Famous british artist could be worth millions. We begin in iraq where fastmoving developments threaten to reshape the direction of the country for years to come. The Prime Minister appears to be losing control of his government. Iraqs grand ayatollah said its time for a new government. We are following the story on the ground in tikrit and near the jordanian border and well have the latest from washington. First to baghdad. Jane is there with more. Well, a couple of Game Changers is one, a statement by one of iraqs clerics. The other is a statement by a kurdish leader saying now they had kirkuk, they are not going to give it up. It lives the Prime Minister in a tough position. Theres no doubt now that this is war. The Baghdad Operations command center and the commander in chief. We must remove weak officers and soldiers, Prime MinisterNouri Almaliki says. He is battling also for his political life. But friday prayers, the representative of iraqs influential slooea cleric shia cleric relayed a message. Translation after calling on members of the new parliament to convene next tuesday, what is required is for the political bloc to agree on the presidencies. Reporter that means hes calling for an immediate government with the Prime Minister, president and Parliament Speaker decided, something that Nouri Almaliki is unlikely to do. The Prime Minister has been under political attack from all sides, including the kurds. Kiddish Peshmerga Forces sewered the city of kirkuk when the iraqi army deserted. With a shifting balance of power, they decided to stay. Translation it was a necessity for the Peshmerga Forces to go in and provide protection and prevent the areas falling to terrorists. Article 140 has been accomplished and well not be ready to talk about that. Reporter article 140 was meant to decide the status of the disputed city. Militarily this is a battle iraq is not equipped to fight. The u. S. Led invasion in 2003 destroyed the iraq air force, relying on who planes and attack helicopter. Thats why iraq is desperate for fighter jets from the u. S. And anywhere else it can buy them. Reporter one of the shifting battle lines is a wide swath of area between Kurdish Forces and the i. S. I. L. They are continuing to fight each other in a very vulnerable strip of land home to christian minorities, not far from mosul. Now the u. S. Says its using drones. What sort of difference do they hope that will make . Well there are a lot of moving parts here. The armed drones that they have join the unarmed drones that they had for surveillance. These ones the u. S. Government officials made clearer meant to protect the what are special forces operatives on the ground and other u. S. Government officials, andst military personnel and u. S. Military personnel. What they are still doing now really is assessing the capabilities of the i. S. I. S. , assessing the capabilities of Iraqi Security force, which came as a shock when they deserted, and figuring out a plan of action. This will not happen overnight. Is there hope regarding the new government and whether it will change anything . Well, at the least if there is a government. It will fill the political vacuum, and the security vacuum. We are talking about a government that would embrace sunnis, they are part of the population that have felt marginalized. That has allowed groups like i. S. I. L. To flourish in many respects. Nouri almaliki is in a tough spot. He ha a few days to cobble together a coalition government. Its not clear that hell be able to do this. Jane is in baghdad. Thank you. The pentagon, as we mentioned confirmed that armed u. S. Drones are flying over iraq to provide security for troops and diplomats from the United States. Mike viqueira is at the white house with more on that. What we have known is over the past several weeks or past week American Forces have been flying between 30 and 35 sortees or missions in the skies above iraq. They are conducting surveillance or identifying targets if president obama, indeed, decides to go forward with air strikes. Some of those aircraft are drones, and they are armed drones. The pentagon explains they are to protect the forces they are there to protect the forces. Not just the 300 advisors, half of whom who is in company. Also u. S. Embassy personnel and contractors in iraq. The pentagon spokesman is rearadmiral john kirby. Here is how he described the mission. Some of those aircraft are armed. The reason that some of those aircraft are armed is primarily for force protection reasons, now that we have introduced into the country some military advisors whose objective will be to operate outside the confines of the embassy. Reporter john kirby went on to say this could ultimately participate in air strikes if president obama goes down the road. The chairman of the joint chiefs had things to say about iran. What about that . Late on friday a radio interview, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Martin Dempsey talked about iran and says he does not rule out military cooperation with iran. The white house seemed to do it a couple of days ago. He said there would be a long way to go, that u. S. Forces and advisors could come into contact with iranian advisors, who he acknowledges are in country, advising parts of the shia militia and other parts of the Security Forces. U. S. Forces or vzors could run into them, where the iranians are providing security. Hes trying though determine how closely the Iranian Forces are embedded and that will go a long way to determining the cooperation with the United States, and identified possible targets if the u. S. Goes forward, including highvalue individuals within the i. S. I. L. We have been talking about a proposal that the u. S. Might give 500 million in aid to the syrian