said a united iraq was stronger, but he said "we are facing a new reality, adding that it's difficult to imagine the new iraq staying together. what does that mean. are kurdistan and the u.s. on separate payments?

>> well, kurdistan prides itself on having been america's most reliable ali in iraq. really the only american ally in iraq. so when the secretary of state comes to kurdize tap, the kurdistan government, particularly the president has to work hard to find common ground. i think they had a good discussion about forming a unity government to deal with the crisis, but the situation that had existed on 1 june is dramatically different, as the president observed. kurdistan has a boarder of 1,050km with i.s.i.s. right now. and just 15km with the government of iraq. its neighbours is a terrorist entity. the iraqi army dissolved that there's no prospect of

reconstituting it. for that reason, he believes that the country has dissolved and the next step is for kurdistan to move to give the people of kurdistan a choice in a referendum for ipp dependence. >> you bring up the border with i.s.i.l., which is more than 1,000km. that's pretty much the distance between new york and detroit. can the curd - if they did decide to go independent. how easy would it be for them to hold off the terrorists, when they have an enormous bodder. >> the kurdish peshmerga, they have their own military. these are disciplined fighters. they have - they have not retreated in the face of attack from the terrorists. there have been clashes. they held their ground. i think the general consensus is that they are more superior military force.

the problem that they have is that i.s.i.s. is now armed with american military equipment. i learnt the same thing that i.s.i.s. has 1,500 armed american humvees. they have tanks, american tanks. the peshmerga don't have that kind of weaponry. the request they make is access to the same american weapons that the terrorists have. >> going back to talk about independence, is this the moment that the kurd waited for. they control kirkuk, the historic capital. the oil-rich city, the company. everywhere else is fracturing, and this is the only part of iraq that seems secure. is there much incentive to stay within the baghdad government. there are 5 million people. now they have oil. wouldn't it be better for them to be on their own? >> every kurd wants on

independent kurdistan. i never met one that wanted to be part of iraq as their first choice. there were three things that kept them becoming independent. one was disputed territories. they have that. that item is off the agenda. the second is financial. having taken kirkuk, they have the oil resources necessary. and the third factor was international recognition. turkey, who is by far and away the most important country for kurdistan said the spokesman for the ruling party says that they'll support the kurds, and i think generally while united states might not like kurdistan to be independent, there's a great deal of understanding in the congression and administration as to why they'd take the step.

i think the path is clear to independence, and i think people in kurdistan see it that way. people say independs is risky. staying in iraq... >> yes. >> a country dominated by terrorists or shiites. people who want to dominate, make iraq a shiite state - that is risky. >> quick final question. you think iraq will split up? >> it has split up. i think that was the president's point. it has split up. at some point the political structure, the legal structures will catch up with what is on the ground. >> good to have you on the show. appreciate your time. >> good to be talking about you. >> the u.s. sent military advisors to iraq to help the baghdad government deal with the crisis. for more, and what should happen militarily, i'm joined from little rock arkansas by general

wesley clark. general, good to see you. the first american military advisors arrived in iraq. president obama said he's sending as many as 300 advisor enough. >> i think the united states is doing the right thing. we don't want a lot of ground troops, or any, in iraq. until there are targets and we know what is going on, there's not much we can do with air power or unmanned vehicles. third, this is not a military problem, it's political. 300 special forces troops on the ground - it sends the right message, telling iran that we are a relevant power in the region, we are a big dog, and iran better appreciate it, and then it says to the shia and president nouri al-maliki, that the united states has the capacity to help if you have the

will to bring the iraqi people back together again. >> so you bring up is bump of issues in the answer. i'll start with one - do you agree with secretary of state john kerry, who said on tuesday that it would be a complete and total act of irresponsibility to use air force and air strikes immediately right now. aggressive. >> i don't think the targetting is there for it to make sense, and i don't think the air strikes make sense until you fix the political leadership at the top - either new leadership, or demonstrable and credible change of attitude and performance. >> on the other hand, have we waited too long to be in position to take that action and let i.s.i.l. take control of pretty much the whole north-western part of iraq? >> it was moving so fast, you know, in north-west iraq, day by day that unless you had troops

