states but died in syria fighting for isis. how many other americans are out there doing the same thing. spy fights over syria. the president gives the go-ahead for u.s. planes to scope out isis targets. and a series of shots apparently recorded accidentally. are they from the weapon that killed michael brown? i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >> we're following two major developments at this hour. the breaking news, we're learning that an american who converted to islam several years ago has been killed fighting for the terror group in syria. we have details momentarily. stand by for that. first, a u.s. official says president obama has authorized reconnaissance flights over syria to scout possible isis targets. will air strikes be next? our correspondents and guests are standing by for full coverage. let's begin with our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. how close, barbara, is the united states? is president obama to ordering air strikes in syria? >> wolf, it's a question at this hour no one knows the answer to perhaps an except the president himself. air str

people from britain now fighting alongside isis militants and other militant groups in syria there's also a clear concern that the voice on the james foley execution tape seemed to be british but is that enough to raise the threat level in britain? the threat level seems to be a big deal. is there something else going on here that we're not being told? >> reporter: it may not be something specific. you know, generally, and i thought this was really interesting when cameron made it clear, he personally was not involved with the decision by their equivalent of a joint terrorism task force to raise the threat level and in other words like what we've done in the united states, he took it out of politics. the evidence that one can surmise at least from what's happening, they do know about these 500 plus british. it may be that they have lost track of too many of them. cameron said that the elevation is both a sort of statement to the people of britain, to watch, look, see what's happening in your communities, it helps public safety officials and so sort of be able to be more rigor

-year-old man from san diego went to fight and die in syria for isis. >> douglas mcarthur mccain. >> we already have citizens getting radicalized. >> grew up in minnesota. >> that's not who he is. >> loved basketball. >> he's not isis. >> breaking new details this morning as mission creep spreads in syria and congress is nowhere to be found. >>> we need to look under every bush. we need to look under every rock. >> and 23-year-old american student aaron sofer. >> i have one message, please bring back my brother. >> reporter: missing in jerusalem. his father combing the forest for his son, speaking to cnn this morning. >> we never give up hope. we're always hopeful. >>> also close call. >> he was real close. >> reporter: near collision. cnn investigation showing they doubled last year. on the ground. >> stop your turn. >> reporter: and in the air. how safe are you? let's talk, live in the "cnn newsroom." >>> and good morning to you. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for joining me. militant fighter dies on a distant battlefield, giving his life for a group that's both savage a

mount in syria, why doesn't president obama have a plan for action there? and ukraine's street battles. pro-russian rebels may be getting help from up to 5,000 russian troops but russia says the u.s. and its allies are imagining things. wolf blitzer is on assign the. i'm brianna keilar. you're in "the situation room." >> and there are new worries about isis terror attacks far from the middle east battlefields. britain today raised its terror threat level to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. that came with a chilling warning from prime minister david cameron, but american officials are not raising the threat level in this country. even as president obama takes heat for not having a strategy to deal with isis atrocities in syria. our correspondents and guests are standing by with full coverage. we begin with cnn's senior white house correspondent jim acosta. >> brianna, right now the obama administration says it's not following britain's lead in guarding against a terrorist attack saying there is no imminent isis threat to the u.s. one day after president obama admitted he does

footage he shot. he'd worked in libya, iraq and syria. he captured wasn't just the heat of battle, but those humanity as often run through the most hostile of environments. children anden and makeshift bomb shelters. james foley was taken by held for syria and almost two years. ransom,ures demanded a sending an angry email last week saying he'd be killed unless were paid $18 million pounds. these prisoners were released after a ransom was made. american, it was more targeted by the kidnappers. of scapegoat.nd many countries do negotiate. what do they negotiate, i don't know. i don't know if it is money. i don't know if it is prisoner exchange and some countries like america that also like the u.k. do not negotiate. month, president obama ordered troops like these to try to rescue james foley and other hostages. sources say the commandos attacked an oil facility held by islamic state inside syria but the intelligence was flawed hostages weren't there. >> was this a failure of intelligence? no. is, as you all know, intelligence doesn't come a package with a bow. it is a mosaic of many pi

explode in fresh violence. new isis horrors. even after a mass slaughter of prisoners in syria, the president says he does not yet have a strategy for dealing with the terror group. >>> and full scale invasion. the u.s. backs ukraine's claim that russian troops and thanks are now fighting inside its territory. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> president obama has just addressed dangerous escalations in two major world kryss. even as the president meets with his top national security team, this hour, about possible new air strikes he admits there is no strategy yet for dealing with isis. that comes as the terror group boasts about new atrocities it's committed in syria, showing the mass execution of prisoners. plus as ukraine an cues russia of a full-scale invasion, president obama points to evidence that russian forces are now involved in the fighting. our reporters and our guests are standing by with full coverage. let's begin with senior white house correspondent jim acosta. he's got the

