it was hosted in aleppo. aleppo was the perfect choice because it is arguably the most populated city in syria, it is in northern syria. there is a local part of the city, the countryside as well. the countryside and the city make up the government -- [inaudible] of syria. all of the perl -- the 70% of the cities have been stripped away. the first enacted in the cities is i was hosted by veteran prerevolutionary [inaudible] , that is eerie and citizens going to get it to do what they can. the first thing we did it to her. most of the shops were closed down. to be honest with you, -- by the way, i am using aleppo is a case in point. to be honest, i thought that i would need -- [inaudible] we were very le we were very lesson and surprised. the operation we encountered was a lot more sophisticated than i thought. they held elections. the chairman was a highly educated person with a phd, doctor [inaudible name]. they also started the committee on the local administration and the committee on finance making sure t

i asked him what aleppo needs most. >> everything. to simple pain killers. there's none. they have tylenol here, which has to be brought in. >> reporter: rebels hope their sacrifices will be worth it, once aleppo falls, they say, damascus will follow. until then, syria's largest city is suffering. >> that was nbc's richard engel reporting. >>> this morning it's being reported that secretary of defense leon panetta has signed the order to send patriot missiles to turkey. the order is part of a nato effort to help shield turkey from chemical weapons or missile attacks coming from syria. >>> as always, let us know why you're awake. shoot us an e-mail at waytooearly@msnbc.com. >>> still ahead on "way too early" -- ♪ i made it out of clay ♪ when it's dry and ready ♪ then dreidel i shall >> that would be so much better if we didn't know that was jeremy lin and the houston rockets. the toughest competition, the classic hanukkah dreidel song. >>> also, highlights from the football game last night. that was miss what are the eagles doing? >>> and not happy with the way the politic

. >> that approach was apparent in aleppo and other syrian cities. the rebels were able to take control of much of syria's largest city. their forces are now better armed and organized, but they have also been gaining growing support from islamist militants. >> we are seeing that foreign- controlled medical groups with islamist aims are well-equipped, well-organized, and they are leading the fight on the ground in some cases. for instance, they have succeeded in capturing surface- to-air missiles from the syrian government, which has spoken of the assad regime's aerial supremacy somewhat. >> government troops have been feeling the pressure and have hit back even harder. there are reports the regime has even considered using chemical weapons. the fighting also spread to neighboring turkey, prompting nato to agree to set up patriot missiles along the country's border with germany supplying some personnel. peaceful rallies like this one last year are few and far between. the two sides have stopped talking. >> for the rebels, the only solution is a compl

. >> reporter: it's become a fixture in syria's largest city, "aleppo today." an underground tv channel broadcasting to a battle-scarred city. [ shelling ] >> we are the first or the only tv broadcast iing for aleppo. >> reporter: with its 24-hour slide show of the city in happier times "aleppo today" doesn't look like much but its news ticker is a vital source of information, say residents living in a city under siege. >> it's the local news, what's happening inside aleppo, on the streets, what's happening, the demonstration, the shell, the bombing. everything. >> reporter: the reports are prepared by refugees like ahmed, a former baker turned journalist. >> this one is 18 people was dead yesterday in aleppo and countryside. those are the names of the people who died in that neighborhood. >> reporter: "aleppo today" broadcasts from an undisclosed location in a country neighboring syria. why do you have to work outside of syria? >> for our safety. >> reporter: you have to be sneaky to put this out. >> you have to be sneaky, undercover. >> reporter: they send th

we do not just in aleppo -- not just in aleppo but elsewhere. there is a conflict between the different groups. because of that the border crossing was not functional. they wanted the border crossing to be opened. they sent the number of their members over. there was also a tension between arabs and kurds. ng as ain negotiatio mediator so that dispute can be settled. >> question? >> thank you. we have talked about outside influences in terms of the west. when you talk about the saudis, can you perhaps give us your thoughts on u.s. position relative to its relation with the saudis? >> the ones that are providing the most assistance are not the saudis. the saudis are also providing. they are playing a bigger role. this tends to be exaggerated. i will share this with you. thisi would say for example, one fighting group, the main fighting group, sufficient for one day's worth. that is why we have nothing but complete liberation of the city. it has been extended, but it is very meager that it borders on basically, relatively speaking, the other parti

