assistance sometimes means, as we saw here, coming to the aid of your local partners on the ground. that's exactly what that special forces operator did mortally wounded in this attack. you see more of these, may not be a masked round exercise like we saw during the invasion of iraq but certainly danger and i'll tell you, anderson, there are people in the pentagon pushing for more roles for u.s. combat forces such as ground advisors but that decision stays with the president. >> terrible loss of an american hero. thank you very much. more than 12 years since u.s. troops invaded iraq and four years since the last soldier was pulled out and wheeler was taken. it's racked by violence and civil war with the added threat of isis now. just ahead, cnn's fareed zakaria, "long road to held, america freed in iraq" joins us