all think that would be worse than the cold war in fact the last war in the history of humanity for a military guy like yourself i think that's a pretty dramatic statement what made you reach that conclusion well first of all maybe i exaggerated a little bit and maybe i was a bit misunderstood a little bit but what i actually meant first of all comparing the present day situation with the days of the cold war i say that at the day of the cold cold war in the seventy's eighty's i was active military i felt more comfortable by the way it was everything was clear yes it was ideological confrontation maybe. extent military confrontation but still there were rules definite rules red lines the corner of the soviet union oh i see right now containing the soviet union well. yes but no it's not containment no there are wrecked threats to corner russia go

isolate russia politically to strangle it economically to to do everything possible even to well the ladies the latest statement by the pentagon concerning syria to keep damascus if the syrian government allegedly used chemical weapons which there was a very serious statement made by general direction of that and key the central damascus will be hip where the center for a consolation where the russian military russian policeman. russian federation will have to do to answer and now it will intercept the cruise missiles and carriers and what does that mean carriers since all the cruise missiles launched from u.s. warships that mean they're russian air force will strike a pretty serious. yes it's unprecedented in my. view make spiritual i

think what's also unprecedented. is an allegation of a heart from the united kingdom that russia actually used military grade chemical weapons that put civilians at grave danger. in the center of a large community in the united kingdom i cannot recall anything of this or that was. similarly geishas during the times of the soviet union can you see i think first of all absolutely sure it's a grand provocation and it's so poorly organized that well you see so many questions so many questions first of all it's a great it's different in trying to. investigate the first question the investigate the investigator start the investigation who has the benefit but. mr brzezinski i think it's very clear that there the british side is not interested in

the investigation it's interested in the political response to that yes and i wonder i mean russians are often accused of you know making up all sorts of conspiracies and it's hard not to do that when you have so little information at such a great grave allegation but how do you explain that personally to yourself both the use of the supposedly military grade chemical agent the miraculous improvement in the health of fuel escape all as well as the persistent denial of the russian access to its citizens well because you see i think that nobody in the west is interested in the even if i didn't the major effect has already been achieved russia has been accused russia has been solidarity has been produced e.u. summit was devoted not the brics it durham's not the financial compensation on the british. we. love russia of chemical effect

the civilized world of the west so. i think for any neutral observer it should be. do you think that's actually now because i'm obviously not a military person but from what i understand the claims of tourists amaze government actually saying that russia attacked them by the use of military means and when you are attacked by the use of military means i suppose you would respond militarily do you expect that to come well i don't inspect the u.k. to counter russia militarily because well with all respect to the british military with all respect the united kingdom it's not the it's not the nation to confront pressure militarily at present but i think it's not it's not the probably cation organized only by great britain the u.k. well in this case it was used as a tool i think that it was at least carbonated because washington and the follow up

reaction by watching the show that they the most interested part that they expelled not just symbolically just to show solidarity a couple of freshman diplomas they expelled sixty people they closed our consulate in seattle so it's. what frightens me that spiral of confrontation between the well we call it collective collective west but it's mainly the united states where the degree and been there for more than a year but. what i hear from my colleagues from my friends the degree of anti russian he is president now speaking for just a few days ago president putin's foreign policy adviser euro shekel suggested that the russian president may actually be open to visiting washington add the invitation of the. all tromped and that comes after all these expulsions that you

mentioned after the closing of the of the consulate in seattle on what moscow believed to be a fabricated pretext why would the russian leadership be so open and so accommodating to the united states after such a hostile act to meet the american president on his own territory well you see for me it's i cannot understand the what what the americans are doing now because you see. it was it has never been that the president says one thing and he's administrations he's key ministers says well say quite the opposite for example returning to syrian president trump says will withdraw very shortly. immediately met your said will it will reinforce the whole group of forces in syria what does that mean do you think that's a deliberate conclusion or just think their way there and say i think that

