Militants are rooting out christians and religious. They have been driven out of western iraq, near syria leading to what the white house is calling humanitarian crisis. Tens of thousands facing a grave choice, flee their homes or face execution. Many who did flee have been stranded on a mountain for days fearing for their lives. The u. S. Military has been offering help overnight, dropping in food, water and very basic supplies. Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more on the next step in this fight against isis. Good morning, barbara. Good morning, kate. A significant order from president obama. Air strikes are authorized. That means they could happen at anytime without the military even going back to the white house for approval. We do whatever is necessary to protect our people. This morning, u. S. Forces at the ready. President obama authorizing targeted air strikes to protect american personnel near the capital of the kurdish region, threatened by isis militants. We intend to stay individual lent. They have moved across iraq and neared the city of irbil where american diplomats and civilians serve the kons late and American Military personnel advise iraqi forces. Reporter aid drop was made atop a mountain near sinjar. They fled to escape a massacre by isis. Actions, which obama says could constitute genocide. They have been barbaric toward religious minorities. Descend the mountain and be slaughtered or stay and die of thirst and hunger. Reporter three cargo planes escorted by two fighter jets with critical aid, including thousands of gallons of water and food. A race to stop catastrophe, after 40 children died from thirst. The president authorizing more targeted air strikes to help iraqi forces as they attempt to break the mountain siege. Today, america is coming to help. Reporter isis targeting christians and attacking in areas around Iraqs Christian area, overrun by militants, forcing thousands of them to flee. This ultimatum to iraqis, convert to islam or die. A rain of terror continues as isis gains control and takes over key parts of the country, including iraqs largest dam, according to the militants. A key source of electricity and water. Administration the u. S. Administration still had mant there will be no u. S. Military boots on the ground. Right now, the situation on that mountain top desperate. The United Nations estimates there are 200 iraqis with nowhere to go. Kate . Its a more desperate situation as we speak. Barbara starr, thank you so much. Barbara joining me to talk about this and what the United States can do and should do to slow the isis surge. Rick francona is a retired intelligence officer. He is now a cnn analyst. Great to see you. A lot to discuss. Lets get to the area and show the viewers the area we are talking about here. This is northern iraq. This is where the latest attacks, if you will, the focus of the isis surge has gone. This kind of spider web red area, this is where isis has taken over, over the last couple of months. When you see this area, you noted their strategy in the push isis is making, what does it show to you . They have come down the euphrates and tigress valley. If you look at whats in the valleys, are dams. All the Power Generation is located in these areas. If they take the mosul dam, they control all of the power north of baghdad. Theres strategy behind this. This is not a rag tag group of militants pulled together. There is there is operational kind of, theres a mentality here. As you watch how they move, they move like an army. They move with armored support, artillery support, they take everything with them and go after designated targets and fight well. They are not a bunch of guys with rifles, they are using tanks and humvees they have taken from the iraqi army. Thats what i wanted to ask you about. Some of the terms are new to some of us, not to you. This Peshmerga Security force is well regarded. Why have they not been able to hold off isis . Man for man, they are excellent fighters. They fought saddams army now the influx of the isis people. The problem is, they dont have the weaponry they need. They have been kind of ignored by the al maliki government. We have been providing support some of it is supposed to go to the military arm of the kurds. Also, what we have been talking about earlier in covering this crisis is isis is taking over all the supplies, the artillery, everything the United States provided that was supposed to go to the Iraqi Security forces. A lot of this is state of the art stuff. Now the kurds find themselves out gunned, out manned andout matched. They will not be able to stand and continue to roll toward irbil. Thats where you have a small u. S. Military contingent and the embassy people moved from baghdad. They thought it would be a safe place to go. You have the immediate and the broader crisis. The immediate crisis, tens of thousands of folks on top of a mountain and the humanitarian aid the United States has flown in overnight. They are dropping it in by c130s, right . A c17 and two c130s. That puts 1,000 meals on the ground. This is obviously what it would like like for the drop. This is the area. Say they are stranded, they are stuck with nowhere to go and they are dying up there because they dont have water to survive. In doing this drop, these planes have to fly very low. This is risky. Yeah. You have to put you dont just push