price of privatization. and a high seas romance. not the one you're thinking of, but the grander and better than the other ship. not to mention, it floats. >> it's super strong aluminum, no rust. and solid. and under the paint, it's in perfect condition, no problem. >> it would be seaworthy? >> yes. >> where the united states might be headed next. >> good evening, and thank you for joining us. i'm joie chen. rising alarm and fear and in some cases, out right anger. as the threat of ebola shows signs of jumping borders. three african nations, guinea and sierra leone, clearing states of emergency. more than 900 have died and 1700 infected. a priest and nun were airlifted home to spain. and six others at the hospital where they worked have been infected and now the hospital has been shut down. the military in sierra leone have set up blockades, but there's more help coming up. at least 50 health workers have been sent in by the cdc, but will it be enough to stop the spread of the contagion? >> reporter: as the ebola death toll continues to edge toward 1,000 people in west africa, fear is also rising in the u.s. and overseas. in liberia, some are abandoning the dead in the streets, and in this case, a man in the process of passing. soldiers are sect up security checkpoints too, blocking people to and from the capital to get supplies. so many are uneducated about the disease, unprepared and afraid. >> we can stop ebola, we know how to do t it will be a long, hard fight. and the situation in lagos, nigeria, is of particular concern, but we can stop ebola. we have to stop it at the source in africa. that's the only way to get control. >> reporter: the head of the cdc, dr. tom freeden, said that education is key. he spoke during aquential hearing on thursday. >> the first important thing to do is stop the outbreaks, and the second thing, help these countries do a better job screening people leaving their countries, so they will screen out people who are ill or incubating ebola. and we'll work closely with health providers through the states so that they're aware of the people who come from these countries, to see if it's ebola, immediately test them. >> warnings for u.s. workers don't mean increased risk to americans but the u.s. is doing everything it can. these signs saying that ebola is spreadthrough bodily fluids. there are 20 quarantine stations. incoming calls from concerned passengers are on the rise. meanwhile, humanitarian groups are experiencing resistance in other communities. >> we have encountered violence against us in numerous locations, by people and the general public, going out to sanitize a body for proper burial. in the hours after death of ebola, that's when the body is most infectious because the body is loaded with the virus. everybody who touches the corpse is another infection. they are besieged because they're under suspicion by some people in these countries, and they fear that the doctors who treat the disease have brought it with them. >> reporter: even with the workers, shawn casey, who skypeed with us from sierra leone, and he is part of the international mel corp. in the coming days, this group of doctors and epidemiologists, will launch a campaign, some will go door-to-door. shawn is a little nervous. >> we're taking the precautions that we can, and recognizing that we're needed here, and lives are on the line, so we're doing what we can. >> the cdc said that isolating patients, and diagnosing them and tracking down all of their contacts will be essential to stopping the spread. and it takes time. >> it requires meticulous attention to detail. if you leave behind even a single ember, it lights back up. one patient not diagnosed, one health care worker not protected, one contact not attracted. any lapse of those can be another flair of the outbreak. >> and the director of the cdc emphases, we don't know how to vaccinate against ebola, but one thing that we know how to do is care for the people who end up having ebola. he talked about the experimental treatments, and he said really, we do not know if it's going to be helpful or hurtful or have any impact. and it's not going to be extremely helpful in determining whether that's successful treatment. but we know if we give supportive care, it saves lives. giving fluid and oxygen and the othertings that come with ebola. that's what we can do, to droll and stop the spread of ebola. >> this is not just the united states that's interested and alert as well. other countries are taking steps. >> yeah, everybody is handling this a little bit differently than what the u.s. does. korea was talking about using thermal imaging to scan patients. people that come over from the infected countries, to scan their body temperatures, and interviewing with doctors and following these people around. but the cdc director has said that we need to stop it at the source, and that's the best thing to do right now. reducing the contact with the dead. and once you determine that someone is showing these symptoms, you isolate them, and follow them for 21 days and find out who their contacts were, and follow those, and you isolate them and follow them for 21 days, and you continue that process, and that's the best way, stopping it at the source and containing it that bay way. >> that's really something, and on this business, what are they looking for? >> i guess told be testing for a fever, a higher temperature at that point, and whether or not there's any evidence of some sort of sickness. >> so there are different ways. thank you very much. and a spreading threat of another kind. stepped up violence in iraq. as the islamic state continues to attack ordinary