last time the two the squads played, guana eeliminated the u.s. from are the tournament. that's it for the lead. i'm jake tapper. i turn you over to wolf blitzer right next door in "the situation room." situation room." take it away. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com stopping the terrorists. iraq launches air strikes to slow you the advance of a brutal terror group. president obama may be about to decide how to act on the growing crisis in iraq. aiming at the u.s. terrorists have already used an american suicide bomber in syria and now there is concern and it's growing that they'll send jihadists to carry out attacks back home. 20 million people face a severe weather threat including possible tornadoes. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." terrorists leave a trail of blood and graphic video evidence of their crimes as they move

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

we're told he will make his decision with urgency. this as isis militants and iraqi be sunni allies captured another of irk city ta la far firming their grip on the northern part of the country with a campaign of brutal violence. >> these are the forces now ruling northern iraq. isis militants taunting and humiliating captured iraqi soldiers. these are malaki's dogs he said, and we are the soldiers of god. moments later, one is executed on camera. here, similar violence but on an enormous scale, 1700 soldiers claims isis captured, paraded, then shot in cold blood. a mass killing unseen in iraq since the days of saddam hussein. cnn cannot independently confirm the authenticity of these images. tonight, the president is convening his national security team to review options for a

u.s. response. the u.s. has 550 marines arriving in the persian gulf to help with a possible evacuation of americans. secretary kerry in an interview with yahoo! news acknowledged air strikes on iraqi targets are now under consideration. >> when you have people murdering, assassinating in these massachusetts kers, you have to stop that. and you do what you need to do if you need to try to stop it from the air or otherwise. >> with or without military action, u.s. officials emphasize a political compromise bringing iraqi sunnis and kurds into the shiite dominated government of prime minister nuri al maliki must be part of any response and it must be immediate. >> if we engage in a military action without a political solution, we will be seeing as

backing maliki in a sunni/shia civil war. that is the office o opposite of what we want to do. >> the effort may extend all the way to iran. u.s. officials saying today that washington is open to direct talks on iraqing with iranian officials. ryan crocker was u.s. ambassador to iraq during some of the worst sectarian violence in the mid-towels. >> the stakes are very high here. this is al qaeda 6.0. and if they consolidate their territorial gains, they will be in a stronger position than they ever were in ofg prior to 9/11. we know how that turned out. >> increasing the fears of a possible civil war is the fact that the battle lines are already mirroring iraq's ethnic lines. these are the cities that isis militants verbatim taken parts over. this is the sunni part of the country here. this is the kurdish part roughly and this is the shia part.

these are essentially the battle lines in that country right now. things to watch going forward, fallujah is now an isis strong hold. it's a path into baghdad here. do they take advantage of it? it would add to the path from the north a redanger for baghdad going forward. they already have many contacts in the western part of baghdad allowing had em to carry out bombing attacks. it's also a potential path path to the shia adopted south and the religious sites here. the other thing to watch going forward is what does iran do. iran right now has some 300 or so it's estimated qods source militants like special forces largely advisory role. if iran sends in more troops, infantry battalions, that's the kind you have involvement which will increase the split. iran supporting the shi az, sunnis here and kurds up here. this is exactly the kind of divisions that many advisors, many u.s. officials are worried about right now. >> aside from putting bootsen ot

ground, president obama says he's open to all options on iraq. administration officials are hud ling now for several days. the president is arriving back at the white house this hour. a decision may be loom. let's get the latest from our senior white house correspondent jim accost ta. the president is now back in washington. >> that's right. and president obama is due to arrive back here at the white house any moment now. we understand he has not made any final decisions on iraq. but later on this evening he'll be meeting to deal with his options. one white house official tells us the president has a fundamental set of options in front of him but that those could be tweaked or changed before a course of action is taken. one option we have heard about at the white house is that the u.s. could expand its already existing training programs for iraqi security forces, but national security spokeswoman kaitlin hayden cautions ramping up training in iraq would not put troops in a combat role. the president said he's not

going to do that. aides to the president are stressing that any military strike against iraq would be limited in scope. incoming white house press secretary josh ernest told reporters aboard air force one any action would not lead to a "open-ended commitment." white house officials are also downplaying how much the u.s. would work with iran in containing the threat. ernest told reporters there are no plans for any military coordination between the u.s. and iran, only that officials were both countries may speak on the sidelines at this week's discussions regarding iran's nuclear program. there is deep concern here at the white house over isis. a senior official told meet national security team was working with the situation with the same urgency as we saw last week. last week, it got pretty intense. >> quick question. do we know the president will be meeting with his national security advisers in the oval office in "the situation room" at the white house or some other room? i ask the question because if

it's in "the situation room," they can can have video conferencing, all of a sudden it were ras up the possibility that the president may be moving toward some sort of military action. >> that's exactly right, wolf. we understand that there's national security meetings were happening here at the white house throughout the weekend and the national security advisor susan rice was keeping the president up to speed how all of those meetings were going. we don't have the location of tonight's meeting. we'll get it back to you. >> jim accost ta, will monitor that. i hear marine one arriving on the south lawn of the white house right now. we'll stay on top of the story. as the terrorists advance, thousands of americans could be in harp's way. we're getting new information on the possible military steps the president could authorize and the forces that are available. let's bring in our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. she has details. >> wolf, at this hour, the pentagon has put a lot in place. ships, aircraft, missiles, everything that they would need to carry out an option, a

military option for the president, it just awaits a decision. as the fighting rages on in iraq, the pentagon is moving more firepower and anmanpower into the region to prepare for whatever president obama orders. already, at the u.s. embassies in baghdad, dozens of marines and army troops have moved in to beef up security. a top priority? evacuate all americans at the embassy if it comes to that. the aircraft carrier "george h.w. bush" and five other warships are now in the persian gulf. more than 500 marines and dozens of helicopters are on stand by if an evacuation is ordered. the former top u.s. commander for the region warns it may not be enough. >> i also think we ought to have a more robust capability to evacuate americans if necessary.

