here and security council is divided over syria western countries press for an outright condemnation of the syrian government for violence well russia says that could damage the growth of things in calls for more balance. so it's up there for the moment we've got would not want that if we shortly in about fifteen minutes from now and then time be meeting russia's recently appointed envoy for human rights to discuss his new role constantine bowl got shares his views on the in the tourist content of a bay prison camp and also nato presence in libya and interview a special interview coming up next on r.t. . i think you. think. the. president can go well thank you very much for being with us today thank you for your russian foreign minister is first ever envoy for a human rights why was this position create now well you also have the road this is a new business from has been established a few months ago actually to be exact three and a half months. i am in this position and has been established to. be direction of the president of the russian for the federation mr mcguinty if. decision w

security council is divided over syria western countries. of the syrian government . russia says that could damage the road to peace. but now we sat down with russia's a recently appointed envoy for human rights to discuss his new role. his views on the notorious guantanamo bay prison nato's presence in libya that's coming your way right now. thank you. thank you. thank you. think. thank you. because that's in the will thank you very much for being with us today thank you you are russian foreign ministry's first ever envoy for a human rights why was this position create now well you also have the right this is a new position on the youth has been established a few months ago actually to be rejected three and a half months. i am in this position and has been established to. be direction of the president of the russian for the federation mr medvedev. decision was taken by what the minister said your lover of the basic idea here is to. probably even more actively. profile our country russia in the field of human rights democracy and rule of law there was a very important

security council is a divided over syria western countries press for an outright condemnation of the syrian government for violence while russia says that could damage the road to peace and calls for more but. because of the headlines here and now we sat down with russia's a recently appointed envoy for human rights to discuss his new role. shares his views on the notorious guantanamo bay prison nato's presence in libya that's coming your way right now. good. thing. because that's in the law thank you very much for being with us today thank you for your russian foreign minister is first ever envoy for a human rights why was this position create now or will you also to read this is a new position. has been established a few months ago on actually to be exact three and a half months. i am in this position and has been established the. direction of the president of the russian to live a federation mr madrid if. decision was taken by a foreign minister so your level of the basic idea here is to. probably even more actively. profile our country or russia or in the field of human rights to

security council is divided over syria western countries press for condemnation of the syrian government for violence while russia says that could damage the road to peace and calls for more planets. with more news for another update in fifteen minutes from now and see russia's recently appointed envoy for human rights to discuss his new role constantine shares his views on the tourist content of a bay prison camp and also nato presence in libya and that's coming up in our interview next on r.t. . thank you. the good. thing. about that can go well thank you very much for being with us today thank you for your russian foreign ministry's first ever envoy for a human rights why was this position create now well you also have the road this is a new position. has been established a few months ago and i actually had to be exact three and a half months. i am in this position and has been established to. be direction of the president of the russian federation mr madrid if. decision was taken by you for the minister said your lover of the basic idea here is to. probably even more actively. profil

security council is divided over syria western countries press for an outright condemnation of the syrian government. says that could damage the road to peace. or join me for more on those stories and other developments in about fifteen minutes from now in the meantime all the support he's. thank you bill what's coming to you live in our team here is what's coming up in the program anything bad to feed for being on. tonight we'll see the russian side reach the champions league playoffs the match is now on the way in. basketball as continue preparations ahead of the euro championships in the through any away only a place in the final would guarantee tickets to the london olympics. and the world champion american jeremy warren i will miss the world athletics championships in south korea due to its own ligaments. so baring a major upset of being will make it into the champions league playoffs in just a few hours' time the club. taking on key of the third round second leg and as we speak the latest school's one male to join fellow russian clubs in the. group stage is halfway through and thank

security council is divided over syria western countries press for an outright condemnation of the syrian government for violence while russia says that could damage the road to peace and calls for more. and up next here on c it's a special report on the u.s. led invasion of iraq almost a decade ago and a blow by blow account of the war that is coming your way right now. weapons inspection process is little more than a game they can see all denied to see a return of inspectors would provide new assurance whatsoever to eliminate by inspection is quite frankly a fool's errand on the contrary there is a great danger that it would provide false comfort that saddam was somehow back in his box reality is that between the original unscom inspections and the unmovic inspections you destroyed with those inspections ninety probably ninety five percent of the iraqi arsenal the first gulf war destroyed almost nothing. and you know post-war us down damage assessments confirm the weapons inspectors were effective they forced saddam to get rid of stuff. they had a country under control by nine hundred n

