because the worst case scenario has not happened in the worst case scenario was without a doubt that russia would have retaliated directly against the united states and this could have escalated immediately into a war between russia and the united states that was a worst case scenario not only for the pentagon not only for the white house but for the average americans as well they're going to wake up and say boy thankfully that has not happened for the moment they will leave the course wait for more reaction as the americans wake up and as we get more political comment from east to west coast thank you now is our correspondent in beirut in neighboring lebanon joins me now to say that we've been speaking to you throughout the morning since those decency attack actually happened getting reaction not only from within syria but also iran and of course where you are in lebanon let's begin with what you're hearing from damascus about their reaction to the attack by america and its

allies and how they're responding to the apparent three locations that were targeted. well the message from the syrian capital is one of defiance after those strikes happened people took to the streets there were celebrations government supporters so the message was one of defiance the foreign ministry though condemning and calling this an aggression and syria the syrian government's allies and particularly iran also issued very harsh words not just the iranian foreign ministry we have the iranian supreme leader himself awaiting in the end condemning what they are calling this aggression not only the supreme leader the revolutionary guards as well and here in lebanon like you mentioned hezbollah which is iran's ally and they have thousands of troops in syria fighting alongside the syrian government they're all condemning what they're calling an aggression but they're not just condemning they're also warning of consequences because iran feels that this whole crisis really was aimed at the targeting iran that this was about

iran that israel was trying to push the american administration to target iranian bases or iranian personnel in syria that did not happen many analysts believe that the western allies avoided that in order to prevent the risk of this situation escalating and spiraling out of control especially since the iranians were issuing threats and warnings in the alley up bar with iran's top advisor he was in damascus a few days ago and he issued two warnings one to israel saying that you know we will respond to the attack on monday that targeted a syrian air base and iran acknowledging that they lost seven revolutionary guards in that attack and will lay it to also warning the united states that they plan to quote liberate the north east of syria and expel what he called u.s. occupying forces the united states has two thousand troops in syria and it's not just syria they have troops in iraq and the united states wants to stay in iraq and it has an uneasy relationship there so there could be an indirect confrontation in

iraq so iran you know issuing these threats feeling that it is going to be the target of course later. through the last nine hours we've been covering this story now as it happened contributors and analysts suggesting that the attack on syria was also in direct message to iran that you know we've got you in our sights as well that's certainly the message america wants to send knowing that president truck wants to tear up the arabian nuclear deal no doubt the iranian presence in syria we know that for israel this is a red line they've made this clear time and time again late yesterday in a stroller the secretary general of hezbollah said that the attack on the t four syrian air base was quote a historic mistake on the part of israel and that now israel and iran are in direct confrontation just a few hours after that the israelis you know said that the iranian drone that they

intercepted in their airspace in february was armed and ready to attack almost trying to justify future military action against the iranians in syria so what would happen this whole crisis we have to see it within the political context of iran's presence in syria and what we understand there's all these players these international regional players this is what they are discussing now and this is what is being talked about and we understand that you know what the west wants is putin to rein in on iran but the question is how much influence does russia have over the iranians for the moment then of course we'll leave it there and come back to you through the day for more analysis thank you. still ahead here on al-jazeera last week and since to do they have sworn in a long list of suspected chemical attacks blamed on the assad government we look at the international response so far what's come out of it.

hello fairly regular daily showers in malaysia are giving us fifty sixty one reaches of rain and you can see them on the satellite pictures huge areas and times a day when nothing much is happening obviously is true or not we see an increase in showers in the philippines that virtually nothing in the last day or so or the next day or so really a vietnam cambodia myanmar or tylenol you should be seeing a few shots of it up in thailand to relieve the heat and that's showing themselves come back again on monday but never saturday and sunday not a lot going on here south of all this i would change in the season really has hit sudden australia these frontal systems been very active has been snow falling on the south now and in tasmania that might well continue mostly we're talking about rain a big drop in temperature of course seventeen in melbourne as a max twenty five in sydney is quite to the west person actually quite nice warm

twenty five next so maybe even warming up with humidity coming up with the cloud as well melbourne doesn't show a lot of change except more sunshine less in the way of rain the temps about the same and the wind the less strong is from the same direction as new zealand surprised me all in the north twenty two in oakland but in south holland trust church for flecks the best weather of forty but it's wet and windy to the west. getting to the heart of the matter if the turkish cypriot leader calls you today and says let's have talks would you accept facing realities what do you think reunification of look like there are two people think the peaceful unification is the only option for prosperity or south korea hear their story and talk to al-jazeera new yorkers are very receptive. because it is such an international city they are very interested in that global perspective.

