-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good evening. thanks for joining us and watching this extended edition. we have a lot happening in the hour ahead. president obama lining up allies to confront russia and take on isis and taking criticism he's been less than clear about american strategy against isis. vice president biden saying he would follow, isis to the gates of quote hell. today sitting down with jim sciutto. >> this is just beyond anything quite like we have seen. it is a look into where parts of

the world may be going unless the united states along with our partners and coalitions stop it. this is the point the president was making. you got to destroy it because if we don't destroy it, it will get worse, and it will get wider and deeper. >> it wasn't all he said. jim sciutto joins us now. there is a lot of discussion about obama's comments where he needs to degrade and destroy isis and seemed to indicate a strategy of containment saying isis can be shrunk until it's a manageable problem. you asked about those comments. >> i did and pressed him. it took pressing to get the defense secretary to be more definitive than his boss and the president was earlier in the day but what it came down to from secretary hagel, the mission he's been tasked with is to degrade and destroy, not to contain, not to minimize, et cetera. that's what he says he's been tasked to do and he argues that the president has been clear cut about that, at least in his own

personal conversations with him, which he say haves continued over the last several days. >> we don't have a strategy yet comment from obama last week. that's still getting scrutiny. what did hagel say about options presented by the pentagon? >> it's interesting because you'll remember when the president made that -- those now infamous comments about no strategy, they said well, there is a strategy for iraq and syria and the white house spokesman hinted the pentagon hadn't come through with options yet, that the president and administration waiting for the pentagon to come through and secretary hagel saying the pentagon presented options to the president and while they are constantly reassessing those and offering new options, he says there are options on the table including military strikes inside syria and it's up to the president to decide which one he wants to move forward with. >> did he talk about the executioner steven sotloff?

>> he didn't. i asked him this way. he was a vietnam veteran and squad leader and saw americans die and saw his squad mates die and i asked his reaction when he saw this and it said in his words, it made him sick. i sense some of the emotion that we heard from joe biden today talking about chasing isis to the gates of hell similar from hagel and i think in part he was preparing the american people for what they should expect to be a long and difficult war against isis. >> jim sciutto, appreciate it. it almost goes without saying, terrorist groups instill fear within people and it's in their interest and no matter how deadly and how they are, strengths and weaknesses, not what it wants the world to see. tom foreman is putting together

a run down and joins us now. one bigamist mystery is how many have. >> anderson, this question is surprisingly hard to answer and some estimates are down around 10,000 and others sore to 80,000 or more. this is happening because isis is building alliances with groups who share their radical ideology. are these allies members of isis or just temporary partners in crime, hard to say. >> how well trained are they? >> a core of this group grew out of the iraqi military, soldiers who were pushed out of all publish service after saddam was toppled but have valuable knowledge of military tactics, strategies and weaponry. other fighters are likely less skilled but they bring enthusiasm and dedication and commitment. they have come from all around the region and from around the world, drawn by dreams of an islamic state and by isis'

sophisticated social media effort to appeal to them. it's estimated that 100 american citizens are fighting in syria and about a dozen are believed to be with isis. >> and the younger experienced fighters bring a willingness to commit great acts of brutality. what kind of weapons does isis have? we heard so much about them gaining from the weaknesses of the iraqi forces. >> you're absolutely right. they have the typical ak-47s and explosives. isis is believed to be ex exceedingly wealthy. whether stealing oil and eletric, that along with as you mentioned the military posts that they have over run is believed to help build an arsenal of armored vehicles, rockets, missiles, mortars, machine guns and american made

tanks.

evidence of general guidance from a central organization and there is coordination that takes place and these beheld headings that we've seen and we northern iraq, it didn't take long for another group. there is coordination across the territory, although there seems to be different branchs for this organization where you have a town in syria that has the own military commander, who is probably in touch with the top leadership of the organization

but probably also has a good amount of decision making ability with which battles he wants to launch on the local level and run affairs. on top of that we have some of these departments that you just mentioned that would be parts of what we would think of as a normal government. people in charge of finance, people in charge of, you know, armorments, things like that and we know that these people are also overseeing the wider operations across the territory that isis controls. >> how much appeal do you believe isis has across the arab world right now? i read in an article, the head of isis media department is s saudi with the appeal to fighters. >> they are certainly the center of attention. there is a lot of morbid fascination with isis. it's remembering the way we feel about the way they murdered jim

foley and steven sotloff, they killed fellow muslims in the same brutal way. so this arises it. there is always going to be a small group of people who are fascinated by this, some across the world who are attracted to it and want to travel to these places and join them but we're seeing lots of different elements. there are cartoonests around the world and religious leaders condemning them and issuing things against them. in the muslim world is negative towards isis. >> ben, are they at all relying on foreign sources of income of whether it's state actors or, you know, wealthy individuals giving them money or at this point because of control of oil

