to cross talk the arab league i'm joined by monzer slain in washington he is director of the center for american arab studies and a national security affairs analyst also in washington we have hussein abdul hussein he is the washington bureau chief of the kuwaiti newspaper all right and in paris we cross to tell me he is the editor in chief and co-founder of arab thank dot com all right gentlemen this is crossfire that means you can jump in anytime you want and i very much encourage it but first let's look at the arab league and syria. for decades now the arab league has had a shaky reputation often being dismissed as ineffective and only to the interest of its autocratic regimes but with the onset of the arab spring it has managed to come to the forefront as a regional mediator calling the shots and researching its relevance in the arab world the blocs rural and regional affairs group back in march when it voted to suspend libya's membership and called for a no fly zone following the breakout of protests against moammar gadhafi regime concerning the no fly zone it has one goal to prote

anything but a democracy ok so my answer if i go back to you i mean are these countries in the arab league saying they believe in democracy and believe in syrian democracy but they don't practice it themselves. first of all derby league did interfere always when they interfere it was to protect us and to restore western interests or israeli interest or their regimes interest even the examples that have been given there is about maybe three thousand decision on the shelves collecting dust for the arab league they never done anything to it there is the arab league initiative visa v israel that came out of a lib anees conference in lebanon there's nothing is being done about that so i think suddenly that the arab league especially dominated now by the g.c.c. country whole lot of really. the dictatorship and the ruling families that they even they don't allow even women in some countries to drive and at the same time they want to teach this indian about. democracy and progress at what's happening the doubt oblique even in the syrian situation look they gave time after time they gave the city a

arrests the daily killings that they place within palestine the arab league has done nothing in fact in two thousand and two and march two thousand and two that has proposed the arab peace initiative which until today nine years after the fire israel has not responded to and the arab league still has not withdrawn the arab peace initiative so if you make a comparison between the two cases you can see the double standard taking place here syria was given few days then few hours as opposed to nine years given to israel to respond to the arab peace initiative so i think we're talking about a different way of dealing with things here syria is as a founding member of the arab league and is in the center of his i'm not just the arab league itself and therefore what's taking place now is in fact an attempt by the arab league to be used by the united states and nato against one of the few remaining states in the arab world that say no the united states influence just briefly russia and china their stance could that position how i thought i think part. i think russia's position especially has

after the reporters from or the observers from the arab league go back to the arab league, deliver their evaluation, the league will deliberate on whether or not they feel that they should back any plans to push for the united nations to act h add international sanctions to the sanctions that the arab league has already levied on to syria. of course, this is going to be a very, very difficult effort because china and russia have already stated that they are not going to be listening to any proposals that would involve sanctions and would definitely not be listening to any proposals that would involve foreign military intervention. so it's a very difficult game from here on out because syria is such a crucial state to the wider middle east. so having any diplomatic intervention, even if it's just financial sanctions, is going to be very difficult to get the entire international community on board in order to do that, in order to make the sanctions effective and in a real way there needs to be a lot of players from around the region and from a lot... from around the world participating in

the arab league had always been a joke. the arab league did one decent thing on libya, and all it did was to single out gadhafi, to finger him, if you will for the international community. and so now the arab league sends this compromised mission, but we see what we see. >> there's 60 observers, for a country, ridiculously small number, led by a man who is linked to the regime in sudan. that's, if you wrote it as a play, it would be laughable. but it's real. >> exactly. 60 observers, for a country of 23 million people led by someone who must be reckoned to be the godfather of the dreaded janga we'd. you can't send an iraqi, the syrians with not send anybody from the gulf and the egyptians don't want to do it so guess what, they stick with the sudanese, it's a terrible mission and i think the international community that's hiding behind the arab league, if you will, has to face at some point what's to be done about syria. >> is there any answer? >> when the basically the arab league says to the syrians, look, if you don't be

of the arab league's observer mission to damascus although syria is membership of the organization being suspended but jordan based professor and journalist abraham a douche these the should not be lecturing another arab country. talking about reforms in syria especially when this kind of talk is coming from out of gulf states. even the constitution mirrored on top of. our freedom of the media or the or the right to organize and political parties or organizations so this is this is just nonsense i mean when when someone who lacks the very basic tenets of democracy is preaching to syria or other arab states that dependent or somewhat untie imperialist about democracy but that's what the syrian regime has said we are going along with all our reforms on our agenda and our time and we need to see what those states have in the way of reform before they start preaching to us about reform this is obviously. an sos and see that has been instigated by night so and it's cronies and the arab world. one country which felt the full force of western interference this was libya. is not over yet russia

