states government made the correct decision and declared what is happening in iraq and syria as genocide. i was proud to support him for the position he now serves with such distinction and i'm proud to call him friend. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the u.s. ambassador for international religious freedom, the honorable david saperstein. [ applause ] >> well, it's an honor to hold this position, tom, and it's an honor to be here to address this distinguished group of leaders. i will say in the entire works, since i have been part of it since the beginning, the three constants in all of my work have been tom farr, frank wolf and chris smith. two of them are here today. and they're both great heroes in the cause for religious freedom. thank you for what you do. and i want to thank the religious freedom project at the berkeley center for cosponsoring this meeting today in part of our ongoing and productive partnership with your, tom, and with rfp. the project does serious work and today we're talking about the most serious of topics. so your excellencies, your graces, fellow ambassado

isis is just one of the most violence. you mentioned causes like the u.s. invasion of iraq, the failure of the arab states, the fraying of state institutions, the economic collapse of arab states and you also mentioned something i think is very interesting and that is how isis is able to provide services for sunni populations in the same way the muslim brotherhood did in egypt. i was wondering if he could d dwelve into the the topic of prioritizing these factors. what would you say is the most compelling? if you can walk us through how you would rank different conditions and factors that led to the rise of isis. >> guest: thank you for hosting me. i am delighted. first of all there is nothing mysterious about the rise of isis. we know its drivers, we know the mote important factors behind the surge, we know its world view, ideology, motivation, recruitment techniques. we also know, i think it has strengths and weaknesses. the starting point about isis is if isis is a different name for al-qaeda in iraq. two sides of the same coin. it is a result of the invasion of iraq. if you asked me

violent that has evolved. you mentioned some, the u.s. invasion of iraq for sample and the arab states particularly after the arab uprising, the economic collapse of arab states and you also mentioned something that i think is very interesting , is how isis is able to provide services for sunni populations in the same way that the muslim brotherhood did in egypt so i was wondering just if we could tell them to the first chapters or you can explain to the audience how would you prioritize these factors? what would you say is the most compelling factor factor as opposed to other ones that i have just listed that you can sort of walk us through how you would rank these different conditions that led to the rise of isis? >> guest: thank you for hosting me. i am delighted. we know its drivers, we know the most important factors behind its spectacular surge. we know his worldview, its ideology. its recruitment techniques and we also know i think it's strengths and weaknesses. isis is a different name, two sides of the same coin. al qaeda and iraq was formed as a result of the u.s. led invasio

native tongue] >> translator: it's all about changing the laws and regulation in iraq and bringing in decision about the court. [speaking in native tongue] >> translator: we have answered this point before. >> it's interesting to note there's also know -- at the domestic level, both in iraq and in the kurdish reek regional government no laws that allow prosecution of cases for crimes against humanity. you talk about domestic laws needed or legislation needed, that's one gap. maybe then we'll open it up to questions from the audience. before that i want to talk just about the genode designation, the announcement by the united states, you said that it was welcomed but isn't enough. i'm just curious, that seems to be a sentiment that all of you have expressed. in terms of on the ground from the human tear assistance prefer i perspective is -- humanitarian assistance, is the level of assistance going duke, staying the same, increasing in a real sense? >> we were very happy for what happened, for this declaration, but you know, it's not enough that these declaration remain at ink on the pa

people who stayed in terms of the community wanted to stay in iraq. they had so many family members over the last decade please. just give them each of your three comments about that challenge as though their spew opportunities for people to leave the region if they can't do. some are concerned about whether or not they will be ending their community, if you could speak to those kinds of challenges. first with bishop royal. >> well, naomi, the thing is when they do try to do as an expression of keeping our ties to the homeland is that last year when we elected and enthroned our patriarch, after the span of 83 years coming to patriarch feedback to iraq. for us that was a significant event, not merely as a religious occasion, but it was a sign of trying to give hope to our faithful coming to our fellow christians in the minorities that are suffering dead even at the direction is to go the opposite way, the church is going back. we realize that there are struggles than we realize there is a lot of need and things that our people will be facing. but still, it is necessary. our people ar

