mainly lebanese hezbollah. they were some of the initial force that's were sent by the iranians into syria. they were serving as advisers. they were also serving as direct combat advisers. but also helping form up localized inshahs made up of shias and also allawi wies. the badr organization is another one. but it's a little more collection when you look at the badr organization because what did badr do? badr also simultaneously while building their own process and putting their own fighters into syria were also building new separate special groups inside of iraq, taking some of their members, putting them in there and then saying okay now that this new group is formed we're going to send these people to syria. for instance, one of the newer groups that i put past al hak was khtay saab al shuada. one of their first martyrs was the son of a prime militia dr prime badr corps militias celebrated by the badr organization and his son was somehow killed fighting for khatab addar shul ha dechlt ab which believes in th

meaning lebanese hezbollah, some of the initial forces sent to syria.hey were serving as direct combat advisers but also helping form local militias. the barddr organization is another one. it is a little bit more complex. what did badr do? while building their own process and putting their own fighters into syria, they were building special groups inside iraq. taking some members and saying ok now that the new group is formed we are going to send these people to syria. one of the newer groups, one of their first martyrs was the son of a badr corps commander who was killed many years ago. celebrated by the badr organization. his son was killed fighting for the group that believes in the same ideological concepts that came out of nowhere. this is kind of the connection that they have. just going past that, we have these groups. a lot of people remember these groups. they killed a lot of coalition forces. some of these guys were the first into iraq. they would go to iraq and take a syrian air flight into damascus. they would get off the plane and everythi

fighting alongside lebanese hezbollah, a devoted proxy to the iranians. there was a lot of interconnection. they were training in iraq. it would then be shipped back they were dying to iran, not directly back to iraq. they are not that independent. they are directly controlled. another line has been, you know they're not as brutal and we are fighting the same enemy. this makes a lot of sense, kind of if you get past the whole narrative structure. these groups cast a narrative structure that says that all syrian rebels were muslims who wanted to accuse other muslims of -- and could be killed. this is how they cast u.s. moderate, so-called moderate allies. this is a larger narrative process that they underwent and now it's coming to full force. not that i think it's not i system a lot of the fighting but they have passed the sunni any of theirs as. it doesn't mr. cicilline that they are your buddies. -- doesn't necessarily mean. these groups were for quite sometime, decades even. i'll give you an example of an organization in iraq. the iranians created from

. >> syrian state television said government forces backed by lebanese hezbollah fighters captured several villages south of the capitol. tate media says troops gained control of the village on wednesday morning. the british-based syrian observatory for human rights said the attack was spearheaded by hezbollah, 20 opposition fighters were killed in the area on tuesday. >> president obama is defending u.s. policy of not paying ransoms to hostage takers, because it increases the risk of more kidnappings. the u.s. president has also confirmed the death of the aid worker kayla mueller who was held hostage by isil. the white house challenges the claim she was killed in a coalition air strike. >> relatives and friends of the 26-year-old humanitarian aid worker struggled with the news of her death. they tried to find consolation in a letter that reached her parents last year. >> in kayla's letter, she wrote "i have come to see there is good in every situation, sometimes we just have to look for it." right now, that's what we're all trying to do. >> the news of her death was confirmed in a private

lebanese hezbollah, they've also been around since the early 80's. that doesn't mean they are not growing at rates we've never seen before. because there's a new crisis, we have new organizations. the other main thing is iran's reach in this is totally overstated. i can't say how much annoyance that actually causes me, because they're so open about this, about how they control these organizations. again, all you need to do is go on facebook or follow iranian media. here's the weird thing. dr. knights brought this up. even if they're not directly controlling a group, they'll claim to do it. they'll try to influence some with cash, weapons support then they become another micro-hezbollah. you can never ignore this top-down strategy. i'm not saying everything is a husseinist. not everybody fighting in a shiite militia believes in this. but there is a top-down, trickle-down kind of structure here. how many of you in here a few decades ago, would have said, you know, lebanon is going to be a great place for this, because we all know religiously aware and

