this regime has declared war on the syrian people and the syrian people have a right to fight back. we must stand with them in the struggle. .. face of the brutal crackdown is tantamount to asking them to commit suicide and i fear that doing so may eventually put us against a legitimate opposition instead of against an illegitimate regime. and i now yield to the gentleman from new york the distinguished ranking member from new york for five minutes. for selecting our excellent witness today. >> think it is worth considering tougher u.s. policy has moved and in the right direction since late july when we met with the obama administration officials to discuss the situation and syria as well as iran. the central policy questions regarding syria were and what i united states finally and explicitly call for them to step down what would when would we impose the sanctions available to us and when american leadership moved to the international community to recognize and respond to the vasseur of the regime pressure? after the questions came in august whether the obama administration work on

it relates to the free syrian army and to syrian army defectors. i do not think we want to jump ahead of that. i think we need to see how things play out with the ceiling national council and its own relationship building and its -- and in relation to the ongoing arab initiative. >> is the army anything more than a name? but their actual units? -- are there actual units? >> it is difficult for us to get a good handle on this. it does appear that several thousand syrian soldiers have voted with their feet. they have decided that they no longer want to be put in a position of having to support criminal activity against their own citizens. it does not appear that the free syrian army is the kind of organization on which one would do a formal order of battle. in terms of the italians, brigades, and so forth. -- in terms of battalions, brigades, and so forth. >> thank you, i yield back. the gentleman from new york is to recognize. >> thank you. to follow up, the ceiling and rebels do not appear to control -- the syrian rebels do not appear to control an

and for any other member of the arab league i would argue to be asking demands of the syrian government when they themselves have failed to make those demands upon their own people and have even failed to make those demands upon others of their colleagues within the same region such for example is the arab league's lack of action on bahrain and yemen where government crackdown on protests has continued for months with overt rhetorical denunciations from the international community still claims that the arab league is exercising double standards in the interests of the west fly in the face of its long lasting hostility towards america's biggest ally in the region israel. meanwhile its current target syria has until sunday to respond to the leaks plan to end the crisis by halting the crackdown releasing political prisoners and allowing observers into the country. came onshore like to go to you first in washington how consistent is the arab league as we saw in that report there it's so you do what i say but don't do what i do i mean this is a club of dictators still are primarily dictators

syrian security forces are looking for him.ther has been arrested, his family home destroyed. >> i will never walk again. but i do not need to walk. depose bashar. the dictator must go. wounded and persecuted want one thing only, for the assad regime to end before more innocent people have to suffer. until their country is free, they will remain here as refugees in jordan. >> syrian officials have already agreed to allow international monitors into the country, but how much access will they actually have? we put that question to a syria expert, who spoke to us earlier. >> there's already one official restriction to the movement of these monitors, which is they are not allowed to enter any sensitive military compound. other than that, they're supposedly allowed to visit any place they want. it will be very important that they see the protests, places like homs, hama, and deraa. if they're really able to go there and talk to protesters, to be in demonstrations, that would encourage, obviously, more people to turn out against the

not only to the syrian government but to the syrian people to the syrian homeland so this is totally unacceptable and i think that the internal opposition what i call the patty arctic op. inside syria is against foreign intervention like for example the popular front for change liberation now these people are a genuine opposition group that against. foreign intervention that are against despotism as well they want democracy they want social justice but at the same time that against any foreign intervention the syrian government to get to open dialogue with these inside groups who are truly patry article into law who want the good of syria and the good to the area now syria is moving on a serious national council has slammed the government's decision to let outside observers describing it as just a ploy while all the opposition groups inside the country say that they see it as a step towards peace what do you think this tells us about the position of the opposition movement within syria. well naturally it is first of all a divided opposition totally divided you know it's not only two

