communication and third is access to roads. as a county we have stepped up and we're providing access for over 8,000 people. >> thank you. thank you, mayor. best of luck to you. i'm sorry. we have to end the show right there. i turn you over to wolf blitzer in "the situation room." happening now, help on the way, heavy weapons being brought to the battle against isis but they may have a frightening new weapon of its own. ebola patient release. the second dallas nurse is disease free as president obama scolds healthcare worke erer ee scolds lawmakers for quarantining healthcare workers. the suspect in a hannah

graham investigation will soon face a judge. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." breaking news, u.s. air strikes are slowly slowing down the brutal isis onslaught in kobani but now guess what? a major new development on the ground. reinforcements are finally on the way to the besieged border town. kurdish troops from iraq are bringing heavy weapons to their fellow kurds who battled for weeks to hold on against the terrorists. there are signs that isis may have a deadly new weapon of its own. poison gas. our correspondents and analysts and guests are standing by. let's begin with our chief national correspondent jim sciutto. >> there have been four alleged uses of chlorine gas by isis militants in the last several weeks. twice in iraq and twice in

syria. the u.s. has not confirmed those reports but u.s. officials including secretary of state john kerry say this is an issue they take extremely seriously. these are victims of what may be another frightening weapon in isis' arsenal. iraqi troops rushed to the hospital after suffering what their commanders claim was a chlorine gas attack. chlorine is not a chemical weapon but when mixed, it's banned from use on the battlefield. >> these allegations are extremely serious and we're seeking additional information in order to be able to determine whether or not we can confirm it. >> chlorine gas has a long, brutal history in iraq. al qaeda in iraq used chlorine dozens of times including in attacks on u.s. forces. sometimes packing car bombs with chlorine tanks to cause mass casualties. >> it gets more of a defensive and more of a psychological

weapon than anything else. it's just another approach to terrorizing a population. >> reporter: today in kuwait, general john allen who leads the anti-isis coalition called for arab nations to fight back against isis terrorizing online. the group has an arsenal striking fear with videotape beheadings of western hostages. bragging with accounts of battlefield victories and now challenging the coalition's facts on the ground. after the coalition claimed success in pushing back isis from the town of kobani, isis responded with this slickly produced video fronted by british hostage and journalist. >> there are no peshmerga in sight. just a large number of islamic states. >> they are taking a hostage, a man they have taken captive and

forcing this individual to do this video. t >> the state department is striking back mocking isis. travel is inexpensive this video says because you won't need a return ticket. there are stockpiles on the syrian side of the border and saddam era facilities on the iraqi side and isis controls territory and there have been fears they may use those weapons in battle. we know the u.n. is being asked to look into the use of these weapons by isis in syria and iraq. >> we remember back in the late '80s when saddam hussein forces used poison gas against the kurds in northern iraq killing thousands of kurds so there's a history and kurds vividly remember when they were gassed by saddam hussein's forces. >> more recent history in iraq,

precursor to isis, al qaeda in iraq, used chlorine gas in dozens of attacks including attacks that targeted and wounded u.s. soldiers. >> jim sciutto, thank you very much. disturbing information. kurdish forces from iraq are about to join the fight for the syrian border town of kobani. reinforcements are passing through turkey after lengthy often times very bitter negotiations. our senior international correspondent nick paton walsh is risking his life now on the turkish/syrian border. what are you hearing and what are you seeing? >> reporter: we think that probably down this road that convoy a substantial convoy, something that would never have been got to kobani behind me discretely will travel down this road toward the official crossing down there that heads into kobani. dark now entirely. kobani absolutely enveloped in darkness. those inside the city think the

convoy may arrive at 7:00 a.m. they'll be pushed to get there before daylight. they have a long way to go. they haven't crossed into turkey. it's a substantial convoy. there's great symbolism attached to this. they are coming here with permission of turkey to assist people who turkish consider to be terrorists. allies fighting there inside kobani. great on symbolism but at the end of the day there's a practical use for this force. a large convoy. 150 plus peshmerga fighters. it could tip balance inside and fighting going on for a long time. it isn't just kobani. it's also iraq where isis are advancing and there was video released by u.s. forces today of moments in which they tried to bring relief from one iraqi tribe near a besieged base and c-130 aircraft used to drop 7,000 meals dispersed by iraqi security forces to a tribe there. a lot of humanitarian issues all

around iraq and syria here too often lost in the continued coalition fight to try to degrade isis wherever they can. >> what are they saying where you are about that isis video including the drone video flying over kobani and that poor british hostage who was forced to say isis is in control and there's no sign of any of the kurdish fighters. what are they saying where you are about that video? >> reporter: he would have been doing his reporting probably under a mile away from where i'm standing. i call it reporting. obviously he was under duress. it's clear because he's a hostage though he appeared relaxed and didn't repeat he felt under pressure to make those statements. people are seeing that video and noting the level of aptitude isis clearly have with social media and high definition cameras, two cameras in one shoot. use of a drone to show aerial shots of the town.

the landmarks they picked out with graphics and it's quite clear he was in kobani. it's clear isis wanted to respond in the western court of public opinion to what they consider to be western propaganda. they are having a tough fight and not as simple as was suggested. >> all right. nick paton walsh, thanks very much for that report. be careful where you are right on the border. joining us now is chairman of the house foreign affairs committee, thank you for coming in. what do you make of these latest developments? kurdish fighters moving through turkey into kobani supposedly very soon. how much of a difference could this make? >> i think psychologically it's essential that we get relief in to the kurdish forces there in syria and the fact that it's the

peshmerga, it's the turks allowing them to traverse their area and hopefully they're better armed than we've had them in the past. one of the arguments we've been making in congress is peshmerga need to be much better prepared because they're only going to be as good as heavy equipment that they bring in with them. if bringing that into play these 200 or so fighters can psychologically make the difference, it's hugely important to the region because the whole sales pitch of recruitment on the part of isis is that we're unstoppable. we can't be pushed out of kobani. we'll take the town. and so right now this is a game of psychological warfare for the hearts and minds of those fighters, would-be fighters, young men who follow this and might be allured into it. they need to see isis defeated in kobani. >> is it true based on information you have, mr. chairman, that isis is using

