hello, i'm wolf blitzer. it's noon in des moines iowa. 1:00 p.m. here in washington, d.c. 4:00 p.m. in rio de janeiro, brazil. wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us. we begin with breaking news. republican presidential candidate mike huckabee has announced he will be joining donald trump at his event tonight for veterans. an event that directly competes with tonight's republican presidential debate that donald trump is boycotting. governor huckabee is joining us live from des moines iowa. governor thanks very much for joining us. you're taking part in this so-called undercard republican presidential debate first, and then you plan on going over to donald trump's event for veterans. tell us why you made that decision. >> well it's to honor the

troops. it's not an endorsement of donald trump's candidacy. i'm still running for president. we have the caucus since monday night. i'm delighted to join donald trump in an effort to salute veterans. and you know what i didn't have anything going on at 8:00 tonight. i'll be done. so i figured why not. let's show the veterans our support. >> 8:00 central, 9:00 p.m. eastern. was there a phone call from donald trump, or one of his aides to you? did you make the phone call to them? walk us through how this decision came about. >> well i didn't talk to him. i don't know if some of our folks maybe mentioned to him or their folks reached out to us. i know that there were some conversations over the past day or so. and, you know we said we would love to come and be part of an event that honors our veterans. they're some of the most underappreciated undersupported people in the country. and when we found out that donald was going to be having an event for them sure we're ready to come and be part of

that. >> are you worried, governor that attending this trump event at the exact same time that the republicans' presidential candidates are having their prime time debate that it could be seen as an affront to the republican candidates on the major stage? >> no not at all. because, you know, i'm not invited to the main stage. i would love to have been on that stage. i think i should have been on that stage. but, you know i'm going to be on a stage earlier. you know if they're not sitting out in the audience watching me i don't feel any compulsion that i, you know have to be there for that debate. and quite frankly, as i say, i'm free at 8:00. so i offered, by the way, wolf -- i would take his podium at the 8:00 debate and, you know that was rejected. so i said okay well i'll find something else to do at 8:00 and that's exactly what i've done. >> what's your -- opinion, i guess -- that's the word. what's your opinion of donald trump's decision to boycott that main prime time republican debate because of his ongoing feud with fox news?

>> well look i worked at fox news six and a half years. those are my friends. i love those folks. i love megyn kelly. so i'm not going to get into the middle of whatever issue he has with them. it's not my issue. i don't have an issue with them. but i have an issue with veterans. i really feel like these guys are getting hosed. and they're coming back with pts, and they're waiting months months to get treatment they deserve. 22 veterans a day commit suicide. and every american out to be outraged over that. so if in some small way my going to that event will just give a little more interest and focus to the fact that this is an important part of what our country ought to be doing for vets then i'm happy to stand with donald trump tonight on that. you know to be honest with you, i'm not sure that i would be willing to do this with every one of the republican presidential candidates to go to one of their events. but i'll do it with donald

trump. i respect him, i like him. we've had a great relationship. and we're competitors in this race but we're still colleagues towards some issues and veterans is one of them. >> i was just reading a little item by david brody of the christian broadcasting network. you know him, i know him. he's well plugged in with you, with donald trump. he's already speculating you as a possible vice presidential running mate if donald trump does get the republican nomination. what do you think of that? >> well gee, i thought you were going to ask me would i pick donald trump to be my running mate when i get the nomination. that's how that is supposed to be worded wolf. so let's back that up and talk about would i name him. >> would you? >> he's be on the list sure. as i say, i like him. i think he struck a nerve with a lot of people. we have different issues and different emphases but when i'm looking at my options, if donald trump gets the nomination and he goes up against hillary you know we're all with trump.

