in terms of we we don't look at a bad way what is clearly sure is iraq was living under. very to run a dictator dictator who who was holding to power at whatever cost and we have seen the cost of hundreds of thousands killed we called in to an aide to year a bloody war that more than a 1000000 iraqis were killed in drug war as well as 1000000 or plus iranians were killed on the did the rest of you see in the regions all to do with that regime. we have seen so it's not a comparable situation room one for one but for iraqis they enjoy a lot more freedom than the ever have and the saddam's regime the same time the welfare of the iraqi people is by far better now than then and what it was yes there are sort of backs in terms of security and some of the stable it is due to new factors that got into the original equation but the iraqis themselves are much

better off now than they were before now the reason i pose this question choose because the iraq war has now emerged as a major theme in the democratic primary process in the united states but equally between senator bernie sanders who voted against the war and former vice president joe biden who supported it and this is this argument is ultimately about the u.s. foreign policy how major decisions were made back then and how they are made right now. do you think americans have made any changes in that decision making process based on the experience that they had in iraq would do you would you like them again to know how common how often to your country and announced without asking your population whether it wants to be liberated or not. the thing is the iraqis were almost united to specially at leas the opposition to. moves to the

iraqi previous iraq a vision where united in terms of helping their americans to to liberate iraq that was would have had not been possible if it wasn't for the help in terms of the american election and the antics that usually goes on on the claims and counterclaims it's all to do with electioneering i don't think we should take a lot. into it these are matters of suppling scores or making points in an internal election as though they are the one who really make that for their own. public or local consumption it's not only about their own public i mean when you decide to help people across the globe it's it has to do something with more than just electioneering i mean like it's it's ultimately you know a major decision for the world security i know that history doesn't accept hypotheticals but i'm sure you've run them in the your mind more than once what do you think iraq would be like if that fateful decision to bomb baghdad hadn't been

taken if diplomacy were given a bit more chance the fact is that iraq under saddam hussein was a bloody. wars and torture and suffering of the iraqi people under sanction and everything else that they have endured during saddam's regime this is not going to not going to change and continuation of that would have been even worse for the iraqi people but are what i'm talking about in terms of the local electioneering of the american democrats now they're debating whether some of them oppose that some of them were for the war and so on this is. definitely it's a local issue that they usually come up i mean if you go back to the turn to 16 election and president trump then was making all sorts of statements about taking back the oil and. going there and going that and he's going to. do this do that

and even building the walls i'm going to do this this is these are all electioneering pledges that they made which means nothing when it comes to actual policy what we what we are really concerned about in iraq is to find stable ity here of and care what the world 11 candidate could say oh don't say but the problem is of course is that what candidate what one candidate says sometimes transpire is in terms of actual action on the ground and it happened not only to iraq it also happened to your neighbor syria which provides an alternative template for how the removal of a man that wanted or horrible leader could have been attempted when you look across the border and compare rock to syria would you think had it worse the thing is i'm looking at it in the iraqi prospective the the why the prospective on the iraqi prospect there was iraq is by far better off now than they were under saddam's regime and there is nothing to convince me otherwise because we have seen 1st the

atrocities committed by the regime i for myself i was a push margot and i knew what it looks like and i've seen the chemical attacks on the court of this religious i've seen how soon the victims are followed. i've had friends who were who were murdered and tortured in secure secret police you're misrepresenting the shia i'm not arguing that saddam hussein's regime was a good regime that it had to be preserved my question is whether how being the iraqi people or any other people across the globe by launching a war on false pretenses is really a way to go and what your seem to be saying to me that yes you know it was worth it i mean all the sacrifices that your country has also your son know to your question what i'm saying is i'm explaining to you my perspective the iraqi perspective in terms of what happened and the history and the past 17 years. it's your your your

prospect of maybe is different but that doesn't change what i'm seeing here and what i'm saying to you is for iraqis now they live better could do should we have been had a much better 17 years could we could have had a much more prosperous iraq a stable iraq yes has there mistakes happen absolutely could the americans have made things better by far they could've than they should've have made it better. doesn't mean that i'm agreeing with their medications on what they have conducted here and they have committed crimes some some of a 2 year they have the same time participated in the iraqi liberation so overall to me it's important to point out the iraqi liberation by the help of americans was an important factor by the same time they were they they made mistakes and the mistakes some of them were asked for paying prize i mean i can name just a few now i can tell you for example not allowing a quick iraqi government to be in place after toppling saddam was

