i remember how we gelt this was a green light from the international community for bashar al-assad to use as much firepower as he desires, without using chemical weapons. wasn't it enough. >> the deal was bashar al-assad grade to get rid of chemical weapons, but we have seen other attacksful different types. you testified before the united nations security council. do you have expectation that the u.n. will take stronger action, what do you see as the solution in syria. nikoloz basilashvili committed committed horrors. but they seem to comit horse of their own. >> they possess chemical weapons, including the gas. coring to a report from o.p.c.w. and other agencies. they are still using chlorine gas to attack civilian populations, and they haven't stopped until now. three days there was attack. the inaction from the international community is feeding extremism. people that are strait they want to seek revenge as long as there's no justice, they'll sikh revenge. the only way to have a solution is through international justice. it's a simply maths, no justice, no pace. people who lost th

winning on the ground against the syrian army or the syrians against bashar al-assad. that's not our responsibility. those that wanted to us get involved a couple of years ago caught to step back and say if we did, we are going after bashar al-assad do you want to fight them at the same time and deal with the p.k.k. iraq is different. you have a chance of prevailing. it's only us and the iranian on the same side there. >> former assistant secretary of defense, good to have you with us. >> the pentagon says suspected i.s.i.l. member has been handed over to the iraqi government. she is the widow of a late i.s.i.l. leader killed in may by u.s. special forces in syria. >> a group affiliated with i.s.i.l. is claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing this morning at a mosque in south-western saudi arabia. authorities say the attack killed at least 15. 12 were members of saudi arabia's special forces. we have a report. >> this is where the attack took place. a suicide bomber getting into this mosque,blowing himself up. the facundo coria visited the injured in a nearby hosp

he said we do not see bashar al-assad in a future in syria. that's been the key issue and that's why this took so long. this statement by the security council really does not address bashar al-assad's future. all it does is call for a political transition. what they say here in the u.n. in dploams diplomacy, they say s the bashar al-assad knot, what they believe here is the difficulty by all sides to figure out how to untie that knot, what should bashar al-assad's future be in syria and as far as today, no one really agrees on that. at least not two key sides. what everyone last agreed to no is the time has come to try get all sides together, especially now after 250,000 people killed, millions more displaced. >> gabriel elizondo, joining me from the united nations in new york, thank you. >>> iraq am former prime minister, nouri al-maliki, could be put on trial, a report released buy parliamentary committee has accused him and other officials of not doing enough to stop i.s.i.l.'s advance. >>> now with more than 3 million people internally disp

the defending issue is the fate of the president bashar al-assad. i mean, why these iranian initiatives is faced with these conditions. and the number one saudi arabia condition is that no dude or there's no place for bashar al-assad in any possible solution inside syria. the number one priority for the saudi and other countries is the removal of bashar al-assad. they consider bashar al-assad not as part of the solution, but part of the problems. he's one of the main reasons for the emergence of d.a.e.s.h. now it's a game changer. it's between the turks and saudi arabia. there's a change on the ground. opposition forces are taking a new - they are advancing, and this is pushing the iranian and the russian to try to strike but they are losing by the day. >> libya's prime minister plans to step down. the leader of the country's internationally recognised government made the announcement in a television interview. it comes a day after u.n. brokered peace talks got under way between the warring factions in geneva. rob matheson with the details. >> report

the west has repeatedly drained the atrocities on president bashar al-assad's government. and the inquiry could pave the way to sanctions against those responsible. gabriel elizondo has the report. >> there's an agreement of the what now the u.n. security council wants to know whom. >> please raise your hands. >> a panel of experts known as the significant step the first time blame could be assigned to the perpetrators. >> this sends a clear and powerful message to all those involved in chemical weapon attacks in syria. the joint vesting method will identify you. to urgently find a political solution to the -- the joint geaiveinvestigative method will identify you. >> they never had the mandate to assign blame. russian supporting the resolution was a rare sign of agreement with the u.s. but russia still continues to view with skepticism, that bashar al-assad was responsible. is. >> the question of who used chlorine is still unanswered partly because the existing mechanism of the u.n. and opcw does not have a mandate to identify those participating in such attacks. more joa

still depending it is the fate of the president, bashar al-assad. why - i mean, the iranian initiative is faced with what we call saudi condition. the number one saudi condition is that no deal is to be - there is no place for bashar al-assad in any possible solution >>> here is the thing, as you are saying, there's a flurry of the diplomatic activities between russians, the iranians, the americans. from what you have seen, is anyone's position moving closer together. are they still far apart? >> there are - i mean, now - i mean, there are different agendas, and different priorities. the number one priority is for the iranian, is to fight terrorism. the number one priority for the audi and outcountries is the remove. they consider saudi not as part of the solution, but part of the problem. he's one of the main region for the emergence of d.a.e.s.h. now it's a game changer. set up between turkey and saudi arabia, and there's a change. their opposition forces are taking a new - they are advancing on the ground. and this is pushing the iranian and the r