arab spring, certainly a huge influence was the american invasion of iraq in 2003. that represented a scrambling of the chessboard. time, in goodst ways as bad, i think the american invasion of iraq, it brought what was possible to the region. totalitarian regimes collapsed, and what would take their place? charlie: we still don't know the answer to that question, do we? scott: we are starting to know, but it is not good. charlie: let's take libya. we have a lot of tribes there a government is trying to support, but is not sure. -- it is not sure. do for stability? we are engaged with the battle against isis in libya. scott: libya is a great example of what happened. libya is one of the so-called artificial states. it was created along with iraq and syria. charlie: when we say who created them, clearly it was the brits. and the french. scott: in libya's case, the italians. so you join together with these ottomanst under the had largely very little to do with one another. they joined together these artificial states, and for a long time, at the end of world war ii, things kind of went

born in baghdad. i was very young, visited iraq a couple times and plan to be there again shortly. i'm up here because i am representing someone who wasn't allowed to leave the country to be here. if you see me reading my answers i want them to be his answers and i am his voice. syrians have no right and are not in any position to dictate to the syrians living in the homeland as to what they should be doing or not doing. and we tried to work with the crisis on a humanitarian perspective, with the focus, that focus has been shifted. and refugees and turning back to the focus of education and infrastructure in the homeland. >> actually in the foundation. >> speak slower. >> actually, in that sector, the foundation is and iraq basis in iraq, including america and uk and other countries, trying to increase the offering of turk money in iraq and outside iraq to the facility. we are working in media work, depending on simple facilities, many agencies rather than official media attending international efficiency to increase the suffering of our people because suffering, with the century.

. zarqawi made it clear we could lose in iraq. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> my fellow citizens, at this hour, american and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger. >> every politician wants us to go crush an army. they give us their flag, and we can all go home and everybody is wonderful, like a world war ii victory. that ain't going to happen. ♪ >> in the battle of iraq, the united states and our allies have prevailed. >> the united states and allies invaded iraq in the spring of 2003, and there was a set of assumptions that proved to be wrong. one, that we would be accepted as liberators, and, two, that there would be the ability to turn the keys over to a follow-on government after saddam hussein was thrown out of office. >> we got him. >> saddam being captured, all of a sudden you had all this like sense of relief. okay. maybe you have these top ten guys, the army is going to capitulate. they'll give you their banners and we can all go home. forget it. >> that strategy was a failed strategy and w

president, no question, whether it is the misguided invasion of iraq, the torture tactics, the fumbled response to katrina, there is much to be critical about. he places responsibility for the administration's failures firmly on the former president. notwithstanding the influence wielded by such major figures as cheney and donald rumsfeld. a review in the new yorker said his book doesn't feel like a hatchet job. in the words of the new york times, quote, a comprehensive and compelling narrative. usa today said gene rights with a sense of history. speaking of how gene rights, the most interesting tidbit i heard from the acknowledgments in "bush" the book is he still composes in longhand on yellow legal pads. he then has someone type up what he has written. when you consider a finished book totals 800 pages in print, that is a lot of legal pad. please join me in welcoming jean edward smith. [applause] >> thank you very much. this is my third biography at politics and prose. earlier i did fdr and eisenhower. always a pleasure for me to return to washington, where i was born 83 years ago,

spring but certainly huge influence was the american invasion of iraq in 2003. that represented a scrambling to have the chess board. hussein khairan wasaddam husseir almost as long as gadhafi. the american invasion in iraq brought about what was possible in the region. could the regimes pass and what would take their place. >> rose: we conclude with a conversation about virtual reality in jeremy bailenson's stanford virtual human interaction lab. >> people will be able to do anything you can fathom, experience something wonderful, horrible at the touch of a button and the brain is going to treat that as if it were a real experience. in other words, humans have been around for a very long time. we have not yet evolved, the brain hasn't, to really understand the difference between a compelling virtual reality experience and an actual one. >> rose: and how is it we can do this? >> from a technological standpoint, we've likely seen a tipple point in the last year or two years so for the first time ever we've had a very large industry pouring in billions of dollars with hundreds and h

