See a military solution to this conflict, but we have to put all our efforts into bringing about a diplomatic solution. Should the United States intervene by arming ukraine . We will host a debate between retired air force general charles wald, the formerdeputy commander of u. S. European command, and university of chicago Professor John mearsheimer. Then to ferguson, six months after the Police Shooting of Michael Brown, more than a dozen st. Louisarea residents have filed lawsuits accusing ferguson and a neighboring suburb of creating an illegal debtors prison scheme by targeting African Americans with arrests and fines. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President obama says he has not yet decided yet whether to send arms to the Ukrainian Military to fight russianbacked rebels. Obama criticized russias role in the conflict during a joint News Conference at the white house with german chancellor Angela Merkel. Unfortunately, russia has made a decision that i think is bad for them strategically, bad for europe, bad for the world. And in the face of this aggression in these bad decisions, we cant simply try to talk them out of it. We have to show them that the world is unified in imposing a cost for this aggression. On wednesday, chancellor merkel will travel to the belarus capital of minsk for talks with the leaders of russia, ukraine, and france in an attempt to end the crisis which has killed over 5,400 people. Well have more on ukraine after headlines. Syrian president Bashar Alassad has said his regime is receiving updates on u. S. Led airstrikes against the Islamic State in syria. Assad told the bbc that while there is no direct cooperation with the u. S. , other countries including iraq, have been supplying syria with information. Assads force have been conducting strikes against both isis and the antigovernment rebels supported by the United States. In niger, lawmakers have voted to send troops to fight the nigeriabased militant group boko haram. The decision came after boko haram set off a deadly explosion in the niger town of diffa. The group also attacked three towns in cameroon, kidnapping over 30 people, including 20 who were on board a bus. A nato drone strike in afghanistan has killed several people including a former guantanamo prisoner suspected of ties to the Islamic State. Mullah abdul rauf was killed along with his soninlaw and others in the Southern Province of helmand. Rauf, a former taliban commander, had reportedly pledged loyalty to isis. U. S. Officials confirmed the attack killed eight people accused of posing a threat. At least 29 african migrants have died of hypothermia after they were rescued from the frigid Mediterranean Sea near libya. The migrants were among over 100 people rescued from an inflatable boat by the italian coast guard. They died en route to the italian island of lampedusa. In Egyptian Court will try to imprison al jazeera journalists this week, despite hopes a least one would be released. Last week, canada announced the release of Mohammed Fahmy was imminent. He was egyptian canadian. But both he and his colleague face a retrial on thursday. Fahmys family has launched a social comedic Campaign Going on Stephen Harper to intervene. Alabama has become the 37th state to allow samesex marriage after the Supreme Court rejected the states bid to block the unions. Samesex couples lined up to tie the knot across the state, including the cities of huntsville, birmingham and montgomery. But about 50 counties reportedly refused to issue samesex marriage licenses after sundays conflicting order from an alabama Supreme Court justice. Chief Justice Roy Moore ordered judges and officials not to issue or recognize the licenses, arguing the local courts are not beholden to a federal court ruling that struck down the ban. The largest oil strike to hit the United States in decades has grown larger. Union workers at two bp refineries in indiana and ohio have walked off the job, joining colleagues from nine other sites across the country. In total, more than 5,000 workers have joined the strike to demand safer conditions higher pay, better healthcare and an end to unsafe staffing levels. A British Court has ruled the spy agency gchq acted illegally when it accessed data gathered by the National Security agency through mass surveillance. The investigatory powers tribunal, which oversees british spy agencies, ruled the secrecy surrounding the datasharing program broke british human rights law. But the court found the program is now legal, because more information has emerged since Civil Liberties groups filed suit. The case marks the first time in its 15year history the court has ruled against the spy agency. A team of argentine Forensic Experts has cast doubt on mexicos claims about the disappearance of 43 students in september. Mexicos attorney general has said local police in guerrero state turned the students over to members of a drug gang who killed them and incinerated their bodies at a garbage dump. But reports by the mexican magazine proceso have implicated federal authorities, accusing them of torturing local police to force them to confess. The argentine investigators say satellite images show fires at the garbage dump years ago, and Human Remains Found