-led coalition warplanes have begun bombing the iraqi city of tikrit in an attempt to seize control of the city from the islamic state. the assault on tikrit began three weeks ago when iraqi forces and iranian-backed shi'ite militia launched a ground offensive. the u.s. airstrikes now squarely put washington and tehran on the same side in the fight, though the obama administration insists it is not coordinating military operations with iran. the pentagon stressed that the airstrikes are aimed to help iraqi forces defeat the islamic state, but by all accounts it , has been iranian-backed militias leading the ground attack. we'll have more on iraq after headlines. the obama administration has indicated it expects to reach a nuclear agreement with iran before next week's deadline. differences remain over the pace for ending u.n. sanctions, caps on centrifuges, and how long the deal would last. but according to "the new york times," a senior state department official gave the administration's most hopeful prognosis to date, saying "we very much believe we can get this done," in time. ahead

last summer when the iraqi army dissolved in the face of isis isis dismembered 1,700 of the iraqi army in the cityll exact revenge from the situation. it is going to be a very dangerous situation and also needs to be dealt with carefully as not to further exacerbate sectarian violence. >> ian lee from cairo. monitoring the offensive in tikrit. >>> shocking allegation from the texas nurse. nina pham claiming texas presbyterian lied when they upgraded her condition to good to preserve its reputation. she is accusing the hospital of taping her without her consent. the suit which seeks unspecified damages claims officials only gave pham googled information about ebola before assigning her to care for the stricken liberia man. >>> new cases of measles this week. the outbreak now effecting 17 states and washington, d.c. most of the cases linked to disneyland in california but three straight outbreaks in illinois nevada and washington state are not connected to disneyland. with measles spreading, a study reveals more than 70% of pediatricians admit delaying vaccinations when parents asked them to. that i

. >> who is winning the battle or the iraqi city of tikrit? we will get a status update from baghdad about the government offensive against islamic state. >> in german soccer, it too end second division team was knocked out of the cup. at least one minor has been killed in a further ready feared dead after an explosion in ukraine. >> the explosion took place on the edge of donetsk and territory held by pro-russian rebels. local officials say over 70 people were working in the mine at the time of the blast. >> we go now to our correspondent on the ground in mariupol, ukraine, new the site of the mine. what more do we know about the minors the number of casualties, the number who are maybe still trapped, and what more do we know about the calls? >> at this point, we know that there is one casualty. 16 have been taken to hospital. they report being blown off their feet at approximately 5:25 a.m. this morning local time. that's halfway between the central virginia in the airport. at this point, they're still at least 30 people unaccounted for. the

-led coalition war planes have attacked islamic state positions in the iraqi city of tikrit targeting presidential palaces, where it's believed i.s. leaders have their headquarters. iraqi government forces and iranian-backed militia have been trying to retake tikrit for a number of weeks now. this is the first time the united states has become involved in the operation. we can get the latest now from iraq. rami is in baghdad. perhaps you could explain why it's proving so difficult to take back tikrit? >> well from what we gather it's the fierce resistance that's been put up by those fighters of islamic state, who remain inside the city. that's probably the main cause. we've been hearing lots about booby traps along the road which have hampered the advance of iraqi forces as well as their shia militia allies. and also snipers inside and simply the decision taken, it seems, by islamic state, to stay and to fight this until the end. this fight being hampered by the iraqi air force, as well as the advance from the ground by the shia militias and the iraqi army. >> we're just having a look

. >>> there's been a large explosion in the iraqi city of kirkuk. plumes of smoke are being seen over the skyline. kurdish fighters are gathering before beginning an offensive in that city. >> in ramadi soldiers have been killed a suicide bomber has blown themselves up. >>> and in northern syria, isil fighters have taken control of a city which lies close to the turkish border. fighting has been going on for two weeks now. islamic state of iraq and the levant has released footage reportedly showing a young boy shooting a palestinian captive. the captive is identified as a 19 year old. israeli authorities say he traveled to syria in october to fight for the group, but isil accused him of working as a spy. his father say he was killed because he tried to leave isil. >>> in washington, d.c. the secretary of defense and top advisors are about to testimony before the senate. let's go live now to washington rosiland jordan is there for us. ros what are we expecting to happen today? >> we are expecting a very contentious hearing. that's because the aumf --

