we've got ben wedeman, arwa damon, nic robertson, kimberly dozier.t to get your thoughts as somebody who lived in the region and spent so much time in iraq about this notion of the caliphate and whether it has much support amongst those that you know. >> no, michael, it doesn't. and i think it's fair to say that the vast majority of muslims do not support the notion of the creation of an islamic caliphate nor do they want to see themselves living under the kind of draconian islamist laws that an organization like isis is trying to impose on the population. even if you look at what is happening in iraq right now and the fact that isis has gained so much momentum, so much territory. yes, other sunni insurgent groups are right now fighting alongside it, along with the sunni tribes, it's not because they subscribe to that ideology. and you can look at them as them fighting alongside isis or you can look at it as them simply fighting the predominantly shia-led government. because at this point in time they feel like they have no other choice. again, the v

nick robertson is here, arwa damon, the breaking news tonight. isis forces apparently now having occupied an old chemical weapons facility from saddam's days. nick robertson was there. we actually have video you shot. what year is this? >> 2002 and it was bombed by coalition forces back in 1991 and weapons inspectors, un weapons inspectors were there. when i was there, i was writing about these rusting rows of chemical weapons equipment. again, i was back there with the un weapons inspectors. it must have been an important site because that was the seventh site they visited so it was a key one. iraq was at war with iran and it had been identity lle after tha. when i was there, you have a desert site, sort of 15 square miles, bunkers, semi secure site, some places the wire around the outside was torn down. >> you raised the question before we went on air, which is a good one, if it is isis forces there if they have former members with them or former sunni militias or former saddam forces who does that? >> you have to fight. they are using the stra

arwa damon is in northern iraq. you were there in 2003 covering the war. you've been there so long. how do you think the president's admonition to maliki, shiite-led government in baghdad will play? will they at that time stetake to bring in iraqi sunnis, create a accept blesemblance of a more government that the united states is demanding as a precursor before the understand takes any military assistance? >> reporter: one really just has to look at iraq's recent history and prime minister nuri al maliki's actions at every sipping sg sending sgsingle step of the way. he has made promises that he would be developing apan p clus sif government and he has done nothing except further alienate

arwa damon as well in erbil. the breaking news tonight.forces apparently now having occupied an old chemical weapons facility from saddam's days. nic robertson was actually there. we actually have some of the video that you shot. what year was this that you were there? >> 2002. and it had already been bombed by coalition forces back in 1991. and weapons inspectors, u.n. weapons inspectors had been there in the mid-90s. so when i was there, i was writing about these rusting rows of chemical weapons equipment. again, i was back there with the u.n. weapons inspectors. it must have been an important site because that was the seventh site they visited after they arrived. they went to a lot of sites. so it was a key one. this was the birthplace of saddam hussein's chemical weapons, the heart of his chemical weapons facility. it was at its maximum production in the 80s when iraq was at war with iran. it had been sort of idled after that. again, bombed in '91. when was there you had this desert site, 15 square mile, bunkers. a semi secure site. so

also joining me is arwa damon, 50 miles east of mosul. in terms of -- let's talk about these videos that have been released. disturbing videos, purporting mass executions. it's impossible to verify numbers. they're saying 1700 people that they've killed, lining them up, shooting them in ditches. but clearly that is designed to exacerbate the sectarian tensions in this country? >> absolutely. i mean, this is designed so that any shiite persons in this country that sees it, sees a sunni man with a gun, killing a shiite man, that's going to enrage those sectarian tensions that exist. baghd baghdadi wants to attack the sunnis, that will then further radicalize the sunnis and all those sort of sunnis in this country who are relatively moderate, sitting on the fence, that will drive them toward isis, baghdad and the commander. >> he wants to grow his organization out of it, he doesn't want stability in the capital here, the tribesmen fighting with them do, but he doesn't. he wants them to come over to him, not to any other group. >> he wants su

we want to bring in arwa damon.n give us more an understanding of who this man is and how he operates as and john what you are seeing what he's been up to the last while. >> reporter: well, we actually met him around a year ago, and it was as barbara was mentioning there in an open space in a coffee shop of a very well-known hotel. he seemed to be confident that a man at that point of being hunted down. he was aware of the fact that the u.s. did consider him to be a person of interest. he was at the time being protected by the one of other islamist groups in benghazi. we did speak to him about the attack on the u.s. consulate. he does not deny being on the scene of the attack. he does fully deny or he did at the time that he was directly involved in any way and that he was in fact the orchestrater, the mastermind of the u.s. consulate attack. he had claimed he had arrived on scene after receiving a phone call from one of the libyan commanders on the ground requesting his assistance, and then that is why he showed up