the arab league is a joke. the arab league has always been a joke. the arab league did one decent thing on libya, and all it did was to single out gadhafi, finger him to the international community. now the arab league sends this compromise mission, but we'll see what we see. >> there are 60 observers, a redig excuse lusly small number, led by a man who is linked to the regime in sudan. >> yes. >> if you wrote it as a play, it would be laughable, but it is real. >> exactly. 60 observes for a country of 23 member peel by somebody that must be reckoned to be the godfather of the dreaded -- they sent someone to syria with this compromise, look at the arab world, no one wants this assignment. you can't send the lebanese, they don't want it. you can't send a jordanian because they border syria. you can't send an iraqi. syrians will not accept anyone from the gulf. egyptians do not want to do it. guess what, you stick the sue dannese with it. it's a terrible mission, i think the international community that's hiding behind the arab league if you will has t

>> we have to give the arab league a chance. i have long thought through intervention from people like brazil, they have a lot of family ties with the region and the like to see them intervening with a powerful delegation, and of clout to want to destroy your country. >> the duke of edinburgh is spending a night in a hostile -- in hospital because of a blocked coronary artery. >> that you remains under observation and is in good spirits. the queen is being kept informed. he has not had any royal visitors today. yesterday, six of his grandchildren has spent around 45 minutes at his bedside. it includes prince william, prince harry, and on saturday, the queen and the couple's four children also came to the hospital. the duties eager to return or the royal family are celebrating christmas. we're hoping for a further update from buckingham palace and the morning. >> despite the gloomy global economic outlook, brazil's economy is surging ahead and is expected to overtake britain as the sixth richest nation. the growing wealth is to f

they must oblige the arab league. that is their job, to oblige the arab league. >> why are they not able to stop the killing? is it not making any difference to the government? >> that is why we are optimistic about them. we have 100,000 demonstrators who came to the city center. yesterday, there was 616 people killed. we waited three days. today, at the end of the day, they came. we hope that they would show. i told you, we are pessimistic about them but we don't have any other choice but just to work with them. movement, we their cannot coordinate with them. we don't know that their movement or the places they're coming to >> the syrian activists speaking to us earlier from hama. the u.s. has expressed deep concern over the action of the egyptian security forces. they have raided the offices of a number of him and rights and pro-democracy groups. among them, a key u.s.-based groups. -- they have raided the offices of a number of human rights and pro-democracy groups. the authorities say that they are investigating s

the arab league monitors came at the end of this day. we don't have so much hope with them because we have seen that although they were in the homes, those monitors must come to the arab league, the army must pullout and the killing us stop, not as a fact-finding commission. that is their job, to stop the killing. >> why are they not able to stop the killing? it does it not make any difference to the government? >> that is what happened. that is why we are optimistic about them. they came to the city center, and it will not shoot on them what the monitors are there, but yesterday there were people killed while the monitors are there. we waited for them three days.we days, but at the end of the day they came. we will demonstrate and go to the city center, and we hope that they will show. we are pessimistic about them, but would not have any other choice just to work with them. they are all the time watched by the regime. we did not know their movement or the places they're going to. that is their problem. >> thank you very much for your t

>> the loss of life in syria despite the presence of arab league monitors. the north koreans pay their last respects to kim jong un hill and all eyes turned to the regime's new leaders. escalating sectarian violence in nigeria as christians warned that they will respond following a wave of deadly islam as the tax. welcome to "bbc world news." palestinian police rushed in to break up a brawl between rival priests at the church of the nativity in bethlehem. could the colosseum in rome be crumbling? violence is continuing in syria despite the presence of the arab league monitoring mission. 10 people were killed including one child on wednesday. syrian state television is report that 755 people held in their role in the uprising have been released but activists say as many as 15,000 remain in prison. this report does contain distressing images. >> no let up in the violence even with the arab league monitors whose mission is to try to stem the bloodshed. these images from the town of homs which emerged after the team said the situation was reassuring. opposition

