living conditions, abuse and torture. the worst of these is the secret prison in tripoli. quote, migrants at al mabani were beaten for whispering to one another, speaking in their native tongues. troublemakers are held for days in the isolation room, which had no bathrooms so prisoners had to defecate in a corner. the smell was so bad that guards wore masks when they visited. and guards tied the hands of detainees to a rope suspended from a steel ceiling beam and beat them. these detention centers operate without any oversight or accountability, because libya has largely been a failed state governed by warring militias since president gaddafi was killed decades ago. critics argue they would not be able to operate without the support from the european union.
it s a statement that could describe an entire region mired in conflict. i would argue, that given conditions in the middle east, this might be more dangerous than any time in the past. in libya, warring militias bombarded tripoli s airport, as the government considers asking for international troops. in iraq, politicians took a first step towards a new government, even as isis militants bulldozed barriers along the iraq/syria border and celebrated the takeover of iraq government buildings. in syria, isis is flourishing as the civil war wages on. the u.n. sending in humanitarian aid. the white house seeming to gain broad foreign policy victories in the region. a number of situations in which you ve seen this administration intervene in a meaningful way that has furthered american interests and
that could describe an entire region mired in conflict from gaza, libya, iraq, and syria. i would argue given conditions in the middle east, this might be more dangerous than any time in the past. reporter: in libya, warring militias bombarded the airport. in iraq, politicians took a first step toward new government even though isis militants bulldozed barriers. in neighboring syria, isis is flourishing as the civil war rages on. this week the white house raised eyebrows seeming to claim broad foreign policy voirkts victories in the reject region. we ve substantially improved
conflicts gripping the middle east. the civil war in syria. militants on the march in iraq. warring militias in libya. our chief national security correspondent jim sciutto is joining us now with more on what s going on. it looks like this whole region, jim, seems to be on fire. well, wolf, it is. it is extremely dangerous. these are all areas where the u.s. is involved. and, in fact, has made firm policy stands. syria, not intervening there, withdrawing u.s. troops from iraq, sending troops back, participating in regime change in libya and attempting but being failing to engineer a peace agreement in the middle east between israel and the palestinians. now, today, each of those areas, for a variety of reasons, facing severe turmoil. in gaza, hopes for an immediate cease-fire today up in smoke even before it started. there are great risks and what happening there and the potential of the greater escalation of violence.
administration had firm and consequential stands, not intervening in syria, withdrawing u.s. troops in iraq, participating in regime change in libya and failing to engineer a peace agreement in the middle east. now today each of those countries for a variety of reasons facing severe turmoil. in gaza, hopes for an immediate cease fire today up in smoke. even before before it started. there are great risks in what is happening there and in the potential of an even greater escalation of violence. its an a statement that could describe an entire region mired in conflict. from gaza to libya to iraq and syria. i would argue given conditions in the middle east this might be more dangerous than anytime in the past. reporter: in libya, warring militias bombarded tripoli s airport as the government considers asking for international troops. in iraq, politicians took a first step towards a new government even as isis