jazeera that it will not rest until the bashar al-assad regime is overthrown. the government continues to spread messages on air waves and social media. we have this report. >> reporter: as fighting intensifies in the yarmouk camp south of damascus i.s.i.l. fighters scream rallying cries. showcasing to the world how they are closer than ever to syria's seat of power. on syrian state television the message couldn't be more contradictory. a bombastic montage and message - whether by land air or sea, the armed forces are as strong as ever. in syria, the propaganda war raged almost as long as the actual war. listen to president bashar al-assad and he vowed to vanning wish the enemies of syria. in order for us to have our

i told the president, i said "bashar assad is slaughtering people. we are watching genocide take place. and it is going to eventually destabilize the entire region." >> smith: this president looks out at the landscape and doesn't see reliable partners. why should we be getting involved in this? >> well, i'm not saying there are any real easy options, and i'm not saying it's not complex. but i do not believe that we needed to end up in a situation that we are in today. >> smith: if bashar al-assad was to be toppled, who would replace him? >> i think that would be a very difficult thing to sort out. >> smith: in the president's view, it would be very difficult to sort out. the u.s. had just gone into libya months earlier and toppled qaddafi only to see chaos ensue. and mccain's suggestion of creating safe havens in syria was a tall order. president obama asked the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general martin dempsey, for a briefing. >> so dempsey gives a presentation, and everyone's jaws drop. he basically says that it's going to take roughly

bashar al-assad's stronghold. the u.s. has in the past reframed from arming syrian opposition fighters. they were concerned about its weapons landing in the hands of groups like al nusra front, and al qaeda affiliate. but nusra is now joining moderate groups in their fight to repel i.s.i.l. from syria. saudi arabia qatar and turkey provide significant assistance for cereal rebels. fighters hold ground in major cities. more groups are now considering joining forces to defeat bashar al-assad. >> the u.n. says the syrian government must stop using explosive weapons in the yarmouk refugee camp the camp on the outskirts houses pal stinian refugees and was attacked overnight on friday. the u.n. relief agency says it's alarmed for the safety of civilians within yarmouk. the secretary-general ban ki-moon condemned the shelling of the camp. thousands were forced to leave after armed groups entered the camp at the beginning of april. >> egypt's army said it killed 29 fighters in 11 days of raids. 133 suspects have been arrested in t

we are here is many of the nations in the region were upset that more than two years ago when bashar al-assad deployed chemical weapons, that there was no military response as you appeared to promise, no retaliation. now there's a possibility that bashar al-assad once again used chemical weapons, what did you tell the leaders that were disappointed last time and will you use a military response if it's confirmed he uses them again. and a domestic question as well sir, if i could ask that. this is about the environment and the drilling approved in the arctic. this nation, the united states, is now an exporter for the first time in years of fossil fuels, partly due to fracking, something that environmentalists objected to, something that you regard as all of above, an energy strategy. the oil company, shell had a mixed record of drilling in the reemon, many environmental -- region, many environmentalists look at it and wonder if it's worth the risk to drill in an eco system. >> first of all, michael, i don't know the reason you are here but the reason i'm here is not because of what happened in

brought down regime change to all the countries and they are going for the last that's bashar assad. how do we fight bashar assad and fight isis and basically begin to wage war through bombing raids on their nuclear facilities, iran? i mean how many fronts do these people want us fighting on and is it feasible for even our grand army to take on that campaign? >> well i think it is a stretch to say that we can do all of these things or any one of them. i mean i think that fundamentally we have an attribution problem in the middle east. we sort of allowed our allies in the middle east to rely on us to do the heavy lifting and different kinds of military activities. ultimately i think that they will have to take ownership of what's going on in the region and deal with it themselves and we can support them as allies but i think that you know our fundamental problem in the middle east is that we take the blame for everything and you know, the solution for that is not to stage another invasion. >> well, j.m. here's the question marco rubio, a fairly smart guy and certainly an exciting publ

the allo wight birth place of bashar al-assad clan. we'll continue the focus on damascus and toppling the regime, i assure you bashar al-assad's fall will not take a long time. >> here is the leader saying much the same. >> we are preparing to storm the village and expel the gangs. god willing we will declare the city. within a few days it will be a free and liberated city. >> then there's i.s.i.l. promising to take over far more than one country in a quest to establish a calafat. in the sir clan conflict -- syrian conflict truth and clarity is part of the problem. >> i.s.i.l. is in charge of large parts of territory stretching. government forces have been pushed back they still hold parts of aleppo and areas east of hama and homs. meanwhile, they are moving south of idlib and towards latakia. as the syrian conflict enters a fifth year. the only thing clearer is how much suffering there has been. the country's humanitarian crisis grinds on. despite the boasting. it seems clearer than ever that in this war there's no bragging rights. >>

