over the last year, we've been steadily ramping up our security assistance to the iraqi government with increased training, equipping and intelligence. now iraq needs additional support to break the momentum of extremist groups and bolster the capabilities of iraqi security forces. we will not be sending u.s. troops back into combat in iraq, but i have asked my snags natio security team to prepare a range of other options that could help support iraq security forces and i'll be reviewing those options in the days ahead. this is not solely or even primarily a military challenge. over the past decade, american troops have made extraordinary sacrifices to get iraqis an opportunity to claim their own future. unfortunately, iraqis leaders have been unable to overcome too often the mistrust and sectarian

differences that have long been simmering there. and that's created vulnerabilities within the iraqi government as well as their security forces. so any action that we may take to provide assistance to iraqi security forces has to be joined by a serious and sincere effort by iraq's leaders to set aside sectarian differences, to promote stability and account for the legitimate interests of all of iraq's community. and tcontinue to build a securiy force. we can't do it for them. in the absence of this type of political effort, short term military action, including any assistance we might provide, won't succeed. so this should be a wake-up call. iraq's leaders have to demonstrate a willingness to make hard decisions. and compromises. on behalf of the iraqi people in order to bring the country together. in that effort, they will have the support the united states and our friends and allies.

now, iraq's neighbors also have some responsibilities to support this process. nobody has an interest in seeing terrorists gain a foothold inside of iraq and nobody is going to benefit from seeing iraq descend into chaos. so the united states will do our part, but understand that ultimately it's up to the iraqis as a sovereign nation to solve their problems. indeed we have redoubled our ear efforts so groups like isil can't staep saestablish a safe . and we'll continue the effort. we're also going to pursue dipl this period. there is never going to be civility in iraq or the broader region unless there are political outcomes that allow people to resolve their differences peacefully without

resorting to war or relying on the united states military. we'll be monitoring the situation in iraq very carefully over the next several days. our top priority will remain being vigilant against any threats to our personnel serving overseas. we will consult closely with congress as we make determinations about appropriate action and will continue to keep the american people fully informed as we make decisions about the way forward. i'll take a question. >> are we reluctant to get involved again in iraq? >> i think that we should look at the situation carefully. we have an interest in making sure that a group like isil, which is a vicious organization and has been able to take advantage of the days on in syria, that they don't get a broader foothold. i think there are dangers of fierce sectarian fighting if for example the terrorist

organizations try to overrun sake read shia site which is could trigger shia/sunni conflicts that could be hard to stamp out. so we have enormous interests there and obviously our troops and the american people and american taxpayers made huge inein e investments and sacrifice in order to give iraqis the opportunity to chart a better course, a better destiny. but ultimately they will have to seize it. as i said before, we are not going to be able on to do it fo them. and given the very difficult history that we've seen in iraq, i think that any objective observer would recognize that in the absence of accommodation mopping the various factions inside of iraq, various military actions by the united states by any outside nation, are not going to solve those problems

over the long term and not deliver the kind of stability we need. anybody else? >> mr. president, is the syrian civil war spilling over the rook bo iraq border? >> i think that's been happening for some time. isil has gained a foothold in syria. a that's part of the reason why we've been concerned and supporting the syrian opposition there. but it's a challenging problem. in iraq, the iraqi government which was initially resistant to some of our offers of they has come around now to recognize that cooperation with us on some of these issues can be useful. obviously that's not the case in syria where president assad has no interest in seeing us involved there and where some of the governments that are supporting assad have been able to block for example u.n. efforts even at humanitarian aid. but this is a regional problem

and it is going to be a long term problem. and what we're going to have to do is combine selective actions by our military to make sure we're going after terrorists who could arm our personnel overseas or eventually hit the homeland. we'll have to combine that with what is a very challenging international effort to try to rebuild countries and communities that have been shattered by sectarian war. and that's not an easy task. >> have you been in touch with -- [ inaudible question ]. >> we're in contact with him now. we'll have a better sense by the end of the weekend after those consultations. and we will be getting a better sense from them of how they might support an effort to bring about the kind of political unity inside of iraq that