president bashar al-assad. this iranian initiative is faced with what we call saudi condition, and number one saudi condition is that no deal is to be - no place for assad in any possible solution inside syria. saudi arabia made it clear after the foreign minister met the russian counterpart in moscow. there's a push for the diplomatic solution between the syrian conflict. it is led by the backers in iran. the international community agrees on the need to find an agreement but forming the pieces -- basis of negotiation is proving to be difficult. some opposition leaders believe iran and others are pushing for a deal because syria is facing economic pressures. bashar al-assad backers are not showing signs of compromise, at least until they secure what they consider to be their strategic goals. >>> >>> pro-government forces in yemen are gaining ground from houthi rebels and are 125km from sanaa. troops loyal to the exiled president abd-rabbu mansour hadi have taken six taken districts in the city of ibb. most of

the main problem for the opposition is president bashar al assad. >> there is still the pending issue today, the fate of the president bashar al assad. this iranian initiative is faced with what we call saudi condition and the number one saudi condition is that there is no place for assad in any possible solution inside syria. >> saudi arabia made that position clear after its foreign minister met his russian counterpart in moscow. >> there is a renewed push for a diplomatic solution to the syrian conflict. it is led by the syrian government's make that backers iran and russia. the international community disagree on the need to find an agreement, but forming the basis of negotiations is proving to be difficult. there are many players in this conflict, with diverging interests. >> some opposition leaders believe iran and russia are pushing for a deal because the syrian government is facing military and economic pressures, but assad's backers show no sign of compromise at least not until they achieve what they consider to be their strategic goals. >> an isil linked group in egypt said

well, we begin this hour in syria, where iran's foreign minister has been meeting with bashar al-assad. rif arrived in damascus ahead of the surge of violence apparently timed to coincide with his visit. he is expected to present assad with a plan for ending syria's four-year war. reporter: a visit aimed at breaking the deadlock of syria's four-year civil war. mohammed javon's the reef arrived for cap -- mohammad javad zarif arrived for talks with bashar al-assad. if: i would like to tell our neighbors and other actors that it is time to listen to deceiving people's demands and just the syrian people --the syrian people's demands and reject stream is an and terrorism. reporter: it comes hours after a cease-fire was declared between warring parties, the result of unprecedented mediation from iran and turkey. iran proposed a four-point peace plan for syria, which is sent to the united nations. tehran calls for an immediate cease-fire, the formation of a national unity government, constitutional protection for minorities, and supervised elections. before syria, zarif spent two days in bei

air power was backing rebels fighting the government. >> we are not at war with the bashar al-assad, the people we are training and equipping are pledged to fight i.s.i.l., and only i.s.i.l. this is it not something we review as inviting conversation with bashar al-assad. >> that's not the way it's seen by russia whose foreign minister called the policy counterproductive. air forces can be countered against any forces. it's hard to tell who is who. it is possible that bashar al-assad's forces could come under attacks, it's unlikely. they have few troops in the north and is in control of part of the country. >> we cautioned syria in the past not to engage u.n. aircraft and the regime advised not to interfere with forces. we conveyed that. >> on capitol hill chairman john mccain had the opposite criticism, that the air strikes were limited to handle troops trained by the u.s. don't go far enough. in a statement, john mccain said: >>> the fighting in syria claims more lives. today a syrian army jet slammed into a marketplace in idlib province conducting air strikes on rebel forces. the c

the future of bashar al-assad in syria. saudi arabia says there can be no future for bashar al-assad in the syrian political framework. it is, obviously, an ally of russia. standing by him for years. >> rory challands reporting from moscow >>> turkey vowed today to keep up its assault against kurdish fighters known as the p.k.k. in the last day turkish war planes launched a fresh wave of attacks with 17 strikes on p.k.k. targets near the iraqi border. ankara is fighting the p.k.k. and helping the u.s. in a fight against i.s.i.l. recep tayyip erdogan spoke about the fight on tuesday. >> translation: our fight will continue until terrorist organizations stop posing a threat against our country. until guns point at our state and people are buried. i'd like to put an emphasis here. stopping gun fire is not enough. they should be laid down and buried. the fight will continue until not one terrorist is left within the borders. >> the u.s. denied that it reached an agreement with turkey over safe zones for syrian rebels in northern