these chlorine gas attacks against the kurdish forces in syria and iraqi troops in iraq? >> yes. we've seen evidence of four cases of it and given brutality of isis, there's no question that as they get their hands on any of the inventory that was either in saddam's or certainly we know recently that assad has used chlorine gas attacks on his own people, they wouldn't hesitate and they're not hesitating. >> the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons told nbc news they can't act or investigate because the government in baghdad hasn't formally complained about this. what's going on? >> we don't know what's going on. of course one of the big problems with the government in baghdad is it is so lopsided in terms of its allegiance or its ties with the government in iran. this is why sunnis have been

ostracized and why the kurds can't get the heavy weapons that they need or troops can't get paid. one of our great hopes, of course, is that what will ultimately happen is that before this is over, they will have a national government, a national government in iraq which represents all three, kurd, sunni, and shia and if that happens, you would have competent governance. at this point we do not. >> isis has shoulder fired missiles. they shot down two iraqi helicopters. how concerned are you, how concerned are the u.s. they could go after u.s. helicopters, u.s. c-130s and could effectively reach the baghdad international airport and shut down flights over there. >> well, they're 15 miles away. of course this is why we want to see the government in baghdad get its act together and be able to pull sunnis in in support of

governmental policy and it's also why we have to do a better job of being aggressive in reaching out to the sunni tribes. we have many personnel who, senior level military in the united states, who were involved in training. frankly, having them in the process in baghdad of reaching out to the sunni tribes and doing the mending in governance giving responsible positions to kurds and sunnis as well will do so much to basically put the military back into a position where it can conduct operations but right now it's perceived as shia led and that's the problem, wolf. that's the perception. >> we have more breaking news i want to share with you, mr. chairman. we received a statement from jeh johnson announcing dramatic new security procedures under way about to begin at u.s. government buildings here in washington, d.c. as well as in other major cities.

he says that we want to enhance presence and security, u.s. government, at various u.s. government buildings in washington, d.c. and other major cities and locations around the country. we're taking this action as a precautionary step to safeguard u.s. government personnel and facilities and the visitors to those facilities. the reasons for this action are self-evident. jeh johnson says continued public calls by terrorist organizations by attacks on the homeland and elsewhere and refers to what happened in canada over the past few days. this sounds like an ominous new development. >> this is a precaution. i talked the other day and i spoke with head of diplomatic security in the united states and there is a series of steps that we're taking knowing that isis the main objection of course is that these are governments democratically elected governments so the law is not coming from god but in their mind from man and so any

type of democratic system they view as the enemy and evil so an attack on the parliament, that's why the canadian parliament is the target. the same situation in europe or the united states and so this is why the steps are being taken now. >> have you heard of any intelligence that suggests this new precautionary measures, the greater security that the department of homeland security is now going to install at major federal buildings in washington, elsewhere around the country, is it based on a specific threat? >> there was a specific request made about a month ago by isis for their fighters. they're looking at lone wolves to attack instruments that represent western governments basically. and i believe that that's what we're looking to especially in light of what happened, what

transpired with the attack in ottawa and so that's why these precautions are put in place. >> what was also alarming to me last week when i interviewed lisa monaco, the president's adviser on counterterrorism, she referred to that terror group in iraq and syria khorasan that posed an imminent threat to the united states. that's pretty specific right there. what do you know about this khorasan imminent threat? >> we know senior al qaeda and we know they have expertise in bomb making and in trying to develop bombs which cannot be detected on a plane or coming into the country and in the past, we've identified those targets. the united states struck on those targets to try to take out their bomb making facility and to try to take out senior personnel. i think that this is an ongoing

effort on our part to neutralize that threat. >> jeh johnson, secretary of homeland security urges state and local government law enforcement to be equally vigilant particularly in guarding against potential small scale attacks by a lone offender or a small group of individuals. we're going to have much more on this breaking news coming up. in the meantime, mr. chairman, thank you for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. >> ed royce. up next, civil defense units go door to door on hawaii's big island warning of a 2,000-degree river of lava. stay with us. lots of news coming up.

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dealdash.com for great deals. and start bidding today! civil offense units on the big island of hawaii going door to door warning residents about the 2,000-degree river of red hot lava that's heading toward their homes. cnn's martin savidge is on the scene. >> we're just a couple hundred feet above the outskirts. let me show you the breakup as they call it. it's the lava where it's coming to the surface. you can see that vegetation down there. what most people don't realize perhaps is the lava is actually doing most of its moving underground. in other words, it's not this red hot sea that's sort of oozing across the surface. it's more something that's insidious almost running underneath the ground. take a look at this. this is just an incredible view.

it almost looks like water the way it has the surface of it here. this is or was at one point liquid stone. you can see how it is transforming the landscape. we're heading right now up to the northeast. in other words, we're heading directly towards pahoa following the lava trail here. it has a look of wildfire, an area that may have been burned through. it's vastly different than that. you can see on the edges how vegetation is smoldering. what we want to do is jeremy will fly us to the end to show us how close this has come to the town here of about 950 people. the weird thing about this natural disaster is the fact that it is so slowly happening. it's still devastating. impact is going to perhaps destroy the town but it's a disaster that comes in inches rather than something that strikes in the blink of an eye. we're coming up over here and what we're approaching is the

leading edge of the lava as it starts to move into town. let me show you something down here. we're going to come up and we'll show it to you on the other side of the helicopter. it's a cemetery. you can actually see how the lava has burned into the tombstones. it's an old cemetery here. the lava has actually already pushed through and it's now gone beyond. this is probably the most critical day. the day the lava is likely to get into town. wolf? >> wow. martin savidge on the scene for us in hawaii. much more coming up in our next hour on this dramatic story. up next, we're hearing from the commander of u.s. troops who was ordered into the ebola quarantine and more troops will soon be joining them. what's going on? we'll explain. and later, new details about why the north korean leader disappeared for more than a month and why he's acting right now as a nice guy. stay with us. you're in "the situation room."