arwa damon for us this morning. anks, arwa. >> the politics of iraq front and center right now in washington. house speaker john boehner really lashing out at the president, saying the president made a mistake removing u.s. troops so quickly and so completely, also accusing the president of taking a nap on iraq, ignoring the gains made by terrorists over the last year. republicans now calling for air strikes against the militants. the iraqi government calling for the same thing. meanwhile, former secretary of state hillary clinton is also weighing in. she says she is surprised by how effective the militant group isis has been. >> this is not just a syrian problem anymore. i never thought it was just a syrian problem. i thought it was a regional problem. i could not have predicted, however, the extent to which isis could be effective in seizing cities in iraq and trying to erase boundaries to create an islamic state. >> mrs. clinton says what's happening in iraq is dreadful and a deteriorating situation. >> and that d

arwa damon is standing by, in erbil iraq right now. you actually met this man, ahmed abu khattalah, in libya, more than a year ago. you sat down with him. i want to show our viewers your fascinating report. it aired on cnn september of last year. >> u.s. officials have often suggested that they would be interested in speaking to a man named ahmed abu khattalah about the events the night of the attack. he's really not that difficult to find. we met with ahmed abu khattalah in public at the coffee shop of a well-known hotel here in benghazi for around two hours. he seemed to be confident, his demeanor most certainly not that of a man who believed he was going to be detained or targeted any time soon. and he agreed to let us film audio, but not video, of our conversation. he doesn't deny that he was there the night of the attack. [ speaking foreign language ] he claims he didn't even know the americans had a consulate in benghazi. never mind having any information about a specific location. his narrative is unclear and at times seems to b

arwa damon on the hunt for boko haram.is week, coming here on cnn. >>> this week also, marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most publicized murders in american history. remember this? >> going to be a lot better tomorrow, believe me. please. we'll let you go up to the house but we need you to throw that out 0 the window. >> o.j. simpson's wild ride, leading to a trial that in many ways changed america. ♪ ♪ ♪ that's keeping you from the healthcare you deserve. at humana, we believe if healthcare changes, if it becomes simpler... if frustration and paperwork decrease... if grandparents get to live at home instead of in a home... the gap begins to close. so let's simplify things. let's close the gap between people and care. ♪ so, if you're what ysleeping in your is youcontact lenses, let's close the gap between people and care. ask about the air optix® contacts so breathable they're approved for up to 30 nights of continuous wear. ask your doctor about safety information as serious eye problems may occur. visit airoptix.c

joined by our justice reporter evan perez and in iraq, senior international correspondent, arwa damonally spoke with, interviewed that suspect in libya last year. arwa, coming to you with that in a moment. evan, you have new information as far as when khattalah will be brought to the u.s. to face the american justice system. what do you know? >> that's right, brooke. in the coming days, u.s. officials say that he will be brought to washington to face trial, where he's facing charges filed last july. right now he's in u.s. military custody. they are doing what are known as intelligence interviews. it's typically done by the high value interrogation group which is a team of fbi, cia, dia agents, who specialize in getting intelligence out of people who have been detained. after that, he would be formally arrested, brought to the u.s. to face these charges, these criminal charges here in washington. >> so evan, thank you. arwa, to you. with these terrorism related charges that this man faces here, you talked to him. can you just give me the back story, how did you find him, how difficult

arwa damon. >>> coming up at 5:00 p.m.entire hour to the crisis in iraq. we've got a team of cnn's most senior international correspondents. they're going to be with us to break down what is happening there. how it all came to be. what happens now. how dangerous the situation has become. we have three very experienced people who spent many, many years in the middle east covering this war and elsewhere as well. so, do be sure to join us at the top of the hour 5:00 p.m. eastern. we'll break it all down for you, what is happening now and the hesstry that brought us here. back to you, ana. >>> there are a lot of american citizens living and working there in iraq. they're now getting out of the country as the security situation is growing less certain. among those evacuating u.s. contractors who are there in iraq to help the country buy military equipment, in fact. now, alexandra steel is following this angle. how many people are we talking about here? where are they going? >> the state department isn't assigning a lot of speci

and we continue with a deep bench of seasoned cnn correspondents and experts beginning with arwa damonlive in iraq. she is just east of mosul. and also we have a previous navy s.e.a.l.. he knows how isis operates. and also michael homes owinlmeh. arwa, you are on the ground. how close is isis to baghdad? >> well, at this stage, reports we're getting, they have been pushing through that they are in duyala province fighting a pretty fierce battle. some 80 kilometers, about an hour's drive away, we're also hearing at this stage that iran is sending in several units of its special revolutionary guard to try to help iraq security forces proegt the capital coupled with calls from various iraqi shia militia leaders calling their former fight aerer iraqi shia militia leaders calling their former fight aes r back up to take arms and telling people that they need to join the iraqi security forces. if we look at the territory thatthat ice isis as gained, they are moving from the northern part of the country over to its eastern border and trying to push their way on south to the capital. but it is