security council is divided over syria western countries press for an outright condemnation of the syrian government for violence russia says that could damage the road to peace and calls for more back its. members of the headlines here and but i do stay with us natasha is here now with all the sports. you know watching this board coming to you live from moscow on r.t. and here is what's coming up in the program anything bad to the need to defeat for a been done at home to do not much care of tonight will see the russian side make their champions league playoffs. gearing up russian basketball's continued preparations ahead of the euro championships and later any aware only a place in the bottle would guarantee them the ticket to the london olympics. and also olympic and world champion american jeremy a warrior now will miss this month's world athletics championships in south korea due to its own ligaments. so baring a major upset or of being will make it into the champions league playoffs by the end of tonight the club hold a two goal advantage against nama ke you following last week's th

security council is divided over syria western countries outright condemnation of the syrian government for fun and small russia says that could damage the road to peace and calls for more. with more on their stories in less than half an hour for you. in a special report on the u.s. led invasion of iraq almost a decade ago and a blow by blow account of the war that followed that special report next on. say now has weapons of mass destruction weapons of mass destruction that the united states from its doesn't propose to pay to sponsor and sheltered terrorists trained suicide bomber weapons or he try a logical weapons including anthrax and botulism toxin a logical and chemical agent to kill millions of people chemical weapons growing v.x. and sarin mustard gas and massive and sudden heart massive death and destruction and death on a massive scale the danger to our country is great if the danger to our country is growing the iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons iraqi regime is building the facilities necessary to make more biological and chemical weapons. and according to

security council is divided over syria western countries press for an outright condemnation of the syrian government for violence while russia says that could damage the road to peace and calls for more balance. i've got my colleague bill daughters here in half an hour's time but for now it's a cross-talk and people of el and his guests at this time all over the west's insistence on force feeding democracy to the arab world and stick. kick. the. low in welcome to crossfire gun peter lavelle is outside democracy promotion an oxymoron what is america's track record in the arab world and is invoking security interests of our democracy the greatest haven for tyrants. can. start. to discuss democracy promotion i'm joined by candy crowley in paris he is a writer and filmmaker and the rest with we go to jeff perdue he is a post-doctoral fellow at aberystwyth university and author of american foreign policy and postwar reconstruction comparing japan and iraq and in durham we cross to bruce generals and he is a professor of public policy and political science at duke university and another member

france has also reacted with skepticism but journalist neil clark says to make change happen in syria the western powers need to keep away from the country's internal of. the opposition. to these reforms but also i think the international situation and the fact is that syria has been under pressure by the u.s. and its allies with many many years and i think that one of the worries of christmas i've had is that interview should have a graphic before we would actually be exploited by an attempt to get. back in the position part of that set christiane being in the western line on syria very counterproductive what this is all about is the west trying to. come to syria i want to see more democratic syria where people express their opinions freely but the western policies are usually counter productive this is a problem the syrians have to solve and nobody else it's not up for french government british public u.s. government is trying to interfere in this that the syrian soldiers. you without your life in moscow if you have missed anything in the program just go to our web site you can always find out

francis also reacted with skepticism but journalist neil clark says to make change happen in syria the western powers need to keep away from the country's internal affairs. opposition. to these reforms and also i think the international situation and the fact is that syria has been under pressure by the u.s. and its allies but really it really is and i think that one of the worries of business and had is that introducing a critic before would actually be exploited an attempt to get rid of government by backing opposition parties etc so i think the western line on syria very counterproductive what this is all about is the west trying to. come to syria i want to see who they are credit syria where you can express their opinions freely but the western policies are character productive this is a problem that syrians have to solve and nobody else it's not up to all. u.s. government anybody else trying to its appearance at the serious or. well if you've missed anything in the program here on screen you can always go to our web site you can find more stories news updates and i catch some video it on

