quj. >> al-assad? >> you have accepted who was a form he prime minister of junior syria,sworn in two years after e upridessing started, even though there were many dead from both sides, then he left. member of the republican guard he knew very well he was serving a dictatorship and many others. the assad name we should not mix between -- we should not put everyone in the same basket. not all assad are the same, not all baathists are the same. we have to differentiate between people. >> what role would you have in this? >> i honestly -- what i've always dreamed for my country is to be able to go back there and live peacefully and help the syrian people develop into a genuine democracy, countries i've lived in france, england, spain. >> you were out of syria since you were nine years old. >> yes, nine years old. i was back in 1997, 1999, and as soon as i left they bombed our house. the beautiful mosaic of syrian people that have lived there for thousands and thousands of years. >> call it a thirst for fo

our brothers, as i said before, bashar al-assad has two options. to leave the screen through talks and negotiations, or to leave the scene by force, because the syrian people rejected bashar al-assad, and the regime in syria. the syrian people is quite keen to establish its new civil state that will keep the riots of all the brothers, regardless their origins and their sect. this is what we hoped for, to be done regarding syria, god willing. >> now, you are too greedy, you ask two questions without giving room for your colleagues. let me say, regarding the relations between the g.c.c., cancel and the brotherly country of yemen, we respect yemen and before september 2011, the crisis started in 2011, the g.c.c. council was interested in yemen. and the yemeni people has historic relations. they are always supported and rehabilitate and trying to create problems for yemen to be indulged within the economy. this is a decision adopted by the leaders of the g.c.c., starting from 2011 until now, we are keen to reach a political solution in yemen. we are ke

that is exactly also bashar al assad's position. they wanted to pick who is going to be participating in this peace talks. they are objecting to so many armed groups on the ground to be part of this whole process, and i think even the russians, even the iranians believe that at some stage, if we are going to have a real solution to this crisis, they must actually deal with the question of bashar al assad. that is something that i believe will come to deal wilt at some point in the future. >> we will see, thank you very much. >> thank you. >>> people are celebrating christmas around the world, but the festivities in bethlehem believed to be the birth place of jesus have been subdued. there have been almost daily attacks between israelis and palestinians since october. we have this report. >> palestinian scouts marching through the streets of bethlehem, playing christmas songs old and new. leading the annual christmas parade was the latin patriarch of jerusalem, the procession from his headquarters in occupied east jerusalem to bethle

many don't expect the next trial to be any different >>> syrian president bashar al-assad says he is willing to find a political solution to the conflict in syria, but he will not negotiate with armed groups. on thursday opposition factions met in saudi arabia. they agreed to enter peace talks with the government in january. the u.s. is cautiously optimistic. >> reporter: early days of the cease fire in homs after nearly five years of civil war, the syrian government once again controls that city. some are hoping this might pause as a template for a broader nation cease fire. the syrian's opposition decision is being welcomed to form an umbrella group to try to negotiate peace with the regime next year. >> there are some questions and obviously a couple of, in our judgment, kinks to be worked out and i'm confident they're going to be worked out. >> reporter: the opposition's demand that bashar al-assad quit before a transitional government takes power could hold up talks. >> translation: god willing, we will not be negotiating with killers. >> translation: this conference was not aim

a transitional following with full executive power bashar al-assad has to go, but bashar al-assad has been saying in the past and he has been backed by the iranians and the russians, it is only the syrians who have the right to say whether bashar al-assad should stay or go >>> thank you for that. another group of refugees is set to arrive tomorrow in canada. the family of island - time with team albeit is prepared to welcome her relatives. >> reporter: this lady shows us her new salon where she is going to work side-by-side with her brother. >> he used to own his own shop. >> reporter: he and his wife and five children are scheduled to arrive this week after fled their native syria. they're a few of the 25,000 cleared to immigrate to canada which plans to take in another 25,000 next year. >> they keep telling me that is it true, is it happening? we cannot believe it until we hit the ground in vancouver. that's when we know, yes, we made it. >> reporter: but it should be a happier story than it is. it is hard to celebrate this small personal victory, she says, while the syrian war cont

and yet they are fighting against the bashar al-assad regime for its over flow >>> what do we know about the successor, issam al-buwidani? >> very little. we know he is a very prominent field commander but he doesn't have the idea logical heft and won't be the presence at the peace talks that zahran alloush would have been >>> why is it significant? >> it's too hard to tell if it's significant with respect to the peace terms, but it's insignificant in that a major commander from a group that many were counting on to play a significant role in these talks is no longer in the picture. even if, as the group says, they're going to move forward and carry on with the peace talks and their position hasn't changed, not having this prominent leader will change the character of the talks >>> a message was given that they were closer to fighting israel. what do you think of that? >> i think that's rhetoric. that's close to their claims back last summer that they were going to burn areas. that's good rhetoric for stoking the troops and saying that the grand battles are coming. it doesn't bear much r

