they are not in tikrit yet. this has taken place after iraqi helicopters and special forces troops whept in over the last few days to talk the university. they were not able to take it, according to i.s.i.l. force, but the government says they are in control of the university. now they have the university according to the government, and they are mounting an armed offensive all the way up to tikrit. we heard from eyewitnesss that there are heavy clashes. the i.s.i.l. took over the town on 11 june. it's under their control. it's like like they've been able to reinforce the troops they have their, and they are entrenched. it's a hard-fought battle. this is the first time we have seen a large ground troop movement to a place taken over by the fighters. >> this is happening, a lot of people are on the move, and there are concerns about human rights abuses committed by both sides in the conflict. >> that's absolutely right. one of the main reasons we see so many people on the move of those towns where i.s.i.l. took o

the militants attacking troops on the campus of tikrit university. and iraqi ground troops are also getting help from heavy artillery fire. tikrit as we've been reporting has been one of the bloodiest battlegrounds so far. it's where isis sass militants reportedly executed 160 people two weeks ago. so having said that, let's talk about the location because this is significant, as well. tikrit's location it sits between the middle of mosul to the north and baghdad to the south. and as i said, mosul remains under isis control. and actually, the iraqi military also launched air strikes against isis there this morning, too. so again, we have two major bats going on at this point that are going to stretch into the overnight hours into tomorrow. leland, so far we don't have a casualty report on either side but we're also getting reports that now battles have flared up south of baghdad, as well and that dozens have been killed there. so a lot of new fights going on along with the ones in tikrit and then mosul to the north. >> john huddy live from our middle

tikrit. isil had already taken iraq's second city mosul and also attacking nearb nearby city. >> reporter: one of the biggest refineries burn as fighters take control. they mounted at tack in the early hours of tuesday morning quickly overrunning security force this is. but the take over didn't last long, iraq's fourth article are armored division and police took back control a few hours later. the fighters from the isil who have also mounted attacks here in kirkuk where fighting controls, mosul remains under is life. corollas prime minister nouri al-maliki used his regularly televised address to deliver a strong message. >> translator: this is just the latest round of fighting against isil and it won't be the last. we will continue to fight against them with the help of the people of mosul. al qaeda and isil don't have the numbers to control the city. they don't have the power to confront the iraqi forces. >> reporter: but on the outskirts of mosul, people continue to flee. carrying what lit

the army is report toed be on the out -- reported to be on the outskirts of tikrit. the army is in control. the people inside tuck rit have enjoyed days of government bombardment. residents say part of the city has become a ghost town. mosul has been under bombardment. a nearby camp of deplaced people is nearby. half a million have been forced to leave mosul. it takes the total number of people displaced to 1.2 million. as a result the u.n. tripled the aid field to $312 million. let's go live to al jazeera's imran khan, who joins us from baghdad. iraq facing an humanitarian crisis. hundreds of thousands on the move. what assistance are these people getting. where are they heading to? >> well, firstly, like you say, there's a massive shortfall of funding. not just for the u.n., but the other aid agencies that are struggling to get fund to help people. they have about 15% of what they've been - they've got about 15% of the $312 million that they need. they've been pledged another 5%. so they are short by 80%. it means people are fending for themselves. we somewhere see

the people inside tikrit endured days of helicopter attacks. mosul has been under bombardment, the u.n. saying they had to attend a nearby camp for displaced people because of large numbers leaving. half a million were forced to leave mosul. it takes the total numbers in iraq to 1.2 million. as a result the u.n. tripled the aid appeal to $3 million. we go to imran khan in baghdad. >> a lot of people on the move because of fighting in tikrit. where are the people heading and what sort of help are they getting. what sort of help is down to the crisis in funding. 80% is not there, and most of the agencies tell you that they are instructing to help, to what are the certainly displaced people, refugees in their open country doing? the vast majority are heading into the iraqi, ramy kurdi region. a lot can't get in because of the lack of camp space, there's not enough houses for people. represents have skyrocketed. people were able to live there for a week, two weeks before it became unaffordable, and they had to leave and are therefore trying to move

aircraft high in the skies over tikrit. in a battle not reported by iraqi authorities or state media, elite commander units are alleged to try to get a foothold in the university's come pound. they landed in the stadium by helicopter. witnesses reported siting, and two out of three helicopters used were downed. people say they targeted indiscriminately and used illegal weapons. >> translator: there is no isil here. it is a residential area. families live here. >> translator: they dropped barrel bombs here. >> reporter: most of tikrit looks abandoned. >> translator: the families were displaced. they all left. the situation is quite difficult here. there is no gas, no water, no electricity. >> reporter: sunni rebels took control of tikrit on june 11th. the hometown of former ruler saadam hussein, held fighters. most of the million strong army has been unable to stop advances in northern and western iraq. is -- isil says it has captured many tanks and fighters. it says a further investigation is difficult because of the fighti