and the west as you mentioned clearly point the finger at syrian president bashar al-assad al-assad, but his supporters iran and russia are skeptical of that. that organization based at the hague and it lows can hely close to the u.n, not have any mandate up until now to point blame on who was responsible. that's why the u.s. primarily spearheaded this resolution, working behind the queens russia anscenes withrussia and others. lest listen to what samantha power the u.s. ambassador to the u.n. had to say. >> today's resolution has been adopted with the council's unanimous support. this sends a clear and powerful message to all those involved in chemical weapons attacks in syria. the investigative mechanism will identify you. it bears well to urgencily find a political solution to the syrian crisis. >> so gabriel they seem intent to finding out or officially ofy soinofficiallysunning officially assigning the blame. do we know what the next step will be? >> sure, u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon will have 20 days on how the panel will be set up. after the investigators go to work the

the main problem is perfect for bashar al-assad. >> the issue today is the fate of the president bashar al-assad. this iranian initiative is faced with what we call saudi condition, and number one saudi condition is that no deal is to be - no place for nikoloz basilashvili for a solution inside syria. saudi arabia made it clear after the foreign minister met the russian counterpart in moscow. >> there's a push for the solution between the syrian conflict. it is led by the backers in iran. the international community agrees on the need to find on agreement performing the pieces of negotiations. forming the pieces of negotiation proves to be difficult. >> reporter: some opposition leaders believe iran and others are pushing for a deal because syria is facing economic pressures. but they are not looking at a comprom ills on what they senior their strategic goals >>> the honduras government hopes genetic science will help families of those that have disappeared. to match records in the u.s. 30,000 hondurans were forced to migrate. thousands never made it. more rain and strong winds are expe

president bashar al-assad. the iranian initiative is faced with what we call saudi conditions, and the number one condition is that no deal is to be - there's no place for bashar al-assad in any possible solution inside syria. >> saudi arabia made that position clear after its foreign minister met his russian counterpart. there is a renewed smush for a solution. it is led by the syrian government's main backers. the international communicatee increase on the need to find an agreement, but forming the basis of negotiations is proving to be difficult. there are many players in the conflict with diverging interests. some believe iran and russia is pushing for a deal. it is facing pressures. they are not finding signs of compromise, not until they secure strategic goals >>> time for a break on al jazeera. when we come back. will japan offer an apology to women used as sex slaves in world war ii. >> california comes up with a novel way to protect reservoirs. more than that. stay with us. >>> welcome back, a quick rem

saudi arabia said there can be no future for bashar al assad in syria's political framework. assad is obviously an ally of russia and russia has been standing by him for many, many years. >> japan restarted the nuclear reactor at its power station. it's the first reactor to begin operating under new safety rules singles the fukushima disaster in 2011. the decision has triggered protests and criticism. >> inside the control room at the power station, a crucial moment for japan's nuclear industry. just after 10:30 a.m., an engineer confirms that the control rods in racketer one have been removed, nuclear physician has begun. >> protests were held at the gates. >> accidents happen and here all of the necessary precautions to prevent and accident have not been taken. >> fukushima suffered a meltdown in three reactors after hit about a tsunami. one designer said restarting is fraught with difficulty. >> more he will lengths would have been stopped so it's harder. >> if you have tweaked something, that part needs more inspection. this is more than 30 years old. they needed to review

the main problem for the opposition is president bashar al-assad. >> there is still the pending issueoday is the fate of the president, bashar al-assad. why -- i mean this iranian initiative is faced with what we call saudi condition, and the number one saudi condition is that no deal is to be -- or there is no place for assad in any possible solution inside syria. >> reporter: saudi arabia made that position clear. there is a renewed push for a diplomatic solution to the syrian conflict, it is being lead by the syrian's government's main backers, iran and russia. the international community does agree on the need to find an agreement, but forming negotiations is proving to be difficult, there are many players in this conflict with die verging interests. some opposition leaders believe iran and russia are pushing for a deal because the syrian government is facing economic and political pressures. zana hoda, al jazeera, beirut. >>> to yemen now and pro-government forces there are gaining more ground from houthi rebels and just 125 kilometers away from the capitol, sana'a. troops loyal

the west has blamed bashar al-assad. it could pave the way for a response. >>> there's an agreement on the what. now the security council want to know the who. >> whether those in favour of the draft resolution raise their hand >>> a unanimous vote to set up a panel of experts, a joint to find d blame for chemical weapons attacks. it's a major step. >> this sends a clear and powerful message to those involved in chemical weapons attacks in syria. the joined investigateive panel will identify you. we need to bring the same unity that we have shown today to urgently find a political solution to the syrian crisis. >> reporter: the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons, concluded that chlorine as systematically and repeatedly been used as a weapon in syria, but never had the mandate to assign blame. russia sporting the resolution was a rare sign of agreement, but russia views with skepticism u.s. and allies accusations that president bashar al-assad was responsible. >> the question of who used chlorine is unan

