mike viqueira is life outside that gathering at the russell rotunda. a very hot ticket in town indeed, but the vice president will be among those who will be notably absent. >> reporter: yeah it is be boycotted about around 40 democrats. speaker john boehner inviting benjamin netenyahu to come and address this joint meeting of congress. he wants to try to derail what he thinks is an merging deal between iran and the west lead by the united states. ongoing right now at this moment in switzerland, trying to put iran's nuclear program -- put some controls on that. del you mention it is a shot ticket. town on the floor there will be empty spaces because of the controversy surrounding this speech. and you mentioned the absence of joe biden, you can see house speaker john boehner in front of the flag where he is traditionally for these joint meetings when foreign dignitaries address the senate. but to his right orewin hatch. the vice president has chosen to attend to business in guatemala overseas due to the fact the administration is very upset how this hap

mike viqueira is in washington with more. >> the president said time and time again that any lifting of the sanctions on iran if there is a deal will be gradual. that will be a main selling point. if there's a deal when it comes back to congress. when it comes to congress make no mistake, republicans are lying in wake whether the president is successful coming to terms with iran and p5 partners or if there's a failure. if a deal is struck the first thing congress will do when it gets back from its 2 week recess, is assist the president come to them for approval on the deal that the president made. if there's a failures the house and the senate will waste no time in ratcheting up sanctions, passing stringent sanctions on iran, and the president said he would go along with that. there are majorities in the house and the senate. it's not just republicans, plenty of democrats are on board. a lot of tension, anxiety and doubt about direction this is going in in terms of congress. a key selling point the president is expected to use, the break out time something the white house came back t

mike viqueira joins me now. he was taking pains to thank the united states for staying in afghanistan. >> you are right, del. i counted no fewer than eight times that he said thank you to the united states the military sacrifice, the economic sacrifice, the sacrifice of the american taxpayers you name it. it was a rosy picture of afghanistan he sought to paint today. an enlightened afghanistan, capable of providing its own security. and the familiar phrase that afghanistan is the graveyard of empires. he says it is the graveyard of al-qaeda and other elements seeking to deablelize the region. he said overall that -- it was a very forward-looking speech i think. obviously playing to an american audience. how much of that speech del, did president ghani talk about the rights of women and the advances in afghan society, both in terms of education, economic opportunities, in terms of political opportunities? something that was warmly received inside the chamber. it really struck me that that was a theme that he came

mike viqueira joins us now from washington. >> miming, how much of a role do we know the u.s. is playing? >> reporter: well, there is late-breaking news on that front. it's certainly a dramatic escalation and a volatile part of the world. and though, antonio the u.s. isn't joining in these strikes strikes that are led by saudi arabia and 10 other gulf nations, the united states is lending its full support. the sound of bombs filling the night skies over the yemeni capital of sanaa that evening. the announced attacks coming a few hours earlier in the washington. the message delivered by is saudi arabia's ambassador said the use of the force was a last resort but a necessary one. >> the objective is to defend the legitimate government of president hadi from the take over attempts by the houthi militias in yemen. >> reporter: just days after a bloody attack on two separate mosques in sanaa left scores dead. saudi arabia is entering a rapidly did he tear your situation in a country many fear is teetering on the brink of a civil war. >> we have a coalition of over 10 country that h

and mike viqueira in washington mike, the white house has said that it will not take part in any military action and is there any reason to believe that that will change? >> reporter: there's no reason though before that that will change any time soon, michael. thuation is largely the same on the ground in yemen. the u.s. is backing through rhetoric and intelligence and logistics, but here in yemen the critics are coming out once again and accusing the president of leaving behind. the top brass confirms, the u.s. is helping the saudis strike houthi targets inside of yemen. >> we're providing support to the gulf, the gcc and saudi arabia. >> that support in the form of intelligence and logistics and the military confrontation in step with american mistakes. >>politics. >> we see this as consistent with our goal. and we wish it was happening now. >> but the sudden escalation exposes tangled alliances, and raises the risks for the u.s. in an ever complicated and volatile region. the conflict is casting a long shadow. as john kerry sat down in switzerland to begin talks over the country's nuc