they have not been able to make a decisive victory, particularly in aleppo. they have not been able to take control or return the tide in regards to the gains made. right now, what we're going to see is further tragedy, the humanitarian plight in the country, more casualties, and since yesterday, we have seen them stepping up their operations as strikes get underway on the outskirts of damascus, basically everywhere in the country. we're talking about huge casualties here today across the country. >> thank you so much. brahimi, the arab league on voice as as it gets worse, they are looking at others. >> there are four million people in syria in desperate condition. 2 million displaced and another 2 million may not have left their homes and villages but they lack even the most basic necessities. they are not a number. they're human beings. men, women. there are also half a million refugees, most of them in jordan and turkey. you feel ashamed standing in front of them try to tell them is that will give hope. >> thousands fleeing are going to greece. >> the emig

damage, and there is extensive damage in this part of syria, just on the outskirts of the city of aleppo, there's also tremendous economic difficulties. the syrian currency is worth about half of what it was when this war started. a loaf of bread costs about -- despite all of that, the rebels are making advances, they are pushing on to president assad's military bases, surrounding his military bases. that's no hope here for a diplomatic solution, the rebels don't want one, they say the only solution they will accept is a military victory. >>> tonight defense officials fell our pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski that a u.s. navy s.e.a.l. was killed during the rescue operation of an american doctor in afghanistan. his name has not been released. it happened during a raids to save dr. dill let joseph. the military says the operation was ordered after intelligence showed the doctor's life was in danger. >>> just two months after winning re-election, venezuelan president hugo chavez says his cancer has returned and he's treating treatment once again in kib what. in a nationally televised

. >> back in aleppo, the sun has set, and the streets start to empty. the power was cut days ago. as night falls, the dark and damp consumer the city. the few who do remain outside are still queueing for bread. they have been shelled and shot at, and as winter set in, they are cold, hungry, and desperate. normal life has been suspended. families hunkered down on building sites and in empty schools. railings for a washing line. a classroom for all home. refugees in their own city, where children sleep by candlelight, huddled together by war. it is hard not to think that they, too, are under siege. >> a pretty desperate look at life inside of aleppo. the syrian opposition got a boost when they came together to recognize the syrian national coalition and the sole representative of the syrian people. good for more on what this means we can speak to richard hart, the president for the council on foreign relations. thank you for joining me. this is not going to do much when it comes to ousting assad. >> that is probably right. it does not affect the balance on the battlefield, but it se

before the fighting millions of people called aleppo home.ht we are seeing many of the people return to this mess and it's not because the battle's over. it's for some other reason. you'll be surprised. arwa damon is one of the few journalists who is actually in syria reporting firsthand. we have her report coming up next on "ac 360." if you are one of the millions of men who have used androgel 1%, there's big news. presenting androgel 1.62%. both are used to treat men with low testosterone. androgel 1.62% is from the makers of the number one prescribed testosterone replacement therapy. it raises your testosterone levels, and... is concentrated, so you could use less gel. and with androgel 1.62%, you can save on your monthly prescription. [ male announcer ] dosing and application sites between these products differ. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. discontinue androgel and call your doctor if you see unexpected signs of early puberty in a child, or, signs in a woman which may include changes in body hair or a la

syrian rebels have captured an infantry base in the city of aleppo is the opposition is making gains across the country in their push toward damascus meanwhile a palestinian refugee camp in the syrian capital has come under attack by warplanes leaving at least eighty dead this week the opposition got another financial and political boost with us recognizing the coalition washington says it's meant to isolate extremist groups who are allowing the rebels to set up their struggle against the syrian government. takes a look at who's fighting in the anti assad camp. they call themselves martyrs. all those you see around you the fighters you see are living martyrs and the living martyr has already sacrificed a soul for this country syrian rebels say they will stop at nothing to defeat us not. some of them are so proud of their deeds that they post them on the web including the execution of prisoners. or having a child behead a man who was presumably an assault supporter atrocities are committed on all fronts during serious bloody civil war according to many accounts on the ground groups th

