do you want a strong baghdad or not a strong baghdad. these are difficult to reconcile. i think the kurds are perhaps insufficiently attuned to how baghdad is balancing not only their negotiations, but everyone else's. for example, i think if we were just talking about baghdad and the kurds, we could probably reach some kind of accommodation. i'm not a party. the iraqis could reach some kind of accommodation on how much oil is pushed through the state oil company and how much can the kurds manage to export on their own. because there is boz rough in the equation -- bazra, it has to be redlined on how much can come to the state oil company. i don't think baghdad can afford to coppermine is eyes on that condition, not because they could not work it out but because that president has been set. this is the problem with a multiplayer game, it's not like you can reach an accommodation with two sides, you have to reach an accommodation that includes everyone and i will close on a pessimistic note that even if prime minister a body would say i will do whatever it takes to get a

want a strong baghdad or do you not want a strong baghdad? tose are very difficult reconcile, and i think think the perhaps insufficiently attuned to how baghdad is balancing not only their negotiations but everyone else's. for for example, if we were just talking about baghdad and the kurds we could probably reach some kind of accommodation. not a party, their advocates could reach some kind of accommodation on how much oil is publicked through the state oil company and how much can the kurds manage to export on their own. but because there's basra in the to be redbaghdad has lined on having must come influence the state oil company. baghdad with afford to compromise on that position, not because it work it out with the custody, but because of the president that was sent for basra. and this is the problem of it being a multiplayer game, like you can just reach an accommodation between two reach anu have to accommodation that includes everyone much and i'll close on a pessimistic note. if even of the prime minister were able to do whatever it

do you want a strong baghdad or not a strong baghdad. these are difficult to reconcile. i think the kurds are perhaps insufficiently attuned to how baghdad is balancing not only their negotiations, but everyone else's. for example, i think if we were just talking about baghdad and the kurds, we could probably reach some kind of accommodation. i'm not a party. the iraqis could reach some kind of accommodation on how much oil is pushed through the state oil company and how much rough incause there is boz it has toon -- bazra, be redlined on how much can come to the state oil company. i don't think baghdad can afford to coppermine is eyes on that condition, not because they could not work it out but because that president has been set. this is the problem with a multiplayer game, it's not like you can reach an accommodation with two sides, you have to reach an accommodation that includes everyone and i will close on a pessimistic note that even if prime minister a body would say i will do whatever it takes to get a deal, there are no red lines for baghdad -- whatever it tak

jer mauna karachi got a close up look at baghdad's defenses. >> reporter: this is life in baghdad.bs, suicide bombs, roadside bombs, thousands wounded and killed. bombs that could strike anywhere at any time. and that's how it has been for more than a decade. still, life goes on in the city. while isis might be right on the doorstep, they are confident they are fortified. >> we capture so many sleeper cells inside baghdad. still working on these cells. sometimes they are having some action here and there, but in general, now there is no fear from the previous times that there will be a plan for baghdad invasion. >> reporter: this brigadier general gives us a rare tour of baghdad checkpoints. >> this is the place to check the cars. we have ied detector there. if there's a sign of any vehicle it will send it on that place to check it by hand and by sometimes by k-9. >> reporter: for years, iraq's depended on this device, now known to be a fake explosives detector, the creator jailed, he was providing a false sense of security and making enormous profits. police say it was a golf ball

taken baghdad if it hadn't been for us. they are terrorizing the folks at camp liberty in clear violation of not only u.s. preferences but international law. they have allied themselveses with iran, with the iranian air force carrying out operations over iraq and iranian ground forces operating on the ground in conjunction with iraqi forces. and sometimes folks at to the upper levels of the state department don't focus that much on the money of the u.s. taxpayers. we're giving all this a tremendous amount of aid to iraq. whereas it's my understanding that iraq is still paying and still acknowledges arabia and kuwait for tens of billions of dollars, borrowed by saddam hussein. have you bothered -- is iraq still making payments to kuwait and saudi arabia on that debt and does that therefore put them in a position where instead of paying for what we give them often we have to give it to them for free? >> as i mentioned briefly in my opening testimony, the iraqis face a very serious fiscal crisis. they're forcing a $40 billion.