what russia wants is to strengthen bashar al-assad's hands in syria by getting bashar al-assad and his syrian forces involved in the international coalition against i.s.i.l. egypt has a complicated relationship with damascus. it has a more complicated relationship at the moment with the opposition forces in syria. it seems that egypt's finances are too dependent at the moment on the saudi arabians and they are very opposed to anything that will strengthen bashar al-assad's stands. egypt will sit on the sidelines and not give russia the assistance there that it - that russia might like. >> if there's time to talk about anything else, what will it be. >> as i said, it's a topic to talk about. then there's - there's a range of economic relationship that egypt and russia has at the moment. there's a nuclear reactor that russia has, building for the egyptians, near the mediterranean coast of egypt. there are tie-ins with the gas companies, and energy companies that russia is so reliant on, supplying a liquid natural gas to egypt. they are dealings - there are free trade zones set up. lots o

many captured were christians. >>> pressure is building on president bashar al-assad. ading military think tank says assad has lost control of more than 80% of the country. >>> saturday marks one year on the start of air strikes lead by the u.s.-coalition in syria. >>> it is supposed that some train knees have deserted their posts after coming under fire from isil. >> reporter: syrian fighters trained by the united states now refusing to fight. this video released on social media appears to show some of the fighters in captivity after an attack last week north of aleppo. five of the u.s.-backed recruits have been detained by the al-nusra forces. a sixth recruit has reportedly been killed. the white house is under scrutiny for the apparent failure of the operation. would you say at this point that the white house is disappointed in the mission? >> we have been pretty forthright, particularly the department of defense about the significant challenges that that operation has faced. but it has not significantly encumbered the other aspects of our strategy. >> reporter: the

no menning of the fate and future of bashar al-assad.osition is unlikely to accept any deal that would see the syrian president stay in power. in fact saudi arabia, which supports the opposition, made its position very clear after talks in russia, saying that we consider assad as part of the problem and not a solution. >>> an isil-linking group in egypt says it has killed a croatian man it has held by houthi hostage. the announcement of his death was made by a social media account belonging to isil supporters. the group had tlented to kill him, unless muslim women prisoners were released from jails. >>> rumblings in global markets as china devalues its currency again. >>> and how a rise in sexual violence has left the women of south sudan too afraid to work. ♪ >> our american story is written every day. it's not always pretty... but it's real. and we show you like no-one else can. this is our american story. this is america tonight. ♪ >>> hello again, a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. the united nations secretary general

bashar al-assad is not president of syria now. shar al-assad is the rural of a fiefdom that includes that stretch of land that i just mentioned. and there's four other power centers or even authorities in syria. now you have the islamic state, you have the kurdish region, you have the opposition groups that are islamists like jabad el nusra and others, and national irs and other nonsyrians. to bring them together for solutions is going to be a challenge. the islamic state will not be part of the peace agreement if it happens but ultimately all the others need to agree on a transition in dwrrs for a country that can rule in a very decentralized way and also to coordinate with others to work with the islamic state and to defeat it. >> rami kuri, thank you very much for joining us. >>> developing from mali, comes after at least eight peoples were killed at the biblos hotel according to the mali soldier. three civilians and one gunman. an armed group affiliated to al qaeda is expected to be behind the attacks in savari. france is start

attacked their bases because they have no legitimacy in the eyes of the syrian people who see bashar al-assad as the really central problem that has started this ripple effect and led to the creation of groups like i.s.i.s. >> rose: is there a feeling in syria among the people who very much, after assad, turned on his own people who were part of the arab spring? is there a feeling they lost that opportunity and the united states is, in part, at fault because it was not there to support the moderate earl meant that did have a chance early on before the iranian supported hezbollah on his side and before they got more support from the russians? >> very much so, and i think people sometimes forget the context was a little different four years ago. four years ago was right on the heels of libya. so these syrians who went out in the early days to protest, post-egypt, post-libya. they had seen the no-fly zone and gadhafi being overthrown and they were excited. it was contagious, a spirit of change was in the air and they believed that the u.s. and the west and international community were going to s

