gotta admit one thing... ...can't beat the view. ♪ introducing the world's first curved ultra high definition television from samsung. hello and a big welcome to those watching in the u.s. and around the world. i'm errol barnett. >> and i'm rosemary church. an aggressive new phase in the fight against isis after air strikes hit the militants near baghdad. also -- >> independence would no be a trial separation, it would be a painful divorce. >> the prime minister trying to keep the uk united with scotland's independence vote two days away. >> and the national football

league league under fire. how several off the field incidents are damaging the image of the united states' most popular sports league. we want to begin this hour in iraq. there have been more air strikes, a real broadening of the battlefield. and an intense new phase in the u.s. air campaign against isis. >> american warplanes blew up six isis vehicles near sinjar and launched an air strike southwest of baghdad where militants were reportedly fired on iraqi security forces. >> this was apparently the closest strike yet to baghdad. this one is a first, because it had nothing to do with humanitarian missions. >> it was part of the u.s. president's plan to get more aggressive with isis. th u.s. military has now carried out 162 air strikes in iraq since early august. it is now a little after 10:00 a.m. in northern iraq and our

crew there has been hearing fighter jets in the skies. anna coren is live with the details. anna, take us through what you've been witnessing there, not far from the front line. and what the peshmerga fighters that you're with are trying to achieve today. >> reporter: rosemary, we've been here since before dawn. and we heard the jets circling. it wasn't long after that the strikes began and the explosions started. there's been intense fighting here. just to give you an idea of the number of fires that are burning, there are at least eight major fires burning, black plumes of smoke, one of them from a suicide bomber who was in an oil tanker. the peshmerga firing an rfk. those fighter jets have been circling continuously.

we can still hear them, hitting those enemy targets. they are refusing to hit the towns and villages, and there are about five villages close to us here. according to the united states, they will not hit these villages, only the convoys or armored vehicles that are traveling on these vast plains. so the plan is, the reason that we are here, the reason peshmerga is here is to take back a strategic bridge. this bridge was blown up a month ago by isis. but it's a very important route, because it connects the capital of kurdistan to mosul. mosul is the next phase of this operation. it is iraq's second largest city, a city of some 2 million people and is an isis strong hold. so it would be important to take back mosul. they're trying to regain

territory. that is the peshmerga, the ku kurdish forces. ten days ago, we were with them and we were 40 kilometers away. now where we are standing are 30 kilometers. so they are making progress. >> the effort now is all about taking back mosul. how difficult a task will that be and how hard will it be to hang on to it as isis threatening to take large chunks of territory? >> reporter: no one is under any illusions that it is going tobin easy mission. according to the kurdish president who we sat down with yesterday, he said there needs to be a coordinated effort. we have to remember that mosul lies outside the boarders of kurdistan. it is iraqi territory. but up here, in this part of the country, it is the peshmerga who

are the boots on the ground. it's the peshmerga fighting isis. so it's a matter of getting a global coalition, which is obviously what president obama is trying to put together to take part in those air strikes. but mosul is a completely different ball game, because it is a densely populated city, it is going to require urban warfare. therefore, the emphasis is on this sunni uprising. getting the population to turn against isis. they're the ones who have not necessarily invited isis in, but they have welcomed them and many of them have fought alongside these extremists. so really that is the next phase of trying to get the town's population, the city's population, to turn against the militants. heading to mosul, these townships and villages, isis is digging in. they fight to the death. what we are hearing from the

soldiers, the kurdish soldiers, is that they are strapping themselves with explosives. they are blowing up buildings. they are laying ie derveds. it's making it difficult for the peshmerga to advance, which is why the american air strikes are so critical. >> anna coren reporting live there in northern iraq. many thanks to you. stay safe. an international coalition has agreed to do whatever it takes to stop isis. options include military force in various ways to cut off funding. the coalition issued a statement in paris, pledging support for the iraqi government and calling for rapid action. take a look at this map. u.s. officials say nearly 40 nations, we have highlighted them in yellow, have agreed to take part in this coalition.