as you are aware, reports that bashar al-assad once again used chemical weapons, if not classified as chemical weapons, chlorine barrel bombs, the president, two years ago, famously the red line was crossed. bashar al-assad used chemical weapons. that's part of the frustration of the situation in iran that many allies felt over the course of the last several years. in yemen, the united states backing the effort there by the saudi-led coalition to fight the houthis, to drive them back, a pause in the bombing campaign. i had an opportunity to ask the saudi arabia foreign minister whether or not it could be extended as the united states wants it to happen and he says that's always a possibility. many of these issues not just the nuclear talks, front and center at the summit today. >> mike viqueira camp david. thank you. joining us now is al jazeera international affairs contributor joining us from ann arbor. good to have you with us. a lot has been made that only two heads of states of the six g.c.c. countries showed up to the summit arguably because they disagree with the way president

syrian government's powerful and loyal ally, one that could block an attempt to pin the blame on bashar al-assad bashar al-assad is responsible, and it's important for russia to acknowledge it. >> it will be hard for russia to explain why they do not want to know who is responsible for the attack. many governments, you know, know who did it. they claim they don't. we want the u.n. to look into that. >> the russian ambassador told us the proposal got the review. even if the u.n. blames the government for the attack given the security council's decision, holding it difficult. even more difficult, the innocent civilians who are the victims, and those under threat of being the next >>> syria's war is threatening to spill across the border with lebanon. syrian troops have taken control of an area near a border town. the fighting comes as the government offensive was effective in the border tonne. it entered its fifth year >>> according to the united nations 7.6 million syrians are driven from their homes but remain with the borders. the majority are split between turkey, where there's 1.6 million. jo

they have also pushed back president bashar al-assad posts -- president bashar al-assad's troops. the rebels took control of the capital in the via a few weeks ago. they have moved even closer to the mediterranean coast. it is the heartland of the country out of white minority. -- the country's aloueitte minority. those who stay are happy that the rebels are here. >> thank god that the opposition has taken over this city. now, there is no trace of the regime or its killing squads. but we are still suffering from airstrikes and bombing attacks. >> the rebels sent an opportunity and they are ready to advance another part of inland province. they have little interest in u.n. led peace talks in geneva. >> if a political solution was still possible -- is lyrical solution was so possible at the first two geneva conferences. and now all that matters is what happens on the battlefield. a third conference is just an attempt to rescue a thought. >> the suit -- rescue assad. >> the two sides are not interested in a resolution to the conflict, no matter what happens. >> 18 of german journalis

jamie mcintyre reports from the pentagon >>> as syrian forces battle baz bashar al-assad army. they continue to fight. over 37,000 that volunteered to fight, the first 90 are being trained, not to overtake the territory but fight against i.s.i.l. >> many are motivated to take over. >> many are trained in jordan and another group will train in turkey but the training and equipping a fighting force is a long-term project and is months if not years away. >> we still have to train men to train over time. on the side of diplomacy and diplomats, there's the issue of finding moderate syrian opposition to establish a political structure to which the military force can be responsible. >> reporter: the war goes on the the pentagon says it's training anti-i.s.i.l. forces the reality means the u.s. could provide support and air strikes to soldiers fighting government troops. >> their mission is to fight i.s.i.l. so that is a combat we expect them to get involved in and expect to support them in that record. if they are contested by regime forces we would have a responsibility to help them.

fight against general bashar al-assad and his assets. waiting to secure damascus once the regime is toppled. in the north armed affection merged to capture idlib now they are focused on attacking the stronghold of president assad. activists say barrel bomb and chemical attacks have increased in syria. around 200 regime soldiers are said to have been sheltering in this hospital, after syrian rebels recaptured the city. and this was the result of another government barrel bomb attack in aleppo. this rubble was a school building which despite all the fighting in the city was still open. rescuers have been digging through debris but they believe many of the dead and injured are children. >> translator: i urge king salman i urge him on behalf of