the battle for control of tikrit rages on. >>> this is al jazeera live from doha. also on the programme - northern nigeria's broken families leave ghost towns behind as they flee boko haram violence. >>> plus - working out - how to slow down a speeding craft. n.a.s.a.'s research into future missions to mars. >>> first, the turmoil in iraq, and the aftermath of the largest military offensive yet by government forces much the government forces are reported to be on the outskirts of tikrit ready for a push into the city. iraqi state television says the army is sending reinforcements and is in control. the people inside tikrit enjoyed days of heavy attack. mosul is under bombardment. it has to expand a nearby camp for displaced people because of people leaving. the u.n. refugee agency say says the numbers displaced in iraq is 1.2 million. the u.n. tripled aid appeal to $312 million. >>> i'm ran kahn joins us from baghdad. -- imran khan joins us live from baghdad. hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands on the move, what is happening to these people. what help

it says it has liberated the city of tikrit which was, of course, saddam hussein's hometown. tikrit had been taken over by militants from isis, but the government says after an intense 48-hour bombardment on the city using mostly helicopter gunships, that iraqi forces have moved in, driven out the militants, and stabilized the city. the problem is witnesses do not corroborate that account. they say there has been heavy fighting there with dozens killed on each side, but that the isis militants have pulled back from certain neighborhoods in tikrit but not completely abandoned the area and isis itself, which has been very effective in putting out propaganda videos, using social media, says it is sending reinforcements to tikrit. so this fight just in tikrit could last a lot longer, let alone the effort by the iraqi government to take over mosul and fallujah and parts of ramadi and all of the other towns and cities in western and northern iraq that are still held by the militants. >> nbc's richard engel in baghdad. thank you so much. let me turn now on this sunday to what's goin

a massive effort is being mounted to retake tikrit and pushback isis militants. resistance is strong and at this point, it's impossible to say which side has the upper hand. say the army was forced to retreat in some places, but there are also reports that isis has suffered as -- heavy casualties. >> fighting continues, but tikrit university is now under our full control. university is very large and has a number of buildings, but the iraqi flag flies over all of them. >> russia is delivering equipment to the iraqi military. the first of more than a dozen russian fighter jets arrived in iraq. in urgent need of your support, baghdad paid 370 million euros for the planes. >> we desperately need these russian planes right now. they are especially useful in supporting our ground units and fighting isis terrorists. jets will come into service with the next four days to aid our soldiers and fight the isis terrorists. >> nearly 200 kilometers south of tikrit, security forces have set up fences around baghdad. the army has deployed around 60,000 soldiers. the clear messa

but halfway between tikrit and baghdad. tikrit being saddam hussein's hometown which has been taken over. baghdad which is the place to which they're headed apparently. this is an embassy personnel, this is at an -- this is not embassy personnel, this is at an air base. did you know, your eyes can lose vital nutrients as you age? [ male announcer ] that's why there's ocuvite to help replenish key eye nutrients. ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin to help protect your eye health. ocuvite. help protect your eye health. ocuvite. so i can reach ally bank 24/7 but there are24/7branches? 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. means keeping seven billion ctransactions flowing.g, and when wea

what we know is that the fight has gone from samarra to tikrit quite quickly. what happens next, they go into today and surround the outskirts. >> we'll see. okay, the military reinforcing northern baghdad, fortifying roads and bridges. are those defensive measures? >> they're both defensive measures and offensive measures as well. now in the last year we've seen a tactic from isil fighters with only what they call the baghdad belt. they regularly blow up bridge there is. they regularly attack army barracks there. what the army is doing is rebuilding those and strengthening them, and they're also fort flying the barracks as well. now whether they're expecting an onslaught over the next few days and weeks remains to be scene. what we know they're preparing for an on slot if that ever happens. >> thousands of people have been trapped by the fighting. including 1200 workers in samarra. meanwhile, 18 people are still working. >>> saturday marks a deck kate since iraqi leaderrers took control. in the decade since violence has killed 100,000 people. the country is st

much of the battle centered on the tikrit university campus. locationwise just to give you an idea, tikrit is south of mosul and about 100 miles north of baghdad, almost in between the two cities. mosul, as you know, remains under isis control. so not only does this fight have strategic military relevance, but historical as well. tikrit is considered saddam hussein's hometown, and it's where u.s. forces -- it's near where u.s. forces captured him, uma, in 2003. back to you. >> lots of history there. all right, john, thank you very much for bringing us up to date on that breaking story. for more on these developments in iraq and the arrival of abu khattala in the u.s., let's bring in house foreign affairs chairman, ed royce. congressman, welcome. great to have you here today. >> thank you. >> first off, your reaction to the news that abu khattala is now in the u.s. do you think his criminal prosecution should be postponed until investigators have more time to question him over time? >> well, my concern all along has been to give him the full due