coalition says it has to end with bashar al-assad out of power. russia doesn't want that. president obama thinks that could change in the coming months, and that could be especially true if the be that as it may of power shifts on the ground in syria >>> mark hemmett is the former assistant secretary for military affairs and he says that ground troops are necessary if the west is series about defeating i.s.i.l. >>> i think the real difference is going to be the frequency of operations and the pace of operations. up to this point in the last couple of years, special forces have been used for single hits on single high value targets as intelligence comes in. what the secretary carter today referred to is the cycle where more raids means more intelligence which leads to more raids and leads to more intelligence. that was something that was done in the 04 to 06 period and characterised by the operations that were run with the joint special operations command. our air forces have run out of targets. with this type of-- what this type of operation does it gets more intelligence

there's no mention of bashar al-assad as disagreements remain over his future. the president of burundi has told al jazeera he doesn't want african union troops sent to keep the peace. burundi is on the primping of civil war and it is proposing to send five thousand peacekeepers without burundi's concept. hundreds of protesters against a labor leader. yoons are be cracked down-- unions. back to our top story. the international push to end the syrian civil war. the conflict has been raging for nearly five years now. over 250 thousand people have been killed around more than a million injured, mostly civilians of the at least six and a half million kern syrians are displaced. four out of every five syrians are living in poverty. two million children are out of school because of the conflict. a middle east analyst says the u.n. resolution is the start of a complicated process. >> for the first time we are witnessing after four years the international community is also together united behind taking a decision in relation to the syrian conflict and trying to push for

he has also said al-assad has to go. remain unclear in these negotiations and we will be finding out more about that when the council reconvenes in and puts the draft resolution to vote. there is no doubt it will go through because the five permanent members are the ones who came up with it and they are the only ones who can veto it, so it will pass. there was a lot of back-and-forth on that draft resolution. there were conflicting reports that it had been agreed or not been agreed to. a lot of work being done and a lot of compromise required on all sides. indeed, lots of compromise, and everyone is very keen to say that they have made the biggest compromise, especially the west to, let's face it, not that long ago were saying that aside absolutely had to go before we even -- al-assad absolutely had to go before we even began negotiations. and now we have gone into these negotiations with al-assad probably playing a part, albeit hopefully a temporary one because the russians are now acknowledging that he will have to go

what value does the bashar al-assad regime have for vladimir putin?>> i certainly agree with mike's earlier comments. of course this is about increasing russia's influence in the middle east and keeping the u.s. out of the region. it is about bolstering bashar al-assad and so forth. i would also add to that. this is about deflecting from the ukraine crisis of vladimir putin's own making. at the end of the month he is expected to make a speech in which he is expected to focus on terrorism. he is expected to talk about assembling some sort of coalition to fight i.s.i.s. and other forms of global terror. however what this does for putin is it gains him international legitimacy. essentially he is trying to say we have have our differences over ukraine. we need to fight i.s.i.s. and other terror groups who are a threat no all of us. forget what i did in ukraine and focus on these issues >>> when it comes to i.s.i.s. or i.s.i.l., whichever you choose to call it, is he all talk or could he possibly have a valid point? could he possibly be interested in joini

the aim had been unite all of the groups ahead of negotiations with bashar al-assad regime. group said it took the decision because of what it called the fundamental role given to personalities linked to the regime at the conference in riyadh. those talks are being held as the annual gulf cooperation council summit, with gulf leaders renewing their position that assad has no place in syria's future. >> translator: the syrian opposition conference aims to unify the syrian opposition, strengthen their position when it comes to negotiations and talks for a political solution. that may lead to the establishment of a temporary authority that may pave the way for a new constitution, with no place at all for bashar al-assad. bashar al-assad has two options to leave the scene through talks and negotiation, or leave the scene through force, because the syrian people reject bashar al-assad and reject his regime in syria. >> let's bring in our correspondent live for us now in istanbul. there are countless different groups involved in these talks in saudi arabia about syrias future, so

there is no mention of bashar al-assad. disagreement remains over his future. preliminary results in rwanda show that voters have backed the referendum to allow the president to stay in office longer. the constitutional change to lift term limits means the president could remain in power until 2034. the president of burundi has told al jazeera he doesn't want african union troops sent to keep the peace. the au says burundi is on the brink of civil war and is proposing to send 5,000 without the country's consent. two convicted war lords have been sent back to the congo to serve prison sentences. one was found guilty of recruiting and using child soldiers in 2002 and 2003. he will spend 14 years behind bars. the other was convicted of war crimes last year and he will be locked up for 12 years. millions of people in iraq have limited access to health care, but receding revenues have left the government struggling for resources. people are also stretching the system almost to breaking point. a report from erbil in northern iraq. >> reporter: this woman was forced o