iraqi forces are trying to recapture tikrit saddam hussein's home city north of baghdad. this represents a big challenge, though for iraqi troops. we're getting reports now that islamic state are using human shields to slow their advance. the iraqi government says around 30,000 troops are involved in the operation. that includes around 2,000 sunni volunteers, as well as shia and kurdish militias. salahuddin was captured by islamic state last summer during a push that also saw the jihadiists take mosul, the country's second largest city. >> reporter: this is the biggest fight back yet against i.s. thousands of government forces have been pounding i.s. positions around the city of tikrit. they've been strengthened by sheer militia and local sunni tribes opposed to the extremists. iraq's prime minister tried to address fears of reprisals against tikrit's sunni population. >> i call upon you and all other commanders to deal with citizens well. our goal is to liberate people from the oppression and heroism. we should protect the citizens and their properties. >> reporter: there

in the offensive operation trying to retake the city of tikrit from isis. iraqiops are approaching the city from five directions trying to prevent forces from escaping there. this as isis released a propaganda video shot in the battle zone around tikrit. aimed at drawing new recruits. >>> a 17-year-old virginia student accused of being a recruiter for isis. the unidentified teen was taken into custody last week. right now charged as a juvenile. federal investigators say the suspect helped a man travel to syria where it is believed he successfully joined isis. in a separate case a california man tried to board a plane for turkey with a fake passport to provide support for isis. >>> prime minister benjamin netanyahu's speech to congress did not seem to have much of an impact back in israel. there were some political analysts back there who suspected the speech was targeted not just at the american audience but israeli population which will vote in less than two weeks. as we said not much of an impact. look at the poll by channel 2 news in israel. 42% of the people

then reports the militants have bulldozed the ancient city of nimrud and today iraqi officials say milis are destroying the 2,000-year-old city of hatra. >> my reaction was anger first and foremost. and rejection and condemnation of this appalling act of what we call a cultural cleansing. >> reporter: isis is trying to destroy any sign of a civilization other than its own interpretation of sunni islam. iran has its own goal to fight isis while at the same time expand its influence in iraq. richard engel, nbc news istanbul. >>> two suspects have been detained over the murder of russian opposition leader boris nemtsov. he was gunned down late last week in of red square. he was one of president putin's most outspoken critics. the kremlin denies any role in his death. >>> back in this country some of the gop's top president rnl contenders have descended upon iowa to court voters in the all important bellwether state. they're taking p in an agriculture summit but in many ways this is about planting seeds nor a 2016 run. nbc's kelly o'donnell is in des moines for us tonight. kelly, good evenin

-led coalition is hitting isis targets in an effort to retake the iraqi city of tikrit. warplanes carried out 17 air strikes on thursday, targeting isis. it was all if support of a major offensive that recently stalled after isis insurgents repositioned themselves around the iraqi city. the u.s. military says it got involved after iraq's prime minister asked for help. >>> the victims of flight 9525 are being remembered with relatives gathering near the crash site. a live report straight ahead here as the news continues on cnn u.s. and cnn international. >>> also, found guilty twice already in a sensational murder case. she insists that she's innocent. italy's supreme court considers the conviction of amanda knox, next. i bring the gift of the name your price tool to help you find a price that fits your budget. uh-oh. the name your price tool. she's not to be trusted. kill her. flo: it will save you money! the name your price tool isn't witchcraft! and i didn't turn your daughter into a rooster. she just looks like that. burn the witch! the name your price tool, a dangero

tikrit is where more than 30,000 militia members, iraqi soldiers, are trying to cities lodge is ill from that city. one of the first that the group took after they took mosul last june. they are still not within the city limits. they are still not in tickit. there has been fighting around the edges. troops have made progress clearing towns and villages along the way. >> progress has been made without u.s. help. it's the iranians who are leading the fight there, particularly with the mali have been as they are controlling and that could be one of the thins that general dempsey will be discussing with iraqi officials here martin? >> jane arraf, thank you very much indeed. >> now the u.n. special envoy to libya has warned all parties against carrying out attacks while sensitive neckgotiations are taking place in morocco. it's reported the two rival governments appear to be making progress. >> libyan rivals factions are closer to clenching a deal. they have agreed in principal on implementing a cease-fire pulling out malitias from the cities and forming a national unity government the two li

the video suggest that the iraqi troops have entered the city. >> we for the city of tikrit and like to tell the displaced families to come sxhoem i have determined we will never with craw. >> fighting is street to street. and this statement by the iraqi soldier is designed to tell them that the iraqi forces are there to stay and will protect them from isis returning. and the chairman of the joint chief is frank about the senitarian revenge killings. so far he welcomes the involvement of iran on the ground. >> we are all concerned about what happens after the drums stop beating and isil is defeated and whether the government of iraq will remain on a path to provide an inclusive government for all of the various groups within. it we are concerned about that. >> in the center of the debate why they need a new isis specific for the military force and why they are asking for a three year sunset clause. >> the president's proposed authorization affords the american people a chance to it assess the progress in three years time and provide the next president and congress to reauthorize if ne

