sue turton reports. >> reporter: a shia militia checkpoint in an arab sunni area. we have been told men from this group are looting and torching villagers here allowed the islamic state fighters to hide out. nine days earlier the same militia welcomed us into the town, fighting along the peshmerga army to break the siege. the atmosphere is different today. we are told to pull over. a pick up truck blocked our exit. ak-47s are aimed at us. we have been trying to negotiate through this shia militia checkpoint for half an hour. there are peshmerga fighters, it's clear that the shia make the decisions and they are reluctant to let us go through. we are trying to get to film a village that is flattened and torched. a village that used to have sunni arabs in it. >> they let us through. the peshmerga mosque was shelled by the militia. we arrive in the village. it's deserted. houses have been torched. one is still smouldering. the peshmerga has a position close by, but they are pulling out, leaving the militia in control. the commander says his men respect the arab sunni ho

now just over a week of that success we have a very different picture on the ground with the shia militia targeting some sunni arab neighborhoods. >> residents allowed islamic state fight tours hide out. nine days earlier the same militia had welcomed us into the town. they fought along side the iraqi army and the peshmerga to break the siege. today the atmosphere is very different. we're told to pull over and a pickup truck blocks our exit. militia aim ak-47s right at us. >> we've been trying to negotiate our way through this militia checkpoint. it's very clear it's the shia militia who make the decisions here, and they're very reluctant to let us go through. we're trying to get to film a village that they have apparently flattened and torched, a village that used to have sunni arabs living in it. >> eventually they let us through. the peshmerga say that it was passed by the shia militia. the village is desserted. houses have been torched. one is still smoldering. the peshmerga have a position close by but they're polling out. the commander said that they respect the house they set up ca

from northern iraq here is sue turton. >> shia militia checkpoint in an arab sunni area. we have been told me from this group are looting and torching villages after residents allowed islamic state fighters to hide out. in my opinion days earlier the militia welcomed us into town. they fought alongside the army and the peshmerga to break the siege. the atmosphere is different. a pick-up truck blocks the exit. >> we have been trying to negotiate our way through the shia militia cheg point. there are peshmerga fighters. it's clear the shia militias make the decisions and they are reluctant to go through. we are trying to get to film a village they have flattened and torched. one that used to have sunni arabs in it. >> eventually they let us through. the sunni mosque was shelled. we arrive in the sunni village. it's deserted. houses have been torched. one is smouldering. >> the peshmerga has a position close by, but they are pulling out, leave the militia in control. the commander says his me respect the arab sunni health they set up camping. >> we are giving our life to unit

it is very clear that the shia militia make the decisions and they're reluctant to let us through. >> eventually they let us through. peshmerga say that they that the area was sheffield united by the militia. we arrive. it's deserted. houses have been torched. one is still smoldering. the peshmerga has been close by. they are now pulling out leaving the shia militia in control. >> we're giving our life to unite iraq to protect all people's properties but others are not doing this. in particular the badr organization. this is not acceptable. >> the peshmerga have gone house to house dismantling explosive devices left by the i.s. fighters. they found one under the road. they even found an device under a toilet seat. they take us to a nearby town where they tell us the shia fighters beheaded an arab sunni resident. >> when we witnessed it, it made us angry. we cannot accept this. we told them ahead of the game we will fight you. it is not acceptable. we ordered them to stop, and they promised to do so. >> reporter: but the shia militia don't take orders from them. one peshmerga man video

. >>> shia militia fighting against the islamic state group in iraq, have been accused of revenge attacks against sunnis. shia forces carried out reprisals against villages suspected of sheltering i.s. one militia denied the accusation saying all groups are under army control. >> sue turton has this report. >> reporter: at a checkpoint west of amerli, men of that group are looting and torturing residents here after allowing islamic state fighters to hide out. nine days over we were welcomed in the town. they fought alongside of the peshmerga, and the iraqi army break the siege. today the atmosphere is different. we are told to pull over. militia men aim rifles, ak-47s and other weapons at us. we have been trying to negotiate our way through the checkpoint. there are peshmerga fighters on the same checkpoint. it is clear that the shia militias have made their way here. we tried to get to film, a village flattered and torched, that used to have sunni arabs in it. >> eventually they let us through. the sunni mosque was shelled by the militia. we arrive in the village of sunnis. houses have b