as we zoom in, ten countries in the region have signed on, though it remains unclear what role many of them will play. but some are reluctant to get too close to the front lines. becky anderson explains why. >> reporter: secretary of state john kerry has racked up the air miles in the middle east. shuttling from iraq to turkey, on to cairo, amman and jetta in saudi arabia. in an effort to build an anti-isis coalition. along the way, he's drummed up agreements in principle from washington's regional allies. including a commitment from the uae to join a coordinated response to combat ice it. and from saudi arabia, the offer to train and equip moderate syrian opposition groups. the travels have looked like a

midwest coalition of the unwilling, with no one arab state declaring it's willingness to take the lead, a reticence that some say stems from a long-held suspicion of u.s. policy here in the middle east. >> something that's been building constantly since president obama took office in 2008, and dates back to the bush administration, is regional leaders feeling that the united states doesn't have a coherent regional strategy, it doesn't stick by its allies. >> reporter: while the purpose of monday's paris conference was to define the role each member country will play military action against isis in iraq, middle east players are looking for more detail on the u.s.-led coalition's overarching regional plan before any one country is prepared to show its hand. >> we need to see a strategy

that focuses more on political issues than military issues, because military issues, military solutions are very shortsighted, very narrow ended. you need to look at the mail jor strategic political factors to resolve the conflict with isil. >> reporter: that means a long-term plan to fill the political and security vacuum in syria and iraq. the very vacuum that's provided a fertile breeding ground for the rise of isis. becky anderson, cnn, abu dhabi. >> we will have much more on efforts to stop isis later this hour on cnn. including growing concern about the legality of air strikes. i will speak with an analysis who argues the u.s. does not have the legal authority to bomb targets inside syria.

campaigners for and against scotland's independence are making a final push ahead of thursday's referendum. on monday, thousands gathered for a unity rally. union flags filled the air and many raised signs saying, let's stay together. activists are trying to influence the vote. opinion polls show a virtual split. >> the british prime minister made an attempt to keep scotland from splitting up. david cameron gave a plea to scottish voters warning of a painful divorce. >> this is a decision that could break up our family of nations and rip scotland from the rest of the united kingdom. and we must be very clear, there is no going back from this. no rerun. this is a once and for all

decision. if scotland votes yes, the uk will split and we will go our separate ways forever. >> the first minister of scotland campaigned on monday. the pro-independence leader predicted the vote will swing in favor of splitting with the uk. he also called the referendum a once in a generation opportunity saying he would not force another too quickly if they vote no. >> so why does all of this head this week? max foster joins with us live where the final outcome will be announced. some comedians use analogies of a dysfunctional relationship as they describe this possible breakup. it could go either way at this point. what have you seen there in the past day or so, any indication that each side is being swayed at all?

>> reporter: the people that decided yes and no are firmly entrenched. 17% of voters are still undecided. you have the deputy first minister out in a factory saying, if we go independent, that will grow the economy. that will create jobs. at the same time, for the no campaign, you have the former prime minister out saying the exact opposite, saying you're going to lose jobs. this is the big dilemma, who do believe. we just don't know at this point. it's very difficult for

undecided voters. she won't be voting in the referendum. but her dad's decision will define the scotland that she grows up in. at this late stage in the campaign, it's about convincing the undecided voters. >> hello, sir, are you voting in the referendum? >> reporter: what typical sort of conversations do you have with people? >> we get a lot of people that are already quite committed yes. so we have posters and badges. >> reporter: if someone is wavering, how do you try to convince them? >> some people have a variety of reasons. other people might be very worried about one specific thing. sometimes there's specific facts and figures that you can gave back to them. they say oh, i'm worried the oil will run out, which is still

here, even at this late stage. there's some people that -- there are arguments that are so basic. >> my sister is an absolute yes. >> reporter: just up the road, the better together campaigners are pounding the streets with arguments for a no vote. >> we're trying to get as many voters as possible. >> reporter: what's yourself with them? >> our sell essential lit is that we put -- we get a strong scottish parliament. and the benefit for being part of the united kingdom. i was talking to one of my oldest friends yesterday, and he was explaining to me that he and his wife are voting yes. and i was quite shocked. >> reporter: so you're wavering all the time?

