in covert actions really throughout the world. where they were assassinating populist leaders they were backing up right with military windows funding an army of death squads there's no. because there's always a small piece for a really good. profit. on brit's attempt to storm the u.s. embassy and after last week's deadly american earth strikes on iraq diplomatic staff including the ambassador are reportedly been evacuated from the compound. coming up in our stories today julian claims he's dying in a u.k. prison lined with sedatives and subjected to 23 hours of solitary confinement every

day we hear from a friend who was told the chilling details in a call from the wiki leaks co-founder of christmassy. rang me because he spent christmas with me and my family in 2010 but you know what time is. he said to me i'm slowly dying. key events that shape 2019 continues we shed some light on a rolling tale so. if you're tuning in from today right across the globe welcome to our team international my name to you and only. our top story hundreds of tried to storm the u.s. embassy. in with some of the protesters starting numerous fires there they're reportedly

demanding its closure not american forces exit the country iraq's popular mobilization forces in over 20 people have been injured at rallies in a row and the company and the iraqi prime minister has urged the assembled tried to leave the embassy warning of a tough response if they do know that the arrest comes after american bombing raids in iraq and in syria killed $25.00 at the weekend. to. call the situation is unfolding quite dramatically as we speak the latest reports suggest that the u.s. embassy staff including reportedly the ambassador has been evacuated from the

american compound and this comes as iraqi security forces continue to fire tear gas at the crowds that have gathered there now earlier on tuesday they were funerals were hopeful some of the victims of the american airstrikes on sunday and following the funeral part of the procession made its way to the american embassy where we see the scenes unfolding only the baghdad government also summoned the american ambassador for an explanation of sunday's strikes in which the americans targeted 5 targets belonging to the cats hizbullah armed group now this is a group that emerged off to the american invasion of iraq it has been primarily involved in firing at american troops and it is one of the main militia groups that has been fighting islamic state in syria and iraq now the united states says that one of its bases was hit by a rocket barrage on sunday a base in qatar cook jane which one of its contractors was killed and although no plinth group has claimed responsibility. for the attack the united states insists

that it is this hezbollah group and hence it justifies its actions in fact the u.s. special representative for iran brian hawk has defended the operation again now saying that the u.s. is targeting a rainy and backed militia to prevent the aggression of what he caused. one of the things we want to emphasize is that this was a defensive action that was designed to protect american forces and american citizens in iraq really so working on the mission of restoring deterrence against rini and aggression the protests began on sunday night after hundreds of protesters took to the streets as news broke of the american strikes on this particular group and they started chanting slogans against america saying down with american motor american burning american flags burning is when the flags condemning the american actions and expressing support for those who the americans have targeted or donald trump has accused iran of orchestra thing an attack on the u.s. embassy in iraq he warned that iran will be held responsible. iran killed an

american contractor wounding many we strongly responded in ways we'll know iran is orchestrating an attack on the u.s. embassy in iraq they will be held fully responsible in addition we expect iraq to use its forces to protect the embassy and so notified. takes a look at her iraq's got caught up in the standoff between the us around. they come they see they leave a barren wasteland american airstrikes on foreign soil have become a normality the whole world is their military's sandbox and this time they've been playing in iraq's corner where we did was take a decisive response that makes clear what president has said for months and months and months which is that we stand for the slump. because the put american men in jeopardy i would add that in our discussion today with the president we discussed

with the other options that are available and i would note also that we will take additional actions as necessary to ensure that we act in our own self-defense and we deter further bad behavior from militia groups or from iran the u.s. bombing pro iranian forces in iraq unilaterally if there's one country living in the borderless world of tomorrow that's america what happened yesterday was a clear aggression it was not right and we tried to stop it but the u.s. insisted and very unfortunately this thing happened to them i said that this was a very dangerous matter an asset to discuss elevated to face with the responsible party this is not only point from what he said the decision has been made and i am informing you are loose but for baghdad and installed bigger than the airstrikes themselves is the fact that the bombing of bullets land wasn't even about it it had

nothing to do with iraq instead washington was after iran and its power grip on the middle east part of america's great again plan of weakening tehran irony is america that complains so much about iran now was the one to inadvertently elevate iran into a powerhouse it is now in iraq in particular saddam hussein once pampered by the us was iran's greatest enemy and the cia even aided his brutal chemical. sacks against the rainy an army but then hussein himself became a problem fell from grace and ended his reign on the gallows the us invasion created a power vacuum which you run didn't hesitate to fill around as the major destabilizing in influence in the middle east and we aim to fix that one of the greatest security threats facing peace loving nations today. is the repressive regime in iran really think twice about that. the u.s.

