a powerful force in u.s. politics. the conversation conditions tonne twitter, google+, facebook. see you next time. welcome to al jazerra america, i am del walters, these are the stories that we are following for you. u.s. sending troops to beef up security at the american embassy in baghdad. talking to iran now about the situation in iraq. plus a rare double tou tornado hitting nebraska killing two people. and g.m. reeling from yet another recall just one day before its ceo is set to go before congress. ♪ ♪

with the situation in iraq getting worse, president obama now sending more than 200 u.s. troops to that country. diplomats from the u.s. and iran now trying to find a way to diffuse the crisis. it comes as more iraqi cities are now under the control of the sunni rebel group isil. falling to the group on monday, isil controlling other key cities including tamara and ca crete. celis there any indication thate will see a con cleat plan. >> reporter: for several days president obama and his administration have been outlining their primary goal which is to break the mo minimum of the isil insurgency through eye rag and to the outskirts of baghdad. and then the goal to allow there to be time for prime minister nouri al-maliki and his team to

work more cooperative to try to come together with cured kurds d sunnies so that they can share power. u.s. par ships are already in the gulf as president obama considers his options. as rebel forces continue their advance on territory around baghdad, the american embassy will be secured first. on monday, the president motorcycle identified congress that 275 soldiers were being deployed to protect u.s. personnel in the sprawling embassy and other diplomatic facilities. another 100 troops will be in a nearby country on stand by if needed. the move comes after sunni fight presser the islamic state in eye lack and the levant captured yet another city. that loss compounded by eye video claim to go so captured iraqi soldiers force to swear allegiance to isil which then executed one of the soldiers. that image and others like this one showing iraqi soldiers being marched to their deaths over the

weekend was yet another sharp reminder of why iraq's leader nouri al-maliki is asking for u.s. milwaukee terry help. >> when you are people murdering, a assassinating in massachusetts kr-rz you have to do what we can to stop it from the error otherwise. >> reporter: but president obama signs off on ire strikes he was the shi'ite government to be mere inclusive even. >> hillary clinton says it will be difficult since mall can i is part of the problem. >> i talked to some of the them they were the no crazy to live under a shi'ite dominated regime but they were willing to work with maliki if he were willing to meet them halfway but they never did. >> reporter: the president met with his national security team to go over military options

which include sending special force to his train iraqi soldiers against the powerful enemy. the crisis may have sparked an alignment against old foes. iraq and they have talked about thousand stop anymore isil gains. >> we are opening to instruction fist there is something constructive that can be contributed by iran. >> reporter: the white house stress that his cooperate nation with iran over the iraqi crisis does not mean cooperation on military matters. del. >> and hand randle, we are now hearing reports that the u.s. and iran are set to discuss the conflict in vienna soon, what can you tell us about those meetings? >> reporter: those talks are already underway, the first happened monday night in vienna. the u.s. is looking to iran for assistance in political matters. political assistance not military toy convince iraqi leader al-maliki that it is in his best interest to reach out to his political foes,

especially the sunnies. u.s. believes that a unity government is the only way to prevent an all-out collapse of iraq and a sectarian war which would create an oil-rich breeding ground for al qaeda. >> randle pin pinkston live in washington. meanwhile, isil making gains now seizing more territory across iraq. their goal to create a so-called islamic state in that region. imran kahn has more from baghdad. >> reporter: sunni rebels continues their advance in parts of the country. in the main city fierce clashes between islamic state and iraq and the levant fighters and shia militias, now there is some confusing information coming out of there was an incident where 63 prisoners were killed when there was an attack against a prison there. the government saying it was isil fighters. however, other sources are saying that it was the shia militias.

also more diplomatic and political moves here in the capital baghdad. the iranians have they want a kesent in a keygeneral to advisn what options they may have militarily. lots going on but very little from the iraqi military. so far no big military push in to the territories. the sunni rebels control. >> imran kahn for us in baghdad. there is also the thorny issue of cost. the last time the u.s. got involved in iraq it was costly, both in terms of human life and the u.s. economy. al jazerra's mary snow takes a bottom look at the line of battle. >> reporter: when the u.s. first sent troops for afghanistan in 2001, declared a war on terrorism and invaded iraq in 2003, it expected its mission and cost of the iraqi war to be limited. the prediction was way off. the bush administration projected in 2003 that the iraq war would cost between 50 and