iraqis strand. >> isil seized control in northern iraq, forcing thousands to flee, a group of christians, a minority group, which is now trapped without food or water on a mountaintop. they will be allude to flood major cities, and cut off water and electricity. >> reporter: they are trapped in the mountains. bare, inhospitable without water, shade or shelter, in the searing heat of the iraqi summer. tens of thousands of them, ethnic kurds, who practice an ancient religion, forced from their homes by the advance of fighters front the islamic state. fighters who made it clear they will kill them because of their faith. this is video from the kurdish satellite center, anf, shot in the mountains. this man, we don't know his name, says: says: "we don't know what to do, isis came and we escaped and we're trying to save our chirp. >> the little girl says. >> there's no water, no food. i'm thirsty, my feet hurt from walking. >> and here as elsewhere in iraq, as isis fighters have advanced, there are stories of atrocities. >> they kidnapped the girls, killed many people. my son, he was two years old. he died. and i had to leave him behind. they're killing men, taking women with them, kidnapping our girls. >> reporter: in iraq, parliament still divided by factual fighting, launched an emotional appeal for immediate help. mr. speaker, we are being slaughtered under the banner of there's no god but ala, until now, 500 men have been slaughtered, and mr. speaker, our women are being sold as slaves in the slave market. >> so far, there has been no response. u.s. workers say that there are at the mountains, and perhaps 50,000 people in all. >> this is a desperate situation, particularly for children. we know for sure that 40 children have already died. and that's what we can confirm, it's probably much more than that. >> the mountains are a range rising from the desert floor. there are no roads. only goat paths. they have been able to escape the islamic state and are not for the mountains. he fears for those in the hills. >> what we want from the government, the americans, ngos, is to rescue these people from the danger zone. we want two things, if they don't get water and food to trapped and get them out, it will be a disaster. >> there's no town watching more anxiously than lincoln, nebraska, home to the largest community in the u.s. weeks ago, these friends and family were worried that their friends in iraq faced annihilation if the islamic state fighters found them. >> we though that they will start just killing everyone. >> if the isis happens to find their way into these towns, the as edies will be wiped out. the ethnicity will be wiped out in a matter of hours. >> the largest christian communities have also fallen to isis. 100,000 have fled their homes, ordered to convert to islam or die. in recent weeks, islamic fighters have consolidated their homes across iraq and are on the run again, capturing iraqis largest dam. they have taken control of the army base, and with it, capturing artillery and heavy weapons, adding to their already substantial arsenal. the sate of those in the north, kurds and republicans and others, is largely dependent on kurdish fighters, but they are outgunned, out numbered and have even run out of ammunition. >> she'll a. these people so desperately need help, and why is it so difficult to get them aid? >> they're on the top of a mountain, in a very difficult shelter, and there are no buildings. and you're not entire sure where the people r in order to deliver this aid, you have to drop it out of the back of a cargo plane, flying at altitude. and attached to parachutes, you don't know what you're hitting, and inadvertently, you may resupply the rebels and give them water and food. but it's clear for the tens of thousands of people up on that mountaintop today, think of it, joie, today, it was 106°, and these people have no source of water. >> the other big thing about the dam at mosul and the indication that the rebels have taken it over. >> it's not clear who has the dam, but in 2006, the u.s. army labeled it the most dangerous dam in the world. it sits 30 miles up river of mosul and holds millions of gallons of water. it's not very stable. and even if the rebels have taken it, they might have to do very much to it except not maintain it. the iries have to continuously pump tons of grout into that dam to maintain it's continued stability. if the dam fails, the u.s. army estimated that a wall of water 65 feet high would flood downstream. the estimated number of death, more than 500,000 people. so isis doesn't have to do anything as malicious as blow the dam. they can just ignore it, and it's almost certain that overtime, it will fail. >> sheila macvicar, thank you so much. >> after the break, the price of freedom. as more communities turn to private sized probation, and even those who want to pay their debts find themselves digging deeper. >> you don't have the money, and i don't think by putting people in jail, it ain't going to make them pay the money. it ain't going to help you. >> an in-depth look at the cost of privatized probation. also ahead, the death of an unarmed teenager gunned down by a suburban homeowner. was it murder or a horrible mistake? we get the verdict. and you'll hear first hand from the victim's lawyer, later in our program. >> if you get a speeding ticket or get caught driving without insurance, you'll most likely pay a fine and move on with your life. but if you're poor, and you it can't afford it even pay a fine, you could end up in jail. in small towns across america, more than 1,000 carts have hired private companies to collect the unpaid fines from those who