we want to fight isil. but we can't provide a blank check to this or any future president, because everything that's envisioned goes beyond this president. i wanted to use your expertise to put my arms around it. following up on the chairman's questions, isn't it basically true that unless we buy into something that is about getting rid of assad turkey is not really going to engage here with us in the way that we want them to? >> the turks have not indicated that to me in our conversation. i think we share the same goal with respect to syria, that is that the solution to syria is not going to be determined by military force. that ultimately we desire a military outcome in syria that is one of the syrian people and that outcome does not include bashar al assad. but i have not had the requirement that we take concerted effort against bashar al assad as a precondition for borders into syria? >> if foreign fighters get across the border, it's not because the turks allow it. i had a conversation with them yester

isil captured more than 10 iraqi soldiers. that's not the only place, in the north, in the town of guer, isil has blown up part of a bridge. that bridge was previously blown up by peshmerga foes but repaired. it was blown up to halt the advance of isil fighters toward erbil. the fact that isil has destroyed the remaining part of the bridge could indicate that they are coming back into areas where they have been driven back previously by kurdish forces and u.s. airstrikes. >> we reported just now and our other report over the years the battle against isil is taking place on numerous fronts. shia clerics are calling for more support for the militia backing the army. an iranian general rarely seen on cam race leading those militia men. his story now. >> this is how iraq's military wants the word to see its advances in isil held tikrit. iraqi forces making headway despite attacks and booby trapped buildings. >> i think the tide has turned in tikrit and it will be liberated, soon, sooner than expected. >> before the military would

we have the authority because isil was al-qaeda.hat they changed was their name and then grew worse. but for years -- i think it was about 13 years -- somewhere in that vicinity going back to 2011 it called itself al-qaeda in iraq. that's who they were. al-qaeda in iraq. and they -- they have an extensive history of conducting attacks against u.s. coalition. going way back during that period of time. they have had a long relationship between al-qaeda and osama bin laden. they viewed themselves and still do actually as the legitimate heirs of the osama bin laden man -- mantel. they have had some disagreement in tactics with al-qaeda whom they separated from. but separating doesn't change where they came from who they were when we first engaged in the fight with them. there is a legitimacy to the 2001 effort because it began a long time ago against this very group that simply changed its name and some of its tactics. it doesn't change the threat to the united states. so we can and will continue to prosecute that but, you know, senator

or the west against iso--- isil. this needs to be our ground effort, and we appreciate your support. i'm looking for metrics in terms of if we all agree with the proposition this needs to be a region policing itself with the assistance of the united states, tell me what that means with respect to what ground troop levels could be appropriate or inappropriate? on the airstrike campaign of the 2800 airstrike the u.s. has done 80% of airstrikes. we have done 80% of the airstrikes. the airstrikes is u.s.. what i am worried is list the words but the concept. this has got to be the region's fight against its own terrorism. as it gets to the point where we have to contemplate a significant amount of ground troops, it almost means it has been lost from the beginning. there is no amount of ground troops we could put into iraq or syria to win the battles. we cannot create a recruiting bonanza for eiffel. the president has said how he would like to use ground troops. i see a real danger of a ground troop creep converting this.

tikrit is controlled by isil. the city is on the highway linking baghdad to mosul further north, which is isil's stronghold in iraq. progress has been slow because of boobie traps and. >> despite my injury and called by my commander to leave the battle i told him 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 casualties as of yet. just slight injuries. >> but there are fears if tikrit falls, militia will take revenge on sunni population who have been seen as collaborators of isil. the iraqi army is the majority shia. there are around sunni tribesmen involved in this offensive. tikrit will be an important test. not if they can fight off isil all together, but whether they can keep the peace after doing so. >> after the response, isil fighters have launched a series of suicide-bomb attacks on army and security positions in ramadi ramadi. five people were killed in the attacks including two police officers. one of the bombs exploded near a bridge in

or this is the west against isil, which could be a recruiting method for isil. it needs to be our battle and ground effort and we appreciate your support on the airstrike side. so i'm looking for metrics. in terms of, if we all agree with the proposition that this needs to be a region policing itself with the assistance of the united states, tell me what that means with respect to what ground troop levels could be appropriate or inappropriate. as an example, on the airstrike campaign of the 2800 airstrikes, the u.s. has done 80% of the airstrikes. we have done 80% of the airstrikes. the airstrikes is the u.s. what i am worried about is less the words but the concept. about ground troops. secretary carter, you were getting at it. this has to be the region's fight against their own terrorists. but if we have to contemplate a significant number of ground troops, it almost means it has been lost from the beginning if the region will not weigh in on the battle. to battle their own terrorist threat. there is no amount of ground troops that we could put in iraq or syri