. >> well, shia militia who have been fighting against the islamic state group have seen revenge attacks. shia forces have carried out attacks against village who is are accepted to shelter members of the islamic state. >> reporter: a shia militia check point in an arab sunny area northwest, the battle brigade are looting and torching villages here after they allowed islamic state fight tours hide out. earlier they had been welcomed into the town. they fought along the iraqi army and peshmerga to break the siege. today the atmosphere is very different. a pickup truck blocks our exit and a militiamen aimed ak-47s straight at us. >> we've been trying to get through the checkpoint for the last half hour. it's clear that it's the shia militia that make the decisions here and they're very reluctant to let us through. we're trying to film a village they've apparently flattened and torched, a village that used to have sunni arabs in it. eventually they let us through. it was sheffield united by the shia. houses have been torched. one is still smolder. the peshmerga have a position close by that

we are hearing that shia militia forces are on the ground.we want their help in fighting the i.s.? >> we don't. there's plenty of forces. it looks like they'll get involved. i mean, the government - especially in the northern part of the border, he has got a stake in the game here. they want to see i.s. defeated. at this point, without having troops on the ground. we don't have the troops on the ground. >> you mentioned us not having people on the ground. the interesting piece is there are fighters on the opposite side. the c.i.a. said thursday intelligence said that the islamic states has between 20,000 and 31,000 fighters across troik and syria. >> there were 10,000 fighters. how could they second the recruitment of americans. >> a lot of it had to do with the border between tuckey syria and iraq. whether they brought over 10,000 in the last couple of months remains to be seen. they need to keep turkey from coming inside the country, stopping the egress of people coming from turkey and making their way across. we have to worry about 30,000,

they promised to do so. >> the shia militia don't take ordersfo from them. e peshmerga filmed this man on the day amili fell. he is giving orders in iranian farcy. he witnessed many fighters alongside the iraqi shia. any response to this, said there are absolutely no such rescues attacks to sunni. we have liberated the towns that were taken by i.s. in a completely national level regardless of ethnic or sectarian background. the forces which you call militia are recognized by the iraqi army on an official level and the battle call and the mercy army peace brigade and others are all under the iraqi army command. as president barack obama announces expansion of airstrikes across northern iraq, he risks allowing the shia militia to take control of more and more sunni arab territory. it will do nothing to win the hearts and minds of "the sun"ni arab community in this fractured battleground. sue turtan. >>> the parents of james foley say they were threatened with prosecution by the u.s. government while raising ransom funds. he was kidnapped in 2012. he was beheade

personnel be working with shia militias? >> i'm confident that what we will see -- well, let me say it this way, anderson. we have been clear that the united states will not coordinate our military activities with iran. what we will do, though, we're going to work very closely with iraqi security forces and kurdish security force. >> but as you know, shia militias are the ones defending baghdad. they're enmeshed now with iraqi security forces. >> and what the iraqi security forces are doing is they're working with some militias. the united states and our coalition partners will be working closely with the iraqi and kurdish security forces to make sure we're coordinating the effort to take the fight to isil on the ground that will be the responsibility of iraqi security forces, and they will be backed up where appropriate by the use of american and allied air power. i do think that will make them more effect offensive tonight battlefield. >> we don't have a direct policy. there is no way u.s. personnel will be directly advisi

it took an unlikely alliance of shia militias, iraqi military and american air power to finally break the siege. he is looking for his family, but they're not at home. he's had no word from his elderly parents since the siege began. finally he finds his mother at a relative's house. then father is reunited with son. >> translator: i haven't seen my son for three months. my son. i'm his mother. they shelled us from all sides day after day. they shelled my home. >> the defense was a collective effort. boys as young as 10 years old have been forced to grow up fast. more than 1,000 rockets and missiles have landed on our town. they used tank as and heavy weapons. all even children were optimizing logistics. >> everyone in this town is still on war footing. amid the euphoria of victory, even the grannies fancy a pop at the islamic state. the joy, reunification of families, relief that the siege is broken. there's still anxiety here on the streets. we're told we shouldn't venture too far that way because there's the potential of snipers and shootings here. this is a town only just beginning