has been after tehran on so many levels from sanctions to declaring iran's elite military force a terrorist organization but they are not stopping there and the u.s. has been particularly aggressive in trying to push to iran's influence out of iraq this alone shows just how much free will the u.s. has left its ally iraq in being the master of its own foreign policy and there's no indication washington's going to stop in fact the exact opposite we're not done this is an ongoing process process. for more in this i'm happy to welcome on to the program. is a member of the baghdad security committee a local government agency in the iraqi capital welcome can we begin with the embassy storming a very fluid developing situation how big from what you've seen a security breach is that we saw fires being lit stuff we believe evacuated as well

. can you hear me ok. ok we just have a connection problem there with iraq that has been an issue the last number of days who will try and get him back on the program later some interesting questions to delve into there but for now we will move on to more world news this hour. wiki leaks founder julian assange claims he's slowly dying in a u.k. jail and is often tranquilized then kept in solitary confinement 23 hours a day it made the disturbing revelations in a phone call to his friend vaughn smith of christmassy. all 4 and it was very upsetting to head the idea of him being sedated has come from several

people who visited him who clearly being totally in the british government have been asked about it and they refuse to address that matter what they say is they're not mistreating again but clearly he's being kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day he sounded awful and he said to me that i'm slowly dying here please remember he's served that time all the bail charge and he served his time to that he's now on remand it's highly unusual to put him on prison in belmarsh when they're not a threat of physical violence threat to society i think we need some armfuls from from the british government why are they treating him like this why can't we have some independent assessment 100 international got to those and asked her to arrange a visit at least to send some representatives to check on him but that hasn't been allowed in the smelts that the un rocketeer on torture has been very clear about

asylum just mistreatment and describes it in the most of the legal terms i mean it's crazy very recently in november that the british government of completely ignored his request to see julian probably his health properly assess. when julian assange was arrested in april and since then medics and un observers have warned about his the climbing physical and mental hell a hearing in february will decide on his extradition to the us there he's accused the publishing of classified documents. face a 100. and 75 year jail sentence. for commenting on the claims that a son just being mistreated the u.k. government say they are unfounded and faults but that has not stopped politicians activists other high profile figures as well continuing to draw attention to his plight.

because he had been exposed to psychological torture for a prolonged period of time that's a medical assessment and. asked for him to investigate this case. 15. in. the medical situation is that by urgent there is no time to lose. now i want to bring you a story that started with tragedy but has ended with hope

a year ago i baby was rescued from the rubble of his collapsed in the russian city of magnesia course after treatment and he of care that is now taking his 1st that. this a little further one of the rescue workers heard the child crying we stopped all our equipment in order to listen and make sure that when we said why it's the baby

reacted and went quiet to think about when we said where are you he started to react again early. in the jets snatched my eldest son the life out together while finding out was left alone that the man is to get out because he was left. the child was conscious when he arrived and taken to an operating at the moment the child remains in serious condition under artificial ventilation sedated.

a lot of it oh boy is still ahead we continue our review of the past year it was certainly election park 2019 our recap after the shortest that brings. is you'll be via reflection of reality. in. world transformed. what will make you feel safe. isolation community. are you going the right way or are you being so. direct. what is true what is faith. in the world corrupted you need to descend. to join us

in the depths. or a maybe in the shallows. on this edition of crossfire we answer questions sent to us for you the viewers we received quite a few questions here we do our best to answer some of them. hello again with 2020 just hours away it's time to look back at more of the key events that shaped the past 12 months.

all right today's topics are. don't believe the hype streets of rage let's look at the former 1st 2019 was kirk to rise by buckets of political history from angry debates up by climate change to the wild the doping scandal of course emotions run over breaks it boris johnson's victory in the u.k.'s general election give leaders hope unless some remain in despair. the. the festive season is upon us mulled wine christmas the smells and sounds the promise of snow but the time to come together i'm going to tell stories and while you do i have a good one of. one queued mourning over 3 years ago the british people woke up and decided they'd just how to not bureaucrats in brussels i'm all 60000000 mourn the loss of that rep paul supports 17400000 rejoiced off with those

european shackles make britain great again a fuel they promised it would be easy getting out of the e.u. can be quick and easy do you carry holds most of the contents. the. we can choose the path we want an optimism apart not shared by david cameron because he made a hasty exit but to resume bounded to the rescue on her lap at kitson heels and she meant bricks it means bricks it breaks it breaks it breaks it means bricks it and we're going to make a success of it so she clapped and triggered article 50 starting the hold to force process and to have credit she did manage to wrangle a deal from the e.u. so the pressure was the only one thought it was any good but desperate times

desperate measures and off to parliament she went and it was a cost the deal was flattened not once not even twice but 3 times 2 years on m.p.'s have been unable to agree on a way to implement the u.k.'s withdrawal. as a result we will now not leave on time with a deal eventually she ran out of that said the policy son so down to the problem to number times door she told her i do so with no ill will but with enormous and enduring gratitude to have had the opportunity to serve the country i love and boris johnson but that one but maybe he'd be the one to get. most of all what are we going to do to really. get bread the really good ones you've got a can you make a promise today to that that is public that you will not go back to brussels and

