best syria -- the syria faith initiative. he was also awarded the chicago 2016 of the year into by his medical work. elizabeth tsurkov is a fellow and middle east program at foreign policy research institute. she's a doctoral student in political science at princeton university, and i should add a prolific writer on all things syria. her research is primarily based on a large network of contacts that she has cultivated across syria as well as in the region. she is also a research fellow at the forum for regional thinking, a progressive israeli-palestinian think tank based in jerusalem. elizabeth has worked as a consultant for the international crisis group, the atlantic council, and the european institute for peace, among many other places. she has a decade of experience working with human rights organizations in middle east and defending the rights of refugees, migrants, laborers, palestinians and ethnic and religious minorities. alex marquardt, who will be here shortly, is an award-winning national correspondent based on cn

exported through through syria to syria through syria and the other dimension as the syrian refugee crisis which also has a major impact on the lebanese economy what do you tell the foreign office here about the britons continued desire to see the overthrow of bashar al assad in fact i understand that for isis suspects arrested in lebanon in the past week so there was a spillover as well of his name is groups would you tell the foreign office here well what we tell everyone is that. there should be 1st a political process this is a conflict that cannot be resolved by military means and words like overthrow or operation of data that i think everyone needs to look for the political process we have luckily you and process we have a new united nations security council resolution and i think everyone should respect that allow the syrians. themselves to find their way through towards a peaceful resolution of the scribes which ariens of course because if you watch british media mainstream media able to tell you that what the russians are doing in these glib is appalling and i saw this killing his

about syria and what is happening in syria. we have a history in the congress were you have a senator from wisconsin who every day in the morning went to the floor and spoke about genocide for 11 years. 250 speeches about the genocide. thatne in congress can do and has the responsibility to push president trump to do something with syria. and of course the media, we are a country of people. what is happening is a reflection of the apathy of the people in the united states, whether faith leaders, congregations, the media, organizations and so forth. we have to reflect on that and change that. >> i will be quick because we are short on time. we have a long list of recommendations, i agree with all of them. trumpited states under more so under obama has drawn a redline in the sand in terms of the use of chemical weapons. if you think about that, we have made a statement if any chemical weapons used, even if it kills conducton, we will military strikes or some form of action. then you compare it to the scale in idlib that makes our

in syria u.s. seven, eight, can displacement of the families and the population going north or going to idlib, now there's no more idlib. these people do not have any other place to go. the 3 million people in idlib are trapped. they cannot go to any of the place, so some of think they can escape to lebanon or iraq, they cannot flee. it is landlocked. the fate these 3 million people are living -- over and over. she told me she wants to be a doctor. actually most of the children that i've seen in the camp they wanted to be doctors and teachers and architect. our government here can't help them be a source revealing. not only in syria but for the whole middle east. and being a a source of stabily and chaos and extremism. if we just focus on syria, pay attention to it, because syria is important. not because the iphone was invented by a syrian american but because because of the geography of syria. that's the revenge of geography. because of location of syria, the countries that are around three, the

troops in the east and they spot of syria and the pretext of protecting the only for. it's off in order not to be flown in again at the hands of isis or be actually taken by the syrian at the sea in the regime right now i think the americans are still very much into this scheme. position will be very much affected also in this confrontation with deceiving the regime and by the by extent with russia on how how much support they are going to get from the americans it's really important for the turks that the americans support them in any prospect of future confrontation with their with the syrian regime and the russians without their support i think the turks will be thinking back and with the incident which when they brought down that russian jet jet into 2015 so i think that americans are still very much there and the turks would want actually to see their american supporting them somehow know that to stop this attack by the sea in the gym and it's a shame because i agree with both of you are the speakers actually that the immediate objective of the syrian regime right

department of defense in amman jordan mayes know what is the is an advisor with world vision's syria crisis response and in chicago illinois doctors say here's a little he's the president of med global and has volunteered for multiple medical missions to syria welcome everyone hashem i want to begin with you al jazeera english is currently reporting that there is a counter offensive coming from the syrian government forces and sara can you update us on what's happening there. well basically josh what is happening as we speak is that the syrian army backed by russia. are trying both to undermine the gains made by the burbles particular instead of pounding in their defense lines they don't want the rebels to set up their defense lines in the city and they don't want them to hold ground and get entrenched in their city this is quite a strategic moment. a crucial moment for all the parties but for the opposition by taken over. which says it's on the intersection of both highways and $4.00 and $5.00 they will cut off supplies for the military for the syrian army the syrian army won't be a