opposition. What is the reaction . The president asked congress for half a billion. We know how Congress Works and the contentious issues around that. It wont be for several weeks for congress to get around doing that, if they do, and that would be in the fall. This is a regional conflict between syria, iraq, and i. S. I. L. Forces, some battlehardened in the battle against the Bashar Alassad regime. This represents the first public acknowledgment that the administration will help moderate vetted Opposition Forces within syria, careful to keep armaments and aid out of the hands of radical elements fighting in the asaad regime. Tough job. Ambassador Richard Butler was the australian ambassador to the United Nations and served as the u. N. Chief weapons inspector in iraq and is in the studio tonight. Welcome back. Good to see you. Ambassador, we are talking about involvement with iran, london, washington d. C. , what is the sponsor of that foreign involvement in iraq, if at all . Its extremely important. Many are saying now that one of the key origins of the problems that are being faced is the phenomenon of past invasions, in particularly 2003. Lets not waste time arguing about the extent to which that is true. What is true is theres a crisis taking place in iraq, but its not just home grown, its driven by the interests of external powers. All around iraq, syria, iran turkey has interest, in the gulf the saudis and so on. The question of what impact that has on this terrible problem taking place is app important one. In 2003 2004 we talked about the kurds, shia split, and whether the country would be split apart. Now, after all the money spent and all the lives lost and ruined, we are talking about it again. I was smiling. The fact is its a fact, i diplomat feel comfortable saying it that that country was held together by saddam hussein. A thing he achieved. Like tito did in the former yugoslavia was to hold together a country with three distinct parts, ethno professional group. The dictator that gassed his own people. Thats right, they paid a terrible price, dont misunderstand me, im not suggesting anyone should miss saddam hussein. I dont either. Its just a fact, right. Yes. Iraq is a fiction created by the british and the french at the end of the first world war. Its been three separate parts, cultures and professional beliefs that has been held together for a while and is flying apart. The question of foreign intervention that you raised is a serious one. The u. S. Has to think hard about going further, intervening further into the situation when, in some way, the intervention of 2003 was part of the problem. You know, so dauz iran does iran, so does turkey, so does russia. The report point out that the kurds said we have kirkuk, and we are not giving it back, thats a significant development. Thats like taking away a state in United States. It has oil and we now want it. We have been reporting on the humanitarian crisis you say its the worse since world war ii. Yes. 50 Million People are identified by the United Nations as refugees, people in tents and worse. That is a mass if number. A good portion of it is coming from this part of the world. I think many people are becoming gravely concerned about that, saying maybe we should talk less about military intervention, and more about what in the name of god can we do to help the 50 Million People. Its a massive crisis, and it could get worse. Now, the development of the possibility of a new government in baghdad it seems to me starryeyed optimism is not useful but seems a good possibility. Its the only hope much. They can change the government, get in place one that will be more inclusive of those elements within iraqi society. There may be a chance then to turn back these wicked people who are coming in and, you know, burning and killing and so on. I want to take you back to a time when you were weapons inspector for the united nation, and try to compare what it was like back then, what you get with to where iraq is today. Would you have imagined where you were there, and after the war that the world would be at this place with iraq again. I see pictures on information that Al Jazeera America shows of what has changed in the country in the last decade. They are increasing. The marketplaces. People drinking a coffee, buying books. When i was there you couldnt buy books, and so on. I could go on. In many release the place was moving forward, making it a double training di that thats now tragedy that thats now, i think, stopped. Basic tensions were present then, and are now. They have additionally this external threat to the country. They need a solid fair, decent reliable government in baghdad if they are going to have any chance. It has to include the kurds and the sunnis. Isnt that what we have always said. Its whats been talked about. Thats what we wanted to see developed inside iraq. We are coming to is by a tragic route. Its time. Its the only chance they have got. That should be focused on. Thats a desperate necessity. Ambassador Richard Butler, always good to see you. Some of the worst violence is taking place in tikrit. Human rights watch says it has evidence that i. S. I. L. Fighters killed almost 200 men after seizing the city. The iraq military say it launched an effort to retake the city and secure the largest yoi refinery. Reporter iraq military helicopters high above the refinery. Elite commandos are alleged to get a foothold in the towns university compound. They landed in the stadium. Witnesses reported fighting and two out of the three helicopters used were downed. The military hit target indiscriminately, say the people, and used illegal weapons. Translation theres no presence of i. S. I. L. Or militants. Its a residential area, families live