potentially end five decades of one party rule referendum comes amid ongoing violence no positions aren't to boycott about. sixteen u.s. intelligence agencies agree there is no evidence terror around is building nuclear weapons but israel increases the pressure with continued threats of a military strike despite calls from washington and london down new sanctions more time to work. on the eurozone tightens its belt and greece is saved from the brink of collapse the e.u. would proves that the cost of a massive new wave of cuts for students in spain lashing out against their own lack of funding. but the syrians vote on their future america continues to pressure the assad regime when next a former us presidential advisor and veteran of american politics pat buchanan tells r.t. why he thinks washington should stay away from syria. i.

i'm sitting down with patrick buchanan senior adviser to presidents which are next in gerald ford and ronald reagan he ran for the presidency three times he wrote many books and some of his books have really manage seeing titles his latest book is called suicide of a superpower a will america survive to twenty twenty five very pessimistic sir all first of all thank you very much for joining me thank you with regards to foreign policy you're saying one of the ways to prevent that suicide from happening is to dismantle the empire first of all what do you mean by empire or you might call it the american imperium or the american empire. the united states has military bases dating back to the cold war in europe and asia the middle east africa all over the world and we're running a deficit of ten percent of our gross national product and quite frankly we can't afford any longer in my judgment to continue to carry this enormous burden of

defending forty or fifty countries around the world and so i think we're going to have to dismantle these bases we're going to have to return back from asia come back from the middle east and south asia and i think we'll have to bring the troops home from europe you were writing and speaking out extensively about the bush era in iraq crusade under the banner of ending terror name in the world do you think that crusade is still long or the idea that we're going to end tyranny in the world is utterly utopian we never are we've had tyrants from time immemorial and what the united states should do in my judgment in its foreign policies is build a defense establishment strong enough to protect our vital interests and our vital allies and when problems arise whether it's in zimbabwe or somewhere else the people there have got to deal with their own. and there are no doubt about it that throughout history tyrants have arisen and seized power in one place or another and

as long as they don't threaten our vital interests or threaten and kill our people the fact that they rule and or misrule certain countries is none of our business while some of bin laden successor said he supports the war against syria and al-qaeda was reportedly behind the four suicide bombings which killed scores of syrian officials and soldiers seen damascus and aleppo aleppo doesn't it seem strange that the us is on the same side with the whole kiting syria row it is it does indeed listen the the outside government has been has been ruthless and brutal and suppressing the uprising and the insurgency against it not as brutal as this father was tough as all assad who slaughtered twenty thousand people in hama in one nine hundred eighty two when they rose up and it would probably be

a good thing if he departed and they had a more democratic government but your point is well taken the united states should ask itself not only what is the character of this regime but the first question should be do we have a vital interest in syria i know there's no second if the incumbent government is overthrown who comes to power and syria you have the muslim brotherhood is trying to overthrow assad you have al-qaeda apparently which is moving in trying to overthrow assad so we've got to ask ourselves is the devil we know preferable to the devil we don't know but in the syrian situation i think the very fact that al qaeda has been involved apparently in the four suicide attacks is what it should tell us that we ought to be wary about overthrowing all. or participating in a movement to overthrow assad before we know what's going to replace him as you

said it's very hard to tell what's going to happen to syria if more radical forces seize power do you think the u.s. foreign policy might be helping terrorists indirectly i think the united states. american strategists would have to be fools not to see what al-qaeda is doing mine not to ask the question if it's good for al qaeda can it be good for us and not to look at saddam say he may be a ruthless dictator and what he knew and 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 in yemen somalia afghanistan under the taliban and i think in those conditions that's where al qaida can plan and recruit far better than it can when you have a a regime which is

a hard line regime running the situation whether it's secular or whether syria torn apart by civil war and that that's i think seems like a good environment for that i think i think that seriously. syria is really a potential disaster in that we could have there are a proxy war between the sunni and shia all over that region there already have sunni coming in from iraq they already have al qaida in there apparently the you could have also a conflict ethnic conflict with the druze in there and the kurds in there as well as herbs in there i think this is why i'm against plunge putting weapons in and aiding the anti assad resistance because an all out war there could be a disaster which leaves a failed state in syria so what about this strategy that the u.s. is now pursuing putting pressure on assad alone. and not addressing the