they promised to do so. >> reporter: but the shia militia don't take orders from them. man was filmed on the day amerli fell, giving orders in iranian farsi. men iranian fighters fought alongside the shia. in a statement, the speaks men said: as president obama announced an expansion of air strikes, he risks the militia taking control of more and more sunni territory. it will do nothing to win the hearts and minds of the sunni arab community in this fractured battle ground. >>> a group of egyptian journalists is on a hunger strike and are calling attention to a controversial protest law. the journalists say legislation passed in november is too restrictive and has been used to arrest and imprison hundreds of people. they say they'll continue the hunger strike until monday. >>> al jazeera continues to demand the release of its three journalists in egypt. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed have now been detained for 269 days. they were accused of aiding the muslim brotherhood, charges seep as politically motivated. they are appealing against the convictio

it appears that this operation was conducted primarily by iraqi shia militias, with home we have a verystoried past. the latest transmutation of the satirist, with advisers if not shock troops, again, in conjunction with u.s. air power. this could very well be an interesting coalition as we move forward. i love the phrase that ambassador ford used. this is going to be done out of tactical necessity, not ideological affinity. that may well be our watchword as we move forward and see these various groups start to work together in different ways. at the same time, we have to be aware that while there's tactical necessity, we need to be very, very aware of the politics. there's going to be political and military tension constantly as we work through this. in a world where there were no political considerations, the fight against isis would be easy. we would grab the military force from the syrian regime, and from the iranian regime. we would ally with them, and then we would all come together and annihilate isis. militarily, that makes absolute perfect sense. obviously, politically, that ca

. >> fighters from the local shia militia are going home and last, returning after a long siege. the road is open. it is not secure. a guide to said there were snipers hidden in the villages around. off to the right, there are areas of islamic state resistance. >> this is a small shia towns surrounded by militants. local fighters held out for more than two months. alliance ofnlikely shia militias, iraqi military, and american air pilots to finally break the siege. this man is looking for his family. they are not at home. he has had virtually no news since the siege began. finally, he finds his mother at a relative's house. then, father is real united with sun. -- son. >> i have not seen my son for three months. my son. i am his mother. they shelled us from all sides day after day. they shelled my home. was a defense of amerli collective effort. children have been forced to grow up fast. more than 1000 rockets and missiles have hit the town. they used tanks against us and heavy weapons. all of these heroes here, even the children, [inaudible] stillne in this town is -- .mid the eu

on wednesday, there has been fresh fighting. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: this video shows shia militia tryingpush back islamic state fighters from areas that control in western tikrit. talks are planned in saudi arabia between the united states and muslim allies on the islamic state group both in iraq and syria. >>> although parliament approved a new cabinet on monday night in iraq, key roles are yet to be filled. jane has more from the iraqi capitol. >> reporter: iraq's new cabinet is meeting for the first time after the government was formed. and one of the first tasks will be to complete the cabinet. there was no defense minister, no interior minister, and at least four other posts left unfilled. the interior ministry is going to be particularly difficult. that goes to a member of the shia block. and the proposed nominee was quite controversial. but it's an indication of how tough it is going to be to get this new government together let alone fulfill its program. the program involves continuing the fight against the islamic state group, and reaching out to iraqis. politicians and ordinary

. >> this is what the shia militia group wants you to see: that it's confident, capable and above all, in charge. they say they have beaten back isil fighters from the area south of baghdad. what's more, they say they did it without u.s. air strikes and that the u.s. isn't needed. >> the last statement was clear, in the case of intervention by u.s. or foreign forces, salam will withdraw where airstrikes hit. >> they are loyal to assadar. this isn't a battle along sectarian lines. >> the first thing that islamic state does is evict families from their homes. we believe in the whole of iraq. we are not sectarian. we don't care whether sunni or shia. our message is of peace. there is no peace in the presence of terrorists. >> the shia militia and the iraqi army hold the upper hand. in the south, they outnumber isil and are fighting a less intention war. on saturday, thousands of supporters held a really in baghdad rejecting any form ofphon intervention. >> one of the main shia leaders has said that iraq's territorial sovereignty must be respected. for many, that's a veiled criticism of t

even enemies of the united states here, shia militias that fought the u.s. military here are welcoming these air strikes. they have seen what advances this is -- what this has actually allowed them to do. they have been able to advance in those certain limited areas where these air strikes have been taking place. so they have seen the benefit of this and agree with this. when it comes to advisers and trainers and security for the embassy, this is approved by the iraqi government. they agree with this. iraqis do tell, say they need more. they're really concerned. they see their military as very vulnerable, especially after what we saw happen in june when the military pretty much crumbled in the face of that isis threat. now that same military when the united states left here in 2011, the u.s. said it was leaving behind a capable and ready force, and obviously this was not the case. so they do realize now, and they are asking for more support when it comes to training, advising, equipping and arming these troops. the one thing all iraqis will tell you, officia

