>> yes. good afternoon, and welcome to al jazeera america. i'm michael eaves live in new york. here are the stories we are following for you. president obama says no boots on the ground to help bagdad stop advancing rebels. meanwhile the iraqi government calls on volunteers to join the fight. and the parents of bo birddahl asks for privacy following their son's return to america.

♪ >> president obama made the u.s. role in iraq very clear today. he spoke a short time ago at the white house staying american troops will not go back into bagdad. mike, i guess if anyone wondered if he was sin veer in his comments yesterday about not putting more soldiers on the ground, he seemed to reiterate that very thing today. >> that's absolutely right, michael. let's get to the headlines here. the president making clear that military options are on the table but not american boots on the ground. a second item, while those steps are being considered it is up to the iraqis to reconcile themselves between these secretary fashions. while he says he is willing to help in the short-term, there have to be long term problems.

he says the united states has spent enormous amounts of blood and treasure there, but the united states cannot do it for them. and noting the reporting that iraqi soldiers and police simply dropped their weapons, shed their uniforms, and left expensive material and armaments in the path of the advancing isil, the fact they were not willing to standing and fight indicates a problem with morale rooted in the political problems of that country. let's listen. >> the united states is not simply going to involve itself in a military action in the absence of a political plan by the iraqis that gives us some assurance that they are prepared to work together. we're not allowing to allow ourselves to be dragged back into a situation in which, while we're there, we're keeping a lid on things, and after enormous sacrifices by us, as soon as we're not there, suddenly,

people end up acting in ways that are not conducive to the long term stability of the country. >> when united states military action take place? the president says they are still in consultation with the iraqs. he says it is not going to be happening within the next couple of days. it will take until after the weekend for the united states to initiate what he called selective military actions, michael. >> in the wake of these latest moves. we have heard republican pressure on capitol hill towards president obama, but as far as bomb -- obama is concerned, he got the troops out, and now some say they need to go back in there. how will that influence his decision here? >> a war that simply will not go away. a war that president obama campaigned on ending in 2008.

a war that called dumb. a war he did remove american troops from in 2011, and has said time and time again that this was a foreign policy success. this is to say nothing of what the iraqi people are going through, and the humanitarian crisis that has ensued and such of this is a spillover from what is happening in syria. but this is right at the top of military messes for president obama. >> on the ground in iraq, the government fighting back. two more towns fell overnight to the rebels. the fighters have taken two towns. this as shiite leaders rally

volunteers to combat the militants. but some people prefer the rebels over the government. hundreds of civilians have been killed in summary executions. imran khan reports from bagdad. >> reporter: in the holy city, a call to arms, through his spokesmen, the influential shiite clairite in iraq, he says the people must act. >> translator: i call on iraqis capable of calling arms and fighting the terrorists. should volunteer to join the security forces to achieve this sacred goal. >> reporter: an act they have. young men flocked to the recruitment center to join the iraqi army. >> translator: we have volunteered to defeat the criminal fighters who harbor malice towards our country. god willing, we will fight them. >> reporter: this is what

they'll find. confident fighters who have held a military parade in the city. isol fighters have issued a statement encouraging people to become more religious. they want women to cover up and people to go to the mosque five times away. and to any soldier who wants to return they are welcome as long as they repebt. they have encouraged people to open up their businesses and shop, they are getting the roads repaired. some have begun to return because they haven't found shelter in the kurdish region of iraq where about half a million people have gone and need help. >> translator: my god the situation is terrible. our normal life has been destroyed. our fate remains uncertain. we are all turkmen, that's why

we are afraid they would target us. >> reporter: in this province they have taking two towns and are pushing toward a third. if they take the third town the prevince is theirs. only making the crisis in iraq worse. imran khan, al jazeera, bagdad. for the latest information head to our website, aljazeera.com. there you will be detailed information on those battling for control of the country. two weeks after he was freed from the taliban, army sar genth birddahl has arrived in the united states. lisa has more on the homecoming. why was he taken to this particular facility in texas. >> reporter: this is a huge

hospital for the army and they have the teams to deal with what he is going through. this reintegration. a hospital spokesmen told me that bergdahl's care will be very specializes. what he is going through there will help him get a sense of control back. it's as simple of giving him a menu and letting him choose his lunch items. it sounds really simple b but he had been held captive for nearly five years. and they have to get him out of the mentality of being a prisoner. >> lisa, do we know when he may be allowed to see his family? >> we don't at this point. we do know that a family reunification meeting is