armed groups the fighting armed groups among the opposition as well well i think that's basically the united states has taken sides in this war we've taken sides there just like we've taken sides in libya and what should or what should not the u.s. do here in syria. my policy would if i were and if i were in the white house would be by and large a hands off syria in one of your articles you argue that the obama administration doesn't want to war with iran the pentagon u.s. intelligence community they're saying iran does not have a nuclear bomb and hasn't decided whether or not to build a nuclear bomb iran is obviously getting nothing from a war if nobody wants it then why the drums of war why are they so loud there are people that want to war. i mean i do not think no one wants a war you don't have wars unless someone wants it and quite clearly the israeli

government would like to see the united states smash iran's nuclear program which they think is creating the conditions where iran could with one leap forward get a bomb the israeli lobby in the united states would like to see on where they support the israeli guy the neoconservatives do many republicans do there are many americans who genuinely believe that if iran they believe iran is moving toward a weapon and if it is they would favor military action to prevent it there are a number of people that want a war and if there are really vital threat coming from you i don't you see i don't know i don't look at iran is not iraq i mean during the cold war with due respect soviet union had thousands of weapons they could have destroyed us in an afternoon and we could have done the same thing i was around during the cuban missile crisis that was genuinely term fine but iran doesn't frighten me and i don't think it

should frighten the american people they don't have a bomb they don't have they haven't made a decision to bill one didn't have the means to deliver one and the israelis have three hundred atomic bombs i mean who presents the existential threat to whom when i'll say a word whereas i visited one of my doctors and we were talking about i hope we don't have a war in iran but now they're talking about an intervention in syria and he said thank god for the russians they've got some ships out there and the americans won't fool around with the russian ships so the russians are keeping us out and that's wonderful. that's one of my doctors but i think that's that's what the american public thinks that the state leaves us out of the out of this it has a lot i don't think the americans that i don't think any american wants to intervene in syria they don't are so. and anything about it iran though they got the ayatollah and they got him out in the job and he will always help out the hawks

with some insane statement every couple of months he's going to destroy somebody or other and then the americans say we have to get him or what is the danger of such rhetoric the danger of such rhetoric is that it leads to another war in the middle east which i think would be a disaster for my country and i think it would be a disaster for the world economy and other could be a disaster for the world you know i opposed desert storm back in one nine hundred ninety one i opposed even going in and clean and said i'm hussein out of kuwait because i said this will only be the first arab american war. and i was right i mean if you talk about islamic wars you had the war desert storm you had the war against afghanistan you've got the war in iraq the war in libya now they're talking about syria and now they're talking about iran. of what benefit has this been to the united states when you see where we were in one thousand nine hundred and where

we are today and where china was in one thousand nine hundred and where china is today then going into any of these countries haven't invaded anybody and they're moving upward as brazil and as our india and what do we do one and all these places i don't think we can you can't replicate the middle west in the middle east thank you you thank . well into the future take a piece of the looking glass at what will be the homes of the future where the walls might just be smarter than the residents every day trash protects you from the elements outside and the whole system works to save you money to shine the spotlight on the latest building projects all around russia technology i'm doing

here on r.g.p. . the central. 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 everything you thought you knew you don't know i'm tom harpur welcome to the big picture. wealthy british style sign. that's not on the side of. the. market why not come to. find out what's really happening to the global economy with max cons or

for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune into cars a report on our. mobile before blogs wall criminals we have a lot of illegal call groups the causes of the flu says all our views in the whole mood right enough to just come out it was like many at that mileage but wasn't forced michael spoke with maddie when i was. here can liberate their winning and you certainly can't do it. through the barrel of a gun the effect of social changes will be the afghans themselves afghan men and women we believe i'm going to stand true across power without the part of the patient it's coming up on the shelf and at a construction stop people in the obama administration talking about how much they care about the women of afghanistan it's not true they don't care about the women

of afghanistan. being is and tragedy. dear oh should. be true. family. and a link. on the bottom of a coffee swamp. today's news on or a few of the week on r.t. people in war torn syria are choosing their new constitution to potentially end five decades of one party rule referendum comes amid ongoing violence with the opposition trying to boycott the ballot. sixteen u.s.

