Covering both the syrian war and the radicalization of islam and. These rickety minibuses are how most syrian kurds get around. We were accompanied by a female fighter who was just 18 years old. The kurdish parts of syria have a very different feel to the rest of the. Many women here are uncovered on the security situation is relatively calm. But the famous syrian hospitality is very much in evidence here. Even we visited fighters on the front line we were invited to share their lunch. On this day go to them brett was on the menu. You simply cant refuse. This man is based in beirut of this cover the war in out here in the flat open ground with isis in the next lh the still scorn the isis leaders. If french russian or american fighters command to stay we will cooperate with them. Isis left a mark on nearby name. Mosque littered with mines. The silence here is breathtaking. You can just hear the complete absence of human life. Theres little in victory left to fight her. This is a very difficult journey for them. I cant live in turkey anymore because i cant of normal rent. Person sweden is going to sweden. In good moodtually they havent quite registered what its going to mean for them. They did sayalking i cant afford to live in turkey anymore they want to me my house in syria was destroyed. We feel this growing sense of hostility. Ilene is based in hong kong and previously covered the war these are scenes that croatia probably did not anticipate when they open their order online day. Month since this migrant crisis europe still does not know what to do with all of these people. I am pleased to have all of these people from cnns any of this table. Syria, where are we at this moment . Every time i come back we have this conversation and i want to have something positive to report. In terms of trying to find the longer terms illusion, from what i see on the ground we are essentially looking at syria breaking up into smaller areas. While there has been some momentum on the diplomatic side to get together some of the proxies in this war, that is not being matched on the ground by a desire to turn toward the diplomatic or political solution because i think right now all of the various parties feel with Russian Support an american increased support the saudi every groupore than on the ground right now you that they can get into by the military then so you have on the one hand political effort but its not really moving in tandem with what youre seeing on the ground. Well, ifne here knows civilians suffering a level that i dont think many civilian anywhere have to suffer or. They are very much desperate for this. Charlie how many . We talk about 4 million refugees that we dont talk about the displaced people who are to intensive purposes half the population. People estimate the unregistered numbers could possibly even be double that. What impact is russia happening in my life the level theeapons being used feeling of how much worse could this possibly get we saw that class on the order with turkey. Observe conjure this terrifying ghost. Think it didnt quite go as badly as you could expected. The scary investment. Because what they see themselves as a domestic function. A car. Remarkable propaganda. Ukraine didnt really go the way they actually hope. Its another dimension. Charlie are they striking . Thats interesting. I dont think people realize a remember, assad regime itself never really targeted isis. They allowed isis to grow and thrive. They couldve targeted isis that they were too busy bombing their or perhaps it was is the logic of wanting to justify their own initial argument that they were fighting international terrorism. You look at it its assertive sickening name of chess. In the assade regimes placement very strategic in furthering their own arguments. I think hes stronger than he has been in years. I think perhaps shortterm but longerterm your country with a substantial Muslim Population you already had a passenger in load. Russia struggled for years with its own insurgency. The relationship is a little bit strained. The point think he said he wouldnt allow federal officials and the parliament. Clearly this is been a recruiting tool prices. The most compelling. The think this gets lost we get so focused on the tunnel vision of radical islam is the problem area isis is not just a product of radical islam. Obvious the heart of it. Ofs is a product of the lack any kind of action on behalf of the International Immunity in the vacuum that weve created by assad blessing of his own civilians for years. That it grewcuum and thrive again. Its many things it is complex and nuanced and simplified under the rubric of radical islam it misses the point and misunderstand the steps that need to be taken to try to go about ending groups like isis. Even in the end even as they say Different Things that only with the americans want. In some of them will privately know a better to keep the sky there thats the only semblance of any structure laugh. People that from those who marched into machinegun fire would not been driven out when you firsty, put your heart and soul into this idea of revolutionizing your on country and you see this moment some happening elsewhere, and then you feel you been abandoned on every single level you will tend to turn toward the only thing you have to cling to in life. And then when every step of the way all that does is drive the argument thats isis has. It is a product of a global massive clinical humanitarian failure and inability by mostly western nations in the United States truly understand the dynamics of the region. Because of the american one,rikes with at least the arab states have pulled back. They are known. Youd think that would have to be verified. The sort of hope that someone outside will come and take care saying no thisis is your generational challenge area instead theyre involved in a proxy war. The saudis are seeing Oil Prices Crashed area beginning of the broader regional change. Talk about the left of unity and the length of. System. That is reflected in the region. Its only a saudis the jordanian are all on the same page area working against each other often. There is opposition groups of completely divergent interests. The turks are backing jihadi era and bombing