highest selling jersey in the nba this past year. let's hope the battery life is good on that watch. make sure you follow us at "the lead," cnn on twitter. that is all for today. i'm john berman in for jake tapper. now turning you over to wolf blitzer in "the situation room." >> john, thanks very much. happening now, show of force. thousands of shiite militiamen parade through baghdad. they're vowing to fight the sunni-led isis as forces who are closing in on the capital. is iraq on the verge of a sectarian civil war right now? surprise visit. john kerry makes an unannounced trip to baghdad pledging support for the embattled prime minister with conditions. is the u.s. seriously considering air strikes? and comment controversy. hillary clinton throwing some fuel on the fire with newra, about her financial status. is she out of touch with middle class americanss? i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room."

-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com fear and tension are growing by the hour in iraq right now with isis militants seizing city after city, town after town. the sunni fighters now have a direct line to the western outskirts can of baghdad where shiite forces say they're prepared to fight to the death in a sectarian battle for control of the country. in the middle of it all, a surprise appearance today in baghdad by america's top diplomat. we're covering all thing ands of the crisis with our analysts and correspondents inside iraq as well as here in washington. our senior international correspondent nic robertson is in baghdad and he begins our coverage this hour. what is the latest? >> well, wolf, john kerry has just left the city here. he got agreements from the leading politicians here to stay committed to a timeline for forming a new government. that is quite a protracted process. in the meantime, isis fighters

continue to make substantial gains in the country all the way up to the border with jordan close to the border with saudi arabia. sweeping in now from the border from syria, as well. [ gunfire ] snooks isis forces continue sweeping iraq and closing in on baghdad. with substantial new gains in the north and west of the country. taking control of more towns and an iraqi air base in tal afar. isis now controls at least 70% of al anbar province where u.s. troops waninged a deadly battle against insurgents just a few years ago. but iraq's army is unable and in some cases unwilling to stop the i.c.e. advance. a senior u.s. defense official tells cnn the u.s. believes multiple iraqi divisions outside of baghdad have dissolved and are plagued by problems in morale, leadership, training and equipment.

with the crisis worsening daily, secretary of state john kerry made an unannounced trip to baghdad where he met with iraqi leaders including embattled prime minister nuri al maliki. kerry said al maliki has agreed to a july 1st deadline to begin forming a new government. a requirement for u.s. support in fighting isis militants. >> the support will be intense, sustained, and if iraq's leaders take the necessary steps to bring the country together, it will be effective. >> and with i.c.e. forces moving closer to baghdad each day, kerry said u.s. strikes could come at any time. >> make no mistake, the president has moved the assets into place and has been gaining each day the assurances he needs with respect to potential targeting and he has reserved the right to himself as he

should to make a decision at any point in time if he deems it necessary strategically. >> and another key step in that process now falling into place, as well. immunity from the prosecution for the military advisors who will come here to assess the strength of irng's military where it's weaknesses are, what equipment they need. we understand this time it will be initially at least six 12-men teams, wolf. >> i'll ask it to you, nick, what does it say that 11 years after u.s. forces went into iraq, remove saddam hussein from power, the secretary of state of the united states still can't visit the capital of baghdad publicly, make announcement that he's coming. it all has to be done mysteriously, secretly because of the security dangers. what does that say about all that has happened over the past 11 years? >> arguably, wolf, that this is

the worst situation that he could be coming in because those isis fighters are very close to the international airport where he flew into and therefore, there's, you know, the threat to him was ever more real than it was in those 11 years. it is a stark statement that after leaving iraq, that it hasn't been able to be with all the help particularly the help given to the military here, that it isn't able to secure to provide a secure place where a visiting secretary of state can come in with a higher degree of security than he has at this time. what we're seeing in iraq at the moment is some of the worst fears of diplomats did being realized the fact that the country's dividing into three parts. very hard to put it back together. a terrorist force digging into the countryside where once u.s. troops has managed to quash and push out al qaeda. it is, if you will, a terrible

statement of just how far back even iraq has come in that time, wolf. >> all that effort, all that blood and interest esche and people are asking understandably so what for. nic robertson in baghdad, thanks very much. be careful over there. while isis is made up almost completely of sunni fighters many sunnis do not support the militants au though they share their hatred of nuri al maliki. arwa damon is joining us from frommer bill in iraq's autonomous kurdish region. you talking to sun sunni leaders. what are they telling you? >> reporter: well, wolf, this force that is making its way towards the capital of baghdading is a very complex tapestry of different insurgent groups. on the one extreme, we have isis the islamic state of iraq and syria, it's end goal toll create an islamic caliphate.

all groupses are united under a determination to make sure maliki is removed from power. these various tribal leaders have been readying themselves for this batting for quite some time. around a year ago we traveled to the sunni heartland of al anbar province. the highway transformed into a demonstration ground against shia prime minister nuri al maliki. the tribes were getting ready for battle should iraqi forces try to enter. >> translator: we've been ready for a long time. we're certain al maliki is a liar. the political process is just a game. our weapons arer from, light medium and on up. but he also vowed the tribes would not again be a nuturing ground for terrorism. his tribe was among those that eventually allied with the u.s. turning against al qaeda in some of the darkest days of the occupation.