coordinating with the bashar al assad regime. >> there is no one air space for two war planes. in the civil aviation, there should be coordination. how about the military water planes? in case of the civil aviation, there are routes and sawed airline takes off then a turkish airliner to follow. they coordinate. how about the military war planes, do you think there is a u.s. war plane flying at the same time with another war plane belonging to the syrian regime and there was no coordination? you accuse america. >> yes. we have document to say prove it. it's self evident. we have pictures that there were u.s. and syrian war planes flying at the same time. >> senior national security fellow at the foundation joins me live now. good to see you. how do these comments ring to you? >> i think they essentially ring

the bashar al assad government is hardly friendly to the west. at the end of the day it's not in the west's interests for bashar al assad to stay of. the shia militias fighting in iraq are primarily agents of iran even though they don't see themselves that way but iran is arming them, training and equipping them and iran will ultimately control them. you have a war between the united states enemies the united states has to say it is committed to fighting the ve haddies, but in reality the troops fighting the jihadists are not the allies with the united states with the only exception of the kurds. >> is it likely -- >> the kurds perform quite well. >> say that again. >> do you think it's likely the u.s. strategy might change and go beyond simple airstrikes and doing the careless of iraq advisors on the ground. >> there's a number of advisers. it's not clear how much different they will make. if they're advising, it is dependent on militias. the unit isness in a position to advise those nor is it in its interest to advise those. >> thanks for your a

there has been reports that arab countries want to help them further weaken bashar al-assad's government of the behind is a border with syria, a strategic province for the bashar al-assad government. it's 100km away from the seat of power. major gains close to the highway would constitute a real threat. there has been talk. countries providing air cover and anti-aircraft missiles to southern syria. reports suggest that this would have to be led. for the rebels it's been a longstanding demand but not what they have been promised. >> translation: we promised syrians that the regime would not survive a month if there's a no-fly zone. these are no more than media reports. >>> with saudi arabia's attention diverted to the conflict in yemen, and jordan's reservation, observers agree that an imminent intervention by arabs is a remote possibility >>> the pakistan taliban claims to have shot down a helicopter that contained foreign documents, norwegian diplomats were among those killed. a video shows a missile fired at the helicopter hitting it in the tail. kamal hyder has more. >> the pakistan t

and are calling for military action against the regime to diminish and receive bashar al-assad's forces. >>> qatar is buying a new fleet of french fighter jets. the french president flew to doha to sign the deal for 24 war planes. >>> a researcher at a center for security and strategy consults for the armed forces and explains why it is important for qatar. >> qatar is a country that in the recent decades has been expeditionary and expensive and proactive in trying to create peace and stability in the region. they have been asked by the united states and other partners to take over more responsibility in the region as a powerhouse of the region. in order to back up the policy the military has to be an option. probably it is the best strike fighter out there at the moment. it's not just able to have different roles, it's what we call a swing roll. it can go on a mission and deliver air to air and air to ground combat. most players cannot do. it's flexible and adaptable. it's the newest technology on the market. that is something that has led to a bit of a problem in selling this. >> hund

and many other countries though have repeatedly accused the government of bashar al-assad of attacking the people with chemical weapons. accusations dismissed by the leadership in damascus. last month, united nations security council ambassadors were shown this video. doctors trying to revive three child victims of an apparent chlorine gas attack. it was too late. rebels say chemical attacks have increased in northern syria, following major gains by the opposition in idlib province. this is a military parade on the outskirts of damascus, the biggest show of syrian rebels only weeks after capturing the city of idlib. the army of islam is tasked once the regime of bashar al-assad is toppled. >> translator: today we stand united against the iranians, they want to establish a syrian state here, and i can assure you we will defeat them. >> army of conquest to capture idlib. now their people are set on attack here. is the u.s. has in the past refrained from arming syrian opposition fighters. it was concerned about weapons landing in the hands of groups like the nusra front. but nusra is now

president obama bristled when asked about reports that syria's president bashar al-assad used chlorine gas against civilians, and whether, when bashar al-assad used chemical weapons, the u.s. would respond. >> reporter: what did you tell the leaders that were disappointed last time and will you use a military response if it's confirmed he used chemical weapons again. >> if we have the confirmation that we need, we will once again work with the international community and the organization charged with monitoring compliance by the syrian government. >> reporter: participants described the talks not as a negotiation, but a brainstorming session. >> this meeting was about the relationship between the u.s. and g.c.c. countries and how we can work together to elevate to a new level. >> reporter: that, said president obama was the goal. >> i'm reaffirming the iron clad agreement to security of our gulf partners as declared in the joint statement the u.s. is prepared to work with g.c.c. states to deter and confront threats to the g.c.c. states that is inconsistent with the u.n. charter. thank