a big mistake appointing paul bremmer as the only source of power and authority was a big mistake the decisions paul bremer made then it was a big mistake of the dissolving of the army was a big mistake and so on so if we go through details we will find puns and tons of mistakes that american did but that does not take away from the fact that they have ousted a tyrannical dictator who was bloodthirsty and he participated in the murder and killing of hundreds of thousands of iraqis and millions and wars with iran then the invasion of kuwait and so on absolutely this is exactly what i am trying to did to do that on this program speaking of we since 2003 march 2003 the purpose of the u.s. presence in iraq has been reframe several times from war on terror to nation building to war on terror again to what exactly what do you see as the purpose as the strategy of the american presence in your country today. what the american

strategy now was the from by far there was a huge difference between now and then there where we can now they are a lot less involved with iraqi politics on daily basis than the same time the new administration have a bigger strategy would mainly it call the focus was on iran rather than iraq itself we we do complain about a lack of american strategy in iraq and nowadays they see iraq in theirs and in the context of iran more than iraq itself and i but in my opinion that's a mistake that they do because it iraq itself is a very important country it's jude it's geopolitics and strategic situation is important at the same time iraq is the 2nd largest or pick or oil producer and has impact on the oil on the world economy and iraq should be should be looked at on its own rather than being looked at in the context of the iraq conflict which

obviously the americans have given that top priority well mr elden we have to take a very short break now but we'll be back in just a few moments stay tuned. on from. 300. 30. for her for her.

plenty. lists lists. lists. playing.

and a very warm welcome to you watching us and see us. time after time corporations repeat the same mantra sustainability very important to accelerate the transition to sustainable transport sustainability stay in a manner more equitable and sustainable world. they claim their production is completely harmless. to congress. to do something companies want us to feel good about buying their products while the damage is being done far away this is something all this must be done even as i married mother. in this movie didn't even and i'm stunned seemed to be best understood look who is going to. join me every thursday on the alex song i'm sure i'll be speaking to guest of the

world of politics sports business i'm show business i'll see you then. welcome back to worlds apart before hopping chairman of the iraq advisory council and a former political advisor to iraqi president michele did just as you were saying before the break the importance of iraq for the united states has decreased as the u.s. military presence in that country it dropped from around 150000 at its peak in 2011 to roughly $6000.00 right now and even dov contingent is a cause for controversy and political gains the iraqi parliament earlier this year

called on their merican troops to leave but as we all know neither side seems to be in a rush to implement that resolution. does the iraqi political class really one the americans to pack up and go. i think you will find differences of opinion and position on this matter most majority don't think that the american departure right now is the right thing to do they do they do have a significant role in terms of their war on isis the logistical help on the intelligence hope but they provide in terms of tracking isis and there were about employers they provide an important cover about iraq lacks and this is cannot be compensated quickly if they are to leave right away so the iraqi establishment in general are marked with the idea of of removing them as the problem and

decision contemplated but rather than they should negotiate and park and organize some sort of withdrawal stage worse agreed by both sides because both sides would suffer if it's done abruptly you just said that both sides would suffer if they destroy is done abruptly and i can imagine the fallout on the iraqi side but what is the potential fallout in the american side because the americans currently have between 45 and 65000 troops in the region spread out between jordan and saudi arabia back rain etc is being interact really so important for the americans because it looks like he's in a way they retain a massive presence in the region yaz the from the terms of if you look at the map you see the americans have lack of presence in the in our area. look at the east or so or north they they they have very little presence and that's why the they give

it more importance plus the base they they use like i said they needed for cereals which is an important aspect of this whole region and that's why iraq is. situated in the strategy really important position in the region for so for the americans of they have presence and the gulf is not the same as one that was in iraq obviously the war on isis is based in syria and iraq so the only place where they can really fight isis and track isis is in iraq and syria now given that it's a very limited contingency around 6000 ships as a sad and given that president trump. did promise his constituents to quote and after this war is how big is the risk of him just. pulling the troops out of iraq and there or reassigning them to other persian gulf bases and what would that do to iraq the issues not the number of them in the u.s. it's not 140000 like what it used to be but the 6000 and the operation that

