now, the city of haditha is close to the haditha dam, the main target. the u.s. says that it has launched the air strikes in support of iraqi government, iraqi government forces, and also to protect u.s. interests. it's the first u.s. air strikes in western anbar, mainly sunni province, since the american military pulled out and iraqi officials are saying that they expect u.s. air strikes closer to the capital, in fact, around the outskirts of baghdad. >> this is the sunni arab heartland. what is the role of the sunni tribes in this? >> well, it's essential, and it's very complicated. the rick yoi government -- iraqi government says it has the backing of some tribes and on the ground in haditha security tells us that some of the tribes are fighting to support the iraqi government forces to take back some of those towns and defend the haditha dam. this has not always been the case. in other places in anbar, fallujah and ramadi, they pushed out the government forces and in haditha they have the backing of some tribes, and the american government and the iraqi gover

has bombed sites near haditha where iraqi forces and sunni tribes are trying to protect the haditha damasefiretrine ukrainian government forces and pro-russia separatists have been breached. shells have landed near the airport in donetsk and in the port city of mariupol but the ukrainian defense ministry says the fragile truce is still holding an arab league meeting, pushing for palestinian state within three years but says hamas is under mining those efforts accusing them of running a shadow government. tens of thousands have been demonstrating. they want the government to the step down and cut fuel prices. in the north of the country rosumes. more than 70 people killed in the last three days. live from the capital. sanaa, what is happening in the capital right now? hasham? >> reporter: jane, security forces moved in to camp using tear gas and water. basically, that i am their aim was to open the main roads that leads to the international airport. that was blocked by the protesters they tell al jazeera some were killed and five others injured when the security forces intervened in that

haditha is said to be all right. it lies between oil fields, and capturing that region would allow the islamic state group to have a lucrative source of oil. it's important because of the haditha dam. it's a reason the u.s. was asked to launch air strikes to protect it. american officials say that would have - exploding that dam could have flooded an area with thousands of iraqis, and reached as far away as baghdad international airport, threatening huge centers. the peshmerga troops in northern iraq say they are closing in on the stronghold of the islamic state in mosul, moving 10km closer from the eastside to the city of mosul, making major gains and capturing mt zar tech and plan to move to mosul in the coming weeks. >>> u.s. president barack obama is expected to outline his plans for further action against is on wednesday. we have more of that from washington. >> the u.s. says air strikes it is conducting in iraq are having an impact. the latest air strikes taking place on sunday - five destroyed a number of isla

the haditha and haditha dam have been under control of the iraqi security forces. isis has been trying over the last few weeks and months to capture that key installation. the haditha dam. officials told us they have been concerned in the attempts to capture the dam. isis has launched attacks and they are concerned of mortars and attacks to damage the dam and cause what they call catastrophic flooding in anbar province and other parts of the country. that is why iraqi officials requested the assistance of the u.s. military because they have not been able to do this of their own. under the cover of u.s. air strikes, they managed to take out the isis extremists. a district called barwanah, six miles west of haditha, this is the area used by isis to launch the attacks. this operation is ongoing, they say, but they have made some progress in the outskirts of barwanah. air strikes here, months since the campaign began, shifting the balance on the ground in favor of the iraqi ground forces wherever we see that happen. real expansion, one month on. we saw it focussed in t

well, the attacks around the haditha dam occurred in the last 24 hours or so. the u.s. launched five or six air strikes in the 24 hour period. they were concerned that the islamic state fighters, who had taken over the up to of haed eetha would take -- haditha would take over the hydroelectric dam. they launched strikes against a command post and vehicles, and some were carrying artillery. they would have been large explosions. the iraqi army is in control of the dam, and they are pressing in on the city of haditha. that is the latest spot where there's a conflict. there are fights in tikrit and to the north around mosul, peshmerga forces say they have closed in on the eased, closing in from two different sides, but they captured high ground around mt zartec. allowing them to see into the valley below, where there are a number of fighters, including in a christian town. mosul is the strong hold of the islamic state and iraq, and that would be a battle to take a long time. we don't expect that to happen in the city of mosul for days or weeks. the focus is on haed eetha,

sites near haditha were hit.nting tensions in the recently formed palestinian unity government mac mood a abbas trying to win support but he says hamas is under mining his efforts. there has been renewed fighting in qunatirea. here is more. >> fierce battles in the countryside after controlling the only border crossing in the area. opposition fighters want to seize more military posts which belongs to the syrian army's 90th brigade. >> our aim is to control a number of posts. we liberated three posts already. >> the fighters want to cut off the government supply route between the western country side of damascus but they want to secure a new lifeline for rebel forces under siege for months in the area. rebels also aim to bolster control on the western countrysi countryside. there is not an easy fight. government troops are still holding on their positions and that means the back could drag on for days or weeks. but the rebel gains made recently is providing the fighters with a feeling of momentum. the is he goal

