that isis is a manifestation of a deeper problem that will still have to be addressed even after isis is defeated. and whether it will be al nusra or some other son of isis, there will still be a network that has to be confronted, and that's why we identified the pros and cons of different choices that the administration could take and decide that the least worst one is something that is a continuation of what we saw late in the obama administration, kind of a light to medium print footprint of kinetic forward engagement in the region. and i'll let you take it from there. >> i'll just say that i think that's probably right. peter mostly took what i was going to say, but the other point is that it depends a little bit on what they do. if they continue with sort of the modern day version of the popular front strategy, integrating themselves deeper into the syrian opposition and basically focusing on establishing political and military power within syria, that's one type of problem. still a very serious problem from a u.s. perspective. if they really focus on developing external operatio

the rise of isis. you could go back to the split between as you knowi and shia a -- split between the sunni and shia, a thousand years ago but , that kind of counterfactual analysis is not very useful because so much would've changed but decisions that were more proximate to our current situation that was a more useful form. you try to minimize the number of changes you make. you try to pick alternatives that are plausible but that were seriously debated inside the administration at the time so you could credible say that the -- credibly say that the president could have made this other choice. and then you look at the good and the bad consequences of it. it's easy to get counterfactual analysis wrong. it's easy to mischaracterize it and we're trying to be very clear that we are not blaming president bush or president obama for the atrocities committed by isis. isis deserves the blame for everything they have done but we are asking the question could different policy choices have positioned the u.s. to

for decades prior to isis rise. that's some element in tunisia which also going to run into this repetitive mobilization of the anger areas that are being produced by structural factors. so we really to the extent where we are going to prevent the future possibility of a mobilization, as i could happen simply on counter messaging. needs to address the structural issues. >> thanks, david. in contrast i think the arabian peninsula has a variety of very distinct trends that i want to present today. before i go into the three arguments i want to make on isis recruitment in the arabian peninsula i just want to note there are few countries where there simply were not in a fashion enough foreign fighters data in the forms to draw any conclusions from, so automatic, the uae has less than five fighters in each one of this country and the overall data. my findings don't discuss the report will not discuss those three countries. some supplementary information and qualitative work was done on recruitment in those three countrie

and the third and final point is that in light of all this, the debate over isis and the rise of isis needs to shift. it's really not that useful to focus on assigning blame because i think as our article argues, administrations of both parties made fairly significant errors. i think the key rather is to use counterfactual analysis seriously to get a more rigorous understanding of the options and alternatives and there by help us to better think about decision making in the future. we're going to confront dilemmas similar to the ones that american policy makers confronted in this period, right now. there are discussions ongoing about what type of presence the united states will have in iraq after isis is defeated. to the extent we understand the past and we think seriously about the counterfactuals that we present and the counterfactuals we argue that american policy will be better off for it. >> thank you very much. as i say it's a really excellent article and i commend to everyone in the room and everyone whose watching. before i open it up to the floor, let me just ask two question

policy toward isis. you can stream that discussion live online, c-span.org, or use our free c-span radio app to listen live. both chambers of congress in session today. the house will be spending the majority of the week debating the budget resolution and they will consider a bill that would ban abortion after 2 20 weeks. live house coverage over at c-span. the senate returning at 3 p.m. eastern to debate the nomination of ajit pai to the fcc chair for another term and senators will vote on his nomination at 5:30 p.m. eastern. you can watch that writer on c-span2. >> tonight on "the communicators." >> 5g will open up a completely new wave of and adjacent in the work they will give extremely fast speed to you be able to use 100 times what you use right now on your smart phone or your tablet. >> verizon senior vice president kathy grillo talks about competition in the wireless industry, net neutrality and 5g deployment. she's interviewed by political technology reporter margaret harding mcgill. >> do you t

isis is an adaptable adversary. they have the ability and we have known for some time he would be losing these urban hubs in which they have concentrated leadership over the last few years. they have thought about how to maintain their terrorist reach even in the absence of a physical caliphate. while i look at the positive results we are seeing on the ground with a lot of satisfaction, i also have a sense that we will be dealing with an enduring threat condition for a period of time longer. in terms of global terrorism, they are inspiring individuals overseas to take action on and the name of the group on , behalf of the group. you can do that even when you are operating on the run or in a much more constrained or difficult physical environment. i am not minimizing the progress we have made in pressuring isis as an organization. i'm pointing out some of the things they can accomplish will be within their reach, even within this degraded form. of the attacks in europe a , significant number of attacks this year have

