control of the islamic state. and baghdad is different than before mosul event. we have got officially militias. when we are talking about militias, we are talking about units. they are officially active in baghdad and around baghdad. as far as disputed area because of the lapse of the iraqi army -- collapse of the iraqi army, there are vacuums. the disputed area, according to the iraqi constitution, is completely under the control of the kurdish forces. this is a new reality. we have got three states within one. three states with different systems. one is islamist and internationalist because they do not recognize the border. they are targeting baghdad, they are targeting mosques, they are targeting beirut. there targeting jordan and kuwait, for the time being. i think they will target kurdistan and other areas. that is their program, that is their plan. we have got kurdistan, which is secure, which believes in democracy, tries to build a democratic process, believes in multiethnic society, believes in multireligious society, believes in human rights, believes in women's rights. this

of kobani as the u.s. revealing that terrorists nearly made it to the airport in baghdad. prompting once again that question is the capital vulnerable? we'll discuss that. plus, iraqi security forces have bailed from an important base near baghdad allowing isis to take over. this is cnn's special live coverage. hi, credit report site andour i have a problem. i need to speak with your fraud resolution department. ugh, we don't have that. what should i tell him? just make that super annoying modem noise... (shuuuuuuuh....zzzzzzzz...de ee...dong...shuuuhh...) hello? not all credit report sites are equal. classic. experian.com members get personalized help plus fraud resolution support. join now at experian.com. with enrollment in experian credit tracker. big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrowm. just anot

towns have been taken over on the road to baghdad. >> the distance to baghdad is only about one hour. >> could u.s. forces be pulled into the fight? >> boots on the ground quick enough to change what's happening in iraq. >> and could our best partner in the battle to save iraq, be iran? ahead in the next hour, an in depth look at iraq in turmoil. good evening and welcome to our "america tonight" special report, iraq in turmoil. i'm joie chen. the rapid unraffling of anything like -- unraveling of anything, weighing its options, the white house, including some kind of partnership with iran. so far, the u.s. is sending 275 troops to protect its embassy and staff in baghdad. a fourth u.s. naval warship is on its way to the persian gulf carrying aircraft and more than 500 marines. the administration is considering air strikes as sunni rebels primarily the i.s.i.l. fighters fight on the ground. "america tonight"'s sheila macvicar. >> claiming to show strikes on rebel positions in the the just captured town of tal afar. sweeping across iraq taking city after city. today, tal afar in the no

pulling away from baghdad economically and politically. >> the time has come for us to determine our own fate. we must not wait for others to determine it with us. >> president of the semi autonomous kurdish region of northern iraq. they live upon some of the richest oil fields in all of iraq. as the government in baghdad fractures in sectarian divisions the kurdish pull away in states that they can take care of. they threatened off advances of isil and declared their own islamic state. the fighting has made the question of borders and security even more important to the kurds who see the baghdad government and nouri al-maliki as opposite of their goals. >> it will hurt you and it will take the region in a maze that you cannot exit. secondly, you already decided to be part of a democratic and ferrell iraq. you have your own federal region. there is not an article in our constitution allowing self determination. >> maliki has gone further in his harsh rhetoric against the kurds saying that it is now home to the terrorists, to say the least this is not helping a possible political

ice iing militants are pushing ahead on two fronts. we go live to baghdad and one u.s. military says the city is not in danger of falling to the militant group. i have occasional constipation. that's why i take doctor recommended colace capsules. [ male announcer ] for certain medical conditions where straining should be avoided, colace softens the stool for effective relief from occasional constipation. go to colacecapsules.com for savings. for over 19 million people. [ alex ] transamerica helped provide a lifetime of retirement income. so i can focus on what matters most. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. transamerica. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. when folks think about wthey think salmon and energy. but the energy bp produces up here creates something else as well: jobs all over america. engineering and innovation jobs. advanced safety systems & technology. shipping and manufacturing. across the united states, bp supports more than a quarter million jobs. when we set up operation in one part of the coun