i don't believe just a carrier itself. i would like to see an amphibious ready group, more helicopters and marines. >> fighter jets on the carrier could be used to strike isis targets. the u.s. has increased drone surveillance over western and northern iraq in an effort to gather more intelligence to share with iraqi forces for targeting isis on the ground. but a former u.s. commander in iraq says it will be very tough. >> it's the same reason it was so hard to target them when we had 160,000 troops there. they intermingle with the people. you know, i think some of the media has shown these truck convoys going down the roads and i think the uninitiated might say what's so hard about that. let's drop a couple bombs. >> president obama has ruled out troops on the ground but can there there be tev military strikes without putting some troops in to find out exactly where isis fighters are oping. >> i believe we ought to put

special forces on the ground. certainly with the pesh mur ga in the north and also with the jordanians. they can provide some of the ground intelligence. >> so now one of the most critical intelligence questions for the u.s. military is whether these isis fighters can make it all the way to baghdad and challenge authority in that city. some u.s. officials are telling us no, that the isis fighters will encounter very well trained shia-base security forces from the iraqi government and that they will be stopped. about you, but if they do make it to baghdad, if they were to attack the airport in baghdad, are that really changes the equation and many say then the u.s. would have to move in and use some of those assets to evacuate all americans out of the u.s. embassy. still no decision about any of it, wolf. >> see what the president decides, if he makes a decision tonight at his national security meeting. barbara, thank you. up next, see you guys in new york. that was a chilling warning from the man who now leads the brutal

terror group rampaging through iraq. will it bring the deadly violence to america? and will the upheaval in iraq with its strategic-fields have you paying more at the pump? we're standing by to take a closer look. means keeping seven billion ctransactions flowing.g, and when weather hits, it's data mayhem. but airlines running hp end-to-end solutions are always calm during a storm. so if your business deals with the unexpected, hp big data and cloud solutions make sure you always know what's coming - and are ready for it. make it matter. the was a truly amazing day. without angie's list, i don't know if we could have

found all the services we needed for our riley. for over 18 years we've helped people take care of the things that matter most. join today at angieslist.com thank ythank you for defendiyour sacrifice. and thank you for your bravery. thank you colonel. thank you daddy. military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa auto insurance can be one of them. if you're a current or former military member or their family, get an auto insurance quote and see why 92% of our members plan to stay for life.

we're about to show you some disturbing images, tormenting of prisoners, are mass executions all captured on video. isis terrorists are sewing deep fear right now stirring up

sectarian hatred with these cold-blooded killings. our senior international correspondent arwa damon is in the city offer bill joining us live right now. these are horrific vid yes pictures we're seeing. what's the latest? >> reporter: that's right, wolf. we have to warn viewers they are going to be very difficult to watch. this is one sample of isis brutality. >> two captives have iraqi border guard patches on their sleeves. the bearded man demands his prisoners repeat islamic state here to stay. the first two comply. fear on their faces. the third struggles to formulate the words. moments later, this. he appears to be dehydrated. barely reacting to what's happening. in the next video, he is dead. his jaw blown off. at the end of the clip, the isis gunman proudly declares we

killed a shia. this facebook page's profile picture matches the man in the video. we accessed the facebook account before it was taken down, posted on it these stills of the same execution. and another photograph that shows the other four men dead. they're accused of being mala malaki's dogs. abu hamza boasts how he blew the infidel's heads to hell. in another post, he says send these videos to the shia, an effort to foment sectarian rage in what has become a ruthless battlefield. many images posted online are too horrific to show. stills posted on an isis twitter account show a shallow ditch filled with bodies, all accused of being members of the iraqi be security forces. often we don't know who the victims are. but in this case, we managed to

identify the man who could not speak. he is 36 years old. a father of two boys and a girl who adored his children and took the job as a aboarder guard to build them a home. wolf, what makes this all the more unbearable and difficult for the families that they're unable to retrieve his body because isis controls the area where it is believed to be at this point, wolf. >> what a horrific situation. arwa damon in erbil. thanks very much. full analysis coming up but there's breaking news i want to get to right now. a tornado is on the ground in nebraska. our meteorologist and severe weather expert chad meyers is standing by. look at those funnel clouds, chad. what is going on? >> tornado on the ground just through the pill jer, nebraska, p-i-l-g-e-r, very close to stanton, nebraska.

this is ta stove pipe straight up and down tornado. you're noticing another one in the background. two tornadoes on the ground. these are live pictures. this is u.s. 275 in northeastern nebraska. to the east of nor fork, nebraska, about to cross that road. that car just drove right down that road right toward that tornado. and so did that one. and you can see it right in front of you, you have to know what that is. so this is the problem when you're storm chasing or if you don't know what you're talking about, don't know what you're doing, they're looking at this tornado right now and these cars are passing him. you need to be stopped and away from this tornado. a dangerous situation in pilger, nebraska. >> near stanton we're told. looks like there's two funnel clouds on the ground over there. there's one right in the middle of the screen to the right. there seems to be another one. is that normal? >> that is absolutely not normal. there was a tornado on the ground. you talked about it near

stanton. that went away. these chasers were to the east of that tornado, thinking they were in very good shape. all of a sudden, we saw the new tornado signature on the radar. the storm regenerated a tornado about four miles east of that first one. separated from the first one and moved there. this one you're looking at right now is a very large max i tornado. we're looking at ef-3, ef-4 damage that moved through that town. we saw debris in the sky from that town. it is now north of u.s. 275. and the one that you're looking at, you just can't see it to the right if they pan to the right a little bit, that one would be moving towards wisner, nebraska right along highway 275. you need to be taking cover now. this is open country, but these are major tornadoes on the ground. wind speeds in excess right now, wolf, i'm going to going 175 to 200 miles per hour. paralleling themselves. >> hold on. >> and in northeastern nebraska.