expected at some point at the hospital, but the family today indicated they won't be saying when that is, as well. a spokesman issued a statement saying . . . so there will be a reunion at some point. we do not know when. >> what is next for him, legally speaking. obviously there has been a lot of talk and expectation of an investigation as to why he walked off of his post in the fist place. >> the investigation has not started in the sense of asking bergdoll that. i was told they are just concerned about his well-being and care. this is not an investigation right now. it's still reintegration. but that will take place. there will be a full and complete investigation, and of course that will include talking

to sergeant bergdahl. >> thank you. after almost five years as a prisoner, the army could owe the sergeant as much as $300,000 in salary, and could receive another $300,000 in prisoner of war pay. general motors is recalling over half a million chevrolet camaros. it's due to a ignition switch defect linked to deaths. they don't seem to be able to get away from this recall issue. >> these air bags could fail to deploy if the ignition switch in the vehicle is not out of the run position. so far the defect is being linked to a number of accidents

in which some people have gotten hurt. there are some similarities to this recall, when you compare it to the recall that was launched back in february. so far over 16 million vehicles worldwide, general motors vehicles have been recalled. that is a record. the ceo is expected to return to capitol hill for more questioning about this initial recall, and she'll be joined by the attorney who lead the investigation into this matter. >> you mentioned some of these earlier recalls with the ignition switches of these vehicles. are they related? are there stark differences in these recalls? >> they are noticing -- they are not putting them together. they are saying they are separate incidents, but they do have some same -- similarities.

if the ignition switch is not out of the run position, it could effect the air bags in that they won't deploy. so there are some similarities here. i think the biggest issue is that people have lost their lives in connection with this defect. so i think at this point, the auto maker isn't taking any chances. i think when there is a red flag that goes up, unlike before, now it will not be ignored. >> gm says there are only three crashes related to this deflect. and a lot of times makers wouldn't make a recall for just three deaths. but is gm now being overly cautious because of everything that happened recently? >> i think they are, michael. last week, the ceo made clear that the general motors of today is different than tomorrow, but these are newer model camaros,

so there is something that is not quite right in the system. but their priority now is really safety. so if something comes up, they are not going to ignore it. they talked about before, general motors had a corporate culture of dysfunction. and now they will address an issue and someone will be held accountable. >> bisi onile-ere. thank you. coming up on al jazeera america, how afghanistan is preparing for runoff presidential elections. and vietnam and china take their dispute over the south china sea to the united nations.

>> now inroducing, the new al jazeea america mobile news app.

get our exclusive in depth, reporting when you want it. a global perspective wherever you are. the major headlines in context. mashable says... you'll never miss the latest news >> they will continue looking for suvivors... >> the potential for energy production is huge... >> no noise, no clutter, just real reporting. the new al jazeera america mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. download it now >> tight security is in place across afghanistan. normer prime minister is

expected to defeat his competitor. this comes after the taliban issued a new statement warning voters to stay away there the poles. china and vietnam are taking their maritime dispute to the united nations. the latest standing is over an oil rig. both sides are accusing the other offing aggression. rob mcbride reports. >> reporter: we're on patrol in the area hotly contested between vietnam and china. a dispute that has been inflamed with the introduction of an chinese oil rig just over a month ago. it had lead to confrontation between both sides. with us are other else haves from the vietnamese coast guard.

they are expected to come into contact with chinese vessels. there is documentary evidence, videos from hand phones of rammings, and for their part, the chinese claim they have been rammed countless times by vietnam's vessels. there is lots of shipping in this area, as both sides try to assert their territorial claims here. in ireland reports of mass graves filled with children's bodies has prompted an investigation of the government. they lived in many of the mother and baby homes once run by the catholic church. >> reporter: ireland's history is being dug up once again. john rogers was born her when

this was a mother and baby home run by nuns. he remembers a childhood of loneliness and illness. >> i remember being in bed for weeks and month. i can't recall how long it was, but i was a comatic state on that bed for a long time. >> with what? >> i don't know. it could be tb, measles, a number of things. >> so you could have died. >> yes. >> the nuns had taken him away from his mother, which was their usual practice. all she was left with was a lock of his hair, before she was sent off to work unpaid in one of the laundries. and american visitors showed up, looking to buy a body. if he was able-bodied they went for a nine year old or something like that.

if it was a weak thing like me, you remained there. hence nobody took me out when i was 3 or 4. >> if the good children had a value, the weak ones didn't. this is one of the places where it is feared that hundreds of those children who died of themmings like malnutrition, measles, or other diseases might have been buried. all of the headlines have focused on whether or not there could be perhaps 800 young children buried in the grounds here. but none of that addresses the much larger crisis that threatens the catholic establishment in ireland, which is it stands accused throughout the 20th century of being involved in child trafficking. >> we do not thing this is enough to pay for an infant a picture of what they actually

represented is only now becoming clear, thanks to historians who have unearthed extraordinary evidence of the care-freeway in which the church did all of this. >> it seems they were very happy to support this. this was their policy. it's hard to separate who is who. because there seems to be a total overlap between church and state at this time. the state here took years to acknowledge the situation, and to which no compensation has yet been paid to the women. >> i think this is a crunch point. a point of no return. and i think certainly when we look at the church's involvement in our entire school system, both primary and secondary, you know, there is a will out there, and a call, now -- for that separation to take place. ♪ >> for complainers then.