they have on what they provide is important and usually they use technology satellite tracking and everything else that they're it's and they're in their position in pursuing the isis war that is what's more important than the actual number of them as a logistics is not that difficult to to to take them out of the decide to go that line but as i said the suffering and the change in strategy would be immense and the effect would be a negative. effect on the american policy in the region would be huge. so i don't think about they are going to make that decision of the state obviously they are looking into negotiating with the iraqis to work about how how they would work out a presence of some sort whether be it under nato or or otherwise now mr elden the call for the removal of foreign troops from iraq gain momentum after the americans

and the iranians exchanged strikes on their rocky territory in connection with the u.s. assassination of the range general custom silly money now if washington indeed respects the iraqi sovereignty even they want to stay in your country on negotiated terms why do they consult you beforehand iraq is not an american backyard or isn't. it's basically the iraqi government have issued a statement condemning the attack and on obviously it was a blatant violation of iraq's sovereignty to us something that they should have not done and that should have not taken place but as i said the americans before i said that they look into iraq in the context of the iraq conflict for them general celeb money or as. a very important figure that they they felt that they

had to take action on him but obviously generals for their money was a friend of iraq and he was very important person for the iranian establishment. his killing was a major turning point in my opinion for the politics in the region and the iranians took. a swift response by launching ballistic missiles on the american presence in iraq and i know less that so they're americans look. at this action as a way of retaliation as a way of strategic decision i'm not sure but it was something that they have taken place on the iraqis responded to it accordingly now as you mentioned you see it as a blatant violation of iraqi sovereignty of each unfortunately is not the 1st time that such an act happened but. is it taken in the in iraq as a sort of as an isolated sad of advance unfortunate ones or is it something that

may turn into a pattern where the united states and iran turning iraq not just into the battleground for political intrigue but an actual battleground to exchange strikes where the fact is they both look at iraq. in one way as a conflict zone and both sides try to persuade iraq to be on. aside if it suits them they will use iraq as grounds to attack each other or attack each other's interest this is what the iraqis dread most and i have tried hard to to get iraq out of this conflict because both of them are regarded the strategy partners and they both have immense influence an effect on iraq's. sovereignty iraq's economy iraq's military and iraq stable ety both of them are capable of

destabilizing iraq of they wish to and both of them could contribute to the stabilization of iraq in the different ways so for iraq really there is little of iraq could do in terms of stopping them apart from condemning any act that could be regarded as a violation of iraqi sovereignty and the same time they won the iraqis want to persuade each side differently to to really take their conflict with each other somewhere else on the eve of the iraq's alone while i actually have a couple of questions on that particular topic but before we go there i began this program by mentioning the global protest against the war in iraq 17 years ago and over the last couple of months iraq itself has become a center of sustained protests is there anything special anything different about this wave of public discontent or the way it's been suppressed or perhaps rechanneled in recent weeks. what this protest is the really annoyed

coming for the iraqi people as to the suffering that they have in the hands of the current political establishment were the political establishment failed to take advantage of the huge resources of iraq enjoys and put these resources into serving the people and to rebuilding iraq and sort of infrastructure creating jobs and and really building services and institutions the iraqi people do suffer from lack of these resources in the same time from the corruption the that has almost institutionalized in the iraqi life of the same time the stable ety and lack of security be it what has led to the darst war the aftermath of it and the destruction that the us as war have brought to iraq so if you look at it it is something that the iraqis feel bitterly about the lack of services and very

their iraqi young people big numbers and millions that there are without jobs and they see themselves as with very little prospects so it is as you can say an answer to their lack or for the 3 years of neglect there quite a few people who said jazz that this new prime minister that it was appointed a few weeks ago is essentially a copycat of the of the previous administration despite having the support of a. very prominent. shia cleric knocked out al solder eases that shoe is that sure that the new administration is jazz and your rendition of the same political class that has been in power in iraq ever since saddam hussein was hanged. well we hope he's lorenzo in the movie the prime minister those are going to come with

