and there have been 13.5 estimated syrian refugees, syrians who have been displaced. that is close to 50% of an entire country. and i just ask us now to take a moment of silence actually and think about those 300,000 syrian s who have lost their lives over the past five years. thank you. so, how did we get here? how did this happen? i apologize that i am taking you back to the beginning. but it really is the beginning of where we need to start. how did we get to this point? well, to start, let's talk about the players in syria. there are really four main players in syria. there are the russians, the iranians, hezbollah -- which we will call the government of syria -- and their goal is to break the back of the syrian revolution. and also, they have been making faster progress today than at any point since 2011. we will cover that later in the presentation. the second main group, which we will break down into three different categories, are the complex makeup of the armed groups. this next slide will show you that make up. as i said, you will see that one of the parties

-- with the syrian equivalent or the syrian arm of the pkk. that's a kurdish terrorist organization which the turks regard as a vital enemy. so we're going to work with their kurdish enemy to close this border. they would like to close it but they want us to work -- they want us -- they're willing to close it but they want to do it under certain conditns which will protect them from the creation of an autonomous kurdish authority on the other side of the border that stands for kurdish separatism from turkey. if we continue down this path, we can tell ourselves that sooner or later the turks will just accept this. but i think what's more likely to happen is just the opposite. at a certain point the turks will reach their breaking point and they will start taking unilateral military action which will work very much against the peace and stability that we want. and then finally, the claimed goal of all of this is that by doing all that we're doing, we're going to defeat isis, it's just not going to happen. with the absence of -- with the absence

before the syrian civil war, kilis had 90,000 turkish residents and a small syrian community. but when the fighting broke out in syria, refugees began pouring into the city. 130,000 syrians now live in kilis, which lies just ten kilometres from the border. turkish flags still fly in the centre of town, but the influence of the syrian arabs is evident right across the city. most of the refugees live side by side with the turkish residents in modest accommodation, paying cheap rent. but a few thousand syrians are also housed in a refugee camp on the edge of town. hasan kara is the mayor of kilis. he says his city has been so successful in integrating the refugees that he believes it qualifies for the nobel peace prize. and so, he's more than happy to support the kareemat project. he releases a dove of peace for the cameras. this particular initiative doesn't quite want to get off the ground -- but kara remains optimistic. >> i invite the united nations and all the aid organizations of the world to come to kilis and see how hospitable people are here towards syrians, even though

he is expected to meet syrian officials on monday. two days before the lay latest rounds of talks aimed at ending the conflict. acis fire began in february-- a ceasefire began in february. i.s.i.l. is launching a major offensive to close to the border with turkey and has captured two villages. russian media is reporting plans with syrian government forces to retake the city of aleppo. as we've been reporting over the past few days, the prime minister has been speaking to visiting leaders from moscow in the syrian capital. the turkish prime minister is holding a cabinet meeting in the city close to the syrian border. it is now home to a large number of syrian refugees. this is the first time a cabinet meeting has been held outside ankara for 13 years. talking to our correspondent now, charles stratford. more, please, on the significance of the prime minister bringing his cabinet outside of the capital ankara and taking it to this area which is mainly kurdish, but also with many syrian refugees. >> reporter: the prime minister has just

before the syrian civil war, kilis had 90,000 turkish residents and a small syrian community. when the fighting broke out in syria, refugees began pouring into the city. 130,000 syrians now live in kilis, which lies just ten kilometres from the border. turkish flags still fly in the centre of town, but the influence of the syrian arabs is evident right across the city. most of the refugees live side by side with the turkish residents in modest accommodation, paying cheap rent. but a few thousand syrians are also housed in a refugee camp on the edge of town. hasan kara is the mayor of kilis. he says his city has been so successful in integrating the refugees that he believes it qualifies for the nobel peace prize. and so, he's more than happy to support the kareemat project. he releases a dove of peace for the cameras. this particular initiative doesn't quite want to get off the ground -- but kara remains optimistic. >> i invite the united nations and all the aid organizations of the world to come to kilis and see how hospitable people are here towards syrians, even though the