talking about bashar al-assad. he said nothing has changed there. russia never agrees that anyone from the outside should determine who should rule another country and stressed in his alignment that vladimir putin has been making that only the syrian people can determine their future, and that will be part of the political settlement, the third stage of this, which is going be convened by sergey lavrov, the foreign minister in new york, tomorrow and friday. >> not budging when it comes to turkey, he lashed out at the turks. what is the resolution there. did he put anything forward as far as that is concerned in. >> i think, really, it's an icebox. no one is going near, despite the fact that the turkish president would like to sit and diffuse the issue, and n.a.t.o. is sending advisors and air force personal to ensure that turkey doesn't take any dangerous action against a russian aircraft in the area. and vladimir putin was very, very open, and really threatened turkey. he said basically we have moved the air defense system into syria. and that is t

on a main supply route that connects president bashar al-assad's government to the capital damascus withnear the border with jordan. that's where the first major anti--government protests took place in 2011. live for us in southern turkey now, the neighboring country. it zooms the rebels are fighting back against this offensive. the battle is raging. what is the latest you are hearing? >> reporter: they are, they are trying not to push back government troops. this is exactly what happened over the last 24 hours. government troops backed by russian fighter jets, managed to strike many rebel positions across the area. in fact, the rebels were taken by the surprise that they were suddenly if disarray, no chain of command and they pulled out from those areas. but later they managed to mount a counter offensive. the united different factio faca conservative group. the al-nusra front. al qaeda affiliate and differet brigades jointed and started a counter offensive saying they have destroyed tanks and armored vehicles and they will continue the fight. now, the weather going to be crucial in the

, it brings into question the priorities that guide our partners. >> reporter: bashar al-assad is going further, suggesting the opposition isn't a legitimate representative of the syrian people's will. >> it depends on the deck in addition of opposition. opposition for everyone in this wrorld doesn't mean militant. >> reporter: so what could compel him to step aside. >> people have to believe that they can get a better deal on the table rather than on the battle field. the only way you make him afraid to lose is putting him under significant military pressure. >> reporter: in moscow the president defended his stance. >> translation: use of the most modern high precision weapon helped us change the situation is syria. >> reporter: leaders said they're expecting moscow to do what is promised >> >> in order to stop propping up the bashar al-assad regime, help us bring this civil war to an end, stop bombing the opposition groups that have been opposed to bashar al-assad. >> reporter: trying to raise war against one and trying to broker an end to another. a difficult balancing act with no de

>>> a push for peace with syrian groups meeting ahead of the meeting with bashar al-assad government. welcome to al jazeera. live from our headquarters in doha. coming up in the next half hour. donald trump causes outrage by calling for a ban on muslims entering the united states. red alert, china issues the highest possible warning of air pollution in pay ginning for the first time. more than eight million people are in need of emergency aid after one of ethiopia's worst droughts in 30 years. a meeting between syrian opposition groups is due to get underway in saudi arabia. they will be discussing ways to overcome their differences before any potential talks with the syrian government. the meeting has been criticised saying it will hurt the peace process. under a plan agreed by 17 countries last month both sides of the syrian conflict should hold negotiations by 1 january. those talks should be followed by elections in 18 months. the deal doesn't specify where syrian president bashar al-assad fits in. his future is one of the main issues dividing the opposition. >> reporter: they hav

genie: it seems to have changed very much for bashar al-assad. started backey then, the airstrikes, assad's air forces were losing territory on the ground in the face of rebel advances on the ground. there is no question, no matter what you think, if you sympathize with the u.s.-led coalition or the russian coalition, there is no question the russian airstrikes have given bashar al-assad more momentum. assad himself -- we keep thinking about what the u.s. is saying about him, what the russians are saying about him. what is interesting is what assad is saying about a side. he has interviewed that he has indicated that he will run again in elections pretty does not see himself out of the equation. he is still very much in defiant mode, and it will be interesting to see -- although we might not see it publicly -- how much pressure russia will or is inclined to bring to bear ultimately at these -- as these , as hisions go on allies say, we are your allies but we will not support you forever. group the islamic state that controls large parts of syria a