if it falls to the opposition, president bashar al-assad's northwestern stronghold will be cut off from the capital. >>> well anti-government groups in syria have increasingly gained the upper hand in the last few weeks with the capture of key towns further north in idlib province. bernard smith has more from the turkish-syrian border. >> this area is deserted. it took anti-government groups three days to take this city from government forces after a stand off for three years. almost all of idlib province in northwestern syria is now under the control of this alliance that calls itself the conquest army. it includes the powerful al nusra front and. >> we tried hard to take the area. we couldn't because we weren't coordinated or appropriate. now that the group is united we took the town. >> while most of the fighters are leaving, it's the strategic significance of this city that really matters. >> it means that we can cut the government supply roads on the west coast to to aleppo and idlib and then launch towards the coastal areas. >> those coastal areas are the heartland of the minority

bashar al-assad was quick to dismiss those losses.e said his army may have lost the battle but it will win the war. oliver ferri has the details. reporter: setbacks are a normal part of any war. bashar al-assad made a rare television appearance in damascus. translator: we are waging a war not a battle. wars and battles are different. or is a succession of many battles. when we are talking about a fierce war like the one happening in syria, across thousands of square kilometers we talk not only about dozens, but thousands of battles. reporter: hundreds of thousands of battles. his remarks come after a series of defeats in formerly government held territory. the province had been hard-hit. assad's forces -- local media is reporting that they have targeted a military base along the border with syria. this coming a day after the al qaeda affiliated group launch their own attack on hezbollah. hezbollah leader said on tuesday that if attacked they would not hesitate to respond but did not give details. translator: when this operation begins

it's in the province of hama, and lies between the power base of president bashar al-assad in the mountains to the west, and the rebel-held province in idlib in the north. on the other side of the country the kurds say they have cleared bottle known as the people's movement and fighters from islamic state of iraq and levant. the kurds say they have cleared the village from i.s.i.l. activists posted a video of a church overrun by i.s.i.l. kurdish fighters backed by u.s.-led airstrikes drove them out. this woman said is she lost everything. >> i built the house with my sweat and blood. i don't have anyone. i'm barely surviving. they don't fear god. >> millions of syrians lost their homes and livelihoods during the war. as fighting continues, millions could face the same fate. >>> meanwhile in iraq forces close i.s.i.l. say the fighters propelled a government attack east of ramadi. it was part of efforts by the iraqi army to regain control. i.s.i.s. took control this month. the video shows ammunition left behind by security forces as they retreated. moving to baiji, where the iraqi army and sh

and many other countries there have repeatedly accused the government of bashar al-assad of attacking syrian people with chemical weapons. accusations dismissed by the leadership in damascus. last month united nations security council ambassadors were shown this video doctors trying to revive three child victims of an apparent chlorine gas attack. it was too late. rebels say chemical attacks have increased in northern syria following major gains by the opposition in idlib province. this is a military parade on the outskirts of the capital duh massdamascus. the biggest show of force by syrian rebels only weeks after they captured the city of idlib. the army of islam is tasked with securing the capital once the regime of bashar al-assad is toppled. >> translator: today we stand united against the iranians, they want to spread their influence here, they want to have a parisian state established here. i assure you that we will fight them and defeat them. >> reporter: across the country, rebels are shifting tactics. in the north armed factions merged under the army of conquest to capture i

bashar al-assad said his forces don't choose the weapons. but human rights watch say they have found 450 i wants of barrel bombing in ten towns and villages. this is an area held by rebel groups and then after what the group said is a barrel bomb attack. in is a satellite of the hospital before and then after the barrel bombing. they say they've seen evidence of over a thousand barrel bomb attacks. let's go live now to the author of the syria dilemma and the director of the center of middle east centers. he joins me on skype. thank you very much for joining us. why this use of barrel bombs? >> primarily because of the devastating effects that they have they're indiscriminate weapons and wreak havoc on the population but also bashar al-assad has complete control over the skies of syria. there is no country no rebel movement. it's an easy way of perpetuating a series of massacres and demoralize the population with full knowledge that no one is going to stop him. >> i wonder why this rather than traditional weapons. i know they have been using