with breaking developments there is on baghdad's doorstep. the obama administration insists the iraqi capital is safe from the terror group. we'll take you live to baghdad next. woman: everyone in the nicu -- all the nurses wanted to watch him when he was there 118 days. everything that you thought was important to you changes in light of having a child that needs you every moment. i wouldn't trade him for the world. who matters most to you says the most about you. at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners, and they matter most to us. if you're caring for a child with special needs, our innovative special care program offers strategies that can help. this is kathleen. setting up the perfect wedding day begins with arthritis pain and two pills. afternoon arrives and feeling good, but her knee pain returns... that's two more pills. the evening's event brings laughter, joy, and more pain... when jamie says... what's that like six pills today? yeah... i can take 2 aleve for all day relief. really, and... and that's it. this is kathleen... for my arthritis pain, i now choose aleve. get

the offensive there, as well. in the wake of a wave of bombings saturday around baghdad which left over 50 dead, there were more isis bombings today to the northeast of the capital. and yes, more attacks in the anbar province, that is to the west in iraq. control of that could mean a big threat to baghdad, and 1500 u.s. troops who are stationed there right now. one report today even goes so far as to speculate that the isis move on this seerian town of kobani was just a decoy to distract attention from their moves inside iraq. our feeling on the ground is something different. our feeling is that isis wants to have it all. back to you arthel. >> okay, thank you very much. we're going to have a lot more on this battle now under way near baghdad as greg just reported. and what needs to be done to stop the iraqi capital from falling in to the terrorist group's hands. >> -- if cobanny will fall -- >> there is no -- >> what happened at the moment from commission to freeing all the kurds are being signed up and moving to the region but they're going to try to hold on. it is a matter of da

baghdad. a nonfunctioning state that is now divided and on the brink of disintigration. maybe i should start by giving you the latest on the formation of government as you suggested. and then branch out from there. >> mr. abadi was actually nominated by the president to form the next cabinet, and he has until the 10th of september to sign also agreements with sunnis, fellow shiites and kurds. nothing is easy in iraq and this will be protracted. there's no guarantee that he will be able to meet the deadline. there is obviously pressure from the united states and iran for obvious reasons. to say the least, this will remove probably the biggest obstacle for progress and that is namely, mr. maliki himself. in fact, the u.s. administration has been very explicit that any future military support to baghdad is conditional on the removal of mr. maliki. and the kurds and many sunnis have made it conditional in their collaboration with baghdad and fight isis on the removal of mr. maliki. and mr. abadi himself is actually in a hurry to form the government. he has not been resting for the l

moments ago agreed that anbar province is in trouble. but he says the city of baghdad is not. now hagel specifically said that baghdad is in full control with the iraqi forces, despite many reports that isis militants are just eight miles from some parts of the city. let's go live to cnn's ben wedeman. ben, you are there in baghdad. chuck hagel says the city is fully in iraqi military control right now. do you see anything there that might suggest otherwise? >> reporter: well, it does seem to be fully in iraqi military control to the extent that's possible. but what we did see this evening is two car bombs going off, and two baghdad neighborhoods which left more than 40 people dead, many more wounded. so yes, at the moment it appears that the defenses of baghdad are working, that iraqi forces are able to defend the capital. but there's the threat from within, which is really the primary and major concern of iraqi security officials at the moment. as far as the threat to baghdad, no, it's not imminent. the threat really is to the entire anbar province, which is the biggest province

fighting its way towards baghdad, ever closer, and today, new and disturbing images posted online apparently by those isis militants and appearing to show captured iraqi troops being corralled in trucks and then marched to their own executions. cnn not able to independently authenticate the images but the buildings, the sign and and uniforms seem to indicate the photos taken in iraq. now, these militants are moving closer to the capital hour by hour. iraqi troops far from united. those fighting do so with the country's future on the line and the u.s. waiting on the sidelines but for how long? well, in just the last hour, the state department announced new security precautions for staffers at the u.s. embassy in baghdad. extra security personnel being sent to protect the embassy. some embassy staffers are going to be relocated out of baghdad to what are considered safer areas of the country. but most people are staying put, we're told. it is the largest u.s. embassy in the world. purpose built, it took years to build. several thousand employees work there. why the new precautions?