>> i am to some extent. i was much clearer in my mind until yesterday. >> reporter: estimates have the number of undecided voters vary greatly as many will be voting for the first time. but what's undisputed is there will be a high turnout. >> it's such a historically important time, because whatever happens, scotland and england, things will never be the same again. >> we can't change it back easily if we make the wrong decision. so people should get involved and vote. >> reporter: in the early hours of the 19th of september, the results of the referendum will be announced here in edinboro. it will define scotland and redefine the whole of the uk, once the most powerful empire in the world. another thing which doesn't really help in trying to work

out the results of the polls is that there's been some intimidation out on the campaign trail, particularly in the more rural areas. so the no campaign says they're convinced they have the silent majority. people that don't want to be seen unpatriotic and ultimately when it that go into the voting booth, they will win out. it's interesting to see the scottish daily mail today making a big headline of this. it's not just the yes campaign that has this issue with aggressive campaigners on the fringe. but you see much more of the yes flags hand the no flags. accusations much more pointed at the yell campaign and the aggression there. >> will there be a surprise on thursday?

we shall soon find out. max, thank you very much, joining us live in scotland. thanks, max. >> this issue has really divided people. they're not talking to each other. >> and it's surprising, not everyone even advertising what they choose because it's so divided. >> exactly. whatever happens on thursday, that will remain. it's going to be hard for people to move on. scandal in the national football league. we will bring you updates on a pair of off the field incidents, which are overshadowing the start of the now season. plus, why victims advocates hope some good can come out of these high profile abuse cases. stay with us here on cnn.

professional american football star adrian peterson has been reinstated by his team, the minnesota vikings. he had been deactivated haste week after he was charged with beating his son. the running back turned himself in over the weekend. he was released after posting bail. team officials now say he can

play until his legal situation is resolved. >> take a look at some of these images obtained by tmz. they show peterson's son or leg at least covered in welts. he admitted to hitting his son with a switch to discipline him. and in a written statement, he says -- i'm not a perfect parent, but i am without a doubt not a child abuser. meanwhile, the nfl players association is getting ready to appeal ray rice's indefinite suspension. the deadline for filing that appeal is just before midnight. >> the nfl commissioner roger goodell originally suspended rice for two games, but increased it after video emerged showing rice punching his fiance in an elevator. the baltimore ravens released rice after the video surfaced. >> and cases of domestic violence by professional football players have cast a

harsh light on the national football league here in the u.s. >> very much so. but they've also raised awareness of spousal abuse and prompted many abused women to get help. here's one woman's story. >> reporter: the disturbing video of ray rice knocking out his then fiance is having a ripple effect. since the video was released, the national domestic violence hotline has spiked. an 84% increase in calls. the women's transitional living center in orange county, california, is just one center seeing an upswing in contact. >> so that first phone call, no matter what kind of violence you're experiencing, is the most difficult one. >> reporter: for carina, the rice video was a terrible video of what she's been trying to forget for years. >> one of the first times was in an elevator. so when i saw that video the other day of ray rice hitting his then fiance, it just brought

back all those memories. i don't know why when that door closed, my boyfriend at the time, my ex-husband, thought that he could just push me against the wall and punch me in the face. >> reporter: at the time she did not file a police report. instead of letting the rice video send her back to a very dark place, the video prompted her to share her story on facebook for the first time, hoping it would help others. >> if it helps one to 10 to 100 women out there or more, then that's why i put it out there. >> reporter: like janay rice, she went on to marry her then boyfriend, even having three children. she said the abuse subside but returned with a hand print. >> when i came home one day, and i saw a mark on my daughter's face, i immediately asked -- i

said what is -- what happened? and he said, she wouldn't stop screaming. that was the moment i grabbed my family and to be a picture that will just always, always haunt me. >> reporter: that day, she says social media came to her rescue, as her husband attacked her. what did you tweet at that moment that saved you? >> the tweet i sent out was, help, he's hitting me again. that's all i sent. and the people closest to me, one of my girlfriends came to my house. >> reporter: police arrived and she filed a report. after eight months, she agreed to lift the restraining order because her husband completed his counseling. the state dropped the criminal battery charge and he pled guilty to a much lesser charge of disturbing the peace. she filed for divorce and is living happily with her children. her husband has visitation

rights. but she knows how hard it is to make that first phone call for help and hopes that this terrible video will he wilp oth victims to come forward. just to give you an idea how pervasive domestic violence is, at the women's shelter we visited in california, the director told us the beds were full and that's the norm. filled with women and child trying to escape violence. >> cnn did call and e-mail the attorney for her ex-husband and has not received a response as yet. so if one good thing can come out of this video being aired across the united states, and indeed across the globe, it's some of these women are coming forward. >> and the national hotline getting an 84% increase since all this happened, that woman saying that first phone call is the most difficult to make. so at the very at least, people are realizing i don't have to

put up with this. >> there's a realization with this debate going on, wow, this is not normal. in is something i don't have to put up with. women are realizing that it's time for it to stop. >> that's the most important message. still to come for you, hurricane odile snapped trees like twigs. find out where the now tropical storm is headed next.