air force to baghdad. they were hiding give for safekeeping for future use. >> do we know who those people are? >> not sure but they were working with the powerful lebanese to be able to hold it in lebanon the way they were. >> how is it possible to move $2 billion and $100 bills from iraq to lebanon and not have someone not even an american official know about? >> that is the question -- did they know about it? it would take some infrastructure to do that. some logistics and we do not know how they did it. who did it or not. it is one of the questions that apart from bowen, no one in the u.s. government or iraq government seems to be interested in getting to the bottom of. stuart, i detailed how he went to the fbi and cia and other agencies and no one was interested in helping him find the money. >> do have any idea why? >> not really. part of the problem was it was iraqi government money. it was the development fund for iraq, which was created after the u.s. invasion to hold large amounts of iraqi oil re

joining us from the line from baghdad on the suicide bombing that has taken place in south-east baghdad >>> india's ruling national party, the b.j.p. won 25 seats in an application in indian-administered kashmir. it is a better than expected result, but they lag behind the people emerging as a dominant force. we have this ror on the participation impact of the result. they fell short of the tart. b.j.p. are celebrating their image, promising to work for all, if they are part of the government. there'll be progress in the state. they believe in humanitarian work. it attracted the highest voter turn out. the b.j.p. won seats in. jamu reason of the states. none in the more populated majority of islam. the pro-india people democratic party won the most seats, not enough to form the state government on its own. it's too early to say which party could form a coalition to leave. this analyst said results could split the state. the first time the state as been divided on everything. >> it is believed that bringing the b.j.p. into a coalition government could benefit the state. >> the formation

here in baghdad, he has rebuilt his life. move forward from almost unmanageable tragedy tragedy. 10 years ago his wife, five daughters, a son and his nephew, were killed when an american tank opened fire on them at a checkpoint. the soldiers said they thought they were insurgents. his youngest child was nine. the eldest 23. in between was her she wrote that she dreamed after a more peaceful world. that day he lost his family. now he fears he's losing his country. he is from where iraq and i kurdish forces and shia militias have pushed back isil think but residents there have paid a high price. his sister was a shop owner here in baghdad she's another of the displaced. >> translator: i lost my entire house. it was two-stories fully furnished. i had two shops. all of the property, including everything in it is gone. some of it was burned. some of it bombed, now it's been looted. >> reporter: for 50 years she says she and her neighbors lived in peace. he says he still believes in iraq. he composes music inning do are operating t

connects a highway to baghdad. mohamed adow is in the kurdish region tell us more about the takeover of the deloya town from i.s.i.l. >> well, jane, they're taking of the town from i.s.i.l. by iraqi forces and militia supporting them is a huge gain for them. the town on the banks of river tigris is on the highway as you say there that l baghdad to salahatin province where there ask a massive operation now going on against i.s.i.l. and the command center, is where this road links. but control of the area has given i.s.i.l. fighters the opportunity to cut off supplies for the forces who are fighting them in that province. now with the taking of this area, it cements that i.s.i.l. strong hold of tikrit, that lodges an oil refinery refine refineries, they can easily cut them off cut their supplies. >> you have recently been in the ground in kirkuk. you touched on it briefly, can you tell us more what you've seen? >> well, jane, kirkuk is considered bringing together turkmen and people who have lived side by side, the t

