window of opportunity to strike iran dragging the u.s. into a war is there still a threat that it would do so in the main remaining weeks i think the concern about a possible israeli strike was higher a few weeks ago the israelis are now dissolving their parliament and calling for new elections on january twenty second so this i think changes a lot of the previous calculation of people that thought the israeli government might act before the us elections i think now tend to believe wait until at least after us elections if not actually after the new israeli elections now opinions vary but do you think iran has an intention to acquire a nuclear bomb i mean this is literally the sixty four thousand dollar question you know there's a pretty good read on what iran's capabilities in terms of uranium enrichment are the big question which i don't think anyone can give a highly confident answer to is does iran want what people refer to as a threshold capability in other words its ability to produce a nuclear weapon quickly or do they want an actual deployed weapon according to

u.s. intelligence community and i think most other observers iran just hasn't made that decision in part because they don't need to and they want to get to that threshold capability before they make any decisions about whether to go to go farther than that threshold because there's no point making that decision early in fact it might be detected by western intelligence and so you could tip your hand before you get to that threshold so i think that decision has been made you don't seem to be putting the threat level of iran's nuclear program as high as some u.s. officials the republican candidates for example mitt romney and his vice presidential candidate paul ryan have been in past weeks essentially saying that iran is a major grave threat are they exaggerating at all with their rhetoric i don't think there's a tremendous amount of exaggeration that iran is a threat generally i mean you know the united states and iran have had a. pretty hostile relationship for three decades actually more than three decades

now they have you know had problematic relations in the gulf they've had conflict via proxies in iraq so i think it's not wrong to say iran is a threat the question is whether ron's nuclear program is a real threat to the united states at the present and it isn't at the present but the concern is as i said it could very quickly become a threat so let's go back to your report according to the findings an extended u.s. military strike on iran's nuclear facilities whether alone or in concert with israel could set back iran's nuclear program for four years but it still would not guarantee that iran would not eventual acquire a nuclear bomb why is that it's because the technology iran already has some pieces and parts they need to acquire from overseas but unless you can guarantee that you can kill off everyone in iran that has knowledge of these programs and their

ability to produce these basic components such as aluminum rotors you can't guarantee that that the program can never be restarted so you can destroy what they have now but their ability to rebuild that even if you can make it take a very long time to rebuild that's what can't be destroyed what kind of long term military commitment with the u.s. have to make to ensure that iran would never be able to build a nuclear bomb i mean it would be similar to what happened with iraq the only way to ensure a country does not acquire a nuclear weapon is to is to forcibly change the regime and go in on the ground occupy yes that's the that's the only way to one hundred percent be sure that the current iranian regime never acquires a nuclear weapon so we're talking about a ten year war. potentially it could be iran as a as a larger country than both iraq and afghanistan combined so if you're talking about a war that would certainly be on that scale where there would be ten times harder not quite as hard who knows but it would be a very substantial military commitment should the u.s. be concerned. about iran's unconventional war capabilities i think the united

states is definitely be concerned about iran's unconventional war capabilities by its nature it's harder to sort of define what unconventional war capabilities are and you can count airplanes you can count missiles unconventional it's a little harder to judge but iran has a robust capability for unconventional war they have special operations forces they have claimed destine services they have a variety of capabilities to conduct attacks without you know not in the sort of typical military way at the end of the day is this really just a problem for israel iran possible determination of acquiring nuclear weapons or is this a problem for the u.s. as well i think it's a problem for the entire world i mean certainly the you know the entire world has has asked iran to clarify its intentions and has taken steps i think it's a much bigger problem for israel than the united states if for no other reason than proximity in the size you know israel is a country of you know about the size you know in terms of population the size of

new york city and geographically it's quite small it's quite close so i think it's a much bigger problem for israel that it is for the united states but that doesn't make it not a problem for the united states in the rest of the world how much would a war with iran cost the u.s. economy it's very difficult to tell but you know our estimates that even a modest war would would hurt the u.s. economy in part because it would drive up oil prices even a modest in terms of duration spike in oil prices you know the u.s. recovery right now is quite fragile the world recovery is sort of stalled in places and making modest recovery in others so a big spike in oil prices even if it was only for a few weeks would certainly damage the u.s. economy if it were a longer extended commitment and big disruption in oil than it would be much more also to the global economy to the global economy and then there's the actual dollar figure to conduct military operations right i mean flying planes dropping bombs these things are are not incredibly expensive but neither are they chew. so it