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we're watching a couple of important developments in the fight against ebola including the growing confusions about quarantines ordered for u.s. military coming home from the front lines in the crisis in africa. barbara starr spoke with the u.s. general who is quarantined right now. what's the latest? >> right now at this hour, we are awaiting a final decision from both the white house and the pentagon about whether there will be a mandatory 21-day

quarantine for all u.s. troops serving in the ebola stricken areas when they come home. as you say earlier today, i spoke to it the only army general currently undergoing quarantine. in a military quarantine, even breakfast can get complicated. >> my support personnel will bring food in early in the morning for breakfast. they'll leave it there. they'll leave. we go in and we eat that breakfast. >> reporter: army major general williams spoke to cnn where he and his team are in 21-day isolation after returning from liberia. more troops will soon join them. >> another 30 will come back in two days and then another 35. >> reporter: the army ordered all troops returning from ebola stricken areas in west africa into quarantine. >> it's very important that we send a clear message that we are protecting not only our soldiers and our families but the local

communities. >> reporter: defense secretary chuck hagel facing a dilemma. the joint chiefs of staff recommend that all services put their personnel serving in the ebola area into 21 days quarantine just the way the army is doing even if they are not exposed to ebola. that contradicts the pentagon statement that most troops have no risk. even president obama acknowledged the military is different. >> we don't expect to have similar rules for our military as we do for civilians. >> reporter: the pentagon struggling to explain whether hagel's support broadening the army-wide quarantine to the entire military. i'm asking you does secretary hagel support the general in terms of all army personnel going into 21 days of monitoring? >> the secretary supports the decision that was made for general williams and his team. he's not going to oppose at this time the decision made by army leadership for all soldiers.

>> reporter: hagel knows quarantining troops on the ground when they return could send the wrong message. >> a spillover effect on other agencies and the american people are on his mind. >> reporter: general williams says his team went to the toughest areas including the labs testing samples for ebola. >> as you watch healthcare workers coming out of the red zone, you would see someone drenched in sweat after only 45 minutes. >> reporter: the inconvenience of a quarantine is more than tolerable. >> the plastic gear and food items that we ate off of are burned later. >> reporter: they live in a situation where everything they touch that other people may touch has to be burned. general williams says one option in front of the pentagon right now is to sign the paperwork for mandatory quarantine to begin with and then ratchet it back if

no troops become sick but make no mistake. joint chiefs want a mandatory quarantine and they have the authority even if hagel says no, they can impose restrictions on their own troops. they can make those restrictions as tough as they wish. wolf? >> extremely tough quarantine rules for the military in contrast to civilians who are coming back to the united states. we'll have much more on this. this afternoon president obama warned against putting barriers on u.s. civilians doctors and nurses treating ebola patients overseas. his remarks appear aimed at states like new york and new jersey where a nurse returning from africa was quarantined even after having no signs of illness. this picture of the nurse was posted after she was allowed to go home to maine. a tweet says her boyfriend says finally a bit of well deserved rest after a long ordeal.

>> we have to make sure those workers who are willing and able and dedicated to go over in at that tough job are applauded, thanked and supported. >> miguel marquez is outside of the hospital where the country's only ebola patient currently is being treated. what's the latest? >> reporter: that's dr. craig spencer in serious but stable condition here at bellevue hospital. his case sparked a national firestorm putting healthcare workers caring for ebola patients on the front lines. amber vinson heading home today after being declared free of the deadly virus by doctors at emory hospital. >> as a nurse and now as someone who experienced what it's like to be cared for through a life threatening illness, i'm so appreciative and grateful for your exceptional skill, warmth and care. >> reporter: vinson is one of two nurses at texas health presbyterian hospital in dallas

who contracted the disease after treating thomas eric duncan. the liberian man that died from ebola earlier this month. vinson's colleague, nina pham, was released from the hospital earlier this week. dr. craig spencer remains hospitalized with the disease in the united states. six cases have been treated at hospitals across the country in the last five weeks. spencer, a 33-year-old doctor who recently returned from treating ebola patients in guinea, remains in serious but stable condition in new york's bellevue hospital. president obama applauded vinson, pham and spencer today for their work and emphasized the importance of sending medical professionals to help combat the disease in west africa. >> we don't want to discourage healthcare workers from going to the front lines and dealing with this in an effective way. >> casey hickox, the nurse confined to an isolation tent after allegedly registering a

fever at newark airport is back home in maine today where she agreed to self-quarantine but the debate surrounding new jersey governor chris christie's decision to quarantine hickox continues and christie is not backing down. >> we're trying to be careful here. this is common sense. the members of the american public believe it is common sense and we're not moving an inch. our policy hasn't changed. our policy will not change. >> reporter: now, the 5-year-old boy who was back from guinea who they thought might have ebola was cleared of it. he had a respiratory infection and will be taken out of isolation and put in the hospital so he can get over that respiratory infection. >> thanks very much. joining us now here in "the situation room," dr. skinner. he's an expert on public health preparedness and has been to the ebola hot zone earlier this year. what do you make of this one

strict standard for u.s. military personnel leaving that ebola hot zone in west africa opposed to civilians who will have much freer reign if you will. >> as someone who has worked for years with highly infectious diseases like ebola, everyone on my team, we follow the cdc guidelines, they state we undergo controlled movement. that means no commercial transport. no public transport. and we report to the public health authority. no symptoms, no ebola. we communicate about this all the time. we have to be careful about the needs for communicating on what ebola is and the threats -- >> the military personnel in italy who just got out of liberia, they have no symptoms. >> how they are defining quarantine? i'm not sure. it hasn't been explained to me. >> they are throwing away utensi utensils, plastic knives and forks they are so worried about it. >> a lack of communication and an area we need to strengthen right now.

they are no risk if there's no symptoms and that's clear and that's what we tell everyone. more and more people are going back to west africa to help and that's the message to the american public. >> the u.s. military wants to be on the side of total caution. there is a very different standard. standby. we're going to continue our reporting on this here in "the situation room." turning to politics though right now, we're exactly one week from the midterm elections. right now president obama is making a quick trip to campaign with one of the few high profile democrats willing to be seen with him in this final week. he's in wisconsin where democrat mary burke is challenging republican governor scott walker. the race has nationwide implications because if walker wins, he could be a possible contender for the 2016 republican presidential nomination. much more on the midterm collecti elections in the next hour. we're learning why north korea's leader may have disappeared for several weeks and the suspect in the hannah

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after disappearing from public view for more than a month, north korean's leader is doing photo-ops. what is behind the recent so-called charm offensive?

