the peshmerga stepped in when the rebels came. along the an canal the peshmerga made a stand. halfway along the road is the last i.s.i.l. checkpoint before hitting the city. has the i.s.i.l. tried to attack the city? >> translation: yes, they tried hard to break our leans and get close to -- lines and get close to kirkuk. the kurdish forces are standing fro. maimingor mohammed told us that fighting was intense and it's calmer now. i.s.i.l. decided it was not wise to face the peshmerga head on or they knew it would be difficult to hold a city like kirkuk where the majority of the population is kurdish. this is the security line. everything on this side is in control of the pesh merga, and everything on this side in control of the i.s.i.l. this soldier tells us as loppings as i.s.i.l. -- lang as i.s.i.l. staying over there they will not engage them. looking across we can see cars fleeing the i.s.i.l. territory. do you think the peshmerga will defect like the iraqi army do. >> no, the iraqi soldiers didn't fight the i.s.i.l., the pesh merga are an army fighting for a cause. we ar

. >> yet another funeral of a peshmerga fighter. wouldn't get involved in the battle between mainly shia forces and sunni armed groups. but iraq's kurds are caught up in the conflict it is nonethele. there is no official toll but kurdish forces are suffering casualties. the fighting has been fierce in this corner of diala province. peshmerga fighters show us the areas under their control but as this vehicle approaches our position, the fighters become uneasy. it is clear they are concerned their enemy has breached their lines. there doesn't seem to be a clear front line here. sunni armed groups which include local tribal forces are based snidinside the town. kurds say they are not fighting sunnies but what they call terrorists. the peshmerga general explained their military owiv owivet is nt just to push south. >> we not reach these mountains just yet but now we, fighting inside the islamic estate and the baathist states. >> now that the army has fled the kurds want this land. the battle here is about to enter its second month and i

what peshmerga did was came to the area and they didn't let i.s.i.s. come in. they have tried to infiltrate and attack the region, they were insuccessful. i.s.i.s. is heading south towards central iraq and is not focussed on the north and kurdish region, it's not true. i.s.i.s. is fighting kurdish peshmerga but is not successful in battling them. >> looking at the battle. ceasing oil-rich kirkuk, did this help in the quest for independence? >> definitely. kurdistan is far away from economic independence. it was on the way to sell oil and it started selling one shipment of oil and three are waiting to be sold in the mediterranean sea, but kirkuk is definitely - if kurdish are successful in selling kirkuk's oil they'll have independence from baghdad. >> in the quest for independence, will it be an end to a unified iraq? >> i think iraq is divided. practically divided. sunni militias, including i.s.i.s. are holding the areas. shias are dominating south and the capital. they are showing their open region and disputed territories. iraq is gooded. >> israeli's prime

this is not the first tim peshmerga forces have been a -- time peshmerga forces have been attacked. there was a suicide car bombing attacking the peshmerga. they share sa 1,000 -- a 1,000km area. yesterday we travelled south towards tikrit, and what we saw on the ground was that kurds sunnis and shi'as are claiming territory and this war is about claiming power and tert trit. >> reporter: we are 200km from the iraqi capital. road sides mean litment. the -- mean little. the country is divided into shi'a, kurtz and sunnis. this is a vital supply lines for the kurds to reach south. it cuts through territory under the control of sunni fighters, including the the latest news and hottest trends in celebrity group. we reached an area. this district has been disputed territory. for kurdish officials, this was a message to the central government. the iraqi army may have abandoned their positions, but the iraqi prime minister is it nouri al-maliki vowed to retake the land. a few days ago the iraqi army used planes, three missiles landing in an area. two people, including an 11-year-old girl w