would it would there would be a it would be a substantial costly thing so i want to ask you a question that politicians always reject to answer does israel have nuclear weapons capacity it's something that the israelis have been opaque on by design throughout their history i think most outside observers would say that the israelis do have a nuclear weapons capacity even if it's one that's never really been deployed or tested and as you mentioned benjamin netanyahu has dissolved the parliament in israel with new elections expected as in january february twenty second and what the how much do you think that will play into the israel iranian complex i think i think this coming israeli elections will hinge heavily on on what to do about iran the netanyahu government will have some decisions to make they could be they could be very bold and take action as a caretaker government i think most observers don't think they will and in fact a lot of the campaign will be about what to do about the iranian nuclear program.

so i think that's i think will be a huge issue in determining the future of israeli iranian relations so if israel has a stockpile of nuclear weapons as many have reported and iran has not even if you're on board to build one wouldn't there be somewhat of a deterrence policy in place why would israel consider still striking iran the belief is you know if both sides have nuclear weapons no no no one side is going to be foolish enough to use them knowing they're going to face retaliation by the other side say by us soviet union the idea of mutually assured destruction i think the israelis are deeply uncomfortable with this because it doesn't take hundreds of nuclear weapons to functionally destroy israel as i said israel is a very small country a handful of nuclear weapons maybe even only one nuclear weapon some people refer to israel as a one bomb country could do the same damage it would require hundreds of nuclear weapons to do to a much larger country so i think their concern is the. why take any risk that maybe

the current leadership in iran is completely rational but maybe a future one won't be why take any risk that there could be these kind of miscalculations in a confrontation so say there's a then israeli iranian equivalent of a cuban missile crisis say over hezbollah or syria and instead of ending in a in a sort of tense standoff that resolved peacefully as in the cuban missile crisis this one actually results in the exchange of nuclear weapons think the israeli attitude is you know we have maintained all along we will not be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons into the region we don't want anyone else to do so either because why take the risk you know when u.s. president barack obama was addressing the u.n. general assembly and he was speaking i think iran he said time for negotiations is not unlimited what do you think he meant by that i mean it's you think that there is some kind of deadline a date that. i don't think there's an exact date but i do think that patience for negotiations particularly after the last round over the summer is sort of wearing

thin the iranians put forward a proposal allegedly some of the iranians deny it some don't it's kind of tough to tell sometimes what the iranians are actually saying but the proposal would have called for the lifting of most sanctions in exchange for a suspension of many of the more worrisome activities of the iranian nuclear program and the president said look we you know this isn't this isn't serious we're not going to remove everything that gives us leverage in exchange for these minor concessions so i think the feeling is look we will give diplomacy all the time in the world if it's actually working but if it's just a way for the iranians to stall and by the way over the summer iran greatly increase the rate of putting centrifuges into one of its enrichment plants so i think that's the feeling it's not that there's a specific date but if it looks like all the iranians are doing is using goshi ations as a way to sort of buy time think that's when the president will say look we've given diplomacy you know all the time in the world it hasn't worked here. court indicated

that a u.s. military strike against iran would motivate the country to build a bomb if that is the case doesn't this threatening rhetoric coming from u.s. and israeli officials also cause damage i think the idea is to calibrate the threat and maybe the united states hasn't always done the best job but the idea is you know you apply all of these levers of persuasion sanctions the threat of military action to say look this isn't a good path to go down let's find another path but you're absolutely right that if you you know if you're trying to convince somebody to do something or else you're going to carry out a threat you don't want to believe in you're going to carry out the threat anyway right because why would you ever agree to anything if you think you're going to be attacked anyway so it's it can be tricky you're right to calibrate that rhetoric that you know if you do x. we will do y. but if you don't do x. we won't do well dr austin long thank you very much for speaking with r.t. thanks very much as a great pleasure i. need

to know fashionable side. radioactive fallout of all government betrayal. and lauded and lauded and flawed how can the truth be revealed if there's no official evidence there was a very bright day to the servicemen concert who was given no problem protection and to the people of this country generally because already like the full. the secrets of the u.k.'s nuclear tests exclaims.