to leave a residual force in iraq he chose not to do that and because of that, a vacuum was create and isis filled that vacuum. the problem with that -- and don we've been pointing this out throughout the day is back in march of 2007 and 2008, donald trump told other news organizations the united states should just declare victory and get out of iraq. he was not advocating leaving a small residual force at that time and so basically what he's saying is not only false, but it raises the criticism that he's not really being honest with what he did back in 2007 and 2008. here's how he put it at this rally in kissimmee, florida. >> barack obama is the found founder -- hey, if he would have -- folks, we should have never been in iraq. we were going to destabilize the middle east. i said it, i was a civilian, nobody cares. i was a civilian. nobody cares. we should have never been in, we should have understood it, they made a mistake. we should have never ended it the way we ended it. by ending at this time way he ended it -- and he got everybody out and he let them know when and we're le

is commended donald trump's ongoing feud with the parents of the fallen soldier killed in iraq in 2004. following the appearance of the democratic national convention. meanwhile, primary challenger when further card for discussion on whether the united states should support all muslims. an idea that drew swift rebuke from other republicans. now we're going to listen to a few moments of the interview when speaker paul ryan spoke to inry baker on wt hq radio green bay, wisconsin. >> obviously i'm going to start .ith the presidential candidate the milwaukee journal sentinel yesterday in an editorial said that you should renounce your support for donald trump. i will be candid, here's what i said yesterday. i've a far less eloquent, i said even have to [indiscernible] i'm a wisconsin point. -- boy. here's what i meant, you have endorsed mr. trump but you constantly have to repudiate him and i just don't see you on that tight rope from here to november. either have to support him and justyour lip or recognized about every week you will say something that you cannot just criticize but h

. suggest i think it is a safe part of iraq. >> if i can follow up on her comments. actually i didn't say that about iraq so some of her that that's not what i said. i think iraqis take will persist and i think, rather the internal borders will shift. and i think, i don't want to get into kurdistan independence in the medium or long-term the kurdistan regional government exists, and about exists in disputed territories exist. in terms of what i did say was yazidis and other minorities do want increased autonomy. i'm not sure what form that's going to take yet and i do think it should be acknowledged, and i think that we don't know whether it's going to be under baghdad or irbil. will they be a problem with sinjar again? we don't know yet. i would also say in terms of this minority region, it has to be negotiated with arab, sunni, shia, kurdish neighbors. we don't have any sort of backlash, exceptionalism, segregation. i would say that in response. it will happen but the borders, how they will ship in early is yet to be seen. people should pay a lot of attention to. u.s. policymakers. so i

. the president says we're making progress in the war on terror. but when isis invaded iraq our government was byline sided. maybe because the intelligence cuz disstorted to make it look as if isis was weaker than it analysts claim their reports were manipulated and last year we exposed evidence of doctored intelligence in the war on terror months before the national immediate wra ran with it. the inspector general is investigating that. today a congressional task force concluded that higher ups did distort the andests findings. if that's the caseworks it could put some mixed signals out of washington in context. let's go back to the contra dekss a couple of years ago in >> our objective is clear. i don't want to put the cart before the horse. the strategy we laid out. we don't have a strategy yet. >> in syria the strategy had been to take out ooh dictator who gassed his own people. >> that's a red line for us. >> to recap. obama set a red line he said he didn't set and then sought permission from congress he said he didn't need because we have to act now or some time later. >>

the ground in syria and iraq isil continues to lose territory. tragically, we have also seen isil still has the ability to direct and inspire attacks. so we've seen terrible bombings in iraq and in jordan, lebanon, attacks on an isstall bull airport, a restaurants in benghazi la deficient, bastille day celebrations and music physical in germany. the decline of isil in syria and iraq appears to be causing it to shift to tactics that we've seen before. even greater emphasize on encouraging high profile terrorist attacks including in the united states. as always, our military diplomatic intelligenc professionals are working around the clock with other countries, and with communities here at home, to share information and prevent such attacks. over the years they've prevented many. but as we've seen, it's still very difficult to detect and prevent lone actors or small cells of terrorists who are determined to kill the innocent and willing to die. that's why as we discussed today we're going to keep going after isil aggressively across every our air campaign continues to hammer isil ta

