iraq claims victory against the terror group. this comes after more than three years of combat during which iraqi forces worked to drive the militants out of land they once controlled. the nation's prime minister announcing the accomplishments at a conference in baghdad. >> wewe have achieved great victories against daesh today. i would like today to announce the good news to all iraqis, during the last hours our forces have completed deliberation of island and are in full control to have syrian forces. >> joining me now republican congressman of michigan who is also a retired three-star general, thank you very much u. this is incredible news coming out of iraq. >> well, it is incredible news because it shows that coalition forces working together and not quitting and understanding how training and the war to fight can make the difference and they are largely led by their own people with a lot of support and historical training in the last ten plus years from american forces. julie: you remember president obama had made mission to pull troops out of iraq and went back and forth and th

former winner. new reason for christians from iraq to embrace a christmas season this season. and the president vowed to make christmas great again. the results are in. whether or not he succeeded. >> ♪ >> ♪ >> shannon: ohio governor john kasich signed into law to ban abortions after a diagnosis of downs syndrome. ohio right to life say it's a victory. pro-choice say it's a blow to women's right to abortion. winners from the miss american pga tour. -- pageant with a shake-up. >> they suspended their ceo after emails became public emails filled with vulgar comments about the winners. he said they were edited. the miss america board of directors said they are conducting an in depth investigation into the alleged inappropriate communication and the nature in which the emails were obtained. a number were said to be from 2013 to 2015 between haskell and pageant board members and writers. one email said he needs to have a blood test because we lost count of the number of men she slept with at 25. other said the former miss america should be referred to as a vulgar word. he said perfect.

positive evidence we may be getting closer than ever. isis lost 98% of its territory in iraq and syria. according to the chief spokesman for operation inherrent resolve. there are still major hurdles but this is encouraging news. my question for you, you knew you would get this first. >> i could sense it. >> so, look, to ask the trump white house, they would say that the obama administration was not tough enough. didn't take enough steps. we heard complaints about the rules of engagement. how much was a choice and how much was an error in judgment? >> some of that is just politics. the strategy that led to a virtual defeat of isis in syria and iraq is largely a strategy that was laid out during the obama administration by military commanders. president trump allowed the military to use more bombs. that helped. for me the bigger question is: what is the strategy going forward? there are tens of thousands of isis fighters who will go back to europe and go on line and radicalalize people like we have seen here in the u.s. this is a good step, but the fight will continue in a different and

inside afghanistan. just as we saw the strength of isis fading in places like iraq and syria, it's coming back here, even more so than the taliban outfit that the u.s. and allies have been tangling with for many years now. one expert said they don't care if they kill muslims. the death and the carnage and the destruction that we saw in kabul showed that. the u.s. embassy putting a stand out there calling the attack horrific, pledging to continue support. in fact, rick, the trump administration has been doubling down on the war in afghanistan. their air strikes, air force operations zeroing in on the isis foe there along with the taliban. >> we're learning more about the dramatic fight against isis in iraq. >> exactly. there's a bill to pay even in places where the isis group is not active any longer and is basically defeated in iraq and syria, specifically in iraq. we heard a new figure coming out of the baghdad government there. they're saying it's going to take $100 billion to fix up the cities, the towns that have been occupied, fought over and destroyed by isis in the north and the we

taylor force, 20-year-old west point grad who served in afghanistan and iraq, taylor was stabbed to death by palestinian terrorist last year as he walked in tel aviv with friends from university, the legislation named for him calls for cutting off any u.s. funding for the palestinian authority that goes to support the families of the terrorists and even the money that goes to convicted terrorists themselves, taylor's parents told us this year that the money flow must end. >> it's so important that the taylor force act passes so that other sons and daughters, brothers and sisters aren't lost in this way no matter what. >> with us now new york republican who met with taylor's parents just a few days ago and is the main sponsor of the house bill, welcome to the studio, this story and the plight of taylor is heartbreaking and this bill sends such a message. >> well, u.s. taxpayers does not want to see our money being used -- going to palestinian authority and using, used by the palestinian authority to financially reward terrorism. the palestinian authority, they financially reward terr

