Transcripts For ALJAZAM News 20140818 : vimarsana.com

ALJAZAM News August 18, 2014

Wick wikileaks founder says he is sick and leaving Ecuador Embassy in london soon. After another violent night in the u. S. State of missouri the governor says he is sending in the National Guard. But first the iraq Cherokee Army says it along with Kurdish Forces have managed to retake control of the countrys army in the north of the country and the army is backed up with air strikes but didnt say if they were u. S. Planes. The mosel dam has been controlled by Islamic State fighters for weeks and our correspondent zaina has been there and following this battle, zaina, what have you been hearing from where you are . Well, you mentioned the iraq Cherokee Army spokesman is saying the damage under the control of iraqi forces we cannot confirm this. The dam is right behind me in the distance, the smoke billowing and what we understand is that its still contested territory and understand from the spokesperson is that, yes, there is cooperation with the Iraq Special Forces but its the kurd fighters who are waging this battle. Its very important for the Obama Administration to show that this is a fight and that they are helping iraq as a nation and not just the kurds but i can tell you we have been to many front lines and have not seen iraq forces on the ground and behind me has the territory and islamic fighters are on the west side of the dam and the kurds on the east and we cannot advance further because the kurds are not letting us reach the area for our safety. The dam is highly strategic installation with water and electricity and what we have seen is u. S. Military air strikes, the objective of the mission is changing and no longer just protecting u. S. Personnel on the ground or protecting irbil its helping Kurdish Forces and iraq army recapture strategic territory but what we witnessed on the ground yesterday is Kurdish Forces managed to advance and recapture villages but with the help of u. S. Air strikes. The kurds are on the offensive. They are in battle with the Islamic State group. But the Kurdish Forces are not fighting alone. The u. S. Airforce is covering their advance from the skies. But the Islamic State group is not making their task easy. We can see explosions from within the towns they control. They have also been leaving behind bombs on the side of the roads as they retreat. One of the objectives of this military operation is to recapture the mosel dam, the largest from the Islamic State group which controls onethird of the country. Its a strategic installation that provides water and electricity to surrounding areas. There are many front lines in this war. The kurds advanced on more than one front. We are just 30 kilometers from the city center of mosel, the stronghold of the Islamic State group. In this region east of mosel the kurds recaptured three towns, one of them is here and this is evident of the fight. And the fighters managed to shoot one of the vehicles belonging to the Islamic State group. But we werent able to enter because the kurds are conducting clearing operations. It is one of three christian towns they regained control of since the operation began early on sunday. Commanders are confident but it may be too early to declare victory. But they are hoping the people of the towns will be able to return home. The Islamic State groups resent advance in the north displaced tens of thousands of people. Translator our president told us to save the christians and other minorities and we are here to protect them and succeeded and pushed the Islamic State back. Reporter but taking territory is not the same as holding it. Kurdish forces are ill equipped and they lack training. Last week the Islamic State group captured many regions as it advanced into the kurdish north. It was then the u. S. Fighter jets and armed drones intervened, the Obama Administration has repeated time and time again that their military objective is to protect minorities and kurdish forrys but seems it has expanded, the objective now is to allow their partners on the ground to go on the offensive. And zaina much has been made they are dealing with soviet material and weapons and that the british and the americans are bringing additional ammunition and supplies but now we hear we are getting not just american air support but also british plus we are hearing elements of the iraq army are fighting along with the kurds and making for a much improved fighting force. Well, at the end of the day, without those u. S. Air strikes the Kurdish Forces would not have been able to advance and even with those air strikes its difficult to advance, you have to advance slowly because what we saw on the ground is Islamic State fighters yesterday retreated but what did they leave behind, explosive devices on the side of the roads and homes bomb boobietrapped and this is since the Islamic State Group Advanced to the north and what we understand from the officials is, yes, they are getting ammunition but what they need is heavy weapons and, yes, we are getting reports that this operation is in coordination with the iraq army but maybe just a few special forces. But iraq army abandoned positions in the north and not able to recapture territories seized by the Islamic State in june. So far it seems that at least this is what we are hearing from the pentagon and the Obama Administration that these strikes are widening the mission, is widening to protect the infrastructure