actually the latest is the fighting is going on on the outskirts of tikrit. around this military base, there is heavy fighting since yesterday, but so far there are conflicting reports between who's getting advance. the sources on the sunni militant side saying they are pushing back the iraqi military armed forces while iraqi still exists show pictures of their troops advancing in a desert, which we can't confirm from here. however, we use the flow of the refugees as indicator. so far the rate is normal and we haven't seen increasing in numbers, which give you an idea that the reports coming from tikrit and the surrounding area, that means that the fight is ongoing and there's no -- any parties are getting advance there. >> also, delivery of russian helicopters and jets to baghdad over the last couple of days, just on this declaration, though, the caliphate since back in the 1920s, what's the reaction been on the ground there? >> actually here in irbil it's a situation very different from what's going on in iraq. however, if the announcement of the islamic st

if you take tikrit and you manage to secure tikrit, the other towns are certain over and the vidal in between it's strategically important. the united nations says well over a thousand people are being killed in the recent violence. most civilians. it also says that the total number of people displaced in iraq this year is more than a milli million. as a result, the u.n. has tripled its aid of appeal to over $300 million. let's go back to imran. imran, talking about the strategic imports of tick riti t tikrit. those numbers, increasing every day. >> that's absolutely right. let me put you -- let me give you a dollar figure about how much the shortfall of funding is. $278 million. >> that's what the u.n. say they still need. they have only got 20% of what they need. what does that mean on the ground? it means that peoplecism kept get any shelter. most of the people flee from mosul and the rest of the northwest are going to iraqi kurdstan stair tory. they are going to towns like erbil. churching, mosques, sports halls, anywhere people can put down a bed are now being used to house those

iraqi forces battle sunni militants to retake the northern city of tikrit. d'agata in iraq on the fight for saddam hussein's hometown. these black birds are dying in alarming numbers in california. bigad shaban on what's killing them off. and a final bow. how the retiring concert master of the new york philharmonic preserved the harmony for more than 6,000 performances. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news." >> good evening. i'm jim axlerod. the libyan man snatched near benghazi and suspected in the consulate that killed four americans, including ambassador chris steven, is now on american soil. under heavy security in washington, d.c., ahmed abu khatalla made hits -- his first appearance in federal court this afternoon and pleaded not guilty to charge of conspiracy to provide support to terrorists. for the last two weeks, khatalla had been held and interrogated on navy ship before being flown by helicopter into washington this morning. mark albert begins our coverage. >> reporter: the entire hearing took just ten minutes in a heavily gu

they are in tikrit where saddam hussein is buried. they are presently fighting iraqi security forces for control of samora andhoming in on the northern city of kirkuk, which is oil-rich and in the kurdish region. the kurds have always felt they should control it. right now, they do after the iraqi fled but isil forces are never far away. isil is also closing in on iraq's biggest oil refinery which you find in the city of beji. this is rattling global markets and driving up al barrel of oil. it makes up 60% of the iraqi economy. they have been hoping to increase output to 4 million barrels a day by the end of the year. economists warn if this fighting goes on, the price of a barrel of oil could skyrocket to $130 a barrel and that will be damaging for the world's economy. now, 17% of iraq's oil fields can be found in the sunni and kurdish areas. we have marked them in black here so you can see them better. and they include the oil field known as the kirkuk field which has a pipeline running from it all the way out through turkey through

. >> reporter: stirring images of the military's attempt to retate tikrit. no sign of the city and it not clear what these desert pictures mean. reports say sunni militants have set dozens of explosive devices among roads. >> translator: what was accomplished yesterday and overnight is the first phase. >> for the prime minister, nouri al-maliki, success in tikrit is vital. the first of several jets have arrived. the government says they're badly needed. but the militants of isis are forging ahead in their own plan, erasing in the latest video the old border between iraq and syria. the militants operate freely on both sides of the border and say they are now citizens of a new islamic state. >> well, i spoke to paul still in baghdad and he told us it wasn't entirely clear what it currently happening in the city of tikrit. >> i wish i could give you something difin tich but i can't. we know this operation goes on. the indications over the past 24 hours or so are that it is not going well for the iraqi military. we're heard reports yesterday suggesting that they

