dollar has gone up because of what hassan rouhani said at the general assembly. he said he doesn't have the power to dismantle the program. even the leadership doesn't have that power or authority. any politician who dares to do that, they will be ousted. if you listened to when he was talking, he said he was under immense intense pressure. they don't trust the united states. yes, the united states governments will doesn't trust the u.s. government. i don't want to blame the u.s. government but the wall of mistrust is very high. >> i want to get to president obama's words. what has the reaction been out of tehran? >> well, they always welcome dialogue. they chose to elect a moderate president because they're sick and tied of dispute over iran's nuclear energy program. iran does not have anything to identify here. iran just wants respect and mutual understanding between these two countries. they want trust. iran would be more than willing to open it's nuclear program. iran has nothing to hide. the only thing that iran doesn't like is the so-called all options are

what can rouhani do to prove sincerity? >> well, i think first of all, rouhani has done quite a lot to show and prove that he can deliver. there is a legitimate question mark in the minds of many in washington, can he deliver, because the danger of engagement with the other side is that if the other side cannot deliver, you have wasted diplomatic capitol. he has released political prisoners, done things that shows that he has the ability to maneuver the. thepolitical landscape. president obama has challenges with congress. congress is going to be quite important in order to get a lasting, enduring deal with the iranians. only congress can lift many of the sanctions imposed on iran. >> how much is timing an issue? if this meeting doesn't happen now, is the chance just lost forever. >> i think because of the expectation game, it will be a tremendous amount of disappointment if the handshake does not take place. it may overshadow a very historic meeting taking place thursday when secretary kerry and the iranian foreign ministe

there we see iran's president rouhani about to be introduced. what are you expecting from his remarks? >> remember, this is his inaugural speech to the international body. and he has signaled in every way that he is going to change the tone of the iranian presence in the international community. >> let's listen in. >> translator: in the name of ala, praise be to god, the lord of the world, blessings and peace will upon our profit mohammed and his kin and companions. >> translator: there president, mr. secretary general, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, at the outset i would like to offer my most sincere [ inaudible ] on your deserved election to the presidency of the general assembly. and seize the moment to express appreciation for the valuable efforts of our distinguished secretary general. mr. chairman, our world today is replete with fear and hope, fear of war and hostile regional and global relations, fear of deadly confrontation of religious, ethnic, and national identities, fear of institutionalization of violence and extremism, fear o

a washington post editorial written by rouhani, where rouhani tried to ease fears of iran's nuclear program. >> we have time and again said that under no circumstances would we seek any weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons nor will we ever. >> despite that comment and many past denials the u.s. and many allies especially the gulf states an israel suspect the iranian program is all about building nuclear materials. mr. obama behinded that a new round of diplomacy is possible. >> there are indications that rouhani, the new president, is somebody who is looking to open being dialogue with the west and with the united states in a way that we haven't seen in the past. and so we should test it. >> iran's charm offensive may have been triggered by a letter from president obama to rouhani reportedly delivered three weeks ago that is said to have offered relief from economic sanctions in return for relief and cooperation on iran's nuclear program. guy ziv, founder of the israel national security project. thank you both for being with us tonight. david, want to start with you. presi

rouhani saad yesterday. he said that he is not going to retreat from the nuclear right. and what he said that he doesn't have the power to -- to dismantle iran's nuclear program. even the leadership doesn't have that kind of power and authority. any politician who dares to do that will be owed here. he was sweating when he was talking, this means he was under immense internal pressure. many groups here don't like to have relations with the united states and they have many reasons for that. they don't trust the united states. and the united states doesn't trust the iranian government. the wall of trust is very high, and it's not going to collapse overnight. >> i want to get to president obama's words. what has the reaction been out of tehran. >> iranians also welcome dialogue. they chose a moderate president because they are sick and tired of the dispute over the united states over iran's nuclear program. they have nothing to hide, they just want respect and mutual understanding between these two countries. they want some kind of trust. if that exists iran is more than wi

it is committed by rouhani. whether or not this is verifiable, which is a perfectly legitimate question to ask, is subject to international atomic energy verification. not for the head of another state to kind of demand and exact. >> so, professor, appreciate it. not a lot of time to talk to you, but we appreciate you getting here and being on with us. just enough time to say thank you for watching al jazeera. more news in just minutes. "inside story" is next. >>> gridlock, brinksmanship and the politics of shutdown. you're watching "inside story" from washington. >>> hello. i'm sheila macvicar. america outside the washington beltway is looking and lamenting the system. brinksmanship and politics seem to be the order of the day for the u.s. congress. here we are again you must be thinking from your armchair as you watch. you're right. the house gripped by a

