i want to go live to erbil and anna coren. i want to see how effective they have been in their battle against isis. >> reporter: obviously the u.s. forces here very much protecting the u.s. personnel in the consulate and embassy. that is the mission from president obama. will that all change when we heard the expansion of the mission here in iraq and those 475 u.s. soldiers joining those troops already here. they are assisting and they are advising and they will be training. the kurds and iraqis need more weaponry and better arms and they need the intelligence gathering. this is where the americans play a critical role. they have taken the role of leadership which has been sorely lacking here in iraq. the kurds and iraqis have been operating very separately as far as the military are concerned. and that hasn't been that effective. yes, they have been taking the fight to isis on the ground with that critical u.s. air support. really, they need that leadership and that cooperation and coordination with those u.s. air strikes. th

. >> cnn's anna coren in erbil, iraq. we greatly appreciate your reporting there in that area. isis is not only brutal but it's well structured. the group's leadership puts out reports that run hundreds of pages long detailing its despicable actions and it utilizes a sophisticated public relations machine that has helped the group to expand. stephanie elam takes a look at this organized group. >> reporter: this is what we are up against. isis, the terrorist group. that's run like a well-oiled business. >> the way isis documents its operations shows that it is different kind of terrorist organization. >> they are not just savvy. they are sophisticated and they learn. >> watching this latest propaganda video is akin to taking in a hollywood action movie. but the action here is all too real and the isis pr machine is constantly making sure the world is aware. the images of attacks and beheadings serving as beacons. >> it raises the profile of the organization and as a result brings more money to the organization and brings m

our anna coren live in erbil with the very latest, anna.ell us, what is the situation on the ground. >> reporter: well, christine, as far as the situation on ground, there's still intense fighting going none much of the country. obviously over the past several days, we've seen intense u.s. air strikes around hadithah dam, iraq's second largest dam. the fighting there continues. it's still happening at mosul dam. also an hour here from erbil, which is where we were here late last week, fighting continues against isis. you know, they are not retreating. they are still digging in. obviously, those u.s. air strikes making a real difference on the ground. there have been more than 150 u.s. air strikes in the past month according to u.s. central command. and certainly from the people we're speaking to, not just here in erbil, but also in baghdad. they want to see an intensification of those u.s. air strikes. people are wanting president obama to give that commitment. that strong statement, that the united states is here for the long haul. not boo

sunni rebels occupied the area for two months but let's go to sue turton in erbil. explain the tactics, of those trying to retake tikrit from the islamic state. >> it's been to explain to me at the moment the iraqi forces, they are surrounding tikrit as much as they can. they pushed in from the north-east of tikrit, from the villages cleared a few days ago. they are standing firm, 15km from the center. they are waiting for the u.s. jet fighters and iraqi air strikes to come in and soften up tikrit. it is impossible to push until they get help from the air. obviously the artillery is in there. the snipers is large. tlt a hold back. there are clashes to the north of the city, in the university area, but, yes, there's a waiting game. this is what we have seen in the tactics from further east, that they have to rely on the help. this is why when you talk to the peshmerga, they say we cannot be there in any shape or form. >> waiting, sue, tell me if i'm right or wrong - they don't have the weaponry they were promised. >> they are tearing their hair out. i spoke to the ku

john hendren there in erbil in northern iraq. thank you. >>> as we mentioned australia sending 600 troops and fighter jets to the united arab emirates to help the coalition. australia prime minister had this to say about the latest beheading. >> the beheading of a british aid worker is further demonstration that this particular terrorist group does not just do evil, but exhults in doing evil. i can advise that we have, within the last 24 hours, received a specific request from the united states government to contribute forces to possible military action in iraq. i can further advise that on friday night i had a conversation with the new prime minister of iraq, who indicated to me that he would welcome an australian military contribution to the restoration of order and security inside iraq. >> to like earia, where the -- liberia where the president sacked 12 government officials for not returning to the country during the ebola crisis more than 1,200 died, and infection cases are increasing. in a statement it was said they showed

cnn's anna coren joins me now from erbil. it's just after 8:20 in the morning there inn erbil. give us an idea whether there's been any reaction to these u.s.-led strikes with five arab partners. what are people saying on the ground there, what are they hoping to see and how quickly do they think the mission can be achieved? >> reporter: well, rosemary, i think there really is a feeling that finally, finally they are going after isis in syria, which of course is their safe haven, their sanctuary, and as to the city of raqqah. that is the de facto capital for isis. the iraqis have been saying all along that you can't just target the militants here in iraq. going after member in syria is critical. otherwise this entire exercise is completely futile. but certainly, what we're hearing from the kurdish regional government up here in erbil is that this is welcomed. that this is a very important step in the war against isis. they believe that having this international coalition attack isis in syria is critical. but they are also calling, rosemary, for an intensification of the air cam