>> ben mcmillan is on the phone driving this vehicle that we're seeing right now. ben, tell us what's going on from your vantage point. >> hi, wolf. we're just northwest of wisner, nebraska on state road 275 behind these tornadoes. we're in a safe position. they're moving away from us. this is a very deadly situation if you're near these. we've seen 10 to 20 buildings get destroyed. i don't know if you can see both tornadoes on the east side of the screen. >> we see these two tornadoes pretty close to each other. how close are they? they're on each side of the screen right now. we're showing our viewers your live pictures. >> they're probably about two to three miles apart. and again, they're kind of rotating around each other. again, we are west of the storm. please, if you think this is a safe job, it's not. you've got to be at a safe place

out ahead these things. we're behind them. we're all right. but take this very seriously. these are the kind of storms you need to be underground to survive like hit oklahoma last may. >> it looks like people are driving toward those two tornadoes right now. but you're saying they're moving much more quickly in the other direction? >> yeah, i'm very worried. people aren't aware of what these are. not a lot of folks have as much experience as our team does interpreting severe weather threats. i just don't know the if these folks are trying to get out of the way or rush home and check on loved ones or what. >> how close are you from -- we're looking at live pictures. how close are you to these tornados? >> we're probably about two to three miles at this point. we're now south of the main one in the middle of the screen on state road 275. northwest of wisner, very small town here. but folks south of lane, nebraska and west of the town

of -- the other one starts with a p, west of pender, nebraska that's the main area of threat. these are violent tornadoes continuing to turn east. >> i want chad to talk to you more a moment. go ahead. >> ben, just remember, you see all those power lines to the left. there will be a point on 275, you're going to run into those power lines over the roadway. keep that in mind. a lot of those could still be alive as you drive over them. >> thank you very much. >> both of those tornadoes went right over that highway. i know you saw them. >> yeah. >> wolf? >> i wanted to ask you, chad, and maybe ben can weigh in, there's an official -- the official situation is being described as a particularly dangerous situation alert. particularly dangerous situation alert. chad, what does that mean? >> there will be on the ground large max i tornadoes like the one you're seeing right there on ben's screen.

that is a big tornado, wide on the ground. ben, what do you think? a half mile, mile wide at the base? >> yeah, we had about a half mile wide tornado and horizontal ha vortices which you only see in the most violent of tornadoes. tuscaloosa had a lot of these horizontal havety sees. we're seeing lots of tree and structural damage. and again, very concerned about the residents in eastern nebraska at this time. >> have you come across any damage? >> we haven't seen any large cities or residential structures. we're just seeing the first out here off to the right. can you see below the tornado, wolf? those structures in the shot? >> we see them. >> yeah, that's the damage that just occurred seconds ago here. the grain bins had their roofs off. those are normally round as you

can see in the left side of the shot. the tops completely removed and i'm getting worried folks watchinging about injuries and possible fatalities now. this is not a light situation. you need to take it very seriously. we're very worried for folks at this point. >> this is pretty rural this area. it's not very urban, right? >> it is -- it's pretty rural. there's still a lot of farmer steads here in eastern nebraska. it's a large industry. there are still lots of folks with their livelihood out here. we don't want to underplay the threat. >> chad, that tornado looks huge. i'm not an expert by any means. but it looks so devastating. give us an explanation how big this is. >> you know, ben just said, it's probably a good three-quarters wide. there's a little spin right to the north of you a half a mile. keep looking forward as you're drive. that second tornado that did

spin back up into the clouds could come back down at any time. wolf, the storm you're seeing on the screen is now becoming the main tornado. it is still many miles from pender. it is still many miles from thurston. a lot of wide open countryside here. this is the ef-4, possible ef-5 damage. we have debris signatures in the air which means the radar itself is picking up debris in the air. go ahead, ben. >> and left side we have a large tornado, a new tornado that has formed left side of the screen. again -- multiple tornadoes on the ground here. >> how many are you talking about, ben in. >> two possibly three. i've never seen anything like this wolf. i've been storm chasing for probably 10 to 12 years professionally. this is just very, very dangerous. >> what's your contingency plan if these tornados move towards you? >> again, we're south of the

circulation. so we're in a safe position. but i just -- i guess i could turn around if i had to. we're just trying to get this information to you so you can get it out to the folks in this area and protect their lives and property. >> if anybody's watching in this area, chad, what do they need to to do right now? >> absolutely get underground if you can. this is a tornado with winds of 200 to 225 miles per hour right now. and you need to be underground or inside your home with as many walls between you and the outside as possible. and what i don't want you to do, ben, is get on any dirt roads now. this storm had a lot of rainfall before it started, before the tornadoes cape down. all of those dirt roads in the nebraska even some of the they call them all-weather roads are wet and swampy and you cannot drive on them. you don't want to get stuck on a dirt road. look at that, wolf. two tornadoes on the ground right now. spinning there in northeastern