. >>> in syria, at least eight rebels died today in aleppo as they were bombed by wash planes as theyttacked civilian military positions. living in aleppo, their lives are constantly in danger. >> reporter: they home again, but they are cold and broke. and still in danger. about a third of the families who fled this neighborhood of aleppo have come back, only to find out that these streets are now on the front lines. if the regime can take the city, it will cut off the main artery for syrian forces in alepaleppo open a route to the airport. on a nearby hill top, the rebels used to control that as well but lost it a month ago. the battle lines here are constantly fluid and snipers are a constant threat. the front line is visible just through here and we can barely make out three bodies, the rebel fighters are telling us that there are two male and one female. there were five, they managed to extract two, but they can't reach the others. for the children here, gun fire has become background noise. this 12-year-old hardly notices, she says she's not afraid anymore. to start with, this li

it is near the aleppo damascus highway.more signs syrian president bashar al assad's regime is crumbling. in one of the highest level defections yet, the country's military police chief has abandoned his post to join the rebel army. this recording posted online. >> translator: i announce my defection from the regime and i'm joining the people's revolution because the syrian military has strayed from its core mission in protecting the homeland to become nothing but an armed gang that kill and destroy the cities and the villages. carrying out massacres against our innocent civilian population that came out demanding freedom and dignity. >> high level defection there. mohammed jamjoom joins me from beirut. we're hearing reports of how the rebels helped him make his escape to turkey. >> reporter: that's right, victor. the rebel free syrian army spokesperson we spoke with earlier in the day said it was an arduous journey, took longer than they anticipated. at one point they were transporting the major general by scooter and that

damage, and there is extensive damage in this part of syria just on the outskirts of the city of aleppo, there are also tremendous economic difficulties. the syrian currency is now worth about half of what it was worth before this war started. a loaf of bread costs 20 times more than it did just a few months ago. fuel is in very short supply, and if you can find it, it is also very expensive. with you despite all of that the rebels are making advantages. they are pushing on to president bashar al assad's military bases surrounding his military bases. there's no hope here for a diplomatic solution. the rebels don't want one. they say the only solution they will accept is a military victory. >>> that amazes me the places that richard engel gets in, the stories he brings us. russia says they're going to remain in support of president assad despite doubt that arose last week after they met privately with secretary of state hillary clinton on the issue of chemical weapons. >>> and to the crisis and the mess in cairo. egypt's president more morsi is asking them to stay there. more syrians are

in aleppo they're reporting to have taken over a military base belonging to the regime and in damascus, they've taken over a military installation on the outside of that country's airport. that also links to the issue of outside support for the syrian regime, including russia which says it will stand by president bashar al assad despite comments yesterday from a senior russian official acknowledging that in fact president ais losing control of that country to the opposition. as you mentioned today, the united states sent a symbolic show of force to turkey and nato member along with the dutch government. they have now deployed patriotic missiles, a defense system that will include 400 american operators to work that system for the turkish government. lynn? >> ayman, thanks so much. >>> back here at home after taking herself out of the running as secretary of state, susan rice is keeping her eye on ball, meeting with the president at the white house today. on twitter last night, rice rallied followers under the hash tag let's go. saying we have a lot work to do for the american people an

part of a bigger battle for control of aleppo, syria's largest city. this father of four is one of the rebel fighters here. this is our country, our homes that are being destroyed, he tells us. he used to sell thread. now he runs logistics for his unit. so what he is explaining to us is that this was street to street fighting, and it took his unit quite some time to advance and right now they have the tractor here because they're trying to clear out this road so that ambulances and vehicles can begin to move through. >> blankets hang across one alleyway to block government snipers' line of sight. the shooting is coming from there, the sniper, one of the fighters points out. they take us further forward. crawling through holes punched between buildings. they're just telling us that it's because of the snipers that they have to move through the various buildings like this. it's an urban version of first world war trenches. they etched forward by just one block. going any further is back breaking work. a rebel dashes down the street carrying a makeshift r

