nations to rein in iran. >> they take this very seriously and do not bluff on this issue. perhaps they wish that they could, but they know that unless they speak firmly, and even shout, they will not be heard in washington dc. >> there have been rumors of a deal between saudi and pakistan in which funding for pakistan's bombs were linked to access to atomic weapons in an emergency. photographs have surfaced of visits more than a decade ago from the defense minister to the research establishment. the prime minister now sits in the center, and the nuclear scientists are to the right. theydon't -- i do think believe they have some

understanding of pakistan, and if they were extremists they would have claimed to acquire nuclear weapons from pakistan. saudi arabia is so exasperated with the united states that they probably judge that the time for ambiguity is passed. >> they have also shown elsewhere that they can act counter to u.s. interest and pay for the consequences, they could simply contemplate pakistan for the greater cost of delivering nukes. the saudi arabians said they could never imagine that there bomb.only be a shiite the guardian of the two holy sites and the champion of the sunni world. this is in their dna and secondly, there is lots of circumstantial evidence. >> evidence of recent contingency planning. saudi arabia has created

additional launch pads for their chinese made ballistic missiles. they target israel and iran. wererly 2013, reports circulating that warheads were ready in pakistan. the former head of israeli military intelligence argued the september that the attempt from iran to go nuclear would lead to saudi arabia to activate their nuclear arsenal. pakistan andgo to they will bring what they need to bring, and then every regional superpower, like egypt and turkey and iraq will be nuclear. intelligence that saudi nuclear weapons could be in pakistan ready to go appears to have come from the israelis. and others believe the deal may work differently, that pakistan may send missiles, and warheads

to the kingdom, but under their own control, insulating pakistan from the huge problems that may rise from giving nuclear weapons to saudi arabia, out right. >> from the pakistan stamps -- standpoint, giving saudi arabia and full of nuclear weapons would be a very provocative action that could jeopardize pakistan and their assets to the international fund, that the economy needs. thought it was much more likely if pakistan were to honor any agreement -- it would be for pakistan to send their own forces and their own troops, armed with nuclear topons and delivery systems, be deployed in saudi arabia. >> many believe that iran is just below the nuclear threshold. but they may be that little bit closer than, even than in iran.

closer --een kept kept stable by american leadership in the middle east but this fact can no longer be taken for granted. >> we gave details of the story to the pakistani and saudi arabian government. the foreign minister has described the story as baseless. is ahey say that pakistan responsible nuclear state with competence of export control. the embassy in london has issued a statement pointing out that the kingdom is his secretary to the nonproliferation and has worked for a nuclear free middle east. meethey say the failure to this is one reason that the kingdom of saudi arabia rejected the un security council, saying that the saudi arabian foreign minister has stated that this act of action has put the region under the threat of a time bomb

that cannot be diffused by maneuvering around it. the significance, of course of these statements. >> the pakistani one is denial. this is fascinating but all the same, and highlights that if there is a misunderstanding, and we believe that from the many people we have spoken to, that such understanding exists, it does depend on the goodwill of both parties. we do have information from people including on the pakistani side that would run counter to the pakistani government's statement tonight. statement, very interesting. in general they don't comment on press stories but we have this segment tonight, which is not a denial of the story and it seems ante bye haunting -- talking about the insecurity in

the middle east in the failure of the human security council to avert the danger as the kingdom sees it. >> my colleague, kirstie walks, speaking to mark urban. to discuss what was raised in that film, he was joined by william pay see. and by a former member of the u.s. defense policy board. >> what is the significance of this moment? >> it is significant that this has come out publicly, due to journalism, but interestingly, when asked why at this time, and it may be that the saudi's are not too happy at the idea of the speculation of their ability to acquire nuclear weapons by pakistan. it may suit them at the time when they are anxious about the u.s. commitment to stop pakistan, and stop iran's nuclear ambitions.

this could sue them and their nondenial is interesting. sense, with society's with american foreign policy -- >> absolutely. we can't blame the united states, fully, for what is happening but we have to be able to say that the retreat that the u.s. has demonstrated in 2013 a administrationma from the greater middle east has been troubling to the saudis and israelis and all the major allies in the region. they is the feeling that have more than a half-century of leadership, the great power with the most predominant role in the middle east, so what are the saudi's to do? take measures into their own hands? i think they are doing that not taking seats on the security council.