of celebration and dancing in the streets marking the end of the isil occupation of the nearby iraqi city. iraqi forces liberated that town yesterday in the march to tikrit. the u.s. fight against isil dominated a hearing before the senate foreign relations committee today. the committee is debating the obama administration's request for a new use of force resolution against isil. one of the most heated moments came when an anti-war protester confronted secretary of state john kerry. >> killing more innocent people. i wonder how our journalists who were beheaded and the pilot that was fighting for freedom who was burned alive what they would have to say to their efforts to protect innocent people. >> the white house sent the use of force authorization to capitol hill a month ago. next on abc 7 news at 6:00 dealing with the pothole problems that caused serious traffic tie-ups during the morning rush hour. plus it's finally feeling like spring. when rain could put a damper on plans to enjoy the warmer temperatures. >> and i'm robert burton. coming up in sports why the caps need to watch the

military said eight of the strikes targeted positions near the iraqi city of tikrit. iraqi government forces have been trying to recapture tikrit during an offensive that began on the second of march. still to come on al jazeera. drastic measures to stop ebola spreading in sierra leone. and the candles for each of the victims of the germanwings crash pay tribute while searcher scale the mountain for more. america presents the best documentaries. this week... >> i felt like i was just nothin'. >> for this young girl, times were hard. >> doris' years in a racist, impoverished setting had a major impact. >> but with looks... charm... >> i just wanted to take care of my momma. >> and no remorse... >> she giggles every time she steps into the revolving door of justice. >> she became legendary. >> the finer the store the bigger the challenge. >> al jazeera america presents: "the life and crimes of >> weeknights on al jazeera america. >> join me as we bring you an in-depth look at the most important issues of the day. breaking it down. getting you the facts. it's the only pl

unesco condemns the disruption of the ancient iraqi city as a war crime.the local council votes to restructure the dam. the controversial project here in the southwest of france is to be downsized. it is time for a check of the day's business news. kate: much-needed good news is what we are seeing. there is a lot of data to digest. the overall message is that the recovery is finally taking hold in the eurozone. new figures confirm the eurozone gdp grew 3% in the fourth quarter and at an overall pace of 0.9% for 2014. the ecb upgraded its forecast for 2015, predicting the eurozone economy will grow 1.5%. there is an even stronger forecast for 2016. an upbeat prognosis. another post -- boost still to come. the ecb will begin quantitative easing this monday. the bank will begin buying government bonds and other assets -- about 60 billion euros a month -- for a total of $1.1 trillion. european markets have had a fairly muted reaction to all that. the german economy released strong industry data that shows the recovery is indeed continuing there. the ftse is st

. >>> coming up next, heavy fighting in an iraqi city as ground troops try to drive out isis. we'll tell you the role of u.s. troops in this military campaign. >>> also he's off once again. this mini marathoner from campbell set a big goal for himself in today's morgan hill 10k. did he pull it off? we'll let you know after the break. >>> iraqi military operations continued today to try to retake the northern stiff tikrit from isis. troops, as you can see here fired towards targets with machine guns and a rocket launcher. the final push to drive isis from particular have it now going ahead without the country's iran backed shiite militia who have been instrumental in the operations so far. the pattle for the city is seen as a key step toward eventually driving isis from mosul, a major city farther north. >>> in thieu nearby ya world leaders joins thousands in the nation's capital for a march against extremist violence. france's president was there, as well as italy's prime minister and palestine's president. it comes after gun men opened fire on tourists outside a museum ten da

general was predicting that iraqi forces with the help and assistance of iran would soon retake the iraqi city of tikrit but this week general martin dempsey downgraded that prediction saying it now appears that those so-called local mobilization forces are not having the success they initially reported. when the offensive began two weeks ago, those 20,000 troops most of them are shia militia, a few sunni fighters are tikrit -- they are bogged down on the outskirts of tikrit and not being able to go in and finish the job taking over the city center. now, the pentagon today offered a much more sober assessment of the fighting say that essentially that there's some very tough urban combat ahead. iraq says this is a natural pause in the offensive giving them time to resupply and rein reinforce. they're continuing to mount this offensive without the assistance of u.s. and coalition air power and the pentagon today confirmed once again that iraq has not asked for u.s. air strikes in mosul. jamie, thank you. today marks the 12th anniversary of the u.s. invasion of iraq in 2003. within weeks american