security council is divided over syria and western countries pressed for an outright condemnation of the syrian government of russia says that could damage the exit polls from. so. shortly in about fifteen minutes from now. russia's recently appointed envoy for human rights to discuss his new role. his views on the tourist guantanamo bay prison camp and also nato presence in libya and interview a special interview coming up next on alt. thank you. thank you. think you. think. because that seemed a little thank you very much for being with us today thank you for your russian foreign minister is first ever envoy for a human rights why was this position create now will you also derive this is a new position on the youth has been established a few months ago actually to be exact words three and a half months. i am in this position and has been established to. be direction of the president of the russian for the federation mr medved if. decision was taken by what the minister said your lover of the basic idea here is to. probably even more actively. profile our country russia in the field

france has reacted to that with skepticism journalist neil clark says to make change happen in syria the western powers need to keep away from the country's internal affairs. but it's been almost the opposition in the syrian ruling elite to these reforms but also i think the international situation and the fact is that syria has been under pressure by the u.s. and its allies for many many years and i think that one of the worries of business and may have had is that interview should get across it before we would actually be exploited by the west and attempt to get rid of its government by backing opposition parties etc so i mean in the west to iran syria has been very counterproductive but this is all about is the west trying to really come to syria i want to see a more democratic syria where people can express their opinions freely but the western policies are hugely counterproductive this is a problem that syrians have to so and nobody else it's not up for french government british got us government anybody else trying to interference the syrians will have their own problems. with r.t. live fr

i want to see more democratic syria where you could really put the western policies on. this is a problem that syrians have to so it will be else it's not up for a couple of british couple u.s. government anybody else trying to it's appearance at a serious problems right now as we're discussing earlier the west at the moment is rolling out military interference on syria the french foreign minister when i was not ruled out the u.n. issuing a stronger statement or a resolution against the syrian government if the crisis unfolds or what will that do i think would only make things worse i mean i think we're going to be pressing aspects of international terrorism us in the last three years has been when france has gone from being a response to quite peacefully with the international community into the sort of. seems to be influenced by neo cons and it was very hawkish and they're taking a very good. syria i think i mean who would have been speaking of this one i think what we want is the western powers to. let syrians themselves all right. live from oxford many thanks indeed

is also reacted with skepticism but journalist neil clark says it's made change happen in syria and the western powers need to keep away from the country's internal affairs. but it's been almost the opposition in syria. but also i think the international situation and the fact is that syria has been under pressure by the u.s. and its allies for very many years and i think one of the worries of business that may have had is good if you get a credit reforms which would actually be exploited by the. government by backing opposition parties etc so i mean in the west to iran syria very counterproductive but this is all about is the west trying to. come to syria i want to see a movie or a critic syria where people can express their opinions freely but the western policies are hugely tragic productive this is a problem the syrians have to solve and nobody else it's not french government british got us government anybody else trying to interfere in syrian soldiers. you would r.t. a lot from moscow and if you missed anything in the program just go to our website you can always find out more stories in n

in singa important, the headlines in this hour, accused of slaughtering his own people, western leaders urge syria's president to step down as the bloody crackdown on protestors. libian rebels close in on tripoli taking control of the capital's oil supply. another dark day for world markets. shares take a back swing in u.s. with banks badly hit. one million affected and 2,000 displaced, a year after the worst floods in pakistan, they return. >> broadcasting to viewers in the u.k. and around the world, this is "newsday." >> welcome and we start the program with some breaking news from the middle east. israeli fighter jets have been bombing gaza overnight after a string of attacks on israeli. three egyptian guards were killed as they chased militants on its border. israel says the attacks on its territory were launched and so far killed at least seven palestinians. and we will monitor that situation for you and bring the latest for you. we have some images already. but we will monitor that situation and bring you more as and when we get it. now, in other news, for the first time, america, france, germ

when it came to syria, the lessons in syria reduced the appetite. western nations want no more strain on their resources. the arab world fears a wider conflagration. >> this is an important day for egypt. >> at the former egyptian president is due to go on trial over the killing of protesters during the uprising in february. it is thought that he will be flown to the capital in the morning. our world affairs editor reports that the trial is seen as a test of the military council's commitment to change. >> the demonstration that brought down a president is over. the police and army moved in yesterday to get rid of the city and they did not do it particularly gently. a television reporter for channel 25 managed to keep on filming as he was bundled into an army vehicle. together with a bunch of others that had been arrested and sometimes beaten up. a bbc producer managed to take some photos of the police and army operation until she was picked up. she was held for 20 hours before being released. by this morning, the familiar gridlock was back, just like the ol