. we're live tonight from baghdad, it is 3:00 in the morning, tuesday morning here in baghdad. curfew is underway here, curfew started at midnight. the city is largely quiet at this hour. the streets manned by iraqi government forces as well as militias. as well as volunteers who tried to fight isis. the group still some 45 minute drive outside of the city of baghdad. defenses have been strengthened, we are also just getting word that hundreds of u.s. troops, u.s. forces are going to be deployed to this city, to iraq. president obama has notified congress that up to 275 u.s. armed forces personnel, will be sent here to provide support and security for the u.s. embassy in baghdad and americans in iraq in the event of an evacuation. that force will be equipped for combat and stay in place until the security situation improves. it's been a day of dramatic developments to tell you about this evening. the united states is also considering everything from unarmed surveillance flights to air strikes to help hold this country together and stop the violent offense of being carried out by milit

surrounding baghdad. up next, we will hear why the white house says, well, it's not worried. people with type 2 diabetes come from all walks of life. if you have high blood sugar, ask your doctor about farxiga. it's a different kind of medicine that works by removing some sugar from your body. along with diet and exercise, farxiga helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. with one pill a day, farxiga helps lower your a1c. and, although it's not a weight-loss or blood-pressure drug, farxiga may help you lose weight and may even lower blood pressure when used with certain diabetes medicines. do not take if allergic to farxiga or its ingredients. symptoms of a serious allergic reaction include rash, swelling or difficulty breathing or swallowing. if you have any of these symptoms, stop taking farxiga and seek medical help right away. do not take farxiga if you have severe kidney problems, are on dialysis, or have bladder cancer. tell your doctor right away if you have blood or red color in your urine or pain while you urinate. farxiga can cause serious side effects, including

injured 20 in central baghdad. possibly the first in a wave of attacks that have been announced by isis the al qaeda splinter gripe that is leading the movement against the iraqi government. in other regions in iraq, shiites marched in the streets to show they were ready to defend their homeland against the invaders. and what is left of the iraqi government forces now seem to be preparing to stand and fight setting up for showdown in baghdad. the president has ruled out sending ground troops to iraq but united states has moved aircraft carrier the iss george bush in to the region and president says he is weighing options but only if iraq institutes immediate reforms. we have two reports now from iraq and we're starting with clarissa ward in baghdad. >> good morning, bob. the situation continues to get worse and worse this morning a suicide bomber attacked location where iraqi soldiers go to buy their uniforms. we're hear can reports that at least 12 people were killed in that attack. meanwhile iraqi security forces do appear to be preparing some time of counter offensive. the iraqi army

happen. >> anbar is just west of baghdad. the obama administration insists iraqi forces can defend the iraqi capital. joining me now, cnn's senior international correspondent ben wedeman in baghdad and erin mcpike at the white house. ben, i want to start with you. detail for us these attacks that we've seen in baghdad most recently. >> reporter: victor, what we saw last night were two very large car bombs in baghdad itself leaving more than 40 people dead, many more wounded. now earlier today there were three bombs outside of baqouba, one was a suicide bomber, one was a remotely detonated car bomb and a third a suicide car bomber. that left more than 20 dead. and the situation in anbar continues to be grim. last night the head of -- the chief of police in ramadi or for all of anbar province was killed in an ied attack and now ramadi, which is a town that is sort of half under the control of isis, half under the government, we're told at least in the government areas it is under a 24-hour curfew, so the situation there grim and getting grimmer. as far as the capital of baghdad goes, apa

the capital t capital, baghdad. the final countdown begins for football fans. the world cup kicks off in ten hours' time. the u.s. resumes drone strikes. the program was suspended in december. it may look good, but does it taste good. a british company created a raspberry, using a 30e d printer. >>> hello. islamist militants who have overrun large areas of northern iraq are urging supporters to march on the capital baghdad. on tuesday they took control of mosel but there are conflicting reports about who holds the birthplace of saddam husain. there is a video which calls for the insurgents not to give up an inch of land they have liberated, as he put it. he urges them to advance to the capital describing it as the baghdad of the group. there is a score to settle. he's speaking on behalf of the leader of isis. who is he? the 42-year-old is believed to have been born north of baghdad in samara. nicknamed the invisible sheikh for wearing a mask when he addresses al qaeda. there are only a few photos of him and he doesn't appear in video messages. reports suggest he was radicalized during