on the ground and provided close air support. you would be behind in targetting efforts. so, no, i don't think we waited too long. this is a strategic moment. >> on the other hand you spoke out and compared the situation in iraq to what happened in rwanda during the clinton administration, that we didn't move too quickly, and, of course, that was one of the greatest humanitarian crisis of modern times. >> it's true. it was a humanitarian crisis that was almost without an opposing force. in this case you had the collapse of an army that re had resourced, led by a government that - although i don't know nouri al-maliki personally, i had been to iraq, i had sensed it, and there's a lot of arrogance in the government. and there was a disinclination to take u.s. advice. so it wasn't possible to go in

there and be the lone ranger the first day that something happened with i.s.i.s. he had to come to the realise agency that he needed help on a strategic level, not just a couple of airplanes, but he had to fundamentally revamp his approach to leadership. not sure that he's done that. >> you mentioned that it's important for the u.s. to send a message to iran, that we are still a power broker in that region. so hutch of whatever we do in the united states has to be a projection of american power and a message sent to the rain yaps in the rest of the region. >> whatever we do is a mess edge of power projected at the iranians, whether it was striking or withholding. the fact that we are there, we have assets in the region, the fact that we have capabilities and the will to respond - all of that sends a message to iran. how concerned are you that this

will be a regional disaster. reports on tuesday are that i.s.i.l., effect, controls all western - all of iraq's western borders. there is, you know, a threat to jordan, a threat to turkey. we have iran in the process, we have the saudis who are accused - some of the money people in suede arabia - supporting i.s.i.l., it is getting ugly not just within the borders of iran. >> it is ugly. this is up to the governments in the region. >> they are the ones on the ground affected. they have the loyalty of their own armed forces and populations and security forces. then this threat can be contained within iraq. if the government of turkey or other governments in the region that should be competent and capable and in charge are not, if their armed forces are hollow, if their governments are not considered legitimate and providing loyalty, it could be a threat.

but if it's that kind of a threat, u.s. ordnance delivered from the skies will not stop the threat. the nass know the united states -- nations know is the united states is there and will to help under the right circumstances. this is a region that is volatile. it will go through several different changes. it's struggling with age-old sectarianism. it has oil wealth in there, geostrategic aspirations by iran. it has israel there on the outlier. it has a revolt against bashar al-assad in syria. there are many, many things going on at the same time in this region. it's not a simple region. it's not going to be resolved from the presence on the ground. this is something that countries themselves have to work through. >> general wesley clark, we appreciate you joining us to talk about the issues and

provide us with your thought. thank you very much. the fighting that's tearing iraq apart is deepening the humanitarian crisis much the u.n. world food program has sent staff and plans for emergency airlifts to bring 550 metric tonnes of food to help 4200 displaced. 1.7 million iraqis are internally displaced, refugees in their own country. for more, i'm joined by executive director for the u.n.'s world food program, the largest humanitarian organization. it helps over 90 million people. you are the first senior u.n. official to visit iraq. what have you seen? >> i have seen families who have left their home with absolutely nothing. seeking safety here in and around erbil.

they are living in camps that have been provided by the government and are being supported by unhcr and the other u.n. agencies and n.g.o.s to meet basic need of food, water and shelter. >> i know the emergenciest is focussed on providing food for 42,000 people. the kurdish government says 300,000 people have fled the areas under its controls, and that is a fraction of the number of iraqis who need aid. is this just the beginning of your efforts? >> unfortunately, it's just the beginning. the reality is many of those who fled the conflict down in and around mosul have come up to the kurdish region, and many of them are living with host communities. those that had assets didn't go to the camps. what we find in these situations is very quickly, without jobs, without support, they deplete the assets, while her not feeding them today, if the

conflict goes forward, we will continue to need to increase and we'll feed them tomorrow. >> i know the people that work for you are courageous, they work wherever people are in need. can the world food program i.s.i.l.? >> well, we are working with partners, and their local n.g.o.s getting into the area. we are providing them with food and support and transfer of food. they are distributing in the areas where international staff have a challenge accessing the communities. we are working with an opposition group that does not respect humanitarian law, human rights or the need of the international humanitarian community to support those that are the innocent victims, the women, children, seniors. we are dependent upon partners, and hoping the government will

do their share by providing us with access to the public distribution stocks that they normally distribute to this population, so we can ensure that people receive the food they need. >> talking about the terrorist groups, i was struck by something you wrote. referring to starvation being used as a weapon of war. you were writing about syria. how much can be done when no atrocity seems to be out of bounds for the warring parties? >> that's when humanitarians are at a very significant disadvantage and we need the international community to demand that no child go hungry, no child is used as fodder in war, that we have access to those who require assistance in order to eat. no person should, because of a conflict when there is food available, have an inability to eat.