my cnn colleague arwa damon has met this the man. she joins me live now from iraq with much much more. you'll have to remind us who this man is, what he is suspected to have done, with regards to this attack. you were probably one of the first reporters on that outpost. take us through what this means, arwa. >> ahmed abdul khattalah was one of the main suspects in the benghazi attack that killed chris stevens as well as members of his security detail. khattalah was believed by the u.s. to be a leader of the islamist group that's believed to be behind the attack. we met him about a year ago. he did not seem to be acting like a man would was in hiding. he was very confident. we met in a public space in benghazi at a fairly well known hotel at a coffee shop. he was accompanied by a few members of one of the other islamist militias. he was debbing any sort of direct involvement in what took place at the u.s. consulate. he was not denying that he was actually on the scene. he claims to have gone there because one of the libyan commanders

arwa damon is in the north inner bill. isis continuing to gain ground.advance? >> well, the most strategic gains they've managed to make has been the capturing of the iraqi border post along the border with syria. what this means is that isis now controls massive swathes of territory inside iraq directly linked to the territory that it controls inside syria, giving it utter freedom of movement whether it comes to weaponry, military armor, and personnel. this is a key strategic route that they now control through anbar province down the euphrates river valley that gives them direct access to the western outskirts of the capital baghdad. >> and nick with, maliki telling kerry he's going to form a new government by july 1st, is there any indication at least in the short term that that will change the situation on the ground? >> there really isn't, anderson. this is actually a process that begins july 1st. 30 days after that the process begins to nominate a president and then another 15 days to nominate a prime minister. that key contested position. another

nic robertson in baghdad, arwa damon in erbil. where are iraqi troops fighting right now and how high is the concern that baghdad could potentially fall to this militant group? >> reporter: deb, i don't think there's a concern that baghdad is about to fall. but the development today is hugely significant and cannot be underestimated. the border town of the iraqi to syria border town after three days of fighting has fallen. the iraqi brigade there has been overrun. this is coming from an iraqi security source in the western town of ramadi. what this means is, it's not just al qaeda that's fallen. it is the -- it is the town of rawa, the town of heat, the town of husaba. this means that isis now has a direct highway link from its strongholds in syria to the western outskirts of baghdad. we're talking about a four-hour drive for those strongholds in syria now direct to the western outskirts of baghdad. isis has control over the major parts of the euphrates river valley. strategically this will allow them if they so choose to surge th

i want to bring in our nic robertson now and arwa damon.nic, i want to start with you, that vice president biden had a phone call information with nuri al maliki. you've been talking to a lot of sources here on the ground. what are you hearing about the confidence people within the government and elsewhere have in nuri al maliki? >> confidence is low. there are politicians here really don't believe in his own party we're told by people or in conversation with them, they don't think that nuri al maliki is the man to make the compromises. he hasn't shown that so far. the decisions he has taken some people consider will have further alienated sunni politicians here. there are politicians that just don't feel that they can work with him. therefore, how can he really be the man to make concessions and move the country forward. a new prime minister is needed. now the election results from the last couple of months should have been ratified, and therefore that should begin a process towards the end of this month that would determine a new prime mi

arwa damon is in erbil, which has seen a flood of people arriving from mosul after isis took the city. let's talk what is happening in bakuba. it gives you the difficult of a, reporting here, but also how kind of all sides try to manipulate information. we got this report about 44 prisoners being killed in their cells cells bakuba. they stole all the weapons. the government here reported that it was shelling, that it was size sis shelling that killed these sunni prisoners, but through our reporting, we found sources at the morgue and at the hospitals are saying in fact they were shot at close range. >> it shows you the brutality, the close-up brutality, because it does appear as if the iraqi police were the ones who shot these prisoners because they were sunni prisoners and the assumption was that the isis fighters would release them. >> they didn't want the sunni prisoners to fall in the hands of isis. >> soy they literally went and shot them at close range. isis uploaded brutal videos, they are horrible, war crimes even. here essentially you have the same thing happening inside a ja

arwa damon has been talking to iraqi christians about the dangers they face. front, arwa? >> reporter: well, wolf, the country's christian minority has long been subjected to all sorts of horrific violence. especially when iraq's sectarian warfare was raging and now the fears are mounting once again. on a dusty street corner in the christian enclave, they tried to pretend that things are normal. that isis fighters aren't potentially just moments away from slaughtering them. we all have our bags ready if anything happens we will leave, he says. the first city to fall to the terrorist group is right next door. in 2005 there were a series of attacks against churches in baghdad. after that the youth decided to ban together and form their own civilian defense units. that's been going on pretty much ever since. but neither efforts have really intensify ied. they don't want us filming their check points or other measures they put into place. especially isis just a ten-minute drive away. most shops are closed. the owners either fled or don't bother opening. not everyon