have done it in mosul. we will see, during ramadan, if they can pull off something in baghdad. again, it's -- the debate within jihadi circles is heated. there is no massive consensus that the caliphate under baghdadi's leadership is the right way to go. i would not espouse an alarmist assessment. everything depends on the response. if the response is purely counter-terrorism, isis will thrive. they will present themselves as persecuted by the right enemies. >> i am tricia johnson. you talked about how the war does have the possibility of lasting another 5-10 years and isis operates in syria. how do you think the length of the syrian war will affect isis activities in iraq? >> i am no iraq expert. i have to quickly develop knowledge because of the effective merger of these two battlefields. my colleague has written an excellent book on iraq and is in the lead on that. look, isis has been good at mobilizing local resources. whether it is true extraction, violence, racketeering -- they have proven very good at co-opting or entering alliances with some tribes and some elements. it is di

baghdad but the iraqi military is insisting it is seizing them back. and a feared advance by the extremists on baghdad appears to have slowed at least for now. >> inside iraq, thousands of men and even teenagers and boys are joining the fight against the islamist militants. >> they say they will do whatever it takes to protect their homeland. cnn's senior international correspondent nic robertson is in baghdad this morning. >> reporter: on their way to fight isis. answering the call of their leaders, young and old, religious and tribal, hundreds of volunteers marching for a middle class baghdad neighborhood, following the first ever call to arms sermon by the country's top shia cle c cleric. "we are here to defend our country. we're obeying our religious leaders" this tribal sheikh says. "we're not here for money. we are under attack and we will defend all iraq." "we're not here for sectarian reasons," this volunteer says." we're against the oath batist regime and the mercenaries who came from abroad." security extremely tight. car bomb killed two men here a few days ago. real co

baghdad. going too need more help from us and the international community. my team is working around the clock, to identify how we can provide the most effective assistance to that. i don't reel out anything, because we we do have a stake in making sure that these jihaddists are not getting a permanence foothold in either iraq, orser yeah for that matter. >> the situation on the ground appears to have outpaced the government. fighters have gotten much more of a foothold as events broiled thursday. heavily armed and vowing to march, the islamic state of iraq and the levan continues to gain more territory in iraq. decrete is the latest city to fall, hometown of former iraqi dictator sudan hussein, it is just 70 miles north of baghdad. the crusade gains speed just this week, after the lightening fall of mosul the second largest city. iraqi soldiers lay down arms and abandon their posts giving up ground tentatively controlled by them, after u.s. troops left. in the oil rich area of northern iraq, the semiautonomous kurdish state center it's own to defend the city. as forces threat

the baghdad government, voices saying why it should stay. we will see the same question about thewhen we talk most impoverished regions. some mistakenly think that having a sunni region will provide them with an economy from the shia dominated government. this is very unlikely. arabs don't have established united leadership. they don't have enough resources to ask in the penalty from baghdad -- ask independently from baghdad. also, to form a sunni region that will lead inevitably to the formation of a shia region. i'm not dismissing this idea. this way we are going to tensionsn sectarian and conflict as each region is trying to turn itself into a state. a more realistic approach is to diffuse power without going into more tiresome conflict. to grant more powers to the already existing provinces in iraq. my friendturn to abbas, a senior foreign-policy fellow at the foreign institute here at johns hopkins. he is the author of "reclaiming iraq." iraq inost recently in the summer. for organizing this panel. so many people worked on it. i will go right to the point. i will be my ow

tense scene in baghdad tonight. marines arriving to evacuate americans and richard engel is there as the u.s. moves warships into the gulf. >>> tornado outbreak. twisters on the ground. this evening, the unbelievable power caught on camera as multiple funnels touched down at once. >>> facebook threats. when does what people write on the web cross the line and become a crime? that's the big question tonight, and the outcome affects everyone who posts anything. >>> and risk factors as american kids consume more caffeine than ever. tonight, a startling look at how even a little is affecting their health and hitting boys differently than girls. "nightly news" begins now. >>> good evening. as a group of heavily armed and highly motivated terrorists continues its way across iraq, it's not yet clear if the u.s. will take any action in iraq. the president has ruled out any troops, and the american people aren't at all sure we should take any action even though what's happening now is a direct outgrowth of the u.s. invasion there over a decade ago. the u.s. has started removing some of its staff

