twitter @jaketapper. go to cnn/the lead.com. i turn you over to wolf blitzer. he's right next door in a place we like to call "the situation room." the united states finalizes plans to begin targeting isis terrorists inside syria as the group delivers a new hostage video unlike anything we've seen before. desperate plea. u kre ukraine's president is going to join us live. we'll discuss this hour. arson arrest. police name a suspect in the massive wildfire that's burned more than 70,000 acres and has forced thousands of people to flee their homes. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room."

we begin with a dramatic escalation of a tangled conflict that it may be imminent that the u.s. is going to begin isis targets not only in iraq but inside syria. that could expand the current campaign taking place. u.s. military reports two new strikes on isis targets inside iraq today. that brings the total so far to 176 u.s. air strikes. we're covering that story and much more with all of our reporters, our guests, including the visiting president of ukraine. he's here with me in "the situation room." our pentagon correspondent barbara starr begins our coverage. what's the latest as far as the u.s. war on isis? >> wolf, president obama has been briefed on the list of targets that the u.s. military would like to hit. bombing could, could begin within days. the classified list of isis targets the pentagon wants to bomb in syria is complete.

the military is ready. >> general dempsey and i both approve and expect considerable time reviewing and adapting this plan. >> reporter: but first, president obama must give his final approval. on his order, u.s. warplanes and pilots will fly over dangerous territory, facing isis, syrian regime forces, anti-aircraft systems and other al qaeda sympathizers. defense secretary chuck hagel last week signed a classified order calling for a detailed syria bombing plan. but target planning was already under way. it began with a massive intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance effort. u.s. military drones flying over syria now have precise radar and video data on isis locations. the intelligence community has intercepted phone calls and

intelligent from isis videos and social media. the targets? isis commanders, weapons, and camps. >> this includes targeted action against isil safe havens in syr syr syria including its command and control and infrastructure. >> reporter: if the isis leader is found, the u.s. will go after him, officials tell cnn. but eastbou but even that is still not enough. >> you're not going to send a bomb usually against one guy. you're hopefully going to affect the entire organization by that one strike. >> reporter: the target list includes what type of aircraft and bomb will be used to attack and the risk to u.s. pilots from isis or syrian air defenses. and the likelihood that civilians could be killed. >> it isn't just as simple as dropping a bomb on the place you think the bad guys are.

i would suggest to you, many of them are already intermingled in that society. >> reporter: the final step, the decision to strike. president obama will not approve each and every target but still needs to sign off on the overall plan. the goal is to strike targets so substantial that destroying them would have a real impact on stopping isis' vicious advance. isis, meanwhile, has released a new hostage video but this is very different than the previous one of showing beheadings of two u.s. citizens and a british. brian todd is joining us. >> he promises that you're going to see more of him in the future. john cantley is a prisoner and says he may live or die but scolds western audiences. he says he's been abandoned by

his government and has nothing to lose. the british journalist who describes himself as a prison of isis for two years is wearing an orange jump suit and appears calm but admonishes british and americans. after unpopular wars in afghanistan and iraq, why is it that our governments appear so keen to get involved in yet another unwinnable conflict. he talks about a series of programs where he'll describe the motivations. >> perhaps one of the isis leaders decided it's much more effective to reach out to the british and american publics by having somebody not be murdered and actually explain the isis perspective. this might be their next evolution, their next phase in doing something like this. >> reporter: since he's delivering propaganda and makes clear he's under duress, cnn

will not show the actual video. >> he has been told that he might live or die at any moment. obviously he has immense psychological pressure put on him by isis. >> he was reportedly captured in syria with american james foley in november 2012. but this wasn't the first time he had been abducted. in july 2012, jihadists captured him for a few days. he spoke to channel 4 news about that experience. >> there were two sirius prisoners. >> we were handcuffed to them and then blindfolded and told that we should prepare to meet our maker. >> cantley escaped with a moderate syrian group. as a journalist, he took these photos from the scenes of the seari syrian war.

>> he says many europeans were held by the isis and then released. they negotiated with the islamic state and got their people home while the british and americans were left behind. he doesn't mention that the american and british governments have policies against obtaining ransoms. >> the foreign and commonwealth office is assessing the production, considering its implications and trying to contact john cantlie's family. we could get no comment from the state intelligent officials on the video. ukraine's president is right here in washington pleading his case seeking lethal weapons from the united states to help take out pro-russian separatists in eastern ukraine. michelle kosinski is standing by. petro poroshenko went to congress, met with the president of the oval office. he's standing by and we're about to speak live. tell us what happened so far.

>> reporter: this was an impassioned plea referring to russia as the aggressor, saying this is a clear choice between civilization and barberism, urging the u.s. to do more and give ukraine lethal aid. that's something that some top democrats have been asking for but the white house made it clear today it's not giving it. >> it is the war for the free world. for the free world. >> ukrainian president poroshenko cheered by congress. >> they need more military equipment. both lethal and nonlethal. please understand me correctly. blankets, night vision goggles are also important but one cannot win the war with the blankets. >> reporter: he met with president obama. >> off strong friend, not only

in me personally but i think as you saw in congress today, you have a strong bipartisan support here in the united states and the people of america stand with people of the ukraine. >> reporter: but the additional aid the u.s. is now giving, $53 million worth, totalling nearly 300 million this year does not include lethal aid. it does help the military, body armor, vehicles, bomb-disposing robots and equipment. it would be a real challenge to arm the army enough to win the military. so -- what really is the point of helping the ukrainians militarily but only up to the point of lethal aid? >> well, we have an interest in making sure that the military is not overrun by the separatists. >> reporter: they don't want to run a proxy war with russia and has repeated that this conflict

will not be solved militarily. u.s. officials say russia has some 18,000 troops at the border, around 1,000 inside ukraine and the flow of weapons to separatists continues since the cease-fire two weeks ago, 17 officials have been killed. >> it will spread. absolutely throughout the world. >> reporter: and we asked the white house repeatedly today how it is russia's actions not constitute an invasion of ukraine and they would only say it flagrantly violates. if putin wanted to, co-hahe cou have troops in warsaw in two days' time, wolf. >> michelle kosinski, thank you. the president of ukraine, petro poroshenko, is joining me

