Youre watching beyond one hundred days. Hundreds more american soldiers are on their way to the middle east after protestors stormed the us embassy in baghdad. The violence marks a new turn in the standoff between washington and iran. The us defence secretary says america will do what it takes to protect its interests in the region. Enoughis enough is enough. This is part of arounds malign behaviour that they have been spreading across the region and into afghanistan now, for 40 years. With one month to go until the first 2020 election contest in iowa its donald trump who is raising alot more money than his democratic opponents. Also on the programme. A state of emergency is declared
in southeast australia amid warnings of more bushfires. Locals are furious with the governments handling of the crisis. Mr Prime Minister, what about the people who have nowhere to live . Youre not welcome dramatic scenes in paris as police and protestors clash. Transport strikes there are now in their 29th day, the longest in modern history. Hello and welcome im katty kay in washington and david eades is in london. The us defence secretary is pushing to broaden americas standoff with iran after violent demonstrations against the us embassy in baghdad. Iranian backed protestors have now retreated but mark esper has confirmed that extra us forces are being sent immediately to the region. I think it is important at this point in time to not make the xiUnited States versus iran issue. It is really around versus the world. It is iranian bad behaviour that has been going on for nearly a0 years. The secretary may face in this agreement as it is america that has up agreement as it is america that has up to pressure to isolate tehran, which carried out air against protesters and the us embassy in baghdad was under assault this week. Lets show you where the us embassy is located. This is the so called green zone. Normally demonstrators are simply kept out but not this time. On tuesday Iraqi Security forces. Not this time on tuesday Iraqi Security forces allowed protesters to enter the zone from this bridge. They then managed to gain access to the compound from this gate. Joining me now is retired us Brigadier General mark kimmitt. Where does this leave relations between the us and iraq and between the us and iran. Thank you for joining us. You havejust come back from iraq. Does it look like it is
tenable to keep American Forces there as it is trying to increase its presence in the country . That is a political decision that will be made by the iraqis. The pms leadership was able to pull the protesters away from the us embassy when they struck a deal with the Prime Minister that the Prime Minister will take up in parliament this week a vote on whether the us strips should stay are not so at this point we are there with the invitation of the Iraqi Government and ethically this invite as the forces will leave. That is the relationship with iraq at the moment, what about list around the . We had a defence racing a couple of hours ago that this is a turning point in that relationship. What does he mean . I think that might be a bit of hyperbole. We have had the stand offs for the last a0 years. I dont think we are heading down a military path right now. The sanctions seem to be working and i hope that the hotheads will stand back and realise that we are in a better position if fleece showed restraint. There is no reason to
start the war with iran. It would be over quickly but would accomplish nothing. Can ijust ask, do you think that the Iraqi Parliament will ta ke think that the Iraqi Parliament will take that step, will pursue a motion to call for the us to be withdrawn from the country entirely . That is a very good question because i think what people in the parliament are worried about now as they have seen what the iranian groups can do that are in parliament so it could well be that the sunnis and the secular sheer parties and the cards for that insta nce sheer parties and the cards for that instance would recognise that the only thing between them and a shiite controlled iranian backed government would be the presence of the United States, but with iraqi politics one never knows. You wonder if there is a sense of a readiness to have a fight here or is there possibly a situation where the strength, as you mentioned, the power of these iranian backed
militia groups within iran and the fa ct militia groups within iran and the fact that iraqis look to them as having helped them through dealing with isis is something that is just overlooked by washington . with isis is something that is just overlooked by washington . I think so. Overlooked by washington . I think so. Lets be clear. These were heroic fighters on the battlefield. They took more casualties than anyone else but it is the post isis fight we are concerned about. They we re fight we are concerned about. They were supposed to be brought into the Iraqi Security structure. They are certainly not answering to the government of iraq. It is also important to know that the iraqis realise that the americans have left once and if we are asked to leave a second time they may never see it again. Do you think miscalculations we re again. Do you think miscalculations were made on both sides, that these proxies felt they could hit military bases with impunity and not face retaliation . The american launching air perhaps didnt calculate appropriately the reaction that would cause against their interests in baghdad. To most sides need to