we want to fight isil. but we can't provide a blank check to this or any future president, because everything that's envisioned goes beyond this president. i wanted to use your expertise to put my arms around it. following up on the chairman's questions, isn't it basically true that unless we buy into something that is about getting rid of assad turkey is not really going to engage here with us in the way that we want them to? >> the turks have not indicated that to me in our conversation. i think we share the same goal with respect to syria, that is that the solution to syria is not going to be determined by military force. that ultimately we desire a military outcome in syria that is one of the syrian people and that outcome does not include bashar al assad. but i have not had the requirement that we take concerted effort against bashar al assad as a precondition for the turks to have any greater role in the coalition to deal with isil. >> isn't it true that turkey at this point is still allowing foreign

isil has been trying to repel kurdish peshmerga forces. kurdish peshmerga forces had taken control of gwer about five months ago. our correspondents have this on the grouped in tikrit. >> essentially what iraqi militia commanders say is they need this time to get reinforcements into tikrit. and even in the areas where it's not in control any more, they have left behind boobie-trapped buildings, explosives almost everywhere and neighborhoods ringed by snipers. that's really why it's taking so long. it's the iraqi territory with militia members, and they're calling for more militia reinforcements as well as explosive experts. they need to go neighborhood to neighborhood, street to street, and clear some of those explosives before the iraqi troops and the militiamen can move further in. of then again the worry is who is going to maintain control of the city. which force will be able to hold it after they drive out isil. isil has been engaging in battles in other areas as they're driven out of tikrit. near kirkuk there have been battles over t

which force will be able to hold it after they drive out isil. isil has been engaging in battles in other areas where they're driven out. near kirkuk there have been battles with peshmerga forces. in samarra there were airstrikes that followed an attack on an army post. isil managed to capture more than ten iraqi soldiers. and that's not the only place. in the north in the town of gwer 40 kilometers from erbil they say that isil has blown up part of a bridge. that bridge was previously blown up by peshmerga forces, but then to halt the advance of fighters to erbil. the fact now that isil has destroyed the remaining part of that bridge could indicate they're coming back into areas where they have been driven back previously. >> well, the battle against isil is taking place across several fronts, and shia clerics are calling for more support from militias who are backing the army. we have that story. >> reporter: this is how iraq's military wants to build advances in tikrit. iraqi forces making head way despite suicide attacks and boobie-trapped bu

after they drive out isil. isil has been engaging in battles in other areas as they're driven out of tikrit. near kirkuk there have been frequent battles in the past few days with per measurega forces. isil managed to capture 10 iraqi soldiers. in gwer, peshmerga commanders say that isil has blown up part of a bridge. that bridge was previously blown up by peshmerga forces, but then repaired. it was to halt the isil movement. but the destruction of the bridge may indicate they're coming back to areas where they had been driven back previously by kurdish forces and u.s. airstrikes. >> shia clerics are backing the army. an iranian general rarely seen on camera is leading those militiamen. >> reporter: this is how iraq wants it's military to see to be seen. >> it will be liberated soon. even sooner than expected. >> the military videos don't show the iranian-backed shia militias. many believe they deserve more credit for capturing areas from isil. their unofficial leader is suleimani, he has been spotted at variou

the group has now also pledged allegiance to isil. nigeria's government insist it is has no need to recruit soldiers to confront boko haram. but as the nation heads towards general elections later this month, some say the government's use of mercenaries is a gain that will translate into votes. >> now declared in serbia after a rescue helicopter crashed. seven people were killed, including a sick baby, who was being flown to hospital for treatment. four flight crew and pilot also died in that crash. >>> dozens of men are thought to be fighting in ukraine the largest group are serbs. >> reporter: a peaceful town in northern serbia. this is where a young man was brought up, and this is where he is now in the bad lands of eastern ukraine fighting for the russian-backed separatists. that's him on the right. here he is amongst a group of serbs helping the separatists in the battle nor debaltseve. >> greetings from serbia, they say. we spoke with them through the internet. i why i asked him was he fighting another war in another country? >>

. >> the fight against isil is short. they come from nowhere and the whole world is united in the state level against them. that's where you have this rather bizarre scenario with a bizarre incident of forces but this did not ask the key question of is this a someone who can lead the body of the army and not sectarian. >> thank you very much. isil fighters have launched a series of suicide attacks in ramadi. five people were killed in the attacks including two police officers. one of the bombs exploded near a bridge in the western part of the city. and kurdish sources say isil fighters have taken control of a small village in northern syria. it's pottered to be part of a large isil push. fighting has been going on for two weeks as the armed group tries to take nearby towns and villages. as we're messaging mentioning now is the time to step up the fight against isil. they have been testifying urging cross to grant president barack obama new powers to use against the group. >>> let's go live to roslind jordan in washington,