can't pay. >> all of this man's troubles began in 2006. the 55-year-old was stopped for a broken taillight and ticketed for not having a valid drivers license. when he couldn't pay, he was told he was on probation. >> they put me on probation, $300. >> wanted man was told to report here at the correctional services. the for-profit company, with more than 100 courts. jcs collects fines for violences like drunk driving and speeding and driving without a license. all at the cost to taxpayers, but $35 a month on top of their original fines. >> digging a hole deeper and deeper. >> he soon found himself drowning in debt. thanks to jcs. the company found old fines that he owed from past offenses, dating back to the 90s, including disorderly conduct, and public intoxication and resisting arrest. >> i was wild. >> now, sober, married and church going, was making regular payments to the city. but jcs added the fines from his past bad debt, which the company claimed was $9,000. >> is it legal to do that? yes, it is. >> the man's attorney filed a class action lawsuit against jcs for prey on the poor. >> they pretend that they're a probation service, but they're not trained as probation officers, and what it provides to the city is a collection service. >> mann, unemployed and surviving off of disability payments, couldn't afford the fine, clus the monthly service fees. the court issued an arrest. >> you don't have the money, and i don't think by putting people in jail is going to make them pay the money. it ain't going to help. >> mann said that he was jailed for 30 days for non-payment. and the second time, jcs told him to pay $600 by the end of the day or the town would lock him up again. >> he said he was upset, and he was crying, and we didn't have $600. we were barely getting along, making it and try to pay bills. >> mann's wife, rita, was able to borrow the money, but the bills were unrelenting, even when she begged them when he was in the hospital. >> i went to the hospital every day, and i'm going to be there for my husband. and they weren't caring, and i really get emotional about that, he would like to die. and i explained that. it was all about that money. >> according to human rights watch, each year hundreds of thousands of people across the country, who are ticketed for minor offenses, are sentenced to probation managed by private companies. in alabama, it has become a vicious cycles of fines, fees, and sometimes jail time. he said his probation started after the police ticketed him for public intoxication while having a beer on a friend's porch. >> he preyed on my family, and really hard to get a job. for me. and i have bills to pay. >> theresa's three sons have all struggled to make their jcs payments. >> they say you have to pay this amount of money by this date or we're going to put you in jail. and they mail you little postcards, and it's bombard many. they're bill collectors. >> john london got his speeding ticket dismissed and still owed court costs and jcs fees. >> this is very wrong. regardless of what happens, innocent or guilty, the city still wins, and jcs still wins. >> his neighbor, charles hamilton, has more jcs receipts than he can count, and haley woods fell into debt with jcs when she was only 16. >> august of last year, i got a no seatbelt ticket. >> how much was that for? >> the ticket was $25, and the court costs were 41, and i didn't have the money to pay, so they put me on jcs probation. >> that 41-dollar fine ended up costing haley $300. she paid that off, and now she's back at town hall saddled with another debt because her mother can't afford to pay for the family's only car. >> i have to drive the same car that has an expired tag, and i have no way to fix it, so therefore, i have three expired tags. i just found out today, they're $186 apiece. >> i called it an ex portion racket. >> in his preliminary rule, he called if a debtor's prison. >> it's a shakedown, if you don't bring us a payment, we'll put new jail. >> how is this legal? as i understand, you aren't allowed to put somebody into jail. >> that would be 100% correct. there's nothing legal about it. which it the basis of my opinion. and i think i even wrote something that of violations were too egregious and too numerous to mention in this short space, and that's absolutely correct. they were following none of the procedures by the constitution, by the state of alabama, by the code of criminal procedure. >> two years ago, he wrote that jcs has fines ordered by the court. and only the judge may do so. >> legally, it's true, but in practice, the individuals to whom they are exercising that authority over don't know that they don't have authority. and it appears to that individual that has the authority, and they use that apparent authority to the utmost to coerce and threaten and extort. >> if i get a $100 fine or citation, i should be required to pay t. >> state senator, cam ward, recently introduced legislation to regulate private probation companies, which he believes can serve a useful purpose. >> there's a lawer in it. there's no way in the world they have to collect a lot of those fines and fees, and it's not fair to them. so privatizing the fines, i think proper regulation, oversight would make it work better. >> but attorney, dan evans, doesn't about of that a private company belongs in the probation business. >> when you try to put a profit motive and drive the probation officer based on dollars, then the person's liberty becomes the least consideration. really, it's a system that has run amuck. >> six years beyond alabama's limit elvis mann finally won his fight and his fines were domessed. >> that was a happy