>> reporter: south koreans believe they have cracked the code. speculation was rampant after he disappeared from sight then six weeks later he reemerged clutching a claim while inspecting military drills. today the south korean intelligence agency says they have the answer. according to the country's state news agency, the intelligence agency believes kim had surgery to remove a cyst on his ankle and brought in a foreign doctor to do the procedure. south korean spies and u.s. officials suggest kim's weight and extravagant lifestyle could have been factors in his poor health. >> he lives in a world in which nobody says no to him and there are no restrictions on him. i would assume that leads to

self-indulge self-indul self- sel self-indulgeians. >> >> reporter: the charm offensive to soften north korea's image ahead of a scathing human rights report set to be released by the united nations tonight. the report is expected to call for north korea to be referred to the international criminal court over its human rights record. a move that will be seen as a major blow to the regime. >> we've raised concerns and supported the efforts of the commission of inquiry. >> reporter: the regime is so worried, it held a rare meeting with u.n. officials opening a door to an historic visit by u.n. investigators giving insight on how the regime treats its people.

now, that north korean official was the deputy ambassador to the united nations who spoke recently to the council on foreign relations and a meeting unthinkable just recently. i've been talking to u.s. officials about whether the obama administration believes the north koreans are ready to talk on the nuclear issue and could they seize upon this opportunity and they tell me, no, that's the one thing that the north koreans don't want to talk about. they say this is all about avoiding action at the united nations this week. >> thank you very, very much. up next, as the suspect in the kidnapping of the university of virginia student hannah graham awaits his next appearance before a judge, investigators in several states are looking closer at unsolved cold cases. [ female announcer ] we help make secure financial tomorrows a reality for over 19 million people. [ mom ] with life insurance, we're not just insuring our lives...

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. the suspect charged with abducting hannah graham goes to court this week. what's the latest? >> reporter: this grassy area here is where the fbi and the victim was dragged by her attacker from that direction. law enforcement officials say she was sexually assaulted just behind that fence right around that corner. tonight we're getting new details on how prosecutors may be assembling their case against jesse matthew as they work toward a court date on friday. >> tonight as jesse matthew prepares to face a judge in

fairfax, virginia, prosecutors race to build evidence against him. matthew faces charges of abduction, sexual assault and abducted capital murder. experts say the case here is likely the strongest one against matthew. largely because of evidence from the 2005 assault. and potential witness testimony. including that of a victim who is still alive. >> i would rather not say where she is but she is cooperative. >> experts stay victim likely agreed to a rape kit test where she might have submitted dna samples like hair and blood. she was probably swabbed and photographed. forensic examiners would look at every thread of clothing she might have submitted. >> you look at the evidence and try to determine where there might be stains, collect hair and finers off it. there might be other debris that maybe significant. >> jesse math you've had to give his own dna in the hannah graham case. >> that was the link to close that case.

>> other parts, accounts from neighbors who heard the victims' screams. one described them as blood curdling. other potential evidence lies in both the victim and attacker as the victim was being dragged down this street, her purse was left near a corner. the fbi said the attacker carried her to this grassy area and sexually assaulted her here. the fbi says the victim got a good look at him and helped forensic artists create this sketch. composite sketches are a roll of the dice in cases like this. prosecutors will likely try gather harder evidence to place he matthew in fairfax that night even though he is from a town two hours away. >> are there any gas receipts for which he would have gone there? is there any toll booth that he might have went through? is there any surveillance individual grow is still viable now that could be had there? was there a cell phone that he had? was there any text messaging? >> we've made repeated attempts to get comment from jesse matthew's lawyer on the fairfax case. he has not commented.

while the victim may be ready to testify against matthew in this fairfax case, and earth that say that doesn't make it air tight against jesse matthew here. they stay trauma of that evening may affect her reliability. >> thank you very much. let's go in-depth with our law enforcement analyst, the former fbi assistant director. this appearance before a judge in fairfax via video cork that provide us more information about what is going on in the hannah graham case as well? >> no. i don't think so. i think it will be very specific to the fairfax rape case and it will be irrelevant in terms of the hannah graham case. >> the fact that took place almost a decade ago, that sounds like a pretty difficult case to prove devin the time that has elapsed. >> the time won't matter other than they will try to make a big deal out of her memory but the forensic evidence won't change. it has his dna from that date and that will last, in terms of evidence, that will last forever. >> the fact that they found the

remains of hannah graham, will they upgrade? you expect the prosecutors to upgrade the charges against jesse matthew. he is being held in connection with the hannah graham case on abduction charges. you suspect the charges will be more severe? >> i think possibly. it will depend on being able to link him on actually murdering her. we know he was with her. did he mur her? that's a different level. did he take a souvenir from her and bring her to the apartment and they found it there? that would help. the actual evidence of the murder itself, a weapon or whether he strangled her or however the method was, that will be very difficult because of the degree of decomposition of her body. >> and they're looking for all these unsolved cases, these cold cases as well. what do you think about that? >> i think they may be able to link him to one or more cases including the morgan harrington case, virginia tech, 2009, a young lady. this case in fairfax pretty much

ready to go. >> thanks very much for that. tom fuentes, the former fbi assistant director. coming up, why security is being stepped up at several u.s. government buildings in the washington, d.c. area and other major cities around the united states as well. and emergency workers go door to door on hawaii's big island. they're warning residents of the 2,000 degree river of lava approaching their homes.