the syrians qualify as refugees were just some of his questions?cern expressed by the united nations which fears that asylum applications are not being properly processed and safeguards are not in place. >> we have seen gaps in both country that his need to be addressed. we are not opposed to returns as long as people are not in need of international protection. they have not applied for >> reporter: this is where the refugees coming and migrants they say they are worried about crime and the effect on the job market and tourism. the government says it has no plans to set up a permanent camp here that these people will be processed here and then sent on. we don't know exactly where that will be. the turkish interior minister has been talking earlier on sunday, he says this deal is already having to some extent its desired effect in reducing the numbers of people trying to get in to greece from the coastline here in western turkey. he says the numbers are down below 300 a day. and the coast guard has been picking up people and preventing them from cr

requested the syrian regime get anything? mark: no, i am not aware of that. with assistance from the russians, but beyond that, i am not aware there was any kind of exchange in any way but we are just gratified the american was released. >> other americans, are they in the syrian regime custody? can you be more specific? any moreo not have specific details beyond that. austin, iterms of think we are trying to still get information about his whereabouts. assistance did you get from russia? mark: i cannot. getting him out of there or was it specifically involving his release? in actually negotiating his release? we have expressed our appreciation that they did play a role and i do not want to go beyond what i already said because it is really up to them to characterize. >> a special envoy for hostile fares was the lead negotiating i do not believe so. i would have to check on that. i just don't know. not know who was leading the effort to secure this release? mark: i will try to get clarification. >> is it like single digits? some general sense? apologize, isee

we are not allowed to film the refugees close to the fence but spoke to a group of syrians. they are worried about their fate, asking what is going to happen to us, are syrians going to be deported or is it going to be the afghans, the pakistanis, i am a defector from the syrian army, i cannot go back. i won't be safe. at the end of the day, greek officials and e.u. officials are making it clear that there will be no mass deportations and that these cases going to be processed individually. they're going to look into these cases and make sure that they are not sending people back and the safeguards are in place. greek officials preparing for this deportation, we saw dozen was officers from front techs, the e.u. border, external border agency arrives here in lesbos to prepare for the deportations tomorrow. >> zeina, thank you for that. reporting for us from the detention camp. let's cross over now to our other correspondent, harry foster. we know turkey is already feeling the strain of the refugees it is hosting. are they prepared to host even more? >> well, there's been a go

also to senegal where some syrian refugees have found a safe place to live. brussels airport partially reopens 12 days after being attacked by suicide bombers >>> our top story, renewed fighting between azerbaijan and a rshg menia over the disputed caucus refresh. the defense ministry says there have been more attacks on sunday morning. dozens of people were killed on saturday which was the worst day of fighting in more than 20 years. azerbaijan says 12 of its soldiers were killed and armenia reported at least 18 dead. both say there have been civilian casualties as well. the u.s. and russia both calling for calm. the region is marked here on map in yellow there. you can see it quick clearly. it is dominated by ethnics, the area was put understand azerbaijan during the soviet era but it has been controlled by local armeniians since 1994. that after a war killed an estimated 30,000 people. d shaded area to the left of the disputed area linking the area with armenia, that is called the buffer zone. that's what it's supposed to do. it's controlled by armenia but

the syrians, it is likely will be allowed to stay in the vast camps with the millions of other syriansction here. those who have fled the conflict from across the border. the future of those from other countries is less clear. what we're hearing from the interior ministry is that those who are not syrians will not automatically be deported, but their cases will be considered on a case by case basis. but what we expect is that from here shall the registration, the processing, they'll be moved somewhere else nearby temporarily before being disbursed more broadly to the sorts of camps or centers that the turkish authorities consider appropriate, rosemary. >> phil, for any of those migrants for pakistan or afghanistan, how long would we expect them to stay in turkey before they're returned to their homeland? >> reporter: we really have no idea at this stage, rosemary. it's that unclear. their futures are that uncertain. we know they are making this return journey they never hoped to make. think about it, whenever they crossed this body of water in the other direction they did it with the h

like the syrian government will extend the cease-fire.y feel they can make gains on the ground through further fighting in and around aleppo. that will be a problem keeping it together. in the final analysis, this war will only end, and maybe in one year or three years from now, at a negotiating table. idea of encouraging negotiations is right, but we need more muscle. the russian government needs to do more to hold the syrian government accountable to those negotiations. laura: it has been nearly two years since the kidnapping of 200 schoolgirls in the nigerian town of chibok. thursday marks the anniversary. the extremist group continue spreading terror in the region. the united states will continue offering intelligence and advisory support, as well as financial aid. it may take more to bring the chibok girls home. a nigerian city, we met a grow that was rescued, but that is only the beginning. his report contains distressing images. correspondent: you do not know her. she was not one of the chibok schoolgirls. she is one of the thousan