day in my life. and i feel relief. >> a small victory. mann hopes to build on for the thousands of others caught in the debt and unable to dig themselves out. >> sarah's lawyer said it, right? this is illegal. and you can't just pretend you're a law enforcement officer. >> you're absolutely right, joey, back in the 80s, it was the supreme court that ruled and said, listen, i can't put someone in jail because they can't pay a debt. and there's no hearing to determine if these people continue pay. so you might have some that physically cannot pay, and there might be somebody who doesn't want to pay. but there needs to be a hearing and that's not happening and that's what's making this illegal. >> so the basis of this is, the communities want to get more of the money they're owed and is that what's happening? are they making more money this way? >> absolutely, they're getting paid with the help of these services who are bringing in the funds. here's the thing. you get ticketed and you owe $100. and you also owe another fee just to have somebody supervise you, and so everybody is getting paid. >> "america tonight's" sarah hoye, thank you very much. next, after the break. detroit's front porch shooting, an unarmed teen killed by a sure esh an homeowner, the jury's decision, and was the right verdict reached? later in the program, massacre at dawn. israel's mission in gaza. even when the guns are silent, the pain remains. >> a preview of a new documentary is ahead. >> we have breaking news from the white house, and president obama is about to address the nation about the u.s. involvement in iraq, the white house weighing military strikes to show the slowdown gain bid the islamic group called the islamic state. and also tonight, it's administering humanitarian relief in iraq. here's the president. >> good evening, today i authorized two operations in iraq. airstrikes, and a humanitarian effort to help thousands trapped on a mountaintop without food, water and facing almost certain death. let me explain the actions we're taking, and why. first, i said in june as the terrorist group isil began a advance across iraq that the united states would be prepared to take military action in iraq if and when we determined that the situation required it. in recent days, these terrorists have continued to move across iraq and neared the city where the american diplomats serve in our consulate and iraqi forces. to stop the advance on erbil,ive authorized strikes on convoys if they continue to move to the city. we will take action if they threaten our citizens in iraq. and we have provided assistance to iraqis and the government so they can wage the fight against isil. second, at the request of the iraqi government, we have begun operations to help save iraqi civilians stranded on the mountain. as isil has marched across iraq, it has paged a ruthless campaign against iraqis, and these terrorists have been especially barbaric to religious minorities, including small ancient religious sects. iraqis have been displaced. and reports of isil militants rounding up families with mass execution and enslaving the women. tens of thousands are now hiding it high up on the mountain with little but the clothes on their backs. they're without food, they're without water, the people are starving and children are dying of thirst. meanwhile, isil forces below have called for the systematic destruction of the entire asiti people, which would be genocide. so they face a choice, to be slaughtered or slowly die of hunger. i have said before that the united states should not intervene every time there's a crisis in the world. and so let me be clear about why we should act now. when we face a situation like we do on that moin, with violence on a home runnistic scale, and when we have a mandate to help, in this case, a request from the iraqi government. and when we have the unique capabilities to avert a massacre, i believe that the united states of america can not turn a blind eye. we avert potentially to avert an act of genocide. and targets as we break the siege of mount sinjar and protect the citizens trapped there. air drops of food and water to help these desperate men, women and children survive. earlier this week, when an iraqi cried, there's no one coming to help. well, today america is coming to help. we're consulting with other countries and the united nations who have called for action to address this humanitarian crisis. i know that many of you are rightly concerned about any american military action in iraq, even limited strikes like these. i understand that. i ran for this office in part to end the war in iraq and welcome our troops home, and that's what we have done. as commander in chief, i will not allow the united states to be dragged into fighting another war in iraq, and so even as we support iraqis as they take the fight to the terrorists, american combat troops will not return to fight in iraq. because there's no american military solution to the crisis in iraq. the only lasting solution is reconciliation among iraqi communities, and stronger iraqi security forces. however, we should and can bring moderate help to forces to bring about stability to iraq. iraqi leaders need to come together and forge a new government for the interest of all iraqis, and they can fight back against the threats like isil. iraqis have named a new president, a new speaker of parliament and are seeking con sense upstairs on a new prime minister. this is the progress that needs to continue to avert the terrorists who continue to prey on iraq citizens. once iraq has a new government, the united states will work with them with support to deal with the