at the site include dentures, which none of the students wore. They also say authorities left the site unsecured for weeks and made errors in genetic profiles from the students relatives. Only one students remains have been identified. Felipe de la cruz, a spokesperson for the parents of the missing students, said the findings bolster claims the students are still alive. Today we can say to the world that we are not wrong. We always said that until it was proven scientifically with elements of truth that is credible for us, we would not believe the student steps. The office of mexican attorney general Jesus Murillo karam has disputed the findings as speculation and questioned the expertise of the argentine team. Meanwhile, an activist who organized protests over the students disappearance has been found murdered in the neighboring state of morelos. Labor and land rights activist Alejandro Salgado delgado was reportedly found with his head and hands cut off. Authorities have detained four suspects, but salgados supporters blame the State Government for targeting him over his activism. The president of east timor is set to choose a new Prime Minister this week following the resignation of former guerilla leader xanana gusmao. Gusmao helped win independence from indonesia and spent seven years in an indonesian prison before becoming east timors first president in 2002. He has been Prime Minister since 2007. The city of boston massachusetts, has shut down its Public Transit system amidst recordsetting snowfall across the new england region. Two feet of snow fell monday in parts of massachusetts, marking the states third major snowstorm in two weeks. Governor Charlie Baker says workers have removed enough snow to fill 90 football stadiums. Scientists, meanwhile, say the trend of increased snowfall and stronger storms is fueled by global warming. The Obama Administration has pledged 3. 2 million to help save the Monarch Butterfly which has seen its population plummet 90 . Research has tied the butterflys decline to the rise in industrial agriculture and genetically modified crops which destroy milkweed, the monarchs food source. Police in gastona, north carolina, shot and killed a 74yearold African American army veteran after his family asked the police to check on him. Relatives of James Howard Allen asked police to check on him because he had recently undergone heart surgery. Police first arrived at about 10 20 at night, but allen did not answer. They returned about an hour later with the Fire Department and forced his door open. Police say allen pointed a gun at officer josh lefevers, who then opened fire. Allen was reportedly hard of hearing. His sister mary battle told local news station wsoc her brother likely thought someone was breaking into his house in the middle of the night. I am so hurt that he had to die like this. Maybe the pleas were frightened. Maybe they were. I dont know. But he would not hurt a fly. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation by police and the state bureau of investigations. At guantanamo, a Pretrial Hearing for suspects accused of helping plot the 9 11 attacks was halted monday after prisoners recognized the courtroom interpreter from a cia black site. One prisoner said he couldnt trust the man as an interpreter because he worked with the cia. A second prisoner also recognized the interpreter, whom he accused of participating in his torture. In a statement, Amnesty International called the allegations deeply unsettling, adding the courtroom at Guantanamo Bay is piling further injustice on top of impunity for torture. And a group of 150 journalists academics and activists from ferguson and the peace movement, have arrived in havana as part of a delegation with the group codepink. The delegation plans meet with government officials and members of the cuban 5 who were recently released from u. S. Prison. They have called for congress to lift all travel restrictions and return guanatanamo bay to cuba. Codepink cofounder Medea Benjamin said cuba should also be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, where it stands alongside iran sudan and syria. We also think it is important that we work only go back to push the cuba be taken off the terrorist list. Theres a state Department Report that is supposed to come out in march that is supposed to advise president obama on whether cuba still belongs on that terrorist list. And we want to be ready for when that report comes out by putting out educational work in organizing and lobbying for cuba to be taken off the list. And those are some of the headlines this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with aaron mate. Welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. We begin in ukraine. As fighting continues in ukraine, president obama said the United States has not ruled out sending arms to the Ukrainian Military to fight russianbacked rebels. Obama made the comment during a joint press conference at the white house with german chancellor Angela Merkel. Now, it is true that if in fact diplomacy fails, what i have asked my team to do is to look at all options. What other means can we put in place to change mr. Putins calculus . And the possibility of lethal weapons is one of those being