Turkey as turkish jets launch their heaviest assault on kurdish militants in Northern Iraq since air strikes began last week, ending a two year truce. Turkey is now bombing both sides of the same war, attacking militants from the Islamic State as well as kurdish fighters who have been fighting isil for the past year. Well get the latest. Then we turn to what could be a major victory for human rights advocates here in the United States. A federal judge has issued a harsh condemnation of the mass detention of immigrant women and children, calling conditions in the privatelyrun facilities deplorable. We will speak to a whistleblower who worked at a Family Detention Center in texas and hear the words of one immigrant who just testified on capitol hill. Always says to me mommy i am here. He asks me are we going back to room number 108. Amy all that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In turkey, the military has carried out its heaviest assault on kurdish militants in Northern Iraq since air strikes began last week effectively ending a two year truce. Turkey has launched combat operations on two fronts. One against the selfproclaimed Islamic State in syria, and another against the kurdish workers party, or pkk, inside turkey and in Northern Iraq, where the pkk has been fighting against isofor the past year. During an emergency session in brussels tuesday, nato offered support for turkeys military campaigns, although some Member States expressed unease over the crackdown against the kurds. Well have more on turkey later after headlines. President obama has wrapped up his historic visit to kenya and ethiopia with an address to the african union. In his speech, obama called on the continents longentrenched leaders to step aside, saying quote nobody should be president for life. The address marked the first time a us sitting president has spoken before african union. President i think i am a good president. I think if i ran i could win president obama i think im a pretty good president. I think if i ran i could win but i cant. [applause] president obama there is a lot i would like to do to keep america moving, but the law is the law. Amy the comments come after a third term was won. In news from afghanistan, the government and intelligence sources are reporting that the leader of the taliban mullah omar has died. This is the first time the Afghan Government has confirmed officials have confirmed reports of omars death. The taliban has not confirmed the information, but it has told the bbc that it will soon issue a statement. In news from europe, at least one migrant has died after 1500 people tried to enter the eurotunnel in calais, france, in efforts to reach england. Yesterdays death comes after 2000 migrants attempted enter the eurotunnel on monday night. British home secretary teresa may met with french officials tuesday to discuss the growing number of migrants crossing into europe and through the eurotunnel into england as they flee violence in africa, syria and iraq. Secretary teresa may spoke about the plans to increase security measures. Secretary may we agreed we will Work Together to return migrants typically to west africa to ensure that the journey does not lead to them coming to europe and being able to settle in europe. The french government has been putting in extra resources and the u. K. Government will be pushing it up to 7 Million Pounds more to ensure the security of the euro tunnel. Amy in news from the Dominican Republic, hundreds of haitians rallied and protested to demand the return of over 100,000, which they say was paid to secure immigration papers that never arrived. Earlier this year, the Dominican Republic stripped hundreds of thousands of haitians of their legal status and announced that it would begin deporting those who did not secure proper immigration papers. The move set thousands scrambling to secure papers, but now many say that although they paid for the documents, they have not yet arrived. Jesus nunez, the coordinator of the National Union of sugarcane workers, spoke at the protest. Jesus we are calling for the 4,608,000 pesos that were deposited in the name of the Haitian Embassy to be returned. Until now, not one sugarcane worker has a certificate, identity card, or a passport. Amy in finland, as many as 15,000 people attended rallies and protests tuesday to denounce recent comments by an elected official that multiculturalism was quote a nightmare. The lawmaker is from the finns party, the secondlargest in parliament, which has backed strict immigration laws. Many are now calling for the officials resignation. In news from washington, the proponents of the Iran Nuclear Deal have gained key allies this week, including famed Actor Morgan Freeman and representative sander levin, who is the longestserving jewish congressperson. This support comes as secretary of state john kerry warned that rejecting the deal could lead to iran gaining nuclear weapons. In a now viral video released tuesday, Morgan Freeman and other actors and comedians called on congress to approve the deal. Morgan ultimately