so what happened? >> isis is trying to ride the wave of the sunni revolution, trying to exploit it, and we won't accept this. >> but to a certain degree, they have. for now. >> translator: it's not in our interests to fight a variety of groups. we don't have the capability to fight everyone. the problem is with maliki. isis is killing and isis has an agenda but all the shia militias right now are wearing an official iraqi uniform and are killing iraqis. everyone is focused on isis, the tribes will not ally with i was. >> problem is, sunni insurgent groups and the tribes are not all united. but iraq's sunni population does have genuine grievances. >> translator: america needs to not look at iraq through a single lens. there is a real revolution, real revolution. america needs to listen to us. we don't have an issue with anyone. we just want our rights. we have a right to live here.

>> and he warns america needs to remember something very important from its devastating era in iraq. >> translator: i.c.e. is going to open a door in iraq that can't be closed. we are aware of this. you can't stop isis without the tribes. america shouldn't think that the maliki government can stop isis. maliki is the real danger to us. we can get rid of isis whenever we want. and rest assured, we will fight them. >> that might prove tougher than he boasts. already in many areas like mosul, isis is clearly the one in control and calling the shots. having already opened the door to this new bloody face of the country's history. and while secretary of state john kerry following his meeting with nuri al maliki was speaking about the need for an inclusive government at this stage, it seems as if maliki is not the man who can do the job.

also today speaking to christiane amanpour was the president of iraqi kurdistan who made it very clear he believed maliki needs to go. >> seems almost everyone seems to think nuri al maliki must go in iraq. thanks very much for that. up next, the growing threat of sectarian civil war in iraq. thousands of shiite mill lishianmen are marching through the capital of baghdad vowing to fight sunni forces to the death, some wearing suicide vests. and hillary clinton sparking new controversy with her remark that critics say shows she's out of touch with average americans. details of her comment, the fallout coming up, as well. ♪ ben! well, that was close!

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shocking i thinks from baghdad. a massive show of force as an estimated 20,000 shiite militia men march through the streets of the capital bearing weapons, including what looked like suicide vests. their message? they'll fight to the death to keep the mostly sunni forces of isis from taking baghdad. mike giglio is the middle east correspondent for buzz feed. he saw all of this unfold and joining us on the phone right now from baghdad. so, tell us what it was like, mike. you were there, you saw this demonstration. give us a little feeling for what was going on. >> thanks, wolf. yeah, it was really an amazing it show of force. i was shocked by how many people were there. the ap estimated 20,000. it could have been much more than that. and almost all of them armed. some very heavily. you saw ak-47s to rpgs and rad

rockets in the back of pickup trucks. it was a pretty impressive show of force and a loud message. >> what does it say about the situation in iraq right now that a demonstration like this, these shiite militiamen are marching through the streets of the capital of baghdad? >> it says that the iraqi army really doesn't have control. and that the local population really doesn't have any faith in the iraqi army's ability to defend them. so people are taking it upon themselves to take up arms and to send a message themselves to the militants in the north saying we can defend ourselves if the government won't. >> there was one poignant picture, very dramatic of some of these marchers war showing it right now wearing what looked like suicide vests. obviously, they were sending a message wearing these vests. were they real suicide vests or sort of artificial? >> i don't think they were rigged up to blow. i'm not sure whether those were actual explosives or not.

they breezed by pretty quickly. i'm pretty sure that was a suicide battalion and those people were marching to send a message when it comes time for this, we're ready to die for the cause here. >> isis is really driving regular iraqi army troops, security personnel into desertion. they're just running away interest these guys. explain. you've been there for a while. explain what's going on. why is the iraqi military simply crumbling? >> i think it's more deep seed seeded than we've realized an this point. i spoke to an army captain from the fallujah. isis took fallujah in january. he told me the first thing isis did when they took the town was to go door by door and threaten the families of anyone in fallujah who was a member of the armed services or the police force. and then captain had taken his family out of the city. but he was hiding here in baghdad. and he thought that isis knew where he was even here. he told me that he thought they had databases of everybody in the security forces and the

armed forces in the country. that they knew their movements it, knew their ranks and sears and knew their families. i ran that by some analysts and some politicians here. they said that's their understanding of isis capability, as well. when that's going on and these people really have fear in their hearts, they know it's not just going to be a battle on the battlefield. their families are in danger, as well. i think they're terrified. >> mike giglio from buzz feed. be careful over there. it's a rather dangerous situation as we all know. thanks for joining us. >> let's get more. retired u.s. arm colonel derek harvey is joining us, former advisor to david petraeus in iraq. thanks for coming in. >> good to be mere. >> did the iraqi government underestimate isis? >> i believe they did underestimate isis and the nature and character of the leadership and the vision of the