the foreign fighters actually in isis that were fighting them on another syrian isis fighters and now that the city is fall in the military campaign is over what has to be done politically. some symbol of civility to the city. the u.s. u.s. coalition u.s. aid there are conservation council they're working on a plan for the construction of rocca that divided in eight eight there is to explore reconstruction but the problem is the money mines so first asked to be a mining clearing all the rubble and then they're going to start on working repairing to a communications not where the water the electricity. but i don't think a whole city be easily be constructed because the damage is too large but at least the wall there dr steve will be back soon and what are you hearing let amir in terms of where the fight against isis goes from here what's the next objective the next city for example is that anti us forces will be targeting. well there's a very. strategic city of. iraqi border so the syrian regime wants to go there and that by america wants to go there as a sort of race competition betwe

in syria, we are aimed at the defeat of isis. the united states does not seek governmente syrian or pro-syrian forces, however, the united states will not hesitate to use necessary and proportionate force to defend u.s. coalition or partner forces engaged in the campaign against isis. to usesident's authority force against isis is further reinforced by the authorization for use of military force against iraq or and more plain umf., the 2002 eight in addition to authorities granted by statute, the president has the power under article two of the constitution to use military force under certain circumstances to this important -- to advance issues.t as an example, president reagan relied on his authority as commander-in-chief in 1986 when he ordered airstrikes against terrorist facilities in libya following a terrorist attack i libya and west are live in which killed and wounded both civilians in the u.s. military personnel. the u.s. has the authority to prosecute campaigns against the taliban, al qaeda, and associated forces includ

we don't know yet if it was a lone wolf or isis inspired or isis directive. >> we don't. so, you know the president of the united states presumably has access to the most up to date intelligence information. i don't know if that's what he's relying on or doing what he sometimes does and sort of shoots from the hip on his twitter feed. i think we need to pay attention and focus on what law enforcement authorities are telling us publy likely about the origins of this attack. >> we have to take a quick break, we will resume our special coverage right after this. zplmpblths . >>> we are back after the breaking news, on the new york city terrorist attack. new video of the suspect, there you see him, he was shot by police after he got out of the represental truck he used to mow down bike riders and plans killing eight people simply biking, walking or jog on that bike path, injuring a dozen others as many very serious condition, two law enforcement officials sa i the suspect is a 29-year-old who originally came to the united states in 2010 from uzbekistan, those same sources say

isis was able to tap into that and creative prisons. i would not point to that isis prisons as being directly threatening to the united states , but what concerned us was the create a safe haven, mimicking what they accomplished in iraq and syria. control the territory and give the organization the ability to carry out attacks that ultimately might threaten u.s. interests. i would distinguish it from isis activity emanating from iraq and syria. of ourthe bulwarks counterterrorism is to embolden nations so we don't have to take on every potential threat. the effort in west africa has been to enable military and intelligence partners to increase their skill sets and capabilities so they can take on the problem themselves. that is undoubtedly what our military forces were engaged in when that horrible event happened a week or so ago. is there a concern that islamic state or al qaeda can push into niger? i don't know i can point to any particular trend line that says we are headed in a worsted direction. this will require a sustained effort

it's why isis named their propaganda magazine, dabiq, starting in 2014, unless october 2016 when isis actually did have a battle in dabiq and lost. syria rebels pushed isis out of the village of dabiq that isis chose to put as the center of their propaganda. awkward, of course, and the magazine was named off the prophesy about a town they now lost, so they took the easy route and renamed the magazine called rumiyah. there's no threat to lose rome and have to lose that magazine title as well. city of mosul in iraq, one of largest of iraq cities. also has distinction of sitting smack in the middle of the tigres river. it was the largest city held by isis anywhere in the world. before isis took over, mosul was home to 2 million people, but once isis took over, the population fell to a half million people because anybody who could get out of there got out of there. isis took mosul, the head of the group delivered a -- well, he'd call it a sermon at a historic mosque in mosul declaring the formation of the islamic caliphate and he was to be the calf life, and that was the first time he app

