retaking mosul from i.s.i.l.laring a strategic victory in ramadi and flew the national flag over government buildings after recapturing key parts of the city on monday. hundreds of syrians trapped by intense fighting in two parts of the country have been relocated. people from the town have arrived in rebel held territory in idlib and shia regime supporters from villages in idlib arrived in damascus and we have more now from the tip near the turkey-syria border. >> reporter: wound eed fighter and families evacuated arrived in turkey and then from there they crossed into idlib. rebels stronghold in northern syria with a few exceptions some of those who were badly injured and kept in hospitals and at the same time the pro-government shia fighters and their families were evacuated and they were flown from turkey to lebanon and from there they will travel to damascus. past agreements were either put on hold or collapsed. this one went as planned. quite a significant step forward for the international community which

and they're saying mosul would be huge if iraqi forces were able to take mosul back. but how far off do you think that is when you're talking about a number of other cities in anbar that obviously require focus at this time. >> yeah. that's the part about getting too cocky. and i've experienced this with the iraqi army and the iraqi government before. they've got to clear a bunch of other cities in mosul of isis -- i'm sorry, in anbar, before they even think about going to mosul. and then when they do think about going to mosul, you're talking about more generation of forces. over the last nine months the iraqi security forces have generated about 15,000 under the guidance of army -- u.s. military trainers. they need a lot more of that when they start heading toward mosul. they also have to establish some bases on the way. >> bob, how important do you think this victory is? >> well, brianna, i think it's very important. i agree with general hertling. you know, this is a big breakthrough for the iraqi army. they've taken back a town apparently without militias. and we

it's a throng way from ramadi to mosul. probably won't even begin until they cleared ramadi in the suburbs and opened the road to mosul and started the advance. that will take many, many months. lea: there is new violence in afghanistan with a deadly car bombing in kabul. it's raising fears afghanistan may soon fall. we are hearing american military officials saying the white house is considering a pentagon proposal to maintain a base in afghanistan. what does this tell us? >> the problem as general john campbell, the commander in afghanistan said, the united states is only able to put its finger the dike. at the very time that not only is the taliban resurgent in afghanistan, but isis is in 30 different provinces in afghanistan. and the afghan army in many ways is sort of a state of disarray. so conditions are not good on the ground in afghanistan. the american forces are strong enough to help with the counter offensive. in helmand province the taliban is on the rise. the final thing that's so interesting is they are not t

mosul is a much larger city and i.s.i.l. is much more entrenched in mosul than ramadi.adi is very close to the government strong line in baghdad and a place where a lot of civilians were able to provide safe passages but mosul is a completely different story and mosul is going to be a much tougher and much bigger fight if the iraqi forces try and go to it. also ramadi is not over yet. yes there is a claim of victory in ramadi but we have seen mosul in tikrit and other forces where i.s.i.l. forces disburse and leave the large population centers and continue to make the iraqi forces bleed and carry out suicide bombings and ied and trying to reach the front lines but yes they are on the front battle but the war is not over and it's going to be a long one. >> speaking to us from erbill. now we have an associate professor of international affairs at water loo university and she says ramadi is a key testing ground for the iraqi government. >> it's a lot easier to concur than hold on to this territory and definitely abadi has been wanting this victory. the loss of ramadi was a

and we're going to continue to train more, and we'll need more for mosul.lujah is under attack now by the iraqi army. it's in the early stages of that operation. it's the isolation phase. they are encircling fallujah and will slowly begin to squeeze it. and fallujah is a very small town frankly. and in fact will probably be easier than ramadi. mosul is the second largest city in iraq, population nearly a million. >> and it's more densely populations as well. you may have heard our earlier story talk about how isil has been known to use human shields. how iraqi forces preparing for that in the densely populated city of mosul? >> this is a significant challenge. the enemy's use of human shields really does pose a problem. and the only way you can do it is by getting on the ground and working your way in with soldiers. that's one of the things we're training the iraqis to learn how to deal with. the coalition air contribution to this fight has been significant. nearly 6,000 strikes in iraq since this began. hundreds of strikes only in ramadi during that fight.