. >>> isis targets had it near the iraqi city of moosle. equipment and facilities being targeted. the iraqis are getting more help from iran. this morning's "new york times" reporting that iran deployed advanced rockets and missiles to help fight isis in tikrit. two-thirds of the force has been trained and equipped by iran. the syrian city of aleppo and buses turned upright used as a shield against sniper fire. the civil war there now entering its fifth year. estimated at least 215,000 people have died this that war. >>> another day, another problem for hillary clinton and the e-mail controversy. a new poll shows unfavorable views of her are increasing and perceptions of her as honest and trustworthy have dropped. more half of respondents say it's a serious problem. more than half say she hasn't explained herself enough. while favorability rating is strong 53%, it is down. >>> dramatic testimony in the boston bombing trial. the gun battle that broke out with the tsarnaev brothers. jurors visited the boat where dzhokhar tsarnaev was captured eventually. abc's tam y'all is in boston

>> it is significant because it is halfway between mosul the second largest iraqi city under isil and between fallujah andrea madand ramadi it is significant because of the way the iraqi army and militias are taking it would determine how the other two cities would be taken. it's also significant because a lot of sunnies are watching carefully the level of casualties and what is going to happen afterwards. it's a testing case for things to come. >> you referred to a massacre of around 700 soldiers wasn't there by sunni tribesmen. so some analysts suggesting that there could be reprisals as a result? >> in a massacre was not done by sunni tribesmen. it was done by daesh by isil. and it was cold-blooded murder of nearly 2,000 iraqi soldiers and recruits. a lot of people are charged with anger. 2,000 is not a small number of innocent people, and there is fear of reprisal against one particular tribe there, but that is secondary. i think that the second fear is that can those militias be disciplined enough under the heat of battle and the atmosphere not to have excesses? that's the real c

but today isis launched a new military offensive on another iraqi city ramadi. city is being attacked, quote, from all directions. let's go to our senior international correspondent ben wedeman who joins us now from baghdad. ben, how significant is it that these iraqi forces together with their shiite militia allies iranian revolutionary guard advisers they've retaken at least that hospital in tikrit? >> reporter: yeah not just the hospital wolf but also a neighborhood to the north and they've taken another hospital on the southern edge of the city previously known as saddam hospital. so they do seem to be gaining ground. and we understand that really the only isis fighters who are left are foreign fighters who are ready to die in the battle. many of the iraqi fighters perhaps not quite as committed to the cause of isis have left the city. they were the ones that we were reporting earlier who had received instructions to shave off their beards cut their hair put on civilian clothing and sneak out with fleeing civilians. but as they make process in tikrit the situ

as iraqi forces draw closer to the city, they're helped not by the u.s., but by iraqi shiite militiasiranian backing. some of the militia have been previously accused of atrocities against sunnis on land re- captured from islamic state all this has renewed hard questions about iran's influence in iraq and it's put the u.s. on the spot, as the leader of the coalition against the islamic state. joint chiefs chair general martin dempsey spoke tuesday: >> iran and its proxies have >> this is the most overt conduct of iranian support in the form of artillery and other things. frankly, it will only be a problem if it results in sectarianism. of the size of the force going if they perform in a credible way, rid the city of tikrit turn it back over to its inhabitants, then it will, in the main, have been a positive thing in terms of the counter isil campaign. >> brown: the matter is further complicated by unconfirmed reports that general qassem soleimani was seen on the battlefield this week. he commands iran's elite quds force, which washington considers a terrorist organization. he also orc

they succeed, it would be the first time pro-government forces beat back isis to recover a major iraqi city. yesterday, the fighting reportedly stalled while troops waited for reinforcements. but now, a u.s. military leader says he's worried about what could happen next if iraqi troops manage to defeat isis altogether. for some insight, we are joined now from washington, d.c. by douglas ollivant, former national security council director for iraq during the presidencies of george w. bush and barack obama. he is a senior national security fellow at the new america foundation and a partner at mantid international. so first, why the pause in fighting? >> well we're not sure. that's a single-source report. we're not confident that is what's happening. although knowing what's going on in the fog of battle is often difficult. what we do know is the battle has been going fairly successfully. it's possible they've taken a pause to call for more reinforcements. but in general they've opinion pushing through the city of tikrit, and we do expect them to control it in days to, you know a week or 10 day

is taking military action against isis in the iraqi city of tikrit. the bombing marks a significant expansion of the u.s. military role in iraq. the strikes come at the request of the iraqi prime minister following a stalled three-week battle to take control of tikrit. >>> bowe bergdahl has been charged with desertion. that happened after the dramatic swap for five taliban prisoners. his attorney is asking the public to withhold. >>> jurors have heard testimony about the planning of the attack. an fbi agent testified that anyways, cooker pressure parts and other potential bomb components were found at dzhokhar tsarnaev's family apartment. that discovery happened in a search four days after the bomb blast. defense attorneys contend tsarnaev had not been living in that apartment for more than a year before the attack. they say most of what was found there belonged to tsarnaev's older brother. >>> amanda knox will have to wait another day to earn will her fate. the highest court postponed the ruling until tomorrow. knox's lawyers are asking that her conv