and iraq and into libya. >> the isis flag supplying over libya. they are now targets in the u.s. lead air campaign. they carry out the first striems strikes. forces on the ground. >> we have seen their numbers reduced in libya, and we think this precision air strike capability this unique capability we can provide to their ongoing efforts can make a different in this campaign. >> the u.s. extending their anti-isis campaign. the u.s. officials say they have now lost 40% of their territory in areas they claim as their caliphate and more than 26,000 fighters since the campaign began. strikes against oil facilities and cash depots have cut their funding by half. still they hold mosul and an offensive to take the city has been delayed repeatedly. >> all eyes are focused on mosul right now. it would be a significant physical loss but the loss of prestige would be a big hit when mosul does fall. >> as they lose ground on the battlefield, it is spreading. influence and terror capability virtually across the globe. isis is now present in some 17 countries from the core bases in iraq syri

to be relentless in our fight against isil. on the ground in syria and iraq, isil continues to lose advertorial. tragically however, we have seen that isil still has the ability to direct and inspire terrible attacks. we have seen terrible bombings in iraq, jordan, lebanon, saudi arabia, yemen, afghanistan, istanbul airport, a restaurant in bangladesh. bastille day celebrations in a church in france, and the musical festival in germany. in fact, the decline of isil in syria and iraq appears to be causing them to shift to tactics we have seen before in encouraging high-profile terrorist attacks. as always, our military, diplomatic, intelligence, homeland security, law enforcement professionals are working around the clock with other countries and with communities here at home to share information and prevent such attacks. over the years, they have prevented many, but it is still very difficult to detect and prevent lone actors or small cells who are determined to kill the innocent and willing to die. that is why we will keep going after isil aggressively over every front of this camp

critical of our 43rd president, no question whether it's been miss guided invasion of iraq or torture tactics, the fumbled response to katrina, there, there is much to be critical about. he places responsibility for the administration's resonating failure firmly on the former president, notwithstanding the influence that also. [inaudible] but as a reviewer in the new yorker said his book doesn't feel like a hatchet job. it's in the word of the new york times, a comprehensive and compelling narrative and they said life with a sense of history. one of the most interesting tidbits i learned about him from the acknowledgment in bush the book, he still composes in longhand on yellow legal pad. he then has someone type up what he would written. when you consider this book is almost 800 pages and print, that's a lot of legal pads. please join me in welcoming jean davis smith. [applause] >> thank you very much. this is my introduction of the third viagra fee here up politics and prose. earlier i did fdr and it's always a pleasure for me to return to washington where i was born 833 years ago a

pretty difficult circumstances in iraq. it's a story about torture but about much more than that as well. can you maybe just start off by telling me a little bit about what the story really is about and why you decided to write this book? >> guest: the question about why is an interesting one and i think there's a part of me that still wishes i hadn't, written the book that i wish i could put away and it's a story i wish i didn't have to tell that there was an obligation. i started writing about my experience in 1997 with the washington post op-ed, i've been at this for nearly 10 years. some of the same commonalities i've learned about the army about integrity which motivated me to share that experience and i recognized in the op-ed of 800 words there's simply so much to be said so the application to continue to write and lead to more op-ed's and longer format and eventually the creation of the book. >> host: the op-ed in the washington post gives a flavor for more of that and how that fit into the format. >> guest: i had gone to iraq twice, the second time was 2005 so i've been out

is precisely what religious freedom is, and for my money this is what we need in iraq and syria. so let us, applause for this panel. thank you very much. >> tonight on q&a -- >> on saturday see spent issues spotlight looks at police and race relations. we will show president obama at the memorial service for five police officers shot and killed in dallas. >> win of the bullets started flying, the men and women of the dallas police, they did not flinch, and they did not react recklessly spent southcom and republican senator tim scott giving a speech on the senate floor about his own interactions with police. >> but the vastly good after i done i was pulled over for nothing more than driving a new car in the wrong neighborhood, or some other reason just as trivial. >> our program includes one family's story about an encounter with police in washington, d.c. followed by japan with the cities police chief. >> most people get defensive if they feel like you're being offensive. so being very respectful in encounters and request if it's not a crisis, if it's a dangerous situation request.