>> arwa damon, be careful over there in iraq. arwa damon., powerful report. >>> as terrorists push relentlessly toward baghdad, president obama says he won't send american troops back into iraq, but how deeply could the united states get involved? joining us now, sebastian junger. also joining us, tara maller of the new american foundation. and a contributing editor at the "national review." sebastian, what should the u.s. be doing right now, if anything, in iraq? >> well, that's a complicated question. i've never covered iraq, but i think a unit like the 173rd airborne, the guys i was with in afghanistan, are pretty well suited to dropping in there and at least carving out a safe area around embassy. but, you know, that's -- i think it really depends on what the iraqi security forces do. >> tara, you've studied iraq for a long time. what is nuri al maliki going to do? because the president basically lectured him today, you've got to take steps before the u.s. gets involved militarily. >> well, i was listening a little bit earlier and based

they say they knew the general area and of course knew arwa damon and other journalist were able to seeagain, going in to get him was going to be an armed operation. it's risky and they want to make sure there is no loss of life, you know, on either side because this is someone they wanted to bring in and prosecute in an american court. that took time to find the opportunity. again, as you noted, the intelligence was in the last several months he's been much more cautious appearing in public less often, you know, not like it was several months ago meeting open in journalism bragging how free he was. >> appreciate you joining us. hillary clinton hopes his arrest will put together the pieces of what happened. here is what she said in a cnn town hole moderated by christiane amanpour. >> i'm very pleased this is another indication as president obama said in his statement today that the united states has an unwaivering commitment to bring to justice those who are responsible for attacks on americans no matter where they are, how long it takes. >> clinton emphasizes with the families of the f

here is arwa damon. >> reporter: isis is also distributing much needed cooking gas to families, even cheaper price than the iraqi government used to. in the nation where the day to day basics are such a necessity for survival, act likes this do garner good will. but isis is also implementing its harsh interpretation of islamist law. obligatory prayers for all, and banning women from movements outside their home without a male guardian. >> arwa joins me now from baghdad. and alli sufan. iraqi military officials are claiming they have been able to make some gains today against isis. that for real? they seem to make a lot of claims that are hard to actually verify. >> and that's still the case, anderson. very difficult to actually obtain accurate, independent information about what is taking place on the ground. now, according to state television, according to the government, they have managed to make some gains in tikrit, saddam hussein's hometown. the government is saying that they launched air strikes and then actually air dropped special commandos into the tikrit university premises

. >> arwa damon is joining us. she's in erbil, iraq. arwa, both sides of this conflict, they're trying to boost their numbers right now. give us a little sense of the strategy that's unfolding. >> well, wolf, you talk about trying to boost your numbers. you have isis producing that super slick recruitment video. really impressive when you look at the production value of it. and then of course there's the very chilling statements that are being made trying to lure in various other so-called jihadis from around the world. the language being spoken, arabic and english as well, trying to really reach out to that ex-pat jihadi community. one of the people that are speaking, boasting they have fighters ranging from bangladesh, the uk. on the ground, wolf, isis also trying to continue in its effort to boost its ranks. we're hearing increasingly they are turning back to that fear strategy they've used on so many battlefields that sadly works so well, terrorizing the population into supporting them. also at this stage, given the alliance they hav

arwa damon is there.s unique formula penetrates these layers deeper than other mouthwashes, killing bacteria all the way down to the bottom layer. so for a cleaner, healthier mouth, go with #1 dentist recommended listerine®. power to your mouth™. also try new listerine® naturals. the only mouthwash that combines the power of listerine® with naturally sourced ingredients. thank ythank you for defendiyour sacrifice. and thank you for your bravery. thank you colonel. thank you daddy. military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa auto insurance can be one of them. if you're a current or former military member or their family, get an auto insurance quote and see why 92% of our members plan to stay for life. that's keeping you from the healthcare you deserve. at humana, we believe if healthcare changes, if it becomes simpler... if frustration and paperwork decrease... if grandparents get to live at home instead of in a home... the gap begins to close. so let's simplify things. let'

arwa damon is live. give us a sense of the latest situation on the ground. >> reporter: well, the iraqi's capabilities to protect themselves is being thrown into question. they seem to be mounting more of a defense, resistance as isia and allies get close tore baghdad. 45 minute drive from the capitol. there's debate whether or not the u.s. should strike. that, at this stage, not on the table. it is one of the options president obama is considering with the u.s. sending more manpower and fire power into the region. one of the main concerns, of course, is the sheer brutality of the organization like isis. horrific videos of executions are rising on the internet, posted by isis fighters. in one video you see a bearded man standing over five individuals who were members of the border guard. he's ordering them to repeat things. the third appears to be struggling. he seems to be dehydrated. not fully aware of what's happening around him. he's pushed back. a gunpointed to his neck. in another video, he's seen