isil push to seize the town itself. fighting has been going on for two weeks as the armed group tries to take nearby towns and villages. >>> u.s. secretary of state john kerry said that now is a pivotal hour for the country to step up its fight against isil. he has been testifying before an u.s. senate hearing afternooning congress to grant president obama more war powers. tell us what emerged during this hearing. >> well, it was about giving the obama administration the legal authority to continue its air war against isil, an air war that has been carried out with some 60 countries either carrying out airstrikes of their own against isil targets or providing support and training to rebels and iraqi military. well clearly that discussion was derailed by other concerns about the fight against isil, and what we don't know yet lauren, is exactly when the legislators are going to take the draft versionment aumf, as it's known, from the white house, and turn it into legislation that they can vote on and then send it to presi

isil. >> another attack on a u.s. base in mali. >> the first complete report which reveals why a locator beacon wasn't working on malaysian flight mh370. >> welcome to the program. namer and chad announced a joint ground offensive against boko haram after deadly attacks in a northern city and follows boko haram's pledge of allegiance to isil via audio message posted on line. let's get more live from the nigeria capitol. what more do we know about this new ground offensive just announced by niger and chad against boko haram? >> well, the ground offensive by chad and niger is coming on the heels of another coordinated efforts by the nigerian military to push back boko haram from territories they occupied previously. so far the troops from this chad niger have taken back 30 towns and villages. basically, niger and chad have a lot of interest in what is going on in nigeria because of two things, one, there is as lot of trade between these countries and nigeria and lots items they get from niger

the control of tikrit is seen crucial in the battle against isil. we have the latest from baghdad. >> reporter: essentially what iraqi militia commanders say is that they need this time to get in reinforcements into tikrit. they managed to take back part of the city, but still isil remains control of half of it. even in areas where it is not in control any more, they have left behind booby trapped buildings explosives almost everywhere, and neighborhoods ringed by snipers. that's really why it's taking so long. it's the iraqi military with militia members, and they're calling for mill reinforcements as well as explosives experts. they need them to go neighborhood to neighborhood essentially, street to street, and clear some of those explosives before the iraqi troops and the militiamen can move further in. the military commander say that's expecting to take a few more days. but then again, of course, the worry is who is going to maintain control of the city, which force will be able to hold it after they drive out isil. isil has been engaging in bat

in the meantime we're attacking isil where we can. and it's intended to disrupt their activities so that they can't compliment each other. it was formally before we began this effort that isil could transit freely across the syrian iraq border. they are no longer able to do that. they are isolated and degraded inside of syria, while we conduct our main effort in iraq. we have not -- the administration had not added a -- a syrian regime or an assad component to the aumf although we are in active communication about what support we would supply once the new syrian forces are fielded. militarily there's a very pragmatic reason. you mentioned the moral obligation i suppose. let me not speak to that but let me speak -- >> well, congress has approved a significant amount of money to train and equipment people to go against isis and yet we know assad will barrel bomb them. >> yeah. >> so i'm asking -- so the president has sent us an aumf that doesn't allow us to protect them against what we know they will be facing down the road. in that to

however isil remains a brutal and formidable threat. moving to syria, and parts of western syria, the syrian regime has made gains in 2014, but it will require years to reassert significant control of the country as a whole. the regime has a clear advantage over the opposition, which is plagued by logistical -- by disunity, firepower manpower and logistical shortfalls. right now, they are incapable of militarily ousting assad, and will probably remain so in 2015. assad is confident and thinks the war is winnable. the conflict with over 200-2000 people estimated -- over 2000 people -- over 200-22,000 people estimated killed, will continue to threaten the stability of regional neighbors and foster the rise of regional sectarianism and extremism. as well, it will strain of -- the region cost's economic balance as many flee. over 52% of the prewar population has been displaced. iran is exerting its influence in syria. it has provide a robust military support to damascus and baghdad in the form of arms, i divided funding, intelligence collec

the biggest city under isil control.the phone a short while ago she gave this update. >> residents including officials here in the curd stan region says that indeed iraqi forces backed bier shia militias have entered the city, and they are holding parts of the city. now it is a huge city, sudan hussein's former hometown. in fact, residents there say that the parts of the city have been rigged with explosives. part of the reason it has been such a tough go of it. one of the key bridges into the city has been blown up. that hasn't yet been confirmed but they are using explosives have detonates one of those. and in fact that has been happening along that very tough rout, explosives layed all the way along the rout. >> i was mentioning that this was a prelude to try to capture mosul. the forces that may be met is there much to put them alongside each other? >> it is a previous test, and it will have implications for how well or badly they go. but i don't think anyone is under any illusion, that they will be as easy, and it i

