their message is a winner s strategy. sometimes the u.s. government is messages about isis and isis are the same. both emphasize the brutality. while they have been losing in iraq in particular they have expanded aggressively into africa. that s switched the narrative to about the international presence. the second reason it s not really well-known is that they do a very good job exaggerating and manipulating the media, even convincing major media outlets they control territory that they don t, such as northern libya. obviously, social media has been a big way that isis has recruited and continues to recruit. it seems clearer and clearer that this british isis fighter radicalized in some ways one of the texas gunmen one of the would-be terrorists killed earlier this week. this british isis operative has had his accounts on twitter shut down several times.
troops and also iranian backed shiite militias. as we have been talking about, this is a critical fight because of tikrit s location. if iraqi troops retake tikrit, it sets them up, puts them in position to get closer to go northward to mosul. and remember iraqi forces did retake the beijing oil refinery which is right above tikrit. at this point iraqi troops are pushing in on tikrit basically surrounding tikrit and putting the squeeze on isis militants. the u.s. says that it will join iraqi forces in the effort to retake mosul, possibly in april or may, depending on whether iraqi forces are prepared for that battle. speaking of oil refineries. we are getting reports that isis linked militants attacked an oil refinery and oil field in northern libya. we don t know if there is any casualties. we understand that workers managed to escape. and that libyans military fought back. but this is a concern greta. remember libya is where
outlets started picking up out on it. absolutely s. and cnn just the other day and good for them talked to this fella who is the one that we just charged who somehow we ve not interrogated, we ve not brought to justice, and yet news organizes are able to talk to this guy, and he s walking around libya. so you kind of wonder, maybe we should just schedule an appointment with him. be i ll bill unbelievable. coffee at noon in a town in the northern libya. we asked you what you would ask him and also our viewers at home by way of twitter. here are just three examples right now, we ll show our viewers at home. how can he push ahead with the affordable care act when nearly all businesses say it will cost jobs? i think that s intriguing. also here s another one, what s the purpose of the massive nsa data storage facility being built in utah? i think that would be an interesting answer as well. and where were you the night of september 11th, 2012?
too late. way too late. but then, the siege was over. the u.s. mission in ruins. the nearby cia annex heavily damaged and the body of four americans on a transport plane. the united states military is not, and should not be a 911 service. there s some places on the planet where we have some gaps, and i think north africa is probably one of them. reporter: to congressman adam smith, the top democrat on the house arm services committee, case closed. bottom line, there was not a force available that could get there in time. that s been clearly established and answered over and over again. they re in northern libya, right there on the coast, that we couldn t get u.s. military there for 24 hours. that s embarrassing if it s true. but i really question whether or not that s the actual truth.
september 11. in america, a day of solemn remembrance. in 2012, a day of violence in the middle east. demonstrators storm the u.s. embassy in cairo, angry over a low-rent film made in the u.s. that mocks the prophet muhammad. in neighboring libya, ambassador christopher stevens is in benghazi, a city known for upheaval. stevens knew benghazi well. during the civil war that ousted moammar gadhafi, he lived there. he was in at the beginning when secretary clinton sent him over there to talk to the rebels and find out who are these people, what are they up to, should we be supporting them? stevens parents were proud that he helped the rebel-led