here in baghdad he has rebuilt his life. he tried to move forward from unimaginable tragedy. 10 years ago his wife five daughters, a son and his nephew were killed when an american tank opened fire. the soldiers said they thought they were insurgents. his youngest child was nine, the eldest 23. in between was a girl who wrote she dreamed of a peaceful world. that day he lost his family. he feared he lost his country. it is from the province. shi'a militias pushed back i.s.i.l. residents paid a high price. here in baghdad she's another of the displaced. >> i lost my house. it was two stories fully furnished. i had two shops. all the property is gone. some of it was burnt, some bombed. it was looted. >> for 50 years she said she and her neighbours lived in piece. >> traditional melodies from mosul all the way to the south of the country here in baghdad. he built the house with small hands. he says he's forgiven the soldiers who forgave his family. he believed it's part of the price for a better iraq. >> reporter: he has paid a

isil threaten the northern approaches to baghdad.o the west, there was an offensive vastating isis taking the city of -- baghdad during this period, just six months ago, there was among the panic population, government, and diplomatic community. at the embassy, we evacuate 1500 people. we also prepared for the iraqis to fight back. within 72 hours, we prepared for possible counteroffensive. find one platform per day, hs to 60 gaining more intelligence. we established joint centers, gaining new insights into the needs. third, we deployed special forces teams. finally, and perhaps most supported the e iraqis. throughout the summer months, we work these four tracks simultaneously. by iraqi relationships commanders, while supporting iraqi political leaders as they stood up a new government. present t 8, when the to st ordered forces we were e action, prepared. later, a new government represented -- policy is s governing decentralization. last week's historic oil accord was an outgrowth of this policy. new government is committed to stren

the governor in baghdad is not providing financial support. we have this exclusive report. >> preparing for battle. these men are at the heart of the effort to revive mosul's police force. they are made up of former police officers and volunteers. they have been gathered at this camp, kilometres away from mosul, by provincial leaders, returning to take the city from i.s.i.l. a handful of rifles is all they have. what they lack in firepower they make up for in bravado. >> we are ready, waiting for the orders to move on mosul. we are ready for the fighting. we want to free the town from beam. >> more than 4,000 men are trained in this camp. >> it's a key part of the plant to retake the second biggest city from i.s.i.l. it won't be easy to take mosul and requires street fighting. at this camp they acquire the skills. >> reporter: those with experience in front line fighting have been put into a swat team. there are problems. after i.s.i.l. seized mosul in june, the government cut off the officer's salaries. baghdad is supportive of the efforts to

baghdad itself was under threat. and we look at today and we see that maliki is no longer there, abadi is in place, he has a more inclusive government than anybody expected to produce. and think if you look back at when the last time the government was formed, the length of time it took for the cabinet members be announced, i think we should be ploeased wit the progress that actually has been made.c)(ñ the coalition itself is now an international coalition that's been formed of over 60 nations, able to hold back and deter isil, allowing the space for the depleted armed forces of iraq to reinvigorate, train and themselves provide a ground capability to take on isil. i'm not complacent and we shouldn't be naive, it's going to be a long-term game here, we should not expect results certainly overnight. but considering where we were in june to where we are today, i think we should be pleased with the progress. >> and this inquirely is about kurdistan, but have you got a view as to how reaching out to the sunni communities

here in baghdad he has rebuilt his life. he's tried to move forward from almost unimaginable tragedy. ten years ago his wife, five sons a daughter and other relatives were killed. soldiers thought they were insurgents. his youngest child was nine, the eldest 23. in between musafnan, wrote she dreamed of a more peaceful world. that day allo lost his family. now he fears he is losing his country. allo is from diyala province. here in baghdad she's another of the displaced. >> i lost my entire house. it was two story fully furnished. i had two shops. all of the property including everything in it is gone. some of it was burned, some of it bombed. now it's been looted. >> reporter: for 50 years she said she and her neighbors lived in peace. allo says he still believes in iraq. he composes music incorporating traditional music from mosul to the south of the country. here in baghdad he has built this house with his small hands. he says he's forgiven the soldiers who killed his family. for a better iraq. >> we have democracy and to

