region. those details for you next. >> you said this is the greatest threat, national security threat since 9/11. >> i guarantee you, this is a problem that we will have to face. we're either going to face it in new york city or we're going to face it here. >> new alarm, warnings from capitol hill on the danger posed by some of the fighters in iraq. what some experts say they could strike the u.s. homeland. >> i'm not sure anybody saying the moon wasn't there or it was made of cheese. >> the president talking about the moon being made of cheese. but he's really trying to deliver another critical message to new graduates. also, it happened 50 years ago this weekend, and it remained largely an untold story until now. it involved martin luther king jr. and a commencement speech he was set to deliver. hey there, everybody, on

this father's day. it is high noon here in the east. it is 11:00 in little rock. 9:00 in the west. wherever you may be, glad you're here. alex is off this weekend, i'm t.j. holmes. we need to get to developing news out of iraq. a suicide bomber in baghdad killed 10 people today and injured another 21. this comes as government and volunteer troops battle with the radical militant group isis north of the city. the insurgents push on the capital appeared to slow a bit today. the u.s. says george h.w. bush aircraft carrier and two guided missile ships are in the gulf today. president obama weighing his options for aiding the beleaguered iraqi government. >> the decision to withdraw u.s. forces created a vacuum. syria is a launching pad, and

this all comes together. we need air power immediately to stop the advance toward baghdad. the iraqi air force is basically grounded. without american air power, it's going to be hard to turn the tide. >> the surge of violence re ignited the debate that it could soop come to our shores. >> is al qaeda holding land the size of indiana a problem for the united states. well, it certainly was when they were in afghanistan and had time to plan the 9/11 event. and i guarantee you, this is a problem that we will have to face. we're either going to face it in new york city or we're going to face it here. >> reports now from kristen welker, who is traveling with the president, and ayman who is in northern iraq. ayman, we want to begin with you. the army and volunteer fighters, have they been able to slow the isis movement a bit?

>> reporter: well, right now they also have a very important component working on their side, and that is the geography. the geographic composition of iraq allows the government to at least create somewhat the of a fortified position north of baghdad, and baghdad the capital itself. in short, they have been pushing back. they have been able to fight back. they're not yet taking back the large swaths of land that are in control by isi circumstances in the northern part of the country, which is about the size of jordan and has about 6 million people under their control rist now. the government has been able to hold its position with the forces. in the coming days, or weeks, he's planning on launching a counterdefensive to regain control of the territories that have been lost to the isis fighters. there are reports of skirmishes taking place in the smaller towns and cities on the outskirts of baghdad between the

capital as well as some of the regional provinces to the northwe northwest. >> ayman, any reaction on the ground as well, to be thought now -- the possibility of 1u6789 air strikes in iraq, again, and just having american war ships in the neighborhood? >> reporter: that really depends on who you ask from the top of the iraqi government down to the street, and how you see the situation playing out. the iraqi government and certainly those in the shia camp and political parties associated with prime minister nuri al maliki that this is a welcome sign, that the u.s. is getting engaged. that will certainly tip the balance of the fight in favor of the iraqi government because of the resources the u.s. military would deploy. but some are arguing that is not going to be enough, that the root of the problem is a political problem and that can't be solved militarily. there are many that are skeptical of another military

endeavor by the united states inside of iraq. it's certainly going to be used by isis and al qaeda linked militia, saying this is the only way the iraqi government can survive with the help of the americans. it certainly fits the narrative that the isi circumstances and other al qaeda-linked groups in the area that they are a fundamental war with the united states and allies in the region. >> ayman, thank you. stand by. we're going to come back to you in a moment. we want to head out to california, palm springs, where kristen welker has been traveling with the president. kristen, we're hearing new and alarming warnings frtoday. >> reporter: the administration hasn't responded directly on the sunday shows, t.j., but we know president obama is considering taking action. the question is, what will that action look like. he spoke with his national security advisers on friday, and again yesterday, as he continues to weigh his options. among those options, the air

strikes that you have been discussing also targeted drone strikes, and the drone strikes might be the more likely option at this point, because the chances for collateral damage much higher with those air strikes. one of the challenges right now for the obama administration is getting credible intelligence, as one administration official told me they can't rely on the iraqi government to provide intelligence. president obama and his national security team want to make a decision that is targeted and has an impact. on friday president obama had very strong words for president nuri al maliki saying it is up to the iraqi government to get this situation under control. and he said that any u.s. help depends on the iraqi government creating a more inclusive government. those are comments and sentiments that were echoed earlier today by tom donnelly.

take a listen. >> any direct military action by the united states has to be done when we see the iraqi government has actually pulled itself together politically. when you have a situation where you have -- in mosul, where 800 fighters come in and run off 30,000 troops, that's a bigger problem than just supply issues, logistical issues. that's a morale issue. that's a management, military issue. >> reporter: we don't know exactly when president obama is going to announce the steps that the united states will take, t.j., but i anticipate it will be in the coming days. >> kristen welker there in palm springs, thank you, as always. medal of honor recipient and military analyst, colonel jack jacobs here with us. overly alarmist from what we're hearing from some lawmakers saying that the threat is going to be coming here to the u.s. shores? >> it sounds hyperbolic, but it's not really alarmist, the

question is how long it will take. the real threat of course is to us. but i think the more immediate threat is to what little stability still exists in the middle east. don't forget we have allies there who are very important to us, and stability generally is very important to us. because there's always the possibility that can will cause -- there will be ancillary effects to any expanded war. don't forget also that both syria and iraq are multi-ethnic countries. and you have the kurds in the north who are talking about having their own place, and all this is very, very -- anything that's destabilizing is really bad news for the united states. the first place that's going to get hit, the first place where you'll find the effect of this offensive, isis offensive will be in the middle east. although i'm not unconcerned about -- because isis said they want to attack the united states, but the more immediate threat is to whatever stanlt exists in the meest.