the kurds simultaneously. Hasmplete mess and nobody i dont think anybody can imagine a way out of. Mewhats so interesting to is that at least russia and iran aside to all agree on a narrative. They have very clear objective. Theyre saving the world from radical islam wants to destroy. What is the u. S. Israel narrative . What is europes real narrative. Everybody else is grappling are struggling to find a coherent narrative that they can find. Is there a moderate syrian force that can be mounted theres one guy we interviewed. And its a billiondollar program. He was refocused very dedicated very smart that began to fall down. There are these loose Militia Movement quite been adequately invested. They train them entirely. The much more get it seems. And then the product of years and years of being mastered by the regime. I think thats the major issue here. Rockyou go to a city like what is your definition of moderate . Theyre not what we would call moderate per se. Are they as powerful as isis in syria . Their players. There parts of the opposition. Their territory theyre smart now runs. Totheyre also not trying impose a strict sharia law like isis. They understand that they need to get the syrians to like them. They were really trying to edition themselves of the protectors of the people. Even then the syrians that were comfortable with a ideology were welcoming them as they trusted them to distribute the bread properly. That time they were the only force really came on doing it. Then when isis appeared to began hemorrhaging writers. But that was really start in 2012. Vibrant society in the city that i. Charlie what you guys think about what the president that is page . Having some special forces. Era think the kurds in the Kurdish Coalition or whatever it is where calling it are not going to do this without getting more weapons. Knowerybody that i everybody that i interview always does with key in iraq is somehow convince saying the sudanese to turn against isis. They got. Is is thation changing . If in fact the key in iran in being able to have the sunnis is there any evidence thats happening . I think the second sunni awakening. A version 2. 0. We havent team that. Thats a words are hoping for. It hasnt happened yet. We were just in sinjar. They did not see the daylight between them. Heres the other thing. They got that the first time around. How are you going to inspire someone to pick up a gun and fights when they dont even know what it is theyre fighting russian mark adventure so much of the population areas in which killing so much violence. Psychologically they thought maybe it was over. And now its thrust back on them. And now theyve never had anyone the connection of trust and faith in. Everybody has a chance. It feels like its went to three different pieces. They cant be bothered. It was predicted a decade ago that its starting to exist now. Syriaesence of uranium in and in iraq. Look at how many. Every month we care about an iranian general getting syria. You see them. Theres a lot of pressure from to ron. To some degree of killing a lot of propping up from their allies they are not themselves there was some discussion i cant the validity of it but with thousands of iranians actually writing on the ground along that has blind other uses. And thats why he invited russia to participate more actively in the war because he wanted to off that. The cant speak for the validity of that. But i thought it was an interesting idea that even assad was a little bit uncomfortable with just some of the fighters there were the family iranian generals were a dismissive of their syrian, hard. Their very presence in iraq. You told not to sell numbers. They are very there. Books if you put with them they weome to you and say dont know if its passed to ron the the past years interesting and important to know. Loans how muchse of it is truly cost the country theres a manpower crisis. Theyre dying in such large numbers as the allies actually struggling. People were fleeing conscription in syria. The border of turkey remains open. The turks and tried to. Its better than it was. Theres always a way to get through. To certain degree thats true. No one can secure their entire border. The election that brought everyone in our came to power talking about persecution at the hands of the military system in turkey. Severalmprisoned for the irony is to see them a decade later locking people up or making fun of him in a cartoon in her. Getting jail time for comparing him to go on from the hobbit. That is not recognized by everyone circle. He reignited a war somewhat argue. That is what his critics would argue. Should and they couldnt put together a government and in turkey with two election again. All of a sudden you done well again because a lot of turks that might in the strategy behind it. There were terrified at the product of the instability becoming even more wide spread. Suppose that i was in discussion with him. This is probably yearandahalf ago. Along back in your. Ultimately as a woman it was announced harder they were never going to let me go. At at at sign have they decided to let me go probably would on. Now, i dont think so. Its because that the people i talk to. I can see the ship and the way that they can communicate and operate. I dont think you can trust them. They are so susceptible. Off with her head. The value that i would come back with my have been yes. City be guaranteed russian and interested in what you can and cant do a smart these people have butchered some of your collie. Journalists fellow on camera and distributed that. You say to the memory of our ali . Anderson the journalistic reasoning from interviewing them. I would say on of the school that is deeply unpleasant that these people are we to understand them better. Even need to be communicating because many many more people are going to be asked to do for so we can truly understand this better and start to get our arms around it. The numbers are insane. Charlie explain how that works. You might get kidnapped. In the past you would get kidnapped by small criminal gangs. Sale is for small amount of money but that is and goes by you that getting in contact with isis. That could be in front of millions. Rises outweighs any kind of pressure. My