requested the syrian regime get anything? mark: no, i am not aware of that. again, we worked with assistance from the russians, but beyond that, i am not aware there was any kind of exchange in any way but we are just gratified the american was released. >> other americans, are they in the syrian regime custody? can you be more specific? mark: i do not have any more specific details beyond that. again, in terms of austin, i think we are trying to still get information about his whereabouts. >> exactly what assistance did you get from russia? you go to that? mark: i cannot. >> was it getting him out of there or was it specifically involving his release? in actually negotiating his release? as mark: we have expressed our appreciation that they did play a role and i do not want to go beyond what i already said because it is really up to them to characterize. >> a special envoy for hostile fares was the lead negotiating effort? mark: i do not believe so. i would have to check on that. i just don't know. >> you do not know who was leading the effort to secure this

what about the syrians, are they being returned? >> reporter: that, of course, is the whole nub of this plan, this deal between the e.u. and turkey was all about repatriating or sending syrians back to turkey, classified by the e.u. as a safe country under the terms of this deal. turkey has to make some sorts of accommodations with the e.u., make some sort of things clear that it is a safe country and that on a one for one basis those syrians returned here, for each one returned a syrian in a refugee camp here in turkey would be resettled in europe on monday. we saw the first group of syrians sent from here to europe under the terms of this deal, but there is a huge lack of information as to exactly what's happening with the syrians currently in greece who are designd to come back here. one government official week spoke to on monday had said two had come back on monday, another had said none had come back on monday. so far with this returning we're being told by the turkish officials we're not expecting any syrians in this group of

when the war began, he was one of the first to join the rebel group the free syrian army. >> narrator: he controls a battalion of fighters. they hold a strategic position on a hill overlooking the old citadel of aleppo. (rapid gunfire) >> (talking on walkie-talkie) (gunfire) >> narrator: many schools in aleppo have been destroyed or closed. helen gives lessons to her sisters and their friends. (faint explosion) (gunfire) >> narrator: mohammed sneaks through the front line to explore his friend's home that's been almost totally destroyed by shelling. (loud bang) >> narrator: in parts, the city has become a ghost town. the girls go exploring in abandoned homes. (faint banging) >> allahu akbar, allahu akbar. (cannonfire) allahu akbar! (cannonfire) (gunfire) ♪ (rumbling) (sirens blaring) (crying) (crying continues) (coughing) (crying) >> narrator: in the space of a year, life in aleppo has grown increasingly desperate. islamic extremists have taken over parts of the city. and before christmas, in the middle of the night, the family says isis fighters kidnapped abu ali. they haven't seen h

near the syrian capitol. those kidnapped were cement workers and contractors. the latest on this, let's go to jamal live in beirut for us. what were the circumstances of this kidnapping? >> reporter: well, lauren, it preesty unclear. we are getting different reports from different sources as you mentioned the syrian government is saying that roughly 300 factory workers were kidnapped by isil. however sources if damascus have also said that one of the rebel groups, the armed groups fighting the regime were able to free many of those who were held captive. they said that isil beheaded ten initially. and that there was less than a hundred who remain in the hands of isil. obviously -- like i say it is done flikting reports, and as with a lot of things in syria, we think is kind of stacked up, depending on where you hear it from. in that goes to show that not only is that lack of clarity something that is making it difficult to understand who has the upper hand in this war, but it also shows that all of this is be

state of iraq and levant has abducted as many as 300 near the syrian capital, damascus. it's unclear what happened, but several of those taken have now been released. >> reporter: there are conflicting reports with regards to the news of the abduction of these factory workers, these cement workers. state television saying isil kidnapped roughly 300 workers. sources on the ground today al jazeera that the number was far less and one of the armed rebel groups and one of the armed groups fighting the regime as well as fighting isil managed to secure the release of most of them. they say that isil initially killed or beheaded ten of those that they took captive accusing them of espionage or spying against them. less than 100 remain in the hands of isil. however, what this goes to show is not only the lack of clarity with regards to what is taking place on the ground because of the dangerous nature and the unfortunate fact that there is difficulty finding independent verification of things as they develop. what it also shows is that everybody in syria is a target, even those