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the gold fever. turned thousands into slaves. but also among others involved in the mines and since i started working in the mine i stayed here a little bit. multi-nationals. cash camp to be milked dry and if i think that in this country is gold medal logie as an environmental cost which is unacceptable local business was labeled illegal and controlled by criminals you know in order to protect our lives our families and to work in peace . almost but we are forced to pay protection to illegal groups what price is

colombia going to pay. to keep the modest effect on r.t. . top stories this hour i'll tell you a wave of protests in level enough to the powerful car blast that killed at least eight creating a top security official opposition calls for an indefinite strike call the army reportedly followers and demonstrators. under siege stronghold of gadhafi supporters in libya faces an assault by militias with why the country still gripped by also here after the western backed revolt. and scuffles break out between police and protesters in london where tens of thousands marched in the latest show about your against a sturdy sweeping you know. more news in fifteen minutes from now in the meantime kate's got all the latest highlights from the world of sport.

hello welcome to the sports thank you for joining me and these are the headlines leading the way angie fights back to grab a late to one when it's time to ten one spot track and go five points clear at the top of the russian premier league so these are up to. while dobby through the score was twice as leaders chelsea come from behind to win to a top nine remain unbeaten in the english premier league. and the kremlin cup top seed some starters that lines up a final showdown against caroline wozniacki to produce weight in three sets here in moscow. but first a football and one in summer all these own goal deep into stoppage time helped angie fight back from a goal down and win two on a time to ten months to go five points clear at the top of the russian premier league before kick off the fans remembered the victims of the stampede that killed

sixty six spectators during spot tax your way for a cup match against the dutch side holland at the luzhniki thirty years ago well in the match got underway brazilian strike a balance and was denied by the woodwork before setting up midfield at the no four spot and that ten minutes before half time but a yellow card on either side of the interval for kudelka left the visitors with ten men angeles in a try all right equalized midway through the second home walk to the drawer looking imminence and injury time free kick resulted in surround the heading into is a net to ensure and she won two one and remain unbeaten in six games. one handed their second straight defeat. elsewhere double defending champions is the need to went third with a one zero win at home to cuba and they don't like golf netted from the penalty spot on the stroke of half time. to claim his seventh goal of the campaign isn't he

pressed for more in the second half fifty million dollar man holds powerful free kick from long range which just why it while fellow record signing. the bar is an eight level on points with the second place tesco most. in the meantime girls are up two places to ninety five to two goals in the last eighteen minutes gave the home side a two no victory. beats in nodded in the first arc of the all that ended the post and to make blasted home following the quarter to ensure the home side to all three points. remains two points clear of the chops a. one on sunday to can reduce the gap to leaders and she's back to two points though they would have to overcome inconsistent ravine then a fourth place their go to power a car second baltimore drive your host struggling into that are as lucky marty go to third bottom of. all over in england on saturday substitute in jericho who

scored a late braces ten man manchester city snatched a two one win at west brom while you run a net you don't own goal that also struck twice as manchester united beat stoke four two stand off no one else but their first win of the season and raheem sterling has made liverpool goal against reading gave the reds their first home win following grabbed a late victory over aston villa swanzy held off we're going to water west ham to thrash southampton forward and chelsea stay unbeaten at the top of the final not this second off double helped them win a thrilling london davi fourteen top them. in the second gives them a few little. confidence and momentum which we knew we had to write the brother you know the first time to see me. perform that i think for the rest have to be very much would be for money too. and women should do so for someone who

would have to go. now into tennis and top seed some stars or will face former world number one caroline wozniacki in the kremlin cup final after both tough three set women's stories are injured eight aces to come from a set down and knock out another former world number one out of age two six six three six two while the ascii prevailed in a back and forth match against unseeded swede serbia all bids in six three seven six six four with the final score in this one. in the ascii in the last two encounters between the two the last time they played each other was almost two years ago. now moving on to motor sport of motor g.p. lead a hole de lorenzo has set a new track record to secure pole position for sunday's pivotal malaysian grand prix the arm our rider left it late in the qualifying session to edge out his only title rival and five year danny to second spot on the great victories and they are the physio so will complete the front row ahead of outgoing champion casey stoned