ask for another delay to tax it yet and so young and revealing that. you find it was just too much effort to get invited to my part about suspended it but that did not go down well so he said ok fine back to brussels more negotiations and he returned to london with a deal even port template to walk on a saturday but alas knows that his people jump like crazy was rejected and he was forced to beg you to get him out that delay from a present you can go to him new troops on the ship yards to the right 328 the notion that 301. be. not a good start force so suspending parliament have to watch an awesome new deal also what. it does no one can do is going to the opposition into

a general election by putting jeremy coogan. is desperate absolutely desperate to avoid scrutiny. on the eve of the election the polls closed to boris tadic on the charm and what it would mean people door to door. or. nothing like that movie reference to win you an election because on december 12th boris was popping champagne and dining on his new parliamentary majority he got his wish of a korban free christmas and now he might well get his wish for january breck said the question is will we finally get our wish for just

a bit of. code to. cross 6. another key events from the year that was street protests grip cities all over the world chief among them in part us and the whole of france it seems was affected by a kind of yellow fever charlotta been ski reports now on the protest movement that's been shaking things up every weekend this year. as 29000 winds up in front since that time move reflection was a good g.a.a. what he did it bring well there were plenty from the government but many seemed to go down like a lead balloon and people took to the streets time and time again. yes

we all know the french all famous for striking protesting but in 29000 felt like that there was something. picking out old wounds its theme of play year with i'm going protests and into professional strikes throughout the year one protest movement stood at every saturday without fail the yellow vests took to the streets. a movement in 2018 but it left that small cone 2019 the yellow vests home to change in the social fabric and fronts they've charged to the streets in anger of

what they see as being a hugely unequal country with a growing divide between the rich and the poor not could have given them concessions but they were rejected weak off too weak the other vests and the police clashed thousands on both sides injured. then they were the climate strikes led by throwing says youth they took to the streets to decry the country mostly doing enough to join the fridays of teachers strikes president michael was incensed and demanded that they take that action elsewhere. marching every friday to save the planet is burning that's nice but that

is not the problem people should go protest in poland help me move those i cannot push forward and of course ending the year has been the big one and nationwide strike against pension reform. the public transport strike has brought most of the country to a standstill i don't know what sparked over the plans to merge 42 different pension schemes into a universal points based system and if you know anything about the french you don't mess with that with toyah meant so as 2100 was to a close there was only one question to ask those who take into the streets would

not call me after all the unwanted gifts he presented to the french this year below folbre christmas is naughty or nice list he is a naughty child that's for sure and i hope he will not have any presents from father christmas i think that it's father with who is coming to see him i know i think someone should tell my craw on that father christmas doesn't exist at all as if you were the child i am not sure that he would have a lot of presents this year because he has not been very wise he did not listen to his people. no t.v. no t.v. not nice to see you i think that he will be deprived of gifts this year and also next year. just some of the big stories we covered from the past year next we walk into the shadow world the program starts in a moment. join

me every thursday on the alex simon show and i'll be speaking to guest of the world of politics sports business i'm showbusiness i'll see you then. leaks. and when you. look at the distance to the book a new movie about. trust

it's going strong still it's about seeing. those. just for little. on may 3rd of 2003 the ambassador of switzerland to tehran delivers a letter from iran to the united states. in that letter the iranians essentially offer negotiations to open up the nuclear program for full transparency. the proposal came in i happened to see it's because it was also given to

a member of congress that i worked for at the time. he sent it over to the white house and called rove called rove called back he said that he found the proposal intriguing he wanted to know if it was genuine were a promise to put it in front of the president i would call karl rove a dear friend. i've seen made a far sighted courage put america on a war footing. and protect us against a brutal enemy in a dangerous conflict that will shape this new century no formal response was given to the iranians at all i'm grateful to have been witness to history. and the argument was that whatever could come out of a negotiation with the iranians. even more could be achieved by simply removing the regime in iraq. in a way to sum up the arguments however the principle in the bush administration said that we simply do not talk to evil. and as tony zinni said former central command

commander if you like the rock you'll love iraq. that is a 10 to 14 year 3 to $4.00 trillion dollar invasion at the end of which the world western asia will look not much different than it does right now it'll still be in turmoil and still be in chaos and 70 plus 1000000 iranians will hate our living guts. i was in the pentagon and i wanted to see your inner circle very different the ideas that wolfowitz shared with me he and secretary cheney in 9192 packaged retooling about him went to the white house briefed people like presidents americanese a new strategy of forcible regime change. so here this idea springs back up again in 2001. i went through the pentagon in november of 2001 and one of the general said sure i got this memo on.