to us even to the rest of the arabs and it is unacceptable to the syrian people we know how the syrian people feel they're all against foreign intervention and we've seen what foreign intervention has done in other countries in iraq for example and in libya recently it was a disaster so nobody no arab i think not only let alone the syrians no arab would welcome a foreign intervention but these people the so-called opposition has gone out of their minds i think that just lost and they're beginning actually to lose contact complete contact with the syrian people it's a simple as that so this is totally unacceptable and it is illegal i think also i mean to call for foreign intervention for destruction the destruction of that country this is almost it is treason actually dr gates is a reasonable call doctor gets the best just take a step back why then do you think that they are calling for this kind of action on lest they think that it could justifiably help the situation inside syria. there well i don't think so i think that they're desperate these people are desperate they want power the

they are former syrian soldiers. they say they refused orders to fire on their own countrymen and so decided to take up arms against the assad regime. the commander spoke off camera for his own security. he told us "we are fighting for those who have made our children orphaned and our wives widows." he claimed that his men have carried out attacks on military targets around the capital-- the heart of assad's power base. no one knows just how large the free syrian army is. the number of defectors appears to be growing. in this video posted by the opposition, former syrian soldiers pledge to defend the syrian people against the assad regime. are you not scared that by turning into this into an armed conflict, civilians may be hurt? "we did not choose to go to war" the commander said. "it was imposed upon us to protect our people and our ho honor." this is who the opposition fears most: not the syrian army but supporters of president assad known as the shabiha. the name means "thugs" but it's a play on the word for ghos

>> it's important how the syrian people look at you. anyone can have their opinion, president, official, it's the same for me, outside our border. >> reporter: public opinion doesn't matter? >> outside syria? no. >> reporter: syria's uprising began in march, after fellow arab nations, tunisia and egypt, had thrown out their dictators and as the world moved against libyan deictator moammar gadhaf. you've seen the pictures of mubarak in jail. pictures of, in libya, of moammar gadhafi, killed. are you afraid that you might be next? >> no, i'm afraid that the people won't support me. syrian people. >> reporter: that they won't support you? >> they support me. i mean, the only thing you could be afraid of, to lose the support of your people. that's the only thing you should be afraid of. >> reporter: do you feel now that you still have the support of your people? >> if you don't have the support of the people, you cannot be in this position. syria, it's not easy. very difficult country to govern if you don't have the public support. >> repor

embassy in jordan is there a danger of violence spilling over the syrian borders do you think. most definitely without question there is a danger of violence spilling over i mean if chaos continues in syria then yes we can expect violence to spill over i see that as being a very likelihood scenario i thought irani of us re professor of the university above and talking live from beirut thank you. pleasure. you're watching are today. now a family themed credit card is hitting the u.s. markets just in time for the holiday shopping but it relates to one of the most painful episodes in ukraine's history when millions of people starve to death cross the soviet union with some or three million lives claimed in just ukraine alone and as artie's alexy got a few reports there are many in kiev who view the move as an american banks attempt to cash in on tragedy. almost a decades on ukraine still mourns those who died in the 1930's famine in the u.s.s.r. known here as the whole of the more and it's a rare example where political forces more used to in fighting put aside their differences t

to the free syrian army. the syrian army defectors. i don't think we want to jump ahead of that. i think we need to see how things play out with the syrian national council's relationship building and syrian national council and in relation to the ongoing arab league issues. >> the free syrian army, anything more than a name? are they actually annette's? >> it is very difficult. very difficult for us to get a good handle on this, congressman. it does appear that several thousand syrian soldiers have in essence voted with their feet. they have decided that they no longer want to be put in a position of having to support criminal activity against their own citizens. it does not appear that the free syrian army is the kind of organization on which one would do the sort of formal quarter of battle analysis in terms of battalions, brigades and so forth. it does not appear to be organized at this point in a conventional military way. >> thank you. i yield back. >> gentleman yields back. mr. higgins is recognized for five minutes. >> just to follow up. unlike libya, the syrian rebels do