in "the situation room." welcome to washington and "the situation room." i know you just came here from the oval office, you met with the president. you asked -- and i listened to every word you said at your speech before at the house and senate -- you want lethal aid. military equipment from the united states and so far the u.s. is saying no. how disappointed are you? >> first of all, this is not exactly what you said. we asked to increase our security and the cooperation with the united states and the white house and the president obama said yes. and i had absolutely no disappointment. i think that the immediate step, the whole region, the whole world needs now is a step for peace. this conflict is impossible to being omitted by military means and if it wants to improve the defense power for our country, this is for peace, to defend the

peace, freedom, and democracy in my country. that's why i really thanked michelle for this information. >> michelle kosinski? our reporter. >> you did say in your speech you want lethal and nonlethal military equipment from the united states. right? >> exactly. and we are fully satisfied with the agreement that they reached. this does not include the lethal weapons from the united states but we can have a possibility to receive it from other countries. >> why wouldn't the u.s. provide ukraine, a democracy, that's under assault right now from pro-russian separatists and russia itself, if the u.s. is willing to provide lethal equipment to moderate syrian rebels who are fighting assad's regime, why can't they give it to a place like ukraine that faces serious challenges?

>> i will be very blunt and straightforward with you. what they supplied to the syrian rebels, an automatic rifle or something like that, we have that. we have -- >> so when it comes to lethal military -- what would you like from the united states? >> why. we'd like from the united states the instructors and modern communication system and i can tell you that we received confirmation that we have everything of that. we should modernize my army and this weapons is not just to fighting in this particular moment and this particular war. this is impossible. we are standing for peace and but for the americans organizing

the ukrainian army, this is vital and what we need. we received today the final information of this potential defense and -- >> i'm surprised that the u.s. was still insisting that it's only providing nonlethal military equipment to ukraine. we can conclude this part of the interview by saying that you're working on that issue with the u.s. it's still a work in progress? >> we are completely satisfied with the today meeting with the president of the united states and i want to thank him for the leadership and defending ukraine and the integrity and dependence. today he's global leadership starting from the sanctions, including the pressure and isolation to help us to win this conflict. >> i appreciate that. we have a lot more to discuss. i have to take a quick break. when we come back, i want to talk about something else you've asked congress for. i'm going to find out if you got a yes or no from the president of the united states. stand by. much more of my exclusive

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we're back with the president of ukraine, president poroshenko. did putin tell you that if he wanted to, within two days, co-have his military in kiev and warsaw in the baltic states? did he say that to you? >> that would be a very bad idea

from the confidential negotiation and try to make a diplomacy using these facts. so in this situation, my answer would be no. and i think that can be extremely harmful and futile for this process. >> so you don't want to confirm that he made that threat to you? >> absolutely. >> did he? all right. i've got some other important issues we've got to get to. in your address before congress, you appealed to the united states to provide ukraine what's called major nonnato ally status, other countries like japan, south korea, you want it. what did the president of the united states tell you? will ukraine be a major nonnato ally which is very significant? >> my answer would be, again, very straightforward. the answer is president obama said no. >> he told you no? >> no. because we already have a special status for the

corporation, the united states and ukraine, level of the security and defense corporation is much higher than just the status of the nato ally. for example, argentina. and we have are a strategic partner of the united states and i think that would be more efficient. >> so you made the appeal before congress. you were applauded. they gave you a standing ovation when you -- >> so you're basically satisfied with what you got, even though you didn't get that? >> absolutely. we do not refuse we have -- we will have a special program for the american team for performing our security and defense sector. we will have a special appropriation. we have enough and i am completely satisfied with the cooperation with the white

house. >> here's what is upsetting for me with someone who has covered the collapse of the soviet union, the independent of ukraine. i have the budapest from 1994, signed by the prime minister of britain and others and it guarantees ukrainian sovereignty in exchange for ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons. there would be no violation. we would respect the independent sovereign and existing borders of ukraine. now, you believe russia violated the budapest -- >> yes. >> how upset are you that others did not do enough to prevent russia from doing this? >> well, we should understand this is not only the budapest memoranda that collapsed.

with the russian invading crimea, what mechanism the world creates just for security. the national security council, nato, general assembly of the united nation, special regional security ally and all of these teams are not working. >> it's shocking that all of these -- you gave up ukraine. you have a lot of nuclear stockpiles, you gave them all up in exchange for an iron clad that your sovereignty would be respected and it wasn't. >> exactly. >> this is a map of ukraine, including crimea. we highlighted it for you. that's under russian occupation right now. >> yeah. this is under russian occupation but no country in the world recognizes it and i'm absolutely sure that sooner or later, within a month, weeks, or short

number of years, it will come back to -- >> what is putin up to right now? >> because, look, this is the complete isolation territory. crimea will have no tourists, no investment, no trips, no exports from the crimeaen enterprises to anybody. >> pro-russian separatists here, they are working to create a land mass to bring that whole area under russian control, right? >> exactly. but that will be the international law. this is an aggression and attack on the independence of the state. >> wasn't that international law attacked with the invasion of crimea? >> it's a silent occupation. the attempt to do the same by the eastern part of ukraine and donetsk region will have a very

severe response from the ukrainian army. we simply are not allowed to do that. but forgive me, again, i'm a president of peace. we are in process of the peace plan. we have a cease-fire for the 12 days. >> is it working? >> and every single day when we have a cease-fire, less ukrainian soldiers, less ukrainian civilians, less russian soldiers are dead. and i'm absolutely sure that before i end up this week, there will be a second stage of the memorandum which will be completely stop the heavy artillery and everything like that and i am absolutely -- i promise, i'll do my best to have the cease-fire. >> as you know, there are a lot of people that fear that putin not only wants parts of ukraine but other moldova, he's looking to expand that russian empire right now. do you believe that? >> it's possible. and we should act responsibly