. >> reporter: well tikrit is where the key battle is taking place. so far the iraqi army have brought in reinforcements, about 25km away from the town and are making a battle plan to go into the city. what the sunni rebels told us in tikrit is interest. it's not the islamic state for the i.s.i.l. that is in charge, it's a bigger rebel group. they are ready to fight. and they have the support of the islamic state of iraq and levant, now called the islamic state. how united are they given this statement. will this mean that knows are people within tikrit, that they are divided because of the announcement. remember they are not fighting for a global jihad, they want change. they are fighting for an idea of a calafat, the two different ideologies at work. both are fighting sued by side. >> thank you very much indeed. >> across the border in syria, the pois free syrian army leadership responded to the announcement of a new calafat. the f.a.a. is prepared to cooperate with the united states and allies to defeat the rebel group calling it's the islamic stat

tikrit, too, they took tikrit? tikrit and mosul, the twin cities, as no one there calls them. [laughter] although now i think the militants will probably consolidate their gains, fortify their position research schools for their kids maybe. >> the militants are advancing towards iraq's capital of baghdad. >> jon: what the [bleeped] is going on over there. how are the militants moving so quickly? is it... ez pass. [laughter] and we brought that there. [cheering and applause] no. don't cheer for the militants. i didn't think we'd have do this anymore. well, looks like we're going to have to return to our old coverage. let me just get this out there. let me just get... let me get it. there we go. [laughter] mess 'o potamia coverage is back. [applause] so who are these militant overcheevers? >> the militants belong to the islamic safe of iraq and syria or isis. >> their ambition is to create a muslim callie fate, a single islam state. >> their leader, abu bakr al-baghdadi. >> 44 years old, a highly regarded professor, has a master's degree and ph.d. of islamic studies from the uni

-- taken, and tikrit. sunni rebels posted pictures which appear to show fighters massacring soldiers north of tich it. it's been confirmed that the pictures are authentition. there are -- authentics. there are doubts that they killed 17,000 soldiers. >>> nouri al-maliki spoke before explosions killed 15 in baghdad. >> reporter: a defiant prime minister and a prom ills to foil what he described as a terrorist conspiracy against his nation. >> there are thousands like you. all raise up, vol door, and we -- volunteer, and we could have space for these, and we will advance to all space to crash our enemies. >>> earlier iraqi military helicopters in action. it's part of a campaign that the government says is reversing the tide against the advance of sunni rebels. the cockpit video shows multiple air strikes against fighters from islamic state of iraq and levant. in the province north of baghdad, and on the outskirts of iraq's biggest city mosul. the government says hundred of rebels have been killed, clearing t

tikrit, again, you are closer to baghdad. and that is the final goal. to even put pressure on baghdad and to be seen to be closing in on the capital would be a huge propaganda claim -- gain for the militant, let alone get in fighting range of the capital. >> thank you so much, from baghdad. >>> all right. we have learned who the president is nominating to be the next secretary of veterans affairs. we'll tell you all about him, next. when folks think about what they get from alaska, they think salmon and energy. but the energy bp produces up here creates something else as well: jobs all over america. engineering and innovation jobs. advanced safety systems & technology. shipping and manufacturing. across the united states, bp supports more than a quarter million jobs. when we set up operation in one part of the country, people in other parts go to work. that's not a coincidence. it's one more part of our commitment to america. what if it were more than something to share? what if a photo could build that shelf you've always wa

now tikrit is a crucial town. it's not only the hometown of sadam hussein, the former dictator, but it's seen as being one of the key towns in the sunni heartland, and isil won't want to give it up very easily. isil also says it's captured many soldiers and military equipment, including tanks. human rights watch says nearly 190 of those captured iraqi army recruits were murdered by the fighters. the rights drew group analyzed satellite imagery and photos released by the fighters, but says that further investigation is difficult because of the fighting. weeks in no this crisis, iraq's politicians still haven't been able to agree on a united solution. and for many sunni residents of tikrit who feel let down by the shia government, hopes of stability remain just that, imran kahn, al jazerra. >>> still ahead on al jazerra, they have escaped the fighting but south sudan's displaced now face new threats in overcrowded camps. >>> plus. >> reporter: i am tim fremd in roam where the mayor is appealing for millions of dolla

iraqi soldiers reportedly control the roads in and out of tikrit. rebels have laid booby traps slowing the iraqi advance. special forces are on the ground aiding the iraqi government. now, it also comes as both iran and russia are also aiding this iraqi government. of course, in neighboring syria, eric, the u.s. is supporting the sunni rebels against the assad-backed iranian and russian government there. it is a really strange bedfellows of people in the middle east right now. but the u.s. basically working alongside russia and iran trying to keep up this maliki government. the question is will maliki, the prime minister, eric, still be in power at the end of this week? we'll find out on tuesday when iraq's parliament meets to pick a new prime minister. >> all right, conor. and isis, of course, still pressing its advance. thanks so much. arthel? >>> benghazi suspect khattala is now being held at a detention center after making his first appearance in u.s. court yesterday. khattala pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to provide support to te