if he's against bernie we're with trump. that's not a hard one. i've been saying all along that i would go with donald trump every day of the week twice on sunday rather than any of the democrats that are running against any of us republicans. >> you seem to be more comfortable with donald trump -- correct me if i am wrong -- than senator ted cruz. is that right? >> well you know, there are some positions senator cruz has taken that i can't figure out, because i feel like there are different ones he takes in marshal town iowa than he takes in manhattan. and that's disconcerting to me. i want people to be straight up stand up. i don't want them to change their view because of geography. and i also worry that ted cruz's financing comes from the same corporate big business goldman sachs, citi bank hedge fund billionaire circle that gives us the politicians that we always have. and that's why the policies never change. we get the same kind of results,

whether it's democrats or republicans. and i think there are a lot of americans who need to understand that if you continually elect people who are essentially financed by the corporatists and by big business, you're going to have the same results every time. doesn't matter what the speeches are, the political ads are. and i think there comes a time in this country where we need to fight for those folks standing on their feet all day working hard. >> i'll take that more in line with donald trump than ted cruz. on the veterans issue, which i know is very important to you, trump has set up a website, donald trump for vets.com inviting people to donate. have you checked into that? do you know where that money is actually going to go to which veterans' organizations? >> i'm not sure. i'll know by tonight. and i will be making a personal contribution to veterans' organizations to be part of the event. that wasn't something that was required of me. it's something that i would believe just the right thing to do because standing up for veterans is something we all should do as americans.

>> one veterans' group says they want nothing to do with trump's money or the event. and i'll read to you -- this is an organization iraq and afghanistan veterans of america. they tweeted this. we need strong policies from candidates not to be used for political stunts. that's from paul rieckhoff, head of the organization. your reaction. >> i haven't read it. i'm not familiar with the organization. and so i would simply say, you know to each his own. but i feel like it's a sincere effort on donald trump's part. he has been outspoken in his support for veterans as i have. and, you know i'm not going to question his integrity about making this all the money. donald trump doesn't need the money, i'm sure he's not going to take a cut. i'm confident all the money will go to help veterans' organizations, and ultimately to help veterans. >> you sound like you're getting closer and closer to actually endorsing donald trump.

but i know you're not ready to do that yet. you're still in the contest. monday night. how well do you have to do in the iowa caucuses. eight years ago you won the iowa caucuses. how well do you have to do this time in order to keep on going in new hampshire, south carolina and beyond? >> you know wolf sometimes you'll say there are three tickets out. but it really has to do with where people place. if first place is 20 points ahead of second and that's 20 points ahead of third, it may be there are only two tickets. but at first, second and third and fifth place even are within ten points of each other you know there could be five or six tickets out of iowa. so it has more to do with who sort of exceeds expectations. and i know a lot of people feel ted cruz is going to win. that's what the pundits seem to say. so if somebody gets close to him or beats him, i think people have as much to lose as they have to gain in the iowa caucus. and we never know.

iowa people don't typically take their voting instructions from the pundits on the east coast, and every four years, they come out and surprise people and they vote in ways that nobody was looking for. that's what we're still hoping for on monday. >> one final question before i let you go just to be precise. on the issue of the pro front runners, at least according to polls in iowa ted cruz donald trump, is ted cruz -- he was born in canada. but do you believe he is a natural-born citizen, eligible to run for president? >> i mean the honest answer is i don't know. i think that there are legitimate questions that have been raised not people like me because i'm not a constitutional scholar. but people who are legitimate constitutional scholars have raised this as a legitimate issue. and look for his sake it needs to be settled. but the one thing i know is having been born in hope arkansas it is absolutely with certainty that i tell you that we've already established that a

person can be born in hope arkansas and serve as president. so that much we're clear about. >> well bill clinton was born in hope arkansas. a lot of our viewers will remember that as well. and i assume you believe in a place called hope as well. governor the former governor of arkansas mike huckabee thanks very much for joining us. >> my pleasure. thank you, wolf. let's bring in our cnn political commentators democratic strategist donna brazil republican s.e. cup. what do you think? your reaction to the decision by governor huckabee to actually forego watching even the prime time republican debate instead heading over to donald trump's veterans' event. >> i know governor huckabee a long time i love governor huckabee and i do not question nor should anyone question his sincerity when he talks about caring about the troops. in addition to that, there is a lot going on right now. governor huckabee is not on the main stage. so as you said he's got nothing to do at 8:00. there is no loss for him by going over to trump's event