scott pelley is in erbil tonight on assignment for "60 minutes." scott. >> pelley: bob, tonight, the kurdish government here is asking the united states to greatly expand the air strikes and to rush heavy weapons into the fight. we spoke to the head of intelligence for the kurdish government, a man who knows isis better than just about anyone. masrour barzani's intelligence service helps pick the targets for u.s. pilots in support of kurdish forces on the ground. are the u.s. air strikes now enough to defeat isis? >> i think it's very useful and we are very thankful to everything that the u.s. is doing so far, but i don't think it's enough. we believe that the strikes should target the nerve system and the leadership of isis, wherever they may be. >> pelley: i think you're talking about syria. >> even in syria. >> pelley: you would like to see u.s. air strikes in syria. >> we do, yes. >> pelley: barzani told us the kurds are talking to the white house about major support for the kurdish army, known as the peshmerga. >> we are asking the united stat

i want to go to erbil, iraq where anna coren is located.a, you are watching the air strikes for some time. almost 200. 190 plus until now. this is the first expansion of those with other partners and in syria. what is the reaction inside iraq to this new phase? >> reporter: christine, we have been here for the past six weeks. ever since those u.s. air strikes began here in northern iraq. i can tell you from the officials that we spoke to in kurdistan, they have been calling for this for weeks trying to stress the fact they cannot focus attention on iraq. they need to target isis in their safe haven and sanctuary. otherwise, this entire operation is a futile exercise. they welcome the fact, christine, arab countries are involved. they say that is encouraging. they also want there to be intensification of the air campaign here in iraq. you have to remember that while there have been 190 plus air strikes from the u.s. coupled with the french over the weekend, it has been a piecemeal approach. taking out isis targets. enemy positions and armore

let's get the latest from iraq and erbil. some progress with the iraqi forces? >> reporter: that's right. you are talking the township of amerli. it's north of baghdad. the weekend u.s. air strikes really allowing for that ground offensive to breakthrough that was led by not just the iraqi military, but also the shiite militia. these are the people backed by iran who fought against the american soldiers. now we are here for a long occupation. you have enemies coming together to defeat isis. that gives you an idea how bad things are here in iraq. that township of amerli, 20,000 shiite turks, can'ted to be under the slaughter. they were the words from the u.s. representative here in iraq. he raised the red alert, the red flag more than a week ago saying this imminent massacre was about to unfold. we saw the international community come together over the weekend, not just the u.s. air strikes, but the humanitarian aid drops. much needed food, water and medical supplies. we were getting reports from activist groups that dozens of children died because of the terribl

we've been given access to hospitals in erbil. >> reporter: the fighting in iraq, his unit has pushed forward towards the city of mosul when his vehicle hit an ied, killing one and injuring others. in. >> the enemy knows what it's doing with ieds, mortars and snipers. >> reporter: on the same operation his unit came face to face with the enemy. >> i loft my nephew. they killed him. a sniper shot him in the head. >> reporter: we were given rare access to hospital wards of kurdish fighters. the peshmerga have kept the media out until now fearing that the sight of wounded soldiers would hurt morale among its army and the kurdish people. >> we're losing a lot of people because there is such a huge difference between us and them. they come to die. when they run out of ammunition they blow themselves up. >> reporter: taking on far bigger guns with little more than assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. but their official d.t. toll is just 200. it's a sensitive subject that could affect morale. >> we always fought with patriots. but you need more than patriotism to win this fight. thi

that was sue turtan in erbil. despite violence we are seeking? iraqi, the president of iran is taking credit for what et cetera calling relative security. iranian soldiers joined iraqi fighters in the battle against the islamic state and president rassan rhouhani said it is secure. >> if it wasn't for the assistance of the iranian nation and the iranian government, today we would not be witnessing relative security in iraq. alleys, towns, villages in the region are being saved from the hands of savage terrorists and murderers day by day. >> the comments were made during a speech of thousands this morning in northern iran. there is word today that the islamic state has beheaded a second leb an easy soldier who was captured along the syrian border. >> comes as a french journalist who was held hostage in syria said one of the captors was a sho shooter at a jewish myselfem in bressels this year. >> kept it secret for a long time, but now after revelations in the french press, he has spoken out. french journalist nikola said one of his jailers was nam