against syria mr sarkozy convened the so called friends of syria you know summit in which all the western countries took part you know those of countries so if he didn't attack than or rather he's tried and they failed he knows he's going to feel now because it is just a small part all the syrian deputy of the government controls 90 percent of syria he is in the works but with a situation right now his real dilemma is this 2 things number one as the syrian army moves to regain control of all of the dissolve into including the illegal occupation of the the americans there you're going to have these terrorist cells they only have one place to go north up so to turkey so he cultivated them protected them armed them money. but now when the game is over we're they go they're not going to surrender to assad and his forces they're going to have one escape route where they came from. there's also i'm sorry and the civilians and ability don't forget about you know the libyan people already very unfortunate after they're. the western countries in the establish democracy is that they need in this co

that syria and turkey are prepared to go to war over syria or over it lead. i think the public sentiment and i mean even if we were to put it on in the government aside there is a huge public sentiment against bashar assad and what russia is doing and i think that sentiment combined with the atrocities happening in it combined with the wave of a new big wave of refugees i think there's a willingness to even push for that to stop that particular wave of refugees coming into syria so this this by this nationalistic or this military stick tone in the against aside from coming from the government there is also a public sentiment that supports that and that's also interesting for the turkish public when it comes to syrian conflict i think it has turned into an existential. place for turkish intervention into syria or turkey's operations syria because i mean what will come after assad. you know claims victory an adlib and it take takes control of it will he be stopping there all or the next target will be now then the northern syrian areas under the control of the

and you're in the stream today as the united nations sound the alarm for civilians in syria we ask is the world indifferent to. join the conversation twitter. stream or leave a comment on our live chat and you too can be in the story of. the united nations warns that the world is facing the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st century as the forces of syrian president bashar al assad close in on the last opposition stronghold and the that announcement by the un comes as opposition forces backed by the turkish military regained the key town of soraya on thursday as hashim reports it's the 1st significant reversal for the syrian army. and this is just a bit i leave on the streets. for the rebel commander this is just the beginning of a long push to recapture lost territory. of this rocket is back on that old control we have managed to evict syrian army russian all i am pro-government militias from so i want to reassure our people that we will liberate all the cities of syria and if you did that the thought. but for the rebels to hold ground may be challenging the city is located o

and targets in syria but also it has to be mentioned that iranian military advisers are inside syria at the quest of the syrian government which means that they are legally here and that israeli concerns do not legitimize undermining international law the end of the day civilians are being killed and there is an israeli clear israeli disregard of international law it regards to attacking syria every time and then hundreds of attacks that happened of course since the start of the crisis in 2011 and syria damascus government repeatedly accused israel of directly supporting terrorists and that all of these strikes are actually aimed at assisting the terrorists on the ground remember how every time the syrian army was advancing. in a very sensitive area an open answer when there were terrorists before the army cleared that area of terrorists we always saw how israel attacked syrian posts whenever there is a fight would be terrorists so it's very clear what the syrian government's stance is and now we're hearing the sounds of the russian minister of defense which are all against israeli p

they had been discussing the situation in syria of course turkey has lost 33 soldiers in syria. quested a nato meeting and stall. scene that needs to expresses its deepest condolences to turkey they also said need to allies have promised to solidarity with the cherokee let said check back in with our he's following the story for us on turkey's boards with syria actually held there from yet stoltenberg offering a lot of support. sympathy condolences in practical terms what do you think do you think turkey will be happy with the outcome of that meeting. no i don't think so for different reasons now the turkish government has been saying in the past they watch not only words of sympathy or solidarity from the e.u. and nato in particular who want action because because this is how they see what happens and this is why since yesterday all the statements from the turkish government if you read in between the lies there is this feeling of being betrayed by the e.u. and nato in particular they say we have committed troops on the side syria particularly province and we wanted support fro