. >> the iraqi military said to be holding its position on the city of tikrit trying to flush out isil fighters. the iraqi forces are calling for reinforcements as they try to regain control of the city. they have secured northern and southern parts of tikrit, but isil fighters still holding about half of the city. iraqi forces regaining control to have the momentum to move toward another isil stronghold, mosul. peshmerga forces have blown up a bridge in northern iraq. the peshmerga have taken control of that area from isil about five months ago. we have this analysis of the situation on the ground in tikrit. >> essentially what iraqi militia commanders say is that they need this time to get enreinforcements into tikrit. now, they've managed to take back part of the city, but still isil remains in control of about half of it. even in the areas where it's not in control anymore, they have left behind booby trapped buildings explosives almost everywhere and neighborhoods ringed by snipers. that's why it's taking so long, it's the iraqi military with militia members calling for more milit

the iraqi prime minister has said that government troops are beginning a major offensive in the city ikrit. the hometown of former iraqi dictator saddam hussein was captured by islamic state last summer and previous attempts to retake it have failed. tikrit is about 150 kilometers north of baghdad. you can see it there. it's a capital of the northern province of salahuddin. as you can see, islamic state militants have control or at least influence over large swaths of northern iraq. so recapturing tikrit would move iraq's government closer to its goal of retaking mosul. sources also say more than 30,000 troops are advancing on the city. that includes more than 2,000 sunni volunteers as well as kurdish militia. they're backed by jets and helicopters, going in strong after the first shelling of northern and western districts of tikrit on saturday. speaking ahead of the offensive, the iraqi prime minister laid out his strategy. >>> today, we are launching this big and significant operation to liberate our citizens inial salahuddin province. the priority we gave to the armed forces and al

. >>> ahead for us "at this hour," isis is losing its grip on a key iraqi city but also taking out a key supply route to try to hold off iraqi forces. what is the latest on this battle and how important is its outcome to the broader effort to take out the terror group? >>> plus, a new major train derailment. this time in north carolina. a dramatic collision between the train and a big rig caught on video. we'll tell you what happened. denver international is one of the busiest airports in the country. we operate just like a city, and that takes a lot of energy. we use natural gas throughout the airport - for heating the entire terminal, generating electricity on-site, and fueling hundreds of vehicles. we're very focused on reducing our environmental impact. and natural gas is a big part of that commitment. if yand you're talking toevere rheumyour rheumatologiste me, about a biologic... this is humira. this is humira helping to relieve my pain and protect my joints from further damage. this is humira giving me new perspective. doctors have been prescribing humira for ten years. humira

iraqi history. they've bulldozed an ancient syrian city.o bring in senior cnn international correspondent, ben wedeman. what can you tell us. >> reporter: john as far as the city of nimrud which dates back to the 13th century b.c. yesterday we got a statement from the iraqi ministry of tourism and anticquityies saying isis dispatched bulldozers to this town about 18 miles of south of mosul and was in the process of destroying it. now, this is just the latest such act by isis just last week we saw they proudly posted video on the internet of their people smashing priceless ancient statues in the mosul museum. now, we have yet to see any video posted by isis of what's going on in nimrud but i'm sure it's merely a matter of time before they issue it. now, as far as the battle against isis in tikrit goes we were on the front lines, just about two miles south of the center of that city. we saw outgoing fire from iraqi forces forces that yes, include these iranian-backed military groups like -- otherwise known as the popular mobilization unit. we

city, a little bit further to the north there, which is firmly under i.s. control. understandably, there's growing concern for the plight of the iraqi civilians, from tikrit. and the u.n. has sent convoys of relief for thousands of people who have been displaced from the city. lisa grande is a u.n. representative based in iraq. >> already, there are close to 30,000 people in the past several weeks that have fled out of tikrit seeking safe haven in areas mostly to the south, mostly near the town of samara. we know that if the fighting continues, there are likely to be tens of thousands of more people who are going to try to flee isil-controlled areas and get to safe haven. >> and what are you doing about that? is it about building up effectively another refugee camp, or how are you trying to help them? >> in the last several days the united nations agencies have dispatched a series of convoys, a convoy on tuesday went into samara with water and sanitation. we got a convoy in yesterday with food supplies. on sunday we have another convoy going in with household kits. we sent in hygiene kits. and we're helping the government with the c

