All week, the world is focused on this region and the threat posed by the terror group isis. A threat called the greatest since 9 11. Weve been faced with several stark reminders of isis brutality this week, beginning with the death of american kayla mueller, who died while being held hostage by isis. Friday, a brazen attack by the Jihadist Group on an iraqi air base with u. S. Marines inside. Just this weekend, isis releasing another haunting video tape that we wont air. This one purporting to show captured kurdish fighters being paraded through the streets in cages. Back home, the president now asking congress to authorize more military action to defeat the group. But why is this threat so hard to contain . We have been reporting from around the region from iran, to borders of iraq and syria all week searching for answers. But first, breaking news on the terror front. A suspected gunman is dead in copenhagen. Police say the man is the prime suspect behind two attacks that left two people dead and five Police Officers wounded. Chief Foreign Correspondent terry moran is in copenhagen with the latest. Good morning, terry. Reporter good morning, martha. Today, its copenhagens turn to reckon with the aftermath of terror. Were at the site of the first attack. Yesterday afternoon, right back there. You can see the bulletriddled glass at the cafe where this began. Danish security had been on high alert. This attack came without warning. The apparent targets grimly familiar. A cartoonist. And a synagogue. For hours, this city was gripped by terror. It began here at 4 00 saturday afternoon, at this copenhagen cafe, the first target. A gunman opening fire, firing 40 rounds. Police on the scene firing back. Inside, a Panel Discussion on art, blasphemy, and freedom of expression. Listen as the horror unfolds. Why do we still say but when we [ gunfire ] reporter the host, lars vilks. A swedish cartoonist. Hes on an al qaeda hit list for drawing the prophet muhammad. His body guards rushed him into the cafes kitchen, survived. A 55yearold man attending the event was killed. Im not sure how many shots. I would say 20 or 30 shots. And the people panicked of course. Ran to the doors. Other people were hiding behind the tables they had turned over. Reporter police launched a nationwide manhunt, releasing this image of a suspect who fled in a stolen car. And then, just after midnight, another shooting spree. This one downtown near a synagogue. Three people shot. One person killed. Two Police Officers wounded. And the gunman fleeing on foot. A few hours later, a shootout not far away. Danish police apparently lying in wait for a suspect. And when he arrived, killing him in an exchange of gunfire. Authorities say they believe he was the gunman in both of the early shootings seen on this security video from last night, described as quote arabic looking. 25 to 30 years old. Armed with a machine gun. All of this coming five weeks after jihadists struck the offices of the satiric magazine charlie hebdo. In paris. Killing 12 people there. Revenge, they said, for publishing cartoons of the prophet muhammad. There is now increased security here in copenhagen. The police blanketing the capital. A search executed at an apartment in the city. And police pointedly are not ruling out the possibility that this gunman may have had accomplices. Martha . Thanks, terry. Lets bring in abc news contributor john cohen, former counterterrorism coordinator for the department of Homeland Security. John, this looks like a copy cat killing. I know its early in the story and its developing, but is that what it looks like to you . Well, morning, martha. The investigation will tell us what the motive was behind this attack. I think what this attack tells us for sure is that we have entered a period of new normal. The threat facing communities across europe, the United States, canada, is a threat posed by individuals who are inspired by isis, or al qaeda, they have been recruited by isis or al qaeda. Theyre looking to target soft targets. I think what is also disturbing is that these targets have included Law Enforcement officers, military, the media. And even the Jewish Community. Attacks such as toulouse, brussels, paris, we have seen military police and the Jewish Community targeted in each of those cities. What do we do about protecting the soft targets . Obviously, you cant protect everything. What do authorities do . First, we need to understand that local Law Enforcement plays a Critical Role and local Law Enforcement needs to work more closely with local communities. Now what i mean by that is, local Law Enforcement in europe, the United States, need to clearly understand the threat facing the communities that they police. Secondly, they have to work with those communities. Whether it be the media, whether it be jewish facilities, whether it be other commercial entities to establish security around those locations. We also need to train people working in those facilities and the community to recognize the warning signs of somebody that may be in the community that may represent a threat. And local Law Enforcement needs to work with others in the local community to stop an act of violence from occurring. And you mentioned the jewish facilities. Israeli Prime Minister netanyahu said today hes calling for a massive immigration of