the syrian government will. complicate their mission but we have to be careful because the syrians did warn them that if they want to go to. the fighting for their own security they have to be direct contact with the syrian authorities to be advised. now. they will succeed all day will fail you have to wait and see because this regime is very as we said very sensitive exactly but what what is your prognosis what do you think the implications would be if they are oblique decide that damascus isn't keeping to its part of the day what would happen then. would you would you please repeat that question because i didn't see if the arab league wants from this yes arjun those hours of preservers only they are not keep forces people they will not have a mission whatever they decide dr what if they decide that damascus isn't keeping to its part of this deal what if they find that the mask is continuing the violence what then. damascus and the government of syrian government i believe that i have a direct daily contact wit

what the west wants to do and maybe the international community wants to do you can use force the syrian regime through sanchez and we're going to press for into some sort of dialogue or compromise for stealing the bill position forest's concern. well but i was imposing more section sanctions on the country what is the ultimate goal that west is trying to achieve there in your opinion. i think. we know that estate appreciation should begin in the west is not really good after all it is one of the most important islamic republic of iran and we know it's not a couple of here i mean the west is very high and of course what the international you want to do is take away syria from the axis you're not there for the orderly harmony interesting here is a weakening syria or maybe weakness and some sort of regime change in syria but the thing is that i think the west tries to get what the west is trying to do the weakness and sort of smooth transition towards a kind of regime which is more friendly to the heaters of the west but that's not so for their more focus going to pressures and science sho

the syrian government. it fits all too well, and for this reason, we believe the government is behind it. >> disposes complications for the observer mission which just a ride -- this poses complications. how does this affect the work they are supposed to be carrying out. >> i do not see any real effect. the observer mission is really a scapegoat. this is an attempt by the arab league, which is an impotent political organization, to allow them to do something. they can at least claim that they tried to end the violence, but the observer mission is nothing more than that. it is observing, but it does not have any real mandate to intervene. for this reason, it is not really important for al assad. things will go on and deteriorate, and syria will most likely see the same scenario we have seen in iraq over the past years -- continuing violence with nobody really knowing who is behind the various attacks. it is a tragedy for the syrians. >> it sounds like one. thank you for your assessment. tens of thousands of

the syrian national council is saying that the syrian regime is directly responsible for these latest attacks. how believable is that? >> it is difficult to say who is really behind these attacks. the government accuses the opposition and al qaeda in general, and the opposition says the opposite, that it is the government's help behind this attack. we will probably never find out who really is in charge, but indeed, it is very beneficial for the syrian regime because it allows al assad and his followers to claim that they are opting for a peaceful solution, whereas the other side is using violence and putting this country into real turmoil. in the short run, the attack is really a presence, so to speak, for the syrian government -- a present, so to speak, for the syrian government. it fits all too well, and for this reason, we believe the government is behind it. >> disposes complications for the observer mission which just a ride -- this poses complications. how does this affect the work they are supposed to be carrying out. >> i do not see any real effect. the observer mission is re

the syrian people. i think. the use of soldiers of fortune is hardly new in this troubled region middle eastern rulers hard them for centuries a save gars against their own populations and it now looks like the history of mercenaries in the middle east has got to it's new and no less bloody chapter in the art sea tripoli. let's get some more insight analysis now on the situation in syria and talk to the director of the beirut based center for middle east are these dogs hisham jaber thanks for being on the line with us. good to see you tonight arab league observers are supposed to be confirming are they that damascus is sticking to a peace deal that was brokered by the league do you think they will be able to do that and how long could it take for them to confirm it. yeah we cannot deny that it's very complicated mission very sensitive nature of course syria did accept. the call and did sign it because syria want to get out you know from this. and. many observers believe that russia was behind this and to convinc

