syria's opposition coalition says yes to attending next week's peace talks in switzerland but can't confirm which delegates will make it is amid further doubt over a chemical attack near damascus last year these rockets could have never been fired from government controlled territory experts from mit calling into question u.s. claims that assad forces were behind the assault. official from moscow visit the guantanamo bay detention center to meet with a russian man who's been incarcerated there without charge for nearly twelve years . and president obama says his much anticipated plans to reform the n.s.a. are a step in the right direction but some critics dismiss the proposals as a p.r. stunt that leaves too many questions unanswered and much of the agency's operations untouched.

in moscow i met good to have you with us here on r.t. our top story this hour after weeks of dispute and indecision the opposition syrian national coalition is finally decided to attend next week's peace talks in geneva but it's still unclear exactly which members of a fractured group will take part in the talks aimed at ending syria's bloody civil war marina portnoy reports. amid mounting international pressure syria's opposition has decided to take part in next week's geneva two peace talks the group which faces its own internal divisions announced its decision saturday following a meeting in is stamboul now hearts of the syrian opposition were previously critical of taking part in peace negotiations that could help syrian president bashar al assad they say stay in power this syrian national council a main power opposition bloc even threatened to pull out of the coalition if the

general assembly voted in favor of attending the geneva two it seems though however that pressure from the u.s. and western countries cause concessions to be made the conference will be held under the auspices of the un and it's co-sponsored by russia and the u.s. it's scheduled to begin on tuesday january twenty second it is aimed at finding a way to install a transitional government that will subsequently pave the way for to ending the nearly three year old civil war which has reportedly claimed the lives of some one hundred thirty thousand people and with one opposition group now ready to join the talks it's still not clear if any of the others will follow suit a recent british defense study has found that more than half of those fighting against the assad government are either jihad this or hardline islamist it says there's more than one hundred thousand rebels in the country who are split into as many as a thousand different factions breaking them down al-qaeda linked jihad as can

constitute a significant proportion of the fighters on the ground the largest group are hardline radicals who are more focused on toppling assad rather than the global islam is a struggle and while those considered more moderate islam is make up a little under a third of the armed opposition middle east expert sharmeen are want you says that even if the talks are fruitful the problem of how to deal with the jihadi fighters remains. but there's many different factions of the opposition and you have the domestic peaceful opposition the n.c.c. that i think is the most likely to be able to strike any kind of deal with the syrian government they have rejected these talks because of the kinds other kinds of oppositions that that might participate and then you have this externally backed opposition you know backed by foreign governments the syrian national coalition these are the ones who have accepted the talks or at least some of this body has access to talk that they're not in any position to negotiate a solution on behalf of the syrian people there are some dangers in these talks and

even if you had a legitimate opposition sitting across the syrian government and negotiating it doesn't account for the many militias on the ground who are not controlled by any foreign government or any domestic constituency we're going to have to put a stop to those kind of military activities. the u.s. conclusion that a chemical attack to damascus in august was carried out by the government's been challenged by a team of respected experts washington blame president assad for the attack but a new report from the massachusetts institute of technology found the rocket couldn't have been fired from government controlled areas. we went through two to three months worth of study to determine the types of rockets. the weight the size the propellant and we determine that the range is on the order of two kilometers i like to make a note that the u.n. also had come up with a range of approximately two kilometers so this is very confusing to us in our

studies and we're trying to understand exactly what the white house map means because right now as it stands these rockets could have never been fired from government controlled territory they would be fired more from a rebel type of territory or a border of a contested territory so it seems something in the official u.s. conclusions doesn't add up ortiz likes air shows he takes a closer look at the mit study. we reproduced the very same map which the washington officials presented when they voiced the concerns that the attack could have been carried out by the government troops look here this is the part of damascus controlled by the government at the time which was of course the twenty first of august twenty third scene and this is the part of damascus controlled by the opposition troops so if we see we can see those blinking yellow sports those are the areas where the missiles carrying the sarin gas hit the ground causing

some deadly damage and reportedly hundreds of casualties and this red line here is basically to signify how far could these rockets go if they were fired from the parts of damascus controlled by the government as we can see the closest the westernmost point of attack of the sarin missiles is some way off from the maximum range of missiles this particular type of missile which was used in this attack the maximum range of these missiles is about two kilometers well this point here is at least four kilometers from the eastern or support of the government controlled areas of damascus at that time and if we talk about the heart of this area controlled by the government which was mentioned by the u.s. state secretary john kerry that's at least eight to nine kilometers from the eastern most points this report basically does not lay blame on any side and does not say whether there were those were the rebels who perform these attacks using