humanitarian crisis and the counter terrorism challenge. none of iraq's neighbors have an interest in this terrible suffering and instability. so we'll continue to work with the allies to get them the food and water they desperately need and to help them push back against isil. the advisers will help access whether we can train and support iraqi forces going forward. just as i consulted congress on the decisions i made today, we will continue to do so going forward. my fellow americans, the world is confronted by many challenges. and while america has never been able to right every one, america as made the world a more secure and prosperous place, and our leadership is necessary top underright the security and prosperity that our children and grandchildren will depend on. we do so by adhering it to a set of core principles, and we do whatever is necessary to support our people. we leave coalitions of people, and we strive to stay true to the fundamental values, the desire to live with basic freedom and dignity, that's common to human beings wherever they are. that's why people all over the world look to the united states of america to lead. and that's why we do. assuring you that there's no decision that i take more seriously than the use of military force. over the last several years, we have brought the vast majority of our trops home from iraq and afghanistan. and i have resisted calls to the military because america has other tools in our arsenal, wreck lead with the power of diplomacy and our ideals. but when the lives of our american citizens are at risk, we will take action. that's my responsibility as commander in chief. and when many thousands of civilians are facing the danger of being wiped out and we have the capacity to do something about it, we will take action. that's our responsibility as americans, the hallmark of american leadership. that's who we were. so tonight, we give thanks to our men and women in uniform. and especially our brave pilots and crews over iraq, who are protecting americans and saving the lives of so many women and children that they will never meet. they represent american leadership at its best. as a nation, we should be proud of them and our country's enduring commitment to uphold our security and the dignity of our fellow human beings. god bless the united states of america. >> striking northern iraq, and lisa stark is standing by, but lisa, this is focused on a town scald sinjar, and many of the people had left and went to sin jar mountain, and those people are trapped there in northern iraq, and being pursued by the group calling themselves the islamic state. so other than sinjar and helping the people get off the mountain, i heard the president say that he will protect the city as well. >> 30 or 40 miles from where these thousands of people are trapped on this mountain as you mentioned, the president saying that the u.s. has undertaken tonight a humanitarian mission, air drops of critical food and water to help those people who are on the mountain, and he did say that he has authored the use of airstrikes if necessary, but also to protect u.s. personnel in the consulate, in the near by town of erbil, and you see the troops moving toward the town, and the u.s. has authorized the military to make airstrikes. here's some of what the president had to say. >> but whether or not this country properly repays their her witch, properly repays their patriotism, and their service and sacrifice, that's in our hands. >> reporter: now, the president is saying tonight that he takes the use of military action, he takes that decision very heavily, very seriously, and of course president obama ran for office t. saying he was going to end the war in iraq. he did pull out all u.s. troops in december of 2011. and he said that the u.s. is not going back to warra iraq. he made it clear there would be no combat troops on the ground. as far as the humanitarian aid, he has repeatedly said in a number of fore policy speeches recently that the u.s. cannot jump in in every crisis in the world. and he has indicated here, he said when we're facing the with thousands of people who could be wiped out, who are on this mountain, and the u.s. can act, he said that the u.s. cannot turn a blind eye, and that is why he has ordered these humanitarian drops. the pentagon tonight saying that those drops were made by a number of military aircraft and it was critical water and food supplies that were dropped on the mountain, and that those aircraft have now left the area, are safely out of that area where they made those humanitarian aid drops. and again, as we said, the president also talking tonight about going even further, when possibly using military airstrikes if necessary. here's what's president obama had to say about that. >> today i authorized two operations in iraq. targeted airstrikes to protect our american personnel, and a humanitarian effort to help save thousands of iraqi civilians who are trapped on a mountain without food and water, and facing almost certain death. >> now, the president mentioned to want that back in june, he had said that he would use airstrikes or air power if necessary, especially to protect u.s. citizens, and that is really what he is authorizing the airstrikes for. of course the u.s. has about 750 troops and a number of advisers helping the iraqis and the kurds as they try to battle with the islamic state. and they're on the ground, in baghdad and i wish ill. and erbf there's any indication that they are in harm's way, he will use america's military might to protect u.s. citizens. so john, clearly this president does not want to go back to iraq, and he has assured