fields, over money taken from banks, are they self-sufficient? >> i think this is one of the factors that allowed isis is rise and allowed it to overshadow a number of the other syrian rebel groups that were active in syria, these were groups that spent their time begging for weapons from the west and counting on money from the governments and isis very quickly, we think they have received support from wealthy individuals. we never seen any evidence that they received state support, actual money from governments but from very early on in their expansion in syria, very clear that their priority was controlling resources and they would send out fighters to take over grain so they could control food supplies and send out fighters to take over the oil field and anything that could be used to make themself sufficient in the period they control was a priority for the organization. >> ben, appreciate your reporting, thank you and bobby, as well, thanks. >> any time. just ahead tonight, the sick

appeal that isis videos have in the middle east and what it will take to counter act them. a lot of people were turned off by them but some are attracted to the organization because of them. we'll talk to a former radical islamist ahead. [ female announcer ] we help make secure financial tomorrows a reality

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welcome back, the murder of two americans, nauseating. the group rebelled releasing a parade of images, one more

shocking and disturbing than the next. more disturbing is this, they are doing it because they think it will win, not lose supporters. more on that from randi kaye. >> reporter: a gruesome stunt go choreographed and recorded by isis. the behelds of james foley and steven sotloff. the reaction swift, they do not know the name of humanity and in lebanon saying they contra tact the message of islam. here in the united states, condemn nation and a vow to destroy isis. >> we will not be intimidated. their horrific acts only unite us as a country and come together to stiffen the fight against terrorists. >> reporter: world leaders talking tough or is isis list ping or too busy see uploading

videos online hoping to inspire young men in the arab world and west. >> they are playing to the bass here. they have a pornographic attraction to these violent scenes, these violent beheading videos that really energizes them, makes them want to go and join this group. they feel like this is holy war. they feel complete absolute hate of the united states deep in their bones. >> reporter: it's those people who spend time in password protected online chat rooms, forums where they repost videos and share comments about the beheadings. of the two main, amef, is where hard core english-speaking isis supporters tend to gather. members take the videos posted there, and share them on twitter and facebook, recruiting an even wider audience. on twitter the hashtag a message to american gained popularity following the beheadings. supporters of isis shared

tweets, a picture of president obama next to a screen grab from the beheading video, also threats like this, we are coming to slay you and this, remember that we are not invaders, it is you who invade countries and reek havoc. besides the tweets, users change the profile pictures to steven sotlo sotloff's beheading. terrorists says it makes recruiting easier as isis spreads the message. >> it's an interactive way, which is different than what bin laden and others were able to put out, which is grainy kind of grand standing videotapes. now it's very, very interactive. you can interact with isis fighters in syria in realtime and that can act as a sort of radical virtual echo chamber. >> an echo chamber that feeds on

hate. randi kaye, cnn, new york. it is encouraging that some people enter that echo chamber and are able to reemerge from it. the author of "radical, my journey out of extremism" joins me tonight. as horrific as they are, they are a fairly effective recruitment tool for isis, can you explain the appeal? >> of course. there are passages that isis misinterpret and hijack and abuse for propaganda and one of them is the passage in the koran. so it means of course beheadings in forms of medieval punishment indeed does terrify their enemy which is us and so any form of spectacle on camera is for isis is a shine of following god and

demonstrating to potential recruits that they are able to attract the world's attention and of course, the use of social media is what enabled them to attract recruits from the world. >> very stark images you see, you know, in these videos. you see the killer dressed in black. you see the kidnap victim, the hostage dressed as they are but the actual most horrific part they don't show, why do you think that is? >> well, it's very gruesome for us to go into this level of detail but we have of course, been forced to have this level of conversation. it's -- anderson, it's not easy to decapitate a head from a body. you know, sometimes things go wrong, sometimes it's harder than one thinks to be able to take a head off a body. so i think what is going on here is two points, one, they don't want to demonstrate where their

trainees are making mistakes, where they are receiving instruction and the second, at the end of the day, we're talking about an organization that has deeply held twisted yes, perverted of course, but nevertheless religious believes and have dignity in death of human body and may have taken a line to show the before and after and not the during because they may have taken a view of what death means to them, particularly the moment of death, which for them would be a sacred and twisted moment. >> i spoke to david rode last night who was held hostage by the taliban and able to escape after seven months. he says he thinks the videos, the strategy will ultimately backfire. people in the region are disgusted by these images. do you agree with that and is that something isis would be