-- with the syrian equivalent or the syrian arm of the pkk. that's a kurdish terrorist organization which the turks regard arizona a vital enemy. we're going to work with their kurdish enemy to close this border. they would like to close it but they want us to work -- they want us -- they're willing to close it but they want to do it under certain conditions which will protect them from the creation of an autonomous kurdish authority on the other side of the border that stands for kurdish separate tichl from turkey. if we continue down this path, we can tell ourselves that sooner or later the turks will just accept this. i think what's more likely to happen is the opposite. at a certain point the turks will reach their breaking point and they will start taking unilateral military action which will work very much against the peace and stability that we want. finally, the claimed goal of all of this is that by doing all that we're doing we're going to defeat isis. it's just not going to happen. with the absence of sunni partners on the ground in

the syrian army and it's allies have launched a major offensive against rebels. it's the biggest government operation in the area since the partial ceasefire came into effect in late february. it threatens to completely derail the agreement, which has reduced overall violence across the country. the u.n. special envoy to syria just announced new talks to end the conflict have been pushed back by two days to next wednesday. >>> in the north of the aleppo countryside, rebel fighters have taken over a town. they launched an offensive against isil fighters there. it's an important stronghold for the armed group. >>> meanwhile, syrian state tv is reporting that islamic state of iraq and the levant have abducted as many as 300 people near the syrian capital of damascus. those kidnapped were cement workers and contractors from the cement company. they say it's unclear exactly what happened, but several of those who were taken have now been released. >> there were complicately reports with the factory workers and cement workers, and state television saying isil kidnapped

the syrian army and the foreign militias suffered heavy losses. we managed to cease control to force the fighters to pull out of the town and surroundings. we destroyed the government lines of supply and killed militia fighters. >> unexploded shells and shrapnel from bombs littered the streets. >> on the walls, sectarian slogans are everywhere, and they indicated that fighters from a shi'ite group were here. >> shortly after rebels fighters, they started to bomb the area. the frequent question of territory is a signature of the war. the army doesn't have enough troops on the ground to maintain gains and the rebels lack the air cover needed to protect advances. five years after the conflict began, the fighting continues >>> now, to yemen, where the president abd-rabbu mansour hadi announced a surprise cabinet reshuffle. weeks before peace talks are set to take place in kuwait. help us to understand the ramifications. we are joined by adam baron, he's an analyst and a fellow at the european council on foreign relations. could you start by explaining

it increased after what a lot of syrians disagree with. so i think that al nostra could potentially taking the place in ground. >> does it change the entire who is fighting who sort of battle lines, the calculus in a place like syria, even if you beat isil? >> first of all, to be realistic. isil is not on the verge of being defeated. it will be a couple of years before we can say that they are defeated in iraq and syria. and even if we defeat hem in iraq and syria, there's no pathway to defeating them in libya. so isis is on the verge of losing territory, but not on the verge of being defeated and that's important to keep in mind. secondly on the terrorism and the concern in the west on how to combat this threat, part of it, yes, is defeating them on the battlefield to do two things. one is to deny them the place to plan and train and dispatch people to locations, and second, it's to impact, to no longer make them a success story. but effectively, when we see the difference between the record of terrorism in the u.s. since 9/11, or in euro

are syrians qualified as refugees?people are quite worried but asylum officials telling us they are going to go through each case individually. am nest at this time international, we just spoke to a representative. their main concern: the greek system, there is no proper system in place, and they will not be able to process these people properly. there is also a concern. they considertie not to be a safe country. it is not safe for returnees, for some people who are being sent back. so there is still a lot of concern, but officials are confirming to us that these migrants went back voluntarily. i have to point out that we were told by the greek authorities that this would hatch at 10:00 a.m. local time. the media was told. but it happened in the early hours of the morning, and activists came here because they wanted to ask these migrants to state publiin front of everyone that they were actually given the chance to apply for asylum and they said no. but that didn't happen which really is raising some questions among ac

lebanon security forces have dismantled the largest known sex trafficking ring freeing 75 mainly syrian women. plus. the show goes on for a popular music festival in pakistan despite an attack at a nearby park >>> greece has begun sending refugees and migrants back to turkey under a controversial e.u. deal. the agreement brokered last month comes into effect amid widespread concerns about the legality and the possibility of the deportation of people at risk. the first boat carrying refugees from greece has arrived at the turkish coastal town of tikili. they're being put on ferries from the greening island of lesbian bottles. they're being accompanied from officers from the border agency. they're said to receive 2002 refugees on monday. refugees arriving from 20 march whose applications for asylum are being rejected are being returned. they will resettle one syrian from turkish refugee camps, but there are concerns this could split families, some who are already in europe or turkey proper and this is what turkey gets in return. the e.u. has promised 3.3 billion dollars in refugee aid and