this is the road to tikrit. is called a blessed invasion. all this after the prize of mosul fell into the g hotties -- jihadis' hands. the tanks have been burned and mosul is under our control. isis propaganda video seeks to explain. be target this set to soldiers. we cannot show much of what is on this video. with theis have lists names of security forces and officials. this way isis has been steadily tightening their grip in the north and west of iraqi. the terrified man is led away to be killed. people arrive in kurdish territory exhausted and demoralized. getting out of moz old -- mosul harrowing experience. they are not here only because of prices -- isis. people have spoken of a complete collapse inside mosul. are abandoning their posts to flee like everyone else. they are not just afraid of isis but what happens next and what the government will have to do to get mosul back from the jihadis. jihadis tell people they had nothing to fear. prime minister has said the victory in mosul will not stand. >> we will not allow this to carry on

now sources in tikrit are saying that the town of tikrit is still under control of isil. now, there is another development with regards to what's happening. you mentioned the tribal fighters in mosul and elsewhere, so basically what we have now, there is a statement and according to that statement, they call themselves the tribal fighters of iraq. and let me read you a little bit of what came in that statement. it said we liberated mosul, tikrit, and kirkuk and we are continuing this revolution until we liberate all iraqi cities. it's called on the iraqi people not to be scared and they promise them they will protect their lives, their publicist property and buildings. so it's a pretty strong development. you have a group that is determined to carry on what it says the liberation of iraqi towns and cities. a senior member of the prime minister nuri maliki blocked the state of law -- or the state of law block told me over the phone that the situation is pretty clear. he said there is few political blocks within parliament that prevented the number of reaching the quorum an

tikrit continues to hang in the balance. losing some ground to fiercely determined militants while the iraqi government continues to claim they have taken back the city. the city rests largely in insurge ent hands. richard ankle has more. >> the iraqi military government are now gathering their forces and launching something of an effective counter offensive. most attention focused on the city of tikrit. it has been attacked by the government for the last two days with helicopters to drive out militants from ic isis. the government claims to have pushed the militants out of the city. they say militants have pulled back slightly but remain as contested area. isis which has been effective up until now is putting out propaganda videos using social media and claping to be sending re-enforcements to tikrit. nbc news, baghdad. >> a changing of the guard at the veteran's affairs department. tomorrow the white house will nominate robert mcdonald to be the new secretary. the administration official did confirm that selection today. w

., remain in the key cities of mosul and tikrit. we have this report from baghdad, where the prime minister has been telling troops that there's no hiding place for the rebels. a defiant prime minister and a promise to avoid what he described as a terrorist conspire assy against his country. >> translation: there are thousands like you, all iraqi people. raise up, volunteer, and we couldn't even have space for these, and we will vance to all space to crush our enemies. >>> earlier iraqi military confirm a helicopter action, part of a campaign to reverse the tide of sunni rebels, the defence ministry says the cockpit video shows multiple air strikes against islamic state of iraq and levant. in the province of sala hadeen, and the second biggest city mosul. hundreds of rebels have been killed clearing towns and villages in the operation. >> translation: brothers, what we need to veries is the security situation in baghdad is under control. the security forces are carrying out attacks, negotiation to attacking terror -- in addition to

they have a few towns, row ma'am i, fallujah, some of the other places they have taken over, tikrit, mosul. but predominantly it's still under government control. they have also asked all of the rebel groups to pledge allegiance to the flag. they did this in two ways, they sent out a 34-minute long tape and a 10-page long document. let me just read you one of the sentences from that document. the flag of the islamic state rises and suffers its shade covers land from a hle aleppo t- they have their quandries, but what the maim change allows them do do is move territory. they are not just restricted from iraq to syria. they can now move territory. and that was a always a long-term plan for them. >>> i believe ran kahn with the latest on that development. thanks so much. elsewhere prime minister maliki is now under increasing pressure under parliament. one of his predecessors has called on his supporter to boycott a crucial vote on july 1st on the formation of a new government. he says his national coalition will take part only if certain conditionss met. the iraqi army says it's ready

rebels posted pictures online that those fighters massacring hundreds of soldiers near tikrit. pictures are authentic. there are doubts over a claim of having killed 1700 soldiers. >>> earlier on sunday iraq's prime minister nouri al-maliki promised to crush rebels. at least 15 were killed in explosions in baghdad. hundreds of thousands of iraqi people fled their homes. many arrived in the city of haza. more refugees are expected to turn up where you are because the fighting in tal afa. tell us the latest on that. >> well, according to sources we spoke to in the city, it appears that it's fallen into the hands of the sunni rebels. as of last night we were told that 90% of the city was in the hands and we were told there was no more iraqi military presence there. tal afa was one of the last strongholds, if i may call it like that, of the baghdad government here in the province, the soldiers held the ground. it appears that that is gone. we are expecting another flow of refugees here into the kurdish regions, there's a substantial queue of cars. we can assume that some of them ha