found fighting in syria. the u.s. confirms the american man died fight for isis. we're live with the very latest. >>> breaking overnight, an american journalist held hostage by terrorists for nearly two years back at home. what he's now saying this morning ahead. >>> silence in gaza is real, hamas agreeing for a cease-fire for now at least. what is inside this deal. what did each side give up? we're live in jerusalem with the very latest. good morning, everyone. great to see you. welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. it's wednesday, august 27th, it's 5:00 a.m. in the east. up first, death of an american jihadist fighting alongside isis in syria, 33-year-old douglas mccain was killed in a battle during rival groups near the city of aleppo. mccain over the course of that time officials say became radicalized. u.s. officials now estimate there are dozens, perhaps as many as 100 americans who have tried to join various militant groups there. we get more this morning from cnn's barbara starr. >> john, christine, the american douglas macarthur mccain killed in

first focus is on the isis terror threat in syria and iraq and how congress and the president will con front it. the takeover of an air base in northeastern syria, one graphic image which we're not showing, appears to show masked gunmen shooting several men kneeling on the ground. a law enforcement official tells nbc news, it appears likely a second u.s. born citizen was killed fighting with isis terrorists in syria last weekend. the administration has confirmed douglas mcarthur mccain, was the first american killed fighting for the isis cause. american journalist steven sotlov who -- sotlov's mother made a direct emotional appeal to the isis leader. >> as a mother, i ask the justice to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over. i asked you to use your authority to spare his life and to follow the example set by the profit mohammed who protected people of the book. >> it's against this backdrop that has president obama weighing what to expand the u.s. air strike campaign to islamic targets in syria. urging him to have congress vote on whether to give the pres

terrorists in syria. this is "special report." >>> good evening i'm bret baier. tonight great britain's threat level stands at severe meaning the possibility of a terrorist attack there is highly likely. the british prime minister made the announcement in a detailed briefing with reporters this morning. meantime president obama and his team are trying to rebound tonight from yesterday's declaration that there. >> strategy to deal with the isis terror threat in syria. his chief spokesman immediately tried to clarify that comment and since then the suggestion is that the president's military advisers may be to blame. we have fox team coverage tonight. catherine harris has frightening details of new documents detailing prep regulates for a biological terror attack found on a laptop at isis hideout. dough mckillway and we begin with ed henry on the strategy of dealing with the no strategy admission. good evening, ed. >> reporter: remember it was prime minister cameron who cut short his own vacation after the beheading of jaime foley. today the president left his aides behind to deal with cl

response and a year on from the syria vote, do you reflect what's been done that that vote could have ended up helping the very people who you just say poeds a severe threat? >> well, let me answer as comprehensively as i can. first of all, the change in the threat level is -- that is determined by the joint terrorism assessment center. it's done independently of government. both substance of their decision and the timing of when they make their announcements, and i understand and i agree with the assessment that they have made, that there is a greater threat that we face from syria and iraq, that there's a greater problem of returning foreign fighters and also it is worth remembering as i said in my statement, you are dealing not just with isil, you are also dealing with other al qaeda-link franchises in syria and indeed potentially in iraq. so that's the reason for the threat level change. i think what it should trigger is a kprns sieve aassessment domestically. my first priority is are we safe here in the u.k.? that's the prism we should look at it first of all. in terms of what we

, president obama approves u.s. reconnaissance strikes over syria. are air strikes over isis targets in syria the next step? might the obama administration end up working with al assad's government in damascus? we're only minutes away from the report on va hospitals across the u.s. did excessive wait times lead to the deaths of some of america's veterans? >>> hello, i'm whole repowolf blitzer reporting from washington. we're following breaking news in the break through in fighting between militants in gaza and israel. officials announced a new cease-fire has been reached, israel only a few moments later said it has accepted the truth. power correspondent reza sehe is joining us from cairo right now. reza, walk us through the details. what do we know about this cease-fire? >> wolf, i think what's important to stress is this does not address the core demands, the core issues that have been the source of this. a temporary cease-fire where both sides have agreed to stop fighting, which is good news, and at some point return to cairo and engage in indirect negotiations. we spoke to a seni