a gesture which rouhani welcom welcomed. and after the release of 11 political prisoners, this reaction from the u.s. state department. we welcome today's report that the iranian government has released several prisoners of conscience. in the months ahead we hope he will continue to keep his promises to the iranian people. both rouhani and obama will both be at the united nations next week for the start of the general assembly. so far aides say there is no plans for the two to meet. but it is starting to look like what was once unthinkable is emerging into the realm of possible. al jazeera. >> the white house has given this statement in response to president rouhani's interview. this is what they said: >> international affairs at the university of south florida. he said the timing of this interview and release of political prisoners is very significant. >> i think this release of the political prisoners is a statement about iran's nuclear program must be viewed in the context of a very major strategic decision that the islam

hassan rouhani's government efforts do not stop there. his foreign ministers met with the european union's envoy on iran's nuclear program. the diplomatic obstacles on iran are substantial. there's syria, a staunch storer of bashar al-assad, iran and the u.s., and its allies are on opposite sides. then there's iran's backing of the military wing of hezbollah, a listed terror group operating in syria and lebanon. iran's nuclear program left the country isolated. a former diplomat in iran's un mission says hassan rouhani can change that, especially now as iran's highest authority sees the need for flexibility. >> mr hassan rouhani has enough authority, free authority to deal with particular problems. >> the mandate means for the first time in more than three decades, instead of pes imism, there's a degree of opt miss m as an iranian leader prepares to speak to the world at the u.n. >> gunfire could be heard this morning in kenya as security forces conduct what they call a final push to remove gunmen from a nairobi shopping mall. as you can

rouhani is different. it's clear because of his political training it's about a process and getting a result. so ahmadinejad would give these long answers and flowery language. this guy is a practical, prudent, politicall organized, political guy. >> was there anything off limits. >> we talked about women's rights, afghanistan, the whole gamut of issues. >> did they talk about the handshake? he explained it was a quote, very sensitive subject. there really are no problems in terms of shaking mr. obama's hand in negotiating but we have not talked at that level in 35 years. we did not have enough time to make that happen. how did he address that tonight? >> i think he said a similar thing. i can't quote directly from the meeting because we have certain rules i'm under here. but the key word that he mentioned that you just mentioned. this is a complicated history. there are lots of ways for these things to go wrong. he's about results. he's not opposed to meeting with obama, but he wants result that would lea

president hasan rouhani cannot be trusted. i'm across the street at an event organized by the people muhajdine they have high profile speakers including rudy giuliani and former u.n. ambassador john bolton. they are joining a growing chorus of voices in the u.s. senate who say iran simply cannot be trusted, and sanctions should not be ruled back. i should point out there was another demonstration shortly here a short time ago taking the opposite point of view. a demonstration saying that the time from iran and united states to talk, and its time to end bellicose language and the organizers of that organization, a group named abas. they show 60% of americans do in fact direct talks between the two countries. but as you can see the opposition voices are very loud. >> admitting rather difficult conditions, thank you very much, kristin. >>> the leadership of iran is having an impact on one watchdog group. >> reporter: from billboards on times square to online ads to demonstrations, a group against iran has been steadfastly devoted

rouhani is different. it's clear because of his political training it's about a process and getting a result. so ahmadinejad would give these long answers and flowery language. this guy is a practical, prudent, politicall organized, l guy. >> was there anything off limits. >> we talked about women's rights, afghanistan, the whole gamut of issues. >> did they talk about the handshake? he explained it was a quote, very sensitive subject. there really are no problems in terms of shaking mr. obama's hand in negotiating but we have not talked at that level in 35 years. we did not have enough time to make that happen. how did he address that tonight? >> i think he said a similar thing. i can't quote directly from the meeting because we have certain rules i'm under here. but the key word that he mentioned that you just mentioned. this is a complicated history. there are lots of ways for these things to go wrong. he's about results. he's not opposed to meeting with obama, but he wants result that would lead to res

hassan rouhani was making his first address at the united jace a december. nations assembly in new york. economy decemberred the imposition of western sakes, james bays reports in the united nations. >> reporter: the focus was on one man as world leaders met. the arrival of hassan rouhani iran's president for less than two months on the world stage, brings the promise of a any start to his country's relations with the west. >> mr. president. >> reporter: but can he bring concrete change? he didn't immediate president obama who spoke several hours beforehand. but both men spoke yeah ka*u cay after more than three decades of mistrust about the possibility of a new relationship. >> we are encouraged that president rouhani received from the iranian people a mandate to pursue a more moderate course and given his stated thoughts of reaching an agreement. >> reporter: he said progress would only be made if there is ideal removing the threat of an iranian knock lahr bomb but offered a con connection that they can have a nuke already energy program and acknowledged m

because hassan rouhani has this very dig tack. he has a mandate of the iranian people given that he was elected by the majority in june of this year, june 14 in facts. and he has the majority and part of his campaigning was the willingness to act. he wanted better relations with the west and with the united states. given that he got that mandate from the people that's what the most iranians actually want. but there is that hartline sector that i just mentioned who don't want america and iran to come to any kind of agreement they don't want to put this 35 years of history behind them. so he has to walk a very fine line not just betwee here in irn between the two sectors, he didn't meet president obama face-to-face, he had the opportunity and didn't. and that cakes the fine line he's to walk, and appeasing the international community, doing just enough to satisfy the international community, but also the iranian voters here in iran. >> okay, thank you very much indeed. turn to go greece now and the arrest in the past hour of the hea