bolsters security forces. look, the united states has poured a lot of money into these iraqi security forces. and we devoted a lot of training to iraqi security forces. the fact that they are not willing to stand and fight and defend their posts against admit l ly hardened terrorists, but not terrorists who are overwhelming in numbers, indicates that there a problem with morale, a problem in terms of commitment, and ultimately that is rooted in the political problems that have plagued the country for a very long time.that is rooted in the problems that have plagued the country for a very long time. >> you can talk about the concern of potential disruption with oil supplies? >> so far at least we have not seen major disruptions in oil supplies. if in fact isil was able to ob

be taken control over major output significant refineries, that could be a source of concern. as you might expect, world oil markets react to any kind of instability in the middle east. one of our goals should be to make sure that in cooperation with other countries in the region, not only are we creating shall sort of backstop in terms of what is happening inside of iraq, but if there do end up being disruptions inside of iraq, that some of the other producers in the gulf are able to pick up the slack. so that will be part of the consultations that will be taking place during the course of this week. just to give people a sense of timing here, although events on the ground in iraq have baby happ been happening very quickly, our ability to plan whether it's military action or work with the iraqi government on some of these political issues will take

several days. so people should not anticipate that this is something that will happen overnight. we want to make sure that we have good eyes on the situation. we want to make sure that we've gathered all the intelligence necessary so that if in fact i do direct and order any actions there, that they're targeted, they're precise and they will have an effect. and as i indicated before and i want to make sure everybody understands this message, the united states will not involve itself in the military action in the absence of a political plan by the iraqis that gives us some assurance that they're prepared to work together. we won't allow ourselves to be dragged back into a situation in which while we're there we're keeping a lid on things and after enormous sacrifices by us, as soon as we're not there, suddenly people end up acting in

ways that are not con could you say conducive long term stability of the country. >> the president of the united states, an important statement by the president saying he's waiting for the government of maliki to make the decisions that would ftry to reunite the country. pinning some of the blame on the government of baghdad itself and waiting to see what maliki's government does before it takes any military or serious action. let's assess what we just heard from the president. fareed zakaria is standing by. the president says this this will take us a few days before the united states decides what military action to take if it takes any. >> wolf, i think the president was using what he sees as his moment of maximum leverage with the iraqis. this is when the iraqis need the united states. we got a fascinating window into

some of the past negotiations when he said the iraqi government was resistant to accept u.s. offers of any kind of help military training and thip things like that. when they have now face this d crisis, they actively seek american help. so the president is saying we now have leverage, so we'll ask you to make some of the political deals and political compromises that you have not been willing to make. unless you you make those, don't expect major american assistance. it feels as though he is putting the pressure on maliki and staying pretty cool in the face of this very turbulent situation. >> and achristiane amanpour, he expressed concern that these terrorists, he call it is the isil, islamic state in iraq and

lavant, others call it the isis. it's the same thing. different names called by different people. but he clearly is concerned also about a potential sunni terrorist attack on shiite shrines which could further explode the situation. >> well, that's right. this is an extraordinary situation. and one of the big developments today at friday prayers was the leading ayatollah, has urged iraqis to take up arms and help push back the sunni extremist terrorists. that is a big deal. that means that he obviously recognizes that the iraqi forces are not up to it and that the people need to gather and help to push them back. according to iraq itself, the government claims to be in control of tikrit, they claim to have pushed them back.