out there and he's twenty eight points clear at the top of the standings with three races left which means the two thousand and ten way that could secure his second title at the super circuit watch the twenty five year old needs to win and rely on the drives that finishing outside the top twelve. position has already made it would push for a fourth of the model we need to order. a double buy because. it's easy if you will . look as if you were forced while staying on to wales and lance armstrong says it's been a difficult couple of weeks after the disgraced cyclist spoke out for the first time since a report by the us and he does being agency claimed he was the linchpin of a major doping ring the sport's governing body the u.c.i. is due to respond on monday and decide if the texan will keep his record seven tour de france titles while the cancer survivor is more anxious to charities. and ation should carry on as the live strong group marked its fifteenth anniversary on friday

. thank you so much for your support it's means the world to me to all of us we will not be deterred we will move forward. and we will continue to serve the twenty million people around the world that need us the most. to basketball to moscow region so i think you have claimed their first win of the year only after hanging on to win eighty six eighty five at home to powerhouse rail madrid he had lost their opening game in group a but made up for it with an unlikely win against rail in front of their home found it's just outside moscow the russian side was looking comfortable in the surge period and at one stage were eighteen points ahead however in the final for a rout went on a sixteen point run and came up just short in the dying seconds when rudy missed a flight a moving him came to time and i missed. very good for team we were up a lot of that. i mean i wish we would have kept their leaves but it's good to win

especially at home especially for your early against budget. and finally the russian women's football team are just two games away from qualifying for their first major tournament in three years there in austria for the first leg of their play off on sunday with the winner going straight to next year's european championships in sweden which is caught up with some of the players both on and off the pitch. you could pretty to me later have been friends since childhood but feeling careers have taken very similar so it was no surprise that they ended up as roommates but it might not be five star accommodation events released on the minds ahead of such a big game but in spain we are nervous going into the game but we are fully relaxed and ready to go out onto the field and get the victory that we need that is to get in the group stages who played against italy didn't put in a good. game elsewhere in qualifying menage to be. mess noonan's very comfortably.

but we drew our last match against poland but the game against austria will be a real test but we must win we have been preparing their heart for this encounter yelena force about becoming a model before she decided to pursue a career in football however the twenty seven year old is now one of the mainstays of her country's defense what we know you could do you know fancied herself as a hairdresser but she hasn't had the chance yet as her soccer career has taken center stage after a friend of hers employed as her to play almost two decades ago when i was younger i would always play football with a voice they were shocked at first that a girl could play so well but now things have obviously changed my friends are really happy when i am playing and if the game is on television they will call me to congratulate me and say well done the players are well looked after their training base which also hosts a number of other national teams from different sports in russia there is none of the luxury but the russian men's team enjoy the space station at best five star hotels in the world the women's game is not professional in russia but the girls

can concentrate on getting better and better and see more and more people are starting to which wants food bill in russia you know if i'm being honest i would like if more people took up an interest in our game when we play broad and we instantly notice how the home crowd supports the country and the lift it gives them so they will fill out. completely the opposite in russia with perhaps a couple of exceptions where they market our games very well and lots of people come to support us you could even be two of the more experienced members of russia scared and they'll be hoping to help their country new heights over the next week russia's women's football team will play one of the most important games in years as a take on austria as a look to qualify for the first major finals in four years but once football is growing in popularity in russia and if the women do manage to qualify for the european championships in sweden in two thousand and thirteen but will only help to boost the popularity of the game. darcy. that's all the sport for this policy

by. 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. is eve's it's. easy. to meet.

the. russians would be so much brighter if you want someone from files to crash and these. movies from star totty dot com. will there be a war on the rise of china friend or foe is missile defense offensive where are the stop us election close to october twenty second one arts. good laboratory. was able to build

a most sophisticated. mission to teach me. this is why you should. only. do this. science technology innovation. from russia.

radioactive fallout of government betrayal. how can the truth be revealed if there's no official evidence there was a very bright day to the service make a search given no problem protection and.