>> i think it goes to the poor leadership of the forces engaged in mossual and tikrit. these are forces that - you can lay the fault at the feet of nouri al-maliki for appointing commanders loyal to him. nouri al-maliki succeeded in undoing the army that we put together before we left. as you approach baghdad approximately be a different battle ground. we'll have time to get the politics right before engaging with air power and advisors and sources of military strength that we engage with. >> given all the blood, sweat and tears of people like you and erts have given to the -- others have given to the battle from the united states, is this frustrating to watch this? >> it's deeply frustrating and saddening. many dead. a trillion plus wasted. this is something that any veteran of the iraq war looks on with sadness and regret. the united states in its own national interest cannot allow a terrorist state to exist. >> sergeant bowe bergdahl is on his way back to the united states. the former prisoner was released from a military hospital in germany. he's on a plane headed t

and the forces in tikrit say that it's still under the control of isil. you saw the fighters, and now we have a statement. and according to that statement, they call themselves the fighters of iraq, and let me read you a little bit of what came in that statement. it said, we liberated mosul, tikrit and kirkuk, and we are continuing this liberation until we liberate all iraqi cities. it's called on the iraqi people not to be scared. and they promise them they will protect their lives, the public property and buildings. so it's a pretty strong development to have a group that is determined to carry on what it says is the liberation of iraqi towns and cities. a senior member of the prime minister, maliki, told me over the phone that this situation is pretty clear. he said there is few political blocks within parliaments that prevented the number of reaching the core um quorum, and that's y they're backing the events in mosul. i spoke to him and he said they do not want to give more authority and power to prime minister nuri maliki. this guy, he said there ar

isxv6qt(r 75 hellfire missiles to iraq to help iraqi government troops toó recapture tikrit. in nigeria, islamic extremists are suspected in attacks that left dozens dead. church go eers were among the target. and an organization of central bankers is warning of an asset bubble, citing what it calls aÑ puzzling disconnect between risingÑi markets and global growth. >> announcer: pbs news hour weekend is made possible by, lewis b. and louise hirschfeld komen. joyce b. hail.e1çó the wallach family, in memory of miriam and ira d. wallach. the sheryl and philip milstein family, bernard and irene schwartz.ok the city foundation. rosalind p. walter. corporate funding provided by -- ék#pcustomized individual and g retirement products. that's why we're your retirement company. additional support is provided by -- 5a and by -- the corporation for public broadcasting, and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

they may have to not go for tikrit. i think it may be a town too far. >> we know the iraqi air force is certainly very active and trying to regain some of the lost momentum. what do you think the chances are that it can actually regain territory and stop isis? >> i think the sunnis will stop isis. i do not see the sunnis going back to a shiite government. without isis they would like to go for a partition or autoonomy. they may work with the government to retake tikrit. in the long run i don't see iraq coming back together like it has been. >> and you agree? >> i can't argue with that. i think it is a defacto breakup now anyway. there is too much animosity. with the kurdish piece gone i don't see it being a country. is it a confederation or three independent countries? this is in a state of flux. >> if this break up happens and is already happening what is your greatest concern about that? what might it look like? >> i mean, rick hit the nail on the head. we don't know what it is going to look like. an addition, the tri

tikrit could stop isis from getting closer to baghdad. iraqi military forces say that they're using military officials say they're using helicopter gunships to basically hone in on and attack the sunni-led militants, along with special forces already on the ground, setting up basically a perimeter around the city and trying to push those isis militants back to the north. now, air strikes have helped the iraqi military stop isis from taking control of the baiji oil refinery. this has been an important fight. tikrit has been among the bloodiest battle fronts so far, because it's where the al qaeda inspired insurgents reportedly executed 160 people just about two week ago. at this point, iraqi officials are reporting that the military has regained control of the city, though we're waiting for more confirmation about that. to give you an idea about not only the location but why kick tikrit is important, it's just south of mosul and about 100 miles north of baghdad, pretty much right in the middle of both cities. you know, that's why iraqi mil