they calm themself the free syrian army.ne of the men managed to take a rifle with a precision scope with him when he defected. but most of the fighters from the free syrian army are ill-equipped short on guns and ammunition and with no heavy weapons. still, they have managed to kick assad forces out of the neighborhood and holded area. it's possibly the first place in syria beyond government control. at points like this mark the front line. >> translator: assad's troops are about 25 to 30 meters away from us with soldiers and tanks. we're here to prevent them from passing and killing young and old. >> the man introduced me to one of their leaders. abdul is one of the few willing to be identified. he was a lieutenant in assad's army before defecting. his uncle is a former syrian defense minister. >> translator: we got orders notice army that went against my oath as a soldier. i had sworn to protect civilians. but when i saw what the government forces were doing to the people, i defected on june 2nd. >> people like abdul are

matters are of secondary importance to many young syrian exiles in turkey. theyant the regime overthrown by force, like in libya. their compatriots and urged patience. >> the leaders of the opposition believe that the army's sole task is to protect the army from attacks. we are hoping that the international community w will force a protective corridors to allow international aid. >> they gather at an istanbul hotel to plan for a post-assad future. he is a major figure among the opposition. he and his colleagues are in constant contact with the turkish foreign ministry. they believe that the various groups can you ninth to create a new, exclusive syria. >> we want a constitution that embraces all religious groups. everyone's rights should be protected. >> at the turkish-syrian border, two smuggler set out on major seat -- a journey. this week saw the first casualties of the armed c conflt at the border. >> brown bears are either mamajest creatures or terrifying beasts, and depending on how close you are to them. few countries have as many brown bears as roman

not only to the syrian government but to the syrian people to the syrian homeland one country which felt the full force of western interference this year was libya aftermath is not over yet russia wants an investigation into the civilian casualties and was pointing to his mission with that sort of answer from the rebels also he takes a look back at events start shape the year. my western colleagues explain that. breaks this hotel that time was the safest place in libya because nation you that's where journalist. but we couldn't stop thinking. what if they make a mistake. witnesses. to history in the making of. testimony. ten stories that shapes two thousand and eleven on r.t. . it was the end of an era in north korea this week with the death of its veteran with kim jong il from a heart attack age sixty nine he came jong un has already been named the supreme leader it keep it is to giving the secretive states t.v. channels of thousands of people in the streets don't you know died a week to get his body is lying in state in the capital the success it was the first to pay as final respects

i was serious with algeria being one of the keep whereas in the arab league have also called for syrian authorities to monitors from the organizations to enter the country see what's going on there on the spot and actually said also said that if wanted then monitors from the bric countries could also join them meaning brazil russia india and china of course. well to discuss this further i'm joined live from beirut by dr mark has something he's an ambassador for the universal peace federation so russia's foreign ministry once again criticize the western approach to syria as biased what about the sentiments where you are in the middle east do you feel one sided pressure and condemnation is actually aggravating the situation as has been suggested. it is true i mean the aggravation of the situation is only one side the source for which is the being pressured by the west and the nato alliance actually towards the syrian sovereignty and their own independence now the regime is under huge pressure by international organizations under the umbrella of the united nations and the european union an

channels of massacres continually going on what is in no doubt is that thousands of syrian soldiers are dying and they don't they haven't died because a peaceful protest. iran is run picking up threats to block a crucial oil supply route to a holding launch games taking place a new tool says nearly blind whole strait the us has its own contingent in the region mainly to ensure so it remains free when he's going to check and has more on the story responding to iran's warning the us said no such disruption would be tolerated and that the u.s. fifth fleet that's based in the gulf would ensure that doesn't happen the strait of hormuz links the golf and the oil producing states of bahrain kuwait qatar saudi arabia the united arab emirates to the indian ocean about forty percent of the world's tanker shipped oil passes through that strait it's a major oil artery a potential cutoff might cause turmoil in the global oil market although a saudi official says that golf nations were ready to offset any loss so. crude from the statements here you get a sense that washington things iran is bluffing