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security fears, the government announcing steps, stepped up protection at buildings across the united states on canada's parliament. as the u.s. faces what is being call an imminent terror threat. fiery disaster, a river of lava is closing in on hundreds of homes in hawaii with official going door to door. they're warning residents of looming danger. bracing for the worst. when the grand jury announces whether it will indict the police officer who shot and killed michael brown. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in the situation room. >> let's get right to the breaking news. from deadly today, canada's capital. homeland security secretary jay johnson has just announced he is

ordering security tightened in thousands of u.s. government buildings here in washington and other major cities around the united states. he calls it a precautionary step, citing the attack in canada and the continued terror threat facing the united states. especially from isis and the al qaeda offshoot, khorasan. our guests senator saxby chambliss who is here with me. let's begin with our justice correspondent pamela brown. what are you hearing? >> we are learning from the department of homeland security secretary jay johnson that the department is boosting security at more than 9,500 government buildings, potentially, as we see here. this is in response to what happened in canada just last week where we saw a gunman shoot and kill a soldier and then after that, run into parliament and open fire. we had that happen. just today there was an incident in the courthouse where two blend shot.

police say they may have been targeted. and also there has been chatter for members of isis in recent weeks, calling for attacks toward government officials, law enforcement personnel, military person and he will members of the media as well. with all of this combined, jay johnson said it is self-evident for this change. he is saying it is important to increase the presence at government facilities across the u.s., not just d.c. but pretty much everywhere. he can't get into the specifics about what building this is will happen at, what security measures this will be. but we will see sort of a show of force. more personnel outof buildings. as you pointed out, speaking to homeland security officials, this is not necessarily in response to any new intelligence indicating that there was active plotting against government officials. this is more in response to what we've seen happen. >> we're talking about nearly 10,000 buildings in washington and around the country. federal buildings. >> more than 9,500 buildings at

the federal protective services watches over and there's 1.4 million visitors daily across the country. and also, it is important to point out, we spoke about this months ago. there was a recent report done by the government accountability office saying the security from the federal protective services is inadequate. there are security lapses. >> we'll talk a lot more about this with senator saxby chambliss. we'll talk to you in a moment. this growing concern. there is also growing concern about isis and there's now evidence, it is now using chlorine gas in attacks in iraq and syria. our chief national security correspondent jim sciutto is working this part of story. tell us about these chlorine attacks. >> there have been four alleged uses of colorine gas by isis militants in the last several weeks. twice in iraq and twice in syria. the u.s. has not confirmed the reports but u.s. officials including secretary of state

john kerry say this is an issue they take extremely seriously. we'll show you pictures of some of the alleged victim of what might be another frighteninging weapon. these are iraqi troops, rushed to a hospital after suffering what commanders claim was a chlorine gas attack. chlorine itself is not a chemical weapon. when it is weaponized, it is banned from use on the battle feel because of its horrible effects and the it has a long brutal history in iraq. isis's precursor, al qaeda in iraq, used chlorine dozens of times including attacks on u.s. forces, sometime packing car bomb with chlorine. it has a limited effect on the battle field and can be a very potent psychological weapon for terrorizing a population and tonight we are learning the u.s. has been asked to investigate isis's possible use of chlorine gas in both iraq and syria. >> very, very worrisome situation. thank you very much. and there's other deeply disturbing information coming in. alleged isis fighters now

prisoners, talking to cnn international correspondent ivan watson, telling him that should he fall into isis's hands, he would be tortured. possibly beheaded. that's what they will ivan. he is joining us live now from northern iraq. you're one of our very courageous journalists out there. what else did these militants tell you? >> it was a pretty uncomfortable and downright creepy encounter going across the borld entire northern syria and then being invited to one of the kurds' prisons there where we met with men. they told us were isis militants. >> we're in a prison run by the kurdish militants in northern syria and aware being introduced to prisoners that the kurds tell us were members of isis.

the prisoners are brought in blindfolded and we quickly goib wonder whether they're being forced to speak to us. during our visit, the guards who asked not to be shown, do not allow us to see the cell where the prisoners are being held. this man trembles with fear as they remove his blindfold. i introduce myself as an american journalist and he begins to relax a little. he tell me, he is a syrian named suleman. he confesses to being part of an sites cell that planted and detonated a remote control car bomb outside a kurdish base and said he received around 3,600 u.s. dollars for completing the job. >> what is the idea that isis is fighting for? >> translator: they said they were fighting for islam and justice. they lied to us them took advantage of our minds and our

poverty. >> one of the prisoners guards bring out is barely a man. >> how old are you? >> translator: i am 19 years old. >> but he tell me he fought alongside isis all across syria for more than a year. >> where were you injured? and he has the battle scars to prove it. >> they gave us drugs, hallucinogenic pills. >> before he is captured by the kurds, he claim he saw isis behead many of its prisoners. >> why does isis cut people's heads off? >> translator: whenever isis goes into an area, the eyes of isis, the people there who don't adhere to the islamic law are apostates. everything has to follow isis' way. even women who don't cover their

faces. women would also get their heads chopped off. >> the final prisoner? jobber, a former school teacher and father of two who also confesses to a car bombing. what would have happened to me if when you were with isis, if you guys had found me, an american journalist? >> translator: with isis, your fate would be death. there are different kinds of death. they would torture you for sure them might decapitate you or cut off your hands. they will not simply shoot a bullet in your head. >> each impossible for cnn to confirm whether anything the prisoners tell us was true, or whether these men were coached by their captors. the kurdish prison guards say if set free, he have one of these men would likely go back and rejoin isis.

now wolf, all three of these men, i asked them the same question. what would happen if isis got ahold of me. all three said yeah, you would be killed and the 19-year-old boy even made the gesture that i would be beheaded. the entire interviews, the conversations were conducted in the presence of kurdish prison guards. the kurdish fighter in northern syria have love hundreds of their members in their war against isis and they clearly wanted to show isis here looking vulnerable, looking weak, and frankly, to demystify this jihadi movement. >> they didn't say you would just be killed. you would be beheaded but before that you would be tortured for an extended period of time. isn't that what they told you? >> reporter: yeah, one man said there were many ways that i could be killed. my hands could be chopped off.