and so we are asking the international community to not forget the victims. we often talk about the politics, we don't get involved in the politics. we talked about the conflict. we can't participate, we don't. we work with those that are the victims of the conflicts. we need the support of the international community to demand that humanitarians have access, so people can live. >> you clearly need a lot of help interest the international chuny, because this -- community, because this, what is happening in iraq is an extension. crisis in syria. in some months you provided aid to as many as 4 million people. can you sustain the efforts as the number of refugees keeps growing at a rapid pace. >> generosity of the international community has been as an individual overwhelming to me, and appreciated by those we served. when i talk to mothers, the first thing they say is say

thank you to the people helping you to heap us. what we can't forget is that though there are now three - what we call significant l 3 emergencies. central african republics, south sudan, syria and the emerging challenges in iraq. no child should be prioritised over another. no hungry mother should look into the eyes of her child, because the international community did not provide the assistance and support. i'm sitting here, just days away from the start of ramadan. we have received significant support from not just the traditional donors, but from golf region donors, and we are hopeful that they will continue, and the global community will continue to invest in the work required to meet the needs of those who are the victims of these crisis. great feeds there. executive director of the u.n.'s world food program.

we appreciate your time and efforts on behalf of all the needy people. thank you. >> thank up. now for some more stories from around the world. we begin in nigeria, boko haram terrorists reportedly kidnapped nearly 100 people on saturday. 60 women and girls and 30 boys abducted from villages in the north of the country. four were killed in a village, and a village destroyed, reminiscent of the kidnapping of 200 girls in april. nigerian authorities are yet to confirm the abduction. but the attackers have been identified as boko haram. next to london where rebecca brooks has been acquitted of all charges in the phone-hacking scandal that brought down "news of the world." brooks, editor of the rupert murdoch-owned tabloid was accused of knowingly and deliberately allowing reporters

to hack into phones of celebrities and politicians. andy coulson was not so lucky, found guilty of conspiring to intercept messages and is facing bribery charges. in belfast, queen elizabeth and her husband pril ip came face to face with a different royalty, touring the set of "game of thrones." counterpart. the real queen had her eyes on the iron thrown. she decided against taking a seat. probably wise. it looks uncomfortable. that is some of what is happening around the world. coming up... >> they have not done a dam thing to help us. scandal. egypt's president ignores vigils from around the world demanding the release of our

colleagues. what options are left. harmeli aregawi is tracking top stories, what is trending? >> a minnesota facebook habits land him in gaol. i'll tell you more coming up. while you are watching let us know what you think:

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>> two days of contentious hearings on capitol hill focussing on thousands of lost drama. >> i asked a question. >> i answered it. >> you are a hostile witness - yes or no, were you hired. >> i'm not a hostile witness. >> yep, you are. drama, but few answers about the disappearance of emails belonging to a former irs

official, that may have shed light on why tea party groups may have been targeted before the 120/2012 -- elections. >> i did not ai would provide you emails that disappeared. if you have a magical way to do that, i would be happy to provide it. emails. >> my time has expired and i have lost my parps with you. congressional republicans have lost patients. several hard drives crashed and have gone for good. the top official at the national archives testified that federal agencies are required to report when records are destroyed or accidently deleted. >> you administer the federal records act. >> i dox. >> if they didn't follow it, can we assume they broke the law? >> they did not follow the law. >> joining us now from

washington d.c. is christina, the editor-in-chief of "roll call." the big question in all of this is whether the irs is incompetent or covering something up. >> i don't know na it has to be bun of those. this issue has happened for more than a year. what is clear is there was something that the president made clear that he doesn't want to tolerate, which is a reason why the investigations have been allowed to continue on capitol hill, right, the idea that you would put extra scrutiny on groups based on political activity regardless of which plays it falls on the political spectrum is not what america is about. the fact that the emails are missing gives the republicans ammunition in time for the midterm elections. >> is it political incompetence. irs commissioner was sarcastic and the

butt of a lot of criticism. why did he wait to tell congress, because you'd think a politician in washington would note the delay would be something the republicans would jump on. >> this was not information they volunteered. they know it makes them look bad. once they were asked the right question that made them provide the answer that the hard drives are gone, that's when they come forth with it. when you know you have to testify before a committee, and like lois learner pleading the fifth and refusing to testify. anyone that shows up in front of darrell icer knows they'll have to walk a line and be quayful with what they -- careful with what they say. this is no dent. everyone wants -- accident. everyone wants to avoid getting in trouble. there's bad apples at every agency. the republicans want to see a tie to the white house. no evidence has been produced to