. >> reporter: another funeral of a peshmerga fighter.he kurdistan battle said it would not get involved in the shia forces or the armed groups. iraq's kurds are caught up in the conflict nonetheless. there is no official casualty toll, but kurdish forces are suffering casualties. the fighting has been fierce in this corner of the eastern province of dhuluiya. this town is an urban battle ground. many of the 40,000 kurd and arab residents have left. peshmerga fighters show us the areas under their control. as the vehicle approaches our position the fighters are uneasy. they are concerned then my has breached their lines. there doesn't seem to be a clear front line. sunni armed groups are based inside the town. their snipers prevented the kurds from taking it. the kurds say they are not fighting sunnis, but what they call terrorists. the peshmerga general explains the military objective is not just to take jelola, but they want to push south until they reach the borders of their historical homeland. >> that's the natural border. the mounta

we spent the day at a training camp for female peshmerga. >> reporter: while training is under way inlitary camp on the outskirts, it is a very hot morning here in kurdistan. these are the soldiers of the elite female order, and some have come back from the front line in kirkuk where they faced isis fighters. some are undergoing intense training and are about to go to fight for -- the peshmergas have been crucial in the fight against isis. and many here believe that kurdistan has been safer because of what peshmergas and soldiers were able to do, combat the militants. after morning assembly, it is straight to patrol training. the soldiers' stamina is tested in a simulated battlefield. this is an exercise on what to do if your squad is ambushed, something they have to be adept with if they with stand a chance against isis fighters. with this situation, we went with our unit to kirkuk. i was there three days and three nights. the reasons we want to fight isis is, first, to defend our country. and, secondly, to defend women, because in mosul, isis attacked a lot of women. the unit is mad

it's a battle kurdish forces or the peshmerga cannot lose. their enemy is the islamic state group and other rebels. here, south of kirkuk, the fighters fortified their positions. a gas field and energy complex is hundreds of metres away. signs of fighting remain. >> our mission is to defend kirkuk and prevent advance. they use precise mortar shells and fighters. the iraqi army abandoned weapons and fled after an assault by sunni rebels. kurdish troops moved in and took control. that puts them at the forefront of battles with the islamic state. >> the flag of the islamic group is raised over a building, about 800 metres away from where i am. kurdish forces are engaged in battles with the islamic groups on a number of fronts. they are overstretched. >> this is the peshmerga commander in kirkuk and shows me the hot spots in the area under his command. he says the battle is wider. >> translation: we have eight different battlefields, 1,000 borders, from syria to iran - we are ready for them. they are well trained, former army officers, arabs, afg

kurdish peshmerga officials expect it to be a ro prolonged conflict. the kurds are poorly armed and few in number. they are within range of mortars and fire. they have been ambushed. capturing jel owla is hard enough. the barren terrain may be more difficult. 150,000 people have been displaced in towns around the area, according to the syrian observatory for human rights. lebanon's state newsagency says syria's government violated lebanese air space and carried out missions. >>> the afghan election commission is to conduct an audit. there was a meeting with abdullah abdullah and ashraf ghani and they are confident they will agree to the audit. they accuse each other of the mann ipulating votes. results are expected on monday. >>> pro-russian fighters in ukraine will regroup. they are concentrating forces in donetsk. scott heidler is there. >> reporter: in part of this city of 1 million people, it seems a calm sunday shopping day. if you go on the outside of the city it is very, very tense. that's because hundreds of pro-russian separatist fighters arri

. >> reporter: yet another funeral of a peshmerga fighter. the kurdistan regional government said it would not get involved in the battle between she ate forces between the iraqi army and shi'ite groups. iraq's kurds are caught up in the conflict nonetheless. there's no official casualty toll, but kurdish forces are suffering casualties. the fighting has been cleared in this corner of the province. the town is an urban battle ground. many of the 40,000 kurds and residents have left. >> they show us us the areas under chrome. as this vehicle approaches the position, fighters are upeasy. they are concerned the enme my breached their lines. sunni armed groups include local tribal forces based in the town, and snipers prevented the kurds taking it of the kurds say they are not fighting sunnis, but what they call terrorists. the peshmerga generals explained the military objective is not just to take jalula, but want to push south to reach the borders of their homeland. >> that's the natural border. the mountains. we are not reaching the mountains