you have the caveat that net net is moving forward and piecing together. >> mike viqueira, thank you. and the outcome of today's israeli election could have a major affect on iran's nuclear program. john kerry and the iranian prime minister are talking this week and it's close but they only have two weeks to work out a framework for a long-term deal. >> reporter: certainly they're making progress, but how much depends on who you speak to. if you listen to the iranian side they're extremely optimistic. the head of iran's nuclear energy agency, he said that the technical aspects of this, they're 90% there just one remaining issue. u.s. side, not quite as optimistic they are still making progress, but there's a great deal of work. remember, the deadline for the framework deal is at the end of this month, and coming at the end of this week, an iranian holiday, and they will pause at that point, and there's a lot of work to be done. >> the secret service the new boss faces a lot of questions about the latest security at the white house. and plus, why cutting the cable cord could be easier

joining us now is al jazeera's mike viqueira. the national security team set to lay out their plan on dealing with isil what do we know about that plan so far? >> reporter: well, it's exactly as you reported del. congress is now deliberating the so-called authorization for the use of military force. and what is interesting about that is while the obama administration insists that it already has all of the authorization that it needs from the 2001 and 2003 authorizations in the wake of the afghanistan attacks -- or i should say prestaging the afghanistan war and the iraq war, they are now coming to congress. the day after the election president obama went before the press and announced he would be seeking approval of congress through a new outlined use of force. no american combat troops on the ground that phrase of course del is something that has been a subject of controversy. it has enough wiggle room in it and you will see a lot of close questioning on what that means. there are hawks on the republican side who have said we do

mike viqueira, he had very strong words for the israeli leader today. and tell us about it. >> he sure did. and the status quo between the united states and israel is bad enough, but in the wake of the campaign, many people are asking could these relations get even worse? even the post-election nightmare. after the vote, secretary of state john kerry called netanyahu. >> those are specifically meant, and happen after elections. it was not more extensive alone that. >> in recent years the united nations on the palestinian question. but on the reaction, netanyahu repudiated both the long-standing policy of both the u.s. and israel. the goal of a free palestinian. wednesday, a shift in the u.s. stance. >> well, the recent statements called into question the two-state solution. and we all agree on that point but it doesn't mean that we have changed the position with respect to the u.n. >> net net's win is likely to mean two more years of acrimonious relationship. president obama has yet to call netanyahu, but the two men are in plainly view. the white house

mike viqueira, what is the new plan? >> reporter: well, good evening to you randall.nd this is the second day of ashraf ghani's visit to the united states, and there has been a lot of pomp and ceremony, and he has gone out of his way to pay tribute to the united states after 14 years of american involvement in the war in afghanistan. but he came with one big ask for the administration. president obama had laid out his timeline for withdrawal of u.s. troops from u.s. troops from afghanistan, and they're down to 10,000 now. and what ashraf ghani wanted him to do is delay that plan. half of that number were to be there this year, 5,000 of them. and ghani wanted to delay it, to keep the 5,000 there a little bit longer to train equip and involve counter terrorism against taliban and other elements in afghanistan to stabilize that government. the president agreed in a joint press conference in the east room of the white house but he also insisted that the original plan that would have all u.s. troops removed from afghanistan by the beginning of 2017 was going to stay in pla

mike viqueira reports from capitol hill. >> reporter: it was a remarkable scene. >> mr speak are, the prime minister of israel. >> reporter: the leader of a close ally afforded a meeting with congress and despite outrage, making a case against a deal with a hated enemy. >> if the deal negotiated is accepted by iran that will not prevent iran from developing nuclear weapons, it will all but guarantee it that iran will get the weapons, lots of it. he objects to a reported 10-year sunset after which iran would be free of constraints. that's why the deal is bad. it doesn't block iran's path to the bomb it paves iran's path to the bomb. >> at the white house president obama said he was busy talking to leaders about ukraine, and didn't watch. he read the transcript and told reporters that a deal if there was to be one, would be the way to keep nuclear ambitions in check. >> the prime minister didn't offer viable alternatives. absent from the house chamber was joe biden, who normally attended in a ceremonial role. he was in jeneba ghatt. one -- guatemala. one na was there was nancy pelosi th