at this school in baghdad, like in most places, there is almost no support from the government. the families here are fed by the church. every egg is precious. people are doing their best here to make it feel like christmas. some have written their christmas wishes and butt them on this tree. one man hopes for a pure future for his children. another for peace across iraq. but the biggest wish for the new year is that they'll be able to go back to their homes. al jazeera baghdad. >> a teenage refugee from syria will soon be performing in a music competition at new york's carnegie hall. the amazing part is that he never played the piano until last year. [ piano music ] >> reporter: to hear him play rachamaninoff you would think that he had been playing for years. he came in and his teachers were so impressed with him in his first class that they awarded him a scholarship. >> the average student needs three months to master a musical piece, but he only needs one day. >> reporter: his skills have quickly brought him to national attention in turkey. thanks to an personal intervention

this camp near baghdad is home. this woman struggles to care for her son. his epilepsy is going untreated. >> we left our homes overnight at 2:00 in the morning. we heard that isil is coming. they killed my brother, cousin and some of my clothes relatives. >> with the cold coming there is only plastic to cover the windows. the children struggle to maintain a normal life. there is nothing normal about this. they've learned one of the first lessons of war. it's the civilian who is suffer. al jazeera, baghdad. >> let's go to somalia now where four people have been killed in a suicide-bomb attack in the capitol of mogadishu. the attack is being blamed on al-shabab. nicole johnston has more. >> reporter: traveling in an armored convoy with your own private security may seem the safe away to get around mogadishu. this has become a dangerous city. four u.n. cars near the airport when a suicide-bomber ran his vehicle into the convoy. if the aim had been to kill u.n. staff, it failed. they were all unharmed 3. >> some people died, including a security officer, and m

one of the detainees, buka is baghdad e.nd if you look at thenu 1, you know e tier leaders, the tier 1 leadership of is, mows of these visits were baathists who met al baghdad e in buka. the oil and the fire got to know each other in buka and we have the new brand, explosive brand of trailer in i.s it was re-branded with baathists giving strategy to us lammic ideal log. >> we worry about thesewestern fighters going offered. >> we have today about 16,000 foreign fighters from about 90 different country tries. but about 60% of them come from five countries. number 1, tunisia. no. 2 saudi arab i can't and morocco and jordan and turkey. we have to put that number in perspective. >> uh-huh. >> put it in perspective of the regional struggle that's happening around these areas and the tension, cultural, religious, comic tensions that's happening and political tensions within these currents trees. >> the within earn ones going over, that's dissatisfaction? >> it is different in the u.k., most of the people that are going to syria, t

five have died and 15 others wounded in two separate explosions targeting shops in baghdad. a roadside bomb in the capitol killed three soldiers and four people were killed in an explosion south of baghdad. >>> cuba's president said that his country faces a long and difficult struggle before the u.s. lifts it's economic embargo. that's despite the agreement this week to restore diplomatic ties between the two countries. speaking to address the parliament, castro said that he will attend the americas forum in panama in april. >> improved relations with the united states to make cuba renounce ideals that it has spent a century fighting for, that it's people have spilt so much blood for. >> correspondent is in cuban capitol. >> this is only the second time that we've heard from the cuban leader raul castro after the big announcement on wednesday. this is very much an anticipated speech that he gave in front of the national assembly here in the capitol of havana. his key mention was this: while there is going to be a relationship between equals between the cubans and the america

taken baghdad if it hadn't been for us. they are terrorizing the folks at camp liberty in clear violation of not only u.s. preferences but international law. they have allied themselveses with iran, with the iranian air force carrying out operations over iraq and iranian ground forces operating on the ground in conjunction with iraqi forces. and sometimes folks at to the upper levels of the state department don't focus that much on the money of the u.s. taxpayers. we're giving all this a tremendous amount of aid to iraq. whereas it's my understanding that iraq is still paying and still acknowledges it's debt to saudi arabia and kuwait for tens of billions of dollars borrowed by saddam hussein. >> does that, there have, put them in a position so instead of paying where we have to give it to them, we have to give it to them for free? >> no, the iraqis resist paying the debts of sadham hussein. >> but they haven't renounced those debts. we haven't urged them to renounce those debts. >> we're actually in very good discussions w