haditha has been a stronghold, something that the u.s. feels that it needs to focus on. the areas around the syrian border, if it's going to make significant progress against the islamic state group. now they have started that campaign. >> there's a bloody history in places like haditha. how do the sunnis view the u.s. strikes? >> it's a complicated dynamic by iraqi standard. we are hearing from local officials in haditha that they have the tribes on board to fight against the islamic state group. it's a 2-prong strategy - the air strikes taking down islamic state group checkpoints and armoured vehicle tanks seized from iraqi forces, and then on the ground you need to follow that up with a bush to get rid of islamic state fighters. that can only really be done in the sunni areas with the sunni trains. it's the same issue in the baghdad belt. the areas around baghdad, launching points for attacks on the capital itself. >> thank you. jane arraf there in the iraqi capital. >>> syrian air force launched strikes on several rebel targets on the syrian side of the golan site. i

what is the latest on the battle for haditha, and why are the americans focussing on haditha? >> haditha is important infrastructure, the dam, the second-largest in the country. the appearance is it's western anbar, a swath of territory to the syrian border. the u.s. air strikes backed by iraqi aircraft are focused on strikes between haditha. it's the area that the united states believes is key to breaking down the operations of the islamic state group. on the ground equally important the iraqi security forces are fighting with some of the tribes. it's an essential component in beating back the islamic state group. and it has not happened in other places. really, a few firsts we are seeing in the fighting. the first strikes in the sunni heartland since the troops pulled out. what is the role of the sunni tribes in this? >> well, they seem to be playing an essential role on the ground. they are backing iraqi special forces and regular army. the two don't have the best of relations. the sunni tribes in many areas in anbar and the iraqi security forces. we have been fold by the o

haditha and the haditha dam have not fallen to isis.security forces and sunni tribes in the area have been holding on to this dam because they have been concerned, as you mentioned, about a key facility falling into the hands of the terrorist organization. for weeks and months, they have been launching attacks on the dam trying to capture the dam. that is why iraqi officials told us they asked the united states for help to try to launch offensive to clear the area around the dam where the attacks have been used to launch attacks on the dam. that is what happened yesterday. they say thanks to the u.s. air strikes they have been able to clear some of the isis positions in the area. the focus of the military offensive has been a district called barwanah. that is six miles west of haditha. this is where we have been launches strike like mortars to target the dam. this is the major concern, officials say if the dam is damaged, this could cause flooding that is catastrophic, not only for anbar province, but other parts of the country. they ar

the focus seems to be intensely on haditha. >> that's the u.s. president talking about how he has a plan. what is the plan and strategy in the fight against the is right now? >> well, they seem to be taking on one significant battle at a time. we have had one going on. tikrit is gearing up. there are attacks on three sides of tikrit. it is operating slowly. the operation in mosul is ongoing. we have action in different areas, but what you don't have is one intensive battle in one place. it seems like what the iraqi forces are doing is sparing firepower, and mosul at another. it's unlikely that the major battles will be going on at one time. we have a number of slow-moving operations. nevertheless significant pushback to islamic state positions has happened in recent weeks. a lot of people credit that with the american air strikes. there are iraqi forces on the ground that have done much to push back the islamic state. and they'll continue to do ta in the coming weeks. >> john hendren there from erbil. thank you for that. >>> devastating floods ar

they have managed to keep hold of haditha and the haditha dam but isis positions were close by and control the whole area around haditha and this is where u.s. air strikes come in, rosemary. they do tip the balance on the ground here in favor of the iraqi ground forces and this is what we have seen. now, this is an ongoing operation as we are told by iraqi officials. it is not done yet. they are trying to retake that district of bariuana in order to protect the area around the haditha dam and haditha is in anbar province largely controlled by isis and this is where we saw the first isis advances take place back in january where they took control of fallujah and many other parts of the province. >> and, jomana, on wednesday, u.s. president obama will address the american people and explain his game plan for wiping out isis militants. how is that news playing out in baghdad? >> reporter: a lot of anticipation. as we've seen over the past couple of weeks every time president obama speaks it's carried live on iraqi state tv. officials here have told us they're keeping a really close eye, for e

air strikes to retake areas west of haditha and the haditha dam. now had eighth and the dam have been under the control of iraqi security forces and sunni tribes in the area, despite many attempts by isis militants to try and take those key areas. what we are told by this official is this operation today is to retake parts around a district. this is about six miles west of haditha, and they say isis has been using this area to launch attacks on the haditha dam like mortar strikes. and they have been really concerned, he says, about the dam being damaged and hit which could have caused a catastrophe for the province. >> also want to ask you about one of the worst atrocities. the killing of military recruits back in june. human rights watch estimating 770 people so far confirmed killed, and that number could be much higher. do you have any updates on that case? >> well, george, officials here say those figures are just the tip of the iceberg. it's been more than almost three months now since the recruits and soldiers from camp speicher have vanished.

