>> we need to support the free syrian army by... because we cannot bring tanks and something like this or helicopter or something like this. but if we give them medium weapons they can finish this regime and i think the free syrian army will take the step to finish this regime and to protect the civilians. the people. >> suarez: haitham maleh with the syrian national council, thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you, too, good-bye. >> suarez: i also spoke with rania abouzeid who's been covering the conflict in syria for "time" magazine. she's in beirut. rania, welcome back to the program. given the context of everything that's happened in the last couple of weeks, is the free syrian army's retreat from homs a big victory for bashar al-assad? >> well, that remains to be seen. the free syrian army based in the baba amr neighborhood of homes issued a statement online saying they were making a tactical retreat to try and ease the suffering, basically, of the 4,000 civilians who have been under constant bombardment for weeks now. they

there are serious questions to be answered about the free syrian army, but it is not too soon to think about how the international community could shape its thinking or encourage restraint. we should encourage the free syrian army to subsume itself under the leadership of syria's political opposition. finally, we are all deeply concerned about the disposition of syria's biological and chemical weapons and its lethal conventional weapons systems. i know the administration is fully engaged with respect to this particular challenge, and are working diligently to make sure there are contingencies to prevent these weapons from falling into the right hands. i would urge all of my colleagues to be fully supportive of those efforts. to help us work through the complexities of this situation -- and i want to emphasize this is not libya, this is not egypt, this is not tunis, this is a far more complicated and difficult proposition. but to help us work through those complexities today, we are joined by two of the most talented and accomplished members of america's diplomatic corps. i'm pleased to

therefore, at the request of the syrian national council, the free syrian army .ree syrian army . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . centers in syria, especially in the north through air strikes on assad's forces. to be clear, this will require the united states to suppress enemy air defenses in at least part of the country. the ultimate goal of air strikes should be to establish and defend safe havens in syria, especially in the north, in which opposition forces can organize and plan their political and military activities against assad. these safe havens could serve as platforms for the delivery of humanitarian and military assistance, including weapons and ammunition, body armor and other personal protective equipment, tactical intelligence, secure communications equipment, food and water and medical supplies. these safe havens could also help the free syrian army and other armed groups in syria to train and organize themselves into more cohesive and effective military forces, likely with the assistance of foreign partners. the benefit for the united st

macleod voiced this report. >> reporter: these guys with me are from the free syrian army. they are defected soldiers from the army of the syrian regime. i feel proud that we the free syrian army can say that we are here, we are here on the ground. and hopefully soon we will conduct large operations, operations to topple the regime. >> one year into his brutal crackdown on peaceful protests syrian president bashar al assad is facing an armed insurgency by the rebel fighters of the free syrian army. the group is led by officers and soldiers who defected from assad's security forces after witnessing atrocities against their own people. >> reporter: it was like a genocide against the people, and i was part of it. the army went to the streets and shelled houses with tanks. and the demonstrations. this person is a field commander for one of hundreds of units fighting government forces across southern and central syria. we've agreed not to reveal his full name. >> we will enter from this position. we can cross from here. >> reporter: an estimated 7,000-10,000 men are currently fig

the key moment for the assad regime we haven't reached that yet and there is no sign of the free syrian army or the local groups most of which fight with any central control of the free syrian army has to be said there's no sign of them being able to defeat gas out regime so this is a war of attrition which could go on for a while before it by from going to learn as chris bambery thinks it's much. still to come in the program with me kevin no internet nuclear propaganda we report on why israel still hasn't ruled out the possibility of an attack on iran and its atomic program despite public disquiet at home. focusing on afghanistan now though a car caught fire in a british military base there around about the same time the u.s. defense secretary plane was landing there and stuff we hear were not affected and a car bomb blast has not been officially confirmed this incident comes as president obama is hosting his key ally british prime minister david cameron for talks in washington d.c. our correspondent in the u.s. capital advantage plans for now to produce a date hi there guy and evening the

people like abu salah talk to the free syrian army, but he is not free syrian army. so you mentioned in your statement, as did senator lugar about the divisions within the syrian opposition. and there are different organizations. it makes it a little more complex. so they talk to each coordinate they're not organically linked. >> senator lugar? >> thank you, mr. chairman. i just want the take up point that you made, secretary feltman, about the oil exports and the success apparently in bottling up a high percentage of the income of the government. likewise, other sanctions against the country have caused what seemed to be in normal terms an economic depression in the country by most standards. this is likely to grow further. what isn't clear to me and i'd like some thoughts if you have about what food supplies are available to the people of the country, how much is produced in syria now. we understand a drought has occurred this year. this was a critical factor clearly in egypt, even while things were going on in tahrir square. people were not eating very well and the