bombing in the '80s, but apparently were involved in funneling weapons to the-- to folks in iraq that caused hundreds of american servicemen to be killed in iraq. it was started back in 2001. and that is the government investigation into hezbollah when a bust was made in north carolina, a bunch smuggling money to hezbollah. a lot of those people are in jail now. >> yeah, and over the course of time, that this has added up to about a half billion dollars of drug smuggling. selling drugs in america and bringing back a half billion dollars. let's not forget that hezbollah is the terrorist arm of this iranian regime. i mean, there's no kidding about that. and i agree with gowdy that, you know, obama's quest for a legacy was overrode, either overrode common sense or it was pretty nasty. david: it wasn't only drugs. there were a lot of guns and weaponry that were funneled around and some of the explosives, led to the deaths of americans in iraq. >> in the larger picture, david, i think it's irrelevant whether the mainstream media covers this, with social media you don't need to read them or

them veterans of the campaign in iraq and afghanistan learning to fight a very different kind of war. >> the goal is to be able to teach the skills to survive in a jungle environment. >> no one at the 25th infantry division academy is the jungle training school is called will talk about policies. they won't name the threat that they all know what might be coming. and as every vietnam vet knows the jungle itself is not an easy enemy to conquer. the only way to do it is on foot foot. >> the loud rumble of armored humvees the most familiar sound of the desert and urban wars here are soldiers moving in total silence but for the soft thud of their routes on the ground. >> is so restrictive. after two tours in iraq into a nap in the stand the jungle is a whole new challenge for first sergeant george batali. >> in iraq i can move five or six kilometers an hour and hear i may be moving 500 meters. it's just very restrictive. >> a new experience after three tours enact -- afghanistan one in iraq. >> it's completely different than fighting over there. these soldiers spend three weeks livin

with even with its heavy losses in iraq and syria. >> rick: greg palkot is tracking the story. what more do we know about the attack? >> we know it is another nasty incident in afghanistan and once again isis there is claiming responsibility. a shiite muslim cultural center was the target this time of the afghanistan isis spin-off. the suicide bomber walked into the center of a gathering leaving a scene of death and destructions. other explosions outside. 41 killed, at least 84 wounded. shiite targets there. isis in afghanistan started in 2015. it has been growing in strength as it has been fading in other parts of the world. between isis and taliban afghanistan still a very dangerous place, rick. >> rick: what has been the u.s. response? >> strong response. we heard from the u.s. embassy in kabul where the incident took place. they called the attack horrific pledging continued support from the u.s. while the u.s. is supposed to be playing a backup and training role we have to remember the trump administration is doubling down on this 16-year long war bringing troop levels back up t

journey across the roof of the rain forest being dropped in. joining the soldiers who had fought in iraq and afghanistan, learning to fight a very different kind of war. >> the goal is to be able to teach the skills that students can survive, fight in jungle environments. >> as every vietnam vet knows, the jungle itself is not an easy enemy to conquer. the only way to do it is on foo foot. the loud rumble of armored humvees is perhaps the most familiar sound from the desert in urban wars the u.s. has been fighting. here, it is the sound of soldiers moving in total silence, save of the soft thuds of the boots on the ground. >> it so restrictive. everything is so tight. in iraq and afghanistan, i can move 5-6 kilometers in an hour while i'm dismounted. here, i may move 500 meters. >> these soldiers spend three weeks living and fighting in the jungle. every minute the sign to give them the real world experience of potential future wars. all part of preparing for what ever is next. >> that is our job, to be ready to fight the next fight. >> and to emphasize how intense the training is here a

. iran has established a land bridge now from around three iraq to syria to lebanon. that is something we should never have permitted to happen. iran is trampling all over our political interests in iraq. they have 150,000 militia, some of whom are on the border with syria and iraq, but have undue influence in iraq. we should be pushing back on that and we should also be taking a stand to help saudi arabia with the problem they have in yemen. we don't have any of those specifics. >> martha: you have long masked and tracked the expansion of iranian power throughout the middle east and it's clear that their goal is to take over and dominate the entire middle east. unless somebody pushes back on that amount that's pretty much the road thereon. in order to do that down the road, we may need a stronger defensive position and i know you're very concerned about the budget issue that would be essential to president trump's desire to increase our defenses. >> absolutely. good news this week. the president signed into law the fy 18 act that brings us closer to a $700 billion, approximately $100