coalition airstrikes against isil in syrian territory continue to degrade isil's sanctuary and limit its freedom of movement and military capabilities as well as its capacity to resupply its efforts in iraq. in iraq, coalition air power supported many iraqi security force led operations. we're actively supporting the training of iraqi forces at four training camps where nine iraqi army and three peshmerga brigades are being or will be trained and equipped. coalition is planning to build on this initial success as well as to prepare to meet a set of critical challenges in the months ahead. as isil is defeated and in the population centers and military forces must move on to their objectives there will be immediate need for policing and public security efforts to set conditions for essential services and delivery. populations that fled the fighting will need shelter and assistance and security until they can return home. in many cases facilities have been destroyed or made insecure by improvised explosive devices. providers need to rapidly assess and respond with basic medical care, wa

they fear it will be diverted to isil fighters. hand-in-hand is one group who's warehouse in syria hint at the aid needs of this country. set up at the start of the conflict, the group's founders thought they'd be needed for four or five months. >> it was just like a really basic help when you say medical aid, they needed bandages or cotton or for really basic needs. >> it's gone from providing cotton and bandages and baby milk to what? >> into providing complete hospitals now. >> nah hand-in-hand is preparing for the next 10 years an alarming prospect not least because of the costs involved. this year, the u.n. is appealing for $2.9 billion to help 12 million syrians, more than half the population. the delivery will cross borders here in turkey and iraq and jordan into territory that's become some of the most differ in the world for aid agencies to operate in. >> last year, the u.n. only got half the money it asked for to help syrians. donor fatigue is a real concern. without those donors and the aid groups they help. syria's next

mosul is the isil strong hold. but apart from that it's quite a diverse population.rit has a population that is predominantly sunni, and that's part of the dynamic there. residents are afraid not really of what happens if the iraqi army retakes the city it's what happens later. who will be able to keep control? will it be the shia militias? those are the questions that people will be asking about mosul. mosul appears to be a larger set of problems but similar to those faced in tikrit. david? >> thank you very much indeed jane. we'll continue looking at this story with our senior political analyst joining us me live from doha. it was saddam hussein's hometown, but in the scheme of things were this battle to retake it from isil to succeed, what is the greater significant? >> well you know, this is just the beginning. it is significant. it is symbolically important. it means there is a push now that has started that the central government in baghdad backed by iran is taking charge but as i said this is the beginning, but don't expect by the same breath that isil fighter

- defeat of isil. we have to have somebody on the ground who sustains the victory after the isil forces are defeated. that's why our fight is enabling fight. we are try to develop the ground forces that would do it. >> i want to ask you about that point p i'm try to figure out, is there some meaning to this definition that we can apply to say this is not contemplative? chairman dempsey: it would not be to to the defeat of isil. i can say with credibility no. >> that would not be allowed. isildefense secretary carter:secretary of state john kerry: i agree. >> the foreign relations committee has had two meetings recently with some of our very strong allies. king abdullah of jordan and the sheik of qatar. the location of the current air operations center. the king of jordan said to us this is not your fight, it is our fight. this is not your fight, our fight. isis is born and bred in this region. they are claiming the mantle of a religion that we revere and they are perverting it for a horrible end. we do

we know isil has a lot of material. they also have shown they are willing to kill the cells in certain areas. this has been a long and bloody assignment. charlie: the help that they are getting from iran, is that enough to get the job done on the ground? if not, then air support from the coalition? director brennan: i think there will be a deliberate effort on part of the iraqis and their partners, whether it be the coalition or iranians, to move into those areas that isil has overrun. i think what needs to be done is a very careful, strategic push so that they do not go into battle unprepared. i think it is important, both from a military perspective, and from a psychological perspective, that you need to have those victories against isil. i said if are not invincible but you need possibilities that are decisive. charlie: it is also been said it you cannot seriously diminish their power unless you are prepared to do something about isil in syria. director brennan: there is a combined effort with the government right no

after they drive out isil. isil has been engaging in battles in other areas as they're driven out of tikrit near kirkuk there have been battles in the past few days with peshmerga forces. in samarra there were airstrikes on an army post. isil managed to capture more than ten iraqi soldiers. that's not the only place. in the north in the town of gwar 40 kilometers from erbil peshmerga kurdish force commanders say that isil has blown up part of a bridge. now that bridge was previously blown up by peshmerga forces, but then repaired. it was blown up initially to halt the advance of isil fighters towards erbil. but the fact now that isil has destroyed the remaining part that have bridge could indicate they're coming back into areas where they have been driven back previously. by kurdish forces and u.s. airstrikes. >> now, to the devastation caused to dozens of tiny remote islands in the south pacific ocean. vanuatu is trying to pick up the pieces after being struck by cyclone pam. eight people so far are known to h