>> mosul will be very tough.eneral knows better than anybody, much larger iraq, second largest city. i think it's fair to say that the tactics that will be used will be similar. they will have to basically cut off the isis supply lines in and out of the city. that will keep isis from being able to reinforce itself. also keep isis fighters from being able to run away. cut off the supply lindz, begin to encircle the city, and move closure and closure. you are already seeing stepped up coalition air strikes in that area. both the kurdish and the iraqi security forces have been attempting to cordon the areas from the east, west, and south of mosul to try to separate that from reinforcements that isis might send there. or resupply. they have done a good job of the actions a few weeks ago and they were indicators of what's been going on all around the circle of mosul. what you are going to see now, again, going from ram odd where i, a city of about had00,000, let's equate that to the size of the city of cleveland, ohio

to push towards mosul, there are isil fighters trying to come from mosul and [ inaudible ]. >> thankery much indeed. >>> thousands of people have m&aed in cities across south africa calling on the president to leave office. the demonstrations follow a scandal inside the government's finance ministry. tania page has more. >> reporter: drama skips the beat of the zuma must hall march. they say the president should step down or be sacked. >> he is too associated with corruption, with corrupt individuals. the actions that he took last week in sacking a respected finance minister, are considered to be very, very reckless. >> reporter: he shocked the nation and the market when he fired his finance minister last week, replacing him with an unknown mp who held office for only three days. on sunday he was moved to another ministry. this march is starting with the crowd crossing nelson mandela bridge. it's a statement that the global icon's style of leadership, integrity, and authority, this country needs. like most south africans this person supports the anc, the party of nelson mandela is a

mosul is key, as rick just said, but there are going to be a lot of other fights before mosul. have to take -- the iraqi security forces have to take two other cities on the way to mosul all to establish the base for resupply. i agree completely with what rick said. this is not going to take days or weeks. this is probably going to continue to take months before the iraqi security forces can get to the north and take this final city. >> and the war on isis has dominated international stories this year. thejihadist are changing the way some are fighting isis. what we can expect in the year ahead in the war on isis. >> paris has been such a game changer, because as closely as i've been following the sort of reach of militant groups like isis in europe and in the west, i had never expected them to be able to pull off something this organized, something this well orchestrated. >> do you think it was that well organized and that well orchestrated? no, i don't think it was. >> the main thing that didn't go as well as they were hoping were the vests. >> the suicide vests. >> yeah acco

we will be retaking mosul, and yet the u.s. -- saying let's be a little bit more cautious. >> reporter: the u.s. is saying let's be a little more cautious and let's put in more time preparing for the retaking of mosul. that's because in the u.s. military's view, there needs to be much more work done in not just retaking territory or communities from isil control, but also making certain that the iraqi government both at the national level and at the local level are able to maintain control of those communities. ramadi is the third in a number of areas that they have retaken. key is holding on to those communities, keeping them out of isil control, and perhaps more important getting rid of the isil fighters who had moved into those areas. one thing the military also points out is that it's not just the cities that isil has been trying to take control of, in order to establish its so-called caliphate, it is also taking control of considerable amounts of this countryside both in western and northern iraq, and in the u.s. military'

could we see a push to retake mosul? >> well, mosul is certainly on the list of things to do as we free the rest of iraq from isil, but before that, there is a lot of work to be done in anbar. we have to move up to secure more of the euphrates river val e lee on the other side of the country, and the tigress still e need needs help up around bay ji. and that is going to be taking some time, and we have to finish training the remainder of the iraqi army, and are reset some of the forces fighting hard over the last several months. mosul will come, but it is going to be a while. >> and tell us about the role, and you have talked about the training and the advising of the iraqi force, and we know they are u.s.-led air strikes. tell us about the role that the u.s.-led coalition is playing right now? >> well, we have played a pretty great role. here are from the air, and delivering devastating air pow, and we ve dropped over 2,000 p weapons in the last couple of months, and we have dropped about 390 weapons in the last week al

turkish soldiers near the city of mosul, mosul held by fighters by of the islamic state in iraq and the levant. earlier the iraqi president said that their presence violated international law. and the iraqi prime minister hyder al abadi said that his forces are able to push isil fighters out alone. but there is increasing scrutiny by the way that it is doing so. increasing human rights abuses against sunni arab by iraqi and kurdish security forces. in those parts of iraq which have been reclaimed from isil. we have more from erbil. >> peshmerga troops have had success in recapturing isil. now they're hopeful to defeat the armed group in other parts of the country with help from their allies. >> the they have been using airstrikes as a former officer i can tell you that you want them, you need troops on the ground. the americans must intervene with or without permission from the iraqi government. >> but president haider al-abadi disagrees. he said that iraq has no need for foreign ground troops. we have not asked any country to send ground forces. we would consider any such groups as an

there are going to be a lot of other fights before mosul.ey have to take a city called sherkot and another one on the way to mosul to establish the basis for resupply. i agree with what rick said. this is not going to take days or weeks but months before the iraqi security forces can get to the north and take this final city. >> hopefully, this is a success that iraq desperately needs. we thank you both very much for your insights. >> thank you, deb. >> good to be with you. >> we'll be right back. (vo) wha? it runs on optimism. it's what sparks ideas. moves the world forward. invest with those who see the world as unstoppable. who have the curiosity to look beyond the expected and the conviction to be in it for the long term. oppenheimerfunds believes that's the right way to invest... ...in this big, bold, beautiful world. here's a lieat well,thy advice. live well, and take of what makes you, you. right down to your skin with aveeno® aveeno® daily moisturizing lotion with the goodness of active naturals® oat and 5 vital nutrients for healthi

