any word on why the president decided to hold the meeting today? >> first of all, the secretary of defense was already slated to go to the middle east. that was pre-planned. the reason the president came to the pentagon to meet with 35 members of his national security team is he is starting to get the white house staff. he wanted to hear from his military chiefs directly. november saw more airstrikes against isis than any other month. the president says isis lost 40% of their populated areas in iraq. that's a new figure we hadn't heard before. isis leaders that the military has killed in the past year. >> since this spring we removed one of their top leaders. isil second in command, a top online recruiter, another one who brutally murdered americans and others, and the finance