following the advice of the isis isis -- i'm convinced this was an isis attack. >> bret: looking at the web of connections this guy may have had. >> we want to know if anyone else, is anyone else involved, if further conspiracy? with the halloween parade tonight, also this is near the marathon sunday. i know they are scrubbing everything they have right now to ensure there is no one else connected. >> bret: how significant that he is still alive? many times, we've seen the attacker get killed or kill himself. he was shot, we are told by a police officer but he's been treated. >> law enforcement, prosecution, intelligent standpoint, very important. because of the information in his head. when the boston bomber was shot and killed, we lost that intelligence of what he was doing, radicalizing. direction from raqqa, syria, pakistan? he has a lot of information in his head to, and that's the kind of information we will be getting to the bottom of through interrogation. >> bret: i know it's early but you don't have any sense this guy was on any alert or that authorities had seen him or heard

it was the foreign fighters actually in isis that were fighting the lawless and not the syrian isis fighters and now that the city is fall in the military campaign is over what has to be done politically now to re store some semblance of civility to the wall of the u.s. u.s. coalition u.s. aid the rockets have been canceled they're working on a plan for the construction of raka that divided in eight eight this direct or reconstruction but the problem is the money mine so first that to be the mining clearing all the rubble and then they're going to start on working repairing the telecommunications that's where the water electricity. but i don't think the whole set of be easily reconstructed because the damage is too large but at least a lot their activity will be back soon and what are you hearing let amir in terms of where the fight against isis goes from here what's the next objective the next city for example that anti-s. forces will be targeting. well there's a very strict thirty day study of. you know record border so the syrian regime wants to go there and that by america wants

supporters but in fact that another isis supporters they wear under a pure white of isis and they are the most people also buy them from places that isis executive and there are families executed friends of them and save their home so this is the problem is the see the people from those c.d.'s who are from as i supporters but this is not a joke we know that they were forcibly just to live under isis going on because they cannot go back. outside of the city. what can you tell us about the syrian democratic forces that are now looking off to the syrian refugees from iraq at the iranian the camps kind of overseeing rocka like now what do we need to know about them. well we've been in touch with families who live in makeshift camps on the outskirts of the basically we're talking about thousands of people have fled the fighting thousands of people who were trapped inside the rock hard when they managed to flee hundreds of them risked their lives trying to. journey as they were told to go to areas where they would find food and shelter they arrived there there was basically nothing in talki

syrian democratic forces launch a major operation against isis self-proclaimed the capital u.s. backed rebels say it's the final push for a so what's next for i so for syria and for thousands of civilians trapped in the conflict this is inside story. thank. you and. a welcome to the show i am sam is a than now when i saw took control of iraq in two thousand and fourteen the syrian city became the first to fall under the armed groups full control i saw fighters went on a rampage of killings and abuses they also use the city to plan attacks overseas or now three years later the u.s. backed syrian democratic forces of launch what they say is the final assault on iraq are now it's not clear how many eisel fighters are still inside the city and then as the spokesman says some ice or fighters appear to be withdrawing using civilians as human shields others have been allowed to leave after a deal was brokered by tribal leaders on saturday about deal also called for the evacuation of dozens of civilians who'd been under ice and control. this powerful moment was captured on video as some

supporters but in fact that another isis supporters they wear under a pure white of isis and they are the most people also buying from places that isis executive and there are families executed friends of them and save their home so this is the problem is the see the people from those c.d.'s who are from as i supporters but this is not a joke we know that they were forcibly just to live under isis going on because they cannot go back. outside of this it's. what can you tell us about the syrian democratic forces that are now looking off to the syrian refugees from iraq at the iranian the cap's kind of overseeing rocket like now what do we need to know about them. this is. well we've been in touch with. live in makeshift camps on the outskirts of basically we're talking about thousands of people have fled the fighting thousands of people who are trapped inside when they managed to flee some of them risked their lives trying to. journey and they were told to go to areas where they might find food and shelter. there was basically nothing talking about many makeshift camps very poor condit

syrian democratic forces launch a major operation against isis self-proclaimed the capital u.s. backed rebels say it's the final push for a so what's next for ice so for syria and for thousands of civilians trapped in the conflict this is inside story. hello welcome to the show i'm sam is a than now when i saw took control of iraq in two thousand and fourteen the syrian city became the first to fall under the armed groups full control i saw fighters went on a rampage of killings and abuses they also use the city to plan attacks overseas well now three years later the u.s. backed syrian democratic forces of launch what they say is the final assault on iraq now it's not clear how many eisel fighters are still inside the city and then as the spokesman says some myself fighters appear to be withdrawing using civilians as human shields others have been allowed to leave after a deal was brokered by tribal leaders on saturday and that deal also called for the evacuation of dozens of civilians who'd been under control. this powerful moment was captured on video as some civilians realize