effort inside iraq told al jazeera there is no timeline yet for going into mosul. that's because there is still a lot of training that needs to be carried out. there is still a lot of other work that needs to be done. not just in ramadi but other parts of the you freighty river valley between ramadi, and mosul. they need to--according to colonel warren, they need to take care of those issues and try to debilitate isil in those areas before they try to retake mosul. remember, there have been talk earlier in the year that maybe this past may there might have been a major offensive against isil inside mosul. that would quickly knocked down and it seems as if the u.s.' repeated stance, david, that this is going to take years is seemingly coming to fruition. you say this is going to happen, but not before the public says it ought to happen. >> word from the syrian state television is that 19 people have died in a twin bombing attacks in the central city of homs. the governor of homs saying that a car bomb exploded and moments later a suicide-bomber detonated his invest.

it is nothing like the fighting they will encounter in mosul. can theyions hold ramadi against another isis attack. can they prevent ramadi from breaking out in sunni and shia fighting, and they -- and can they turn it into a larger holding? those would be a nice accomplishment for the iraqis to develop a sense of momentum, and get a sense of more than just a one-off. that it was the beginning of a changing in the times. >> we heard from the iraqi prime minister today saying that he predicts the total defeat of the islamic state group in the next year. very confident words from him. but given what you just told us, it will not be as easy as that. >> it is as easy as saying it, but perhaps the prime minister will be proven right. but there is a long way to go from what the iraqis have accomplished in ramadi. that is a victory, but a modest one. but going from that to retaking mosul and destroy isis the , iraqis are a long way from that. many civilians and fighters from a war-torn charity have been allowed to board buses and leave the town that ha

that hasn't really translated when it comes to mosul and the government of mosul is saying to baghdad, we need more help and if the turks are happy to give it to us, i'm happy to take that help >>> what is the commissioner for human rights are saying about the sunnis and northern iraq suffering a back lash. what can you tell us about that? >> reporter: you will see that two weeks ago the iraqis mounted a very successful operation backed by the u.s. state coalition air strikes on sinjar mountain. the mountain was cut off, two areas cut off. it was taken over the kurdish peshmerga forces and it was seen as a key excuse against i.s.i.l. what has happened is sunni arab families are stunned between the areas that peshmerga control and i.s.i.l. they're in no man's land. i've been followed who have access and knowledge of those people living in the area that the occur dish peshmerga and the krg government here see them as being collaborators with i.s.i.l., they were there with i.s.i.l. siting the kurdish peshmerga forces so they can't cross back. those families say if they go back towards th

. >>> the iraqi prime minister promises to turn his attention to mosul. hundreds of thousands are estimated to have been displaced from the country's second largest city. many of them belong to minority communities and have escaped to erbil. we have this report. >> the holidays haven't been the same for the last two years since he lost his arm in a car bomb in mosul. it's hard he said to learn to write to another hand. that's why he goes to a class for younger students. his family had to leave their home after isil arrived in mosul and told christians to pay a tax or leave. they left. when isil came there, they left again. like many around them, it's the cheerful times at the end of the year that are the hardest. >> my family and i can't celebrate. my son lost his arm, my brother is missing. isil took him as a prisoner. it's very hard to feel happy when your loved ones are missing. >> at this camp for displaced christians, more than 50,000 families are from mosul. although they have been welcomed in in northern iraq, they still miss their homes. they are

this priest was forced to leave his home in mosul. >> translator: we like to give our people hope.nd we all believe that god is always with us. isil is close to where we are. >> reporter: every year the congregation at this church grows with more displaced christians joining in. many who lost everything, still hold on to the one thing they can, hope. >> i and everybody hope to return to our home. >> translator: we want to go back to our lives and go back home to peace and safety. ♪ >> reporter: as the politicians search for a solution to the conflict, in areas like this just out of the reach of isil fighters, christians have fled, and the local people can only wish that the coming year will be better than the last one. ♪ >>> the german chancellor, angela merkel has thanked the public for helping refugees who have moved into the country this years. she looked back at the ongoing refugee crisis and warned it would present a challenge in 2016. >> translator: there is no question that dealing with the influx of so many people will be demanding. it will cost time, effort, and money, esp

