welcome back you're watching r.t. live from moscow here's a look at the top stories of the week as well as the latest news in lebanon seizes weapons of board a ship with in its waters the cargo was said to be destined for syria's opposition fighters that's explosions in damascus deal another blow to the u.n. sponsored peace plan. sarkozy reaffirmed his pledge to drastically cut immigration after losing the first round of the french presidential ballot to socialist candidate francoise long it's the national front's far right votes that are now up for grabs during the may sixth runoff. over twenty people remain in hospital after a series of blasts rocked the eastern ukraine city of never tribe's on friday leaving twenty nine injured the suspected terror attacks also stoked fear abroad as the country prepares to host the euro twenty twelve full time and. an online

anger ready to boil over as a new cyber security bill could allow the u.s. government to obtain people's private information from internet companies the pact has passed the u.s. house of representatives but is now threatened to be vetoed by president obama. well next we ask a former u.s. army colonel whether america and israel could strike iran as early as this summer despite no definite proof it's building a nuclear weapon. we're sitting down with douglas macgregor a retired army colonel who fought in the gulf war and was referred to by some officials as the best fighter the u.s. army has got mr macgregor thank you very much for joining good to be here president obama has put forward an ultimatum for iran either make progress with negotiators or face consequences consequences meaning war some say

a strike may happen within the next few months in your opinion how realistic is that should we expect the war in summer topical question right now in washington d.c. i think the answer right at the moment is no president obama is not remotely interested in waging war against iran so let's be clear about that no one at the top of the united states military establishment is interested in waging war against iran and the intelligence community has made it abundantly clear that iran is nowhere near the development of a nuclear warhead or the capacity to deliver one so we had those things up it's very very obvious that at least in the places that count at the white house the department of defense there is no interest in waging a war on iran and let me say something that's so great there is a great push from israeli in close quarters of president obama just back a potential strike and as you said the administration says the iranians haven't even decided to build a bomb so all this war talk is based on what is based really on i think the

american israeli public affairs committee and it's a subordinate elements or affiliated elements they represent enormous quantities of money that over many years have cultivated enormous influence and power in congress and you simply are talking is just to appease the lobbyists well i think you've got a lot of people on the hill who fall into two categories one category that is interested in money and wants to be reelected and they don't want to run the risk of the various lobbies that are that are pushing. military action against iran to contribute money to their opponents colonel macgregor some say these trade leadership see this summer as that window of opportunity that they don't want to put two reasons one iran has very few friends in the wage and syria its closest ally is a mess right now and second presidential elections coming up in the u.s.

some say israel is going to use their leverage over president obama and it's going to be very hard for him to say you know what do you think about that window of opportunity for as well well if you were to launch a strike in the summer this would cause a dramatic downturn in the economy just consider that we had a rumor that supposedly iranian commandos had destroyed a pipeline in saudi arabia other fanciful nonsense and eventually it was denied by remco the saudi arabian oil corporation but in that short period of time or oil skyrocketed on the market up beyond a hundred fifteen dollars a barrel but the point is just the rumor of action was enough to send the oil through the roof so we had a foretaste there of the dramatic economic consequences for the world if we move ahead and support israel in its desire to strike iran that's why i don't think president obama is remotely interested so they don't think that the israeli

leadership sees this as a window of opportunity the they may but look don't count out the israeli population let's not assume that everyone in israel is anxious to see iran destroyed i think that's misleading there's more division of opinion in israel than we think so again how long can mr netanyahu and mr barak play this game of the century trying to bully president obama and push him into an action that he would otherwise choose not to take did ministration is basically saying all they need is evidence that iran has acquired a nuclear weapons capability and here's what i want to ask you. about this capability issue because it's very vague i mean it means being capable of doing something but not necessarily doing it yes how do you see it was deliberately vague it's deliberately ambiguous so that various people can define it as they like what is a capability to do something in terms of weapons nuclear weapons development well how

much rich geranium are we talking about is it just enriching uranium does it involve packaging the enriched uranium does it involve a test of some type no one has been very specific and i think that's purposeful because you could if you're sitting in the white house right now and you're sitting at the cia n.s.a. or in the pentagon you can always say well we said capability we don't see it yet so is the purpose of that to to keep the us way at least in this in vagueness well president obama is preeminent concern is to get reelected. and that's a very dangerous proposition right now for him depending upon what the israelis do if they launch a strike but a say on their own without consulting us independent of us entirely and they do it say late october shortly before the election obama then can say well you know we're obligated we have to help our israeli friends and he looks good if they do it earlier then the consequences could be very profound for him because it would