>> ayman, back to you now. you covering the region, what is the capability of isis at this point at least if they did want to try to find a way to directly attack the united states? >> reporter: well, i think as colonel jacobs just said, there's definitely a real threat. there are two components, the u.s. homeland and the u.s. interests. the u.s. interest umbrella is much larger. and it could be struck at oil installatio installations, no shortage of targets that can be of interest to al qaeda-linked militants. the other components of this is we've already seen some european fighters as well as american fighters appear on the battlefield inside syria. there's been already one american citizen who is confirmed involved in a suicide bombing in syria. the concern for u.s. intelligence officials are who is joining the fight, what kind

of technical capabilities are they acquiring on the battlefield, explosive skills, and whether or not they have the intent to return to europe, or even programs the united states, to carry out a much larger attack. i think the threat is real. we've already seen a lot evidence to suggest it. there is certainly a will and motivation to attack the united states, the question is whether or not that is the main intent at this given time. right now it seems the al qaeda-linked militants, their fight is here in iraq and syria, but no doubt it could expand in the coming months or years. >> ayman, thank you so much. colonel, the back-and-forth might not be the most important part right now, but you knew it was going to than. let's listen to what tony blair had to say about what blaming in 20 2003, the original invasion, for what we're seeing now. >> even if you left saddam in 2003, when 2011 happened and you have the revolution going

through libya and yemen and bahrain and syria, you still would have had a major problem in iraq. you see what happens when you leave the dictator in place, as has happened now. the problems don't go away. >> is that a fair argument? >> no, he's being a bit disingenuous. there's no doubt about the fact that our venture in iraq hastened the problem that we see today. there's also no doubt about the fact that this might have happened in any case. but our involvement there, i think, moved things along much more quickly than they otherwise would have. and did so at an enormous cost to the united states of america. you know what the real irony is, that after a civil war in iraq that's liable to take anywhere from six months to two years or longer, lots of people killed and all the rest of that stuff, one of the possible scenarios, as a matter of fact, i think one of the more likely ones, is the rise of another blood-thirsty

despite in iraq. >> he's saying, if we left saddam hussein in place, it's not like iraq would have been immune from the uprising. you're making an argument, that leaving him in place would have slowed the mess at least we're seeing? >> well, he was in such firm control of what went on inside iraq. >> but he was a pretty nasty guy. >> that's one reason why he would have slowed what happened inside iraq. here's a guy who took on iran in a decade-long war. we had 1 million casualties on either side. he was not going to let these guys get away with whatever they're trying to get away with. we sped it along, i'm sure. it might have been inevitable, but we sped it along. >> good to see you. >> thank you. happy father's day. >> thank you so much. another breaking story to get on this father's day.

popular deejay casey kasem has died. we got that word from his daughter in a facebook post a little earlier. but the news has been confirmed. he, of course, was the host of the american top 40. passed away this morning. death comes at a time when his family was locked in contentious battle over his care. more on casey's life and legacy. >> i'm casey kasem. these are the most popular songs in the usa. >> for generations of music fans, casey kasem was the top 40. the moving voice who told you what songs were trending before the word trending was even used that way. and his list wasn't just rock 'n roll. >> if it included rock, pop, disco, country, everything under the sun. the voice tying it all together once a week was casey kasem's. >> it was a vote that on and off the radio made millions. and was familiar to millions, even if they didn't know the face behind it. one of the original voice actors

often in cartoons. he was shaggy in scooby-doo. >> always loose. >> and robin the super friend's batman. we had unforgettable roles on quincy and hawaii 5-0. it was the walk of fame, and a mansion and permanent place in the culture. in the same era as dick clark and his american bandstand, kasem was a voice for music fans who wanted him to give them the scoop. as he told tom snider -- >> to talk about their careers, how they were discovered, some of the crazy stories we get from the managers. >> reporter: last year kasem was diagnosed with dementia similar to park inson's disease. in recent months casey was thrown to the middle of a

battle. >> there's a lot of emotion on both sides. >> reporter: a family feud over the guardianship of the legend. pitting his wife jean against his children from a previous marriage. after jean kasem lost temporary conservator ship to stepdaughter karen kasem, their fight took several bizarre turns. including a confrontation that was caught on camera. although his illness ultimately left him unable to speak, kasem had a voice of a certain kind of authority right to the end. his last show in 2009. >> after 39 years this will be our final countdown. >> reporter: casey kasem signing off at age 82. >> keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. >> reporter: mike taibbi, los angeles. people still asking about, still wondering what happened. even the guy in the middle of the biggest political surprise

in ages. >> things happen for a reason. we don't always know right here and now why. and i think the perspective of time will actually indicate something that may have seemed really bad at the time, can turn out to be really good. >> looking for answers to the most puzzling question on capitol hill. looks like we're about to board. mm-hmm. i'm just comparing car insurance rates at progressive.com. is that where they show the other guys' rates, too? mm-hmm. cool. yeah. hi. final boarding call for flight 294. [ bells ring on sign ] [ vehicle beeping ] who's ready for the garlic festival? this guy! bringing our competitors' rates to you -- now, that's progressive. hoall we do is go out to dinner. that's it? i mean, he picks up the tab every time, which is great...what?

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iraq and syria combined are going to be the station area for the next 9/11 if we don't do something about it. if baghdad falls, the central government falls, a disaster awaits us of monumental proportions. >> we do have the fiercest, strongest military in the world. we also have a responsibility to be very careful about how and

where we use that military force so that it achieves the objective of what is in the best u.s. interests. it is not in our u.s. interest to go and involve ourselves in the middle of what is a religious civil war. >> that new reaction today from lawmakers on both sides, as president obama weighs his options in response to the growing and urgent crisis engulfing iraq right now. let's bring in politics editor for role call, shara, and political analyst jonathan. he's also the author of "the center holds." some say this back-and-forth, in politics, that's not the point right now. you said, this is a useful exercise to be going back and forth about whose fault it is, and history essentially, because people need to understand what's happened. >> we're at a pivot point in history right now. big, big things are happening over there. the map of the middle east is

going to be redrawn. so people's impressions about how this happened are being solidified now. and you have a group of republicans who are for this war in 2003, strongly for this war, who are now trying to get the american people to believe that somehow this is obama's fault. you can blame barack obama for a lot of things, but this mess that the world is in right now, particularly iraq is in, is a result of the u.s. invasion of iraq in 2003. remember, colin powell said at the time, it's like the pottery barn rule, you break it, you own it. we broke it. and now that state is shattering. we kept it together with chewing gum and bailing wire for ten years, and $1 trillion from the united states, and now it's breaking apart again. to try to say it was something obama did in the last six weeks is historically ignorant.