out of league monitors are heading to three more syrian cities to witness the government's peace plan implementation of their delegation was moved by all the protest is in the city of homes demanding protection contest that forces have criticized the mission saying that is their only coordinating with government officials and not with them and all began as peaceful demonstrations against president assad and much descended into an armed insurrection a fountain joined a self-proclaimed syrian free army. why a thousand people have died as a result of the government crackdown while the regime says three thousand of its troops have been killed and i should return said journalists nice to what kind of reaches the alba league mission is supporting its own interests in the country. i think the arab league delegation has its own politics it's a very complex range of countries a lot of dictators of those countries definitely the arab league's intervention as it were into the syrian crisis shows how arab powers are some of them being used as proxies by washington but others are trying to flex th

government but to the syrian people to the syrian homeland. this is such a con the sound the program based on by the clock. bankrolls its own bailout cash deadline struggles to convince member states to trap him for the common good of. course and survivors from the sunken oil rig and russia's far east have been brought to shore for treatment and hospital eleven others have been confirmed dead but that satchel full to still missing in icy waters goes on with its fighting off his jake agree that some of the survivors told how the trash and folded. dry land and the end of a nightmare for the weary few on board this ship rescued from a horrific ordeal in which friends and colleagues were lost they are among the few to be found alive after an all rig on the toast sank in freezing waters for the seven p. for about some eight ports and their families awaiting them the moment will no doubt be one of intense relief but their tale of survival differs greatly to that the majority of those aboard this ill fated or a. psychologist and doctors met the survi

it's super wrong strategy from the part of the syrian opposition there's the syrian national council with diplomatic arm meeting in istanbul in paris the leader is a terrorist exile. and he's been talking basically to international media you know too long merican interlocutors this is the brave face diplomatic phase of the opposition and then that's the free syrian army who are doing the actual fighting my sources in the home still the fear is even more the term in goal the have like a rag tag and species if you cannot fight the syrian army they cannot fight trains saw the tanks have to be gated of course the police the crackdown by this year to go for sixteen and it has to be investigated but these armed gangs have to be reversed it as well the free syrian army and it's basically defectors but there are a lot of mercenaries it's how much transparency will there be we just ahead of the observers arrival in homs and the army then only but just a couple of hours before reportedly withdrew its tanks and heavy weapons on the streets but i stress only a couple of hours before was an attem

. >> the violence has taken the syrian city of homs. will it change with the arrival of observers? new flood warnings for the philippines days after a thousand people died after a tropical storm. protest and to be in india as thousands demand an end to corruption. welcome to bbc world news. i'm david eades. also -- we have a special report from the region where a great ape's last habitat is under serious threat. and why this iconic cathedral in paris was not always a top attraction and the french capital. 18 of arab league observers has arrived in the syrian city of homs to see if the violent crackdown has come to a halt -- a team of arab league observers. protesters are reportedly taking to the streets for a sit-in protest. if you hours ago at least 20 people were killed in the city from heavy shelling. the protests have lasted for nine months with thousands killed and there is no sign it is coming to a close. or correspondent in beirut is monitoring event. he says there is clear evidence the syrian army has been carrying out attacks in homs. >> there is little doubt the syrian ar

is not just the syrian. issue orders for the army to progress down but somehow some way has been found for persuading them to put their weapons armor. moscow's arguments in this is the sympathizing with the opposition as a way to destabilize the situation even further and justify intervention do you think that sounds like. well this state of course because when things will be very very hot i think it was not. so safe monica that the syrians hope on that's not libya who gives them a back to send what happened there with a warning of what could happen in syria not only got that syria will get very hot list so whatever happens that seems to have very very serious regional and global implications not just that's a very wary of that they very well have rushed the position and spoke russia solidly behind the syrian government. just as loose today is being banking as a sign that brussels changing the position on listing them like that i think much is going to cry from the y. offices which would involve people first