>>reporter: members of the national police army and eh lease forces are on the edge of the city waving the iraqi flag as they cross a bridge into the city center. they fire at targets with machine guns and rocket launchers and report successes telling al jazeera the plume of smoke is from homes close to a destroyed mosque previously an isil command center. >> we're fighting hideouts of isil where with snipers are stationed at several buildings. our security forces have advanced now on the gates of central tikrit and by the will of god we'll crush isil until none is left in iraq. >>reporter: optimism is high since a u.s.-led coalition launched air strikes on wednesday. the three-day campaign began after the united states insisted shia militias pull back. the fighters have been instrumental to the tikrit battle since it began earlier this month. >> our iraqi forces are heading towards the city of tikrit. we are a collection of collaborating forces and we will be in tikrit very soon. >>reporter: the government has predicted several times before that it will win back tikrit. it's seen as a vital ste

muddle no more™. >>> this morning, iraqi forces reportedly making progress in a major offensive operation to retake the city five directions. this as isis releases a new propaganda video. that video aimed at including recruits to join isis in the fight. senior correspondent nic robertson following the latest for us. nic. >> reporter: the latest from the front is that it is going relatively well. villages have been taken. tikrit not just strategically important, but because it is to the north of mosul. it is if you will the part of the government would see the sunni resistance against the government. this is the birth place of the former president saddam hussein. it is important on many levels. they are saying they are attacks from five sides. the tribe getting isis from getting in. the potential of problems of ieds. i think if we look at the recent track record of the iraqi army taking quite an amount of time to take a percentage of that village al bagdadi in the west of the country. taking a long long long time to take control of the oil refinery to the north of where they are tikrit. success here is not e

iraqi forces battling isis for control of a key city. on't believe which of our enemies is helping iraqis while america sits on the sidelines. [meow mix jingle slowly and quietly plucks] right on cue. [cat meows] ♪meow, meow, meow, meow...♪ it's more than just a meal it's meow mix mealtime. with great taste and 100% complete nutrition, it's the only one cats ask for by name. the garden is the story of our lives... told and retold. it's as old as our time on earth. and as new as tomorrow. you can have a yard. or slightly less. gardening isn't about where we choose to live. it's about how we choose to live. miracle-gro. life starts here. congratulations. you're down with crestor. yes! when diet and exercise aren't enough, adding crestor lowers bad cholesterol up to 55%. crestor is not for people with liver disease or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. tell your doctor all medicines you take. call your doctor if you have muscle pain or weakness, feel unusually tired have loss of appetite, upper belly pain, dark urine or

in the iraqi city of mosul dropping leaflets. >>> the u.s. soldier rescued from the taliban, five years in captivity, now charged with desertion desertion. >>> and tearing through oklahoma, video of the overnight storm. that's ahead. just about anywhere you use sugar, you can use splenda®... ...no calorie sweetener. splenda® lets you experience... ...the joy of sugar... ...without all the calories. think sugar, say splenda® septic system breakdowns affect over 1 million homes a year and can cost thousands of dollars to repair. thankfully, rid-x has enzymes to break down waste and time-released bacteria to reduce tank buildup. rid-x. #1 in septic maintenance. and now for rvs too! >>> after investigating the circumstances, the army charged bowe bergdahl after he ran away from a battle station from a time of war. bergdahl was held for five years by the taliban before his release in a prisoner exchange last may. cnn's martin savage following latest from san antonio, texas. >> reporter: despite the charges against him, it is expected according to

video of some of the iranian ladin 3000 soldiers who have driven much of the islamic state from the iraqi citye succeeded in their battle to create funding for the islamic state, capturing part of the northern district and making a rapid push toward the city center. with the united states military not involved in any way in the operation, there appears to be rising in

the northern iraqi city is the hometown of former dictateor saddam hussein and it's a required winning step towards winning back isis held mosul further north. iraqi forces claim they are making gains and they are getting some help along the way. ben got within just a few kilometers of the frontd lines. >> tikrit is the target. heavy rounds fired into a city now the focus of iraq's biggest yet offensive against isis. the group overran the city last june. there are no signs of life there. many have already fled. we're at a base just two miles. >> 3.2 kilometers from tikrit. isis is just on the other side. that was an outgoing round. our visit was organized by the paramilitary force created when the iraqi army nearly collapsed during last summer's isis onslaught. increasingly they are playing a central role in the fight against isis. one of the commanders has learned a lot about isis's tactics. the basic strategy he tells me is to avoid face to face confrontations. they depend on explosive devices and snipers. the forces received training ammunition weapons, and high level battlefield ad