chunks of syria and iraq and looking almost unstoppable as a timber army. that's what president obama told us in july of 2015. >> this will not be quick. this is a long-term campaign. they are opportunistic and it is nimble. our strategy recognizes that no amount of military force will end the terror that is isil. >> pete: can't beat isis with the military. if that wasn't just wrong, it was a strategy destined to fail. according to fall short army general and fox news military analyst jack crean. >> the obama administration despite claims that it was a top priority never fired a shot in anger against isis even though the iraqi government was asking for help for nine months. that's how long it took. it took 15 months before we ever went after their oil fears, their source of strength, financial strength. that was a strategic blunder that we didn't crush them early on. >> pete: turns out the jv team wasn't so jv. president trump just didn't change strategies, many credit him with unleashing the ability to make military bike changing their roles. joining us now for reaction is former u.n

those 121 all muslim or arab nations, iraq, afghanistan, egypt, jordan and pakistan among the top ten. only one did not participate, that was kenya. you are hearing about these protests in malaysia. the prime minister to stand in solidarity with palestine. so far no images we can bring you. rob: lieutenant colonel oliver north slamming the un because he says it doesn't align with the will of the american people. he has this message for nations that rejected donald trump's decision to recognize jerusalem as the capital of israel. >> the decision to open an american embassy at the invitation of a country that wants us there is a sovereign right of ours and the president did what she said. asked on behalf of the american people who supported. of 193 member nations of the un nine voted against, 35 abstains, 21 were absent, total of 65, the president and the ambassador both said they are taking aim and cutting up foreign aid budget seems to be a good idea. it won't play well in afghanistan, maybe it is time to invite the un to take up residence in one of the nations who voted against our s

conduct with the war in iraq and the reason for going to war. i understand that and i also knew the democratic leaders, they would not go along with it. look, right now we have serious economic problems that are affecting a lot of working-class and middle-class people. the democrats have a great opportunity to reach into that constituency and those who voted for donald trump. here is our platform and program and why you should vote democrat. when you do that i think people will respond. but just focusing in on donald trump alone, i don't think it's sufficient to be able to win the support of the american people because in the end it can't be about just a party winning, it has to be about the american people winning. >> rick: that makes a lot of sense. after representative steve scalise was shot at the baseball practice there was a kumbaya moment. what happened to that? >> in washington things don't last very long whether it's issues and camaraderie. what can happen in 2018, that is the art of the deal. there is a lot that would be attractive to democrats if they're willing to reach

because of the iraq war? and his response to hurricane katrina? it was brutal. back then w dismissed the reports of his low standing with the public. he didn't fret much or do much about it. then you remember the democrats went on to win the house, the senate, and 36 governorships across america. then what happened two years later with the he con -- economy in tatters, barack obama was elected. now back to trump. he is a strong populous core. of course he wants to be popular. and he understandably gets frustrated when his message doesn't seem to be breaking through. truth be told the president has made some missteps. he is not perfect. the media pounced on them. the bungled travel ban, firing of jim comey and the decision to get involved in the alabama senate race at all. that, of course, democrats have harpd on the phony russian collusion story for a year and this all had a cumulative effect on the public psyche. now with the economy poised to roar in 2018. the liberals need a freshen up. citing the roy moore loss and gillespie in virginia "the new york times" is saying suburban wom

defeated isis in iraq and syria, it reminds us that they have ballooned elsewhere, they are ever present on the internet, they are also in africa and the philippines. this threat is not going away. >> shannon: ever present on the internet. >> this is an ideology more than it ever was a state when we are talking about isis and the crumbling of vices in iraq and syria, certainly something to be celebrated. they announced that they have defeated the islamic state in iraq. but these different affiliate groups around the world are very strong, very problematic from a security perspective and then you just have the ideological adherence and we don't know what the numbers are but the numbers are far too large and unfortunately it only takes one individual who is dedicated and homicidal and has decided to go about this jihadist mission and you can have a mass casualty attack on your hands. this is an ongoing fight, shannon. there are no easy answers in a tech companies are not a silver bullet. >> shannon: ten seconds, morgan. >> there is an old joke, what is the difference between love and youtube?