certainly tank our economy we would be in severe difficulty here in the united states we have a very narrow will sone an interventionist elite inside washington that operates independently of the american people that thinks of itself as being morally superior and justified in taking action anywhere against anyone that it deems appropriate that's the problem and the iranians are justifiably concerned about that but they have not reached the point where they can weaponize anything they don't have that capability and we do have the ability to detect that know it and respond to it they know those things what we need to do is move beyond this ridiculous confrontational setting that both of us are trapped in and that's very hard to do in an election year when everyone is pandering to various elements of the electorate for money and votes colonel let's say world powers p five plus one

negotiate something but the results don't satisfy as well and the west and they do go to war in summer as some predict what kind of the media backlash should they expect iran struck a chord is subversion. the ability to subvert so the retaliation would be in the form of terrorism it would be in the form of what i would call asymmetric attacks in other words high payoff low investment in other words use what you can beyond your borders in populations friendly to you to attack the other person's interests now we shouldn't underestimate how much damage that could involve and remember we know the difference since hizbollah as well as other as iranian elements are here in the united states so we know that we would sustain losses here at home there would be damage here in the united states how many bombs would you have to explode in public malls to do enough damage to awaken everybody to what's going on my point is we you know those are the kinds of things that i would expect but

a direct military confrontation would be a losing proposition for them they might be able to inflict damage on our forces and our naval forces but not on the scale that would make any difference to the outcome they they would sustain enormous damage and enormous losses what about long term the fact some say even if your way is haven't decided to build a bomb they sure will if attacked well i was something more important that we talk about what they will do if they are attacked i think we should look at the rest of the world what will the rest of the world do if israel attacks iran remember this is an unprovoked assault. the israelis can claim otherwise and insist otherwise and paint this picture of enormous danger represented to israel but the truth is no one buys that my view has always been that if you do this if israel does this that iran will very definitely have nuclear weapons they won't have to build them they'll get them people will provide those to them they will have more help than they know what

to do with any iran will grow more hostile and more bitter and more angry and more dangerous than it has ever been i want to ask you about syria and ministration it's kind of ruled out a military intervention saying it's too complicated what in your opinion. keeps the u.s. from attacking syria there are several things first of all there is a quiet recognition behind closed doors that if assad is removed however much people do not like hoffa's or assad that the government that succeeds in will be a radical islamist sunni muslim government hostile to israel hostile to the west hostile to shia islam in other words. not a good development from the standpoint of the united states or europe. so i think that's understood secondly there's an understanding that syria actually has despite

the fact it's much smaller than iran what twenty to twenty three million people i think very good armed forces it does have an integrated air defense structure that would take some time to dismantle but its ground force is actually very good and it's of the arab forces i would describe the syrians is probably being among the best if not the best best disciplined best officer what would be the main argument that you would suggest for the u.s. not to attack iran right now we see iran through one lens in one way we see this as a unchanging theocracy that is very of the american anti western incurable if you will another words it's fatally stricken with this theocratic disease of religious fanaticism i don't i think it will change and i think if we can back away from this iran will evolve differently over the next ten years and we don't have to have this hostile relationship work on from taishan that would be i mean are you that's one of my organs see another was don't look at it

you want to change for the better look at the future look at what is driving iran what is what is iran's principal interest internal modernization economic development what do its people want israel to focus of everyone's hatred in iran absolutely not most iranians could care less about it in fact most iranians are not very friendly towards arabs so the bottom line is why are we doing what we're doing we're looking at things as though they will not change my point is that nixon had the foresight to understand china was at the beginning of a long period of change my point is that we're going to discover in the next few years that iran too is at the beginning of a long period of change thank you very much thank you. but did i kill innocents here i was

a base of course and that's never answered. i'm a song from the skull still with me i think of it every day. i feel the slightest bites from the memories. so much so that a long time ago this here trying to come. i was ashamed. i was ashamed that i didn't. i was ashamed that i had. forgotten my legs come along. in the mine. where i would be out. for. cannot believe what i was going on once or i think. that i was a good soldier. but now most soldier on the other side and i think i'm just as good