first, isis is control of continued territories in iraq and syria have been broken with hundreds of isis fighters killed and hundreds more surrendering. the crisis with north korea has gotten worse with north korea testing both the icbm with a capability to reach the united states and a thermonuclear device amid a better war of words between presidents trump and president kim jong un. president trump has even threatened the use of military options in response ve to the crisis in venezuela. finally, i'm aware that we cannot discuss all the aspects of the use of the authorization for military force in this meeting. the foreign relations committee had jurisdiction over the iaumf and an obligation to provide oversight as to how they can be used. secretary mattis and the secretary tillerson, i will be asking you to come to this committee and response in a classified setting only use in the 2001 aumf including for counterterrorism purposes. as i said at our hearing in june, 911 and iraq's aumf have become mere authorities of convenience for presidents to conduct military activity anywhere in t

the coalition has the sole objective of military defeat of isis. in some parts of the country, the dynamic has led to converging forces and the battle space condenses with converging interests with those fighting in this and just as area. since we could -- this congested area. since we could not partner, we chose to support the syrian micronics forces in -- democratic forces. deployingse it means syrian democratic fighting forces with coalition assistance three framework -- through a framework. they are indigenous, represented by syrian kurds and arabs, were created a framework of operating cooperatively with the coalition. the establishment of civil councils as a result of this made up of civic leaders from the local area, once the area , a government.d and large this is working off, facilitating the reintroduction of local control and the return of displaced people to their homes. another partner as you heard mentioned is the united arab emirates. we operate together in yemen. the u.s. and the uae share the common national interest of eradicating

isis. it was isis that threaten kurdistan, and it was isis that occupied parts of iraqi land, and it was the failure of the iraqi government to protect the people in those regions which has forced peshmerga to go and protect those areas otherwise they would have fallen into the hands of isis. and now, everybody who has struggled to liberate it from isis as they are liberating other parts from isis. going back to those areas, doesn't mean...our referendum does not... it really has not said it will decide on the fate of those regions and it is not going to define the boundaries between kurdistan and iraq — we have left that to negotiate with baghdad, according to the previous article 14001: of the constitution... let me... ..which the iraqi government did not implement. let me put to you what some of those neighbours are saying. president erdogan, speaking on the 30th of september, after the referendum, said the call for independence would leave only a bleeding wound, and he went further, h

i met many tens of isis members there isis prisoners they were isis members who were telling miss their what they want and how do they act and they were finding all this killing and all this. torturing they were find it useful . in march twenty fifteen miles and saw his colleague fall hard for the last time he left rockhouse football stadium for other prisons fall and. thanks. he made friends with another fellow sufferer haji issa from the northern kurdish city of cobain. he did in the get afraid of isis i thought he was later. i had the chance although the chance to see him in a video before his being cured isis published a propaganda video killing him. the militants even exploited children and their propaganda. thank. you told me that i felt he's talking to me telling me. here. and i hope one day you do something to add to vanish to a story i says mustn't photoshop the picture of haji is removing his captors and this image he's not a victim but a hero. thank . one day quite unexpectedly light came into my life on september fifteenth twenty fifteen. and i as man called out my name alon

supporters but in fact that another isis supporters they wear under a pure white of isis and they are the most people also buy them from places that isis executive and there have families executed friends of them and save their homes so this is the problem is the see the people from those c.d.'s who are from as i supporters but this is not a joke we know that they were forcibly just to live under isis going on because they cannot go back. outside of this is. what can you tell us about the syrian democratic forces than now looking off to the same refugees from iraq at the iranian the caps kind of overseeing rock of like now what do we need to know about . this is. well we've been in touch with. live in makeshift camps on the outskirts of basically we're talking about thousands of people have fled the fighting thousands of people who are trapped inside when they managed to flee some of them risked their lives trying to. journey and they were told to go to areas where they would find food and shelter. there was basically nothing talking about many makeshift camps very poor conditions and

children feen recruit to force him to join and fight isis d'orsel were able to survive isis and burning houses arresting killing all of their things sometimes should not be only like islam like extremism it might be. extremism so talking about other things that truck citizen have been suffering from last last one or two years from is c.f. and yeah the college and the international community couldn't stop a city of committing all the salination saw i was talking with my colleagues today who likes who were like four who left their city like the last people left here and they were telling me about we were just leaving the city hearing people shouting going under their ovals and we couldn't do anything they can do anything you came to berlin you're in exile here in berlin do you think that you'll ever be able to go home again do you want to go i would love so that was like my blond and like for me i was expecting that the first day that iraq will be a liberated i will be able to go back but up to all the things and the way how the city is controlled and up to see if. for sure not like for u