isis campaign that started about 1 months ago with shaping operations to undermine the security forces as outlined in the preamble. >> it looks like extremists among the sunnis isis, extremists among the shiites these militiamen marching through baghdad seem to be taking charge right now what we would call more reasonable moderate middle types seem to be scared. they're not really participating any more. is it too early to write them off? this is going to be a clash between shiite militiamen who are extreme loyal to iran for that matter versus the sunni militants who are i.c.e. terrorists. >> it looks like the extremes are dominating. isis is clearly the vanguard of the sunni arab resistance. it is much broader and deeper than that. it's got multiple insurgent groups like duri's organization, the iraqi islamic army and other groups. plus many of the former sons of

iraq or the awake neng members have join the in the fight. >> you spent five years in iraq serving there with general petraeus among others. here's what the kurdish, regional kurdish president massoud barzani told our christiane amanpour today. we haven't remain hostages for the unknown. the time is here for the kurdistan people to determine their future and the decision of the people is what we're going to uphold. are we on the verge of seeing a partition of iraq into a kurdish autonomous area, a sunni and shia area? i think we're on the verge of that unless strong measures are taken not only by the united states but the international community to shape a change in government towards a you know aught government and try to put this back together again. part of this has to be reaching out to the sunni eric community and driving a wedge between moderate sunni arabs and isis. >> you say isis really the heart of isis isn't in the iraq but

it's in syria right now. if the u.s. where is to start launching air strikes against isis targets in iraq, it had be a waste unless the u.s. did the same thing in syria. >> the best outcome would be to link syria and iraq into one campaign plan. the iranians see it as one battle front and we should, too. the heart, the brain and the resource base for isis is in syria, northeastern syria. >> i suspect the american public has no great appetite to get involved militarily like that. a huge campaign in syria and in iraq. but we'll see, colonel, thanks foech for coming in. >> glad to be here. >> thanks for your service. when we come back, hillary clinton igniting controversy over her wealth for the second time in a few weeks. is she out of touch with the middle class and will republicans possibly even some democrats pounce?

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new questions right now over whether hillary clinton is out of touch with middle class americans after more comments about her financial status that are reigniting a controversy she started just a couple of weeks

ago. let's bring in senior political correspondent brianna keeler with the latest details. what's going on this time? >> this was a print interview where the author discussing income inequality and how it's going be a central part of the 2016 election asked how clinton could be credible on this issue seeing as she has such huge personal wealth and here's what she said. >> hi, everybody. >> in an interview with britain's "the guardian" newpaper, hillary clinton says people "don't see me as part of the problem because we pay ordinary income tax unlike a lot of people who are truly well off, not to name names. and we've done it through dint of hard work." her comment comes on heels of a slaur faux pas. >> we came out of the white house not only dead broke but in debt. we had no money when we got there, and we struggled to piece together the resources for mortgages, for houses, for chelsea's education. >> mortgages plural. the clintons though several

million dollars in debt when they left the white house have since raked in more than $100 million writing books and giving paid speeches. she reportedly earns $200,000 per speaking engagement. clinton quickly backtracked. >> let me just clarify that i fully appreciate how hard life is for so many americans today. it's an issue that i've worked on and cared about my entire adult life. bill and i were obviously blessed. >> and so too are clinton's possible 2016 opponents, vice president joe viden sounding a little more down to earth as a white house event on working families. >> don't hold it against me that i don't own a single stock or bond. don't hold it i have no savings account. >> biden does actually have aization account and his wife holds stock. elizabeth warren, a darling of liberal democrats, seemed floored by clinton's comments. washington post culpist ruth marcus recently interviewed her.

when i asked what warren made of clinton's book tour comment about being dead broke on leaving the white house, warren paused for a full 19 seconds. i was surprised she finally said. >> martin o'malley. and maryland governor martin o'malley in iowa this past weekend sees an opening to position himself as a populist. >> a stronger middle class is the cause of all economic growth. >> now, this book tour that clinton is on right now is seen as a messaging test drive. she is stumbling on that. >> stumbling a bit. thanks very much for that. let's dig deeper on this and more joining us senior legal correspondent jeffrey toobin. he has a brand-new article on ted cruz in the new issue of "the new yorker"" magazine. plus ourply commentators, republican strategist ana navarro and democratic strategist donna brazile.

ana, let me get your reaction first. democrats trying to downplay their wealth. what do you make of this? >> this is a discussion that no strategist wants to be having. if you don't believe me, ask the mitt romney strategist. it is a losing argument. when she first started doing these things, i thought she's rusty. at this point, i'm thinking she's got foot in mouth disease. because she's now the taking several shots at trying to explain this issue and she keeps digging the hole deeper. it's fascinating me that her husband who lives in the same rarified air who's made as much money be they're joint assets, yet he has the political gift of making you feel like he feels your pain. hillary clinton just seems to not be able to get it right. >> donna, react but i want to quote what you told "the washington post." i'll put it on the screen. i hope hillary never an poizes for trying to earn a live.

