. >> i doubt whether this is an imperative need or imperative mood to get for mr nouri al-maliki. he has been ruling with emergency situation for the last few months since the elections and before that. i believe he wants this decision to strengthen his position in the government, and extend his term in office, rather than waiting for the government to be established. >> there has been a great deal of discontent in iraq, in political circles with mr nouri al-maliki's governance, where it's felt he hasn't included the ethnic diversity. how do you read that situation? >> well, the problem with nouri al-maliki, that he tends to create problems without solving them. he create problems with kurdish region, he created problems with the sunni segment provinces, and then - and now he's creating problems with his shia coalition because of his insistence on having a third term in office. this has been his problem for the last eight years. he creates problems. he does not solve them. he doesn't have the desire to solve the problems. >> one of the major problems we have seen in the last 48 ho

. >> as you report, there's already marching support for mr nouri al-maliki. w much shi'ite support does he have across the country? >> let me make it clear that the rally that we are seeing isn't in support of nour rsh, it's for -- nouri al-maliki, it's for moouk tarreda. this is about them being able to protect the shrinse and baghdad. how much support does nouri al-maliki have. he won the popular vote. but that is not enough to make him prime minister again. he needs the support of the key politicians here. the other political groups, to form a coalition. increasingly they came out in criticism. they had sunni politicians already criticise him. the grand ia tolla ali cyst tarny saying there needs to be a unified government that is more inclusive. it's seen as a criticism. and the americans chiming in saying prime minister nouri al-maliki is not doing enough to reach out to the kurds and the sunni politicians. he has the popular vote, winning 92 seats. to form a government he needs the backing of the political party to form a two-thirds majority. he doesn't h

nouri al-maliki as part of the problem. would john kerry arrives, he al-maliki tog mr. share or relinquish power.epresentativer at friday prayers, the grand ayatollah called for the formation of an effective government. he said it should open new horizons towards a better future for all iraq ease. mr. al-maliki did well in election two months ago. he will be in no mood to step aside, even as fighting rages. the diplomatic war is just beginning. paul adams, bbc news. >> one of the places with heavy fighting is northeast of baghdad. frontlines with kurdish forces battling a isis militants and we have this report. a warning, contains distressing images. kurdish snipers have watched, waited, killed. as an army cameraman films, the officer shouts, hit them as they run. sniper's viewpoint, the body of an isis fighter. as the kurds film the record of a week fighting. here, isis suspects surrendering. strip for fearo there wearing suicide vests. the jihadi snipers are active, too. watch now as they just missed the kurds, bullets smashing into the earth. we traveled into the town with kurdish forces. comi

mr. obama said any military action is at least several days away. and he delivered a warning to iraqi prime minister nouri al-maliki-- work with your sunni political opponents or risk losing your country and the support of the u.s. >> this should be a wake-up call. the united states is not simply going to involve itself in a military action in the absence of a political plan by the iraqis that gives us some assurance that they're prepared to work together. >> reporter: top white house advisers tell us, scott, there is no scenario that imagines the insurgents taking baghdad. president obama expects iraqi security forces to fight there, even though they have fled elsewhere. that will give mr. obama time to plot military attacks and the iraqi prime minister an opportunity, perhaps his last, to become the inclusive political leader he has long refused to be. >> pelley: major, thanks. now we'll go to david martin at the pentagon with the president's military options. >> reporter: the pentagon increased spy flights over iraq using high-flying global hawk drones as it developed plans for airstrikes designed to b

mr. ratner. >> as president obama said, that's for the iraqis themselves to determine. these problems run further than nouri al maliki. he hasn't played a constructive role. who that may be and the time line in which that occurs is something that's going to have to be determined by internal dynamics but he's certainly failing at this point and it's perhaps time for a change. >> a lot of people looked at troop withdrawal that it was too early, and now with that rebel force do you agree, troop withdrawal too early in the area, mr. nazar. >> well, the iraqis didn't want the united states to stay. so it wasn't just a u.s. choice. and i'm not so sure if the united states had maintained a few thousand troops that it would have really stabilized the situation. i think there's a tendency to offer these simple military solutions, if a few thousand u.s. troops had stayed, the problem is deeper than that and more complicated. even if the united states had maintained troops that doesn't mean we wouldn't see the deep instability in iraq we see today. >> mr. ratner moving forward what should be the right approach? >> wel