first, let's turn to mike viqueira, joining us from the capital. two different stories, critique of prime minister binyamin netanyahu's speech, some call it the best he's given. and rattled nerves at congress and the white house because of the way it was handled. what is your take? >> it's one thing to vision the speech notionally before it happened. it looked like a big deal, it's another to say the prime minister of israel, america's closest ally in the middle east stand up before congress at the objection of the white house delivering the season ex-corating negotiations that are under way with iran over the nuclear programme, it was remarkable in so many different ways. the prime minister went out of his way to thank president obama at the beginning, to prays president obama. i thought that was interesting. he praised the democratic leader, didn't mention another leader, nancy pelosi, and there's perhaps bad blood. nancy putting out a statement after saying she was near tears and saddened by the contra-senion - these are her words. we talk about

as mike viqueira reports, the president is insisting a full withdrawal is in the cards. >> good afternoon, everyone have a seat. >> on the second day in washington. afghan president ashraf ghani got what he came for. >> we'll maintain the posture of 9800 troops through the end of this year. >> president obama planned to cut the them in half. instead, he is delaying the timetable for withdrawal of american troops. >> given the blood and treasure the united states expended ashraf ghani said it was the right decision. >> the institutional gains achieved through advice and assistance is what will guarantee the investment of the last 14 years pay off in terms of gains that would insure. >> u.s. forces would continue to lead counterterrorism operations. the announcement coming after two leaders met in the oval office and after a sombre morning visit, where ghani laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier, it's designed in relation to a new era in relations, and boost confidence. >> four years ago there were 100,000 american troops in afghanistan. now the number is 10,000. even as we ask f

mike viqueira has the latest from washington. mike?> reporter: david in addition to all of that ashraf ghani has one big advantage, and that is he is not his predecessor who had a notoriously poor relationship with george bush and then barack obama. but it's a new set of leaders visiting washington now, and many are hoping on both sides that it opens a new era. it's designed at a show of unity and commitment from both sides. three days in washington for afghanistan's leaders, as american forces prepare to leave their country. after a day of high-level meetings defense secretary ash carter made a new commitment american funding of an afghan force of 352,000. >> by pinning one thing down which is the overall number in 2017, that's a way of providing some stability to the afghan security forces and a perspective into the future. >> reporter: that money, an estimated $4 billion annually must be approved by congress. but it is the number of american troops that is now in question. afghan president ashraf ghani is asking for a slower drawndo

mike viqueira is live at the white house to sort this out. mike, is it fair to say that the obama administration is not convinced here? >> yeah, they're taking issue with a lot of what benjamin netanyahu has been saying lately. president obama and the prime minister spoke by phone today. and a lot of people thought they raised their eyebrows, and thought that it should happen a lot earlier after the secretary of state called to congratulate netanyahu yesterday after his victory seemed clear. benjamin netanyahu did give his first interview today, and he tried to walk back his comments. but it was a clear victory for netanyahu. but today in washington, a lot of people are asking, at what cost? >> fresh from his election night triumph netanyahu tried to blur the line that he created just two days before. there would be no palestinian state so long as he is prime minister. >> i want a peaceful two state solution, but for that, certain circumstances have to change. >> the white house calls the two state solution a bedrock of foreign policy. if neta

. >> mike viqueira is in washington tonight. mike if a preliminary deal is reached in time how is the white house going to go along with the idea of lifting sanctions immediately? >> well, they're not going to go along with that. the white house has been clear about that. they're talking about a gradual lifting of sanctions. that is one of the selling points that they'll try to bring in, as they're lying in wait, deal or no deal. if there is a deal republicans have made it clear when they return from their two-week recess one of the first things they'll put on the floor is a bill that would require the congress to have final say to approve or reject a bill. the president is against that. if there is no deal we've heard it from john boehner as recently as yesterday the first thing they'll do is pass more sanctions ratcheting up the pressure on the president ratcheting up the pressure on the iranians in particular. there are majority both in the house and senate including a lot of democrats who are very skeptical and very anxious a

mike viqueira is at the white with more. mike?> reporter: benjamin netenyahu is here for one purpose and one purpose only. he is trying to rerail the deal between what he sees as the relationship between the itself and iran. the president in an interview late today said the damage between the two is probably not permanent. and both sides are emphasizing the strength of the relationship. a lot of prepositioning and posturing going on before the big speech before a joint meeting of congress tomorrow. but make no mistake, there is a difference of opinion over some basic facts here chiefly whether it is proper for benjamin netenyahu to come to the united states without knowledge of the white house and agree to give that speech. today netenyahu offered a curtain-raiser of sorts before apac. >> the purpose of my address to congress tomorrow is to speak up about a potential deal with iran that could threaten the survival of israel. iran envelops the entire world with its tentacles of terror. this is what iran is doing now without nuclear