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lebanon seizes weapons aboard a ship within its waters the cargo was said to be destined for syria's opposition fighters that is explosions in damascus do another blow to the u.n. sponsored peace plan. sarkozy reaffirms his pledge to dress to clean cut immigration after losing the first round of the french presidential ballot to socialist candidate francois lawn its national front far right votes that are now up for grabs during the may sixth runoff. over twenty people remain in hospital after a series of blasts rocked the eastern ukrainian city of the upper troughs come friday leaving twenty nine injured the suspected terror attacks also stoke fear abroad as the country prepares to host the euro two thousand and twelve football tournaments . and online and they're ready to boil over as a new cyber security bill could allow the u.s. government to obtain people's private information from internet companies the pact has passed the u.s. house of representatives but is now threatening to be vetoed by president obama.

those were the top stories of the week now is take a look at it's happening in the world of sports as always we can is the busiest for the entries here with the latest. colored their world into the sport again and these are the headlines we are the champions ten manzanita she won to retain their russian premier league crime. sharapova sets up another final with top seed as a ring to it in germany. and cries of victory chicago being philadelphia in the n.b.a. playoffs but leaves the man daring dangerous. first any coach lucentis plessy is hailed his players carry after claiming a second russian premier league crime in a row they beat in our moscow two one instant pages burge to secure the title with three games to go on lone striker on their sharpen provide the pass to set up don't

mind she recalled for the house after half an hour then five minutes later that you may be sure of the penalty was any on top score alexander could you call my one mistake on the spot however alexandru headed home from a corner to put one back but now are still in the first half and then constantine city on earth picked up a second yellow card and walked off ten minutes after the restart a tough blow physically but they were able to hang on to that day and to warm is how it stayed in there for luciano's blackies man to capture their third title in five seasons elsewhere two years ago leapfrog spot i came to third place after beating their arch rivals two one in the moscow darby spartak saudi was guilty of it all with our own goal midway through the first half brazilian failing to clear a free kick by is over and toss it but the red whites made amends right before the interval archon does over unleashing here to make it one zero but only in the

second half birthday boy tore six killed in a free kick for the army man and sparta fate was effectively sealed when the reach of combat of was sent off for a second book ball offense later on. so she wanted to see how it finished. elsewhere doubled since i knew you so angie beat like a mighty three want to make catch a killer but i had a terrible start with tardis birdlike putting into his own net there after twenty five minutes however just seven minutes later the railway men were level thanks to denny's who she coughs effort but turned the tables almost singlehandedly after the break the camera strike at first made the most of a defensive high limit way through the saying half. and then settled matters with a dazzling injury time. this one putting angie up to fifth in the table and into the europa league places will look like they just time following a five game winning streak hats off to s.c.

. meanwhile. rubin's hopes of finishing in the europa league places took a dance off that they had to come from behind to draw one one at home to get banned marcus exactly finally breaking the deadlock for the businesses in the seventy five minute shooting match side the box but not joking that it a penalty with six minutes to go to snatch a point for the tea time former champions are seven. now i mean this premier league arsenal have consolidated third spot after a one one draw with rivals newcastle with thrashed four nil by wigan the my five to face still leaves them in full support but four points behind the gunners in other games luis suarez scored a hat trick in liverpool's three know when i've been origin as a crash for them for nil that bolton stay in the drop zone on goal difference after sunderland aston villa three points clear of relegation. draw with west brom and

already relegated drew four four at swans. on sunday chelsea have struggling q.p.r. while sliding rivals tottenham face relegation threatened black but on one day all eyes are on manchester a second place city host ladies united what could prove debate the title decider. but. i do that. more because the. left should play against newcastle it will be a. good game and after instead united play against swansea. for them it would be pretty great. now over in france leon have won their first trophy in four years they beat part time one nil to lift the french cup play in the french division and it wasn't surprising they found themselves under pressure from

the start of venture conceding what turned out to be the winner after half an hour of standard lopez getting on the end of like is that these crops. that proving to be enough to give leon their first silverware since their league and cup double in two thousand and eight. now and i saw the russia have bounced back from their opening defeat to finland beating sweden four two in the latest leg of the euro hockey tour after golden spurs brushstroke three times within four minutes to forge ahead sweden push themselves back into contention with a couple of goals but nicholai second of the match made it forty to russia with just over a minute to go and before that world champions finland fall back from two goals than to be the czech republic three two in overtime. tennis second seed to reach a wrap of all faiths another final against world number one victoria as a rank following a hard fought victory over pep petrak a veto in stuttgart a single break of serve in the opening set was enough for chirac of her to take it