wise up to what the risks are and what the potential is for retaliation . I would agree that the reaction by the United States may have been heavy handed, but we have gone out of our way to tell the Iraqi Government time after time you need to take action with the Popular Mobilisation forces that are shooting rockets over our military facilities and over our embassy. Dont mistake restraint for weakness, but when it got to the point they killed the American Contractor and wounded american soldiers we had no other choice than to respond vigorously. Itjust may have been too vigorously. General, thicker coming tojoin have been too vigorously. General, thicker coming to join us. Have been too vigorously. General, thicker coming tojoin us. The idea that this might have been a very vigorous response. There have been numerous provocations since the summer but this one triggered that reaction and then you saw the counter reaction inside iraq, and your question now is do the iraqis respond, america is going to up its
presence, will they respond by saying you cant be here at all . Some sense of antagonism created by the us response to one American Contractor losing his life when there have been countless lives lost over the course of the last weeks and months. A clearly very tense situation. And they will try and resolve that in arak and hereto. In two hours time a state of emergency will come into effect in the australian state of New South Wales, the area worst affected by raging bushfires. Authorities hope the order will allow them to carry out evacuations to help the tens of thousands of people stranded in the state. And its notjust people who have been affected since september researchers believe a80 million mammals, reptiles, and birds have died because of the blazes. The fires have burnt their way through a far wider area than comparable ones across the globe. In the amazon 900,000 hectares were burned last year. The recent California Wildfires destroyed 800,000 hectares of land. But sincejuly four million hectares
have been burned in the state of New South Wales alone and the blazes remain out of control. The bbcs Shaima Khalil is in milton town, one of the areas under the evacuation order, and sent us this report. A mass exodus from the devastation on the Southern Coast and a race to escape the dangerous fire conditions ahead. Thousands of holiday makers inching their way to safety with a a8 hour deadline. Inching their way to safety with a 48 hour deadline. Families have heeded the call is to evacuate but because the conditions on the roads are very dangerous there have been closures in Different Directions and now they say they feel stranded having evacuated but now unable to get home. You have a feeling that you cant go forward and you cant go backwards and really stuck between a burning rock and a burning rock. Hopefully not get caught in the middle of the fire. Some
families were able to get away early in the morning before the road closures. This couple lost their house and had to take refuge in the la ke a cross house and had to take refuge in the lake across the road. The fireball came over the hill just lake across the road. The fireball came over the hilljust opposite the lake. We thought we had a few minutes at least, closing down the house and everything, doing what they say to do and within two or three minutes the fireball came through at 80 kilometres per hour hit the house and we ran into the la ke hit the house and we ran into the lake and the embers and everything we re lake and the embers and everything were hitting us. We were in for about an hour before we got rescued. This is what they were escaping. Burning since september these bushfires have destroyed more than 1200 homes. The Prime Minister who has been a staunch supporter of fossil fuels insisted that government policy struck the right balance between supporting the economy and protecting the
environment. How come we only had four trucks to defend our town . Because our town doesnt have a lot of money but we have hearts of gold, mr Prime Minister. But he had an angry reception when he visited their town. It is a popular holiday destination. Now it looks like a conflict zone. When kim harper came back to her house she couldnt recognise the neighbourhood. Feels like im in the middle of apocalypse. I think someone has dropped a bomb on us, basically. Thats what it feels like. In the neighbouring state of victoria the navy has been helping to evacuate people. So far, 18 people have lost their lives in the fires. Volunteer firefighterjoffrey keaton was one of them. Today was his funeral where his i9 month old son was presented with his fathers medalfor his i9 month old son was presented
with his fathers medal for bravery. Gusty winds and temperatures soaring are set to create hazardous fire conditions in the coming days. Those pictures just extraordinary and now those plumes of smoke heading thousands of miles into the pacific and affecting people in new zealand. Not going to stop any time soon. The us president ial election kicks off for real in one months time. We will be in freezing iowa for the first nominating vote of the 2020 campaign its the Democratic Candidates first chance to show they can win a state. From then its a flat out race for the party to pick the candidate who will take on donald trump in november. And because american elections are notoriously expensive they all need money to run tv ads, hire staff and fly around the country. Which is why people watch the Candidates Fund raising numbers as one of the best indicators of support for the different campaigns. The latest numbers show a big
