A christmas phone call. Rang me because he spent christmas with me and my family in 2010. What time is he sounded when he said to me but im slowly dying in a. Car broadcasting live from our studios in moscow recapping the weeks top stories with our Weekly Program this is R T International glad to have you with us. 1st restart in iraq or 6 people have been reportedly wounded after several rockets hit in baghdad including an area near the u. S. Embassy heavily fortified green zone which houses government buildings and Foreign Missions the developments follow the United States assassination of irans most powerful general in an air raid at Baghdad International airport on friday President Trump has tweeted that if iran strikes u. S. Military personnel or bases the response could come in a disproportionate manner. These media posts will serve as notification to the United States congress that should iran strike any u. S. Person or target the United States would quickly and fully strike back and perhaps in a disproportionate manner such legal notice is not required but is given nevertheless. Trump has also threatened iraq with sanctions quote like theyve never seen before he also said that the u. S. Military would not withdraw from iraq before the country pays for a u. S. Air base there this comes after lawmakers passed a resolution calling for the u. S. To end its presence in the country the new resolution urges the Iraqi Government to expel all foreign troops withdraw its request for support from me and i still coalition and limit the use of arms to National Security forces is he going to start off earlier spoke to my colleague you know neal on the main points. Iran has just had a major victory over the United States on the geopolitical field this is it this is the bottom line of this whole thing so right now the rest of the whole resolution looks as such a iraq will be filing a complaint with the United Nations to they will be withdrawing a request for help from 2 with which they had sent to the International Coalition this is referring to the anti eisel coalition whats the ramifications here for iraq and indeed the middle east as a whole well again this is a victory for iran and another Interesting Development that we have seen today is that the iraqi Prime Minister here is billed the beings as to why general silly money was on was in baghdad in the 1st place apparently according according to the iraqi Prime Minister he was on a mission and he will he had an appointment with him have a listen will it. I was about to meet silly money at 830 on friday morning on the day of his death he was carrying a message to me from the iranian side in reply to a saudi message that we sent to the arena earlier to reach important grievance regarding the deescalation of tensions in iraq and in the region we have heard donald trump calling on the american boys and girls to come back home hes been very adamant on the fact that he wants that apparently he wants u. S. Troops back home wasnt we want to bring our troops back home and i got elected on that if you go back. And look at our speeches i would say we want to bring our troops back home from these endless wars and i will say look i said i want to get out of these endless wars i campaigned on that i want to get out so this vote seems like a perfect opportunity for donald trump to bring back some 5000 of american boys and girls back to their homeland from some 12 bases where they stationed right now in iraq this is tongue in cheek of course but still this shows the potential fallout the United States could see from this whole vote but again we shouldnt forget that this vote was not just about the United States but mostly about iraqi the iraqi people because as the m. P. s were debating this resolution that eventually passed today some people they took to the streets to have their voices heard they were sensually saying that they are sick and tired of ending up between a rock and a hard place one of the conflict taking place between america and iran inside iraq is unacceptable we will not be the fuel for your wars your problems must be solved away from iraq. We are opposed to recent events we reject them and there is fear in Iraqi Society because of this conflict. The conflict between america and iran should be solved outside iraq so essentially the message from the rockies is clear as 2 countries to Foreign Countries are juking it out between each other for instance like right now the United States and iran its the iraqi people the iraqi people who should have nothing to do with the with the fight of 2 other nations they receive a lot of the punches and a lot of the blows land on their heads and they are sick and tired of this whole thing. These are pictures from iran where a custom solar man his body has now arrived crowds of people were there to receive the general who will be buried on tuesday there has been a huge child pouring of grief into the country with hundreds of thousands of mourners paying tribute to the slain commander iran has responded with fury to fridays deadly u. S. Air raid bowing to avenge his death but ive got to have comments now on the killings and consequences. You can imagine how trump agreed to it then he was playing the gulf and up comes an agent Smith Holding a folder he says was the president you remember when we killed baghdad yes the eyes the sky yes the media did love it how how would you like to do it again oh yeah. The rocky television is just confirming that kids seem so with mommy former general in iraq as revolutionary guard the commander of the could force as we killed in a rocket attack apparently decided by the United States. To settle for the us at our allies at alert at the magic attack