they're not targeting the free syrian army, they're targeting everybody, the civilians, the free syriand liberty issue and it can apply to all faiths. >> but california senator barbara boxer and other democrats countered the g.o.p. was launching a war on women. >> women in this country are tired of being treated like a political football by republicans in congress who have tried continually and are continuing to try to take away their benefit, to take away their rights. >> the president ultimately altered the birth control mandate to accommodate religious objections. but house republicans drew fire from women's groups when they arranged for five men to speak against the mandate, at a hearing, while barring a young female law student, sandra fluke, from testifying in favor. the issue blew up again when conservative radio host rush limbaugh called fluke a slut and prostitute last week. he later apologized, but lost a number of sponsors in the continuing furor. president obama, meanwhile, telephoned fluke to commend her for speaking out. but at tuesday's news conference, he said women will

it is the area where the free syrian army was based. we have seen significant death tolls. area where the free syrian army claimed it was protecting civilians but failing to protect them. it withdrew from those areas of the left of the civilians to be massacred by this regime. most of syria is still under control of the regime. the regime is strong militarily. we're concerned about people like danny. we want people to live. we do not want the young people to die in front of such a brutal regime. we need them. this is a battle for democracy. the road does not go through farming. >> the point is, you're on the cusp or you can say you have already entered civil war in some places like homs. are you worried you'll lose even more members of your family? >> no, you do not understand something. we're already losing members of our family. we are being tortured by the army. the women have been raped and a kidnapped in the streets. how are we to protect ourselves. ? this theory was protected by the army. there were bombarding the whole area. is in the better than coming in and stabbin

they've been using relentless force in their fight to control free syrian army strongholds. the conflict has been going on for more than a year now. 8,000 people have died. syrian troops used tanks on monday and tuesday to attack opposition in deir al zor. the city is near the country's eastern border. a human rights activist says the assault killed many civilians and that members of the free syrian army fled the city. president assad is targeting deir al zor because it's believed the opposition uses the city as a gateway to smuggle in large quantities of weapons from neighboring iraq. it is the third rebel stronghold to fall. government forces have already taken the central city of homs and northern city of idlib. the united nations is trying to find a way to end the hostilities. assad's government has accepted a u.n. fact-finding team looking into humanitarian aid activities. it has also agreed to allow in experts who will discuss the formation of a group to monitor any cease-fire. still, syrian soldiers show little sign of letting up in their attacks. >>> russia has offere

what we want is for them to give weapons to the free syrian army. if they do that, then we can save our country. >> decision by the free syrian army to pull back has not saved former opposition strongholds from the relentless retribution of bashar al-assad's forces. homs is still being bombarded. the un's humanitarian envoy, valerie amos, stopped briefly in turkey on her way to syria. she is trying to reach an agreement for a large-scale aid operation. so far, there is little headway. >> the syrian government has asked for more time to look at the agreement i put to them. it is very important indeed in my view that we get unhindered humanitarian access. however, the government has agreed to a limited assessment exercise to be conducted by u.n. agencies and the syrian authorities. >> many who can make it have been choosing to flee. they are still afraid of what will happen if they are identified. when they arrived last year, many imagined they would only be staying a few weeks. they are asking when something will be done to help them get home again. t

so-called free syrian army which i'm not sure it would obey to the syrian opposition outside and beside the free syrian army you have many of insurgent you have. and sadr who came from iraq from georgia from libya. the question is who can control those people on the. syrian government is able to spread its promise but those the other side who is divided and no one can help to give the structure. we heard today for example from america they don't want very easy to state what if they can who are distribution. free will not succeed from the beginning and we heard today. yesterday from foreign minister of germany for the affairs. who said that the syrian regime cannot count on your score to protect itself what it does mean i think the timing is not convenient for such statements from the german side all of the obvious let me be pessimistic about any success for. their mission or initiative of course here and. like you said in your. eyes before we go into a civil war. i'm so sorry to interrupt you but that's all the time we have his job or the director of beirut based center for middle east