the next major battle for these fighters would be president bashar al-assad's strong hold on the coast. and syria's a palmyra, the islamic state of iraq and the levant is widening its control. these photos show a glimpse of one offer is -- syrias notorious prisons. further south, a war of attrition is taking place. fighting between the two sides is not over in the mountain range. hezbollah has announced it made big gains in the area on the border with lebanon two weeks ago, but with the fighters kraring out hit and run attacks more than 40 hezbollah fighters have said to have been killed since fighting starter earlier month. this is where both sides get we will -- weapons and reinforcements. fighting continues to intensify, too many warring factions with different agendas are battle themselves and government forces. it is not clear who will win the final battle. >>> still ahead on the program, iraq's army battles to retake ramadi from fighters in anbar province. we'll take a closer look at why the city is so strategically important. and the u.n. stopped short of listing the great barri

assad's forces. as all sides continue to be right, more neighborhoods continue to be reduced to piles of rubble. >> a lebanese t.v. station leaked a secret video recording of a former minister admitting that basharl assad knew about a plot to attack lebanon. the minister was close to the syrian regime and the lebanese shia group hezbollah. we have this report from beirut. >> an extraordinary twist and a damning leak which reveals part of syria's role in lebanon. this video from a hidden camera shows a former lebanese minister talking to an in former. >> the leak as far assed after a military court sentenced him to four and a half years in prison. he insisted he was set up and misled. his lawyer argued the crime never took place. the prosecutor charged him of collaborating with the head of the syrian intelligence. the plan was to start a wave of bombings and sass nations against politicians and religious leaders inside lebanon. because he's already spent time in jail, he could released in less than a year. the ruling angered many in lebanon and analysts warned it could familiar a huge impact and threaten the fragile stability of the country. >> the impact is huge, because the lebanese society is

. >> the fight in qalamoun and the rest of syria i also said to protect president bashar al assad's regime. if bashar al assad falls it will mean the loss of power in the region. >> the government is struggling to end the siege of its forces in northern sir yes. the town fell to the rebels over two weeks ago. fighters managed to take part at a hospital where over 200 soldiers and 200 senior officers are staying in 45 bunkers. the rest of idlib of considered crucial for the regime, the gateway to the syrian coast a stronghold or president bashar al assad. activists say there was a massacre. government jets dropped barrel bombs near a bus station on tuesday. dozens of people were killed. >> aleppo will not bow. there are no fighters here. syrians were killed. >> the united nations said more than 220,000 people have been killed in syria since the war started four years ago and many more will likely die as the battles continue. al jazeera beirut. >> asian countries topped a list which ranks education around the world. reports in the oacd based on mathematics and science test scores and measure

iran is involved in yemen, we know what they are doing with hezbollah, and they are supporting bashar al-assadria, but think how much bolder they would be with a nuclear weapon. he is going to assure the gcc that is he is still a strategic and defense partner with them and will perhaps needs some mechanism to ensure that. perhaps increased arms sales or saying we are with you. the idea of having a formal treaty has been shut down by ben rhodes in an interview with al jazeera on wednesday. he say it takes too long. of course they want to talk about yemen and isil. they want to make sure that everyone still has their focus on what is happening in iraq and syria with isil rather than being de being -- deinstructed. >> how do we know whether this will be a successful meeting for the u.s. president himself? >> reporter: there is the concern when the saudi king was invited, accepted and then a couple of days later said i'm not coming that was a sign that the white house really didn't have everything organized, and it was seen as a boit of a snub, but they have the defense and foreign ministers here.

there remains the town is not far from aleppo, president ash remains bashar assad's stronghold. from hezbollah, the group fighting alongside syrian government forces show fierce fighting in the mountains. helz hezbollah remains hezbollah says fighters are making gains, clearing a number of areas. we are standing on the hilltop where the attack started. we use medium and whechz. ground troops are advancing under the cover of our heavy fire. >> syrian jets were providing aerial support hitting a number of targets. a key supply route for both hezbollah and the syrian governments. the regime also wants top secure a key road connecting the capital forecast remains damascus with homes and to president assad's stronghold on the western coast. it's a hard battle the mountain range is vast and rugged. the syrian rebels are adopting guerr remains illa warfare tactics and using the terrain as a hideout. >> could prove hard for the syrian government jets and hezbollah fighters to fully control or clear that area. >> despite hezbollah's attacks, syrian rebels remain powerful in the area. the

