we took them out of timbuktu in four by fours. we brought them to bamako, we also stockpiled them in small boats, about five miles outside of timbuktu and took the375 miles away. >> reporter: abdel kader haidara, whose family also owns an important collection of manuscripts, has digitized 20% 0,000 documents the originals are kept in this room, classified by family name and year. they deal with myriad subjects: subjects such as astronomy and physics, politics and...e agic. thntlemen are reading page by page of each book, and they are making notes, like a summary, on what it says in each page. but time is running out. the books survived for centuries thanks to the dry desert of timbuktu, but now live in the heavy,ropical climate of mali: bamako, mali's capital. timbuktu and northern mali, still plagued by conflict remains a no-go area. >> ( translated ): there is an urgency because we have used 20% of the funds already, it's a lot but keep in e have hundreds of thousands of manuscripts. >> reporter: these books are relics, some dat

they took timbuktu and then occupied the north.royed ancient artefacts and imposed strict sharia law. as the violence spread, the government asked for help. french troops arrived in january 2013. they were joined by african forces. within a month, they had striven the violent extremists into the desert. they were down but not out. then the un came in to help police a peace deal between the rebellious armed groups. minusma, as it is known, is still here. it is one of the largest un peacekeeping missions and is currently the most dangerous in the world. nearly 111,000 personnel from almost 60 countries but they're not in harmony. different countries have different priorities and accept different levels of risk. these bangladeshi troops were rehearsing weeks ahead for their departure parade. cambodia is in charge of mine clearance. the un supply convoys that cross northern mali every month and are often targeted by roadside bombs. blue helmets no longer provide the protection they used to. the hours it takes to safely deal with a bomb

you are probably well aware there was an attack yesterday in timbuktu.lian troops suffered what they call a complex attack. attackers were wearing a combination of western military uniforms and blue helmets. translation: it was indeed a complex attack, the first of this type we have had to face, which shows a co—ordination of indirect shooting, suicide vehicles, fighters on foot — some of whom were wearing explosive belts — with a strong intention to cause casualties. seven french troops were among the 16 people severely injured but their commander described the attack as a failure. translation: whatever happens, given our level of training and preparation and the power of our means, any terrorist attack will be doomed to fail. france is taking the lead in the counter—terror effort against islamist groups in the sahel. they are supporting a new force from five regional armies, the g5. its effectiveness is being questioned before it has been properly formed. gunfire. the sahel is now a deeply dangerous place. gunfire. this was an anti—poaching patrol, amb

timbuktu might say listen, we need, this, and this.e don't need anymore tv anchors so good luck. >> you're exactly right. that is part of our problem. we basically have gone to this sincerely-held view we should bring in families and i understand that. you know what? we're not bringing in people that we necessarily want and need to come in that will be a tremendous asset to this country. people who want to be here, willing to come and give up their citizenship in another nation. they want to beart of fabric of american life. they are prepared to follow rules of law. if we don't follow the rule of law, we basically undermine purpose of this exceptional country, the united states of america. trish: look i have no problem saying, this is what we need. we need more nurses. maybe we should find, they have a lot of nurses in the philippines. maybe we should be strategic and say, listen, if you have this degree we want to you come here and we should make it easier for those people. we do node laborers as well. so you might say we need laborer

can timbuktu's literary treasures now be preserved for generations to come? >> ( translated ): the occupation took us by surprise, so people started to fd ways of hiding their manuscripts, before leaving. when everyone returned then it was time to find them. >> nawaz: l that and more on tonight's pbs newshour.

the islamist group on sardine associated with al qaeda occupied timbuktu in the summer of two thousand and twelve. what they used to make propaganda is evidence that each image it's a video comes to. communicate somewhere didn't about something. that just dismissed destroyed many holy shrines part of mali's cultural heritage. a specialty or the videos we could find on the internet show the picture it was committing a crime. of course you have to make sure that the evidence is full proof that it is authentic and that it is evidence that judges can actually rely on so all of these things of course is a challenge. each. friend sixteen thinking all around. and we could be free sixty degree. from each site enabling us to say ok video was recorded in the space. and interactive visualization tool was specifically developed for this case it allowed investigators to identify crime scenes by combining various pieces of digital evidence in. this video we recognize the exact same fence. then yeah. and we also. spark through trees this one and this one which i respectively this one and this one. th