one person has just arrived from callaspo -- aleppo with a vague plan to find his brother. >> they were bombing the houses. we cannot stay. >> the journey is very dangerous. there are bad conditions. been at this time of year, it can be very rough. more than 20 rounds. -- drowned. taken out of the sea, freezing cold, by coast guard. but there is no answer. he seems very confused about what to do next. he knows almost nobody in the city and does not speak the language. >> yesterday and tomorrow. just in case the heels of news -- hear some news. >> there are syrian families crowded in basements. this is not what they had hoped it would be. >> they will try to keep going, no matter how ill-prepared they are to receive them. >> continuing demonstrations. and 30 years on. a murder. >> hello, again. it is just one system after another one. taking a look at the satellite picture, this is going into the eastern parts of canada. it was certainly a lot of snow. there is another weather system working its way across the rockies. there is winter weather as we go through monday. this whole system th

aleppo is crisscrossed with similar sniper alleys.me are known, but others do not reveal themselves until the first shot has been fired. despite abdullah's efforts, the woman dies. her son utterly distraught. >> reporter: "don't die now, don't die today," he pleads. "answer me, mom, answer me! she's not dead. she's not dead," he says, as he collapses. abdullah is left wondering whether her life could have been saved if he'd reached her sooner. until recently, he worked at a bakery. now, like thousands of young syrians, he puts his life on the line. "i am not a hero. i am just like anyone else," abdullah tells us. and we're left to wonder, how many similar acts of courage go unrecorded every day in syria, and how many innocents are lost? arwa damon, cnn, aleppo. >> arwa damon reporting. there's a lot more happening tonight. isha's here with a "360 bulletin." >>> the taliban has taken credit for a suicide bombing in afghanistan that killed at least three people, including one american. the attack happened near kandahar's air field just

you have been to aleppo, where the assad regime has a chemical weapons plant. let's get perspective from the ground and start with the regime. what is it saying about this new u.s. intelligence and now new warnings from the united states all the way up to president obama about a red line on the use of chemical weapons? >> well, the regime has historically denied that it would use any sort of chemical weapons against its own population, but that is something of an empty promise, at least from the perspective of everyone we have been speaking to about this. many of those fighters that we talked on the ground do say they do believe the greater the stranglehold they have on regime forces in the city of aleppo grows, the greater the likelihood is that in a desperate attempt to somehow either regain control or wreak mass havoc on the population, the regime would not hesitate when it comes to employing these types of weapons. and of course, when it does come to chemical warfare, there is very little if anything anyone here can do to protect themselves against that. >>

this syrian chemical weapons site near aleppo is just ten miles from the latest fighting.dozens of chemical weapons sites across syria. at at least one of these sites, u.s. officials say their latest intelligence shows syrian forces over the weekend began mixing two chemicals needed to make deadly seran gas, raising significant new concern that bashar al assad may be preparing a gas attack. >> we have made our views very clear. this is a red line for the united states. i'm not going to tell grapeelle in any specifics of what we would do in terms of credible evidence that the assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people, but suffice it to say, we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur. >> reporter: in response, the syrian foreign ministry said syria will not use chemical weapons on its own people. but it has threatened to use them against foreign forces if invaded. u.s. officials believe assad has not yet ordered an attack but is getting ready possibly for a limited strike. intelligence suggests the regime mig

this is the road to aleppo, he says.academy, the direct route to the north will be open. so far, 250 soldiers at the base have defected since the uprising began. the majority joining rebel ranks. but some 450 remain inside. air drops of food often miss their target. the rebels have shot out the water supply. there used to be a sniper on top of the tower who would take shots at them. they own the night, but we own the day, he boasts. he says the rebels could easily overrun the base, but they want to give others a chance to defect. they've even punched holes in the walls of the perimeter. this man, a defected soldier, says the senior officers are just looking after themselves. he and the others here, some of whom don't want to appear on camera, fled together. they were trainers on the base. around the perimeter, it's something of a human shield he says. in isn't a single point that doesn't have a soldier on it. there are only two to three meters between each. the soldiers have stockpiles of artillery. but jamal says their