closer and closer to baghdad. gun battles with the iraqi security forces are under way just north of the capital. our own anderson cooper is there. he'll join us live this hour. right now, hillary clinton getting ready to face what could be her toughest audience yet. iraq, benghazi, clint on's new book, "fair game," all topics of cnn's exclusive town hall event. >>> hello, i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. we start with the breaking news out of libya. one of the prime suspects in the 2012 attack in benghazi has been captured, and he is in u.s. custody. four americans died in the attack. the white house released a statement from president obama that reads, in part, this individual will now face the full weight of the american justice system. barbara starr's over at the pentagon. she's got details. our senior international correspondent arwa damon is standing by in iraq. this is the first arrest connected with the benghazi attack. give us the details. what is the pentagon saying? wolf, more than just

closer to baghdad. there are reports of roadside be headings of iraqi soldiers and police. and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee. it's a situation being closely watched by the white house as the obama administration considers various options to help the iraqi government. president obama said this about potential u.s. military involvement in iraq. >> we will not be sending u.s. troops back into combat in iraq, but i have asked my national security team to prepare a range of other options that could help support iraq security forces and i'll be reviewing those options in the days ahead. i do want to be clear, though, this is not solely or even primarily a military challenge. over the past decade, american troops have made extraordinary sacrifices to get iraqis an opportunity to claim their own future. unfortunately, iraqis leaders have been unable to overcome too often the mistrust and sectarian differences that have long ben simmering there. and that's create td vulnerabilities within the government as well as their security forces. so any action we may take to prov

sense of urgency grows grows. >>. in baghdad, tensions are rising as isis are closing. they have advanced to just 35 miles from the capital. the white house faces tough decisions, not a lot of time. president obama has met with his national security team to discuss all the options both military and diplomatic. we will have a live report from baghdad with our anderson cooper on the ground in just a moment. b >>> but first, a thrilling and perhaps unexpected win for team usa in the world cup. oh, yeah, the crowd goes wild. the opening match victory setting off earthquakes as watch parties across the country. it was substitute john brooks, just 21 years old, who scored that winning goal with that amazing header in just a few minutes left in the game. the 2-1 victory over ghana, revenge after they beat the u.s. in the last two world cups. what an exciting game, and here to break it all down, rachel nichols, the host of cnn's "unguarded." also joining us is ted roland with fan reaction. he's in chicago and has been seeing watch parties all over the country. rachel, let's start with yo

baghdad. 170 of those military members in place. security personnel are being dispatched to provide air field management and security and logistic support. last night president obama met with the full roster of his national security team including secretaries kerry and hagel along with susan rice and joint chief chairman general martin dempsey. the high-level immediating come as a roadside bomb explosion in central baghdad this morning killed at least three people and wounded nine others. and this, this new video obtained by nbc news appears to show isis militants executing truck drivers at the check point. meanwhile overnight sunni insurgent took control of the population northeast of baghdad and battled progovernment shiite that left at least 44 detainees dead. nbc aman is live once again in the northern iraqi town. what more can you tell us about the violence in baghdad? >> reporter: well, we know that there's been an increasing round of violence just north of baghdad. northeast of baghdad in the city of baku have a. it's an important town. it's 40 miles northeast of the capital.

bombings in and around baghdad. we will find out if baghdad is on edge right now. [ male announcer ] ours was the first modern airliner, revolutionary by every standard. and that became our passion. to always build something better, airplanes that fly cleaner and farther on less fuel. that redefine comfort and connect the world like never before. after all, you can't turn dreams into airplanes unless your passion for innovation is nonstop. ♪ when folks think aboutsion wthey think salmon and energy. but the energy bp produces up here creates something else as well: jobs all over america. engineering and innovation jobs. advanced safety systems & technology. shipping and manufacturing. across the united states, bp supports more than a quarter million jobs. when we set up operation in one part of the country, people in other parts go to work. that's not a coincidence. it's one more part of our commitment to america. before we craft it into a sandwich. the amazingly tender roasted turkey -- always raised without antibiotics, the zesty cranberry mostarda, the freshly baked flatbread..