arwa damon is in northern iraq. seeing these troops in mosul and elsewhere by the tens of you thousands simply taking off their uniforms, running away in effect, sort of reminded me when u.s. troops went there kuwait into iraq in march and april of 2003, the so-called elite republic card unit, hundreds of thousands supposedly loyal to saddam hussein, they just gave up, they ran away, they said they won't die for saddam hussein and the u.s. moved quickly from kuwait into baghdad. but what is going on, why are they so disloyal to nuri al mali maliki? >> reporter: we also have to look at the areas where the troops were operating. and that is mostly in something of a sunni beltway where they don't perhaps necessarily feel as if they have the need or the desire to want to fight for a government that frankly very few people amongst the sunni population feel the need to want it die f to die for to say the least. but also iraqi suecurity forces might not feel that they have the support that they need from baghdad as the isi

our arwa damon has more on the battles in northern iraq. >> reporter: 24 hours before we arrive south of this area, isis attacked. catching the kurdish peshmerga unit off guard. it won't happen again. peshmerga commander watched isis appear just an hour after the iraqi army withdrew, casually staking their claim without firing a single shot. "that used to be with the army," he points out a two-story building. that's the isis flag right there? another planted on the water tower. the battle lines drawn, but for over a week, not crossed. then came the isis assault. they came at us from three directions, this colonel tells us. the battle lasted for six hours. in the distance, an iraqi military vehicle commandeered by isis. the intersection at this combat outpost is protecting is incredibly strategic. saddam hussein's hometown of tikrit in that direction. to the north, the oil rich city of kir kirkuk. and then a straight shot to the capital. there were people with them, people from the area, the colonel remembers. it was isis fighters and also people from the tribes. it's a murky dangerous

nic robertson and arwa damon.rwa, isis continue to gain ground, what's the latest on their advance? >> the most strategic gains, the capturing of the iraqi border posts along the border with syria. what this means, isis now controls massive swaths of territory inside iraq directly linked to the territory that it controls inside syria. giving it utter freedom of movement whether it comes to, weaponry, military armor, and personnel. this is a key strategic route that they now control through anbar province, the euphrates river valley and gives them direct access to the outskirts of baghdad. andersen. >> nic, going to form a new government by july 1, is there any indication in the short term that that will change the situation on the ground? >> there really isn't, andersen. this is a process that begins, 30 days after the process to nominate a president, then another 15 days to nominate a prime minister, key contested positions. then another 30 days by the constitution to have a government form. we are talking about

i want to get to arwa damon who is live in erbil, iraq.s just coming in from the chairman of the joint chief, suggesting it is in the united states best interest to actually, you know, acquiesce to the request from the iraqi government for air power, to find those isis interests, or at least to counter those isis operations where we find them. is finding them going to be that easy? you're there. >> no, it's not, ashleigh. here's the problem. isis is not fighting this on its own. isis currently is fighting alongside the sunni tribes and various other sunni insurgent groups that were quite active during the u.s. occupation of iraq. the tribes and these groups are people that need to be brought in the political fold. they do not want to see an islamic caliphate established in iraq, but they are that desperate at this stage, they will tell you, because of the prime minister maliki's polarizing politics, that they felt as if they had no choice but to ally themselves with a force that is as evil isis. if the u.s. were to carry out any air strike

thank you very much, arwa damon, who is on the ground there. joining me now the former commander of u.s. central kman william fallon and retired general wesley clark. let me start with you. you heard arwa using the word catastrophe in terms of how iraqi security forces were describing the situation to her on the ground. how involved does the united states need to get? >> well, i think we do need to be involved. but i also think that it's an opportunity to set the record straight, so to speak, and do the right things now in iraq. so i would like to see us put joint command and control in there. i would like to see some special forces troops in. i would like to see ac-130 gunships and unmanned aerial vehicles and air cover. and really work through the special forces command to augment and strengthen the iraqi forces. at the same time, we should be working diplomatically with the government of iraq. they can't continue business as usual. so they need to make a switch. they've been relying on iran. they didn't want u.s. presence there. they need to

so joining me now, our senior international correspondent there, arwa damon.old president obama would still have to order any air strikes that are not defensive in nature. but this is certainly an escalation. what are people in baghdad saying? >> reporter: brooke, this is also the u.s. making sure that should president obama decide that strikes are, in fact, the course of action the united states wants to take, all of the pieces are in position when it comes to the reaction of iraqis. there is an understandable level of concern, given america's history in iraq. and the fact that there is very little faith in america's intentions. and also, there's very little faith that the united states is actually going to make the right decision. there is this realization amongst reaction that if the united states does decide to launch air strikes, to needs to proceed with great caution to cause minimum casualties. but also not to be perceived as launching those air strikes on behalf of the shia-led government of prime minister nouri al maliki, because that would almost cer