and aleppo still a major front in the conflict. troops are advancing for first time into an islamist held stronghold in northern aleppo. and as our senior international correspondent arwa damon explains, the city's combat zones are expanding each and every day. >> reporter: they are home again, but they are cold and broke and still in danger. about a third of the families who fled the neighborhood of aleppo have come back. only to find out that these streets are now on the front line lines. if the regime can retake the city, it can cut off the main artery for opposition forces in aleppo and reopen a route to the airport. on a nearby hill top, the neighborhood, the rebels used to control that as well, but lost it a month ago. the battle lines here are constantly fluid. and snipers are a constant threat. the front line is visible just through here. and we can barely make out three bodies. the rebel fighters are telling us that there are two male and one female. there were five. they managed to extract two, but they can't reach the ot

fighting has already ripped apart the country's largest city, aleppo. that's where arwa damon takes us through an exclusive look in parts of that city now turned into a war zone. >> reporter: aleppo's old city has not seen such devastation since occupied by the mongol invaders centuries ago. this mosque, for example, dates back to 1315. this is syria's rich cultural heritage, and now everywhere we look it's been scarred by war. once bustling, winding streets now a maze of ever shifting front lines. overhead the thundering of fighter jets. lodging for caravans down the aging rising ruins. for more than three millennium aleppo has been a crossroads for traders. we hurry through the courtyard of a traditional home. streets are strung across streets to block snipers line of site sight. a unit of fighters reports people's names and license plates. only those who have shops here are allowed through. abu says they're trying to clamp down on robberies. he says he shows us the list, the highlighted names have cleared out all their possessions. in one market a sh

. >>> they say living underground in aleppo, syria, is like living in a grave.ear from a family that's caught in the middle of the violence. again? it's embarrassing it's embarrassing! we can see you carl. we can totally see you. come on you're better than this...all that prowling around. yeah, you're the king of the jungle. have you thought about going vegan carl? hahaha!! you know folks who save hundreds of dollars by switching to geico sure are happy. how happy are they jimmy? happier than antelope with night-vision goggles. nice! get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. social security are just numbers thinkin a budget.d... well, we worked hard for those benefits. we earned them. and if washington tries to cram decisions about the future... of these programs into a last minute budget deal... we'll all pay the price. aarp is fighting to protect seniors with responsible... solutions that strengthen medicare and... social security for generations to come. we can do better than a last minute deal... that would hurt all of us.

this part, the most dangerous, road to aleppo, he says.academy the direct route to the north will be open, he adds. so far, 250 soldiers at base have defected since the uprising began. majority joining rebel ranks. but some 450 remain inside. air drops of food often miss their target. the rebels have shot out the water supply. there used to be a snipe that was on top of the water tower who would take shots at them and there's bullet holes in the glass here. they own the night but we own the day, he boasts. he says, the rebels could easily overrun the base but they want to give others a chance to defect. they've even punched holes in the walls of the perimeter. a defected soldier, says, the senior officers are just looking after themselves. he and the others here, some of whom don't want to appear on camera, fled together. they were trainers on the base. around the perimeter it's a human shield. there is not a single point that doesn't have a soldier on it. there are only two to three meters between each. the soldiers have stockpiles of art

and streets of aleppo have turned into a battleground.the details. >> reporter: for two months, the streets and allies have been a war zone. part of a bigger battle for control of aleppo, syria's largest city. this father of four is one of the rebel fighters here. this is our country, our homes that are being destroyed, he tells us. he used to sell thread. now he runs logistics for his unit. so what he is explaining to us is that this was street to street fighting, and it took his unit quite some time to advance, and right now they have the tractor here because they're trying to clear out this road so that balances and vehicles can begin to move through. blankets hang across one alleyway to block government snipers' line of sight. the shooting is coming from there. the sniper, one of the fighters points out. they take us further forward. crawling through holes punched between buildings. they're just telling us that it's because of the snipers that they have to move through these buildings like this. it's an urban version of first world wa

government and opposition forces are fighting for control of the capital damascus, the northern city of aleppo and other places. officials with the u.n. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs say there's no more safe areas where people can take fuge. they need help to feed people an treat the sick. the u.n. officials have made similar appeals but this year member nations only contributed 60% of what they asked for. >>> government and opposition forces have taken their fights to the golan heights. u.n. peace keepers in the area monitor the cease-fire between syria and israel. the security council decided on wednesday to extend the forces mandate by another six months. commanders have rotated units of 50 self-defense personnel through the mission since 1996. they have been responsible for transportation and logistics. japanese government officials say they will pull sdf members back next month because they are worried about safety. their mission was scheduled to wrap up in the leersd . >>> the leaders of india have agreed to work together. india's prime minister met with representat