amr neighborhood and homes fears are growing of revenge attacks by the rebels the chief of the free syrian army has sad but thursday's withdrawal was a tactical one of your position syrian national council who was recognized by european union as a legitimate representative of the syrian people has warned of massacres claiming they would provide leadership which is a good sized fighters and give them weapons the opposition groups already formed a military council to coordinate their weapons supplies these reports both free syrian army claims that it's already received weapons and empty aircraft missiles from u.s. and french sources arming the rebels has been considered as an excellent idea by qatar and saudi arabia earlier with a twenty two nation arab league also view this as an option if the violence doesn't stop here in syria humanitarian organizations have been refused to president bashar al assad to agree on a daily hour ceasefire to allow people to tarry and aid to be brought to the areas where prices still continues but the rock concerts that the opposition supporters abroad may use these

this came -- we have heard a clash between the free syrian army and the tanks. the free syrian army that was protecting the people there, they are cutting the two occasions, the phones, the landlines, in an effort to cut off those areas. but we have seen him, we have seen the humanitarian situation which is bad in the city. there are injuries that cannot be treated. they destroyed in the hospital. they have executed in the streets. they were defectors and they have been executed on the street. there were children injured and some of them were babies. all of that is documented and the movement of the attacks were documented. >> that is latest from the city of hama according to a an anti- government activist. ♪ >> it is the sound of genius. we will have a listen to new work discovered by a teenage mozart. the u.k. government has plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol. david cameron wanted to and binge drinking and violence in town centers. a minimum of 40% per unit is proposed in england and wales. the drinks most affected would be those bought in supermark

united nations voice is concerned that the rebel free syrian army may be using child soldiers in their battle against president assad international peace envoy kofi annan says it's up to syrians to decide that. the u.s. seeks to plant anti missile shield in asia and the middle east alongside its european project its involvement in korean affairs is seen as an attempt to expand american finance in the region. and with washington showing no let up on its pursuit of whistle blows or journalists forced to sacrifice the truth for me in future. but now it's time for the top sports stories of the. oh all kinds of sport on our team come and see a live from moscow with her mom call sort of let's start with a headline. chelsea challenge aims to keep their champions league on jeans and hold the record intact as they prepare to host the blues in the first leg of the quarterfinals on tuesday. and on course victoria azarenka stages an incredible comeback at the sony ericsson open in miami and keeps her unbeaten season in fact. spreading roots russian martial art of sambo is seeking its place with th

providing military assistance to the free syrian army and other opposition groups is necessary but at this late hour, that alone will not be sufficient to stop the slaughter and save innocent lives. the only realistic way to do so is with foreign air power. which could break assad's siege of contested cities in syria, protect key population centers, and help the opposition to asaid on the ground to establish and defense safe havens in syria where they can organize and plan their political and military activities against assad. at the request of the syrian national council, the free syrian army and local coordinating committees inside the country, the united states should help to lead such an effort in syria. but as i have repeatedly said, this does not mean we should go it alone. we should not. we should seek the active involvement of key arab partners such as saudi arabia, uae, jordan and qatar and allies in the e u and nato, the most important of which in this case is turkey. rather than closing off the prospects for negotiated transition that is acceptable to syria's opposition, mi

of the headlines for you down here in outing united nations voices concerned that the rebel free syrian army maybe using child soldiers battle against president assad as international essentially piano it's up to syria's side the. u.s. seeks to plant plants a missile shield in asia in the middle east alongside its european project or it's going to be in effect as it seems no attempt to break through its. own washington showing momentum from its pursuit of whistle blowers more journalists feel forced to sacrifice the truth fearing the future. was discussed the ins and outs of the whistleblower case involving three innocents the social sciences personal. but interviews coming up next. julian a son shales as a hero for leaking information through his website wiki leaks is facing an uncertain future swedish authorities want to question him in relation to sexual assault allegations and some politicians in the u.s. want him extradited there to stand trial for leaking tens of thousands of secret u.s. government documents here's discuss the ongoing controversy surrounding tuna sandwich is professor

incidentally it's not hearsay it is actual fact british special forces have met up with members of the free syrian army and they are training members of the free syrian army from a base in turkey british m i six operatives but it's said to have reportedly been training the rebels. now what is that that means. the west the didn't realize staveley nato. hold inside syria. and they are complicit. in arm which is not an opposition which is fighting government forces. well he had a few this hour including unveiling the enemy nearly two years after using a legend bradley manning of aiding an unnamed government prosecutors a final say who it is is a case against the subject. and later we take to dust off a precious business the way the rules don't you know close ups. still deep in egypt if thousands are gathering in cairo over the football stadium stampede in which killed seventy four people last month thousands of people have now been charged with murder and negligence including a former security chief and eight police officers as a really good reports it's just compounding the despondency and program for lu