could be forced into another war with iran, a drawnout and expensive metal in the middle east with lives lost. Amy the United StatesParole Commission has announced that israeli spy Jonathan Pollard will be released in november. Pollard is a former u. S. Intelligence officer convicted of passing u. S. Secrets to israel. He was sentenced to life in prison. The announcement of his parole comes as the United States attempts to appease israel following the Iran Nuclear Deal. Amnesty international has said there is strong evidence that israel committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity during its assault on gaza last summer. In a report released today Amnesty International chronicled the israeli assault on the gaza city of rafah, describing a quote relentless and massive bombardment of residential areas, displaying a shocking disregard for civilian lives. Israel has denounced the report. On the israeli side, 73 People Killed, all but six of them soldiers. Authorities in Waller County, texas, have released video of sandra bland entering the jail in efforts to dispel rumors that she was already dead when she entered the facility. Sandra bland was found dead in her jail cell three days she was arrested for failing to signal a lane change. Authorities have said that she committed suicide, a claim that video shows the officer threatening to light her up. Authorities have said she committed suicide in jail, a claim that her family rejects. Tuesday, Waller County judge trey duhon released the footage of bland entering the jail following her arrest. Judge duhon because some of the things going on on social media this county has been literally under attack, under cyber attack the individuals, like the group called anonymous, who is claiming that sandra bland is deceased in the mug shot. You will see video that will show she was alive and well when her mug shot was taken. Amy meanwhile, a 37yearold African American woman named Ralkina Jones was found dead in a jail cell in cleveland, ohio on sunday. Jones is at least the second African American woman to die in a jail cell since Sandra Blands death two weeks ago. She was arrested after a dispute with her exhusband on friday. Cleveland authorities are investigating her death. In a similar case, news reports surfaced yesterday of the death of a 24yearold lakota woman named sarah lee circle bear, who was found dead in a jail cell on july 6 in aberdeen, south dakota. She had been arrested on a violation of her bond. Sarah lee circle bear had told her jailers that she was in pain, but they had told her to quote knock it off and quit faking it. When she was later found unresponsive, she was transferred to a nearby hospital, where she died. In cincinnati, ohio, they are an ohio prosecutor is refusing to release body camera video from the Fatal Police Shooting of an unarmed black man during a traffic stop, but top officials the tape has been reviewed and it has been described as quote not good. In news from el salvador, bus drivers have stopped work after two of the el salvadors deadliest gangs instructed bus drivers to go on strike. The order has crippled transportation in the capital city of san salvador. The move comes as the two gangs attempt to gain leverage in order to pressure the government to negotiate with them over the conditions of their imprisoned members. At least five bus drivers were found dead on monday, one day in portland, oregon, a group monday. Of environmental kayaktivists set forth in kayaks to block a shell icebreaking vessel as it attempted to leave the harbor for oildrilling operations in the arctic. Activists also repelled from a bridge to create an aerial blockade of the vessel. The interior department has warned there is a 75 percent chance of an oil spill in the arctic once shell begins drilling. Oil giant has bp has reported an unusually high 5. 8 billion loss in the Second Quarter reflecting Falling Oil Prices and the substantial settlement over the gulf of Mexico Oil Spill in 2010. The announcement of the losses comes as Financial Times has reported that Oil Companies have delayed new projects worth a total 200 billion as the price billion dollars. In total, companies have delayed projects because they would be unprofitable at the current level of oil prices. Trade ministers from pacific rim countries are continuing secret talks on the transpacific parternship trade pact at a luxury hotel in hawaii. The talks are the first since Congress Granted president obama fasttrack authority to push the deal through congress on an upordown vote with no amendments. Japanese trade minister akira amari cited progress. Minister amari all things considered, with the 12 nations involved, we are working toward a result by the deadline. Amy leaked drafts show a provision of the tpp would allow Foreign Corporations to sue countries in special tribunals over laws they say could hurt their future profits. This comes as a canadian goldmine developer has filed a request for arbitration with a similar tribunal, the World Banks International Center for settlement of investment disputes, after