have guarantees of every person in the entire chain. Thats it makes its extra nearly far. Constant shifting sand. What can you do not cant you do. Other groupsere have a code. Getting air t and you can deal with them. Even if they have a go of all the two out there that will grab you because they see the value of years theyll. And some of it might be because they want to go out to you and they do want to the name. Part of the sheer desperation and certain dance. Ones that run devices as you see it . Its not only the territory of the amount of change area also this whole animosity that theyve managed to capitalize on. This massive fear of the other right now that the muslims is divide rowing bigger and bigger and refugees are being caught up in it. Peoples attitudes are shifting and changing. Somehow. Able to get wrapped up in the sphere. No serious politician was calling for stopping muslims from entering the country area yet within a decade that is somehow being considered. Theres only one politician calling for that. With 30 support. And the leading gop candidate. But the death of 3000 people in this country did not result in that kind of rhetoric going out. Lets at the same time we seen dramatic changes. The radicalization process that place. Exactly in the years after 9 11 Law Enforcement was looking at moss with the ranchers who are spreading messages of hate. But the radicalization that we mean in europe and other places, is a veteran jihadi is. The radicalization process is not happening in hamas. Youre being recruited by your friends. Theyre going from the same neighborhood. Couple of guys go first asserts that being a this is ray. Putting together all facebook means and its very attractive and its very understandable. So abstract. Jihad used to be something much more abstract. It went to the mosque and it was a bunch of men in rome and kate. Now its your buddies. Now that there have always 11. The real threat of isis is that they capitalize on the malaise of young man living in western society most of them secondgeneration immigrants who honestly probably didnt think of themselves necessarily as strongly most on. It is the sense of identity. And isis says cannot coexist. Thats why theres such an issue with the way everyone hundred. Profound thanmore anything weve been able to deal with. Ideology butth an youre also dealing with all these factors that have to be addressed. We dont want to admit it but their winning. Charlie how do you measure winning . We have not. And by we i mean not isis. Providedot properly after argument to these evil that will be drawn to ice. Charlie ideas . They are winning the war of ideas. Its a romantic engagement. Something fulfilling that is obviously lacking in these individuals were they dont feel as if they are welcomed by i is. Also getting into some of the worst impulses. Racism. The attitude towards the refugees that were staying in europe and in countries. It feels the notion and the idea that i had of the west america is against islam and muslims. And the west in america want to destroy the religion. The refugees get to europes shores of they are so desperately hoping finally maybe the nightmare is going to be over and in some instances they end up being treated as if they were garbage were subhuman. And there they are for second time going europe of all cases. Charlie one questions you most want answers to . The questions we dont focus on that i want more opportunity it speaks again trying to put the boss on this narrative that isis is pushing which is humanizing the other. When i hear the discussion between politicians sometimes about whatever it might be Syrian Refugees a radical and i just realized there is such a the discussiony going on about these ideas and an actual tangible understanding they haveeople, favorite colors and food. Not done enough i dont believe is journalists to bring it home. Is not what do i want to have answered . Is what are we being . Why is this happening to us . Is the world not seeing that weve been suffering and if they are how can they still allow this to happen sooner or enough human enough . Not worth it. Our lives hours waiting. We get asked those questions every day and i got it. Is another problem. I dont think the us has the power to come in and fix the Regional Cold war between iran and the radio the searing middle east are right now. I dont think the u. S. Is on the ship our that can seal these people. I wish, weve seen the limits of u. S. Our. Maybe theyre better measures that can be taken. I feel like one of the priorities after 9 11 when the u. S. Was invading when it was embarking on military adventures. A big responsibility was to ask lane that a muslim is a person to. Their local problems regional problems that explain this. Insertally would like to whena stop to it . The red line was crossed of given thead, experience in libya of regime change there, and that syria is a much larger country with a much Larger Population why would we think that that would be . You can ask the question that was being asked back then, should there be military one ofntion in syria . The question asked was what the serial look like it there isnt intervention . Yet yeah and inaction has consequences. We saw iraq. Iraq was falling apart. Islamic state in iraq was growing in power. There was going to be a vacuum in syria and that vacuum eventually was going to be held. We all talked activists in the beginning were warning about the ideas of the revolution. They warned in 2011 2012 the very beginning. That the ideology humans themselves to become more radicalized. That notion of tolerance and forgiving and keeping the nation together. Our number one searing your drowning in barely breathe and youre about to go down and youre reaching for someone and no one is there and then someone leaves over and gives you there and then you look at him and think i dont like will give you that are you not going to take their hand . That so he described it to me. Receipt of their and. The only hand offer. It was just remarkable kissing andfeet of the taxi driver less. Driving straight to the border right now. I met libyan to all the libyans were on the syrian side of the border. They just arrived in the rally ended up like g. I. Joe. Me and started