i.s.i.l. positions there. >> imran khan in bagged there. all begs the question, in the strategy to defeet i.s.i.l. despite america's rue america's renewed commitment, president obama continues to press iraqi president haider al-abadi to get a grip on iraq's divisive sectarian politics and corruption within the military ranks. gaining military support among experts is to insert a small number of special u.s. forces on the ground to pinpoint locations for air strikes but the pentagon remains dead set against the idea, putting too many in harm's way. confronting fronting i.s.i.l. should be left to the iraqis, jamie mcintire has the story from washington. >> the debate is over jtacks joint static cal enforcers, on the ground in the thick of the fighting and can use laser designators and gps to call in direct strikes with pinpoint accuracy. even in the most chaotic battlefield conditions. >> good impacts, good impacts, continue to engage continue to engage. >> the three star general running the air campaign in iraq says he doesn't need them. >> w

i.s.i.l. in anbar. imran khan has more from baghdad. >> we have been expecting such a move for about two years now because the sunnis have claimed they have been ignored. they have been promised jobs in the government and none of that has come. what's the catalyst of this? the shia attack on anbar province, a lot of sunnies sunnies consider that to be sectarian. let's take a listen what the tribal sheik leader had to say and how he is going to mount the next attack on iraqi security forces. is. >> translator: we announce our allegiance to the islamic state caliphate state and sheik anu an abu bagzar al baghdadi. fest. >> they have two years to be able to reach out to the sunnis and simply vent done it. >> the extra support gained by i.s.i.l. white house press secretary josh earnest say think still back the iraqi government. >> there is strong support among the anbar provincial council made up of almost entirely sunnies i would assume for the military strategy that prime minister abadi has put in place. we're aware

i.s.i.l. forced many families to flee their homes now. now fears of revenge from shia militia, is causing concern as well. imran khan, our correspondent in iraq is looking at the toll that is taking on receivables. >> reporter: it is only half finished but this building in cirkt is home for hundreds, life under i.s.i.l. has left a deep psychological scar. >> translator: life was meaningless senseless. because of them all basic services stopped. we had no water no electricity. i.s.i.l. oppressed us. wouldn't let us even smile. they even stopped our transportation so we couldn't even visit our friends and family. >> reporter: but there's a twist to that story. i.s.i.l. why they left. fear of government linked security services that now rule tikrit is why they won't go back. >> translator: we wish we could go back to tikrit but there's nothing there. we're so afraid of the security. there's no local government. it just doesn't exist. who will exist? >> reporter: eight weeks ago shia militias known as popular mobilize services captured the city from i.s.i.l. be since then some members were accused of revenge attacks. th

i.s.i.l. fighters launch suicide attacks on soldiers. as imran khan reports, 20 were killed when i.s.i.l. car bombers struck headquarters near fallujah. >>> with all of the attacks across anbar province what we see is i.s.i.l. using car bombs to devastating effect. the iraqi security forces have a problem. analysts say that the security forces don't have the recognisance and intelligence to stop the suicide bombs in advance. some of the weaponry they are using is ineffective to reinforce car bombs. what they are doing is they are splitting iraqi forces in half and are able to attack military bases as well as civilian targets and military targets. also what we are seeing is shelling of the air base which is where the majority of the iraqi security forces and shia militias are based. that's where they are reinforcing troops. that is not to say iraqi security forces haven't had successes, taking over towns and villages and using it as staging posts after they clear them of i.s.i.l. fighters for this push into ramadi. and are attacking the outskirts of ramadi from the north, south and the eas

i.s.i.l. coalition will review strategies following setbacks. >> first imran khan has more than the tanguay tack near -- tank attack near tikrit. >> this is one of the brazen attacks. this is a secure air base home to a number of iraqi and shia militia troops and forces. i.s.i.l. is alleged to have given a tang laden with explosives to the gates where it exploited, helps the amount of casualties we see. we are specting it to rise. we have seen throughout the last few days i.s.i.l. forces using humvees, suicide car bombs to great effect. they are reinforced and there's pleasanty of them. prime minister haider al-abadi said i.s.i.l. sold 2,300 after the fall of mosul. tank we do not see, used in this manner as suicide vehicles. this will be a controversial tactic. american weaponry weaponry bought from the americans are being used against the iraqi army. there has been a number of suicide attacks alternativing humvees, but the first time a tank has been used as a delivery vehicle. >>> foreign ministers from the u.s.-led coalition carrying out air strikes are due to meet in paris on tuesday. i.s.i.