they're linked to other aspects of the axis of resistance lebanese hezbollah kurds force. so this is not -- these are people who will undermine iraq's strategic independence going forward. luckily, bringing us round to the solution at the end, i think a lot of the moderate shia leadership in iraq recognize that. whether they're in the political sphere, whether they're military men, or whether they're in the religious sphere. iraqi military does not like milllish shark it never did. it doesn't like i think having to operate alongside the pmus although it recognizes they have contributed blood, sweat and tears to stopping isil's advance. i have to give them that absolutely. they deserve our respect as fighting men to some extent and many of them deserve our full respect as fighting men because they have given everything, including their lives, to bring isis to a halt. but the institution that they're part of and the forces that sit behind these often very good fighting men, we need to look extremely closely at them. luckily i think a lot of the senior iraqi leaders agree wit

the government forces backed by lebanese hezbollah fighters have captured several in the south.ritish-based syrian observatory for human rights says the attack was lead by the hezbollah fighters. 20 opposition fighters are said to have been killed in the area on tuesday. >>> iraqi special forces are on the offensive in central iraq. victoria reports. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: these are members of iraq's elite golden brigade on operations in raw mawdy. they are engaged with isil fighters every day. ramadi is important, because it is near the border. isil controls most of anbar and also wants to seize his capitol, but the isil defensive is being pushed back. >> translator: the golden brigade are now in the district. we have achieved progress and will continue despite the difficulties. explosives and ied's are everywhere. there are rumors that this area will fall to isil but these are false rumors. >> reporter: most of the neighborhoods here have become regular battlegrounds. some iraqi solders based in raw maw -- ramadi have been battling isil fighters for a year. >> translator: we

iranian sponsorship and association with particular leez lebanese hezbollah gives -- provides a global reach to that organization and i could not give you a direct answer to how many countries. >> and there are clear lines where iran is engaged in terrorism and advancing that ideology or being a state sponsor? >> certainly in portions of west africa portions of southeast asia portions of latin america. i could go into more detailed in a classified setting. >> it begs the question the former non-state sponsor. are we able to identify individuals or groups of individuals as well that you identify iran as a state sponsor, a lot of these groups have to have funding support, coordination from somewhere. are we able to identify some of those non-state sponsors? >> we have a robust effort across the intelligence sdmunity to try to understand particularly where individuals play a role in the financing of terrorist organizations and where -- where we can identify through intelligence those individuals developing approach using every tool we have whether it's designation by the treasury departme

mainly that lebanese hezbollah, they were some of the initial force is sent into syria.they were serving as advisors and they were also serving as the direct combat advisers but also hoping to form up the localized militia made up. when you look at the organization what did he do he also simultaneously with building the process and putting the fighters into syria and building special groups inside iraq and taking some of the members and putting them in there to say now that this new group is formed we are going to send these people to syria. one of the new groups that passed, one of the first was actually the son of a prime corps commander who was killed many years ago celebrated by the organization and his son was somehow killed which believes in the exact same ideological concept which just kind of came out of nowhere in early 2013 and this is kind of the connection that they have. going past to that, i'm sure again all other people remember these groups are the american soldiers, they killed a lot of coalition forces had also gave her the first into iraq and the inter

>> iranian sponsorship and association with particulary lebanese hezbollah gives -- provides a global reach to that organization and i could not give you a direct answer to how many countries. >> there are clear lines where iran is engaged in terrorism and advancing that ideology or being a state sponsor? >> certainly in portions of west africa, portions of southeast asia, portions of latin america. i could go into more detailed in a classified setting. >> it begs the question the foremost non-state sponsor. are we able to identify individuals or groups of individuals as well that you identify iran as a state sponsor, a lot of these groups have to have funding, support, coordination from somewhere. are we able to identify some of those non-state sponsors? >> we have a robust effort across the intelligence community to try to understand particularly where individuals play a role in the financing of terrorist organizations and where -- where we can identify through intelligence those individuals developing approach using every tool we have whether it's designation by the treasury depart

and this being a target the lebanese armed group hezbollah, based in lebanon is fighting on the side of the syrian rooej eem in damascus against the rebels a complex web of allegiances to show you who, and why they are targeted. the significance and attack on this scale and a bomb in the center of alabama is rare. >>> japan ordered heightened security precautions at their airports after the release of a video appearing to show the killing of kenji goto jogo by the islamic state of iraq and levant. prime minister shinzo abe condemned the killing calling it hinn us and despicable. according to friend and family he travelled to syria to try to save another hostage >>> following the apparent killing jordan renewed the offer to i.s.i.l. to change an iraqi prisoner if a captured jordanian pilot is free. i.s.i.l. demanded the release of sajida al-rishawi, a prisoner facing death for her role in triple bombings in imam in 2005. andrew simmonds has more. >> reporter: she is a would-be suicide bomber virtually unheard of for years. sajida al-rishawi has rarely been mentioned by al qaeda in ira