and we should have plan a and plan b. what the whole world community will do if the aggression continues. again, this is not a war against ukraine. this is the war against the free world. this is a war against the freedom, democracy, and if we give them an opportunity to act like that, business as usual, that will be the danger for the whole world. >> i was in poland a few weeks ago, which is a nato ally, they are worried over there. they are all nato allies. they are worried. here's the question. you live right there. you're a lot closer to the scene than we are. should they be worried even though article 5 of the nato alliance says that if there's any attack on them, all of the nato allies, including the u.s., will have to come to their defense? >> absolutely new vision for the nato approach for the security in the region and in the whole world. i think that now with most

states we spend more money on the security and the level to defend their own country would be much higher. but i want to confirm with you that we, us ukrainians, are ready to fight against the danger of the aggressor and it's not just a slogan. my son is there. >> your son is there? >> absolutely. it's kind of the heavy artillery unit and his platoon was wounded during the last three weeks and this is the very powerful signal. what does it feel not only the president and not only the citizen but the father understanding how dangerous the process and how important it is to bring the peace. >> let me get your thought on the mh-17, malaysian airliner

shot down over ukraine. it's shocking to me that the area where that plane was shot down, there could be bodies, that no one has gone there to try to resolve that situation? who do you blame for that? >> first of all, we formed commission and i as president of the ukraine gave the dutch to -- >> the only thing they've said is that a missile shot it down. >> but within a few days a week we will receive a preliminary report and there will be absolutely demonstrate that this is a russian weapons operated by russian-trained personnel and the launch of the missile was done from the territory controlled by the russian control the rebels separatists and this was a very important demonstration, how small is the war and how the global danger of

the terrorism can attack in any country from indonesia to australia and the united states and canada. so this is the way how we should fight against the terror on the ukrainian territory because this is not many thousand kilometers away. this is right here. the danger of the terror is right here. and that's why i was very impressed by the today reaction of the ordinary american people which stopped me on the street with the reaction of the congressman in congress and the direction of the united states government, direction of the white house. understanding that this is a danger for the world. we have lots of conflict outside of ukraine. we have an isis, a syria, but even during this situation, the president of the united states pays 60% of his time for foreign policy to ukraine to settle the

crisis and i think that is a lot and this is very helpful and this is evidence for the leadership. >> here's my final question to you, mr. president. you've been generous with your time. what is your message to the russian president, someone you know, someone you've spoken to, russian president putin right now? >> we need very responsible decisions and we should keep the cease-fire continue to develop the peace plan and be very responsible to the people living in ukraine. i have three points. point number one, we should remove all of the russian troops. >> there are still russian troops, not pro-russian troops but russian troops in ukraine? >> i know we have prisoners of war from this troop. so we should remove it from the ukrainian territory. no discussion. we should close the border. close the border for the new supplier of the troops, artillery and everything. third, we should immediately release all of the hostages and

if it happens, these three points, we find out a compromise inside of ukraine. we don't have any internal conflict, i promise you. >> i agree with you, the stakes are enormous as we speak. mr. president, thank you for coming to washington. thank you for coming to "the situation room." good luck to you and all of the people of ukraine. >> and i invite you to ukraine. >> don't leave yet because we're going to discuss my visit to ukraine down the road. much more coming up in "the situation room." after all of the anger we saw as far as the police in ferguson are concerned, fighting with demonstrators, there's an urgent plea to target police bias. and ten major fires are your honor abouting across california. we're going to go there live. stay with us.

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> the attorney general of the united states, eric holder, announced an urgent nationwide push between police and the communities they serve. holder who has been to ferguson set goals of eliminating bias and community engagement all across the country. >> the events in ferguson

reminded us across so many neighborhoods in america, not just in ferguson, but many across the country, we can't allow these tensions to go unresolved. >> with us here in "the situation room," the naacp board member and cnn law enforcement analyst, tom fuentes. john, what's your reaction to this new study and to what we heard from the attorney general saying this new study was really spurred by what happened where you are in ferguson? >> well, it's certainly a step in the right direction to really find some solutions for this problem because, as we've mentioned and i've mentioned on your show several times, this isn't just a local issue. this is an issue occurring across the nation. i spoke with you a few weeks back with the community leaders met with eric holder and many people in the community had several questions regarding what is next. it's not just a ferguson issue. what is his office and the doj

going to do in the long run to address these types of needs? and this just goes to show that he's about action and not just talk. he alluded that there would be some type of long-term solution or some steps to really combat this issue. and him taking this type of action, this type of broad action definitely shows that he wants to do something about this and see some real improvements. >> let me ask tom fuentes. you've worked your whole career in law enforcement. a study like this, dealing with a sensitive issue like racial bias within law enforcement agencies, police departments, how significant potentially could it be? >> well, it could be very, wolf. but my problem with the timing of all of this is, is it a study or is he asserting that there is a bias in ferguson and many other communities and there has to be something done about it? i would normally say, fine, do that study and look at police departments all across the country. but when you name it and say

it's because of the situation in ferguson, there's a police officer there under investigation facing potential murder charges, federal charges for civil rights violation and really this comes off as an assertion that they are biased and we've got to do something about it. i think that's the problem that i have with this. >> i guess some of the people point out that out of the 50 odd police officers in ferguson, there were only one or two or three who are african-american, even though the community had -- maybe half of the community was african-american. does that in and of itself raise a problem of potential racial bias? >> well, certainly a potential but, again, i go back to, is this a study or is the attorney general asserting there is bias and we're going to do something about it? if they need to have training and other measures in the kou country, that's one thing. but still when ferguson is still

undecided and the officer is facing the most serious charge anyone could face, it seems biased in and of itself. >> let me ask john gasket to respond to that. what do you say about that? >> it appears that the police department, there is bias and not just ferguson but other neighboring communities. but this is a step in the right direction. the reason i say this, mr. blitzer, this puts people on alert that this and on notice that this is a problem and the doj is very, very serious about this. >> what about the motion that it's all true but the timing right now as there is uncertainty as to what is going to happen to this white police officer who shot and killed michael brown, that the timing is awkward? >> well, i can somewhat agree with that but we have to look at this. it is never too late or too early to do the right thing to address these types of issues because it is a problem and it's

been a problem for too long. it's been a problem for decades. not just for the city of ferguson but for st. louis county as a whole for decades, i mind you. >> john gaskin and tom fuentes, thank you. we're getting word here in "the situation room" of an arson arrest connected to the largest arson fire. stand by for that. and american intelligence chief says veteran al qaeda bomb makers are plotting attacks on u.s. airliners.

