Stories were covering on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by moving our economy for 160 years. Bnsf, the engine that connects us. And the william and flora hewlett foundation, helping people build immeasurably better lives. And with the ongoing support of these institutions. And. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Ifill a new political storm is breaking in baghdad. Efforts to form a government ran into strong opposition today from the sitting Prime Minister and that in turn, prompted new warnings from washington. It all followed an announcement that raised hopes for change. After months of political deadlock in iraq, a potential breakthrough today. The new president fouad massoum, a kurd, tapped Deputy Parliament speaker haider alabadi, a shiite, to form a government and become Prime Minister. Abadi, who belongs to the same party as current Prime MinisterNouri Almaliki, quickly called for unity against a sunni insurgency led by the Islamic State group. translated i have confidence that, with the people and political blocs, we would be able to overcome this barbaric and savage attack on the iraqi people and provide a Good Environment for the iraqi people to live in. Ifill but almaliki has spurned calls from the u. S. And other shiites to step aside in favor of a lesspolarizing figure. Today, he deployed loyal Security Forces across baghdad. And he insisted he is the only legal choice for Prime Minister because his bloc won a plurality in the april election. translated we assure iraqi people and political groups this is agianst the constitution. Ifill Vice President joe biden made clear where u. S. Sentiments lie, congratulating abadi in a phone call, and president obama took a break from his vacation to add his support as well. Ifill the political turmoil came amid a new american effort to stem the Islamic States surge in northern iraq. Senior u. S. Officials said today the Obama Administration in concert with the central baghdad government is now directly providing weapons to Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Who retook two towns near irbil on sunday. Meanwhile, u. S. Air strikes continued through the weekend. Speaking at the pentagon today, lt. Gen. William mayville cautioned the campaign, so far, is limited. I think in the immediate areas where we have focused our strengths weve had a very temporary effect and we may have i, in no way want to suggest that we have effectively contained or that we are somehow breaking the momentum of the threat posed by isil. Ifill the administration also announced its sending a Disaster Response team to iraq to distribute humanitarian aid. Much of it will go to thousands of yazidis whove fled to the top of sinjar mountain to escape the militants. Already, the u. S. And britain have airdropped thousands of gallons of water and hundreds of meals to the refugees. Well get the state departments perspective on all of this, right after the news summary. Woodruff israeli and palestinian negotiators resumed indirect talks in egypt today, as a new 72hour ceasefire began. At the same time, israel called for an International Effort to provide relief to gaza. It would be conditioned on the Palestinian Authority resuming control of gaza something hamas is likely to reject. Ifill turkeys president elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan began working today on the next phase of consolidating power. On sunday, the threeterm Prime Minister won turkeys first direct president ial election. Now, he needs a stronger majority in parliament to convert the presidency from a ceremonial post. Last night, in a victory speech, erdogan struck a conciliatory tone toward his critics. translated brothers, i say this from the heart. Lets start a new social reconciliation period today and lets leave the old discussions in the old turkey. Lets leave tensions, culture of clashes and virtual problems in old turkey. Ifill erdogans critics have charged hes become increasingly autocratic and transformed turkey from a secular state to an increasingly religious state. Woodruff the russian government announced today its sending a humanitarian aid convoy into ukraine. The convoy would travel in cooperation with the International Red cross. Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko announced hes agreed to the plan, after speaking with president obama. Meanwhile, nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned theres a high probability that the russians actually plan military action. We see the russians developing the narrative and pretext for such an operation under the guise of a humanitarian operation and we see a military buildup that could be used to conduct such illegal military operations in ukraine. Woodruff ukrainian officials claimed russia has amassed even more troops on the border some 45,000. Meanwhile, rockets slammed into a highsecurity prison in the rebelheld city of donetsk, letting more than 100 prisoners escape. At the same time, ukraines military declared its in the final stages of retaking the city. Ifill Amnesty International is charging the u. S. Military has not pursued troops who tortured or killed civilians in afghanistan. In numerous cases in which there is credible evidence of unlawful killings of civilians, the military has failed to conduct prompt, thorough and impartial investigations. The pentagon denied ignoring civilian casualties. Woodruff nigeria now has ten confirmed cases of ebola. The announcement today said two patients have died. All had been in contact with a liberian who brought the virus in on a plane in late july. Meanwhile, in charlotte, north carolina, three missionaries have returned from west