there are peshmerga fighters on the same check point, but it's the shia militia that make the decisions here. they're very reluctant to let us go through. we're trying to film a village that they've flattened and torched that used to have sunni arabs living in it. >> eventually, they let us through. the pass was shelled by the militia. we arrive in the village. it's deserted. houses have been torched, one still smoldering. the peshmerga has a position close by but now are pulling out, leaving the militia in total control. the commander said his men respect the house they've set up camp in. >> we are giving our life to protect all people's property, but others are not doing this, in particular the organization. this is not acceptable. >> the peshmerga is dismantling i.e.d.'s. this one is buried under the road. they even found explosives left under a toilet seat. our escort takes us a the nearby town with the shia fighters beheaded an arab sunni resident. >> when we witnessed that, it made us angry, we can't accept this. we told them if it happens again, we will fight one it's not accepta

on sunday kurdish fighters and shia militias reached amerli. let's get more on the developments out of iraq and speak to jane arraf, in baghdad. tell us about the gains made by the iraqi army, the advances. what they are doing now is trying to basically clear out the remaining pockets of islamic state group resistance in that area. now, they have taken most of amerli, and we have spoken to residents a short while ago. they are overjoyed but do not feel that this is over. there are elements of islamic state fighters around the outskirts of the city and in other villages that the iraqi army is trying to clear. this is important, because it was taken over a year ago by sunni fighters and the islamic state group, i.s.i.s. at the time. fighting is still going on there. so the military estimates that it will take 48 hours or so to clear out those remaining villages, but villages in the town itself - a lot more confident than they were 24 hours ago. >> and so what is next then, jane, to - for the iraqi army to dislodge is and, you know what, is next i

it was the shia militias.ed by iran, that were able to retake the village to the southeast of here. these shia militias have a murky past. they were really key players in the bloody iraqi civil war of 2006, 2007. they were very harsh in their treatment of sunni arabs. they were, in fact, one of the reasons why so many sunni arabs are opposed to the government in baghdad, which they see as dominated by the shia. it's a complicated situation. the way out is anybody's guess. zain? >> we'll see if the iraqi military can get trained in time. ben wedeman, we appreciate it. thank you. >> sure. eight years later. we'll see. >>> a volcano has erupted west of tokyo. our reports, three people have been hurt. >> look at these images. they were shot as there was a plume of smoke and ash into the sky, up to 50 centimeters of ash are covering the ground. 150 hikers were in the area at the time of the eruption. and rescue crews are trying to move them out safely. the volcano last erupted in 2007. we'll have more later in the

we are hearing also from the iranian shia militia here.se militias in the military's presence in iraq were responsible for many attacks targeting soldiers whether kidnappings and killings and the deadly explosive attacks using efps and other devices. there is a lot of concern, for example, one of the top leaders is and you are back and we will be back too. these militias in the past when the campaign began, they had no issues with the u.s. air power and air support. we are seeing similar rhetoric to what we are hearing from iran. this is the united states and using isis as a pretext to occupy the country again. this is a dangerous situation. this is something one expert on these jihadist groups spoke to a few years ago. this is the risk of sidelines iran here and not involveing it in this coalition at least publicly trying to bring it closer to this fight. this is going to be -- there is going to be a price to pay. this will be a huge mistake. it does control the shia militias here. these powerful groups. we could see it try to hinder oper

as president barack obama announces an expansion of air strikes, he risks the shia militia of takingmore and more of sunni country. it will do little to twin hearts and minds of the sunni in this part of the country. sue tu tur turton, al jazeera, . >> we felt america become stronger more resilient and more united. bill, you are right, americorps has changed the life of the nation. we're not here to celebrate what's already achieved, we're here to rededicate our sestles to the work that-- ou ourselveso the work that lies ahead. >>> tonight, the rising cost of higher education, it is leaving many students to wonder, is it worth it? allen schauffler has more. >> challenges aren't exactly new but they are daunting and not very pleasant for those facing them in the current economic environment. we took a look at two different young people asking themselves that question: is college worth it? and dealing with it in two different ways. >> it's going to excavate a little more this way. >> 18-year-old avery huchison, tackling a difficult question. and 39-year-old jill,. >> unfortunately we w