that is not going ot be the case up in mosul to the same degree. mosul is bigger. isis will fight harder for it. the u.s. is going to have to put a lot more ground forces and a lot more fire power in order to take that down in any time in the near future. >> warner: do you think it'll actually take american quote "boots on the ground" that is combat boots on the ground or trainers and advisors on the ground? >> i think it'll take both trainers and advisors with the units who are going into combat that they've trained. and at least some american, what we call "maneuver battalions", to prime the pump and get other people to encourage to take the same risks that our troops are taking. >> warner: president obama has said the 3,500 u.s. forces in iraq will train and advise iraqi troops, but have no direct combat role. and in baghdad, u.s. army colonel steve warren said this week that u.s. air power has been key to the iraqi victories so far. what's more, prime minister abadi has said he does not want u.s. combat troops on the ground. again, ambassador faily: >> we don't

the next goal, retaking mosul. >> we're coming to liberate mosul, which will be the is, and alow to is victory for our community. >> deals islamic state still controls much of the country, but has lost territories seen here in yellow. the recapture of ramadi is a strategic planning light in the fight against the extremist group. it is directly related to the retaking of other cities including falluja. as for the retaking of ramadi, it has created favorable conditions for the iraqi forces to advance towards mosul. >> coalition backed airstrikes helped to drive back the fighters. taking over territories is a long process, even after the jihadists laid. the army has to find and disarm hundreds of explosive devices in buildings and on roads. at least 21 people have been killed in a bomb blast in pakistan. police say a suicide bomber on a motorbike carried out the attack in the northwest of the country, in a televised stronghold. more than 60 people have also been wounded in front of a government office where pakistanis go to get new id cards. for the first time in israel, a former head of

mosul is a city of 2 million.arily all arab and sunni, but it has many minorities as well. it's a huge challenge to overtake mosul, which we know there's about approximately 5,000 isis fighters. in the case of ramadi it may have been 300 to a thousand at a most. but this is a testing ground for the idea of having iraqi forces in combination with sunni tribal forces to create this, i think, popular, bottom-up type of liberation force, and quite different than -- really important here, tikrit, which was liberated from isil but was a disaster because of the use of shia mobilization forces that created a lot of havoc on the ground. >> describe the decision to not use the shia paramilitary forces in terms of ramadi. >> this is vital. the mobilization forces or population mobilization forces these are basically iranian backed trained forces. they are gangs. they are not professional military. they don't have allegiance to iraq, they are not being trained in that professional sense of an army. they are hired help so to s

i mean, mosul is a city of 2 million.all arab and sunni, although it has many minorities. ramadi is really a small town in many ways, it is not like mosul, the second largest city in iraq. it's a huge challenge to overtake mosul. there are approximately 5,000 isis fighters. in ramadi, it may have been 300 to a couple thousand at the most. this is a testing ground for the idea of having iraqi forces in combination with sunni tribal forces to create this i think popular bottom up type of liberation force, and quite different,s disaster of shia mobilization forces creating a lot of alienation. >> explain the particular decision to not use the shia paramilitary forces in terms of ramadi. >> this is really vital. you know, the shia militia forces, the mobilization forces are a population mobilization forces, iranian trained forces. they are gangs, they are not professional military. they don't have allegiance to iraq, they are not trained in that professional sense of a national army. they are in effect gangs of individuals, y

to work, then taking mosul we'll have, i suppose, a way ahead.we'll know how perhaps we can take isis up there. but that's a much larger focus, a tougher battle than just ramadi. but this is key right now. >> moz sl kind of the crowned jewel. they want to retake, they need to retake. not only purely taking back territory but i don't know, the similar beism, the psychology of taking the fight to isis. but as you've said, this is a much different fight, a harder fight in mosul. it's a different city. how confident are you hearing from the pentagon that iraqi forces can handle that fight in mosul in matter what happens in ramadi? >> there have been predictions for months now about the iraqis moving against muzzosul. it will be slow going. >> and general, what role do you think the united states needs to have in these fights? we've heard air support and training as barbara is talking about. do you think when it comes to mosul it needs to go beyond that or is ramadi the first test ? >> well i think the president's decision on special operations forces

let's see what happens in mosul.ised if isis disappeared after we went after mosul, as well. >> thanks. >>> coming up on "cnn newsroom," how pollution in china's cap stall making a profit with some entrepreneurs. (singing alougetting to know you. getting to know all about you... getting to like you. getting to hope you like me... is someone getting to know your credit? not without your say so. credit lock lets you lock and unlock your transunion credit report with the swipe of a finger. getting to know you. getting to know all about you... get one-touch credit lock, plus your score and report at transunion.com get in the know. >>> in beijing, a city that is quite literally choking on its own air. residents of beijing, shanghai and another region of china are selling face masks. cashing in on pollution with everything from stylish masks to canned fresh air. here's more. >> reporter: there's no doubt that living in pollution like we see in beijing can be harmful to your health. and frankly, the longer the smog lingers,