a major statement and made 14 pledges and that's all sounds good but we have to wait and see if this new administration will be a continuation of the past or he will come up with something new he's making the right promises and people are looking at it with a with a probably with the benefit of doubt but it's something that we have to see he he has the way. the law he has moved away from the usual established way of appointing ministers and appointing his cabinet he's been so far resisting all pressure from the political parties to to appoint any ministers from them and he's insisting that he will choose his own cabinet he's also insisting that he will choose the ministers based on their professional marriage rather than party affiliations and i wonder if that's not an i effect speculation because at least according to the wall street journal political parties in iraq have long turned

ministries into their own 5th that's the quote to maintain their power. isn't the new prime minister naive in thinking that he can forego the party's preferences in major appointments and still secure the support for the cabinet in parliament i'm not going to call him naive but he knows the exact situation he's he used to be a minister he was elected twice as a member of parliament he constantly visiting iraq and he knows what's the score. some people. call his 14 pledges as wishlist. and this is probably is one of them it's a wish that he has whether he will succeed in that or not it's something that we have to wait and see a lot of people might not give him the highest score in terms of succeeding but it is something that is different and he's pursuing it in a different way and it's been looked at differently but some people do have doubts

on this is a continuation of the old regime and some people say no it's a new era now on mr allowing the new prime minister designate has a little political base but he secured the support of. the popular and populous reach ever you call it cleric mcdowell souther why do you think mr else either through his support behind mr allawi and what do you think that support this condition don. the thing is they looked at the. established this rhythm in terms of backing certain candidates and then moving away from them he's more leaning towards the people taking to the streets when things go wrong and so on so it is this is a rhythm and his method of governing you know and expanding his his constituency the support base and as we queue for you to really track him from 2003 until now he

has gone through various stages but every time he comes out stronger and he increases has a constituency and you can see that has been his parliamentary base is increased on the last election he won 54 seats and it's expected that he will increase the smudge already later on so it is something that he see himself as the backer of this. new candidate although not declaring it wholeheartedly or publicly but he was instrumental in and selecting. mr allawi. though that's a way that he looks so that it's another tool another way another method of expanding his base yeah it's very interesting the iraqi politics is fascinating perhaps he should himself run for prime minister once even though he ruled out any political role for himself mr eldin it's been a great pleasure talking to you thank you very much for sharing your perspective oh

thank you very much for having me and thank you for watching hope to see you again next sunday on worlds apart. on. so what we've got to do is identify the threats that we have it's crazy. let it be an arms race off and spearing dramatic development is only really going to exist i

don't see how that strategy will be successful very critical time to sit down and talk. thousands of american men and women choose to serve in the country's military and the decision. every song came to a complete. the day that i was right. you know hold a shot kill me and i see how it destroyed my life any screamed at me and he made me come in and he grabbed my arm and he raped me with his birth thinking if you take into account that women don't report because of the extreme retaliation it's probably somewhere near about half a 1000000 women have now been sexually assaulted in the u.s. military is a very very traumatizing have happened but i've never seen trauma like i've seen women who are veterans who have suffered military sexual trauma reporting rape is

more likely to get the victim punished don't be offended and almost 10 year career or chose very invested in and i gave sex offender who was not even put to justice or put on the registry this is simply an issue in violence male sexual predators for the large part of target whoever is there to prey upon whether that's a man or a one. time of the time corporations repeat the same mantra sustainability it's very. it's accelerate the transition to sustainable transport sustainability remand a more equitable and sustainable well. they claim their production is completely homma. the. companies want us to feel good about buying their products while the damage is being done far away and this is just as he. moves in

unison we didn't. understand that. turkey releases for employees of russia's sputnik news agency of the journalists had been detained on saturday and questioned by police. police clashed with migrants at the turkish border after gives the green light to asylum seekers hoping to reach of the e.u. in an apparent bid to pressure nato into backing its offensive in syria's deeply. it has been a long week for joining us on shore and his supporters within the 1st phase of his u.s. extradition case now complete during the hearings that the wiki leaks founder was kept in a glass cage and denied the opportunity to interact with his lawyers we hear from one of them. couldn't.