nouri maliki to form a more conclusive government. >>> russia's president vladimir putin has voiced support for ukrainian peace plan put forward by president poroshenko. mrk if compromises are made with pro-russian rebels. who are the people fighting against the ukrainian military? steve rosenburg has been to southern russia to meet one man who claims to be recruiting volunteers to join the conflict. >> who are the fighters in eastern ukraine? we know that some of the pro russian militants are ukrainian citizens. not all of them. in the russian city, i meet yuri. by the internet he's recruiting russians to fight in ukraine on the side of the militants. kiev identified this group and website as one of the main recruiting grounds for russian volunteers. >> translator: there's a saying you can't do good without using your fists. sometimes it's necessary to take up arms to protect those that need defending. we call it armed charity. >> the group says it was their volunteers who tried to seize donetsk airport last month. dozens of fighters were killed. more than 30 bodies were taken to russia. >> translator: our job isn't just dispatch volunteers and coordina

nouri al maliki's government. the prime minister of the region says he believes al maliki should go. speaking in an interview with nbc, he said that if mr. maliki stays in power, it will hinder the political process. >> of course, the situation in iraq now is a very complicated situation. and in my view he shouldn't stay as a prime minister. if iraq -- if they have stability again, political process should be started in in country by having him as a prime minister, i think, it will be more complicated. >> joining me from michigan is juan cole, a professor of history at the university of michigan and author of "engaging the muslim world." good to have you with us. prime minister al maliki is in a position where he's increasingly politically isolated and discredited. is it likely he'll go soon? >> well, it's not entirely clear that anyone can make him go. he does have the loyalty of a great many in the officer corps, and he has the largest single party in parliament in the recent elections. enormous pressure is being applied to him, even from the shiite leadership, which he technically acknowledges, and certainly from all of the other pol

prime minister nouri maliki confirmed to bbc that syrian fighter jets carried out a raid on the border areas. the attack is thousandth to target sunni rebels linked to the isis group. mrd. it happened at the border crossing here. he welcomed any such strike against isis and add add iraq and syria were now cooperating over border security. mike reports. >> reporter: the after math of the syrian attack from the air on the building in the border area between iraq and syria, from this unverified footage. u.s. first reported the air strikes. iraq's prime minister confirmed them saying he welcomed any such strikes against isis. against the continuing offensive by the isis extremists, batches of recruits have been turning up north of baghdad declaring themselves ready for battle. today we brought about 1,000 men says the chief. we have more than 20,000 people willing to join the army. some have already gone to the front. they're recruiting and training in the southern city. not solely in defense of the shiites but in defense of all iraqi, shiites, sunni and christian. arriving on foot as well as by car, these are among the latest iraqis to flee their homes in the face of the

nouri maliki has exclusively revealed that syrian fighter jets have bombed sunni rebels on the border between iraq and syria. the attack on militants was carried out tuesday in the town of al-qaim. mr. maliki said they welcomed the attack on isis is. he welcomed iraq and syria are cooperating over border security. >> translator: the strike earlier inside the syrian side of the border, there was no coordination involved, but we welcome this action. we actually welcome any syrian strike against isis. this group targets iraq and syria. we welcome syrian strike against isis as we welcome syria strike against isis. we didn't make request from syria. they carry out their strikes. we carry out ours. final winners are our two countries. >> we are joined now from baghdad. how important and significant is it? did syrian fighter jets penetrate iraqi territory? >> reporter: it has been confirmed to us this it entered iraqi territory. he was aware of the air forces carrying out strikes. he said he welcomed any strikes from syria or neighboring countries. he complained in the interview there is no neighbor countries really helping iraq. he said the best of the neighbors is keeping silent and wat

. >> president obama has called on iraqi president's nouri al-malachi to ends the -- al-malaki. and i made that very clear to mr. maliki and others inside. >> the developments come after being led by isis seized much of iraq. the second largest city. militants have threatened to march to baghdad. >> they turned out for a protest in san francisco for possible military action in iraq. > >> the protest at the intersection of the market was a national day of market. and they were held in new york. chicago and los angeles. they say. money spent on overseas missions is needed at home. >> they claim there is no bucket for education in the country or social services or healthcare. >> but there is always billions of dollars that go into the military industrial complex. >> they have september military advisors to iraq and considering air strikes. u.s. will not put combat p groups on the beyond. >> a medic is now back with his family after a surprise welcome at the san francisco airport. >> and to greet 21-year-old specialist ryan rafeeni yesterday. >> his family said he treated troops of that were injured by ieds and a h