because of course because rock out of the covers off isis in syria i thought the isis wives that are now satisfied advice in this that it's got lots of isis they would have given them victory but now isis is sort of defeated aka of course there are still some isis pockets left in there or the fight is largely over and more in syria so the fight is over but the people remain particularly the residents in iraq and around the city how much support from area residents is still there for isis do we know well i don't think there are many people that supported isis in iraq are there were people bought that for their salaries because there are not many jobs that join isis i don't know the support but it's very low and now that isis is defeated especially nobody will support it like at least not many people because it was the foreign fighters actually in isis that were fighting the lawless the now the syrian isis fighters and now that the city is fall in the military campaign is over what has to be done politically now to re store some semblance of civility to the wall of the u.s. the u.s. co

i met many tens of isis members there isis prisoners they were isis members who were telling miss their what they want and how do they act and they were finding all this killing and all this. torturing they were find it useful . in march twenty fifteen miles and saw his colleague fall hard for the last time he left rockhouse football stadium for other prisons fall and. he made friends with another fellow sufferer haji issa from the northern kurdish city of cobain. he did in the get afraid of isis i thought he was later. i had the chance although the chance to see him in a video before being cured isis published a propaganda video killing him. the militants even exploited children and their propaganda. thank. his eyes pulled me that he told me that i felt he's talking to me telling me. and here i am. and i hope one day you do something to to vanish to a story i says massoud photoshop the picture of haji is removing his captors in this image he's not a victim but a hero. thank you. one day quite unexpectedly light came into my life on september fifteenth twenty fifteen. and i had man call

therefore, it must deal with isis along the way. russia and iran both have large scale presence in syria and are operating at the assad regime's invitation. and inflaming an already complex political situation. to defeat isis campaign in this environment has a much different character although russia, iran and to an extent the syrian regime all want to remove isis, each actor has varying degrees and different objectives in the long-term. the coalition, on the other hand, has had the sole objective of the military defeat of isis. since we could not partner with the syrian regime's armed forces, we chose to support an organization called the syrian democratic forces. again, in a by, with and through construct. in this case it means employing syrian democratic fighting forces with coalition assistance through a coordinated framework. they're an injijinous syrian organization each represented by foreign kurds and foreign arabs who have created a framework of operating cooperatively with the coalition. the counsels made of syrian civil l

isis claimed that isis was behind this shooting. they said that the shooter converted to islam months ago and declared he had chosen an arabic language and also reportedly released a sell b celebration video although there wasn't any footage of the shooter that they could have gotten. late reports that there may have been camera equipment in the shooter's hotel room have peeked interest whether he filmed at d. the shooter has no connection to isis or terrorist group and "the new york times" pointed out today that isis is usually correct when they claim responsibility for attacks, and contrary to popular belief, they don't even always claim attacks that seem obviously connected to them. for example, this very weekend in canada, a man plowed through a police barricade hurting a police officer that he got out of his car and repeatedly stabbed the injured officers. the officer laid on the ground. that officer had an isis flag in his vehicle. but even in that seemingly clear cut case, isis hasn't claimed responsibility for that attack. t

i met many tens of isis members there isis prisoners they were isis members who were telling miss their what they want and how do they act and they were finding all this killing and all this. torturing they will find it useful . in march twenty fifteen miles and saw his colleague fall hard for the last time he left rockers football stadium for other prisons following. thanks. he made friends with another fellow sufferer haji issa from the northern kurdish city of cobain. he didn't there for get afraid of isis i thought he was later. when i had the chance although the chance to see him in a video before his being cured isis published a propaganda video killing him. the militants even exploited children and their propaganda. told me that i felt he's talking to me telling. them. here. and i hope one day you do something to add to vanish to a story i says massoud photoshop the picture of haji isaf removing his captors and this image he's not a victim but a hero. thank . one day quite unexpectedly light came into my life on september fifteenth twenty fifteen. and i as man called out my name