certainly his insurgents seem to be on the back foot in the northern city of tikrit, the birthplace of saddam hussein. according to reports, the iraqi security forces have been making headway, pushing the islamist insurgents out of the university area, out of the center of town as well. they are being impeded somewhat by the improvised explosive devices that the militants have put around the city to slow down the forces. certainly a victory in tikrit would be a massive boost to the morale of iraqi security forces and could serve as a staging post to retake most of iraq's second-biggest city which fell into insurgent hands this month. >> in terms of the outside influences that we are seeing in the country now, we are seeing pictures of russians working on iraqi jets. walk us through what the russians are doing. >> very interesting here, the russians long-standing allies of bashar al-assad in syria. they seem to be muscling in on the u.s.'s turf. we saw five secondhand russian fighter jets being delivered to the iraqi's over the weekend. iraq saying the u.s. was dragging its heels. the u

the group controls two major cities, mosul and tikrit. al-malaki has failed to declare a state of emergency, not enough politicians turned up for a session to vote it through. iran's president has weighed in on the crisis. he says his government will tackle fighters in neighboring iraq but hasn't gone into any details. >> on the ground, fighters from isil say they'll now march to the capital, baghdad. we have correspondents covering every angel of the story. we are live in baghdad, and in northern iraq where hundreds of thousands are seeking refuge. we are in beirut, looking at the attempt to link syria with iraq. let's talk about the latest political developments from baghdad. the fact that al-malaki didn't get the state of emergency, what happened? >> not enough people turned up to vote to push this through. they needed a 50% plus one, that's 166 to turn up. it was a political move. those that didn't turn up made sure that this state of emergency wasn't declared. it was hugely criticized by soon any politicians, saying the prime ministe

the iraqi army committed to go back and take tikrit. this is a test of the iraqi army. are they capable of dislodging isis? if not, the iraqi army's in much, much worse shape than thought. they're going up there with tanks, artillery, air sport, the full range of military weaponry to dislodge irregulars from the city. so if they can't do this, we've got real problems ahead of us. >> isis today declaring itself an islamic state, announcing creation of a caliphate that runs from syria into iraq. how significant is that? >> i think this telegraphing their intentions. they're not going to be happy with just iraq and syria. they want the whole area. the translation of the name iraq and includes greater syria, lebanon, syria, parts of jordan, israel, palestinian territories, it's a much bigger area. and they're making it known that they intend to set up a caliphate over this entire area. now seeing other groups jump into this. i read where people in gaza are saying, yes, we'll be part of the islamic state. >> what iraq's deal to buy fighter jets from russia. will this help th

and also with tikrit, if they do lose control of tikrit they lose an important means to go between the cities in the north and mossle down to baghdad. >> one of our guests yesterday said isis is doing what they do best killing people but they are not good at governing. so is that their weakness, where they might start to fall apart? >> i think that's where they will lose support. their tactics which are so brutal killing civilians, beheadings, mass killings, this is going to alienate "people." the way they want to set up wet so a harsh interpretation of islamic law is going to alienate many sunnis who don't share their doctrine and view of how the state should operate. >> this is continuing to develop. it's day by day but hour by hour in this situation. >> really is. >> thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> israeli airstrike has killed two men in gaza city. israel's military says the strike targeted people in recent rocket attacks against israel. officials say the men were involved in several terror attacks over the past few years and planning more. palestini

iraqi troops, tanks and helicopter gun ships are battling to retake the northern city of tikrit from sunni militants. iraq's military now bolstered by jets ordered from russia. conner powell live with the latest there. conner, it is escalating and escalating. what's the latest? >> reporter: arthel, the russia-made jet fighter planes are a big boost to the iraqi military, which is looking for much-needed power. now commanders in baghdad say that these jets will help add to additional my power to the iraqi military as they try to push back against this isis surge across iraq that we have seen the last three weeks or so. today baghdad officially announced it received the first of 12 russia-made fighter jerts. this is coming at sort of a rebuff of the pentagon, which the u.s. has long promised to ship some f-16s to iraq. but the congress has really held up these u.s. planes out of concerns over prime minister nouri al maliki's coalition in his government. this comes, this delivery of new weapons, comes as the iraqi troops launch a huge operation against the northern city of tikrit, which

and then yesterday, moving further south into the city of tikrit. now, isis is setting sights on baghdad. listen to this message posted on line by the terrorist group. >> reporter: don't give up, he says, only over your dead bodies and march towards baghdad because we have scores to settle there. >> joining me now from jersulaem, ben, tell me about isis, how is this group gaining strength? i can imagine the violence in syria has helped them in their endeavor. >> reporter: well, certainly this is a group that has roots during the occupation by the u.s. of iraq. but it has been re-energized by the conflict in syria and now, of course, in iraq, and as we hear, they suddenly find themselves in possession of millions of dollars, looted from banks in mosul, weapons which they have been able to capture from iraq, many of whom have fled there. if you talk to analysts they are amazed with the speed with which their offensive, which is essenti essentially, a blitzkrieg has taken place. there is a question how far they will be able to get into baghdad, keeping