embattled syrian town of kobani. isis fighters perilously close to iraq's capital of baghdad. let's bring in jim sciutto with the very latest. jim? >> reporter: i've just been told by a military official that kobani has not fallen to isis. and that qualifies as good news in recent days there. but the fact is, isis has been advancing on that city near the turkish border, a very visible fight, if not particularly important, kobani not strategically important, but near anbar, a less visible fight. no reporters able to watch that one under way. but a very critical part of the country and isis advancing there, as well. in both places, showing the limits of the u.s.-led air campaign. this is american firepower. and this is the isis response. the terrorist group is still advancing. in syria, isis is closing in on capturing kobani say the kurdish fighters defending the city. in iraq, isis controls 80% of anbar province just to the west of baghdad. today, isis overrunning one of the last iraqi military bases still standing. the u.s.-trained and u.s.-armed iraqi soldiers posted there overwhel

isis was threatening baghdad and mosul the second largest city. that according to a u.s. counterterrorism official. those threats have become a deadly reality in cities throughout iraq, countries under siege by militants as the united states government contemplates what if anything it should do about it. the commissioner for human rights says the full extent of civilian casualties is not yet known, but hundreds of civilians may have been killed and 500,000 have been displaced by violence. the government is taking steps to, quote, push back the terrorists, including air strikes. iraq's state tv says the air force hit three buildings and five vehicles, killing all isis forces near a military base. we'll talk to reporters in iraq, at the white house and the pentagon in a moment. but we want to start with an american caught in the middle of this violent spiral. a contractor in a military base about 55 miles north of baghdad. he's been airlifted out of belad out of that base after isis fighters attacked the base and the hired security at the base simply fled. for security rea

>>> breaking tonight, the terror army known as isis has advanced to the outskirts of baghdad. facing a weak and fearful iraqi army just miles away from possibly grabbing its biggest prize yet. welcome to the kelly file. i'm megyn kelly. it was then president obama described isis as jv. since then we have seen the jv squad capture mosul, tikrit and ramadi, establishing a territory the size of the united kingdom. now that group also controls most of the suburbs to the northwest and south of baghdad. they have been testing the troops there defending that city with a series of hit and run attacks in the last 48 hours. and today isis is suspected of staging a bloody series of car bombs inside baghdad including one that nearly killed an iraqi minister. there are serious concerns about what will happen if isis does manage to breach the iraqi capital and whether iraqi fighters have the courage to drive them out. >> megyn, nobody is quite sure how far isis fighters are from reaching the capital baghdad but the department of defense is acknowledging that isis could now be within five m

trail of blood and graphic video evidence of their crimes as they move toward baghdad. by showing off their mass executions, they seem intent on stirring up all out civil war. they're also showing of off what they claim to be captured firepower. >> iraq's air force is hitting back at the insurgents and president obama is weighing air strikes and even direct talks with iran as options to address the crisis. the united states is moving some staffers out of its embassy in baghdad and moving more troops into a different area to protect the complex. while others move into the region for possible evacuation duty. from the pentagon to iraq, our correspondents and analysts are standing by to bring you the coverage only cnn can deliver. let's begin with chief national security correspondent corporate jim sciutto. >> tonight, the president is convening his national security team to discuss options for a u.s. response including military options. we're told he will make his decision with urgency. this as isis militants and iraqi be sunni allies captured another of irk city ta la far firming their

you for that. >>> isis is controlling territory on the doorstep of baghdad. it's a big milestone when you consider the 4,000-plus american troops who lost their lives in wars there since 19 -- since 9/11, excuse me. can the iraqi capital be saved and what happens if it falls to isis? we're going to talk about it coming up. big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern. a woman who loves to share her passions. grandma! mary has atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. that puts her at a greater risk of stroke. rome? sure! before xarelto®, mary took warfarin, which required monthly trips to get her blood tested. but that's history. back to the museum? not this time! now that her doctor switched her to once-a-day xarelto®, mary c

accumulation of years of destructive sectarian, corrupt policies by the central government in baghdad. iraq has the potential to be an economically prosperous, diverse and politically representative model for others in the region. but iraqi leaders have focused on their own sectarian and ethnic interests for too long at the expense of building an iraq for all iraqis. the time is now for iraq's elected leaders to form a national unity government, that is truly representative. i applaud the recent progress in nominating a speaker and two deputy speakers for iraq's parliament, and today's promising news that a president has been named. i encourage iraq's leaders to continue this critical work and finalize the government with leaders committed to leading an iraq for all iraqis. while iraq's leaders continue negotiations to form the next government, the department of defense has completed the assessment of iraqi security forces. i look forward to hearing from our administration witness on the findings and recommendations provided by u.s. advisers and plans going forward to counter the threat fro