six four but kept the russian on her toes throughout and saved a match point in the second to force a tie break however sure upriver found something extra to wrap it up seven three battle into her fourth final of the season there she will meet victoria as a ranger who beat agnes could advance in straight sets. while men's world number two rafael nadal is in the final of the barcelona open he swept aside fellow spaniard fernando verdasco in straight sets in the semi and will play in next another spaniard david fair for the title after he beat andy murray's congress we lost ryan each. now the n.b.a. playoffs have got underway with top seeds the chicago bulls enjoying one hundred three ninety one victory over philadelphia in the postseason however the victory was overshadowed by a serious injury to the board and b.p. derrick rose the top scorer on the night with twenty three points and nine assists

this late freeze point to opening up a twenty point lead in the fourth but late in the final frame he crumbled to the ground tearing a knee ligament which puts him out of the playoffs news which took the shine off a comfortable win for the bulls in the eastern conference. that's where the defending champions the dallas mavericks lost by one point at oklahoma ninety nine ninety eight miami heat have nearly series lead against new york knicks there after the browns jayne's him thirty two points and allowed a magic big the indiana pacers eighty one seventy seven. eleven years after failing to win in one hundred sixty three starts goal for jason dufner is on the verge of ending his title drought the american needs that you're a classic in new orleans while englishman luke donald looks set to regain the world number one spot dufner has been runner up twice on the p.g.a. tour but is now two shots clear of the field in new orleans with a round left to play he had a five under sixty seven on the penultimate day we say sorry we don't have pictures here but graeme delight just behind him while luke donald needs to finish seventh

return to the top of the world rankings and he's currently in a support behind steve stricker. funny boxing in japanese challenger noble hero ishida says he plans to knock out the w b o middleweight champion dmitri pirogue when the two square off against each other in moscow. the fights on change day are russian public holiday and the show has held an open training session here in the capital and he says he's wary appoints decision could swing in favor of the local holder so i would put the result beyond that but thirty one year old perrault has a record of nineteen wins including to the knockouts and no losses for the dunya has more. one of the brightest books russia has to offer and probably the most gifted. middleweight jumping on me that if you're all first came to global prominence in twenty eight sound when he answered the mandalay bay casino ring in las vegas as an underdog and stunned the crowd by knocking out american

daniel jacobs capturing the champion's belt in the process. i knew the only way to win it was to knock him out but it's a very hard way to fight especially for me so i just decided to box as well as i could and enjoy it feeling that atmosphere of a packed town to reno for the first time also spurred me on. since then has the fan that he's grown twice he's a world professional record he's perfect nineteen wins in nineteen boats but it's not he startles in full stats which. is his style. when i was young i was pretty small and light my boxing technique was all about speed and throwing lots of punches just forty eight kilos than me but suddenly i started growing towards a very fast that changed me a lot i suddenly couldn't act the same way in the ring i was only seventeen when i

had to adjust to the changes and i started taking on board some new things but kept all that i'd learned before that made me a very well rounded boxer reading it was at the same time i was seeking my own unique style and i watched tons of fight all of my friends provided me with different videos i couldn't get enough of what i want. to improve my left hook with i watched the whole year's all trinidad's fights and studied the way they did it all concentrated on mayweather is defense to fine tune mine that's how my style is developed the rock star he sports career was yes but aged just eight. hundred. twenty three years later it's safe to label him as one of the smartest wires blank history to date though he makes sure to salute he's producers. in the eighty's the middleweight division was brilliant with four magnificent fighters at the top of it sugar ray leonard bernstein ran and hagler then it was my

favorite among those legends a lot of very intelligent fighter you know maybe it's because my first coach used to say boys your boxing must be smart it shouldn't be a brawl it should be spectacular and artful what has just brought my current coach was never good in victory told me a lot about the art of defense but so-called old school boxing. is getting less sophisticated now and there are just a few fighters who can do it it's not just about great footwork and peekaboo defense but a protection that naturally prepares you to attack immediately that's what i'm trying to improve on to whether it's just enough of you. brock has already become the special one among russian boxing enthusiastic now it's time to take it to the next level be the me alone america. fight on chase or not so that's all sport for the moment more interesting.