the president bashar al-assad. the iranian initiative with the saudi condition. and the saudi condition is that no deed--there is no place for assad in any possible solution inside syria. >> saudi arabia made that position clear after a meeting in moscow. >> there is a push for a diplomatic solution. it is made by the main backers iran and russia. the international community does agree on the need to find an agreement, but forming the basis of negotiations is proving to be difficult. there are many players in this conflict with divergent interests. some opposition leaders believe that iran and russia are pushing for a deal because the syrian government is facing military and economic pressures. but they're not showing any signs of compromise, at least not until they secure what they consider to be their strategic goals. >> and isi the isil group in egypt said that they have killed a co-croatian man. the group called sinai province has threatened to kill him unless prisoners were released. >>> still to come, how a ri

has blamed the atrocities on bashar al-assad's government. the action could pave the way to u.n. actions. >> now the what, the u.n. security council want to know the who. a unanimous vote to set up a panel of experts known as a joint investigative mechanism to finally point the finger of blame for the chemical weapons incurring attacks in syria. first time blame could be assigned to the perpetrators. >> this sends a clear and message, the situation will identify you if you gas people. it bears repeating that we need to bring the same unity that we have shown here today to urgently find a political solution to the syrian crisis. >> reporter: the organization for prohibition of chemical weapons, known as the ocew, notes that chemical weapons have been systematically and repeatedly used in syria. but have no way to assign the blame. syrian president bashar al-assad was responsible. >> translator: the question of who used chlorine is still unanswered, partly because the existing mechanism of the u.n. does not have a mandate to identify those participating in such acts. more overwe be

the president bashar al-assad. why? these iranian initiatives is faced with what we call saudi condition. the number one saudi condition is that no deal is to be--there is no place for assad in any possible solution inside syria. >> saudi arabia made that position clear after it's foreign minister met his russian counterpart in moscow. >> there is a push for a diplomatic resolution to the syrian conflict. it is led by iran and russia. the international community does agree on the need to find an agreement, but forming the basis of negotiation is proving to be difficult. there are many players in this conflict with diverging interests. some opposition leaders believe iran and russia are pushing for a deal because the syrian government is facing military and economic pressures. but assad factors are not showing any signed of compromise, at least not until they secure their strategic goals. >>> still to come here on al jazeera. how a rise in sexual violence has left the women in south sudan too afraid to go to work. >>

it then firearmed into civil war as president bin laden bashar al-assad. >> huge step towards justice for the victims. >> now the government wants to know who. >> those in favor of the draft solution, thank you. no wrp has a joint investigative mechanism to final lids point the finger of blame. first time blame could be assigned to the perpetrators. >> this sends a clear message to all those if you gas people it will identify you. it brairs repeating as well that we need to bring the same unit urgently find opolitical solution to the syrian crisis. >> the opcw concluded that chlorine has quote systematically and repeatedly been used as a weapon in syria but never had the mandate to assign blame. view with skepticism u.s. and its allies allegation that syrian president bashar al-assad was responsible. >> the question of who used chlorine is still unanswered, primarily the mechanism of the u.n. and opcw does not have a mandate to identify those participating in such acts. clearly meant to be prop propgd propaganda. >> aftermath of the attack on damascus which spurred the u.n.'s directio

the syrian government's main allies there is no mention of the future of the syrian president bashar al-assad that has been the sticking point from the start. and the very fact that the opposition does not want to start talks until they know what the fate of the bashar al-assad is means there is no progress on the diplomatic front and a surge in violence on the ground and there are those who believe maybe we will see even more fighting or more military operations in the coming days because they feel maybe they can make gains, political gains by gaining the upper hand on the ground. so the u.n. is unable to do much diplomatic offensive let's say on the part of russia and iran and not making any progress at all. >> dana is live from beirut and thanks for the update dana. egypt's president has a new law with special courts and harsh penalties for those who are seen as a threat and gives security forces more protection and gerald tan has the details. >> reporter: it was last month at the funeral of egypt's prosecutor who was assassinated that the president made a stern promise. >> translator: the

. >> a member of bashar al-assad's family has been arrested. he is accused of killing an army officer for overtaking him in his car. the incident angered some of the regime's supporters. people want retribution, they chanted. protests are ordinary. this is a regime stronghold. the man they are protesting against is bashar al-assad's cousin. this man is accused of shooting to death a man in an incident. >> the president spoke to me saying just needs to be done. more than 1,000 took part in the protests. >> he's in a difficult position. i would not be surprised. an open trial. basically take police to show authority, that he is in control. >> analysts say protests unnerved the president's regime, pushing him to arrest a member of his family, and he cannot afterward to lose the support of people here. >> protests have been held for japan's return to nuclear energy, the first of 25 reactors restarted under new safety rules. the nuclear plants have been shut down after a melt down triggered by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011. harry fawcett has mor