the failure of the haditha dam which provides water to millions would be catastrophic. fear that isis could use the water to flood villages and take over iraq's electricity. >> chuck hagel was speaking saying the latest strikes align with president obama's goals in iraq. he said the iraqi government asked for u.s. air support and iraqi security forces devised this operation. the attacks bring to 138, that is the number of u.s. air strikes in the latest campaign. >> the president is gearing up to meet tuesday with congressional leaders to discuss how to counter the isis threat. he has returned from a nato summit where world leaders united to destroy isis as a global menace. >> joining us now is a security director at the asia pacific foundation. thank you for being with us. we appreciate it. in your opinion, what case does the president need to make to congressional leaders about u.s. efforts to fight isis? >> the thing is, christi, is that this is a growing problem, in many ways we walked into it. isis has grown and spread its 10 tackles in iraq, syria, it's attracting

haditha dam is important for iran. >>> u.s. officials say the strikes were conducted to support iraqi forces. jane arraf is in baghdad with more on the airstrikes. >>> the air strikes are part of what appears to be a widening front and campaign by the u.s. military against islamic state targets. we are told that they had targets in between haditha on the border. they are as close to the syrian border as the u.s. has so far targeted. that area is seen as key to defeating or containing the islamic state group. they are coming back and forth with weapons across that very porous syrian border. an important component of the fight are the tribal fighters. we are told that there are several thousand fighters on the ground, backing iraqi security forces, trying to take towns close to the city of haditha, and reinforcing support for the haditha dam. one of the rational for strikes in that area is to protect the dam, as well as back iraqi army troops. now, protecting the dam is key, it says, to protecting u.s. interests, including in bag

and iraqi forces bombed slight near haditha, where sunni tribes are trying to protect the haditha dam. it's the first time the u.s. hit target in the sunni dominated area of anbar. >> if you want a remedy for this council, of course, there must be help from the global system. and if there is help from the american side, we will tackle it in a shorter time. especially when we are talking about the air power. when we have this target and when we can be with us in the movement. everything. >>> let's go to jane arraf. she's live in baghdad. they are widening the air campaign. >> absolutely. >> that's the first u.s. air strike since troops pulled out in 2011. the sound bite, the comments from an iraqi official, which is a spokesman for baghdad operations sedan. one of the reasons that the u.s. says it was bombing, it's to protect u.s. interests here in baghdad in case the dam was breached and the floodgates were open. a big concern is the baghdad belt. the area, the spokesman telling us that the u.s. is expected to launch air strikes in the surrounding areas to prevent them being used as a

but the city of haditha and the haditha dam have remained under the control of the iraqi security forces and the sunni tribes in the area. but officials tell us, over recent weeks and months, there have been continuous aterms by isis to try to capture the key dam. trying to do that, they have been targeting the dam, according to officials, using an area, about ten kilometers or six miles west of haditha. and fishes have been really concerned about these attacks which have included more terror attacks, saying that they were worried it could damage the dam and cause flooding in anbar province and other part of the country and that's why they requested the air support from the u.s. military to try and regain control of that area. it is -- this is really an expansion of the u.s. military operations here as we saw, they've been focused in the northern part of the country and they are now moved to the western part of iraq. yet again, really shifting that balance on the ground in favor of iraqi ground troops. fred? >> thank you so much. >>> back in this country, another nba owner making controv

has targeted islamic state insurgents near the haditha dam. the insurgent militant group isis is at the top of president obama's agenda when he meets congressional leader at the white house tuesday. the president is back in washington after a nato summit in wales where u.s. and nine allies agreed to take on isis. members of congress have been pressing president obama for a concrete plan to take on militants who have beheaded two american journalists. >>> we have new information this morning about a police chase in delaware country we first told you about last night. police have arrested william green in philadelphia. they first tried to pull him over on i-76 for speeding. during the chase the trooper collided with another road at county line road. a short time later the car went down the embankment and into the woods. he caught a ride to the mall. police detained him until police arrived. >>> police are looking for it will -- for the man that robbed this 7 eleven in lower marion township. none of the employees were hurt during the holdup. >>>

officials say areas around the haditha dam has been targeted.ed to be captured by the islamic state group, but they were fight off. >> we go live to baghdad to jennifer glasse. why is the islamic state group so interested in this region? >> well, this is close to the syrian border. it's a major electrical water facility, the haditha dam is the second biggest provider of electrical power in the country and is a stronghold of the islamic state. before that it is a stronghold of iraq when the marines were $. it hasn't quite gone away and is an area that the united states is focussing on and the air strikes launched a front this that war, the first time they have lunched air strikes since 2011, when they pulled out of here. >> u.s. defense secretary chuck hagel came out this morning in defense of this offensive. what did he have to say? >> well, the secretary was explaining the rational for the air strikes. they are a departure, a widening of the u.s. campaign. it's in line with what the united states intended to do in the night against the islamic