hassan rouhani is completely different. it's clear because of his political training, it's about a process and getting a result. ahmadinejad gave long answers, this guy is practical, prudent, organised political guy. >> was anything off limits? >> the did you suggest we talked about - israel, women's rights, human rights, afghanistan, nuclear, a gamut of issues. >> what about the handshake? in some meetings, closed door he said he explained - this is a quote from him - a sensitive subject. there are no problems in terms of shaking mr obama's hand and negotiating. we have not talked at that level in 35 years. we did not have time to make that happen. how did he address it tonight? >> i think he said a similar thing. i can't quote directly from the meeting - we have certain rules we are under - the key word, "this is a complicated history", there are a lot of ways for these things to go wrong. he is about results. he was not opposed to meeting obama, but wanted to know it would lead to a result leading to a result leading to

. >>> rouhani gets ready. he says he is ready to start a new round of nuclear n negotiations as he heads to the united nations and a possible meeting with president obama. kenyan security forces remain in a tension stand-off with members of the armed group, al shabaab. the gunmen entered a shopping mall saturday firing machine guns and toting grenades. the death toll is 50. some hostages have been freed. it's unclear how many more remain. more from ardel walters. >> the siege by armed gunmen at an upscale shopping mile in nairobi kenya has entered the second day with no end in sight. kenyan security forces find themselves at a stand-off with members of al shabaab, which has claimed responsibility in attacks that killed more than 50 people and injured dozens of others. images like these have played throughout the crisis. others have not been so lucky. one of those injured gave a first-hand account of the carnage and tactics being used by the group. >> we tried escaping and they threw a grenade and the grenade,

as hassan rouhani said here. we have a full screen graphic to put up that will help explain what the sanctions are and where they came from. the u.s. impose them because of its suspicions that tehran is secretly trying to make nuclear. it sanctions companies from oil to banking and other things but they've had a devastating affect on ordinary iranens. they have unemployment in iran is widespread. so the lifting of those sanctions could bring jobs and the end of isolation for iran. i can't stress enough how bad the economy is. you can't get anything done in iran. the ports are closed. they don't have stuff coming from around the world. they get some stuff through the very long border in china. no one knows what goes on in that part of the world, but you can't police that, and you have no idea what is coming into the country. but iran has a very old aircraft fleet. they can't get the parts to keep their aircraft going. that's the affect of the sanctions, and that's why hassan rouhani has been reaching out and presi

no meeting of course as we know between rouhani and obama. the white house telling the press corps this evening that they offered the iranians a chance for an encounter, and the iranians said no. >> okay. john terrett for us, wrapping up an extraordinary day of speeches. john thank you. >>> while world leaders gather, protests are going on outside the united nations. two groups are taking different stances on iran. >> reporter: as the possibility of a [ inaudible ] between the west and iran being seen at the united nation, there is a push back coming from voices in the united states who believe that iran just can't be trusted. we are at a demonstration across the un organized by a group, that have organized demonstrations like this for the past several years calling to an end to iran's religious leadership. but this year they are getting a lot of support from high profile speakers from rudy giuliani and others. they are joining a growing chorus of voices who have expressed concerns about rolling back sanctions, including high-level senator li

hassan rouhani wrote a book in persian three years ago. in his book he's very proud of himself to win over and achieve the west. he talked about the negotiations he was leading, and he said he was sophisticating us to appease the west, to make minor concessions, and to save the iranian nuclear project for military tactic, from economic sanctions. only since a sophisticated diplomatic schemes. this is what he's saying himself. we need to be careful not to be cheated once again. >> do you feel that he's pulling the wool over the eyes,. >> it is not just an israeli problem. it is a threat to the rest of the world. this is a global threat. if iran goes nuclear it will change the course of history and will create a dangerous new world. >> specifically in u.s.-iranian relationship, if it improves will that hurt u.s. relationship with israel? >> look, we are not against, on the contrary, if diplomatic solution is possible, this is the best option, also from the israeli perspective. but look, what rouhani might be willing during the speech yesterd

why president rouhani did not go, we don't know. reports are he didn't go because alcohol was serve. i think he left the u.n. for the afternoon, but will be back to make his speech in an hour or so. >> let me be clear on that point. so there was the report now that there was an offer from the administration to--for the president to meet with mr. rouhani on the sidelines. was this over lunch, before lunch, after lunch? and the iranian leader and delegation said no to this? >> reporter: we always thought that a meeting between president rouhani and president obama was kind of a bit touch and go. it was never going to be a proper meeting in which they were filmed greeting each other and chatting. it was always going to be if it happened at all a chance encounter in the corridors. what happens after the u.s. president has spoken, there is always a lunch given by the secretary general to which all world leaders go. they offered the iranians an encounter on the sidelines of the general assembly. one can only assume that would be in the en