president. i don't know how it comes but he's acting on his own he says by putting it's good to cooperate with russia but his administration said come russia is our enemy is o. adverse all the all the documents issued. during the last four months i mean. national strategy nuclear posture review national military review all national defense review there is reason that the russia ellen said but china are a very serious now you mentioned that the fallout from this criminal case has so far been limited to mutual expulsions although on the a massive scale is that going to a fact of the quality of diplomatic relations and are there any diplomatic relations still left to be affected well that that's very good question of course

when and when they speak about the the spiral of confrontation if you see the classical classical moves first message expulsion they expel sixty people more than sixty people so certainly five in december sixth the now also around one hundred diplomats on the diplomats. so what is the next step logical step the breach of diplomatic relations and after the breach of diplomatic relations what's the next step it's rort. usually now a few weeks ago the habs of russian intelligence and security services visited washington to be have also just seen a former cia have being designated as the next secretary of state doesn't mean that spies or former spies and now taking over the roles that were previously it reserved for career diplomats. well i don't like divorce but. in the intelligence i have and services yes the people i've been more correct i think it's normal that

what once president any challenge yourself this is around. president bush the not the junior the senior said once that all decent people serve in the intelligence services but they will also have meeting with quality diplomats i think yes you know i'm joking of course but i think that the intelligence intelligence officers there they're qualified people they're qualified diplomats if they serve in the in the foreign affairs each country now can i bring you back to your initial statement about the war on our doorsteps and i don't know if you would agree with me but i think the russians have a somewhat different attitudes toward the war even compared to the europeans let alone the americans because the americans have long been isolated or insulated from

conventional calls like by their job rafi russians i think have a much more visceral reaction to a threat of war is that scenario of a major. conflict. were to transpire what are you seeing would launch the opening salvo. not russia not russia that clearly. seeing that all the logic of the. latest events defied the defect that russia is getting ready is getting ready for anything i mean these are reform of the armed forces very quick month of the armed forces which actually started after. unique speech where he actually there it to challenge the so-called american leadership there. it was in my opinion the i'm not sure he even challenge he simply expressed his criticism or how that leadership

transpires in the case of. more in the middle he know the speech this speech was not know that that and he openly said that the one ball the world that is dangerous but it's not necessarily something that americans disagree with for example president obama in different words also expressed that idea that the united states does not have to dictate will or to the other countries and present trying by the way also in he's special way articulated that idea to some extent i don't agree or even the national strategy or a bomb or nuclear posture review them erica united states is an exceptional nation and united states should be in the elite eason billy should be in the lead and will be in the lead the being in the lead does not necessarily mean being the. global cop i mean there is

a degree of difference because. for me being in believe means being the global cop and for the military people when a president or supreme commander says i'm with believe you should follow that means that they should follow his example and they should follow his orders and commands and i devise and i suppose that would be unacceptable to many works people in russia why do you think russia of all the other countries cannot accept this kind of logic because you know their counter argument is that this is a relatively small economy this country has lots of its internal challenges why doesn't care about whatever the united states doesn't the world he says this for the military people this argument about about small small percentage of russian economy and the world economy well to me doesn't sound. well. it doesn't sound at all because. if any

war happens it will be war like the second world war it will be a war they weeks maximal and the size of the economy when you know that the size of the economy will and went ok well mr brzezinski we have to take a very short break now but to be back in just a few moments stay tuned. was this the cradle of jazz. was america. we. know this jazz feel was. the city of climatic catastrophe

alligators on the loose of poverty and crime of the years by the least twelve members of my close. street racing. each of the night this new orleans is. the best place in the. month and back to worlds apart making again a brezinski chairman of the board of the peer center and mr brzezinski maney in russia believe that this curious case of this great pals is connected to the syrian war theater the high concentration of the russian then american navies and their rather mediterranean sees the fear that the united states may strike syria once

again do you see any connection there well well of course the the chemical issue is is in fashion i would say. well if has been always connected with syria the syrian government is using chemical agents against civilian population against children elder it. is to me is nonsense since the syrian government actually. eliminated all the all the stock by a lot of chemical agents in its possession but of course some objects were. each are not under control of the syrian government seven seven seven years ago they were in the hands of the islamic radical islamic groups terrorists so i seeing that all these provocations.

