those countries include malli and nynyr trying to get more backing in the fight against terrorism. but recent tensions between france and goverernments could make for some tense talks today. these are truly crucial talks. what was the feeling like going into them this morning? >> the general sentiment is that something has to be done to stop the security situation from getting even woworse. we were just speaking to somebody close to the president of the region and she told us that the president is very much reeling from that murderous attack on the -- on a military that n niger on january 9 comes after another huge attack on a military base in january. -- in december which killed 71 soldiers. so he's very much in a kind of mourning mode. and it is not just the military death toll but last year saw a dramatic increase in civilians dying. we've had kidnapping going up against the region as organized crime rockets, had whole communities being displaced. there's a sense of urgency here. let's take a listen to the foreign minister with whom i caught up a few moments ago. it is a ht is n

mally, with all of your extensive experience here, your view? >> well, i think, i mean, today's good news. the good news of the day is only relative to the very bad news that many of us feared, so we have to put it in perspective. we would not have been here, we would not have had this crisis. we wouldn't have had iranian aggression in the gulf, iranian attacks on our military sites in iraq and everything that ensued and what happened last night if it hadn't been for the reckless self-defeating and unjustified decision by president trump to withdraw from a nuclear deal that was working with all the imperfections of any deal, but it was working in terms of keeping iran in the box. and then imposing this maximum pressure campaign against iran. that's the origin of this crisis. that's what has led iran to decide to lash out regionally and decide to walk away in part to the nuclear deal. so again, we could salute the fact that we are where we are today. it's better than where many people feared we could be, but the story isn't over because the roots

i'm talking malli. >> oh. again, i think my general sense is a reduction in force and pressure will potentially cause a resurgence in the groups we're most concerned about. most groups in my opinion are regional threat groups. >> now. >> still concerning. >> right now. still concerning not as concerning to the homeland. >> love to take some questions from if audience. i see a hand right back here. microphone coming to you. tell us who you are, who you are with. >> i'm with politico. i have a question about the worldwide threat hearing. there's been reporting that perhaps some members of the intel community don't want to do that publicly, don't want to testify before congress as they usually do every year. i'm wondering is the bureau still preparing to give that testimony in public? if not will there be some kind of workaround wrsh they testify in private and then perhaps it's released late center i'm just wondering also whether you think that that's of real value to the public, to be able to hear every year. >

got of it at least elated i wish that i got into one actual janabi not a lot done in a shuttle issue mally well let's. say a dimwit at least a few will and has a lemon and last kernel market developer in a time when a lunatic and i don't have lots of what to learn here this year or that i had to do it without the consent of a musical amity and if you. could also hear that. you can look at the going to his elimination silver to manila and either any concert was not going to be. here in the us i don't so i don't i'm there is a lot of fun to convene up. here that i love and your cool i'll american you were enigmas up how to rock i didn't make the i'm going to love their mother and took an arsenal song out. under the stewardship of our humvee german appear to be on a fast track to unification one of supporters welcomed the idea some domestic opponents under more powerful neighbor viewed the prospect with less enthusiasm the saudi role in yemen has always been complex. has always been complicating the saudis did not like condi in the end toward the end they saw him as independent of them of cou

sahara region is at unprecedented levels the number of people killed during attacks in turkey a fossil mally and new share have sort of jumped from 770 in 2016 to more than 4000 last year but in a fossil as one of the hardest hit countries where the death toll increased from 80 in 2016 to more than 182-9000 the humanitarian cost is also growing the u.n. estimates the violence has displaced half a 1000000 people a 10 fold increase in 3 years well stick j. hansen is the author of horn saddle and rift fault lines of the african jihad he joins us on skype from oslo good to have you with us on the program 1st of all these are staggering figures what would you say is behind this remarkable surge in violence. i think it's the kind of neglect or some of the white of factors what we see here is that. the is some of these extremists take advantage of local complex than they try to inject themselves into local conflicts and expand in this way. so we see here that the best documented to a certain extent have neglected to address these conflicts before the extremists enter into these conflicts and we see

gonna be tallied election i wish that i got into one actual janabi not a lot done in a shuttle issue mally well let's. say a dem had a diesel fuel and had a lemon alas current owner could develop them when a lunatic and i don't have lots over to learn here those yet are the right to do as you can without that kind of thing of a musical family and if you. could also hear the whole you can look at the going to his elimination silver to manila and either any concert was not going to be. here in the us i don't so i don't i'm there is a lot of fun to convene up. here that i love and you're cool i'll american you were enigmas up however up i have written about i'm going to let their mother up and took an arsenal fan out. under the stewardship of our humvee german appear to be on a fast track to unification one of supporters welcomed the idea some domestic opponents and a more powerful neighbor viewed the prospect with less enthusiasm the saudi role in yemen has always been complex. has always been complicating the saudis did not like condi in the end toward the end they saw him as independent of