born in senegal to syrian parents. he sells curtains made in aleppo. >> we are not going to let the war stop us, our suppliers moved to turkey, we try to continue our work as best we can, trade is a lifetime work of our people. >> news from syria is a few swipes away. it's not good news. pictures of a home, or what is left of it. the feeling of loss is broken by the arrival of a new customer, a chance to forget the war for a moment, and focus on life here in senegal >>> turkey's prime minister promised to rebuild the mainly kurdish city. months of fighting between troops and the kurdistan workers party left the historic part of the city in ruins. we have been sent this report. >> translation: this man is in debt. fighting has stopped. and the business is open again. he's not happy. >> translation: the people had nothing. they were hungry. there was no work. nothing. i'm in debt. i'm relying on the credit card. i don't know when i can pay back the bank. the government has to help us. >> reporter: he is not alone. many p

where the confluence of terrorism and the syrian conflict caused enormous suffering. crisisdiscussed in this in this region repeatedly in recent weeks. i am just going to highlight a few points right now. first, the united states wants those responsible for committing human rights abuses in syria, iraq, and elsewhere to be held accountable for their actions. to that end, we are supporting international efforts to investigate, collect, analyze, and preserve evidence of atrocities. cannd, we are doing all we to aid the victims of human rights abuses, including counsel and other assistance for women and girls who have endured liberty. third, with our partners we aesh,nue to go after d shrinking its territory, to greeting its leadership, hammering its revenue sources, cutting a supply lines and rallying the world against it's a genocidal actions and ideology. and finally, we are deeply committed to the search for political solutions to the conflict in syria. including full access to humanitarian supplies, sustainment of the cessation of hostilities, the release of the mos

the free syrian army said the y.p.g.as allied themselves around government forces in aleppo in recent weeks. the u.s. supports the y.p.g. in its fight against isil and the al-nusra front. this fire shows an area controlled by the syrian military. there are various anti-government groups fighting for control of aleppo. it's believed around 65,000 families remain in the city. he and his family shelter in a cave that was converted into a carpentry. they've been here for three years. don't be afraid, my son, he says. there's no running water or electricity across the city. we had to convert this washing machine into a wood burner to keep warm at night, he says. >> when the bombing starts, we hide in the carpentry. it's a room inside the cave. it's terrifying. we never go out. >> the partial ceasefire was supposed to allow more humanitarian aid in, but the fighting and various armed groups competing for control this made things difficult. >> it is the main road into the city of aleppo. if it is closed, there will be no more r

they say all the indications are that syrian government forces carried out that attack. is there any confirmation, anyway to prove what happened? louisa: proving these things can be very difficult. we are used to seeing the patterns, from the government, not a russian plane. the syrian regime targeting civilian structures, targeting buildings inning -- in densely populated areas, and hospitals and schools. brent: louisa, we have the united nations tonight coming on -- calling on russia and the united states to collectively intervene, again, to prop up the cease-fire. but there aren't any signs that will happen right now, or are they? louisa: there are not. there is not a lot of trust between the two side, even when it comes -- especially when it comes to the president assad. this is that the bloodiest point in years. they are trying to work together to bring an end to this war, but there is not a lot of trust there. brent: louisa reporting from istanbul to mike, thank you very much. as syrian refugees trying to leave the country, somewhat hopes of reaching europe, u.n. s

presidency kept up his substance on syrian refugees. donald trump says he would send refugees back to syria. >> we have people coming in from syria on the migration. thousands and thousands of people. we have no idea who they are, where they come from, there's no documentation. we have to be crazy. i will tell you, they're going home. if i become president. we have to. we have to. we have no choice. where are these people coming from? i mean, where are the leaders coming from? what are they doing? >>> large pardons of the kurdish city have been damaged from months of fighting. stay for the turkey's president's pledge to build a city in ruins. fighting for their culture, indigenous australians defend their right to fish. stay with us. stay with us. >>> welcome back. the top stories here on al jazeera. dozens have been killed in the fighting between azerbaijan and armenia in the dispute region. it is the worst violence there in more than 20 years. people in the greek town of idomeni have been protesting over the refugee camp on the border