hassan rouhani has travelled to europe and negotiated with europeans, did a ph.d. in sclnd. now, the two men are two men and they are not the most powerful two men in iran. the supreme leader supreme leader khamenei has veto power. >> there's plenty of sceptisise m as well. >> so much is happening, the u.n. security council voting on the syria question, and now ensuring that there is going to be inspection, right? how big a development is this? >> it's a remarkable achievement happening more quickly than the progress in the u.s.-iran nuclear talks. praise is due to the russians and secretary kerry and his team for working seriously and getting the syrians to agree to this. some are unhappy because they think removing the chemicals does not end the war or give bashar al-assad a new lease on life. i think that having to acknowledge that giving up one of his strategic assets could, over time, contribute to a weakening of his regime. >> last quick word. >> one thing that will be important to watch out for is while the process goes on, does this mean that washington steps back fr

rouhani campaigned on a promise of change, and prudence and hope. and right now, i believe he sincerely wants to change the relationship between iran and the united states. >> professor of politics at the university of south florida, thank you for being with us today. >>> and un delegates will be meeting to discuss the situation in yemen. u.s. drone strokes have played a big role in that region. but that strategy isn't sitting well with everyone on american soil. >> reporter: this town in michigan spans a little over two miles. over the years this area has seen an influx of arab americans, many of them with deep ties to yemen. thousands of yemeny americans call michigan home. many arrived in search of work in the auto industry decades ago. and for some that meant leaving family behind. >> right now, yemen i's are more afraid than ever. >> reporter: i sat down with this man and his friend at a yem yemeni/american restaurant. more than ten years ago the u.s. government began launching drone attacks. as missile strikes have increased so have the concer

rouhani. >> he hads a problem. iran's economy is deteariating. they are losing $5 million is a month as a result of sanctions. he was sent to new york with a breach, and that was to find ways to ease sanctions. his brief was not find a solution to the nuclear file, that's barack obama's brief. the two briefs will come together. the devil will be in the details. when you read the iaea international atomic energy agency report on iran, there's 72 items, 50 of which are disputes. the devil will be in the detail. this is an historic day. it has to be tempered by the reality of the long slog. >> >> all the parties are signalling they can move forward. there has been years of negotiation where we've tested the parameters of an arrangement that might be minimally acceptable to both sides. >> what would be a short-term change? would that be 6 months, a year? >> i think it will take 6 month to a year to work out the details. in the first meeting, to plan the october recommencement of negotiations the rainians were more forward leaning, and may have signal

clearly president rouhani is adopting a different action than his predecessor. >> well, rouhani's words in new york haven't stopped the centrifuges. we need to look at action not words. he is using soft warm and fuzzy rhetoric to cover violent actions. he has installed a thousand new uranium enrichment facilities. he is continuing to generate heavy water reactors, and not letting the un inspectors in to actually look at the weapon development there, so it's not about nice words. it's only about actions, unfortunately in that test he has failed. >> but both he and the superpeople leader say they are open to compromise, and president obama has instructed john kerry to pursue a deal, so that puts israel on a different page from the us. >> reporter: well, i think what the west has to always look at is the actions of iran and not be mislead by the smile and charm offensive of rouhani. let's look at what rouhani himself said just a few yearsback, he said while we were negotiating with the europeans we were still installing some of the equipment at the site. there was plenty of work to be done

rouhani's power at home and the will to wait. how advanced is the program, is there a nuclear weaponnization program? we have no intention of making nuclear weapons ever, that is not what we want. there are many people who doubt iranian intent and believe that iran in fact has had a covert weapons program for a long time and failed odeclare. the question of openness transparency on the nuclear issue key, is it necessary for the stability of the area and of course the relations to syria. >> the nuclear negotiation. >> absolutely, rouhani was the lead gloarkt are negotiator froo 2005. this is a lot different time now. sent region spinning much further than that period of 2003 to 2005. rouhani has a big challenge here as does president obama. i often appliquÉen these two presidents to orchestra conductors. not only do they have to get their own domestic constituencies to play from the same orchestra sheets, hassan rouhani has made news for his tweets. this is going to be far more complex than tweeting nice lines. >> last line for y

today hassan rouhani spoke and he talked about the other countries of the world not having weapons of mass destruction as well, a thin veil towards israeli. listen to this. >> u.nunited nations have the responsibility of nuclear disarmament. i strongly urge for them to comply with this long, overdue legal obligation. the fulfillment of nuclear disarmament obligation must not be delayed any further. >> reporter: and it's becoming clear, richelle, that hassan rouhani wants a deal with the united states in the next three to six months. he said that to journalists last night. an when you see this meeting with the foreign minister and the five permanent members. if you hear p-3, don't be confused about it. they have twisted it around because they have britain, france, and germany, they call it the p-3. >> it's all different because it's all about perspective, as you always teach us, john. thank you so much. we're less than four and a half days from a partial government shut down. the debate over healthcare reform are complicated the process. lawmakers are trying to move things along quickl

