>> more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in nigeria two months. what is being done now. . >> hello, and welcome to aljazeera america. i'm del walters and these are the stories we're following for you. a tug of war over iraq's largest oil refinery, and the white house says that he's a real american hero, for his sacrifice in afghanistan. >> we're so much worse than any other developed country. >> we look at going ownership around the world, this time focusing on the united states.

we begin in washington where the white house just announced that president obama will make a statement on iraq at 12:30 p.m. eastern time. and we'll bring you that event live when it happens. the statement coming as the white house waits for military intervention in iraq, there the battle goes on with the largest oil refinery. the sunni rebels say that they hold the surrounding areas. most of the fuel used in iraq. >> reporter: government forces are in full control of the country's biggest refinery in the town of beigy in baghdad. in the town, also the fighters withdrew from the refinery.

the refinery remains shut and there's a severe shortage of fuel and cooking oil. further north in the town, the government says they are in areas, however, the rebel sources there deny those reports. and they say they are in full control of the town, which lies in the northwestern part of iraq. in another development, prime minister maliki has offered to pay over $500 a month for volunteers to join the iraqi army. >> and president obama is said to make a statement on iraq at 12:30 eastern time. tracking the day's developments in the nation's capital, randall, are you hearing anything when what the president is expected to say? >> we don't have any specific details. we of course are very eager to hear what he has to say. and this will be the president's

first specific message, on friday, on the south lawn before the west coast trip. and of course he has been keeping close tabs opt situation there with his national security team. he will meet with his national security team and then make the statement to reporters at the white house. one of the questions of course that everyone is looking at exactly what the president will do. they have calls for the use of air forces and airstrikes against the insurgents, who have taken huge swath of iraq. but that's not likely to solve anything, and many planners are concerned about what actions should be taken. for example, what will be the target? what will be the objective? will it lead to the kind of political solution that they have been talking about? and of course, how do you identify that you're hitting the

right target if you don't have someone on the ground to spot for you? you can use surveillance, but what they would really prefer would be human beings on the ground. but so far no announcements, and maybe the president will have something to say about that. >> and randall, if there's something to say, dislike for maliki. they have to step aside. and his actions through the years, the sunnis, many of whom are now in alliance with the insurgents. in an interview with nbc, secretary of state john kerry made it clear that the administration is concerned about helping iraq, and not keeping maliki in power. >> what the united states is doing is about iraq, and not

about maliki, and it's not focused on prime minister maliki, but focused on the people of iraq. >> on the floor of the senate, they continued to blame the obama administration, specifically the president's decision to withdraw the american troops three years ago, saying that he didn't fight hard enough for a deal with maliki to keep him in iraq. >> he's going nowhere,. well, the fighting in iraq has thousands of residents looking for safe haven. among those who got out of mosul were a group of christians. more on those fleeing the fighting. >> mosul is in the hands of sunni rebels. they are christians, one of the most ancient communities in iraq, and they feel vulnerable and abandoned. >> we received incorrect

messages from the people occupying mosul that he they want nothing to do with us and we do not know what will happen next. we do not know. the syrian example does not promise anything good. >> we prefer to remain anonymous. the town is in the so-called disputed territories, part of the province. and services and basics, what happens there. like in mosul, water and electricity were cut off a few days ago. the only water available is salty and undrinkable. and during these hot summer days, temperatures are hot. >> where is maliki? where is the world? we don't want to live here anymore. every day we have to change location. >> since the sunni rebellion began over a week ago, the people are on their own. here too the army pulled out.

they are from this area, the presence of the sunni rebels just a few kilometers away from here. all of the ethnicities, they have traveled the border between the kurdish region and iraq. it's 1,000 meters long, and they left ahead of the u.s. pullout in 2010. >> the iraqi army is only present in the last 50 kilometers on the iranian border. the sunni rebels have taken their position along the line. >> the militia a few years ago, an armed forcing that worked alongside of the security forces to protect the churches. >> we know everyone here. 100 people. we are 1500 strong, and we have to protect our homes. >> but the men admit they could

not fend off any outside attack. which explains why half of the community has already fled. >> taliban suicide bombers are attacking a nato outpost in afghanistan today. dozens of trucks destroyed. the attack happened near a compound near the pakistani border. trucks were destroyed in the explosions that followed. they and pakistan, people are leaving their homes trying to avoid a military campaign there. the army is targeting anti-government fighters. more from the province where many display placed are now heading. >> he left on foot, and bombs kept falling. these are thousands of the residents trying to reach safety. pakistan's military said if they continue the operation until the