not it's look here's it is actual fact british special forces have met up with members of the free syrian army and they are training them because of the free syrian army from a base in turkey british m i six operatives have reportedly been training the rebels they. know what is that that means their operatives well that was the dutch realize namely nato on the ground inside syria. and they are complicit in it. which is not an opposition which is fighting government forces. well we want to know what you think about the situation in syria with our web site that r.t. dot com we're asking you a year on the news during the fighting in the conflict in syria. and for half of the one percent say it's world superpowers and that they're known for natural resources so over a quarter believe it's a propaganda peddlers and to make media outlets have a sense it's a serious power hungry elite or slightly fewer so for us it's a right between freedom loving people in the oppressive government not a dot com as many of us. still do in egypt with thousands gathering in cairo and the football stadium stampede whic

remain chaotic on the ground fears a growing revenge attacks by the rebels the chief of the free syrian army has claimed it was through tactically shortly after that the opposition syrian national council has warned on massacre claiming they would provide leadership to disagree ised fighters and give them friends arming the rebels has earlier been considered as a good idea by qatar and saudi arabia the twenty two nation arab league hasn't ruled out this option either humanitarian organizations have appealed to president bashar al assad to agree on a daily two hour ceasefire to allow emergency aid to be brought to the areas with the fighting still continues the rock insurgence that's the foreign supporters of the opposition may use these to green weapons to the rebels we're hearing about killings in homes still happening in the conflict in on who's behind it the residents we've managed to speak to by phone say gunman a killing people in the area known as hell media many christian families leave opposition activists reports about execution style killings and burning homes by the army but these

free syrian army which i'm not sure it would obey to the syrian opposition outside and beside the free syrian army you have many of. them from iraq from your god. who can control those people on the. syrian government is able to spread its promise but laws either side who is divided and no one can help to give instruction. with little light at the end of the tunnel in syria the chief worry now is that it could plunge into an all out civil war and deep sectarian splinters in the country it's a prospect already having a chilling consequences beyond syria's borders as a explains. it's an air of c.t. on the mediterranean with a pancham for everything. lebanese tripoli looks a lot like its libyan namesake and increasingly it's being drawn into the revolutionary violence it's home to sizeable alawite and sunni communities and with the syrian border just half an hour drive away tensions are already boiling over the road separating the alawite and sunni communities here in tripoli is up to the serious street and attitudes to what's happening there did live lebanese more than anything else this

complicated than before you just touched upon the two segments of the syrian opposition the free syrian army and the turkey based national council also there are people there are industries are fighting for the better life this three pieces of the syrian opposition how cohesive r.t. rather how they are not so coherent because. we all know the syria freedom army the bases in turkey they're outside of syria and then we see in the syria there is another one called the cole or the nation group there's another called the national council so there are basically the us three major opposition groups but the old. sort of the they are not united together so the these organizations and also those in fighting are the two major features a mom those. groups are also up people inside syria how willing are the to listen to the opposition outside syria to the external i say they don't listen to those orders or so years of thaw the record a lack of this so called the syria for instance conference friends of syria coordination. group based in syria i.e. in the country then they refused to join but friends of s

complicated than before you just touched upon the two segments of the syrian opposition the free syrian army and the turkey greatest national council also there are people there are industries are fighting for the very way of this three pieces of the syrian opposition how cohesive are going rather how they are not so coherent because we all know the syria freedom army the base the in turkey they're outside of syria and then resume the syria there is another one called the call of the nation group and then there's another called the national council so there are basically that us three major opposition groups old. three of the large united together so that these organizations and also those in fighting out of true major features are models are . also our people inside syria how willing are the opposition outside syria to the external i see they don't listen to those others australians are thought. core alike of those so called the syria friends of conference friends of syria coordination. group based thing syria i.e. in the country then they refused to drawing the friends of syria conference

no you just touched upon the two segments of the syrian opposition to free syrian army and the turkey based national council also there are people there in the streets are fighting for the better life this three pieces of the syrian opposition how cohesive are they right or how they are not so coherent because we all know the sunni a freedom army that based in turkey there outside of syria and then reason to syria there is another one called the cold war the nation group and then there is another called the national council so there are basically that us three major opposition groups of both sort of the they are not united together so that these organizations and also those in fighting other two major features those. groups are also up people inside syria how willing are the opposition outside syria to the external i think they don't always into those orders or syrians at all. corps like this so called the syria friends that conference friends of syria coordination. group based thing syria in the country then they refused to join the friends of syria conference so we are quite clear t