the american people, we will not go back to iraq, but very little option, to take some action with the relentless march, with the islamic state taking more and more territory, and especially with the ethnic minorities, the president saying that we have no choice but to act. and we'll be calling on allies to see what they can do, and france for one, france has indicated that it's willing to step in and try to help. the u.n. today, as you know, the u.n. security council condemning what's going on in iraq, and what is happening there may be crimes against humanity. so really, with the situation there where these folks are being forced out of their homes into the mountains, with no food, no water, and we have heard of a number of deaths of children, elderly people, from dehydration, and it's a horrific situation. the white house has called it in fact bas barbaric. that was used by the press secretary today. so mr. obama does not want to go back in this area, but really making the case to the american people that we have to step in, and we can't let a whole group of people be wiped out. that america has the ability to help. and america must help at this point. there's no standing by. >> clearly, the president reluctant to make this decision, and expressing that tonight in his talk to the american people at the state dominica dining ro. at the white house. we have on the phone the ambassador to iraq, and he has been wrestling with this today. and what do you think pushed him to make this decision. >> several things. the plight of the azidis on the mountain, and the isil fighters, where we have not only american forces but the capital of the kurdistan region, and the evacuation of kurdish villagers, and tens of thousands of people and the evacuation of the mosul dam. this is exactly the situation that he talked about on the 19th of june, and he clearly is hoping that it won't come to this, but it has come to that. and now we think he's acting, but again, in passing his words, he used the military strikes, and that's the more important issues. humanitarian aid is good, but the military strikes are the only thing that stop isil. he couched that with only to protect american forces. >> we don't know if the airstrikes have begun, or might have begun sometime earlier today. but he has authorized those airstrikes. for americans watching this tonight, you may not have been following the situation in iraq. and we know that american troops have pulled out. how did the president explain why the united states is being brought back in, other than the fact that there are these 40,000 people in desperate need of help? >> well, that's an important justification, but there's a far better one, 9/11. we're dealing with a force that's going to destabilize the middle east, from the gulf to our allies in turkey. there's only one force in the world that can stop t. and that's american air power, and if necessary, if these guys keep defeating all of the other ground forces in the region, sooner or later we'll have to put ground forces in as well. and that's what he wants to avoid. the american people have a very strong and broad tolerance for airstrikes. we saw it in libya, kosevo and bosnia, but what they don't want is endless commitments of ground troops. and that's not going to happen if we can stop these guys now. but he's reluctant to do that, and that reluctance troubles me a bit. >> but ambassador, this has been going on for some time. and why didn't he move sooner? >> the president should have moved sooner. we saw fallujah fall in january, and then i and many others called for military action. the president said that he would take action. and we had one drone flight. and then we saw mosul fall. and then the president basically hinted that he would take action on the 19th of john, he sent in 800 troops and he did nothing, and the situation got worse is about worse. >> you think that it's too little too late? >> we have to wait and see. if this is a robust campaign to provide air support. i saw this in vietnam and kosevo and bosnia and libya three years ago. if we provide the air power and the people on the ground fight for their homes and families. that's what we need to do. and that's what we can do. but he has to keep the commitment. >> what sort of airstrikes could we be talking about? these targeted strikes, around sinjar mountain, and around the city of ve -- >> this is where the insurgents dug? in gaza and fallujah in 2014 when i was in iraq. these are people operating in mobile armored vehicles, and sometimes pickup trucks, moving around, highly experienced in fighting in syria, and swarming objectives. these are perfect targets for air power, which can do everything from targeting with drones, on on the road. >> we were told before the war started in iraq that air power would win the war and it didn't. why is it going to work with the islamic state? >> we put 50,000 troops down, and we won the war on the ground in 1993. ground troops in the end are necessary top win a conflict. what air power does, it tricks the enemy, and it makes it very difficult to move in the daytime and it makes is very difficult to mask. those are classic military terms. mobility, mass, firepower. the air fire takes all of them out. it's an enableler, and a complement to ground forces. you need the ground forces. from bozniac in 1995, and the albania kosevos, and libya in 2011. i've seen this all warme all are world. this is not a new thing. this is business, and you do it from the air. you can't do it alone from the air, you need somebody on the ground, but it doesn't have to be american troops. >> thank you very much for being with us. and