suggest there is. they can point to the destroyed emails "are you projecting the president?", there's no clear evidence that that is the case. it could be ipp competence. >> there are tapes of lois speaking to a group, talking about tremendous pressure after citizens united to go after corporations putting a lot of money into political cam popes. >> sure. i have written a -- campaigns. >> sure. i have written a lot about this and did segment for the "pbs newshour." you have a high volume of paperwork coming into a small division. every group wanted to get on the tea party bandwagon. it's not that they were trying to skirt the laws that were changed in the citizens united decision, but they were trying to but liberty and dependence in their name.

jumping on the trend is the way you raise issues in politics. it's a complicated issue, and the inspector general is looking into the email. they uncovered the tacts that they put -- facts that they put extra scrutiny on the troops. probably they'll get to the much. >> some disappeared days after being put to congress. hillary clinton said for many people any time the irs is involved, it's a real scandal and there should be a fair investigation. if you or eye told the irs "sorry, my computer crashed", we'd get no sympathy. do you think this will resonate more with tax peapayertaxpayers. >> it has, because in part everyone has to pay taxes and deal with the irs.

in a way which the scandal had some employees getting lavish hotel rooms and training costing money. the scandal didn't go anywhere, it was a few bad actors wasting money. people don't understand this is an organisation handling government buildings. everyone understands the irs. it's a way that taps into frustration, particularly in a highly charged election year when you have conservatives that are angry. it gives them something to be angry about. the republicans push the issue, because it keeps their base engaged. i suspect we'll hear more about this. appreciate you joining us. thank you. >> thank you. >> now to egypt where president abdul fatah al-sisi is reject ag calls to free three al jazeera journalists sentenced to lengthy prin terms on monday. >> we will not interfere in judicial matters.

the e-egyptian judiciary is independent. no one should interfere with them. >> in a show of solidarity journalists around the world peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed. on capitol hill tuesday, the how's appropriations committee rejected a proposal to cut aid in the hopes of moving the government towards democratic reform. i'm joined by washington d.c. by dr michelle dunn, a former security council and staffer serving in cairo, and is an associate at the carnegie international group of peace. abdul fatah al-sisi struck a defiant tone, defiant about the independence of the judiciary. is there any way that court would have sentenced the journalists in it weren't what abdul fatah al-sisi and the

military wanted, especially with the evidence that's been ridiculed worldwide? >> the statements that president abdul fatah al-sisi made is completely typical of statements we have seen out of previous egyptian presidents and other high-ranking officials, regarding other controversial rulings. as you know, there has been mass trials and death sentences and they take refuge in the independence of the judiciary. we don't know to what extent there are orders to judges. but we know the cases come out of the executive branch. they are created in the interior ministry, in intelligence. they are the ones that put together the evidence, and the public prosecutor, who is an appointee approveds the cases and sends to the judiciary. in addition, the signals. if judges are looking for political signals on how to rule, the signals they'd receive

from what president abdul fatah al-sisi and others say are harsh ones, antide-september, anti-muslim brotherhood. critical of the story told in egypt by the foreign media. that is the climate in which the rules are made. >> the reality is you don't interfere in the judiciary of a president. it's not interfering with the case itself, it's a separate thing willing uing. obviously he can do that. the sentencing came a day after the secretary of state john kerry visited cairo and raised concerns about the case. john kerry is sharply criticised by supporters of the journalists for being too accommodating to the egyptian leadership. is that the case. have we been too accommodating. >> it seems secretary of state john kerry has been making haste to try to return military aid to

egypt. from what i under, what is happening is that aid appropriated by the u.s. congress is used to pay u.s. defense contractors, and the weapons purchased with the money are not delivered to egypt. there is a bit of lack of clarity about what is going on. kerry goes to egypt. there are things being withheld from egypt. i don't know if this is the second time this happened, but in april when he announced the package of $600 million went to egypt. after that there was a mass death sentence verdict announced and senator lay hi put a hold on the assistance. secretary of state john kerry announced the aid was going, and here comms the sentences against the al jazeera. this keeps happening, u.s.