our anna corn is there in erbil. good morning, nan. >> reporter: christine, as you say, we're all the waying to hear what president obama's strategy is against isis. and certainly here in iraq, people are very keen to learn. they're hoping that the president gives a firm commitment, that the united states is here, for the long haul. that does not mean boots on the ground. the president has made it perfectly clear that that will not be the case. there will not be u.s. soldiers physically fighting against isis. in saying that, there are more than 1,000 troops here in iraq, protectinging the consulate, protecting the embassy, protecting u.s. person until. but they're also here in a role to advise and assist. that is critical. the united states needs to take leadership, you know, with this operation. the reason being is that the kurds and iraqis have been fighting very independently, acting as two entities, tackling their own fights against isis. well, there needs to be that cooperation and that coordination. so so far a

. >> reporter: in central erbil the weapons market is busy. civilians are preparing to protect themselves unsure if the peshmerga can hold the line. an introduced security threat was announced two days ago with a warning that isil is preparing to target civilians and public places. this weapons' market has been here since 1991 but it has never been this busy. as i.s. has gotten closer and closer to the city, the this bullet used to call $1.50. now it goes for $5. and an ak-47 has gone up from $100 to $700. [ explosion ] >> reporter: isil is also waging a social media war with a steady flow of hollywood-style trailers, beheadings and arsenal undermining morale. but kurdish spirits have been lifted by recent heavy isil casualties from coalition airstrikes. they just need the promised weapons to arrive to help them believe they can win this conflict. al jazeera. erbil. >> it's the second day in the nationwide shut down in sierra leone where the government is trying to stop an ebola outbreak. doctors kay they're in desperate need of workers. >> re

thank you very much for joining us from erbil. thanks a lot. >>> now, stay with us on "bbc world news," because still to come, we are in glen eagle for all the latest on the golfing action at the ryder cup. you pay your auto insurance premium every month on the dot. you're like the poster child for paying on time. and then one day you tap the bumper of a station wagon. no big deal... until your insurance company jacks up your rates. you freak out. what good is having insurance if you get punished for using it? hey insurance companies, news flash. nobody's perfect. for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. >>> now, here is an intriguing question. where is the supreme leader? in recent weeks, north korea's ruler has been supremely elusive, prompting speculation about his health. now pyongyang has acknowledged that kim jong un is suffering from discomfort, they call it. they revealed that he has an uncomfor

anna coren joins pea from erbil in iraq. and we've been talking about the ground forces that these air strikes are there to support. paint a picture for us if you will of exactly who is on the ground and what the logistics of fighting in that region are. >> reporter: well certainly here in the iraq, the ground forces are here, the peshmerga and iraqi forces, but on the ground in syria, as we know, it's been the militia and the syrian opposition. so this is how the forces, what they comprise of. here in iraq, certainly, the forces have been making incremental advances. i think that's fair to say. we're not talking about re-claiming a whole lot of territory. there have been more than 186 u.s. air strikes today since that air campaign began if this country more than six weeks ago. certainly, there have been calls for an intensification. and this is what we've been hearing from the kurdish regional government. we just got this statement from the foreign relations head who is currently at the united nations general assembly in ne

. >> reporter: in central erbil the weapons market is busy. civilians are preparing to protect themselves unsure if the peshmerga can hold the line. an increased security threat was announced two days ago with a warning that isil is preparing to target civilians and public places. >> this market has been here since 1991. and isi >> reporter: isil is waging a ho hollywood style war aimed at undermining morale. but kurdish spirits have been lifted from the coalition airstrikes. they just need the promised weapons to arrive to redress this imbalance on the battlefield pop to help them believe they can win this conflict. al jazeera, erbil. >> thousands of anti-government protesters in pa bankrupt rain have demonstrated in its capitol. they're unhappy about proposed government reforms that they say don't represent the opposition. the crowned prince said that the reforms will help the majority. >>> al jazeera continues to demand the release of three of its journalists impressed in egypt. mohamed fahmy, bader mohammed, and peter greste have now been