she's no different than bloul, to different than jeb bush or anything else who's left public office and looked for ways to make an income. what is wrong with a woman having the same earning potential as any man? you're suggesting there's a double standard for her even though john mccain has criticized for not knowing how many houses he had and mitt romney was criticized for having an elevator garage. what's the point you're trying to make? >> i think initially when she is stories started coming out, she makes that much money? wolf, there are a lot of people who leave public service and go and try to make an income, they go to corporate boards. hilly is giving lectures, giving speeches. when you talk to hillary clinton, she talks about fighting for the middle class. helping the working poor. the last thing you can sit around and a table and that talk to her about is how much money you're earning >> you're a talented political

strategist. looking back, she shouldn't have spoken that she and bill clinton were the dead broke and shouldn't have made that comment about the truly well off as opposed to her right now. she'd like to take those comments back. >> you know what? she's all polished and ready to run for president? no, she's on a book tour, having a conversation with the american people. we know that many of these politicians are not in the poor house, but we also know that people like hillary clinton she spent her entire life fighting for the middle class. the latest cnn poll, 60% of the american people believe that is what she stands for. >> jeffrey, joe viden when he was saying those things today about he doesn't have a bank account, doesn't have money, he's a struggling kind of guy, it sounded like to me he was taking a little dig at hillary clinton. do you think he's going to challenge her? >> if she runs will he run for the democratic nomination? >> i'm quoted as being a hillary clinton supporter and also a joe

viden supporter. if he decides he wants to run, go ride. the democratic bench is really, really lashlg. he's been in public office most of his adult life. i can attest to the fact because i've had dinner with him he's not a rich man. >> he's obviously not a rich man. >> this is not the first time. this is not the first time joe viden does that. a few months ago, hillary was speaking at a public speech and she made a crack about how she hadn't driven a car since 1996. >> she lives in new york. >> the next day biden came out and said how much he loves driving around in a corvette i think it was. i think, you know, joe viden is part of the pun, trying to be the average joe. and realizing that hillary clinton has a vulnerability. >> a lot of us remember the video when he was describing around in a car maybe trying to make a dig at hillary clinton in that video, as well. jeffrey, you've got a great

article in the new issue of "the new yorker" magazine on senator ted cruz who would like i assume to be the republican presidential nomination. you spent a lot of time with him. give us your assessment of this guy. >> what a lot of people don't realize is what an accomplished lawyer he was before he will became a senator. he's only 43 years old. but he already had argued nine cases in the united states supreme court including very significant ones. and i think what i drew from spending time with cruz was that you know, he has the mentality of an appellate lawyer. he's always making an argument. he is not someone who is interested in compromising and making a deal and settling the case. he just wants to make the case to the american people, and that's why at least in part his views are not middle of the road. he does not like rand paul who has sort of libertarian views on somicious. he's not like marco rubio who has middle of the road views on immigration. he is running to be the most

conservative candidate in the 2016 race, and i think at least for the nomination, that's probably a pretty good place to be. >> when you say he's very intelligent, you spoke to alan dershowitz, the harvard law professor for almost 50 years or so. he says ted cruz is one of the smartest he's ever taught? >> absolutely. and alan dershowitz does not have cruz's politics. this kid was a -- he was as a kid, he was a superstar. he grup in houston. his father was a cuban em i gray, very politically conservative. he took classes as a teenager in the constitution with a very consecutive teacher. and his views have not not changed at all since he was a teenager. he comes from a very conservative community. he is someone who is a true believer, who's 100 percenter, who's extremely articulate, very popular in texas, certainly.

and i think he's certainly -- has found himself in a place that's very good for the republican nomination. it's very problematic in general election. >> ana, put on the screen a line that be jeffrey wrote in his new yorker article referring to ted cruz. the only republicans he wants to challenge are those who want to cooperate or cop pro mize with democrats. what's your assessment? does he realistically have a chance of being the republican presidential nominee? >> frankly, wolf, i think it will be very difficult for him. i think there will be other people who fill that name niche, maybe ben carson or rick santorum also, very much to the right of the republican party and it will dilute the vote. he and rand paul also complete for a certain part of the vote. i agree with what a lot of what jeff has said. i do wish that ted cruz didn't want so much that the niche he's caved out for himself hadn't been to to be the skunk of the

republican party and that he would spend more time going after democrats and less time going after his own republican colleagues. >> donna, would you be happy if ted cruz were the republican nominee? >> oh, yes, he's a show horse, not a workhorse. let him run. >> that was very good. >> show horse. >> donna, ana, jeffrey, thanks very much. when we come back, president obama shares some intimate moments of being a father in an interview with our own kate bolduan. what he tells her about raising two daughters. that's next. 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 feel like a knot. how can i ease this pain? (man) when i can't go, it's like bricks piling up. i wish i could find some relief. (announcer) ask your doctor about linzess--

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another critical issue on president obama's agenda, working families.

