let's listen in. >> hello, macdill! i want to thank general austin for his introduction, lloyd, were you about to sneak off the stage? >> yes, sir, i was. >> go ahead. it's better when lloyd's not standing next to me because i don't look small. general austin has done such extraordinary work both commanding our forces in iraq today as the commander of centcom. i want to thank somebody else for his own lifetime of service to america, first as a soldier who fought in vietnam, now as our secretary of defense, chuck hagel. give it up for chuck. [ applause ] chuck was here a few weeks ago to welcome the new head of special operations command, general joe botell. give joe a big round of appla e applause. [ applause ] for those of you who don't know, 13 years ago, joe led his team of army rangers as they jumped into afghanistan to establish our first base there. by jumping out of the plane alongside them. joe is a tough guy. and he knows what he's doing and i can't think of somebody who's more qualified to head up our special

president obama: hello, macdill. i want to thank general austin for his introduction, exceptional leadership. go ahead. it is better when lloyd is not standing next to me, because i don't look small. general austin has done such extra night work commending our forces in iraq today as a commander. i want to thank somebody else for his lifetime of service to america first as a soldier who fought in vietnam now as our century of defense, chuck hagel. give it up for chuck. [applauding] chuck was here a few weeks ago to welcome the new head of special operations command, general job hotel , give joe a big round of applause. [applauding] for those of you who don't know, 13 years ago joe led his team of army rangers in afghanistan to establish our first stay there. by jumping out of the plane alongside him, joe is a tough guy. and he knows what he is doing and cannot think of anybody who is more qualified to head up our special forces, so we want to thank joe for accepting this assignment. you'll remember congress, kathy is

. >> hello, macdill! i want to thank general austin for his introduction, lloyd for your exceptional leadership where you're about to step off the stage. go ahead. >> i was, sir. >> it's better when lloyd is not standing next to me because i don't look small. general austin has done such extraordinary work, both commanding our forces in iraq today as the commander of centcom. i want to thank somebody else for his own lifetime of service to america, first as a soldier who fought in vietnam and now secretary of defense, chuck hagel. give it up for chuck. [applause] chuck was here a few weeks ago to welcome the new head of special operations command, general joe votel. give joe a big round of applause. [applause] for those of you who don't know, 13 years ago, joe led his team of army rangers as they jumped into afghanistan to establish our first base there. by jumping out of the plane alongside them. joe is a tough guy and he knows what he's doing and i can't think of somebody who is more qualified to head u

it is a true team effort here at macdill. and i came here to say the same thing that i've been saying to troops all bases across this country, around the world, and a few months ago in bagram. and that is thank you. on behalf of the american peo e people, i want to thank all of you for your service. i want to thank all of you for your sacrifice, i want to thank you for your commitment to each other and your commitment to our country. as your commander in chief, i could not be more proud of each and every one of you. for nearly 75 years, the men and women of macdill have lived a commitment to airmen mission and community. you've supported our troops through each generation of challenges. and as a home of central command and central operations command, you have shouldered some of the heaviest responsibilities in dealing with the challenges of this new century. for more than a decade, ever since that awful september morning 13 years ago, ever since joe and his rangers took that jump a month later, you and all our men and women i

he'll be at the podium there at macdill air force base. when he does, we will take you there live.school bus driver dies on the job but is hailed as a hero. her final act of bravery coming up. >> she jumped off the bus. the bus driver tried to stop the bus and then the bus tried to run over the kid. >> she's a hero. she did exactly what you or i or anybody else would do when you're dealing with children, make sure the children are safe. >> this is simply an unbelievable story. a school bus d hero. she jumps in front of a moving bus to save a little girl who would have been hit. it happened as the driver and some students were taking part in evacuation drills at the school but suddenly, the bus lost control. >> the bus starts rolling in reverse, going backwards and it's going down the hill here. so she's a 10-year-old, she panics and jumps off the bus. bus driver grabs her and throwing her in the tree line. >> rolling bus crashed into the driver but the little girl was just fine. what a miracle. what a hero she was, certainly. >> investors on wall street are keeping their eyes peale