officials, particularly secretary of state john kerry trying to make gestures only to be embarrassed a short time later by the gross human rights abuses going on in egypt. the accommodating position is not just from secretary of state john kerry and obama administration. on tuesday the house congressional committee squashed proposals aid. do we care more about a stable government in egypt than about democratic principals? >> what i think is interesting about what is going on in congress is that there's more of a debate now than there has been about the relations of u.s. relations with egypt, and how much it's based on military assistance. the senate appropriations committee passed the bill in which there's a cut $300 million out of $1.3 billion was without

out of aid to egypt in the bill. the house bill. there was an attempt by adam shift to put forward amendments that would cut military assistance, and some of the other members, members known to be concerned about national security and the security relationship with egypt, and egypt's relationship with israel were the ones that rejected the amendments, they were voted down. we'll see how this comes out in the end. i expect there'll be conditions probably stronger conditions in the 2015 bill giving assistance to egypt, and we'll see whether in the end it will be as much as it has been, which is $1.3 billion in military and assistance. >> playing differently around the world than in egypt. one headline said international

rage and egyptian calm. thank you michelle dunn, it's us. time to see what is trending on the web. >> many of us know that facebook can be a distraction from our goals, whatever they may be. a minnesota man learnt that there are times you have to resist the urge to log in. 26-year-old nicholas wigg was arrested for breaking into the home of jails wood - stealing cash, a credit card, a watch and a cell phone. it was raining. he must have been in a rush because he left behind jeeps, sneakers and a belt. he used the home openers computer to log into facebook and forgot to log out. >> he pulled up his facebook profile and left it up. >> through the burglar's facebook page he posted a status saying he was robbed and left

his cellphone number to see if someone would call with information. later that day as he came home from a friend's place, woods spotted nicholas who he recognised from facebook walking down the street and called the police. nicholas wigg is in gaol facing second degree burglary, it's not his first run in, he has a prior conviction for the same crime and a mischarn assault. let us know what stories you'd like to see. tweet your suggestions to aj consider this. >> terrible decision making. >> talk about dumb criminal. >> straight ahead - the white house holds a summit to help working families. >> wimbledon tradations keeping andre agassiz out of the contest for years. how they are cracking down on

>> this, is what we do. >> al jazeera america. american family dynamics drastically changed over the past few decades. the work places have not kept up. in two-thirds of men families mothers are the bread winner or bring home a quarter of the family's earnings, yet the u.s. is the only developed country without paid mat ermenty leave. the -- maternity leave. the white house held a summit to press for changes. >> family leave, workplace flexibility, a decent bag. these are not

bonuses they are a bake need. congress woman sustained on sunday. great to see you. thank you for doing this. a harris poll helps to explain some issues. a third of parents feel they've been passed over for promotion because of a need for a schedule. half chose to pass up a job because it would conflict with family obligations. this is having a tremendous impact on the workforce. >> they don't match american families. 50% of women are in the work place. they make up two-thirds of minimum wage earners, many are struggling, 40% of workers don't get a single day of paid leave. that means in chicago, when we had snow days, we heard from a woman who lost her job because

she stayed home with her child, of course, then she wasn't welcomed back at work. we need to change the policies. about. >> the harris pole found nine in 10 americans felt employers should offer workplace flexibility for men and women, if the employee gets the work done. what do you think is standing in the police of us sort of moving into the 21st century when it comes to rules about labour? >> well first of all, the united states is the only industrialized nation in the world that doesn't require that there's some paid days for pregnancy leave, maternity leave. our policies need to change. we need to raise the minimum wage lifting 28 million out of poverty. we need equal pay for equal work. we need accessible affordable child care. that's a necessity.

we absolutely need to have family paid leave, and sick days badly. >> we are one of the only countries in the world that doesn't require paid vacations, one of the few who doesn't give paid maternity, most developed countries offer paid paternity leaf. if we implement these things, it would cost employers money. consequences. >> actually, we looked at the minimum wage and found when it was raised in the past there hasn't been a loss of employment. and that is because workers have more money in their pockets, they can go to the neighbourhood diner, the grocery store. they'll spend money and we'll need more workers in the workforce to meet the people money. >> could employers benefit in

that companies may be missing out honest best possible workers because of restrictive policies? >> those good policies mean workers are more motivated, ipp clined to stay in -- inclined to stay in a job. you get more productivity out of prorkers that are in places with good workplace policies. with all the women who are bread winners. two-thirds earn the family's quarter of an income. why is there not a focus to changing the workplace to adapt. >> some employers feel if they can pay the low wages, they don't need flexible hours. sometimes with a few hours notice that your work hours have changed. that flexibility for some employers does not work with