the president and the first lady michelle obama hosting a working family summit right here in washington today. amid a new white house evident to try to get congress focused on the issue, as well. cnn "new day" co-anchor kate bolduan sat down with president obama to talk more about exactly what he's blanning to do. she's joining us now. i know he got personal on a lot of this. tell us what his objectives are. >> you lay it out really well. first i asked him with everything on his plate right now, especially on the international front, how does he think he can get the of workpla for families. he says this is something families are already talking about around their kitchen table. washington just needs to listen. he wants to see the private sector step up and do more to help families. but he also says he wants to see the federal government do more, as well. >> you know this but you talk to ten different people, you're going to get ten different challenges they face in trying to succeed at the work and life

balance, to succeed at both. what are the three things that you would like to see companies, employers, businesses, do to make it work? dawes because you know those priorities don't always align. >> yeah, there's some things we know will make a difference in people's lives. paid family leave it, we're the only advanced country on earth an doesn't have it. it doesn't make any sense. you know, this is not just a women's issue. one of the most precious merps that i'll memories i have is when my first daughters was born i was lucky enough my schedule allowed me to take that first month off and you know, staying up at 2:00 in the morning and feeding her and burping her and you know, creates a bond that is irreplaceable. and a lot of companies are already doing it, and it's working. and michele and i have talked about this. you know, when we knew that

employers had our backs and were the willing to give us flexibility to look after a family, that made us want to work harder for that employer. even if it meant taking work home with us. so we have unpaid family leave right now, but for a whole lot of families, it means they can't use it because they just can't afford it. number two workplace flexibility. if i've got a parent teacher conference, you know, we always say that we want parents involved in our kids' education. there are millions of families out there who capital even imagine taking time off to go to a parent teachers' conference. the third thing is the issue of child care. you know, we don't do a very good job providing high quality affordable child care, and there are a lot of countries a lot of our competitors do it. that means that it's a lot easier for women to be in the workforce and not have to make

choices that ultimately mean they're in some cases getting paid less or having less opportunities. i should add on that list equal pay for equal work. we've done some something administratively on that front. i always say that shouldn't be a woman's issue. i always wanted michele to make sure she was getting paid fairly because when she brought her paycheck home, that went into the overall pot to help us pay our byes. >> republicans will be critical of some of the initiatives. >> i think that's fair to say. >> but it is no secret. >> shocking. >> it's no secret that democrats midterm election separatity is to pitch to women to get the women to come out to vote. they've said that. is this au politics? >> i was raised by a single mom who had to work, go to skoo, raise two kids. didn't come from a wealthy

family. we were helped by my grandparents and the primary bread winner there was my grandma who never got a college education but worked her way up from a secretary to being a vice president of a bank but also hit a glass ceiling. i've got a strong successful wife who i remember being reduced to tears sometimes because she couldn't figure out how to juggle everything that she was doing. and i've got two daughters that i care about more than anything in the world. and so this is personal for me and i think it's personal for a lot of people. this is not just a women's issue. this is a middle class issue and an american issue. i'd welcome a bipartisan effort with ideas coming from the private sector and from republicans and from democrats and you know, from non-profits and faith community about how we

make sure that we're supporting families and reducing their stress. that's what's this monday summit's all about. >> so kate, what are the chances that the president will find that kind of bipartisan support in congress for any major change on then important issue? >> you've got a couple things. everyone has a family and wants them to be able to balance their life and work. but you also know the environment on capitol hill. there have been some proposals floating around, some support for paid family leave. three states alone have been taking it on themselves to see if it will work. some support for a tax break for child care. some push for tax breaks for home offices. but it comes down to an ideological divide at the end of the day. the question is, how much should the federal government be intervening in these matters and how much should the private sector should businesses have, how much say should businesses have in what flexibility, would for their employees and their business. that, of course, you know, is where ds and rs, that's where

they are very different and that's where they divide. the politics no matter what happens, even if nothing happens, the politics don't hurt here. one show of that is just how much star power they brought out for this event, the president, the first lady, the vice president and jill biden all cop out 0 show their support for this event. you know democrats are making this a big part of their midterm strategy. so this can't hurt them. >> important issue also to be sure. kate, thanks very much. good work. >> thanks, wolf. >> you can always catch much more of kate along with chris cuomo, michaela pereira, tomorrow, every weekday morning on "new day" at 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. every morning right here on cnn. coming up at the top of the hour, the secretary of state john kerry's surprise visit to iraq as the day, crisis there deepens. we're live in the region with the latest. plus, we're also live at the world cup in brazil where the u.s. is gearing up for another

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this news just coming into the situation room. we're getting reports of an 8.0 magnitude earthquake in alaska. it occurred beneath the alluseun islands change. a tsunami warning has been issued. we'll give you more once we get it. we'll watch what's going on. other news, only seconds away from a guaranteed advance to the next round, team usa lets up a goal in the extra time against portugal for a devastating draw that crushed millions of americans swept up with world cup fever.