which will get some viewers from the fox debate -- he'll get on television. and that's good for governor huckabee. let's also not forget that governor huckabee and ted cruz are running for the same kinds of voters in iowa. so any time governor huckabee can contrast with ted cruz or put himself on the opposite side of any issue or any moment that's good for governor huckabee. he's right that ted cruz has changed his mind on a lot of things. i find it very suspicious that suddenly since this race ted cruz is like the same old-same old politician. i don't think anyone would have called him that just less than a year ago. but i think this is more about governor huckabee positioning himself against ted cruz and eating into some of the spotlight that he otherwise can't really get right now. >> donna, what do you think? >> first of all, it's a new bromance so i'm very excited to see the republicans have found a new couple. but look the truth is without donald trump being on the main stage tonight, the other candidates will finally have an

opportunity to get their message across, and perhaps be the center of attention. this is a key moment for our caucus voters and they are known to throw banana peels in the path of the front runners. so i think it's a mistake for donald trump. maybe this is another unconventional rule that he's trying to establish. but truly, the veterans deserve a lot of praise a lot of support, a lot of resources. i don't know if donald trump new-found love for veterans will last but clearly he makes a contrast with the other guys on the stage. >> clearly not governor huckabee but some other rivals are ripping into donald trump's decision to not attend the republican debate. i want you to listen to some of them. >> i think he's very much afraid of questions about his bankruptcies. maybe afraid about the fact that he's actually never voted in a republican presidential primary. >> apparently mr. trump considers megyn kelly very, very scary.

>> this is not a show. this is serious. we cannot lose this election. we have to turn this country around now. we cannot wait. >> so s.e. is that a preview of what we might be hearing tonight at that republican debate? >> i sure hope so. just because trump isn't there, i still hope that the republican candidates in addition to, you're right finally getting to talk substantively about their policy differences, do take shots at trump. i mean the whole idea that trump is a victim in this is so preposterous and frankly, it's so against brand. i mean his whole modus operandi is to be i'm the tough talker. i'm the one who is not going to back down from a fight. everyone else they're soft they're too nice. and he's crawling away from this fox debate because megyn kelly hurt his feelings. i think it looks really petulant and childish and i hope every candidate on stage tonight says just that. >> but it wasn't just megyn kelly, it was a few statements

that fox news put out public relations wise really demeaning donald trump. >> normally he says stupid how stupid people are. how stupid the press release. i'm surprised he's decided not to show up. wolf as you well know there are a lot of undecided voters that could go either way in the closing days. >> who 40% in iowa. >> to avoid a fox news debate? cnn, i wouldn't have bought that either. but to avoid it at a time when people are making up their minds i think is a risky strategy. look the other candidates should take advantage of the moment that donald trump will not be suck up all of the oxygen so to speak. >> thank you very much. we'll watch that later tonight. up next the very different story we're following in the "washington post" reporter jason rez neigh getting emotional. and the u.s. government is devicing a plan to fight the

virus. stay with us.

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the "washington post" reporter jason rezaian spoke publicly today for the first time since his release from an iranian prison earlier in the month. an emotional rezaian joined "post" executives and secretary of state john kerry at the "post" grand opening at its new headquarters in washington, d.c. rezaian briefly described his time at an iranian prison before thanking those who worked for his release. >> i'm honored to be a part of this ceremony marking the next chapter in the history of the "washington post. "for much of the 18 months i was in prison my iranian interrogators told me the "washington post" did not exist, that no one knew of my plight.

and that the united states government would not lift a finger for my release. today i'm here in this room with the very people who helped prove the iranians wrong in so many ways. each day since my release, i learned more about the efforts to gain our freedom, which began the moment yegi and i were taken from our home and continue on in support of our reintroduction into the world. there are so many people to thank. >> very emotional. joining us now are chief national security correspondent jim sciutto. you're there at the "washington post." the new building. the first insight we're getting from jason rezaian. we're thrilled he's out and he spoke about his treatment, spoke more about his treatment in iran. >> reporter: that's right. and you heard him there saying that his captors did their best to remove any hope saying to him that the "washington post"

didn't exist any more. that the u.s. government wasn't doing anything to gain his freedom, which, of course we know is not true. but he inside that prison often in solitary confinement, did not. this is a very powerful method of psychological torture i have heard iran used with other captors, as well. we heard this from amir hekmati, being told the same. and the pride you heard jason express that pride as he was on the podium saying in fact -- i know that you were fighting for me. and that borne out, of course as we see him come out today. these are his first words since he was freed from iran. but him also doing his best -- you saw him to even poke fun with a sense of humor as he stood in front of the crowd here he said this is of course the first time i've been in front of a crowd in a while. something in reference to his solitary confinement, of course a painful time physically and mentally taxing. but doing his best to put a smile on. it was a happy moment here. but as you saw there, wolf an emotional one too.