. >> let's go straight to john hendren, live from erbil. where has the fighting left the balance of power, specially in the haditha area? >> there has been a push back on the islamic state by iraqi forces, particularly in the area of haditha, that was launched with u.s. and iraqi air strikes, and those are the first air strikes in the campaign in anbar province, that is significant. that shows you how important this battle is perceived to be. haditha is important, because it's at an oil crossroad, between kirkuk, and baiji. it's not just oil, there's a major hydroelectric dam. it's the second-largest. the concern was if i.s.i.s. got a hold of this, the islamic state got a hold of this, they may be able to blow it up and flood an area with thousands of people. so you have one battle going op there. you have another in tikrit, and slowly you have got the kurdish peshmerga forces closing in on the city of mosul. that is the stronghold of the islamic state. the focus seems to be intensely on haditha. >> that's the u.s. president talking about h

anna coren, thank you so much for your reporting in erbil. >>> u.s.state john kerry is preparing to attend a major international conference in paris on monday. looking at how to deal with this threat from isis. he's already been in egypt to gather support, emphasizing that the ideology of isis, that it has nothing to do with islam. elise labott has more. >> reporter: egypt is the latest stop on secretary kerry's mideast tour to build support for a global coalition to combat isis militants. early in the week, kerry was in iraq trying to boost the new iraqi government. then he was in saudi arabia meeting with leaders of ten arab nations, trying to enlist sunni arab support for the coalition and the new iraqi government. then he travelled to ankara where he met with turkish leaders, trying to see what they could do for the coalition. here in egypt, the heart of the arab world, secretary kerry asked the president to stem the flow of foreign fighters and financing, which is really the lifeblood of this group. the u.s. also sees those foreign fighters trans

previous air strikes hit the town of erbil. we have jomana karadsheh joining us live with the latest on the air strikes close to baghdad. jomana. >> reporter: christine, we know the air strike took place 22 miles southwest of baghdad. u.s. military saying this was in response to the iraqi security forces coming under attack. they struck an isis position that was used to attack the iraqi security forces in the area. now we're waiting for more details from the iraqi military, but one iraqi security official is telling us the strike took place near the town of yovevif. if you know, the united states referred to this as the triangle of death. this is what we are seeing. these air strikes are not only an expansion in the geographical sense, it is what president obama was speaking about last week in his speech this will be an expansion of the scope of the military strikes here. the mission taking place. it is no longer just about protecting u.s. facilities and u.s. personnel or humanitarian like we have seen in the past in northern i

. >> reporter: this is bill neely in erbil northern iraq with kurdish troops with isis on the run. they've retaken hilltops, cleared villages with the help of u.s. air strikes in the last 24 hours. on the front line they show me the isis target they'll attack next. the kurds are weary, but in need of heavy weapons. then they say they can drive out isis faster and for good. bill neely, nbc news, erbil, northern iraq. >>> so how worried should subway riders be this morning after an ominous claim by iraq's prime minister yesterday insisting they have no information about an alleged plot to attack subways in the u.s. and paris. iraq's prime minister said captured state imlaws immilitants told them about such a plot. according to obama officials this is the first time they're hearing about this. >>> in an effort to ensure the riders public, new york's governor and police commissioner each road the subways yesterday. >>> attorney general eric holder is stepping down. the big question is, who is stepping in? according to politico, at least two of holder's rumored suctionsuction suction --

saudi arabia, jordan, and the uae all took part. >> for the very latest, let's go to erbil in iraq. been wh ben whelan joins us live. is there a sense that there's a shift of focus away from iraq and heading to syria? >> reporter: certainly in the last 24 to 48 hours, it does appear that the focus has shifted to syria, keeping in mind, of course, that syria is really the strategic depth for isis. raqqa, which they took over last year, is essentially the capital for the islamic state. it's understood or believed that that's where much of the leadership is, and therefore not surprising that there should be a focus on that. and also, keep in mind one thing, where as we talk about syria and iraq, for isis, there is no border. they control large areas of territory on both sides of the border. here, for instance, in northern iraq, kurdish officials have long said that the strikes that began here in iraq at the beginning of august should be also focused on syria, because that is really in a sense the head of the snake, if you want to use that analogy. as far as the situation here goes, isi

. >> helped joins us live from erbil in northern iraq. what do we know about the claims shia militias taking revenge on sunnis for harbouring islamic state fighters? >> well, as you heard in sue's story, what we know is there are repeated reports of incidents like this, after which sunni - a largely sunni arab town is taken by shia militia or army forces that are shia, and there are concerns, reports of reprisals. it's a running theme, highlighting the problem you have in a country that is so divided along sectarian lines and with a fighting force and battles in sunni arab towns. there's a lot of hostility and hard feelings. this is the situation that we have reported time and time again here. that is one of the reasons it's so important in the formation of this new government in iraq for there to be more inclusion. many argue in the military so that comments like this don't happen. it's one of the reasons there's a new policy by which they have national guard troops police their own areas. in some areas it would be sunni arab military tr