one of those americans, the new day co-anchor chris cuomo is joining us now from brazil with more. it now goes to thursday. the usa and germany. if there's a tie in that game, both teams move forward. you know there are a lot of conspiratorial theories out there that both of these teams might be aiming exactly for that. i doubt it. i think both teams want to win. but what's the mood down there, chris? >> reporter: the mood right now is incredibly jubilant. rio is such an exciting and electric city, let alone when it is host to the world cup here in brazil, wolf, which calls its f itself -- they call themselves the country of football so the place is just on fire and there are a lot of americans here. now, this conspiracy talk, there is a basis for it in world cup history. 1982, germany/austria. there was a feeling that germany stopped playing after scoring a

goal, didn't need to, a little bit of an allegation more than any real proof of it, and that carries forward to today why? because the u.s. coach, klinsmann, was not only a coach of huge reputation in germany, he coached the german side, he was also a legendary player there and he raised and mentored the current coach. so there's a feeling both of you only need a tie, maybe you take it easy so you both move on. there's every reason to believe, including the latest statements from both coaches, that that is a lot of rubbish. it's not going to happen. the point of the world cup is to come and compete, and the u.s. team is expecting to go out and play its hardest. they're hoping for a win, wolf. >> i'm sure they are. i don't buy that conspiracy at all. you know, they scored that tying goal in the 95th minute, it was very hot. they actually had to stop and take a water break. was fatigue maybe a problem for usa? >> reporter: they say no.

they're incredibly well conditioned. they're a young team. it was hot. i think the heat index was well over 90 degrees when the match started in the evening here. you know, that was certainly a factor. the refs have a certain temperature where they have to call the time-out, so they called it. but it didn't look to those who understand the game that the u.s. was laboring from a fitness perspective. they get a few days before their next match. really they just got caught out of position but that's part of the nature of this sport, wolf. things can happen at any moment, you know. so i do know this, taking the draw wasn't the worst thing for the u.s. there are more permanent takeses that have them moving forward. we've heard it from the players, wolf. i think their head is in the right place. >> thanks very much, chris cuomo on the scene in rio for us. coming up, iraq under attack, the militant onslaught gaining as fighters move closer to baghdad.

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well-qualified lessees can lease the 2014 grand cherokee laredo 4x4 for $359 a month. happening now, new u.s. moves aimed at beating back isis terror. secretary of state john kerry is on the ground promising intense support, warning that military assets are now in position potentially to strike. another middle east time bomb, israel fighters back after a deadly new attack near its border with syria, sending a powerful message across a very tense region. and some of the worst horror stories yet about veterans care right here in the united states of america. stand by for a scathing new investigation that builds on cnn's reporting about this shocking scandal. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in the situation room.

right now isis fighters and their allies have a direct line to the outskirts of baghdad. they're advancing to the west and also advancing from the north after capturing critical, very critical new ground near iraq's border. secretary of state john kerry spent the day personally warning iraq's leaders to unite against terrorists. he says the country's future could be decided one way or another in just a matter of days. our correspondents are covering this dangerous crisis from all the angles, but first let's go to our chief national security correspondent jim sciutto who's been traveling with the secretary in baghdad. he's now joining us from neighboring jordan with the very latest. >> reporter: today secretary kerry said the threat from isis is so great it could accelerate military action before the crucial step of political

accommodation by the iraqi government. i've been coming to iraq for 11 years. i've never seen it so precarious. secretary kerry calling isis today an existential threat to iraq's future. with alarming momentum, isis militants captured two more towns on iraq's syrian and jordanian borders. fast becoming the regional threat secretary kerry has been warning of throughout his mideast trip. as kerry landed in iraq to meet with its embattled prime minister nouri al maliki and other leaders, he pledged u.s. diplomatic and military help that would be robust. >> the support will be intense, sustained. >> reporter: and if necessary, imminent. >> the president has moved the assets into place and has been gaining each day the assurances he needs with respect to potential targeting, and he has

reserved the right to himself as he should to make a decision at any point in time if he deems it necessary strategically. >> reporter: a political agreement pulling iraq's bitterly divided groups into a truly representative government remains the central focus of administration strategy. but iraq's sunnis, shias and kurds suffer divisions inside their groups as well as between each other, signaling a political process that will take time that iraq doesn't have. and as u.s. and iraqi officials talk, isis fighters are gaining more ground. the atmosphere here in iraq, say u.s. officials, one of extreme anxiety. iraqis are fearful for their country and for their lives. and as a result, they are desperate for u.s. help. three years after iraq eagerly bid u.s. troops farewell, we found that many iraqis, like their government, would welcome

them back. america will not accept the presence of al qaeda and isil in the region because that will impact the middle east region and the air states. it will have an effect on america too. therefore, i think there is a solution in kerry's bag to solve the crisis. >> reporter: despite a lot of speculation that kerry went to iraq in part to push prime minister maliki out, he said that is not the case. he said the u.s. is not in the business of choosing or advocating for any candidates but that should hold not only for the u.s. but also for iran as it exercises its influence there. wolf, just one more story. as i was in baghdad, i spoke to an american diplomat who said to me it has become the norm, the status quo, to have isis within 40 miles of the capital, on two sides, fallujah and looking in the north as well really just an alarming status quo when you think how quickly the situation has deteriorated just in the

last two weeks. >> it's an awful, awful situation. thanks very much. jim sciutto traveling with secretary kerry. up to 300 u.s. military advisers being deployed in iraq may feel a little safe are because of a new agreement that has just been hammered out. let's go to our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. what are you learning about this agreement and the situation inside iraq, barbara? >> reporter: before those military advisers that the president announced last week they had to have an agreement, legal immunity from the iraqi justice system. today it was announced that agreement has been reached. now six teams of 12 men each of u.s. military advisers will start arriving in iraq. their first job will be to assess security, and especially security around baghdad. can the iraqi forces even hold on to baghdad? they will also, make no mistake, collect intelligence about isis, where they are, how they're moving, what weapons they have in case the president was to decide on that targeting option,