i would eventually be beheaded. all of them talk about the use of violence by isis to basically crush its enemies. all of them also said that at left a two of the men, they had faced threats to their families or. they and they said that was why they cooperated with the movement. that 19-year-old boy, he said he had been paid $2,000 in cash, which is a vast amount in syria, to enlist. he also said that other fighters were promised wives. and again, we can't confirm any of this. but it does fit with some of the information i'm getting here in iraqi kurdistan where the government estimates at least 2500 kurdish women have been kidnapped since last august, and that they are being sold,

distributed to isis militants across the border in syria as rewards and as an enticement to redemocrat more members to this, to recruit more members. >> joining us from iraq after he was in syria. thank you very much. be careful over there. let's get more on all of this. joining us from georgia, the vice chairman of the senate intelligence committee. when you hear a report like that, is that consistent with what you hear from u.s. intelligence analysts? >> absolutely, unfortunately, these are not people that americans can identify with. one of your bravest correspondents, he's been threatened, essentially, and the one thing about isil we know is they carry out their threats. they will maim and behead people. that's why controlling them is

not an option. killing them is the only option we've got. >> the fact that he says they now abducted 2,500 women, basically distributing them as prizes if you will to other isis fighters. is that consistent with what you've heard as well? >> i haven't heard about that specific case but i'm not surprised at that. these people are, they're very sophisticated and the way they use the internet. they promise people, they recruit people with these promises. >> they're still getting illegal profits from all that they've confiscated. they'll reward them with women, with money, and the promise of whatever lies in the here after that we've heard about jihadists

before. >> let's get to the breaking news. the statement just released by jay johnson staying united states will enhance its presence in security at various u.s. government buildings in washington, d.c. and other major cities and locations around the country. nearly 10,000 federal building there's now have stepped up security. here the question. is this based simply out of precaution or is there a specific threat out there? >> it's simply being safe rather than sorry. number one, soft targets. soft targets means something not very well protected that is open to the public. federal buildings are often time not very well protected. second thing we've worried about are these home grown terrorists. we've just seen, for example, three wisconsin women who were traveling to syria. >> from colorado. >> excuse me.

>> from colorado. to become part of isil. >> they were 15 and 16-year-old girls. >> they're obviously very easily influenced. when people ask me with all briefings you've had over the last 14 years, what scares you the most, my answer is pretty simple. home grown terrorists and the possibility there of. secretary johnson is just being safe, rather than having to look back a week from now and saying we fail to protect this very soft target in some rural and remote area. >> the president's adviser on counter terrorism. she will me last week that there was a, quote, imminent threat from khorasan, one of these al qaeda affiliated groups. she didn't go into specific details but when you hear imminent threat, that sounds ominous. >> what lisa is referring to, and she is absolutely right, this group khorasan has only one mission. they are an offshoot of al

qaeda. their mission is not to attack in syria or iraq. their mission is to find a way to attack the united states on domestic soil. so she is absolutely right. that is an imminent threat. >> if you're viewers see stepped up security at federal buildings across the country, they should not be surprised at what's going on. i want to you stand by. we have more questions to ask you including these reports that isis is using poison gas to kill kurds in syria and iraq. stand by. [ female announcer ] hands were made for talking. feet...tiptoeing. better things than the pain, stiffness, and joint damage of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. before you and your rheumatologist decide on a biologic, ask if xeljanz is right for you. xeljanz (tofacitinib) is a small pill, not an injection or infusion, for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well.

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. the department of homeland security ordering the security tightened at nearly 10,000 buildings in the d.c. area and all around the united states in the wake of the attack on the canadian parliament last week. we're back with republican senator sam bichambliss. also something you're monitoring, these reports that isis is using poisoned chlorine gas to go after these cush attacks, iraqi targets in iraq. >> we've known that aqi in iraq is using poison gas.

time and time again, they've done it. you have to remember that isil is an offshoot of that group. so to find out they're using night crude way, it wouldn't be at all surprising. they have no adherence to the geneva convention or 90 convention. they're a bunch of mean, nasty folks. to threaten and carry out threats. >> is that just a scare tactic? or is that something athletics really militarily is going to work? >> i think they're doing everything they can to push back in regions they're not able to hole their ground. i suspect that's what we've seen hear in the town of kobani, for example, they were pushed back by the kurds. they did a really good job standing their ground. any time you see that happening, they'll take any action they can

to tray to kill them in any way that they can. >> senator chambliss, thank you for coming in. appreciate it very much. let's bring in some other experts right now. joining us, our counterterrorism official phillip mudd and analyst, the former cia operative bob baer. his good book is called the perfect kill. 21 laws for assassins. what is your reaction from this threat from khorasan? you work for the cia. there may be an imminent threat. and today announcing stepped up security at nearly 10,000 federal buildings across the country. >> we have to draw a real distinction taken with what we're seeing in terms of operations in iraq and what we might see against khorasan in syria. a pretty clear distinction. you can satisfy the enany iraq. you can see them operating on the ground. they're fighting iraqi forces, the problem with degrading the terror threat is you can't see

it. let's remember, we're still chasing that bomb maker in yemen. been chasing him for years. he's part of this threat. we're still chasing the head of al qaeda, al zawahiri. so chasing an invisible enemy that has dozens of members krauls self countries will take years. >> they can say that this is being done out of an abundance of caution. but it is not an easy decision for the secretary of homeland security to issue a statement and then to implement increased security at nearly 10,000 buildings in d.c. and around the country. there has to be a specific threat. hold on one second. i want to explain what we're showing our viewers right now. let me -- hold on one second. >> maintain position at your console. >> i want to explain to our

viewers what's going on. this is a rocket that was just launch in the virginia and it exploded. we're not exactly sure what was going on here. they're trying get some information. first of all, we want to find out where in virginia this is taking place. what was going on. take a look at these pictures. this is pretty dramatic. this is a nasa rocket in virginia that exploded on launch, we're now told. and it looks pretty ominous right there. hopefully there are no casualties. it exploded in a remote area. we're just getting these pictures in rate now. you can see what's going on. it was just going to be going into an on or about, we're will, this rocket. and eventually heading toward the international space station. but -- let's listen in to nasa and see what they said.