. >>> iran's president hassan rouhani is back in tehran after a busy week in new york and an history k phone call. he was greeted at the airport by government officials. it was the first time that leaders from the two nations spoke to each other. we have more. >> this was the moment the angry relationship between iran and u.s. moved on. the u.s. president on the phone with iranian counterpart. the first top level contact between the two countries in more than 30 years. president hassan rouhani broke the news of the conversation on social media website twitter, posting: >> from the white house a show of respect for iran, and the iranian people. >> i believe we got a responsibility to pursue diplomacy and we have a unique opportunity to make progress with the knew leadership in iran. i told hassan rouhani of my respect for the iranian people. >> a sign that things are changing. >> translation: hearing mr obama the president of the united states he sounded different compared to the past. i view it as a positive step. >> the presidential poll came after this historic meeting which brough

rouhani or mr. obama? >> i think this case, the concern is about president obama, the fact that the u.s. might macon sessions, which would still leave iran with the capability to produce a nuclear weapon in very short order. they want very clear road blocks between where iran stands today and its actual acquisition of a nuclear weapon. these are valid concerns, legitimate concerns. let's just remind ourselves that this is the beginning of a very long, hard complex process where first we're going to have to work on initial confidence building measures. the idea of a comprehensive deem and what would be included in that is something that's going to take a very long time to work out and take multiple rounds of negotiations between the u.s. and its allies in iran. >> joseph cost eight joining us from washington, d.c., thank you. >> the mood might be shifting in favor of allowing iran also to attend a proposed peace conference in geneva to negotiate an end to syria's civil war. the u.s. is opposed to iran's att

, a gesture which rouhani welcomed. after the government released 11 political prisoners on wednesday, including a human rights lawyer, this reaction from the u.s. state department. we welcome today's report that the iranian government has released several prisoners of conscience. in the months ahead, we hope he will continue to keep his promises to the iranian people. both rowhani and obama will be at the united nations next week for the start of the general assembly. so far aides say there are no plans for the two to meet, but with both leaders extending feelers it's looking at what was once unthinkable is merging into the realm of possible. >>> well, the white house gave this statement in response to president rouhani's interview. we hope that this new iranian government will engage substantively in order to reach a diplomatic solution that will fully address the international community's concerns about iran's nuclear program. we remain ready to engage with the row huhani government to ge peaceful resolution to the n

what do we expect rouhani to say today? >> reporter: we don't really know, but if you go to last friday's "washington post" newspaper and that op-ed written by the new iranian president he outlined all sorts of areas there, and pretty much that's what he is going to be talking about. but the world is rather excited about president rouhani, to be honest with you, and this has all been a very, very good start. so we'll be looking for the tone of what he has to say, and whether or not he refers to israel and how he refers to israel if he mentions it at all. we shall see, dell. >> perhaps the phrase the whole world is watching this time is apropos. john thank you very much. >>> the world may shifting in favor of allowing a geneva peace conference in syria. the foreign minister from france said he supports the why of iran being included in the peace talks but on one condition, that cannot be used to divert attention away from that country's push to develop nuclear weapons. date has been set yet for any peace talks concerning syr

president obama is on his way to new york even as we speak, but we thought he might meet with rouhani, but we now know that kerry is going to be meeting with the foreign minister. >> that may still happen, we'll have to wait to see if president obama meets with the newly elected iranian president or not. but we've learned that the u.n. foreign policy chief that there is to be a high-level meeting here at the u.n. general assembly this week. the five permanent members plus germany will meet to discuss iran's uranium enrichment program. that tops off a week that could, in fact, be full of breaking because president obama is coming, as you said. we're waiting at arrival of the new iranen president. everyone is looking forward to see what he has to say. and over above that for syria, chemical weapons crisis dominating everything and president obama and secretary john kerry will have their work cut out for them on that issue. and israel and palestine are having negotiations over peace and libya and pakistan making nice over kashmir. there is to be a high-level meeting between u.s. and iran

one even threw an egg at rouhani's car as it left the airport. hundreds of people did gather to show their support for the president who took office less than two months ago. >>> now in a moment we'll hear from our reporter in tehran with reaction to rouhani's trip to the united nations, but first let's here wha hear what the mad himself. >> the conversation i had with president obama was about the nuclear issue. it's not only the right of the nation but a matter of national pride for the iranian people. obama said the u.s. acknowledges the nuclear rights of the iranian people. i replied that this matter should be sped up. he said, we their the same idea in this regard, and he has asked the secretary of state to speed up the process. >> reporter: the iranian president arrived home from that historic trip to the united states to a mixed reception. calling him the envoy of peace, but among the crowd a couple of hundred witnesses say there were some hard liners members the paramilitary who apparently threw eggs at the president and his car as he was