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we're awaiting results from the vote that could leave the united kingdom a whole lot less united. polls just closed this hour in scotland, where a referendum asked whether the country should be independent. cnn's max foster is joining us live with more. what's the latest over there, max? the polls have now closed. >> reporter: they have closed and they started counting the postal votes and the big boxes on huge tables that they are going through each one by one by hand. big teams of people. that's one of 32 counting stations around scotland. we expect the first results to come in about five, six hours' time from one of those 32 and then probably in about nine hours we'll get the full result. there are no exit polls, per se, being published here but we have got quite a small poll which

suggests that as the poll close, yes was on 56%. the polls all along suggested that they are anti-independence campaign has been ahead. these polls are very unreliable, wolf, because this hasn't been done before. the underlying assumptions, there are some questions about them and very young voters, 16, 17-year-olds who haven't voted before, we don't know which way they are going to go. we have to be a bit cautious. >> the poll you just spoke about was not conducted by cnn. as you correctly point out, any of those polls, including any sort of exit poll in scotland right now, very unreliable. this is touch and go. the stakes are enormous. we'll be watching it very closely, max. thanks very much. in the coming hours we'll find out, will scotland still remain in the uk or not. still ahead, a terror alliance believed to be targeting u.s. airliners. why intelligence officials are now increasingly worried.

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he's live on the scene for us. what is it like, dan? >> reporter: this fire has nearly tripled in the last 24 hours. it's now burned through 70,000 acres and 2,000 residents have been displaced from their homes. at this home, it's barely contained, just 5% containment. and officials are telling us this is the work of an arsonist. they have taken one man into custody, 37-year-old wayne allen husband, he's been charged with one count of felony arson and a couple of firefighters were injured battle thing blaze. but in terms of the conditions we're seeing, it's a little cooler today, but very steep terrain. so the best way to battle this wildfire is from the air. and we've had a three-year drought condition here, so it's making things very challenging. so ten active fires in the state of california, and because of the drought, officials fear it

could go on for a couple more months. >> and the weather forecast doesn't look like it's going to get better any time soon. is that right? >> no rain in the forecast for the time being. hopefully, maybe we'll see some rain. but meteorologists saying they're not seeing any. so that's why the resources in terms of where they put these resources so vitally important. because you've got ten fires burning at once, they're stretched thin. but they're trying to manage the best they can. >> describe to our viewers what it's like to be there, that thick smoke we see behind you. what does it smell like for example? >> you can really sort of smell it everywhere you go, at least in this community. and i've been out in it all day. the smoke really takes its toll on you. it affects your eyes and so forth. we try to take breaks when we can. but you can imagine what it's like for these firefighters who are dealing with these elements all day long.

one reason why they've forced people to evacuate is because of the environmental conditions. in addition to the flames that could take over their homes, they also want to keep people safe and keep people quite a distance away from all these smoke. >> dan, be careful, because potentially could be extremely dangerous. dan simon on the scene for us in california. coming up, u.s. warplanes destroy a new isis target. we have details of the latest u.s. air strikes. and u.s. officials warn of an immediate and deadly threat to americans. why there's a growing concern about an al qaeda cell in syria. they're custom made trains.

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happening now. u.s. warplanes on the attack against isis, now destroying a new kind of target as milt tear chiefs sign off on the next phase of the expanding war on terror. plus, a chilling warning that al qaeda terrorists are plotting to attack u.s. flights posing a more immediate danger to americans than isis. and an 87-year-old veteran of politics and scandal trying to make a comeback with his young family along for the ride. will this colorful ex-governor and ex-convict be elected to congress? >> people say, they're all crooks anyhow, you might as well send an experienced one. >> we want to welcome our viewers from the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." right now, the u.s. military's classified plan to attack isis terrorists in syria is ready to go.

and cnn has learned that air strikes could begin within days. we're told that isis commanders, weapons and camps are now on the target list of the united states. a target list that's been i proved by top pentagon officials. at the same time, u.s. forces now are expanding their offensive against isis inside iraq. we have our correspondents, our analysts, our newsmakers all standing by with the newest information about america's war with isis. first, let's go to our chief national security correspondent jim sciutto. >> reporter: tonight, military officials tell cnn that isis is modifying its behavior in response to the u.s. air campaign. some are concerned isis will become a more elusive target. but pentagon officials tell me that they are confident the campaign will be effective and today we saw an example of the new, more aggressive military action.

today, u.s. warplanes destroying a new kind of isis target in iraq. a training camp near the stronghold of mosul. this is the war on isis as it moves from defense to offense. testifying on the hill today, secretary of state john kerry described the group as far from invincible. >> i don't think these guys are ten feet tall, and the intelligence tells us that as we have begun to hit them, we've been able to prove that to some degree. >> reporter: the u.s. battle plan still does not include u.s. troops in combat. though the vice president, like general martin dempsey before him, appeared to leave that option open to consideration. telling reporters in iowa that will be determined "based on how the effort goes." for now, though, the burden will fall entirely on indigenous ground forces.

in syria, the goal is to create a rebel force of roughly 5,000, capable of fighting a large, organized unit rather than small teams. the pentagon says, however, that training such a force could take a full year. in iraq, iraqi and kurdish forces will fight on the ground. the u.s. 58d visors have now determined that no more than half of the iraqi army is fit to partner with u.s. forces. the rest, either poorly led or dominated by shiite militias. speaking before the house armed services committee, defense secretary chuck hagel spoke of a long, difficult military campaign. >> this effort will not be simple. we are at war with isil. just as we are at war can al qaeda. >> reporter: the coalition gained one more today. the french president announcing that france would carry out air strikes on isis, as well. though in iraq not syria. hollande visited iraq to answer

a direct request from the iraqi government and wolf, you remember secretary kerry said some 30 countries have offered to join the military part of this campaign, but not a lot of specificity as to who is contributing what. >> did they explain why iraq, they would target isis targets in iraq but not in syria? >> they did not explain. i think that it's an easier choice. and part of it is, an argument that u.s. officials have made, you have a ground force in iraq. you have an iraqi military force and peshmerga. you don't have that in syria. >> you don't have good intelligence necessarily on the ground. a lot of innocent civilians could get killed. >> and they're changing their behavior on the ground making themselves harder to spot. new fireworks over the war on isis. the senate is nearing a vote to give final approval for the united states to arm and train those moderate syrian rebels.