sharyl: people don't know what about the syrian refugees?pecifically who needs help and would like to come to the u.s.? congressman russell: don't confuse the narrow hundred, hundreds of syrian war refugees in great need with the larger issue of refugees and immigration. they are not the same. one is a heavily vetted program, that is, in my estimation, probably one of the most secure things that we do on immigration. sharyl: the latest bombings in brussels may distance russell even further from some republicans. sen. cruz: we need to immediately halt the flow of advisedresident's ill plan to bring in tens of thousands of syrian muslim refugees. congressman russell: i'm in a very o you know, i'm not embraced by, you know, the opposition party, and i'm not embraced necessarily by my own party. but that's okay. i've been defending the constitution since i was 18. i don't need a party to tell me what that is. sharyl: after all the talk, congress has not stopped the refugee program. 768 syrians have come to the u.s. as refugees since november of

would now be the time to step up our taking of syrian refugees? >> that's certainly the republican argument that we need to insure before we bring in any -- >> shouldn't that be an american argument? republican or not? >> it's actually the argument as well. he argues the screening system we have in place is actually sufficient. we are able to screen these people with confidence they will not execute terror attacks on our soil. republicans disagree and think the screening needs to be a little more stringent. >> what do you say, juan? is this a republican only idea the screening should be more rigid and stringent? >> if i could take a second of personal privilege, gina, i want you to know the stock market is doing great, america's economy is not tanking, gina. we are doing great. i look at those beautiful boats behind you, i think somebody n owns them. >> i don't know how you deny that fact. >> deny what fact? unemployment is 5% and wall street up through the roof. >> small businesses across the country are hurting. lots of people still out of a job

by saying the syrian forces, the syrian army is the force that can really eradicate d.a.e.s.h. and that is the duty of the international community, mainly the western powers, to support the sish regime in this-- syrian regime in this fight against d.a.e.s.h. they manage to gain a lot from d.a.e.s.h. over the past few weeks because if you have been following the news, the regime forces took palmyra and others, also another important outpost in the syrian desert from d.a.e.s.h. in the north we have the opposition forces that have taken a town from d.a.e.s.h. which was an important crossing point between syria and turkey. the two parties are making gains against d.a.e.s.h. in different fronts >>> police in el salvador have raided the local office of the law firm at the center of the panama papers data leak. they have seized papers and computers. this report from our correspondent. >> reporter: el salvador is the latest country t launch an investigation into the murky world of offshore finance as a result of the panama papers leak. this office was raided by police after they suspec

we will take you to senegal where some syrian refugees have found a safe haven. turkey's president expresses concerns of a rising islamaphobia during his trip to the united states >>> dozens of people are dead in fighting between azerbaijan and armenia in the dispute acaucuses region. it is the worst violence there in more than 20 years. azerbaijan says 12 of its soldiers have been killed and armenia reported at least 18 dead. both sides there have been civilian deaths. the disputed region lies inside azerbaijan but it has been controlled by ethnic armenians since a ceasefire in 1994. >> reporter: violence has never been far away for the people of here. a ceasefire in 1994 didn't really bring the peace it promised, but the fighting has not been this brutal. azerbaijan and armenia accuse each other of firing the first shots. azerbaijan says its armed forces came under fire from ar till reand grenade launches and it has taken over two strategic hills and a village. armenia says azerbaijan launched an tack >> translation: they used all types of artillery. we have al

around 1,000 syrian civil defense workers have received training in turkey and jordan. the white helmets also have four training centers inside syria. these men continue to work despite the threats or hardship. 40 of them were killed in 2015. there are no guarantees that this year will be better. the truce has brought relative peace and calm, but it won't be too long before they are hit again >>> in other world news a bangladesh >> translation: law student who has expressed secular views has been killed. he was hacked with machetes by four men at a traffic intersection and then shot. this is the latest of attacks against libial bloggers and secular activists. -- liberal bloggers. to our correspondent. do we know more about the circumstances of this latest killing and why this activist was targeted? >> reporter: there are not too many details. he was intercepted by a motorcycle, a couple of them i guess. the first they hit him with machetes and what we know from the details now that they got down and shot him to make sure that he was dead. stores all around shut their do