>> some of the back-and-forth he's talking about now, let's listen to more of that and then i'll bring you back in. >> i talked to crocker yesterday, he said this is the greatest threat -- national security threat since 9/11. i can tell you, the president's inability to negotiate a status of forces agreement put us in this situation that we're in today. >> taking military action, conducting air strikes, dropping bombs, based on poor intelligence, without having realtime intelligence, and boots on the ground that can provide that, taking sides in this religious civil war, not only is not in the best u.s. national interests, it doesn't even solve the problem of what is existing there. >> you see how it kind of plays out on television right now, with republicans and democrats, but how is the president going to play this now? he's naturally going to get pounded by many on the right. but at the same time the left doesn't want to hear a whole lot of his core of constituents, don't want to hear a lot more

about military action of any kind. >> exactly. you can't underestimate how much the democratic base, democrats in general would not want to go back into this country and send troops into this country. that's obviously on the president's mind. in addition, you have to remember where the law stands on this, right? it is the president's decision right now. he does not have to go -- according to reports -- our white house reporter, he does not have to go to congress for authorization to take military action in iraq, because the 2002 authorization still stands. so the buck really stops with him right now. >> jonathan, your piece i have in my hand, the crisis of leadership of no drama obama, and you bring up a point here that the president needs to work hard to convince the public that he doesn't want a reduced american role in the world just to reduce military role. >> in this daily beast story that i just wrote, my basic point is that there's this

assumption in part of the intelligence of the united states that somehow barack obama wants to retire as a super power. pull in our horns, not be active in the world. and they're failing to distinguish between his -- you know, his decision as outlined in his west point speech a couple of weeks ago, to have us play a lesser military role. they're confusing that with playing a lesser role all together. which obama does not believe in. he believes in a very assertive american presence in the world. but more along diplomatic lines. the good news about this is that after the dust settles some on this civil war, and you have a negotiated settlement, which there will be, the obama administration can really play a big role there. i think they can be more influential diplomatically than militarily in this matter. what you're going to see is a president who thought he was going to be remembered for

withdrawing from iraq, steady think will be remembered for redrawing the map of iraq. that country is presently as constituted is not long for this world. >> you make an interesting point, as americans, we like the idea of being influential in the world, we just don't want to be militarily engaged everywhere. >> especially now. >> let me make a turn to the story everybody's talking about, eric cantor, and the surprise defeat. let's listen and i'll bring you in. >> we ran my campaign the same way that -- you know, i'm trying to focus my work here in the de wait bait in washington. and that's focusing on things that are problems. things happen for a reason. we don't always know right here and now why. i think the perspective of time will actually indicate something that may have seemed really bad at the time, can turn out to be really good. >> shira, you have the last word

today. it's going to be about cantor. did he really not see this coming? it sounds like this really came out of nowhere for him. >> yeah, everyone we talked to, all my sources who are working on congressional races, and republican operatives in virginia, totally blindsided. he did not see this coming. look, tuesday morning, he was in washington, d.c., meeting with lobbyists on capitol hill. most people when they're up for reelection on a primary day, most members of congress, they go home to the polls trying to squeeze every last vote out of the preprecinct. at the end of the month wee see how much money he had left in the bank. >> people are going to study this race for probably a long, long time. shira in d.c., hope to see you here in new york soon. jonathan, always nice to have you here. >> thank you so much. today's number ones, the best and worst state economies

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collapse of baghdad. and perhaps more likely the start of a long sectarian fight here. one step closer to military involvement in iraq again. the defense department directed u.s. war ships to the persian gulf, including the uss george h.w. bush. they said the ships give president obama additional flexibility, should military options be required to protect american lives, and interests in iraq. but perhaps they won't be needed, because for the first time, the iraqi army is fighting back against islamic radicals and anti-government insurgents, launching air strikes, and then distributing the footage. the iraqi government is trying to build morale among its troops, who until now have been surrendering to the radical offshoot. but it's not only the iraqi government now taking a stand. in baghdad, and all across

southern iraq, shiite militias have responded to a call to arms by their clerics to fight to the death. it's unclear if the ragtag al qaeda offshoot that swept from syria through western iraq with amazing speed can threaten to topple baghdad anymore. but the islamic radicals aren't fighting alone. they've been joined by sunni tribesmen and former members of saddam hussein's regime. they're all sunnis. it's aalliance of convenience against the u.s.-backed shiite government that's kept sunnis from power. the iraqi government has asked washington for help. if the u.s. gets involved in this fight now, it's helping to save an ally, to stop a terrorist group's advance, and diving back into a sectarian war. if the u.s. does intervene militarily, it will be entering an odd alliance, backing nuri al

maliki, but assad and iran because they're all fighting the same militant group. >> former head of the united nations monitoring team on al qaeda, and previously served british intelligence agencies. this is your business essentially, terrorism, if you will. what are their capabilities, isis right now? >> right now they have extreme capabilities, as we can see over the last two days in iraq. and over the last two, three years in syria as well. and their capabilities are not just in being able to mount terrorist attacks or whatever you'd like to call it. clearly, also in making strategic alliances with other prospective groups in iraq. >> what should the level of concern be right now for americans who are very familiar now with al qaeda and what their capabilities were? they were off in some foreign land at some point, that maybe americans on a day-to-day basis didn't pay attention to, and

they certainly ended up in our radar in the worst of ways. what is the trhreat isi circumstances could potentially be to the homeland. >> clearly there's a threat of instability in the middle east that directly affects american interests, of course. apart from that, i think there's two or three other things going on here. first of all, a lot of foreign people, many from western countries, about 3,000 or so from western countries, have gone to join isis, mainly from syria, being deployed in iraq as well. there's a presence that they'll get battle hardened and at some point go home. although isis and al qaeda have split, you know, they disagree really on leadership issues, they don't disagree on the fundamental philosophy, the world view, of course, that america is the main enemy. maybe when they finish with iraq, if they can consolidate

that position, they'll come back and attack american interests. >> that may be an important point there. they haven't transitioned to just having the aspirations right now. they haven't transitioned to having that motivation to want to come after the united states. it's been stated in some places, if you will, but it's like they're busy with their primary goal happening in iraq. >> you're right. the primary role is to establish an islamic state in iraq and greater syria. it also covers kuwait, jordan, lebanon and, of course, israel as well. that's aspirational, clearly, they're a long way afrom that. but i think that's prime goal at the moment than to mount major attacks against the united states. >> something else you just said as well. so many are going now to iraq to join this group, to join this fight, to be a part of isis. how concerned are they to go there, and as you said end up going back. do we have the capabilities, the

