and there as all province the u.s. led coalition says one hundred fighters loyal to the syrian government died in the airstrikes it says they were in response to what it called an unprovoked attack on the headquarters of its ally the s.t.'s but russia which backs as our says the strikes are part of an effort by washington to control key economic assets in the region. aftershocks in taiwan are hampering the search for survivors of tuesday's earthquake seven people remain missing in the port city of holly and. a female activists has been detained in saudi arabia for seventeen days and what rights groups are calling a quiet government crackdown on human rights campaigners know how al balawi has been held by police in the book after being questioned. by police accuse her of advocating woman's rights on social media she faces five years in prison and charged and found guilty on thursday a saudi court sentenced journalists share he to five years in prison for what he called insulting the royal court those are the headlines on al-jazeera do stay with

us inside story is coming up next. the marshall islands holds a toxic legacy from years of u.s. military nuclear testing. as the sea levels rise one on one east investigates the threat this followed posers at this time when al jazeera. is north korea playing games with the winter olympics athletes from both police set to march and a unified flag at the opening ceremony but as a south of the red carpet the norse armed forces were paraded in pyongyang so can the honeymoon last this is inside story.

and this is inside a story south korea's president has been trying to sell the winter games in. as a peace olympics he may have got his wish with an axe and expect a thaw with the north the took korea has decided to talk of the height of tension over the north's nuclear bomb and ballistic missile development the first face to face negotiations in two years led to the north inclusion in the winter games and now young is on the charm offensive. from the north of the games but due to march with competitors from the south and a unified flag the delegation from north of the border is being led by the ceremonial had of the sait team young now he is the highest level leader to visit south korea also there is the sister of leader kim jong on kim yo jong is said to be increasingly powerful and influential. but the u.s.

isn't sold vice president mike pence has been speaking in tokyo before leading the u.s. delegation to south korea who warned the world not to get taken in by the north the united states and japan will continue to confront the most dangerous threat in the indo-pacific the rogue regime in north korea we will not allow north korean propaganda to hijack the message and imagery of the olympic games we will not allow north korea to hide behind the olympic banner the reality the things flee their people and threaten the wider region and on the eve of the much anticipated display of unity of the winter olympics a show force in killing young a military parade for the seventieth anniversary of the founding of north korea's on me came jungle on board that soldiers are ready to fight if the u.s. and these are lies but and its sovereignty included in the convoy of weapons were intercontinental ballistic missiles the focus of global alarm frustration and

conciliation to thousand and seventeen was a busy year for north korea's missile and nuclear scientists more than twenty missiles were test launched last year suggesting developments in both short and long range rocket technology a new assignment blasted off in november larger and more powerful than and he launched from the north before and capable and honest say of attacking any city of the united states but the achievements came at a cost to the already poverty stricken economy with tough new sanctions imposed by the u.s. and the u.n. let's bring in our guests. by skype from beijing is childhood chan associate professor in the department of international politics at renmin university of china from saul is c. one coup publisher of korea exposes a and by skype from bedminster new jersey is gordon chang a us foreign policy analyst thank you all for joining us let me start by asking mr

coo this. this is a moment when everyone is talking about the potential for the north and south to come together set aside their differences but then we have this ministry of parades in the north what is kim jong un trying to say by this parades well i think one thing we need to point out is still this was not in fact the kind of occasion many people expected it to be i think we can say with confidence to the scale of the parade was not as grand as some had anticipated and also the kind of publicity north korea wanted to generate for it was clearly limited there was a normal lybrel cast of the parade it was only made available later on state television and also there were no foreign correspondents invited to observe the event which was quite interesting given that the eyes of the world war on pyongyang

today so the statement kelly is trying to send is obviously that they are willing to make some kind of concession given everything that has been happening if you want to really care we have seen this very interesting and exciting month engagement between the two koreas and i think we can say with certainty that the moon administration here in seoul were struck very hard to accommodate north korea to the best of its abilities and of course despite the fact that north korea has been very adamant that it was going to have this parade it wasn't not going to change the date what has happened if they actually shows it is mindful of what has been what the south korean government has been trying to do and they're willing to make certain concessions with the chung is this a message of defiance or is just an up or surety by north korea to display its military might well what north korea was trying to do was to intimidate the south