mike viqueira is at the white house. >> reporter: well, john, you're absolutely right. and if there's going to be trust reborn, it's going to make a great deal of difference who is sitting in the prime minister's chair. will it be benjamin netanyahu as he has for the last six years? and of course the relationships with the obama administration have deteriorated in that time. but accelerating up to the meeting with congress, as he tried to derail a deal with iran that's emerging in the talks in the sensitive endgame stage in switzerland and the administration concerned about that. and then in the last 24 hours netanyahu backing away from policy with the administration, and the israeli government, with a two-state solution for the peace process. that's in shambles, and netanyahu backing off of that position and it's not going to hem matters to say the least. and netanyahu exhorting the coupe partners. so a lot at stake here. and i think that they were able to piece together a coalition and it felt doomed for the peace process with the remaining two years of the obama admi

mike viqueira has more from washington. >> reporter: with binyamin netanyahu's speech to congress daysy more bad blood and acrimony in a tense relationship. in an information interview, national security advisor susan rice put it bluntly. >> what happened over the past several weeks, by virtue of the invitation issued. by the speaker and acceptance of it by binyamin netanyahu, is on both seeds there has been injected a degree of partisanship. which is not only unfortunate, it's destructive of the fabric of the relationship. >> top officials, including the vice president, and citing a need to stay neutral, president obama will not invite binyamin netanyahu to the white house. firing back binyamin netanyahu was defiant. >> translation: i expect the white house and the president of the united states but on a critical topic that could determine what we exist or not, it is my duty to do everything to prevent the great danger. >> reporter: the exchange after the white house accused binyamin netanyahu of cherry-picking agents of the talks in an effort to cast them in the worse light, and says

. >> mike viqueira as you watch the president make his way into the chambers and how he is being greeted, weigh for us if you would how much has changed with regard to the situation in afghanistan and what we now know to be true. >> well the president said it was a dangerous place, but we talked about this yesterday. the president walked right into that one. there is a lot of criticism, notably from some frequent critics on the president's foreign policy, that the president has set this arbitrary date. what they regard as an arbitrary date. regardless of whether afghanistan is ready to stand on its own two feet the president has set this deadline and they raised this specter that has been raised time and time again, will afghanistan turn into another iraq a falling apart, sectarian struggles. struggles against in this case the taliban. and we heard president ghani mention in an interview, that isil now has a presence in his country. that has been disputed somewhat but nevertheless some doubt in congress as to whether the president's a wise path. del. >> the president of afghanistan now a

mike viqueira has more. >> reporter: john, the deal is not done yesterday. but that didn't stop netanyahu from coming to washington and making an extraordinary plea and in the process setting off a war of words with our closest ally. it was a remarkable scene. >> mr. speaker, the prime minister of israel. >> reporter: the leader of a colossal a afforded a place of privilege before a joint meeting of congress, and despite outrage and warnings from the president of making a deal with his country's hated enemy. >> if the deal negotiated can accepted by iran, that deal would not protect iran from developing nuclear weapons, it would all by guarantee that iran gets those weapons. lots of them. >> netanyahu said that it would leave iran with the ability to quickly develop nuclear weapons, and a ten-year sunset, of which iran would be free of any constraints. >> that's why this deal is so bad. it doesn't block iran's path to the bomb, it paves iran's path to the bomb. >> at the white house president obama said that he was busy talking to european leaders about ukra

mike viqueira is live for us at the white house.nd netenyahu tried to down play any rift with the administration. >> reporter: he did and yet he was very four square he was going ahead with this speak. john boehner, of course a republican didn't even tell the white house what ho-- he was up to invited netenyahu to give this speech. there has been a harsh exchange of worlds susan rice the national security advisor, saying the speech was going to be destructive to relations, but you are right, today was a day of posturing and prepositioning. both sides getting ahead of the curve, ahead of the address to congress expected tomorrow. he says he means no disrespect to president obama but that won't stop israel prime minister benjamin netenyahu to go ahead. the purpose of my address to congress tomorrow is to speak up about a potential deal with iran that could threaten the survival of israel. >> reporter: speaking monday in washington to the annual gathering of apac he framed the dispute in stark terms. >> american leaders worry about the