now, haditha dam is in anbar province, considered to be the sunni heartland, bordering syria. that is where we saw isis make its first advances. earlier in the year in january, it took control of large parts of anbar province, including key cities like fallujah, but the city of haditha and the haditha dam have remained under the control of the iraqi security forces and the sunniny tribes in the area. but officials tell us over recent weeks and months, there have been continuous attempts by isis to try and capture that key dam, trying to do that, they have been targeting the dam, according to officials, using an area called bar wanna district. this is about ten kilometers or six miles west of haditha and officials have been really concerned about these attacks, which have included mortar attacks, saying they were worried it could damage the dam and cause flooding in anbar province and other parts of the country and that is why they requested the air support from the u.s. military, to try and regain control of that area. it is -- this is really an expansion of the u.s. military

launching airstrikes near the haditha dam. this last as troops rise above 1,000 for the first time in three years. jennifer, good morning to you. how did u.s. military involvement in iraq shift over the weekend. >> reporter: the pentagon deny its mission and says the airstrike around the haditha dam expand the airstrike to a location. the airstrike started as a way to help the yazidis on mount sinjar, then they were to help the peshmerga retake the town of amerli. the airstrikes around the haditha dam, the u.s. is flying air support for the iraqi military which does not have a functioning air force. >> it am new strike around the haditha dam but it isn't anything didn't from what the president said in his guidance to the military and what our trammers are, protect the interests of americans and the infrastructure that would protect americans. '. >> the number of u.s. personnel has risen to 1,000. secretary of state john kerry raised eyebrows when he suggested the 350 troops approved last week, they were in fact military advise

they are trying to take towns close to the city of haditha, and reinforce support for the haditha dam. a rational to support the air strikes is to protect the dam, and back iraqi army troops. protecting the dam is key, it says, to protecting u.s. interest, including in baghdad. the islamic state fighters are opening the floodgates and could flood area all the way to the capital. here in baghdad, a senior security spokesman tells us they are expecting american air strikes on the outskirts of baghdad, and it's traditionally a staging area for attacks. suicide car bombs and other attacks from outside to the south and west. so a widening campaign, the beginning of supported scenes by tribal elements, and the continuing fierce fight against the islamic state group. >>> jane arraf in baghdad. >>> research associate jim walsh joined us earlier to discuss his expectations for president obama's speech on wednesday and what might happen in iraq after president obama's strategy takes shape. >> part of it is setting priorities, part one is to make sure iraq is not threatened. let's get it done fi

because the haditha dam was not yet in the hands of isis. it has been under the control of the government here for weeks. since anbar province, much of it, has been under the control of isis, as we saw them move in there. it's bordering syria. and we've seen isis take control of a lot of anbar province, fallujah, parts of the ramadi. and they have been in control of this for months now, since january. so we'll wait to find out more on why it was so critical for the u.s. to carry out these air strikes right now. because the iraqi forces have also said they have been carrying out their own air strikes. of course the precision of u.s. air strikes is something that the iraqis have not head. >> also want to ask you about one of the worst atrocities that we've been following, the killing of military recruits back in june. human rights watch estimates some 770 killed so far and the number could be higher. any updates in that case? >> well, george, it's being dubbed here as the crime of the century, the massacre of the century. it's really shaken so

in haditha, they managed to take a key town near haditha, and they say they had taken the town and torn down the islamic state group flag and replaced it with an iraqi flag. that are for the iraqi government is pretty huge. >> good news on the political front. what are you hearing about that? >> reporter: well, we know the broad outlines of the cabinet. a lot of faces we will have seen before, and one, prime minister nouri al-maliki is tipped to come back as vice president. there was a reshuffle on some of the other cabinet posts. what they're trying to do now is to make both the sunnies and kurds happy. the sunni team still a lot of demands there. but all odds are that a government will be formed according to political sources. it won't necessarily be this evening. they're predicting if not this evening then tomorrow still keeping that constitutional deadline. >> people have been killed in an attack by islamic state fighters. about 70 kilometers north of baghdad. the bomber exploded a vehicle during the meeting of a sunni tribe which is back in the government. the counsels one of sever

they're trying to keep the sunni extremists from seizing the haditha dam.ttacked haditha several times but has yet to seize the vital site. >> and it is believed that british-born citizens have gone to help the isis militants. >> yes, one of them is a 40-year-old father of three who grew up near london. he is the first believed to have joined the mission. >> he is her son who never came home. happier times, british-born majid with his first bike in the '70s. fast forward to february, posing with jihadi fighters, moments before his suicide mission in syria. he phoned his brother back in england a week before. >> he said that he loved us all very, very much. and he said i know you're looking after the family, you're doing a very good job. and that if i have done any wrongs in my life, i hope you can forgive me. >> he was born just outside london, pakistani parents with what is believed to be a normal childhood. child friends, new car, and relatives who fought in the british army. here in his hometown, they link him to a muslim hate preacher and a muslim radic

