to support the iraqis and peshmerga as they move forward. >> highway close are iraqi forces now from actually entering mosul, and what's your assessment? how much longer is it going to take to liberate that city? >> well, they're in the outlying villages. again, we're ahead of schedule on most of the axis of advance. a good frort arwa. a revamped iraqi security force. some units we trained now fighting two years with some of the most forgetive forces in the region. they're battle hardened and have our support. they're in the outlying area, made good advances today, particularly from the access from the east. but again i don't want to get ahead of events. this is a very big city. this is an enemy that is barbaric. they are quite literally suicidal, spent two years building tunnels and boobytraps. so this will be a methodic's very careful and precise campaign. most importantly, this comes from iraq's prime minister, and from the coalition, first and foremost, protection of