nebraska just north now of what would be wizner, nebraska, west of pender, nebraska. still a lot more land here. wide open country. but that doesn't make it any less dangerous if you're in the way. >> so what happens, ben, your experience, how long do these tornadoes stay where they are and move on? >> i think we just lost ben. >> get inside, please. get inside, please. >> yeah. >> looks like we lost ben. it looks like there's cars stopped. people are getting out. i don't know how smart that is. >> well, you know what, a pickup truck and a noaaya weather radio doesn't make you a storm chaser. benos what he's doing. he could see it and he could see where the rotation was. as i was watching ben chase the first tornado going east on that 275 highway, the second tornado and then the third developed to his right. that was very concerned that he

didn't notice it. but then his spotters in the car told him we have to stop. we can't go any farther. there's another tornado on the way in our path. he did stop. this is unbelievable video, wolf. i have never seen two. these are now ef-3, ef-4 tornadoes on the ground at the same time. >> chad, stand by. we're going to reconnect with ben. we'll take a quick break. you're right. unbelievable images of these tornadoes. our coverage will continue in a moment. [ male announcer ] it's one of the most amazing things we build and it doesn't even fly. we build it in classrooms and exhibit halls, mentoring tomorrow's innovators. we build it raising roofs, preserving habitats and serving america's veterans. every day, thousands of boeing volunteers help make their communities the best they can be. building something better for all of us. ♪

are the largest targets in the world, for every hacker, crook and nuisance in the world. but systems policed by hp's cyber security team are constantly monitored for threats. outside and in. that's why hp reports and helps neutralize more intrusions than anyone... in the world. if hp security solutions can help keep the world's largest organizations safe, they can keep yours safe, too. make it matter. [ female announcer ] you never know what might come your way. a 24-speed bike with 7 gears you will never use. an aquarium for the fish you named but shouldn't have. because you know, fish. a snowboard that'll carve a mountain like it was a thanksgiving turkey. whatever comes your way, the ford escape with its foot-activated liftgate will help you bring it home. ♪

wsweets become salaries.ome. an oven heats up a community la cocina, a small kitchen that kick-starts the careers of 41 entrepreneurs. they bring the talent. we help fund the tools. it's a small way we help that's been huge for the community. little by little we can do a lot. because... small is huge. visit www.wellsfargo.com to see how big small can be.

[ chainsaw buzzing ] humans. sometimes, life trips us up. sometimes, we trip ourselves up. and although the mistakes may seem to just keep coming at you, so do the solutions. like multi-policy discounts from liberty mutual insurance. save up to 10% just for combining your auto and home insurance. call liberty mutual insurance at... to speak with an insurance expert and ask about all the personalized savings available for when you get married, move into a new house, or add a car to your policy. personalized coverage and savings -- all the things humans need to make our world a little less imperfect. call... and ask about all the ways you could save. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy?

then boom... what happened? stress, fun, bad habits kids, now what? let's build a new, smarter bed using the dualair chambers to sense your movement, heartbeat, breathing. introducing the sleep number bed with sleepiqtm technology. it tracks your sleep and tells you how to adjust for a good, better and an awesome night. the difference? try adjusting up or down. you'll know cuz sleep iq™ tells you. only at a sleep number store, mattresses with sleepiq start at just $999.98. know better sleep with sleep number. we're following these horrific pictures that are coming in. multiple tornado now on the ground in nebraska. chad meyers is standing by with an update. chad, tell us what's going on because the images we just saw, these are live pictures now of at least two, maybe three funnel clouds on the ground. what's going on now? >> moving back into unurban

territory. this is watermelon territory. you don't see a lot of corn on the side of the ground. this is very fertile ground. but there are still farm steads in the way of these twos merging tornadoes. they will bump into each other. they may die off awhile and then they will regenerate itself. when that storm regenerates itself, we'll be back. this is what it looked like a few minutes ago when the two were on ground side by side as memerged. they're kind of playing battling tops. we'll take a break from this, go back to other news and come back to me. >> you'll stay on top of that for viewers. let's move on to other major news we're watching including the possibility of u.s. military action in iraq. as president obama weighs what to do about iraq, terrorists are showing off some very gruesome evidence of their mass executions of iraqi prisoners as they push toward baghdad. let's discuss what's going on with chief international

correspondent christiane amanpour and jim sciutto. the images we just saw of these insurgents or these terrorists, these isis jihadists taking these iraqi soldiers, making them say certain words, beating them and then simply executing them, we haven't seen this kind of stuff in awhile. >> it reminds me of the bad old days when we were all in iraq late 2003, four, 2005 and on. and it was terrifying. it was terrifying. whether it was iraqi security forces being massacred by thesis lammist insurgents, whether it was journalists, ngos, whether it was foreigners. it was almost a daily occurrence. it is truly terrifying. it makes me sick to see this again because it reminds me of how bad it was back then. >> reminds me of that, as well. the president is now back at the white house. marine one has landed. he's going into a major meeting to discuss u.s. military options with his national security team. jim, what are you hearing?