u.s. intelligence and worldwide intelligence to keep an eye on those that are going in and coming out and possibly an american citizen, we've seen it happen before, go join the fight somewhere and come back to the u.s.? >> you saw the other day an american from florida blowing himself up in syria against the regime at an army post. there are very many other westerners from other countries that could get into the united states. and it's really difficult to know who they all are. a lot of them don't have any sort of criminal record, let alone record of being extremist. it's difficult to spot them. and when they come back, they don't know how to monitor their activities. >> tony blair has been making comments about what we're seeing in syria as well, and iraq, and also get me to this debate about who necessarily is responsible for where we are. let's take a quick listen. >> even if you left saddam in

place in 2003, when 2011 happened and you have the arab revolutions going through tunisia, and libya, and yemen, and bahrain, and egypt, and syria, you would have still have had a major problem in iraq. you can see what happens when you leave a dictator in place, as has happened now, the problems don't go away. >> our military analyst only a short time ago disagreed with that saying essentially we sped things up. even if saddam hussein was in place, he probably was in power enough that he could have stopped any uprising in that country. and then at the same time you hear him making the opposite argument. where would we have been? it's hard to think back, but still, is it fair to say, had we not gone in, this wouldn't be happening? >> i think it's hard to say what would have been achieved by going in. in a sense, keeping the lid down. being an iraqi, he knew how to do that better than other people did. but the lid has blown off.

and certainly blown off in 2003. and more particularly, in 2006 when the sectarian war really took hold. and now we're in the midst of a sectarian war, which, sure, it might have happened in due course through the arab awakening. now what's amusing to me is the extremists, the jihadi spring, sort of copying that. but quite frankly, the chaos that came out of the 2003 iraq war, i think has made this much more likely to happen than without it. >> richard barrett, this is your area of expertise. it's clear. we appreciate you coming in spending time with us on this this sunday. about a quarter of the top of the hour. and just ahead, this incredible story of the fbi's covert operation to take down martin luther king jr.

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now to california. a strong message from president obama on climate change. he says if you deny climtd change, you might as well be arguing that the moon is made out of cheese. made the comment saturday in a commencement address. the president also accused some in congress of rejecting facts and issued a call to action to the graduates of 2014. >> the question is not whether we need to act, the overwhelming judgment of science accumulated and measured and reviewed over decades has put that question to rest. the question is whether we have the will to act before it's too late. today's congress is full of folks who stubbornly and automatically reject the scientific evidence of climate change. eastern minor efficiency bills are killed on the floor. because people are thinking

about politics instead of thinking about what's good for the next generation. what's the point of public office if you're not going to use your power to help solve problems. [ cheers and applause ] >> the speech comes two weeks after the president announced a plan to dramatically cut pollution from the nation's power plants. next hour, the world cup kicks off this week. why america is not necessarily rooting for the home team. first the cookie at check-in. then a little time to kick back. earn double hilton honors points with the 2 "x" points package and be one step closer to a weekend break. doubletree by hilton. where the little things mean everything.

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50 years ago this weekend, martin luther king jr. delivered the commencement address and received an honorary degree from springfield college. what was little known at the time, though, and still really today, was the covert fbi plot to block the college from honoring king and tarnish his reputation while washington deliberated the civil rights act.

it's chronicled for the first time, and joining me the author of the piece, associate professor of communications at springfield college. he had been invited to the college. but what, the college was getting pressure from the fbi not to have him? why? >> that's right. there was quite an effort on the part of the fbi to discredit king, and that extended all the way to this little campus of springfield college. so much so, that there were fbi memos that i located that indicated that there was pressure brought to bear on the college president to uninvite martin luther king. >> what kind of pressure? >> they enlisted the effort of the senator from massachusetts to lean on the president, giving him wiretap information. you know, king's home, his office, the hotel rooms where he was -- where he stayed, were all wiretapped. they played some of this information for the president,

and used him to try to leverage to renege on this invitation. >> why did he -- the president stood firm. why? >> he felt it was the right thing to do. he was a pacifist like martin luther king, a contradictory character, teen boxer growing up in oregon, who became a conscientious objector in world war ii. a very unpopular stand for an unpopular war. i think he was really drawn to king. >> so the school, after all this pressure, still going to go ahead and let dr. king deliver the commencement address. the speech is scheduled for june 14th, 1964. as of june 13th, 1964, the day before, he was in jail. >> that's right. that's the second element of the drama. the first one was the standing up to the fbi in april of '64. but then on june 11th, king was arrested in st. augustine

florida, a little known part of the civil rights movement. i think people know about birmingham, selma, montgomery -- >> they don't talk about florida. >> not very much. it was a ruthless place with a very intense klan presence. and king considered it the most lawless community that he had ever worked in. and he was in jail there the 11th, the 12th and 13th with the commencement scheduled for the 14th. >> he made it, though. got out of jail, flew immediately up to springfield. the speech he delivered. i sent this out to my followers. i read a lot of martin luther king, sermons, speeches, letters, you name it. i had not come across this speech before. he talked about sleeping through a revolution. this is a fascinating speech. >> it really is. there are so many different elements to this speech. i think it was a real call to action for people to stand up for what they believed in. you see some sort of political sensibility, pacifism that is extending beyond the civil rights movement in this speech. it's sort of forward thinking.

and this is right at the apex of king's fame. we're talking a few months out from the march on washington, a few months before he received the nobel peace prize. this is square in the sweet part of martin luther king's moment. it's eluded most historians. >> i'll tweet this back out as soon as we get to commercial break here, but it's a really great speech, about eight pages. it's worth taking the time to read. why have we not heard much about this story? here we are 50th anniversary. nobody's hiding it necessarily, why hasn't it come out? >> this was a much more limited time in the media then. no cable. no msnbc. imagine that. no internet, no twitter. there were so many things going on. we're talking the aftermath of the kennedy assassination, freedom summer starts the next week. there's so many things happening. you just have a few reporters who are down there, some of that

got encoded incorrectly at the time. even in "the new york times" which said king was being released to go up to deliver the commencement address at yale university. which in fact he did on june 15th, the next day. but he was in jail until the 13th. springfield college on the 14th. >> great story, great history and great speech as well he gave there. good to meet you. thanks so much for being here. >> thank you. we're going to turn back to iraq, where there have been plenty of developments there. new turmoil in the next hour. looking at the effects of the iraq war through the eyes of one veteran, in a special wounded warriors documentary. our vegetas every day? when i can. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. two full servings of vegetables for only 50 delicious calories. two full servings of vegetables predibut, manufacturings a prettin the united states do. means advanced technology. we learned that technology allows us to be craft oriented.