welcome back you're watching ongoing coverage of the u.s. military strikes in syria a reminder of the top points the u.s. has carried out strikes in conjunction with british and french forces on targets associated with syria's suspected chemical weapons program the pentagon says the first target was a scientific research center in the greater damascus area to watch a place west of holmes in what the pentagon says were chemical weapons storage facilities syrian state media is reporting the military's air defense systems shot down thirteen missiles in the area south of damascus syrian officials also say the

targeted sites were evacuated days ago thanks to a warning from russia meanwhile russia's ambassador to the u.s. warned the actions would have consequences. and here's what america's top military officer general joseph dunford said about the targets in syria. the first target was a scientific research center located in the greater damascus area this military facility was a syrian center for the research development production and testing of chemical and biological warfare technology the second target was a chemical weapons storage facility west of holmes we assessed that this was the primary location of syrian sharon and precursor production equipment the third target which was in the vicinity of the second target contain both the chemical weapons equipment storage facility and an important command post well in the commons the french foreign minister told me that that there had to be consequences

all the suspected chemical attack. in the action we have taken has very limited and very precise objectives to destroy the chemical weapons arsenal of syria and to stop a committee more chemical county and continue its terrorist strategy towards its own population that we're not trying to hurt citizens we're trying to dissuade assad from these criminal activity that well the. from the french capital we are expecting or expected to the french president to say a little bit more has he. never the time being the french president is due to speak in a television interview that was actually pretty shady all four sunday evening until then we may not hear from him but we did have a communique issued by the lease a shortly after those reports of their strikes earlier today on saturday morning now in that elise a it was very clear that the french president felt that he had no

choice than to order these airstrikes alongside his u.k. and u.s. partners for him he said a red line had been crossed and what he meant by that was the fact that since he came to the presidency last may he has talked about the use of chemical weapons in syria being a red line for him a red line that france would have to retaliate afterwards and this is what we've seen today with these airstrikes he has said that the use of chemical weapons is not acceptable he said for him it was clear that the syrian regime was behind the attack in do marty said the chlorine was used there a couple of days ago in an interview he pointed the fact that france had proof that chemical weapons had been used and proof that the syrian regime was behind it so all of these aspects really have come together in effect to really well in a sense you might say it was almost inevitable that the french president would be involved in some sort of military action against the syrian regime unilaterally or

multilaterally in and as expected a man decided to work within an international framework with his two partners the u.s. and u.k. on this one also both the u.s. and the u.k. we surely heard before from trees and detailing what sort of military hardware was involved in these strikes what are the french saying about their involvement militarily. the french defense minister of last probably spoke a little bit earlier alongside the french foreign minister you heard a little bit from him earlier there and what the french defense minister said that this operation was very closely coordinated coordinated between the french the british and the americans she said that the french would used rough hour and a jet fighter jets that they had taken off from bases in france and that's interesting because france has bases in the region in jordan and u.a.e. but that france wanted to avoid it bringing other nations into this decision so

those fighter jets took off from france we don't know where yet the french defense ministry only saying that once they are returned to base will. be revealed she talked about the fact that the targets the aims had been to target the syrian regime's chemical weapons research centers and storage facilities in damascus in homs and she said that they were targeted but it wasn't clear whether or not or those chemical weapons or stocks had been destroyed and we may know a little bit more about that later she also said that the russians had been informed but only once of course operation was underway or she didn't talk about and what this elise a communique that we got earlier from the french presidency didn't talk about who was what exactly is the proof that the french president says that he has that he says that the u.k. the u.s. they will have proof that the syrian regime was responsible for that attack on doom or that chemical weapons were used we don't have any more details exactly as to

what that proof is or for the moment to tasher we'll leave it there of course come back to when we get more news thank you. well the war in syria has been going on for seven years now and some of the engineers reports that but it strikes have not been able to stop chemical weapons attacks a warning that viewers may find some of the images in this report disturbing. another batch of syrians forced to leave their homes tze these are nearly four thousand people displaced from doumani of the syrian capital damascus with the latest suspected chemical attack happened. we lived in bad days in history especially in the last three days with the original creation in juba which used resulting in suffocation cases among the civilians was this what forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in chemical attacks were unthinkable for these protestors in two thousand and twelve in the beginning really mobile videos used to capture