it's clear the shia militias make a difference. we are trying to get to film a village that they flattened and torched. a village that had sunni arabs in it. eventually they let us through. the peshmerga say the sunni mosque we pass was shelled by the militia. we arrive in the sunni village, it's deserted. houses have been torched. one is smouldering. the peshmerga has a position close by, they are pulling out. the commander says his men respect the house they set up camp in. >> we are giving our life to unite iraq, protecting all people's property. others are not doing this. in particularly the badr organization. >> the peshmerga have gone house to house dismantling devices. in this command wires buried under the road. they found explosives left under a toilet seat. our escort takes us to a nearby town, where the shia fighters beheaded an arab sunni resident. >> translation: when we witnessed it it made us angry. we cannot accept it. if it happens again, we'll fight you. we order them to stop, they do no do so >> reporter: the shi

i've seen shia militias, death squads, immeshed in units defending baghdad and out on the field. why would i trust the central government at all unless they make a major, major effort. as you say, to devolve power or reach out? >> yeah, certainly, the tribesmen are not going to alie with the americans or iraqis based on promises. they allied with us in 2006, 2007, and 2008, because we were better than what they were suffering under al qaeda and iraq. but then they were let go by the iraqi government, persecuted and prosecuted by nuri al maliki. and now they're going to need something tangible they can hold on to that's going to assure them that when this is over if they destroy isis that they're just not going to be -- once again. >> all of them vital to the united states. we'll look at that ahead. how much money do you have in your pocket right now? i have $40, $21. could something that small make an impact on something as big as your retirement? i don't think so. well if you start putting that towards your retirement every week and let it grow over time, for twenty to thirty ye

. >> in 2005 at the beginning of 2006, we needed someone at that time to stand up against the shia militia which were killing our people and fighting the sunnis. among the alternatives that were available, malik was the best option. he did good things in his first term. he went to basra and he worked well with our people. he fought the militias and it's during the second term as we began to discuss withdrawal and the syrian situation. he began to lose it and did a poor job. i think his first term was successful. >> you don't think there were warning signs that he may not have been the right man for the job? >> the alternative to him at that time and remember we and they presented two candidates. one whose father was iranians and the sunnis rejected him because of that. on the balance, he was more acceptable to everyone. he was strong in terms of going after the shia militia. >> is there anything you would have done differently with such chaos? >> i wouldn't have with drawn forces. why we were there, we had a lot of influence. i would have remained engaged talking about the second terms. ac

in other news this week starting on saturday iraqi troops, kurdish forces and also shia militia managed to retake the city that had been undunder siey three months without power, water and very limited supplies. that was very important that they liberated that city on sunday. and then moved forward on monday to the city of -- which has been a stronghold for the militants, again also since june. so we've been seeing some important victories for the iraqi forces. what's very interesting is to see that they are fighting the iraqi army, the kurdish peshmerga forces and the shia militia are all cooperating and fighting together against the militants. in other parts of the country we're also seeing the kurdish guerilla group cooperating with peshmerga forces. so the situation is bringing together in different groups. and another development is that sunni tribal leaders have crossed some of the areas under occupation by the militants are starting to turn against the islamic state when initially it's not welcomed them, had not rejected them either. and that's -- their support will be very impor

if you remember that town of amelie, it was shia-backed militias on the ground armed by iran who carried it out. so there is an argument here for bringing in iran, at least on a public level into this coalition against isis. >> and one town that certainly needs help from someone there is dhululya. what are you hearing there? >> reporter: for the past week, we've been hearing from residents from the other town. it's very unique, it's been shia towns, other minorities, but dhululya town is the town for more than 80 days they've been the ones fighting isis. they received some sort of iraqi military support over the recent days to try and break that siege, but it seems that this persistent attack from isis continues here. and reports from the town, a sunni politician said that the bombers blew up the last bridge that the town had. it's an incredible situation from residents. they're using boats. small boats to get their injured out. small boats to try and get supplies in and out of the town. and they're really getting seized in by isis. one resident, natalie, they will not let isis in. they