peshmerga fighters showed us the areas under control. as this vehicle approaches the position, the fighters become uneasy. it is clear they are concerned their enemy has breached the lines. there doesn't seem to be a clear front line here. groups, including local tribal forces are based in the town, and the snipers prevented the kurds taking it. kurds say they are not fighting sunnis, but what they call terrorists. the peshmerga general explains the military objective is not to take jen owla, but want to push south until they reach the borders of their historical homeland. >> that's or border, the minds. we not arrest these mountains just yet. but now we fighting inside jen owla, the islamic state, and the groups and all the groups, all these fighting us inside jen owla. >> jel owla was part of the disputed territory between the central government and the kurds, now the army has fled, the kurds want the land. the battle here is about to enter its second month. it's far from over. the kurdish officials expect this to be a prolonged confli

kurdish troop troops known as the peshmerga have been reinforcing defences and raising their own flag outside the city of kirkuk. the peshmerga quickly took over this oil-rich city in the wake of the isis advance when iraqi troop as ban dawned the city. and kurdish president masoud barzani has announced the kurds will hold their own vote for independence. the kurds live in a relatively prosperous and stable region in northern iraq built on oil money. their relationship with the central government in baghdad has never been a close one. now they would like to separate all together. today al-maliki said that would be illegal. >> pelley: charlie dag ata is in baghdad tonight it was just ten days ago that maliki told u.s. secretary of state john kerry that he would form a new all inclusive government by now. >> yes, scott, this is essentially a 180 degree turn. it's just about the opposite of what u.s. officials were hoping for or even been promised. now they had repeatedly insisted that any major military support would be dependent on al-maliki at least taking the first steps toward formi

peshmerga fighters show us the areas under their control.s this vehicle approaches our position, the fighters become uneasy. it is clear they are concerned their enemy has breached their lines. there doesn't seem to be a clear front line here. sunni armed groups which include local tribal forces are based inside the town and their snippers have prevented the kurds from taking it. kurds say they are not fighting sunnis but what they call terrorists. the peshmerga general explains: their military objective is not just to take. they want to push further south they want to push further south. >> the mountains, the natural border, we know the mountains. now, we fighting the islamic state and the group. all of these fighting. was part of the disputed territory between the central government and the kurds. now that the army has fled, the kurds want this land. the battle here is about to enter its second month. it's far from over. kurdish peshmerga officials say they expect this to be a prolonged conflict. >> the kurd soldiers are poorly armed and r

there was an attack on peshmerga forces, the military of the semi autonomous kurdish region. we are not sure how many died but we are told dozens were killed. practically it seems like a good move, we'll wait to see whether that gesture will be added by some sort of security force that will implement or safeguard that humanitarian corridor. but on paper it is difficult to see how this will be translated into action. >> thank you very much jamal shail. >> julie mcdonald is in our european center with more. >> the antanof transport plane was shuttle down. comes when ukrainian president petro poroshenko accuses russia of taking part in separatist action against the ukrainian army. ukraine says its forces broke through rebel lines surrounding luhansk airport ending a separatist blockade there. let's go to scott heidler in donetske. hi there scott. what more do we know about the ukrainian transport plane that was shot down? >> julie we just returned from luhansk and we were out in the area when this news was coming through about this transport plane being brought down. interesting