protests in romania stalled efforts to build europes largest openpit gold mine. The white house has responded to a petition calling for the pardon of nsa whistleblower edward snowden, two years after it received more than 100,000 signatures. That threshold is supposed to guarantee a response from the white house, but the response took more than two years. On tuesday, lisa monaco, obamas advisor on Homeland Security and counterterrorism, rejected the call for a pardon and called for snowden to quote accept the consequences of his actions. Zimbabwean officials are searching for an american dentist who shot a wellknown and protected lion with a crossbow. Cecil the lion was allegedly lured illegally out of Hwange National park where he had protected status. Walter james palmer allegedly paid 54,000 to hunt the beloved lion. Two zimbabwean men have been arrested for their role in the lions death. Academy awardwinning Filmmaker Michael Moore will release a new film at the Toronto InternationalFilm Festival in september. Titled where to invade next, the film is moores first since his 2009 movie capitalism a love story. Moore said the new film is about the issue of the United States at infinite war. Michael i do not think there is anyone triggered. We are all living in this time we are living in certainly post 9 11, and every thing that has gone on in this country and this constant need, it seems, to always have to have an enemy where is the next enemy, so that we can keep the militaryindustrial complex alive and keep the companies that make a lot of money from this in business. So, i have always been bothered by that. Amy and the peace activist and educator Jerry Berrigan has died at home in syracuse, new york, at the age of 95. The brother of fellow activists Daniel Berrigan and the late philip berrigan, Jerry Berrigan helped open a refuge for homeless men, and was a regular at protests against Hancock FieldAir National Guard base, where overseas drones are piloted remotely. After his death sunday, syracuse mayor Stephanie Miner ordered flags outside city hall lowered to half staff in his honor. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Turkish jets have reportedly launched their heaviest assault on kurdish militants in Northern Iraq since air strikes began last week effectively ending a two year truce. Over the past week the Turkish Military has launched combat operations on two fronts one against the selfproclaimed Islamic State in syria, and another against kurds inside turkey and in Northern Iraq, where kurdish groups have been fighting against the Islamic State. This means turkey is now essentially bombing both sides of the same war. During an emergency session of nato in brussels tuesday, the body offered support for turkeys military campaigns although some Member States expressed unease over the crackdown against the kurds. Turkey and the United States both consider the Kurdistan Workers Party or pkk to be a terrorist organization, but the group and its allies has been given credit over the past year for helping in the fight against the Islamic State. Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said the military alliance stands in strong solidarity with turkey which recently opened up its air bases to the u. S. Led Coalition Fighting the Islamic State. Chief stoltenberg terrorism in all of its forms can never be tolerated or justified. It is right and timely that we hold this meeting today to address the instability on turkeys doorstep and on natos border. Nato is following developments very closely and we stand in strong solidarity with our ally, turkey. Amy turkeys attacks on the kurds come just a month after the prokurdish Opposition Peoples Democratic Party won 13 of the vote helping to deprive president Tayyip Erdogans akp party of a majority in the parliament for the First Time Since 2002. Over the past week turkey has detained more than 1,000 people in a series of raids, many targeting members of kurdish groups. On tuesday, erdogan said it is impossible to continue the Peace Process with kurdish militants. President erdogan it is not possible for us to continue the Peace Process with those that threaten our National Unity and brotherhood. Brotherhood comes above the Peace Process and it is a comprehensive subject. I want our people to be sure that those who walk in the countryside and in big cities Wearing Masks and caring guns and patrol bombs will get the necessary response from Security Forces and judiciary bodies. Amy to talk more about turkey the kurds and the fight against the Islamic State we are joined by kani xulam, director of the American Kurdish Information Network in washington, d. C. Welcome to democracy now. Can you talk about what is happening in turkey and this rare meeting of nato and what turkey is doing. Kani i can. Thanks for having me, amy. Amy so, explain what has taken place this week. Kani first, the nato comment that instability is that the border of turkey or natos doorstep, as he put it, it is really inside turkey. For the last 31 years there has been a big conflict inside turkey b