we've got to remember that we've been living memory the north koreans have not had a parade during. the winter you know this parade which is meant to mark the foundation the establishment of the north korean army the korean people's army normally occurs in april this is unprecedented so what they're doing on the eve of the olympics is saying to the south koreans we're going to subject your chip you know we're talking about details that made it look better no this was a real attempt i think to show hostility in belligerence and that's the nature of the north korean regime the most no interest on earth people in south korea may want to sugarcoat it but unfortunately that is what the north koreans were trying to say ok let's go to. chung is this an approach and it's a by the north korean government to try to show the world it is capable of one of the most powerful symbols in morden times or do you just find it on

a porch and it's a charity for them to say you know what we're here yes i think so so you know seize on the one hand snodgrass have tried to flex its muscles on the sense crim sh to and also we're not north korea as we continue to pursue its nuclear and missile programs and even necessary north korea so we've come from external threat that's the message to north korea trying to send to us at war but on the other hand like to say is holding a meter praise on the eve sort of malays was counterproductive but eat was not to be d.-o. in comparison with what we have witnessed in posse as not crass can talk to numerous and new numerous missile tests that are and you can't test so so north korea as a sub not be dio not and also as we witnessed and not square as is doing some scenes trying to minimize its muto crazy impact on the ongoing.

communes on began for example to not grass but not even wide foreign journalist to attend me to really see if i and also the sides of me to operate was limited with the coup so this is happening against the backdrop of the winter olympics do you think that the games could be this time genuine a porch initio a platform for both north or south to set aside their differences well certainly what this south korean government would like to see. there's a reason why the government wanted to reduce tensions here because they feel that this is a very important precondition for dialogue it's face it it's not possible that there can be any negotiation while telling and washington will think asian frets and belligerence so now it seems their store the climate is coming into place and

there is potential but of course the government is moving very carefully to make sure that other pieces fall into their places for example i think what we have seen from pyongyang so far is that despite its commitment to showing this kind of force and maintaining its hostile gesture it is willing to engage in at least some form of change and what is going to be very important for south korea is dead needs to put enough persuasion into play so that washington might also reciprocate in return and that is going to be the very difficult part for the government given what we have heard from key members of the trumpet ministries from so far as the chairing the north. korean delegation is led by syria members including the sister of came john is playing increasing bros now in north

korea is that a message that the north koreans are trying. to send by the level of the delegation oh yeah this is interesting because president trump announced that his daughter of vodka would attend the closing ceremonies so the north koreans won up that by sending the sister kim jong un kim you know john and this is important because this is the first immediate family member of the kim family to set foot in south korea so this is going to be an important game of chess and we're seeing this in across the board you know vice president pence came in and said that not going to allow the north koreans to hijack the olympics so there is this geopolitical competition going on during what the south koreans call the kissel unfixed this is absolutely fascinating such on the level of the delegation the senior members from north korea attending the games defined it as

a overtures towards the south koreans or just an attempt by north korea to test waters and see how things are going to go forward in the near future is a very important time to witness who will come to attend opening ceremony from north korea as a certain mesa can to non and the chairman of the national people's congress where it can and also those. neider of north korea as young young say status would come to attend and not send were strong signals that north korea it's a serious improve its relationship with north which saucepans that's the one things we have to keep in mind but on the other hand we have to get into that he sues whether or not it to koreans who discuss north korea's nuclear he seems that missile in addition to all of a symbolic if you see it was a like

a charity score us and. our core formers that's all carries over symbolic gets meanings but most important things whether or not the two countries touch the north korea's nuclear issue was and to promote discussions between north korea north korea and the united states in the third coup the. south korean president moon in said he's committed to pursue the rick insolation with north korea now when it comes to reconsideration what do you think is the top priority nuclear issue deescalation well i mean deescalation is obviously important what the government has made it very clear that in pursuing the escalation there alternate call is denuclearization of the korean peninsula i don't think anybody can question that what is however

being question is the method the government is using to or arrived that goal so i think there's a lot of doubt i think in the international circle as to whether this particular policies going to war whether. setting sending all such a warm welcome for the north korean the only show on accommodating these high ranking members of. elites or cold not to mention that today there were reports president moon might in fact even meet with kim jong un sr so that's that's a lot of welcome being shown but in return what can the government actually expect as your guest in china has just said i think the important thing is to bring the discussion back to the issue of what to do with north korea's nuclear program and that is not entirely clear at the moment i think what the government has already been through that is they think it is very important to bring compelling young and