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relations committee joins us. total recall of veterans of the iraq war remembers the ravages and battles and demons that still haunt him today. i would see myself burning alive. >> let's see how he's coping in a special airing of "wounded: the battle back home." exploring his past, the army takes action to investigate the events of bowe bergdahl's capture. americans eyunited or divid over world cup soccer. alex is off today.

i'm in for her. i'm t.j. holmes. still developing crieses in iraq today. some lawmakers in washington are warning that isis poses a direct threat to america. mike rodgers argued that the united states should fight the group abroad before it attacks the u.s. at home. >> we have to ask one single question. is al qaeda holding land the size of indiana a problem for the united states. well, it certainly was when they were in afghanistan, and had time to plan the 9/11 event. and i guarantee you, this is a problem that we will have to face. we're going to face it in new york city or we're going to face it here. >> if the u.s. does intervene in iraq, it could be in the unlikely scenario of partnering in conflict with iran. the iranian president rouhani yesterday offered support to iraq. lindsay graham made the case.

>> stalin was not as hitler in our eyes. we need to have a dialogue with iranians that puts a red line to the iranians, don't use this crisis to take territory from the iraqi people. >> we have two live reports for you now from ayman in iraq, and kristen welker traveling with the president in california. ayman, we talk about isis here, talking about it's clear that they have ambitions beyond the borders of syria. but do they have the capabilities at this point? >> reporter: well, right now they control an area that is the size of jordan, which is a neighboring country. they have about 6 million people who are actually under their control, if you want to use that expression, because that's the number of cities they've been able to control with their population. they have aspirations to control all of syria, which includes

parts of lib a none, palestinian territories, jordan, and iraq. they have no reservations about saying they want to expand their territory under their control. logistically speaking, that's going to be very tough. not because they don't have the desire, but also because at this point they don't necessarily have the firepower or manpower. the number that isis has been reportedly having among its ranks fluctuate from 5,000 to 10,000, that being a large estimate. but now they have major cities, and more importantly in the last couple of days, after overtaking cities like mosul and tikrit, they have more firepower. they also have a lot of cash. they have a propaganda victory which will fuel their ranks that much more. they're definitely on the momentum. they certainly feel that they have a lot going for their ideology. and there is a ground swell of resentment across the region that feeds into what they're trying to achieve. that is also part of the challenge, not just a military

one, but trying to overcome that growing groundswell of ideological support from local residents in many of these towns and cities they're overrunning. >> ayman there for us. thank you very much. i want to turn to california where kristen welker is traveling with the president. on this sunday morning, as you expect, a lot of reaction from key lawmakers on these sunday talk shows. what is the administration saying at this point, and maybe countering what we're seeing op the talk shows from a lot of republicans saying we need to take care of what's happening in iraq? >> reporter: well, t.j., we reached out to the administration and they said they're just not going to weigh in on the debate we heard this morning on the sunday talk shows. as president obama continues to weigh his options in iraq. i can tell you that the president spoke with his national security adviser susan rice on friday and then on saturday, as he contemplates what the next step looks like. as you point out, he has gotten a lot of criticism from republicans, particularly, who say he should have seen this

coming, that this is too little too late. here's a little bit more of what we heard on the sunday talk shows, on "meet the press" specifically. take a listen. >> if they can get to sanctuary, in the northeastern syria, in iraq, this makes it a sanctuary to attack the united states. >> the air strikes, drones, whatever it takes. i want to make sure our intel is accurate before we do this. i'm hoping they're getting accurate intel on this. if not, it's all for naught. >> reporter: and that point about intelligence is what the administration officials are echoing. they say that's a big challenge for the president as he makes this decision. the united states wants to make sure that they have accurate intelligence. one administration official telling me that they can't simply rely on the intelligence from iraq's government. but the president really weighing two options here, t.j., mainly air strikes, targeted

drone strikes. seems like targeted drone strikes might be the more likely option moving forward, simply because the risk of collateral damage is much greater with air strikes. but again, the administration still gathering intelligence, still weighing what makes the most sense. the president was quite clear he's not going to put u.s. troops on the ground. and i anticipate when he does make an announcement, he will announce short-term steps, and then long-term steps as in beefing up the presence in the embassy in iraq. i anticipate we'll hear from the president on this in coming days. >> kristen, thank you so much. let me bring in democratic congressman. are you opposed to the drone strikes in iraq. >> first of all, we have to give

the president the opportunity to do what he's doing, consult with his national security team, gather all the necessary intelligence, and make a really deliberate and careful decision. and we have to recognize obviously that this is ultimately the responsibility of the iraqi government and the iraqi people to solve. this will continue to be a problem until the iraqi leadership understands that they have to build a coalition government that includes kurds and includes sunnis, and really work together to bring stability to their own government. this cannot be solved, even if we provide military assistance, ultimately it will only be resolved in the long term with the building of a government supported by the iraqi people. look, we have given lives of over 4,000 american heroes in this war, over $1 trillion, we have done our part to create an opportunity for the iraqi people to set their future. but ultimately, this is going to be a crisis that they're going to have to solve. we should proceed very, very cautiously before we make any decision to do additional air strikes or drone strikes or

engage. >> we saw this coming. everyone's been talking about nuri al maliki and exactly what he has done, what many hoped he would not do, that got us to this point, which is that he has ail yent eighted so much of the population, the sunni population in that country. >> well, that's not exactly right. >> you say we want them to now build and to have this coalition that we watched him and we should have been -- i'm sure we were to some degree -- but what can we do now to get him to come around to do what he hasn't been doing in the past several years? >> you're absolutely right. this has been an ongoing battle, increasing our security training and police training. ultimately this is an issue in which maliki has to develop a coalition government to bring these factions in. it cannot be solved militarily. you're right, we've been making this case to him for a very long