of on the ground reports including from al jazeera who've confirmed that it was actually the free syrian army who stopped ambulances going into two evacuate both injured syrian civilians and and surgeons but also the foreign journalists who were there. as i have for you on the program it are now down in the u.k. where the organized crime police targets are sharing websites was afraid of prison terms usually reserved for only the most violent of criminals. plots in nepal a crackdown widespread child trafficking results in a ban on international adoption despite the smiling faces the decision that's pretty costly. the world's largest pros really lobby aipac is gathering in washington this weekend to put more pressure on barack obama over attacking iran with a jewish state intensifying war rhetoric threatening military action against the islamic republic the u.s. has been accused of being ambiguous on the matter or she's going to take on reports on the conflict in pressures on a battle from those for and against war. president obama's walking on a razor's edge on one hand members of his administ

more complicated than before you just touched upon the two segments of the syrian opposition to free syrian army and the turkey based national council also there are people there are industries are fighting for a better life this three pieces of the syrian opposition how cohesive r.t. right or how they are not so coherent because we all know the syria freedom army the bases in turkey outside of syria and then reason the city rather is another one called the whole of the nation group there's another called the national council so there are basically there are street major opposition groups of the old. three of the they are not united together so that these organizations and also those fighting are the two major features among those opposition groups are also up people inside syria how willing are the opposition outside syria to the external i think they're going to listen to those others or sleeves i thought. the record like those so called the syria friends that conference friends of syria coordination. group based thing syria i mean the country then they refused to join the friends of syria con

united nations voice is concerned that the rebel free syrian army may be using child soldiers in their battle against the president as international peace and void kofi annan says it's up to syrians to decide their leader. two faces of a kingdom saudi arabia is democratic rhetoric had also with reality its own people run to a state rulings that make protests a sit in and opinions of forty absolute. u.s. seeks to grant and see missile shields in asia and the middle east along side its european project its involvement in korean affairs is seen as an attempt to expand american influence in the region. and with washington showing no left to follow suit of clothes or journalists to feel forced to suffer because the truth fearing for their future. internationally is in comment twenty four hours a day you're watching on t.v. the free syrian army may be sending child soldiers to fight against government forces according to reports are saved by the united nations when he says it will now investigate the matter as kofi annan the international peace envoy clears it's up to the people of syria alo

united nations voice is concerned that the rebel free syrian army may be using child soldiers in a battle against president assad since national police in broad hoofy other says it's up to syrians to decide that there. are two cases of a kingdom saudi arabia is democratic rhetoric at odds with reality and so people running to escape rulings that make protests to sit on the case of forty absolute. u.s. seeks to unseemly south shields in asia and the middle east along side its european project but its involvement in korean affairs is seen as an attempt to expand american influence in the region. and with washington showing no let up on its pursuit of wish to go it's not journalists feel forced to sacrifice for truth fearing for their future. international news and comment twenty four hours a day you're watching r t i'm kerry johnston the free syrian army may be sending child soldiers to fight against government forces according to a report received by the united nations but he says it on the ground best matter is kofi annan the international peace envoy declares it's not for the people of s

it's little hearsay it is actual fact british special forces have met up with members of the free syrian army and they are training members of the free syrian army from a base in turkey british m i six operatives it's said to have reportedly been training the rebels who. know what it is that that means. the west them doesn't realize staveley nato are underground all of it inside syria. and they are complicit in. an entity an armed good city which is not an opposition which is fighting government forces. plenty more ahead in this hour including unveiling the enemy two years off recusing alleged bradley manning are aiding an unnamed foe government prosecutors from they say who it is the case against the soldier. and later we take it to you catherine were to dust off a precious business tucked away urals. subsumes. still deep rangar in egypt with thousands gathering in cairo over the football stadium stampede which killed seventy four people last month dozens of people have been charged with murder and negligence including a former security chief and eight police officers. ports it's just compou

take the injured journalists out of homs and it was actually the free syrian army who refused to let the journalists leave so i think we need to be quite careful that you know suddenly this has been allowed by by the syrian government there is in fact this is been going on for some time and there are there are a lot of on the ground reports including from al-jazeera who have confirmed that it was actually the free syrian army who stopped ambulances going in to to evacuate injured syrian civilians and. insurgents but also foreign journalists who were there. when i was reported this project coordinator for the conflicts forum in beirut thanks for coming on r.t. today thank you you thank. all right still to come on the program here in our new hope for an old hopeful the e.u. recognizes serbia as a candidate for membership as the government roll great promises a bright prosperous but some say realistic future for the country. but let me put in has called or any attempts to arm the syrian opposition unacceptable insisting it would undermine the peace efforts and the prime minister and pres