isil is very good at putting snipers in placeses. but the iraqis seem to be very confident. >> if the iraqi army are able to push isil out of tikrit what happens next? you talk about the people of tikrit being very angry at the shia dominated government in baghdad. >> we have seen this in other places before over the years, but they are taking out revenge attacks. that's a big problem for the iraqis. one of the shia clerics have come out and said any of the shia militias who are found guilty will be investigating. they are says isil booby trapped buildings, and we need to destroy them to move along. you have an irane general, the head of the irgc that is really leading that battle. that has got a lot of people particularly the sunni community in iraq very angry that somebody outside is coming in. he has had some real successes against isil. and he is on the ground and fighting. >> all right. imran many thanks indeed. >>> there's been a large explosion in the iraqi city of kirkuk. plumes of smoke are being seen over the skyline. kurdi

fighters. >>> the fight against isil continues in iraq. government forces are facing strong resistence as they try to retake the northern city of tikrit. it is crucial in the advance towards isil. >>> tikrit is important because it's on the main road to baghdad in iraq's sunni heartland. the army backed by shia militias are 30 kilometers southeast of the area. capturing bou-ajeel and alalam would cut off supply routes. these are the pictures in alalam which we just mentioned. isil fighters set fire to some oil fields in the area to try to confuse government forces. as part of the iraqi army's advance on isil-held positions troops began amassing in anbar province. they're trying to push forward towards the city of fallujah. fallujah has been under isil control for several months now. [ gunfire ] meanwhile kurdish forces are attacking isil positions around kirku cushion in northern iraq. the city itself is under kurdish control, but isil still controls some areas nearby. >>> well, the advance of the iraqi army against isil is forcing a growi

it is a systemic program to roll back isil control and retake territory that has been lost to isil. >> a ghastly spectacle, we're doing what we can to provide other countries with counseling services for women who have been brutalized in the form that you describe, and it is happening on a horrendous scale, as you say. and there will be a lot more to be done but the issue is access. >> i know the pyd were act itchi along with the peshmerga in taking part in some of those rescues. also helped the peshmerga in various situations. but still prescribed organization in this country. is that still our view and if so, why? >> would you like to answer that? >> at the risk of sountding bureaucratic, we don't go into cities -- can't get into sort of who is being considered and who isn't being considered for prescription. they nonetheless continue to have a difficult relationship no higher with turkey. and so it's -- it's not an entirely sort of straightforward thing. >> it's also a matter for the home secretary, of course. >> yes. i've heard the answer from the home secretary. i was hoping your

coalition air strikes against isil in syrian territory continue to degrade isil's sanctuary and limit its freedom of movement and military capabilities as well as its capacity to resupply its efforts in iraq. in iraq, coalition air power supported many iraqi security force led operations and we're actively supporting the training of iraqi forces at four training camps where nine iraqi army and three peshmerga before he gads are being or will be trained and equipped. coalition is planning to build on this initial success as well as to prepare to meet a set of critical challenges in the months ahead. as isil is defeated in the population center and military forces must move on to their objectives, there will be an immediate need for policing and public security efforts to set the conditions for essential services and delivery. populations that have fled the flighting will need shelter and assistance and security until they can return home. in many cases facilities have been destroyed or made insecure by improvised explosive devices and providers will need to rapidly assess and respond w

the strong hold of isil in iraq.ht al jazerra. >> jane, i was interested to find out that an iranian commander is helping lead this offensive while the u.s. hasn't been asked to provide air cover. what does that say about the power play underway at the moment? >> reporter: i think it says as hider made clear in the point this is one of the most complicated fights they have face owed there is a huge iran i didn't know component here in the lead in fact. the u.s. rules of engagement are much more restrictive than iraqi rules the air support they have been providing which have allowed the iraqi military to advance in other places isn't as they have pointed on you want forth coming in this one. some say that they have not been asked. that could be because the iranians do seem to be in the lead in this operation. but it also could be because of those rules of engage think. this is a huge potential here for civilian cash casualties and a huge potential for backlash some of the sunni tribes there have been saying the shia m

isil has controlled tikrit since june last year.m baghdad, jane arraf reports. >> reporter: the attacks started with shelling. these mortars are aimed at paving the way for fighters to advance towards tikrit. the iraqi military along with shia militias have pushed back isil from small cities and towns, but saddam hussein's hometown has special significance. >> translator: this is prepared for the isil rats. we will crush them all over tikrit. >> reporter: near tikrit is the site of the biggest single massacre by isil. gunmen killed more than one thousand unarmed military recruits. many militia members blame some of the neighboring sunni tribes for supporting isil. the prime minister has tried to reassure sunni leaders that their people won't be targeted by the militias but he told parliament those who did not support the government fight were supporting isil. >> translator: in this battle there shouldn't be anyone standing on the other side. this in this matter we should all be united. anyone claiming to take a neutral side it will