has targeted islamic state insurgents near the haditha dam. the the militant group is expected to be at top of president obama's agenda when he meets congressional leaders at the white house tuesday. the president is back from a nato summit in wales where the u.s. and nine allies agreed to take on isis. members of congress have been pressing president obama for a plan to take on the militants who have beheaded two american journalists. >>> new from overnight in our area. police in montgomery county are looking for the suspect who robbed a 7 eleven near a college campus. officer at the scene told nbc 10 a man armed with a gun got away with an unknown amount of cash from the store on city avenue in lower marion township. none of the employees was hurt during the holdup. >>> new from overnight, investigators are looking for the cause of a home fire in west philadelphia. nbc 10 was on vine street where the fire broke out. the crew had it under control in 45 minutes. no one was hurt. >>> we have in video this morning from the scene of a deadly shoo

why haditha in particular? why is it so important? >> well, two reasons really: oil and water. haditha is right between kirkuk where the oil comes out of the ground and biji, where it is refined. the lammic state is trying to capture the oil infrastructure. this is the effort by iraqi forces to fight back. there is also that hydro electric dam. >> that's the second largest hydro electric contributor to the iraqi power grid and so that is strategically important. also, if it were to flood f they were to blow it up, it would threaten thousands of iraqis in that area, but, also, the white house put out a statement saying it didn't just threaten iraqis. it threatened americans because it could actually flood as far away as baghdad international airport and that's where a lot of american citizens live. therefore, it was a threat not just on iraqis but a threat on americans as well. >> this will liens john hendren and talk about what the member countries of the arab league are saying about the islamic state. they are saying it's guilty of war crafts. a statement has been put by iraq

he said that they just put the iraqi flag down in a town south of haditha. he said they took down the islamic state group flag to replace it with the national flag. they're waiting for word to continue their advance. now in the advance of the tribal forces and iraqi special forces plus the regular army would have them going all the way to the syrian border. it's a hugely important whyer. it's the reason why the u.s. has widened it's air campaign and it's the area that islamic state fighters have retreated to. it's a dynamic happening over years with al-qaeda before them. >> what is the reaction to the u.s. involvement and announcement expected wednesday on a larger u.s. engagement? >> reporter: you know, things here are so desperate that there is not a lot of opposition to u.s. attract. in fact, we had certain security spokesman just yesterday telling us they would welcome th that. they have sieged one-third of iraq and form a threat to the very existence to many institutions in this country. they're all for airstrikes. they certainly don't want to see soldi

so, what we're seeing is attacks around the haditha dam, which is iraq's second biggest dam. it is quite pivotal. it's up river from baghdad on the ufradz. the fear is it could flood baghdad, even though that's 100 miles down river. this is what u.s. defense secretary chuck hagel had to say in terms of its significance. list listen. >> if that dam were to fall into isil's hands, or if that dam would be destroyed, the damage that that would cause would be very significant, and it would put a significant additional and big risk into the mix in iraq, which also would risk our interests as well. >> our interests would mean the personnel we have at the embassy down in baghdad, and that's diplomatic personnel. of course, militant personnel there as well that is supporting the effort to bring down isil across the country. back to you, arthel. >> indeed. so, dominic, how does this fit in with the speech that president obama is going to make on wednesday when he addresses the american public? >> yeah, it's going to be really quite interesting, because although we saw him on the sunday

now it's the same scenario, in that local officials in haditha are saying they have managed to get somelocal tribes on board and believe that they are willing to fight against the islamic state group. but it clearly does need the participation on the ground. not just these air strikes. but a dynamic on the ground in which tribes and communities that have sided with or allowed the islamic state group to flourish are now turning against them, sammy. >> all right. and we'll leave it there fo. thanks so much. jayna. >>> syrian air forces launch striked on several rebel targets on the syrian side. the planes struck near a border crossing and reportedly did not enter the demilitarized zone. rebels from the front took control of the area late last month. prompting israel to raise its military letter levels. government forces in syria have also launched air strikes. the strikes left at least 25 people dead. this video leased by rebel fighters is said to show the aftermath of the attack. the strikes are part of a renewed offensive against the i.s. group which occupies large parts of syria. >>> a

