you can see the full interview with activist an un expert phyllis bennis and just about twenty minutes right here on our team. well it's been two weeks of courtroom drama for the russian female punk group pussy riot they face prison on hooliganism charges for an anti-government stunt on moscow's main cathedral in february prosecutors are demanding a three years' jail for the women with the final verdict expected on friday his peer over reports. over the past few days we've heard from the prosecution on the defendants themselves the prosecution saying that they wanted three year jail sentences for the three women for the demonstration which they held in russia's main cathedral in february of this year the women themselves speaking to the court said that they never intended to cause any offense to the orthodox church or its believe as by their protest in which they performed a so-called punk rock prayer calling on the virgin mary to reach russia of blood of me of putin now we've also heard support coming out for the three women on trial from celebrities in the music industry madonna. spe

and force the more that you can see the full interview with activist and you an expert phyllis bennis is on air again in about twenty minutes time tonight. egypt's president sort of these two top military officials the defense minister and the chief of staff to resign no explanations been given for that decision yet defense minister is saying to tell he had previously been egypt's interim ruler after the ousting of hosni mubarak last year you'll know be replaced by abdel fattah el-sisi will also take charge of the country's powerful military council just thoughts on this talk to dr sure he's director of the middle east is studies institute xti university is on the line from cairo another doctor how you can hear me. live on r.t. what do you read into these sackings after the ousting of hosni mubarak many people in egypt have been calling for the military's rule to be brought to an end there is this move an answer to that. yes i think today there was a very major decision that was taken by the. first time in political history that an elected civilian. overrules the heads of the military

experts phyllis bennis in about twenty minutes here in r.t. . thousands of protesters have gathered in cairo in support of the egyptian president's order for his two top military officials the defense minister and the chief of staff to retire one of them defense minister hussein tons of the had previously been egypt's interim ruler after the ousting of hosni mubarak last year it also served in the defense role under mubarak for you two decades he'll be replaced by other girls but the sunni who will also take charge of the country's powerful military council islamist president mohamed morsi also canceled the army's amendments to the constitution they gave top generals wide ranging always the muslim brotherhood's relationship with the country's military have been strained since last years of life it comes as egyptian security forces say they've killed exists seven suspected militants in all that are in sinai the way violence has recently escalated the operation was launched after sixteen egyptian border guards were killed a week ago the campaign t

expert phyllis bennis next hour here on our team. well thousands of protesters have gathered in cairo in support of the egyptian president's order for his top two military officials the defense minister and the chief of soft to retire one of them defense minister hussein tons of the had previously been egypt's interim rule after the ousting of his mubarak last year he also served in the defense role and. nearly two decades the replays of these new rules will take charge of a hope he will be come for the slam of the president mohamed morsi has also canceled the on the amendments to the constitution that gave top generals wide ranging muslim brotherhoods relationship with the funky minutes each have been strained this long is one. becomes as egyptian egyptian security forces say they've killed at these seven suspected militants in northern sinai where violence has recently escalated the operation was launched off a sixteen egyptian border guards were killed at a week ago the campaign to hunt down the killers was the largest in the regi

we will speak with journalist gideon levy, trita parsi, and phyllis bennis. this comes as harsh u.s. sanctions are hindering international donations for victims of this weekend's double earthquake. we look at vice president to candidate paul ryan's budget proposal to partially privatize social security and dismantle medicare and medicaid. >> we're at a moment where if government growth is left unchecked and unchallenged, america's best century will be considered our past century. this is the future in which we will transform our social safety net into a hammock that allows the able-bodied people into complacency. >> will the program last another 77 years? we will speak with heather mcghee and eric laursen of, "the people's pension: the struggle to defend social security since reagan." >> what is disturbing is the proposals treat it as something akin to a second sickout or investment account rather than as a sort of social contact. >> all of that and more coming up. this is "democracy now!," democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. rebel fi

next american world affairs expert phyllis bennis explains why aiming all mean both sides in the syrian conflict only serves our side interests. thank you for joining us on r.t. red cross and many other experts are saying that the situation in syria has descended into a civil war a full scale civil war. how does that how does that affect the positions of the positions of the west versus the position of other countries so far we have seen no indication that either the us or any of the outside actors are taking seriously the consequences of the determination by the international committee of the red cross that this is a full scale civil war what it means among other things is that the international laws of war what's known as international humanitarian law apply throughout the region and it applies to the opposition as well as to the regime they are obligated under the conditions of international law not to use certain kinds of weapons not to attack civilians not to hold prisoners without some kind of process all of those things are part of international humanitarian law and we have seen

and in an hour's time middle east coast and phyllis bennis explains why escalating the miniaturize ational the conflict can only be more dangerous. if the escalation continues if the militarization continues what we will then see is that the post assad government will be led by the men with guns when the victors are those with the guns that always bodes ill for women for children for civilians syria is not libya syria has a long history of civil society mobilization and organizations they have many things that was not possible in libya but the danger is that you will have. certain parallels certain similarities such as unaccountable militias who will not put themselves under the accountability of a new government that is a very dangerous reality and if syrian body politic explodes it will be an explosion not an implosion the danger of course is that with that growing the sectarianism growing there is the danger that it will spill over the border. the trial of the russian female punk band pussy riot has reached its final stage with the verdict expected next friday prosecutors are demanding