the kurds controls about 15% of syrian territories. they have called their own areas autonomous federal region. so at the end of the day. if the piece talks basically take off, if the diplomatic talks basically begin the process, they have not started yet. you are talking about indirect talks and shuttling between the two delegations. the kurds have to join the talks. there is no other way. the americans and the russians will find a way to integrate the kurds but before we talk about the kurds, the direct talks between the syrian delegation and the opposition have not started yet. >> right. >> that's why, in fact, in fact, really, this is all preparation for the beginning of direct talks between the syrian government and the opposition. >> it seems there is still a long way to go. thank you very much for joining us. it's good to get your insight of the london school of economics joining us there from london. meanwhile, the syrian network for human rights says six rescue workers and medical staff have been killed in syria in march. but

this also according to the syrian observatory for human rights. so we can find out more about these latest developments in syria with our correspondent in the region who joins us live from beirut. adam, firstly, what more can you tell butts this reported mass umar. of civilians from d >> there are reports suggesting several people were kidnapped following this attack about 40 kilometers northeast of damascus. originally the syrian observatory for human rates said the number was in the dozens then we heard from a news agency afp quoting one of the administrators at the factory it seafl saying there were 250 people. now syrian state media is suggesting the number is in excess of 300 people. the details are very vague. we don't know exactly how many people have been taken and we don't know where they are. what we do know is they were taken from their dormitories in the plant, itself. these were contract workers who slept on site. there's been no contact with them since they were taken. we also know something about the circumstances surrounding the at

it was a terrible toll on everybody, but it was a victory for the syrian army. we know all these things. the syrian army, probably, we don't know, nobody knows, it isisprobably take raqqa -- is on the run, particularly in syria. not necessarily in iraq. i don't understand what the president is doing. why he wants to engage war. but, it is not my call. i would also -- i had been told there are many more forces in iraq than we're publicly announcing. what the hell? as usual, we don't know with a game plan is. i do not understand why he is decided to jump into a war that was being run -- is being run by .he syrian army i can just speculate that are anti-putin, anti-russian instinct in america continues apace. that's all. amy: in your introduction to your new book "the killing of osama bin laden," you write -- "in a review of my interviews about obama's early decision to raise the anti-afghanistan, one fact stood out. obama's face in the world of special operations. and in stanley mcchrystal, the commander of u.s. forces in afghanistan who worked closely with dick c

our correspondent reports. >> reporter: ahmad works for the syrian civil defense.is not just a driver. he is also a rescue worker. and when there are no air raids, he helps clean up the city. >> translator: we're trying to help the people in more than one way, not only recovering people from under the rubble, but we also clean the streets, the debris, and open the roads. >> reporter: around 3,000 volunteers work for the unit across eight provinces. they are ordinary people from all walks of life. always on the front line, always the first to help. [ explosion ] >> reporter: many times they become the targets. the syria civil defense say at least 109 of their staff have been killed since the group was founded in 2013. in neighboring turkey, we met with the group's regional office, honoring a long list of casualties, celebrating the unknown heros. ahmad says they have rescued at least 50,000 people, relying on donations, second-hand vehicles and equipment. >> translator: we have 519 vehicles. not all are operational, but we fix and use them especially in besieged are

for every syrian returned to turkey here, they will take one syrian directly from the refugee camps that line the border. mostly in the south of the country. up to around 72,000. it is a controversy deal. the critics say this is the european union abdicating their responsibility to help them. they are being sent to a country which is not prepared to give them the hope and protection. that said, turkey is a country that already has around 2.7 million syrians living here. people who fled the conflict from just across the border in syria. christine. >> thank you, phil. >>> back to the campaign now. donald trump with new attacks overnight. this time for john kasich. why he says the man running a distant third in the republican primary is stealing his votes. >>> all right. new this morning, donald trump and ted cruz now both say john kasich should get out of the race. bernie sanders and hillary clinton cannot agree on the terms of their next debate. the race for president gets heated one day before the next key primary. >>> new information on the explosive amtrak derailment. two killed. dozen