during the turmoil, kurdish peshmerga force he, we went there to see how the kurdish fighters are digging through their territory and have no plans to let it go. we just passed the security line which for years has separated the kurdish region from the rest of iraq. and right now we're on the way to kirkuk which was in the hands of the iraqi army until a few weeks ago. >> fleeing from the i.s.i.l, right in front of this humvee, as they were escaping. one of many given to them by the americans. less than half a kilometer from here lies the latest checkpoint. has the i.s.i.l. tried to break this line? >> yes, the kurdish forces have stood strong. >> reporter: the security line, everything on this side is in control of the peshmerga and everything on this side is in the control of the i.s.i.l. this soldier tells us as long as the i.s.i.l. stays over there they are not going oengage them. caught in the -- to engage them. caught in the middle of the fighting are the refugees. >> if you look in the back seat they've piled everybody in as many as can fit. i'm counting 1-2-3 four 5'6" people in t

it is guarded by the kurdish peshmerga and the iraqi police. there's two authorities, but it's been this way for years. the balance of power seems to be shifting. you needed an iraqi visa to enter kirkuk, outside the autonomous region governed by the kurds. the iraqi police didn't want to let us through. we entered. the kurds have the final say here. >> the oil-rich province has been disputed territory, claimed by baghdad. the kurd no longer feel obliged to april to the central government weakened by a sunni rebellion and plan to hold a referendum for independence. there's opposition, not just from the shia-led government. kirkuk-sunni-arabs say they will not accept a shia led country. >> we want the government in baghdad to lead pour, but don't want iraq to collapse. the kurds don't have the right to decide our fate. >> kirkuk has new borders. the arab stricts are in the hand of kurdish-armed troops. they have been moved to other areas. political leadership makes it clear they have no intention of leaving. this has ang gered others. they may n

during the turmoil kurdistan peshmerga seized control of kirkuk. we went to see how the kurdish fighters are digging into the territory, and have no plans to let it go. we passed the security line which, for years, separated the kurdish region from the rest of iraq. we are on our way to kirkuk, which was in the hands of iraqi army up until a few weeks ago. this looks like part of an iraqi army uniform that a soldier stripped off whilst fleeing from the i.s.i.l. it's in front of a humvee that looked like they destroyed on the way as they escaped. this is one of many given to them by the americans. less than half a kilometre council the road lies the last i.s.i.l. checkpoint before reaching the city. has the i.s.i.l. tried to attack this area at all? >> translation: yes. they have tried hard to break the front lines and get closer to kirkukment the kurdish forces stood strong. >> reporter: everything on this side of the security line is in control of peshmerga and on in side in control of i.s.i.l. the solder tells us as long -- soldier tells us as lo

one of two crossings connecting the kurdish regions, the other has been closed since the kurdish peshmerga took over positions abandoned by the iraqi army in june. . the pyd don't allow people to cross. i tried to speak to them about the humanitarian situation. they say they have orders, but not from home. >> the pyd is against breaking away from syria, and has been accused for working with syria in exchange for greater autonomy. >> kurdistan is part of four countries, there are special circumstances in each. they can decide for themselves. we are not seeking to include these regions in our state. iraq's kurds controlled landlocked territory and have good ties with neighbouring turkey. it called for iraq to remain united and these competing players have their own kurdish allies. it is a complex web of alliances that blurs borders in a region where a new map is being drawn. >> the united nations nuclear monitoring agency says rain's enriched ukrainian stock can no longer be made into weapons, that means iran has complied with an agreement reached last november, and paves the way for the unb

was thousands of soldiers fleeing from their positions, the kurdish peshmerga moved in, taking control of kirkuk, a city up until now is disputed between the kurds and arabs of iraq. on wednesday prime minister nouri al-maliki accused kurdish politicians of taking advantage of the turmoil to capture new territory. >> this is unacceptable, rented. the issue of article 140 is not over. kurdish politicians say maliki has no one to blame but himself. >> the president described the situation, the reasons behind that. the failure of the policy, the system, making sure that he has been ruling iraq in the last eight years. his military responsibilities fell out of mosul and the other areas. >> that was echoed inside perimeter, who insisted there was no going back for forces, after taking control of new areas. >> strong words from you'reed kish legs -- kurdish legislators, adamant that they'll move forward, despite words that nouri al-maliki will not recognise a referendum. inside the perimeter, the flag of iraq coming out of the semiautonomous region are hoisted. if the move goes ahead and a r