another kind of regime there and syria would have a more western ally. meanwhile in syria president claims the military operation have stopped but the notion is in finding out the presence of government troops is not always seen as a fine. city of there is sort of maybe liberated but in the last few days it suffered a brutal occupation i mean my eyes bandits blocked their raids put up barricades it became a city we were hiding we would just like hostages for more than a week claim to be army fought against armed groups that had taken control of the city and had been terrorizing its residents. soldiers of the syrian army i live in the city of the iraqi border measure officials are saying operation is now over that the city has been freed from armed groups as you can see people are welcome in the soldiers as the way there is but in other parts of the country the troops little assad's officials crackdown are far less welcome in a similar offensive against so-called terrorists in the coastal city of latakia the opposition claims government troops killed almos

happening on the ground but let's talk about the possible alternatives for syria on this channel we've heard experts criticizing the western powers for not giving negotiations a chance in syria but instead calling for assad to go who could actually replace the president though at this point in syria. well that's an excellent question and i think it's not for one for us to determine really i would say that that would be in the hands of the syrian people in whatever process can be put into play to enable them to have a voice in this process but i really don't don't see anywhere in the western media any sort of reflection of what even the official assad position is other than to the to the daily demonization of isn't regime and that's not a offered as a defense of his regime by any means but simply to say that that it's it's difficult to even see that viewpoint being reflected so it's at this point pretty much impossible to speculate on how things might play out if if assad does step down because we're just not getting that other side of the story and unfortunately about that plays into the hands of the people who are calling

syria. >> that is right. westernovernments are talking with the -- they say that the president is losing legitimacy there. the calls, meant reports that -- the calls, amidst reports that -- the calls come amidst reports that syrian troops are turning and against the leader. >> the regime denied that the navy is involved, but the army as clashing with armed terrorist groups. activist organizations say that the situation is getting desperate, with 100 badly wounded people needing urgent medical attention. part of the area under a track is a palestinian refugee camp. thousands of palestinians have fled here and some are among the dead and injured. >> the shelling is taking place using gunships and tanks on houses built from 1tin. people have no place to run to appear in this is a crime against humanity and we share the same goals and aspirations to achieve freedom and dignity. >> strong words from the people who called the syrian regime claims to champion. >> we need to be able to attend to the sec, the dying, women and

says that and even style western intervention in syria would have devastating consequences as it would unleash and much more extensive. people who are actually committing crimes against humanity is the nato us military alone as we see it did in libya there was absolutely no justification for the intervention in libya. rection which which took place in eastern. libya and there's even less of a justification for an intervention in syria it's a very important country and if there's military intervention in syria then we are in for the extended war which goes from the mediterranean right jewel of the chinese border because then you have egypt ration of the war theaters in afghanistan on iraq of course palestine lebanon on. a much larger war let's understand that any kind of military intervention in syria at this stage using the pretext of a protest movement or responsibility to protect devastated goldson where this is going to lead to a military escalation of the vast area. this is a quick look ahead to what house would go for you coming out next so why the mainstream media remains now to

why are western countries choosing this point in time to call for a sudden -- for assad to step down? >> there has been mounting pressure to do something regarding syria, but we have to be realistic. this is not much more than an exercise in rhetoric. there is no country in the western world willing to intervene in syria militarily. there are too many interests involved. there is israel, iran, saudi arabia, turkey. he is a bad guy, but we know how to do business with him. most observers, most states man in the west, but also in the region, are also afraidy of what might happen in syria once this regime topples. would it be a second iraq? would it mean turmoil, civilian strife, civil war? nobody knows. most observers and states in the region and the west continue business with assad, although they criticize him for good reason. there will be no military intervention, for sure. even if the military intervention in libya appears to be successful on the right path, and gaddafi toppling in the near future -- nevertheless, it is too dangerous, too many actors involved, especially israel and iran. >> could reforms be successful? >> so far, these promises hav