washington together to talk to each other directly and unfortunately given the kind of messages we have seen from for example vice president mike pence it seems that the u.s. side is not especially interested in this possibility despite the fact that president trump has actually come out saying that dialogue may not be a bad thing and something good might come out of the illinois and he's willing to wait and see what happens. china is north korea's main ally the chinese foreign minister says negotiations of the only way to break what he called the vicious cycle on the peninsula. we cannot merely rely on the efforts of the south of the north all the parties should make joint efforts we won't be able to make our goal if some are trying to open the door while others are trying to close it and we hope that all the parties continue to follow the resolution of the un security council and suspend all accidents that may intensify the conflict and to do their

best to maintain the peace and stability of the peninsula. mr chang there are two options here the bitter confrontation everyone knows the massive cost of that confrontation if it happens then there is the second of which is political talks everyone knows that the chinese government has huge leverage over north korea do you think this is a path the americans the americans should pursue in the near future well you know the united states should try to talk to north korea but only when north korea understands it has no choice but to disarm talking to north korea before then is unproductive as we've seen in the various negotiations with the north covering three decades you know don't just use the time jus preachers' perfect their arsenal and the chinese are going to help the north koreans with not only technology but also the nansen all the rest of it so you know the united states has

a strong policy and that is to cut off money flows to the north koreans so they can't launch missiles so they can't detonate nukes so that kim jong un can't engage in give politics and that's the way to do it because when the north koreans understand they have no choice but to disarm that's when you talk to them but this has american policy you have us to say this doesn't seem to be paying off because when you look at the string of tests that were conducted by the north koreans over the last year you can see that moving forward to was establishing a very strong internet intercontinental ballistic missile as well there are signs from north korea that the sanctions are having an effect so for instance some officials in pyongyang are not getting their rations through their special distribution channels all the rest of it and but you know the point i think is that the united states has not been vigorous enough in enforcing sanctions so for instance we should be going after chinese banks that have been laundering money for

the north koreans we should be imposing costs on china for violating you. and sanctions as recently as the last several months in leslie do these things there won't be a peaceful solution so what we have to do i think is to be even more strict in forcing sanctions not only against the north koreans but also against their big powers sponsors the chinese and the russians as well others that have been supporting the north korean economy as goes our guest in beijing. why the chinese are not doing enough to put pressure on the north korean to stop their nuclear or to abandon their nuclear program said katrina has done enough to pressure north korea back to abandon its nuclear and the missile programs since two thousand and six china's government haas in tourist eleven united nations security council resolutions china has been a leading trade partner to north korea as you know old to sanction that countries in the old to potshot countries wrongdoings and the china made a huge sacrifice

a to cut to reduce is treated with that country's and one chante indorse united nations security council to dropped economic sanctions against north korea china would be the first all set country to for the victims of such a kind of sanctions are submission late assignments a little later early as a china was and esteem is a leading trait parmer got country economic sanction hurt north korea but also for china but chana waiting to make such a success sekret fires will continue to go says the circle when you see that chinese and south korea of these walking under the same white and blue flag you would assume that in an ideal wealth north and south can come together and there's all the problems from the station now it looks like we need more weeds in a powerless to step in do you think that if the chinese the russians the americans

can come together that could be conducive to any. permanent solution this is the reality that many south koreans recognize this is this may have become a very prosperous country but it is a country that does not this is really have the political power on the global stage to match that which is why the government also sees in nice to work with these one partners in the region whether it be china russia japan and of course the united states to have some kind of solution that everybody can agree on but as exchange just now between your guests in the u.s. and in china have revealed i think there is not as much consensus as south koreans would like to see. mr chang i believe in the u.s. has made a good point that despite all that has been said china in fact does not seem to be