let's go to dana bash. how is the senate looking over there? >> reporter: they are getting ready to vote, wolf. they're in a middle of a series that would lead them to the final vote. it's combined piece of legislation that will keep the government open. this is a point of controversy that this has all melded into one bill. a lot of senators saying give me a break. we should have a separate vote on this important issue. but this is how the president himself wanted it. he made calls saying this is how i want it, because he wants to make sure that this authorization that he's asked for gets through in this must-pass bill to keep the government running. there's been really intense debate today on whether or not it is the right thing to do to be arming these syrian rebels. rand paul, who is a republican from kentucky and also a probable candidate for president in 2016 was intense in say thing

is the wrong way to go. listen to what he said. >> they cannot help themselves. war, war, what we need is more war. but they never pay attention to the results oh of the last war. amidst the rhetoric, amidst the gathering gloom that seeing enemies behind every friend, and friends behind every enemy, the only consistent theme is war. these enablelers have never met a war they didn't like. >> reporter: wolf, senator paul did not mention anybody by name, but it was clear he was talking about some of the hawks in his own party, namely john mccain who has been pushing for more intervention for years in a number of countries in the region, particularly syria. he says that had people listened to him last year, that we wouldn't be in this position. so he went to the senate floor

afterwards and gave a response of sorts. >> i see the critics come here on the floor of the senate and talk about why everything is wrong, why nobody will fight, why we can't arm the right people. what's their solution? >> reporter: so this is an illustration of the divide within the republican party we're going to see playing out. but much more importantly in the short term, it is an illustration of the divide what the united states should be doing. big questions about whether or not the strategy that the president laid out is going to work, given how complex it is in the region. wolf? >> there's not much of a doubt that resolution continuing the government operation, which includes the authorization forearming and training those syrian rebels. that will pass the senate, right? >> it is expected to pass. probably a handful, maybe more democrat also vote no, and likely republicans as well. but it should pass resoundingly. >> dana bash, thank you very

much. let's dig deeper right you no. joining us, congressman ed rice. congressman, thank you very much for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. >> are you with rand paul or john mccain in >> i'm with neither. i think the solution to this really is to have boots on the ground but not american boots. from my standpoint, it looks to me like we need kurdish boots on the ground, arab boots on the ground. i believe there is a role for air support unlike rand paul. i think the united states needs to go in and hit the training catches as we did today. because if we don't take those training camps out, those fighters will come out and hit the united states. >> when i hear senator rand paul say the president and his republican friends are clamoring for air strikes against assad, he said they should realize the consequence of more war. what do you say when you hear that? >> the difficulty is, this is

not a war that the united states is declaring on isil. this is a war that iti isil has declared on the west. they're the ones that are beheading our journalists and massacring civilians. christians and other religious minorities. so in response to that, the international community is saying do we allow them to continue to train in terror and learn these tactics and send these individuals back to attack us or hit the training camps? the other thing the international community is saying, you have kurdish forces on the ground that want to do the fighting. you have the free syrian army. why not give them the equipment, vet them, train them certainly. but let them do the fighting on the ground, because we have had enough sending our troops into that theater of operation. >> you're the chairman of the

foreign relations committee in the house of representatives. you had john kerry, secretary hagel has been testifying on the hill. did you get all the answers you need? >> no, we haven't gotten all the answers we need. subsequently, i went into a classified briefing with my ranking member in order to glean some more information about the operations on the ground. we also had an opportunity today to talk to several ambassadors from the region about their willingness to support financially, because we're pushing to have them pay for this operation. they've indicated that they will do that. but this is an ongoing process and certainly we want to continue with our hearings to glean more information as we go forward. >> which arab countries are going to pay for it? >> saudi arabia, the united arab emirates are looking at picking up a big part of the tab, and i

think that's quite appropriate. we intend to talk to kuwait and other countries as well. >> a lot of us remember kuwait was liberated by the united states and a coalition back in 1991. it's a wealthy country, as you well know, and all of our viewers know, as well. did any of them give you a commitment? is there any commitment from any of the arab countries, from turkey, any of the european countries to join with iraqi troops, with kurdish troops, with the free syrian army to put so-called combat boots on the ground to try to destroy isis? >> the offer or suggestion we get is they're willing to work with groups such as the same tribes in iraq, in western iraq that rose up against al qaeda. if you recall the whole sunni awakening there in the west. they will send their specialists in who train and communicate

with those elements. likewise with the kurdish forces. i think we're going to get assistance. but we didn't hear that they want to do the fighting on the ground. what we did -- we had a discussion the other day with the foreign minister of kurdistan. he had 190,000 fighters. if he can get the equipment that they need, anti-tank missiles, artillery, it will allow you to be much more effective with his force on the ground, the peshmerga, these are the kinds of discussions we're having. and this is a role here for air power from the united states and our allies. france joined us today. but i would say not on the ground. not ground troops. >> not yet. if the u.s. is supplying those kurdish peshmerga fighters with the equipment.