suicide blasts in damascus as the country struggles under mounting pressure from the west and the arab league. and next of kim a week after north korea's ruler of seventeen years kim jong il dies his youngest son steps into his shoes as the new supreme leader. two pm in moscow good to have you with us here on r.t.e. as we bring you today's top stories and a look back at the week's news tens of thousands of people massed in moscow saturday at another peaceful protest over the allegedly rigged parliamentary vote police say thirty thousand gathered in a central square although organizers claim the number was much higher the rally echoed what it held two weeks ago when the message remained the same to hold another election president medvedev addressed the protesters in his annual state of the union speech promising widespread political reforms some of which are already underway at the newly elected state duma. has more. the time for change has come. people are tired of not being able to promptly solve the most pressing issues people are tired of having their interests ignored speaking and his fou

not as much in the process as the actions of the arab league. if they decide to take the case to the security council, that will really be a more important direct pressure on syria than statements at the white house. >> these arab league observers that are going to arrive in syria on thursday. are they going to make much difference? >> it depends on what freedom of movement there granted. the condition of their going in as they will be able to go were ever they want to. -- wherever they want to. this was only one element of the arab league proposal and it took seven weeks to get to this point. the syrians are very experienced at delaying for time. >> the united nations -- the president was indeed a serious treatment for injuries suffered in an attack on his presidential palace back in june. it was last month that he signed an accord, which transported his power to a deputy until elections are held. the england and chelsea football capt. is facing a charge of racially abusing another player. he will appear in court on the first of february. there

not as much as the actions of the arab league. if the arab league decides to take the case to the security council, that will really be a more important, direct pressure on syria than statements out of the white house. >> these are legal observers who will arrive in syria on thursday. are they going to make much difference? >> it depends on what freedom of movement they are granted by the syrians. the condition that they are going in is a will be able to go wherever they want to and the syrians will accept military sites. we will see. this was only one element of the arab league proposal and it took seven weeks to get to this point. the syrians are very experienced at playing for time and that is what we are still seeing. >> is their credibility in the belief that president assad is a puppet for more hardliners in syria? >> i am not sure that it matters at this point. he has spoken for syria, he has been president of syria since the death of his father in 2000. there were other family members, active, who are known to be hardliner

in damascus since the uprising started in march this against the backdrop of the first batch of arab league monitors arriving to implement a peace deal a group of the observers visited the site of the bombings and called for calm for more insight and analysis we turn to jordan bass professor and journalist louche. good to have you with us so we haven't seen a suicide bombing in damascus since the uprising started how close do you think the country could be now to civil war. i think we are already in civil war civil war is fought in many ways and we have seen in places like homs. and several other border areas in syria there were armed clashes between heavily armed insurgents supported by. turkey or the gold states against syrian troops so this is just an escalation of the already existing civil war and the attacks happened just a day after the first arab league observers have arrived in country do you think it's a coincidence or what do you think about the timing. i think that the opposition as we have seen on subtotal t.v. in that where it's really irritated that the syrian regime has acce

now, the arab league told u.s.rvers to this area, and the hope is that this arab league mission will be able to try to put an end to some of the violence going on there. >> it remains to be seen what sort of authority or power they'll have to do so. at least if they can get in and see what some of the reports are we're getting, that would be helpful. thank you, mohammed jamjoom. >>> and in places like canada, today is their black friday. getting ready for a hectic day in boxing there. the tube is shut down, the subway, workers going on strike today. is that keeping shoppers away? i don't think so. live with more on that, erin mclaughlin. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, alina. i am located just at the tail end of karnabuy street, in the premiere shopping district here in london. 700,000 people are expected to flood this area looking for that all-important boxing day bargain. look at some of the scenes when a store, a luxury good department store, opened this morning. thousands of people were outside and rus

damascus or russia are supporting the arab league's mission in syria but attempts to get official backing by the u.n. security council were blocked by some western members. to the u.n. says their objections could be a barrier to securing peace. this is straightforward text. of commendation and support and appreciation of the efforts of the arab league and a pretty straightforward. expression of invention of that it will help to put an end to violence unfortunately i can tell you that the number of members of the security council objected to hold up this is a little strange one of the difficulties we encounter in working on the security council because one would try to do something positive will inevitably be met with all sorts of concerns about balance why didn't you do this why didn't you do that and it brings us to square one in the entire conversation. with the us is keeping up its harsh criticism of the syrian regime warning of new international meshes sit with your security forces from the streets new york a satirist ted rall says the sanctions are well known washington to. i think w