however and i'm come out santamaria it is the biggest single day loss of turkish soldiers in syria's civil war $33.00 of them killed on thursday by government airstrikes in it labe which of course we know is the last rebel held province in the country and turkey's retaliation it has been swift its military says it's attacked more than 200 syrian army positions and some turkish politicians are even calling for a ground offensive but they've been some diplomatic moves to president reject typer one called russia's vladimir putin to discuss the deal they had signed to coordinate in italy bound to prevent the fighting from miscue lazing while nato which turkey is a member has pledged further support. condemn the continued indiscriminate strikes by the syrian regime under the shah in provence today's meeting is a clear sign though solidarity with turkey turkey is a valued nato ally and turkey is the nato ally most affected by the terrible conflict in syria which has suffered the most terrorist attacks and we chose the millions of refugees and that point that un stoltenberg makes about refu

all that it comes down everest anyway in syria they want to know what speaks about killing civilians and killing women and children while they never mention that 1000 that tens of thousands of martyrs who had killed by the missiles of that terrorist do the western governments support these terrorists do they like it that the their one dead to prevent i mean i it's beyond my understanding that l. all that the only one that there is a defeated that bumpy you will or or weston or root of piano push others called for stopping the syrian army because civilians are being killed it is that died when civilians out being saved it is that died when women and children and fact it is and institutions are being saved through terrorism ok but even if one accepts the boris johnson donald trump a backing al-qaeda linked groups and damascus al-qaeda linked groups still have children what about the children in these groups that your saying that your liberating is the no alternative but for them to be killed in the liberation of these areas and no lead that pick said that to you so there's a lot out of

this is the islamic state group's legacy in syria.heir wives, children, locked up in detention camps, still poisoned with their ideology. their plight is a black mark on the conscience of the world. a world which fears allowing them home. in this desert of good and evil, there are the guilty and the innocent. few countries have bothered to sift in separate what isis left behind. the islamic state group was not destroyed, it was broken into pieces. there is a big chunk of it right here and northeastern syria. is was international army ofjihadists grown from the four corners of the globe who brought their families in tow. many of them have survived but some of them have escaped and others have already made it home. this caliphate is now scattered across the world. and that may be as much of a threat is what came before it. the injustice, it chokes in your throat like sand and she is being punished by the sins of her father. bringing the family here in 2015. when you are living in indonesia did you know it was going to be like when you l

to give you an idea on how urgent the situation is in syria especially northwest syria here at the un this is the 3rd time in the last 10 days that the security council has been briefed on the situation there it was on thursday they were briefed on the humanitarian situation and how it is going down bad a very fast and the situation is deteriorating so fast for thousands of civilians that are caught in the middle of this but clearly a good tear is the secretary general very much is pushing for an immediate cease fire however when he was asked by journalists today on friday how he's making progress on that he simply said we are not there yet so clearly there's an indication that they are nowhere close to a cease fire that least that we know of as a situation continues to be very difficult northwest syria and the security council continues to address this all right thanks very much for. following that story for us much more still to bring you on a trip like break including a story a major railway station is not created in french capital paris is off to protest as it began lighting fires

most affected by the terrible conflict in syria. which has suffered the most terrorist attacks and we chose millions of refugees and that point that un stoltenberg makes about refugees could be crucial because while turkey deals with syria to the south it also appears to be putting pressure on europe to the north remember there are millions of syrian refugees in turkey many of whom have always wanted to travel on into europe and ankara is now saying it won't necessarily stop them if that happens on a full scale it would go against the deal that turkey signed with the e.u. back in 2016 syrians in turkey are in fact already making their way to the greek border and greece is reportedly tightening its sea and land crossings in response. so let's talk all about this and introduce you to today's panel starting on skype from a stone but we've got who is the managing editor of the daily sabah english language newspaper in amman wilf dinnick spokesman on syria for the humanitarian aid organization mercy call and in london fadi had khuda cons

response against russia and syria with an estimated 900000 people displaced by the violence the same time the american military officials acknowledged the complexity of the situation in libya and missing the province has become a haven for extremist factions. seems to be a magnet for terrorist groups especially because it is an ungoverned space in many ways the raw variety of groups there all of them are a nuisance a menace in a threat to hundreds of thousands of civilians who are just trying to make it through the winter it was a lot of takes a closer look now at how this latest chapter of the conflict in libya is drawing in competing international powers along the way. pushes coming to shove in syria turkey and the us russia israel and multiple militant factions all skirmishing in the country and previous motives for warring fading into oblivion. it's time for assad to get out of the way. we have won against isis we've beaten them and we've beaten them badly all that is a thing of the past now as new goals vividly take shape the latest fighting an adlib is a mere accessory to the g