. >>> john hendren joins us from erbil. what do you make of this apparent beheading? >> well the timing is curious. this happens after president obama in the u.s. declared this new campaign and after john kerry, the secretary of state has gone from country to country, trying to gather up is coalition to take on the islamic state. it raised its profile, and these beheadings seem to happen if this, in fact, was a beheading. we haven't verified the video. it seems to happen at times when the islamic state wants to attract tore turn the attention of the public. last time there were a series of military defeats after the killing of steven sotloff. now you have attention on the international coalition gathering against the islamic state, and concluding in egypt. it seems that the incidents are timed to send a message, and to change the news cycle. >> every day we hear of losses and gains on the ground. if you can give us a picture of the fight against the islamic state in iraq. well that, is part of the timing that we have been talking about. there has been a series of push

cnn's anna coren is standing by in erbil.he refugee crisis, the iraqi part of it, up close. >> reporter: that is right, john. we spent time in a refugee camp close to the syrian border. it is alarming to see the conditions that these people are living in. they are in safety, but you are talking about them living in the plastic tents in the searing heat in the dusty and desolate conditions. they want to go home, but reality is they won't be. they won't be going home anytime soon. the refugee camps are becoming little townships in themselves. the agencies, unhcr is running out of funds and appealing to the international community for more help to meet up with demand. that is one part of the crisis. you mention what's taking place up in the syrian and turkish border. 70,000 have crossed into turkey and that, as you mention in the introduction, a conservative number. the deputy prime minister of turkey says the number is more than 130,000 of the syrian kurds that fled to safety. the forces were not allowing them to come in initia

>> reporter: christine, welcome news to the kurdish officials i have spoken to in erbil. president obama outlined his strategy to degrade and destroy isis. those u.s. troops, 475 that will be joining the already 1,100 making a total of 1,600 u.s. forces. they are going to be taking on the role of advising and assisting and training. this is critical. that leadership has been lacking here in iraq. the kurds and iraqis have been very much operating separately. the two militaries. to see them come under the leadership and umbrella of the united states will make a big difference in the way that they attack isis and the effectiveness of the fights. obviously the u.s. air strikes critical. they have been changing the situation on the ground and not necessarily defeating isis, but containing them and stopping the rapid advance over the last few months where isis controls one-third of the country. the intensification of the air strikes by the systematic campaign that we heard the president outline and an indication that we will see it ramp up over the coming weeks which will hurt

anna is live in erbil this morning.nna. >> reporter: hey, john, you are absolutely right. the u.s. air strikes allowing the iraqi forces as well as the shiite militia to make the ground defensive on amerli and free, liberate the township that has been under siege for two months. it's important to note the shiite militia are the same force that is fought the american soldiers. they were here in iraq. so, you have sworn enemies coming together to fight isis. it goes to show how desperate the situation is on the ground. isis had that town under siege more than two months cutting off food, power and water. from what we understand from residents on the ground, dozens of children were dying because of the conditions and obviously those forces coming through, really overting a huge crisis. none of this would have been possible without the strikes. the u.s. is broadening its campaign. it's been limited to up here in erbil, the capital of kurdistan. seeing the air strikes around amerli, moving further south. the united states br

let go to john hendren, in northern iraq, in fact, in erbil. we saw david cameron there, and the rocks of those who appeared on the tape with haines before his death were directed to the british prime minister. >> that's right. that unequivocal statement of support that you heard there, it's that kind of pore that has so upset the islamic state. they are upset about the american air strikes, but are upset about the arming of the peshmerga troops in northern iraq. in the chilling video, the man who is apparently executing david haines directly addresses cameron. this man, this british man is paying the price for your promise to arm peshmerga troops in the battle against the islamic state. that makes it pretty clear what the concern is about british involvement. and those peshmerga troops have said that they really want all the help they can get from the global coalition, and they have been receiving the help from american air strikes, but they want other kinds of help. humanitarian assistance and others. we recently visited the spot in mosul, an

in central erbil, the weapons market is busy.ivilians are preparing to protect themselves, unsure if the peshmerga can hold the line. an increased security threat was announced two days ago with a warning that isil is preparing to target civilians in public places. >> isil is waging a social media war with a steady flow of hollywood style real action trailers, beheading videos undermining morale. kurdish spirits have been listed. they need to promise weapons to arrive to the battlefield. al jazeera. erbil. >> it representatives for presidential candidates. abdullah abdullah has reached a power sharing it will agreement. they were the top candidates. allegations of fraud after the june run off election led to a political standoff. in yemen, fighting is intensifying with warnings the country could be hours away from civil war. government forces are fighting the houti officials. cease-fire talks have fallen apart. dozen killed in the capitol healthcare workers in sierra leon are going house to house on the second day of a nationwide