> reporter: as the house prepares a quick vote on arming syria's opposition, president obama's at macdill air force base getting an update from the unit that will oversee the fight against isis. >> it's the men and women of centcom who will partner with others in the region to carry out our limited military mission. >> reporter: limited. no boots on the ground. the president has promised repeatedly. but his top general tells congress -- >> if there are threats to the united states, then i, of course, would go back to the president and make a recommendation that may include the use of u.s. military ground forces. >> reporter: more than 1,000 u.s. soldiers are already there with more on the way. the state department tried to clarify. >> the president's been very clear, we will not have troops on the ground in combat roles, period. >> saying we're not going to have boots on the ground, it just kind of not being totally truthful with the american people. >> reporter: some lawmakers are concerned about arming syrian rebels. >> are we simply arming and training a taliban. >> reporter: today a v

it is a true team effort here at macdill.came here to say the same thing that i've been saying to troops on bases across this country, around the world, and a few months ago in bagram and that is thank you. on behalf of the american people, i want to thank all of you for your service. i want to thank all of you for your sacrifice. i want to thank you for your commitment to each other and your commitment to our country. as your commander in chief, i could not be more proud of each and every one of you. for nearly 75 years, the men and women of macdill have lived a commitment to airmen, mission, and community. you supported our troops through each generation of challenges. and as home to both central command and special operations command, you have shouldered some of the heaviest responsibilities in dealing with the challenges of this new century. for more than a decade, ever since that awful september morning 13 years ago, ever since joe and his rangers took that jump a month later, you and all our men and women in uniform hav

> reporter: as the house prepares a quick vote on arming syria's opposition, president obama's at macdill air force base today, getting an update from the unit that will oversee the fight against isis. >> it's the men and women who will partner with others in the region to carry out our limited military mission. >> reporter: limited. no boots on the ground. the president has promised repeatedly. but his top general tells congress -- >> that there are threats to the united states, then i, of course, would go back to the president and make a recommendation that may include the use of u.s. military ground forces. >> reporter: more than 1,000 u.s. soldiers are already there with more on the way. the state department tried to clarify. >> the president's been very clear, we will not have troops on the ground in combat roles, period. >> saying we're not going to have boots on the ground is just kind of not being totally truthful with the american people. >> reporter: some lawmakers are concerned about arming syrian rebels. >> are we simply arming and training another taliban? >> reporter: today,

central command at tampa's macdill air force base and after reviewing plans for combatting isis militantshe president says the u.s. will only support the ground troops of partner countries. the senate foreign relations committee is hearing testimony on the strategy for dealing with isis. here's a live look at the hearing on capitol hill where secretary of state john kerry will soon be testifying. >>> there appeared to be additional security at st. peter's square this morning for the pope's general audience after a reported threat on the pope from isis. italian news media reported thaç albanian law enforcement had alerted interpol that muslim militants who returned to albania could pose a threat to the pope. >>> some new fallout today on the domestic violence scandal rocking the nfl. >> one star player is put on hiatus while the players' union appealed the suspension of another. the minnesota vikings reversed their decision to reinstate adrian peterson saying today we made a mistake. the vikings are banning peterson from all team activities until his legal matters are resolved. peterson ad

military central command down at macdill air force base in tampa last hour, the president said thereill be no u.s. combat forces dispatched to iraq. is there sort of a disconnect we're hearing from the president on the one side, the chairman of the joint chiefs on the other? >> i don't think so. number one, let me swrus sjust s about the president. for me, these type of votes are always the toughest votes. what i make my decision based upon is, the president is the president. the others make recommendations to the president. it's good to know the generals and others don't have just yes-men around them. but the president ultimately makes the last decision. this president told us when we went into libya, we were only going to do air strikes and work cooperatively with our allies, he did that. this president has had the ability to bring coalitions together as he did when he had a huge coming-together of allies to make sure we had the sanctions against iran. so much so that he was able to pull a coalition together to have the p5 plus 1. he brought nato together in the russia/ukrainian si