last fighter is flushed out. children have sought refuge in the school. he is worried about those who are left behind. >> there's no food, the government didn't make any plans. we have been suffering for months. our houses are being bombed and innocent people are dying, and we have nothing. >> almost everyone had the same sentiments, and some have come through after going through multiple checkpoints and searches. the disaster management and prevention disaster management authority say they're mega arrangements for those being displaced. as many as 30,000 have left. what it means, we cannotter in uzbekistan, but people are being allowed to leave. hundreds of trucks were allowed to go in to get those stuck inside, and those who came out said that they will provide

every destitute family $70 a month, as many have sought shelter with relatives. but they are made homeless. >> this is cruel and unjust. i'm an elder of the area. if we wanted to target foreign fighters, we would have gone with them, and they should have come to us before sending jets top bomb us. >> the media has not been given access to the area when the operation is being carried out and those coming out say that thousands cannot afford transport, including the wounded, are being trapped by the army. the north border. >> and later today, president obama will award an afghan veteran, william carpenter, with the nation's highest military honor. he will receive a medal of honor for his bravery in afghanistan. carpenter lost an eye and most of his jaw shielding his fellow

shoulderrers from a grenade blast in 2010, he will be one of the eight to receive that award. we will bring it to you at 2 p.m. eastern time. house republicans voting for a new house majority leader today. eric cantor stepped down after losing the primary in virginia. and who is lining up? >> reporter: after the shocking loss of eric cantor, this being the house of representatives, any number of ambitious people are stepping up, it's what they represent and the future of the republican party, and the ongoing tension and conflict, with established republicans and the tea party and today it looks like the establishment is going to come out on top, not withstanding that eric cantor lost to a tea party candidate west of

richmond. kenneth mccartney, he's the number three officer in the house of representatives. he is accepted. he's being challenged by rob lack dor from idaho. and mccartney will be a shoe-in at this point. but mccartney's leading to be the majority leader, and here we have steve scalise. he's from louisiana, and he's considered the frontrunner, and he's carrying the banner not only for the tea party, but for southerners, who feel as though they're underrepresented in the republican leadership here in cong. running against him, peter roscoe from illinois, and another conservative republican from indiana, who is considered a dark horse here, it could be a runoff, some tension and intrigue around that. and it happens in a closed

election here this afternoon. >> so what does the selection on capitol hill mean for the tea party? >> again, you look at the division within the republican party. and it represents a minority of views from across the country and across the political spectrum. on immigration, prex immigratiod on climate change. and they're trying to edge them away from a hard line stance on some of the issues, particularly with the 2014 election beings, but especially heading into the 2016 presidential election, trying to take some of those issues off of the table because the tea party views are not the view of the overall lectorate. >> mike viqueira on capitol hill today. thank you very much. >> israeli backed forces and palestinians as they try to locate the three missing teenagers. thousands of israelis moving

into the west bank in the last three days, they have made almost 300 arrests, and most of those being deigned are affiliated with hamas, they believe it's the group that carried out the abductions if. >> and police in al bane carrying out a major coup. >> the smoke rising over the little village in southern albania clouds marijuana, destroyed by its manufacturers as the police moved in. after years and years of this placing with the authorities, it's being held as an example of how albania and it's lawless reputation may be turning a corner. the entire village has been taken over by drug lords running a massive cannibus operation. they have made perfect points by

which to supply european drug markets. but albania wants to join the european union, and the new socialist government wants to show that it's serious. so the police raid hardly seems coincidental timing. >> this action will continue to go on. the police are working on it. they are fighting against armed militants. this shows not only our will, but also our ability to continue to fight against drug smuggling. >> so big was this operation that it's value has been estimated at half of the total weak that albania produces every year. they are going over similar drug factories in the coming days. >> one of america's most amazing natural wonders is under attack. still ahead, the damage to california's beautiful redwood

forest. and there's more severe weather ahead. our meteorologist, dave warren.

>> an extremely elderly long-term resident in the area was attacked in the night. his assailants mutilated him with a chainsaw. this is the victim of the attack, a towering ancient redwood tree. >> it's probably 700 or 1,000 years old. >> the chainsaw wielding thieves were after these. redwood beryls.

they grow on the side of the trees of. >> beryl is a type of wood. >> each piece can fetch up to $5,000. beryl bandits have gotten dozens of them and they are undiscovered. >> every time we discover one of the big beryl cut sites, it's shocking. >> the road is lined with shops selling scarfs from burl. he says that he never buys illegally cut wood. >> they need to knock it off. it's hurting my business in the long run. >> two burl bandits have been arrested so far. >> we were able to match burls that had been cut from one of our sites to a giftshop. >> one man has been convicted of nfl theft and vandalism and faces jail time. it's a recent phenomenon, but