to give you some background, the haditha dam is in anbar province bordering syria. as you probably recall back in january is where we saw isis begin those breathtaking advances taking control of most of anbar province including fallujah. the city of haditha and the dam has been under control of iraqi security forces and sunny tribes in the area. over recent weeks and months there have been several attempts by isis to try and capture that dam and officials here tell us they have been really concerned about the attacks by isis. they've been targeting the dam and they have been using mortars and they worry about the dam being damaged that could have impacted baghdad. this is why they requested the support of the u.s. military providing them with this air cover. they focus this offensive today on an area that is six miles west of haditha and it enabled them to make some advances but still an ongoing operation and again, fredricka, an expansion of the u.s. military air strikes now moving from northern iraq now into the west of the country. >> all right. keep us posted th

the goal was to support security forces near the haditha and mosul dams. the deputy secretary said the iraqi government requested the sites. it's the first time the u.s. hit targets in the anbar province during the current conflict. jane arraf reports. >> reporter: the air strikes are part of a widening campaign. we are told they hit tarts between haed eetha and al qaim. they are close to the border as the u.s. has targeted. that area is key to defeating or containing the islamic state group, and the coming back and forth with weapons across the very porous syrian border. a component of the fight are tribal fighters. we are told that there are several thousands fighters on the ground backing iraqi security forces. they are trying to take towns close to the city, and reinforce support for the haditha dam. one of the rationale for air strikes is to protect the dam and back army troops. protecting the dam is key to protecting u.s. interests, including in baghdad. islamic state fighters - if they open the floodgates of the dam, and could flood all the way to t

haditha dam provides water to millions and losing would have put baghdad at risk.s is the closest yet to syria. >> i think the strikes that the united states took are in line with the guiding principles. first, the iraqi government asked us for their support in the strike and the iraqi forces on the ground who conceived of the operation. >> defense secretary chuck hagel there. government forces and local sunni militias in anbar have been fighting since january and isis took over a dam in falluja and flooded baghdad and pushed thousands from their homes that time around. isis is still threatening mosul dam, alex, the country largest. the defense department carried out another air strike there overnight in addition to the strikes in western iraq. alex? >> exactly. because if mosul dam were to go, it could be potentially way more catastrophic. >>> republicans are in a strong position to take over the midterm elections in november according to the marist poll. republicans are in the lead in kentucky and arkansas. just how close is it? joining me now is john harwood, ch

but they're moving in on haditha itself. there are explosives and the governor of that province was injured when his convoy was struck by an i am improvised explosive. he tweeted that he's all right. when you can tweet, it's suggesting you're doing all right, but this is a site where some of the heaviest fighting in iraq right now appears to be going on. >> and john, the islamic state groups will has suffered other set backs. is it too early to say the tide is turning against them on the ground? >> well, we've seen a serious of strategic victories for the iraqi forces. right now they are attacking tikrit on three sides. that's a stronghold of the islamic state group. but the real stronghold is up in mosul. the largest major city near the supply lines in syria. we're told by peshmerga forces they're closing in as well. they're attacking on a couple of sides. one of them is on the east. they moved ten kilometers in the past 24 hours or so, and they captured the gaza region including the strategic high point of the mountain. it

military officials say they've launched air strikes near the haditha dam in iraq. the dam is a source of water and electrical power in the the country. this is the first time the u.s. targeted the islamic insurgents in that area. the effort to beat back the isis militants who have been trying to take over key dam across the country. the islamic state militant group is at the top of president obama's agenda when he meets with congressional leaders at the white house tuesday. the president is back from a nato summit in wales a where u.s. and nine allies agreed to take on isis. might members of congress have been pressing obama to take on militants who beheaded american journalists. >>> police are looking for a suspect that robbed a 7 eleven store. a man armed with a gun got away with cash. none of the employees were hurt during the holdup. >>> now to the ebola outbreak. this morning, liberian immigrants living in our area will walk in the effort to rally against the deadly virus. the group will meet at 67th street and woodland avenue in southwest philadelphia. they'l

. >>> this is one area they don't want islamic state fighters to get control of haditha, stop islamic state taking the haditha dam, it's iraq's second largest and provides millions of people with water. >>> the united special the the united nations special envoy for children. nela zarugi says the islamic state group is specifically targeting children. >> i.s.i.l. has tasks boys as young as 13 to carry weapons, strategic locations or civilian or children are used as suicide bombers. >> afghanistan's preliminary future is in doubt with talks between presidential arrival ar raar -- ashraf he ghani, internationally monitored review process that's lasted nearly two months. jennifer glasse reports from the capital, kabul. >> abdalla abdalla says he won afghanistan's presidential election but denied victory because of widespread fraud. and in the interest of the people he says he can't accept defeat. >> to be able to deal with the challenges which afghanistan has faced in this part of the world, could not be based on the foundation of fraud. >> reporter: abdalla first alleged election fraud