on iran stop military capacity and. Has been perpetrating acts of terror to destabilize the middle east for the last 20 years one gets the impression that the agent that came up to trump didnt exactly brief the president and potential consequences of killing the 2nd most powerful man in iran general. Command of irans quds force we took action last night just stop a war. We did not. Take action just start a war that you probably shouldnt have killed him general sunni money was considered an icon in iran and iraq a man who helped prevent isis a takeover of iraq and syria who inspired and mobilized tens of thousands of people multiple countries to fight the blight that is isis. You know nuffin americans are not aware there was reason to commit. The consequences of this criminal act not only today but also in the coming years there is no doubt that the United States is no more hidden among the range and iraqis hundreds of thousands have joined the funeral processions and protests condemning his murder rage is in the air iran has promised revenge american civilians are being evacuated from the entire region u. S. Embassies and bases in this slew of countries are knocked out troops have been put in combat readiness and now now middle east in the red lert they claim that they only want peace that was the time to take this action so that we could disrupt the spot deter further aggression from qassam salami in the Iranian Regime as well as to attempt to deescalate the situation trump asked no one europe woke up to a world that was a heck of a lot more dangerous than when they went to sleep germany claimed tensions that only god up stating the obvious the british called for everyone to come down from doesnt last for permission frankly the europeans havent been as helpful as i wish they could be the brits the french the germans all need to understand that what we did what the americans did saved lives in europe as well at best hes right chances are hes wrong and at worst what america did is going to kill a heck of a lot more. People than would have died otherwise which they may have thought of the 3rd asked anyone but they didnt trump told no one not even his own federal government not the house of representatives and not the senate this action may well have brought our nation closer to another endless war exactly the kind of endless war the president promised he would not drag us into or rather he did tell apparently what trump kept from his own nation from his own people he told the israelis our assessment is that the United States informed israel about this operation in iraq apparently a few days ago. President obama is one feet of all appreciation for acting decisively both rank and swiftly and i want to for size again that israel stands completely by the United States in its but over security and sound different because of the the murder of a mani was an act of war by any measure by any book on law and social media world war 3 was the top trend people are genuinely afraid the u. S. Football team has canceled plans to train and counter head of the world cup out of security concerns and judging by means being spread appropriate or otherwise no one in particular is enthusiastic to go to war all black humor aside any escalation would be disastrous for all of us human lives 1st and economy 2nd a 5th of the worlds oil passes by iran every day in the event of war that would stop. We dont yet know how much of a blunder sulaimani is mudda was what we do know is that the world now is a more dangerous place millions will hate america for this and that hate will last for generations just remarkable isnt it how many people more and more keep having to die so trump and the pentagon can feel safe. Amid the rapid escalation tehran says it will not abide by the enrichment limits set in the 2015 nuclear deal but is still ready to reverse that if washington lifts the sanctions the u. S. Pulled out of the agreement when President Trump took power the leaders of germany france and the u. K. Have issued a joint statement calling on iran to avoid measures contravening the nuclear deal weve spoken to several middle east experts on the crisis gripping the region. Probably iran is now pushing europe towards the edge in terms of having either to rescue the deal the nuclear deal and part tweezer sort of with america or probably ditch the deal altogether but it wont be any iranian call it would be probably a European Court weve heard news earlier is will that iran would be ready to deescalate if the sanctions were lifted so there are messages that are being sent either way telling still despite all the hoo ha and despite all the threats and countries threats and whatever were still hearing voices coming out from tehran saying the guys were happy to deescalate and call it off should you do if the sanctions and that would put International Community so to speak or least the europeans in a very certain situation that they have to act now and not give her any more i hope that iran will not take a hard decision that they will lose the europeans because we all know that the reappearance at Something Different from the americans so its a balanced its supposed to be a balanced political process that iran should do or. Not iranian to say things that its supposed to be known everything in iran but at least outside the box and seeing is that iran also just like the United States both of them are on the edge both of them have capabilities and both of them can hurt each other but what are the consequences it seems now that hate the United States and the whole of the middle east is kelly people really you me you well the american. Man the 2nd strongest man in the at our so i think middle east actually