why not have western style democracy in syria? >> the democracy in your country and in europe is as a result of long history. we didn't have that. >> reporter: and when i met with him in 2007, the verdict was still out. would he be the man who loved the west or the son of a dictator father, surrounded by hardliners? tonight, most people think the hardliners won. to the americans who read that you are on the terror watch list, who read the human rights report -- they read these reports. >> yeah. we don't say that we are perfect. and when i talk about this issusu i say, we are at the very beginning. we have a long way to go. >> and tonight, by the way, the rumor is that his wife is back in london with their children. >>> and now, an attempt at a little friendly u.s.-china diplomacy is ended in a debacle. fists, chairs, water bottles flying. a brawl during an exhibition basketball game. the georgetown hoyas playing china. so, what happened? here's abc's jim sciutto. >> reporter: it was a good will trip to china that turned ugly. a co

. >> why are western paris -- why western powers holdingack with syria when they did not with libya? >> this is the importance of syria. there are so many foreign powers involved. it would be very dangerous to intervene in this country militarily, there is no way to find a military solution to this conflict. besides, the the the russians or the chinese are very happy about another nato success in our country after the one we have seen in libya. th don't want western influence to be expanded and they pay the price. >> thank you for joining us. u forget it. yourself, so don't fall. u forget it. now he tells us. how far am i off the floor? about twelve inches. twelve whole inches?

obviously it's been very difficult for the syria because various international interference by western power and there is some element from our from the arab regimes they want they want to change in syria and when they come for that change in order there is. coordination between between some country in the west and some arab country too probably pushing for regime change in syria we heard that from the obama administration were heard that from. france and britain and germany and we seen some calls from the saudis and the qatari and other country in the region and obviously. haven't been away from hosting the opposition in turkey. but i think the situation in syria despite the effort by the regime is going through a very difficult time. on to other news now a man suspected of organizing the killing of a renowned a russian journalist anna politkovskaya has been arrested by russian police who was gunned down in her moscow apartment building five years ago you got a piece going off that's the latest the arrested man is a former lieutenant colonel of the police he was actually one of the wi

syria to have a more western line. collective economic government that's the latest measure proposed by top you need is in their bid to hold market turmoil and reverse the stagnation across the continents but the latest ideas have found little support among investors who say it's come as too little and simulates angela merkel and nicolas sarkozy rejected the idea of euro bonds favored by the markets and seen by many as the best way of indulging from the debt crisis political analyst and author william and dol believes there's little real substance to the latest measures but i think the collective economic government that american sarkozy are talking about is really a desperate political ploy to try to create the illusion of stability where the underlined stability doesn't yet exist there is no political will not in germany nor in the rest of the eurozone countries for as surrendering national sovereignty to a collective entity that has any decision power so it's simply a shimmer that's been thrown out there to try to c

. >> as syria continues their military crackdown against protesters, western powers are looking at diplomatic means to put pressure. the eu has extended sanctions including an asset freeze and a travel ban on the defense minister. there is an emergency just how violence across violent the crackdown is. we met up with a man -- there is an emergency indication of just how violent the crackdown is. there are calls for bashar also sought to step down. -- bashar all aside -- al-assad to step down. >> we want to speak out. it is our right. >> i just wanted a better future for our country. >> he left germany in early march to return to syria. he hopes with his friends to demonstrate peacefully for freedom. he soon landed in jail, sharing a prison cell with many others. >> there was 38 of us in a room measuring square meters. there were people who were just 17 years old and up to 55. among us for many lawyers, doctors, imams, and and students. >> he says all the prisoners were beaten and tortured. he shows us images that is designed to scare people. it is on clear where these pictures were taken but

and france and certainly its allies they want the assad regime out and they want a pro western government in syria if they want to and if you want to if they want to why have we not seen external physical intervention like we've seen in libya so far while having the dress where your previous report already talked about how it was stripped to the u.s. is a warning to libya there's just no way now that the u.s. and its allies could launch military action in another middle eastern country much as they were i'm sure a lot of hawks in those countries would like that to happen that that isn't going to happen but we really u.s. is for syria to be further isolated where in fact the opposite could be happening we should be having dialogue and we keep pushing the regime into a corner here they get more isolated we should be saying that you know the opposition by no means the whole of syrian society a lot of people in syria by what's going on the christian community for example has had very special protection under the but this raid in syria and you know it's a very it's a very complex situation i think the