envoy that his attempts to include iran and other allies of bashar al assad will not be helpful for peace people continue to suffer from the wars. a report. >> for many syrian children this is the only way to find something to eat. some parents help them rummage through the garbage not far from the syrian capital, damascus. >> ohalid lives in the town and her kitchen has looked like this for months. she says she stulingz every day to feed her children. >> what can we do? we don't have fuel neither electricity, even food. we don't have did. >> not what you see on syrian state t.v. where it looks like everything is under control. in this segment, happy children are seen preparing for exams. there is no mention of the war that has killed more than 200,000 people and continues to add to the 12 million people who desperately need humanitarian assistance. activists say the conditions resemble those. some agreed with a truce in exchange for badly needed food aid rebels say it's the only source of food and soldiers control everything. the assad government has sporadically allowed the red cross to

a lot of people think bashar al-assad is on the ropes. there's a number of articles with that title in it. we are not sure. they have a lot of power. 65% of syrians live under bashar al-assad rules and not under rebel rule. he has iranian backing. his defence minister has been to iran. there's no new announcement of new money or loans. that's worrying for the regime or supporters. they are not sure how far iran will go to back them up. it's a question about the sponsors. what new perimeter they can put up. there has been indications that alawites, the religious minor tes are terrified of rule are not signing up. they have been blood white. that is the activists, what they are saying. we don't know if this is true. i suspect that this is a long battle where we'll see years of fighting >>> a suspected suicide attack by i.s.i.l. fighters in northern iraq killed 16 members of security forces. i.s.i.l. is trying to capture part of the town and the oil facilities, the biggest in iraq. thousands of migrants make the journey. cypress is not a favo

what are they prepared to do in syria to build up moderate forces to take on isis and see bashar assadoved? mike: they have been doing that for some time. they've in providing large amounts of funding to the moderate opposition in syria. that -- the saudi's, no. what happened is big chunks of the moderate opposition left the moderate opposition to go fight for elements in isis because they were being effective against assad. the moderate opposition itself was not, so a bunch of guys stood up and said i'm going to fight for somebody who's making a difference. the moderate opposition got smaller and smaller. charlie: when i talked to american officials, you hear -- they are growing in strength. mike: they are growing in strength and they are concerning to me because they are aligned with al qaeda and pakistan. they have a group focused on attacks connected to yemen and getting sophisticated explosives. that's a serious -- back to my 9/11 concern, the stronger they get and the more they think about external attacks, the more comfortable they get, the more dangerous they are here to us in

it provides access to president bashar al-assad's home province and also the coast.oring group says there was heavy shelling and rocket fire and stormed by rebel fighters. government armored vehicles were seen pulling out. >>> the u.n. security council has been briefed about the continued barrel bomb attacks in syria with some allegedly containing chlorine gas the u.n. ambassador says she has no doubt the assad regime is responsible. samantha power said the position on set upping a no-fly zone has not changed. >> you have to assess whether going to war with the assad regime is likely to bring about the results you seek, it's an extremely complicated enterprise and it's one ultimately that if at sad regime tests it, would entail shooting its planes out of the sky. i think sometimes people refer to a no-fly zone as as if it's some soft side option that we we are turning a blind eye to it's a very complicated enterprise. >>> and you can see that full interview on talk to al jazerra at 4:30 gmt on saturday. >>> fifa's 209 members are preparing to vote in a srez hal poll

isis has seized control of a significant size city from the syrian government, from brought bashar al-assad'stakeovers in syria have been from other rebel groups or contested areas. but this was a city protected bety army. the official army of syria and bashar al-assad. with this gain, arguably, isis controls something like half of syria, including large portions of its oil fields. there are no reports of the damaged archeological sites so far, given isis' previous experience with other archeologically sensitive things the destruction of antiquities in the grand museum in mosul and iraq, for obvious reason, there is a lot of global consternation about palmyra being in the hands of people taking pleasure in destroying what's left of the ancient world. today they called eight war crime. >> isis has done a lot of damage all over iraq and syria. they have destroyed many large archeological sites. questions have been raised as to whether or not they are in some cases trying to make it look like they are destroying more than they are. while actually some of what they're doing is looting antiquities