people will point out as you have said that the referendum will take place with the presence of the peshmerga however i think the kurds will take efforts to ensure the international observers are invited they'll make sure that the government of turkey is there to observe the rights of the turkmen minority of protected they'll invite representatives from the vatican from the orthodox churches to see that the rights of the minority christians are protected so i think kurdistan will take great care to ensure that the referendum is seeing to respect the rights of the relevant minorities absolutely but dr earlier isn't it also the case that regardless of who is invited to observe the referendum the currents are simply too important to be alley and they did so that the essentially makes any kurdistan related decision more political in nature than legal well there is the kurdish insistence on a referendum is longstanding it's a national commitment it's a political commitment it's also a legal commitment but you're quite right that the current situation in iraq is one in which the constitutional orde

region, they have parliament, government and institutions, their stand in the army, which is the peshmerga and this experience profess that kurds control themselves and the stability of the region, against threats from different groups in iraq. >> looking at the power on june 12th, they seized oil-rich kirkuk. did it empower in the quest for independence. >> definitely. kurdistan is away from economic areas. it's on the way to sell oil, and started selling for one shipment of oil, and three are waiting to be sold. the kurdish kirkuk - they were successful in selling kirkuk's oil they'll be separate from israel. >>> what does israel get out of this? >> kurds and israel have a historic relationship. there are reports about israeli training kurdish rebels against iraqi state back then. after 2003 we see reports and other international reports about israeli training kurds, helping the u.s. in battling the insurgency. israeli uses kurdize sustain as a base. there are, let's say, a shared goal in the region. >> political analyst for the kurdish media network. thank you for drawing us. >> the rou

. >> the kurdish peshmerga entered. residents here fear their next move.do you think that christians will be singled out by the i.s.i.l? >> you know, they killed the christian and take money there them if they don't have money they take their wives. we are scared and afraid. >> reporter: scared and afraid? >> yes. >> reporter: so who are these guys? >> they are at the church and they are here 24 hours. >> reporter: are you prepared to fight the i.s.i.l. dash if they come here? >> translator: of course that is why we are here. it is our duty to protect the church. there are enemies all around us, muslims who would like to take our land. i.s.i.s. would like to occupy. >> as with the church, the priests inside the church never fled even as i.s.i.l. was at their doorstep. >> we are -- our life is in danger. it is not as united states and europe. when you have freedom for all, you have the same -- the same basis of morality. >> what are you telling people that live here who are afraid? >> to stay on their land. we have to encourage them to stay at home. >> repo

the other has been closed since the kurdish peshmerga took offer the offensive in june. >> pyd doesn't allow people to cross. i tried to speak to them about the humanitarian situation. they said they have orders, they didn't say from whom. >> in exchange for greater autonomy, there is no unity among kurds. >> translator: kurdistan is part of four countries. there are special circumstances in each. and they can decide for themselves. we are not seeking to include those regions in our state. >> reporter: but iraq's kurds control land locked territory. they have good relations with turkey but it has claimed for iran to remain united. it is a complex web of alliances that blurs borders in a region where a new map is being drawn. zena hoder, al jazeera, northwestern iraq. >> the vote count in afghanistan's presidential election was temporarily hauled. suspended the audit saturday evening. one candidate's team challenged a group of ballot papers that lacked full names and suggest. both sides were able to reach an agreement and the audit was continued. >> after presidential candidates ashraf