chemicals but what it does though it seriously puts under doubt that the quality of intelligence and as to why the u.s. authorities used what seems to be incomplete or even flawed intelligence data to voice their concerns and if we remember what u.s. state secretary john kerry said back then the claims were quite solid high confidence this is common search this is evidence. these are facts also this report speculates at one point that it could have this wrong data could have been used in a similar fashion as the attack on iraq when wrong information was used as a pretext to launch a military operation official washington hasn't yet responded to this latest report by the mit research is the violence rages in syria the country's turning to a major drug producer with both the rebels and army soldiers reportedly taking amphetamines to keep up their energy and stay going during battles that report

still to come. but first after ten years of attempts officials from moscow finally got access to the only russian nationals still held at guantanamo bay a delegation headed by the foreign ministry human rights envoy met with the detainee who's being held at the prison it despite never being charged efforts to secure his release were priorities of the visit along with ensuring that his human rights were being respected consultations were held with the pentagon as well as guantanamo officials and the group was also given a limited tour of the facility earlier my colleague kevin owen spoke with the head of russia's delegation constantine gold both. of you met the russian national held in guantanamo what did they have to say about his ordeal it was the first. meeting with him we have been trying to organize as your meeting for quite some time for several years he told us a belled equate the number of very serious incidents which happened with

some other detainees people whom he personally knows did he give you any details but he himself witnessed the aftermath of the use of methods we look incredible we the international norms and regulations you feel you could talk freely to you. well it's difficult to say this man has been under duress for almost twelve years so it's difficult to expect that suddenly he started speaking completely freely the most important probably. element of his that was to convey that message to me to go it was that if we medical say that we insist that he is the way it is and legitimate interests. adequately taken care of this is a. principle position of the russian government. if you know the russians who does and brought in

a statement after the visit dog of said that the facility falls below international standards that view is backed by human rights groups say thirty three detainees are currently on hunger strike without if you having doubled in the past month the cat military authorities refusing to release any new figures on the matter authorities said the release of information on the hunger strikers detracts from more important issues like the welfare of detainees and the safety of troops clive stafford smith is a lawyer for several good mode detainees and says he's witnessed some of the tactics used by the military. if a prisoner from camp six which is the least bad camp goes on hunger strike they automatically get transferred not just count five but you can't fight back which really has been the most abusive place in all of the town of bay prisoners are held in an old steel cell and denied the most basic human rights just as a punishment for going on strike that force feeding techniques are very much an action unfortunately again it's the very abusive force feeding techniques i mean

casting aside the question of whether it's that the culture coarsely to tourne the world medical association says it's not you know unfortunately the techniques they using. gratuitous take hold so for example and i've witnessed some of this that they used to leave but shoots out the prisoners noses to hurt so much they're still proclaimers tubes out every single time twice a day forcing them back up each time they're still forcing foster much too quickly into the prison and making prisoners sick if you're sick they just carry on doing it it really is horrendous what's not. still to come leaving latvia the baltic nation watches as thousands of its skilled professionals head for the exit to escape the eurozone we look at what's driving them away after a short break. before there's a triple a credit big going to aaa credit there's only two or three countries in

the wrong now the aaa credit america's not aaa anymore a most a euro zone is pretty big a credit to think about that with open transparent security creation and the ability to wipe out wall street with actual securities tributed egalitarianism to get capitalism to point out this is fantastic. language. we can with. the consensus. choose to use that to. choose the stories but if you. choose to be.

thirteen minutes past the hour washington won't dismantle its global spying network the announcement of a major overhaul of the national security agency outlined by president obama failed to provide any detail on when the collection of data will be stopped or whether all be stopped at all critics say the plan for deep reform is just a facelift as sam sachs explains. after nearly seven months of n.s.a. disclosures president obama finally came forward with reforms to the spy agency acknowledging that the current capabilities of the n.s.a. do leave open the possibility of abuse given the unique power of the state it is not enough for leaders to say trust us we want to be use the data we collect for history has too many examples when that trust has been breached. our such

a system of government is built on the premise that our liberty cannot depend on the good intentions of those in power the president address the n.s.a.'s most controversial program section two fifteen bulk telephone metadata collection basically the president no longer wants the government to be in control of these massive metadata databases but that doesn't mean the president wants to get rid of bulk collection in fact the bulk collection of virtually every american's metadata will continue indefinitely and the new restrictions announced by the president requiring the n.s.a. to obtain pfizer court approval before searching all that metadata doesn't satisfy privacy advocates who argue the pfizer court has acted and will continue to act as a rubber stamp nothing in obama's speech put any rain rain dan this collected all approach and yesterday that there was a big revelation of god called this fire program that just fire program was collecting all tax calls literally hundreds of thousands of text calls every day