here. They dropped barrel bombs here. We were home. Two blasts took place. There is no one here, no militants, no one here in the region. The families were displaced. The situation is quite difficult. Theres no gas, water, no electricity. The government has not released any information about this operation, but they have told al jazeera that they are in control of the university, but they havent given evidence to back that up. Tikrit is a crucial town. Its not only the home town of saddam hussein, the former dictator, but is seen as being a key town in the sunni heartland, and i. S. I. L. Will not want to give it up easily. I. S. I. L. Says its captured soldiers and military equipment. Human rites watch says 190 of those captured were murdered by the fighters. The rites group analysed imagery in satellites. Further investigation is diff because of the fighting. Weeks into this crisis iraqs politicians have not been able to agree on a united solution. For many sunni residents who feel let down by the government, hopes of stability remain just that. As a result of the violence in iraq jordan is tightening security along his border. Travel is severely restricted. Caroline malone is on the iraqi jordanian border. On the jordanian side of the crossing with iraq we have seen fewer likeses and trucks vehicles and trucks than we would normally see, especially preramadan when people come for holidays. The truck drives, especially the iraqis, tell us they are here to pick up goods, they need supplies fromoredan from jordan, theyll bring them back and try to sell them. Few jordanians trying to get into iraq, understandably thou that theres violence on the other side of the border. We spoke to some. They say it was an order for the iraqi government. They try to get to the border, they were turned back, told they didnt have the right permits. The gore of jord governor of jordan is making it difficult because of violence next door. Former Vice President dick cheney criticised the white houses handling, accusing president obama of pulling american troops out too soon. The former National Security advisor told jazz are the president is al jazeera that the president is cleaning up a mess left by the chaney group. I think its damaging, self destructive decisions that he and president bush made in attacking iraq under false redenses, with false justifications, there are discrediting the United States and the world, launching the United States into a process that has cumulatively contributed to the destruction of iraq as a viable state. Former senator George Mitchell has been at the negotiating table and told tony harris that the u. S. Invasion of iraq in 2003 is not to blame for the crisis in iraq today . The motion that conflict began with the United States i think it is plainly false, and contradicted now. We do have a problem. We should help, but ultimately, it is the people of iraq who will decide the future of iraq. You can catch the full conversation with former Senate Majority leader George Mitchell and tony harris on talk to al jazeera 5 eastern time. Ahead, 161 countries have done it the weapon the United States says it will not use any more. Plus, what is fuelling dreams of a new life in the United States . The lies that convinced Central Americans to try to cross the border. You you e e last november the former ukranian president refused to sign a trade deal with the european union. The result was a bloody uprising bringing the country to the bring of war with russia. Today they signed a deal. The crisis is far from over. More from paul brennan. Reporter it came down to a simple flourish of a pen, a sit on the page, but this agreement will all thor the economic prospects of millions of people. Getting to the point cost hundreds of lives and strained diplomatic ties, bringing ukraine to the brink of civil war. President petro porashenko said his country paid the highest price to make dreams come true. Of course all of us would have wished to sign the agreement under different, more comfortable circumstances. On the other hand, the external aggression faced by ukraine gives another strong reason for this crucial step. By signing the agreement ukraine takes enormous commitment in terms of reform. But it is a document of joint ownership and joint responsibility. In the ukranian capital kiev, the stretreaty was welcomed wit balloons. Ukraine benefits from having access to the european market, but must make reforms to comply with e. U. Regulations. Translation the ultimate ukrainian goal is membership in the european union. The kremlin predicts grave offenses if they suffer. A rift has been created. Translation the anticonstitutional coup in kiev and an attempt to involve a choice on the ukranian people pushed society to split and painful confrontations. The United Nations estimates more than 100,000 fled from Eastern Ukraine into russia this year, fearful of the conflict and the future. There have been positive signals. In the early hours of friday, armed separatists released a 4man team from the o. S. C. E. The men had been seized and held since last month. Four other o. S. C. E. Members and dozens of hostages remain in captivity. A possible prisoner swap was a talking point of a Contact Group representing kiev, rush a, separatists and the russia, separatists and the o. S. C. E. The separatists demand the withdrawal of all ukranian soldiers and refuse to surrender captured border posts. The fact that the group is able to meet is a positive sign. The question is whether the propose always put forward are realistic and genuine. Landmines are responsible for the deaths of thousands of women and children every year. Men are left behind from wars and conflicts of the today the white house said the u. S. Will stop the manufacture or purc