$60 billion. more than a decade later, congress has appropriated $1.5 trillion for operations in iraq and afghanistan. and defense spending has increased. in 2001, military expenditures made up 3% of u.s. gdp. it got as high as 4.8% before receding threat .8% where it stands now. some economists say the costs are even higher. one report from brown university's cost of war project puts the troop cost of the war in iraq and afghanistan between four and $6 trillion. along with military operation that his includes medical and disability costs for veterans, social costs for their families, incorrect cost to the defense apartment and interest paid on the money borrowed to fight these wars. in the end, critics are asking what did all that money buy? >> well, it seems to have bought us trouble in the united states and certainly brought the people

of iraq a very different kind of country. a one that's really quite fallen apart in comparison with the situation however unpleasant it was in thousand three befor in . >> reporter: it's likely the u.s. will continue paying. mamary snow, al jazerra. tonight we will have a half hour special on the crisis in iraq. iraq, chaos and collapse, that is tonight at 8:30 eastern time, right here on al jazerra america. a state of emergency in effect in nebraska at this hour. those twin tornadoes striking the northeastern part of the state yesterday, leaving two people dead. half of the small counsel has been leveled. al jazerra's erica has our story. >> it was devastating. i mean, there is nothing. nothing. clothes on his bag. >> reporter: residents are still reeling after not one, but two tornadoes. >> oh, gosh. >> reporter: tore through

northeast nebraska. >> huge. there was two of them, one back over here and one coming right at us. >> reporter: churning side by side the double twisters ripped apart more than half of the small farmal community of pilger. one man described the fran sick search for his friend. >> we thought he was gone, yep yelling and pulled the bricks off and drug him out. >> reporter: emergency responders are still searching for people are or animals trapped under the degree. a town of barely 400 people, nearly two doe dozen injured ana five-year-old dead -- a two-year-old dead. >> it's unbelievable a believe. you are in a state of shock, you can't believe it could be gone so fast. and the situation there is not over yet. fascinating to watch the twin

tornadoes. >> meteorologist: it doesn't happen very often. the weather service will go back through today and look at the data and determine how strong they were, what was a little unusual as you see the video, it looked like they were at a time equal strength usually one is stronger and steals the intensity from the other. so as soon as we hear what that intensity specifically was we'll get that back to you. this goes back about 12 hours. doesn't capture the entire event but there was a corridor from nebraska along the minnesota, iowa borders all those strong cells moved around. 30 reports of tornadoes or over too. that's something else they will do is look and see if they were duplicates or and exactly how strong they were as they moved across the region, they have a boundary across the country. this is a firing line again for us today. and we are looking at some of the same places not as much expected, but, of course, certainly if you were dealing with this yesterday, you don want to see any sort of a risk today. so hopefully it's a better day

out there. >> nicole, thank you very much. g.m.'s new ceo is going to be back in the hot seat on wednesday, mary barr going back to capital heal to face kofpblgt likely facing tough questions after g.m. just announce the another round of recalls, on monday they are said they are pulling 3 million cars off the road because of fault i ignition switches. in detroit, more bad news for her, who just took over the company. >> reporter: yeah, del. she's definitely had a rocky start as you missioned gmc eo mary will return and likely unlike before, she'll likely have more answers as to why the auto maker didn't act soon forget those vehicles off the road. also testifying is the attorney who led the internal investigation, members of congress will also hear from h

him. his report showed -- it was release ahead i identify weeks ago and showed that some employees within general motors who knew about the defect with the ignition switches for over a decade but did nothing about it. i want to you to take a look at some of the most recent figures that we have. right now more than 20 million g.m. vehicles have been recalled so far this year. the company surpassed its old record high which was in 2004. and involved over 10 million vehicles. as for sales, g.m. has sold over 15 million cars and trucks this year. the automaker took a $1.3 billion charge in the first quarter. and that number is expected to rise. del. >> and what do we know about the latest round of recalls, these new cars? >> reporter: well, the latest round has to deal with the ignition switches again. if this ignition switch is knocked in -- out of the run position it could prevent the air bags and other features from

operating. and this is something that's been linked to 13 deaths in multiple crashes. i want to show you which vehicles are involved in the latest recall campaign by general motors, buick lacrosse, chevy immaterial pal a cadillac deville. cadillac dts. buick los angeles certain, the buick regularral ls and gs and chevy monte carlo. what's interesting in the previous recalls most of these vehicles have been pretty old. you can see that a lot of these vehicles are newer generation vehicles. g.m. has only fixed about 7% of the vehicles, so they still have a long ways to go and i just learned a short time ago that the automaker is expected to start processes victims claims by august. del. >> from a rather windy detroit today. thank you very much. coming up on al jazerra america.