but so far it's gone under nouri al malaki, the former prime minister, they haven't given the kurds -- they are badly underarmed, if you will, because of the lack of resources. is that going to change? >> wolf, that's a great point. we talked about bipartisan legislation today that would directly indicate that we should circumvent baghdad and get those arments into the hands of the kurdish troops doing the actual fighting. i think that will solve part of the problem. >> let's talk about ukraine. the president of ukraine, petro poroshenko was here. he went to the white house, came here to "the situation room." i just interviewed him in the last hour. he's asking the united states to designate ukraine has a major non-nato ally to give ukraine that status. are you ready to do so? >> i think we're ready for a debate about that. i'm not ready to categorically

say at this moment we're going to do that. i think we need to look at the ramifications, have a hearing on this. i'll talk to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. we need to think about all of the consequences when we talk about the road to nato membership. >> he's also asked the united states for lethal military equipment. so far the obama administration has rejected that request. where do you stand? >> i think there's another way to obtain that. it's from poland and other countries in the region. i think that's a way for us to be supportive of transferring those assets that they're seeking to get without having the kind of confrontation that it might create between russia and the united states if we began to directly arm ukraine. that said, there are ample armaments that could be transferred to ukrainian forces on the ground. i think that's a possible

resolution. >> one final question, you do support providing lethal military equipment to those moderate syrian rebels, right? >> well, i know that for two years now, the central intelligence agency has been vetting and basically these are the middle class out of damascus, the sunni middle class in aleppo. but they are joined by a lot of defectors and within this category, as you vet them, there are people who have been fighting. both against isis on their eastern flank, and from above, those barrel bombs that are being dropped by assad, who frankly have stood their ground. they should be given the equipment to defend themselves and aleppo, yes. >> why do you support supplying arms to syrian rebels but not

ukraine? >> we are fighting isis. we are in the middle of negotiations between poroshenko and russia that grants a certain amount of autonomy. it's a guaranty of language rights and culture rights to the ethnic russian speaking people in the east, as well as a negotiation over local autonomy. there's every possibility that this could take hold. at this moment, if we want to see the transfer of additional weapons into ukraine, that can be done, but it shouldn't be done formally by the united states with an announcement at a moment when there's negotiations going on that might wind down the situation in eastern uraine. >> fair enough. there is a fragile cease-fire that's been holding more or less over the past few days. mr. chairman, thank you very much for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. still ahead, new warnings that al qaeda terrorists may be

trying to outdo isis fighters with a potentially imminent attack targeting americans. a double agent inside the syrian embassy here in washington, d.c. revealed. what does it tell us about the challenges for the united states in the war against isis?

the u.s. expands its war against isis and america's intelligence chief is now issuing his first public warning about a group of al qaeda fighters who may pose an even more deadly and even more immediate threat to americans. let's go to our justice correspondent pamela brown in new york with the latest. >> reporter: intelligence

officials are concerned about a terrorist cell in syria. it's the combination of technical bomb making experience and access to a huge pool of form fighters with european and american passports. it's newer, smaller bombs than the ones in these toothpaste tubes that have officials so concerned. first time today an american intelligence official said publicly the government is worried about a terrorist cell in syria, saying it's working with al qaeda bombmakers to target u.s. flights. t >> this khorasan group, so-called, which is out there, is potentially another threat to the homeland.

>> reporter: u.s. officials say it's made up of al qaeda fight who were fighting in the afghanistan and pakistan region. the worry is they're now in syria, working to recruit american fighters who can use their passports to smuggle bombs onto u.s.-bound airplanes. >> one of the operatives who has moved from the region to syria is a saudi operative. he's an experienced fighter. he was part of al qaeda's command structure in the afghanistan-pakistan border region. and a year or so ago he moved to syria and according to the united states intelligence services, he's involved in plotting attacks against western targets. >> reporter: wednesday, u.s. officials hinted at those same concerns, telling congress al qaeda affiliates are intent on targeting u.s. flights. >> al qaeda has sought on three times to take down an airplane bound for the united states. >> reporter: and u.s. officials say there's fierce competition

between al qaeda and isis to be known as the biggest, baddest jihadi organization. >> that would be a worrying scenario, if these two groups start to try to outdo each other to launch attacks in the west. for al qaeda, it would be a restore its relevance when isis is grabbing all the headlines. >> reporter: that is the big concern that these groups are competing with one another, trying to be the heir to osama bin laden. and that they will try to outdo isis. intelligence officials say this group is seen more as a threat to homeland security than isis at this point. >> let's bring in our law enforcement analyst tom fuentes and the co-author of a brand new book, "my life inside al qaeda and the cia." paul, tell us about this new terror cell. a lot of our viewers probably

never heard about them. it's an al qaeda offshoot, is that right? >> that's right. they appear to be embedded in the organizational structures of the al qaeda affiliates in syria. over the last couple of years, you've seen a migration of fighters to syria. >> how much coordination is there between these various pro-al qaeda terror groups? >> well, the yemeni bombmaker with al qaeda, who has trained dozens of apprentices in these sophisticated techniques to get bombs on plains. the worry is some of them have migrated to syria and joined groups and they could now target the united states. >> it's a terrorist organization, and from a law

enforcement point of view, what does the u.s. need to do to protect airliners? >> they're doing it now. tsa has imposed the new measures, including turning on your electronic gear to make sure it has a battery and it works and increased scrutiny of passengers boarding flights from the u.s. >> what about commercial u.s. planes in europe or asia or africa or someplace else? they're under the control of foreign security services. >> the u.s. has a problem there convincing foreign governments controlling aircraft under their responsibility and not directly nighing to the u.s. so that's a warning to them. the key to this group is that they have stated unequivocally our main target is the united states. isis, their main target, they're still gathering land in iraq and syria and fighting the baghdad government, fighting the shias,

wanting to establish a caliphate. but now el nusra and now khorasan, they want to attack the u.s. and the other concern for intelligence officials is that we're aware of -- from europe and the united states, canada, australia that the hundreds of people that have gone to syria. what we're not aware of is once they've gotten there, did they join isis? that's not clear. >> intelligence is murky on that. paul, in australia today, there was a huge sweeping up, arrest of isis sympathizers who were supposedly getting ready to behead some individual in australia, random individual. what do we know about this? >> this appears to be a trigger, when an australian isis member made a phone call to australia, urging militants over there to carry out this attack. they have recruits from all

around the world. so they're able to call for attacks. the worry is that an american isis member may call for attacks in the united states. >> how difficult is it to prevent something like this from happening? somebody to be inspired and go out and start beheading individuals? >> almost impossible. you don't know what they're thinking. the fbi and the australian federal police and other authorities can't read people's minds. in this case, somebody in that group informed on them and notified the authorities to look at them or they picked it up on social media. they did something to make their intentions wider known than just to the immediate group. this is not the first major arrest in australia of extremists. they've had several large arrests over the last ten years in sidney involving al qaeda-related groups that have wanted to attack in australia. >> it's a huge issue right now in australia, in europe, here in

the united states. >> another close ally. >> shocking that it's going on in australia. thank you very much for that, tom and paul. coming up, a double agent turns on soria's bashar al assad. the mole inside his regime has now been revealed. so what does it mean for the u.s. war against iisis a former reality show star is now running for congress at the age of 87. you're going to meet him, straight ahead.