are going into the n.s.a.'s vacuum it's gigantic gani coover regarding spying on foreign leaders the president said he's put an end to surveillance on friends and allies but did not say the n.s.a. will stop spying on diplomats nothing about the n.s.a. breaking encryption standards and ports that the n.s.a. has been breaking into the data links on google and yahoo servers while some specific reforms were introduced how exactly they will be implemented moving forward remains to be seen especially since the same government agencies that have overseen the massive growth of the surveillance state are now the ones tasked with reining it in in washington d.c. same sex are to. president obama's speech on the n.s.a. was met with criticism in some of the countries spied upon germany's justice minister said a written agreement is needed to spot to stop it he was supported by a brazilian lawmaker who thinks the u.s. has little respect for international partners one euro m.p. things washington is just paying lip service to make everyone feel better earlier

activist and blogger david swanson told us why he is among those left on satisfied by the president's address it wouldn't call it a reform i would call it the ongoing normalization of the outrageous policy of violating the fourth amendment on an enormous scale we're learning more as every week goes by about what they're collecting in terms of text messages and e-mails and and admitted data and it's it's voluminous and the president is is not can admitting that anything has been done wrong is not proposing to stop doing it is not suggesting we restore the fourth amendment to the constitution he's suggesting that this will continue and it will be reformed perhaps in part someday but he claims it's been a great step forward i don't see it. think twice next time you decide to like someone on facebook especially when that someone is a former partner who wants nothing to do with you is that one click might get you

arrested this story online. so thinking about buying a ticket for the sochi winter games wall but don't argue dot com is in motion section for a bird's eye view of the city make up your mind. it's a. pleasure to have you with us here on t.v. today i'm sure. fighters on both sides of the syrian civil war turning to drugs as both a source of funding and for staying power in battle according to

a recent media investigation the soaring export of illegal amphetamines is turn syria into a major drug hub murray if emotional reports was theory about to enter into its full devastating you know war the lack of law and structure has allowed one dog industry to flourish the country has become the number one producer of a drug known as captain gone it's as is the synthetic stimulant first manufactured in the one nine hundred sixty s. and it was at that time used as a medicine to treat hyperactivity and depression but it's too addictive and this is why it was banned in most countries so here in the middle east it's still very popular it's cheap and it's easy to get. not only produces more than any other country in the region but it's also kept to goes main consumers believe that five teri's are taking the pills to maintain vigorous energy levels your elevenses battles because it helps you keep awaken for hours and hours but

there are also reports that ordinary citizens those who've been living in depression and in this war and chaos for almost three years now are also posting to the drug for these capers to for rare aid gives them and it's lucrative it's between fifteen and twenty doors appeal and the right hundreds of millions of them been taking or trafficked and there is evidence that the revenue raised is buying weapons from both sides of the syrian conflict the un office on drugs and crime. has been reporting that syria which is located at a crossroads here in the region has for a long time been a transit point for the drug going from europe to turkey and lebanon but since the war began captagon trades guns a mastic and factories are appearing these days all across syria and production has

increased and sales and booming here elaborate on the authorities seized around two hundred million dollars worth of tablets last year mostly hidden in the tracks going through the syrian lebanese border from syria to the lebanese or from where they're shipped to its final destination including the gulf countries of the most ardent supporters of the syrian opposition and saudi arabia where around a villain dollars worth of the drug was seized just last year with authorities saying this is nothing but just ten percent of the real turnover of the drug in the kingdom. russia's national counterterror committee says seven militants were killed in the southern republic of dagestan security forces have been trying to negotiate but the group who are holed up in a house opened fire it's thought that among the dead were those responsible for friday's grenade attack on a restaurant that was followed by a car bomb that injured at least sixteen another was the leader of a local gang in the third was a friend of the female suicide bomber who carried out the a terror attack on

a bus in volgograd last october the woman also said to be preparing for a suicide bombing and wanted by russian forces. they're going to some other news around the world riot police firing water cannons and scuffling with protesters in istanbul demonstrators flooding the streets to express discontented new draft bill that would restrict internet access the government wants to keep records of on line activity and banned sites for alleged violations of privacy without the need of a court order if passed internet service providers will be required to join an internet union under central control. the bloodshed in iraq left at least thirty dead in militant violence seventeen died more than seventy injured in multiple bombings that rocked baghdad and the west of the city a jail seized by gunmen leading to the escape of dozens of prisoners this after six were killed in a suicide blast and shelling in the restive unbar province outside the capital. in ukraine's capital kiev clashes erupted between pro and anti-government activists

violence broke out when government supporters tried to push back protesters blocking one of the main streets this just days after president signed into law a bill banning similar rallies demonstrations have gripped the capital for nearly two months after the rejection of a trade agreement with the e.u. . a lot of you may be europe's fastest growing economy but it's also the youngest and poorest member and the sharp bends on the road to prosperity have proven too much for many of the thousands of professionals who are leaving the country artie's paul scott reports. so the gay is one of thousands of workers who will leave latvia this year but his destination is perhaps surprising he'll be leaving this state to work in azerbaijan and that is that. life is always hard but in this country it's harder as the government is much more concerned by politics than economics and the life of the common man survey isn't the only one the world bank says