and he wasn't the only one fighting back tears. secretary of state john kerry on stage. he had a couple moments as well fighting back those tears. >> he got emotional at one point, didn't he? >> reporter: he did, no question. and he's a veteran, of course. we know that john kerry, a vietnam decorated veteran. and he described it in those terms. saying just like in the military you don't leave any soldier behind. as america, this country doesn't leave an american behind. here's how the secretary of state put it. >> obviously, this is particularly sweet for everybody now that jason is home. in the military as you all know and in other dangerous calls, the most sacred pledge you can make is to never leave a buddy behind. like most pledges, it's a lot easier to say than to do.

>> secretary of state john kerry also gave some details about those final hours in iran. you and i have talked about it wolf. cnn has reported it. that that plane was meant to take off on saturday a week ago, but then they had this 12-hour period which the secretary described as nerve-racking, when they couldn't find jason's wife yegi or his mother. we learned later they were being held by the iranian government. they didn't want them to go. secretary of state john kerry, i believe this is the first time we have heard a u.s. official say this that he was only told that by the iranian foreign minister zarif, who called them and said we can't find yegi and jason's mother. they did with some last-minuteman ufrg. another 12 hours, that plane took off. but even up until the final moment no one involved was sure this would end as it did and thankfully it was a happy ending wolf. >> that's why the president of the united states waited until that sunday to address the american people. he didn't want to speak while that plane -- that swiss plane was still on the ground in

tehran. we're thrilled that jason rezaian and his family are out of iran. jim sciutto, thanks very much. up next an explosive outbreak of a dangerous virus now as a health official is issuing new warnings. we're going to find out what they're saying about the spread. stay with us.

the zika virus is spreading explosively across the americas according to the world health organization. 23 countries and territories are now on high alert for the potentially deadly virus. transmitted by mosquitoes it's blamed for a sometimes crippling birth defect. some doctors are even going to far as to tell women to postpone getting pregnant. cnn's shasta darlington spoke to the mother of one of 4,000 babies affected across brazil. >> reporter: she was so excited, but the birth of her second

child left her more alone than she could have imagined. at three months luis phillippe has a big appetite just like her first baby but he was born with a small head and brain damage, microcephaly. people here react like he's got some contagious disease, she says. there was no warning. doctors only detected the disorder after he was born. what gives me strength is the love i feel for him, she says. luis phillippe will need to be cared for his entire life. so she's doing this three times a week now, taking her son to physical therapy, and yet she goes back to work in march. it's not clear how she is going to do this. and she's the only person in her family who has a job. here in the state, we have seen the heart ache and financial burden this is putting on

families. more than 4,000 cases of newborn microcephaly have been reported in brazil since zika was detected less than a year ago. a third of them are here where babies and moms face endless jabs and tests. dr. angela haush, one of the first to make the link between zika and microcephaly. >> translator: these babies have brain damage to differing degrees, which means inserting this generation into society is going to be very complicated, she says. >> reporter: research continues to establish a cause and effect with the zika virus. spread by the same mosquitoes that transmit yellow fever and den den dengue. there is no vaccine or cure. >> all the effort has been put on prevention by having the population of these people under control. >> reporter: 200,000 troops now

going door to door eliminating the stagnant water that serves as the mosquitoes' breeding ground and educating families. the health ministry admits it's been losing the war against the mosquito. and mothers-to-be across brazil see their moment of hope turned into a moment of unbelievable anguish. shasta darlington cnn, brazil. >> here in the united states there are now 31 cases of the zika virus across 11 states and in washington, d.c. here to talk about this is the director of the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases dr. anthony fauci. dr. fauci, thanks very much for joining us. some say out there right now there are reports that we could be as far as what ten years away from a vaccine to combat this virus? is that right? >> well, it's usually takes a few years in order to get a vaccine that goes to the full