report that isis is on the run or in trouble in iraq, getting shut down in iraq or syria and all these other countries and lo and behold, a lone wolf inspired by isis, radicalized by and to isis pulls on something like this. that cannot be accidental. >> it cannot be accidental and it is not accidental. these guys are enabling you, social media sites, and isis in these other groups know how to influence individuals who are here already in the united states and how to radicalize them here to do the harm that they do. it is sort of like a needle in the haystack. you cannot get all of these guys, the intelligence community clearly has some of these guys on the radar screen, but is very difficult getting someone who radicalize us, wakes up and says, i'm going to make a bomb, and i'm going to go out and kill americans. >> neil: amazing. thank you very much. by the way, politics now, we're just getting word that charles barkley of auburn basketball legend will be campaigning for doug jones, and alabama tonight. obviously, the pressure and the big names are on. the closing arguments for alaba

always. arthel: isis me on the decline in sierra in iraq but now looks as if the may be turning its attention to what it sees as the real threat in the region. what is the next step in taking on tehran? >> the evidence is undeniable. the weapons might as well have had made in iran stickers all over it. we did this for a single urgent purpose. because the iranian regime cannot be allowed to engage in its lawless behavior any longer. you need to buy a car and you'd think with all these options it would be easy. but only true car shows you what others paid for the car you want and you can connect with certified dealers who offer prices based on this same information. none of those other sites do that. this is true car. they appear out of nowhere. my secret visitors. appearing next to me in plain sight. hallucinations and delusions. these are the unknown parts of living with parkinson's disease. what stories they tell. but for my ears only. what plots they unfold. but only in my mind. over 50% of people with parkinson's will experience hallucinations or delusions during the course of th

hawaii. the military has focused on fighting in the deserts of iraq, and to the mountains of afghanistan, but analysts say that a ground war in asia would require completely different tactics and skills, so for the first time in a decades, the army has opened a new jungle warfare school. and fox news correspondent jonathan hunt is in hawaii, on the island of oahu, and he and his crew are the first tv journalist to take part in this, as far as i know. how did this go? >> jungle training is intense, it is grueling. but here at the 25th infantry division lightning academy, it is all about preparing u.s. soldiers for a very different war in a very different environment. >> and as every vietnam vet knows, the jungle itself is not an easy and way to conquer. and the only way to do it is on foot. >> the loud rumble of armored humvees is perhaps the most familiar sound from the desert and urban wars that the u.s. has been fighting. here, it is the sound of soldiers moving in almost total silence, save it for the soft thought of their boots on the ground. >> it is so restrictive. ever

or google play. ♪ ♪ james: the government in iraq has today declared victory over isis in that country. iraqi prime minister al-abadi said iraqi forces now fully control the iraqi/syrian border. [speaking in native tongue] >> translator: we have achieved great victories today. speak speaking tongue. >> translator: i would like today to announce the good news to all iraqis. during the last hours, our forces have completed the liberation of anbar and are in full control of the border. [applause] james: so does that mean that the threat from the terrorist group which once ruled over eight million people is gone? here with answers on that and other global issues is fox news foreign policy analyst clarence skinner, a professor of international relations at carnegie mellon university and longtime friend. kiron, welcome. what threat, if any, do you see isis posing going forward or perhaps beyond iraq and syria? >> that's a big question because although isis has been defeated largely in iraq, there are remnants that still exist. they've just moved into various communities, and they're

private sector. paul: still ahead, from islamic state's defeat in syria and iraq to north korea's nuclear threat, general jack keane joins us with a look back at the highs and lows of the year in foreign policy andç a look ahead to the biggest global challenges in 2018. ♪ ♪ your body was made for better things than rheumatiod arthritis. before you and your rheumatologist move to another treatment, ask if xeljanz xr is right for you. xeljanz xr is a once-daily pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. it can reduce pain, swelling and further joint damage, even without methotrexate. xeljanz xr can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma and other cancers have happened. don't start xeljanz xr if you have an infection. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz xr, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor

hands of the private sector. paul: still ahead, from islamic state's defeat in syria and iraq to north korea's nuclear threat, general jack keane joins us with a look back at the highs and lows of the year in foreign policy andç a look ahead to the biggest global challenges in 2018. ♪ ♪ each of these food boxes represents a gift of life for people here in israel who are in desperate need. these are very difficult times for israel and the jewish people as the government spends more and more of it's resources for battling terrorism. the situation has become a crisis. every week the lines get longer and longer. this $25 food box will provide one desperately needy family here in israel with food, with hope and with a note inside each of these saying that it is from christians and jews in america who seek to bless them. israel and it's people need your help now. you can make a life changing difference by calling and saying that you will give a $25 food box to help a family in need in israel. thank you and god bless you for your support. ♪ ♪ paul: fromç from islamic states