concerned with? >> no, they won't be concerned with that. the vast majority of us in across the world and not just in the west would be disgusted by these videos but there is an audience out there that receives these videos in the way isis intends, which is an indication of victory of god being on their side because if they act with impunity as they have been able to, isis is able to draw upon traditional and twist traditional islamic religious scripture to demonstrate when the profit mohammed himself experienced great victories and able to paralyze the roman and persian empires, that proves that indeed god is on their side. they believe they are repeating history and frankly, talking to somebody who has a detailed knowledge of that history, everything up until now is demonstrating their narrative to be true. the best way to destroy that

narrative would be for isis to face a crushing defeat because of course, god doesn't support in their view the defeated side and that's why i think it's so important for isis to face a serious and devastating military defeat. >> appreciate you being on. >> my pleasure, thank you very much, anderson. there is breaking news tonight about steven sotloff. his family confirming his deep jewish faith and he held dual american israeli citizen ship. we spoke with the editor and chief who told is about reports he secretly practiced his faith even while in captivity and fasting during a holiday without his captors knowing and praying. coming up a journalist shares her memories of steven sot love. woman: everyone in the nicu -- all the nurses wanted to watch him when he was there 118 days.

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. lhey, welcome back, a sotlof family member said steven made friends where every he went. a friend told a producer she

didn't want us to call her a friend but a colleague and said it would take away from his story and make it too much about her. listen to her talk about steven sotloff and see why we politely beg to differ. tell us about steven and tell us what kind of a reporter was he. >> he was a very dedicated reporter. he believed strongly in the principles of journalism and front line reporting. he believed you had to be on the ground to tell the story and he believed in telling the story of people who didn't have a voice of their own and he believed to be places where war could affect people and he liked to cover everyday stories and how people reacted during wartime. he was a very compassion et person and very funny and very clever. he had a fantastic sense of humor, which i think in a war zone or in a difficult situation

was very important to kind of bring some light to this terrible situation that he was working in. >> you wrote about one of the last messages that he sent to you and i wanted to read that. he wrote we're all naive. i run out to take video on my cell phone when bombs drop out of jets. it's easy to feel invincible with death all around. do you think he felt invincible. he must have known the danger. >> no, i don't think he felt invincible. i think what happens with war reporters and those of us that do this especially over time is that you just begin to think it won't be you. it won't happen to you. he was apprehensive before he went in the last time. he was concerned about various things and working in a place like that, you really have to trust the people you're working with. i think he had the normal apprehension that anyone has working in those situations, but

i don't think he had any intuition something like this could happen. i think that it would just be beyond comprehension to do this job and think every time you go into it, i could die. i could be wounded. i could be mutilated. i could be kidnapped. i think he just wanted to do his job and do it as efficiently and as compassionately as he could. >> i've heard people talk, too, about his sense of humor, he was a funny guy and as you said, that's important when you're in an incredibly stressful situation and dealing with things that he and reporters deal with every single day. >> he really made me laugh. it was a very difficult time. this memory i have of him with bombing, cold. it was though as incredible destruction around us and he was sitting in his computer, there

was no eletrctricity but he was trying to get the last bit of energy and talking with a colleague of his about sports, and they were obsessively talking about scores in a kind of language that seemed so funny and so an american kid and it just for a second took me out of this really terrible situation and made it seem bearable and i think that's what he did. he was a very clever guy. he spoke arabic and knew the politics of the region and knew culture of the middle east. he knew what he was doing. he wasn't a cowboy. at the same time i think he recognized to do this workday in and out you really have to keep some part of yourself and i just think if i was to describe him, i would say he's an incredibly kind and thoughtful person and very real and gentle.

>> i'm sorry for the loss of your friend and appreciate you talking with us, thank you. >> thank you. >> just ahead tonight, breaking news in the michael brown shooting case. late word the justice department is preparing to open a civil investigation to ferguson's police department. details on that ahead. ups is a global company, but most of our employees live in the same communities that we serve. people here know that our operations have an impact locally. we're using more natural gas vehicles than ever before. the trucks are reliable, that's good for business. but they also reduce emissions, and that's good for everyone. it makes me feel very good about the future of our company. ♪

we have breaking news out of missouri. sources say the justice department is getting ready to launch a civil investigation into the ferguson police department. the probe will focus on practices and training. ferguson officials were notified about it today. the shooting death of unarmed teenager michael brown last month by darron wilson put a big spotlight on the police department, a lot of people were stunned by what they saw, officers decked out armed with military grade weapons, holding guns. to a number of people it looked like a war zone, not a suburb of st. louis. ferguson isn't the only police deputy to use tactics and have the military hardware. it's been a lot of talk since the shooting about the hi