presence on the ground in syria. this is usually dangerous this is usually dangerous because we know how the united states. act if anything happens so much as an abrasion or scratch appears on one of their soldiers even if they are occupying operating illegally against international law in a place in the country like syria so this is extremely dangerous from that point of view if something happens so and syria is very aware of this they're playing the long game damascus moscow are certainly playing the long game in this respect or tolerating the u.s. presence in syria they have done from the beginning but the priority for damascus is it and after that it will be africa and when those 2 areas eventually they will be liberated they will be cleared but it might not be immediately but eventually they will because this is not the sustainable position for turkey as soon as that happens then the united states is completely out of sorts there's no way they'll be able to maintain their current position because they don't have

wars including the war in syria regime change words and then drop 59 cruise missiles on syria without any proof of evidence that syria had in fact used chemical weapons what i think the pentagon is trying to do right now is pull turkey back into the fold of the nato alliance turkey of course is the 2nd largest military in nato it's the eastern flank of nato it's had since july 2016 when the turkish military tried to overthrow heir to one and. one government considered the west to be sort of in on the plot relations between the west and have gone downhill they've gone south i think this is nato in the us way to try to bring everyone back into the u.s. led fold of course the u.s. led military alliance nato being 1st and foremost do you think there's hope that everybody can get back ran this negotiating table i say that because the leaders of france and germany we're told have told putin they are ready to join to to resolve this crisis we expect that to happen. i think negotiations are the only way to go forward air to one however playing the nationalist card in terms of his own domestic

show obey syria of children the bugger off children that's not true well there are so many videos you know and all p.c. w.-o. we discovered how much of the media was fake. with the light had metal got the us car we discovered that they were the right hand of that terrorist now we all had their fill of being shown and undone by waddell complete oh is it through my lip will it does it take film that has no good aim of truth in it that had been made only in order to the good and the women and their family it is the density and britain at the expense of the truth fake media and now is an issue that we should all face in order to discover that reality and what is it truly go and are not only in syria but everywhere in the word of course the director for samo which was nominated for an academy award didn't get it would deny that but then what happened to the u.k. mercenary founder of the white helmets or syrian civil defense his body was found it is stumble. and we should discuss serious matters not only if they can use that to reach you from istanbul and diploma the light helmets and to fr

of idlib is quote a matter of time a turkish military convoy has been seen crossing the border into syria. and in other news australian m.p.'s visit julian assange in jail and call on the u.k. government to stop his extradition to the united states warning about the wiki leaks founders deteriorating condition. use exhibiting signs of abuse only. he did tell us about being kept. on going lost a lot of the site. and the u.s. house of representatives speaker nancy pelosi warns the european union against working with huawei branding china's tech giant a major security threat she does not mention however her own reported role in mass american spying including on the leaders we ask people in new york and london whether china or the u.s. is a bigger surveillance threat to them over to us to us anybody having. access to our data. you're watching r t international bring you your live news update from our studio here in moscow welcome to the program and we start with breaking news this hour as the turkish president has announced that the start of the military operation in the syrian province of idl

international with me calling for a 1st for you this friday tensions continue to flare in syria. where turkish backed militants have fired on syrian army positions near the town of the rob here's some pictures from that attack on thursday. meanwhile washington is calling for damascus and its backers to face punishment over their military actions in the region that's despite u.s. officials also admitting that has become a haven for terrorist groups. it seems to be a magnet for terrorist groups especially because it is an ungoverned space in many ways the reverend's of groups they're all of them are a nuisance a menace and a threat to hundreds of thousands of civilians who are just trying to make it through the winter the next correspondent igor dawn of takes a look at how the syria conflict has evolved over the years. post-race coming to shove and syria turkey and the us russia israel and multiple militant factions all skirmishing in the country and previous motives for warring fading into oblivion. it's time for assad to get out of the way. we have won a good study says we've bea

european union is calling for an immediate end to waging conflict in the final hotbed of the war in syria as turkey steps up its operations in the province meanwhile washington is pushing for diplomatic action to be taken against syria and its backers over the military actions in the region despite admitting that it lives become a haven for terrorist groups. to be a magnet for terrorist groups especially because it is an ungoverned space in many ways the river rights of groups there all of them. hundreds of thousands of civilians who are just trying to make it through the winter and next correspondent takes a look at how the syria conflict of alving. it's coming to shove in syria turkey and the us russia israel and multiple militant factions all skirmishing in the country and previous motives for warring are fading into oblivion. it's time for assad to get out of the way. we have won against isis we've beaten them and we've beaten them badly all that is a thing of the past now as new goals vividly take shape the latest fighting an adlib is a mere accessory to the geopolitical carnage is g