the arrival of rouhani iran's president for less than two months on the world stage, brings the promise of a new start to his country's relations with the west. >> mr. press. >> reporter: but can he bring concrete change? he didn't meet president obama who spoke several hours beforehand. but both men spoke yea cautiousy after more than three decades of mistrust about the possibility of a new relationship. >> we are encouraged that president pro happy received from the iranian people a mandate to pursue a more moderate course and given his stated commit to him reach an agreements i am directing john consider toy reach an agreement with the iranian do he said progress would only be made if there was no threat of a nuclear bomb. iran can have a peaceful energy program and he acknowledged u.s. mistakes from the past. >> the united states and iran have been isolated from one another since the islamic revolution of 1979. this mistrust has deep roots. iranians have long complained of a history of u.s. interference in their affairs, and of america's role in overthrowing the iranian government d

rouhani has demanded a change. perhaps after 35 years, things really are changing could be sanctions with everything going on domestically here and internationally as well. >> soraya lenih thank you very much. >>> we return to our stop story, that being the tedly attack on that mall in kenya that left 59 people dead. 35 are still to be inside the mall. al shabaab claiming responsibility. al jazeera mohammad adal has been following. he joins us now. mohammed, you were once based in kenya. you know this group well. what more can you tell us about al shabaab? >> well, al shab a. b, is a group that has defied usual characterizations. it came about as an off shoot of islamic union. that took most of somalian at one point in 2006 and afterwards is when they brought -- they came on you in their true colors after the envation. they for example, declared their ail emergency he knew to al-qaeda and stated who they were and what they wanted. they said they want to establish a kalifate across the globe. at one time in 2009, th

rouhani. there is no plan for it. but an accidental sort of meeting is possible. you know, some exchanging quick nice words, it is possible. and at the united nations that would be a big step forward. and i think both sides would benefit. >> what is in it for iran. >> mr. rouhani has to show that what he's trying to do would work. in the past hasa hassan rouhanis given a lot of latitude to the u.s. but hatami made a lot of efforts including the work in afghanistan, the support that they gave the u.s. in afghanistan, and became a member of the axis of evil, and even writing letters and sending congratulations to problem when he got re-elected. they got nothing. now rouhani is very skeptical of he does not believe that the u.s. means well. >> a lot of are skeptical. if diplomacy wins out, what does this mean for the middle east? >> i think i if rouhani does not achieve what he has set out to do, it would be a disaster. there is either war or peace. the state of no war and no peace the both sides

he spoke about lighting to the supreme leader, and speaking to rouhani as well. and keeping its line to stop any nuclear weapons here. >> thank you very much. now we go to tuck i can. we have about 30 seconds, i'll come back to you at the top of the hour, but i want to get your comments on the situation that effects turkey very much. >> reporter: three very key points in the president's speech. even though he said the situation cannot be resolved there militarily, and a political process was needed he had very strong words about the faith of assad. how that will be received by russia, iran, and certainly by the syrian regime is something to keep a very close eye going forward as all of these powers gather in new york. >>> thank you very much. again, we are following the special developments that are taking place out of the yielted nations where u.s. president barack obama has just finished addressing the delegates there. it is the 68th meeting of that gathering. we have reporters stationed in washington, theron, and turkey. our special coverage continues right af

we're still waiting for iranian leader hassan rouhani to speak to the united nations. reports are that he skipped launch because alcohol was being served. president obama did speak to world leaders at the united nations and the president wants the u.n. to support tough punishment against syria if it doesn't give up chemical weapons. he asked russia and iran to stop supporting syrian president bashar al-assad. >>> congress and senate has one week left to agree to

. >> iran, united nations ambassador held a dinner party for iran's president hassan rouhani. a guest said that he spoke about the handshake that never happened with president obama. an said the decision was mutual. >> he said tonight that it wasn't just his decision, that president obama also at the end decided that this was not a good idea. that was a shocking statement, that they both together some how decided that this was not a good idea. >> that's interesting. >> that's not what the u.s. government is saying. the u.s. government is saying they would prefer, and then there were--it was the iranian side that complicated it. meaning that iran some how didn't like the idea. they didn't like the idea. mr. rouhani himself said that i thought it was not a good enough because there was not enough time to discuss anything substantive. and that the handshake wouldn't do much except that it will have raised eyebrows back in tehran and elsewhere. it would achieve nothing but create a lot of enemies. >> the white house says a meeting between president obama and president rouhani woul

iranian president hassan rouhani is scheduled to hold a news conference in new york at this hour. the event has seen a week that has seen a change in tone from iran. it agreed to take part on its nuclear program next month. and rouhani and president obama have called for a change in relations between the two countries. >>> syria's use of chemical weapons and john terrett is following progress on both issues. john what can we expect today? >> reporter: we predicted from the outset this would be a newsies general assembly, and i have slept through a fair few of these general assemblies in the past, but not this one. this one had really made headlines. i want to tell you about the syria story first, because here is the resolution that the security council passed last night. this is the document that has gone to the hague in holland where it will be reviewed by those who will be responsible of taking away the chemical weapons. we're looking for a vote around 5:00, 6:00, or 7:00 this evening. that's where we are at regarding jair. and the mourn ministers who should have left today, man