. the pan arab alhurra channel and the alhurra iraq channel. we also have eight radio sawa programming streams. three websites. and numerous social media platforms. >> host: why a separate alhurra and alhurra iraq? >> guest: when alhurra was created, launched back in 2004, we were on the tail end of the iraq war and there was a bereave factor. we needed iraq focused information and there was a need to broadcast local news about iraq while the rest of the middle east was sort of by the pan arab channel. >> host: how big is mbn? budget? employees? >> guest: mbn is about 600 employees over here in the u.s. we have correspondent said -- correspondents all over middle east and a budget of $10 million to support all of the different activities. we have maintained the staffing level but done some internal reallocation to accommodate and adapt to some of the changes that have occurred in communications in the middle east particularly in the area of digital media. >> host: what kind of technology do you use? >> guest: well, we have an hd channel. we have some standard definitions ch

war in iraq and afghanistan. and then a discussion, with authors and after that, mark on his book, 1941, fighting the shadow war, later a conversation on the involve meant of the middle east. ♪ ♪ >> washington journal live everyday with news and policy issues. coming up thursday morning, natural resources editor will join us to discuss the 1900th anniversary of the park service. and the series. an interview with mike reynolds, for the national park service. he'll talk about the national park service, and the supportive cast, from the government and public. michael, washington post investigative reporter, and mark fisher for the post, will discuss their biography, trump revealed. it is the light of the republican nominee. it was published this week. be sure to watch the journal. 7 eastern thursday morning. >> now a former state department official talks about u.s. foreign policy since the nine 11 attacks. he spoke at politics and prose bookstore in washington. >> we're very pleased to have call weston. he joined the state department shortly after the september 11th attacks and

. invasion of iraq. we'll all take your facebook comments and tweets. host: good morning, wednesday august 17, 2016. three-hour program today on "the washington journal" that will include our weekly segment, on magazine as well as a look at libertarian millennial and minority issues in campaign 2016. but we begin with the focus on issue of veterans unemployment. the most recent job numbers saw a half point jump in the for veterans ate with post 9/11 iraq and the nistan veterans seeing largest jobless rate increase from june to july. that news came despite the jobs report for the economy overall. now veterans groups are moving number are a signal of a new upward trend in veterans unemployment. we're turningind, our first 45 minutes today over to the issue of veterans unemployment. we want to hear your stories about military veterans a job.ng for or finding we'll put up our phone lines a little differently today. veterans fghanistan the number is 202-748-8000. other veterans 202-748-8001. and military families 202-748-8002. and a special line for employers. 202-748-8003. on can all ca

iraq and syria. concedesica's anc defeat in its worst electoral showing since the end of apartheid. the opposition democratic alliance picks up the vote. molly: it has been seven years in the making, and now in just a few hours' time, rio de janeiro will officially open the 31st summer olympics. organizers are hoping to put on a big show, one that would help forget about the issues running up to the games, the poor economy, the zika outbreak, as well as political instability. there is still excitement that is running incredibly high there. this is the only big torch. extending a tour of the city to the rhythm of some bus schools. locals in rio de janeiro are getting into the swing of things. close to the stadium for the on the big ceremony. i parade every year, but this was a surprise for me, and it was very exciting, a feeling i will hold on to for the rest of my life. rio'sh above the city, most recognizable symbol became just a little more brazilian. >> illuminated with open arms, ready to receive all in rio de janeiro, which transforms today in a major world capital, the capita

9/11 attacks. kael weston's book is "the mirror test america at war in iraq and afghanistan." he spoke at politics and prose bookstore in washington. >> well, we are very pleased to have with us this evening kael weston, a diplomat who joined the state department shortly after the september 11 attacks and initially was involved in u.s. efforts at the security council to freeze and block assets linked to al qaeda. but after the invasion of iraq in 2003, he ended up in baghdad among the first american diplomats sent to the iraqi capital. either in iraq or afghanistan advising u.s. forces and working with them, local authorities and others. there's a medal for heroism that wasn't common not only for the amount of time he was posted in iraq and afghanistan, but also for the rage of his contacts and the depth of his involvement with american troops and local civilians. his new book the mirror test recount his personal journey and provides a close-up for any emotional portrait of the war that america has been engaged in now for well over a decade. he's very critical of america's failur