the story floats about the popular nuclear capability, and this is just another example of how confused and exasperated they are in the united states, to not see the u.s. that once was in the middle east. >> do you think that the saudis feel they are not as important to the united states anymore? >> they rely on the u.s. security guarantee for quite some time and as they see it, the failure of the u.s. to act when the red line was crossed in syria, that is a sign they may be doing a deal with iran and they may be pulling the wool over their eyes but this may not be the case. the u.s. attitude to what is happening in egypt are all made from disagreements in the united states in the sense that the united states is not the guarantee that they thought that

they were. >> even if a deal is done, they contrasted this anyway? >> the saudi point of view is they cannot trust this and they would be skeptical. there is the opportunity to bring them on board and to make sure that any progress on a deal with iran, by engagement, by talking to them, by being open the fears ofthink a absence of a western guarantee are exaggerated, but this is patently understandable given the sequence of events that happened recently that they should be in this position. >> the war on drugs is being lost. .hat is the claim by kofi annan the former u.n. secretary- the al has stated that legalization of drugs should be replaced i social programs. peru, with the dubious

honor of now being the largest producer of coca leaves. the drug is in growing demand in europe and the peruvian government has a radical approach to tackle the drug trade. is this the time for change? lloyd roberts. airport and another european is found trying to smuggle cocaine. this is worth half a million pounds in london. he faces 15 years in jail and the drugs will be destroyed. but there is plenty more where it came from. 500 miles northeast in the amazon journal, -- amazon jungle, the land is used for cocaine production, with several

thousand pounds produced each year. the team arrives as part of a government eradication program. coca can be harvested four times per year and provides welcome work and money for the locals here. the workers have fled by the time that the team pulls the roots out from the rich soil. so why the guns. [speaking spanish] >> the joint trafficking guns are still here, and they have the weapons to attack us. that is why these men need protection. >> they moved to to makeshift laboratories, equipped with all of the ingredients of cocaine production. leaves and then acid to produce the powder of the foreign market. inre were 15 workers

uncomfortable and dangerous conditions. they earn more here than any other crop but they won't be coming back. >> they target the illegal airstrip, which they blow up to produce -- prevent light aircraft from connecting -- collecting the cocaine at night, to travel to present laure paraguay, where they would go on to europe. >> it is noisy and dramatic, but is this affective? for everyone narcotic airstrip, that is destroyed by the peruvian police there are dozens more that remain -- operational in the area. >> which is just one reason that critics say that tacklingproblea

military operation is not working. >> this is not a military problem. one of the few things we have this can behat understood as a war. was fired from the company's -- country's top drugs job because he says they did not hear -- want to hear what he had to say. >> we have an economic and social task. for those in the drug business -- this is a way of being part of the globalized economy in the world. >> certainly, the arrival of the international drug gangs has boosted the economy near the areas where towns are now filled with clubs and the girls say that business is good.

>> the workers treat us well, and they invite us to dinner. the police don't pay us as much. >> whole communities, from depend on thekers cocaine and has to get out of the country to bring money back in. there are drug meals willing to oblige. the cocoa from growing areas in the north arrives in the capital of lima. back in the airport terminal, the 25-year-old spaniard checks in for a flight to madrid. but the dogs are on patrol tonight and detect narcotics in his case. the cocaine has been packed by professionals, who recruited him

in amsterdam and paid him 10,000 euros to carry four kilos, that would sell for 50 times that amount in spain. it was a moment of madness, he told me, and i now face years in jail. admiten the police here that 90% of the meals will get through. get through. gavin, from south africa who was caught with three cup -- kilos, has served his term but cannot without paying a fine. he believes he was set up. >> i was a small fish and they were waiting for me and many people who are caught -- they let the small fish get caught on purpose to distract the officials, so someone with a large amount of drugs -- he will

get through. police,e people in the they have people at the airport, they have people in organized crime and all of them are on the payroll. >> visiting day at the prison -- which is full of drug users and mules, the small fish. gets in here, he can usually buy an official pardon. conditions are tough, especially for foreigners who don't have family to bring them through. basin, the amazon matilda ramirez is a small farmer who was forced to give up growing coca by the eradication program. >> cocaine is profitable and pays enough money for all my needs. now i grow bananas and this is

not enough to feed my family, let alone send them to school. >> many farmers move on, to grow coca in areas that the eradicator's have not yet reached. drug experts say that cocaine production can only be tackled by helping the small farmer. >> we should think of payment diverted to them for certain -- every single gram of cocaine that is not produced. a kind of preventative tax that should be paid by european countries, and that will significantly improve the likelihood of thousands now involved in this economy.