the problem here is according to top u.s. commanders who i've. so to, spoken to, on the milita side, it puts the essential lie, if you like, to the notion that when the united states pulled out in the end of 2011,ide, it , if you like, to the notion that when the united states pulled out in the end of 2011,poken to, it puts the essential lie, if you like, to the notion that when the united states pulled out in the end of 2011, they had an able iraqi force that they left mind. that is not the case and we've seen it very clearly over the last 348 hours. also top u.s. commanders tell me the iraqi forces all the gains that the u.s. put in over the ten years were reversible. they were reversible unless they were continually being supported, trained and propped up. they simply don't have the history of any kind of logistic ability. we've seen them basically turn and run. iran is very keen to help. you can imagine this is right on the eastern border, right on the process with iran. and they are keen to help to make sure that an al qaeda type

offshoot doesn't suddenly come into the control there in iraq. the main thing many are telling me is that what this could lead to, not so much civil war or sectarian war, but a de facto and eventual partition dismemberment of iraq as we know it. you've seen the kurds have moved swiftly. if these sunni terrorists are allowed to say in mosul or anbar province, that means that part as shaved off. and that has a link with syria. and then you have the heartland from baghdad on south. this was the nightmare scenario everyone tried to avoid. yes, the president is putting a lot of the onus on maliki, but when you don't have any forces or any big stick left in iraq, you don't have leverage.

and to be frank, the maliki government has been asking for a long time now for weaponry. because this is, yes, it's come to head over the last 72 hour, but as you've seen, there have been a lot of terrorism going on in iraq, of isis getting stronger and stronger. and they have asked to military help and they haven't got it yet. but to think somehow maliki will be able to make the political unification and unity that he needs to without a lot of help and prodding and pushing is many believe he's simply not able to do it. >> you're look at live pictures of marine one just taking off from the south lawn of the white house. they're heading over to egypt base joint base andrews. haven't seen in a while.

this is after the president's statement making it clear the u.s. has no intention of sending troops back into iraq, no troops on the ground. but other options are being considered right now including air strikes, drone strikes, whatever. arwa damon is in northern iraq. you were there in 2003 covering the war. you've been there so long. how do you think the president's admonition to maliki, shiite-led government in baghdad will play? will they at that time stetake to bring in iraqi sunnis, create a accept blesemblance of a more government that the united states is demanding as a precursor before the understand takes any military assistance? >> reporter: one really just has to look at iraq's recent history

and prime minister nuri al maliki's actions at every sipping sg sending sgsingle step of the way. he has made promises that he would be developing apan p clus sif government and he has done nothing except further alienate the sunni population. the president was saying that everything that is transpiring right now is perhaps a wake-up call for the iraqi government. many will tell that you it's a wake-up call to the united states. if they are going to once again gamble on maliki, bearing in mind that in the past it has miserably failed, it's very difficult to see what sort of additional pressure they will be able to put on him once they have in fact provided him with the kind of support that he needs. any sort of military or other action, any sort of perceived support by the united states

towards the maliki government is going to only further enrage the sunni population, not only against the united states, but against the shia, as well. unless there are initial concrete political steps that are taken. the americans in the past have banked on maliki. he has failed them they will have on think hard and clearly on how much they want it rely on nuri al maliki at this very critical stage in iraqi history once again. >> it's a tense moment indeed. i want every to stand by. we have other reporters and analysts all standing by. much more of our special coverage, the breaking news out of washington, the president has now ruled out sending u.s. troops back into not ruling ou military action. he says the united states doesn't with ant to get dragged to another conflict. he wants to make sure maliki

does the right thing, reaches out to everyone in iraq before the u.s. decides what to do. our special coverage tips in a moment. so i can reach ally bank 24/7 but there are no branches? 24/7 i'm sorry- i'm just really reluctant to try new things. really? what's wrong with trying new things? you feel that in your muscles? yeah...i do... drink water. it's a long story. well, not having branches lets us give you great rates and service. i'd like that. experience a new way to bank where no branches = great rates. ally bank. your money needs an ally.