. >>> a first for syrian president bashar al-assad, publicly admitting to set backs in the battle against forces trying to top oftotop topple him. bl judgment day in afghanistan. four men get the death penalty for the brutal killing of an average woman. snow and ice the economic impact of global warming on melting glaciers in new zealand. good evening. this is al jazeera america. i'm libby casey. >> i'm antonio mora. we begin in israel, where benjamin netanyahu narrowly beat the dead 39 form a influence government. the jewish home party neftali bennett. he starts his fourth term in a diminished position at least in the knesset. >> heading into the election netanyahu was seen as vulnerable but despite a convincing victory he put together a ruling government, and he was forced to make concessions being be convincing lawmakers to join. >> the slimmest being majority, 61 of 120 seats many believe it will stay in effect for long. mike hannah is in jerusalem with the story. >> reporter: it went to the wire. only at the last moment was an agreement reached with the jewish home party. its leader

those coastal areas are the heart land of the minority alloite community to which the president bashar al-assad belongs. the main port in syria and along with damascus is one of the most important government-held areas in the country. one former frearm free syrian army contact tells us as this new alliance prepares to move towards latakia just on the other sides of the mountains it seems like they're equipped and coordinated. bernard smith on the turkey syria border. >>> crash of a military aircraft which killed at least eight crew members, came down just north of seville's san pablo airport which is now closed. between eight and ten were on board, thought that there are no survivors. the plane was undergoing flight trials before being delivered to spain's military. >>> heavy battles in instability in the former yugoslav republic, tim friend reports. >> the police action began in the early morning in the suburb about 40 kilometers north of the capital. it's an area that saw fighting during an ethnic albanian insurgency in 2001. gun fire was heard throughout the morning and at least one explosio

as victoria gatenby reports officials of bashar al-assad's army launched initiatives in other areas. >> majorend mohamed ede was injured in the suicide bomb attack. he's the military's ahead of logistics. >> using a suicide attack rising on a bike according to eye witnesses, followed by sporadic clashes which indicate there might be another group of individuals trying to take general's life. >> nusra front has changed tactics, in the fight against bashar al-assad and his forces. last week the army of islam paraded once to secure damascus once the regime is toppled. in the north armed force he marched to capture idlib. now they're fowked on the attack of president assad. barrel bomb and chemical attacks have increased in northern syria, following gains in idlib province. around 200 soldiers are said to be sheltering in this hospital after syrian rebels recaptured the city. and this was the result of another government barrel bomb attack in aleppo. this rubble was a school building which despite all the fighting in the city was still open. rescuers have been digging through debris but

the leader of the al nusra front has accused the united states of coordinating with the bashar al-assad regime in bombing areas under its control. the u.s. does not want the bashar al-assad regime to be toppled. >> there's no one air space for the two war planes. in the civil aviation, there should be coordination. how about the american war planes they are out, and saudi airline takes off, and a turkish airline is to follow. do you think there's a u.s. war plane flying at the same time with another war plane, and there was no coordination. >> translation: do you accuse america? >> translation: yes, we have documents to prove it. it's self-evident. we have pictures that there were u.s. and syrian war planes flying at the same time. >> let's talk to joseph from beirut a senior writer at "gulf news." thank you for coming on the newshour. what do you make of the claims first of all. >> i'm not sure if they are credible. i doubt very much that the united states and the syrian air forces are flying together or coordinating activities the opposite is true and the coalition forces of which the

we have bashar al-assad vowing to clear the time. it is vital for them. >>> a group linked to the pakistani taliban has claimed responsibility for an attack in karachi. gunmen in motorcycles killing 43 people. the victims belonging to an islamic group. >> reporter: this was backed with commuters when gunmen stopped it and opened foyer. dozens were killed. mostly a minority. investigators believe it was a planned attack. >> 9mm handguns smzs and other weapons. they fired at them inside the bus, and not from outside the bus. >> a splinter group of the pakistani taliban, jundila. said it carried out the attack. the armed group said it's behind several attacks, including the pakistan indian border suicide, and targetting an intelligence agency compound in 2013, it pledged allegiance with i.s.i.l. witnesses say the attackers were on motorbikes some were wearing uniforms. this bus is run by the community to take and bring back people from work. it's not the first time they've been under attack but a rare attack on these people. for several

concerns. >> translator: we must build a new syria which can be rid naturally of the regime of bashar al assad. but also above all, of the terrorists, because they are in a country and they're making progress. so we must do all we can so a political solution can be worked on. >> reporter: the bottom line right now, what syria, iraq and their allies not least the united states, are doing to crush isis is not enough. nic robertson, cnn, london. >> isis continues to advance at an alarming rate. let's now bring in our cnn correspondent ian lee, live in cairo with more on this story. ian, good day to you. what more can you tell us about these images that have been released showing how isis has stepped in and taken over in palmyra? >> reporter: we've seen their flag raised over the castle there. one of the iconic sights. really, isis showing off their gains, what they've captured. and the world's attention has been on the battle for palmyra. and so, isis is now showing that they are firmly in control, after some heavy fighting. and as we heard in nic robertson's report, a lot of concerns about the f