the resident there in the town of zawia in western libya. now in syria, thousands of palestinian refugees have been forced to flee their camp after it came under heavy fire from government forces bombarding the city. a u.n. spokesman told the bbc that at least four palestinians have been killed. the b.b.c. reports. >> syria's main port city, army tanks deployed to quell protests. u.n. says gun boats are even firing from the sea. but with a target this time that has caused even more outrage. a palestinian refugee camp where between 5,000 and 10,000 people have fled according to a u.n. spokesman. >> they are painting an extremely disturbing picture of what is happening in the refugee camp. we have reports that more than half of the camp, the camp is home to 10,000 palestinian refugees, more than half of them have fled, some were told to leave by the syrians, others simply fled. we have no idea where these people are, we have no idea how many of them are wounded, are dying, are elderly, are women, are children. syria denies the use of gun boats saying only

in syria activists say government forces have killed 15 civilians normal a western city despite international calls for an end to its bloody crackdown. pressure on the regime, the obama administration slashed sanctions on syria's largest commercial bank and cell phone operator. >>> in what is being called a sensational potential breakthrough in the treatment of leukemia, researchers at the university of pennsylvania say they've genetically modified white blood cells in three patients to attack and kill tumors within their own body. one year after the treatment, two of the patients appear to be cancer-free. >>> the national park service scene the statue of liberty will be closed for one year beginning in october for a $27 million renovation aimed at making its impeerinterior safer and more accessible. the that chew was closed from 2001 to 2009 following the 9/11 attacks. the nasa rover opportunity has beamed back new images of a 14-mile wide crater on mars where it will study rock samples. it took the solar powered rover nearly three years to drive from a smaller crater just 13 miles away. >>>

possibility but of course that's been said before isn't it i mean is intervention in syria likely to be considered by western powers as time goes on i doubt it i mean post the military and for political reasons as william hague said. the intervention in libya was completely different not least because there was a decision by the arab league which in effect sanctioned it to it so that i don't see the political basis for intervention internationally i don't see that intervention militarily would be anything other than disastrous within syria all syrians would have ject of that would be the one thing that might unite all syrians behind the government in fact. so i don't see any prospect of it sanctions what we called only a blunt instrument i mean that as and when they are applied now increasing sanctions how will the government survive not only strong enough to see it through . the answer is that the economic sanctions are not of themselves going to bring down but what will undermine him over time is the fact that the economy is collapsing. it is a truism of syrian politics that if he loses the sunni little pl

when it came to syria, the lessons of libya and reduced the appetite for military action -- libya reduced the appetite for military action. western nations want no more strain on their resources. syria's future is in its own hands. bridget kendall. >> you are watching "bbc world news america." a critical test for a dip on the eve of former president hosni mubarak's trial -- for egypt on the eve of former president hosni mubarak's trial. a man has left the hospital with a plastic card. we have been given an -- plastic heart. he has been given a plastic heart while he awaits a donor. >> the new and essential member of the family, the device keeping him alive with a loud, rhythmic beat. tell me how this extraordinary device will change your life. but it has revolutionized my life -- >> it has revolutionized my life. i could not walk upstairs. i went out or a lunch of the weekend -- for a pub lunch over the weekend. >> this is the kind of plastic heart, four valves, two pumping chambers, fitted in his chest. normally, this would have to be driven by a huge pump in the hospital. what is new is that he has been given a portable pump. i

of iraq and violence what do you think all of this means for syria as violence continues there do you think that there could be any u.s. western involvement. it's possible i would be doubtful syria is a bigger country if the opposition in syria doesn't hold it e.g. a graphical area but that is a possibility i mean who would have thought for instance a year ago there to united states and france and britain would be involved in a war in libya so what i would say was siri is i don't think it's quite the same as libya doesn't have the oil. but at the same time that is a possibility and then you're going to get dominos spreading out across the landscape i don't know where it's going to go and there is of course all the disagreement among the un security council the countries not agreeing on a resolution to have very different ideas about how to approach syria so that's also a fight. it will likely go for part of that was created by what they did and in libya because the united nations passed a resolution to protect civilians the french and british and the americans took that resolution and went for regime change why do you have cou