are flieght skies over syria possibly preparing form s. airstrikes against isis in syria. eric: i'm eric in for bill hemmer. syria asking the u.s. ask permission before launching any attacks. >> reporter: if airstrikes in syria are ever going to happen, the pentagon needs to know what kinkind of fire power isis has. the white house has been careful to say president obama hasn't made a decision to pursue action in syria, but these flights against militants, the president once lumped in with what he called a jv tear vifts, if the president wants to unleash an aerial assault in isis this surveillance is necessary. eric: the pentagon coordinating with the syrian government on these strikes? >> reporter: there is no coordination. the obama administration is candid about saying they are not look for permission before they launch surveillance strikes or potential airstrikes. president obama has been saying for years that syrian president bashar al-asaad must go. as we know, he's still there. now his foreign minister is warning the white house they better call damascus to ask for permission

mccain has been killed fighting in syria for isis. his death comes as the united states considers options for slowing the isis threat in syria, and it raises fresh concerns about the reach of isis which is trying to recruit from around the world. cnn white house correspondent michelle kosinski has the very latest for us this morning. good morning, michelle. >> reporter: hi, john. right. the obama administration has authorized surveillance flights over syria and looks into what options might be available leading up to potentially air strikes. now we see that the reach of this barbaric terrorist group isis has affected the u.s. in more ways than one with this american citizen who grew up in minnesota now killed fighting with isis inside syria. his name was douglas mccain killed last weekend in the outskirts of aleppo, syria. u.s. officials confirm the 33-year-old was fighting for isis. battling other groups who are all battling the assad regime. mccain's devastated family told cnn he converted to islam years ago and eventually traveled to what they thought was turkey. they communica

fewer options. so three years ago we had really good options in syria in how to stop their pooling in the east and going into iraq. >> u.s. surveillance drones began flying for the first time this week, gathering intelligence and mapping possible isis targets in syria. until now the president had not authorized unmanned drones over syria. the president has made no decision to target isis bases and supply lines inside syria. doug? >> jennifer, thanks for that. >>> with the british, french and australians joining the u.s. in dropping aid, does this signal the building of a coalition and attempted expanded nation for isis? general, thank you for coming in today. >> thank you for having me, doug. >> first your reaction of what's happening in tripoli today. >> it's a cascade of serious events that go back two years ago to benghazi to now, and it's continued to deteriorate. very worrisome. libya is going in the hands of the islamic radicalists. very scary. >> and also the weakening of u.s. foreign policy. >> exactly. and that's why i believe the president ought to make some decisions, an

killed fighting with the terror group that is also known as the islamic state in iraq and syria. president obama studies the dangers and the options. >> i don't want to put the cart before the horse. we don't have a strategy yet. >> the pentagon is conducting surveillance for air strikes in syria, will the president approve them? will they be enough to defeat sigh sister and is that even the goal of u.s. policy? and russian troops and military equipment enter eastern ukraine, more economic sanctions appear likely but can the west reverse russian aggression. >> we will ask the president one of the top president's critics, john mccain and get the latest on the fight against isis and potential threats against america from peter king of the house homeland security committee and adam smith of the house armed services committee, 60 years of news because this is face the captioning sponsored by cbs >> good morning again, we start this morning with the growing debate about what the u.s. and its allies can and should do to combat the brogue threat of a terror group isis, yesterday the po

killed fighting with the terror group that is also known as the islamic state in iraq and syria. president obama studies the dangers and the options. >> i don't want to put the cart before the horse. we don't have a strategy yet. >> the pentagon is conducting surveillance for air strikes in syria, will the president approve them? will they be enough to defeat sigh sister and is that even the goal of u.s. policy? and russian troops and military equipment enter eastern ukraine, more economic sanctions appear likely but can the west reverse russian aggression. >> we will ask the president one of the top president's critics, john mccain and get the latest on the fight against isis and potential threats against america from peter king of the house homeland security committee and adam smith of the house armed services committee, 60 years of news because this is face the captioning sponsored by cbs >> good morning again, we start this morning with the growing debate about what the u.s. and its allies can and should do to combat the brogue threat of a terror group isis, yesterday the po

one of the strongholds, and what are you learning about the options in syria as well as iraq? >> well, ana, no denying that the tone and the rhetoric coming out of the white house has changed significantly since the horrific murder of journalist james foley. we are hearing it from the top senior obama officials that the murder of foley is the equ equivalent of terrorist attack on america, and that it is a r terrorist organization that we have never seen before. they are laying the groundwork and the argument for why the u.s. needs to go into syria, and launch those air strikes. and the reason being is that syria is a safe haven, and a sanctuary for the isis militants currently operating here in iraq. they have crossed the borders and they go back into syria, and the u.s. can conduct as many air strikes as they would like here in iraq, but at the end of the day, the militants will move back into syria, we heard frit jep ral dempsey the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. and we know that to defeat isis, with we have to go into syria. and with we know that president obama has been re