to be dealing with for a long time. >> you have an extraordinary history in iraq, you know iraq better than just about anybody else or certainly as anybody else who is at your level of the military serving there so hon honorab honorably. i want to ask about what donald trump has proposed. he basically said one of the big things that led to isis was their control of oil. he all along, he reiterated it today, was saying to the victor should go the spoils or in the olden days that's what they said. he said we should take iraq's oil. we should have the oil. early on in an interview with me, he said send in u.s. troops, surround iraq oil fields, surround the oil fields, get u.s. companies in to take the oil. does that make sense to you as somebody who served in iraq? is that actually something to take a sovereign nation's oil? >> well, we clearly made a big mistake departing iraq in 2011. i don't think your listeners understand but we are looking at about, i'm not sure of the exact numbers, but in some recent assessments this year, 2016, they were making around $1.5 million a difficu

interrogator and abu ghraib in iraq. this interview is by raha wala. this is about an hour. >> host: thanks for joining us to talk about your book. it is a war story about you as an interrogator engaged in circumstances in iraq, a story about torture, and much more than that. can you start off by telling me a little about what the story really is about and why you decided to write this book. >> there is a part of me that still wishes i hadn't, i wish i could put it away, a story i don't have to do. i started writing about my experience in iraq with the washington post, nearly 10 years, the same things i learned in the army about honesty and integrity motive the to share the experience and i recognized in an op-ed, 700 or 800 words, the obligation to continue to write led to more op-eds and multiform essays and the creation of the book. >> a flavor for what the theme was and how that fit into this. >> i had gone to iraq twice, government service for over a year and the narrative about what had gone on in iraq and other places didn't match up with what i had seen and done. i recognize

, three websites and numerous social media platforms. >> why a separate alhurra and alhurra iraq? >> when alhurra created, launched back in 2004 there was a tail end of the iraq war. there was belief we needed to focus iraq's centrist information. there was a need to broadcast local news about iraq while the rest of the middle east was served by the pan-arab channel. >> how big is mbn? budget, employees, bureau? >> mbn is about 600 employees, both here in the u.s. we have correspondents all over the middle east and some in europe too. we have a budget of about 110 million that is held relatively constant in recent years to support all the different activities. we have maintained the staffing level but we've done some internal reallocation to accommodate and adapt to some of the changes that have occurred in communications in the middle east, particularly in the area of digital media. >> what kind of technology do you use? >> well, we have a hd channel. we have some, some standard definition channels but we use satellite delivery which of benefit to us because we're on the most po

states. iraq was experiencing a reduction in violence. the group that would become what we now call isis was close to being extinguished. iran was being choked off by economic sanctions. fast forward to today. what we have, and think of this, and the decisions made by the obama/clinton group, have been absolutely disastrous. libya is in rules. our ambassador and three other brave americans are dead and isis has gained a new base of operations. syria is in the midst of a disastrous civil war. isis controls large portions of territory. a refugee crisis now threatens europe and the united states. in egypt, terrorists have gained a foothold in the sinai desert near the canal, iraq is in chaos, and isis is on the loose. isis has spread across the middle east and into the west. in 2014, isis was operating in seven nations. they were in seven nations. terrible, but that's what it was. today they're fully operational in 18 countries with aspiring branches in six more for a total of 24 and many believe that number is actually 28 to 30 countries. they don't even know. the situation is likely

c.i.a. director david petraeus, talking about the dangers of iraq on day one. >> reporter: what concerns you the most about iraq right now? >> iraqi politics. we'll defeat the islamic state. that's going to happen. it's just a question of how long it takes. but it's aky have to become more inclusive if you cement the gains on the battle field. >> reporter: when the next president takes office, what's the best-case scenario he or she will face in iraq? >> the best-case scenario would be one in which the islamic state has been defeated on the battlefield, and its terrorist cells have been reduced dramatically, and even the residual grill as and insurgents are on the run. then most importantly, that sufficiently inclusive so that the sunni arabs of iraq once again feel a stake in the success of the new iraq, rather than in its failure. >> reporter: what's the worst-case scenario for the u.s.? >> the worst-case scenario for the u.s. is if the situation goes seriously south for some reason and all of a sudden, we find ourselves having to really augment our forces and perhaps even get