from the stronghold in iraq and syria, but the threat is not over yet. lucas tomlinson is live at the pentagon where u.s. military spokesman is wrapping up a briefing. lucas. some people calling this the president biggest victory today. >> with good reason, they had over 30,000 air strikes against isis and defeated them in the isis capital into raqqa. and u.s. military spokesman a short time ago, and the pentagon said, less than 3,000 isis fighters still remain. including the elusive leader al-baghdadi. in president trump's new security strategy, isis is mentioned 12 time, but the same mission as north korea. fewer than russia and china. "we crossed isis terrace in the battle field of syria and iraq, it will continue until they are destroyed. even after the territory defeat of isis and ike al qaeda, the threat from jihadist terrorist process. for the first time in three years, there was no u.s. lead air strikes against isis in iraq or syria. jim mattis isn't ready to declare mission accomplished yet." right now, isis is getting broken. there is still problems on the fight is not over,

strongholds in iraq and syria, the online recruitment based on this number has not diminished. >> shepard: the bigger picture, what are the analysts saying is ices next move >> the isis online magazine, the attack in new york city with the vehicle, but what was significant, is that isis was encouraging followers to flee the scene and survive, rather than be a suicide attacker. the loss of the caliphate in iraq and syria, they are facing a shortage of recruits who are willing to die for the cause. separately, al qaeda is focusing its efforts on women. it issued this magazine online. second edition devoted principally to women issue. not entirely to women's issue. translated from arabic, it is called, "your house." the sense that it mixes the qaeda ideology with raising your children. they're trying to pitch it as not a terrorism group, but really a lifestyle. >> shepard: catherine herridge in washington. before today's attack in york city, the state department, whose warning americans about traveling this holiday season, the government put a worldwide caution alert after presid

the campaigns in iraq and afghanistan learning to fight a very different kind of war. >> the goal is to be able to teach the skills that students can survive, fight in jungle environments. >> no one in the 25th infantry divisions academy, as the jungle training school is called, will talk about policy. they won't name the threat, but they all know what might be coming. and as every vietnam vet, not an easy enemy to cover, conquer. the only way to do it is on foot. the loud rumble of armored humvees is the most familiar sound from desert and urban wars in the u.s. have been fighting. here, it is the sound of a soldier is moving in almost total silence, save for the soft thought of their boots on the ground. >> it so restrictive. everything is so tight. >> after two tours in iraq and two in afghanistan, the jungle is a whole new challenge for first sergeant george magali. >> in iraq and afghanistan, i can move 5-6 kilometers in an hour while i'm dismounted. here, i am moving 500 meters. >> a new experience too for staff sergeant apollo reese after three tours in afghanistan, one in ira

in chief takes the fight that ice in syria and iraq. the terror group as loss, deteriorated a rapid rate since the president took office 11 months ago. so what's next in the battle for national security and is the president getting the credit he deserves for stepping up his efforts to destroy isis once and for all? stay tuned. i didn't really know anything about my family history. went to ancestry, i put in the names of my grandparents first. i got a leaf right away. a leaf is a hint that is connected to each person in your family tree. i learned that my ten times great grandmother is george washington's aunt. within a few days i went from knowing almost nothing to holy crow, i'm related to george washington. this is my cousin george. discover your story. start searching for free now at ancestry.com i promise to have and to hold, from this day forward, till death do us part. selectquote can help you keep your promise. with life insurance starting at under a dollar a day. but you promised dad. come on. selectquote helped jim, 41, keep his promise, by finding him a $500,000 policy for

and taken back virtually all of the caliphate. the same thing in iraq. we are making tremendous strides. that's the story right now. since my speech on afghanistan, we are making tremendous progress, tremendous strides, we opened it up, and it's a whole different world and afghanistan, i can tell you that. i will be working very hard over the holidays. again, i want to wish you a very merry christmas. i have some beautiful pens over here, and because all of these folks are either continuing to work down the road or getting ready to leave, and i'm sure there will be working very hard also, i think i'm probably going to handle some of them to the press. would any of the media -- look at these camera guys -- but i think we will do that. i have them. many of you have worked very hard, many of you have worked very, very fairly, and we really appreciate that. here you go, folks. you want this with it or not? i don't think i'm going to have to travel too much to sell it. i think it's selling itself. it's becoming very popular. you will see something on february 1st when they open up th