president obama visited macdill air force base to renew his pledge not to deploy american combat troops. >> i want to be clear, the american forces that have been deployed to iraq do not and will not have a combat mission. they will support iraqi forces on the ground as they fight for their own country against these terrorists. as your commander in chief, i will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in iraq. >> that sentiment was echoed by john kerry. also today at a hearing before the senate foreign relations committee. >> i want to be clear -- the u.s. troops that have been deployed to iraq do not and will not have a combat mission. instead, they will support iraq forces on the ground as they fight for their country against these terrorists. >> just a few hours after the president's speech, the white house press secretary told reporters the door might still be open to forward deploying u.s. military advisers with iraqi combat troops, something numerous republican senators have been calling for and the chairman of the joint chiefs made headlines

obama set the record straight at macdill air force base in tampa, florida. a day after his top general outlined scenarios in which ground forces might be needed. >> as your commander in chief i will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in iraq. after a decade of massive ground deployments, it is more effective to use our unique capabilities in support of partners on the ground so they can secure their own country's future and that's the only solution that will succeed over the long term. >> iran's president has joined the international outcry against isis. hassan rouhani says isis is defying islam by slaughtering innocent people and he calls the beheadings of three western captives offensive to all. >> but when it comes to washington's air power campaign against isis, mr. rouhani is sharply critical. here's what he said to nbc news. >> translator: how calm they are doing all the air strikes. are americans afraid of giving casualties on the ground in iraq? are they afraid of their, you know, soldiers being killed and

>> reporter: the president spoke to troops at macdill air force base and met with top military officerst central command. for a second day, lawmakers are pressing the administration about president obama's plans this time questioning secretary of state john kerry john kerry. >> the issue that confronts us today is one on which we all ought to be able to agree. isil must be defeated. period. >> reporter: many lawmakers are expressing strong reservations about arming the syrian rebels. >> this should be an arab ground war and u.s. air war. but i cannot and will not support arming or training the syrian opposition forces. >> reporter: still, the senate is expected to take up the measure later this week and approve it. craig boswell, cbs news, capitol hill. >> several senators said they believe the obama administration should seek congressional approval before taking any military action in syria. secretary of state john kerry says the administration welcomes that approval but will not wait on congress to act. >>> still ahead, a deal between san francisco and "airbnb." >> some considered it

yesterday i joined president obama at macdill air force base in tampa where he received a briefing on operational plans to inch plement isil strategy. as met with representatives as did the president for more than 40 partner nations. i'm joined here today as you have noted, mr. chairman, by the joint staffs director for operations, y you lieutenant general bill mayville. general mayville helps oversee among many of his responsibilities our military operationsbill mayville. general mayville helps oversee among many of his responsibilities our military operations in iraq, middle east and in centcom and works closely with general austin in centcom to develop all of our military plans. so i appreciate very much general mayville being here. and as you noted, chairman dempsey is with our partners internationally over the next few days and as you noted, he should be. much of that discussion will be about specifically iraq and syr syria. he consults with our allies in this fight against isil and tomorrow will attend a special nato chiefs of defense conference in lithuania where they will be f

the president is at macdill air force base in tampa, preparing to talk strategy and for weeks he has promised to get your support, because he knows the polls show, as do all the politicians, that you are war-weary. the promise is no u.s. combat troops except the thousands that are going over there as advisers. now comes a senate hearing tuesday, obama's top general, you're looking at him, martin dempsey, he tells congress he has not ruled it out. it being u.s. boots on the ground. what's going on here if jim acosta joining us live from the white house this morning. i don't think i'm overstating the proposition, jim, this was about a political fix to a military situation. and now is the reality, the practicalities come home, the message is in doubt, fair statement? >> they're not singing from the same shong sheet this morning. and white house officials say general dempsey's prepared testimony was vetted, but he was engaging in hypotheticals, when he said u.s. ground troops could be directed into combat roles against isis, but the white house insists their pledge of no combat boots on