we could have still taken a taxi back, back to mosul. it was basically no one on the streets except for small groups of armed men. basically mujahadeen and our guys were beeping the horn and waving to these guys who instinctively waved back. that struck me as odd that mujahadeen fighters would be waving to the police. we pulled up to a building, we all got out of the vehicle, they were being very friendly, assisting us, taking our bags, helping us through -- around the corner to this gate. and it was like going through a portal. this was not dr. yashir's house. this was a mujahadeen fighting position. >> everything changed. >> it was suddenly very obvious that the mujahadeen controlled the town. the lanky guy that welcomed us into his car turned out to be the emir, which means the leader. he was going to come back and deal with us at some point down the road. and she whispered to me -- they think we're spies. >> and i said we'll straighten this out. >> we were not that very much afraid. i was believing they would learn we were journalist

but the real prize is up in mosul.s going to be a tougher fight. >> moving up the river in fact. let's be clear go back to january of this year where they stood. so they were further down along here. so we can call that a success. iraqi forces pushing them further up the river bed in effect. i'm going to go back to where we are now. and this is where they were beginning of the year. >> in the river valleys along the tigris, they've taken back tikrit, now the prize in mosul. along the euphrates baghdad tora ma di is now clear. >> you noted earlier mosul is five times the size of ramadi, so five times as difficult? >> well, it's going to be five times more difficult because not only that the main supply base for the iraqi army, for them to be able to fight up the river valley all the way to mosul on extended logistics line is going to be much more difficult than baghdad to ramadi. >> this is iraq and syria, the islamic state as they call it, isis. let's go regionally even though they've been fought back a bit in home bas

as you say, rick, on to mosul. that would be a tough road and fight. how that would go in the near year. rick, always good to see you. >> thanks, eric. you, too. >> julie? >>> as we've all been hitting gas prices hitting lows not seen in years, without a doubt, giving americans a pretty good gift this holiday season, what does it mean for the overall economy. you may be surprised by the answer, next. , chills, and fever, there's no such thing as a little flu. and it needs a big solution: an antiviral. so when the flu hits, call your doctor right away and up the ante with antiviral tamiflu. prescription tamiflu is an antiviral that attacks the flu virus at its source and helps stop it from spreading in the body. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people two weeks of age and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu, tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop tak

the prime minister is promising to turn his attention to mosul. hundreds of thousands of people are estimated to have been displaced from the country's second largest city. many of them belong to ethnic computers and have escaped to erbil. >> reporter: this man's holidays hasn't been the same for last two years since he lost his arm in a car bomb explosion in mosul. it is hard, he says, to learn to write with the the other handment that's why he goes to a class for younger student. his family first had to leave. they left 20 kilometres away. when i.s.i.l. came to that town, they left again. like many others, it is this time of year that is the hardest >> translation: my family and i can't celebrate. my son lost his arm, my brother is missing. i.s.i.l. took him as a prisoner. it is hard to feel happy when your loved ones are missing. >> reporter: at this camp for displaced chris tenses, more than 50,000 people are month mosul. they miss their homes. they're living so close to the front lines against i.s.i.l. locally known here as d.a.e.s.h. this ma

when ramadi falls, then the road from ramadi to mosul is open, and the road from mosul to raqaa, the other capital is closed. what this may mean as we move into the campaign season, liz, is that for once in the last two years, iraq may very well have the upper hand in this march to mosul. liz: here's the thing, and good point that you make there, raqaa, mosul and the traffic line, the supply line, exceedingly important supply route for isis. the question, though, is, what about the local civilians used as potential human shields by isis. what does it call for military and u.s. forces there? >> the reason they're trying to do it is to lessen the effect of killing american airpower. isis has done it before, did it in mosul and other cities in iraq. it's tragic, but a lot of my friends are saying this could backfire on isis. remember, the civilians in ramadi are pro-isis, because they chose to remain behind with the fighters, and if the fighters put the civilians up as sort of sacrificial lambs to american firepower, at the end of the day they could suffer terribly in their own propagan