president bashar al-assad remains in power supported by russia and iran. the islamic state of iraq and levant or i.s.i.l. grew in this chaotic environment. it drew thousands of the fighters to its ranks. a multinational coalition continues air strikes, and more countries are embroiled in the conflict. they have gone further down the path to democracy than any other arab spring country, the fledgeling democracy is not secure. this year's nobel peace prize was awarded to a coalition of labour unions. the nobel committee credited them for staving off a civil war. two attacks this year killed dozens, and virtually shut tunisia's tourism industry. and tunisians believed to be exporting fighters to syria and iraq than any other country. >> joining me in the studio is professor, an assistant professor of political science, and in washington d.c., a solar at the middle east institute. let us begin with you. you have said that the arab springs is a misnomer, that what americans and the west saw as an explosion of democracy was something else. what was it in your op

they say the proregime force does not recognize the truce signed by bashar al-assad's government. and more than 50 people have been killed on attacks in an opposition stronghold east of damascus. it happened after the u.n. chief wrapped up a three day visit to the area. >> this situation is unacceptable, a blot on our collective conscience. >> there are about 7.6 million internally displaced syrians. 2 million children are out of school. bernard smith, al jazeera. >> let's go live now to dominic kane in paris for more on the meeting of foreign ministers there. hi dominic. i guess what they're looking for is consensus. do we know, are they anywhere near close no that? >> well julie the meeting has now just broken up. it lasted for two hours. the cavalcade of cars leaving behind me, to the coconsternationof the parisian g home. in recent days, to try fet the opposition groups in syria to coalesce around a unitied position, the only future for syria insofar as democracy and peace was concerned would be without bashar al-assad. now, that's important because two countries that weren't

are they able to agree on where bashar al-assad stands. and they have come close to agree on a united political vision, in order to have a need - needing a roadmap from syria. there are a few other details that need to be sorted out in this meeting. and they have come close to agree on the future. most of them leave it must leave, but when is the question. at the beginning or later on. the the devil is in detail. do you think there's the same disparity when it comes to yemen. and how to deal with houthi rebels. >> syria and yemen prove that these are the two biggest challenges facing the g.c.c. countries, it's no less complicated than the conflict in syria. here, we have the g.c.c. countries on board. and qatar in the complex. now we have come to the conclusion. we may need to try the diplomacy in order to solve the problem. in the whole region, it's something that is impossible to obviously problems. the war in syria is going on for about five years. in yemen we are almost a year into the conflict. they are going above that. and i think t

and number two for some of them to get rid of bashar al-assad. the period between those two could be messy some >> exactly. as i think as many analysts have pointed out, this is not an issue that can be resolved solely through military means but also requires sustained political engagement. primarily in terms of reconfiguring the state and the regime in both iraq and syria and here the issue is that if you look at all the parties that claim to have the defeat and destruction of the islamic state movement as a priority, they have very different and more often than not contradictory objectionives-- objectives with the regimes in iraq and syria, making cooperation between them virtually impossible. that means a continued weakened state and zones without effective government authority in eastern syria and western iraq. that is precisely under such circumstances that a movement like the islamic state movement, which is not particularly powerful militarily can nevertheless thrive and continue to expand >>> thank you very much. in lebanon at least three

does it involved bashar al-assad? we can surmise that the russian position will be that it does need to be with bashar al-assad. and if he is the answer then you're asking the wrong question. the question will be what sort of wiggle room, as it were, the americans and russians can play out with each other to find any sort of solution. the fact that mr. kerry is going at some point this week, whether it is immediately after this meeting or in the days to come to moscow may be seen by some as progress. but we shall have to wait and see how that works out. it's worth making the point that the e.u. foreign ministers have been meeting today in brussels to discuss the situation. we know that e.u. foreign policy chief has been outspoken about the situation, and we also know, of course, that the e.u. heads of government will be meeting in brussels on thursday and friday to discuss the situation vis-a-vis isil, vis-a-vis syria, and what it means for them in europe, where the situation of terrorism, as it has been described cer

bashar al-assad has two options, to leave the scene through talks and negotiations or leave the scenehrough force. because the syrian people rejects bashar al-assad and rejects his regime in syria. >> let's bring in our correspondent who has been following the story, live for us now in istanbul. the group has been building its position as a more and more serious player in the future of syria. so how much of a blow is it to these talks that this group has decided to withdrawal? >> reporter: it is a big blow, because it is one of the biggest groups fighting the government of president bashar al-assad in syria. they have a few thousand fighters, and they are well armed and backed by a number of regional powers. it is a blow, however, the meeting didn't really fail totally. they did agree on a number of issues to form, for instance, a delegation to attend any negotiations with the assad government. they also agreed on the future of syria, should be without president assad, and they called for a transitional period at the part of that period, president assad has to go. now what i think wil