isis as such. however, i also believe having a new aumf has benefits. i think it can be worthwhile in providing greater clarity and guidance, including to our military commanders and your diplomats, mr. speaker. i think it can help you establish a firmer base of splill support for overseas operations. i think it can send a clear signal for from the united states congress to friend and foe alike so i'm interested. but i'm only interested in the right aumf. it has to be helpful in empowering those who are undertaking this incredibly important task during a time of such danger. i guess my question to you would be, i understand, your testimony, having been here earlier, you have laid out what you think the guiding principles ought to be but are there authorities or guidance you now lack that a new aumf could provide? >> on the military side, senator, i would just say no as it stands right now and again when i spoke, i just thought the yield to incorporate those things i brought up. i'm not going to tel

the defeat isis campaign in this environment has a much different character. although russia, iran, and to an extent, the syrian regime, all want to remove isis and its influence from syria, each actor has varying degrees to which they are willing to tolerate isis' presence, and they all have different interests and objectives in the long term. the coalition, on the other hand, has the sole objective of military defeat of isis. in some parts of the country, the dynamic has led to a case of converging forces as the battle space condenses, but diverging interests among those fighting in this congested area. since we could not partner with the syrian regime's armed forces, we chose to support an organization called the syrian democratic forces, again, in a by, with, and through construct. in this case, it means employing syrian democratic fighting forces with coalition assistance through a coordinated framework. they're an indigenous syrian organization, equally represented by syrian kurds and syrian arabs who have created a framework of operating cooperatively w

so big news that isis is out of raqqa. cnn is able to show you what the reality is on the ground in that former isis stronghold. we have a live report next from raqqa. when you think of saving money, what comes to mind? your next getaway? connecting with family and friends? a big night out? or maybe your everyday shopping. whatever it is, aarp member advantages can help save you time and money along the way. so when you get there, you can enjoy it all the more. for less. surround yourself with savings at aarp advantages dot com. it can detect a threat using ai, and respond 60 times faster. it lets you know where your data lives, down to the very server. it keeps your insights from prying eyes, so they're used by no one else but you. it. is. the cloud. the ibm cloud. the cloud that's designed for your data. ai ready. secure to the core. the ibm cloud is the cloud for business. yours. it's a warm blanket. it's a bottle of clean water. it's a roof and a bed. it's knowing someone cares. it's feeling safe. it's a today that's b

involvement with syria and iraq post isis?. >> so to completely destroy and defeat isis that is the of parity error we will continue to be focused. thank you for today i will see you tomorrow.

supporters but in fact that mother isis supporters they where under the pure white of isis and they are the most people also buy them from places that isis executive and there are families executed friends of them and take their home so this is the problem is the see the people of iraq those c.d.'s who are from iraq as isis supporters but this is not a joke we know that they were forcibly just to live under isis going on because they cannot go back. outside of the city. now looking at the same refugees from iraq at they run in the camps kind of overseeing lack of like now what do we need to know about. action the syrian democratic forces then overflowed into yet the refugee camps what can you tell us about about the way they operate. well we've been in touch with. live in makeshift camps on the outskirts of basically we're talking about thousands of people have fled the fighting thousands of people who are trapped inside when they managed to flee some of them risked their lives trying to. journey and they were told to go to areas where they might find food and shelter. there was bas

and next, a major victory against isis. president trump, of course, giving himself the credit. >> why did that happen? >> because you didn't have trump as your president. >> is that true? >>> and breaking news. putin's quote, chef, at the center now of the russia investigation. and fake news. this is a cnn exclusive. you'll hear it later this hour. when it comes to heartburn trust the brand doctors trust for themselves. nexium 24hr is the number one choice of doctors and pharmacists for their own frequent heartburn. and all day all night protection. when it comes to frequent heartburn, trust nexium 24hr. >>> tonight, president trump taking full credit for the fall of isis, as american officials announce that major military operations have ended in raqqah, syria. the city, of course, that isis claims its capital. today, president trump said it's all thanks to him. >> i totally changed our military. i totally changed the attitudes of the military, and they have done a fantastic job. yeah, isis is now giving up. they're giving

i mean this deed is very similar to what happened in like one month ago where the isis fighters have been recreated through air conditioned buses going all through their resort so this i mean put into question why this now and why couldn't it be possible before saving all this destructions and death tolls all the more that among the international fighters that has been that have been evacuated they then where those responsible of bias and responsible of terrorist. acts the second point i think were worth mentioning why i mean it's the final destination there is or that seems to be the nexus of or the pope the point of all equally been enormous when it comes to. war because it's about who will be controlling. iraqi borders who will be in charge of uprooting in his last that it being there is or so what is as stake is a very important maybe this. is the last battle or the one before the last battle and that second remark i think what kind of a strategy. to after this up to now hang on sam because you know you have nicely jumped ahead to a whole bunch of questions which we do want to ge