out of solidarity with their arab brothers the owners of the shop have even put on display the syrian rebels tricolor but they're very firm on where the revolutionary support should be and we don't want in syria and its soldiers we have a and our people are subject to the result just wanted only a few soldiers we have gone we have enough but i think we want to leave. in less than three months libyan rebels have gone from being celebrated as liberators to be called occupiers tripoli residents rally almost every week calling on the armed militia to leave and for some of these young man who looked on adrenaline and willing to part with their rifles syria seems like the next logical destination. we're all ready to join the syrian revolution and with the help of allah we will make sure that what happened in libya will repeat itself in syria. the portraits of shaky bar i now ubiquitous on the streets of tripoli some rebels even styling themselves to resemble the famous revolutionary. with the help of we can all belong to give aren't fighting for peace and freedom around the world and it see

channels of massacres continually going on what is in no doubt is that thousands of syrian soldiers are dying and they did and they haven't died because a peaceful protest. a father go to nuclear submarines of the dockyard in northwest russia has been put out going off scott the latest on this story this evening. but according to reports coming from the locals they saw huge clouds of small rising from the ground and all the way to the stars was already said that they had the fire under control although. before these nuclear submarine was on fire and dark around it they didn't call on there any of your mobiles from nearby those also tells you that you eat and they mediately said that there is no threat to their health and that the levels of radioactivity are within the norm fortunately since the submarine was being repaired there were no weapons on board no miss else but there was and still is the nuclear reactor and that's obviously why this fire caused so much attention but the latest news from the authorities is that this reactor was shut down as soon as the fire started we're talking

this regime has declared war on the syrian people and the syrian people have a right to fight back. we must stand with them in this struggle. as helpful as international consensus may be, the outrageous and indefensible veto by russia and china of a u.s. security resolution against syria does not inspire hope that the broader international community will be galvanized to any kind of consensus in time to stave off more death and the outbreak of civil war. in this uprising began, many in washington were fond of pointing out that unlike his father who murdered over 20,000 of his own citizen to quell an up -- uprising bashar al-assad does not have the stomach or such brutality. they were wrong. it is time for us to face the facts that there are nodes deaths for which the assad regime will not resort to remain in power and to crush all legitimate opposition. asking syrian protesters to remain peaceful in the face of assad's ertl crackdown is tantamount to asking them to commit suicide and i fear doing so made eventually pit us against a legitimate opposition instead of against an illegit

well we we don't give any leeway to anybody we believe that the syrian government should be extremely prudent and should refrain from excessive use of force we believe that there has been there are been some extremely troubling reports coming out of syria about excessive use of force by those sort is we urge the syrian government to cooperate to face fully with the when it's ordering mission of the arab league but also telling that the everybody must put pressure on on the destructive elements of the of the opposition ovett is destructive elements which may have found their way into syria that they are a while and acts are not going to be condoned by the international community and this is a this is a key to finding a peaceful way out of the situation there and this is one of the discussions we're having. we talk with all colleagues in the security council about all draft resolution seasonal greetings to wish you all the best twenty twelve and thank you for being on all the best all the best to you thank you. the fuck up. going if it. whether you dive from high or to the depths. catch

how is that influence the crisis and how is it effected at the syrian people. you know when the u.s. and the e.u. and the un and nato and whoever else you want to put in the mix sanction governments what they do in effect is saying ssion the people that are ruled by those governments it is the people who suffer is the people who do not get food that they need who lose jobs. that don't get the energy and water and sanitation and all the basic needs that they require to live on a daily basis it's the people that lose out when sanctions take place so if the us government's primary interest is with the people of syria then then these tactics of sanctions and their governments are quite contrary to that objective now what happens after mass chaos does and its crackdown and agrees to negotiate with the opposition can we expect that the forces well unite and be committed to peace. i think that crackdown is a problematic word i think it's clear that there are. opposing sides in syria right now there is the government but the government has different layers and they're

