Mark Hurtman News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Oil going out and food going in and all other kinds of supplies that iraq needs. but it also connects the eastern part with the kurds and the western part with syria. so it really is a centerpiece of strength in iraq. and more importantly, isis wants it. this is their caliphate capital as they proclaimed in iraq. and it's critically important to get rid of the isis fighters from this very important city. >> general, i don't know if you have a monitor in your studio where you can see this. but i want to show our viewers what has happened there in and around the area in iraq in the past year. th...

Retaking the city from isis. the u.s.-led coalition is working closely to support this effort. let's bring in former army commanding general lieutenant general mark hurtman. thank you so much for being here. >> thank you. >> you, yourself, have conducted multiple patrols in that city. tell us why mosul is so important today. >> yes, indeed. it is part of my area of operations when i was a commander of multi-national and a critically important area and city, alisyn. first of all, an unbelievable history. it is where abraham was born. a population of 1.2 million. it is considered somewhat the un...

In terms of territory. now, those two red splotches around the mosul and just above tikrit are no longer connected. there has been a break in terms of isis control. are you saying, general, if it is successful today and in the weeks that follow that red around mosul will be gone? >> well, i'm not sure completely gone. it will take a while, alisyn. this will be a tough fight. the early indications are most of the iraqi insurgents inside the town, i'm not talking isis fighters those contrary to isis. doing a good job in terms of getting intelligence out to the security forces and the air campaig...