and calling mosel dam Critical Infrastructure but no plan in place to defeat the group and that can only happen when iraq is a country and they agree on a broadbased government where both sides feel represented and they all have the same governing their country. Thank you very much, zaina live in Northern Iraq. Israeli and palestinian representatives have hours left to come to some sort of agreement before a fiveday cease fire truce comes to an end, the current cease fire came into effect thursday and due to expire 21 hours grenage on monday and the hamas wing is replenishing the stockpile of rocks and will use them if israel continues offensive on gaza. Israeli troops stepped up security along with gaza and Benjamin Netanyahu says there is no cease fire for his people 67 israelis and 3 civilians have been killed since the beginning of the operation in early july and that is in comparison to a title of 2016 palestinians killed, all of which 1417 are civilians. 70 of the total killed live in just a moment but first we have this report from hameed. Reporter on july 27 he and his family were at home when Israeli Soldiers started bulldozing it. There is nothing left of it now. The war was raging around and family was shot at in violation of International Law and he was captured and taken to israel. Translator they didnt have enough information. They needed more. They were asking me about hamas, location of rocket launchers and wanted to know who in this area was from hamas or Islamic Jihad and who was this charge. Reporter this is a farmer village on the edge of gaza and four were injured in battle with hamas fighters. One of the Main Objective of the israeli army was to discover the network of tunnels that leads into israel but many believe the soldiers shelled and destroyed their livelihoods indiscriminantly and this Little Cemetery wasnt spared. Destruction is on the eastern flank of gaza, trees uprooted, farmland ruined, factories and businesses destroyed. Translator they destroyed everything. They want us to leave this place but we are going to come back and rebuild once again. Reporter an estimated half a Million People are now homeless. And he says an unprecedented amount of fire power was unleashed on gaza. Intentional and wanted to inflict pain and death in the hearts and minds of the palestinians and civilians. No region can justify what israel did here. This is real and strong example for what are crimes. Reporter human Rights Groups called for investigation into alleged war crimes by both sides and the u. N. Has named a panel to look into the matter. But for gaza People Living in the rubble and for whom the smell of unburied bodies hangs in the air an investigation may not be enough to bring an end to their suffering and pain. We can go live now to gaza and you presented some fairly compelling cases of allegations of violations of International Humanitarian law and perhaps Even International human rights law as well and are two distinct areas of law and who is likely to take these claims forward . Well, at the moment we have palestinian human Rights Groups doing their best to collect as much evidence as they can on the ground. We do know that the u. N. Does have a panel that will look into this, but its certainly a monumentel task. Wherever we go really in already destroyed areas people come up to you and everybody has a story to tell you about what happened to them, how they escaped or relatives died and shot at. That will be a very long investigation for the human Rights Groups to carry on. Palestinians here are quite confident there is a lot of evidence on the ground. And of course the israelis would no doubt counter these allegations saying the amount of devastation and destruction experienced by the people of gaza as a result of the fact as they say that hamas operates its military operation from within the population center, that is what the israelis are likely to say. The israelis have been saying that not only this time but also in the two previous wars that happened over the past five years and a certain reality on the ground in gaza, there is no nonurban area. This is a very densely populated place. All the farming land about 48 of it has already been taken by israel as a buffer zone and that is land that is granted to the palestinian and the things raised is the existence of tunnels and vast network of tunnels and allows hamas fighters to carry out operations against Israeli Soldiers but people tell you this time the amount of destruck destruction and in some areas you see huge craters and does not really justify what happened. Whatever youre looking for, whoever you are waging the war against, its the civilian population that suffers mostly in this war and pays the highest price thank you very much indeed, live from devastated gaza. Well, Israeli Soldiers have been raiding the houses of three other palestinians in the occupied west bank this time. They suspect them as having been involved in the kidnapping and murder of the three young israeli settlers. And they were found in june near the city of hebron in the occupied west bank. Israeli troops demolished the homes of two of them but a house belonging to a third, that was sealed with concrete as you can see there. And jackie gave us more from west jerusalem. Reporter well, this operation really fits into a longstanding israeli policy of home demolition and home ceiling which has over years been used against palestinians suspected or convicted