minutes. after two years in captivity in syria, an american journalist is freed. >>> chaos and confusion in libya. >>> israel says the military assault on gaza won't stop until its aims are achieved. >>> a pro-russian separatist parades through the streets of donetsk is a show of defiance. >>> i'm andy richardson with today's sports as teammates turn on each other on the formula one race. >>> first, he spent almost two years in captivity in syria, but an american journalist has now been freed. peter curtis was captured in october 2012 according to information from the fbi. his last known location was in turkey where he said he had plans to end syria to teach english. he's been handed over to a u.n. representative. and the news comes just a few days after the killing of the american journalist, james foley. he was beheaded by the islamic state group. he was working for global post, a boston haf based news website when he was abducted in syria in 2012. foreign governments have been enfwajed in talks this year to resolve kidnappings in syria. officials from qatar also negotiated a deal to r

iraq and syria. if you are president obama, what is your next move? that's the "inside story." hello, i'm ray suarez. the islamic state rolled over the iraqi army and adding western iraq to the big chunk of syria it is already controlling. with the loaded banks and the oil, the state is not depending on the outside support that the groups. without the restraint of the outside influence they are executing anyone that opposes their rule and destroying the communities. after spending the better part of a decade creating a new iraq, what should the u.s. do and what can the u.s. do? take national interest and long term security concerns and what do you get? it is the "inside story." the syrian military lost a key air force base to fighters on sunday and adding to a growing list of land and loot snatched up by the rebel army. the base housed a number of war planes, ammo and tanks and ar till rare. the us lam state is stronger in syria and known for the crew said in northern and western iraq. earlier in the month, the u.s. began a limited air campaign to stamp out the islamic state in iraq

front of the morn hostages he and other isis militants have been holding captive in syria. there are conflicting reports as to whether his name really is john and calls himself that or whether the hostages started calling him john as a nickname. bbc radio was first to report a claim that the european and american western hostages held by isis gave nicknames to their three isis captors who had distinct british accents. as a sort of shorthand for the fact that the guy sounded british, the hostages reportedly gave them british nicknames, specifically they nicknamed them john, paul, and ringo. >> in the darkest of black humor, former hostages of islamic state apparently called their captors john, paul, and ringo after the beatles. a reference to their nationality and english accents. sources have now confirmed to the bbc that islamic state has been using three british jihadis to guard its prized foreign prisoners. the fbi is leading an international manhunt for those responsible for the beheading, as the victim was an american. here, the intelligence forces and the police are also workin

." the world lead. he was born in the usa. but he died in syria as a jihadist, according to his uncle. what drove this american and others like him to a cause that most other americans fear so greatly? >>> the national lead. a newly released audio recording may have captured the sounds of the gunshots that hit michael brown and maybe some didn't. what a key gap on the tape could mean to the case that has the nation's attention. >>> and the politics lead. canada about to become the new home of the whopper, or at least the corporation that else is them. where is the beef from u.s. lawmakers? do they have a reason for letting this move go through? >> good afternoon, everyone. i'm jake tapper. welcome to the lead. we'll begin with the world lead. his name was douglas mcarthur mccain. he was an american, and he still has family right here in the u.s. in california. but douglas mccain met his death far from these shores in war torn syria. a convert to islam who found himself drawn to the jihadist cause. a u.s. official says the u.s. believes he was fighting for isis when he died, the

using a lot of tactics against them. >> up the border into northern syria, the celebration. islamic state radicals celebrate after they captured an airbase. this isis video shows how they out to my massive suicide bomb followed by a ground offensive. it's the result of detailed planning. this, serious as and ready to work with west coordinated airstrikes on isis. >> it is aggression. >> back with the kurds, the broughtstate has been down here, but it is a small victory. i'm now joined by clark kent ervin, former inspector general of the u.s. department of homeland security. the white house says no decision has been made yet on whether they will help syria. but we know the situation is deteriorating. how much time does the president have to make up his mind? >> not much. the president met with his advisers for much of the day. given the tone of what is national security advisor said the other day, that the beheading of the journalist in syria [indiscernible] i find it surprising if in the minimum, they will not order airstrikes in syria. has it muddied the waters for the u.s. not to