so that we would only have a choice between isis and bashar al assad. so that's quite a different tone from what the secretary of state has been espousing, i might add delusionally, and the president. we've got to understand that vladimir putin wants to keep bashar al assad in power and he will do what's necessary to do so. as far as my trip with the secretary of defense's remarks this morning, i'm encouraged somewhat by an increase in our capabilities and presence there, but it's a reaction rather than an action. it's a reaction to paris. there is no strategy. i find from our visit, lindsey graham and my visit, general mcfarland is a great leader, we have an excellent ambassador, we have a good team on the ground, but there is no strategy. there is no strategy to defeat isis. i think ramadi will fall sometime relatively soon but then you've got raqqah, of course, and mosul and others, and it's going to take a long time. the dominant influence in iraq right now is iran. i'm sorry to say and the shiite militias and the sunnis obviously cannot stand the s

bashar al assad has two options, to leave the scene of talks and negotiations or by force. if the sir you know people reject bashar al assad and reject his regime in syria. >>> the war in yemen was discussed at the g.c.c. leaders meeting. now the saudi-led coalition said it is taking control of islands off the coast of yemen. according to saudi tate media, houthi fighters have been driven from the islands on the red sea. they are close to a major shipping route between europe, the gulf and asia. an analyst from the doha institute center for research and policy studies says the remaining issue is deciding when the syrian president shoulding. >> these are the two biggest challenges facing the g.c.c. countries, the situation in yemen is no less complicate than syria where you have this on going conflict actually, but here, we have the g.c.c. countries onboard, literally onboard, saudi arabia and qatar in this conflict. not everybody has come to the conclusion that there might not be a solution to this crisis. we may need to try to solve this problem, because in the whole regio

their decline in the whole area which has been the focal point or the birth place of the bashar al-assad. all sources tell al jazeera that this fight is a critical one and there is absolutely no way for the opposition to lose it because if they do that could be the beginning of the end >>> russian forces have carried out more than five thousand air strikes since september targeting various groups. they had been losing front from the rebels. a direct threat to the stronghold of latakia. that is when russia's campaign began to push rebels back in latakia and the provinces of aleppo and ham ma. regime forces have made gains in the eastern capital. it is said those strikes have killed more than 2300 people. it is said more than a third of those killed were civilians, including 180 children. russia has described the allegations as absurd. a retired lebanese army general. thanks for being with us. how much territory have bashar al-assad's forces been able to take since the rival of russian air strikes in syria? >> i think that the russian rival is like game changer. it added more military asse

i don't think we should be stuck on getting rid of bashar al assad and we should work with the russians and i think secretary kerry is moving in the rye direction. >> very quickly on the political campaign trail, there's been discussion about this and the question. if assad were to go, you would see a giant void open in that country. what are your thoughts about that? >> i don't think you'd see a void. i think another general would step forward, take control of the army. he might be worse than bashar al assad. we just don't know. that's an opaque leadership. but it is a military dictatorship that rules in the syrian regime controlled areas. it's unclear who would succeed him. it's a name we might not recogni recognize. it's really going to make no difference at all. it's a civil war between different sects who i don't think live together and there's got to be some sort of federalism there is the way out. >> cnn security and intelligence analyst bob bear live for us. thank you for your insight and perspective on this. >>> now on to spain and live pictures that we have where people are he

syrian opposition groups meet ahead of potential talks with bashar al-assad's government. you're watching al jazeera. live from doha. coming up in the next half hour. >> we have no choice. some donald trump causes outrage by calling for a ban on muslims entering the united states. more than eight million people are in need of help with ethiopia's worst draught in 30 years. red alert, china issues the highest warning on the pollution for the very first time. a meeting between syria's opposition groups is due to get underway in the saudi arabian capital in the coming hours. they will be discussing ways to overcome their differences before any potential talks with the syrian government. iran, a rival of saudi arabia and supporter of the syrian regime, has criticised the meeting say it will hurt the peace process. under a plan agreed by 17 countries last month, both sides of the syrian conflict should hold negotiations by 1 january and those talks should be followed by elections in 18 months, but the deal doesn't specify where syrian president bashar al-assad fits in. his futur

they did not specify bashar al-assad. clearly tehran and moscow remains adamant if you will that they want to support bashar al-assad. >> so for the time being as far as moscow is concerned. bashar al-assad stays, this is the thorn any issue. >> right. >> what about when it comes to isil. we have seen air strikes against isil from the russians. the brits are also wanting to join this so-called anti-isil coalition, france and germany. but has this weekended isil in any way? >> it is sort of paradoxal, with the americans starting the cam bane more than a year ago, and then they are joined in by the russias, french, and probably now the british. clearly everyone has a stake, and clearly now the syrian sky is owned by those foreign powers, but the syrian territory is still up for grabs, and it's not clear to me, foley, that whatever they are doing, meaning bombarding from the sky is having an effect on the ground yet. because the opposition groups remain powerful. and if anything we seed isil getting more recruits and expandi