syria and iran. and in fact it helps solidify iran western flank and allows iran thereby to have more influence in the middle east i guess syria of course. so i guess i goes on to explain that michael you know why the u.n. security council is set to meet later today for the session on syria the other not doing a similar thing about the problems that are going on in yemen for example other teams seem to be on the radar of the into my how the international community does it for those reasons you talked about i guess yeah. well syria is a far different animal than either yemen or even libya there is a lot more at stake. with syria and and given given iran's relationship and also saudi arabia's relationship in the region and the concern that saudi arabia has for the spread of them. in the middle east. we've looked upon bahrain for example of basically a proxy war between saudi arabia and iran and i think you might say the same thing is actually occurring right now and in syria but no one's going to say that openly with the way the pressure is mounting up in syria other parallels to be drawn with what happ

. >> yeah, andrew tabler is a journalist -- he's one of the only western journalists in syria at the time. and he worked both with the syrian -- reported with the syrian government of bashar assad's government and also was a western journalist and he started an english language magazine there called syria today. and he's the foremost expert on syria and he's been interviewed on a number of television shows here in the u.s. >> cynthia sherry, since events are happening in syria right now is this book being updated on a regular basis? >> it's really about the -- it's very current right now. it's a very current topic and it's not being updated so much as it's really about what led up to what's happening there today. >> and right next to it you have an author jamanna haddad. >> yeah, jamanna is a poet. she's a journalist. she's an editor. she lives in beirut and she founded the first erotic magazine in the middle east called jasad which means body and she's a feminist and this is her memoir and it's really exciting. she's coming to the united states in september and is going to tour here.

, here are some of the top stories making news this morning in syria, activists say government forces have killed 15 civilians in a western, despite international calls to an end to its bloody crackdown. ratcheting up pressure on the regime, the obama administration slapped sanctions on syria's largest commercial bank and cell phone operator. >>> and what's being called a sensational potential breakthrough in the treatment of leukemia, researchers at the university of pennsylvania say they've genetically modified white blood cells in three patients to attack and kill tumors within their own bodies. one year after treatment, two of the patients appear to be cancer-free. >>> the national park service says the statue of liberty will be closed for one year beginning in october, for a $27 million re making itsle. the statue's crn was closed from 2001-2009 following the september 11th attacks. >>> the nasa rover "opportunity" has beamed back new images of a 14-mile-wide crater on mars where it will study rock samples. it took the solar-powered rover three years to drive from the small crater just 13 miles away. >>> and a new po

that they are right on syria and that russia is currently wrong so that is the next important step let's read a little bit between the lines what does this latest rhetoric by western nations say about their ambitions in syria well i think it's important to say it's not just rhetoric because of course the the words that have come out are outlining increased sanctions on the country and i think we should focus on one particular element which is really important could go either way serious oil exports of the present about ninety percent or so serious oil is exported europe so the europeans and alcohol is going to united front against assad does that mean that they will no longer accept syrian oil now syrian oil makes up a quarter of syria's hard currency budget so could have a huge amount of an impact on the assad regime is ability to control things so ultimately i do think there is more than rhetoric to what u.s. and europeans are saying right now. after months of criticism over libya nato action there is a coalition of course is still there we don't see any site and inside i should say to this crisis that in fact the thinking of the u.s. and the e.u. or will it aff

. >> new violence in syria as government shells the western city of hama for a second straight day.nday, they killed at least 70 troops in hama and other cities protesting against the government. tanks opened fire on the city this morning despite the holy muslim month of ramadan today. >>> a bizarre twist in the case of a missing new hampshire girl. her stepfather was rushed to the hospital about an hour ago after he was observed acting strangely outside the family home. nbc producer said wendell noyas repeatedly got down on the ground just like this lying face first on his driveway. he rolled around on the ground and then he would get up and start walking around again. noyas's 11-year-old celina cass was last seen a week ago today sitting at her home computer. i am joined live by investigative crime reporter. >> she lives with her father and mother and neither are speaking about this case. what do you make about this case? this is clearly a very distraught man and understandably so. >> these type of cases makes family act out in various, various ways just like what we saw a little