militarization of the u.s. police department. tonight, we want to tell you about a police department that went into the opposite position and transformed itself. >> reporter: two years ago when it came to murders, shootings and drugs, camden, new jersey ranked dead last as the host dangerous city in the nation. >> we were wrestling, fighting for our lives, getting in shootings but eventually we would be over run. >> reporter: the 18-year police veteran didn't hide the fact the criminals were winning. then the city decided to do something that sounded unthinkable, get rid of the police department. disband it replacing it in may 2013 with a new one run by the county, camden county. >> what's up, bud? >> reporter: new officers got out of their squad cars and hit the streets on foot. a uniformed force of 400 men and women up from 250, life in

camden began to change. >> you couldn't stand here like we are and hear nothing. you either heard screams, people fighting, or sounds of gunfire. and now look at it. >> reporter: it's quiet. >> it's quiet. >> reporter: part of camden's success is the real-time tactical operations command center. these are the only ones you have on file? the chief scott thompson calls it the department central nervous system. analysts process and respond to all incoming information and chief thompson says he has instead enlisted the community's help. on a scale of one to ten, what is the trust level like now between police and community and what was it before? >> you know, i would say in probably about a year's time, a little over a we're and a half, we've gone from a two to eight. >> how were you able to effect that degree of

perspective? >> from the cops on the ground. >> reporter: cops like davis who was nine years old when her father was shot dead on the streets of camden. you want to change history? >> yes. >> reporter: she is 95% african american and hispanic. the police force 95% minority though the number doubled to 70. how many of you feel that camden is safer? even the community feels the changes. >> i think the community had enough. like we're tired of killings. we want our kids to grow up in a safe community. >> reporter: while life is camden is better, high unemployment drugs and the high dropout rate worry the chief in light of what happened in ferguson, missouri. >> there isn't a police chief in the nation that didn't do their own self-assessment.

we made great strides policing as an organization and in relationships with the minority but ferguson is a reminder maybe we haven't made as many as we thought. >> reporter: camden police know they are a long way to go. >> this is progress, not success. >> reporter: at least now, children can play outdoors again and people can sit on their stoops unafraid. >> it's amazing transformation. debra joins us now. the police force in audition to the priaise, is it facing criticism? the old one had to be disbanded. there is skeptics who say look, the drug enforcement agency was in there. the dea was in there and actually rounded up a number of criminals and therefore, by getting the worst off the street, it enabled this police department to come in andfect as much change as it has. you have to keep in mind this is a very attractive model to cities, all looking at it thinking perhaps this is the way

to go because the city police forces are so overwhelmed, if they really involve the community, they believe they can make a difference. i was in camden ten years ago, it was a different city. i said take me to the bad places. he said we're driving through them. i said are you sure? it's making a difference, it's making a change. >> great for the people. just ahead tonight in her first interview, one on one american missionary nancy writebol describes her battle to survive ebola and how close she came to death and what she believes saved her life. we'll talk to her husband, as well. allowed me to start inveg for my retirement. transamerica made it easy. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. transamerica. transform tomorrow.

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hey, welcome back, tonight a first person account from ebola survivor nancy writebol. there are number the to tell you about on the toll it's taking. the world health organization says more than to 3500 people have been affected. liberia is hit hard with people under quarantine. tens of thousands and food and medical supplies scarce. look at this video, the man in the red shirt on the left hand

side of the screen is carrying a stick being followed by crowds of people through a marketplace. he tested positive for ebola and then escaped from a quarantine center and went to a local market looking for food. people freaked out and started chasing him, following him and medical workers from the quarantine center showed up in full protective gear trying to get him to stop, trying to figure out how to stop him from moving away or escaping. watch what happens. they try to talk to the man and finally end up forcing him, trying to force him back into a vehicle, into an ambulance. he fights back. obviously, this is an extremely dangerous situation for medical workers if they get any fluids from this man that tested positive on their skin, they could be at risk in contracting ebo

ebola. that happen in capitol where a third american contracted ebola. today we learned his name, dr. rick sacra of massachusetts was working for sim usa a missionary group. in a statement tonight his wife said she's concerned and is praying with family and friends for his recovery. dr. sacra working with the same missionary group as other americans that got sick. dr. kent bradley and nancy writebol were treated. nancy sat down for her first interview. at what point did you start to feel something? >> i had gone to the isolation unit on the 22nd of july. i went home and i called one of our doctors and said s, i'm not feeling good. i think i have malaria. on saturday, the doctors came in and said nancy, we know you don't have ebola but we'll run