>> we've got a much better idea today. one option is increased reconnaissance surveillance flights. gather intelligence on the isis positions around northern part of iraq and possible intelligence for air strikes. second, possibility of manned or unmanned air strikes. >> u.s. air strikes. >> to aid the iraqi military. also learned more details about another option speaking to a senior military official putting more u.s. advisors, military advisers on the ground in iraq. there are already about 200 inside the u.s. embassy compound in baghdad. don't picture advisors out in the field with combat units where they would constitute boots on the ground which is something the administration ruled out. more in the background in that embassy compound which is essentially a for res helping guide the iraqi oob military response 0 this going forward. again, officials will always emphasize any strategy has to have a political component, it has to involve political compromise by the shiite government and then the other bigger point is that these are in effect short and medium term

solutions. this is rapidly becoming a regional conflict that needs a political strategy. >> yes, that's what the administration says. i just spoke to the iraqi ambassador to washington. he said look, fine, but we don't have the time to talk about that now. they seem not to be working in tandem on this issue. they're saying we want immediate help. he also said look, this is not just our problem. it's a global problem. you had one osama bin laden in afghanistan. you could thousands of them coming out of this. if you look at the map, it is again terrifying we now have a al qaeda lake statelet spanning iraq and syria. that's the reality right now. >> a horrible reality indeed. christiane, jim, thanks very much. don't forget tomorrow, christiane amanpour will be moderating a town haul meeting with hillary clinton. hillary clinton's hard choices live 5:00 p.m. eastern. a replay 9:00 p.m. eastern tomorrow night. special edition of the situation

room" airing immediately afterwards, 6 ponte preta eastern all right here on cnm. coming up, as a brutal terror group ramp andages through iraq there's growing concern it will make good on threats to confront america on american soil. on the eve of the meeting with hillary clinton,ing are republican attacks on her foreign policy making a dent? we've got a brand-new poll. stay with us. you're in "the situation room."

nineteen years ago, we thought, "wow, how is there no way to tell the good from the bad?" so we gave people the power of the review. and now angie's list is revolutionizing local service again. you can easily buy and schedule services from top-rated providers. conveniently stay up to date on progress. and effortlessly turn your photos into finished projects with our snapfix app. visit angieslist.com today. ♪

humans. even when we cross our "ts" and dot our "i's", we still run into problems. that's why liberty mutual insurance offers accident forgiveness with our auto policies. if you qualify, your rates won't go up due to your first accident. because making mistakes is only human, and so are we. we also offer new car replacement, so if you total your new car, we'll give you the money for a new one. call liberty mutual insurance at... and ask us all about our auto features, like guaranteed repairs, where if you get into an accident and use one of our certified repair shops, the repairs are guaranteed for life. so call... to talk with an insurance expert about everything that comes standard with our base auto policy. and if you switch, you could save up to $423. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy?

the brutal terror group which has been on a bloody killing spree as it moves toward

baghdad may soon take direct aim at the united states and pay use american jihadists to carry out its threats. brian todd, pretty chilling stuff. what are you learning? >> new information from a u.s. intelligence official who says americans may have joined the terrorist group isis that's now targeting baghdad. we know americans have already joined other jihadist groups in syria and we've now identified the american who made a terrorist recruiting video there. the video looks like a movie trailer. it says coming soon. shows an american flag burning. and a passport burning. one billboard reads the story of an american ma ha jury in shaum which is syria. the militant's blurred image appears. then you hear him talking about divine obligation. >> it is up to you to protect your brothers and it is up to you to fight. >> a u.s. intelligence official tells cnn the man with the blurred face is a 22-year-old

jihadist from vero beach, florida who blew himself up in a truck bomb attack in syria last month. three dozen were killed. >> the point the group is trying to make is that despite that the united states is leading the war on terror, we welcome americans. we have americans. we actually would rather have americans because they are the best poster boys for propaganda. >> according to our source, it stands to reason some american who have joined the broader fight in syria have linked up with isis, the brutal terrorist group now targeting baghdad. the official could not say whether those fighters are in iraq right now or in syria. u.s. lawmakers and analysts warn the next 9/11 style attacks could come from iraq or syria. militants with american passports could have an easier path to attacking america's homeland and isis might soon have the motivation to do ta. >> direct u.s. engagement against isis does raise this question whether they will turn to the u.s. and attempt to

attack the homeland. certainly more than they have today. >> and the shap doey vicious leader of isis may have warned about that. colonel ken king was in iraq when u.s. forces released baghdadi in 2009. >> he looked over to us and as he left he said see you guys in new york. today i believe that there is some merit in his words in the fact that he has a significant force. he has a significant amount of money after going through mosul and tikrit and he has gained momentum in his movement south. >> reporter: another ominous piece of intelligence, a spokesman for the fbi tells cnn the fbi is now looking into reports that young men of somali descent have the left the minneapolis area and joined up with jihadists in syria. that official could not say whether they joined up with isis bau he voices concern over the fact that they have american passports. >> what are you hearing from u.s. officials, other experts about a potential timing for any kind of isis attack at u.s.

interests? >> among the officials and analysts you speak to, they go do worry that isis may target american embassies in the region. turkey is a particular worry, wolf, because much of the flow of isis fighters comes through turkey. expers say they could easily hit an american installation there. >> brian todd with that ominous report. thanks very much. let's get back to breaking news right now. multiple tornadoes on the ground in nebraska. meteorologist chad meyers is standing by at the cnn severe weather center. these pictures are pretty devastating. a little while ago, woo he saw live pictures of two tornadoes right next to each other on the ground. these are pretty ominous, as well. these are live pictures. >> this is a single tornado on the ground. those two tornadoes really combined into one circulation. and now what we see is this one on the ground about seven miles to the west just to the northwest of pender, nebraska, heading to emerson, nebraska. let me show you what it looks

like as he turns away away anyway. as we look at the two tornadoes that were on the ground simultaneously. we do know that a town in northeast nebraska was hit by one of those tornadoes. we saw the debris on the ground before it crossed over highway 275, pilger, nebraska took a direct hit from that big, big tornado, wolf. >> chad, we'll stay on top of this together with you. thanks very, very much. just ahead, coming up at the top of the hour, a situation room special report. we're going live to baghdad. our own anderson cooper is there on the scene. we'll check in with him. did you know, your eyes can lose vital nutrients as you age? [ male announcer ] that's why there's ocuvite to help replenish key eye nutrients.

ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin to help protect your eye health. ocuvite. help protect your eye health. and cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial.

ask your doctor about cialis for daily use c'mon, you want heartburn? when your favorite food starts a fight, fight back fast, with tums. heartburn relief that neutralizes acid on contact. and goes to work in seconds. ♪ tum, tum tum tum... tums! thank ythank you for defendiyour sacrifice. and thank you for your bravery. thank you colonel. thank you daddy. military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa auto insurance can be one of them. if you're a current or former military member or their family, get an auto insurance quote and see why 92% of our members plan to stay for life.

.

the dangerous and escalating crisis in iraq, one of the global critical comments that hillary clinton will be grilled on at the town hall event tomorrow evening. this is key republicans are seizing on new opportunity to attack her foreign policy record as secretary of state. let's bring in our senior political correspondent brianna keilar. he's got details. >> well hillary clinton is tlegd the needle. she is attached to president obama. she worked for him. but he's also showering her independence from him. but critics are taking aim, blaming clinton. >> as tensions mount in ukraine as pro-russian separatists shot down a military plane killing

all 49 people on board and i ra iraq descends into krit similar, they're seeing political playeder. >> what's the play book to beat her? >> i believe the play book is to look at her record. i believe you have to consider what's happened around the world during the years she was secretary of state and i was a monumental bust. >> so far voters don't seem to agree giving clinton high marks on how she would handle terrorism. benghazi libya is the exception. 55% of those polled said they're dissatisfied with how she hand tl 2012 attacks on the american consulate. as clinton continues her high profile book tour and eyes another presidential run, she is emphasizing her differences with president obama. on syria where a civil war rages

and some wonder if obama's delay in arming syrian rebels was a wise choice, she makes clear it wasn't her call. >> i did feel quite strongly that we needed to see if it were possible to vet and train and equip moderate opposition figures. >> and on cuba, the trade embargo obama has main stained, clinton said lifted. >> i would like to change the psychology of this issue. we've been in a corner for too long. we need to get out of the corner. >> now clinton is walking a line cher. she can't escape that he was a key part in president obama's cabinet. many of his problems are hers as well. on iraq, she is supporting his reluctance to use force. >> on that point she's right.

thanks for much. for that be sure to tune in tomorrow for a cnn town hall event with hillary clinton, tomorrow 5:003 h p.m. eastern. it will replay at 9:00 p.m. eastern. special edition of srm airing at 6 p.m. coming up on the hour, a special report on the deadly violence in iraq. our own anderson cooper will join us live. he is now in baghdad. stand by. e plane... his shoes! and a third simply doesn't want to be here. ♪ until now... until right booking now. ♪ planet earth's number one accomodation site booking.com booking.yeah!

so what i'm saying is, people like options. when you take geico, you can call them anytime you feel like saving money. it don't matter, day or night. use your computer, your smartphone, your tablet, whatever. the point is, you have options. oh, how convenient. hey. crab cakes, what are you looking at? geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. that would be my daughter -- hi dad. she's a dietitian. and back when i wasn't eating right, she got me drinking boost. it's got a great taste, and it helps give me the nutrition i was missing. helping me stay more like me. [ female announcer ] boost complete nutritional drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. all with a delicious taste. grandpa! [ female announcer ] stay strong, stay active with boost.

happening now, battlefield executions. hundreds of iraqi soldiers are killed by islamic terrorists. cnn's anderson cooper is now on the scene. he'll join us live. is the city on the verge of invasion. u.s. strikes, obama administration is looking at a short list of options for action against the militants sweeping iraq. the president is meeting with his national security team.

will he order the u.s. planes to attack. rare double twisters touching down as severe weather threatens some 20 million people in the united states. who's facing the great es danger now. i'm wolf blitzer. we want to welcome our visitors from the united states and around the world. you're in "the situation room." we're covering two major stories including the breaking news, tornadoes on the ground in the midwest. 20 million people are in the path of this very severe and dangerous weather system. our meteorologist chad myers is tracking it all for us. but we're also following major developments in the cries for iraq. president obama has returned to the white house and calling an urgent meeting of his top national security team to review his options for potential military action in iraq, possibly including air strikes.

we're covering all angles of this fast moving story. let's begin in baghdad with our senior international correspondent nick robertson. she has the very latest. >> reporter: as isis reveals execution videos, baghdad itself is nervously awaiting what may happen next. isis gang more ground, moving close tore baghdad. the u.s. embassy there, fortified security, more u.s. marines being brought in, some staffers being evacuated taken in other safer iraqi cities. on the capital streets outside, an iraqi policeman nervously eyes passing cars, busier than the past few days, fears that the city is about to be engulfed in fighting. prices in food markets are up.

potatoes from 80 cents to $1.50 this lady says, but it's cooking gas up five fold that really upsets her. why, she says. everything is working fine. stores are well stocked on the service, it also seems like normal but sit not. this man tells us for the first time ever officials are clamping down on prices as the government tries to save off panic and price gouging. it seems, though, almost the least of their worries. the eminent threat from the north leaves the iraqi government desperate for soldiers calling on volunteers. hundreds of civilians young and old marching through the streets of baghdad, now having to defend their country. and in the north, isis taking the town of tally far, gang control over the army base meaning more weapons and

ammunition up for grabs, some of the weaponry provided by the u.s. asking his identity be concealed, cnn's correspondent interviewing an iraqi colonel saying his unit alone left behind mvs and rocket launchers when they led. >> if the central government falls, a disaster awaits us of monumental proportions. >> with minimal resources, little control on the ground, the iraqi military uses military strikes to target the second largest city. >> this definitely would not be restricted to the boundary. these countries, it will spill over to europe and the terrorism could spread to the world at large. >> reporter: the iraqi air force

says it's killed 200 isis fighters. they're still on the move and their aim is this city, baghdad. wolf? >> that's the capital, a city of some 9 million people. nick robertson, thanks very much. the disturbing developments in iraq has oil prices spiking around the world to the highest level in a year. and that's even though the militants advanced hasn't impacted iraqi oil production, at least not yet. but there is growing concern as the military group known as isis seizes control of more iraqi territory including major cities that the u.s. fought to free just a few years ago. anderson cooper is live. anderson, what are you seeing and what where you hearing? >> reporter: certainly there's a lot of concern over the fall of the city of tallifer, a city of