a security cancel resolution ordered bashar al-assad to give up his chemical weapons. he agreed. inspectors from a chemical watchdog arrived, and syria's chemical weapons were taken away and destroyed. a -- and yet attacks using chemical weapons in syria continue. the international community cannot hold bashar al-assad responsible for the attacks because no one came forward claiming to use chlorine gas. now russia and the united states have come together in support of further security resolutions. john kerry: what we are trying to do is get the on the mere finding of the fact that it may have been used and actually find out who used it. designate accountability for its use. what we will achieve, we believe with this resolution, is the creation of a mechanism which will actually enable us to do that. >> no information yet on how that resolution will work. molly: across to norway now where four years after the horrific mass shooting, the a toy island has been reopened. it is the first time any visitors were welcomed after 69 people were gunned down at a youth camp. julia kim has mo

security council and big supporters of bashar al-assad, they came in last week and said they had some problems with this document and that's why it was pushed back to this week. we're expecting to hear from the venezuelaianvenezuelans who wilt why they have some reservations about this. it is a very contedge contentio. one step further on trying to get the security council to come together with one voice trying oget this peacto get this peacen track. >> gabriel elizondo, thank you. >>> the rafa border opened for four days allowing palestinians to travel in both directions. 20,000 people have applied to exit. rafa is gaza's only border crossing that isn't controlled by israel. >>> egypt's president has passed a new security law that introduces special courts and harsh he penalties for people seen as a threat. law also gives security forces more power. jerald tan reports. >> the president made a stern process. >> the hands of justice, we will not wait. we will change laws in order to changes law and justice. >> punishes trorlts accordingly. those found guilty of forming or leading the g

american-backed ground forces in syria no matter who attacks them, islamic militants or the forces of bashar al assadtime the u.s. forces could face direct confrontation with the assad regime. the u.s. conducted air strikes just last week when members of a u.s.-trained rebel force were attacked. the military believes the attack was carried out by an al qaeda-affiliated group. >> that attack was a big setback for the u.s. program which has already faced major criticism as they acknowledged they've only been able to train about 60 rebels so far. cnn military analyst lieutenant general mark hertling is joining us right now for more on this. so, general, they're going to be getting air cover. but doesn't that raise the chance that the u.s. is going -- u.s. forces are going to come in contact or come up against bashar al assad's forces? exactly what the united states and the president did not want. >> well, it certainly might raise that spectrum, kate, but what i tell you -- i mean, what the force that we're trying to put in place there is attempting to do is a couple of things. first of all, they've got

they want president bashar al-assad to step down before peace talks begin. russia says fighting i.s.i.l. should be the priority, and the syrian government joining the coalition against the group >>> an expert on the middle east says even if a peace deal is agreed, it's unlikely to work. >> i think the different sides view this as a zero sum game. the syrian opposition, the people would want him removed from power. it teems that russia and iran are still trying to put forward a peace settlement that allows bashar al-assad or the remnants of the regime to remain in power. that's a position that will not be accepted by a credible negotiating partner. that is one of the bigger - one of the bigger sticking points that is hindering a negotiated settlement. the other sticking point that needs to be acknowledged is if you could arrive at a peace settlement, all the major parties, how would you implement the settlement when the two biggest entities and milt forces that occupy territory, are not at the nightsing table. and they refuse a settlement that may be arrived

and what we understand is that there is no mention of the fate of president bashar al-assad and this has been the sticking point really ever since the start. and it continues to be the sticking point because in none of these proposals are there any clear reference for the fate of bashar al-assad. the opposition doesn't believe that he should have any role in the future of syria. now, we heard lavrov say the syrians should be able to decide for themselves we heard hem say that he hopes peace talks will be resumed without preconditions. what he means by preconditions is that there should not be an agreement on assad now. what we understand is that there are some parties who believe that they can still win this war on the battlefield. we also understand from the u.s. officials that, yes, they are welcomeing this new diplomatic offensive but they don't believe any progress will be made any time soon. really the syrian conflict will not be resolved unless there is a grand bargain. there are many players in this conflict. and each and every one of them has converging views and converging v

of hezbollah, there's no question of iran's continuing support and arming of syrian president bashar al-assad. we have examples of iran doing other things that are more or less helpful in the battle against i.s.i.s., is there a suggestion that this deal could lead iran on another bath, where it would -- path, where it would be less of an immediate threat to israel by reducing its hezbollah. path. >> in what way? >> we are seeing the way that the united states and iran are talking to each other professionally productively, positively. two years ago was inconceivable, that such a thing could happen, whether you like the deal or not, you can't deny that this relationship has already changed. it's on a different foundation. he had moved away from accusation, from threats from this insults that we went through for 34 years. i would know that this is something that then senator obama was urging back in 2008. he said "we need to talk to our adversaries." it isn't that we like the iranians or trust the iranians, that is we talk to the iranians - we talk to the versaries. >> before we do a break, do y