army or syrian intelligence there's absolutely no evidence about it so if there is a resolution when the first thing would be to send a u.n. peacekeeping mission in fact finding mission to syria to talk to all parties any vista gate all these claims will this latest draft resolution by russia of the best intentions but will it be enough to ensure that all sides put down their weapons no definitely not because don't forget the. free syrian army yesterday three days ago they said they had fifteen thousand soldiers not they have twenty five dollars in two days you know. they are working hand in hand we could use exile groups and they are turning into a huge militia it reminds me of iraq in two thousand and three two thousand and four so this militia now it's already falls into. three civil war in all sport there's with the help of nato this command center in the province in southern turkey and syria jordanian border so what do you want and what nato wants is simmering civil war let's put it this way as a friend you for something much tougher probably after the american election when the

and i think the way those comments will be played on syrian t.v. is exactly what syrian t.v. been saying all along which the president repeated. these are armed gangs that are part of the uprising, it is... there are regime forces who are being killed. he's not responsible for the deaths. it may have seemed an odd interview on the outside, but inside it will play to his supporters and for him that's what counts. >> brown: now the big question seems to be to what the situation is veering towards a real civil war situation. how does it look to you from there? >> i know a that people are talking about civil war. let's keep in mind that the sectarian killing and what has happened in homs this week has been horrific. but it's confined to one town. this is the most sectarian mixed town in all of syria. this is also a place where we now have army defectors who have found a haven in some neighborhoods inside homs. up until last week the real violence in hopltz was taking place in three or four neighborhoods. what's happened is it's spread to the entire city. there are tensions in oth

arab league observers have been attacked by armed men in the syrian city of homs which was their first stop on a fact finding mission report suggests there were no casualties among the team monitors are fanning out across the country to visit protests hubs and flashpoints for investigate how president assad is coping with the unrest in the country right now this is opposition activists in syria suggesting that over thirty people were killed by security forces on thursday journalists are should returns are used to work in the region told me the arab league has said the mission does of course its own interests in the country he thinks. i think the arab league delegation has its own politics it's a very complex range of countries a lot of dictators of those countries definitely the arab league's intervention as it were into the syrian crisis shows how arab powers are some of them being used as proxies by washington but others are trying to flex their own might we know that intimately was involved with the libyan deposing of good after the libyan conflict but it's certainly the western med

to the syrian people to the syrian homeland. one country feeling the full force of western interference this year was libya and the aftermath isn't over yet russia wants an investigation into civilian casualties caused by nato mission while more deaths are reported by the hands of former rebels plus r.t. takes a look back at the events that shaped thing you. might listen colleagues explaining that. time was the safest place in libya because nation you that's where journalists were but we couldn't stop thinking. what if they make a mistake. this is. to the story in the making. testability. ten stories that shapes two thousand and eleven on our t.v. . it was the end of an era in north korea this week with the death of its veteran ruler kim jong il from a heart attack at age sixty nine his youngest son kim jong un has already been named as a supreme leader to keep the dynasty going the secret of state's t.v. travels have shown thousands weeping in the streets kim jong il died a week ago his body lying in state in the capital pyongy

fighting raging along the turkish/syrian border according to news sources, the syrian state news agency, and the anti-government militia known as the free syrian army. back to you, john. >> ivan wasson. we turn to cnn national security contributor fran townsend in new york and here in washington, mohammed al abdullah. i want to play more of the interview. first, barbara walters sitting down with president assad, denying he's the president of the country, he's the strongman who succeeded his father, but ask him about the troops in the military, he says, not my problem. >> do you think that your forces cracked down too hard? >> they are not my forces. they are forces that belong to the government. i don't own them. i'm president. i don't own the country, so they're not my forces. >> but you have to give the order. >> no, no, no. >> not by your command? >> no, no, no. nobody -- no one's command. there was no dmooncommand to ki to be brutal. >> no command given to kill or be brutal. stand by for one more second. back in time, we've been at this for months, he said they're not his troop no c