michael o'hanlon, senior fellow at the brookings institution. i am pleased to have them all on the program. i begin with nick burns at stanford. what's happening in iraq and is it such a concern that the vice president had to make a surprise visit? >> iraq is in deep political and economic crisis and the fact the vice president made his first trip in five years, the fact that follows on recent visits by secretary of state john kerry and our secretary of defense ash carter shows the obama administration is acutely concerned about political stability there. they're facing several different crises. there is a political crisis where prime minister al-abadi has not been able to form a cabinet, to actually apont cabinet members because the parliament disagrees. this is due to some of the sectarian and political rivals in the country. there is absolute gridlock in baghdad, the government literally grinding to a halt. second, of course, is the ongoing fight against islamic state which still occupies mosul, the second largest city in the country which st