process of being tested and approved. but we're accelerating the early part of that and we're putting together a protocol right now, literally as we speak, where we'll have a product that hopefully we will get into what's called early phase one testing to determine if it's safe and if it induces a response that you would predict would be protective. and we are likely going to get into that phase one trial within the calendar year of 2016. so we're moving very quickly on that. to get ultimately an approved safe and effective vaccine will likely take several years. i don't think it's going to be ten years. that's a bit long wolf. i think it's more like three to five years. >> what can the world do right now to stop the rapid spread of this disease? >> good question and there's a good answer to that. and that is mosquito control. vector control. the enemy here is the mosquito. and if you can control the mosquito eliminate the mosquito you can do an awful lot to containing and curtailing

this epidemic. and you do it by several ways. you do it by insectsides and you do it by removing standing water in little pots or tires or what have you. and, in fact the brazilian government is putting a full-court press on in getting some of the troops to go in and do that kind of a cleanup. they're being very aggressive about it. the other approach is mosquito avoidance. in other words be very careful when you go out. wear long-sleeved clothes, shirts that go up to the neck, and wear insect repellant to prevent the mosquitoes from biting. so either protect yourself against the mosquito or the government and the community destroys the mosquito. that's the approach right now that we need to do. >> good advice as usual, from dr. fauci. thanks very much for joining us. >> good to be with you. up next more breaking news in the race for the white house. we have just learned that another republican presidential candidate will join donald trump at the veterans' event later tonight. first it was mike huckabee you saw him live here on cnn.

now another candidate getting ready to join trump. you're going to find out who that is when we come back. thanks. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] fedex® has solutions to enable global commerce that can help your company grow steadily and quickly. great job. (mandarin) ♪ ♪ cut it out. >>see you tomorrow. ♪ ♪ this is joanne. her long day as a hair stylist starts with shoulder pain when... hey joanne want to trade the all day relief of 2 aleve with 6 tylenol? give up my 2 aleve for 6 tylenol? no thanks. for me... it's aleve.

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we're also now learning that yet another republican presidential candidate will attend donald trump's veterans event later tonight in competition with the main gop presidential debate. rick santorum the former opinions senator, will attend the trump event. he'll be joining, by the way, our brooke baldwin live during the 3:00 p.m. eastern hour to explain his decision. earlier, mike huckabee was here with me. he explained why he will go from the so-called undercard debate to donald trump's prime time event honoring and trying to raise money for veterans. listen to what governor huckabee told me just moments ago. >> you know i'm not invited to the main stage. i would love to have been on that stage. i think i should have been on that stage. but, you know i'm going to be

on a stage earlier. you know if they're not sitting out in the audience watching me i don't feel any compulsion that i, you know have to be there for that debate. and quite frankly, as i say, i'm free at 8:00. so i offered, by the way, wolf i would take his podium at the 8:00 debate. and that was rejected. so i said okay well i'll find something else to do at 8:00 and that's exactly what i've done. >> joining us now on the phone is bill bennett, the national radio talk show host former secretary of education. old friend of bill. thanks very much for joining us. first of all, what do you make of huckabee's decision santorum's decision to go to the donald trump veterans' event. >> what a year huh? well they're free at 8:00. that's what we're into this year. they have no reason to go to the main debate. they're miffed they would rather be at the main debate and i'm sure there's diffracting

from the main debate. >> i know you're upset with the way fox has handled the issue. tell us why. >> i am upset. you know i have -- i love people at fox. i have a lot of dear friends there. but you know that fox, like cnn, like anyone can never depart from its posture of impartiality. and what they did here was gave an excuse to donald trump to exit the debate. there was a statement issued by fox. i've talked to some people at fox. they don't know who issued it. but it did come out, and talked about donald trump being irritated by megyn kelly. wait until he runs into putin in the ayatollah. this is making fun of trump, being very snarky toward trump. and be again, they should never depart from that posture of impartiality. you stand there and you hear candidates attack you or attack the network, and, you know you have to stand there and take it, and say, okay okay. and be impartial. but to come back -- gave trump