family life. in many cases we require them by changing the law. in the gridlock on capitol hill, how likely is it that you'll change the law and have any of happen. >> the president has tape the lead, informing the agencies to look at their flexibility rules, and to encores them in the maximum way that they can. that is for federal workers, and to put money into training and education so that we can have women and men that are able to workpleas. >> a lot of things that need to be achievement. it's tough to get much down on capitol hill. keep us posted on your efforts. us. >> will do. thank you. >> coming up, the world cup gets fish ours, the player that -- vicious, the player that ignores

the no-biting rule. >> how the sport's oldest >> al jazeera america presents the system with joe berlinger >> new york city has stop and frisk >> some say these laws help serve and protect... >> we created the atmosphere that the policeman's the bad guy... >> others say these tactics are racist >> discrimination is wrong >> 99 percent of those arrested in drug free school zones... we're not near a school at all! >> are they working? >> this time i'm gonna fight it. >> the system with joe burlinger only on al jazeera america

today's data dive takes a stroll on the grass. wimbledon kicked off, the oldest of the four tennis grand slams. its history goes back to the early 18 '70s, when a welshman

adapted indoor tennis to the outdoors to satisfy demand among the upper classes for a new summer time game. in 1877 the all-england crochet club added tennis. rules are mostly the same as today. the first tornt was to raise funds for a horse-drawn roller to smooth out the crochet lawns. a few hundred showed up. within decades wimbledon drew thousands. crochet an afterthought. 137 years later wimbledon loves the traditions, sticking to white tennis balls, giving up in 1986 because yellow was tv friendly. it's the only major on grass. u.s. and australia switched to hard courts. the grass is cut each day to

maintain optimal highlight, 1 centimetre. it had an all-white clothing rule since 1990 when it was the sign of wealth. players are to wear predominantly white outfits and don't allow offwight or cream. andre agassiz didn't play there because of his traditionalism and wasn't great on grass. he gave in and won. others pushed the all-white envelope. gussy caused an uproar in 1949, wearing a short skirt and lace underwear. the club said she brought vul carity and skin to tennis. roger federer's orange fluorescent sneakers and another players red underwear led to a clamp down on colour. the prize money is the highest.

>> i'm ali velshi, the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news. >> hundreds of days in detention. >> al jazeera rejects all the charges and demands immediate release. >> thousands calling for their freedom. >> it's a clear violation of their human rights. >> we have strongly urged the government to release those journalists. >> journalism is not a crime. >> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5pm et / 2pm pt

only on al jazeera america

an ugly bit of controversy in brazil as uruguay eliminated italy. the star play awe lis swor es took a bite out of the opponent. this is the third time he has

bit ep another player in -- bitten another player in his career. the world cup hopes are alive and well. ma

today we spent a significant amount of time in our discussions focused on ukraine and our allies sustained suppo support. for ukraine's sovereignty and the right of its people to maintain sovereignty. important steps to form a more inclusive society for all ukrainians after a free and fair

election. the ukrainian people celebrated a peaceful transfer of power earlier this month and are now implemented a ceasefire and a peace plan which offers constitutional reform, broad decentralization of power and local autonomy to ukraine's regions and communities. united states commends ukrainian government for reaching out to separatists and to the russian government. and now we believe it is critical for president putin to prove by his actions, not just his words, that he is, indeed, fully committed to peace. it is critical for him to stop the flow of weapons and fighters across the border to call publicly for the separatists to lay down their arms. to pull russian forces and equipment back.

and to help get on. sce hostages released. until russia fully makes that kind of commitment to the peace process and to the stability of ukraine the you had and europe are compelled to continue to prepare greater costs, including tough economic sanctions, with the hopes that they will not have to be used. but that is dependent on the choices that russia and its president make in the next days and weeks. secretary genres plus son has said, russia's recent moves in ukraine served as a wake-up call, as our economies begin to grow again, a strong nato requires defense spending by a all. president obama is committed that the united states will do its part and he has asked congress for an addition

$1 billion for defense spending in europe. every ally spending less than 2% of their gdp needs to dig deeper and make a concrete commitment to do more. all you have to do is look at a map in order to understand why. ukraine, iraq, syria, all threats to peace and security. and they surround the region. on the minds of all of us today also is the situation in iraq. earlier this week i traveled to iraq at the request of president obama. while here i briefed my foreign minister on his the conversations that i had with iraq leaders. iraq is obviously facing an extraordinary security challenge and a set of political challenges and choices little united states is