denying hit bashar al-assad forces. that is it from me for this news hour. i will be back in a moment with the day's news. i will see you then >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> let's take a closer look. >> this is al jazeera america live from new york. >> at 7:00 - "news roundup". tony harris gives you a fast-paced recap of the day's events. >> this is the first line of defense. >> we have an exclusive story tonight. >> then at 8:00 - john seigenthaler brings you the top stories from across america. >> the question is, will these dams hold? >> and at 9:00 - >> i'm ali velshi, on target tonight... >> ali velshi on target. digging deeper into the issues that matter. >> i'm trying to get a sense for what iranians are feeling. syrians in a starving suburb of homs are finally given aid. this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up, venezuela's victory calls for unity but warns it can't solve the country's problem over night. the f.b.i. says the suspects in the san bernardino shooting had been radicalized for some time before they shot dead 14 people last week.

. >> reporter: the hardest issue of all, the future of president bashar al-assad, is still in dispute. the russian foreign minister again stressing it was not for the international community to decide his fate. >> bashar al-assad's fate, we talked about that, repeatedly just recently president faith addressed-- putin addressed the nation in his annual speech, no nation should be given vision of what its leadership should look like. >> reporter: at one point as he spoke in russian, secretary kerry wasn't getting the translation on his headset. this on the day the two men, as well as the rest of the security council finally negotiated the exact language of the resolution, but will those carefully agreed words still make sense to both men when they're put to the test in the coming months >>> let's take a look at this. the syrian civil war has been raging for nearly five years now, and over 250,000 people have been killed and over a million injured, most of them civilians. at least 6.5 million syrians are internally displaced and an estimated four out of every five syrians are living in p

is opposed to the leadership of bashar al-assad as syria's president, it has said consistently that it is not interested in trying to intervene in syria's civil war except through diplomacy. the secretary of state john kerry has been trying for some time to try to help jump start some sort of political reconciliation process between the bashar al-assad government and those opposed to his leadership, but the administration has always insisted that the use of arms is not going to end that country's civil war. the u.s., of course, is also very concerned about aggravating or expanding the ongoing civil war because of the presence of the russian military which has already been launching its own air strikes in that country, going after i.s.i.l. targets. so the u.s. does not want to do anything or being perceived as having done anything that would aggravate the instability inside syria and that's why it has been so vermin in saying-- vehement in saying it didn't do anything to anyone belonging to the syrian military >>> thank you. syria's opposition groups are preparing to gather in saudi ara

the white house still insists, bashar al-assad has to go. the agreement doesn't address that. >> i think assad is going to have to leave in order for the country to stop the bloodletting and for all the parties involved to be able to move forward in a nonsectarian way. >> but after talks behind closed doors, between kerry and russian foreign minister sergey lavrov, it's likely that a transition of power won't happen immediately. >> let us be frank, not everyone has renounced any preconditions or their own interpretation of how this principle can be applied in practice. >> reporter: what is clear among world leaders is that they agree i.s.i.l. must be defeated. and to do so, concessions must be made. so antonio, we've seen incredible steps being taken here on comploik measure on dip. today you had sergey lavrov and kerry meeting behind closed doors before the meeting even started they agreed on the language of the resolution that went to the security council for that unanimous vote. antonio. >> and the syrian intor was reactinintorambassador i

assad was brushed to the side. he was saying that the opposition is willing to accept is al jazeera sad's role during the negotiate ut not in a transitional government of the how much of a problem will that be. >> there are a couple of serious problems one is assad's future role. however you have seen the russians and for a certain extent the iranians back away from being supporters of him on a personal basis. that he would be there more or lessons definitely. and you have seen from the american side an agreement that he shouldn't be there tend of the of the political evolution, we understand that he will not necessarily leave immediately. that's one question which is his future. the various parties have seem to come closer on what that's likely to be. the other big problem, of course, is who is going to be present as representatives of the syrian opposition? that's something that still has been left undefined. in the u.n. security council resolution. there are differences of opinion. however, russia and the united states are definitely agreed that you shouldn't have representatives if a terrorist organization like

president bashar al-assad is in power, supported by russia and islamic state of iraq and levant. islamic state of iraq and levant or i.s.i.l. grew. it has drawn thousands of foreign fighters. multi national collision continued air tricks and countries are embroiled in the conflict. >> tunisia has gone further than any other country. the fledgeling democracy is not secure. this year's nobel peace prize was awarded. the nobel committee credited them for staving off a civil war. two attacks killed gozens and virtually -- dozens and virtually shut down the tourism industry. >> and tunisia is believed to export more fighters than any other country. >> james is a professor of middle eastern history and author of the arab uprisings, what everyone needs to know, and joins us from los angeles. good to have you with us. let's start with basic questions. has the arab springs failed to fulfil its promise, but failed spectacularly. >> we are involved in a process that began 30 years ago. there has been mass demonstrations for democratic rights. human rights. this is a culmination. process. it