i.s.i.l. seized two weeks ago. quick counteroffensive but in just a few days, iraqi security forces appear to be struggling. imran khan reports. >> this is perhaps one of the boldest most brazen attacks this air base is a very secure one, home to shia troops as well as iraqi security forces. i.s.i.l. is alleged to have driven a tank to the gate of that base where it exploded. we have seen throughout the last few days, i.s.i.l. forces using humvees suicide vehicles. there are plenty of them. prime minister haider al-abadi says i.s.i.l. stole around 200 of them after the fall of the area alone. weaponry that they bought from the americans being used against them. once again we have seen a number of these suicide aarticulates using humvees. but the first time in a very long time that a tank vehicle was used as a carrier of explosives. >> they now fear because of revenge attacks from shia militia, many won't return. and reports of revenge attacks we turn to imran khan once again. >> reporter: this home in be kirkuk life under i.s.i.l. has left a deep psychological scar. >> translator: life was meaningless senseless becaus

i.s.i.l. sectarian groups also exact violence. imran khan, al jazeera baghdad. >> full report regarding an alleged secret cia prison in their country. they have only received a blacked out version. number of overseas centers that were used by the cia to torture post-9/11 al qaeda suspects. pentagon wants a full unredacted copy to see if one of those sites was in a polish forest. >>> given organization 15 days to get out. officials have accused the nonprofit of participating in a fake vaccination program that the cia used to track down osama bin laden. >> we're working in this country without any rules without any regulations without any agenda and without any law. >> save the children denies being involved with the cia or that fake vaccine program. >> german prosecutors say they will not pursue charges in the alleged tapping of german chancellor angela merkel's cell phone by the nsa. officials saying today they were unable to find evidence that will stand up in court. be allegation the u.s. government listened to merkel's cell phone conversa

i.s.i.l. fight ners -- fighters in a bid to push them back >>> imran khan there's widespread fighting how is the attempt to push i.s.i.l. back going? >> well if you are a casual observer of all of this you may be forgiven for thinking that i.s.i.l. is winning. they made significant advances, and pushed iraqis in and shia back. what we see the iraqi security and militia do is take over towns, villages and roads. what they are doing then is using the towns and villages as a staging post, reinforceing them and using them as a staging post to go into ramadi. we are seeing shelling and suicide car bombs which i.s.i.l. is using to great effects on the air base, which is where a lot of the soldiers from the iraqi army and shia militias are based. there's a tough fight within anbar province. by no means is there a clear winner. there's not one side that has the upper hand. they are both battling for control. this operation is not going as quickly as the iraqi government said at the outset. they said it wouldn't last that long. we have the shia leader saying that this will take a long time. we need a lot

i.s.i.l. abu bakr al-baghdadi. let's get the latest turning to our correspondent in baghdad, imran khan. this must be a blow to the iraqi government. >> it's a worrying development. it's been a long time coming. a lot of sunni tribes said to the government, before i.s.i.l. took over the city of fallujah that they needed to be brought into the government. they needed the jobs they were promised in the army. they were promised a number of things that would never materialize for them. anger levels have been building for a long time. the reason that they have pledged allegiance to the i.s.i.l. leader abu bakr al-baghdadi, is because they feel that the shia militias that come to anbar province brought with them a sectarian war. they referred to the militias as being part of their empire and refer to it as being part of iran. there's an historical precedent here. the sunnis say they were able to, with the help of americans, to defeat i.s.i.l.'s predecessor al qaeda in iraq. this time around they are ignored and without really understanding the sunni problems and plight you will not be able to g