intelligence agencies are agree there is no evidence tehran is building nuclear weapons but israel increases the pressure with continued threats of a military strike responded to calls from washington and london to allow the new sanctions more time to work. on the eurozone tightens its belt greece is safe from the brink of collapse since the e.u. approves the new bailout the cost of a massive new wave of cuts for students in spain lash out against their own lack of funding. for the sports news now with. hello and welcome to the sports headlines here's what's coming up. blue is the color of manchester city big black bird three nailed to go five points clear at the top old chelsea clinched their first win in six in the english premier league.

poles apart poland's are less going to advance go into a career title after a straight sets victory over junia goods as injury by. baz mauled russia's national rugby team suffer a disappointing twenty five nil defeat to romania and then in their second game since the rugby world cup. but we start with boxing and w.b. a heavyweight champion alexander privette can admits he may have underestimated opponent marco hawke after narrowly retaining his title on points the judges' decision went in perfect kim's favor after twelve gruelling rounds in germany the russian had his work cut out and was on the ropes in rounds four and seven but hart the cruiserweight world champion failed to land a knockout punch the decision was greeted with a bruise by fans in stuttgart with vacuum admitting afterwards perhaps he didn't take the fight seriously enough it's the second successful defense of the title he won in august last year. now to football at manchester city have stretched their

lead at the top of the english premier league to five points after a three nil home win against struggling black burn goals from mario balotelli sergio agüero and adding jacko sealed the victory terry connors rang as rules manager began with a two to troy new car so elsewhere in russia striker pavel pogrebnyak scored his second goal into vouches as full of one one military man q.p.r. peter odemwingie netted a break from west brom's four nil drubbing of sunderland rock bottom we're getting through neil neil with aston villa and shells. he went forth with a thrill when over bolton it was the blues first victory in six games and made some way to easing the pressure of manager andre villas pro-us who has the backing of former chelsea boss grant. and i have sympathy for and i was supportive enough to continue but. not many top clubs give.

to the coach after the losing so when you go if you see a lot of. wish it was in my. world later on sunday manchester united could narrow the gap at the top back to two points if they win it in for knowledge stoke close ones and fifth place arsenal take on third place top they've been a much anticipated north london garbage. well also on sunday liverpool captain steven gerrard will be up against his cousin anthony as they take on championship side cardiff in the league cup final the reds aiming to win their first trophy for six years on their first visit to wembley since one nine hundred ninety six. now in tennis i will move to a career high of fifth in the world rankings after she won the dubai tennis championships on saturday with a straight set seven five six four win over germany's yulia grows as the pole came into the final as favorite despite the fact her opponent had beaten world number four caroline wozniacki in the semifinals but it looked as if nerves had got the

better of the unseeded german when rounds broke in the first game of the match taking the first set seven five she then saw out the second six four to win a title of her career. now and nine hundred seventy two the world of ice hockey witnessed the beginning of what would become one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the game the summit series was a series of matches between the soviet union and canada and forty years later generations of ice hockey stars have gathered in moscow to celebrate the anniversary. badani and explains. it used to be no list the war in the ice nine hundred seventy two by the well i say it's more of the sudden ration of the game itself or should i wait four years after the peak of soviet skull to face the best comedian rules do something serious the old time cream of the crop from both sides one muscular one red square to share their evergreen skills the so

youngsters and brings back some good old memories it's probably the most fun for the foot or so or the sun there were very good cereals fall of the park but now you've. got the soccer stuff. out. there still i. like the days but they. like it or you will get it to fit back again. if. you like that i play and i think the best time of my life one of the greatest sylvia clear simple time i have somebody you have to show for it recalled the conversation with canadian ice hockey i don't feel as busy at all that took place after one of the games in nine hundred seventy two for the writer of this procedure told me i could have much bigger money in the n.h.l. but i said look felt i have