a peaceful syrian uprising against bashar al assad. then the syrian government began its brutal crackdown with the arrests torture and killings the opposition also picked up weapons and radical groups such as ice and took advantage that was the first event for the assad government which insisted it was fighting what it called terrorists. a major syrian chemical attack in who to change things in two thousand and thirteen and the threat of u.s. action inside syria remains that the threat the international community is credibility is on the line and america and congress' credibility is on the line because we give lip service to the notion that these international norms are important we have to act because if we don't we are effectively saying that even though we may condemn it and

issue resolutions and so forth and so on. somebody who is not shamed by resolutions . can continue. the search and that impunity continue despite the u.n. chemical weapons watchdog destroying the syrian government's declared awesome man. the trumpet ministration responded in two thousand and seventeen with missile strikes in syria but also give a warning to russia president assad. as the previous incidents there's been international outrage field u.n. resolutions and u.s. missile strikes in syria seven year war the international community has been multiple times and at times limited action but all that has failed to stop attacks on civilians president assad. hundreds of thousands of be subjected to the tactic of starved and die. right in many died on the way to the borders effectively shut down the borders around syria so people. from

a big job if you do. well joining me and. the head of policy analysis of the arab center for research and policy studies with everything that's gone all in the last what nine to ten hours can you see an escalation militarily happening if the if the russians aren't happy with what's happening or whether the americans aren't happy that they haven't fulfilled that target no i don't see any any further military escalation i think the americans have made it clearly from the very beginning that they are going to have like a one shot strike at c.n.n. he chemical plants and they have avoided all the russian installations we know now that versions have been informed about the strike before hand and we all saw annoyed that the russians actually would not be taking any

any against that there was still alive is any any action by the russians i would see it again as a syrian opposition maybe and against syrian civilians we have been seeing this for the past actually few years whenever relations between russia. get tense or there is a collision between the two superpowers. syrians would be that the price for that and the russians the very much of you with the syrian opposition as agents and instruments of the united states if we see any sort of order strike back by the russians is going to be against a syrian opposition not against the americans or the other western allies the service obviously russia and syria would be the ones that would comment the most and that's what we're getting but how much of a warning is this to iran but also in you might say america's sites at the moment well i think it's

a very important warning by the united states against iran i think iran has been from the very beginning the key target of the united states in syria and i think this one very much to point to an iranian influence throughout the region but particularly in syria and we have seen actually the sort of the nation between there is about americans in order to cut down iranian influence in syria last week that it is the they had a very important iranian. anti-us in. harm's way when. dozens of iranian experts have been actually killed during this strike but i was expecting in fact americans to take advantage to go even further that against the iranians during the military strike we haven't seen much of that and that that needs baby to be to be on the lies why the americans there have not

actually particularly targeted. they did not. take this opportunity to perhaps. carry out more strikes against iranian targets in syria for the moment we'll leave it there of course and come back to as we get bored. word from those international capitals about the strikes in syria thank you. take you now to the days of global news stories on the funeral of south african anti-apartheid activists winnie mandela is being held in her hometown of sweater known to many as the mother of the nation she died nearly two weeks ago the age of eighty one after suffering a long illness katherine saw reports. to most who have come to pay tribute weenie mandela was not only a freedom fighter during apartheid she also stood with the poor afterwards just passionate about young people because frustrated at how difficult it is for many to get jobs as well as the wealth disparity between the minority white and elite black

south africans on one hand and majority poor on the other people have come here to show their support outside the headquarters of the ruling african national congress a political party she was a part off writing their rest in this summer when you mandela i love you so much even that in your you you don't need to leave johannesburg to get a sense of how difficult life is for many this village of teen houses named after we knew mandela is just one of many dotting the township of soweto which was on the frontline of the battle against apartheid. many south africans still live in shanty towns like this one and even after apartheid was ended winnie mandela continued to fight for them she often say that the country may have achieved political freedom but many are yet to know what it really means to have economic and social freedom that woman street firm and said seth mazibuko was imprisoned for

his activism he tells us that he and others fought for an equal end just south africa and this is not our our people are still in these shacks mainly because we don't even have the range the biggest question. when redefine for. were frightened to suit in parliament in those comfortable chairs which you knew he fused a short distance away tourists visit the mandela house a museum now it's here that really me her husband then nelson mandela and the children called home pictures of their life together in the struggle color of the walls there has been debate about how she should be remembered she paid socially she paced politically she even had judgments passed out against her regarding some of her private intimate life and in a way that i think if she were if you ever met