time. maybe this is the moment he realizes there is not a military solution here. ultimately that can provide some assistance in the short term. but in the long term for his country, there has to be a solution to bring these factions into the government. he's now seeing the consequences of his failure to do that. we have to monitor this very, very carefully. this is obviously a very dangerous situation not only for the people of iraq, and the region, but for the world. this has national security implications for our own country. >> "washington post" david ignatius talking about isis and the threat they do pose. let's listen. >> one of the thing that the u.s. counterterrorism officials are worried most about is as al qaeda morphs and creates these offshoots like isis, these groups will continue to compete for street cred, if you will, to show who's toughest. the way you show you're the toughest on the block is by

hitting america. >> now, we heard several members of congress, now, republicans this morning talking about just in fact how much of a threat that we are going to have to face isis in the homeland if we do not take out this threat while they're overseas. do you agree with that? i had a couple of officials here, some security experts saying it's a little alarmist at this point. where do you come in on it? >> i think this is a very, very dangerous terrorist organization. there's no doubt that david ignatius is right. they want to build street cred and attack the united states. but ultimately the best way to combat it is really for the iraqi government to take responsibility, the iraqi people to stand up and defend their own country and their own sovereignty. we can continue to be supportive of that. we've done more than our fair share to train and prepare them. but what's happening today is a failure of the iraqi government and the iraqi people to stand up and defend their own country. so we may be forced to provide

some additional assistance that the president is obviously contemplating. but ultimately, the long-term solution here rests with the iraqi government, and the iraqi people. it cannot be the responsibility of the united states to stabilize and save that country. we have done more than our fair share. we've given enough blood and treasure to do that. we have to obviously protect the national security interests of the united states, and be sure that we defeat this terrorist organization. but the chief responsibility right now is on the iraqi government and the iraqi people. >> congressman, always good to see you. enjoy the rest of your sunday. >> happy father's day to all your viewers. >> thank you so much, my man. thank you very much. coming up, the world cup, world cup soccer team, the u.s. team getting ready to do battle tomorrow. but see why all of a america is not necessarily rooting the team on. n. and back when i wasn't eating right, she got me drinking boost. it's got a great taste,

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quarter past the hour now. in brazil tomorrow, the united states soccer team starts its world cup campaign against an old rival. ghana, the team who eliminated the u.s. in the last two world cups. joe fryer here with the world cup preview. joe, from what i've been told, even from the head coach, the u.s. doesn't even have a chance to win this thing. >> yeah, it's fair to say the odds are stacked against the u.s. this year, as you mentioned. even the team's own coach is expressing doubts about winning the world cup. across the globe, world cup passion runs deep. with loyalty that's nearly religious. and in america, let's try that again. in america -- >> i'm rooting for brazil. >> reporter: is anyone here actually rooting for the red,

white and blue? >> i like spain. >> reporter: close enough. in all seriousness, team usa does have plenty of fans. >> usa! usa! >> reporter: but they're not exactly this year's odds on favorite. even their own coach told "the new york times," we cannot win this world cup because we are not at that level yet. >> i can't agree with that. come on, go usa. >> reporter: the americans are playing in a very tough group that includes germany, portugal and monday's opponent ghana, who knocked the u.s. out of the past two world cups. >> i know in america we like to think we can do everything. but we would basically need seven miracles on ice to win the world cup. >> reporter: a reference to usa hockey's win over the soviet union in 1980, proving miracles do happen in sports. >> i think that germany, portugal and ghana should be scared. >> i think they can surprise some people. >> you've got to believe.

>> reporter: the commissioner of major league soccer, the professional league in america and canada that continues to surge in popularity. >> americans are soccer nation, but that soccer nation really rises around the world cup. >> reporter: he has faith this world cup will lure more americans to soccer, and to the u.s. team. and that would be an excellent goal. >> go! >> go! >> wow. tomorrow's game against ghana starts at 6:00 p.m. eastern time. and t.j., just to underscore the point, last night i was talking soccer with a friend who told me how excited he was for monday's game. turns out he was talking about portugal versus germany. >> all right. that's all right. we'll get into it. we're kind of bandwagon folks when it comes to soccer. that's all right. they start doing well, then

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sergeant bowe bergdahl continues his recovery at brooke medical center in texas. the u.s. army appointed a two-star general to investigate how and why he left his base in afghanistan. the officer expected to work on the case next week, but it's unclear when bergdahl will undergo questioning. according to health officials pe bergdahl's appetite is returning. he's not under guard, but he is hospitalized as an inpatient and cannot leave the facility. the horrors of the iraq war. an iraq war veteran reflects on the haunting images. wounded, the battle back home.

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close to the bottom of the hour now. i'm t.j. holmes. 11 years after the invasion of iraq, the united states is once again debating military intervention. it's important to remember the human toll of the military's eight years there. in last month's edition of "taking the hill" we aired a portion of "wounded: the battle back home." here now, that documentary in full. the story of an army sergeant who served multiple tours in iraq at the height of the insurgency. >> mental illness is something we're grappling with across the board. having warriors who are steeped in this macho culture, and a system that really discourages acknowledgement of mental illness for career progression and those sorts of things. i think we've done a much better

job in talking about post-traumatic stress disorder and mental illness to our warriors getting them to the point saying, i need help. now finding the help is the challenge. >> well, here we are. iraq. it's [ bleep ] hot. we are in al anbar province. a vehicle trying to sneak up on us. hey, keep going! >> found a dead body. >> this is the building we live in. you can see it gets bombed a lot. ooh! >> last night was [ bleep ] crazy. like the fourth of july. >> a bomb went off, and then the shooting started.

i'm shaving, that's more important. >> [ bleep ]. >> you know what i'm saying? i'm not a bad dude. the [ bleep ] are shooting at me. we keep them alive. that's where they're mortaring us from. i walk around no [ bleep ] gear. i'm [ bleep ] tired. dead tired from war. the last few days, maybe an hour's sleep. fire fights left and right. explosions left and right. enjoy your life, enjoy your freedom.

i joined the military in 2002. i wasn't even 18. i was 17, turning 18. i didn't have the money for college. and to me, it was about, what am i going to do with my life that will mean something. i always had to do something that meant something. and i was a new yorker. new york got hit. so i just walked right into a recruiting station, and i was in basic training three weeks later. i had two deployments. to this day, i don't know how to feel about them. maybe i never will. when i say we got mortared every night, that's an understatement. we were hit five times in the first week with ieds. we all tried to be so strong. we just laughed about it. i used to stand up on top of the hatch and start cursing at the snipers, like, you [ bleep ], that all you got? who trained you?