our series on gun control takes you around the world, we are going to go to a european country where owning a gun has become a national past time. and it has been called the venice of africa, we are going to senegal where a coastal gem is being threatened by the rising sea levels.

and 10 people on the streets what they think about guns and you'll probably get 10 different answers. but what about people in other parts of the world. dana is in switzerland with the first part of our series guns around the world. >> reporter: 40 minutes outside of zurich guns are zipped in sports bags or casually slung over shoulders and carried off like baseball bats to batting practice. steven is here three days a week squeezing the trigger on targets. in switzerland, they say gun play is a national addiction. only america, yemen and serbia

have more guns per capita. >> you have to shoot and concentration and breathe right. >> reporter: over the years, swiss officials have lost track of how many guns are in private hands here. but it'ses estimated there are o to 3 million guns. with low levels of street cream that's makes switzerland the model of gun countries without the hair trigger that many say exist in america. like many men here at 20 stephen dishis army military service and he was issued an assault rifle whewhich the army gives to serve members when they are finished. at the foot of his bed in hey flimsy antique wardrobe it's a part of his collision of a dozen different rifles. he spends every saturday morning with his wife and kids and then

religiously he's off to the local range to shoot a few rounds. gun ownership is rooted in history here n the splits alps above lake luzerne, herman is a member of the pro gun lobby. he led us inside what was once a hidden army fortress designed to resist a possible german army invasion in world war ii. he tells me the swiss can remain neutral with little fear of invasion precisely because there are so many guns in twit guns i. >> the father, gran grandfathere a gun and people are used that there is a gun this the house and they know exactly what the danger is. >> reporter: but it turns out switzerland is really not the global model for gun safety many believe it is. in 2001, a man used his army-issued rifle to assault a state government meeting, killing 14 before he killed himself. over the last decade, martin has studied guns and crime here.

while street crimes and robberies using guns are very rare, he says guns are involved in 90% the domestic murders and suicides. >> they are used for killing relatives, wives, children. and usually these events preceding suicide. >> reporter: in recent years the government has tightened restrictions, handguns are more difficult to acquire. and it's virtual impossible to get a permit to carry a handgun of but rifles can be bought with anis i.d. and criminal check. what's the key difference between gun use here and gun use in the u.s. steven's opinion, it's psychological. it's all about keeping a gun for national defense versus percentage protection in america. and in peace time, train to go shoot targets not people. dana lewis, al jazerra in switzerland. and our special series guns around the world continues tomorrow. tomorrow we will take you to israel.

in kenya 15 peel are dead following another attack from al-shabab not far from sunday's attack that killed fourth eight people. many of those victims were watching the world cup. al-shabab says ace seeking revenge because of troops on the ground a nba kenya. this is the worst attack since the siege of the mall in west september. a u.n. committee meeting in qatar. discussing way to his protect some of the world's most threatened sites one of the city of senegal literally disappearing due to the rising sea levels there. nicholas hawk met with some of those affected on the islands also known as the venice of africa. >> reporter: dreading what the ocean will take away from them next. it's already submerged an entire neighborhood. 700 concrete buildings including his home were washed way by the rising ocean. >> translator: here was my kitchen. there my bedroom and bathroom. it's all gone.

>> reporter: when the tied tide is out the neighborhood offensee reappears, still stands but for how long? the atlantic ocean swallows almost 20 meters of land every year, it's almost time before this too is worked away. >> translator: all of theville gentlemenof thevillagers have l. >> reporter: once france's old capital, it's now senegal's second largest city. barely a meter above sea level. >> translator: it is in danger. the drainage system in insufficient so during the raining system it's flooded 700 household immediately displaced. >> reporter: in 2003, the authorities dug a small canal in one of the islands thinking it would help clear flooded waters from the city center. but the four meters wide canal has expanded rapidly, only making things worse. this stretch of sound acts as a natural environment protecting

the city from the atlantic ocean but e it's now dez peering oat ocean is moving forward threatening the old colonial town. the old town is a major tourist destination. but the ocean's waters are seeping in damaging these old structures and changing the natural ekey system. >> the world heritage committee is very much preoccupied by the state of cons advantages and the decline of the you are spanish you of st. louis. >> reporter: yet little has been done to protection the problem. only 77 homes have been built to locate the dislocated people. some are on the move add to this global number of prime at refugees across the world looking for a safe place to look. nicholas hawk, al jazerra, senegal 123-4678 and coming up on al jazerra america, a stamp collector's dream, a single stamp worth more than hundreds of millions of dollars. dollars.