. >> israeli pm benyamin netanyahu will challenge iranian president's hassan rouhani's charm offensive. he's hoping to challenge perceptions that iran is less of a nuclear threat under president hassan rouhani. >> we are tracking a typhoon, expected to make land full in vietnam. >> we are monitoring the system and will make landful in vietnam tomorrow, in the afternoon, on into the evening. we'll see rough seas, damaging wins where the system will make landful south of hanoi, vietnam's capital, but where 7 million live. it will go across the mountainous terrain. heavy rain could lead to mudslides around coastal areas. it's quite across the pacific. making your way into the east there's a system making its way across the north-western portion of the u.s. you can see the circulation in the atmosphere, and it continues to draw on the moisture. last week we told you about the tropical storm. we are seeing enhanced shower activity, overcast skies across the north-west. tracking into this afternoon into this evening flooding rain, up to 5 inches in some areas to the south of seattle around t

>> reporter: now, this is president hassan rouhani. with the op-ed and now today saying that the holocaust was a terrible thing that happened to the german people, and then we now know why mr. rouhani is so keen to make a deal, because when he was elected recently by the people of iran he promised to do something like this to ease tensions. he has come over here according to him. a lot of people said good luck when you get over here, better luck when you get back. he's determined to break a deal between washington and tehran. earlier today, in this nonproliferation conference he was talking about nuclear nonproliferation and urging other countries not to have weapons of mass destruction, particular linux. this is not ahmadinejad. he was not having a go at israel, it did not mention israel. but he did say many times that countries should roll back nuclear weapons. this was taken to be reference to israeli nuclear capability. >> nuclear weapon states have the primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament. i strongly urge them to comply

hassan rouhani spoke today. really markable the change in tone from iran out there this week, and it seemed to change more every day. talk about the highlights. >> he is still here on his charm offensive. and he has just given a news conference here, and the main thrust of what he had to say was that he is looking for tangible results from the p-5 plus germany coming up in geneva on the 15th and 16th of october. where iran has now been invited to bring its own proposals to the table. and he is looking for tangible results, he stays in a short time frame, and he says the atmosphere between the united states and iran is absolutely different from how it was in the past. so that is absolutely remarkable. but i think we have to add a note of caution. you have to remember why iran is doing this. the international sanctions are crippling their economy. they can't get parts of their aging aircraft, generally business life is extremely difficult in iran, and iran is looking to have those sanctions eased or lifted. the un

hassan rouhani is playing it very carefully. he wants to appease the international community and rid iran of external pressures, but he also has to face the opinions of the people. most iranians do want better relations with the rest of the world, including the united states. but some won't be moved, and for hard linerers there is little optimism in these talks. >>> still to come . . . >> translator: there is no food. is nothing left to eat. >> aid agencies warn of mass starvation . and we look at [ inaudible ] in columbia, after the biggest football match is called off. ♪ ♪ >>> welcome back to al jazeera. top stories at that hour. protests organized by the anti-coup alliance with taking place in several cities across egypt. a court ordered the banning of muslim brotherhood activities and ordered the seizure of its assets last week. >>> a car bomb has gone off outside of damascus, and dozens are said to have been killed. >>> iran and the u.s. have held the highest level talks. iran talked about months that the nuclear progra

hassan rouhani is playing it very carefully. he wants to appease international community and relief iran of external pressures but he wants to appease the opinions of the iranian people. most iranians do want better relations with the rest of the world, including the united states. but some won't be moved. and for hard liners there is little optimism in these talks. al jazeera, tehran. >> muslims in kenya are now worried of becoming the target of a violent backlash. al-shabab carried out attacks specifically against muslims. now we have more reports from the kenyan capital. >> reporter: her husband has been arrested on suspicion of being involved in the westgate mall attack. for six days she has been searching for him but without success. she said that her husband is innocent, and he had taken his employer's daughters to the mall that day. he was injured during the attack. >> it would be good to visit him. my husband is not a terrorist. i believe they arrested him just because he has a muslim name. >> reporter: once again their

>> i think today we saw the real rouhani. >> let's say rouhani isn't serious and it's a fake out, what's the point? he could be serious. clearly this public affairs campaign will end -- it will limit iran's isolation and the sanctions and around -- >> he was authorized to negotiate this. >>> we will get to test that theory. >> you can perhaps test that theory. >> it is cautious and move forward. lit show the united states seriously whether or not he really wanted to do this. >> john, every president, every new world leader in office. >> let's face it. president rouhani were serious about changing iran with in nuclear program and the way they want to negotiate, they could do it today. they could do it in washington or new york. >> i think we have to be very cautious. >> far away from the diplomatic front as mill opinions of refugees are struggling to survive. >> he has a report from the turkey/syria border. >> they are surviving on crumbs. the family lived like this. thy is a teacher with a comfortable life when she set to turkey after her home in northern syria was bombed, her husband ki