i mean the arab league leaders are not model the longest.just beginning they've shown their their willingness. for the regime change. and they're back in washington and washington we know that syria. is on the military broken out of the pentagon and there for a long time and i mean wesley clark is in the general he was general and syria was the military the pentagon as well and iran so i'm not very very positive and i don't think there's any change so if that's what will finally bring about change in your assessment. well that's a really good question. i'm not sure i can answer that other than you know just observing you know what went on and. i don't know really honestly i think what happened i don't think the fact that there is observers there is going to change anything to the situation right now which is there is willingness from western countries and western background she is going to know you are making change in syria so then let's turn to the pressure that's being applied right now the sanctions the u.s. has upped its rhetoric saying

from the arab league will be paving the way for an observer mission to at the end of the month. position they remain skeptical about whether that to bring about any change. in the west of the conflict areas change can come a moment to seeing is imperative to the families like. finding life under the sanctions increasingly desperate search. damascus. russia is supporting the arab league's mission in syria but attempts to get official backing from the un security council were blocked by some western countries moscow's ambassador to the un says their objections could be a barrier to securing peace this is straightforward text god isn't a commendation and support and appreciation of the efforts of the to be. repeated straightforward to. expression of invention or that the it will help to do while it's unfortunately i can tell you that to the number of members of the security council objected to hold up this is a little strange one of the difficulties we encounter in working with the security council because i would try to do something positive with inevitably the met with all sorts

they had of the arab league's observer mission to syria arrives in damascus general mohammad al dobby's aim is to check the country's compliance with an arab peace plan aimed at halting the nine months long and rust a further group of fifty arab league monitors should reach syria on monday according to estimates more than five thousand have been killed since march the monitors visit coincides with fresh claims of violence in the city of homes and twin suicide bombings on friday that killed forty four but as artists are a further reports with western sanctions strangling the country it's the syrian people who are bearing the brunt. it's been nearly ten months syria's uprising began the capital of damascus has remained largely sheltered from the conflict. in the bustling sand so it seems like it's business as usual as one says the winds of change have begun to blow over little stronger the arab league's impose tough economic sanctions the effects of which have been felt even here in a poor area of damascus and her family struggling to make ends meet. has learning difficulties beans for a

but first a team of the arab league peace monitors has arrived in syria as part of an ambitious plan to bring peace to the conflict torn nation the arrival comes as the violence is reaching a peak with hundreds reportedly killed in recent days the latest round of violence drawing strong international reaction turkey accusing the assad regime of turning the country into a bloodbath the u.s. also renewed calls for him to step down into one of the military off the streets or face more international measures syria is already suffering under a slew of economic and regional sanctions but as often happens is the ordinary people feeling the pinch as reports from damascus. it's been any ten months since there is uprising began the capital of damascus has remained largely sheltered from the conflict. in the bustling sun so it seems like it's business as usual but as one says sets in the winds of change have begun to blow a little stronger the arab league's impose tough economic sanctions the effects of which have been felt even head in a poor area in the suburbs of damascus and her family stru

well russia supports the arab league's mission in syria but attempts to make that backing official in the un security council were blocked by some western states new york based political analyst eva golan just says american interests are fanning the flames in syria the reason they would want to provoke regime change is to put in place a government that would be friendly to us and its allies interests and of course to enable those interests to control a strategic resources in syria and throughout the region which is the same case that we saw in libya i mean the whole justification of protecting the population was really just a front to be able to overthrow and assassinate really a moammar gadhafi and put in place a government that would be friendly to the u.s. we have to remember that right after the obama administration withdrew troops from iraq to some of those were relocated to the border of syria from jordan and in preparation of arming this conflict and possibly engaging in it as well and i think that these terrorist attacks are part of that or part of maybe a justification to say

