Outside Raqqah News Today

>> nick paton walsh reporting for us from outside raqqah in syria. is a lot to discuss with pentagon correspondent barbara starr. and michael weiss, co-author of "isis, inside the army of terror." barbara, if or when isis does lose control of raqqah and mosul, what kind of an effect will that have on its overall strength? >> well, look, it takes away one of its biggest propaganda values to radical people around the world, people who radicalize. it can no longer really claim its an islamic state....

A critical moment tonight in the fight against isis. u.s.-backed forces are closing in on the terror groups last two major cities. only a section of mosul in iraq is still under isis control and isis fighters are now surrounded in their self-described capital, raqqah in syria. not too far from there is where we find cnns nick paton walsh. >> reporter: im about 40 miles away from raqqah city itself and how things have changed since we were here 18 months ago. this used to be the front line but no...

And syria, completely surrounding isis fighters. the latest on the battle when "360" continues. ♪ if you have moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or crohns, and your symptoms have left you with the same view, it may be time for a different perspective. if other treatments havent worked well enough, ask your doctor about entyvio, the only biologic developed and approved just for uc and crohns. entyvio works by focusing right in the gi-tract to help control damaging inflammation and is clinica...

The fact that they can still be a potent force. they can be a guerrilla movement essentially in many places in the world. >> michael, is isis still a caliphate if it has no real territory under its control? >> no. i mean it wasnt a caliphate to begin with, even when it had raqqah and mosul and dozens of other population centers. barbara is right, weve been at war with this organization for 14 years. leon panetta stated it very well when he said this is going to be a 30 years war. if anything, i ...