it's a huge city and it was an isil stronghold. what they have done is clear the way to the city and cleared the towns near it. what we are hearing is concern about the damage being done and of course the potential for revenge. there are reports coming from they're, politicians talking to their constituents is that entire villages have been essentially destroyed along the way. it has been very fierce fighting. the iraqi speaker said there are perhaps 1 million iraqis being not allowed to leave in communities not just around tikrit, but other provinces, as well. he said they will need to be in his view, rescued so it isn't just the immediate fighting on the ground. it really is what do you do with all of these displaced people and how do you prevent those revenge killings? right now we're getting reports of disruption and possible killings, but those are things that need to be investigated carefully. as you know, rumors fly during an operation like this and still not independently confirmed that these villages have been destroyed an

isil says it's fighters carried out an attack. nine people have been arrested in which 23 people died. the allies have been celebrating after pushing boko haram fightingers out of the north eastern town. now the u.n. has condemned an air strike on the airport in tripoli which it says threatens to undermine talks oen the future. but negotiations are taking place. the group finally rearrived in the last hour. near the only working airport over the past week. elsewhere in livia, a new battle fronts have been opening areas in and around the city have seen fierce fighting between isil, and the libyan dawn mull tear coalition. doesens have been killed. they are in mourning the libyan city which for weeks was under siege by forces in 2011, is now on the front line in the battle against fighters affiliated to the islamic state of iraq and the levant. these men who belong to the libya dawn coalition were ambushed early on wednesday. armed groups have joined operation sun rise. they were attacked at three in the morning the response of the

>> reporter: a lot of them are really concerned that probably isil or fighters affiliated with isil willto nigeria and join bocaboko haram in its fight and expansion in to territories i don't understand nigeria. i spoke to a government official a short while ago and said as a nigh areanigerian he is worried and the government is worried that boko haram may try to gain the support of isil in its fight. but he's confident that the military the regional military force is capable enough to do the job. >> ahmad idris joining us from the capital abuja. ahmad, he thank you. >>> now we can speak on the phone to nick schifrin who is in northeastern nigeria for us nick, just tell us the rereaction to where you are to the recapture of these two town and the increasing pressure boko haram. >> reporter: i think across northeastern nigeria both in major cities and also outside of it a real sense that there is some progress on the ground. i think people have been waiting a long time, many years for that progress. as i am saying the neighboring countries are take this is seriously in the last few months

we have the united commitment to fight isil and defeat isil but as general dempsey has said, that is not the easiest definition to write into words. it is a combination of a number of things. on the term of enduring, i think it means not special forces but troops deployed. i understand that that would be something the president would like to come back to congress and get authorization for. wouldn't we be better off sending a clear signal that there is no end to this conflict we win the victory? >> thank you. i appreciate it. you don't have to commit yourself on behalf of the administration. >> let me think you personally because i'm delighted he stayed on the committee. you gave up a couple of seats of seniority. i want to express my appreciation. i know you will be a strong voice for some of the things that always get paid attention to, particularly in africa. i don't think there's any doubt. i believe that the three years if they are accompanied by the vote that is necessary here and by the accompanying commitments by each senator who goes to speak and define why we are doing this

how much doing all about isil? -- do they know about isil? >> we know a lot. we know what their objectives seem to be. we have a good understanding of their leadership. >> and where they are? >> generally where they are. we do not have pinpoint locational data on them. we know generally where they are. >> how much cooperation is there between iranian intelligence u.s. intelligence, russian intelligence. anybody who has identified them as a threat? >> we cooperate with the lot of partners. european partners. i was in europe recently and visited belgium and france. they are very concerned. we are looking for more ways to share data and information. we have great partnerships in the middle east. you mentioned iran and russia. iran, not so much. >> in this case, there is a common enemy. >> but we are not cooperating? >> there are no conversations that take place? >> no. none. nada. in the case of russia, things are a little different. they have a terrorist threat. of late, there seems to be more willingness to engage with us on sharing some information about commo

isil has freed some christians.l it still holding captive more than 200 people from the minority people in syria. >>> a major offensive launched to retake tikrit from isil. the offensive includes fighters from shia that litsch as fightingshia militias fightingalongside the government. >>> some are planning to boy death netanyahu's talk speech to congress. he is said to argue against any deal with iran. >>> christina kirchner was heckles during her state of the union address. she's facing increasing criticism after a prosecutor accused her of covering up an investigation in to the 1994 bombing i've jewish center, lucia newman reports. >> as she prepared to address congress to the very last time. not a visible hints of distress that christina kerr, her and her government have been under. this since the my steer yeah death of the prosecutor who accused her of trying to cover up iran's alleged involvement in the 1994 bombing of the jewish community center. three hours in to her speech she lost her composure when opposit