i got more advice than i knew what to do with. what i needed was information i could trust on how to take care of me and my baby. luckily, unitedhealthcare has a simple program that helps moms stay on track with their doctors and get the right care and guidance-before and after the baby is born. simple is good right now. (anncr vo) innovations that work for you. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. [ female announcer ] the sun powers life. ♪ and now it powers our latest innovation. ♪ introducing the world's only solar-powered home energy system, which can cut your heating and cooling bills in half. call now to get up to 1,700 dollars back or special financing on select

lennox home comfort systems. offer ends june 13th. plus download our free lennox mobile app with an energy-savings calculator. if your current system is 10 years or older, start planning now and take advantage of special financing. so call now to get up to 1,700 dollars back or special financing on select lennox home comfort systems. offer ends june 13th. and download our free lennox mobile app. lennox. innovation never felt so good. president obama just making a very important statement. there you see live pictures from joint base andrews marine one, the helicopter has just landed with the president and the first lady. they will be boarding air force one to take them out west on a previously scheduled visit

including a commencement address over the weekend out in california. but the president making it clear the united states is not going to be sending troops back into iraq, but other military options are on the table right now. once again we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer in washington. let's get some military analysis from what we just heard from the president. general, what do you think, the u.s. is moving an aircraft carrier into the persian gulf. there there are a lot of fighter plans, fighter aircraft on an aircraft carrier. what do you anticipate the options are? because right now the president says he's not going to do anything unless maliki's government steps up and does the right thing trying to deal with some sort of reconciliation. >> well, first of all, let me say i'm glad to see the president finally acknowledging that he can no longer disengage from iraq and the consequences of that disensganlgment.

and think what we heard just now was a new policy of the united states to reengage ourselves in iraq, whether we like it or not, he is recognizing that we have interesting in iraq and that there are threats in iraq that are existential threat to the united states. so i as a soldier personally appreciate what the president has said and glad to see he recognizes the importance of doing something about this current situation. now, as to what can be done, clearly by bringing in aircraft carrier into the persian gulf, that gives the iraqis the capability to ask for 24 hour -- 24/7 air support against the isil forces coming up and down the roads. and a lot of other capability, intelligence, surveillance, recognizance. so that a potent 70,000 ton piece of american foreign policy in the gulf right now. >> it will take a few days for that aircraft carrier to reach the destination, presumably the

northern part of the abopersian gulf. michael holmes, you've spent a lot of time covering the situation in iraq over the years. i guess the key question now is, is nuri al maliki going to do the right thing that would in fact open the door for a renewed u.s. military involvement, no troops on the ground, but other u.s. military involvement to try to help the iraqis deal with this threat from these islamist in-sur sgepgepts? >> mallory has concentrated power around himself. he controlled the interior men industry, defense ministry, all the key ministries. so not only shutting sunnis out of the political process, he's surrounded power around himself. it's not in his makeup to say now i'll reach out to them and try to bring them in the way he promised to do years ago and failed to do. the question -- two questions

there. he has no currency with sunnis now. so they might not even trust him now. the other question, it's probably time to have a discussion, i'm sure there are discussions understand way in iraq, about how long he can last. now, he was reelected of course to a controversial third term. he has yet on form a government, however. there are some splits in the parliament. it's not i don't understand tbe possibility that other factions might turn on the guy. it's not in his personality to go. he's been described as saddam-like. he doesn't give up power easily. but if he reached out to sunnis now, whether they believe a word out of his mouth will be problem matt tick. >> marine one has just touched down. they will get off of marine one, walking over to air force one.

bra barbara starr, you first reported there will a lot of fire power on that aircraft carrier. but the president is making it clear that the united states will not get dragged back into a situation. the united states can't do what the iraqi government isn't won't do and we've seen so many iraqi troops simply abandoning their positions, taking off their uniforms and giving up their weapons. this is a serious problem. the president says he's in no cu rush, it will take several more days. >> and not a direct solution. the pentagon has made it very clear over the last 48 hours that it has a lot of concerns about any kind of military option for iraq. they, too, believe that maliki needs to step forward and first there has to be any political movement. if it was to go it military

action, a couple things are key words that give us an indication of his thinking. he said any military action has to be targeted, precise, and effective. and that is the problem. targeted, precise and effective. right now the u.s. doesn't have the intelligence to carry that out. they could start flying recognizance flights from that aircraft carrier, trying to gather more intelligence, but that, too, will be very tough. another hinthing in there that need to listen, to he would be careful to protect americans who work abroad. concern about the americans at the u.s. embassy in baghdad. they have to also be thinking about what if they had to evacuate the u.s. embassy and get several hundred americans out of baghdad. having military power in the region close by gives you a