american weapons are still flowing into rebel hands says activist a middle east and un issues phyllis bennis the full interview with her is coming up later this hour. there is already intervention under way the western countries have provided the military of saudi arabia the military of culture that's where they buy their weapons from they buy american weapons so it is already western weapons that are going in it's not coming directly from the u.s. but it is weapons of the west the danger of that escalating is very serious. a un report warns israel it may be in violation of international law after its cordoned off nearly a fifth of the west bank for army training israeli forces are demolishing palestinian homes and driving people off their land saying they might spy on military drills are just fall asleep reports from one of the villages. i'm standing in a palestinian area that has been earmarked by the israeli government for demolition there are many similar situations just this week in the palestinian village of jim the israeli soldiers went from house to house searching for weapons and am

lethal aid to the opposition this all according to activists on the middle east and un issues phyllis bennis said the and if you with her is coming up in about twenty two minutes there is already intervention under way the western countries have provided the military of saudi arabia the military of cutter that's where they buy their weapons from they buy american weapons so it is already western weapons that are going in it's not coming directly from the u.s. but it is. is weapons of the west the danger of that escalating is very serious. now four ten pm here in moscow and the un has expressed concern over israel's plan to cordon off nearly a fifth of the west bank for army training israeli forces are demolishing palestinian homes and driving people off their land saying they might try to spied on the military drills. reports from one of those villages. i'm standing in susi a palestinian area that has been earmarked by the israeli government for demolition there are many similar situations just this week in the palestinian village of gym for the israeli soldiers went from house to house sear

if you'd like to hear more of what phyllis bennis had to say the full interview on air again next hour here on r.t. . egypt's president orders two top military officials the defense minister of the chief of staff to resign no explanations been given yet for that decision one of them the defense minister who saying turn towie had previously been egypt's interim ruler after the ousting of hosni mubarak last year he also served in the defense role under mubarak for nearly two decades will be replaced by a sissy who will also take charge of the country's powerful military council islam is president mohammed morsi is also a council beyond these amendments to the constitution that gave top generals wide ranging powers the muslim brotherhood relationship with the country's military been strained since last year's uprising all this comes as a gyptian security forces say they've killed at least seven suspected militants in northern sinai violence is recent. escalated the operation was launched off the sixteen egyptian border guards were killed in the campaign to hunt down the killers of the lar

only providing norm lethal aid to the opposition so says activist on middle east and un issues phyllis bennis the full interview with him is coming up later this hour his brief preview. there's already intervention under way the western countries have provided the military of saudi arabia the military of cutter that's where they buy their weapons from they buy american weapons so it is already western weapons that are going in it's not coming directly from the u.s. but it is weapons of the west the danger of that escalating is very serious. egypt to sealed off over a thousand underground tunnels leading from its eastern region to gaza a vital lifeline for many in the blockaded region and then follows the latest escalation of violence and the security forces are trying to drive militants out of the area. but wednesday egyptian president mohamed morsi searches intelligence chief and the governor and also i know after a militant attack killed sixteen soldiers the closure the tunnels means more hardship for citizens of gaza who've depended on them for most of the basic supplies bodies paula slew

only providing a lethal aid to the opposition says his activist on middle east and un issues phyllis bennis the full interview with her is coming up later this hour in the meantime here's a brief preview. there is already intervention underway the western countries have provided the military of saudi arabia the military of cutter that's where they buy their weapons from they buy american weapons so it is already western weapons that are going in it's not coming directly from the u.s. but it is weapons of the west the danger of that escalating is very serious. american efforts to decontaminate parts of vietnam from agent orange are on the way more than three decades after the war there ended the toxic chemical used to burn the country's jungle is blamed for health problems and birth defects or to discuss the last. effects of the harmful toxins on this deformation process i'm not joined by vietnam war veteran chuck but not so from the agent orange action group now you experience the vietnam war firsthand how do you feel now about the use of agent orange by u.s. forces. as a result of you know

providing non-lethal aid to the opposition this is all according to middle east and un issues expert phyllis bennis the full interview coming up next hour about an hour and twenty minutes from now. there is already intervention under way the western countries have provided the military of saudi arabia the military of cutter that's where they buy their weapons from they buy american weapons so it is already western weapons that are going in it's not coming directly from the u.s. but it is weapons of the west the danger of that escalating is very serious. or at a ten past seven early evening here in moscow american efforts to decontaminate parts of vietnam from agent orange are underway but more than three decades after the war there ended the toxic chemical used to burn the country's jungles is blamed for health problems on widespread birth defects the vietnam war veteran bill while believes washington might have a hidden agenda in its attempt to make. it isn't like one of those things that you just stop start the sprain and it goes away this is a half life for centuries and it is definitely seeped

issues expert phyllis bennis of the full interview with her is coming up in about an hour and twenty minutes there is already intervention underway the western countries have provided the military of saudi arabia the military of cutter that's where they buy their weapons from they buy american weapons so it is already western weapons that are going in it's not coming directly from the u.s. but it is weapons of the west the danger of that escalating is very serious. it's ten minutes past the hour here in the russian capital this is our two american efforts to decontaminate parts of vietnam from agent orange now under way more than three decades after the war there ended at a toxic chemical used to burn the country's jungle is blamed for health problems on a huge amount of birth defects a vietnam war veteran bill how quil believes washington has a hidden agenda in its attempt to make good. it isn't like one of those things that you just stop start spraying and it goes away this is a half life for centuries and it is definitely seeped in i'm not a scientist but it's definitely seeped in