iraqi forces liberate a nearby town from isil. on the first anniversary of the disappearance of malaysia airlines flight 370 the search for answers goes on. plus. >> reporter: i am erica woods in south africa. push to go give women the right to own land and the skill to his work it. but why aren't they do the same for men? we'll tell you why coming up. ♪ ♪ >>> we begin in nigeria with boko haram as pledge ahead leans' to aisles. on saturday more than 50 people were killed in coordinated attacks across the northeastern city. by suspected fighters from the armed group. a report now from the capital abuja. >> reporter: another bloody day in northern nigeria. these are victims of the latest attacks by suspected boko haram fighters. medical workers struggle to save those they can. a scene that has now become a routine in the north. dozens have been killed in three coordinate ahead tacks. a city home for more than a million people displaced by boko haram violence. >> translator: the dead are in the morgue and the injured are being treat

they fear it will be diverted to isil fighters. hand is one group that hints at the ma'am mouth scale of the conflict. >> it was just like really basic help, what do you say medical aid? they needed bandages. they needed cotton or baby milk sometimes. they would ask for it. it was just really basic needs. >> so it has gone from providing cotton and baby milk to what? >> in to providing complete hospitals. >> reporter: now hand in hand is preparing for the next ten years. an alarming prospect. this year the u.n. is appealing for $2.9 billion to help 12 million syrians. that's more than half of the population. the deliveries will cost borders here into territory that has become some of the most difficult in the world for aid agencies to operate in. last year the u.n. only got half of the money it asked for to help syrians. donor fatigue is a real concern, but without those donors and the aid groups they help syria's next generation will have no chance. >>> here to tell us more about the challenges for the people caught up in and disp

fox news posted on their website one of the most gruesome videos that isil put out. how do you attack the social media problem without attacking news media decisions about what they should broadcast in terms of news? congressman adam schiff: i don't think that you can force them. i think you have to encourage them to be good actors and, i come from a part of the country that has been involved in a debate for a long time, i represent hollywood, burbank, a lot of the entertainment industry and there has been a long struggle over internet service providers, tech companies, that may allow their facilities to be used for intellectual property theft. so i am familiar with the challenges, obviously that is a very different issue and environment, but the challenge of getting some of these tech players to do what is in public interest without a mandate is a continuing challenge. i am pleased to see twitter taking action and i think we want to encourage that and facilitate that. it is telling that you have isil threatening one of the cofounders of twitter, because they are con

in its statement it also them the anti-isil forces.any in the international community considering the y.p.g. fighters and their political wing to be the syrian branch of the. [ inaudible ] on the u.s. and terrorist list. >> the p.y.d. you could say it's the lolla fill yachts of the p.k. k. on the ground in the syrian areas. they are very closely i want linked. but of course you want to be careful because the p.k. k. it still listed as a terrorist organization in the west. >> reporter: clearly it is a complicated factor, the ypg will be among the opposition groups that the u.s. plan to his arm and train and fight in sear request, even though it has organized and has been engaged in direct combat with isil. before isil advance in the region, they were enjoy relatively civility. they even have their own administration that ran their affairs, many interpreted this as as step towards creating an independent state. but the kurds say all they want is autonomy in a democratic syria. the battle for the border town of kobane was the first time t

of isil, but the lasting defeat of isil. that means there are local forces involved who control the territory after it is won back. that is our strategy. otherwise, we have boots on the ground for a long time. rep. fleming: many experts believe the reason we have the isis problem today is we did not have a status forces agreement and a stay behind force. i will ask you, chairman dempsey, can you name the wars america has won without sustained boots on the ground against a significant foe? boko haram has given its allegiance. forces are growing with isis. we know how barbaric they are. can you name some examples of wars we have won without boots on the ground? gen. dempsey: we have had several campaigns against insurgencies, in the philippines for example back at the turn of the last century. generally were actually, our campaign strategy has been the same as it is today, which is to find a coalition and indigenous forces as we used to call them. now we call the regional partners to do the lion's share of the lifting. unless

>>reporter: isil first started making major gains in syria in 2013. by 2014, it was declaring a caliphate. in august 2014 u.s.-led air strikes helped kurdish ground forces break isil's siege of mount sinjar. in november pro government forces recaptured the home to iraq's biggest oil refinery. more recently pashmerga fighters have been making advances. although the u.s. has indicated they may not be ready by then. but they first need to recapture the city of tikrit because of its strategic location to baghdad. previous attempts have failed and there's likely to be strong resistance there. >> for more on this let's go live to fox island in washington state and speak to a senior advisor for the national security network and also former u.s. army major general. sir, thank you so much for joining us here on al jazeera. first of all, what do you think will be the major challenges faced by iraqi security forces? >> any urban warfare, attack is a complex military event, and we have a complex force. this is a force that has not developed habitual relationships