the aim is the final separation of church and state. in services like education and health care, and the deaths of perhaps thousands of children don't change things, it's hard to say what will. >> thousands of migrant workers are leaving thailand. reports that the military is cracking down on migrants entering the country illegally. most of the illegal workers come from cambodia and myanmar. chasing their dreams of stardom, on an undergrounds stage. the selective process of choosing the people entertaining the masses on new york city subways. and fans celebrate a soccer hero in japan. ♪

welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm michael eaves. here are today's headlines at

that hour. president obama said the u.s. will not send troops back to iraq. this as the sectarian violence worsens on the ground. two more towns fell to rebels overnight. hundreds of civilians have been killed in summary executions. >> bo bergdoll has returned to the itself. he arrived in san antonio you, texas. the new york city subway is used by millions each year. and as stephanie sy explains, many artists get their start underground. ♪ >> reporter: it's the toughest gig in show business, vying for attention and tips, competing with the ka coughny of screeching new york city subway

trains. one can perform, but there's no guarantee the police won't shut the acts down. the mta holds auditions ever year. aspiring stars hoping to nab one of 30 coveted subway spots. >> the musicians are here because of the quality performance. >> reporter: and as you would expect, the competition is intense. the acts as diverse as the city itself. >> the money isn't the reason to do it. it's to connect to the new york [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: others more about pragmatic self interest. >> you can get a lot of, you know, exposure here. you are always like looking to get discovered. ♪ >> reporter: fame motivated adam evans who goes by the name of verbal laze, to quit his job and

pursue fame. he has also found success above ground. >> i want to be on tv and show the world what i can do as an artist. >> reporter: and among the dreamers, someone occasionally makes it big. ♪ well now go, walk out the door, just turn around now, you're not welcome anymore ♪ >> reporter: alice began singing underground almost 25 years ago. a board of education employee by day, a subway performer by night. >> what i made in the subway was way more than what i made on my job. >> reporter: she enjoyed a big fan base. belting out tunes and getting others to join in. >> when i would go to the people in the audience, and let them

sing -- oh, that just made their day. >> reporter: at 61, she says it is not too late to break into the music business. these days she is recording an album and touring the world. >> i'm not looking for overnight sensation or none of that. i'm looking here to just be here and inspire people to -- to never give up. ♪ >> reporter: it has been a long journey from subway to stage, and alice is getting ready to deliver her magnum opus. ♪ >> reporter: stephanie sy, al jazeera, new york. ♪

i'm dave warren. not a bad day to check out. stay inside across the northeast. we have a steady area of rain that just came through parts of the mid-atlantic. but showers and strong storms developing behind this area of rain. this will lead to more flooding. strong storms here with very heavy rain on saturated ground will lead to flash flooding. but more lines developing in western pennsylvania. pulling it back here, and look at what we have developing. flash flood watches. this has been issued around washington, baltimore, philadelphia, and new york. this is a flash flood warning. meaning the flooding can happen quickly in poor drainage areas. temperatures are climbing, into the 80s in philadelphia. d.c. at 81. very muggy air is in place thanks to this storm which has pulled up a lot of moisture from

the south. rotating around counter clockwise. that will be clearing out in the next 24 hours. high-pressure building in, so a nice start to the weekend. it's drying out, and the rain clears out. on the western side of the high, we have another storm developing. and the northern plains just south and east, there is a moderate risk for severe storms. thunderstorms and certainly a higher risk that they will become severe in this area. michael. >> dave, thank you. thousands of miles away from brazil, soccer fans celebrate one of japan's national here rose. he bares great similarity to a soccer star, but he is a fictional cartoon strip player. fans of the comic series includes several players.

the exhibition will run until july 6th. it contains drawings and films, and some done specifically for the world cup. thanks for watching this edition of al jazeera america. i'm michael eaves. "techknow" is coming up next. we will explore the intersection of hardware and humanity. we are doing it in a unique way. this is a show about science by scientists. let's check out our team of hardcore nerds. march he's a davison specializes in ecology and evolution. tonight t a box down on the farm. the technology is here. are bots taking over? care a santiago a maria is a science journal wifts a background in neuro biology. tonight, cara meets her avatar as we learn about the movie magic