interesting is because these are i natural taught in medical school many years resisted having by the talks and that's why and he stumbled into the six party talks hosted by china i think what is clear now is you know you can go back to the six party talks because it was china and driving seat was another complication if you like in this whole. sorry business or thanks very much indeed for explaining some of the such complicated situation really interesting to hear you speak on it. thanks very much tempted to author a central asia specialist joining us in wellington in new zealand thank you.

the complicated situation greece has just been thrust further into junk status by the credit rating agency which is predicting a greek default very soon that's as the government in athens rushes through its most punishing package of cuts yet they are a precondition for the next one hundred thirty billion euro bailout which will be handed over once the last of the use to mines and unions weary years of austerity already mobilizing for new rallies thousands showed up to protest today as more makers huddled over new reforms expected more will join demonstrations tomorrow when parliament votes from three george carlin's says a lot of professor of constitutional law police resistance is the only way to maintain a shred of sovereignty. he does the work here in above the iron and so the grease in the grease and with that ain't the aftermath is a modem or even all of nothing bruce thank you that is a little simple this of the missiles was a little of the europeans not only socially unfair but completely inefficient

they're actually going to last us a little bit because no end of the experiment so all of europe is going to see in the way a good of mueller for the future of the europe these are stupid moves those we are keeping our economy down the other three think this is still a lot of lunacy. that is a people that's more lethal than the disease but it is expected to cure but we cannot sir and there are so easily oh so that i it's. in. our national survey so we're good to is that good with over the feeling that we're not a little. soldier accused of leaking u.s. military secrets to whistle blowing web site wiki leaks a separate peer and when in court to hear the charges against him bradley manning been in custody for nineteen months now waiting for the official trial process to begin in faces twenty two charges linked to the largest leak of government secrets

in u.s. history. because of kishore he's from the socialist equality party told me earlier that he thinks a soldier is nothing but an innocent political prisoner and it remains that manning is. brutal and humane according to amnesty international market torture according to many us legal scholars and i mean there's many of the reasons behind this but i think the u.s. government certainly sees the treatment of manning from the beginning both as an example of. anyone who would seek to expose the crimes of american militarism abroad as well as a fairly transparent attempt to get out as our. founder of wiki leaks they are you know the u.s. government is seeking to eventually exodus arms and they're really trying to trying to go after wiki leaks for the release of the documents you know really much use to us that this is really devastating exposure of the obama administration treatment for this young man for all the talk of democratic rights and freedom abroad this is

how the united states treats opposition here. here at home and. that's a principle take for the moment i'll be back with another some of our main news stories in about eight minutes from now in the meantime relations between moscow and washington have seen their ups and downs in recent months and to discuss the future of cooperation between the two nations r.t. caught up with the newly appointed u.s. ambassador to russia who's also the architect of the reset of ties that's next. thanks. for. coming.

michael thawley you only point your sunglasses are to rochelle also a professor at stanford an expert in clinical science. for stay in russia start with the banks great to have you with us thanks for having me so i'm going to quote your recent tweet productive meetings with russian government officials even as we disagree on syria and sharp contrast with public anti-u.s. statements were you shocked by your welcoming russian worl i was shocked by some of the public things that have been said about my appearance here in russia when it comes to the meetings i've had with senior russian government officials and let me be clear on my very first day in the job i met with about a dozen of the most senior government officials that one could meet with. very positive meetings with everyone and the reason is simple we've had

a very productive run over the last three years and i've been very much involved in that in working with my russian colleagues that's been all fine the other stuff has been different i don't really quite understand it well also asking the public side exactly the commentators and the journalists who were actually condemning the on television. their longtime acquaintances of you know some of them are your friends in your opinion why do you think it caused such a stir. well of course you have to ask them because they're the ones doing it i'm not what i can say as i'm surprised it's not in the spirit of the recent. you're most certainly never going to see president obama or anybody in my administrator in our administration say such things we don't think it serves our national interest to have these kinds of exchanges and so we're not going to engage in a well all right it's only normal that any ambassador who is sent to the mission that's what he would usually be doing on

a mission but it's not by accident that you were appointed a u.s. investor to russia because you are so closely related to this country since one thousand nine hundred three are very well acquainted with russian intelligence you know the realities on the ground and you better than anyone else really understand how sensitive russians are views of the relations to the united states so ok along with the state officials you do me on your second day of the rival opposition leaders the midst of anti-government protests after ears of silence i mean surely you knew that probably that wasn't going to send the best message out there well first of all the reason i'm here is that president obama sent me here when he wanted to continue the momentum of the reset knowing that this was going to be a difficult period because of the new more difficult issues we're tackling he wanted to have me out here in the front lines working to advance the research with respect to the opposition meetings it's our policy it's called dual track and gates

well when president obama was here he spent the first meeting with president get a. government officials he spent the next morning in a very interesting and engaging breakfast with prime minister putin and the rest of his day he spent meeting with society leaders because there's been such a fuss about it all i'm asking is that how wise was it to meet those people. you have to the opposition is but how wise was to meet them on the second day i'll figure it out and i know that that hasn't at all undermined your relations with the state officials they're fine with that it just the people there that the average russian and i know how important was talk about the average russian though so let's not let's not generalize that we all know who the average russian. last time i checked the attitude towards the united states had gotten much more positive under the obama administration i think last year we were at sixty percent approval rating

so yes now there's been this anti-american campaign for whatever reasons but what i can say from our point of view we're not changing. to the core of your mission here in russia it's the reset policy you're it's architect it's basically your baby and it's a concept that's very dear to you and. really a great deal of good things have come out of it put the stumbling point between the two countries right and i'm saying things anti-missile defense sure we're still miles away on that we disagree on syria and iran but that's not just a bilateral issue there are other sides involved. as far as purely biological stumbling point because that's really the anti-missile consumption. what's going to happen then still a table what we set before tae-kwon this is the nation we're going to resolve and we we still don't know how to resolve it well first i would say we don't believe it's a main issue all the other things you just described those are real issues and let's

not forget where we started in the fall of two thousand and eight us russian relations were in a very bad place. people sometimes forget how far we've come we worked through a lot of issues and had a lot of success so by definition the hardest issues are left on the table right we solve some issues but no harder issues are there missile defense is one of those for thirty years forty years it was this issue of confrontation we're just in the initial phases and we have to we have to demonstrate that this is not threatening we've said that a hundred times the present united states has said this is not designed to undermine strategic stability between the united states and russia we have no interest in an arms race we have a lot of faith in the russian military industrial complex and that you have the capabilities of russia so we know that that's a loser strategy and we don't have the money to do that we'll just have to keep working thank you very much for this interim thanks for having me.

is that similar to you use it as a. marker. and is the drumbeat towards more. as the chattering classes discuss the possible date. at the turn across the day results he live in moscow top stories now the saudis.