the new deal will likely allow a shia militia to dominate politics for some time to come. the peace agreement was signed and it was called historic. >> we have secured this historical agreement. which we hope will bring a new dawn to yemen. we commend the efforts of the special envoys, so i urge all to work together to implement this agreement with immediate affect. >> the u.n. agreement tackles many of the circumstance. >> the president holds transparent consultations with all parties to establish a technocrat government within a month of the former signing of the agreement. the current government will continue to run the country until a new government is formed. it must be inclusive of all representatives of society. the duties of the government will be delegated centrally but also on a federal level. within three days of signing the deal the president must appoint two political advisers: a new nonpartisan prime minister must be appointed 37. >> you the agreement did not clearly say when the houthi fighters would pull out. they have repeatedly said that the campaign agai

there is a dispute going on about where the head of a shia militia should be interior minister.it gives you an idea of how tough this is going to be. >> jane thank you. >>> al jazeera has obtained a u.n. security council report which says libya session peernsing the worst outbreak of violence since the 2011 revolution. the social envoy has visited libya's if i recally elected parliament in an eastern town. a rival assembly was set up by armed groups who seized the can toll last month. the parliament in triply appointed a leader as the prime minister. he is seen as religiously conservative. it is supported by militias from elsewhere, now calling themselves the dawn of libya. whereas the recently elected parliament has fled because of security concerns in tripoli. that parliament appointed this man as prime minister who supports operation dignity. that military campaign is lead by a renegade general from the libyan army who has launched a war against rival militias. stephanie decker has more on this. >> reporter: it's functioning as a proper government, but this is libya's opposit

because you have the iraqi forces, the peshmerga, and some members of the government, and the shia militiase real problem is going to be syria. the free syria army may be ready at some point, but it is not going to happen very, very quickly. in syria, you don't want to help someone you don't want to help. you get isis out, and you bring in the al-qaeda offshoot, or assad. i think the hope would be in syria that we could do kind of a decapitation strike like we did with bin laden or something, and hopefully at some point have the russians intercede to come up with a solution down the road. but it's hard to see us taking over on the ground. >> was the willingness to send planes send a squeamishness on how difficult this is once you put soldiers on the ground. >> absolutely. turkey is very reluctant to get into this. and we need turkey. most of the isis and other -- most of the rebels go back and forth between turkey, and they have refused to join in the military side of this. they don't want to allow us to use their bases to fly military operations. they will join us in resupply efforts, but

and hopefully some units of the iraqi military, now that you have an inclusive government and shia militias. the problem is syria. at some point the free syrian army may be ready. it will not happen quickly. as has been pointed out, no matter what you do, you'll help someone you don't want to help. if you get i.s.i.s. out, you bring in the al nusra, the al qaeda offshoot, or bring in bashar al-assad. i think the hope in syria is that we could do a decapitation strike like we did about osama bin laden or something, and at some point have the russians interseed to come up with a netted solution down the road. it's hard to see us going in and taking it over. >> does that willingness to send planes signal a squeamishness or a recognition of how complicated this is once you put soldiers standing on terra firma? >> absolutely. turkey has been clear. they are very reductant to get into this. we need turkey. 500 miles of common border between syria and furky. most of the rebels go back and forth between turkey, and they refused to join in the military side of this. they don't want us to use the bas

the peace deal signed with the government will allow the shia militia to dominate yemen's politics.hey are in control of government buildings and the military command. the u.n. envoy who brokered the deal is concerned. there are dangers, definitely. we have seen reports of violations. the state must re-establish its authority over all regions. there's no ambiguity about that. anyone that wants to supplant the authority of the state would be in violation of the agreement. despite the worries, the president described the agreement as historic. >> with all the parties and factions spred by the community, we have brought forward this agreement. we commend efforts. i urge all to work together to implement the agreement with immediate effect. >> reporter: the agreement tackled nearly all the major issues, but came short on specifics, especially crucial aspects like security and the houthi takeover the signed document does not clearly state when the houthi fighters will be forced to pull out from the capital. and there are fears that the acts of revenge my trigger a signal to the end of a

we have seen that the shia militias are still -- it is not a particularly effective force.uilding of the iraqi army will play out within the iraqi political context wi be an interesting proposition. >> one of the reons the u.s. pushed maliki down the way for a new leader -- a new road which is less sectarian. on the ground, the number is up to 1700. the president is no longer lling boots on the grod, because boots on the ground have been boots on the ground from the beginning. how many folks are need to execute this campaignp? you are obviously looking at a far bigger number. where theylk about stand in iraq at the moment. paul is quite right. we need guys on the ground directing american flyers. that is a a lot of folks. those guys are boots on the grnd. i do not care what euphemism you attach to it. those are boots on the ground. they are going to get shot at. they are going to be in harms way. they need to be protected. they need to be supplied. that is one of the things i would be most worried about, the logistical sustainment of any iraqi campaign. >> they are exposed