putin's next move, baghdad bargain. iraq strikes an oil deal with the kurds.how it could impact a fight against isil. immigration reaction. the republicans plan to undo the president's reforms. and down

jane arraf, al jazeera, baghdad. >> saudi arabia's interior m ministry says 135 people have been detained on what it's calling terror charges. the government says 17 of those arrested were also responsible for riots and violent acts in a village in the eastern katif region. 109 of the suspects are saudis. 46 are foreigners including nationals from syria, yemen and egypt. less than people including a woman and a 10-year-old boy were killed during a failed raid to free two western hostages in yemen sar. u.s. photo journalist luke somers on the right and pierre corkie were killed in shabba province. kor kuchlt ie's body will be flown to south africa to of on monday. south africa says they do not blame the u.s. for carrying out the attempt. >> 344 days, three al jazeera journalists have been jailed over false allegations that they helped the outlawed muslim brotherhood. they are appealing against their convictions and jail sentences mohammed and peter were sentenced seven years. bahra had a spent bullet in his possession he picked up at a protest. >> the tie off and on is continuing across th

the government in baghdad isn't true free throws describing financial support for the program. adow has this exclusive report from mosul. >> reporter: preparing for battle. these men are the heart of the effort to revive mosul's police force, they are made up of former police officers and new volunteers. they have been gathered at this camp away from mosul by provincial leaders determined to retake the city from isil. only a handful of rifles is all they have got. but what they lack in fire power they make up from for bravado. >> translator: we are ready. we are just waiting for the orders to move on mosul. we are ready for the fighting. we want to free our town from these people. >> reporter: more than 4,000 men have been trained in this camp. these men are a key part of the plan to retake iraq's second biggest city from isil. they know it won't be easy to take me suggest and would require street to street fighting. and so at this cam they acquire the necessary skills. those with experience in front line fighting have been formed in to a swat team. but there are problems. shor

and australian troops at the baghdad airport. u.s.ense officials say that what iraq needs to fight isis is not more weapons but competent military leaders. >> after the release of this torture report from the senate, what are they saying around the pentagon about that? >> well, there's a great deal of frustration in the intelligence and community and also among military commanders. in the intel undergenerals community they feel the contes of when these decisions to use these methods, these enhanced interrogation methods, torture, as diane fine fine is kaling it, the context was in the wake of 9/11 there was a serious belief in the intelligence and community there was a follow-on strike and members of congress were calling for the intel community, which they were blaming for an intelligence failure, to prevent another attack, and they said they did some of these things which they no longer do, under duress, and that they had -- that the clock was ticking, and the great frustration is that they feel that this report makes it look as tho

in the first cavalry division in baghdad, in the timeframe. it is so powerful. the diagram describes six lines of operation in counterinsurgency. have that operation to identify certainly building station security forces, assistant economic development, providing essential services to the population but the biggest barrel of all that encompasses all those other five is information operations. ultimately in this kind of a war what we are fighting for support of the population and the belief of the population that their future is brighter by standing against the insurgency and standing with the government. what we failed, where the counterinsurgency campaign failed late in the game in iraq was after we withdrew all the american troops in 2011 and the maliki government quite spiteful the neglected, ignored, persecuted the sunni population of that country. should be no surprise that given the actions of that government over the past several years which conducts the clear information operation against itself, against the support of the sunni popula

the tigris valley, entire army divisions collapsed and isil threatened the northern approaches to baghdad. to the west, a lesser noted but equally devastating offensive took place from across the syrian board we are isil capture the strategic border city of al kind. isil poured down the western valley. in baghdad during this period, just six months ago this week, there was a growing panic within the population, the government, security services, and the diplomatic community. at the embassy we prepared for the worst-case scenario and e c evacuated 1,500 people moving them to imam, kuwait, or irbil. we also prepared to help the iraqis fight back. within 72 hours of mosul's collapse, the president ordered four initiatives to hold the line and set the conditions for a possible counteroffensive. first, we surged intelligence over the skies of iraq. we went from flying one platform per month to 60 per day, gaining a more granular picture of the isil network essential to the future of any military campaign. second, we established joint operations centers in baghdad and irbil, restoring critical