countries, iraq, syria, libya, farther away. it seem what is mr. trump will outline is how to keep terror out of the u.s. stark difference, yes? >> no. you see, isis is already in the u.s. and what the vice president has failed to mention is the ideology and that's what's been missing for the past seven years. what trump says doesn't create the ideology of islamic terror. islamic terror has a very long history and it's been existing for 14 centuries nearly. you can talk about isis being beaten on the battlefield but they're growing like wildfire. it's a metastasizing cancer. if they're destroyed like al qaeda before them there will be another group to come along unless the attack is taken to the ideology. that's what's been going on under the obama administration and hillary clinton would be a continuation of that. i think you'ller that clearly from donald trump in his speech shortly. >> when you say isis is in the united states, i think immediately of the isis-inspired attack in san bernardino, california. can you give me other examples? >> you don't have to carry a card. there's

they had to move it and they point back to the bush administration that had to move money into iraq to support the early government in iraq. and did so in cash. however, the congress notification part is a big deal. and the timing of this, with the hostage release, obviously looks like it was a quid pro quo. >> many people saying it is suspect. they had reached a deal in january for this $1.7 billion that the iranians said they were owed as a result of an agreement made back in 1979. one of the complaints from one reporter there at the "wall street journal" that broke the story was that there had never been any kind of payment system developed or any kind of payment schedule developed, and so the was just this sort of 1.7 billion hanging out there. nobody knew how or when that money would be paid and those questions still exist. >> that's true. the most interesting part about this particular payment was that at the early part, when this deal was announces -- they talked about the $1.7 billion -- there were a lot of quotes from both anonymous officials and people at state saying, there'

, soundly defeated, on the battle fields in iraq and syria, they still have expanded their areas of operation around the world. and of course there's the isis inspired attacks that we've seen crop up in both europe and the united states for that matter. so while there can be some small victories claim, isis still remains a serious and growing threat and perhaps we will hear from the president today about what the game plan is moving forward. >>. >>> we don't know how much it is worth that president will speak for approximately 10 minutes, that will take some questions from the press corps which of course is made up day by day by those who cover the pentagon considered really the most specific beat in washington. supplemented by those who usually cover the white house for today's event. hans nichol standing by for white house cover he the white house for us. hans, i'm looking at this list. you forget the firepower that attends national security council meeting on a normal day. president, vice president, secretary of state, defense treasury, attorney general, homeland security, cia, n

and hillary clinton was she was for the war and in iraq and she was against it. then there was racial justice, economic movement, gay and lesbian, all these different movements together. they accomplished something historic, first african-american president this country has ever known which is absolutely astounding with a country with a legacy of slavery but when it came to the issues of these different movements, ending war, dealing with climate change, dealing with inequality, people i think at that point felt they accomplished something so momentous they were either exhausted or didn't want to contribute to the racist backlash like the birther movement, something that donald trump was one of the leaders of but the suggestion that o, president obama, look at what he looks like he couldn't come from here and it's so ridiculous but not just ridiculous, it was racist and people didn't want to contribute to that backlash so i think there was a fear of criticism but one of his first promises was to admits, a recruiting tool or groups like the self-proclaimed islamic state and othe

. invasion of iraq in 2003. we'll speak with journalist scott anderson, author of "fractured lands: how the arab world came apart." his story takes up the entire print edition of the "new york times magazine." but first, -- we will speak with pulitzer prize winning reporter james grimaldi of the "wall street journal," who has covered the clinton foundation for years. all that and more, coming up. welcome to democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. a series of bomb blasts in thailand have hit three of the country's most popular tourist resorts killing four people and wounding dozens. there were at least 11 explosions in total. no group has claimed responsibility. the blasts comes days after the country voted to accept a military-backed charter in a referendum. human rights watch warned that thailand is moving toward become a military dictatorship. brad adams, the group's asia director said -- "instead of the long-promised return to democratic civilian rule, the w constitution facilitateunaccountabl military power and a deepening dictatorship." in