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arwa damon, cnn, aleppo province. >> making their own chemical suits.ou. >>> now to this one. this man, lost his past. has no idea who he is. watch this. >> amazed. absolutely floored. just about ready to cry, actually. >> ready to cry over getting this, an i.d., and now he and a filmmaker are taking his fight to the white house. we'll tell you why he says a nine digit number will open the door for him having a future. [ male announcer ] when it comes to the financial obstacles military families face, we understand. at usaa, we know military life is different. we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad! dad! [ applause ] ♪ [ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. usaa brings advice. call or visit us online. we're ready to help. [ male announcer ] when diarrhea hits, kaopectate stops it fast. powerful liquid relief speeds to the source. fast. [ male announcer ] stop the uh-oh fast with kaopectate. >>> now to a story that will make yo

to the southeast of aleppo lies the town of al scattered safari. on the outskirts a sprawling factory manufacturing anything from containers to long-range missiles. this is as close as we can get before we hear an aircraft overhead and quickly leave. to the southeast of that, aaccoacco according to our sources, is the scientific veerch fa simt. we can see the outer most perimeter of the general research facility and the fighters are telling us it's amongst the most heavily guarded areas where they're operating the village right below it filled with government loiyal loyalists. this is as far taz as we can dw. task bid his commanders with ice he lated and not aattacking it. the regime might take extreme actions if we try to assault, so we're just militarily choking it off he tells us. on all sides it is surrounded by rolling hills. we're being escorted by a defective soldier who worked on the inside and a rebel fighter from the area. we've agreed not to reveal their identities. at one point between the two hilltops, a man-made barrier. we have to be

such as if the regime lost control of important areas such as aleppo. so not that we have them, but details have been discussed. >> he's the second in charge. he says that assad's forces are already spraying pesticides and dropping white phosphorous. claims that were also made by the opposition. but the reason the whole world should be concerned about this is because if it gets into the wrong hands, these chemical weapons are so easily transportable. you're thinking hezbollah could get them in their hands and anybody that's friendly with syria at this point. so that is why -- >> again, if you're wondering why we should care, because the president said clearly use of chemical weapons is the red line and if assad acts on that, that could potentially draw our troops into the region. so something to keep a serious eye on. >>> the navy s.e.a.l. killed in that raid to free an american doctor in afghanistan has been identified. nicolas checque had been a member of s.e.a.l. team 6 for the past five years. he died sunday after being shot in the head during the r

activists say the network was instrumental in securing the base near aleppo.he state department accused the group killing innocent civilians and attempting to hijack the syrian civil war. activists say this conflict led to the deaths of 40,000 people. today a series of explosions reportedly hurt or killed up to 20 more people but we cannot independently confirm. jennifer, the defense secretary panetta said syria may have backed off the use of chemical weapons, is that our understanding? >>reporter: remember, the pentagon never acknowledged the intelligence report that the components for sarin gas was mixed. officials spoke on background of the intelligence suggesting there were signs it was being ready for use but they would not give specifics about which seen base they had indicated was making the alleged preparations. today the defense secretary panetta on the way to middle east, backtracked. >> at this point the intelligence has leveled off. we have not seen anything new indicating any aggressive steps to move forward in that way. but we continue to monitor

. >> they claimed they seized this base near aleppo. >> in afghanistan, a police officer shot dead five colleagues in a northern province. >> that officer has been detained. at least 52 members of the force have been killed this year by afghan foreign police. the egyptian commission is looking into allegations of fraud. it is expected to release storm tuesday. >> it did accused president morsi are driving this through without any input from secularists or christians. they claim almost two-thirds voted in favor, albeit in a low turnout. we're joined now in studio by an egyptian political scientist and author living in germany. what you think of the recent developments, especially the prospect of this new constitution? >> are not really disappointed because i know the realities in each of and democracy cannot be born overnight. we have many layers of dictatorship. we have military dictatorship, a religious dictatorship, and the people of egypt and uncover one layer after the next. >> egypt still remains hugely divided. what can we expect going up to the elections? >> parliamentary electio