European Jews to israel because of what he called extremist islamic terror. Should jews in europe be that concerned . We have seen several attacks take place within europe. I know Law Enforcement authorities are reevaluating the way they work with jewish communities across the european union. Theres been a lot of discussions under way since paris and i suspect there will be a lot more conversations in the near future. But what this attack does tell us, very clearly, is police, particularly police in europe, need to think, rethink their relationship with the jewish communities in those cities. It would be a shame if a community of faith had to leave their home because they did not feel safe in the community they may have lived in for generations. Indeed it would. So thank you very much, john cohen. Now to the fight against isis here in jordan, where war planes are joining Coalition Air strikes against isis. The numbers of bombs dropped on targets has tripled since the fall. On the ground stemming the tide of fighters joining the extremists is much more complex. Striking from the air, the u. S. And its allies stepping up the fight against isis. Pounding targets across iraq and syria with growing ferocity. Now the president looking to escalate even more. This week, asking congress for more flexibility for American Forces which could soon include special forces on the ground. Make no mistake, this is a difficult mission. And it will remain difficult for some time. Its going to take time to dislodge these terrorists. Reporter terrorists who have flooded into syria and iraq from around the world, including just across the jordan iraq border, where isis flourishes. This border is where we brought the former deputy head of central command, admiral robert harward. He spent his Career Tracking the entire region and fighting on the ground as a navy s. E. A. L. It looks like the moon scape here, but pretty easy to get in. 7ayky sure. You can walk, ride your camel, drive a car, ride a motorcycle. Its very simple to cross the areas of terrain. Reporter and just disappear. At any time you want. Day or night. Reporter driving along the border, we saw jordanian tanks and forces deployed as fears grow that isis fighters could bring the battle to jordan. The problem, of course, is not only isis fighters coming this way. But fighters who want to be with isis going the other way. That same fear on jordans northern border with syria, where abcs Alex Marquardt traveled. As jordan steps up the fight against isis, their jets screaming across the border, on the ground, jordanian men from tough, poorer towns, can cross the border into syria to join isis. Reporter after the shocking execution of the jordanian pilot burned alive, much of the arab and muslim world rallied against isis. Known in arabic as dash. Would you go fight in syria . If dash kills our brother in syria, yes, i would go there. Reporter but that execution and the Coalition Air strikes have also galvanized legions of isis supporters. In a war situation for us, you have to understand, its an eye for an eye, this man told me. When we visited the southern jordanian city of maan, which has become Fertile Ground for al qaeda and isis. The people here say at least 40 young men from this town have been killed in syria of the hundreds that have gone to fight there. Religious extremism is growing there. An impoverished city. Many are disenchanted with the king. Young men like those we met outside a mosque are also inspired to fight after watching thousands of their fellow muslims die in syrias fouryearlong war. The boys . The boys . Would you go fight in syria . And why . Translator what we watch on tv, give us the motivation to go and fight in syria. Reporter what is that that motivates you to want to go into syria and fight . Translator they are our brothers. You see how theyre being killed, you have the motivation to go and fight. Reporter many of those who answered the call to jihad from jordan have been encouraged by this man. Abu sayev, a wellknown radical cleric previously imprisoned for leading antigovernment protests. At an interview at his home, where, as a woman, i was told not to sit near him or be photographed with him, he said isis made a mistake by burning the pilot alive, but defended sending extremist fighters to syria. Tell us why you want to send fighters to syria. Translator when the Syrian People call upon all muslims to support them, we in the Jihadi Movement answered this call. And this is for the sake of god that we went to fight in syria. Reporter a fight he said that men and women are willing to face prison for or death. Were back now with admiral bob harward and our own Alex Marquardt, who has spent so many years covering this region. Admiral harward, i want to start with you. We heard the president this week request more troops if necessary. Theyre talking special operations troops. Not a massive ground troop movement. They know special Operations Force can identify the leadership, identify the Financial Support and the logistics and go after and get them. Thats what well do here. Those are the smaller units using drones, using its not just an air campaign. You have to go in there . Thats exactly right. Look, we have an Arab Coalition that wants to be proactive and engaged. S theyre part of the air campaign now. Theyll be part of the