>>> what we did in ramadi, we will do in mosul. iraq's prime minister's pledge to wipe out isil in his country's northern strong hold. ♪ >>> the last few minutes there has been confirmation that the u.s. air strikes in syria have killed a number of important isil leaders. hello, you are watching al jazeera live from london. also in the next 30 minutes. more than 20 are killed in pakistan as a suicide bomber targets a government office in the northwest. >>> the sentence on bribery charges have been reduced but he will still be the first former israeli leader to go to jail. >>> and guinea is official i will ebola free, but the search for a vaccine continues. we have a special report. ♪ >>> well, it started with a fight against the islamic state of iraq and the levant and there has been confirmation from the pentagon that u.s. air strikes in syria over the past month have dealt a heavy blow to the group's leadership. that confirmation coming from the u.s. military spokesman in baghdad. >> in addition to our tactical operation, we are

controlled city of mosul. they are saying it's true teen training for a force of local sunni volunteers fighting against the armed group. voters in venezuelan are heading to the polls. it is almost to be one of the most hotly contested in recent years. the economy is high on those minds. >> reporter: this man was venezuelan's congressional leader 17 years ago the last time the congress was controlled by national party. now the former presidential candidate says he can taste the end of the domination of legislative power. >> translation: venezuela is in an explosive situation. we have to realized that venezuelans will be voting for change and solution to the situation we live in. >> reporter: situations like the need to queue here from five in the morning in front of a pharmacy for nappies, medicine and shampoo. fed up with inflation and one of the world's highest crime rates they want change >> translation: before i voted for the government, but no more. >> reporter: under former president the venezuelan gover

to be involved, long-term implication of mosul, it is more complicated. it has a lot to do with lines that connection to syria. mosul will be a big pitched fight. charles: you mentioned raqqa, i saw a tweet. a store in raqqa with michael cores handbags and louie i have thloulou louie vuitton shoes. >> pinpoints targets of individuals with so many handcuffs on ability to hit epicenters of isis fighters because of the risk of civilian casualties, it shows you that isis knows how to fund what they are doing with racketeering and extorting they are funding themselves. >> we could agree that things are worse, even video releases are down, hopefully, the time table is correct, we're celebrating demise of isis in syria and iraq, thank you. great show. we appreciate you watching at home of night 6 p.m., tom su sullivan is in for lou dobbs. tom: i am tom sullivan in for "lou dobbs tonight." >> i takes this up with kt fantastic far land, also war of words between donald trump and hillary clinton getting personal. republican frontrunner accusing bill of having quote

the prime minister is promising to turn his attention to mosul which was taken by i.s.i.l. last year. hundreds of thousands of people are estimated to have been displaced in the country's second largest city. most have fled to irbil. >> reporter: this man's hasn't been the same for the last two years, since he lost his arm in a car bomb explosion in mosul. it is hard, he says, to learn to write with the other hand and that's why he goes to a class. his family had to family left 20 kilometres away. when he came to that town too, they left again. like many around them, it is the cheerful times at the end of the year that are the hardest. >> translation: my family and i can't celebrate. my son lost his arm, my brother is missing. i.s.i.l. took him as a prisoner. it is very hard to feel happy when your loved ones are missing. >> reporter: at this camp for displaced chris tense, more than 50,000 families are from mosul. although they have been welcomed in, they still miss their homes. they are living so close to the front lines of i.s.i.l. locally known here as d.a.e.s.h. this m

some turkish troops are being withdrawn from mosul. going to our correspondent from erbil. what more do we know about this? >> reporter: according to the news agency which is pro-government, we know a large number of troops have left the outskirts of mosul and only a small number of advisers have been left in a camp. this is the place that had caused a huge argument between the two governments of iraq and turkey regarding the deployment of the troops to turkey, insisting that it sent these troops on the request of the former governor of mosul. it was a claim that it was an infringement on their sovereignty. a number of vehicles moved in and they were carrying large heavy equipment carrying vehicles. they've taken back most of the heavy weapons and the troops that were deployed to this area. all of this is according to the news agency which is close to the government. we're still waiting to hear back from the president's spokesman, but the details that we have so far, according to this news agency, the numbers are eight to 900 troops have gone back to turkey on these vehicle

. >> rose: what do we know about life inside mosul? >> not very much, to be honest. >> rose: anybody coming out? it's hard for people to get out because -- >> they make you leave $1,000 and the deed to your house as a sort of insurance policy that you're going to come back again. >> you need medical permission to leave, you have to have an emergency to be able to leave. that's what people were telling us the last time we were in iraq. >> the fairly to move on mosul is also a function of the political divisions between iraqi kurdistan and the central government of baghdad. they just can't agree. they're in economic financial disputes over budgets and sharing royal money from iraqi kurdistan to baghdad and the kurds know they can't take mosul alone. it's a predominantly arab city, and the iraqi government probably needs kurdish support because half the iraqi army melted away when mosul fell. >> it would be disaster if they tried to move on mosul now. >> rose: so it's at least several years off? >> you could just starve them out. pmake it