syria. we have an extraordinary revelation by the obama administration in the last few minutes. earlier this summer, u.s. special forces several dozen of them landed inside syria for the first time we know of combat boots in an attempted hostage rescue of james foley and several other hostages being held by isis. these were the most senior special forces the u.s. has on the level of delta force, seal team six, we have seen spring into action so many times before. they had intelligence. they went to a site in syria. that location not being disclosed. they came in by helicopter, several dozen of them. they were backed up in the air by combat aircraft by intelligence and surveillance aircraft keeping an eye on them at all times. when they got to this facility, they engaged isis fighters on the ground. we are told they killed several of them. we are told one of the special forces personnel was wounded, no u.s. personnel killed, but when they got to the site, none of the hostages were there. very sad news on that front. i can tell you that the administration is indicating they had i

>>> american terrorist. a u.s. citizen is killed fighting with isis in syria. journalist peter theo curtis is back in the u.s. after being held by a syrian extremist group for nearly two years. >>> and a stunner at the u.s. open. a 15-year-old american upsets the heavy favorite to become the youngest player to win an open match in nearly 20 years. captioning funded by cbs >>> this is the "cbs morning news" for >>> this is the "cbs morning news" for wednesday, august 27th, 2014. good morning. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. a man born in chicago is believed to be the first american to die fighting for the islamic terrorist group isis. u.s. officials say they knew douglas mccain had traveled to syria to join the extremists. they also say about 100 more americans are in syria fighting. isis is also said to be holding an american woman hostage. susan mcginnis is in washington. susan, good morning. >> anne-marie, good morning. mccain was reportedly killed by rebels fighting with the free syrian army which is backed by the u.s. his death could help u.s. officials now trying to

, syria air strikes. u.s. drones already scouting targets as president obama weighs his options for expanding the attacks on isis. >>> jihadists on the border and it spills over into israeli-held territory as al qaeda allies seize a key crossing point. >>> and a mother's plea. after the brutal murder of one american, the mother of another american hostage begs isis to release her son. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> we are tracking major developments this hour in the middle east and the war in syria threatens to drag in israel as a group seizes a key border post. a second american has been killed fighting for isis and with one american hostage murdered, the mother of another is pleading with isis for his freedom. president obama is considering whether to pull the trigger on air strikes against isis targets in syria. >> our correspondents are standing by with full coverage and let's begin with our senior white house correspondent jim acosta on a very tough decision facing the president. >> with a growing chorus of republicans

the u.s. about to bomb syria? the mixed messages coming from this white house make that question very hard to answer tonight. we do know surveillance flights over syria have just begun. while air strikes are not part of the plan thus far, the administration reserves the right to conduct them on our own if needed. the air strikes we are already conducting against isis in iraq may be already having some adverse effects. the fbi and homeland security were sending warnings to local law enforcement late last week, warning that our current air campaign in iraq could provoke retaliation by isis sympathizers inside of the united states. so there are real risks if we attack in syria and there are terrible risks if we do not. if we instead let what the president called this cancer, isis grow. tonight we examine why we can't get a straight answer on the threat level from our own elected leaders. wheel examine the risks to america, and the exposure we face as a result of open borders at home and abroad. andy mccarthy and john mcinerney are here, we begin with ed henry live in washington. >> good

insisting the president was talking specifically about military options for combating isis in syria when he said we d7 in syria under both the use of force, that happened after 9/11 and then in iraq because of still use of force that exists from the iraq war. he has every right to go after him. the reality is though, he is using coming to congress as an excuse for inaction and for delay. it's what happened a year ago basically right about now in syria when he said hey, you know, look, i have the authority to go into syria but i'm going to consult congress because democracies are stronger when we do that and he used congress as the reason that he didn't ultimately do anything. and i think history has shown that that inaction, that continued dithering about what to do has actually led to much bigger problems, not just here but frankly in how putin is analyzing stand against what's going on there in ukraine, even. >> congressman, you bring a unique perspective as a veteran serving in our military and, of course, as a congressman, and i just ask you to take a moment to kind of juxtapose what

military strikes against isis in syria. can the obama administration team up with syrian president bashar al assad? we will get fareed's take right after this. there's a reason no one says "easy like monday morning." sundays are the warrior's day to unplug and recharge. what if this feeling could last all week? with centurylink as your trusted partner, it can. our visionary cloud infrastructure and global broadband network free you to focus on what matters. with custom communications solutions and dedicated support, your business can shine all week long. but now that we have the tempadjustable base,ile, it's even better. [alex] when i put my feet up on this bed, my stress just goes away. [evie] i go up...heeeeyyy... [donna]our tempur-pedic is the best thing in our house, 'cept for my husband. [lauren] wait,wait,where are you going? [announcer] discover how tempur-pedic can move you. and now through september 7th,save up to $500 on a tempur-pedic mattress and adjustable base. so factors like diet can negatively impact good bacteria? even if you're healthy and active. phillips digest