and controlled by the kurdish democratic party in syria and crossings controlled by the kurdish peshmerga. >>> christian saloomey has more from the -- kristin saloomey has more from the united nations. urgent need of humanitarian assistance and nearly half of those numbers are in hard to reach places. so the resolution passed by the security council on monday allows for cross border aid deliveries without the support of the syrian government and that is key. this resolution comes after an earlier resolution passed last february failed to approve the resolution on the ground. the u.n. says it has only gotten worse. able to come together and pass this resolution. and the u.n. says that it should allow aid to be delivered to about 3 million more people, people who haven't had secure food deliveries or medical assistance in a long time. and of course, aid agencies are hailing this as a break through and a potential life line for so many people in syria. but they say it's only going to work if there's action on the ground. it has to be translated into action on the ground if it's to have the d

recognize and deal with we have established a joint operation center and are built to work with peshmerga they are going to need some help. that will work most effectively if it is done in cooperation in court nation with baghdad of course for those providing a role where necessary. we are very active conversation with them. they have a good deal of good deal but tommy now and i'm sure they will ask more to the process and that will be done under the constitution. vice president barzani has been on the front of number of times with our vice president biden to talk about these issues. president barzani has made it clear to us he wants to add to the constitutional framework for resolving some of the disputed boundaries in which the peshmerga has moved by necessity over the last six weeks. the short answer you to your question is where an active conversation with the kurds about this and i will report you as it unfolds over the coming months. >> the united states will support more autonomy for the kurds i assume? >> do the government information processor will be an active debate and i will

we immediately asked and received permission from kurdish leaders to deploy peshmerga forces on the eastern side of the city, but the government of baghdad did not share the same sense of urgency and refused the deployments. iraqi military commanders promised to send nine brigades of force to mosul in response to our warnings, we stressed however that the forces might not arrive in time. on june 9th, the situation remained extremely tense, and we continued to urge the immediate deployment of additional security forces to protect against an isl attack from west to east. in the early hours of june 10th, isl launched a complex suicide bomb attack against a strategic bridge and poured forces into the eastern part of the city. iraqi resistance collapsed, which led to a panic and snowballing effect southward through the tigris valley and the cities of tikrit, samara and balad. the result was catastrophic. five divisions were dissolved. i flew to baghdad first thing that morning with the focus on ensuring our people were safe, working with ambassador croft and our country team and working with the

we immediately asked and received permission from kurdish leaders to deploy peshmerga forces on the eastern side of the city, but the government of baghdad did not share the same sense of urgency and refused the deployments. iraqi military commanders promised to send nine brigades of force to mosul in response to our warnings, we stressed however that the forces might not arrive in time. on june 9th, the situation remained extremely tense, and we continued to urge the immediate deployment of additional security forces to protect against an isl attack from west to east. in the early hours of june 10th, isl launched a complex suicide bomb attack against a strategic bridge and poured forces into the eastern part of the city. iraqi resistance collapsed, which led to a panic and snowballing effect southward through the tigris valley and the cities of tikrit, samara and balad. the result was catastrophic. five divisions were dissolved. i flew to baghdad first thing that morning with the focus on ensuring our people were safe, working with ambassador croft and our country team and working with the

at the same time, their "peshmerga" militia blocked encroachments by i.s.i.l.d fortified new frontlines. and, kurdish leaders are vowing to hold a vote on independence, a move prime minister maliki denounced today. >> ( translated ): nobody has the right to take advantage of the current situation. saying we are going to hold a referendum on establishing an independent kurdish state. i tell the kurdish people now that this will hurt you and it will send the region into a disarray that you will not be able to get out of. >> reporter: the u.s. is also concerned. secretary of state john kerry met in erbil last week with kurdish president massoud barzani last week, urging him to works things out with baghdad. today, in washington, kerry received other kurdish leaders, including falah mustafa bakir, foreign relations chief for kurdish regional government. i spoke with bakir this morning. prime minister bakir, thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> we have seen the collapse of the iraqi army up in the northern part of the country, in the face both the sunni milita