boost to Bernie Sanders who raised 35 million in donations last quarter. Thats 10 million up on the previous quarter. The Buttigieg Campaign brought in 25 million. And andrew yang the political outsider topped his own campaigns record raising 17 million over three months. We have just got the figures also forjoe biden and it shows that his campaign raised just under 23 million, we are still waiting for elizabeth warrens figures to come but those figures pale in comparison to the a6m that was donated to President Trumps re election war chest over the same three months. Im joined now by susan page, dc bureau chief at usa today. I suspect a lot of people are looking at those numbers and thinking that is 200 million in three months, this is insanely expensive. Why are we so focused on these fundraising numbers . The
numbers are necessary to do the things you need to run and run a campaign. There also a sign of support. Not only does Bernie Sanders have a big number and money raised, has contributions from 5 million separate americans. These are people he can go back to over and over and they are not maxed out millionaires. He can use them as a continuing source of funds and it indicates the sort of support he has, and that he has a formidable and devoted to base. Joe bidens numbers, this is the best quarter he has had, 22 million, but you look in comparison to Bernie Sanders and you think that doesnt look so good. But if you are the president s the Election Campaign committee you are thinking we have got a6 million, double what they are getting. If this is all an indication of support presumably that is also an indication of support for the president . Pretty muscular numbers
for President Trump, a6 million at a time he is being impeached. You might think that would shake the support. It is more than an individual democrat but less than the democrats altogether got so you couldnt make the case that they couldnt make the case that they could fundraising competition with him. Could fundraising competition with him. Could make the case. The candidate who raises the most doesnt necessarily win, you just have to raise enough to be competitive, but it gets so much attention that candidates do not rely solely on tv ads. You just made the point i was going to ask. This issue of whether there is a sort of track record to show that those bringing in the most money end up winning the race at the end of the day, it might not be that clear, but it shouldnt be a surprise either that the scale of the donations at this stage are only going to go one way really for the main players and thatis way really for the main players and that is up. Thats right and these
numbers are high compared to previous election cycles. Americans are getting a lot of money, as a sign of how much energy, concern, alarm in some cases that a lot of americans feel that they are willing to open their wallets and give money to open their wallets and give money to the candidates they want to support on both sites. Bernie sanders you mentioned earlier, he has got Health Issues as well, doesnt seem to have had any effect. Does it make a difference that there are millions who are prepared to put their hands in their pockets for a few dollars or so and in terms of sheer numbers, that is where the overwhelming impact might like . And compare Bernie Sanders with elizabeth warren. We dont have her numbers yet and that is a sign they will not be very impressive. We know she had raised about 17 million a week or so ago, maybe a little higher, 20 million, but those are the two candidates in the most liberal wing of the Democratic Party so this is a sign that elizabeth
warren, the massachusetts senator, looked surprisingly strong for a while. Bernie sanders has been an incredibly consistent candidate. A year ago he was number two tojoe biden and today he is number two to joe biden. I want to ask you briefly, one month to go till iowa. What are you looking for . Things happen. What we see now may not be what we see in a month. We are often surprised, but i want a chance for a candidate to show that he or she can win, and that was important for barack 0bama when he won the first time around, to show that even though he was an African American candidate running on a white state, that he was able to defeat Hillary Clinton in iowa. That sent a big message to all the contests that followed. I am sure we will talk to you again, thanks. Quick look at other news from around the world. Austrias conservatives have ended months of negotiations by agreeing
to form a Coalition Government with the greens. It sees the return of Sebastian Kurz as chancellor for the second time at the age ofjust 33. The deal marks a swing back to the centre. Mr kurzs Previous Term saw him share power with the far right, freedom party. A mother and her two grown up daughters have handed themselves in to police in germany, over a fire that killed more than 30 animals. Rare apes and monkeys were among the creatures to die in the blaze at the zoo in the western city of krefeld on New Years Eve. The fire is thought to have been caused by sky lanterns which the suspects allegedly bought online without knowing they were illegal. A Study SuggestsArtificial Intelligence is as accurate as humans in diagnosing Breast Cancer from mammograms. A Machine LearningComputer System was trained to read x rays and proved better than one doctor working on their own and as good as two experts. Researchers say the system has the potential to improve even more. The metro system in the french
capital paris has been semi paralysed for 29 days in a row as unions have led a strike in protest at the governments plans to reform the countrys pensions system. And today it seems tempers flared with Police Firing tear gas as they clashed with demonstrators near the place de la concorde right in the hear