east of course we're talking about events in syria tariq ali thanks very much for talking to us now president assad seems to be clinging on to power in syria do you think there's any chance of him stepping down in the near future well it looks unlikely as if he'll step. of his own accord i think he has to be pushed out the syrian people are of course doing their best in the country what is more dangerous is the pressure being built outside especially in istanbul and by need to try and organize an intervention that i think would be disastrous and lead to enormous bloodshed much much worse than what's happened in libya. so i think there be a disaster i think the best way is for pressure to be put on him from without by concretes who are not seen as hostile to syria which include russia china and others. and the pressure should be kept on at home and he should be told in blunt terms that he has to go where his father shed a lot of blood in syria he is now doing the same and that this family's on the except to pull in syria needs a nonsectarian national government to prepare a new const

and next artie's laura smith talks to mideast expert tariq ali on the turbulent situation in syria and the implications of could house for the entire region. i'm talking to tara kelley who's a historian and author and writes mainly on subjects to do with the middle east of course we're talking about events in syria tariq ali thanks very much for talking to us now president assad seems to be clinging on to power in syria do you think there's any chance of him stepping down in the near future well it looks on likely as if he'll step. of his own accord i think he has to be pushed out the syrian people who are of course doing their best in the country. what is more dangerous is the pressure of being built outside especially in istanbul and by need to try and organize an intervention that i think would be disastrous and enormous bloodshed much much worse than what's happened in libya. so i think there be a disaster i think the best way is for pressure to be put on him from without by a concrete who was not see this all start to syria which include russia china and others. and the pressure s

well tariq ali has also spoken to us about the current crisis in syria that's in a special interview next hour but before that to has what else is coming up in the program. turkey wants to keep out the economic war on iran decided to protect its national interests by continuing to watch and wait while. activists in syria claim government troops have sent tanks to attack residential areas in the country's fourth largest city of hama that sounds the fighting shows no sign of abating at the center of the uprising the city of homs but it reports home to very fine there are concerns that some want and the regime painted in a bad light and the opposition. since the beginning of the uprising in syria last march the regime of bashar al assad has been accused of repression torture and killing but with a bodman of homes while the main stronghold of their position in its second week blame has since focus on assad forces attacking civilians and shell in residential areas. the beautiful yard calls himself a member of the opposition and intellectual not the re one his stresses from a social democr

tariq ali has also provided us with some insight on the current crisis in syria a special interview with him is on here in about twenty five minutes but before that here's what's coming up in the program turkey to keep our economic war on iran decided to protect its national interests by continuing to pour to be mean or will . activists in syria claim that government troops have sent tanks to attack western szell areas in the country's fourth largest city of hama that sounds the fighting shows no sign of abating the epicenter of the uprising the city of homs but with reports hard to very fine there are concerns that someone turned the regime and painted in a bad light and the opposition. since the beginning of the uprising in syria last march the regime of bashar al assad has been accused of expression torture and killing but with a bad month of homes blame has since focused or assad's forces attacking civilians and shell in residential areas. the beautiful yard calls himself a member of the opposition and intellectual not the real one his stress is from a social democratic group origina

well tariq ali has also provided a so with some insight on the current crisis in syria that interview with him is only in the next hour about for that here's what else is coming up in the program. turkey wants to keep out of the economic war on iran choosing to protect its national interests by continuing to import iranian oil. a blast has ripped through an oil pipeline in the syrian city of homs where clashes between regime troops and opposition fighters have continued for over a week thick smoke can be seen hanging over the city activists say the explosion was caused by government strike reports also suggest the army has sent tanks which are attacking residential areas in the country's largest city i'm a capital damascus troops said to be raiding houses not compromising the free syrian army but information hard to verify their concerns that someone turned the regime painting a bad light on the opposition. since the beginning of the uprising in syria last march the regime of bashar al assad has been accused of refreshen torture and killing but with abad much of holmes blame has since

dictatorships and pro-democracy protests so the british pakistani military is story and journalist tariq ali his full interview is coming up next hour hearing r.t. here's a bit of what he has to say. when we look at what the west did in relation to the our prize seeing some of the crisis. yemen where killing still go all the former yemeni president is having a medical bill in the united states of america so the double standards that operate make you suspicious of west might. keep people pushing for b. intervention in syria saudi arabia qatar or centrally they would like syrian version of the muslim brotherhood to run the concrete and then the united states will do deals with them as it has done in the past. in america china's vice president wasn't treated to the warmest of welcomes from u.s. officials vice president joe biden voiced a whole list of disappointments from beijing's economic policies to its stance on syria criticism was also level that china over its copyright in force meant and human rights record but apart from the brief exchanges the day was largely ceremonial as american lea

the attention of the international community like other nations in the region middle east expert tariq ali believes that's because the attitude of external powers is based solely on how useful the country is to them. those countries which are regarded as as the worst store stooges of the west basically not criticized regularly very rarely do we have coverage it's not just the gulf states and bahrain in particular it is also going to increase like yemen was brutal dictatorial presence to prison former president is going to be in the united states receiving medical treatment and no reporting is taking place from where yemen there were demonstrations in saudi arabia a few days ago which got very little coverage of course the so these have no democracy at all it is probably the most undemocratic concrete in leanto arab world much much more undemocratic even libya was no one talks about this because it's so useful going to create it has always lived elsewhere the west starts to mention in bahrain was greenlighted by the united states which is very strong in there. and they crushed the uprising

but mideast expert tariq ali says the different attitudes world powers are taking to bahrain's uprising are easily explained by how useful the regime is to that. those countries which are regarded as as though we're still stooges of the west basically not criticize regularly it's not just the gulf states and bahrain in particular it is also countries like yemen who was brutal dictatorial present to prison former president is currently in the united states receiving medical treatment there were demonstrations in saudi arabia a few days ago which got very little coverage of course the saudis have no democracy at all it is probably the most undemocratic country in the entire arab world and no one talks about this because it's a useful country it has always and it does with the west starts their intervention in bahrain was greenlighted by the united states which is very strong in their principle and they crush the uprising but erica has also provided us with some insight on the current crisis in syria a special interview with him is on air for you next hour but before that here's what else

dictatorships and pro-democracy protests says british pakistani military a story in a journalist tariq ali his full interview is coming up next hour here in r.t. here's a bit of what he has to say. when you look at what the west did in relation to the seeing some of the crisis in the yemen where killing still go the former yemeni president is having medical. states. so the double standards that operate make the speech of western. people pushing for the intervention in syria saudi arabia. centrally they would like syrian version of the most.