leaving living up to its part in enforcing these sanctions as north korea and i say that because this is the widespread feeling here in the of korea and many people here on happy about the kind of role that beijing has played in allowing north korea to get away with these sanctions for example the very damning reports that surfaced recently regarding the transfer of oil from ship to ship so those kind of things really make people here question ok there can ever be consensus they really force north korea to accept that it is an isolated player on the very large global stage mr chang i mean from many say that from north korean perspective the problems of the americas have not been giving them enough incentives because you know for many decades the north koreans have been sticking to two points first they wanted to pursue by lots of talks with the americans to the wall to the peace treaty

of one nine hundred fifty three to be replaced do you think that the two incentives could. break the ice well i think what could break the ice our initial discussions during the olympics because you do have. the sister of kim jong un she perhaps is the only person that kim listens to and you have vice president pence who has not ruled out conversations with the north koreans and obviously there are going to be small steps but they're irreconcilable differences here because north korea has a position going back to its founding in one nine hundred forty eight that it is a legitimate government for all of korea and the korean war wasn't an attempt to impose a solution by force and north korea since that time has been willing to use force to kill south koreans kill americans to achieve that goal so there's a lot to gap here in this incense erected while bill but you know these conversations that could occur during the olympics are arranged by president mode

could certainly help the child chung from a chinese perspective what's that what's wrong with having the took come together and unite does it pose any strategic risk for saya i think it so he sees the as a number of countries are divided at china it's along the countries and the saucepan and not square off the counties and i think a tougher time it's no reason for six countries to prevent it to koreans from pursue me unified a state who and morally wrong and practically china cannot stand their ways and also as if china promote the kray nationally hastens is sort of china's national interest is ten a cool pursuing its own national unity which taiwan this a coup i mean that is the position in south korea which is opposed to any uplift

both with north korea but also there's a general sentiment among. all wish does not seem to be of this particular moment in favor of strong ties with north korea is this something that could put more pressure on the president to pursue his agenda that's a very good question in fact because even as mr morgan has been pursuing this policy of a push more on what we have seen here in south korea he's dealing with a very divided domestic electorate not everybody is happy about what he's doing. although he came from a very strong place politically speaking because he replaced a very unpopular president here just last year his approval rating certainly has dropped significantly about ten points over or four week period and i think some mobo you or some of the other guest may i have seen that in fact there

have been limited protests going on at the olympic site against the presence in participation of north koreans in the olympics you have to understand that koreans are ideologically divided and often comes down to fifty fifty order any kind of issue and north korea is an issue that really generates a very strong emotional reaction here and in fact they are people i recently who are afraid that what north korea is doing at the moment or sowing reconciliation in dialogue may simply be a kind of precursor to more serious and frightening form of. this in fact might be a way. to try and gain more leverage thank you thank you sue will include the chair mr gordon chang thank you very much indeed for your contribution to the show and thank you too for watching you can see the program again any time by visiting

our web site c.n.n. dot com for further discussion go to our. facebook page that's facebook dot com for us last a.j. inside story you can also join the conversation conversation on twitter. about the whole team here but for now. in twenty twelve al-jazeera traveled to iraq people here are definitely scared to speak on camera they're saying that if they talk to us they think they'll be arrested down the line to take the pulse of a country ravaged under us occupation some of these graves are completely destroyed it's one of the most holy and sacred sites in all of iraq could turn into a battleground between the mighty army and the americans six years on rewind returns to iraq after the americans at this time on all dizzy. history is so often told through the eyes of leaders but in amritsar india just

thirty kilometers from the border with pakistan this old building is being transformed into a new museum mallika ahluwalia is the driving force behind sars partition museum it's really shocking because if you think about the fact that within a few years of nine eleven happening nine eleven museum was there and they are now numerous museums it's not beautiful a museum so countries around the world have walked a memorialize these events that have shaped them by dition is not about the political events that led up to partition it's about the impact on each person who went through it it's really important that we highlight the stories of humanity hopefully one outcome on this would be that we remember our shared humanity and the shed history. well if we cannot have probably seen my government was certainly not

allowed britain to control would be an outrage but then we need to find another solution before we come to blows more than a century ago britain and france made a secret deal that would influence the shape of the middle east for more than a century to come and so. now we can draw a. psych speak oh lines in the sand at this time on al-jazeera. it's both parties fault. the u.s. government stumbles into a second shutdown and just three weeks. and welcome to al-jazeera live from my headquarters in doha with me and as the prawn i'm.