front of the santa hat. that is us at the afghanistan behind me. another photo from iraq a share from 2005. that's also me with a snowball at a place that shall remain nameless after the photo. >> where he guided, yeah. he went down. a lot of military members here. if you have pictures of when you were deployed in a combat zone are also in the military, we would like to share them all morning long. >> friends,@fox news.com. pete: even better. we'll share them throughout the morning. ed: we are excited. stick with us. pete: first he turned california into a sanctuary state. governor brown as a christmas present for president trump. hardening immigrants were convicted felons. pete: they voted no on taxes that they pay the price. 10 senate democrats who may not survive 2018. next. ♪ ...so he got quickbooks. it organizes all his accounts, so he can see his bottom line. ahhh...that's a profit. know where you stand instantly. visit quickbooks-dot-com. i used to have more hair. i used to have more color. and ... i used to have cancer. i beat it. i did. not alone. i used to have no idea wha

well. with the defeat of the isis caliphate in syria and iraq, iran now has a direct arc straight through iraq, syria, hezbollah, lebanon to the mediterranean. there is no wonder the saudis and others are very worried about iran being in their rear and yemen as well. the middle east and north africa has been descending into chaos from us of the last eight years under obama. this is another piece of evidence and i think it's why the president's national security strategy which he brought out yesterday shows it's a very different view of how american interests in this region play out. i think that's what nikki haley's speech reflects. >> shannon: against the backdrop of another deadline for the president to decide about certification of the iran nuclear deal. >> he should take the deal entirely. create a new reality and move on. >> shannon: always great to see you. medical students and doctors firing slingshots of police in bolivia. officers responded with tear gates. students and doctors protesting a new law stiffening malpractic malpractice. activists protesting near damascus. the

isis caliphate in iraq and a lot of syria. this has happened. donald trump bombed the hell out of isis. they are running scared and scattered, and it's not being reported. imagine if obama and his military with his allies destroyed isis, they would have been having parades and specials all over television. >> go back two years. we have been told by obama that this is a generational conflict. our children, our grandchildren will be fighting those jihadis. al qaeda established afill yats and a caliphate. it was making $2 million a day from kidnapping, oil sales, you name it. i guess the trump administration managed to crush a generation into a month. jesse: the war on terror is not over, but the entire battlefield has been eliminated in terms of the caliphate in iraq and syria. and i don't think donald trump has gotten any credit because he is the one-loosened the rules of engagement and put the heavy pressure on the enemy. exactly what he said was going to happen happened. the stock market is through the roof. the isis caliphate is destroyed. that's not a bad first year if you don't cou

iraq and syria right now and there is a mentality among jihadis that something has to be done here to turn around that momentum. to make it seem as though there is still a relevance for global jihad. that includes those with no connection but just have self-radicalized at home. they know the holidays is a particularly heightened time to try to hit us and try to cause casualties. this incident is not the only one we have to be concerned about in the weeks ahead. the nypd is preparing as best they can. they are as good as it gets when it comes to this. >> bill: the phrase we became familiar with, flash to bang. the moment the plot is hatched to the moment it carries out becomes less and less. the reason for that is the activities and bad people want to do harm know the authorities are watching carefully. >> the reality here is it's a good thing this individual did not try to engage in a vehicle strike and just run through a big crowd of people. he thought he could build a bomb, he couldn't. as a result we aren't counting bodies this morning. which is a good thing for all involved and we

korea to iraq, from africa to japan. american troops standing watch this christmas. they will be there as they have been so faithfully for so many years, here is their message to all of us at home. >> to everyone out there who is watching this. keep our 180,000 soldiers in 150 countries right now on freedom's frontier, defending our great american experiment and keep them in your thoughts and prayers throughout the holidays. leland: that was gary sinese standing next to the general of the army. noteworthy where he was was mosul, iraq. last year at this time we were talking about isis still having mosul, planning for the offensive and clearly with a lot of american blood and iraqi blood, they were able to retake that and you talk about what's going on in iraq, in syria and also, we've got general miller of the marine corps saying he fears war is coming. gillian: there's a new front in the war against terror, general keane was with us, and the calipha caliphate. leland: we saw that in california. gillian: extreme light in the night causing drivers to pull off the busy freeway during the