have a strategy yet, we know that the president was talking about a strategy for isis in syria. but having said that, would he have liked to have that one back? >> i want to care fly one thing. what you described. the president was talking specifically about military options for countering isis in syria, there are a number of things that we've already done to -- as it relates to the broader situation in syria to confront some of the challenges there. the united states, as we've discussed many times in this room, is the largest single donor of humanitarian aid to syria in terms of dealing with the terrible humanitarian situation that has been caused by the violence in syria. we've seen significant numbers. millions of people who have been displaced by the violence there. the united states has been engaged in an effort to support the moderate syrian opposition. there are a range of ways in which that support is provided. there's also some diplomatic support that's been provided to them. so there already has been some work under way in syria to try to address some of the challenges the

the proposition of creating a sort of caliphate between syria and iraq and clearly this is a major attack against the current order in the middle east and so i think it is in everybody's interests united states russia and many other countries to calm the situation down and for now i think it's going to be difficult if difficult to disagree with you on that you mentioned tens of thousands of americans serving in iraq and i just want to mention that four in the have thousand americans lost their lives there but the question is what for i mean president obama takes credit for winding down these two very unpopular wars one in afghanistan and one in iraq but i want to have these in very rapid advance of isis said task that these self-congratulatory rhetoric on the part of the white house was a bit premature well i think it's very clear that president obama has wanted to extract the united states from these wars and he has done so over the course of his administration he did however try to see that there would be a residual u.s. force in iraq that was not finally accepted by iraqi politi

from the war in syria and half the people in the country itself have left their homes according to the refugee agency. >> displaced multiple times, exhausted there. they've exhausted savings and resources. they have no other option but to find a way out. >>> malaysia airlines to cut 6,000 workers following two separate air disasters that hit the company this year. >>> red alert. eruption near a volcano forces the air traffic control to shut down around the site. >>> hello. pro russian separatist in eastern ukraine are detaining and torchering civilians according to the group. in some cases their family members. the report is released as the west raises accusations of direct russian involvement. >> they've seen escalations before, but now it may be entering a critical phase. pro russian rebels have launched a counter attack and pushed back government forces. key towns have fallen including the ukraine's southern coast. kiev and western officials say this time there is a key difference. kremlin forces are spearheading the attack. moscow denies its troops are there, but nato says these im

nation of syria. unnamed defense department officials telling reporters today that some of those surveillance flights would be unmanned aircraft, drones, but some of them would be manned. u2 spy planes. the same model of plane flown by gary powers over the soviet union. u2s are among the aircraft that they may use or that the military already be using over syria right now. throughout the three-year brutal syria civil war, one thing to know about syria, they have a strong air defense system. they have a sophisticated national defense system to shoot down what they see as enemy aircraft. and syria, of course, did not develop that system because of the civil war that they're in. they've had this system in place for a long time. part of hardening themselves as a target by to tension strikes by israel or any other middle eastern government that might decide they want a piece of the assad regime. the assad regime has not been cheap when it comes to investing in these sorts of weapon systems. they have a rock solid ally in russia. russia has been more than happy to sell syria any weapon

fighting the surge of isis in syria. a senior administration official clarifying the president was only talking about isis in syria, but that comment now has the president's critics asking how he is dealing with this terror fight, whether there is a plan. white house correspondent michelle kosinski joins us now with the latest from the white house where they have been doing a lot of cleanup. good morning, michelle. >> reporter: good morning, john, right. well, of course, everybody kind of waits with bated breath, especially with the national security meeting in the situation room wanting to know what is the decision on hitting isis in syria? i mean, u.s. hostages are still there. one was just murdered but the president has made it to some surprisingly clear we're just not there yet. >> i've directed secretary hagel and our joint chiefs of staff to prepare a range of options. >> reporter: another address by the president. there have been many lately, but it was these words regarding syria that many were not expecting. >> i don't want to put the cart before the horse. we don't have a stra