new video showing iraqi forces fighting to retake the city of tikrit from isis. the city is the hometown of former iraqi dictator saddam hussein. >>> on now to syria. government air strikes there have reportedly killed the senior leader of the al qaeda affiliate al nusra front. a source tells cnn as many as 13 of the group's leaders were killed. >>> harrison ford, his son says his dad is "battered but okay." after a single engine plane he was piloting crashed thursday afternoon. we're told very close to home, but that's where he put it down. fire officials say ford suffered moderate trauma when paramedics arrived a @ scene and took him away. an investigation is, of course, under way. ford was flying solo in the back seat of his vintage world war ii era military training plane. >>> earlier, i spoke with cnn aviation analyst mary schiavo and asked her about the vintage plane and how common it is to see a plane like this in the skies. >> it's getting more and more rare. there are a lot of clubs and organizations in the united states and around the world, in britain,

army and sunni tribesmen are trying to push isil out of the city. >> we want to tell the iraqi people that tikrit will be liberated and retaken from isil troops. we will liberate tikrit from isil. and from there we'll move to mosul. >> they shot footage on wednesday. tikrit is controlled by isil. the city is on the highway linking baghdad to mosul further north. progress has bid slow here. partly because of boobie traps left by isil and there is a threat to sniper fire. the iraqi army is confident that they will take tikrit. >> despite the injury to leave the battle i told them i would not leave. hopefully we'll take the city today. so far we're in control and we have the upper hand with no casualty as of yet. just like injuries. >> but there are fears if tikrit falls, shia militias will take revenge on the sunni population for being seen as collaborators and sympathizers of isil. they have carried out revenge killings in the highly sectarian conflict. the iranian backed militias fighting along side shia militia number around 20,000 and there are 2,000 sunni tribesmen fighting

video of some of the iranian ladin 3000 soldiers who have driven much of the islamic state from the iraqi city. those forces have succeeded in their battle to create funding for the islamic state, capturing part of the northern district and making a rapid push toward the city center. with the united states military not involved in any way in the operation, there appears to be rising in the pentagon about this. in some cases top defense officials appeared more concerned about the rising political power in iraq than the threat of the islamic state itself. >> you asked about the battle to create the presence of iranian advisers on the ground. that is something that we are watching closely and it is something that is concerning to us that has been disruptive to the inclusiveness and so believe me i share your concerns and we are watching closely. lou: tonight we will be talking with christopher hell about which poses the greatest risk in history. and also tonight someone in the obama white house took ashton carter to the woodshed. last week the new defense secretary displayed a remarkable independ

military officials said there was a pause in the fighting in the iraqi city of tikrit and rhenium led forces trying to oust the islamic state that still controls most of the district of the city. united states is not involved with the pentagon says it has not stalled as the forces are consolidating before the next and final phase end the assault on tikrit. secretary of state john kerry and his iranian counterpart held five hours of talks on the iran nuclear program in geneva. and officials said it isn't clear if there will meet the end of march deadline for the framework agreement. president netanyahu says as long as he leads israel of palestinian state will not be established to make those comments on the eve of the election in his party appears to be facing the prospect of defeat. never few thoughts on the president and the company he has been keeping. the secretary of state's remarks are a clear demonstration the wheels may have come off the national security team secretary of state called for peace talks with assad and offered to talk with him himself would have to be at the table

mcintyre explains. >> reporter: tony, it was a week ago that the top generals said that the iraqi forces would take the city of tikrit. but this week, general martin dempsey downgraded his prediction saying that it now appears that the iraqi forces are not having that kind of success that they initially reported. 20,000 iraqi troops are taking part in the offensive and most of those are shia militia but they are joined by a small number of sunni fighters from tikrit. they have been making rapid progress in the initial parts of this operation, quickly getting to the city and encircling it, and now they seem to have bogged down at that location. the pentagon today offered a more sober assessment of how they're going and there appear to be very hard urban combat ahead. and the initial battlefield reports say that it's somewhat overrated. if the iraqi government continues to mount this offensive without the assistance of u.s. air power and the pentagon today said again that they have had no request from iraq for airstrikes to support the offensive in tikrit. but they did however release new figures about how ef

right now, iraqi forces are battling isis for control of the city of tikrit. not helping the iraqis retake that town. instead iranian forces are fighting alongside the iraqis. so is america handing iraq to iran? here now with thoughts geraldo rivera. i cannot believe we're talking about ir9ans walking arms with iraqis. >> it is our fault. we have left the power vacuum. the president said his mission is to degrade and destroy isis, yet what are we doing. here's a major battle. this is the most major bagts oncing a dad was saved from isis's advance. this is a major city. this is saddam hussein's hometown. why isn't there an american general doing command and control? why is -- because the presideñt is lukewarm and tepid about this mission. if we were fully committed, we would have u.s. commanders, not iranian commanders -- >> he's married to the idea that al qaeda is on the run. he hasn't given up on that. >> i don't know why he is not sufficiently engaged. i do know that ground. i've been in tikrit several times. i know mosul. i know that several things have to