. >>> meanwhile, bashar al-assad says he is willing to find a political solution in the war in syria.e u.s. is cautiously optimistic, ben jordan reports from it will. >> the syrian government once gel again holds that city. the u.s. is cautiously welcoming the syrian oppositions division that will not create peace with the regime for at least a year. >> there are kinks to be worked out and i'm sure he will be. before a transitional government takings power, that's what rebel fights fighters in are leap. >> god wilings we will not negotiate with these. our first goal is the removal of assad. >> reporter: not soon after we definite the fate of bashar al-assad. it brings into contend our partners, suggesting the syrian people will choose accompaniment. so what could keep them out on the field. >> they have to be afraid to lose, the only way you make bashar al-assad nervous is defending against him. >> allowed us to cause sears damage to infrastructure and to really. do what is promised. >> in order to stop propping up the assad regime, help us bring this civil war to an end. stop bombing

their interests is to keep bashar al assad in power. on the other hand, you have turkey and saudi arabia. they're not ready to hear about bashar al assad in the future of syria. and you have the united states and other parties with their own interests. the idea is to postpone the problem for about 18 months. this is actually the idea. in 18 months to have elections. our understanding regarding syria, that syria is going to suffer from chronic instability for a very, very long period of time. we can't see the end of this tragedy of civil war. 300,000 casualties, 10 million refugees, part in your country, part of them outside your country. a tragedy. but there is no way to conclude it. we claim, you know, you can make omelet from an egg. you can't make egg from an omelet. it has become omelet. so, all these ideas. launching a military offensive for three months and then concluding it by political -- syria is going to stay kurdistan in the north, and hopefully the sunnis will be able to get rid of daesh in syria by being a power by the wes

this process necessarily involves the departure of bashar al-assad. not only for moral reasons because of the destruction he has unleashed upon his own people, and for practical reasons because it will never be possible to bring peace and unity to syria as long as he remains in office. but we must and will protect the institutions that are necessary for the future governance of syria, that is possible with the transitional governing body and with the support of the issg. mr. president while we must seek to end the conflict in syria, especially the violence directed towards civilians, we must also join confront the threat posed by daesh and other extremist groups in the country, and an end to the civil war in syria is critical to tackling daesh in the long term. we're all clear that terrorist groups must not must not and will not benefit from the cease-fire we're promoting. a key consideration for the syrians in the establishment of the governing body will be the fight against terrorism. in this fight they will have the full support of the issg and of

want question is what's the time line for when bashar al assad theoretically would have to leave powern order for there to be some sort of peace accord inside syria. there's no -- no real agreement, i should say, about that within members of the obama administration. what is going to be interesting is how the u.s. in particular deals with the demand coming from what is now being described as a unified syrian opposition that assad and his top aids would have to leave at the beginning of the transition process, and not perhaps later in the process. obviously, that is something which the russians would oppose, so there really has to be this understanding that now that the opposition has tried to basically pull its act together, that they're going to have to be considered and the u.s. is going to have to try to work with them before it tries to reach any sort of agreement with the russians on the future of bashar al assad. >> ross lind in washington, d.c., thank you. >>> financing the cost of tackling climate change remains one of the stop sticking points at the climate talks in paris. the

because both russia and iran insist that bashar al-assad -- the future of bashar al-assad will not be during these peace talks, that is left actually to the syrian people, in which means in fact that he is to stay as long as he can, actually, on syria. but i think the other two points are no less difficult, because if you are going to ask the russians and iranance to name for example the syrian opposition in the peace talks, for the most part they will be naming those who are very close to them, and that won't actually lead us anywhere in this -- in this process. and -- >> it's going to need compromise from both russia and the u.s.? it has been said that russia is the key to the success of these talks. >> absolutely. especially since the russian military intervention in syria, russia has become the main actor in the syrian process. and also iran, because before russian intervention, the thinking was that iran actually is holding the keys to resolving this crisis, but now we all know that it is president putin, actually who is the major actor in this whole issue. but let me go back to