better ability to do that. it comes to that, that is perhaps the worst case scenario for the united states. but the pentagon likes to have everything planned out in case any president of the united states calls for them. >> and the president said he wants to study this over the next in his words several days. but they may not have several days given the fluid situation unfolding right now. >> that's right. by all accounts, these fighters, these iey isis fighters are per incidence of miles aw dozens of miles away from the belt of cities and baghdad itself. so a key intelligence calculation, does isis want it go all the way to baghdad and start challenging the government there. does isis want to go and take the capital and with a kind of fighting, what kind of up rest would emerge. it could get extremely nasty.nr

would emerge. it could get extremely nasty. >> barbara starr, thanks vef. we'll certainly stay on top of this story throughout the day. but we'll take a quick break about that that okay, movie night.everyone wins.

how do i win? because we're streaming the movie that you love. well, how do i win? because we ordered that weird thing that you love from the pizza place. how do you win, dad? because i used the citi thankyou card and got two times the points on alllllll of this. well, and spending time with you guys of course. that was a better answer. the citi thankyou preferred card. earn two times the thankyou points on entertainment and dining out all with no annual fee. to apply, go to citi.com/thankyoucards. ugh. heartburn. did someone say burn? try alka seltzer reliefchews. they work just as fast and are proven to taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. mmm. amazing. yeah, i get that a lot. alka seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief.

the porter was so incredibly... careful... careless... with our bags. and the room they gave us -- it was... beautiful. a broom closet. but the best part but the worst part was the shower. my wife drying herself with the... egyptian cotton towels... shower curtain... defined that whole vacation for her. don't just visit new york. visit tripadvisor new york. [ male announcer ] with millions of reviews, a visit to tripadvisor makes any destination better. . we're continuing our breaking news on the crisis in iraq. as the world sees that country

naul de fall deeper into the clutches of islamic radical, the question seems for longer when will the u.s. jump back into the fight, but how, when and to what extent. the aircraft carrier george h.w. bush will be moving in to the persian gulf but that does not necessarily mean that air strikes are imminent or have even been decided upon. we have also just heard president obama addressing this glowing crisis on his way to joint base andrews for the trip out west and just what he wants out of the iraqi government. here's what he said as he was about to board marine one. >> good morning, everybody. i want to take some time to give and you quick update about the situation in iraq. yesterday i convened a meeting with my national security council to discuss the situation there. and this morning i received an update from my team. over the last several days, we've seen significant gains

made by isil, a terrorist organization that operates in both iraq and syria. in the face of a terrorist offensive, iraqi security forces have proven unable to defend a number of cities which has allowed the terrorists to overrun a part of iraq's territory. and this poses a danger to iraq and its people and given the nature of these terrorists, it could pose a threat eventually to american interests, as well. this threat is not brand new. over the last year, we've been steadily ramping up our security assistance to the iraqi government with increased training, equipping and intelligence. now iraq needs additional support to break the momentum of extremist groups and polster be capabilities of iraqi security forces. well n we will not send troops back into iraq, but i've asked my

team to prepare a range of options that could help support iraq security forces and i'll be reviewing those options in the days ahead. i do want to be clear, though, this is not solely or even primarily a military challenge. over the past decade, american troops have made extraordinary sacrifices to get iraqis an opportunity to claim their own future. unfortunately, iraqis leaders have been unable to overcome too often the mistrust and sectarian differences that have long been simmering there. and that's created vulnerabilities with the iraqi government as well as their security forces. so any action that we may take to provide assistance to iraqi security forces has to be joined by a serious and sincere effort by iraq's leaders to set aside sectarian differences, to promote stability and account for the legitimate interests of all of iraq's communities.