>> we will continue to bring you information as it comes available. >> so there is the remnants of what was a nasa rocket exploding on launch. this occurred just moments ago. let watch this. this is just moments ago. this is a scheduled -- this was originally scheduled -- yes but apparently they delayed it for a day. and this is what happened today. all right. i'm going to play the launching

of this rocket. we have the video rate now. watch this. >> and launch. >> and launch. >> we're will this rocket was designed to self-destruct in case there was a problem. and you can see, this rocket is destroyed right now. it exploded on launch. you see how drama it is.

we can only hope no one was injured as a result of what happened in virginia. the informing is still pretty sketchy. hears what we know. the rocket was did a to be launched yesterday. it was scrubbed due to a boat in the vicinity of the launch site. five minutes or so ago. but the launch was aborted yesterday, took place today. and you can satisfy the powerful, the powerful explosion that occurred. this is the wallops flight facility in eastern virginia. weather permitting, the orbital, it was supposed to go to the international space station with a lot of supplies for the international space station. you can see what's going on there. it is unmanned. i want to make sure our viewers know. this is an unmanned rocket that

was going to the international space station with supplies for the international space station. you can see what happened upon launch. it looks like it is self-destructed and simply exploded. let listen to the audience from nasa. >> to work with our representatives, our mission insurance representative to secure the facility and to collect all data. i would ask all personnel to segregate any mission notes, any photographs, 90 any other data they've taken and prepare that data to be catalogued and failed away in the contingency reaction process.

that will include all your check lists, all handheld notes, any notes that you have on your computer, any files that have been transmitted in the course of this launch operations, your computer will also need to be scrubbed of any file used for today's activities. we will need to lock down any data that is pertinent to the launch operations today as we pull together contingency check list and the failure investigation board. >> on the left part of the screen, a live picture is what it looks like now.

on the right part of the screen, you see the explosion. the rocket just exploding on takeoff, five or six or seven minutes ago. it simply took off. this is the resupply mission to the international space station. we're listening to the audio from nasa tv as it exploded over there. they're trying to figure out precisely what happened. it was supposed to be taking about 5,000 pounds of nasa cargo aboard this rocket to the international space station. taking off from the wallops flight facility in eastern virginia. within seconds of takeoff, you saw what happened. you saw the explosion and i'm sure they're trying to figure out what's going to right now. if this launch had worked out the way it was supposed to work out, a lot of people on the east coast of the united states, millions potentially, could have seen this rocket taking off. it just tack off on the right part. and now you look at the explosion.

once again, once again, an unmanned rocket that was carrying about 5,000 pounds of quirnlgt splas for the international space station showed thatted moments ago. there you see on the right part of the screen. you see it taking off. there is the rocket. watch this. there you see the explosion of this rocket. an unmanned rocket, fortunately. let's hope nobody on the ground was hurt by this explosion but

it is a dramatic picture that aware showing. it was supposed to go to the international space station. it was supposed to take off yesterday but that launch was scrubbed because a boat was inside the rain safety zone southwest of the launch pad. they postponed it until sack:22 p.m. eastern. it is now 6:32. so it simply exploded. on the left side of the screen you see the live pictures from what's going on. we're getting all this from nasa tv. a powerful image. we'll get more information from nasa. obviously we'll try figure out, hopefully no one was injured. it is a significant setback to what nasa hoped this cargo aboard this rocket, this spacecraft, was supposed to go unmanned to the international space station and help everyone out there. it is a really serious setback.

jay boldin, by the way, the national spokes pen is telling cnn, there was fail you are a on launch. there is no indicated loss of life. there was significant property and vehicle damage. mission control is trying to assess what went wrong. let me repetition this. nasa snows loss of life on this rocket explosion. jay golden telling cnn, there was failure on launch, no indicated loss of life. there was significant property and vehicle damage. mission control is trying to set what went wrong. you see the explosion on the rate part of the screen. the left part of the screen, you see live pictures, alive images of what's going on. this is eastern virginia. wallops island in eastern virginia where this rocket took off about 11 minutes or so ago. let's take a quick break. resume our coverage after this.

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see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. we're following the breaking news. a rocket just exploded moments after a launch. watch this. >> main engines at 108%. >> this happened at the nasa facility on wallops island in virginia. the eastern coast of virginia.

the nasa spokesman saying there was failure on launch. there was significant property and vehicle damage. mission control is trying to assess what went wrong. clearly something went wrong. it was launched at 6:22 p.m. eastern. about 15 minutes, 16 minutes or so ago. and you see these live pictures right now. the aftermath that was a private company, orbital sciences corporation had this contract with nasa to launch this rocket and to take about 5,000 pounds of supplies and equipment. >> it is hard to tell right now. i think they. they at nasa are trying to figure out what happened. >> every rocket has the ability

to be destroyed by what they call the range safety officials. if there is something that is going drastically wrong, they sort of push the red button to destroy it so that it doesn't cause any potential problems down range. we should point out this is the launch that was supposed to happen this morning, didn't happen this morning because a boat strayed into the zone where it was going to, the launch was going to occur. and this is a reminder that that is why you don't launch when there are people that come into those no play the or no vessel zone during a launch. any time you're dealing with a rocket, you're dealing with tremendous force and explosive capability. all kinds of things have to go right instantaneously. lots of moving parts and it doesn't take much of a failure to cause a problem. what that explosion, the rocket itself exploding, or the

on-board destruction cape bills that every rocket is equipped work we don't know yet. >> this official statement says there was failure on launch. there was no indicated loss of life. property and vehicle damage. i assume the spokesperson, significant property and vehicle damage on the ground. >> yes, yes. we're talking about the wallops science facility. relatively remote and protected area. the area around it, for overflights and ships at sea, a moment ago. so i don't think we need to worry too much about loss of human life. it is a setback for orbital sciences corporation which is one of the bidders that succeeded along with the california-based space-x corporation deliver supplies to

the international space station under contract to nasa. subsequent to the retirement of the space shuttle. this would have been their third delivery to the space station. they were carrying about 5,000 pounds of supplies and scientific experiments to it. it is a reminder that building and launching rockets is a very chancy proposition. we tend to take it for granted but we are reminded he now and again that it can go wrong. when it goes wrong, it go wrong in a very spectacular way. >> do these rockets normally have these self-destruct or these abort capabilities? if something is indicated within 5 or siksds that somebody pushes a button and it explodes sprks what's possible? >> yes. every rocket has it. including not many people knew it but the space shuttle had that cape bill and a lot of astronauts would talk about getting to know the person who would have the unwelcome task of