of various activities. Now, in this case the operation took place before dawn on monday. Israeli troops went in and they placed explosive charges and demolished the homes of two of them. And then a third home from a third suspect and that was the home here, in that case the troops sealed it off. What it means in practical terms is they pour a load a concrete in the home so its uninhabitable so they are good as destroyed in the town of hebron earlier on monday. Reporter 53 people died in northeastern yemen in clashes between government and rebel troops and 7 armed rebels and one yemen soldier killed in the province. And rebels have called for a mass antigovernment protest to be held in the capitol on monday. Still to come here on the al jazeera news hour, sacred wood and secret prayers, traditional healers who say they can cure ebola and we report from there. And beautiful views from the sale in sicily and you can buy a home for just one euro and what is the catch . Coming up, in sport two of the biggest names in tennis warp up for the years final gland slam in style and we will have the details. Missouris governor has ordered in the National Guard to the city of ferguson after another violent evening. Heavily Armed Police Officers fired at protesters angry at the killing of an unarmed teenager and they are taking advantage of the situation. Earlier an autopsy which was commissioned by the family for the death revealed that police shot Michael Brown six times. Rob reynolds reports from ferguson. Reporter police in Armored Vehicles fired tear gas at protest marchers in ferguson on sunday night. Eyewitnesses of several hundred Young African americans saying Police Ordered them to disburse when they were peacefully protesting the killing of 18yearold Michael Brown by a bhiet Police Officer earlier this month. Eyewitnesses said there were some children up there. You can see these explosions going on. So things are not calm at all, it was calm earlier, now there is a whole lot of Police Vehicles that is moving forward and trying to sweep people in front of them. A single molotov cocktail was thrown at them, prompting them to act and body army and helmets and gas masks moved down the street to the protesters. It was an entirely different scene earlier in the day as hundreds of people packed a Ferguson Church to donate money for Michael Browns family and hear speeches by activists. I wear this uniform and i stand up here and i say im sorry. Reporter there is a deeply felt anger among residents of the city especially young people who are fed up with what they say are heavy handed and racially discriminatory practices by the local, predominately white police force. The son of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther king junior attended. Balance is the language of the unheard. Reporter federal authorities have now sent a team of f. B. I. Agents to investigate whether browns killing violated federal civil rights law and the u. S. Attorney general ordered a second autopsy to be performed on browns body, a midnight to dawn curfew is in place for the foreseeable future, rob reynolds, ferguson, missouri. That federal autopsy that rob mentioned in his report follows on from an earlier, a private, independent autopsy that was commissioned by the brown family. Now, that autopsy revealed that Michael Brown was shot at least six times. It found that the teenager was shot twice in the head with one of the bullets entering the top of the skull, all of the bullets struck the teenager from the front. Well, there are accusations that the police is over militarized and includes m4 assault rifles and automatic and semiautomatic weapons and nonlethal unrounds and rubber bullets and 40 millimeter batons and wearing protection gear like fatigues used by soldiers in the battlefield. And we have a political analyst and author and written extensively on race and politics in the united states. Reporter this is over kill if there was ever over kill, going back 20 years or so, the Defense Department made this weaponry available to local Police Departments. In fact, basically they just gave it away to them for nothing. You saw assault rifles and you saw mind sweepers, you saw antipersonnel types of weapons and of course you see all the heavy body gear that you see with Police Officers now. So what happened is its really an alliance between the department of defense, the military establishment and local Police Departments so what happened is when they made that military equipment available supposedly during the era when the u. S. Was fighting the war on tear rechl terrorism and ramped up the war on drugs and you saw tackle units and swat teams and you sawmill tarry type contingents using the weaponry and so it transformed the look of Police Departments not only in the big cities but as you can see in a smaller city like ferguson. Wikileaks founder says he will leave the Ecuador Embassy in london where he has been held up for more than two years and he held a press conference in the past couple hours and being investigated by u. S. Authorities after his website published leaked military and diplomatic documents in 2010 and arrest warrant this sweden after allegations of Sexual Assault and he denies those allegations. I am leaving the embassy soon. But perhaps not for the reasons like that. Reporter al jazeera demands release of three journalist who have been in prison in egypt for 22

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