guess i would suggest it's probably the defeat of islamic state in iraq and syria. would you agree with that? >> i think that's an important one, although i think there's a challenge there. because if the defeat of the islamic state redownsed the islamic republic of iran, that will be an impyrrhic victory. right now i do think james mattis and h.r. mcmaster understand the threat that iran represents as it's trying to build an empire that will include iran as the major power in iraq, the major power in syria which will be its client. it almost pretty much runs lebanon through hezbollah, and, of course, it's fighting in yemen. i do think that there is a recognition among the sunni-arab states that this is a huge threat and that the u.s. and israel are needed to counter the threat of iran. so, yes, it's a good thing that isis is defeated, but we can't stop there. paul: big questions. all right, thank you, cliff may. appreciate it. >> thank you. paul: when we come back, a nuclear deal at any price in a new report says the obama administration killed a criminal probe into hezbollah during ne

heard good news about the amount of territory taken back from isis. iraq and syria. dismantled. brand, unfortunately not gone. somewhat status of isis and then particularly thousand pertains to their targeting of christians as well? >> well, you know, first of all, isis has done a tremendous amount of damage in what was their former so-called caliphate in iraq and syria. i served in iraq. and iraq is a place with lots of extraordinary christian history there are no more christians left in second largest city of mosul. significant amount of damage has been done. cryptions have been killed or have fled the reasonable. what isis is doing now, having lost much of their geographic formerly ungoverned space is that they are used cyberspace to encourage their followers. much of the past history of attacks is just fodder for them to encourage their followers to mount attacks worldwide. they are trying to make this into a war between muslims, between islam and the west when, in fact, really isis and al qaeda are at war with islam themselves. pete: sure. rachel: it's amazing. used to be if you

revenue stream to then support their activities in syriaened a iraq and other places in the region where they are causing a lot of mayhem on iran's behalf. >> tucker: so there is no question that the obama people knew this was going on and overlooked it because they felt the iran deal was so important. i know you are probably not a fan of the iran deal is there any way you think ethically to justify that decision? >> well, there are decisions that are made all the time between law enforcement and intelligence gathering. >> tucker: yes. >> that is a real thing. and you can, i think, proponents of the deal would say that it's very important to do what you can to try to disarm as much as you can for the 10 to 15 years that the iran deal lasts. my issue in particular is that all of these sorts of concessions that the obama administration made should have been told to the american people up front when congress is voting on it in 2015 and selling it to the american people. >> tucker: is there any indication that members of congress knew this was going on, that the d.e.a. was being preven

we have made in iraq and syria but they are going to pop up in other countries, as well. >> ed: there is a retired u.s. air force lieutenant general who recently told us a little bit about why he thinks the trump administration is going to win here. watch. >> on essentially the obama administration micromanaged the war and what the trump administration did was allow execution decisions to be made in accordance with the guidance that he provided. we could have accomplished our objectives through the use of overwhelming power in three months, not three years. >> ed: are we just bringing the fight to them? i wonder, is there a challenge for the trump administration. you can be winning and knocking out the leaders of isis but as we saw with the obama administration in 2012, they kept saying al qaeda is on the run and all of that and then al qaeda kept coming back with terror attacks. >> you have to be careful with the rhetoric. >> that's right. without a doubt, this has been a staggering military victory in both iraq and syria this year. that is largely due to the leadership of the presid

iran's domination of syria? a land bridge they are forming from iran through iraq to syria to lebanon. the political influence they have in iraq, at u.s. expense. 150,000 she a militia that are working for the iranians inside of iraq, we have to have a strategy to deal with this. also, a strategy to deal with this problem in yemen and supporting our allies, the kingdom of saudi arabia, and also the uae. >> shannon: so many of these actors are connected and when we look more broadly, north korea, the concern about each of these places developing their own nuclear problems as if they would share and help others who are not exactly our friends. interesting, senator lindsey graham is quoted in "the atlantic" saying how our relationship is moving of north korea. "i would say there is a three inch entrance we use the military option. if the north korea conducts an additional test, i would say 70%." do you think that is where we are? >> i don't know about the percentages but i do know this. clearly, we are heading toward a showdown here. time is on the side of the north koreans. the reason f