to target the militant sunni fighters. what this is really all about now that is emerging in iraq is trying to make this country hold together, try to make the borders even hold. right now isis essentially has erased the border between iraq and syria. isis close to the jordanian border. this is spreading unrest now across multiple borders in the middle east, wolf. >> speaking of unrest along borders, there was a syrian attack against israel . israel retaliated with air strikes. is this an isolated incident or something else going on? >> reporter: it's not entirely clear that this was related to the war in syria or not. but indeed israel fired back against several syrian military positions on its side of the border because they say the syrians fired on them. it may be useful to think of it this way, wolf. israel making clear it will tolerate no violation of its

borders, especially during this current situation. >> and on top of everything else, three al jazeera journalists convicted and sentenced today, seven years to ten years in prison for supposedly aiding muslim brotherhood, even though they were simply doing their job. the u.s. reacting angrily, although i see no indication the u.s. is about to curtail military or economic aid toe jipt. one of those al jazeera journalists formerly with cnn. there's a picture a year and a half ago when i was in cairo interviewing the then president mohamed morsi. he was working with us doing an excellent job. so what's going on, is the u.s. about to retaliate, do something if these guys wind up spending years in prison? >> reporter: perhaps exactly the opposite of any retaliation, wolf. it was just yesterday when secretary of state john kerry was in cairo and made clear that

the u.s. is headed back towards business as usual to large extent giving the new government in egypt that it will, the u.s. will resume full military aid, including apache helicopters. wolf. >> barbara starr at the pentagon with that. let me just say i know mohammed f hach fahmy. he's an excellent journalist and does not belong in jail. the others don't belong in jail either. we're learning more about iran's hidden hand in the fighting through a shadowy figure who does have american blood on his hands, according to u.s. officials. brian todd is looking into this part of the story for us. what do you see? >> reporter: one of the most 50al figures in iraq is from iran. he is a mysterious daring commander. there's barely a spy network, weapons pipeline or militant unit he's not aware of. right now he's using his dangerous talents to fight against isis, but u.s. officials know better than to completely trust him. he's a powerful player in the

war rooms and on the battlefields of iraq. an aggressive, formidable commander, ruthless against his enemies. right now he could be playing a critical role in keeping baghdad from falling to isis. security officials and analysts say the general has his force of iran's revolutionary guard giving crucial support to iraqi forces. >> they're training, they're fighting alongside them and also recruiting. >> reporter: the shadowy sulamani slips in and out iraq helping the forces matle the sunni militants and isis but it's a mistake to think he's a friend of america's in iraq. >> he coordinated the iraqi shia insurgency against the united states in iraq which resulted in hundreds of u.s. casualties. >> reporter: u.s. officials believe during the iraq war it was his units that provided iraqi insurgents specially made bombs to penetrate armor, a deadly weapon against american forces.

iran denied it. he is believed to have provided so many weapons, so much command and control for bashar al assad that he helped turn the tide against rebel forces in syria. but his force has wreaked havoc far beyond the middle east. >> they manage assassination attempts. they manage a lot of the outside external activities for iran in terms of spreading the revolution. >> reporter: u.s. treasury officials say he was involved in a notorious plot on american soil, overseeing officers who in 2011 tried and failed to assassinate saudi arabia's ambassador to the united states at washington's upscale cafe milano. now analysts warn because of his presence, american military advisers in iraq have to be careful when sharing intelligence with the iraqis about american movements. >> there's so much overlap between the iraqi security forces and the islamic revolutionary guard corps that there's always the potential that any information that the americans are giving to them, it's also going to sulamani.

>> and analysts say he could well use that intelligence against americans in the future with the blessing of iran's top leaders. he's said to be a favorite of iran's supreme leader and reports directly to him. >> with that report, thanks very much. still ahead, a shocking refusal by the department of veterans affairs to acknowledge that neglect of patients could harm their health. it's in a new independent report on the va scandal. stand by, we have details. we'll also get reaction from the chairman of the house veterans affairs committee. there he is, talk with him in a moment. first you get hit by psoriasis. and now you get hit again. this time by joint pain.