president rouhani said that they would not be building nuclear weapons. will the west be more willing to hear rouhani out whereas in the past ahmadinejad was essentially shut out? >> well, i think that's the wrong question. >> okay. >> the west has been willing to hear iran out for a decade. they've had meeting after meeting, you've had try lateral meetings, lower level meetings where the u.s. is directly involved with discussions with iran. throughout that time period iran has continued to build enter huges, build rich uraniu uranium, and the only explanationers peters can find is that they're building up the capacity to have a nuclear weapon, maybe a break out level. that have got to do an enter job of persuading what they're doing. >> if i bush back just a little bit here. >> yes. >> the new president says he has the full authority t authority e an agreement with the west. do you believe him on that? >> well, another part of this op-ed is that they have the right to negotiate on their own. that is not going to be the basis for a transassistan trans. th

. >> israeli president benyamin netanyahu challenges president hassan rouhani's charm offensive. benyamin netanyahu will speak in front of the general assembly on tuesday. he hopes to challenge perceptions that iran is less of a nuclear threat under president hassan rouhani. >> israel has arrested a man they believe is a spy for iran. shin bet says the man is a belgium citizen recruited by the iranian revolutionary guard. >> for israel much dependents on the visit between israeli and washington, the visit by benyamin netanyahu. he made it clear it's a time for straight talking. >> translation: i'll represent the citizens of israel, our national tra, rights of people, determination to defend ourselves and hope for piece. i'll tell the truth in the face of sweet talk and onslaught of files. one must talk facts and tell the truth. telling the truth is vital for the security and peace of the world. >> president obama's historic phone call may have been hailed as a breakthrough. in israel it is seen differently. political analyst are urging caution in the spirit of improving relations

iran's newly elected president hassan rouhani will address the ceremony. with us for more is professor of sociology at the university of san diego who has written about the middle east and is an associate fellow based in amsterdam. good to have you with us, tom. >> good to be here. >> a few weeks ago we were at the brink of war with syria. what is behind issues with iran. >> decades ago people wanted peace. the government was one day going to have to get out the way and let them have it. there was a peace resolution in u.s., britain and the iran. >> do you feel a threat of force played a role in this? >> actually, i'm skeptical about that. the threat of force during the bush administration was something that led to the end of the negotiations between the u.s. and iran in relation to the weapons program. telling back from the use of force paved the way for a diplomatic solution. we are seeing forceful diplomacy, not military force. >> there are skeptics saying iran can't be trusted. what will the visit for the united states mean for iran? >> it's a matter o

but today, president hassan rouhani spoke at a non-proliferation conference here at the general assembly, and to show how markedly different he is than ahmadinejad, he never referenced other countries not having nuclear weapons as well. and by that, he means israel. > >> interpreter: nuclear weapons states have primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament. i strongly urge them to comply with this long, overdue, legal obligation. where fulfillment of nuclear disarmament obligations must not be delayed any further. >> so there we are. that is the president of iran speaking within just the last hour or so here at the united nations general assembly f. one other footnote, one of the things happening here, michelle, to keep you up to speed, we have heard from a source in the american mission, the united states mission, saying that the united states and china are agreed on the need for iran to give positive reaction to this meeting that they're taking part in this afternoon. and also regarding syria. according to the source, the u.s. and china now agree on the need for a strong resolution wi

last night in an interview, the president of iran hasan rouhani was asked what it would be like to have a bilateral meeting with the u.s. >> well, after all, we're speaking of two countries who have had no relations for 35 years, so it's clear that to begin talks requires some preparation work and whenever the prep work is completed, i believe that it's possible to have a meeting. perhaps if we had more time here in new york, we may have been able to coordinate what was necessary for that meeting to take place. >> for more now on u.s. iranian relations, we are joint by kristin. thanks for joining us this morning. good to see you. what can we expect basically from today's meeting? >> well, this is an historic meeting, but it is a preliminary meeting. it will be the first time that secretary of state john kerry meets face-to-face with his foreign minister counterpart. they will discuss the next meeting in geneva when the real work gets underway discussing iran's nuclear program. the west of course wants iran to back down from its nuclear enrichment activity. they want less uranium enrichm

it comes days after the historic phone call with iranian president hassan rouhani. as you may remember, john, before coming to d.c. netanyahu said he would tell the truth despite sweet talk from iran. are we expecting a friendly meeting? >> i think friendship is something that these two men will ever achieve. they plainly loathe each other. we know this because we've caught them snarling at each other. president obama did not go to israeli. they didn't meet at the u.n. general assembly a couple of sessions ago, and so friendship is not something that they will move towards. the united states and israel are the best of friends. they are the closest of allies in the whole world and particularly in the middle east region. that is not going say. with president rouhani making nice to the united states, that does present something of a democrat ma to prime minister netanyahu. we just have to see. not only is there a new town, but about there is likely to be a new tone between washington and tel aviv. >> when we get down to it, john. what are both men looking to get out ou