they felt isis in 2014, it was the largest, before isis took over, mosul was home to almost 2 million people. once isis got there. the population fell to more like a half million people got out of there. a month after isis took mosul the head of the group, al baghdadi delivered he would kau call eight sermon, he declared eight caliphate. he declared himself on the calif and that was the first and only time baghdadi has appeared if public. this summer they led forces, back. they closed in, that historic mosque where baekd had given that speech, isis packed that mosque with explosiveexplosives destroyed it. they reduced it to rubble. but then rack force did retake mosul. then there is raqqa, it's a city on the banks o. euphrates river, it was first captured by syrian rebels in 2013 and 2014, isis captured it and declared it, its capital. raqqa was used as a command center for the middle east and west and a place where isis held a lot of american hostages, american prisoners, including journalist james foley and others. today that coalition effort in and around raqqa is reporting more th

the isis spokesman said this. let me just read it, if you are not able to find an ied or a bullet, then single out the disbelieving american, frenchman or any of their ally,smash his head with a rock or slaughter him with a knife or run him over with your car our throw him down from a high price or choke or poison him. that the instructions from the isis spokesman. >> right. you know the way these groups attack. they attack in places where they're going to get the most impact. so that often means sadly big cities such as new york. of course, new yorkers don't have to be told that after the events of 9/11, but if you look at recent history, attacks in london certainly repeatedly, paris, we covered those. that, again, fits the modus operandi of terrorists because it adds to the impact if in the end this is determined to be a terror attack. >> the fbi is now the lead investigators and they're investigating this as an act of terrorism. we're standing by for a news conference from nypd, the new york city police departm

unclear at this point natalie if that convoy of isis local isis militants and civilians left, where they're going to be headed what the numbers are and what is the fate of the hard core foreign isis fighters who remain in those few neighborhoods possibly also using civilians as human shields. >> and as we watch that, what is next? what comes after raqqah? >> well, you know it does seem at this point that the recapture of the city of raqqah, the de facto capital of isis, seems to be imminent. that's a huge blow to the terror group, but at the same time, the fighting is not over. a lot of focus right now on eastern syria and that desert, oil rich province and also in the iraqi syrian border region where a lot of militants have moved in months. there has been a race to recapture that part of the country, syrian regime backed by russian air power, and the other hand, you have the u.s. led coalition and that is expected to be a tough fight on both sides of the border, also in anbar province, in iraq, and those areas that are still under isis control. but, again, it would seem -- you're seeing ci

against isis. was when the bombing we believe well over eighty percent of the tips from refugees are reliable and guns also tied a lot of the information provided by refugees are incorrect and simply aimed at defaming others so you have to treat these accusations very carefully. so we tested mass murder kills information once more. there are people saying that you gave coordinates of kurdish settlements and eye socket to isis is that true. but so. he shakes his head and you are sure that he is nice guy it was a. hoax it was a nice. how come that you were so sure he was talking about. my eyes don't live when i see him he said i just remember so i believe myself what i see and what those he told me talk about what did he talk about. the refugee and switzerland has since deleted his profile on the internet. and feared often the youngest a few years ago many young i asked you how this would post photos online where they would probably talk about the violent acts they'd committed. and i was very helpful

against isis. was when the bombing we believe well over eighty percent of the tips from refugees are reliable and guns also tied a lot of the information provided by refugees are incorrect and simply aimed at defaming others so you have to treat these accusations very carefully. so we tested mass murder kills information once more. there are people saying that you gave coordinates of kurdish settlements and eye socket to isis is that true. so. he shakes his head and you are sure that he is not this guy was a. hoax what i said and how come that you were so sure he was talking about. my eyes down thoughts when i see him he's and i just remember so i believe myself what i see and what those he told me talk about what did he talk about. the refugee and switzerland has since deleted his profile on the internet. and feared often the youngest a few years ago many young i asked you how this would post photos online where they would probably talk about the violent acts they'd committed. and i was very helpf