200,000 in the northwest of iraq. both sunni and shiite, many of whom have fled into the desert knew isis has taken over that city, certainly raising more questions about the iraqi military, a military that vastly out forces isis. there are been thousands of volunteers. mostly iraqi shiite heeding that call, volunteers saying they're ready to fight. but questions about they capabilities and experience on the battlefield and thou they will be used to protect the city of baghdad and used to bolster the sagging moral of the iraqi military forces. there's a lot of questions here. obviously this city is very much on edge.

it has probably changed over the last several days. it was suicide attack yesterday which certainly shattered a lot of nerves, kill ten people. seems calmer today but clearly a city on the edge one unsure about the capabilities of their government, what the government can do to stop the isis forces. >> what is it like just coming into bag hdad. did you see troops on the way, any evidence of a heightened security presence there? >> reporter: yeah, without a doubt. what's interestst interesting this is a city of rumor, a country of rumor. even flying in today there were rumors that there hads been fighting at the airport, none of which we saw evidence of. those turned out to be rumors. that was a real concern. some flights were delayed. it is nightfall. there is curfew around midnight. we were able toic ma it in under

the curfew. but the road from the airport to the city, which is a road that's always been dangerous even when u.s. forces were here, is a risky road, multiple check points. check points have increased in the city, not just in the number of them but the number of people manning the check points. they check the vehicles carefully. there's real concern not just about isis insurgents coming into the city of baghdad but the knowledge that there are already insurgents here, there was a suicide bomb yesterday. it tells you what we have known for a long time, there are insurgents in this city and this security threat is not one coming to the city but one that is already here. >> anderson, we'll stay in close touch with you. be careful over there. anderson of course will be anchoring his program from

baghdad later tonight, "ac 360 starts 8:00 eastern. will the crisis in iraq bring together two bitter long time enemies. we'll have the details of the u.s. and iran. there's breaking news we're following, tornadoes touching down in the midwest. there are now reports of direct hits, new details coming into "the situation room". ll: jobs all over america. engineering and innovation jobs. advanced safety systems & technology. shipping and manufacturing. across the united states, bp supports more than a quarter million jobs. when we set up operation in one part of the country, people in other parts go to work. that's not a coincidence. it's one more part of our commitment to america.

and it feels like your lifeate revolves around your symptoms,

ask your gastroenterologist about humira adalimumab. humira has been proven to work for adults who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief, and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your gastroenterologist about humira today. remission is possible. the numbers are impressive. over 400,000 new private sector jobs...

making new york state number two in the nation in new private sector job creation... with 10 regional development strategies to fit your business needs. and now it's even better because they've introduced startup new york... with the state creating dozens of tax-free zones where businesses pay no taxes for ten years. become the next business to discover the new new york. [ male announcer ] see if your business qualifies. tap it here, digital insurance id card. and tap it here, boom, roadside assistance.

on'tday ooklay, it's axwellmay. the igpay? otallytay. take an icturepay! onephay, onephay! really, pig latin? [ male announcer ] geico. anywhere, anytime. just an aptay away on the geico appay. certainly been bitter enemies for a decade. will the united states and iran team up to stop the militants

from seizing baghdad, taging total kroel over iraq. our former reporter elise is working on this story. she's here in "the situation room" with me. what are you finding out. >> we're told that the talks between iran and the u.s. on iraq could be on a margins of. this. the u.s. is coming around to the realization that the road to baghdad could go through teheran. with islamist forces advancing on baghdad, with president obama team up with iran to stop them? secretary of state john kerry told yahoo! it's an idea that the u.s. is ready to explore. >> we're open to discussions if there's something constructive that can be contributed by iran, if iran is prepared to do something that is going to respect the integrity and sovereignty of iraq. >> an aboutface from last year when kerry in baghdad blamed iran for fueling the civil war

in syria and accused of the iraqi prime minister of turning a blind eye as iran flow in weapons. >> anything that supports president assad is problematic. i made it clear to the prime minister that the overflights from iran is in fact helping to sustain president say said and his regime. >> since u.s. troops left iraq in 2011, the shiite regime in aryan has cemented its influence with the prime minister. now iran's president has offered help in beating back the mill tans. last year a commander traveled to baghdad to advise the government. a security official in baghdad tells cnn teheran has deployed groups to iraq. which is why a conservative

senator told us that washington needs iran's help. >> they can provide some assets to make sure that baghdad doesn't fall. a dwroug chorus of experts agree, including a former deputy security adviser. >> there's a political solution that could be in iran's interest and the u.s. interest. >> and a retired general who served in iraq. this are necessary steps we have to take with teheran that we've probably never taken before and would prefer not to take. >> and said the u.s. and iran should develop a set of shared objectives and rules of the road. and, wolf, there are some risks here. the u.s. is concerned that if there appear to be teaming up with iran, that could alienate the sunnis in iraq and they don't want to jeopardize the nuclear negotiations ahead of the july 20th deadline. they have to tread carefully. >> we want to bring in the state department deputy spokeswoman,