for those attacks >>> the bashar al-assad government asked to stop targetting civilians after the shelling of yarmouk >>> the number of migrants rescued in the mediterranean soars. 3700 saved by e.u. boats. >>> in sport the so-called fight of the century turned tout be business as unusual for floyd mayweather extending his record to 48 fights in the victory of manny pacquioa. >>> at least 13 people have been killed in two explosions in the irane capital baghdad. they went off minutes apart in a commercial area. the first was a suicide car bomb detonating near restaurants and cafes filled with customers. the second in the same neighbourhood. baghdad witnessed a spike in bombings in the past week. 34 people have been killed. the wave of attacks begone on thursday. two -- begone on thursday. two people were killed. the western sunni majority distribute was attacked killing five people. three separate car bombs killed a total of 11 people in eastern shia neighbourhoods including an ice-cream shop and south of town a bomb blast near a cafe killed three. imran khan is live from baghdad. who exac

it's in the province of hama and lies between the power base of president bashar al-assad in the mountains to the west and the rebel-held province in idlib in the north. on the other side of the country there's a fast-moving advance. the kurds say they have cleared a village from i.s.i.l. activists posted a video of a church overrun by i.s.i.l. kurdish fighters drove them out. this woman said is she lost everything. >> i built the house with my sweat and blood. i don't have anyone. i'm barely surviving. they don't fear god. millions of syrians lost their homes and livelihoods during the war. as fighting continues, millions could face the same fate. >> there are reports that i.s.i.l. has thrown up a major prison com -- blown up a major prison complex. the group published the images. it's a feared detention center. it reported human rights abuses and is located amongst the rumours, and is believed empty at the time. >> sources in iraq say the fighters repelled an attack. it was an attempt by the army to regain control. this city was said to show ammunition left behind by the forces as it ret

. >> those coastal areas are the heartland of the alawite community to which bashar al-assad belongs. they include the main port in syria, along with damascus is one of the most important government-held areas in the country. one former free syrian commander told us that they wouldn't have done so without foreign support. as this new alliance prepares to move move forward to the other side of those mountains it seems coordinated and quick. >> a container ship seized by iran last week in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes is docked in dubai after release released. iran said that the containership was registered in marshall islands because of a dispute between the danish company that chartered it and the iranian firm. the crud is crew is in good condition after being kept in captivity. >> a political science class under way at the university. 61 seats out of 120 form the israeli government, the students are told. if any party left, the government would collapse. under discussion too how the palestinian authority will deal with a new right-wing israeli government. the students dis

the lebanese group, supporting bashar al-assad denies the rebels are gaining grounds. the leader says a revolution is coming. >> reporter: when this operation begins it will announce itself by imposing itself media. everyone will know the operation started. with regards to goals, limits locations, where it's heading, that will be left for the right time. we will not declare it now. >> reporter: an alliance fighters including the al nusra front is asserting more control. tuesday a video was released of seven soldiers. in a video al jazeera decided not to air, the captive soldiers decided lebanon would pay the price of captives. inside syria government aircraft are continuing to tart areas in homs. this is what the government denies it's doing, to use a barrel bomb. made by stuffing explosions and shrapnel in a barrel and dropped from the air >>> activists posted thousands on the internet. being helicopters that dropped the bombs. since last year 3,000 civilians have been killed aamounting to a 99% casualty rate. >> the problem is barrel bomb attacks hit the same place i

coalition are supporting one side iran and fighting on the ground and supporting the side of bashar al assad terrible, terrible situation, well over 220,000 syrians have been killed to this date. millions of them have been displaced. outside the country millions more displaced. really now you have to wonder if humpty dumtty can be put back together again and that's beginning to unfold in the months and years that lie ahead. >> how important is u.s. leadership in that region of the world world. i was with the former prime minister of one of the middle eastern countries. he said to meso many of my friends around the middle east are wondering where is america. this it leading from behind. what's your sense of where america should be? >> clearly american leadership is needed. it's vital. it's wanted. and actually i think it is being provided. i think there has been an understandable reluctance in the wake of these very frustrating, very costly wars in iraq is and in afghanistan and in some other engagements that we have had. and the pendulum swung a bit but that has swung back and i think there'