there's the peshmerga, and some of the iraqi military, now there's an inclusive government, and the shia militiase problem is syria. and at some point they may be ready, but it will not happen quickly. as has been pointed out here, in syria, no matter what you do, you'll help someone you don't want to help, okay. if you get i.s.i.s. out, you bring in al nusra, the al qaeda offshoot or, you know, bashar al-assad. i think the hope would be in syria that we could do a decapitation strike like we did with osama bin laden, and hopefully at some point have the russians interseed to come up with a negotiated solution, you know, down the - down the road. it's hard to see, you know, us go in and take it over on the ground. >>> professor landis, does that willingness signal a squeamishness or a complication of how complicated this is once soldiers are standing on terra firma. . >> absolutely. turkey is reluctant. most of the i.s.i.s., and the rebels go back and forth between turkey. they have refused to join in the military side of this and allowing us to use the bases and others to fly military sortees. t

iraqi soldiers fought alongside kurdish peshmerga and shia militia who are backed by iran. u.s. air tribes over the weekend helped them overwhelm sunni militants with the islamic state. the militants have cornered thousands of shia turkmen, an ethnic minority. those people are safe for now. and they've been getting much-needed supplies thanks to u.s. aid drops. a crowd cheered when outgoing iraqi prime minister nuri al maliki made a surprise visit. "i salute your steadfastness and patience against those beasts and killers," he said. maliki vowed to turn iraq into a big grave for islamic state fighters. the militants swept through the north in june, seizing territory and terrorizing residents. they've killed and raped those who won't convert to their strict brand of islam. they've been especially cruel to minorities, including christians and yazidis. united nations officials say over 1,400 people were killed in august alone. the vast majority of them civilians. nearly 4,200 died in june and july. but the officials note actual figures could be significantly higher. members of the

the sunnis are definitely afraid of being wiped out by the shia militia in iraq. they are almost as afraid of that as they are of isis. we have to reassure the sunnis in iraq that they can work with us to push isil out. >> the main thing is defeating this enemy, but there is this issue of aggression approval. a key observer of this. it seems to me that the president is not going very far in saying he will fight for a resolution. he will take support, but he believes he can do this with no approval from congress. congress seems divided. there will be a lot of commentary on what congress says. does it matter at this point? not matter.ew does i hope the congress embraces this in some way. the worst thing i think right now would be a divisive history on it, a congressional debate on this to no end, so -- >> putting resources towards getting the resolution they want and passing it? >> i don't know what the state of play is between the congress and the white house. if the white house can get either a funding resolution or an arm and equip resolution without a lot of dra

kurdish troops and shia militia and iraqi soldiers recaptured a village south of kirkuk. 10 islamic state were killed. sunni rebels occupied the area for two months but let's go to sue turton in erbil. explain the tactics, of those trying to retake tikrit from the islamic state. >> it's been to explain to me at the moment the iraqi forces, they are surrounding tikrit as much as they can. they pushed in from the north-east of tikrit, from the villages cleared a few days ago. they are standing firm, 15km from the center. they are waiting for the u.s. jet fighters and iraqi air strikes to come in and soften up tikrit. it is impossible to push until they get help from the air. obviously the artillery is in there. the snipers is large. tlt a hold back. there are clashes to the north of the city, in the university area, but, yes, there's a waiting game. this is what we have seen in the tactics from further east, that they have to rely on the help. this is why when you talk to the peshmerga, they say we cannot be there in any shape or form. >> waiting, sue, tell me if i'm right or wrong - they d

the report out of reuters that when the shia militia went in, they killed a bunch of sunnis in retaliation. that's exactly the kind of thing that will set us back. -- andhe report is true i do not know if it is or not -- but if it is true, i certainly hope the iraqi government moves to discipline those shia militias because otherwise, they will subvert the progress we are trying to make. then on the syrian side, again, we're going to have a lot of .essy tactical alliances >> i think that's great, but again, how our government -- if you have any thoughts on this, i think the moderate opposition is probably one component. the so-called moderate opposition, but what do you see a he biggest implementation challenges in this package? >> i think the largest implementation challenges will be less in the executive branch and more on the hill. bringing forward title x assistance to these groups, whether we are talking about the to any substate actor, the moderate resistance in syria is by a strict reading of our export control laws not permissible. congress could pass a one-sentence bill for the pu