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welcome back to al jazerra america i am del walters, these are your headlines at this hour. president obama sending more than 200 u.s. troops to iraq, meanwhile diplomats from america and iran now trying for find a way to diffuse the crisis. it comes as isil tries to take key iraqi cities. more tough questions expected to gmc eo mary barra. the automaker saying monday it's pulling more than 3 million cars off the road this time due to ignition switch problems, on top of the 2.6 million cars recalled in february for the same problem. two people killed and 19 injured when twin tornadoes tore through the northeastern member town yesterday. up to three-quarters of the small town has destroyed. and nicole mitchell joins us now and we are in that season and they are bracing all around the

midwest. >> meteorologist: yes, as we go from spring more than to the zone plains busouthern plains bk tends to switch north. the risk is more northerly in to the united states. you have to watch everywhere, but this is what we are looking at. the yellows is the elevated slight risk area for the today. the rest of the greens is thunderstorms. but some of this with the frontal boundaries through the area is the same area as yesterday. around the great lakes, spotty in to the northeast but it's this core of the northern midwest and the central plains where we could see some of the moisture once against today. that's also our best chance for areas of heavy rain, iowa in to wisconsin. also want to mention a lot of heat south of that bounce are you contributing. look at the four corners regis how widespread the fire risk is here because of the heat here, places like phoenix 103 degrees. more comfortable north of the boundary at least more comfort my effort nation, billings at 66. but for the east coast, also

dealing with some of this heat, philadelphia this could be our first 90 so far this season. a lot of these temperatures in to the northeast, these are the warmest temperatures we have seen since last year sentish september-ish. >> 90 is is not bad i gotta tell you. thank you very much. nicole. brand-new it costs a penny, hundreds of years later there is only one left. that single 1 cent postage stamp could fetch $20 million at collection. collectors are excited about the possibility of a new generation of stamp collectors that could be springing up. kristen has more. >> reporter: it's an historic building dedicated to what could be considered an old-fashioned hobby. after more than 100 years in existence the new york collector's club still attracts young stamp leathers like 14-year-old truth mueller. he says sifting through sheets of old stamps in the club's

archives have ar has exposed hiw people and places. >> i think the stamps as little tiny time travel devices. but really it's such history contained in these little items. >> so we have the membership application. >> reporter: interest in stamp collecting isn't quite what it used to be back when president franklin roosevelt was a member here. but the club still manage to his draw a crowd for monthly lectures. president ed says things have changed because of the internet. >> as a child growing up in new york my family couldn't afford to travel so i traveled by stamps. and i got my first views of the world through stamps. today you go on the web and you can get magnificent views of the world and find out almost anything. >> reporter: the web is also increasingly where stamps are bought and sold. back in the 1930s, there were literally hundreds of stamp dealers on nassau street here in

lower manhattan. now there is just one retail store front in the entire city. there is hope that an upcoming auction will generate interest for a new generation of collectors. sotherby's is preparing to sell what's white widely considered the most valuable stamp of the it was discovered back in 1873. setting a new record every time it's been sold since. >> and i think for young stamp collectors, all over the world, and for me when i was a child, the idea that a 12-year-old could discover the rarest stamp in the world, one of the most valuable single stamp, one of the most valuable objects in the world always excited us. we thought maybe we could do it too. >> reporter: truth admits he's fascinated by the stamp, even if he can't afford it. kristen, al jazerra, new york. and we want to thank you for watching al jazerra america.

i am del walters in new york. "inside story" is next. reminder that you can check us out 24 hours a day just by going to our website aljazerra.com. where the news continue 24 hours a day, seven days a week. ♪ ♪ >> the battle lines are becoming clearer in iraq. and an army of sunni radicals are head east to baghdad where sunni fighters are preparing for a fight. and meanwhile, the u.s. is wondering if it's time to talk to a new player in iraq. iran. it's "inside story."