josh rushing is live in erbil, and josh, what is the latest in northern iraq? >> th >> reporter: well, there is more violence here today. they're digging up a mass grave and so far body count 35. they seem to be truck drivers from the south of iraq, which implies that they were shia and they were killed by sunni militants. there were multiple car bombs in and around baghdad, and something that could prove to be strategically notable, a sunni was killed by the islamic state near mosul. that's notable because the tribes have allowed the islamic state to operate in certain areas. if you think back to anbar when al-qaeda was big in 2005-2006 it was the tribes who turned against al-qaeda and helped to push them out of anbar. with th the the assassination of a sheikh it would be significant. >> for a lot of people watching all this, they're horrified by the action of the islamic state, whether it's the mass executions, rapes and everything else going on, the president said that they will defeat the islamic state just as they did with al-qaeda. >> we're going to degra

. >> reporter: this is bill neely in erbil, northern iraq, with kurdish troops, who have isis on the run. they've retaken hilltops held by isis, destroyed their vehicles, cleared them from villages, all with the help of u.s. air strikes. this one on an isis position in the last 24 hours. on the front line they show me the isis target they'll attack next. the fighters here say the american air strikes have been vital. and they want more. before the u.s. offensive isis seemed unstoppable. not anymore. isis leave dozens of ieds as they retreat. the kurds are weary, battle hardened but in need of heavy weapons. then they say they can drive out isis faster and for good. bill neily, nbc news, erbil, northern iraq. >>> the identity of a masked executioner in the isis propaganda videos has remained a mystery for weeks. tonight, however, fbi thinks they know who the man is. for now they're not releasing a name or any information about his location. he's believed to have beheaded two american journalists and a british aide worker. >>> eric holder, the first and only african-american to serve a

christian families are being sheltered here. >> i'm very sad. >> another nine schools in the city of erbil have become refugee camps too. tents have been set up in the playground, the refugees moved in, and the local children were sent home. nearly 1,000 children should be studying, this is what the blackboard looks like. the classroom, and the areas that are cleared because families of refugees have moved in here. >> it's a crisis. they are so overwhelmed. they were forced to house the latest group in a construction site for a shopping mall. his suburb of 35,000 people was suddenly faced with an influx of 45,000 refugees. >> translation: the problem now is that we urgently need medicine, food and accommodation from the international community. >> reporter: back at the school they are trying to keep the glass rooms clean. once students looked at the cloth hoping for the end of the class. now, it will be time before he and his family can go back to where they fled from. >> reporter: australian police arrested a man accused of funding an extremist group fighting in syria. the 23-year-old sus

we are alone in fighting them before the world. >>> in central erbil, the west is busy. civil yanians are preparing to protect themselves unsure if the peshmerga can hold the line. two days ago there was a warping that i.s.i.l. was prepared to target civilians and public places. this has been here since 1991, but never been this busy. as i.s. got closer, businesses rocketed. this cost $1.50 and is now $5. [ explosion ] >> reporter: i.s.i.l. is waging a social media war with a steady flow of hollywood trailers, with footage of arsenal aimed at undermining morale. kurdish spirits have been lifted by heavy i.s.i.l. casualties. they need the promised weapons to arrive to address the imbalance, to help them believe they can win the conflict. >>> now, yemeni government troops and houthi rebels have been battling for a third day in sanaa after ceasefire talks collapsed. more than 100 have been killed in fighting. the state tv headquarters has come under attack, and the university forced to close. >> reporter: fear in the yemeni capital sanaa. these are the latest clashes on sat

now to john hendren in northern iraq and erbil. what reason did haines killers give for beheading him? >> the executioner in that video spoke directly to david cameron, addressing him by name and said "this british man is paying the price, cameron, for your promise to arm the peshmerga in their battle against the islamic state. it was a direct accusation or direct blaming, rather, of brits for cooperating in the coalition. the brits have promised to arm the peshmerga, and they say they are awaiting the arms in order to carry out what could be the biggest battle yet to come. that is for the city of mosul, a big city, just a couple of hours away from the syrian border. it's a sunni arab city, occupied by the islamic state. we spent time there, and this is what we found. [ gun fire ] >> reporter: from a strategic mountain above villagers held by the islamic state group, there is a push towards mosul. islamic state fighters no longer fire back, movement is punished by mortar strikes, like this in the village of tajja. in a 3-hour battl