pressure is building on bashar al-assad. saturday marks one year since the start of the u.s.d coalition of air strikes in iraq and syria. critics say it hasn't done enough to stop isil. >>> the u.s. military has defended its decision to recruit and train fighters in syria, even after the program suffered a major setback. al jazeera's kimberly halkett explains. >> reporter: syrian fighters trained by the united states now refusing to fight. this video released on social media appears to show some of the fighters in captivity after an attack last week north of aleppo. five of the u.s.-backed recruits have been detained by al-qaeda's affiliate, the al-nusra forces. the white house is under scrutiny for the apparent failure of the operation. >> would you say that the white house is disappointed? that the president is disappointed with the mission. >> we have been pretty forthright about the significant challenges that that operation has faced. but it has not, um significantly encumbered the other aspects of our strategy. >> reporter: the fighters known as division 30 accuse the p

remember iran is playing a very unhelpful role from our point of view in syria by supporting bashar al-assadnd hezbollah. so as we seek to achieve a political settlement in syria that sees bashar al-assad leave and a more responsible government take over russia is playing a key role there. >> and in seeing that kind of cooperation, do you think there's any chance the iran agreement could actually lead to better international cooperation throughout the middle east? >> if we see a more neighborly posture by iran that could lead to good things. frankly, i'm not entirely optimistic. i don't want to be naive about this. iran has a revolutionary eye dee olg. i haven't seen them walk back from that. there was a phrase used in the world war, trust but verify. look we have got a new deal with iran. it's built on a level of trust, but let's not let our guard down. >> ambassador good to have your incites thank you. >> thank you, sir. >>> the u.s. military has expanded its military presence in syria. but there are concerns the u.s. could now end up in a direct engagement with syrian forces something it

russia does have considerable political influence with the government of bashar al-assad. given that the civil war is in its fifth year and you have more than 200,000 syrians killed in the fighting it's become an untenable situation for the international community. and certainly the u.s. is trying to take advantage again of this nuclear deal with iran to try to see if there are other areas where influence can be brought to bear. and it's not just moscow that has influence. it's tehran that has influence in damascus. the obama administration are trying to play what many here in washington are calling the long game trying to find ways to leverage this deal that is a very critical situation, which is the ongoing syrian civil war. >> roslind, thank you. >> syrian fighter jet has crashed into a market leaving 27 people dead. >> this girl is looking for her father. many of the children that were rescued abouter are wounded and in shock. their helpers did not seem sure where to take them for help. >> it is a market packed with vendors. >> more than a does people were reportedly k

believe that the main source, the main reason behind the creation of isil was the behavior of bashar al-assadse he directed his weapons not against isil but against his own people. that's why we do not see a place for bashar al-assad in syria's future. >>> dutch prosecutors investigating the downing of mh17 last year, say some of the debris may belong to a russian-made missile system. they say it is a possibly from a buk surface to air missile. the plane was brought down over territory held by pro-russian separatists in the country's east, killing all 298 on board. >>> peace talks between libya's warring parliaments are getting underway in geneva. the u.n. is sponsoring the negotiations. the talks have been going on for months and a partial deal was reached in july, but more work is needed to lay the foundation for a unity government. violence broke out in libya, when two parliaments began fighting for power after gadhafi was ousted in 2011. >>> japan has restarted the nuclear reactor at one power station. it is the first to begin operating under new safety rules following the fukushima disas

without iran's backing, without russia's backing bashar al-assad would not be in power now and what g.c.c hoping to achieve from meetings with kerry and others is to put more pressure the same way the persons were able to strike a deal with iran on the nuclear dish to find some sort of deal to solve the crisis and iran is where they are accused of interfering and it's high on the agenda on the ground in yemen, the latest developments are the pro-hadi and pro-government forces that are backed by the g.c.c. and saudi-led coalition from the sky who launched another significant offensive to try and regain ground near aiden and country and second city and hoping they can believe on this by maybe trying to push a diplomatic solution or the americans later on today. >> thank you for that. at least 20 people have been killed after a syrian fighter yet crashed into a busy market in idlib province in the northwest and injured at least 50 other people and was one of the last government strongholds in idlib provinced and captured in may. heavy moon soon rain has slides in india for the west damage he