things out of a plane. You have to plan where you are going to put it. You want the people you are trying to help to get to it without risking their lives to get to it. This is not a one time thing. They will need supply every day. Thats enough for one day. Now they have to do it every day. This is an ongoing effort. Do we do it forever or work on a way to get them off the mountain and out of there . It leads to a broader question, not only how do you do that, but when you talk about lets show where the air strikes that have been authorized, what we are talking about. The president said if u. S. National security is at risk tharkss when the United States moves in. Irbil is where you have kons late workers and military advisers that could be under threat. Why authorize air strikes, why now do you think . A threat is emerging. This is something you can see. 30 miles from irbil. A short drive. Isis has shown the about to move quickly. Air strikes are a way. Do you think its a smart move . Its the only move. We have to do something. If you read what the president said, he said protect americans in the country. If theres a threat to baghdad airport, you could see air strikes in that area. We have to keep the airport open. We could see air strikes all over the country. Colonel thank you very much. We are going to get a live update from the Pentagon Press secretary about the operations that happened overnight. Lets get to jake on the ground in jerusalem for us following the breaking news in the middle east. Jake . Good morning, kate. The threeday ceasefire between israel and hamas is history. The Israeli Military says rockets were fired into israel before the ceasefire ended and the rockets have continued well after. Now israel is responding, quote, forcefully, unquote, with a relaunch of air strikes in gaza. Thats where we find john vause with the latest. John . Reporter well, jake, right now, i can hear the sermon from a mosque not far from here. It is friday prayers. Some people are out and about attending friday prayers. There are a few people on the streets. Israel renewed the defensive two hours ago now and it seems the first target was probably west of here, the western part of gaza city. Since then, the palestinians and other targets have been hit. According to the palestinians, there appears to have been a strike near a mosque that left a small child dead. Theres also artillery tank and artillery fire in the northern part of gaza. We havent heard a lot from hamas in the last couple hours, but another militant group here, Islamic Jihad claiming responsibility for firing rockets into israel. They started firing once the ceasefire had expired. They say they are doing that because israel violated the ceasefire not agreeing to the palestinian demands and the peace talks in cairo, jake . Thanks, john. The israelis made it clear they were not willing to continue with the ceasefire. Lets go now to cnns reza sayah. Reza . Reporter jake, israels position is they were willing to extend the ceasefire beyond the 72 hours in hamas. Hamas has a different take. They say they didnt fire the rockets before the 72 hours was over. They believe that israel came here on a bluff, that they were not willing to address the core issues, the core demands. They were only using delay tactics to get back to the status quo, which is something that was unacceptable to hamas. The minimal demand they put forth to the israelis was goating a sea port to get access to the outside world. Israel did not give that to them, apparently. That is why we are at the impasse and the fighting started up again. Whats worrying is theres no indication they are indirectly negotiating at this hour. Israelis left at 7 00 a. M. Palestinians stopped talking to the egyptians at 4 00 a. M. If you are going to solve this conflict, you have to communicate. Thats not happening, unfortunately, at this hour. Reporter reza sayah in cairo. They announce the two israelis have been injured by rockets coming in from gaza. Back to you in new york. Thanks, jake. Coming up on new day the situation in iraq is not about politics, it is genocide. Thousands of iraqis are being hunted by isis terrorists who are trying to create an extremist religious state. It is literally hell on the ground there. The question is, how do we stop it . Is this just about the u. S. . What can the u. S. Do . We are going to talk to the Pentagon Press secretary. Also ahead, the World Health Organization declaring the ebola Health Outbreak a health emergency. Dr. Sanjay gupta is going to join us live. What does this mean . So nice, so niiice sweet, sweet st. Thomas nice so nice, so niiice st. Croix, full of pure vibes so nice, so niiice st. John, a real paradise so nice, so niiice proud to be from the Virgin Islands and the whole place nice to experience your Virgin Islands nice, book one of our summer packages today. Virgin islands nice, book one and for many, its a struggle to keep your a1c down. So imagine, what if there was a new class of medicine that works differently to lower blood sugar . Imagine, loving your numbers. 