the opportunity to leave. he said why should i go on a debate on a network that so clearly has it in for me. and that statement gave him that ground to do. >> have you, bill endorsed or supported, come out in favor of any of these republican candidates yet? >> no i have not. there are several there i like. i also like tom cotton but he's not running. no we're talking -- i'll have them on the show on my radio show and interviewing them. and i'm trying to just give an honest analysis here. but i just think this was a big mistake by fox. and i'm sorry to see them do it. >> and you think trump was right as a result of that statement that fox put out to go ahead and boycott the debate? >> i think -- you know as i said from the beginning, wolf i thought he should have participated. actually he does pretty well in these debates. you know he can handle megyn kelly, and anyone else. i don't think it's about that. but he had some reason he wanted to get out. this certainly gives him the ground. and he's going to draw a lot of

attention. i was asking my listening audience this morning, wolf what are you going to do? what are you going to watch? are you going to watch fox or are you going to watch somebody else? i assume you guys are probably going to cover trump, aren't you? >> so what are you going to watch, bill? >> back and forth. that's what we have clickers for, wolf. all right. i suspect a lot of people will be doing that as well. all right, bill bennett, good to have you here back on cnn. thanks very much for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. coming up bernie sanders releases his medical records. we're going to tell you what they reveal about the health of the 74-year-old presidential candidate, just as a new poll shows him gaining right now on hillary clinton in iowa. that's coming up.

democratic presidential candidate, bernie sanders, re releasing his medical records as we count down to the iowa caucuses monday night. a letter from his doctor declares the 74-year-old sanders to be in overall good health without limitation. the announcement comes as a brand-new poll from monmouth university shows senator sanders closing the gap with hillary clinton in iowa.

he trails her now by just five points. a month ago, it was 22 points. today both candidates are ramping up their events across iowa. this map showing all the places where sanders and clinton and hillary clinton's husband, the former president, bill clinton, are campaigning today. our senior washington correspondent, jeff zeleny is joining us now from iowa. jeff you had a chance to speak with senator sanders a while ago. not only about his medical records, but also about the back and forth over whether to have more democratic debates. what did he tell you? >> reporter: wolf we did. for all the anticipation for the republican debate tonight, there is a question mark hanging over the democratic debates. well now hillary clinton yesterday said she wants to hold a debate next week in new hampshire. it was not on the schedule at all. but she, of course, sees how tight the race is there. we asked senator sanders today what his thoughts were. >> i just can't understand why secretary clinton wants to change the rules. and have a debate in new hampshire next week.

now, my feeling is as somebody who from day one has said as you've heard me say, i want more debates. i love debates. i think it's good for the process. so what we have said to secretary clinton, you want more debates, that's great. we propose to do at least three more debates after new hampshire. but she can't just dictate the rules of the game. these were rules i had nothing to do with. established by the dnc. which most people perceive to be differentic to her. now, you know she's falling apparently behind in new hampshire, wants to change the rules. but we are willing to say, if she is willing to do a number of debates later on -- >> reporter: if she's not, you will not be in new hampshire next week. >> that's right. >> reporter: she also says she wants real action not gridlock. she says you'll bring more gridlock to washington. >> the idea that i can't work with republicans is nonsense. where there has been common ground i have worked with republicans for decades. in the last session of congress probably the major piece of legislation passed was

comprehensive veterans health care legislation. i was chairman of the veterans committee. i worked with people like john mccain and others in the house to pass it. so it is nonsense to suggest that i can't work with republicans. >> reporter: and you're releasing your medical records. you say you're in very good health. how do you feel? >> i feel great. >> reporter: good fighting form. your letter was not as dramatic as donald trump's. >> i know. my doctor is not his -- is not quite as dramatic. he's a more sober guy. but thank god i am in very good health. >> that of course was a reference to trump's own medical report from his doctors, just a few weeks ago. his doctor said he would be the most helpful person ever to serve as president. sanders was a little more medical, if you will. he is the oldest presidential candidate. he would be the oldest president to serve, six years older than ronald reagan if he were to be elected here. the bottom line on all this is

senator sanders says if she agrees if secretary clinton agrees to debates in march, april and may, he will agree to a debate next week. so we're going to have to see how all this unfolds as the iowa caucuses happen then of course into the new hampshire primary the following week wolf. >> all right, jeff thanks very much, good work. jeff zeleny reporting from iowa. by the way, i'll be speaking with hillary clinton later today as she campaigns across iowa. we'll talk about the race. we'll talk about the debates. senator sanders. a whole lot more. my interview with hillary clinton coming up into the "situation room" at 5:00 p.m. eastern, only here on cnn. still to come we'll take you live inside syria to hear how anti-isis fighters are accepting the challenge. as peace talks are supposed to begin in switzerland. stay with us.