all arsenal because an air america in. The war in iraq started i kind of felt i had a foot in each side. Were talking about announcing years later. We had to explain peoples one another. Think for me thats kind of the accident. I an obligation to try to as best i can remind people of who we are and that others are human to him that we owed to each other on a very global moral level to try and help understand and have compassion and caring even though people might team like they are far away. I was curious and i wasnt sure what i would do. Ithink the reality is remember bob simon saying this to me. You have to be curious. If you are not in any reason are some manual or not under wasnt so quickly you have to have that continuous fire to see different places. Additionally feel what he was saying. The people who are a lot more than i do is be able to combine having a knowledge of the topic with having first and variance showing people, taking viewers and peoples homes and humanizing them giving them a voice. Theres something incredibly exciting about that. To witness history on occasion. It was an inspiration. It was a correspondent that entrenched. It ended up getting dragged back into these wars which after 15 plus years im exhausted and frankly cap traumatized oki going back and keep covering this but theres something about the despair. What i would like to say in the past is is is into scary world theres a great big world that is rich and beautiful and fun and it tastes good and it smells good. Has been all this time theing about area but its koreans and japanese the chinese they watch the love that they dont understand it. They dont understand why people would want to kill each other when you can make money and build shopping malls. There people who come here to the table and a we need a Marshall Plan for the middle east. To provide an alternative narrative. I spoke to kurdish official and i asked him on the kurds avoided the trap after the lab job and all of these people weled in this relay he said were willing to forgo our need vengeance. We instead focused on Economic Growth and it was hard dont forget they felt their own civil war amongst the hell. They have their own power struggles and they are still deeply divided to this day including these issues. That this bizarre diplomatic process we have. The be lovely to have a solution in a box. Groups, this is the biggest problem in syria. There was people that decide to talk. Now . Roman torical perspective theyll have to realize that nobody could win. They made an agreement. The syrians were pretty much invited in to oppose an occupation. Thats a much stronger solution. It brought an end to the fighting. Lebanon was a much smaller country. Charlie lets talk about afghanistan. What they negotiate russian mark i think the talks that they had thick biggest problem is fighting the new taliban area isis is the bigger problem out area their tractive the new brand they have chunks of territory which they did not work. I think theres a security collapse in that country afghanistan is still left decade in the american consciousness. I think it will come back to haunt us. It will be there. There a lot of nuclear weapons. I think pakistan seems to consult lightly back from this it was in a while that. Theyre so cautious not to wash her hands about in a stand area we went and gave everybody lamar money. Its about time you carried on. Is a very couple statesman who speak a nicely. I worry about where the country is headed. It looks like a very pale version of what were trying to leave behind. Libya is one place where you might have more luck. The very focus well armed militia. Thats where they are running training camps. Extremist groups there is no real government. Area are two governments charlie about yemen . In july in yemen amazing how much it is changed. Coalition led effort has definitely started to take a toll in their gaining more territory. I think a more territory appears that al qaeda all of games richard. I think the young man aside from being an abject military and the sort of the perfect microcosm for all of the various regional players who are meddling in this kind of incoherent way that doesnt seem to have an obvious objective or outcome. I think its hurting the gulf is well. Mexican government is lost at the levela and of u. S. Assistance to the is to benitially area the war the people are my cap enough to spend much time talking about. Its not going to have much impact on them. Dont have the bandwidth all this war. You just want to stick your head in the sand. A possibly peaceful transition of power from decades of military. Theyve appeared to be willing to take a step that allow something that they did in thisp for years country there was something called a tidbit to asia which didnt really happen. But the interesting thing in becoming more aggressively in terms of the region in having global ambitions. Eventually wanting their currency to be out of the desert currency. Are they smart . Whats the advantage . China has worried many of the islands in theng celtic sea area there making territorial claims despite a number of countries that are not really ideologically or strategically aligned malaysia and japan and korea, countries who themselves are all worried by the behavior of the chinese. In the japanese even change the constitution to remove some of the pacifism. Its interesting when we think about the world today south korea is an ally. That shows you who are friends are and who we might imagine. At historical cycles and i see the agony of the middle east, i think a little bit past decades it was Southeast Asia that was burning. Being invaded by foreign governments wary of genocide minted in cambodia. Its on the start to imagine today that that was happening. Hope isperhaps my only that maybe they can go through that transition. Perhaps in 1970 it was hard to imagine that for us would be traveling about vr vietnam. Charlie thank you all for coming. See you next time. I am john heilemann. Mark and i am mark. John with reality. But first, ted cruz and his big breakthrough. We have a new i will pull out today, and we going to talk about the democratic numbers, but on the republican side, it is all about texas senator ted cruz, who skyrocketed