is facing. A limit now. Were giving founder Julian Assange claims he is slowly dying in the british jail years incarcerated in and alleges he is kept trying to live stand in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day he made a disturbing claims in a phone call to his friend vance smith on Christmas Eve smith spoke to us. All 4 and it was very upsetting to head the idea of him being sedated has come from several people who visited him who clearly being told and the British Government have been asked about it and they refuse to address that matter what they say is theyre not mistreating him but clearly hes being kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day he sounded awful and he said to me that im slowly dying here please remember he served that time all the charge and he served his time too that hes now on remand its highly unusual to put a remand prisoner in belmarsh when theyre not a threat of physical violence threat to society i think we need some are answers from from the British Government why are they treating him like this why cant we have some independent assessment 100 international got to those and asked to arrange a visit at least to send some representatives to check on him but that hasnt been allowed nils meltzer the un rocketeer on torture has been very clear about asylum just mistreatment and describes it in the most of all human terms and yet its claims very recently in november that the British Government of completely ignored his request to see julian probably his health properly assess. There has been a response from london the British Home Office refutes claims of torture calling them unfounded and false meanwhile generally in a songe heres a look back was arrested in april and since then medics and un observers have warned him that his physical and Mental Health are in decline a hearing in february will decide on his extradition to the United States is accused in the us of publishing classified military documents and could face 175 Year Prison Sentence for. China says it has sacked its top official dealing with hong kong relations state media says. Has been replaced as a beijings chief liaison there have been months of violent antigovernment protests in hong kong which took on renewed energy over the new year. Was. Was. A particularly aspect of the unrest of violence and brutality one perpetrated by the hong kong protesters has gone largely without comment from the west with commentary here is our to tailor. Hong kong has gone from being the economic pole of the orient to the face of the fight for democracy and boy does that fight fire. With an amendment to a preexisting lot that would allow for the extradition of criminal suspects from hong kong to Mainland China has brought the financial haven to its knees as a protest accent into the 7th month violence on both sides has escalated but all the wild over politicians and john the so like continue to hail the peaceful aspirations of those fighting to arrest themselves from beijing all the while coming down hard on those aggressive does spots in china its discussing what theyre doing in hong kong theyre taking away basic rights trying to seem trampling the most basic human rights is increased its interventions in hong kong and engaged in actions to curtail the rights. And liberties. Of its people but it seems so many incidents have managed to escape the scrutiny of western media but of course i was. Glad. I was. At. Scenes like that combined with the discovery of 10000 petrol bombs packed with high explosives and shrapnel make it harder to see is peaceful what appears to be a slippery slope into the territory of terrorists methods you can all fight for freedom of speech by silencing people who disagree with you. You cannot fight for democracy by terrorizing the public. Support you china is treading carefully refusing to send in troops to shut down the protests local elections were held in which pro democracy candidates won in a landslide home poll sorties conceded defeat the extradition built has been withdrawn but still the barricades on finding the flames according to china washington. China urges the us to correct its mistakes and stop interfering in our internal affairs we will take further steps if necessary to uphold hong kong stability and prosperity as well as chinas sovereignty. Some have talked down beijings words to paranoia but lets take a look joshua was widely billed as the face of the protest movement was snapped speaking to an official at the u. S. Consulate oh and i forgot to mention hes not big on compromise so theres no end game there is to Infinity Ward at home people are willing to engage you theres also an Organization Funded by the u. S. Congress which has been distributing money to groups it claims are preserving democratic rights then of course as the incendiary legislation washington is passed the human rights and democracy act in clearance im going to stay for those arrested up protests and will monitor hong kong to ensure that in the eyes of the u. S. Of course an appropriate level of autonomy from Mainland China is. These 2 bills the noblest intervention of hong kong some turn north necessary and without grounds they will also harm the relationship and interests between hong kong and the u. S. All of this on top of the protest as musts waving of the starspangled banner have sparked concern that the u. S. Might be lending more than just a supportive hand leading many to ask the question if the protesters according to selfdetermination is appealing to a foreign power to shape the future the best way to go about it especially when that foreign power might want to contain a rising star theyre reaching. For and using methods that have crea