new tikrit has become one of the bloodyiest battle grounds. at this point, however, iraqi officials are reporting the military has regained control of the city. tikrit's location is a critical one in the fight. it sits in the middle of mosul and baghdad. mosul remains under isis control. the fight for tikrit not only has strategic military significance, but also historic significance as well. it was saddam hussein's hometown and it's where u.s. military forces captured him in 2003. leland. >> john huddy in the middle east. >>> speaking of the middle east, stay right here tonight for an in-depth look for the rise of terrorism in iraq. chris wallace hosts a special fox news reporting, iraq and the rise of a terrorist state. that's tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern. if you miss it tonight, sunday 9:00 p.m. eastern right here on the fox news channel. >>> also overseas, pro-russian insurgents in ukraine have released a team of four international observers after holding them captive for a month. a european group confirmed the release, saying the team is

in the skies over tikrit. elite units try to get a foothold. using helicopters they landed in the stadium. witnesses reported fierce fighting and that two out of the three helicopters used were downed. people here say the military hit targets indiscriminate naturely and used illegal weapons. >> there's no presence of militants here and there's no isil. you can tell the whole area here and you'll see for yourself. >> translator: there is no one here. no militants and no one here in the region. >> reporter: the families were displaced, and they will go to kirkuk. the situation is quite difficult here. there's no gas, water or electricity. >> reporter: the government hasn't released any information, but they're in control of the university. they haven't given us any evidence to back that up. tikrit is a crucial town. it's not only the hometown of saddam hussein, the former dictator, but it's seen as being one of the key towns in the sunni heartland. isil won't want to give it up easily. isil says it captured many

. >> mosul, tikrit, samarra. let's remember this is occurring because of the fact that they are losing in syria, that they are suffering defeats and losses in syria. that's what's causing this. so there's no doubt that al will maliki deserves blame. there's no doubt in my mind that i think the u.s. should be involved in air strikes targeting these camps. that may be a mistake we make, but let's not mistake what the cause is here. the cause is what's going on in syria. >> i agree with that. that's completely true. we can't take much joy in the fact that they're losing in syria when now in iraq they're gaining control of entire cities. they're gaining control of enormous amounts of military hardware, american-made military hardware and access to banks to where they're able to take out $500 million worth of cash as we heard yesterday. yeah, they may have been pushed out of syria and have come back to iraq and they're much more powerful in iraq than they used to be. this gives them a new prestige in the world of jiha

this is a tough fight to get into tikrit. once they are in, they'll face more clashes because they have been able, the islamic state of iraq and levant have been able to back up. expect the clashes to go on for days, not hours. >> imran khan in baghdad - thank you for the update. >>> both sides are accused of atrocities. the iraqi army shows government soldiers celebrating around a dead body on road between samarra and baghdad. there appears to be a pattern of ext extrajudicial killings. i.s.i.l. fighters are accused of atrocities. this video showing a convoy of people being led to their death in tikrit. the people are described as iraqi soldiers. human rights watch says it has evidence that at least 160 government soldiers were killed in two mass executions. i.s.i.l. said it killed 1700 soldiers in the city. >>> saturday marks 10 years since iraqi leaders took control and responsibility for their own affairs. in the decades since democratic election as finance held. ongoing violence killed more than 100,000 people. the gover

they also, through state tv, say they've retaken the important town of tikrit. it's far from clear whether or not that's true and accurate. ice s isis, on the other hand, threatening more and more to come. >> reporter: the battle is not yet raging, says an isis spokesman in a chilling new message, reportedly uploaded by the terrorist group. don't give

tikrit, for example, is a sunni city, the home of saddam hussein. here you have a combination of a shia dominated army attacking into downtown tikrit, supported by shia militias. so the sunni civilian population is running for their lives, knowing they're likely to be abused or slaughtered by their federal government. it's hard to imagine iraq's going to put itself back together. the kurdish north is clearly e autonomous. we're watching a struggle now between the sunni and shia. this is bizarre circumstances. assad, who we despise as a despot, is essentially fighting isis also. so this is a good one for us to stay out of with u.s. military power. >> that said, sir, as you know, there are reports that about 180 of the 300 expected u.s. military advisers are there at this point. at what point do we feel their presence? when will you say, okay, we can see that the u.s. is having a hand in at least helping guide what's happening on the ground? >> well, the biggest good we're going to get out of the 500 military personnel on the ground we'll better under