mike viqueira is life outside that gathering at the russell

mike viqueira is live at the white house. and the number of u.s.roops still in afghanistan is one of the major issues being discussed. >> that's right. and the afghan president wants flexibility from president obama. and that is half of the soldiers still there are scheduled to leave next year in 2016 and then by 2017 u.s. forces are expected to leave afghanistan all together. well what mr. ghani wants is for 5,000 to keep the troop level where it is now through 2016 to train and advise. that is something ghani wants them to continue. one thing that will not change and the white house has made clear time and time again, including today, 2017 is the date in which u.s. troops will be leaving. of course he is leaving office in 2017 but still no negotiation on that point. ash carter was one of those individuals at those top-level meetings at camp david today. he announced that the department of defense is going to be asking the congress to fund a total afghan troop level of some 325,000 strong of afghan troops at the cost of an estimated $4 billion ann

mike viqueira what is the white house saying?> reporter: they insist they president hadi is still the rightful leader of yemen. but no one really knows who is leading the country, who is in charge there, but in spite of it all, the u.s. is insisting that its policy towards yemen has worked. last september president obama cited yemen as a model in taking our terror. >> this is one that we have successfully pursued in yemen and somali for years. >> reporter: five months later u.s. forces evacuated, its embassy empty for a month. a spokesman is denying reports that president hadi fled from aden. the u.s. is still calling u.s. pollty towards yemen a success. >> we still have a number of successes to point to in terms of pushing back on al-qaeda and our successes in doing that in coordination with authorities. we're continuing to push back on counter terrorism threats that we face. >> reporter: u.s. officials have called that group as the one most intent and most capable of attacking americans worldwide. for years it has been the targ

. >> mike viqueira reporting live for us in washington. thank you. >>> jim walsh, research associate at mit security studies program joining us tonight from massachusetts. thanks for joining us. based on the latest developments, is the stage being set for a ground development? >> i don't think so. i hope not because i i don't think that will help very much. some of the signals that we saw today is this air campaign, which i don't think will accomplish very much. it might wrap up which begs the question why are you doing it. that won't fundamentally change the military equation on the ground. now can the gcc gulf corporation council in saudi arabia jet up from sirte into yemen. i doubt it. they have not fought a war for a long, long time. er it's not as if there is a ready-made force. even if they were going to do that, which i think would an bad idea, even if they do that, that's going to take some time. >> you make a good point about egypt, this possibility of sending in ground troops. and based on the history you say it's a valid point.

let's go to the white house where mike viqueira is there for us. so far the president has been reluctant to take more direct action. >> well, it's certainly true, and of all the foreign policy problems nat president has faced, syria is the most vexing and gained the most critics towards president obama and his policies. in the most violent year yet in a conflict of four years. >> millions forced from their homes, 220,000 dead. what can the president do to stop it. so far many experts agree what he's trying isn't working. >> mr. obama's approach to stay out of the area with troops on the ground, that far he's succeed something far. >> six months into the civil war the president said assad must go. three and a half years later the carnage conditions continues and assad is still there. >> what are i see are enormous gaps between what the the obama administration claims they're trying to do there. >> in 2013 the president's hands from forced. assad was accused of attacking his own people with chemical weapons, a red line that the president had clearly

is al jazeera's mike e viqueira. will ashraf ghani will warmly received by congress?i think he will be. this is the third of three days in washington. a visit really designed to show the new unity between the united states and the afghan government. remember one of the biggest things that ashraf ghani has going for him is he's not his predecessor, the man who had a notoriously bad relationship with not only president obama, but president bush as well.. now we have this new agreement in afghanistan. ghani now the president, the head of state. he'll be addressing the joint meeting of congress set to begin in just a few moments here. and dr. abdullah abdullah it was a bitter divide after allegations of fraud. now it's all sunshine and lollipops if you are to believe the staging and the stage craft that we have seen over the last three days. ashraf ghani has been very careful to thank the united states, the people of the united states, even going so far as to thank the taxpayers of the united states over the course of his three visits here. noting the number of american d