infiltrate syria in order to get the job done? i think we follow on with what is winning. if these guys take ramadi, that will boost their morale, show we re on the right track with them. we keep working with success. the other thing we need to do is we need to start arming the kurds directly. we need to arm them directly. captain chuck nash, thank you. always interesting stuff. my pleasure, julie. two of california s famous highways shutting down from a fast-moving wildfire. dozens have been told get out of your home right now. the latest on this growing threat next. and president obama speaks out about this week s deadly suicide bombing in afghanistan during his family s annual christmas visit to troops stationed in hawaii. and during this holiday season, we remember all of our
constrictor to choke off isis in ramadi. can you tell us how that s working? alisyn, good morning. the iraqi security force, over the last month or so, has slowly encircled the city of ramadi to isolate it from any possibility being supported by isil fighters that are outside of the city. so they ve isolated the city on all points of compass. they ve cut off the supply routes in and out of the city, so that this enemy is not able to reinforce themselves with equipment, weapons or manpower. and now, they re beginning to squeeze that noose around the city, slowly but surely. just two days ago, they were able to successfully cross the euphrates river in a combat bridging man user. first one we ve seen in the middle east probably since the 70s. colonel, we know is this
moment for the iraqis and for the obama administration. you ll recall it was about seven months ago when iraqi forces fled ramadi as isis advanced, and the u.s. has spent a lot of money in the last seven months trying to train iraqi forces to get ready to take ramadi back. now the iraqis making their move. we are told the fighting very heavy, very difficult, very slow. and that is because isis has laid ieds, bombs, booby-traps, barricades, all kinds of obstacles that the iraqis are having to dismantle and punch their way through, even houses and buildings in ramadi wired to blow. a lot of concern about civilian casualties as the iraqi forces advance through ramadi. but, again, a very important situation. the iraqi forces had really suffered a huge blow in morale and capability when they fled ramadi back earlier this year. so the hope is now led by the
know that the syrian civil war can go on and the iraqi civil war can go on for a very long time. already in its 12th year arguely and it doesn t show any signs of letting up. syrian civil war in its different year and doesn t seem to be letting up at all either. unfortunately the united states is taking a tiny number of refugees from syria and iraq. 1900 so far from syria. plans to take 10,000 more. so it s a very difficult situation. the refugees that are fleeing these conflicts may end up in refugee camps and surrounding countries for a very long time, carol. so general, again specifically, i mean, muslims who don t practice their religion as isis wants to, hundreds of thousands have died. so i know that there is a battle going on in ramadi right now and iraqi forces are trying to
ramadi continues as iraqi forces try to get that city back from isis. all right, barbara starr reporting live from the pentagon. thanks. violence hits jerusalem. three people have been wounded at the jaffa gate in the old city. two were stabbed, another shot. the latest about in a wave of attacks that has left both israelis and palestinians dead. oren liebermann is in jerusalem with more. good morning. reporter: good morning. all of this started just a couple hours ago outside the jaffa gate. the jaffa gate leads into the christian quarter. so especially at this time of the year, it is a very busy place. police say two palestinian attackers came up to that area, stabbed two people, three were injured, that s because israeli police say one of those was injured with gun fire, perhaps by israeli security forces shooting at attackers. one was shotted a killed at the scene, the other taken to a