marie harp. marine we're going to have some questions. what do you say, will there be direct talks between the u.s. in iran in vein yen that this week where you are on the situation in iraq? >> reporter: well, wolf, happy to be here tonight from a lath night in venn yen that. we're talking to all to have regional players about iraq and the security situation there. there were brief discussions on the p 5 plus one today on iraq, very brief discussions there. but the talks are focused on the nuclear issue. going forward will determine if we want to keep talking to iran about iraq. that might make the most sense. but we both have a shared, an interest in isi sirks not getting a foothold any more in

iraq and we will talk to all of the regional players as we've done, as we've done in the past, if you look at afghanistan, about how we can confront the threat together. let me make one other point clearly. no outside country can fix iraq's problems. we need iraq's political leaders from across the spectrum to step up. >> have you see any evidence that the prime minister of iraq is doing that? >> well i think iraq's leaders recognize the severity of the situation. i think they see the exact same things your viewers are seeing about what's going on on the ground there. that's what whoo we eve been clear that we will assist them in the fight. the president is considering a number of options right now do so. but none of those options, including military options will not help if there is not a sincere effort by all of iraq's leaders including the prime minister to bring the country

together. >> elise, go ahead. >> let me follow up on that point. you've been pretty clear with the prime minister for about a year now especially when he visited washington late last year about the need to take those steps and he hasn't done so. you're still considering aid. is there at any point that you're willing to con some of this aid on him taking these genuine steps at political reconciliation, such as releasing political prisoners, dropping charges against his opponents, the kinds of things that could bring the country together? >> reporter: well i think you heard the president speak very clearly on friday, that in order for us to ramp up and continue our assistance, the government of iraq, the prime minister and others, need to take concrete steps to bring their country together, to invest in their security forces, to do so in an inclusive manner with to reach out to sunni leaders and sunni parties and the sunni people. so much of what we've seen today is the result that there have

been sectarian divides that have not been addressed in the right way. i think the president made clear in order for us to do certain things, the iraqis need to step up and do certain things as well. >> marie, it's jim. i'm curious why the degree of surprise. as we reported last week there were multiple intelligence reports over the last year describing isis's intentions for taking territory in iraq. why is the president just developing military, and his team just developing military teams to respond to that now, why the push on the urgency now to pressure them to include sunnis and gods in his government. we've been aware of why he's turned off the groups and excluded them pi why wasn't there better preparation and earlier pressure. >> reporter: well, jim, i think we've been very clear about the threat of isis to iraq at the

time. we've been consistently increasing our support to iraq to fight the threat. we've continued with weapons and surveillance and other things as well. we've consistently pushed the prime minister to govern in a new inclusive way. none of these are new issues but we've been very honest that we've seen over the past ten days an increase in the severity of the response. this is why the president is looking at additional options, ramping up our assistance and seeing what else we can do to give the iraqi government some space for the security force to regroup, to make the right decisions they need to make the bring the county back together. >> joining us from venn yen that where u.s. iranian talks on

nuclear issues and as she just said, also on iraq has been taking place. thanks very much. we've got breaking news we're following. when we come back, a tornado emergency unfolgds. 20 million people in the path of a severe throat. we're tracking the storms. co: sometimes you don't know you need a hotel room until you're sure you do. bartender: thanks, captain obvious. co: which is why i put the hotels.com mobile app on my mobile phone. hotels.com i don't need it right now. and that's epic, bro, we've forgotten just how good good is. good is setting a personal best before going for a world record. good is swinging to get on base before swinging for a home run.

[ crowd cheering ] good is choosing not to overshoot the moon, but to land right on it and do some experiments. ♪ so start your day off good with a coffee that's good cup after cup. maxwell house. ♪ good to the last drop maxwell house. thank ythank you for defendiyour sacrifice. and thank you for your bravery. thank you colonel. thank you daddy. military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa auto insurance can be one of them. if you're a current or former military member or their family, get an auto insurance quote and see why 92% of our members plan to stay for life. i dbefore i dosearch any projects on my home. i love my contractor, and i am so thankful to angie's list for bringing us together. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust.

breaking news out of iraq. coming out of the white house, our senior white house correspondent jim acosta is joining us. what's going on? what are you hearing. >> reporter: we can tell you in just a last few minutes the white house released a letter that the president sent to the spiker john boehner. this is a war powering letter that was sent over to congress officially notifying lawmakers that the president authorized the deployment of 275 u.s. armed forces personnel. those personnel will be in baghdad there to provides security and support for u.s. personnel on the ground in iraq in baghdad and to the embassy in baghdad. one thing we should point out in the letter, it says this force will renan iraq until the security situation becomes such that it is no longer needed. and e-mail from the press secretary, jake carney hit our inboxes in just a few minutes making the note that these

forces are coming into iraq with the understanding of the iraqi government, the support of the iraqi government. the president meeting with his security team to go over the options for iraq. >> so in effect, the president acknowledging in this let tore congress, these potentially could be combat troops. will they have immunity from any i rack ki prosecution? as you remember, that was a big issue when all of the u.s. troops withdrew at the end of 2011. >> reporter: i think that is unclear at this point that that is a key sticking point. that is why the white house says u.s. forces are not on the ground in baghdad or were not left in baghdad as a residual force as the president pulled those forces out of iraq in 2011. it as we understand, one of the other options that the president is looking at is deploying force to iraq to provide training to iraqi security forces. it's a question that will have to be worked out. >> 275 u.s. troops