-brokered talks between all sides of the syrian conflict. the russian foreign minister said that they made the special envoy to syria who is visiting moscow. the geneva-based peace talks have stalled because the syrian negotiators have been unwilling to discuss the possibility of president bashar al-assad leaving office. during the visit they praise the russia's involvement from isil fighters. >> i also want to make a point. we are key on the indication of what needs to be the beginning of freeing area which are international value it is something that we need to acknowledge. >> meanwhile, activists on the only road linking the city has been cut of "kurdish fighters. they have warned that syria's city could face a devastating siege. >> ahmed and his family rely heavily on food hand outside. but it's barely enough. they're scared that kurdish fighters could cut off the only road out of aleppo. >> god for bid if the road is closed it would be a big problem for us. there will be shortage in cooking oil, flour, and other food stuff. people are p

based organization, the syrian observatory for human rights says more than 40 russian and syrian airstrikesit the area on sunday. now, hours before a deal to send rejected asylum seekers back to turkey takes force. boatloads of refugees have been rescued off of the coast. many children are among those making the journal. on march 20th, more than 5,600 people have been registered. greek media says more than 700 will be sent back to turkey monday morning. >> less bos, one of the islands where refugees have been coming to for years now. they still keep on coming. tell us a little bit about what's going on there. >> reporter: we seem to be having some problem with the audio the we will try to cross life to her. in the turkish town. refugee did are expected to be sent back. in the seaside town, they have been creating a reception center here at the doc made of tents. we understand this is where the first batch of several hundred refugees, migrants coming back from le sp os will be processed. there have been protests in the town those who said they want refugees setting up a permanent camp k they

for every syrian deported to turkey, eu will accept one syrian making a legitimate asylum claim from turkey. but for the first syrian refugees to arrive at the airport, it marks the end of a very long germany. journey. >> they are very excited. they don't know what awaits them. first migrants were deported to turkey from greece. what awaits them there is more pay cuts. >> they will be sent to the patch creation center dust to the repatriation center. thousands of migrants are worried about the implementation of the eu turkey deal. desk and in a rocking migrant -- for this iraqi migrants, europe is is only hope. >> the decision to send back the refugees is very difficult to accept. this iraqi refugee believes that the repatriation deal goes against the fundamental principles of the european union. >> for them to send back seeking who have come security and peace is a moral, and is a breach in international law. humana view echoed by rights groups who say that turkey is not a safe country and that this attempt to stem the flow of refugees coming to europe and blow to the right to reque

the armed syrian group al-nusra leader has been killed. he was killed with his son and 20 fighters in northern syria near idlib. he was known as the media spokesman for the group. clashes between azerbaijani and armenian forces continue. it's the worst outlake of violence in more than 20 years over the disputed nagorno-karabakh region. our correspondent reports >> reporter: despite claims of a ceasefire by azerbaijan, armenian forces report that there have been more attacks by azerbaijan's military. both sides are accusing each other of firing the first shots on saturday. they blame each other for violating a 1994 ceasefire that ended a six-year war. >> it was a dire violation of the ceasefire regime, international law, international humanitarian law and geneva convention >> reporter: some have called it the frozen conflict. it began with a decision soviet leader joseph stahlin made in 1922. he placed the enclave of the area inside the newly created azerbaijan. christian armenians and muslim azerris lived in peace. then in the 80s, armenia

syrians on the ground are very much paying attention to this because millions of syrians have expired passports and this is an issue that we have to deal with. so you know, in conclusion, i think, you know, really going back to -- from like i said, drawing on the work that i do for the commission is really emphasizing isil's crimes not only against syria's minorities, incredibly in a vulnerable position, but also against the many sunnis who have already suffered and continue to suffer and be very much a target because they don't espouse isil's beliefs and also to really hold -- to encourage our own government here to keep pushing the syrian government to abide by the u.n. security council resolutions that are really critical just on a very basic humanitarian level. i'll stop there. >> jomana, thank you very much, both for your presentation here and also for the really important work you're doing and the information you're able to give us. i wanted to re-emphasize something that you said before when you started off by saying bashar al-assad is not a protector of christians. i think it'

most notably recently in the syrian conflict. so it's very different. now from an israeli point of view this is a period that offers opportunities for israel. the arab israeli conflict are less prominent in the eyes of many arabs. it's not vanished. it remains an important issue but it's less important if you look at the saudi perspective and compare it to 30 years ago. you can see a very marked difference and saudis and others are willing to cooperate under the table more than over the table in ways that have not been there before and the syrian army and iraqi army. another real threat. so in all of these respects and these opportunities, there are threats. the iranis a formidable enemy. instead of conventional wars we face in the prospect of asymmetrical wars. they're very difficult to wage and very difficult to win and probably close to 200,000 and by the use of rockets that threaten israeli civilian in population. not complete -- i'd say subdued but not complete livanished is the prospect of nuclear iran and most importantly the problem that israel