. >> let's go straight to al jazeerats john hendren in erbil.t's the latest on the airstrikes near the haditha dam? >> the iraqi army says it's not just the haditha dam they have captured. they say they have the neighboring city under siege, something like 15 islamic state fighters have been killed as of last count. eight captures, there are improvised explosives all around that area and that's why the governor of that region was injured a little earlier, apparently his convoy struck and improvised explosive and then there was a mortar strike injured by happennell but apparently okay. had i thinka is crucial. the reason the iraqi army called for the u.s. air strikes for two reasons: oil and water. it is right between where the oil comes out of the ground in kirkuk and where it's processed t the islamic state was trying to go after the oil inf infrastruction tour. the dam is the second largests contributor to the power grid in iraqi airaq. the white house issued a statement saying it wasn't just a danger to iraqis. it was a danger to u.s. citizen

and of course, it is part of the highway connecting erbil, just where we are here, the capital kurdistan mosul, iraq's second largest city. a city of 2 million people which is now an isis stronghold and has been since june. it's very important that they have that connection, because, obviously, that route is going to be critical for the battle for mosul. that is what everything is gearing up for. that's what all of these preparations are under way, regaining all of this territory towards mosul, where we were yesterday, word was that intense fighting was some 30 kilometers east of mosul that gradually, christine, the peshmerga are making advances. we saw the u.s. air strikes and how critical they play in this offensive. you know, not only providing that critical ground cover for the -- i should say cover for the ground forces to advance. but also, taking out those enemy positions, hitting the targets. hitting the armored vehicles. and it makes such a difference to the situation here on the ground, christine. >> anna coren for us in erbil, thank you. >>> we mentioned earlier the concern fo

ben wedeman joins us from erbil in northern iraq.what is the significance for isis if it captures this critically important part of syria? >> reporter: there's a variety of things, wolf. first of all, this is a city of around 45,000 people. many of them have fled. but to gain yet another large town like this is important to isis. also keep in mind, this is an area where there's some of syria's oil resources. this is a fast agricultural area. it's part of really the breadbasket of syria. and then there's the other element which we've learned about. speaking with refugees here in erbil yesterday, they're talking about how when isis goes into a town, they are like a medieval army that basically sacks and plunders and takes away all the possessions that people have left behind and either distributes them to their own people or sells them. refrigerators, televisions, cars. so for isis, this will be yet another opportunity to enrich itself and symbolically another town to fall to them, despite the fact that you've had these air strikes goi

al jazeera as josh rushing is in erbil, iraq, area of controlled largely by the kurds.you've been in that area back and forth, and there are different militias fighting on your side of the line, as it we are, versus the islamic state group. this group of countries coming together that president obama talked about, are they the countries that are close by that need to be involved in this? do we know that? >> reporter: i think they appreciate any help they can get. but without qatar, saudi arabia, the u.a.e. on board they'll have problems with that strategy, ali. >> the groups you're working with, they want weaponry. the air coverage is helping them make advances against islamic state, but they need assistance, and at the moment the west is dealing with the concept of there being a government in baghdad dealing with this kind of thing. i think they're worried about sending heavy equipment to where you are for fear this strengthens the hand of the kurds? >> absolutely, ali. that is a major point. when countries talk about sending weapons to iraq, if they're sending them to

they are confident to get the helps they promise. >>> john hendren there in northern erbil. thank you. australia is the first country to give details of its correcti contribution to the military effort. tony abbott says it will send 600 airmen and special forces. eight fighters, a command aircraft and refuelling plane. they'll be based at the u.s. military facilities in the unit emirates. >> i can advise that we have, within about the last 24 hours, received a specific request from the united states government to contribute forces to possible military action in iraq. i can further advise on friday night i had a conversation with the new prime minister of iraq, who indicated to me that he would very much welcome, on answer military contribution to the restore takes of order and security inside irish. >>> iran's parliamentary speaker dismissed an effort to build a coalition. he says any action against the i.s. without u.n. approval is a violation of international law. >>. >> translation: they say the u.s. and allies will form a coalition and attack, regardless of the u.n. secu

joining us from erbil in irish is "fault line" correspondent josh. what is going on there - good to have you on the show? >> that's right. we filed a story for al jazeera two days ago. they are digging up mass graves. we here 35 bodies. they are the bodies of truck drivers from the south. so one presumes that they were shia, and killed by sunni in the village. also a few car bombs around baghdad, and notably a tribal chief near mosul was executed by the islamic state today. that is interesting because a lot of islamic state success comes from the tribes, if not supporting, allowing what they do. it makes you think back to the anbar province when al qaeda was large there, and they killed tribal members, and the trains turned against al qaeda. it's a small item, but could have huge consequences as the day goes on. >> it is hope that the tribes will end up fighting back against the islamic state terrorists. >> now, president obama spoke in wales, let's listen to some of what he said about dismantling the i.s.i.s. group. >> you can't contain an organizat