that the isil suffered.kobani which is in syria there's huge losses there in syria brought about by the combination of the forces in kobani as well as coalition air strikes. >> rose: it has also been reported it's a destination. there's been eliminations -- >> let's true.awe've taken out several of their key leaders. however they account for that. bear in mind isil leadership traces its origins from al-qaeda in iraq. so they know us, they have long experience with the united states, so one of their teachers if you will and attributes is they put out strategic, the leadership puts out strategic guidance which is done on a decentralized basis. so they account for losses. they plan on it. so they've got, they work their bench. and so yes we've had some successes taking out a lot of their leadership but they have replacements. >> rose: some argue we still haven't eliminated al-qaeda after all these years. it's a multilong time project. >> the al-qaeda core or senior leadership in pakistan has been decimated. but

and degrade isil. >> yes sir.if what you mean is we need the whole of government here absolutely. >> homeland security -- >> right. >> when you talk about the -- your situation with ebola recently -- >> counter finances which works through treasury department. >> et cetera et cetera. there's not a nice neat separation between our national security and d.o.d. and the rest of government. >> not on the isil campaign, no, sir. >> secretary carter, just doubling back here for a moment.zwpç let's assume the worst. you know we don't move above the bca and sequestration. how does this affect our overseas oco accounts. is is there an effect you see or our ability to fund them? do have you to borrow from peter to pay paul? >> you mean if we're denied the the -- what we're asking for in the base budget -- well, we also have an oco budget, as you say. there isn't slack in the oco budget. that's money being spent for real things. it's being spent for the war against -- the campaign against isil. it's being spent in afghanistan

and kurdish fighters have been battling isil. the video shows the isil flag in one of the villages as forces move in. the iraqi army says it's paused the offensive in tikrit to allow civilians there time to leave. they're trying to recapture the city from isil which took control last june. tikrit is strategic because it's on the road between baghdad and mosul. the fighting is taking place in libya. they're preparing -- they belong to the february 17th brigade. following fierce battles which took place late last week reinforcements have been arriving at the air base south of the city. vehicles loaded continue to arrive from several cities across libya. most of those who we captured were foreigners. >> the government fighters say that so far they're focused on evacuating all foreign civilians. the reason we haven't advanced fully onto thety is that there are still civilians inside. >> checkpoints have been set up around the entrances and exits to prevent isil fighters from escaping or receiving any reinforce schultes themselves. >>

are fighting the terrorist isil. we are fighting hafta forces and the former regime behind all these groups, niger chad, egypt, chad and the e.u. supporting them. >> misrata paid a heavy price to the revolution when it stood up against gadhafi. it is the backbone of the down alliance. since they pointed guns at each other last year, this city has lost 350 men. officials here are not ready to compromise, because for them, they are fighting the enemies of their revolution. >> olive miles is a former british ambassador to libya and the libyan british business council, he joins us live from oxford in the u.k. i was just wondering picking up on the thought that came from zeina's report there the allegations of outside involvement in the fight in libya, how true are those allegations involving the nations that were mentioned and if so, how much of an impact are they actually having? >> it's very difficult to answer that. the accusations are made by both sides. the tobruk you government accused turkey and qatar of financing

the fight against isil continues in iraq. government forces are still facing strong resistence as they try to retake the northern city of tikrit. the battle is crucial for iraqi forces in their advance against isil. these are the latest pictures from the town alalam just 18 kilometers from tikrit. iraqi forces say they've liberated the area and isil fighters have set fire to some oil fields to try to confuse government forces. >>> as part of the iraqi armies advance on isil-held positions troops have begun to amass outside of the town of anbar province, trying to push forward to the city of fallujah. fallujah has been under isil control for several months. [ gunfire ] meanwhile kurdish forces are attacking else positions in kirkuk in northern iraq. fighters have been advancing in several areas, seizing villages as they go. the city itself is under kurdish control, but isil still control some areas nearby. >>> and the influential iraqi shia cleric said that his militia will help in the offensive to recapture mosul from isil. h

to draw isil into its operations. object friday, the african union created a force of more than 8,000 troops to combat the group. this is expected to strengthen the effort of the multi-national task force already taking on boko haram. >> the director of viewpoint africa london thinks the joint offensive will help push out boko haram. >>ings tell you very well that this is a technique or a strategy to actually strangle hold boko haram and with chadian forces coming from the top niger and nigerian troops coming from the bottom pushing up, we already know that the african union has already pledged 7,000 troops around the river. i think if boko haram doesn't have ability to fly then i'm afraid they're going to strangle hold them and push them to their limit to assure boko haram doesn't recover in time for the support that they've already expressed and asked for from isil. with isil support it would be very difficult to dislodge boko haram. >> rebel held aleppo postponed plans for a temporary ceasefire. the initiative seem