a lot because population is shrinking by almost sixty thousand people per year i feel i'm not alone the government are squeezing everybody wanting more and more from us for less money between two thousand and nine and two thousand and twelve not because population fell by around ten percent in a country of only two million people this decline is sharply felt especially since those leaving a mostly of working age the major work force males from twenty to forty go in find jobs abroad and then move their families over this leave just older people this demographic shift poses significant economic challenges which the government says it's keen to try and tackle. there is a government program to return people to mad for you but it doesn't work they pay for people to return but there's still no work for them the only way out is to create new jobs and a suitable atmosphere for investment but it isn't happening and over the next twenty years the population will decrease another third or so as leaders

desperately try to arrest the worrying trend the message from at least one of those with bags packed for a better life elsewhere is simple. the government has to stop its aggressive social policies and lower taxes so that people can live and not simply survive. got out a lot via. i'll be back around thirty minutes with an update on the news but up next a report stay with us. the majority of congress are now millionaires for the first time in history according to the center for responsive politics which sounds pretty insulting when the average american is not doing so well financially this seems bad like a bunch of rich guys rule the country which they kind of do but one could argue

that congress isn't rich enough first off due to inflation a billion dollars is not as much as it used to be a special in the cost of a campaign to get in the congress costs around one million six hundred thousand dollars so yeah a million dollars of net worth may sound pretty rich to you or me but the expensive game of us politics these guys can't even afford the costs related to getting the work electoral campaigns are a big money affair so it is no surprise that people like you or me can't get into the law making business without selling at least a little piece of our souls to someone who has very deep pockets so again the problem isn't that congressmen are wealthy it is that many of them have to get constant financing in order to maintain their positions and as you average folks know once you're in debt they've got you by the throat well that's just my opinion .

welcome to the kaiser report i'm max kaiser robots are increasingly able to do menial labor from flipping hamburgers parking lot as making cars to mating with the consequently vascular dementia but there is a media whore of technology heading our way right now that will finally make extinct our corrupt too big to fail banks and finance dinosaurs yes the bitcoin media your is going to smash the fire sector finance insurance real estate all these middlemen gone like the dodo the t.-rex sting by you all stacy kaiser we're in twenty fourteen and twenty fourteen is going to show the true power of the block sheen that is where all of the energy of this meteor called because it is bitcoin two point zero explained colored coins versus mass a coin versus open transactions versus proto shares these are just some of the many

things that could ride on top of the blotching kind of like that guy writing on the missile go to take out the you know you know in the dr strangelove that famous saying at the end the bomb down think i was sam's or somebody like that because it's phil simms he runs a suit store. it was it was it was mom's maybelline no that wasn't her either well this is from kyle topi and he is writing on yahoo and he's looking at some of the things in twenty fourteen that are going to be more than just the currency app that is big question and a lot of people focus on the currency app application of bitcoin because many people only heard about bitcoin in two thousand and thirteen so he says at its core big question is the new technology that allows everyone of them around the world to come to a consensus on who owns what without the use of a centralized third party. there are many different applications that could be

built on top of this technology in-between is only the first of many apps to come when you forget about big and just look at the technology there are a large number of new possibilities that jump out at you for example if you can have a decentralized ledger that explains who owns which asset then why do we need centralized stock exchanges why do we need a domain name registries why do we need e-bay all of this could be on the decentralized that's the technology aspect of it he's looking at in particular that first section right absolutely it's decentralized trust anything that requires trust lawyers bankers domain name registration stockbrokers they can all be put on to the block chain and get rid of all the middleman and the price plunge toward zero the ace of pot a core curve to zero and this of course is amazing because most pundits in america like the paul krugman as of the new york times they can barely wrap their mind around big coin one point. joeys of dollars business insider is still struggling i'm not sure what big point is yet meanwhile bitcoin two point zero is

no ready to go ready to launch and set another stage another chapter in this incredible incursion technology tsunami that is just blasting away all these high priced middlemen and scoundrels banks to say goodbye hello to good all of what. so then he goes in to look at some of the applications already being applied using bitcoin the technology on the block chain colored coins for example the main idea behind the colored coins project is that you'll be able to apply secondary values to certain big coins on the bitcoin block chain those secondary values can then be used to create completely new digital currencies that are backed by real world assets for example let's say you will in some gold at your house you could hypothetically take five suppose she's and say that each one of those the toshi is equal to one gram of the gold that you hold in your home you could then exchange those five suppose she is backed by one gram of gold.