imran khan, al jazeera baghdad. >>> to talk more with the threat of i.s.i.l. to the assad regime we are joined by al jazeera's syria contributor rasha al alash. thank you for joining us. can assad survive without the russians and the iranians? >> no, assad cannot survive without the russians and the iranians. in fact, without their support he would have fallen about three and a half years ago. whether or not the iranians and the russians will actually abandon assad is a really complicated question. they are not going to leave just like that. they have a lot of interests especially the iranians, they are not going so let i.s.i.l. take over dmask. partdamascus. to maintain some sort of hegemony over syria. >> what is your reaction to an international business times report that says that russia is pulling back because western sanctions have hurt it so much that it's reaching out to other gulf states who oppose assad? >> yes, again russia has enough problems of its own. it's got ukraine and hurting domestically but it still has that navy base in syria. you know sy

i.s.i.l. reports are believed to have been killed in a bid to push the group back. imran khan reports. >> reporter: the aftermath of a battle. filmed by soldiers keen to show they are not slowing down. mounting losses suggest they are right. 22 killed, most iraqi soldiers and shia militias that fled ramadi. the u.s. which has been carrying out air strikes to help the iraqis says even so the strategy will not change of the the plan conditions. to the west it's entering whether or not military commanders call the second phase. backed by u.s.-led air strikes, soldiers and militias gain control of pockets of areas. >> translation: i saw pockets of terrorists. we are seizing control of the area we are standing in. we have secured the area and provided security for the residents of the we were backed up by army jet fighters. it was a surprise to the terrorists that we accomplished the manages in a few hours. >> the task now includes patrol a dangerous mission in the land that borders anbar. i.s.i.l. attacks killed dozens in the past few days. i.s.i.l. showed its ability to advance o

imran khan has more. >> this was perhaps one of the boldest most brazen attacks that i.s.i.l. has launched against the iraqi security forces. home to a number of iraqi shia militia troops as well as iraqi security forces. i.s.i.l. is alleged to have driven a tank ladened with explosives all the way to the instigates of that base where it exploded. hence the number of casualty. we have seen throughout the last few days, i.s.i.l. forces using humvees, suicide vehicles, i.s.i.l. had stolen at 2300 after the fall of mosul alone. tanks we do not see particularly used in this kind of manner as suicide vehicles. this is going to be a very controversial tactic. the american weaponry that they bought from the americans being used against them. we have seen a number of these suicide attacks using humvees but the first time in a very long time that we have seen a tank used for explosives. >> involved in carrying out air strikes against i.s.i.l. are due to meet in paris on tuesday. with i.s.i.l. gaining so much ground mohamed jamjun looks at what we can expect from those aarticulates. >>

imran khan in baghdad there >>> nine fighters from the lebanese armed group hezbollah have been killed following an attack by i.s.i.l. near the syrian border happening on the outskirts of the village. hezbollah is reporting that 14 i.s.i.l. gunmen died. fighting is continuing between the groups across the border in syria >>> the syrian observatory for human rights released grim figures after more than four years of conflict. 230,000 people lost their lives in syria's war. nearly 110,000 civilian deaths have been recorded nearly 11,000 children and 7,000 women. nearly 50,000 soldiers lost their lives fighting on behalf of the regime. in yemen, there has been saudi-led air tricks the latest attack hitting a building in sanaa under houthi control. they have also targeted the homes of military commanders allied with the rebels. many fled the violence by escaping to other violence in yemen. some are in worse demonstration -- conditions. around 2,500 families moved from the north and are appealing for help. caroline malone reports. >>> this woman moved her family and handicapped husband hundreds of kilometres to the safet

i.s.i.l. the e.u. and u.n. is launching a plan to help them. it cannot come fast enough. imran khan has this report from a camp for internally displaced people near baghdad. >> this is a camp the humanitarian aid groups seem to have forgotten. or perhaps they didn't know it existed in the first place. it's one of many across baghdad that housed iraqis that escaped fighting in anbar. there's no help from the international community. the camp is run entirely from local charitable donations. for what little they have the people that live here are thankful. for the younger ones, war has left their mark. >> my children are quiet. they don't have the life in them that they used to. they stay inside and play. i say "go outside" they never stay out for long it is too harsh and nothing for them to do. >> there are serious issues that need to be addressed. many of the children are suffering from stress-related psychological trauma. in other camps health professionals encourage them to draw pictures. here they are left to their own devices. a mosque has been turned into a makeshift school. it