Broader Campaign as well. You have been watching this. Youve been in syria, all over this region. This is a very, very different fight than sa of isis. I think its so stunning to hear people say things like that. But thats real the root of the problem, too. You have 30,000 people willing to join isis and fight. Theyre not all leaders, thats for sure. Absolutely. The mission is to degrade and destroy isis. What we have seen is the series of execution videos, the twisted, awful videos that are horrifying to most us. But inspiring to so many people across this region. As the administration goes after and kills many of these fighters in iraq and syria, theyre still managing to recruit people from across the region and around the world. Their forces are swelling. You heard what alex said. You know this as well. How do you defeat them . Thats a great point. And thats been the problem. Over the last 12 years, we have been able to defeat the organization. But we havent been able to defeat the ideology. Some of the recent videos where youre burning a individual in a cage, i think at the end of the day, that will be counterproductive and get after this ideology. They dont think it will be counterproductive either. I mean, to some extent, in the short run, they shot themselves in the foot. The muslim world, arab world, rallying together. Certainly here in jordan, carrying out more air strikes. The United Arab Emirates starting up the air strikes again. They see this as a recruiting tool. Thanks to both of you. Now potential new threats coming to the homeland from this region. Including blunt new warnings from the fbi about isis. And fears terrorists could sneak into the u. S. Posing as refugees. Senior justice correspondent Pierre Thomas on that story. Reporter thousands of islamic radicals streaming into syria and iraq. Now more than 20,000 strong. 3400 from western countries, including america. So many that the fbi now admits its a struggle to track them all. I dont know every person there. And i dont know everyone coming back. So its not even close to being under control. Reporter Authorities Say the number of foreign fighters is at a critical point. A clear and present danger. The rate of foreign fighter travel we have seen is unprecedented. It exceeds the rate of travel and travellers that went to afghanistan, pakistan, iraq, yemen, or somalia at any point in the last 20 years. Reporter the United Nations says the civil war in syria has displaced more than 1 Million People. Creating a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. Now a new National Security problem as well. About 400 Syrian Refugees have come to the u. S. And its a tradition that Many Americans should be very proud of. Reporter syria, a hellhole of strife, forcing the United States to balance protecting National Security with easing human misery. For this week. Pierre thomas, abc news, washington. Thank you, pierre. Well have much more from jordan later. And from iran. Now to washington and my colleague, jon karl. Jon . Thank you. Coming up, our closer look at the stunning legal standoff in alabama. Why the states top judge says hes taking on the Supreme Court over gay marriage. And Vice President biden hits iowa with a message for Hillary Clinton. Back in just two minutes. Bring your vision for the future to life. For more than 145 years, pacific life has been helping families achieve lifelong Financial Security with innovative tools and strategies. 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I wouldnt have it any other way. Lo ok at that, i had my best month ever. And earned a shiny new office upgrade. I run on quickbooks. Thats how i own it. Now our closer look at the legal showdown in alabama. The states chief justice is defying federal courts. This morning, hes still vowing to block samesex marriage. Steve osunsami has the latest. Reporter in the fight over gay marriage in alabama, the latest blow is from a federal court in mobile, telling county judges to take down signs and start marrying gay couples. We have waited 33 years for this. Reporter carrie and kimberly are at the center of the case. They sued when their son needed surgery after the hospital refused to recognize them both as parents. We needed the legal protection. It was never about marge for us. It was all about protecting our family. Reporter samesex marriage is now legal in more than 30 states. When a federal judge sided with searcy and mckeon, striking down a gay marriage ban in alabama, no one less than the chief justice of alabamas Supreme Court stepped in the way. Definition of marriage is between one man and one woman. Reporter the famously antifederal chief Justice Roy Moore is still ordering county probate judges to refuse marriage licenses for gay couples. Arguing that he and the county judges are not required to listen to the federal judge in mobile. Under federal law, federal courts cant mandate their decisions on state courts. We have a supremacy clause in our constitution. When federal law is in conflict with state law, federal law wins out. Reporter the u. S. Supreme court will decide the case in june. One of its justices showing her hand. As more and more people came out and said this is who i am, as the rest of us recognize that they are one of us. Reporter but the fight in alabama could continue even if the Supreme Court side