but not winning perspective. he is saying, yes, we want help, don't want boots on the ground, yes, i wish my country could get it together, telling them they should and they're not doing it and warning worse to come. >> and this group, isis, who they are, what they are and what the americans think they can do about them? >> it's a fortune 500 merger of two really bad terrorist groups starting with the islamic state in iraq, this group started by al zau k zarqa zarqawi, guilty of the worst crimes in the mid-2000s and the worst militant group in syria battling assad's regime. they are together and across borders of iraq, syria and broader in the middle east. they are too harsh even for al qaeda, caused a split with the core al qaeda leadership.
brutal. just to put a point on it for americans, they are also the most attractive group to join for foreign fighters, in part, because they have such low requirements. you have a lot of europeans and americans as well going on jihadi vacations in syria. the kern, and iraq, and the kern being, this is something u.s. intelligence officials have told me repeatedly, what happens when they come home? there's already been an attack in brussels, pinned on a veteran of that conflict. this is about a regional problem but also about a real threat to europe and the american homeland. >> while all that sounds strategically doable, chris, you spent a lot of time there, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008. you helped as a part of seal team 8, as a contractor afterwards, you helped mosul and you have a specific point of view as to what started this, the iraqi generals who had a big big position before the americans came in and dissolved the whole army. >> absolutely, ashley. jim makes some very good points.
again any kind of resources to try to fix the problem? the iraqis are asking the americans help out, drones, air strikes, et cetera. the president is addressing these issues and we will come back after the break and watch live comments. back right after this. that amount might last.y ys i was trying to, like, pull it a little further. [ woman ] got me to 70 years old. i'm going to have to rethink this thing. it's hard to imagine how much we'll need for a retirement that could last 30 years or more. so maybe we need to approach things differently, if we want to be ready for a longer retirement. ♪
he often ends his reports by y saying, and i still can't get an interview with the v.a., with anybody in senior leadership. clearly the senior leadership has changed. how are you doing when you ask to speak to people whose words a really matter? are you welcomed with open arms or the same old shut door? >> reporter: it's a much different scenario now, ashleig ashleigh. the veterans affairs, acting secretary will hold a press conference. there's media here. he will talk and take questions. he just arrived a few minutes ago. we will go from here and hear what he has to say and we will ask some tough questions. >> chris freighates, thank you. good luck with your interview and glad it's getting better. it's been real hard until now. >> we've been reporting the breaking news out of iraq, the fires are burning and oil prices are going up and the quandary becomes what do we do about a place we bought because it was broke but it wasn't fixed? do we as americans commit yet