suicide blasts in damascus as country struggles on the mountain pressure from the west and the arab league. and next week after north korea's ruler of seventeen years kim jong. un steps into his shoes as the new supreme leader. on air and online this is our weekly news review welcome to the program tens of thousands of people massed in moscow on saturday in another peaceful protest in the whigs parliamentary election police say thirty thousand gathered in a central square where the organizers claim a number was. a rally echoed one held two weeks ago remain the same hold another election president addressed the protesters in his annual state of the union speech missing widespread political reforms some of which underway in. the courts. the time for change has come. people are tired of not being able to promptly solve the most pressing issues people are tired of having their interests ignored speaking at his fourth and final state of the union address. the president listed a set of proposals which have already been deemed to be sweeping political reform he wants to change the rules for the r

dozens killed in syria's capital in the first suicide bombing since the uprising began as arab league observers get down to business in an effort to mediate a peace deal there. leaving the nation in despair tensions are running high in iraq as the government plunges deeper into crisis after a bombing atrocity claims more than seventy lives just days after the u.s. troops pull out. every breath you take every move you make could be recorded human rights activists in britain by the surge of surveillance cameras now to be installed in every taxi in the city of oxford. one am in moscow good to have you with us here on r.t. our top story about forty people have been killed more than one hundred wounded in double suicide bombings in damascus the syrian regime is laying the blame for the attack on al qaida it's the first incident of its kind in damascus since the uprising started in march this against the backdrop of the first batch of arab league monitors arriving to implement a peace deal russia supports the nation but the u.s. and allies have blocked a u.n. security council statement supp

arab league observers arrive in syria as the conflict there reaches all bloody peak and international sanctions causing living conditions to deteriorate. and tightening the noose on america's controversial death penalty the plugs of the flow of drugs used to kill us jethro inmates. eleven pm in moscow good to have you with us here on r.t. our top story it's time for a change in russia this from president dmitry medvedev outlining a plan for widespread democratic reform with the country's political system first in line. over was listening to the i knew all state of the union address. first and foremost make sure that that it promised that people's voices will become louder thanks to sweeping reforms of the country's political system or political stablish meant was listening carefully to his address to the parliament as he sketched out the first steps which need to be taken he plans to bring those initiatives to the newly elected duma in the very near future in the last months of his presidency on . my proposals are to introduce direct elections for russia's regional heads to simplify t

then of the arab league observer mission in syria has described the situation in the rest of city of homs is reassuring so far just to warn you some these images we've got here are graphic the flashpoint city of homs was the monitors first stop to investigate the government's response to the anti regime on grass opposition reports meanwhile suggest that at least six people were killed in one syrian town but it would be forces only wednesday we'll talk more about this latest progress and today fergus hodgson's a policy adviser with the future of freedom foundation in north carolina united states where he joins us now on the line vice. good to see retards and thanks for being with us given that in the arab league's already putting pressure on the assad regime how do you assess its impartiality and his fact finding mission there so far . everyone has vested interest in the situation room but all the parties that are being vocal about it we can assume that they closer to the action and more understanding of it so. they are better situated to assess it in other international players so. t

jean protesters the arab league has started its mission to put a peace plan into action syria remains on the run western and arab league economic pressure but it's the people who are feeling the pain sara first reports now from damascus. it's been nearly ten months since syria's uprising began the capital of damascus has remained largely sheltered from the conflict. in the bustling sun so it seems like it's business as usual this one says it's in the winds of change have begun to blow a little stronger the arab league's imposed tough economic sanctions the effects of which have been felt even head in a poor area in the suburbs of damascus and her family struggling to make ends meet her son here has learning difficulties fava beans for a living that he barely makes a hundred and fifty syrian pounds a day three dollars to support him and he's white. now the fuel for his vending cart has become harder to get hold of with the economic sanctions driving by myself that. there are less products available and the prices are pushed higher there have been fights over gas we've been trying to ma

we saw pictures of a young boy who looked to be about five years old being laid on the arab league's observer's car. the question will be, when they bring out the interim report, what are they going to say? if they are very critical, what happens then? >> we'll wait to see how many people take to the streets today. thank you very much. north korea has gone on the diplomatic offensive, using provocative language to spell out that there will be no shift in its policies since declaring kim jong un as its new supreme leader. the no. 3 in national defence commission said it would stick to the path set out by kim jong il. it said it would still refuse to engage with south korea in what it described as its treacherous president. the statement described politicians around the world as being foolish and the south korean government as puppets. the u.s. said it would mean sending its top asian diplomat to china, south korea, and japan to discuss the implications of north korea's leadership change. she was jamaica's first female leader and the former prime minister is to take on the job again. s