minorities in iraq and series you. what we are learning from the conversations we've already had the rich conversations that are promised in the rest of the afternoon here will be vital to our deliberations tomorrow. we are deeply appreciative. i have to say, tom, where is tom? i have to say, tom, that you folks give great conferences. this really has been one of the most fascinating, rich, and fruitful conversations that i've been part of it i really want to thank you for the extraordinary effort that you have done. state department special advisor for religious minorities in the near east and south central asia, our effort is in partnership with france, spain and jordan as a follow-up to the french led initiative by former foreign minister lorraine fabius. to be clear, why we are deep concern to all who have suffered under daesh's reign of terror, at the same time as this conference represents, we recognize a particular existential threat that daesh presents to minority communities. we have seen such forces at work in iraq, the yazidi christian and some of the shia communities

successes the united states have had against isis seizing territory from syria and iraq. there is this troubling concern isis is operating in 18 countries around the world compared to seven when this americans want to know is everything being done to win this war now? >> let me go to chuck todd. there's been a lot of attention to this cash payment made to iran simultaneous with the release of american prisoners. will the president try to pour water on that? >> i think he'll try to explain it wasn't connected. it looked like there was some connection. this is going to be a legacy of the president when it comes he is leaving the next president military operations that will be active now in libya, syria, iraq, afghanistan, and it's a debate the presidential candidates haven't engaged in. perhaps after today, they will. >> we know he stepped into this campaign in a large way starting with the convention in philadelphia and remarks a few days ago. this could be another opportunity at a time donald trump is vulnerable. calling him unfit to be commander in chief. i wouldn't be surprised if be

-- i took a trip to northern iraq with our president who founded our organization. the team went with the aim of reporting on the plight of iraqi christians. we had a number of christians and yassidis in my office. thousands of them were forcibly displaced on the islamic state's murderous march across iraq. it was marked by the swift and unanticipated rise of isis. tikrit ter of days, fell. unspeakable brutality followed. a caliphate was declared. christians were told to leave and if they stayed, to convert, pay, or die. men were killed and women and children were bought, sold, raped, and tortured. religious freedom suffered a devastating blow. the people told me of a number of girls who had been assaulted by americans fighting for isis. a young girl came into my office and said the person who had bought her was an american citizen. he used to show her pictures of his wife and children back in he states. the august heat when they were forced from their homes changed to the winter cold. christmas was not celebrated in ancient churches and monasteries and convents as it had been fo

. >> i know what you meant -- >> no the way he got out of iraq that was the founding of isis. >> the g.o.p. nominee called for the u.s. to get out of iraq in a 2007 interview with wolf blitzer. >> you know how they get out? get out. declare victory and leave. >> hillary clinton reviewed the charge saying barack obama is not the founder of isis. someone willing to sink so low, so often, should never be allowed to serve to our country. >>> trump made those comments with disgraced excongressman mark foley right behind him. he resigned in six amid a scandal where he sent inappropriate messages to under age boys. >> how many people know me when you get the seats, you know the campaign. >> the trump campaign did not respond to foley being in attendance. this as reince prebus has expressed concerns about the direction of his campaign. trump insisted this morning he didn't have plans to change his approach. >> i just keep doing the same thing i'm doing right now and at the end it will work or i'm going to you know i'm going to have a very very nice long vacation. >> trump may be trailing in

evidence of that crisis more powerful or more troubling to the conscience of the world than in iraq and syria. in march, 2016, us house of representatives, later the u.s. senate and secretary john kerry declared that the islamic state is committing genocide against christians, easy ease, muslims and other religious and ethnic minorities. unfortunately, months later isis and other violent extremist groups continue to target and terrorize their victims through torture, rape, enslavement, murder, forced immigration. they also continue to engage in a systematic campaign of looting and destroying religious and cultural sites including houses of worship. today, you will hear from representatives of the target communities. they will share their personal experiences of religious persecution and the liquidations for us policymakers and western policymakers in general. among the questions they will engage include the following: what are the immediate security challenges posed by isis to the region? to the west, and to the united states. what can we do now to ensure the viability in the future of