the test anyway. your not feeling better. you still have a fever, and we want to make sure and set everybody's mind at ease. >> until that moment had you thought it could be ebola? >> no, i didn't -- it didn't worry me at all. >> even though you were working in a unit of ebola patients? >> yeah, and i mean, even now, i look back and i don't really know how i got it. >> so they said to you know, we'll test you for ebola? >> uh-huh. so i said okay. and so they drew the blood, of course, and david came home pretty quickly and he came into the room and said nancy, i need to tell you some things. i said okay. and he said kent has ebola, and i just -- i was just sick. >> dr. brantly. >> yeah, when david told me and

then after i kind of regrouped from that, he said and nancy, you do, too. i remember getting up, and i remember that david wanted to put his arms around me. and of course i had fever. and i just said don't, don't. i don't want you to touch me because, you know, touching, who knows. and so i said -- >> that must have been so hard. >> it was. but i said david, it's going to be okay, it's going to be okay. >> even though you had seen people die. you knew. it's not a -- as you say, it is a horrific death. people bleed out. you had no doubt you would survive? >> no, i didn't have any idea if

i would survive. i didn't have a clue. >> so you immediately, david left. when you found out, you said don't touch me. and leaves. and you're alone in the house? >> it was really lonely. and there were some nights that were, as i had said earlier, there were some very dark nights. and i remember one night calling dave on the phone and just saying i just need help. and feeling really alone. and yet it was amazing to me the times when i did feel really, really alone, the verses out of scripture that the lord would recall to me mind. and i was just thankful for them. >> was there a particular passage or something that you held on to that you thought about a lot? >> there were several.

there were several. and i told dave we were talking about those verses again this morning. one of them was peace i give unto you, not as the world gives, give i unto you. let not your heart be troubled. neither let it be afraid. i held on to let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. >> were you afraid? >> you know what? i was not afraid. i really wasn't afraid. >> when did you start to feel better? >> about two days after i had gotten to emory. and all the supportive care that they were doing was amazing. and so to say that the serum is what -- i don't know that you can say only the serum is what works. the supportive care is really

critical. >> treating all the other things, the dehydration. >> yeah. and all of the vitamins that they keep putting into you. >> so you're not sure it was. >> no. i would not say it was sure. and they would not tell you it was sure. they would tell you the same. that supportive care was a big part of it. >> to see her back in the united states in emory hospital, how was that? >> it was a thrill. and she is still the most beautiful woman i know. and i just don't want to stop telling her that. but it was a thrill. and even though we couldn't touch, you know, we put our hands up to the glass, and, you know, talked to each other through the intercom. but to see her still alive and doing better, i knew that she

would be coming out pretty soon. and i could wait for that. >> do you remember the moment of leaving isolation? >> oh, of course. >> i'm told the nurses and the doctors, everybody lined up and applauded. >> yeah that. >> did. it was really great. they lined up in the hallway. and when i came out of isolation, they all cheered. and clapped. as i walked -- as i walked through that line of doctors and nurses and there was lots of hugs and tears. i mean, that -- those five doctors that attended to us and 21 nursing staff that dr. kent and i had were just -- they were amazing. >> is part of you, both of you still in liberia? >> i think so. i don't think you could ever leave a country and you not be there. >> it's got to be hard to, as

you said, you prayed with the families of people who have been infected. some of those people maybe now infected as this virus continues. >> right. >> do you -- i mean i know the answer to this. but you have never doubted your faith in all of this. you never doubted or asked why did this happen to me, or why was i able to survive and others not. this has just made your faith stronger? >> yes. and i look forward to the day then where -- where we see that vaccine being made possible. because it is true. you do think, okay, here is my african brother and sister who has died and here i am.

>> you were able to get serum. they weren't. you think about that? >> yeah, sometimes. i'm so thankful that there has been some serum that was sent to liberia. and two of those people have survived. and i'm very thankful to see that. so i'm just praying that it's made, you know, that the research goes on and that that vaccine is possible. >> they are a remarkable couple. and the love between them is just extraordinary to see. we'll be right back.

that's all the time we have for this edition of "ac 360." more online at ac360.com. if not up there now, it will be up there shortly. "cnn tonight" starts now. good evening, everyone. this is "cnn tonight." i'm don lemon. >> and i'm alisyn camerota. great to be with you, don. tonight president obama's message to isis. >> we will not forget, and that our reach is long, and that justice will be served. >> is the president being tough enough on isis, or has he lost his foreign policy mojo? we're going to debate that. >> plus, the atrocities of isis contribute to the misguided