imran khan reports from baghdad. >> reporter: the aftermath of an attack on an air base in anbar. the battle for the iraqi outpost is filmed by i.s.i.l. fight ers keen to show their advance in ramadi is not slowing down. the mounting losses suggest they are right. 22 have been killed. most iraqi soldiers and shia militias that fled ramadi. the u.s., which has been carrying out air strikes says even so the strategy will not change. so the plan continues. to the west of samarra, military commanders say its entering the second phase, backed i u.s.-led air strikes, soldiers and militia continue to control pockets of terrain. >> we reach the most strategically important pockets of terrorists. we have seized total control of the area that we are standing in. we have secured the area and provided security for the residence. we were backed up in the operation by artillery and army jet fighters, it was a surprise, and we managed to accomplish the mission. >> reporter: the task now includes control a dangerous mission. i.s.i.l. attacks killed dozens in the past few days. i.s.i.l. has shown ability to advance on several fronts when iraqi forces

i.s.i.l. iraq's prime minister haider al-abadi is there, and is due to meet the u.s. president on monday. imran khan reports from baghdad on what haider al-abadi will be asking for. >> reporter: iraq is not only a country of war, it's a country in economic crisis. a slump in oil prices left iraq with a budget deficit, which according to economist could be around $22 billion. aid agencies warn that they are running out of money to affect 3 million affected by war. add the conflict itself and iraq is in trouble. international support is a failure, and haider al-abadi wants world leaders to step up. >> translation: we are looking at strengthening military aid, stepping up air strikes and helping iraq reconstruct war-torn infrastructure and humanitarian aid. >> reporter: the u.s. has 3,000 troops in iraq training and equipping forces. it sent tank missiles to help in the armoured vehicles for car bombing. the administration planned to speed up other shipments. relations between the u.s. and iraq have been strained. u.s. defense secretary accused the iraqi army of not having the will to fight. some iraqi

imran khan in baghdad. >>> nine fighters from the lebanese armed group hezbollah have been killed following an attack by i.s.i.l. near the syrian border, hezbollah's media is reporting 14 i.s.i.l. gunmen died. fighting is continuing if the groups in syria >>> the syrian observatory for human rights released grim figures after more than four years of conflict. $230,000 lost their lives in syria's war, 110,000 civilian deaths within recorded 11,000 children, 7,000 women. 41,000 rebels and army defectors have been killed in battle with 50,000 losing their lives fighting for the regime. >>> a suicide bomber and two gun many attacked an ancient center. police killed one of the gunmen and arrested another. a police officer was wounded >>> in yemen there has been saudi-led air strikes against houthi rebels. the latest hit sanaa. they targeted the homes of military commanders. many people fled the violence by scoping to other provinces. some are in worse conditions. around 2,500 families moved from the north and are appealing for help. james maloney reports. caroline malone reports. >>> this woman moved her family and

i.s.i.l. forced many families to flee their homes. fear of revenge attacks is keeping many from returning. reports emerge about atrocitiesion both sides of the conflict. imran khan looks at the effect on civilians. >> it's half finished but this building is home to hundreds of people that fled tikrit. coming to northern iraq to escape fighting between security forces. life under i.s.i.l. left a deep psychological scar. >> life was meaningless, senseless, because of them all basic services stopped. we had no water, no electricity. we were oppressed. we were not allowed to smile. they stopped our transportation so we couldn't visit friends and family. >> there's a twist to the story. i.s.i.l. - a fear of government and security is why they will not go back. >> we wish we could go back to tikrit. there's nothing there. we are so afraid of security. local government doesn't exist at all. who will protect us. >> 8 weeks ago shia militias captured the predominantly sunni city. since then some were accused of revenge attacks. in the aftermath the prime minister ordered the militias to return to barracks on the outskirts of the city. many from tikrit are afraid to go ba