jonathan best joins us now with more, and he's going to help us understand where erbil is, and where the airstrikes may be happening. >> . >> keep in mind that the country is basically split into three parts. you have baghdad, still controlled by the iraqi government. and in the western part of iraq, it's largely under the islamic state control. now, the kurdish region, it's in the northern part of iraq, and you heard the president talk about erbil a few minutes ago. and the reason this is happening now, erbil has largely been left alone by the islamic state fighters, and this region is very different from western iraq. it's largely prosperous. a lot of oil is it here, and a lot of diplomats are peaced in erbil. they have their own military. and it allows female fighters to enlist and to fight from the kurdish region. so now over the weekend, what happens, the islamic state group fighters have turned their attention on this region and taken over the boarder. and they're getting dangerously close to the capital of erbill. when they took over, they went to sinjar, and it's under the control of the islamic state. what happens, they forced out up to 40,000 people in this town who ran to the mountains, and they are hiding up here without food, without water, and these aren't people that the president is now trying to help. so john, again, 40,000 people hiding here, they have been persecuted. and when the islamic state fighters come into the towns, they can either convert to islam, pay a tax or face death. and that's why the president is so concerned, because they're facing what many are calling a genocide in parts of iraq. >> 40,000 people on top of that mountain. we're getting more information from the white house, this afternoon, vice president biden called the iraqi regional president to talk about the regional situation and the security situation in northern iraq and the threat that the islamic state poguess to innocent civilians, and the white house goes on, the vice president offered his condolences to kurdish losses suffered by the islamic state. and clearly, the white house's focus on the airstrikes for now, this is the first step. so lisa, as we understand it, the president was meeting with members of congress through the day, as well as his national security team, right? >> well, congress is not in session, and they're on their august break. but they had a lot of phone conversations as you can imagine, and we're expecting to hear from congress about their reaction to the president's speech tonight. he just laid out very clearly, john, these folks out in the mountains, and that's the reason that the president said that he had to move forward, that the u.s. could not turn a blind eye, and he had to move forward with the air drops. here's what the president said about that. >> in recent days, azidi men, women and children from sinjar have fled for their lives high up on the mountain with little but the clothes on their backs, without food, water, people are starving and children are dying of thirst. and meanwhile, the islamic state forces below have called for the entire destruction of the as edie people, which would be genocide. >> so the pentagon is saying that the first humanitarian drops have taken place, and the planes are safely out of the area. the president did say that he has authorized military strikes, but there's no indication that the strikes have taken place. and he said if they're necessary, and tonight we have a statement from john kerry, saying that the president has acted expeditiously and appropriately, authorizing started military action and significant humanitarian assistance. now, both secretary kerry and the president continued to make the case that the president has made for some time. that iraq itself, the government needs to get it's house in order and put together a unified government and that truly will be the solution. >> all right, thank you very much. and once again, the president authorizing airstrikes in iraq tonight, targeted at the islamic state. the group known as the islamic state. in the meantime, we have other breaking news to tell you about, involving the fight between gaza and israel. in three hours, the latest truce is set to expire, but now we hear that the israeli military said that two rockets have been fired from gaza and have hit southern israel. the ceasefire was scheduled to run out early this morning, and the israelis say that hamas has violated the ceasefire. we'll continue to follow this, and consider this is coming up next. @ >> i'm ali velshi, the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news. >> i'm ali velshi, the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news. >> now available, the new al jazeea america mobile news app. get our exclusive in depth, reporting when you want it. a global perspective wherever you are. the major headlines in context. mashable says... you'll never miss the latest news >> they will continue looking for survivors... >> the potential for energy production is huge... >> no noise, no clutter, just real reporting. the new al jazeera america mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. download it now >> the crisis in iraq heats up. white house authorizes airstrikes if islamic extremists make more advances. and the u.s. military begins a humanitarian air drop for thousands trapped by the fighting. hello, i'm antonio mora. welcome to "consider this," that and much more straight ahead. kurdish and iraqi officials are pleading for international assistance to help iraq's religious minorities. >> there are no american military solutions to the problems in iraq. >> talks are taking place in cairo. >>