we have the details from baghdad. >> for iraq's new government an important step in resolving an old dispute. this agreement between baghdad and the kurdish region. >> a deal between federal government and the government of the region. on the issues of the budget and it's law and on the issue of oil, affirming that oil is for all iraqis. hence the kurdish region will provide the federal government with 250,000 barrels a day and export 300,000 barrels of oil through turkey through the transkurdistan pipeline. >> that means that the kurdish region will send some oil to the iraqi government, and baghdad won't try to block it any morseling oil to turkey. the central government has greed to provide money to the kurdish peshmerga, vital in the fight against isil in northern iraq. the dispute whether the kurds have a right to export oil. it has cut off transfer payments in the region. both baghdad and erbil hope this will open a new chapter in strange relations between the central and regional governments. the iraqi prime minister accused by the kurdish region by ignoring the role of peshme

so we were unanimous with a first bush administration to oppose the idea to go to baghdad. we tend not to get that criticism. but i argued the bill would make that same argument about going to baghdad and maybe be far more skeptical of the intelligence case of mass destruction because i have the pretty good view of strings or weaknesses. so to be honest it is hard to say what i would have abdicated with 10 years of hindsight. >> host: talk about the vehicles for the troops you were surprised that they were in development with a ambush protected vehicles as you say when into a long way to produce casualties. and i noted that senator biden targeting your criticism. >> can i give him credit in the book. it is the lesson that i try to hammer home to the military leaders so when they read criticism not to go into a defensive crouch but find out if this story is true or not. but it put me on to the wounded warriors but it was a newspaper story from these heavily armored vehicles and from "usa today" that the marines had 300 of these vehicles in the of our province and over 1,000

the outskirts of baghdad where 26 other people have been injured. to north korea where state media is denying the hack against sony pictures. it led to a controversial film from being released. sony pictures said it only canceled the film's christmas day opening after some of the cinemas itself pulled out. it is now looking at different ways of releasing the movie. but u.s. president said that sony should not have pulled it in the first place. >> the cia would love it if you two could take him out. >> hmm? >> take him out. >> you mean for drinks? >> it's a comedy. a movie that has turned into an international drama. sony pictures decided to make a provocative film about the attempted assassination of kim jong-un. the u.s. say that north korea retaliated by sacking sony films, releasing embarrassing e-mails. president barack obama said that north korea will pay for that. >> they caused a lot of damage. and we will respond. we will respond proportionately, and we will respond in a place and time and manner that we choose. it's not something that i wil

north of baghdad. >> this is a strategic front. the outskirts of balad north of baghdad and near one of iraq's biggest air bases. iraqi police here are firing back at isil gunmen in the fields and. they have launched huge attacks. but here the group is using niners and explosives to keep iraqi forces off balance. >> she would normally rely on her two sons, a barber and a taxi driver, but both of them were out of work. surrounded by fighting with only one way out of the city most people have stayed in balad, but there are no jobs and no money. >> the city has been under siege for more than five months already. there are no jobs. and there is electricity. we're running short of kerosene oil for the heaters as winter approaches. >> 's recovering from a shrapnel wound from shelling from isil a week ago. most of his children have left the city. >> one of the things they have in common is fighting isil's unpredictability. it's the forces on the ground that will make the difference. al jazeera, baghdad. >> al jazeera continues to demand t