>> but the choppers were in action again today. the eradication program in peru gets four times as much money as that given to farmers to develop alternative crops. officer herece admitted that trying to stop cocaine production this way is psychic trying to catch the wind. >> should we panic about the way that the world population is increasing? in the way is to -- world of is considered a rockstar antics -- and explained why we should not worry. >> you have another way of explaining this to us? >> i am showing the world in 1963. each country -- the size as the population the size of india. and this is the region where they are situated. 1963, i am that in

showing the countries here according to a number of reports down here, with small families and large families and here, low child mortality, high child mortality. at that time we had a divided world. countries had two or three children and no child mortality. developing countries have high child mortality. but this has changed immensely. let me show you. i am starting the world here. are slowing down in india is following. they don't care about the vatican and they use the condom. there is lower child mortality -- and in the entire world gets

less and less children per woman. and the african countries coming in. that is success. the average number of children born today is 2.5. some need contraceptives and more help with childcare, most of them. i can show you, very simple here. the number of babies per woman here. this is like never before, this is 2.5 today. that is why we look at the total population, these people may be concerned about. stopped tinkering --

>> i will show you why the number of children are not being treated against a number of others, that is why you have the increase. to understand this, this is difficult. children stopf growth, you get lower population growth. but the braking distances 70 years. these are the 2 billion children, up to age 50. this is 2 billion children. 35, one billion. and this is 60 and above, i belong up there. when you see the world population like this, there are 3 billion people missing. that is because they were never born. what happens now is the number of children will not increase, and they grow older and get 2 billion children, they get 2 billion children and they all

die, and they get 2 billion children, but without a longer life and more children, you get 3 billion more adults. >> that is all from this week for all of us, goodbye. >> make sense of international bbc.com/news. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, union bank,

>> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in working to nurture , new ventures and help provide capital for key strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> "bbc newsnight" was presented by kcet, los angeles.

report on the fading american dream. some voices claim the issue isn't economic and social but theological as well. also 75 years after kristallnacht, remembering that nazi atrocity and the world's silence about it. and kim lawton visits coventry cathedral in england bombed during world war ii and later rebuilt as a center for peace and reconciliation.

>> major funding for "religion & ethics newsweekly" is provided by lil endoimt indianapolis-based private family foundation dedicated to its founders interest in religion, community development and education. additional funding also provided by mutual of america designing customized, individual and group requirement. that's why we're your retirement company. >> welcome. i'm bob abernethy. good to have you with us. the supreme court heard oral arguments in a major case about public prayers before government meetings and whether they violate the separation of search and state. tim o'brien reports. >> o yea, o yea, o yea. all persons having business before the honorable supreme

court of the united states. >> reporter: the court's hearing itself began with an invocation. the house and senate routinely begin with prayer. >> let us pray. almighty god. >> reporter: the supreme court ruled 30 years ago that doing so does not violate first amendment prohibition of government establishment of religion. this week's case from greece, new york, a predominantly christian suburb of rochester may test the limits of such prayer. the prayers that open the town board monthly meetings are almost always christian as are those who give them. >> we acknowledge the saving sacrifice of jesus christ on the christ. >> father alex bradshaw, a frequent prayer giver is typical. >> from his resurrection at easter, jesus christ, who took away the sins of the world. >> reporter: a federal appeals court in new york ruled a town

unconstitutionally favored the christian faith. after observing that two-thirds of the prayers offered contains references to jesus, your son, or the holy spirit. attorney tom hungar defending the town of greece in the supreme court warned of the risk of allowing the government to engage in deciding who may offer a prayer or the language it may contain. >> to say you can pray in these words to these deitie sechlt but those those, that is contrary to your tradition of religious liberty. >> the plaintiffs in the case, linda stephens, who is an atheist and susan gal galloway who is jewish said the prayers are coercive. >> you can't participate in a prayer before you stand up to

take discretionary action that affects you personally. this is highly coercive, also a sectarian endorsement. this case is about christians aggressively imposing themselves on their fellow citizens with the power of government. >> the justices appear to be split along ideological lines with conservative justices scal scalia and alito supportive of the board. the prayers of the opening congress were highly sectarian much like those in greece, new york. >> when the first amendment was ratified in 1971, the country was mostly protestant unlike today when countless religions are represented. several justices pointed out that crafting a prayer today that doesn't offend somebody could be daunting if not impossible. for "religion & ethics newsweekly," i'm tim o'brien at the supreme court. >> the court's decision is not expected until spring. a u.s. military judge has ordered the government to