again i say they were very a poorly organized and staged by for example the. leader. ok so for the elections used of chemical weapons which followed by the us try to remember that harshly when the interaction when the yes. allegedly is there even was used by people without masks without the well proper clothing traveling just breezing. i'm sure you heard that just recently yes the defense secretary mr mattis said that the united states after having strike in stricken that country actually doesn't have evidence to support the claims that sarin was in there. you see it as a military to me even that strike was something extremely strange first of all half of the half of cruise missiles disappeared second the second you see the strike

itself was. absolutely unclear to anybody just what was he actually three or four them age syrian blades around the weight is not damaged no shelters them and nothing was their mistake i mean it may sound funny but it actually i think is very very dangerous because it shows that you don't need much to strike another country with tomahawk missiles you don't even need that for a fight to protect this way that's why i think general your estimate of americans again seven that they will strike the center of damascus. chemical attack happens in eastern guta general get i soon made that absolutely clear and he made it more clear as far as i know during his follow up on the station telephone conversation with the. chief of general dunford and p.

explain to hear what may happen if they strike and this way saying they didn't strike now the u.k. government is now very loud about the so-called show of solidarity that some european countries demonstrated in the aftermath of the cripple case but i think there was there's also a very interesting and very unusual example of turkey and they don't member siding with russia on this specific case and i think turkey is a very very special case because you mentioned all the provocations before that i think turkey did play a role in if not organizing some of those partitions and then at least covering for that why what's the significance of turkey being on the russian side this time around i think. turkey first of all is one of the major players in the area second turkey's own neighbor. their

key is quite a strong country economically militarily and they wouldn't it. politically. to have the gun and to have turkey on our side is very important yes at the beginning of the conflict and when the spiral of the conflict. developed we actually the peak was the when they shut down our aircraft and our people were killed afterwards sanctions afterwards well a lot of mutual. but then it seems to me that president putin explained the present or the gun that it's better to be to be together and to their. unsuccessful attempt on president of the guns a life and president that are going to sure that that was your lead and with the assistance of the americans that of course. i would say to some extent bush.

or to our side now the russian president just visit the turkey and he specifically said there that moscow is going to expedite the delivery of the s four hundred air defense systems to ankara. and as you were just said turkey is not an easy partner for russia and i don't think anyone in the kremlin takes whatever a. government has to say at face value i think there still has a lot of mistrust between the two capitals don't you think that the deliveries of the asked for hundreds to turkey may backfire against russia i don't think it may backfire i think if i still have doubts that the delivery will be completed because the pressure on dorky from from from americans from nato from other european countries extremely strong you know as one of the years ago as one of the sectors of defense told me that there was

a. a russian try to sell a helicopter. and the competition was between a come of and there goes the bell tower come of course gulp a fifty was faster. stronger more better you know s.b.'s was better but of course that then there was one by the across the belt and then told me general you see you may sell turkey rifles a c v's. if you are obese is even banks but you will never sell them aircraft helicopters warships and they craft systems because it's not just military sales but that nickel milter corporation it's public but for some reason president present there the on is very insistent on pursuing that politics why do

you think he himself that's me makes me optimistic so since it seems to me the president of the guy wants to diversify he is it is especially empty craft tests he doesn't want to be. purely dependent on the on the american the quick now turkey is also pursuing its own military offensive in northwest syria and ne's it syria rather and there are concerns about the humanitarian aspects of that operation as well as turkey's long term plans for syria do you think russia has a control room or will you see. that i cannot second by president but when president putin says that care of these people is part of the syrian people and has all the right that there are in its own fate but syrian state should be united the territory and they got the of syria is