but the short story is that our own arwa damon found abu khattala in a coffee shop. he said he had not been contacted by any american investigators. earlier today, you called this irrelevant. but i'm not trying to be flip here. why did it take long to get him if journalists were able to find him more than a year ago? >> jake, the factors that the president of the united states and the national security team look at when they're about to undertake operations like this one are is it ready to go and prepared to succeed. and what we're looking at here is this individual has now been detained and it was a successful operation. we know there's ample precedent for journalists interviewing terrorists or other individuals. but there are a range of factors the united states government has to look at before taking action. >> can you give us an idea of what those are? did you have to get the permission of the government of libya? did -- i mean, what kind of factors are you talking about? >> the libyan government obviously has been well aware of our desire and tracking down and h

and cnn's arwa damon is in the northern iraqi city of erbil. and cnn's jones in the white house. >> arwa, tell us how far isis has advanced. the question is, will they make it to baghdad? will they take over the city? where are they now? >> right now in diyala province just to the north of baghdad, they're about 60 kilometers away from the capital, battling with iraqi security forces, who in one town in that area made a gruesome discovery, saying they found the bodies of 12 police officers who had been shot and then burned. those bodies were found in an orchard. they suspect that isis was behind this, but they say the investigation is still ongoing. isis also advancing on baghdad again from the north, but this time further to the west of diyala seeming to advance on the capital from two different directions. quik remarkable when one thing the entire advance by isis only begaen on tuesday, so in favor days i'm covered significant territory. >> hey, a. what, i understand you exclusively -- are bur viewed an affair who abandoned his position. what

our arwa damon spoke to him in ben gadzy in 2013 and she's out front tonight with this exclusive. >>ingleader of the u.s. attack in benghazi captured by u.s. forces working with the fbi. u.s. officials had often suggested that they would be interested in speaking to a man named ahmed abu khatallah about the events the night of the attack. he really wasn't that difficult to find. we met with ahmed abu khatallah in public at the coffee shop of a well known hotel here in benghazi for around two hours. he seemed to be confident. his demeanor most certainly not that of a man who believed that he was going to be detained or targeted any time soon. and he agreed to let us film audio but not video of our conversation. he doesn't deny that he was there the night of the attack. can you describe in detail that night for us? what time did you get the news? when did you arrive and what did you see? >> translator: is this a journalistic interview or an investigation? >> reporter: it's a journalistic interview. >> translator: the way that you are asking is like an interrogation. >> reporter: what t

my colleague arwa damon did an interview. he did not seem to be hiding. he seemed to be out there in plane sight. but u.s. officials say since these interviews has gone into hiding. the main concern after the capture of talk mud abu khattala here in syria is if we will see any backlash by islamic groups that are really very active and powerful in this country. the last time the united states carried out a raid here, in tripoli, back in october. and captured a terror suspect suspected of being a member of al qaeda and responsible for bombings, the target of the u.s. embassies of the 1990s in africa, we saw what was retaliation after a couple of days. here in the capital, they kidnapped the libyan prime minister for two days after what they said seemed to be the libyan government's cooperation with the u.s. so this is something to keep an eye on here. >> many people are asking why this didn't happen within the past year, if indeed he was sitting down for interviews, if he was known in the area, why now? >> well, the security situation in benghazi, christine

bigger picture, arwa damon, let me bring you in. senior international correspondent and lieutenant general mark hurtling rejoining us this week, commander of u.s. forces in iraq from 2007 to 2009. welcome to both of you. arwa, let me just begin with, you have been to this -- this plant. what was it like? and could these terrorists, could this isis group weaponize the chemicals? >> reporter: well, to start with your second question first, it's highly unlikely that whatever chemical materials have been left behind could in their current form be manufactured into some sort of chemical weapon. that's not to say, though, that it's entirely impossible. frankly, i'm not an expert. but from what we know about the materials that are stored there, this was a site that was visited by the united nations weapons inspectors back in 2002. our own nic robertson going along with them. even back then they were deemed not to be of chemical weapons manufacturing grade in the sense that they were not actually immediately capable of turning these into any