and to continue to build the capacity of an effective security force. we can't do it for them. and in the absence of this type of political effort, short term military action including any assistance we might provide won't succeed. so this should be a wake-up call. iraq's leaders have to demonstrate a willingness to make hard decisions. and compromises on behalf of the iraqi people in order to bring the country together. in that effort, they will have the support of the united states and our friends and our allies. now, iraq's neighbors also have some responsibilities to support this process. nos has an interest in seeing terrorists gain a foothold inside of iraq and nobody is going to benefit from seeing iraq descend into chaos. so the united states will do our part, but understand that ultimately it's up to the iraqis as a solvereign nation to solve their problems.

en deed across the region, we have doubled our efforts so groups like isil can't establish safe haven and we'll tcontinue the effort. we'll also pursue intensive diplomacy throughout this period because there is never going to be civility in iraq or the broader region unless there are political outcomes that allow people to resolve their differences peafull peace flful. we'll be monitoring the situation over the next several days. our top priority will remain being vigilant against any threats to our personnel serving overseas. we will consult closely with congress as we make determinations about appropriate action and will continue to keep the american people fully informed as we make decisions about the way forward.

>> and the president shortly after taking a few questions from reporters boarded marine one, some big headlines made there. all because the united states at this point is estimating that hundreds of iraqi civilians may have been killed in just this short time that it took these invaders to attack or capture several key cities, including mosul. an estimated 500,000 iraqis have fled. and that includes civilians as well as soldiers. in the meantime, the people who are burning the cities and killing people and scaring the hell out of the entire middle east at this point are so violent and so radical that even al qaeda doesn't want neglect to do with them. they call themselves iey eye isis.way they operate makes the days of osama bin laden look almost bearable by comparison. here is a brief intro into who isis is from anderson cooper.

>> brutal, well organized, and well financed. the islamic state in iraq and syria, also known as isis, has morphed into the most dangerous jihadist organization. its methods so extreme, al qaeda itself has disavowed any relationship with it. the group seized on the power vacuum left by the u.s. withdrawal in iraq, continuing syrian civil war and hostility between different muslim groups to grow in influence and bolster its ranks. becoming a magnet for battle hardened jihadists from around the world. its goal is synonymous with its name, to set up islamic californca caliphate in the middle east. it now controls allepo all the way to the outskirts of baghdad. and has threatened to advance on

the capital itself. isis was originally known as the islamic state of iraq. it was tasked with creating a sectarian civil war to destabilize the country during the u.s.-led occupation. but its current leader has a larger vision for the group. he assumed control in 2010 at the age of 239. religious scholar who claims to be a direct decent dant to the prophet muhammad. his ruthless tactics have inspired thousands and many call him the new osama bin laden. as isis has grown, it's assumed the responsibility not just of a first group, but of a governing power often providing food and services to residents in the areas it controls. isis rules through fear, imposing sharia law and holding public executions to keep people in check. and with each city it concurquc its power grows.

>> anderson cooper with a brief look at just how brutal these attackers are. and immediate i say more than they are so bad, that next door iran may be willing to join forces in some way with the americans in terms of battling those very poolgts. we'll have a lot more in a moment and what that means for all of this. and there will be three people joining us who know more about iraq komg bicombined than i dar anyone. arwa damon has spent a decade covering that water, michael holmes, and chris heven, a navy s.e.a. s.e.a.l., he trained his guns against the men now fighting. all three will weigh in. ♪

[ chainsaw buzzing ] humans. sometimes, life trips us up. sometimes, we trip ourselves up. and although the mistakes may seem to just keep coming at you, so do the solutions. like multi-policy discounts from liberty mutual insurance. save up to 10% just for combining your auto and home insurance. call liberty mutual insurance at... to speak with an insurance expert and ask about all the personalized savings available for when you get married, move into a new house, or add a car to your policy.

personalized coverage and savings -- all the things humans need to make our world a little less imperfect. call... and ask about all the ways you could save. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy? hiwe just love scouring flea markets for special treasures. but with my type 2 diabetes, we now spend all our time at the pharmacy. with med-care, i don't have to! they deliver everything i need right to my door! with free shipping! plus, med-care takes private policies, medicaid, even my medicare! sleep apnea machines, nebulizers, med-care has all the finest medical supplies. the best part...med-care saves us money! med-care allows us the time to do the things we love. med-care. we deliver a better life. bulldog: [yawn]

bulldog: i just had a dream i was at mattress discounters with tempur-pedic and the largest selection of memory foam mattresses under one roof! icomfort, by serta... optimum, by posturepedic... ahh! comforpedic, by beautyrest... ooh! 48 months interest-free financing, free delivery, and queen-size memory foam mattress sets as low as $697! that's more mattresses than you can shake a bone at.