a better offer for you come over to the soviet league you'll play for one of moscow's clubs and i'll give you a one bedroom apartment in the capital it's really worth it though i wonder why he didn't come to. the celebration of the summit series and the verse three continued settling with the real game that peak of soviet russian stars including two heroes from those nine hundred seventy two games and yet the shift to can a barely less degraded all stars team with the greatest busy coaching from the bench the stars of the past may have got older. and was their speed but they sure their skills are still there is there is food for the microwave opening stand for the new yorker. we were one nil down after the first period that quite a serious conversation in the local work pretty much so we made some changes on the line and this gave the truth. i want to go as a result it was goes google food russia at the start of the second period i but

that is there's one giving out that easily i. although this individual piece of genius by the desert i. had treated like the russian rocket in the rain wrapped up in the final score of seventy five russian i can see a border near me where you see everybody still in shape even though you are you played in one hundred seventy two of your question but it's over they still have the skills to show that you're not so oppressive it was really the world just like four years back he sings the how soon days of nine hundred seventy two u. turn can't diminish the stars of this summit series. and look for it in their own party history. now to rugby where russia have suffered a disappointing twenty five nil defeat to romania and the european nations cup it's only their second match since the world cup in new zealand denis blots reports.

rough weather and very strong opponents these were the key challenges for the russian rugby team in sochi heavy rain and temperatures just above freezing point man double trouble in the game against romania. and even though sochi is not the coldest place in russia it was hard for the home team to keep up with the guests two weeks ago the bears struggled to be portugal and eventually ran out winners by just the narrowest of margins thirty three thirty two the final score however the encounter with the romanians proved to be a much tougher encounter and unfortunately for head coach kingsley jones the team's problem area in the scrum was once again to prove to be a major issue we know. we need to improve and we need to identify players more players more options in opposition the roumanians attacked from the first whistle and score at troy after only five minutes the russians just weren't able to come to terms with either their opponents or the conditions as the visitors would

add another convert to try to take a twelve nil lead into the halftime break undated north and the looks on the young the skin the world the bare stand out players as they tried to get russia back into the match the performance did improve in the second half but unfortunately the home side never looked like breaking down the resolute remaining on defense. course that was difficult got a really strong grip and they have also gained in weight well so committed positional mistakes and it's hard to catch the ball in this kind of weather. but despite the russian's positive intentions the remaining ins would cross the bears try one for a third time to make the score twenty two to nil and the final penalty rub more salt into the ones as romania would ease to a twenty five zero victory to hand russia their first defeat in the citizens european nations cup a lesson for the russians after the euphoria of new zealand but the team's coach

kingsley jones is certain that five years of experience cannot be bought and his team has to go through many challenges until it starts winning today we're not going to speak of the sea those players with ball in hand when the conditions are pretty bad. nothing we can do but i must to be able to adapt to those positions and make this a fortress you know for russian rugby there was an equally poor turnout by the fans with the number of spectators struggling to reach double figures what is evident though is that russia still have a lot of work to do ahead of their next match against local rivals ukraine on the town's march that has been let's keep. the now finally the n.b.a. all-star weekend is in full swing in orlando with the big east versus west conference showdown later on sunday however rumors over the future of local star dwight howard continue as well and a center is linked with a move away from the magic l.a. lakers legend kobe bryant believes home fans will come out in support of the big

man this weekend while howard himself has remained tight lipped over a possible departure. expected. like this you know what i have for the or the so for us to see what we have to offer in the way in a sport. never lost in the world to see. it is what has to be better. players and reach a certain level first racial. we all feel like that needle is being moved at a right direction so i am sure slow for sure. but you know i'm sure jim walker. well that's all the sports news for now we'll have more in a couple of hours time join us then.

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he is easy. to be easy. to. see. the. syrians have their say people in the water own country are choosing their new constitution to potentially end five decades of one party rule. from no palmo in iraq sixty.