around baghdad isil has been driven back by iraqi security forces. by shia militias. that won't work in anbar where the area is tribal and deeply suspicious of the iraqi government. some are calling for help from the american troops on the ground. that likely won't happen, but it's an indication of how desperate the fight is in iraq's western province. al jazeera, baghdad. >> the united kingdom will send more troops to iraq to help in the fight against isil fighters. britain's defense secretary said they'll be deployed next month to train iraqi forces. britain has also taken part in u.s.-led airstrikes against isil targets. >> indian police have arrested a 24-year-old man for running a pro isil twitter account that has attracted millions of views every month. he's accused of inciting war against india's allies after posting 100,000 tweets will isil activities. >> reporter: police in india say in is a man whose extreme post had attracted almost 18,000 twitter followers. they say that he was leading a double life, working as a marketing executive during the day while op

so i came and st- stayed in baghdad and worked in baghdad, instead of working embedded with us military. >> it used to be that you could do a mix of both. i tried to keep it 50/50, so that i saw the war from the soldier's point of view, and i saw the war from the local iraqi's point of view. >> journalists play this vital role as sort of an outside presence, an independent person to sort of see how this war is being conducted. >> if you want to get to some of these stories, you have to take the risks of the people who are living through the same thing, and sometimes that means risking torture, risking kidnapping, risking death. >> i faced tremendous amount of danger. i was shot at several times. my car still ha-- bears the marks of uh. of bullets. i was chased several times. i got messages, uhm. letters were taped on the outdoor of my house. >> kidnapping was, and is, a very real problem in iraq. criminal gangs, militias are roaming around, finding ways to extort money. this is why we've had doctors, academics, lawyers, a- a whole lot of iraq's intelligencia just flee the country, becau

putin's next move, baghdad bargain. iraq strikes an oil deal with the kurds. how it could impact a fight against isil. immigration reaction. the republicans plan to undo the president's reforms. and down poor. heavy rain in california. a region in need of water, but how much is too much? >> we begin tonight with israel and two developments that could have a big impact on the peace process. prime minister benjamin "n fired two of his cabinet members today. he plans to dissolve parliament and call for early elections. meanwhile, recognizing pile line as a state. it is the fifth time that they have pledged support for a palestinian state in the last two months. andrew simmons is in jerusalem. >> it was a five-party coalition that never got on, and it call came to a head with angry exchanging. netanyahu had the last word, though, he fired his critics. >> almost from the first moment and maybe for other reasons in this government there was friction, and there were opposing views. it is conducted under the threat of ultimatums and relentless attacks within the gover

but i say in the book toward the end of rodriquez is going to baghdad in the first world war because that would mean occupy two-thirds of iraq. so we were unanimous to oppose the idea of going to baghdad and we took a lot of grief for that for not completing the job. we did it got to get that criticism after march 2003 any more. than i argued maybe i would have made this same argument about going to baghdad gore would have been far more skeptical because of intelligence background of the intelligence case they had weapons of mass destruction -- destruction. have a pretty good view of the capabilities. so to be honest is hard for me to say with 10 years of hindsight. >> host: talk about your effort to get these hardened vehicles for the troops in iraq. you were surprised to learn that there were these vehicles in development with the mraps that went along way to reduce casualties. how did you get that done? i know that senator biden was the target of much of your criticism. fifth half. >> guest: it is what i tried to hammer home the to go into a defensive crouch it was a newspaper ser

. >> the central government in baghdad is totally sigh lengths.e fear of a foreign regional agenda to change diala demographically. we have met the security can commander but no positive steps have taken place on the grounds. >> iraqi officials say when people have been ordered from their homes after military operations, it's because security forces need time to clear the area of explosives. iran and shiia malishas have played a controversial role in iraq. they made clear with weakened security forces, they couldn't take on isil or secure baghdad without them. it's left the iraqi government treading a fine line between relying on iran for help and ma maintaining its judgment. jane arraf, baghdad. >> activists reporting al-nusra front is in full control of a military residential compound in dera. targeting sleeping quarters of soldiers and officers in the syrian army, the fighters are a step closer to the strategic town of szra before damascus progress. six guantanamo prisoners have arrived in uruguay to be resettle did. they were accused of being

