Community. Plus saving tara from a poll wood back lot to a warehouse in georgia the strange journey of an iconic set from gone with the wind. Tonight we again with the effort to stop the socalled Islamic State group. The fighters released a video today allegedly showing the beheading of an american journalist stephen sotloff. Two weeks ago they threatened to murder him if u. S. Air strikes didnt stop. Air strikes have continued and have pushed the fighters back in several parts of iraq. The write house said secretary of state john kerry and secretary of defense chuck hagel are planning trips to iraq. Goal is to build an International Coalition to fight the Islamic State group. David rode was working in afghanistan for the New York Times when he was kidnapped by the taliban in 2008. He escaped after being held for more than seven months and david joins us now. What is the its lamb i can state tryinIslamic State trying . Build its credential in this bizarre jihad i world. It might help with the recruitment with some people when they kill captives like this . Other than that . I think terrorize americans. There is a sense in this among jihad is that the west is week, that we are obsessed with the policer your honor of this world where we fear death and they seek it and want to be they think paradise is waiting for them. So there is a sense that we will cave in if they kill enough people. One of the suggestions that you made during our last conversation is that a lot of these kidnappings are about money, these dont seem to be about money. The grim fact as we talked about before there were european hostages peld with these to american hostage that his died. Sotloff and foley. They were ransomed and it appears the american and british hostages are being used to propaganda. Why are they targeting journalists . Would any american do for terrorist likes this . I think, yeah. Journalists are targets of opportunities. We are unarmed, we are in these places so its very easy to abduct a journalist. And they might sense that journalists get a lot of publicity because we fellow journal assists care more about these cases. I think a lot of americans are trying to figure out whats going on here. And we discussed it before. This is hard to understand. This is sort of beyond comprehension. And to show these cruel videotapes, its not just that they have been killing people, but to do it in such a horrific, visible way, it seems like its is there some strategy to this . Its a failed strategy. I think and i think most people in the region are repulsed by this. It might give the Islamic State a boost shortterm in terms of recruitment and funds raise, but its turning populations against them. And as we heard in the report from the region, the strikes are working. You know, the kurds at least are fighting and taking back territory. This is horrific. Its horrible. Arabs, muslims people in the region is see it as terrible as well. Its hard to believe this. And its grim news i think it will backfire. We are also hearing, though, that there is an organization that replacing al qaeda as the popular Islamic Jihad group. Its a very small its a very small group. And they essentially exist in a vacuum. One of the weird things that occurred to me in my captivity. They are young guys, young kids in their 20s who get to play this game, and its not a game they are killing people. But when you are around them its just amazing how they live in this bubble, just kind of alternate universe and have all this power because no one is challenging them on the ground. So in syria, no government in control. Yes. The highest number for it lamb i can state fighters the biggest estimate i have heard is about 17,000. You know, youve got militaries in the region, include the Iraqi Military with hundreds 100,000 soldiers. So there is no pressure them. The problem in the longterm issue very hard to solve is the safe havens the sanctuaries the lawless areas in syria, in pakistan, and somalia, its getting rid of those. Its a huge, you know, years long, decades long effort. But its those kind of lawless areas. They are pretty empty, right, run by tribes . They are in very rural areas ran by tribal lead nurse most cases so how do you every country has tried to fight back in afghanistan and seems like has not succeeded every big power. But i can say for most afghans when this happens, they are disgusted when people are beheaded. Whether its an afghan or an american or a foreigner. These people in the tribes dont want to live under this kind of resume. They are disgusted by it. How can we help them more local forces in, you know, push back and fight these people. Not an american ground invasion, but i honestly believe people in the region are disgusted by this. Stand by for a second, david. I want to go mike viqueira, hes at the white house. Whats the reaction so far from the white house. Reporter john. , the administration was caught by surprise somewhat we were in the middle of a briefing with the president s spokesman when the reports of this second gruesome video depicting the murder of a journalist first surfaced. They deferred all questions and later the state Department Said the Intelligence Community trying verify the authenticity of the video. If you recall in the case of james foal at this took 24 hours for them to do so. In the meantime, if its genuine the state Department Says they are appalled by the brutality of the acts this they have seen. Really at this point for the administration, i should add, by the way, john, that president obama shortly after that briefing this afternoon took off to europe. Hes got a previouslyplanned trip to estonia to address yet another world crisis this one involving russia and ukraine, of course. And then to a nato such its where issues like this are going to be on the front burner. But there is also a perception problem that the white house is face, of course, it all springs from last