that type of stuff. but it was all for show. i was scared as hell. we didn't have a chance to process it. there was just bodies everywhere, blown in half. but the worst wasn't even the casualties or the deaths, it was seeing some of my squad members lose it. there were battle-hardened guys crying at night. p screaming in their sleep. no one talked about it. i remember coming up on a big old dump truck pulled over, and detonates 20 meters in front of me. massive, massive explosion. we were just covered in the flames. and time stopped. i remember my platoon sergeant yelling, gil's dead, gil's dead. i had shrapnel in my hands, in

my face. i actually had the iraqi driver's hand in my hatch. after that, me as a person, i was out. i couldn't control my hands anymore, i would shake really bad. all the emotions that a head can swallow through the previous engagements, i just couldn't hold it anymore. i used to get paralyzed, and i would lock up in my bed. and it would catch fire and i would see myself burning alive. i've been trying to call out for help, but i just couldn't. now i know through an mri i had a level 4 traumatic brain injury. but i didn't want to be weak. i didn't want to let my guys down. you try to just think it's all in your head and fight through it. you can outthink it, you can outwill it, and it turns out to be ream. very real.

when i got discharged, i was in frankfurt. they gave me a ticket home. i never got on the flight. i spent two years in germany, just walking. t anywhere. just trying to find peace. trying to find something. i was so scared of going home. but finally, i decided to come back to new york, to face things. it was just what i feared. i feel so out of place. the city seems -- i went in 17, came out, you're still 17. i learned about war, i didn't learn about life.

your bed turns on fire at night. for a lot of veterans, it's no secret that it's something that we just want to sleep. and this place, with car alarms, garbage trucks in the morning, when you're sleeping, it literally feels like you got hit by a mortar. everybody expects the heroes to come back. it was just me. i was just trying to survive. i thought i was going crazy. i thought i was losing control of everything. sometimes i would just cry for days. i started having really, really bad anxiety attacks, throwing up all the time. my hands were shaking. i was depressed. drinking. i was violent at times. i just remember thinking, i'm never going to fit in. there is no life after the military.

i let it defeat me. and i just -- you know, i tried to end it. i was on my second bottle of whiskey. i just decided to take every medication i could find in the house. so i tried to end it. and i woke up in the va hospital in a lot of pain. but i was a lucky one, you know. a lot of men took their lives when they got back. sitting here now, i can tell you there's so much left in life. >> one of the biggest challenges in suicide prevention is not knowing exactly what the root cause is. we can make speculation that it's connected to loss.

to grief. to the traumatic stress that they're going through. but a lot of times the reason is unknown. one of the primary goals is to make sure that the warrior never feels alone, that he knows that he has the support of his family and his community. as we see 1.2 million service members transition home in the next four years, this is going to become increasingly important. >> did i do that bad of a job? >> no. >> my handshakes when i do it. >> excuses, excuses. >> i know. >> we went to high school together. he was a good guy, very intelligent. but we were just friends.

we kept in contact during his second tour in iraq. and years later, i found out that him going to the army base, to contact me through the computer, was a hard situation every time. he tried to write me at least once a week. he was traveling by himself, drinking a lot. and i told him, why don't you come stay with me for a little bit. we hadn't seen each other face to face since high school. the moment i saw him, i knew that that was my husband. we did everything backwards. out of nowhere, i never thought i would ever get married in my whole life. i looked at him and i said, hey, we should get married. >> i was so lucky. i have an angel watching over me. i wake up to a miracle. does she love me enough to help

me get through the demons that i was battling. it was a lot to put on her plate. >> it's scary, you know. having ptsd, you just don't know how that person's going to react. one day he would be happy, and the next day he would be crying and depressed. there was nothing that i could do. every time i leave the house, how do i know what he's going to do, at home alone. >> my wife told me how it is. she's like, you've got to face it, or you're never going to live. so i knew that if i don't try to get better, i'll lose her. >> in just a moment, nico's journey to recovery leads him to a new purpose in life. nute of i. nute of i. but then you grow up and there's no going back. but it's okay, it's just a new kind of adventure.

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>> i still wasn't moving my feet. i was treading water. just enough to stay alive. but i wasn't moving, i was just floating in the same spot. and i couldn't truthfully answer what passions i had, or what i wanted. the wounded warrior project got in contact with me. hey, brother, let's go fishing. and then i meet bob lavrick. >> the first time i met nico, he was in a really bad place. he was where i was at one point. but you get out into nature, you're away from people. you're away from what modern-day society is about. you realize how small you really are. you know, the world's still going to go round, and the things that you were seeing as negative is a very small piece

of a very large puzzle. i learned early the community has to take care of the community. you have to do it from the inside. and as a veteran, i'm inside the community, so let's fix it from the inside. >> the wounded warrior project is like -- i just want to go to alaska. well, of course, i'll do anything. >> it's a group of warriors. and it's five days of fishing, trolling out on the sea. it's an opportunity for the guys to go out and get to meet each other and have those conversations. because you're on a boat. where are you going to go. >> i had a blast. but it wasn't even about the fishing. i met other veterans. and the more i started to meet veterans, the more and more i realized, wow, you know, like you're feeling like this, too? it wasn't just me. that trip for me was the icebreaker of, this is what it's like to be comfortable again.

>> a few years ago we spent five days together. we stayed in contact with each other through facebook and e-mail. and we just batted around the idea of, what about a reunion trip. when we came back together, it was like we didn't even skip a beat. >> your eve working with dogs now? >> yeah. i actually retired, left my job. i was having some issues. i went to become a service dog trainer. so i was able to give back to the veterans. i have a purpose now. >> i enjoy being a dad. i'll be doing rehab the rest of my life. some days i'm winning, some days i'm losing. some days i want to jump off that balcony and take off, some days i'm still sitting here. >> the ptsd is the hard one. because nobody sees it. they look at me and say, hey,

you're a big guy, there's nothing wrong with you. and inside i'm fighting a war in my head all the time. that's hard. >> so many of us are coming home with ptsd. that's pretty normal. you're a normal person having a normal reaction to a very abnormal situation. but it's not that there's something wrong with you, it's just something with you. >> you know, i see a piece of me in all of us. and i'm sure you guys see a piece of yourselves in all of us. but, you know, i didn't have the joy of anything i did, and i tried a lot of things. and it finally hit, like that kodiak trip. like, i was waking up in the morning wanting to go fishing again. and we were just having a conversation, laughing, all that stuff. and it made me realize, there's still some of me in there. and when i got home, you know, that's what me and my wife did,

it gives me a chaps. chance. since then our relationship has been pretty smooth. and, you know, you know how it is, there's kids that don't make it out there. i was like, i don't want kids, i don't like kids. and at the same time i was afraid of being a father, because i couldn't even take care of myself. and we met bob's little girl, and she brought this light in us, you know. and now we're planning on having kids, and that's because of the conversations we all had. i'm really blessed that we have each other. >> that's good.