take look at some of this footage out of mexico. tourists on the southern tip of the baja peninsula, sifting through damage caused by hurricane odile. it's about a day now since it plowed through cabo san lucas. the storm sandstormsnapped tree trapped tourists. >> so tell us more about what has happened and what lies ahead. >> the size, the strength and also the track of the storm system, a worst case scenario for cabo san lucas. last time we saw anything similar to this was 1967 with hurricane olivia that came through this region. this storm system comes in as a strong category 3 storm, close to a category 4. flood watches issued in the

southwest united states. 9.5 million people have been warned of flash flooding potential. some areas will see upwards of five inches of rainfall in southeast arizona and southwest new mexico. so a tremendous amount of water in the forecast beginning wednesday night into friday morning. so a lot of rainfall to go around for the rush hour commute of thursday morning and friday night, as well. here's what's left of portions of the airport in san jose. some aircraft receiving damage and looting an issue. the storm came through overnight. as soon as the sun comes up, this was the scene. police officers put a halt to that as the rainfall tapered off. i want to share what's happening in western europe. we have a potent storm system in

northwest europe. if you're waking up and joining us in london, it's 8:30 there. london heathrow, and london city airport reporting major delays right now because visibility is less that be 100 meters. the pattern not good when it comes to travel in that area this morning. not seeing much in front of you across that area right now in london. >> that is tough stuff. appreciate it, pedro. still to come here on cnn, expanding the fight against isis. why some say the u.s. will have difficulty carrying out air strikes on targets in syria. that's why there's a listerine® product for every mouth. one to clean your whole mouth. one for those hard to reach places.

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welcome back, everyone. many countries now signing up to confront isis. but one of the biggest players in the region wants nothing to do with the u.s.-led effort. and that would be iran. >> yeah. syria was also excluded from coalition talks in paris. michelle kaczynski has a closer look why the u.s. won't work with those countries and the complications that only with building a coalition. >> the nation is grateful. your commander in chief would not be prouder. >> reporter: while president obama honored military heroes of the past with the medal of honor, how the current strategy against isis is shaping up is front and center.

isis beheading a british captive over the weekend and threatening another. but the american led effort to build a coalition to take the fight to isis is rife with complexity. the white house today would not answer questions on specifics, even will other countries conduct air strikes? >> isil being dug in, in a fight against the united states. the international community is mobilizing. >> reporter: the administration says they need to fully coordinate the strategy first to see what will be needed from others, secretary of state kerry traveling through the region acknowledged there are real offers out there from arab countries. >> the answer is yes, there are some that said that. there are some that are prepared to take action in the air with the united states. and to do air strikes if that's what they're called on to do. >> reporter: he said offers not only of air strikes but troops on the ground. iraq says france has offered air strikes. one nation the u.s. will not cooperate with, iran. though there have been back channel conversations on the subject. tehran just rejected what it called an offer to work with the

u.s. iraq's president told christiane amanpour this month, iranian militias worked with the u.s. in iraq to end the siege on an ethnic minority there. the other supposed nonpartner, syria. >> the united states is not coordinating with the assad regime regarding any plans the united states is developing. >> reporter: the u.s. will fight a battle of sorts against isis inside the united states. the attorney general just announced this new initiative to try to target radicalism and extremist recruitment. within american communities. michelle kaczynski, cnn, the white house. >> when the u.s. president revealed his strategy against isis, he hinted at targeting isis in syria. i spoke with josh roguen about the plan. he road this week in the daily

beast about the difficulties the u.s. may face in carrying out such strikes. thank you for talking with us. in your editorial in the daily beast, you write that the white house has no international legal justification for striking ice else in syria. explain that to our viewers. >> in the last week, president obama and his senior staff have gone to great pains to assure the american public and congress that the president has the domestic legal authority to strike isis in iraq and syria. but the administration has said nothing about whether or not their planned strikes in syria comport with international law. the international law of armed conflict and the u.n. charter. in iraq, the u.s. has permission. in syria, the syrian government, still a sovereign state and a u.n. membered country, has not granted the u.s. permission. so critics are calling out the