i'd go to timbuktu if i had to.f pounds from friends and family to go to germany for treatment not available in the uk. he wants to spend more time with his family and feels he needs to give other treatments a try. how have you been feeling since daddy's been poorly? well... it's not been... it was a lot easier before, because... it wasn't physical, was it? you couldn't see that he was poorly. because he looked so well, you could forget that he is poorly. now his left side's gone... ..it's a bit more obvious that he is poorly. but he keeps fighting for us, doesn't he? and i always will. daddy's not going nowhere, is he? no. with people all over the world trying different treatments, data—sharing is another major part of tessa and jess's campaign. if patients are at the heart of this, these missions for cures and for potentially life—saving or life—extending treatments... ..then why on earth wouldn't we do everything that we possibly could to accelerate that process? they think a new global database that includes ada

this is what's left of timbuktu airport after the french and united nations base there was hit in aprilrs strapped with explosives. a foreign military presence creates a target, as it did in afghanistan, but this is about fighting a war abroad rather than at home. other european drones and aircraft are in mali, part of the world's most dangerous un peacekeeping mission. the raf is coming to a place where both germany and holland have lost helicopters. britain already has a presence in the sahel. this training exercise taught african nations how western armies work and, for the visitors, it was a chance to find partners who will fight foreign terrorfor them. with little will to send ground troops, our special forces are training local soldiers to be the boots on the ground facing the enemy. a stable and secure africa really does have importance to us in europe and particularly in the uk. there is a direct link with increased demographics, lack ofjobs, that will affect the migration issue and, therefore, the security bit. the many migrant trails heading through the desert are firmly linke

this is what is left of timbuktu airport after the french and united nations base there was hit in april soldiers strapped with explosives. a foreign military presence creates a target as it did in afghanistan, but this is about fighting a war abroad rather than at home. other european trends and aircraft are in mali, pa rt trends and aircraft are in mali, part of the world's most dangerous un peacekeeping mission. the raf is coming toa un peacekeeping mission. the raf is coming to a base where both germany and holland have lost helicopters. britain already has a presence in the sahel. this training exercise tours african nations how western armies work and, for the visitors, it isa armies work and, for the visitors, it is a chance to find partners who will fight for an karavev them. with little will to send ground troops... 0ur little will to send ground troops... our special forces little will to send ground troops... 0ur specialforces are little will to send ground troops... our special forces are training local soldiers to be the boots on the ground facing the enemy. sta ble the grou

this is what is left of timbuktu airport after the french and sited nations base there attacked in april. one u.n. soldier was killed, another name added to the memorial in mali, the u.n.'s most dangerous peacekeeping mission. >> that is the problem to cope with, and we have to face that violence and protect ourselves, protect the mandates, the system, protecthe civilians. reporter: nearly 14,000 people from almost 60 countries, a billion-dollar-a-year mission.ve their ry presence creating a target for jihadists. we joined a rare, heavily protected convoy risking roadside bombs to go out and meet community leaders. young people, securithe u.n. team listed what they wanted to talk about. they were trying to win people over, to see how they could help. but the elders wouldn't speak openly. the islasts are already among them. the kids don dios are silent.. secular schools has been forced to close. radical extremist groups are inoperatin the whole area, but it is more complicated than that. there are centuries of tensions between ethnic groups. the economy is failing. and thereen is no gover

this is what is left of timbuktu airport after the french and united nations‘ race was attacked in april added to the memorial in mali, the most dangerous us peacekeeping mission. it is a problem we have to cope with and face. we have to face the violence and protect ourselves and the mandate and the human system and the mandate and the human system and we have to protect the civilians. nearly 14,000 people from almost 60 countries. a year mission. it is not in harmony. —— a billion dollar a year. a perfect target for jihadists. wejoined a rare heavily protected convoy risking roadside bombs to go out and meet community leaders. young people, security. the un team lifted what they wanted to talk about. they were trying to win people over to see how they could help. but the elders would not speak openly. the islamist are already among them. the children do not play football, radios are silent, and secular schools have been forced to close. radical extremist groups have been operating in this whole area. it is more complicated than that. there are centuries of conflict between different gr

they can investigate from here to, you know, to timbuktu not going to find a darn thing. >> brennan: the president told you that roger stone never spoke to him about this meeting? >> i haven't had chance to talk to him yet. >> brennan: the president didn't know anything about it? >> president doesn't know a darn thing about russian collusion from roger stone from anybody else, i would suspect he never talked to the president about it because it's quoted in the "washington post," if they ran the story, that nothing came of this but i think he said, quote, a waste of time, close quote. >> brennan: okay. i want to ask, you mentioned special counsel robert mueller he has now indicted 20 individuals, there are five people who are now cooperating with authorities here. do you see any limit on the president's power to pardon either now or in the future with some of these indictments? >> well, i see a practical thing now he shouldn't do it, investigation is still there. there are a lot of troubling unethical behaviors, illegal behaviors with regard to what came out with inspector general tha