going to get me to defend much about bush. >> talk about the war. the war in iraq was a mistake. >> laura: no kidding. you were for it. >> i was not for the war in iraq. >> laura: you said you probably would have voted for it. do i have to pull up my research? >> i ran for president because the war was not going well. >> laura: at the time i probably would have voted for it but i think that's too simple a question. did you say that or not, general? >> i would have voted for it -- >> laura: point made. you would have voted for it. >> no. bush -- that's not the point. >> laura: we're not relitigating your presidential campaign. it's boring. >> you have to give me a chance to answer, laura. so you can vote for the president to have authority to give him greater negotiating leverage. >> laura: i got it. >> that's what it was about. it was about diplomacy. not going to war. -- >> laura: you and i agree on the war. i was for it in the beginning. ambassador to israel, obama's ambassador to israel mocked the heavy breathing coming from the critics of the move. whose side are you on this

, obviously, in syria, with isis. we've taken back virtually all of the land. same thing in iraq. we're making tremendous strides in some of the story right now. >> jon: president trump touting major progress against isis. military officials say the islamic state has lost 98% of territory it once held. half of it recaptured under the trump administration. some warn the threat is not over. joining me john bolten former ambassador to the u.n., senior fellow at the american enterprise institute and a fox news contributor. ambassador bolton, at one point the isis thugs controlled an area the size of ohio. what happened? >> well, i think inevitably the involvement in the united states and our assistance to anti-isis forces has brought the calafait to an end. i think we could have done it a lot sooner. i think we have done it in a way that empowers iran and iran's surrogates the baghdad government which is, sad to say, functionally a satellite of iran. the assad regime and hezbollah in lebanon. while we've accomplished one major objective and it was worth doing, i think we've set the stage fo

being dropped in. joining shoulders who fought in iraq and afghanistan, learning to fight a very different kind . >> the goal is to be able to teach the skills that students can survive in a jungle environment. >> is every vietnam vet knows, the jungle itself is not an easy enemy to conquer, and the only . >> the loud rumble is perhaps the most familiar from the desert and urban wars of the u.s. have been fighting. here it is the sound of soldiers moving in almost total silence. save for the soft thud of their boots on the ground. >> it so restrictive. everything is so tight. you can -- in iraq and afghanistan, i can move five or 6 kilometers an hour. here, i may be move 500 meters. >> the shoulders spent three weeks living and fighting in the jungle. every minute designed to give them the real world experience of potential future wars. it's all part of preparing for whatever is next. >> that's what it's our job. be ready for whatever is next to fight. >> to emphasize how intense this training is, 75 the battle hardened soldiers began this course three weeks ago. today, just 33 o

becomes bolder, what can we get to really rein him in? rick join us, the former us ambassador to iraq and turkey, james jeffrey. welcome ambassador. i -- it seems that kim jong-un is trying to take us down. it is extortion. get out of south korea or will continue. >> what mcmaster said today is without doubt, the most important thing any viewers will hear or see today. or on most days. the reason is, most analysts in washington believe that the north koreans were developing this nuclear weapons, supposedly for defensive reasons. to keep us from attacking them as we attacked iraq, brought down qaddafi in 2011. i never bought the theory. try to unify korea in 1950 by trying to going to the north. the chinese intervened. will not do anything like that again. what mcmaster is saying is, this is an offensive capability. he has a huge army. he has many ways to undercut south korea and even in japan. what keeps him at bay, the american deterrence military structure. if he can strike the nicest with nuclear weapons, even if we would destroy him in return, he feels we will not risk seattle for the

iranians were not look to curb their activities with its tents kals into iraq and syria. now when you add to this all these different layers. hezbollah which is a direct tentacle of the iranian regime, you see this is yet another national security issue or you can look at it more as a domestic issue with our drug problem in this country. and it was completely overlooked in the light of pushing forward this deal. katie: hezbollah is not a rag tag team of terrorists hiding in case. they are a sophisticated terror organization that was responsible for more american murders before 9/11 than any other terror organization. a lot of this money they were funneling through drug cartels and working with the venezuelans on was used for weapons to kill american troops. what's your reaction to that? >> it's absolutely correct. i have been on the grounds in lebanon and beruit and i have seen firsthand what hezbollah can do and their capabilities. their threats to us and our israeli allies. they are a global threat. they are sophisticated. their counter in tell jones capabilities are high. we need to be