>> the world faces it's worst refugee crisis in decades, conflicts from afghanistan to syria, iraq, sudan, and saudi arabia. no one is suffering more than children, and relief organizations are overwhelmed. women face abuse, and religious freedom is under assault from china to russia, and attacks on people who tell those stories, journalists, happening around the globe, including here at home. we begin with a staggering number of refugees world wild, as the list of armed conflicts around the world has grown, the people forced to flee their home now exceeds 50 million, the highest since world war. launching a massive operation to bring aid to half a million people driven from their homes by islamic state fighters. >> most still living in schools, mosques, churches, and unfinished buildings. >> so 9 million people have fled their homes because of syria's brutal civil war. almost 3 million refugees have escaped to neighboring countries, turkey, jord and not iraq, and south sudan in africa, half a million refugees, some internal, and some in caverns in uganda. and meanwhile, muslims in

surveillance on islamic state in the regions in syria but a common thread still fails to bring washington and damascus closer towards cooperation. and just a few weeks ahead of the scottish independence referendum poll suggests the yes campaign stalls a victory in the final debate between the leaders of the two camps. welcome to our g international well off from moscow this evening thank you very much for tuning in with us time to bunk with say. peace in ukraine could be hammered out in the capital of bella ruse as the presidents of russia and ukraine and representatives of the e.u. get together most expectations are placed on a possible one on one meeting between moscow and kiev leaders and we're going to is watching the gathering closely for us and she joins us live now you know what's been said so far where you are. what we have seen the two presidents put in and they shake hands so perhaps that is a good me a good sign but then again we do not know for certain there is still meetings going on behind closed doors in this palatial in this presidential palace right behind me h

>> from al quaeda in syria was the fact that they wanted to conduct western-style operations. al quaeda wanted them to focus on syria. it was all about direction, control of those individuals. what they were saying at the time was we have a lot of people who have passports that could go to europe and then to the united states without a visa waiver meaning they wouldn't have to apply for a visa. the only way we would know is by looking at who was riding on their airplanes. even the rhetoric is we're still going to conduct a western-style attack. remember, al quaeda wants to put points on the board and isis has said that they want to be the terrorist organization that tracks. >> comments to mike rogers on nbc's meet the press over the weekend. from inside the wall street journal, obama pressed to act in syria. president who has ruled out putting boots on the ground remains reluctant to get too involved in a conflict that could become a quagmire. islamic state was probably the most prominent risk we have faced since 9/11. your thoughts on all of this. let's go to warren in rocky mou

no strategy yet to fight isis. aides later clarified the president met only in syria but as you heard this morning the critics pounced. >> russia's foreign minister denying accusations russian troops crossed into spain despite the nato images showing otherwise. russian president vladimir putin is comparing actions of the ukrainian army to the nazis. >>> u.n. officials are working to get freedom for 43 peacekeepers detained by militants in syria, another 81 peace keepers are said to be trapped in that area. >>> joan river is in a new york hospital this morning. the 81-year-old went into cardiac arrest during minor throat surgery at a new york clinic. her daughter melissa says she is resting comfortably. >>> good news for the millions of you making the getaway by car, the price of gas is down an average of 11 cents a gallon from last labor day weekend. there you go, heading out with good news. >> my colleague christine romans covers business says beef prices are go up. >> your hamburgers. >> they'll cost more for the labor day barbecue. >> wah-wah. >> thank you so much for joining

talking about a strategy for isis in syria. having said that, would he like to have that back? >> the president was talking about military options for countering isis in syria. there are a number of things we have already done as it relates to the broader situation in syria to confront some of the challenges there. the united states is the largest single donor of humanitarian aid to syria in terms of dealing with the terrible situation that has been caused by the violence in syria. we have seen millions of people who have been displaced by the violence there. the united states has been engaged in an effort to support e syrianrat opposition. there has been diplomatic support provided to them. there is already work underway in syria to try to address the challenges there. the president was candid about the fact that the pentagon is still reviewing options that may be available to them, military options, to counter isil militarily in syria. you are a president, words matter. getting back to the first question, to you wish he had articulated that sentiment differently? >> he was asked a v

go to ziprecruiter.com/offer5. >>> an american jihadist killed fighting in syria. u.s. intelligence confirming the chicago-born man died fighting with isis. this morning, what we're learning about douglas mccain. as president obama faces increasing pressure to go after the islamic terrorist group before it's too late. we're live in iraq with the latest. >>> breaking overnight the american journalist held by terrorists for nearly two years. back at home. what he is now saying ahead. >>> over gaza, hamas agreeing to a cease-fire for now. is there any hope for a long-lasting peace. we're live in jamarcus with the a lot of pef good morning, everyone. welcome toer earl. i'm christine romans. >> i'm john berman. it's wednesday, august 27th, 4:00 a.m. in the east. up next, a he jaddist fighting alongside isis in syria. 34-year-old douglas mccain was killed near the city of aleppo. mccain became radicalized. he is not the first american to join forces in syria, the government estimates there are more perhaps hundreds will try to join groups there. >> reporter: john and christine, the americ