the leaders of turkey and russia spoke by phone on friday about the deadly conflict in syria is italy but province and what i'm reporting and richard tie a pair to one said they remain committed to previous deescalation agreements earlier this week militants backed by turkey launched an offensive against syrian government positions near the town of narrow. well. with an estimated 900000 people displaced by the violence 2 u.s. lawmakers have called for secretary of state to take diplomatic action against syria and russia however american military officials have also acknowledged the complexity of the situation in italy admitting that the province has become a haven for extremist factions. it seems to be a magnet for terrorist groups especially because it is an i'm going space in many ways the rev wright of groups there all of them are a nuisance and menace and a threat to hundreds of thousands of civilians who are just trying to make it through the winter or to see what he's done of it takes a closer look now at how it has become a key flashpoint in the syrian conflict. coming to shove

turkish backed rebels and syrian troops fight for control of a key town in the northwest syria and civilians have nowhere to hide it's. a report from the front line is russian backed government forces hit the town of star kept with strikes. i'm compelled this is al jazeera live from doha also coming up. to mix in the islamic republic of iran. and body part because of korea don't want to show you what these voters use. a warning for countries reporting their 1st cases of coronavirus from the head of the world health organization. the death toll from violent street battles between windows and muslims in the indian capital climbs to 33. because it's truly should be put on the peak of the street she's in. the deepening economic crisis in lebanon drains confidence in the government and raise the threat of new protests. to begin with a decisive battle in syria rebel forces a desperately trying to hold out against a government offensive and a key town and the province a stream of turkish military reinforcements to support the rebels is moving toward the front line city of sarka opposition forces ca

and flash point to the syria conflict is also seeing lawmakers in the u.s. push for a diplomatic response against syria and russia with an estimated 900000 people displaced by the violence at the same time though american military officials do acknowledge the complexity of the situation in italy admitting that the province has become a haven for extremist factions easily proven seems to be a magnet for terrorist groups especially because it is an ongoing space in many ways the raw variety of groups there all of them are a nuisance and menace in a threat to hundreds of thousands of civilians who are just trying to make it through the winter or us don of takes a closer look now at how several world powers have been tangled up in the italy but conflict. post-race coming to shove and syria turkey and the us russia israel and multiple militant factions all skirmishing in the country and previous motives for warring fading into oblivion. it's time for assad to get out of the way. we have won a good study says we've beaten them and we beat them badly all that is a

secretary general antonio the terrorist is calling for immediate truce in syria after dozens of turkish soldiers were killed in a syrian government strike meanwhile turkey and russia's presidents have spoken by phone to try to find ways of easing tensions in syria's northwest's. several sources have walked out of the french film awards after roman polanski says our award for best director he's wanted in the united states for the statutory rape of a 13 year old girl in 1977 polanski did not attend the event because of these protests against him taking place outside those are the headlines more news after inside story. retaliates the syrian as strikes killed dozens of its soldiers syrian government positions have been attacked but there's also a threat from ankara to go to deal with the e.u. brand let refugees cross into europe this trigger another humanitarian crisis this is inside story. however and i'm come all santamaria it is the biggest single day loss of turkish soldiers in syria's civil war 33 of them killed on thursday by government airstrikes in which of course we know is the la

with tensions running high in syria's war torn limb province the leaders of turkey russia france and germany will discuss ways to resolve the crisis next month in hours when it comes amid an ongoing exchange of offensive between the syrian government forces and turkish backed militants. thank. all turkey which supports so-called moderate armed groups has recently flooded the region with troops and equipment it was in response to a syrian offensive in the last terrorist stronghold in the region ankara considers the province strategically important for its security there are reported fears that syria's forces could advance further towards turkish held safe zones the russian and turkish president spoke on the phone on friday in an attempt to uphold previously agreed deescalation deals meanwhile the un warned all parties to reach a cease fire before the escalation gets worse. the flash point of the syria conflict is also seeing lawmakers in the united states push for a diplomatic response against syria and russia with an estimated $900000.00 people displaced by the violence at the same t