at our diplomatic facilities in baghdad and at the baghdad international airport. the secretary of defense has also ordered the am fib with us transport ship uss mesa verdi into the arabian gulf. the presence in the gulf is added to other naval ships including the uss george h.w. bush and provides the president additional options to protect american citizens and interests in iraq should he choose to use them. number two, we have vastly increased our intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance isr assets. at the request of the government of iraq, we surged isr over iraq since the fall of mosul and increased our information sharing activities. these isr sorties which are up to 50 plus per day give us a much better understanding of isil operations and disposition and allow us to help -- help the isf counter isil. we're now capable of around the clock coverage of iraq and have been focusing our efforts on isil controlled territory and baghdad. we also sent in u.s. assessment teams and stood up joint operation centers. on june 19th, the president announced these additional measures inc

perfect intelligence? even as the militants continue advancing towards baghdad, president obama is still looking at all military options except for sending ground troops. >> i have asked my national security team to prepare a range of other options that could help support iraq security forces. >> but the pentagon repeatedly not willing to endorse iraq security forces. >> i'm going to ask, does the military think the iraqi military can hold this? does secretary hagel think the iraqi forces can hold baghdad? >> i didn't give up any opportunity not to answer. i take up every opportunity i cannot to answer your questions. >> the joking and not hiding military reality after spending $730 billion on the war with nearly 4500 u.s. troops killed and 32,000 wounded. >> yes, we were surprised and disappointed by the poor performance of some iraqi security force units. they are up in the north. >> air strikes pose significant problems. there are no u.s. ground troops with up to the minute intelligence to guide air strikes. the militants don't have military bases, commanding control centers, or

baghdad, most notably, but also babble, kerbala, najaf. it's a very significant, very large province, and isis first moved here in january, long before the sweep into mosul that garnered everyone's attention. so isis has been here a long time. and in fact, some would say isis never really left, that even when the former a.q.i., now isis, the former al qaeda in iraq, went to ground, it never really anbar and always had a foothold there. >> sreenivasan: they also control a town just about 12 miles west of the baghdad airport, and they've been able to fire mortars into the green zone on the eastern side of baghdad, where the u.s. embassy is. how safe is baghdad now from isis? >> well, in the mega-picture, baghdad is not going to fall to the islamic state like mosul did. that's simply not going to happen. baghdad say majority shi'a city that is just-- whose citizens find isis to be absolutely anathema and it will not be welcome in any way, shape, or form. now, that said, isis does have sanctuary in and around baghdad and can doha rasing attacks. what everyone is most concerned about, of

possible without the accumulation of years of corrupt policies in baghdad. iraq has the potential to be an economically prosperous model for others in the region but the iraq leaders have been focused on their own interest to too long. the time is now for the leaders of iraq form a government that is representative. i applaud them for nominating a deputy speecher for the parliament and today's announcement that a president has been named. leaders are committed to leading for iraq for all iraqis. the department of defense completed the assessment of iraqi security forces and i look forward to hearing from our administration witness on the findings provided by the u.s. ad visors and plans going through to fight isis. let me take a moment to highlight the dangerous situation of minority communities in iraq and particularly iraqi christians. i joined a senator in a meeting with an archbishop from the dioscease of herbal. and he said what is happening in truly horrifying and i hope the witnesses share the steps the administration is taking to address the urgent need of iraqi christians

situation is so desperate in a key iraqi province outside baghdad now that leaders there are leading for u.s. troops to come to the rescue immediately. saying isis seized control of 80% of the province. >> if they succeed they will control a huge area of the iraq and syria where the fate of the city hangs in balance. >> and cnn global affairs lieutenant kernel james reese is also with us. first talk to us how real the fears are that baghdad could fall? does it feel to be imminent there. >> >> no, christi. it is important to stress that baghdad doesn't appear to be under threat at the moment. keeping in mind saz sprawling city of 9 million. and the majority certainly would not welcome isis. where they are making progress is of course in anbar province, iraq's largest province. provincial officials tell me more than 80% is under isis control and they continue to expand. we understand now the town of hadifa is now completely surrounded by isis. some good news, apparently what we hear from also provincial sources, a police official, that this afternoon there was a strike on a large isis