the first settlers came to the area in the 19th century, and they saw the redwoods not as irreplaceable nature, but as lumber. >> so down they come. some of the world's oldest and tallest trees. >> this educational film celebrated redwood logging in triumphant tones. by the 1960s, 90 perfection of all old growth redwoods were gone. in light of that sad history, today's burl bandits hurt more than trees. >> when you come into a place like this that can be described as cathedral like, and you see this kind of desecration, it hurts the soul. >> this tree, rangers say, will likely survive. they're counting on public awareness to foil future burl burglars. redwood national park,

california. >> we have been tracking the tornadic activity out of the midwest. and things start to improve a little bit. >> a little improvement. not exactly severe weather, so we're watching the potential for that. but in the area of severe weather, a threat for tornadoes is not as high as it has been. the weather is not changing much. north and south dakota, seeing the brunt of the activity yesterday. and all of the severe weather reports coming in from the storm prediction center. and now the radar shows it's quiet. but look at the storms popping up here farther east. this is the area of severe weather today. and the threat is there for the storms to become severe with wind and hail, and also with all of the hail coming down, flash flooding is a problem, and a few warnings where it's occurring. this is the warm sector of the storm here. southeast, the low, this is where you get the sweater and this area has pushed east out of the dakotas yesterday and into

parts of minnesota, iowa, and down to kansas and missouri today. today, all of this activity will slowly begin to push east. and it really looks like it's moving now. not over the same area, and tomorrow, possibly ahead of this cold front to the great lakes, and we'll see more severe weather. reports coming in yesterday from the dakotas, 24 tornado reports, for individual tornadoes, and continuing to look at that yesterday. now the potential is there today. but it's from minnesota down through missouri. just wind and hail, maybe a slight risk for some of the storms. wind and hail will be a primary threat for the storms today as they continue to push east. in the northwest, the temperatures will push over the higher elevations, and you see the radar here, changing color, the presip being picked up by

the radar in the northwest. in the northeast, the area of rain moves out and still a muggy day today, with hot air sil in place. >> and you did say snow? >> a little bit. higher elevations not out of the question this time of year. >> for the first time in four decades, spain has a new king. handling over power in parliament, and the family appeared on the balcony of the royal palace, and the proceedings are described as a stair. the new monarch hopes to make progress with the recession and soaring unemployment. coming up, we'll be right back.

>> welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm del walters in new york, and these are the headlines at this hour. in about an hour, the president is said to make a statement about the growing conflict in iraq, and it comes after the prime minister asked the u.s. for help after the sunni-led

rebellion in the country. the president's remarks are at 12:30 eastern time this afternoon. the house republicans are set to vote for a new majority leader this afternoon after eric cantor steps down in july. bananas are beings threatened by a fungus, already affecting trade in indonesia and mall asia, and scientists in belgium are trying to prevent the disease that could wipe out the entire industry. >> today it's a single variety, it looks good on supermarket shelves, but it's vulnerable to tr4. in the 1950s, a similar disease destroyed the industry, which was also based on a single variety. here at the university in belgium, they're trying to make sure it never happens again. professor swinnen is in charge

of the world banana collection. the 1400 varieties, spotting ones that can resist disease. he has a banana database to guarantee stocks for the future. >> to find ways of resistance, we also -- we are now able to cross bananas and develop new ones. >> the scientists argue that the guiding principle is arriving the world's bananas, and putting the perfectly formed bananas on the supermarket shelves is a bad thing, and it makes the economy dependent on bananas especially vulnerable to disease. it goes to the roots and chokes it. it stays in the soil for 30 years. a surviving example, wiped out during the last outbreak.

the professor said that it won't be as bad this time. some of the bananas are proving resistance, some relying on them, -- >> the business of sustainability is in fact diversity. different trops, and varieties, and if you do that's correct you also are treating the source, which is another role in the cultivation. >> since little known varieties taste better and are more nutritional value, it will be better for us as well. >> by the way, there are about 1,000 different varieties of bananas. and the most popular is the cavendish. it's 345% of those in the world and it's usually the one that you see on the supermarket shelves. >> ilan muss says that he says

he can get people to the red planet in 24 years. the company just unveiled a spacecraft that they hope will carry nasa astronauts to the international space station. and space x already handles cargo deliveries to the is. and a smart phone, a fire phone that has 3-d displays just by tilting the phone, it's linked up directly to amazon's warehouse, which they hope will make the digital purchases easier. >> they gained a lot of market penetration against apple and samsung, and this is something that should potentially help their e-commerce business. >> the fire phone will only be available to at&t customers, and it will be released on july 25th. and a reminder that we continue to get late word from washington where president obama will address what the white

house plans to do about iraq. it begins at 12:30 eastern time. we thank you for watching aljazeera america. i'm del walters in new york, "inside story" is next, and you can check us out 24 hours a day by going to aljazeera.com. . >> the news that millions of old g.m. cars had faulty ignition switch threatens to take the shine over the new general motors and it's new ceo. the news has only gotten worse and the company more successful. that's the inside story.