he couldn't have said that a month ago when these troops were forced back toward the capital erbil. but now, the american air campaign means that isis can't mass its forces or move with any speed. thanks to the u.s. airstrikes, the peshmerga are now on the offensive and eventually, the peshmerga will be moving toward mosul, which is an occupied city of more than $1.5 million people. these are the pictures coming out of mosul these days. it is chaos, according to a doctor we found who is moving in and out of the city. we won't identify him for his safety. "mosul is like a big prison with limited water and gas," he told us. "electricity only shows up once every two days. the people have no work. there's a massive shortage of medicine." what are some of the rules in mosul today that people have to live under because of isis? "they control life, clothing, everything in a very harsh way, very strict, and very strict punishments." isis is posting those punishments online, boasting of mass executions of people who refuse to convert to its extremist view of islam. sayid told us that last mo

armed reconnaissance planes will be based in erbil, freeing up unmanned drones to conduct surveillance missions over isis safe havens in syria. in recent weeks, isis fighters have taken over entire bases, complete with ammunition dumps which once belonged to the syrian air force and which now could become targets for american air strikes. to destroy isis will require putting troops into syria, which the pentagon has ruled out. instead, the pentagon has asked congress for legal authority and $500 million to begin training a syrian opposition force to do battle against isis. southbound has agreed to let that training take place on its territory. pentagon officials say the new air campaigned in iraq could begin within days. air strikes in syria are more likely weeks away. scott. >> pelley: david martin at the pentagon for us this evening. david, thank you very much. secretary of state john kerry was in saudi arabia today, lining up arab support for defeating ice i. margaret brennan sat down with kerry in jeddah. >> reporter: is the u.s. at war with isis? >> we're engaged in a major counte

previous hits near erbil. central command calls this the first strike in the expanded effort to help iraqi forces go on offensive. six vehicles in a fighting position southwest of the capital were destroyed on monday. kurdish forces are also on offense in the north and from the looks of it, backed also by u.s. air strikes. cnn correspondent anna coren is on the frontlines from iraq. you can see the smoke plumes behind you. anna. >> reporter: john, we are close by in the township of hasam sham. the isis strong hold. this has been a ground offensive to clear out the villages. you say the smoke behind me has been rising for hours now. big black plumes of smoke along the horizon. our cameraman sanjiv will give you the idea of how far the fighting reached. this offense started before dawn. peshmerga pushing and trying to clear those villages. the mission here is to seize an area where there was a bridge blown up by isis about a month ago. it is a strategic bridge because of the link between erbil and the city of mo

joining us from erbil in iraq.se kurdish fighters. >> reporter: that's right, wolf. we spent the day on the front lines with the kurdish forces who are, of course, the boots on the ground, fighting isis here in northern iraq. wolf, we witnessed intense fighting as they tried to root out these islamic extremists from a critical area. take a look. as the first rays of light stream through the clouds, the roar of u.s. fighter jets could be heard across these did he say late plains. this was a signal for them to launch their new offensive against isis. the mission? to reclaim the township and the surrounding area, which includes a strategic bridge. blown up by isis a month ago. the bridge connects the highway running from irbil, the capital, to the city of mosul, an isis stronghold 30 kilometers away. >> two u.s. fighter jets, which can you hear now, have been circling, launching air strikes on enemy targets, providing that critical cover for these ground forces to advance towards the bridge. for the man in charge of t

and they said to baghdad can you please send an inspector to erbil and fly closer to the front line.action from baghdad to them but seeing a compromise possibly on the ground to allow weapons to touchdown in baghdad, the inspector on the paperwork and come up. they desperately need it here and if there is a push in places like mosul where we expect it to happen reasonably soon we need the weapons sharpened. >> thank you very much indeed, rounding up our coverage from on the ground in these troubled areas. let's go to our diplomatic editor james who has been following events here. and we talked to a great extent what they will do about the situation in ukraine, give us an idea of what is occupying them and as they get down to the council meeting rather than just a nato meeting. >> a council meeting will be concluding we think within the next hour and we will hear from the nato secretary general giving a news conference of what has been achieved and we will get more details on that new spear head reaction and details about the nato budget but i think he will be asked about the islamic