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there's breaking news in france. a pair of arrests were made in the last few hours at disneyland paris. police say a man carrying multiple weapons tried to get through security at a hotel. police say the man was carrying at least two guns ammunition and a copy of the corun but they say as of right now the police department's counterterrorism department is not yet involved in the investigation. we'll update you when we get more information. at least one arrest right now. a woman still on the loose. let's go to syria right now. a country ravaged by isis and civil war. our senior international correspondent clarissa ward has been traveling through syria right now. she's one of the very few western journalists to go there. courageous enough to do so. clarissa is joining us live from northern syria. a place very few westerners have had an opportunity to see firsthand. describe what you're seeing there and what you're hearing.

>> well wolf we're here in the northeast of the country with the syrian democratic forces. that force, made up primarily of kurdish fighters. they have been enjoying some significant successes on the battlefield against isis. pushing the militants both to the south and to the west. but now, wolf it's getting a little more complicated for them as they come out of kurdish areas and into arab areas. as we saw today, we visited a town called allhal. it is completely deserted. it's been liberated for about two months. when isis was pushed out, all the arab residents left the town along with isis. that is because many of them have real misgivings about living under what they would deem to be kurdish occupation. i know that's really hard for our viewers to get our heads around because as we were wandering around the town much of it had been flattened by air

strikes and by fighting. we saw an isis bomb factory with an extraordinary amount of munitions. many of them home made explosives. land mines. and yet these residents have largely chosen to leave this village along with isis. i think that really gives you a feel wolf for the complexion sectarian dynamics we're seeing here at play in syria and the challenges groups like the democratic fores which do have arab fighters but are primarily kurdish fighters are up against as they push into this stronghold stronghold. >> peace talks are trying to put an end to this deadly civil war. they're supposed to begin tomorrow in geneva switzerland. these kurdish fighters are playing a major role now. what's their view of the talks in geneva? >> well wolf the kurds are

absolutely furious about these talks because they're not invited. even though they have a significant chunk of territory here in the northeast of the country. even though they really are the u.s. and the coalition's main ally on the ground in the fight against isis they view these talks as prioritizeing regional interests over the future of syria. they say that minorities such as the kurds and the christians are largely being ignored. one commander even told us wolf he felt particularly disappointed with the u.s. because of all the support militarily that the kurds have provided in the fight against isis and he said that military support and that alliance with the coalition is now in jeopardy jeopardy. because the u.s. has not pushed harder to get the kurds a seat at the table. but of course the problem here really is turkey that's another key u.s. ally. turkey views the kurds as a serious threat to its national security and the turks have said if the kurds are present at the

negotiateing table, we simply won't attend those talks at all. wolf. >> clarissa ward reporting from northern syria, be careful over there. we'll check back with you. excellent work for all of our viewers, thank you. 73 seconds we won't forget happened 30 years ago today, january 28 1986 the day that the world watched the 25th space shuttle mission end in disaster. the shuttle "challenger" was making its tenth vowageyage to space. we all listened as the commander said roger, go throttles up. the "challenger" disintegrated into a fireball. lost that day with commander scobey mission specialist ronald mcnair, ellison onozuka and judith resnick. also payload specialist and school teacher turned structural christa mcauliffe. deepest condolences all these

years later. that's it for me. i'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "the situation room." my interview at that time with former secretary of state hillary clinton. the news continues next on cnn. wolf blitzer, thank you so much my friend. great to be with you on this thursday. i'm brooke baldwin. we begin with donald trump. you know what he has sold out that fund-raising event out of the showdown with fox news. tonight, instead of taking center stage, the final debate before the crucial iowa caucuses trump promises he will be on his own stage, raising money for veterans. two of his competitors in this republican field actually plan to join him. we're going to get to that in moments. we'll be talking to one of them. all of this is the latest in this republican front-runners