look at the kurdish representation in baghdad. budget ofment cut the the kurdish government and curtis dan gets 17% of the budget. that is the revenue sharing agreement. without going to the parliament, it was an executive order that was done by the prime minister. he cut the budget and the economy was crippled overnight, not being able to pay salaries. listen to the federal government -- was into this. this is the federal government. large kurdish bloc that could not do anything. they could not lift a finger to change the policy. they have representation and not power-sharing. this is what has not changed about iraq. before, there was not much representation. initially, representation-wise, it was not sectarian. that is the problem we have. , which iseason obvious, they refused to share power. sharing power is a problem and that is why the people are not being taken care of. i could not have said this better. nobody thinks of the people. look at the budget being spent. the last one was $100 billion and a lot of money. the largest

they willing remain on basis in the kurdish region and here around baghdad.y are not likely to go out with the troops, but officials are hoping that they will make a difference in making the forces that are fighting on the ground much more efficient. >> u.s. secretary of state john kerry is in rome to meet with russia's foreign minister sergei lavrov. sunday talks are taking place at a time when there is anger in moss co over sanctions, new u.s.-sanctions due to the conflict in ukraine. politicians passed a bill for more sanctions against russia as well as the delivery of military hardware to ukraine. the bill still needs to be approved by the white house which has so far been reluctant to give kiev direct military assistance for fear of being drawn into a proxy war with russia. cla claudia joins us live now from rome. claudia, what's the likelihood of these two foreign ministers coming to a consensus? >> reporter: well, first of all, we felt that ukraine, of course, will be high on the agenda but right before entering t the meeting which we believe is still

that's a key area on the road to baghdad. it's an indication of isil's strategically chooses its battles in anbar as its pushed out of the north. tribes are desperate for help. they don't want boots on the ground. they don't particularly want iraqi security forces. they certainly don't want shia militias, but what they do want is arms and ammunition and some are even saying american help in the form of soldiers coming to advise them. that's not likely to happen, but what is happening is the arrival of more british advisers and more american advisers. britain has said that it's sending several hundred military experts and advisers here in the new year. they will likely remain on bases in the kurdish region and here around baghdad. they're not likely to go out with the troops, but officials are hoping that they will make a difference in making the forces fighting on the ground much more efficient. >>> security cooperation between the palestinian liberation organization and israel is potentially at stake as the plo's leadership

that's a key area because it's on the road to baghdad. it's an indication of isil strategically choosing the battles in anbar as it's pushed out of the north. the tribes in anbar say they're desperate for help. he don't want boots on the ground or iraqi security fours and not want shia militias. they want arms and ammunition, and some are saying american help in the form of soldiers coming to advise them. that's not likely to happen, but what is happening is the arrival of more british and american advisers. britain is sending several hundred military experts and advisers here in the new year. they will likely remain on bases in the kurdish region and here around baghdad. they're not likely to go out with the troops, but officials are hoping that they will make a difference in making the forces that are fighting on the ground much more efficient. >>> in turkey police are searching the offices of a newspaper and a tv station that are linked to the exiled cleric. eight people have been detained and 24 others are wanted for questioning. the

it is considered strategically important because it controls the road to baghdad and a security center. >>> a key battle in the city of kirkuk. while i.s.i.l. and peshmerga forces battle. case to roads have been cut off. mohamed adow looks at the economic strain on the people living there. >> reporter: on the front lines outside the city of kirkuk. contact between kurdish peshmerga forces and the islamic state of iraq and the levant is regular. the peshmerga use sandbags as protection. they use a fair amount of incoming fire here. a short distance away, i.s.i.l. positions display their trademark black flag. >> translator: the distance between us is very small. in some places we are just 700 meters apart. they are always trying to push forward. >> reporter: so far the peshmerga lines have held. but i.s.i.l. fighters have been unrelenting in their operation to take oil rich kirkuk. the kurdish forces have had to adopt some curious measures. >> this is the road now totally closed and peshmerga fighters say they had to do that to protect themselves from i.s.i.l. bombings. >> translator: we