iraqi forces. isis continues to maintain dug-in positions in the northwest and south of the city. itioning to encircle tikrit. as a condition of u.s. air strikes this week requested by the iraqi government the pentagon insisted those iranian units pull back from the city. baghdad asking for help when the iranian advance stalled. >> it should really give us a lot of food for thought when it comes to the iranian military and how good they really are. >> reporter: there is still plenty of concern u.s. intelligence about isis will get to tehran. >> the iraqis are clearly passing at least the gist of the information that they receive from the u.s. to the iranians. otherwise the iranians wouldn't be able to do some of the things that they are doing in iraq right now. >> reporter: now of course the big prize as you say, that nuclear agreement between washington and tehran. expect to see negotiations continue at a furious pace through the weekend. the iranians already complaining about the air strikes in yemen. everyone waiting to see if all these other operations begin to affect those nuc

give us the update on the battle for the key iraqi city. >> reporter: john the iraqi forces made up ofacked shi'ite ma lashhonyilitias say they are days away from taking full control of tikrit. they managed to regain control of more than 70% of that city. it might be too optimistic. there are challenges ahead. so far they are meeting resistance. isis is not giving up tikrit easily. along the way, according to commanders and fighters that our teams have been on the ground with on the frontlines in tikrit say the roads are booby trapped and isis left behind hundreds of improvised explosive devices in an attempt to halt this advanced and slow down the forces. it seems beings john they are close. that is a significant end. a major victory considered here by the iraqis -- isis has had control of tikrit since june of last year. it will not only be a victory for iraqi forces but iran that has played a major supporting role for the iraqi forces on that battle field. >> it will be interesting to see what the isis forces do next. whether this is strategic retreat to fight later on in mosul. joma

inside the city, hundreds of isis fighters fortified in buildings underground tunnels, boobytrapped roads. there is the hospital right there. those are all isis positions. for weeks, iraqipush into the city. the government requested air strikes from the u.s.-led coalition. by saturday, two days after the coalition started bombing, bullet casings littered the roof. 24 hours ago, we would have seen isis still holding their positions right there on the very outskirts of tikrit but because of the air strikes and heavy artillery bombardment the isis troops have been pushed back further at this stage. america said it had a precondition for coalition bombing, umbrella group made of iranian-backed shia militias and volunteers and not be a part of the final phase to seize the city but nothing is that straightforward here. the hash has not withdrawn from any of their areas of responsible this general said that the federal police commander on the ground says. the base we are at is a hash base. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> reporter: we hope in the coming days all of the units that are holding the ground will enter tikrit one of the hash units second in command. [ speaking in

and we anticipate that the support that we're providing the iraqi city forces with the minister of defense with the ministry of defense in charge of the command and control of that operation that we're in a position that we can provide that support to be successful. >> with regard to the command and control, there is a difference between the role of the traditional shia elements that are aligned directly with iraq's -- i reckon those element of the tmf data provided a larger force posture and a larger worst generation capability. they don't intend to be or are not intended to be a prominent part of the iraqi security force into the. they are viewed as a temporary organization that have played the role ultimately of halting the for progress of daesh again as we continue to build up the out the capabilities of iraqi security forces across the board we can provide you i think significant detail about the forces that are engaged right now in tikrit. it's actually quite encouraging. to give you a sense of when the pmf elements are going to be impolite and when they won't be in play as we contin

for the middle east showing no signs of letting up and but they could soon lose control of a key iraqi city. >> reporter: they took control of several towns today. though isis fighters slowed it iraqi offensive. but they believe it is only matter of time before isis loses control. he believes u.s. air strikes paveed the way for the victory. while the operation to retake is far from a text book it is showing progress. the campaign to retake the town is the biggest operation so far against isis in iraq and syria. if the offensive is successful it will deprive isis of a successful town. it remains a sunni town while most of the iraqi troops aretia and many fear if isis loses control the violence will continue. fox news. >>> on this international women's day protesters denounced an archbishop morality clauses for catholic school teachers. >> the protesters oppose the demand that teachers at four catholic high schools sign clauses affirming they are in line with catholic doctrine. they say the clause reflect an antiquated view of the world. >> every human should be free -- [ indiscernible ] >> b