thursday when the president appeared in the Briefing Room in quite a sudden manner and is says there the no strategy yet. Today a top state Development Official in a Television Interview said stay tuned. Some i am told happening behind the scenes in terms of the deliberation is an effort and secretary kerse kerr kersey goie region to bring many sunni governments in a more coordinated strategy to go against this group which everybody publicly agrees is barbaric now we heard the president last thursday sort of an oblique reference to individuals and elements within some of these countries who say one thing and then go and support the Islamic State group and other jihadyes and terrorist, but thats the state of play in washington right now. Mike thanks very much. David back to you. Its a mess for the administration its not good for the president to stand up and say we dont have a strategy. He was a at a fundraiser and saying the world is not more chaotic, just more social media. The region needs to hear there is a strategy, not boots on the ground but an effort to work with local governments and force to his confront this group. You cant declare them barbaric terrorists and say we are having this limited response. I think average people kind of hear that and they are confused. You are either, you know, going to be serious about this in a longterm effort or you are not or it doesnt matter what they do. David good to see you again. Thank you. Mike lions a retired army major and senior fellow at the Trump National true Truman National security project. Welcome god to see. You hello, john. What should the strategy be . Limited to humane tar vinnie supporhumanitarian andinfrastru. We have to support iraq, w we cannot let isaac take over iraq, they would threaten saudi arabia, and it would be okay to say we are not letting isis to stake over iraq and then step the military incursions in iraq itself. 120 missions right now to date is nothing. We could be going after on the offensive these vehicles that we know exist that they took from the Iraqi Security forces. What sort of troop number does the United States have to have . On the ground, you probably need about 60 to 75,000 troop to his drive isis out of iraq. If you look at the way they are aligned they are along these Road Networks that exist between the major towns there. Its unlike the europe theater or other place where his we fought wars where the inning my controls paths of lands they just control road works, if you martial troops along those and mass your fires you could drive them back out of iraq, as a minimum and deal with face two which is sear request ya. Syria. If the United States puts 6,000 troops back on the ground that cant happen fast. It would take months or a year to conduct this at least . It would take a very long time. Six months, you would have to have equipment there, come in through turk. I and you telegraph your message that you are coming. Yeah. And isis prepares for it. Sure. How would they prepare for it. They would have to get more people. They would lose a battle of attrition, they would lose a mass fire type exercise. They dont have the equipment that would come over. If we are going do that we have do decide we are going to total war. We jant just send the military. The country has to go to wore. We made that mistake in iraq and afghan stand. Not during desert storm or second world war. If we do this everyone has to be involved. Cant the u. S. Step up the pressure from the air . They can. And i think that would show more effects on the ground and it would get the isis vehicles and be easier to eject them first from iraq which should be the first initial strategy. We have heard the idea that the Islamic State doesnt believe the u. S. Is going to go in and do this. I mean, they are going to miscalculate h especially if thy continue to behead an american to a weekly basis which i think we have to expect thom them to. The regional players, the United States would like to see the regional players get involve. How involved could they be and who would be involved . The key is who is the army the ground force that goes in to syria and fights tell there, which i think will eventually happen. You have to look at saudi arabia, jordan, egypt, they have a tremendously trained professional military. How did egypt get there, go through israel. Is there a chance that will happen . We have to be as creative now as this enemy is against us. And i think that that would be a tremendous coup for the secretary of state to get that kind of coalition, but thats the kind of out of the box creatively that they have to do. Where is iran on all of this . They are in the background trying to support and they become the winner if this sunni dominated isis lose says which they are going to lose. So its our strategy never to have one player to have an overall we wanted to keep some sort of weird balance. Right. And thats gone now, too. So weve got to figure out weve got to figure out what is irans role. Supposedly if iran is u. S. Enemy, we are helping iran if we go after isis. Yeah. This gets have a complicated. Very complicated. Traditional allies get thrown out the window or enemies. Totally. You will be in the middle of a civil war that you will is be perceived to take a side on. And nothing more. There is no way that you can be perceived any other way. And i am sure every regional player is concerned about the same thing, right . Thats right. If you look over the horizon at this, you gotta think that the country of syria reichly going to get destroyed. The Assad Government is not going to survive this. So who rebuilds. And whats left . Who rebuilds whats left. Lets say the iranians disease to step up and lead the ground effort in to syria. Then they become responsible for phase five, rebuilding syria. Will the United States let that happen. Take over syria. We have shia support dominated in iraq, shia in obviously