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We intend to stay individual lent and take action if these terrorist forces threaten our personnel anywhere in iraq including irbil or baghdad. Isil, isis, whatever you want to call them, they are terrorists chasie ining christi. That is president obama saying what seemed inevitable. To stop the genocide and protect American Interest in iraq, he has authorized two things, humanitarian efforts and air drops of food and supplies because they are starving to death and targeted air strikes to help the iraqi and Kurdish Forces fight back. How will we pull the mission off . How bad is it as they are fleeing for their lives . We are john kirby with us, the Pentagon Press secretary traveling with the defense secretary in india. Can you hear us . Caller i got you loud and clear, chris. Thanks for having me. Thank you for taking the opportunity. You are dealing with a lot right now. While in india, any chance that government steps up and helps in an obvious call for anyone who values freedom . Caller we are having good discussions with them here. I would let them speak for themselves on this. For our part, as you rightly reported, we are committed to two things, one is relieving the humanitarian issue on mount sinjar and being prepared and ready for air strikes to protect the american personnel. You know better than i, admiral, its not enough. The situation is getting worse. No one can stop these terrorists. What is the u. S. Ready to do . What is going to come next . Caller we are prepared to do what the president authorized us to do. We have provided these air drops of supplies to those iraqi citizens on mount sinjar. Planners and commanders are doing the necessary work to conduct air strikes against isil targets if and when required. We have the authorization to do that and we are prepared to do that. Is that snuff . You think you can get it done with an area spread out so wide and has no base of power . Caller remember, chris, the mission really is to protect american personnel in irbil and in and around baghdad. Also, this is an important point, to try to help Iraqi Security forces. They go after the threat. This is a threat inside their country, to their people torks their sovereignty. This is an iraqi fight to fight. You know they seem to be losing it by larger and larger margins. Isis or whatever you want to call them, these terrorists are getting more and more American Assets we gave to the iraqi army. At what point do you think that country falls . Caller isils progress has been swift, theres no question. They are well led and well resourced but its mixed. They are strengthened in the north. Thats what led to the humanitarian problem on mount sinjar. More to the south and baghdad, we see them stiffen their resist tense. The fight is not uniform throughout the country of iraq. Yes, they have moved swiftly and made progress in the north, but not throughout the rest of the country. Is the fact that these people are being hunted down and killed our problem . Is the u. S. Going to protect them . Caller it is a it is a problem for the International Community and the International Community has also responded with some humanitarian systems. The government of iraq provided humanitarian assistance and we are chipping in as well. Again, the president was clear about this. This is something the world needs to take note of. I mean, these isil terrorists are simply boots. They are thugs. They are murderers with no regard to human life. Its not just the christians they are threatening. They are threatening people of a different muslim, the sunnis where isil were once welcome and are now turning as well. They are nothing but a bunch of thugs and terrorists. Again, i think everybody is mindful of the threat they pose inside iraq. Right. I think we have to make the audience mindful of the greater threat as well. Many people in your country will be shaking their heads saying oh, no, we dont want to go back in there. We have made it clear. Isis is that triggers their intention, to create a religious state. They are training their fighters, not just to fight, fwou launch attacks against the United States. What do you believe the threat is, if nothing is done . Caller we believe they pose a threat not just to iraq, but the region. They have certainly aspirational desires to threaten western targets to include the United States and american citizens. Theres no question about that. They pose a very serious threat. Again, our focus is helping the iraqis deal with this threat inside their country in the broader region. First it seemed sunni shia. They are calling the christians people who are denier or nonbelievers. They are throwing them in a big category. Thats going to include the u. S. And everybody, basically who is a nonextremist of their variety. The longer we wait, respearent allowing the threat to grow . Caller we are not waiting. We put an Aircraft Carrier in the persian gulf. We have put assessment teams on the ground. We have advisers working in two joint operation centers, one in baghdad and one in irbil. The United States military, the United States is not just standing by. We are working very hard on this. There is a sense of purpose and urgency here. Again, this is ultimately an issue that the Iraqi Government has got to come to grips with and solve and Iraqi Security forces have to continue to step up against this threat. Part and parcel of this is a unity government in iraq, a politically inclusive process to look after their own people and provide the kind of structure and stability that iraq needs to prevent the growth of these kind of extremist groups inside. Thats an entirely different discuss