syria and iraq have been condemned by western powers, even condemned by other extremist groups like al-qaeda. the united states says i.s. is beyond anything they have seen before. let's turn our attention to libby casey in washington. libby is there any indication that the u.s. may expand i its -- operations against islamic state. >> we're hearing a lot of concern over just how powerful and deadly the islamic state may be at this point. the question is what can be done right now? and while we're hearing a lot of concern, it's unclear how much muscle the united states is willing to put behind its words. we heard a warning from chuck hagel yesterday. i want to give you a sense of the language he is using. take a listen. >> they are beyond just a terrorist group. they marry ideology, a sophistication of strategic and tactical military prowess, they are tremendously well founded -- funded. oh, this is beyond anything we have seen. so you have to take a cold steely-heart look at it and get ready. >> you hear there the strong language that the defense secretary is using as he is warning that

islamist rebels in syria for almost two years has been freed. peter theo curtis was captured in 2012. he is expected to be reunited with his family soon. in a statement released by the family, curtis' mother says this, quote, my heart is full at the extraordinary dedicated, incredible people, too many to name individually, who have become my friends and tirelessly helped us over these many months. please know we will be eternally grateful. with we are so relieved theo is healthy and safe and headed home after his ordeal but saddened by the terrible, unjustified killing last week of his fellow journalist jim foley at the hands of the islamic state in iraq and syria. nick, truly an incredible contrast with what the family of jim foley had to deal with days ago and now incredible relief for the curtis family. any idea how this came about? one who died and one who miraculously, in light of what is going on in syria, freed today. >> the key thing is the groups that were holding them. isis, who held jim foley. both are al qaeda affiliates, terror groups as described by the united states but of

decision to travel to syria or that broader region, taken up arms alongside isil. they pose a threat because they are -- they've received military training, they're battle hardened, and they have a willingness to rick their lisk for their cause. >> a string of unsettling developments. reporters gained access to what they're calling the isis laptop of doom. buried inside hidden files of the computer found in syria were videos of osama bin laden, bombmaking manuals and a treasure trove of other documents, including plans to enleash a biological weapons attack. a report in "the washington post" about slain american journalist james foley. citing unnamed sources, saying that foley was water boarded by his isis captors. least three other captives reportedly subjected to the same torture. let's first head to london. our karl penhaul is there. karl, see veeshvere, the secondt level, it means they believe an attack is likely. tell us why they made the decision, why they're doing this now. >> absolutely. in fact, it's the highest threat alert that british has issued in the last three years. i

missions over syria. hello, everyone, i'm shannon breen in for gretchen carlson. welcome to "the real story." with senior defense officials telling fox news -- are air strikes far behind? the president on his way back to washington after speaking to veterans and addressing the v.a. situation with them at the american legion's national convention in north carolina. so far, american air strikes have centered on isis targets inside iraq. and syria insists the u.s. needs permission to take action against fanatics inside its borders. ed henry joins us live from the white house with more on what the administration is considering. all right, ed, are we edging closer to actual air strikes in syria? >> it appears we may be, shannon. in that speech in charlotte, the president defended his decision to launch air strikes for now in iraq, again, repeating he's not going to dragged into a ground war, in his words, there in iraq but said the air strikes were necessary to protect american personnel on the ground. he left the door wide open to expanding those air strikes into syria to battle isis. lis

syria, saying we don't have a strategy yet. we'll ask general jack keen what a successful strategy would look like. plus, two americans are killed fighting alongside the islamic extremists. so how many more are out there and could they bring the terror threat home? >>> and labor day weekend is here, marking the unofficial start of the fall campaign season. so will it be a wave election for republicans or a washout? we'll have our panel's picks for the races to watch. >> rooting out a cancer like isil will not be quick or easy but i'm confident we can and will working closery with ally and partners. >> welcome to the "journal editor report." i'm paul gigot. that was president obama thursday saying his foreign policy -- backing off reports that the administration was close to 0 a decision authorizing air strikes against the islamic extremists in syria. my guests this week says a plan to take on isis is needed now more than ever and believes an american-led coalition can still successfully defeat the terror group. general jack keen, the former vice chief of sfaf of the u.s. army and f