iran, in syria, i dont think it will happen. It just adds to the point that the president said that hes still trying to figure out a strategy because it doesnt sound like its a simple one. He has to take smaller bites and focus iraq, you cant solve it all at once, there are so many things unpredictable. Luke putin and ukraine, hes doing it as it comes. The president has to look at the same thing, think through the small steps. As always, mike, thank you very much. U. S. Air strikes have hit an armed group thats been launching attacks in africa. The pentagon said manned and Unmanned Aircraft attacked a target about 100 miles south of somalias capital. The strike was targeting the leader the alshabab. The pentagon said its not clear if he was one of the six people killed. Handle pinkston has more on alshabab. Reporter aalshabab has been under threat for more than a year. Reporter fending off strikes and operations by the kenyan army and African Union forces. The group has focused its efforts against ken yeah, most notably last september when the west gate ball in nairobi was attacked by sal shabob gun then, 67 people were killed. The u. S. Retaliated sending navy seals after alshababs leadership. They came up empty. Experts say this most recent strike puts the group on notice. Alshabab and many other terrorists group, al qaeda included, have done over the past few years is use the anniversary or a few days before the anniversary to carry out a spectacular attack and then feed in to you know in, to the fence sift media coverage. Which is the oxygen largely for these organizations. Reporter this is one of al show backs founding members, the 37 year olds was born in somalia, but went to college in pakistan. He and three others formed what we now know as alshabab in two thon three. Abu took leadership of the group in 2008, joining at qauda and expanding its ambitions. Late last year, economy sol dated his power by killing some of his main opponents. Without him, the group wont be the same. Moist likely outcome most likely outcome is that the organization as we know it will go down to the grave with him. It might imagine different forms, but i think his departure will be extremely significant to the group. Reporter reports say the group is already begun interrogating villageers suspecting of helping think americans, the u. S. And its a regional partners say that they are committed to defeating alshabab. About both inside and outside somalias borders. Randle pinkston, al jazerra. And now to the immigration issue in this country. Dozens of migrants have been dieing in the texas desert as the u. S. Faces a crushing flood of undocumented immigrants. This week, we are spending five days a lodge the border taking a closer look at this Immigration Crisis. The choices the u. S. Has made and the people that deal with the consequences every day. Some of those people are in Brooks County, texas. About 80 miles north of the border. Honest mate of 600 migrants pass through every day. But county can only afford four sheriffs deputy to his deal with them. Heidi joe castro reports. Reporter once rich with oil fields, now nearly bankrupt with feels of bodies. Since 2009, the sheriffs hospital has picked up more than 400 sets of human remains. Migrants who crossed the boarder only to die of dehydration in the 100degree deserts. Looking at this number, this is like a boeing jet going down in your brush every three years. Thats how many people are dieing. Yeah. Reporter is that number real to you . Yeah. Its real. Reporter the Immigration Crisis is costly. In terms of both human lives and dollars. Last year Brooks County spent 156,000 to process bodies. Coupled with the decline in tax revenue, county employees took a 3 pay cut. The sheriff a 38 year old veteran gave up 10 . He now works a second job in private security. You are ayou are the number onen in this county and you have to work a second job to make end meet. Yeah, 30,000 aint going to make it. Reporter those who couldnt stick it out have quit. This is my staff when i started, in off 9. Reporter how many are left . Four. Four deputies who patrol an area nearly the size of rhode island. They, along with a meager staff of dispatchers, are the lifeline for 911 calls from the desert. Brooks county 911. Reporter too often the caller is dead by the time they are found. So why so many bodies here 80 miles north of the boarder . The u. S. Border patrol checkpoint down the highway is keep the sheriff says smugglers will drive immigrants no further than this points and here is where they would take off on foot through the rough terrain. The nearest town is 15 miles away. When i get on the, you know, everything that goes through. Reporter but because Brooks County does not actually touch the board ter does not qualify for federal funding to deal with immigration. So the Sheriffs Department resorts to selling its impounded vehicles to meet the budget. So we are talking through your Sheriffs Office car dealership. Yes. Yeah. This is my dealership. Reporter most of these vehicles were seized from smugglallers, 40 go found auction this month. This one right here probably bring about 3,000. Reporter the money keeps the department alive. But even this place speaks more of death. A family of five migrants from el salvador died when their smuggler crashed in this truck during a police chase. There was a girl knack there, way back in there. Reporter on the floorboard. Yeah, on the border. Reporter and she died there . Yeah. Reporter oh. There was another guy thrown right here in front. Reporter what does this say about the business debts operatiodesperation of thepeopl . The guy got out. He lived. Reporter the smuggler got away . Yeah 67 the driver got way . The driver gotta w5eu6789 the migrants had already paid him 2,000 a person. So as the smugglers get richer the county gets poorer while more migrants pay with their lives. Heidi joe castro, al jazerra, B