a male counterpart would not have had those judgments passed on you know about her most people say that we knew mandela never wavered from fighting for a better life for black south africans as well as getting their fair share of land most of which is in the hands of an elite few and for that they say she's a hero catherine. johannesburg. i could also president has confirmed the death of two journalists and their driver who were kidnapped last month they were taken by a faction of colombia's former farm group the journalists were on assignment for the for the quito based. newspaper on the border between ecuador and colombia when they were taken on march the twenty sixth. with deep sorrow i regret to inform you that the twelve hour deadline is over we have not received proof of life and regrettably we have information that confirms the death of our compassionate. gaza's health ministry says one palestinian has been killed and more

than seven hundred fifty others injured in friday's protests along the border with israel thirty four palestinians have been shot dead by the israeli army since the demonstrations began at the end of march perry forces reports. oh protest organizers had called this third friday of demonstrations along the gaza border the day of burning the israeli flag demonstrators carried a mocked up coffin there in the pictures of israeli soldiers whose bodies are believed to have been held in gaza since the twenty fourteen war. but at the center of this protest for a third week with thousands of teenagers and young men armed prepared to approach the border fence despite the all too obvious risks israeli soldiers had already killed more than thirty demonstrators and injured more than a thousand with live fire in the first two protests. the sixteen year old ismail salim understands the dangers all too well he was shot and injured in the initial round of demonstrations against donald trump's declaration in december recognizing

jerusalem as israel's capital in the last hour. i want to send my message to the world that we have the right to leave like other nations and other children living through both should not be our destiny while other three bin pace and stability. protection such as it was was delivered in the film of time burned to provide a scream from israeli snipers since the last protest israeli troops have erected a secondary fence at this site three hundred meters inside gaza and territory protesters made repeated sometimes successful attempts to drag sections of it away israeli soldiers responded with tear gas and live bullets. released. i don't know what level i'm still people are being taken towards the ambulances another injured man here with a gunshot wound to the lower leg that has been a tactic throughout for the last three weeks the israeli military has been we're missing to continue to use life i reduce these posters they feel they can go much

right throughout the day israeli army released video of what it said was an attempt to breach the border fence in southern gaza it said molotov cocktails and i e d's as well as rocks had been thrown towards israeli troops accusing gaza's ruling faction hamas of using the protests as cover it's a charge the organizers reject pointing to the sheer number of a mom demonstrators who've been shot since the protests began is sure to kill and short term aim at thinking that by doing that they're going to intimidate and terrorize people but the people are quite detailed men to come to organize nonviolent peaceful protests in order to send a message to the whole word to tell them that i did you and visited wishing according to what i would it said the demonstrations are due to carry on into the middle of next month when israel celebrates its seventieth anniversary and palestinians marks seventy years of what they call nakba the catastrophe. gaza's overstretched ambulance crews and hospital staff know that at least until then this

is how fridays will be a force that al-jazeera gaza. you're watching i was there on the ongoing coverage of the u.s. military strikes in syria elizabeth rodham will be here with much more for the al-jazeera news i in a moment but before we go here's a reminder of the main points the u.s. has carried out strikes in conjunction with british and french forces on targets associated with syria's suspected chemical weapons program the pentagon says the first target was a scientific research center in the greater damascus area two more took place west of homs and one pentagon says were chemical weapons storage facilities and syrian state media is reporting the military defense system shut down thirteen missiles in the south of the capital more in just a moment to stay with us here on al-jazeera. as

we embrace new technologies rarely do we stop to ask what is the price of this progress what happened was people started getting sick but there was a small group of people that began to think that maybe this was related to the kind of the job and investigation reveals how even the smallest devices have deadly environmental and health comes we think ok we're ways to china but we have to remember that air pollution travels around the globe death by design on al-jazeera . in the next episode of tech note the team looks into the environmental impact of

waste management trash is a big business for one of the smelly bills next to the complexities of recycling when these different plastics are blended together then the recycling becomes difficult to impossible and the science that often solution is very easy for us to have a hundred percent recycled material techno on al-jazeera. we hear to jews can be recovered israeli palestinian affairs we cover the story with a lot of intimate knowledge we covered it with that we don't dip in and out of the story we have a presence here all the time apart from being a cameraman it's also very important to get journalist to know the story very well before going into the fields covering the united nations and global diplomacy for al-jazeera english is pretty incredible this is where talks happen and what happens there matters.