the iraqi forces -- and the prime minister says it's on to mosul. that will be a lot tougher, though. >> easier said than done for the government of iraq. this shows part of the problems with the obama administration's strategy. it will require a much greater u.s. involvement to aid and assist and train and help out thei+w@6*p4ooz forces. the net effect of which is not simply to put pressure on isis but to strengthen the hand of the ayatollahs in tehran in their growing interference inside iraq. obviously in the shia-dominated areas, which is why i don't see this as occurring over the long term on net to the benefit of the united states. in that sense, we are helping the iranians defeat isis but we're simply lessening one threat, in my view, and increasing another. the net threat remains about the same. >> and finally, what do you predict will happen? >> well, i think it's a long way to prosecute project that victory in ramadi is rtdly translatable into mosul. remember it was in mosul that the iraqi army fled in fear. they discarded their weapons. t

arrived in mosul and told christians there to pay a new tax or leave.they left moving 20 kilometres away. when he came to that town too they left again. like many of those around them, it is the cheerful times at the end of the year that are the hardest >> translation: my family and i can't celebrate. my son lost his arm and my brother is missing. i.s.i.l. took him as a prisoner. it is very hard to feel happy when your loved ones are missing >> reporter: at this camp for displaced christians, they have been welcomed in but they still miss their homes. they are living so close to the front lines against i.s.i.l. known here as d.a.e.s.h. >> reporter: this man is a priest. he too was forced to leave his home in mosul. >> translation: we like to give our people hope and we all believe that god is always with us. i.s.i.l. is very close to where we are. it is a threat not only for the christians but all peace-loving muslims >> reporter: every year the congregation at this church grows with more displaced christians joining. many who lost everything still hold

will help the iraqi military try to retake mosul perhaps in may or in june. that was quickly pushed back because it was apparent especially after the fall of ramadi that the iraqi military needed more retraining and more support from the u.s. and coalition members before it could, one, go into areas that isil had taken control of, and push isil out, and then, two, try to establish a protocol whereby not only could the military hold onto the reclaimed communities and territories, but, so, too, could the local authorities, the local governments, the local police. what the u.s. is trying to do is basically say, look, the iraqi government even though it is in control of its own territory, still has a lot of growing to do. still needs to gain a lot of experience. let's try to do this the right way rather than have isil come back and retake territory that the iraqis thought was once again under their role. >> thanks, ros. the french security analysts join me in the studio. thank you for being with us on al jazeera. let's turn our attention to one of the ten isil le

tore key has deployed several hundred soldiers close to mosul which is under i.s.i.l. control. an official says they have already been in the kurdish region in northern iraq in a training mission since last year. >> reporter: what is likely going to be another spat between ankara and baghdad, they have sent fighters into mosul. they say these trainers arrived, there may be 100 to 150 of them, but they were escorted in by turkish protection forces bringing up the number of troops that crossed that border into the province. what we're hearing is this is likely to be a move that was brought about by the governor of mosul that also runs a militia there. he has probably asked the turks to come and help them in his fight to train his forces up to go into mosul. baghdad says there can't be any foreign boots on the ground here. he has been very clear on that. he says this is an infringement. ankara says they have been helping the forces within the area for the last year now as training forces. where it gets interesting is one source within the camp of has said if baghdad can use them i

as for mosul, that is a much larger city.big goal to get mosul back from the grip of isis. if you can -- if the iraqis can achieve getting ramadi back, holding on to it, getting mosul back, that is a major strategic victory for them. they can't afford to lose this time they have run away in the past now after months of u.s. training. they appear very ready to take on isis. if they get ramadi back, if they get mosul back, iraq gets a big chunk of its territory back. carol. >> barbara star reporting live from the pentagon. thank you. >>> still to come in the newsroom, time for tense and awkward political discussions around the christmas dinner table. some tips on getting you through it next. jusdoes that mean they have toer grow apart from their friends, or from the things they love to do? with right at home, it doesn't. right at home's professional team thoughtfully selects caregivers to help with personal care, housekeeping, meals, and most of all, staying engaged in life. oh, thank you, thank you. you're welcome. are you rea

now the prime minister is promising to turn his attention to mosul which was taken by isil last year. estimated to have been displaced from the country's second largest city. many belongs to minority communities. we want a report from you are f. >> reporter: his holidays haven't been the same since he lost his arms from nba a bar bomb. it's hard he said to write with his other arm. his family had to he have look their home after isil arrived in mosul and told christians there to pay a new tax or leave. they left. moving 20-kilometer as way. when isil came to that town too, they left again. it's the cheerful times tends of the year that are the hardest. >> translator: my family and i can't celebrate. my son lost his arm, my brother is missing. isil took him as a as a prisoner it's hard to be happy when your loved ones are missing. >> reporter: more than 50,000 families here in this cam o came from mosul. they are welcome but still miss their homes and are uneasily living so close to isil locally known here as daesh. this priest was forced to leave his home in mosul. >> translator: we w