>> it was four separate air strikes, harris, on key positions on towns close to haditha dam that have been overtaken by isis. the americans very concerned that if those isis fighters were to take control of the dam, they could even open the slew gates or blow the dam up, sending a catastrophic is flood down to baghdad. >> it isn't anything different from what the president has said in his guidance to the military and what our parameterer, protect the interests of americans and the infrastructure that would protect americans. >> one more important aspect of the strikes today, they have not spread west into the province of anbar, which has lot been a hotbed of islamic activity harris? >> from last week, we learned that the president had been able to put the core coalition of about ten countries -- not about -- ten so far. missing from that group were any of our middle eastern partners. so broughtening the area of u.s. air strikes, what response is that getting from some of the arab world tonight? >> you know what? it's very telling how mute they are. one of the reasons for this is the f

area around the haditha dam in western iraq. u-s officials say the iraqi government asked the u-s to launch the attack. the u-s says they're trying to stop isis militants from damaging the dam.and causing major flooding. some congressional leaders believe the u-s has to broaden the scope of its assault against isis.including targeted airstrikes in syria.a central area of operation for the militants. >> if you're serious about defeating isil, you have to go after where they're headquartered. what's is important to understand about their presence in syria is that that they are generating revenue in syria, with former assad refineries.butted you cannot defeat isil unless you hit them in those parts of syria that they now control where syrian government not present." >> the president will meet with congress tuesday ---to discuss options for fighting isis. today---- the president said there is no immediate intelligence about threats to the u-s from isis. after meeting with congress.president obama plans to give a speech about the wha

area that the government does not want the islamic state group to go ahead ahold of, the had , the haditha dam. am in kirkuk 14 people are said to be killed in the south of the province. on saturday seven people including two women were killed during the iraqi government ace offensive. >>> at least 17 people have been killed in the town in an attack by islamic state fighters. it's about 70 kilometers north of baghdad. the bomb exploded a vehicle near the sunni government and an area where they look to seize control. >>> threaten an already from fragile cease-fire. and more on the floods in india and pakistan. >> watching al jazeera. our top stories, the rebel group al-shabaab say four americans are among the 15 people killed after two car bombings near the somali capitol. al jazeera's team recently on location at the africa union summit there confirm that the troops are helping with routine operations. >>> iraq's vote for a new cabinet is on hold until tuesday. nouri al-maliki is in the running for vice president. one of the leaders is reported to have links to iran. >>> talks forming a un

this is one key area that government doesn't want islamic state fighters to get ahold of, it is the haditha dam. the second larges dam in iraq. if the b islamic state gets hold of this it could control water for the major portion of the country. >>> seven people including two women were killed during the iraqi government's offensive. >>> at least 17 people have been killed in the town of dehulia in a strike of the islamic state fighters. 17 miles north of baghdad. sunni tribe backing the government, towns one of several in that area where the islamic state group has seized control. afghanistan's presidential candidate, abdalla abdalla says talks on forming a unity government have reached a dead end. presidential election has been gridlocked because of a recount ordered. the election commission is expected to announce results of the second round this week. but abdalla is already rejecting the results and insists he won both rounds. stephanie decker reports. >> a frenzied campaign even before everyone knew how difficult it would turn out. abdalla abdalla presidential candidate number 1 and pr

military officials say they've launched air strikes near the haditha dam this iraq. this is a source of water and electrical power in the country. this is the first time insurgents have been targeted in that area. there's an effort to beat back militants taking over key dams in the country. >>> we have video from the scene of a deadly shooting in philadelphia. investigators could be seen carrying several marijuana plants and other evidence from an apartment in cobs creek. hours earlier, police were call there had for a report of gunshots. they arrived and found two shot with multiple injuries. according to t sources, ben cook was killed in his door way when he got in an argument with another person. >> confrontation in the door way at which point in time the suspect produced a handgun, fired multiple shots at resident and friend to help him. >> sources have identified the other victim. at last check he was in critical condition at the hospital. a woman in the apartment was not hurt. police tell us 30 marijuana plants were found. they won't say if drugs were a motive

it's aimed at the isis militants trying to control the haditha dam where they say a breach could unleash deadly floodwaters in the direction of bagdad. this as the president will lay out his new strategy to try to defeat and destroy terrorists in a speech on wednesday. joining us is john baldwin, a fox news contributor and senior fellow at the american enterprise institute. amback bass door, what do you want to hear specifically from the president three days from now? >> i would like to hear an unequivocal statement that the president thinks that isis or isil has to be completely destroyed. remember on wednesday we'll simply be judging the president's rhetoric, not his actions which turn out frequently to be two very different things, but judging the rhetoric. right up until this morning he's still very cautious about what he says, saying things like ultimately we will destroy isis. nobody thinks they can be destroyed by next week, so some caution is warranted. but i still think that deep inside the president is urgently looking for ways not to get involved militarily beyond where we are