pushing the button if it would ever occur in the space shuttle program. of course it never did, and remaingd them there are real human beings on board. that is part of the layers of safety. the safety culture involved in launching rockets. you do have that cape bill of destroying the rocket before it can fly further. and let's say you have a failure which causes an asymmetrical thrust. it could turn the rocket around. that's why you need the ability to throw the thing up. >> they would normally make sure if they had to do it, there would be no people in the vicinity of this explosion if they needed to report this mission and explode that rocket and the vehicle on board. >> yes, yes. the general rule of thumb, we're talking big distances away. i don't know the exact distance that the closest human beings would be to that launch.

i know in my days of could go the space shuttle program, there were no human beings except the emergency crew. there was nobody within three mile of the space shuttle launches, except for the crew inside the shuttle itself. that was to guard against this very thing. if something were to explode on the launch pad, you have obviously a tremendous am of fuel and potential energy, become explosive energy. you have a big debris feel. the idea is to make sure that is well protected and there are no human beings anywherer in a there. >> i want to you stand by. tom foreman is collecting information. we'll stay on top of this story. this rocket has just explode in the virginia upon takeoff within five or seconds.

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back to the dramatic breaking news. a nasa rocket exploding after takeoff. watch this. >> we have lift off of antares. on its third mission. 108%. >> and launching launch team be advised.

stay at your consoles. 4, 3 -- >> so there you saw what happened. the nasa facility on. wallops island on the virginia coast. the nasa spokesman telling cnn, and i'm quoting, there was failure on launch. there was no indicated loss of life. there was significant property and vehicle damage. mission control is trying we are getting a treat from orbital sciences, the private firm that launched this rocket on contract to nasa. orbital science is saying there has been a vehicle anomaly. we will update as soon as we are able. we have an eyewitness from the area who saw what was going on. chris tilton is joining us on the phone. where were you and tell our viewers what you saw and heard? >> i was across the bay from the launch -- the launch site. there was a body of water there

about a mile, mile and a half wide, and i was immediately across from the launch site. the launch initially seemed to go okay, but within a few seconds, i noticed that the top of the -- the top cone of the rocket started leaning to the left. in other words leaning to the north a little bit. and it stopped the straight-up trajectory and it started to lean and slip a little bit and it appeared to me they did a safety self destruct on the rocket. >> out of fear that maybe the rocket would be heading toward a populated area, is that what you are saying? >> it could be. but it is more likely that the first stage somehow failed and didn't get enough thrust to get it in to orbit. and it seemed like it was in distress about two to three seconds after liftoff. >> hold on because the astronaut mark kelly is joining us on the

phone right now. and mark, tell us -- i assume you've seen the pictures and the images of what happened. what is your analysis? >> i've seen it briefly. but, you know, wolf, with any space flight anomaly, especially after liftoff, the investigation process will take a while. and what you see and what somebody on the ground might witness often doesn't tell the entire story. this is a -- this is really difficult to do. orbital sciences does a great job at it but it is a risky business. >> mark, we're told there was 5,000 pounds of supplies and equipment for the international space station and all sorts of other sensitive equipment, as you can imagine. but we don't know if this was an aboarded mission or -- an aborted mission or simply exploded. i assume you agree it is too

early to tell. >> it is all too early to tell, but often what happens when they realize, this is going to be catastrophic, there is a safety system in place where they can command the rocket to destruct in a more controlled way rather than let it fly off in a direction they don't want it to go. you mentioned the 5,000 pounds on board, i just sent an e-mail to my brother who is going to launch in march, asking him if his important clothing and what he needs for the one-year was on board because it is very likely that is the case. >> mark, i want you to stick around. i want to continue the breaking news but let's take another quick break. we'll be right back. (receptionist) gunderman group. gunderman group is growing. getting in a groove. growth is gratifying. goal is to grow. gotta get greater growth. i just talked to ups. they got expert advise, special discounts, new technologies. like smart pick ups. they'll only show up when you print a label

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we're following the breaking news. a contract rocket from nasa

exploded on takeoff on launch just moments ago. mark kelly, the astronaut, is with us. we are just getting a statement in from nasa, mark, saying that this was a catastrophic anommy, and what does that mean from nasa's perspective? >> well it means you lost the vehicle, you lost the rocket ship and you lost the spacecraft and the pay load. in this case, it sounds like there was 5,000 pounds of supplies and equipment going up to the space station so that is -- that is a real problem here to keep the crew on board the space station supplied over the next couple of years. >> the launch director just said on the nasa feed, mark, that the launch -- that all personnel are accounted for, no injuries. the spacecraft he said had classified crypted equipment on

board and as result they need to keep a border near the area and are they talking about spy equipment in. >> crypto graphic stuff is encoding. we don't use the space station for any military purposes. it is against the law and it is against the agreements we have with our international partners. but that doesn't mean there could be some sensitive coding. so not necessarily spy equipment, but other sensitive equipment that we don't want somebody to pick up. but the good thing is, it sounds like that it was a secure area, that is why no one was hurt, because they keep folks a good distance away to prevent injuries on the ground. >> it happened the way it was supposed to happen if you have to have an explosion. this is the best way to do it to prevent loss of life in that secure area. we'll stay on top of this story. mark kelly, the astronaut, thank

you, very much. mark o'brien. stay with us for all of the breaking news. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room," erin burnett "outfront" picks up our coverage. "outfront" tonight, breaking news, a rocket with classified crypto equipment explodes seconds after liftoff just moments ago. the rocket headed for the international space station with classified equipment on board. what went wrong? we'll show that to you and find out what happened with the breaking news. and more breaking news with new security measures, thousands of federal buildings across the united states as isis ramps up calls for terrorist attacks in the homeland. let's go "outfront." the breaking news tonight, a failed nasa rocket launch ended