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scathing new independent

report is exposing some of the worst horror stories yet about veterans care in america and reveals some very shocking claims by the va that patient neglect did not affect the quality of care. our senior investigative correspondent, drew griffin, has been reporting on this crisis. he's brought so many of these problems to light. he's joining us now. what's the latest with this new report, drew? >> reporter: wolf, the office of special counsel, which protects government whistleblowers and investigates their claims, sent a pretty damning letter to the white house today claiming that the veterans administration has ignored whistleblower complaints for years, has refused to admit harm was being done when patients were being denied care, and most importantly seems to be telling the white house the va can't be trusted to investigate itself. among the worst documented of the va horror stories comes from brockton, massachusetts, where two veterans languished inside a psychiatric facility for years

without treatment. one of them was there for eight years after he was admitted before he got his first psychiatric evaluation. citing a troubling pattern, the letter from the office of special counsel to president obama says veterans' health and safety has been unnecessarily put at risk because the va refuses to admit that problems reported by whistle blowers could impact the health of patients. that is something cnn learned firsthand from whistleblowers across the country, like brian turner. as a scheduling clerk at the va hospital in san antonio, texas, he saw how appointment times were being manipulated to hide excessive waits for care. he also saw how some veterans were suffering because of it. yet when he blew the whistle, he says he was shut up. >> there was never a response back, except for to get a direct order not to say anything else to anyone. >> they shut you up? >> they shut me up the very next

day. the very next morning i was called into an office and told not to e-mail another person. >> reporter: the office of special counsel said it is currently investigating 50 whistleblower cases that allege threat to patient health or safety. in jackson, mississippi, whistleblowers brought forth a laundry list of complaints, including unlawful prescriptions for narcotics, unsterile medical equipment, and chronic staffing shortages. in grand junction, colorado, the drinking water was tainted with legionella bacteria. and in montgomery, alabama, a lung doctor just copied over patient readings from previous appointments in 1200 records instead of putting in current information. yet in case after case, the va's internal medical review agency refused to admit any patient was harmed and failed to use information from whistleblowers to identify and address systemic concerns that impact patient care. wolf, the office of special

counsel is asking that a high official at the va be put in charge of taking the whistleblower complaints and their allegations seriously and doing something about them. the white house responded by saying it's accepted this letter and is sharing the concerns with the va. wolf? >> pretty shocking stuff. drew griffin, thanks very much. members of congress now are making the va scandal a top priority. we're joined by the chairman of the house veterans affairs committee, congressman jeff miller of florida. when you saw this report, what did you think, congressman? >> well, obviously it angers anybody that watches a report like that, but i'm not surprised because we've heard from whistleblower after whistleblower all across the country. when they bring information forward, there is a campaign to shut them up. basically they're said to be disgruntled employees and they have been asked to do something extra so they're just trying to cause trouble for the bosses. it's not the way to get the

problems solved that exist at the va today. >> so the suggestion that maybe not one but two patients in psychiatric wards, units at va hospitals didn't actually see a doctor or psychiatrist for eight years, you saw that allegation, what was your reaction to that? >> can you imagine somebody being put into an institution and then not being treated for the very issue that they're there for. it boggles your mind in an agency that apparently every single superior leader in that agency has received the best types of reviews that they could have gotten. i would guarantee you if we dig into it, somebody there that was responsible for the oversight got a bonus. >> you know, and in this report you get the reaction from the department of veterans affairs, they say there's no real evidence that despite some of these problems that veterans'

health was negatively impacted. i find that hard to believe. i assume you do as well? >> i do, and i will tell you this. when the phoenix story first broke, we found out from within the central office in washington that their whole idea of trying to tamp down the committee's request was to try to prove that nobody had been harmed by the delay in care. well, we already know there had been 23 veterans that have died in this country because of delays in care and that's what -- instead of trying to focus on fixing the problem, they were trying to come up with a way to spin their way out of the crisis that's here. the fact remains there are thousands of veterans out there that did not receive the care they were supposed to receive, and the people that are responsible for that delayed care are still on the job today. >> you heard in drew's report of this report that came out, really horrible conditions at va hospitals, massachusetts, colorado, mississippi, including

unsanitary medical equipment, tainted drinking water. is this a nationwide problem or are these simply isolated incidents, exceptions to the rule? >> no, i don't want to think it is an isolated incident because that's exactly what secretary shinseki said about the issue at phoenix. i have been to va medical centers across this country, some in my own state of florida, where in fact there have been sanitary issues and sterilization problems. the problem is people are not being held accountable for mistakes that are made that could have been prevented in trying to -- all they want to talk about at va is going through and retraining more people, giving people a little more education. no, this is a culture within the va that acceptable behavior is the norm, not the exception. >> you've got hearings coming up, is that right? >> i have a hearing tonight, as a matter of fact. we're going to be talking about

their ability to handle this backlog. how did we get here? what are you doing right now to try to solve the situation? they have not given us a brief yet, even though we've been asking for it for weeks, trying to find out what are you doing to fix the problem. >> well, we'll be monitoring your hearing and stay in close touch, congressman. thanks very much. appreciate what you're doing on behalf of veterans all over the country. >> thank you, wolf. cnn as all of our viewers know by now, we've been digging deeper and deeper on the scandal. anderson cooper will have much more coming up tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern. just ahead, we remember a brilliant middle east scholar, a good friend of this program. >> the former president was certainly open to talking about politics and we'll have much more on this.

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we leave you with this very sad note. we learned over the weekend that our good friend, professor ajami had passed away from cancer. he was a brilliant scholar that always educated us. he was passionate with very strong views on so many issues, including the obama administration and syria. >> had they come to the rescue, we would not be here. >> on egypt. >> very interesting this idea that somehow the military could pull off a coup and it would not