. >> reporter: but some wonder why it took so long, when journalists like cnn's arwa damon were able to find and talk to khattala more than a year ago. >> we met with ahmed abu khattala in public at the coffee shop of a well-known hotel here in benghazi for around two hoursdamon were able to find ank hourshours. he seemed to be confident, his demeanor most certainly not that of a man who believed he was going to be detained or targeted any time soon. >> reporter: so, how could cnn get to khattala and it took u.s. commandos over a year to find him? >> and in order to do this safely, effectively, efficiently, nobody got hurt, by the way that takes time to plan, that takes a lot of information gathering and we did this in a very stealthy way. >> joining me now to talk about it barbara starr at the pentagon, and chief security expert, jim shoot toe. good morning to both of you. barbara, get to you first, you know how these operations work very well. what else do we know about the unit that captured khattala? >> well, these were army delta force commandos, along with the fbi and delta for

arwa damon, to you, to iraq, there is the issue of leadership.aid that iraqi leaders must rise above the differences talking, i presume about the current lead, al maliki. tissue u.s. is is ported the notion of the -- shia leader, we have seen -- by the way, this has been going on for years. the in-fighting between the shia, kurd and the sunni. if there were to be a new leader, how can iraq be sure that that leader will not turn into the next sectarian leader, you know, bypassing the other sects? does that make sense? >> look, this will be an issue that the country will have to figure out on its own. the country needs to be given a chance to do so. right now the clear issue is the capability and leadership of al maliki. a lot of the politicians saying it is not just about removing him. it is about removing his policies, this concept that baghdad is running a centralized government. moving forward there needs to be a certain level perhaps of decentralization, certain level of autonomy when it comes to provincial governance. if there is one man that

. >> we're going to check in with arwa damon and nick robertson throughout tonight and the week we're here. a quick reminder, set your dvr so you can watch "360" whenever you want. coming up; how isis is getting its message out, the videos we've been talking about. it's a very planned thought out effort behind them. we'll take you behind the scenes and show you where they're getting their money and how much money they have. they might be the richest most wealthy terrorist organization in the world right now. talking about hundreds of millions of dollars. >>> back in the united states, at least two tornadoes touching down in nebraska. the latest on damage and the severe weather forecast for that part of the country. we'll be right back. i'm on expert on softball. and tea parties. i'll have more awkward conversations than i'm equipped for, because i'm raising two girls on my own. i'll worry about the economy more than a few times before they're grown. but it's for them, so i've found a way. who matters most to you says the most about you. at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners, a

arwa damon is joining us. jim acosta has the latest and resa reports from tehran. let's begin with arwa. curdish forces in the north appear to be standing their own ground against these isis militants. what can you tell us about the very latest? >> reporter: that's right, wolf. the front lines are moving closer to baghdad with the fight seeming to focus on areas about an hour to the north of the capital. there are fairly significant battles under way between most and the syrian border. as isis was moving throughout this territory launching that massive offensive there really was one force that stood up to them. we can barely see beyond the tree line. they are ready should isi circumstancisis try to advance. the iraqi army abandoned this and other positions even before isis arrived. it's contesting the resolve. they have attacked and we pushed them back. up to 200 fighters armed with the welcomes and vehicles be iraq army used to have. we try to ask people if they saw isis down the road. the first two cars say there's nothing. it's hard to tell if people are afraid.

. >> reporter: some wonder why it took so long when journalists like cnn's arwa damon were able to find and talk to call thia more than a year ago. >> we met with ahmed abu khatallah in public at the coffee shop of a well-known hotel here in benghazi for around two hours. he seemed to be confident, his demeanor most certainly not that of a man who believed he would be detained or targeted any time soon. >> reporter: so how could cnn get to call thia and it took u.s. commandos over a year to find him? >> in order to do this safely, effectively and efficiently, an nobody got hurt, by the way, that takes time to plan. it takes a lot of information-gathering, and we did this in a very stealthy way. >> reporter: so who were the commandos that got khatallah. they come from one of the most secretive organizations in the u.s. military, a group called a joint special operations command, the same group, the same men that walked up to the taliban to get bowe bergdahl, some of the same group that went into laded will's compound. chris in. >> barbara, thank you very much. very interesting reporting

you only have to look at our only arwa damon, an incredible journalist who, for years, has very assertively, independently reported at great personal risk from iraq and from hot spots around the world. reporters are much more aware of the risks of the program of being perhaps a little too close, but the facts are in both afghanistan and iraq, having embedded in both places, if you want to cover u.s. troops on the front line, you have to be with them, and you have to then be with the military. you can't lose your independent voice. so some validity, but nothing i think that journalists aren't already very well aware of. >> i think that the process here is interesting as well, and i'm sure we'll have that conversation later about how manning gets this op-ed from ft. levenworth, where she's being held for 35 years on espionage charges out, which is critical of the government, releasing other information that wasn't public before to the "new york times" and it's then published. let's go to sergeant bergdahl. i understand you've learned some new information about an investigation that will be mo