they are willing to impose a no- fly zone in elbow -- aleppo. they will sit down commercial planes. they say they will not be responsible for the deaths of any passengers. a suicide bomber has attacked a political rally in northwest pakistan killing eight people including a minister. it also wanted more than 20 people. bashar was taken to the hospital after the attack and died of his wounds. the talent and has reclaimed we did have claimed responsibility. they will continue to target these groups. >> a suicide farmebomber attack. the attacker is said to have targeted the minister as he came out of a meeting. he was rushed to the hospital. he was convinced -- the efforts to save his life did not work. he did not make it. after the attack there was widespread condemnation. he had earned a reputation for being there whenever there was a suicide attack. he also what is strong action against a pakistani taliban. it did not come as a surprise when the taliban took responsibility for the assassination. >> indian police have used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters in new delh

they escaped from homs, then to aleppo, and then elsewhere, only to find themselves in a refugee camp later. >> are regime is made of monsters, and not humans. they entered a nearby house and killed all of its 11 members in cold blood. later, they were laughing, drinking, and smoking weed. >> although he is a supporter of the rebels, he never held a gun because he cannot afford 1. he used to sell plastic bags in the street to make a living. they arrived here with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. they were displaced for almost a year before they escaped. they have no idea what happened to their house or their belongings in homs. he says the worst thing about his country's conflict is that it has made his family even poorer. >> we came here only to face more humiliation. this should be a lesson to all arab countries, not to start a revolution so people do not end up as refugees in another country. we did not expect our brothers to throw us in a desert without water or heat. >> they spend each passing day in uncertainty, not knowing when their displacement is going to end. ther

barak joining us live from inside aleppo, syria.that inside perspective from inside the country. pa rack, we thank you very much. we'll continue to watch barak's reporting from inside the country and give us an idea what's really happening on the ground there. jon: some of those images so sering. north korea's latest rocket launch sparking new fears of another nuclear test from that country. we'll tell you more about what has the world worried just ahead. >>> plus, some wild video as a truck hits a scooter and runs over the driver. [ loud party sounds ] hi, i'm ensure clear... clear, huh? i'm not juice or fancy water. i've gotine grams of protein. that's three times more than me! [ female announcer ] ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. in blueberry/pomegranate and peach. jon: just in, some incredible new surveillance video. a woman riding her electric bike straight into the path of an oncoming truck. this happened in china. the truck driver was turning off a main road, apparently never saw the bike until it was too late. the

she came from aleppo with her husband and children, and they live in a cramped space for 2000 dollars month. >> yesterday, we started talking, and they said this was not like what we know. things are tough over here. >> as christmas celebrations go on, and others try to enjoy it to the fullest, she tried to keep putting smiles on faces. >> two firefighters in new york have been killed and two others injured after being ambushed by a convicted killer. they were lured by a fire started by the attacker, who committed suicide. >> firemen rushed to the scene to put out flames, but they are shot, with two dead and two seriously injured. >> we were assuming he was shooting from a high-ground advantage where he had barricaded or set himself up with weapons to shoot the innocence responders. >> the victims are michael chiapperini and tomasz kaczowka. this is the man that killed them, william spangler. police say he had a long criminal record. the killing of the fireman has been making headlines in the u.s. where the gun has killed the innocent. >> it is really heartbreaking for these families

arwa damon, cnn, aleppo. >> so tough.arily, truly extraordinary reporting, as one of the very few western journalists to get inside the syrian war zone. and this is just another example of her great work, wolf? >> she risks her life every single day to bring us these reports. >> amazing reports. >> and we're very proud of her, and thankfully, she's okay. >> yeah, yeah. >>> we're just getting this in, a readout on the president's meeting with the speaker of the house, for the fiscal cliff. the president and the speaker had a frank meeting in the oval office tonight. it lasted approximately 15 minutes. there will be no further readout of the meeting, but lines of communication remain open. so that's it. that's all we're getting, at least for now. although i suspect there will be leaks coming out fairly soon. we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] how can power consumption in china, impact wool exports from new zealand, textile production in spain, and the use of medical technology in the u.s.? at t. rowe price, we understa