defense secretary chuck hagel says the iraqi government asked thest to hit areas around the haditha damhe dam is a major source of water and electrical power in the desert country and isis has been on the move there. >>> arrest warrant issued of a suspect accused of shooting a man six times. he is paralyze t from the waist down. he was shot last week at a neighborhood store in west philadelphia. camera outside the store shows the gunman opening fire, hitting the victim six times including once in the spine. the lead detective working the case says the suspected shooter is alan stock exchange. he's been charged but has not yet been arrested. >>> a star-studded sendoff fit for a show business he jelegend. we'll show you how they send their final farewell to comedian joan rivers. this is garthen leslie, a regular guy who invented aros. a very smart air conditioner that learns your habits to save you money. this is ben kaufman, the ceo of quirky. he's rubbing garthen's regular-guy feet because garthen is far more important than ben. at quirky, real people invent all of our products. ben jus

military expands air strikes against the islamic state group, targets near the haditha dam were hit for first time. the president promises to outline his full strategy against the islamic state, in a speech this week. fighting breaks out in ukraine, killing two. the official ceasefire is in syria's jeopardy. a health alert for parents of kids with asthma, a rapidly spread virus is moving across the

well, these new strikes are targeting isis terrorists around the haditha dam, where a breach could potentiallynleash deadly floodwaters in the direction of baghdad. now, this as president obama prepares to address the nation wednesday when he's expected to lay out a long-term strategy for wiping the terror group off the

pentagon said the latest attacks occurred late last night on several militant positions near the haditha dam, about 175 miles from baghdad. at a news conference today, defense secretary chuck hagel explained the risks of extremists seizing or destroying the dam. >> the damage that would cause would be very significant and it would put a significant additional and big risk into the mix in iraq. >> sreenivasan: arab foreign ministers, meeting in cairo today, backed a resolution calling for action against the extremists in iraq. and several senior muslim clerics have now issued fatwas against the islamic state in an effort to stop young people from joining the radical group. that ceasefire announced friday in eastern ukraine is starting to come apart. violence erupted overnight near the cities of donetsk and mariupol. a woman died and four people were injured in the latest clashes between pro-russian separatists and ukrainian government troops. rebels said several of their fighters had been killed after ukrainian forces fired on six of their positions. we'll have more on the crisis in ukrai

today a new round of strikes against isis targets including a check point and bunker near iraq's haditha dam. the president says while intelligence shows no immediate risk to the u.s. homeland that danger is real. >> what i'm going to be asking the american people to understand is number one this is a serious threat. number two, we have the capacity to deal with it. >> reporter: today an expression of relief from the top democrat on senate intelligence who had pushed the president to move faster. >> i want to congratulate the president. he is now on the offense. >> reporter: republicans continue to argue the response has been too slow. >> but i believe this president has committed presidential malpractice in his foreign policy. >> reporter: in an unusual concession, the president acknowledged critics who said he should not have been golfing right after he denounced the bee heading of journalist james foley. >> after the statement that i made that, you know, i should have anticipated the optics. >> reporter: turning to immigration, fallout over mr. obama's new decision to wait until after

this morning, the iraqis say they're gaining ground against isis, taking back parts of haditha province, but fallujah and ramadi are still under isis control. left unchecked, the administration says isis could become a threat to the u.s. >> when it comes to america's national security, america's united. >> reporter: but not necessarily on how to do it. there's already opposition to today's senate vote on arming syrians against isis. >> i cannot and will not support arming or training the syrian opposition forces. >> reporter: even supporters are skeptical. >> this is not a blank check. >> best of the bad options that we face. >> an ally today is a sworn enemy tomorrow. >> we need to defeat isil before they develop the operational capacity to perform a september 11th-like attack. >> reporter: but not on the ground, the president promised again. >> i will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in iraq. >> the u.s. troops that have been deployed to iraq do not and will not have a combat mission. >> reporter: secretary of state john kerry testifies ag

. >>> the search goes on for a hit-and-run teen who killed an east bay teen the clues that have haditha -- the clues they have that may help track down that driver. >> we will tell you how apple is responding. >> traffic is trying to pick up and we are trying to keep an eye on things as well as the beautiful gold end gate bridge which is covered in fog, so it is going to signal a cooler pattern so temperatures drop and we will show you how much. whoo! mmm! ♪ ♪ oh, yeah [ male announcer ] discover your new orleans. start exploring at followyournola.com. [ male announcer ] discover your new orleans. . >>> coming up in about two minutes tara will show you cell phone video of what that fire looked like when they got there, we'll see you in a minute. >> coming up, tuesday september 2nd, i am dave clark. >> time now 6:30 and a lot of people want to know will it cool off a bit? and answer is yes. >> yes, an easterly breeze shot up near 100 and there we are driving down the load just north of that and it will carve out the pacific northwest and there are some partly cloudy skies probably late t