themselves operationally. their share of the budget this year, which is pending in baghdad, is about $17 billion. we think there is a deal there within the constitutional framework that is in the best interests of the kurds and also our interests both in northern iraq and iraq as a whole. however, since this crisis began, and we recognize we are dealing with new realities on the ground that we have to recognize and deal with, we have established a joint operations center in erbil to work with the kurdish forces and with the perg merg w me peshmerga and they're going to need some help. that will work most effectively if it is done in cooperation and coordination with baghdad with us providing a mediating role where necessary. we're in an active conversation with them. they have a good deal of autonomy now. i'm sure they'll ask for more and that will be done under the constitution. vice president berzoni has been on the phone a number of times with our vice president biden. he wants to act through the constitutional framework. short answer to your question, we are in a very active conversa

baghdad today for talks of the embattled prime minister maliki and other political leaders. at of his arrival, he signaled the obama administration is prepared to drop the support for maliki. iraqis tol help complete this transition if they choose it. if they want, they have an opportunity to choose leadership that could represent all of iraq, a unity government that brings people together and focus on isil. i am convinced they will do so not just with our help, but the help of almost every country in the region as well as others in the world who will always stand thisainst the tyranny of kind of terrorist activity. >> his comments follow reports the white house has condition military support for the iraqi government on a leaky's resignation. his visit to baghdad comes as sunni militants with the islamic state of iraq and syria have captured were territory. over the weekend, isis militants seized three border crossings with syria and jordan as well as four nearby towns. in iraqi government airstrike meanwhile has reportedly killed at least seven civilians and wounded 12 others in the

, this ruthless strike force, jihadi militants fighting their way toward baghdad. so what happens? and this is the big if. if they make it to iraq's capital city? what we do know is this. is that iraq is on the verge of an all-out sectarian war. this terror group, isis, slaughtering dozens of iraqi soldiers. a mass execution in revenge for the loss of one of its commanders. american troops preparing for the worst. some 100 u.s. marines headed to the u.s. embassy in baghdad, as some embassy staffers are moved out. the obama administration also considering talks with its long-time nemesis, iran, to look for solutions here to halt this advance of isis. joining me now our senior international correspondent, arwa damon, live in erbil, iraq. and let's begin, they're brutal. these execution videos posted by this isis fighter. can you just walk me through what we're about to see? >> reporter: it's absolutely chilling, brook. we do have to warn our viewers of that, and it really leaves no question as to why these fighters, this ideology, needs to be stopped. in this video, you see a bearded man

morning, martha raddatz in baghdad leading our coverage. >>> then, tax man take down. >> i don't believe you. >> new outrage in the irs scandal. how did the agency lose thousands of crucial e-mails? >>> and justice sonia sotomayor. on the future of affirmative action. and that surprising costco run-in with hillary clinton. >> it was not planned. i can assure you. i promise. >>> from abc news, "this week" with george stephanopoulos starts now. >>> good morning. i'm martha raddatz in baghdad where the battle for control of iraq has take an dire turn. the jihadist group isis gaining new ground, capturing four key towns. near the syrian border. threatening this country and the entire region. and the u.s. homeland with its growing strength. we have team coverage of the latest developments including breaking details on the u.s. special forces preparing to advise the iraqi army. we begin in baghdad, where shiite militias took to the streets this weekend in a show of force. members of the madi army who once led the fight against americans in baghdad's city, now vowing to stand up against

. air strikes by trying to hit american targets, such as the embassy in baghdad? right now, isis controls iraq's largest hydro electric dam. a failure of that dam could be catastrophic, resulting in flooding all the way down to baghdad. we are going to discuss what isis may aim for in the week ahead. >>> question number two, is the u.s. back at war with iraq and should it be? president obama vows combat troops will not hit the ground, but some experts, many former generals, officials, aren't so sure, given eyicy' growing cach of weapons and its strategy. i want to hear from you, jim sciutto, i will read your responses on the air. question number three, what does pope francis hope to accomplish by sending an envoy to iraq? cardinal fernando filonni set to leave rome tomorrow to help christians and others displaced flee. and can the cardinal make any impact on the go und? question four will israel and hamas stop shooting at each for 72 hours? who thank is the latest agree until theory. three days until negotiators in cairo try to hammer out a longer term deal, acceptable, of course