africa after working with ebola patients. Theyre healthy, but will stay quarantined for at least three weeks as a precaution. Ifill on wall street today, the Dow Jones Industrial average gained 16 points to close just short of 16,570; the nasdaq rose 30 points to close at 4,401; and the s p 500 added 5, to finish near 1,937. Woodruff still to come on the newshour. Political turmoil roils baghdad after iraqs president names a new Prime Minister. The president of somalia on democracybuilding, alshabaab, and more. Plus, racial unrest after police kill an unarmed teen in missouri. And, why more Media Companies are ditching their newspaper operations. Ifill we return now to the situation in iraq. Brett mcgurk is the Deputy Assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs where he focuses on iraq. Thar for joining us, mr. Deputy assistant secretary. What role did the United States have enforcing malikis hands . There are reports that you personally may have had a role in that . I can assure you, gwen, that those reports are not true. In 2010 i think we were, it was said that we somehow maneuvered maliki into power. Now its said were somehow maneuvering him out of power. The political dynamics in iraq have really their own dynamic which the iraqis sort through very much on their own. We do play a very active facilitating role between all the political blocs. We encourage them as does the United Nations and other partners in baghdad to try to keep to the constitutional time line, keep things moving forward. Because this is an extraorderly complex and difficult situation, particularly on the Security Side but also on the political side. Its very complicated and we serve as neutral brokers when useful. When we can provide an idea to bridge two different ideas and proposals we certainly do that. But its not our job to pick who should be in power or who should not be in no we are. Ifill in your role as a neutral brokers are persuaded that mr. Abadi is going to be what the u. S. Or any other person in the region, any other country in the region needs now for iraq to get back on its feet . Well, hes someone weve known for some time. Weve known all these leaders for some time. We have have deep relationships with the host of iraqi leaders on all sides. I think its important to focus on where we are in this process. The first as the president just said in his statement, the first step was to choose a speaker of the parliament and that happened about a month ago. And that set a 15 daytime line for naming the president of the state. And that took place on time. And that set a new time line for naming the Prime Minister. And that happened today. The Prime Minister designate abadi now has 30 days to present a new cabinet and present a national particle to the program to the parliament and the parliament has to ratify that program and if they do abadi will lead a full fouryear term government. But what happens today is abadi was named the president designatement we have obviously embraced that decision because it is a critical milestone in the process of forming a new government and the iraqis have been working hard at this and now the next step, over the coming day, he will begin the process of Pulling Together Coalition partners and forming a new government. We want that government to be broadbased inclusive, and to develop a National Program that can harness the resources of the state to pull the country together over the next four years. If they do so, well be a very willing partner. Ifill thats the Political Part of this equation. There is also a military part. We have heard of new air strikes today. The kurds are hoping that you expand those air strikes. Can you imagine that being able to happen . That is, the u. S. Stepping up its military action in the in iraq if maliki were to continue what hes doing now, which is trying to hold on to power. Can you imagine doing this with him there . Well, gwen, on the Security Side were focused on u. S. Action we are two missions, one is around sinjar mountain to break the siege and that is why we are doing air strikes there over the last four or five days including another series of air strikes conducted today from isis locations near the mountain who are threatening the civilian population that is under siege on that mountain. And secondly were committed to protecting the regional capitol of irbil. And we have done a number of air strikes to make sure isis forces cannot encroach on irbil. And those strikes have also been quite successful. South of the kurdishstan region we are focused with the iraqis, we have a joint Operation Center in baghdad which we sed up in june, and we are working hard coordinating how they might push back against isis, working with their Iraqi Air Force in terms of how they can do targeting. Ifill but if i could interrupt you for a moment. I guess my question is whether all that would still go on if maliki stays in power . Well, gwen, i dont want to get ahead of the process. We just had a news premier designate. He has 30 days to form a new government. Were going to continue. The Prime Minister maliki is still the Prime Minister of the state and were going continue working closely with him over the next 30 days, obviously. And well be working with all the leaders to pull together a new government. So there is multiple strands here that we have to do we have to kind of pull all in at once. Its a very complicated situation, obviously. But were focused on the isis threat from north to south. We are particularly focused on baghdad, on anbar pro since. And in each front there are different dynamics and elements. But were not going to slow down any of our support. But the