obama administration for promising to violate international law. there are justifications the white house could use if the u.s. does strike in syria, but they can't tell anybody why american actions would comport with law if they make that justification. >> you have to wonder why would the white house go out on a limb like this and start forming this broad coalition of nations before it has the international legal justification to strike ice else in syria? >> there are two reasons. let's remember, when the u.s. decided to join the coalition to strike gadhafi in 2011, there was a broad effort to build -- the obama administration believes perhaps rightly that's impossible this time around. there's no way to get a u.n. resolution on syria because russia will oppose. and after three years of

avoiding u.s. military intervention in syria, they simply are doing this on an ad hoc basis and so under the gun and to panicked really, that they haven't gotten around to it. their first concern is domestic political blowback. the international political blowback is something they can deal with later. that will have consequences for the success and sustainability of the mission. >> that is a concern. u.s. secretary of state john kerry says almost 40 countries have agreed to take part in the fight against isis. but in reality, sunni nations are very lukewarm on taking any significant role in this fight. without them, you have to wonder if they don't take the lead in this, why should the u.s. go out on a limb? >> the obama administration is stuck between a rock and hard place. only the one hand, they feel the need to respond to the

escalating threat posed by isis. on the other hand, they don't want to be in the position that the bush administration was in before the invasion of iraq where they seem to be assembling a coalition outside international law. but that's what they're doing. president obama has set specific arbitrary limits for u.s. action inside syria. he's promised there will be no boots on the ground. at the same time, there must be a ground component or the air strikes would be ineffective. so the only conclusion is arab states must commit arab troops, for a number of reasons, including the arab states are divided. that's not looking likely. so, again, in an ad hoc fashion, they are running around the world trying to move that there's a broad consensus on what to do in syria. but that consensus does not exist. they're putting the messaging ahead of the policy and they prioritize having a strategy to

announce, rather than building a real coalition that has a greater chance of solving the crisis. >> it's going to be hard to back out of this, suspect it? >> they have no choice. if the obama administration could have avoided doing more in syria, they could have. president obama has been very clear on the record in several interviews saying he does not believe that the syrian revolution can succeed. he does not believe the assad regime should be overthrown. at the same time, he knows that he cannot ignore the isis threat, both in iraq and syria. so he's trying to come up with a strategy that involves u.s. and international military action against isis and syria, but doesn't actually change the status of the syrian civil war. most syrians and arab nations don't believe that's possible. they believe it's all together. president obama is using legal, domestic, political, diplomatic

distinctions to justify all of his different policies in a way that most arab countries and most americans just simply don't agree with. it's a problem that they haven't figured out how to solve. but they're determined to move forward to show that they're strong against isis and fill in the blanks at some later date. >> josh rogan there talking to me a short time ago. this is the problem, when finding that sper national legal authority to do this, but at the same time trying to find those sunni nations who are going to take the lead here, but there's just not the interest. then you do have to question, why is the united states interested? >> he made that great point, saying it's unlike hill these arab states will put boots on the ground. unfortunately, the u.s. taking a greater role does play into i s isis' complicated issue.

>> and these beheadings an attempt to drawle the u.s. and britain in. still to come, the alarms keep spreading on the spread of ebola in west africa. how the u.s. plans to boost efforts to contain the virus.

the u.s. is set to expand its efforts to contain the deadly ebola virus in west africa. officials at the cdc will brief president barack obama in the coming hours. afterwards he's expected to announce plans to send more medical and military personnel to the region, along with field hospitals that can house 1700 beds. >> the president's visit to the cdc tomorrow underscores just how extraordinarily serious the administration believes this issue is. the president has identified it as a top national security priority, and he looks forward to receiving updates from experts at the cdc about the success of their efforts so far to confront this problem. >> the outbreak has killed an estimated 2400 people and the world health organization says there could be as many as 20,000 cases before it's brought under control. the experts warnings are dire.