major differences between russia and the united states over the future of syrian president bashar al-assad. jaibjames bays reports. >> a unanimous support for transition in syria, face to face talks and possibly a ceasefire in just a matter of weeks. but this resolution was the result of very last minute negotiations. it is the demonstration of the difficulty of the task ahead that ministers were arriving in new york talks were still underway. fighting with their counterparts over many of the words and details of the resolution. when it was finally passed, it was praised by the current president of the security council, the united states. >> after four and a half years of war, this is the first time we have been able to come together at the united nations in the security council, to embrace a road forward. during that time, one syrian in 20 has been killed or wounded. one in five is a refugee. one in two has been displaced. the average life expectancy in syria has dropped by 20 years. >> here in the corridors and offices of the united nations they now face a tough challenge queeninconvenin

his headquarters were only a few kilometres away from president bashar al-assad's palace. he was released from prison by bashar al-assad a few months after the start of the syrian uprising. he rose to prominence in 2013 when he convinced many armed groups to form an army of more than 20,000 well-trained, unarmed fighters. a few months ago he attended a military parade. it was the biggest force by the syrian opposition. unlike most rebel factions with units across the country, the army of islam has one base on the outskirts of damascus, with one target, to wait until they battle. this is where he was killed. he was meeting with military commanders. the syrian army says he was killed out by a syrian fighter jet. the syrian opposition says the death of him may undermine the chance for internationally brokered talks between the rebels and the syrian government. he was not only a military commander, he was also a prominent preacher with many followers in the damascus area. with his death, the future of the army of islam is uncertain. in 2013 the syrian government killed, a comm

analysts suggest that the situation is such that bashar al-assad will have to have something that will compel him to step away from power. >> still coming from al jazeera this half hour, we'll have the latest of who will succeed robert mugabe. >>> and the ethical merits of altering human dna. >> welcome back. you're watching al jazeera. let's take you to the top stories. a spanish policeman has died when a car exploded near the spanish embassy compound in kabul. libya's factions have agreed to an u.n.-backed unity government that is set to sign that next week. >>> and reports are emerging muammar qaddafi's son has been kidnapped in lebanon. now financing the cost of tack tackling climate change remains one of the top sticking points in paris. the summit has been extended for an extra day, but delegates insist they're close to reaching a deal to cut carbon emissions and slow global warming. >> all night and all day they worked. all night and all day again. still there, there is no resolution. we're told they are close. >> after the consultations that i'll have, i'll be in position to pr

the chance of success, the groups want bashar al-assad gone. and with support from iran and particularly russia, that is easier said than done. it is likely something substantial will actually come out of the talks. there is certainly a feeling of optimism in riyadh with 100 figures from opposition groups there, despite the absence of the kurds. s but the saudi -- but the saudis hope to have an agreement by tomorrow evening. we'll see if they can, but iran, a staunch ally of bashar thissad, believes that will harm the proposed peace talks. genie: philip moore reporting for us from dubai. in the meantime, russia has been upping its game in syria by launching strikes from a submarine. that submarine is stationed in the mediterranean. moscow says the strikes have hit 300 targets in the past three days, and that they have helped syrian special forces recover the black box of the russian warplane downed by turkey last month. russia launched its bombing campaign in syria over two months ago, saying it is targeting islamic state militants. but the wes

he told me this agreement over the role of bashar al-assad is a major stumbling block. >> one of the major subjects they are discuss something how to support the syrians, and find a peaceful solution to their problems, and get them to agree on one voice, and one committee to represent them. at the same time the syrian conference is going on to achieve that goal. they are looking for the same goal. >> let me ask you about this priority for the g.c.c. leaders and the members meeting in riyadh, making sure that bashar al-assad leaves. >> everyone agrees he has to leave. it's when and how. some say they should wait, but are not sure of what rule he should get. others say he should believe before and have no rule at all. >> it's for them top decide. saudi arabia is supporting, is providing the venue, but it's not intervening, in their discussions and decisions >>> venezuela's president reshuffled his cabinet following his defeat in the parliamentary election. losing control of the national assembly for the first time since 1999. president maduro is vowing to veto plans for a law for gaole

russia backs bashar al-assad, while the u.s. and european states support antigovernment rebels in syria. so, what we heard today was a strong beginning, but major differences remain over russia and syria. here is our correspondent to flush things out for us. reporter: vladimir putin met with john kerry and said together we re working on a way out of this most urgent crisis. the two countries are trying to bridge differences over the syrian conflict and broker a cease-fire agreement for the country. for his part, john kerry said the piece process started last month with key players and was a strong beginning. he went on to say that russia and the u.s. have the ability to make a significant difference in syria. despite those words, there is a wide divide, and that is the role bashar al-assad will play in the syrian future. in order to effect a cease-fire in syria and potentially any political transition, john kerry needs russia to bring bashar al-assad to the negotiating table. to that end, work is being done on two lists, one on