cnn's arwa damon talked to a man exclusively who was able to get out.e said life there now is a living nightmare. >> reporter: look at this clothes, he's not iraqi. he points it's not his real name. but his wife and children are still in mosul and could be slaughtered. he's wanted by isis just escaped with this video he shot on his phone. he believes the man he shot was isil. he said he's going from mosul to baghdad to jerusalem. it's a rare glimpse into the murky world of isis and how it solidified its grasp. >> you see the kid is giving the isis leader a kiss. >> reporter: some of the women were even throwing chocolate on them and shouting you saved us from the sectarian army from maliki's army. it's because it harmed the people, put too much pressure on them. it's those actions that turn terrorists into here rose. heros. he said he would already be betrayed. men who wear three-quarter pants get blast, he says. if there was internet, you would see the worst of their torture. women can't go out without a male guardian. and he is still shocked his city

our senior international correspondent arwa damon joining us now from iraq. you finding out there, arwa? >> understanding of what life under isis is like because of the strict regulations that the group has been enforcing in these various areas. video gives us an idea of what residents are going through. >> reporter: crammed on top of a vehicle in the mid-of an isis parade, the children shout bakia. too young to understand the implications of the single word, which translates here to stay. it's the required response. as seen in this video to the statement. the prisoners iraqi border guards later executed accused of being shia and working with the maliki government. isis seems to be on a two-tiered campaign. releasing multiple videos with terrifying images of the fate who dare defy them. but also trying to depict themselves as giving protecters of the people. this video was posted to youtube by the islamic state, which urges people who stood against isis to repent. even those that killed from our people we will form a relationship with that person if that perso

arwa damon spent years covering the conflict in iraq. she's joining us now from london. another horrible situation but this time, arwa, iraq's second largest city is in turmoil. >> that's right, wolf. and this is beyond a disastrous situation for the iraqi government and for the security forces that clearly were unable to push back these militant fighters who carried out what is a very coordinated and well-planned attack. within hours, huge swaths fell to the islamic state of iraq and syria, an al qaeda splintered group so fierceless that the taliban has broken away from them. >> translator: all of them have fallen in addition to weapon caches. >> reporter: residents fled on foot. people are walking into the barron countryside. many blame the central government for failing to heed warning that isa was planning this. they have taken over the city of falluja which was rescued from insurgents decades ago. the u.s. once declared that it had al qaeda and iraq on the run and commanders publicly stating that iraq's security forces could maintain, quote, the security gains. many

arwa damon in erbil. thanks very much. full analysis coming up but there's breaking news i want to get to right now. a tornado is on the ground in nebraska. our meteorologist and severe weather expert chad meyers is standing by. look at those funnel clouds, chad. what is going on? >> tornado on the ground just through the pill jer, nebraska, p-i-l-g-e-r, very close to stanton, nebraska. this is ta stove pipe straight up and down tornado. you're noticing another one in the background. two tornadoes on the ground. these are live pictures. this is u.s. 275 in northeastern nebraska. to the east of nor fork, nebraska, about to cross that road. that car just drove right down that road right toward that tornado. and so did that one. and you can see it right in front of you, you have to know what that is. so this is the problem when you're storm chasing or if you don't know what you're talking about, don't know what you're doing, they're looking at this tornado right now and these cars are passing him. you need to be stopped and a

nic robertson and arwa damon are both standing by in iraq. i'll also speak with a key iraqi insider. let's begin with our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. what are you learning? >> would he have, the latest is the pentagon a short time ago announced u.s. military advisors are back on the ground inside iraq. about 130 of them now near the embassy in baghdad and working to set up a joint operation center in the baghdad region with the iraqis. that's 130 advisors there, and another 50 on the way in the coming days, all part of the president's plan to send up to 300 military advisors into iraq. their first job, they're going to stick around the baghdad area for a while. they will assess what the state of iraqi forces are, what the state of isis forces are. iraqi forces as we know up in the north and the west in some sense of disarray after isis has come through. what is the i.c.e. state of play? i.c.e. the latest estimate, there may be up to 10,000 insurgents in this region between syria and iraq. the border having virtually disappeared. peo

arwa damon is in urbil. watching this happen, it begs the question and we've heard u.s.fficials say they want to avoid. we've heard the president say, we want to avoid sliding into a civil war. but what you're seeing happen, does it meet the definition of a civil war, do you think? >> well it's so multilayered and complex, brianna. you really have this sunni insurgency that is being currently dominated by isis, the islamic state of iraq and syria it most certainly is pitting the sunni population that has been feeling really disenfranchised, by the prime minister's form of governance, viewing his policies as being geared towards the shia majority, his shia base, his politics incredibly polarizing and really ripping this country apart. along sectarian lines. so it looks like it might be sunni versus shia, at this stage. but like everything that happens in this battlefield, again it's a very multi-layered tapestry of different things intersecting within one another. the sunnis that are currently seeming to be fighting alongside isis do not subscribe to their ideology. and s