i met many tens of isis members there isis prisoners they were isis members who are telling me this their what they want and how do they act and they were finding all these killings and all this. torturing they were find it useful. in march twenty fifteen miles and saw his colleague fall hard for the last time he left rocker's football stadium for other prisons following. thanks. he made friends with another fellow sufferer haji issa from the northern kurdish city of cobain. he didn't there for get afraid of isis i thought he was later. i had the chance although the chance to see him in a video before his being cured isis published a propaganda video killing him. the militants even exploited children and their propaganda. when i saw his eyes told me that real meaning he told me that i felt his talking to me telling me he thought i'm still hitting them and here i am. and i hope one day you know you do something to to vanish to a story i says muscled photoshop the picture of haji is removing his captors in this image he's not a victim but a hero. thanks . one day quite unexpectedly light ca

the isis ideology is very much alive. isis still has a significant presence on-line. it still has as we have been seeing in recent weeks the capability to either issue direct orders or at least inspire attacks overseas. >> arwa damian for us on the border, thank you for the reporting. we appreciate it. this morning, many questions, patience is waning, now nearly two weeks after four american soldiers were left dead in niger. here is what we do know. these are the four soldiers killed, two of them special forces or green berets, two of them support personnel. they died on october 4th, when they were ambushed by 50 isis affiliated fighters. >> joining us now, cnn pentagon correspondent barbara starr and military analyst lieutenant colonel frank. everything we know about this comes from your reporting. thank you for that. remind us what we know about this ambush and as importantly right now what questions remain. >> let's leave as much as we can the pictures of those four army soldiers up because these are men with names and families and hometowns across this country. so

that city declared totally liberated from isis. forces danced there at the stadium where isis fighters made their last stand just a few days earlier. raqqah was the de facto capital for isis for more than three years. the terror group isn't completely finished, though, in iraq and syria. but its grip is crumbling. this map shows the territory that it held back in 2014 compared now to what it holds presently. that stadium we showed you you was also an isis headquarters. the terror group used it to plan attacks and also to hold prisoners. our nick paton walsh has an inside look at the prison there and the ruin that isis brock to raqqah. >> reporter: isis usually leaves places looking like this and their self-declared capital was no different, one with exception. where are the people inspect hardly a soul here. the victors swarming around isis's old hq, the stadium. it's extraordinary to stand exactly where i am, it's just a matter of weeks or months ago may, in fact, have been plotting attacks against the west. this, the stadium, one

isis became a by—product. if you go back to the root causes of what happens —— happened in syria, it continues and is is even worse. we have turkish troops in idlib. iraq has militia all over syria and have now got a stronghold in damascus and the surrounding area. the parties that are there and armed continue and are strengthened. and we are nowhere near a political resolution to try to at least preserve lives in syria. i think raqqa is a moment to take stock. but it is not this victory were we can see syria coming together again. what is devastating as you do have 300,000 civilians living on sheer terror in raqqa. there isn't much sympathy for ordinary people who need shelter, need to be taken care of. they are barely now getting some of the international humanitarian organisations and the un delivering the most basic foodstuffs. that is nowhere near a resolution. and because you still have got at its heart all the different interests at play in syria not seeing eye to eye, you don't see this as a moment

we were there on day one in the skies against isis area that isis. we are yemen fighting together. as far back as the late 80's and early 90's, forged a close working relationship with the general. more than a working relationship. they developed a friendship. rehab -- i have the purpose -- the partnership has made the uae. it is meet the region saver. the partnership made the u.s. say. still has to make much more progress even beside the best efforts. another extremist threat has been gaining the entire time. that is iran. we welcome president strategy to address the full range of i ran interference in the use. this includes growing ballistic missile programs, support for terrorist organizations, never attacked her parents in each other's affairs, and threats to freedom of navigation the nuclear deal offered iran an opportunity to engage responsibly. instead it emboldened iran to intensify the stabilizing action. the u.s. can count on the uae along with others threat and as we engage in these critical efforts, sleep more comfortably knowing that u.s. horses under general commands

isis became a by—product. if you go back to the root causes of what happened in syria, it continues and is is even worse. we have turkish troops in idlib. iraq has militia all over syria and have now got a stronghold in damascus and the surrounding area. the parties that are there and armed continue and are strengthened. and we are nowhere near a political resolution to try to at least preserve lives in syria. i think raqqa is a moment to take stock. but it is not this victory where we can see syria coming together again. what is devastating is you do have 300,000 civilians living in sheer terror in raqqa. there isn't much sympathy for ordinary people who need shelter, need to be taken care of. they are barely now getting some of the international humanitarian organisations and the un delivering the most basic foodstuffs. that is nowhere near a resolution. and because you still have got at its heart all the different interests at play in syria not seeing eye to eye, you don't see this as a moment of silver lin