the president drew a redline in syria and said that if bashar al-assad uses chemical weapons, we will take him out. you can degree or -- agree or disagree, but once the president decides to make it he must back up the threat he has made. get this president when he has used chemical weapons and murdered 220,000 of his own people that he did nothing. it makes no sense, right? the real issue going on was that since the iranians and support bashar al-assad, if you are more concerned with making a bad deal with the iranians than giving your word as president, then you look the other way as the syrians are killed in cold blood by their own government and has hundreds of thousands of them stream over the board and -- the border into jordan. the middle east has always been a complicated and difficult place for the united states, and for the resident of the world -- and for the rest of the world. the president has made it close to an manageable -- two unmanageable without wrong -- clear, resolute leadership. that is what we have to do in january 2017 with the next president worried the second

he has gone straight into a meeting with president bashar al assad. what plans for this conflict is he likely to have brought with him? >> well, i mean, it's clear that there's a flurry of political moves and gestures going on in the region. this follows the visit of saudi prime minister to moscow, reports of a meeting between top syrian security official with the saudis, the hosting of the syrian prime minister, so clearly something says afoot. this happens against the backdrop of american turkish negotiations over what to do against the islamic state and what to do in syria along the lines of a safe zone or no fly zone. a lot is happening in the region, whether all this sort of political activity reflects some sort of substance happening, i.e., where it is key external players are working towards a common understanding of how to transition out of the armed conflict into some sort of political solution in syria, that i think is a lot more doubtful. everyone expected this kind of activity after the iran nuclear deal, which should allow deescalation. i

and has been meeting with the counterparts in moscow and both are strong of the president of bashar al-assada the airforces launched more attacks in duma and damascus and comes a day after more than 100 people died from air strikes in a market in the same district. voting in parliamentary elections and could see the former president make a come back and he is running for prime minister and was in power for nine years as president until his defeat in january this year. the villages in jordan demanding protection from the war in syria which is spilling over the border and many homes hit by stray shells and rockets and we report from the village closest to the border. >> reporter: this is a village in syria across the border from the jordan village and the residents say fighting between syrian troops and opposition fighters are forcing them to live in a state of war. two weeks ago a stray mortar shell hit the home and it flew through the house, penetrated the walls and floors and landed outside. no one was injured but he says his family suffered distress and fear when the rockets struck when ev

president bashar al assad's army is fighting both rebels and isis.ith more. >> reporter: the syrian military is strained after four years of this ongoing civil war and president bashar al assad has acknowledged that at times the military will have to retreat from certain areas to make sure that they can shore up more important places. now the developments here on the battlefield are causing a strain here in the capital of damascus. what we're seeing is shortages of fuel. it takes an hour to two hours to get gasoline at gas stations. also there are power cuts throughout the city at various times during the day. and the pace that isis has been going and gains against the syrian military there are a lot of internally displaced people coming to the population centers, some of them near the mediterranean coast which is a stronghold of the assad regime but also to the capital of damascus. you are seeing people especially minorities from palmyra and other towns and it's putting a strain on the syrian government to make sure that these people find a place to

. >> bashar al-assad is defending the use of hezbollah militias to combat syrian rebels, during an interview bashar al-assad said he legitimately requested the group's help and is open to the idea of a coalition against i.s.i.l., but says there's little chance of reaching agreement with his enemies. >> translation: any alliance to stop the syrian bloodshed must be a priority, we must work towards it with no hesitation, what concerns us is boots on the ground. it's not possible that what stands with terrorism whether fight terrorism. the small possibility arises that the states would attend, moving in the wrong direction. or that they got worried that the terrorism will head to the countries, they decided to back terrorism. one thing is able to form an alliance to fight terrorism >>> they thanked russia, hezbollah and iran, and took a shot at the u.s. saying moscow is principled while americans abandson their allies and friends. >> the u.n.'s nuclear watchdog agency says iran provided a substantial amount of information regarding allegations of a past nuclear weapons programme, but the head o

more directly engaged with the regime of syrian president, bashar al-assad, and that's something thebama administration has pledged to avoid. jamie macintyre joins us live from the pentagon with the latest. jamie? >> reporter: david, the u.s. has said all along, once the fighters it trained to take on isil got into harm's way it would have a moral obligation to come to their aid, but it stopped short of saying what form that aid could take until this past friday when the u.s. authorized air strikes to support the new syrian forces on the ground. smoke rises over the northern syrian city as a result of multiple u.s. zone strikes friday that help repel an attack on a group of syrian opposition fighters which included just over 50 members of what has been dubbed the new the pentagon says they were co-located with other syrian rebels. at least one u.s.-trained fighter was killed and two division 30 commanders were captured by the al-nusra front. the air strikes the pentagon says made good on the promise to provide air defensive power if the forces came under attack by anyone. but a penta