optioned. Ive not made a decision. I have consulted with not just angela but will be consulting with other allies about this issue. It is not based on the idea that ukraine could defeat a russian army that was determined, it is, rather, to see whether or not there are additional things we can do to help ukraine bolster its defenses in the face of separatist aggression. But i want to emphasize, a decision has not yet been made. German chancellor merkel reiterated her opposition to arming ukraine saying the conflict could not be resolved militarily. We continue to pursue a diplomatic solution, even though we have suffered a lot of setbacks. These days, we will see whether all sides are ready and willing to come to a negotiad settlement. Ive always said i dont see a military solution to this conflict, but we have to put all our efforts into bringing about a diplomatic solution. On wednesday, Angela Merkel will travel to the belarus capital of minsk for talks with the leaders of russia, ukraine and france in an attempt to end the crisis that has killed more killed thousands and displaced 1. 5 Million People over the past year. Sergei lavrov accused the west of helping to escalate the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Unfortunately, at every stage of development in the ukrainian crisis, our american colleagues in under the influence, the European Union as well, made steps leading to escalation of conflict. It is happen so when the European Union refused to discuss with russias participation the consequences of putting into effect and economic block the Association Agreement with ukraine. Then there was a direct support from the state through them before that, antigovernment protests. The same happen when our western partners again and again found excuses, instead of launching dialogue, started widespread military operations in called terrorists, their own citizens who did not agree with the regime change in the rise of ultranationalist. To talk more about whether the United States should arm the Ukrainian Military we are joined by two guests. Joining us from chicago is John Mearsheimer, professor of Political Science at the university of chicago, the author of, the tragedy of great power politics. His most recent piece ,dont arm ukraine, was published by the new york times. In washington, d. C. Is general charles wald, retired fourstar air force general and the formerdeputy commander of u. S. European command. Coauthor of a new report titled, preserving ukraines independence, resisting russian aggression what the United States and nato must do. It was published last week by the brookings institution, the Atlantic Council and the Chicago Council on global affairs. He now works as a Consulting Firm where he serves as vice chairman of the federal practice senior advisor, leader of deloittes department of defense practice. General wald, lets begin with you. With this report you put out these three major think tanks why you feel the u. S. Should arm the craning government . Thank you. The report talks about how we can get to an end state or at least move the ball down the court on the negotiations for a removal of the Russian Military from Eastern Ukraine and go back to minsk. I heard the discussions. I agree with a lot of what has been said, but i think the difference for us and others maybe john will talk to this, is that we dont believe just a single path in this case diplomacy without other consequences, will make a difference. Our belief is, number one, i think ukrainians have a right to defend themselves. Number two, we need to make sure that russia find some consequence to the fact they are attacking ukraine. Nobody in our ward police the military solution is the best instate or that ukraine can defeat russia, but we do believe ukrainians defend the right have the right to defend themselves and make it difficult for the russians to move forward. General, do believe all Diplomatic Options have been exhausted . People living in Eastern Ukraine, the ethnic russians who identify more with russia than ukraine and the west, would say they have the right to defend themselves against the west because their president was ousted a year ago. Do you believe their concerns are being sufficiently not addressed to the point where a diplomatic solution isnt possible at this point and one has to escalate the fighting as arming ukraine would suggest . Absolutely not. I believe, first of all, jan ago which left ukraine, not necessarily through force. It was through a diplomatic means. Number two the minsk agreement has agreed to ceasefire line that allows for lands in the eastern part to be an autonomous region. They are defending themselves, not initiating fighting. I think the argument made by russia is not correct. I think it class the issue. Professor, you say the u. S. Should not arm ukraine. Why . The basic game plan here is to drive the cost of for the russians. As the general said, there is no way we can create a situation with Ukrainian Military can defeat russia so we are going to try to significantly drive up the cost for Vladimir Putin and we are assuming he will then throw his hands up and quit. That we will be up to get him to do what we want him to do. That is not going to happen for one simple