one more question for you guys. are you ready to go fishing? >> oh, yeah. >> it's the most peaceful i've felt in years. >> here's a large for you. >> i'll take the xl. >> oh! >> good job, gil. >> i'm following you then. >> you've got the reflexes of a cat. >> maybe garfield. >> it's really interesting, because when you get out there, the guys aren't worried about them catching the fish. this is the whole military mind-set. they want everybody else to be happy while they're there. they want this guy to get this fish. they want jesse to catch the fish. this is jesse's day. no matter what happens, as long as john gets the fish. it's about getting their group

to get that experience. it's just so awesome to see that. >> there you go! >> the amount of life that came back to us when we all met, and we were around other veterans, it's just something that always stuck with me. >> there you go! yeah! >> not bad, huh? >> you have to learn which way the river current is going, the speed of it. you have to adjust to the wind on how you're going to cast that fly. so you're thinking about so many things to catch that fish, that you just realize that you're not thinking about anything at all. >> still struggling with depression, but the fishing thing helps out. i just want consistency, man. >> life is not linear. it's on a pendulum. you'll find your peace.

>> you changed my life, man. i wish you would have known me back in the day. >> what's saying you're not amazing now? we talked about that when we were up in kodiak. >> yeah, i did. i'm so different from then. but i know i have a lot more growing to do. i can be so much more. but it's like a wall, you know. i'm not going to break down, don't get me wrong. sometimes it just gets heavy, you know. like when we're around the wounded warrior project, the families -- i don't know what i'm trying to say. i have a lot of pain and i just

like to get it out when you're around. >> bob is that sergeant that you knew was going to take care of you. he's a guide and a mentor, and a best friend, you know. >> hey. he talked about pennsylvania. i knew he was in an apartment. i knew he wasn't happy there. >> i'm beyond excited. stressed, too. a move is not an easy thing. >> and i got an e-mail from the wounded warriors support foundation and realized it was exactly what he wanted to do. >> thank you. that means everything to me that you're excited as well. you know, i didn't really get a homecoming like that. all these years later i'm actually getting a homecoming,

you know what i mean? it will change my entire life having this home. thank you so much. i appreciate it. okay. >> where do you want the shoes to go? >> um, in the box. lay them flat. >> we are moving to bushkill, pen pep. -- pennsylvania. it's the name of a creek stocked with fish. it's woods, quiet, hunting, fishing. >> clean air. less pollution. the trees, the backyard. it's a house, not an apartment. >> look at this deer right here. look at this. >> oh! wow. >> that's something. >> you don't see that in brooklyn. >> no. >> i'm looking forward to just having a home that's ours. creating new memories in the house. this is our fresh new start.

>> it's kind of helped me mature to think about what i have to do in life in order to build upon this home. the fact that my passion is just on the street, i just have to walk to the river. i mean, i never felt home until i was on the water. i fish because it makes me feel whole again. i have the feeling that now i'm ready to be a father. that i'm ready to have a boat and take my future son on the river and take him fishing. when you're casting and you're focused on the movements, the momentum of the rods, you can feel the tension, the pressures, symptoms just leave your arms through the rod.gunfire, cars,

trucks, people screaming for help. i just breathe and take it all in. because we're home. >> next sunday at 1:00, another doc produced by the wounded warrior project. "taking the hill" with patrick murphy here on msnbc. up next, a new twist in the hunt for hidden cash across the country. it's after the break. ♪ ♪ yeah ♪ don't stop now, come on mony ♪ come on, yeah ♪ i say yeah ♪ yeah ♪ yeah ♪ yeah ♪ yeah ♪ yeah ♪ yeah ♪ 'cause you make me feel ♪ like a pony ♪ so good ♪ like a pony ♪ so good ♪ like a pony [ male announcer ] the sentra with bose audio and nissanconnect technology. spread your joy. nissan. innovation that excites.

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o look at that. not all of the action is inside now, as you know. in rio de janeiro right now a lot of soccer fans gathered for the world cup. u.s. playing its first game tomorrow against ghana who has beat the u.s. in the last two world cups. i'm sure that will be in the minds of every player on the field. but in terms of soccer, a lot of

folks watching the u.s. playing tomorrow. you know enjoying the world cup. according to a harris poll 10% said they follow the sport of soccer. that tied for 9th in popularity in this country. >> the dollar and a 50! [ cheers ] >> a 50? anybody found a 50? i'm not going to talk about what we find in central park. that lady is a lucky whipper in the hidden cash scavenger hunt. she and her son found the money where 40 cash surprises were planted and 19 others were hidden in brooklyn by an inves who hid cash in houston and mexico city yesterday. he's from san francisco. he started the scavenger hunt in california and is encouraging others to follow suit if they can afford it. he's given away about $15,000. he's not finished. today he's hidden cash in

millennium park as well in chicago. at least one person found two envelopes in a statue. get your search on. that wraps up this sunday edition. stay here for headlines, updates and breaking news. "meet the press" is next. ♪ ben! well, that was close! you ain't lying! let quicken loans help you save your money. with a mortgage that's engineered to amaze! hoall we do is go out to dinner. that's it? i mean, he picks up the tab every time, which is great...what? he's using you. he probably has a citi thankyou card and gets 2x the points at restaurants. so he's just racking up points with me. some people... ugh! no, i've got it.

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next on "meet the press," iraq on the brink of collapse. will baghdad fall? and how will the u.s. prevent a terror state from emerging? with the politics of iraq raging again, we'll hear exclusively from 2012 presidential nominee mitt romney and other key voices from the house and senate. plus, political earthquake. romney will also weigh in on the biggest political upset of the year which saw the tea party claim its biggest prize yet -- house leader eric cantor. and a special moment this father's day. luke russert is here to remember his father on the tenth anniversary of tim's book "big russ and me." why this holiday was tim russert's favorite.