the shia militias have done well, but are despised across the region.hat i see here is basically a formula for a no-win war and the republicans should not get aboard unless they get a credible strategy, which we do not now have. >> eleanor? >> well, this general from this arm chair sees it a little differently. first of all, the republicans are getting on board. secondly, this is not a conventional war. this is not another iraq or afghanistan. this is a counterterrorism effort. and yes, it will continue into the indefinite future. the president is putting together a coalition, not the usual suspects. he's brought in other arab countries, brought in sunni countries, so this isn't america going in there waging a one-sided war, religious war. the no boots on the ground, you can't win if you don't put boots on the ground, but they are not going to be american boots because we don't want to be seen as another occupying force. the pashmyrga has managed to take back the mosul dam and territory in iraq. turkey may not be out there helping openly, but there is s

allies without strengthening al-assad, ryan and some of the iran-lanked shia-linked militia in lebanona sound bite of what else the president had to say today. >> this counterterrorism campaign will be waged through a steady relentless effort to take out isil wherever they exist using our air power and our support for partners' forces on the ground. >> partner forces on the ground then. the meeting in today, six gulf states, saudi, of course, turkey, jordan, egypt, and the u.s. getting together alongside iraq there. a nascent government, of course, now traveling to saudi to try to exercise his influence in getting this coalition together. i'm joined by a regular guest on my show. let's talk about who he might get in this coalition of the willing. and what they might provide going forward. this is about counterterrorism. this will not be about waging a war on isis. you will not, i don't think, hear those words from regional allies here in the middle east. saudi, for example, a call with the u.s. president last night and the saudi king. the saudis agree on the need for moderate syria opp

i wanted to know what the iraq government's plans are to disarm the shia militias that have been responsible for atrocities on par with isis. i also wanted to know what we can expect from the vice president, who we understand show has -- still has a number of shia militias reporting directly to him. >> malicious should end -- militias should end. , a group ofperiod militias emerged. some of these militias are fighting isis, but when we get militia shouldno stay -- when we get rid of isis. for as long as they exist, that security apparatuses will not be able to conduct their duties. neither will the armies or other people. they will be in instability. >> are you saying malicious should go when isis is eliminated and that as long as isis is a threat, malicious -- militias should play a role? period,nd a previous when isis started to attack, there was a call for people to be recruited and to volunteer to iraq. iraq, to protect this is a tactical move. it is normal when your area is attacked, then you use anybody who is able to carry weapons. in iraq, we do not have a reserve army to ask them to

and vice president knology still has a number of shia militias still reporting to him and how can we avoid that? >> militias should end. , a group of militias emerged. some of these militias are fighting isis, but when we get militia should stay. for as long as the exist, that means the security apparatus will not be able to conduct their duties. in are you saying the militia should go when isis is illuminated? threat,as isis is a they should play a role? >> today and in previous times, when isis started to attack various areas, there was a call for peopleatollahs to be recruited and to volunteer to defend iraq and attacked iraq. this is a tactical move. attacked,e area is anyone who is able to carry weapons -- he did not have a reserve army to ask them to join. we need today to gather everybody who is able to carry weapons and be against isis. isis occupied key areas of the thehen we finish with isis, armies that make up the security , the security apparatus are not able to conduct their duties and the previous army is unable to protect iraq. that is why militias had to and. >> we go

we need to address both sides of sewna and shias are supporting their own militias. that's because of their own fear for their own survival and well being. why are they supporting the groups or the shia side groups with the saudi and other shia militias. we need to understand that isis is addressing a real thing among people's lives which is jobs and employment. they are paying people good money to be recruited. the lack of ability to address not only iraq, but the needs for development and creating jobs among the region that has 60% of the population under 30 and they are unemployed. that by itself is a political crisis in the region. and the third, isis has a vision and that is a larger state. the reason we need to pay attention is as we address the building of coalition among the arab allies, we need a vision that we want america to have in the mideast. a lot of problems, the arab countries are having an identity crisis. we are supporting allies that are supporting two different messagesful they are consistent to address the underlying reasons of how we stop them a