mosul as i drove around mosul, not through mosul to get to sinjar mountain, mosul is still getting money to pay for electricity, for their supplies, from the central baghdad government. who is collecting all of that money? islamic state. they're in control of mosul. you know? and it's true there are many civilians caught in the middle of this. there are many disenfranchised sunnis on the ground. and one of the things that potentially could be a major problem for us in this war against islamic state is the fact that sectarian divides have so increased over the past year, and particularly with shia militias within the sunni communities that it's like a hot bed right now. so not only do we have islamic state, but we have a potential disaster on our hands inside iraq. and some people say it's already there. i say it hasn't gotten to the apex yet. and we'll know that when we start seeing it on the news. people slaughtering each other again. and you know, disenfranchised sunnis living in the badlands, not being able to return back to their villages. and i'm going to wrap it up because i know w

mosul has over 1 million. mosul is an ancient medieval city that isis has been digging into for over a year and a half now. some would say that mosul and raqqah and syria are just two nuts that are just too big to crack by the iraqi army. i think what the administration is saying now is the campaign season starts in april. let the iraqis get their act together. figure out how to do this campaign against mosul, see how they do, and then make the decision about sending in heavy u.s. forces to help them take that city. >> in terms of the fight, not only against isis and iraq, but the fight against isis overall, is it time to begin talking about committing u.s. troops into syria and into these kinds of places? i know you've written about this heavily. at some level, the pentagon brass seems scared to even offer that proposal. >> you know, there's an old soldier saying called ground truth. you can strip out the politics. you can strip out the hope and the well wishing. at the end of the day, conditions on the groun

there are reinforcements that ar are unique to mosul. and i have to say this is not insufficient combat force for offensive cooperations, but i can say that with this deployment, and with the authorization with the kurdistan regional government, turkey has transformed the training camp into permanent, permanent military base. >> and is that a problem that something that started off as temporary, and now it's become a sort of permanent presence. that's a problem with the iraqi government? >> that's right. that's right. that's right, the iraqi government has been puttin put--pushing hard on this issue. but the turkish foreign ministry with this plan, and reinforcement are counseled because of the position of baghdad. but i want to emphasize that they do not want to plan to withdraw. th >> so what is the end goal here for turkey? is this about having some sort of--if i can describe an arm of control s that the point of this particular action? >> there are, i think, three strategy calls for reinforceme reinforcement. to demeeting anti-a anti

they didn't talk about taking mosul, they took mosul, so the most powerful narrative is the reality on the ground showing them that they are not this god ordered perfect society in the islamic prophecy that everyone says that they are, they're basically bunch of losers. >> guest: there are is going to be some people that are bitter dead enders, you know? but we can certainly kind of take a lot of the numbers way down if everyone sees them as the losers that they are. we are not quite there yet. we have a challenge to the physical isis state is under a lot of military pressure and all too slowly being kind of weekend. the virtual state the one that we are talking about is still very healthy and very powerful and very aggressive so we have to make the reality of the physical state catch-up to the shiny image that's presented in the propaganda. >> guest: i fully agree with what you said and i think we are very like-minded way you describe counternarrative but i also wanted about that again using another comparison, the war on drugs for example became a battle for ideologically driven solu

we can say in full confidence that we're coming to liberate mosul. to be the final and heavy blow to beat daesh. >> i think what the prime minister is trying to say this is iraqis iraqis taking control of their destiny. if it looks like it's more u.s. operation than iraqi operation this again would feed into the narrative that it's the west that is struggling with groups like isis. >> while iraq and the u.s. are celebrating what they call progress against isil there is a split on the way forward. hyder al abadi says 2016 will be the year iraq kicks isil out of mosul. the u.s. view that it might take longer. roslind jordan, al jazeera, washington. >> the french security analysts said that charaffe al-mouadan was very well-known and his death would be a blow to the group. >> he was one of the leaders, and he was very charismatic and most well-known french jihadist in syria. he was a target of importance for this, and, indeed, most probably there must have been informers on the ground that helped to track him down. but we know already that he was part o

during a visit -- they have vowed to push isil from the city of mosul, and defeat the group in 2016. and 22 people have been killed in a suicide attack targeting a government office in northwest pakistan, the group once links to the taliban has claimed responsibility. the world health organization has declared guinea free of ebola. there have been no new infections. the world of course in guinea that the west african ebola outbreak was reported in march of 2013. since then, they have died there. 4,809 have died in liberia, 3,955 in syria leyon, and eight in nigeria. well, the world health organization declared nigeria free of ebola last year. sierra leone was declared free last month. but then weeks later further cases were reported. last two would have charged from hospital there, earlier this month. >> that had led to international alarm last year. >> so west africa close to being elowell free to search tor finding a vaccine is almost over. every time that he come to the lab for testing they wonder, which one of them has been injected with the experimental ebola vaccine. at first w