this for at least a year also >> why perhaps this being a target of course the lebanese articled group the shia group hezbollah is fighting on the side of the syrian regime in damascus against the rebels. so a complex web of aleak answers, perhaps to show you who, why they are being targeted, of course but the significance of this and the attack of this scal an ied and a bomb placed in the center of damascus is very rare. >>> the people who fled the islamic state of iraq in the levant in kobane are sheltering in turkey desperate to return home most of their houses have been destroyed and surrounding villages are under the armed group's control. from turkey hoda reports. >> reporter: they fled as quickly as they could. gunfire became closer not knowing for how long they will be gone. >> three of my grandsons are fighting. one is wounded, but the two others are on the front line. i am so proud of them. when i go back i will eat the soil. i want to go even if i have to sleep in a grave. >> reporter: going back home is what many hope for after kobae fell under the control of the kurdish unit. rohan was hoping to s

. >> iranian sponsorship particularly lebanese hezbollah provides a global reach to that organizationld not give you a direct answer as to how many countries by would certainly argue that hezbollah would extend to pretty much every region of the world. >> there are clear lines were iran is engaged in in terrorism and advancing that that ideology or being a state-sponsored? >> certainly in portions of west africa, southeast asia, latin america. i did go into more detailed in a classified setting. >> it begs the question as well the foremost non-state-sponsored are we able to identify individuals and groups as well that you identify a rent as a former state sponsor of groups at you funny principle coordination from somewhere. are we able to identify some of those non-state-sponsored? >> certainly have a robust effort across the intelligence been to try to understand particularly where individuals play a role in the financing of terrorist organizations and where, where we can identify through intelligence those individuals developing an approach using every tool we have whether its desig

mainly that lebanese, hezbollah they were some of the initial force is sent into serious.re serving as advisors and they were also serving as the direct combat advisers but also hoping to form up the localized militia made up. when you look at the organization what did he do he also simultaneously with building the process and putting the fighters into syria and building special groups inside iraq and taking some of the members and putting them in there to say now that this new group is formed we are going to send these people to syria. one of the new groups that passed one of the first was actually the son of a prime corps commander who was killed many years ago celebrated by the organization and his son was somehow killed which believes in the exact same ideological concept which just kind of came out of nowhere in early 2013 and this is kind of the connection that they have. going past to that i'm sure again all other people remember these groups are the american soldiers, they killed a lot of coalition forces had also gave her the first into iraq and the interesting th

hezbollah men at the killing and murdering sunni civilians. so they've lost that card. they are much weaker because the lebanese state is much weaker. it's a very difficult time for them, and they're having i would say a difficult time navigating this new situation. >> thank you, congresswoman. the only thing i would add is that i mentioned the word sectarianism numerous times in my oral testimony. i find this to be a very important issue that we have to understand that one of the ways that extremist ideologies can become more mainstream is when societies are polarized and people collect have to pick a side no choice but to pick a side. and the only candidates for their votes are extremist organizations in is very polarized environment. i worry about the sectarian violence in syria being exported to other neighboring countries in creating a wider sector and conflict. hezbollah is one of the organizations that could be a conduit for the spread of sectarian violence in lebanon as a country with a very interesting sort of denominational system of representation is really the kind of country that would be vulnerable to sectarian violenc

hezbollah men out there killing and murdering sunni civilians. so they've lost that card. and they're much weaker because of the lebanese state is much weaker. so it's a very difficult time for them, and they're having, i would say, a very difficult time navigating this new situation. >> thank you, congresswoman. the only thing i would add is that i mentioned the word "sectarianism" numerous times in hi oral testimony -- my oral testimony. i find to be a very important issue that we have to understand one of the ways extremist ideologies can become more mainstream is when societies are polarized and people feel they have no choice but to pick a side. and the only candidates for their vote, so to speak, are extremist os in this -- organizations in this very polarized environment. so i worry about the sectarian violence in syria being exported to neighboring cups and creating a wider -- countries and creating a wider conflict. hezbollah is one of the organizations that could be a conduit for that spread of sectarian violence and lebanon as a country with a very interesting sort of denominational system of representation is really the kind of c