>> six months into the worst epidemic in history. the world is losing the battle to contain it. >> the international response to the disease has been a failure. >> reporter: despite dire warnings and international calls for action, ebola continues to overwhelm and spread in west africa. >> in the three hardest hit countries, the number of new cases is moving far faster than the capacity to manage them. >> reporter: dr. norton is part of an international team battling the outbreak in liberia. >> we're attempting to create 500 extra ebola beds right now. the demand is so great that people are waiting outside the treatment unit. so the situation is difficult. we are behind the wave of the disease at the moment. and our entire focus is on

getting ahead of the wave. >> reporter: according to unu.s. research team from leading universities, this is what that wave could look like. if things improve in the areas of intervention and containment, the study estimates by october 12, there will be over 7800 ebola infections and over 4700 fatalities. but if things get worse, intervention and containment are less effective. and projections show over 54,000 infections and over 27,000 fatalities during the same time period. at the moment, researchers say all signs point to the situation becoming more serious. one of the biggest obstacles to battling the disease, recruiting enough medical staff to fight it. according to the w.h.o., at least 280 medical workers have been infected. half of them have died. >> it's certainly understandable

hesitancy to come and work and fight against ebola. but with the right design of a facility, and the right training, and the right personal protective equipment, then the risk to health personal and lo skris tick staff is minimized. >> to curve the epidemic, we need to deploy experts. without this deployment, we will never get the epidemic under control. >> reporter: experts say it's not too late to contain the crisis, but they are running out of time. erin mclaughlin, cnn, london. coming up next, mainland china is bracing for heavy typhoon winds and rain. the forecast after this short break. [ male announcer ] eligible for medicare?

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so don't wait. with all the good years ahead, look for the experience and commitment to go the distance with you. call now to request your free decision guide. this easy-to-understand guide will answer some of your questions and help you find the aarp medicare supplement plan that's right for you. fighter jets are using taiwan's main highway as a makeshift airstrip. pilots are practicing emergency takeoffs and landings on the number one national freeway. the drill is part of taiwan's annual military exercises that last five days and they're designed to simulate an attack from china. they also involve live fire maritime drills on the country's eastern coast. >> interesting scenes there. now a typhoon bearing down on china had winds equivalent to a

category 1 storm, but made for major disruptions in hong kong. pedro, what's the forecast? how does this look? >> the forecast for hong kong looks for improving in the next couple of hours what's been an impressive morning across that region. we had school closures, business closures, a signal 8 was issued, the third highest alert system in this portion of the world and the highest so far of 2014. even the morning stock exchange in hong kong, the second largest in asia, was halted until about 1:00 in the afternoon because of the proximity of the storm system. winds about 130 kilometers per hour, moving towards northern portions of vietnam. the winds again, not a major concern when you consider this region. but here were the scenes. 600 flight bs had to be delayed or canceled because of the

winds. higher elevation portions of hong kong observing 160 kilometer per hour winds. so you can see why we had reports of some 50 trees some down as well with the storm system. but over the next 24 hours, it will push in towards northern vietnam. still going to see plenty of rainfall for a lot of folks out there, upwards of four to six inches with a storm system. want to take you out here in the atlantic ocean. we want to tell you about a hurricane that's formed. edouard is hitting there about 500 miles east of bermuda. it is a category 2. at this point, it doesn't look like a major concern for anyone. it a es going to dodge east of bermuda, but it fight get to a category 3, the first time since hurricane sandy that we've had a

category 3 in the atlantic ocean. quickly back across the western pacific, we have a medium area of disturbance threatening the philippines. some models want to bring it in right towards luzon. so something we'll watch. >> thank you very much. business news now. chinese e-commerce giant alibaba has raised its price range days before it's set to go public. the company boosted its target price between $66 and $68 a share. that values alibaba at $155 billion, dwarfing ebay's $67 billion market valuation. but still a long way off from facebook and google. >> microsoft is extending its video game empire, buying the

mine craft game and the studio that designed it for $2.5 billion. mine craft is one of the most popular video games ever. it's low tech, as well. that's meant to be that way. it's about using blocks to create your own world. got some relatives very into this. it's been downloaded more than 100 million times since it was launched in 2009. the deal is expected to go through later this year. >> my kids love that game. >> it's popular. >> you are watching cnn. i'm rosemary church. >> and i'm errol barnett. that's it for us. stay with cnn. cnn newsroom is next for our international viewers. >> if you are watching in the united states, "early start" begins after a short break.

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