opened the door to a possible ground presence, president obama coming face to face with troops on macdill air force base doubled down on this promise to them in the fight against isis. >> the american forces that have been deployed to iraq do not and will not have a combat mission. they will support iraqi forces on the ground. as they fight for their own country against these terrorists. >> now, white house press secretary, josh earnest also clarified dempsey's remarks even further yesterday in a briefing on air force one saying he meant officials in advisory roles might need to embed with iraqis in combat, but they wouldn't be personally engaging the enemy in combat. >> erin pike from washington. i want to continue this with robin wright, a middle east analyst from the woodrow wilson international institute for scholars. let's start with erin left off, that the white house seems to continue to want to clarify that they believe there's no distinction, no difference, no daylight between what the president has said, very often, no combat troops on the ground and what general dempsey was say

the president was clear when talking to our service men and women at macdill air force base. >> whene left open the possible they he might have to recommend to the president down the road the use of ground troops, u.s. combat ground troops if, in fact, the air war it itself doesn't work and the coalition doesn't get its act together, did the white house -- did the president specifically know that that was in his prepared statement? >> wolf, what chairman dempsey said is entirely consistent with the policy that the president has laid out. chairman dempsey was talking about the possibility that in the future he may recommend to the president that some of the american military personnel who are already in iraq right now could be in a position where they would forward deploy with some iraq security forces. what they will do in that role is they would offer tactical advice to security forces that would take the fight to isil on the ground. you could imagine a scenario where they would be calling in air strikes in support of missions that are being conducted by iraqi security forces, but t

yesterday i joined president obama at macdill air force base in tampa where he received a briefing on operational plans to inch plement isil strategy. as met with representatives as did the president for more than 40 partner nations. i'm joined here today as you have noted, mr. chairman, by the joint staffs director for operations, y you lieutenant general bill mayville. general mayville helps oversee among many of his responsibilities our military operationsbill mayville. general mayville helps oversee among many of his responsibilities our military operations in iraq, middle east and in centcom and works closely with general austin in centcom to develop all of our military plans. so i appreciate very much general mayville being here. and as you noted, chairman dempsey is with our partners internationally over the next few days and as you noted, he should be. much of that discussion will be about specifically iraq and syr syria. he consults with our allies in this fight against isil and tomorrow will attend a special nato chiefs of defense conference in lithuania where they will be f

and the president was candid in the remarks he delivered to troops at macdill air force base that everyrtainly would be risk associated with these forward deployed soldiers. the question is about what sort of mission would they be given by their commanders and what sort of mission would they be given by their commander in chief. it would not be a combat mission. it would be an advise and assist mission. >> thomas roberts in new york. >> i wanted to ask you about arming the syrian rebels. i was e-mailing with jen sochi at state before he got back to testify. with the questions about specifically whether or not there are conversations that will ever take place with bashar al assad. is it the white house's position that's an option on the table, that's something that might happen, or that's something that will never happen? >> well, thomas, we've been really clear about the fact that president assad has lost the legitimacy to lead his people. that's the will of the people that assad should go and there should be a government put in place that more accurately refler reflects the will of the

own, the american forces "do not and will not have a combat mission" the president told troops at macdill air force base. by the way, we showed that live on our website, c-span.org. you can go to our video library to watch that c-span.org. >> no more war. no more war. no more war. no more war. no more war. no more war. no more war. no more war. no more war. no more war. >> the committee will come to order. mr. secretary, you have a warm welcome. having just returned from a coalition building mission that will determine the breadth of support and course of the anti-isis strategy in the near long term, you are here at a critical moment for the iraqi and syrian people for the region and for the united states and the world. let me say at the outset, in my view, the coalition you are working hard to build will require fully engaged and fully contributing senior partners. a coalition that must be defined not by words, but by deeds. the u.s. can lead this coalition, but our partners, particularly sunni partners, must be all-in. and i fully acknowledge that getting skin in the game will be differ