president has said and repeated again tonight, in the context of a new and inclusive government, we will be in a very active conversation with the leadership about what they need and we will be prepared to come behind them if they have a plan to pull the country together and unite the country against this very serious threat. Ifill Deputy Assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs brett mcgurk brett mcgurk, thank you for joining us. Ifill for more, we turn now to zalmay khalilzad. He was u. S. Ambassador to iraq during the george w. Bush administration. He now has his own consulting firm. And laith kubba is senior director for the middle east and north africa at the National Endowment for democracy. What can you tell us about alabadi. I know mr. Al abadi. He was a member of parliament when i was in baghdad. He has very distinguished background. He was from baghdadi family, a very wellknown family. Hes a member of the party that mr. Maliki alsoes with a member of. He spent a lot of time in the united kingdom, got a ph. D there. So he knows the west and maybe more open to alternative ideas. Hes got a big and difficult task ahead, not only dealing with the challenge of mr. Maliki, but also to bring iraqis, shia, sunni, kurds together, form a government. And its very difficult and challenging time. Ifill laith kubba, what can he accomplish that Nouri Almaliki could not or cannot . Well, number one, he is less threatening now to all other political blocs. They see him as less threatening. Ifill even though hes from the same party. Hes from the same party but the party has been fragmented now a little bit. And maliki has disowned him, in a way. So that might play to his advantage. He has a weaker hand. But on the other hand, i think he is going to hes in a better position to negotiate with others. Ifill as we just heard at the state department, at least for the next 30 days technically maliki is to the going anywhere. He says that this is all legally worthless. That he is still in power. Can this move forward as long as he continues to hold on . I think there is a potential for serious problems. But the more likely scenario in my view is that during the 30 days, some sort of a deal will be worked out where some of the concerns that mr. Maliki may have about his own future might be addressed whether it has to do with a possible position. Whether it has to do with some form of immunity, protection. I would i think while the risks of confrontation and perhaps the use of the military are and Security Forces is there and i think the president s message today was loud and clear in support of mr. Alabadi without mentioning maliki, but the message actually were for mr. Maliki. And i suspect that a lot of maneuvering going on in baghdad and will intensify to work out something between the two. Ifill do agree that this is just a deal waiting to be cut . Im a bit cautious. I think maliki surprised everybody in the way hes been indifferent to the whole world around him. And so fixated on power. I think the fact that the country is falling apart, territory under isis, baghdad itself is under threat yet maliki is not thinking of the country. And hes not thinking that the whole world has endorsed mr. Abadi, and that all political blocs want to work with him. Hes indifferent to all that and insisting to play hard politics. To me that is worrying. He has encouraged some militias to go out in the streets. With that mindset i think everybody is taken by surprise and worry, would he push it to the end . Lets assume for a moment that a deal can be cut, something can be agreed on. If not in the near future than in the eventual future. And mr. Abadi takes over. What can he do to form a workable government in a countries thats falling apart, mr. Ambassador . Well, he will have to come to an agreement with the kurds, which will be tough for him because the kurds are demanding even more autonomy than they have, in their current circumstances. They want essentially to replace the federal system to a essentially to be sovereign. But in some former association with baghdad so that they can control their own oil exports, they can get weapons for their own forces. They can control their own airspace. So its a tough one to do without losing ground internally for him. And with the sunnis, similarly, he will have to agree to a devolution of authority away from the center to the provinces. The sunnis want a region like kurdistan of their own or several regions, again to have their own forces for local security and to bring them, its sunnis and kurds together with them, given the demands, it is going to be a tall order, a difficult challenge for him, and then to mobilize everybody against isis which is knocking at the door. Hes going to have one of the Worlds Toughest jobs. Ifill it sounds like it, how do you see it work laith kubba. It is a tall order and its very tough. I think in addition to trying to contain the demand, the increasing demands, i think he needs to reach out to iraqs neighbors. I think maliki has spoiled relationships with all of iraqs neighbors. And he needs to reach to all of them to say a new beginning. He needs their help, not only in containing isis, but also in building a new momentum in the country. I think the endorsement he has would give him a good start. He also needs to form a cabinet that would function and deliver some services to the country. Not simply to appease political blocs. I think iraqis want to see some different out of their electoral processes. They vote every time and the system is not getting any better. And the security front, its most challenging. I think that one is a headon. He needs to work with the army,