not the question by russia. it seems to me that in these huge story along between the turks and the kurds there is government and the kurds russia now takes some neutral position and by the way. as far as i can guess the what the what the russian we say to the carrots guys you had the choice reach say to take you. or gave the lead with that you mean the american force now you mentioned already. the just recently u.s. president done all trump announced his intention to pull the american forces out of syria reach some have interpreted as sort of a representation being had of another offensive or at least some sort of pressure on iran they're also. israel and saudi arabia richer clamoring for some sort of

action against iran if that comes to pass what position do you think russia should take. well. i don't think russia with object if americans withdraw because first of all if they withdraw to attack iran or will well that is to start a great war and to be at least not not in the middle east as well so they had the conference the president the defense minister over and said it's actually be part of asia it's not just middle east near east so it will be did the great war and they're part of the world and you see it's like it's like korean peninsula d.p. ok and who is most to suffer or is there the self that we care that much about. here but steel and here they strike around the core who

will be the. well. come true will be suffering but i mean mr brzezinski there is a great difference between them i think the korean case and the case israel and iran because south korea is doing everything possible to avoid any military confrontation it's actually mean to hitting the north korean the americans the position of president is very different israel is clamoring for some sort of hostile action and i'm not talking about these around talking about also the arabia because. israel which is. mostly the actions of their acting in concert i think we can agree on that no ok ok but. still still iran is not not they we can trade not the country we should be effect and destroy one strike if if they strike iran it will be a war it will be

a war and quite lengthy war and anything russia will remain neutral in that war or do you think it will try to you i don't think i don't think it'll interfere militarily on the side and i don't think because we don't have any legal treaty of mutual assistance i think russia may. take a role as maybe there as but i don't think russia will interfere well mr brzezinski we have to leave it there it's been a great pleasure talking to you thank you very much for a time and to our viewers please keep the conversation going on our social media pages as for me go to syria same place same time here on worlds apart.

after weeks of media hysterics an official claims without a shred of evidence the case that russia was behind the solsbury poisoning incident is following a harsh transparency in the rule of law have never played a role what happens next sadly is only too predictable. zia's says hollande kentucky. over all of this move them places people were going street fanny's. a co money city it was almost no coal mines left. the jobs are gone all the coal miners are said. that it was a laugh to see these people the survivors of disappearing before their eyes.

i remember thinking when i was younger that if anything ever happened to the coal mines here that it would become a ghost town but i never thought in the million years i would see that and it's happened it's happened. tracking gave americans a lot of new job opportunities i needed to come up here to make some money i could make twenty five thousand dollars as a teacher or i could make fifty thousand dollars a year truck so i chose to drive truck people rushed to a small town in north dakota was an unemployment rate of zero percent like gold rush is very very similar to a gold rush but this beautiful story ended with pollution and devastation a lot of people have left here i don't know too many people here anymore slowdowns for much they lost jobs that laid off the american dream is changing that's not what it used to be. and that's a tough reality to deal. also

was to question whether it was very reasonable to react with sanctions and up breaking the dialogue between the russians the western countries. also is one of those countries that is firmly convinced that it is necessary and will be listened to keep up this dialogue and still talk. about all the metro's. most people think just stand out in this business you need to be the first one on top of the story or the person with the loudest voice of the biggest read in truth to stand down lose lose and you just need as the right questions and get the right answers.

for sure. the u.n. envoy described the u.k.'s allegations in a script powell poisoning case a good test meeting at the security council. a campaign for israeli women to keep their feet from after a twitching with ultra orthodox jewish men is blocked by the wall. and facebook admits that tens of millions more people could be affected by the data harvesting scandal but and naturally the data is that it's a company that used the information distribute the numbers. for the latest on these stories you can head to our website dot com coming up next this cross talk looking into some controversial claims one of the u.k. foreign secretary.