♪ mattress discounters cnn's tippicontinuing coverf the crisis in iraq. and we continue with a deep bench of seasoned cnn correspondents and experts beginning with arwa damon who is live in iraq. she is just east of mosul. and also we have a previous navy s.e.a.l.. he knows how isis operates. and also michael homes owinlmeh.

arwa, you are on the ground. how close is isis to baghdad? >> well, at this stage, reports we're getting, they have been pushing through that they are in duyala province fighting a pretty fierce battle. some 80 kilometers, about an hour's drive away, we're also hearing at this stage that iran is sending in several units of its special revolutionary guard to try to help iraq security forces proegt the capital coupled with calls from various iraqi shia militia leaders calling their former fight aerer iraqi shia militia leaders calling their former fight aes r back up to take arms and telling people that they need to join the iraqi security forces. if we look at the territory thatthat ice isis as gained, they are

moving from the northern part of the country over to its eastern border and trying to push their way on south to the capital. but it is not just icy operae i operating on its open. they are getting support from promise meant groups active here during the fight against the u.s. forces. this is viewed as an existential battle pitting the sunnis against nuri al maliki's pr predominantly shia government. >> the president said definite differen ly that well not be sending u.s. troops to intervene militarily, but he didn't rule out other kind of option.

you have faced down these fighters. you know how they ended up in this circumstance. what kind of other positions would be required to make any change in the circumstance we find ourselves in right now? >> when he says other options, what he's talking about, doing what is called a foreign intern am defense mission or fid. s.e.a.l.s do fid. special forces do fid. and also government contract agencies do fid. it was to did he into the countriesed a tra ed and train militias to be better soldiers, we equip them -- we've already spent $15 billion in iraq. we might as well throw in another amount of money to helping this you cause. the fact that iran is sending

troops, i never thought i'd see that. that's amazing. it also concerns me, as we. >> i thought i would never see a revolutionary guard with american air cover if that ultimately ends up being what it is. and actually michael, with your 11 years in that country, the isis group that we're talking about, anderson cooper was very clear about how radical and how brutal they are, but they just set out a new set of rules. and the rules are pretty remarkable. something that i think even those who know sharia law best would imagine. thieves will face am pew takes. banned all drugs and alcohol and cigarettes. criminals may be crucified. no rival political groups allowed. all women must stay indoors. those are some of the most t

strident rules. is in the reason so many are throwing down their guns and running for the hills? >> yeah, it is a classic strict interpretation. and i emphasize the word of interpretation of islamic law. the vast majority of islam does not work under those rules as you know. i think most of them fled because they don't support the government. and arwa makes a great point about the sunni beltway. they're getting the local support of the sunni tribal leaders. this is what we've also seen in anbar province. i was in baghdad in january when that was unfolding. why are the sunni tribal leaders giving these guys support is it because of the actions of nuri al maliki who is being a sectarian since he became to power. he's basically cut them out of

the equation. it's important and vital to remember that most of the sunni tribes don't love isis. they don't like being governed under those sorts of laws. historically sunnis do not like being told what to do by anyone from saddam through to now isis. but you're faced with a situation where they have been cut down, persecuted, ostracized by a shia sectarian government and now their enemy's enemy is their friend. and so you have them joining together in some ways to fight a common enemy. they do not have the same ultimate agenda despite being of the same sunni faith. when you look at what happened in libya, we had all these tribal militias who traditionally hated each other, all got together to fight against omar gadhafi. at the end of the war, they all went back to hating each other. this could happen after this, too. but important to remember all these sunnis do not love isis.