the peshmerga are up well -- force but they are likely under them to an undercooked. they are stretched very thin and when isis turns on them they will be outgunned and overmatched. there's a complex relationship between baghdad and erbil, i understand that but why would be from a purely tactical security perspective why would we rapidly enabled the kurds to defend from isis the oil-rich north falling into into isis hand and forced isis to fight on two fronts in iraq. finally this all depends on two things. a willing partner in baghdad that is willing to accept these changes and to help develop -- and as we'll discussed there must be a political climate for the sunni and kurds to feel that they could make accommodations and join in a unified military action. in conclusion it is an existential threat to iraq to the longer we wait to decide on our response to iraq's success will become and finally in the prevention of vice is controlled iraq is in the national interest of united states than we should ask in april iraq's as quickly as possible. thank you mr. chairman. >>

and if not for the kurdish soldiers at peshmerga, the most safest and security area in iraq for all theseyears, so the kurdish soldiers hold it and when the kurdish soldiers went to save kirkuk, the oil, the oil rich area, it was basically condemnation from the iraqi central government that they are against the law, the constitution. but again for the terrorists to take over or the oil-rich area? now look at -- besides -- >> do you have a question? >> one more question. >> please. >> more than three-quarter million refugee in kurdish area, small area, and the kurdish people, without budget, for seven months from central government, iraq is a rich country. $50 billion a year that they don't have the budget, no for for seven months and a -- isn't that, i ask you for the united states to ask the iraqi government immediately to release that budget of kuroda stan, and kurdistan, and immediately -- we will be in trouble, and we are the best of the -- one of the best allies of the united states. the united states should let us have weapons to defend ourselves. >> what's your question? >> the que

we immediately asked and received permission from kurdish leaders to deploy peshmerga forces on the eastern side of the city, but the government of baghdad did not share the same sense of urgency and refused the deployments. iraqi military commanders promised to send nine brigades of force to mosul in response to our warnings, we stressed however that the forces might not arrive in time. on june 9th, the situation remained extremely tense, and we continued to urge the immediate deployment of additional security forces to protect against an isl attack from west to east. in the early hours of june 10th, isl launched a complex suicide bomb attack against a strategic bridge and poured forces into the eastern part of the city. iraqi resistance collapsed, which led to a panic and snowballing effect southward through the tigris valley and the cities of tikrit, samara and balad. the result was catastrophic. five divisions were dissolved. i flew to baghdad first thing that morning with the focus on ensuring our people were safe, working with ambassador croft and our country team and working with the

peshmerga are slightly armed and underequipped. they are stretched very thin.is turns on them they will be outgunned and overmatched. now there is a complex relationship between baghdad and rubil. i understand that. but why wouldn't we from a purely tactical and security perspective, why wouldn't we rapidly enable the kurd to defend northern iraq from isis, prevent the oil-rich north from falling into isis hand and force isis to fight on two fronts in iraq? finally this all depend on two things. ant willing partner in baghdad that is willing to accept these changes and help develop an effective isf. second as we all discussed there must be the political climate where the sunnis and kurd feel they could have accommodation for them and join in unified military action n conclusion it is a existential threat to iraq. the longer we await to decide on iraq's request for support, the stronger they become. finally if prevention of isis controlled iraq is in the national interests of the united states, then we should act to aid and enable iraq and the kurds to defeat th

established a joint operations center in erbil to work with the kurdish forces and with the perg merg w me peshmerga and they're going to need some help. that will work most effectively if it is done in cooperation and coordination with baghdad with us providing a mediating role where necessary. we're in an active conversation with them. they have a good deal of autonomy now. i'm sure they'll ask for more and that will be done under the constitution. vice president berzoni has been on the phone a number of times with our vice president biden. he wants to act through the constitutional framework. short answer to your question, we are in a very active conversations with the kurds about this. i am happy to follow up with you as it unfolds over the coming months. >> and the united states will support more autonomy for the kurds than i assume? >> well, through the government information process there will be an active debate. i will just say we very much support the kurds on a particular critical issues. baghdad four, five months ago cut funding and we made it clear that is unacceptable and has to be rev