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your lives are in our hands. breaking news. the united states senate has given final congressional approval for the u.s. to arm and train moderate syrian rebels in the fight against isis. the final vote isn't in yet. but it has more than 70 votes in favor. this is part of a much broader measure that helps prevent a u.s. government shutdown by the end of the month. so once again, like the house of representatives yesterday, separate legislation, the senate now has given the president of the united states what he wants, the authority to train and arm those moderate syrian rebels. we're watching this story. we're also getting a new look at the complicated battle lines in syria, as the u.s. takes steps towards arming and training those rebel forces.

"the wall street journal" has been reporting that a diplomat in the syrian embassy here in washington turned against bashar al assad and became a mole for the syrian opposition. he reportedly provided travel documents to dozens of assad's foes and passed on information to the opposition. we're joined now by a senior adviser to the syrian opposition coalition and andrew taylor, author of "in the lion's den." thank you very much for joining us. you're cited in "the wall street journal" article, which i'm sure you read. fascinating story. tell us about this so-called mole. >> basam was a career diplomat. he knew of me but we didn't have any interaction. one day i get a phone call and he wants to meet. so we meet and i can tell

immediately from his description that he's not with the regime, he's working with the rebels and thus begins a great story of doing the right thing at the right time. >> so he was pretending to be a loyal diplomat loyal to bashar al assad but secretly he was trying to help the moderate opposition. >> that's right. >> he's a good friend and he is a hero. he did so much for the syrian people at great personal risk. if the regime find out what he was doing would have executed him and his entire family and extended family. the services he provided were important, because at the time, the assad regime were not going to renew passports to anyone opposed to him. >> what did he do? >> he provided travel documents for those that wanted to escape from the regime and to dissidents, as well. there's no other way to receive them. there's a big problem that many

syrians today have, because they cannot go back to syria. they're wanted by the regime. so they have very little recourse. what he did invokes the image of diplomats in europe during world war ii in europe who would go to great lengths to provide visas and passports that wanted to escape nazi germany. >> where is he right now? >> he's in washington, d.c. actively working against the regime. so the diplomats that used to work for the assad regime here in washington are not only opposing it but helping the opposition make the case on why the united states -- >> his family is okay and his relatives haven't been killed or arrested? >> so far his immediate family is safe. that's why the story was delayed until recently.

he revealed the inner workings of the regime. >> andrew, you're an expert on syria and spent a lot of time over there. here's the blunt question -- can these moderate opposition rebels be trusted with lethal u.s. military equipment or will that equipment, like the equipment provided to the iraqi military end up in the hands of isis? >> the vetted ones, yes. would they fall into the wrong hands? it could. hopefully with this kind of backing, they can take on isis and the assad regime and get to a settlement in syria. >> the final vote, 73 in favor of this resolution to keep the government operating and including authorization to arm

and train moderate syrian rebels. excuse me, 78-22. so that's a pretty lopsided vote. but a lot of people didn't want to shut down the government, they don't want to necessarily arm and train syrian rebels. >> the house of representatives voted yesterday 276 to pentagon train and equip. this was just validated by the senate. this is a big leap forward for the united states policy. and it establishes the syrian opposition -- >> are you going to use those weapons to go after isis or bashar al assad's regime? >> to go after isis. but the assad regime is the root cause for isis. the assad regime used terror for its own purposes. >> you understand why so many americans are skeptical that any of this is going to work. >> i understand that. but the alternative is we put

boots on the ground. >> the president says the united states is not going to do that. >> right. so in that situation, we have to back groups that are willing to take on isis. the alternative is we do it ourselves and a lot of americans don't want to do that. >> andrew, thank you very much for joining us. ubay, thanks to you, as well. just ahead, he has a young family and prison record. can this 87-year-old former governor make a political comeback? we're on the trail with the louisiana legend. and wildfire danger is spreading rapidly right now and there's a new charge of arson. we'll go there live. (woman) the constipation and belly pain

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just getting word now that president obama will make a statement at the top of the hour, now that the senate has followed the house of representatives and approved legislation that allows the united states to arm and train moderate syrian rebels fighting isis and the assad regime in damascus, as well. we'll have live coverage on cnn. the president making a statement at the top of the hour. other news we're following. one of the nation's most colorful politicians is trying to make a comeback in a state that's critical to the battle for congress. he's an 87-year-old former governor, convicted felon, a womanizer and the father, get this, of a 1-year-old son. gloria borger spent some time with the democrat edwin edwards. >> reporter: we went to

louisiana to cover what edwards would like to be his ultimate comeback race. he's the original bad boy of louisiana politics and he really wants back in the game. it's sunday morning at the new life baptist church in baton rouge, louisiana. ♪ but the man preaching to the choir is no minister. >> my god is not finished with me. >> reporter: he's edwin w. edwards, ex-four-term governor, ex-four-term congressman and ex-con. >> i may be old and rancid butter, but i'm on your side of the bread. ♪ i love the lord, he heard my cry ♪ >> reporter: edwards is in church not looking for forgiveness but for votes. because at 87, after almost nine