>> in the decades waef be s w doing this, people switch allegiances pretty darn fast. excellent work. thank you all. please stay with cnn. we have a special report coming with wolf blitzer at 1:00 p.m.. and then also another big story breaking, bowe bergdahl back in the united states on home turf. we'll get the latest on how this controversial prisoner of war is being helped through the next stages of his reintegration, read family and going home. imagine that. we'lls take a close look at his unusual letter that's sent home while being a captor.

marge: you know, there's a more enjoyable way to get your fiber. try phillips fiber good gummies. they're delicious, and an excellent source of fiber to help support regularity. wife: mmmm husband: these are good! marge: the tasty side of fiber. from phillips.

and for many, it's a struggle to keep your a1c down. so imagine -- what if there was a new class of medicine that works differently to lower blood sugar? imagine...loving your numbers. introducing once-daily invokana®. it's the first of a new kind of prescription medicine that's used along with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. invokana® is a once-daily pill that works around the clock to help lower a1c. here's how. the kidneys allow sugar to be absorbed back into the body. invokana® reduces the amount of sugar allowed back in and sends some sugar out through the process of urination. and while it's not for weight loss, it may help you lose some weight. invokana® can cause important side effects, including dehydration, which may cause some people to have loss of body water and salt. this may also cause you to feel dizzy, faint, lightheaded, or weak especially when you stand up. other side effects may include kidney problems,

genital yeast infections, urinary tract infections, changes in urination, high potassium in the blood, or increases in cholesterol. do not take invokana® if you have severe kidney problems or are on dialysis or if allergic to invokana® or its ingredients. symptoms of allergic reaction may include rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing. if you experience any of these symptoms, stop taking invokana® and call your doctor right away or go to the nearest hospital. tell your doctor about any medical conditions, medications you are taking, and if you have kidney or liver problems. using invokana® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase risk of low blood sugar. it's time. lower your blood sugar with invokana®. imagine loving your numbers. ask your doctor about invokana®.

imagine loving your numbers. now they're part of our 2 for $25 guest favorites!r one olive garden dishes. get your all-time favorites like creamy chicken alfredo. plus unlimited salad and breadsticks and dessert. 2 for $25 guest favorites at olive garden. after five years in captivity and two weeks in germany, bowe bergdahl is on u.s. soil. what is the late he ilatest, ma? >> reporter: he arrived at 1:40 in the morning, middle of the night. i'm sure that's not by accident. he was transported to the san antonio medical somewhere and that's the building right behind me. and he's in a special room reserved just for him. and phase three of what the military calls the reintegration process is under way. what is interesting is that we had always been led to believe that his family would be here before he was.

the family is not here according to the military. the family has put out a notice of their own saying they are wanting that are privacy that the particular time. no indication of when that reunion will take place. and that strikes a lot of people as odd. >> i have felt that to be odd all along, but who am i to judge. those letters that have surfaced with such bizarre spelling errors that seem so curious, one of them spelling situation with a c. is there anything to be made of -- are they coded, has anyone said anything about this? >> reporter: the coding part i can't tell you. it is possible that maybe you're trained in some way to send a message and that's a way of doing it. however most of the experts will say never trust any letter written by a person who is in captivity. they are severally under too much duress. we've seen it in the past. >> although the exhibit tpect t

information to be buttoned up, certainly let us know when you hear something. and we are flat out of time. thanks for watching. wolf blitzer takes over after this break.

true business-grade internet comes with secure wifi for your business. it also comes with public wifi for your customers. not so with internet from the phone company. i would email the phone company to inquire as to why they have shortchanged these customers. but that would require wifi. switch to comcast business internet

and get two wifi networks included. comcast business built for business. i'm wolf blitzer reporting there washington. we welcome our viewers from the united states and around the world. the situation in iraq is quickly deteriorating as al qaeda inspired militants move closer to baghdad. there are reports of roadside be headings of iraqi soldiers and police. and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee. it's a situation being closely watched by the white house as the obama