years in prison, the flamboyant showman of louisiana politics has a fresh act -- running for congress. >> thank you much. >> reporter: co-starring his new 35-year-old wife and their 1-year-old baby. can you tell the story of how you two met. >> his story or my story? >> reporter: she began as edwards' prison pen pal. >> i was expecting him to be angry and bitter and he wasn't. >> she said, if you don't mind, i only live 30 minutes from here, i would like to come by and visit you. that's like throwing a rubber raft to a drowning man. >> he was so full of life and had such a good time, even in the situation he was in. i've never known anything like that before. >> we agreed to stay together when i got out. and when the dates opened for me to leave, she was there with open eyes and we haven't spent a night apart since. >> reporter: after marriage,

along came eli, a miracle of science. so now edwards is the father to children in their 60s, a wife half their age, and a baby. >> he changes his diaper, he feeds him, bathes him. swhaz is your secret? >> i never smoked or used alcohol or tobacco products. nobody believes that, but i've never used alcohol. and it all boils down to two things -- genes and moderation. >> reporter: what if they say this is ridiculous, you're in your 80s. >> they said that when i announced we were going to have a baby. but i have living roof they were wrong. >> governor edwin edwards awaits sentencing. >> reporter: he went to prison for extorting millions in exchange for river boat gambling licenses. after serving his time, he's now living in a suburban chateau, with reminders of himself as a younger governor.

and the silver fox loves motoring around the neighborhood in a golf cart. >> you're only as young as the woman you have. and brother, it's fun feeling her. >> reporter: if this seems like reality tv, it was. >> briefly, i'm the governor's wife. >> reporter: tell me about doing a reality show, what was that like? >> it was horrible. >> reporter: horrible if >> it was unbelievable. >> this bombshell is about to blow things up. >> reporter: they say the whole thing was kind of annoying. the critics and the viewers agreed. would you do it again? >> if we did, it would be about the governor's ex-wife. >> reporter: they admit they're a bit of an odd couple. >> we're having fun. >> reporter: and it's not just about age. treena is a republican. and edwards is an old-time po u populist democrat. so when the seat came up, what went through your mind?

>> that's my chance. i've got a second chance. and i'm going to take it and i'm going to surprise everybody. >> reporter: were you for this congressional race? >> not particularly. i would naturally support him in whatever he chose to do. but it's not my thing. >> reporter: so what about people who say he's a convicted felon, why do i want to send him to washington, d.c. to represent me? >> people say, they're all crooks anyhow, you might as well send an experienced one. and all this claptrap how tooked i am and what i stole, it >> a local political columnist, said he should apologize to us for making us a laughing stock for years. >> i don't pay attention to it. >> he has talked about this until he is blue in the face and he knows that if he keeps

talking about it, it becomes noncontroversial. >> jeremy alford is a long time louisiana political reporter. >> the way right now it is being addressed, it has become a non-issue. >> that is what he is counting on. he is running against nine republicans in a red district. everyone can name edwards. the story power broker who fell from grace and is looking for a comeback. >> i would be much better off financially if i behaved myself and stay home with my wife and baby. but that is not what turns me on. that is not what i was born to do. i was born to serve people. >> if he had his choice, he would run for govern again but he has to settle for a federal office because felons can't run for louisiana state office until they've been out of prison for 15 years, when edwards would be

98. >> if you live long enough you can run for governor. >> if for no other reason than to please my friends and shock my enemies. [ laughter ] >> it sure would. >> gloria. so what are his chances? >> well when you speak with people in louisiana, they say that he will make it into a runoff because that is the way the election goes. it is a wide field. if nobody gets over 50% of the vote, the top two people face-off. since he is so well-known and a lot of people in the district say he could make it into the runoff. the question, wolf, is whether as a popular democrat he can bet a republican who might be the other top finisher in a very, very red district. so that is where he could run into trouble. but everybody knows who he is. and when you talk to people there, they say it is a convicted felon and maybe we'll

forgive and forget but we'll learn on election day. >> he spent eight years in prison? >> he did. 8 1/2 years. >> and that is not a big issue? >> it is for some voters. but they say he's done his time. and you hear him talking about it constantly. that is his strategy. he figures if he talks it to death and defends himself and says he didn't steal a dime from any taxpayer he can make it go away and tell them i've always been here for you. i may be rancid butter, but i'm your bread and butter. >> i didn't know they could run after 15 years. >> he could. but he would be 89 years old. >> thank you. just ahead, live to the fire zone in california. the danger there is now spreading. make it happen? discover a new energy source.

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the breaking news, the white house said the president is about to go into the white house state dining room, looking at live pictures. he will make a statement now that the house and the senate have both passed legislation authorizing at approval to train and arm moderate syrian rebels in syria. the senate just passed a continuing resolution, keeping the government open. buried inside was word that the u.s. could arm and train syrian rebels. the house passed similar legislation yesterday. we'll have live coverage of that at the top of the hour. stay with cnn. and right now to the state of emergency in california. wildfires threatening thousands of homes. ten major fires are burning in the stay. the smoke from several of the fires shows up in pictures from space. check it out. a suspected arsonist is under arrest connected with a huge

blaze east of sacramento. dan simon is on the scene for us. what is the latest there, dan? >> reporter: well, hi, wolf. this fire has nearly tripled in size in the past 24 hours and you still have 2000 residents out of their home. what is pushing the fire is the wind and drought conditions the last few years. we faced a critical drought in the state and that is why you have so many fires at once. the king fire east of sacramento is fighting it by air because in so many parts of the fire, you are dealing with very steep terrain like behind me so it is critical that you get helicopters and planes to come in and try to douse some of the planes. we know this fire was man-made. authorities say this was the work of an arsonist. they have charged this man with one count of aggravated fire with injuries because two firefighters were injured.

>> thanks very much. remember we are standing by to hear from the president of the united states. he will make a statement now that the senate and house has authorized training modderal syrian rebels. that is it for me. thanks for watching. i'm wolf blitzer in the situation room. erin burnett outfront starts right now. >> out front next, the senate has voting and we are standing by. the president will be speaking live momentarily. and new video of a uva students that mysteriously disappeared. three other women have gone missing in the same area. is there a serial killer in the area. and the polling is over. is scotland in the history books? let's go outfront. good evening, everyone. i'm erin burnett. we have breaking news. you see the president getting ready to speak