Quesqueezing Isis News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Isis. we heard a robust defense of the u.s. strategy and the president said we have ramped up the response. we are quesqueezing isis at the heart, strong language, and sending defense secretary carter to the middle east to review the strategy on the ground, secure commitments from u.s. allies. take a listen. >> just as the united states is doing more in this fight, just as our allies, australia and italy, are doing more, so must others. and that's why i've asked secretary cart tore go to the at least middle east. we'll leave right after this press briefing to work on securing more contribution...

For? >> what they'd like to see is more cooperation from our allies and maybe some people who haven't been our traditional allies. his itinerary for security reasons has not been publicized. but this is an acknowledgement of a couple of things, one, an increasingly nervous public as we're heading into the holidays. a lot of people will be traveling. in the wake of san bernardino and before that paris, the concern that another isis attack could be in the works. certainly they've made it clear that's something they would like to do. we saw an impressive show of strength around that table today. ...

The president met with national security leaders to get an update on the u.s.-led fight against isis. after the meeting, president obama made a statement where he highlighted gains against the terror group. >> since this summer, isil has not had a single successful major offensive operation on the ground in either syria or iraq. so far, isil has lost about 40% of the populated areas it once controlled in iraq. and it will lose more. iraqi forces are now fighting deeper into ramadi, to encircle fallujah and cut off isil's supply routes into mosul. these are urban areas where isil is entrenched....

These vetting processes, a pilot project under way and three of they will right now to do this and looking at expanding it to all visa applicants and all of these k-1 or fiancee applicants. >> with all due respect, seems like one of the things where the government is three steps behind everybody else. employers looks at the social media experience before they offer you a job. >> they do other things that employers don't. they look at criminal records, this was never anything that they did in the past and now it looks like they'll do it in the future. >> while you're here, the other reporting y...

Center before he heads off for his christmas holiday. kate? >> chris, thanks so much. let me bring in nbc news chief pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski. jim, talk about the president highlighting gains made. he certainly listed many military advances and then talked about isis leadership who had been taken out by the coalition. he's trying to send a message here. >> that's right. in an effort, as chris just said, in an effort to ease concern of americans. he set out the most positive light on what is happening there in iraq and syria. u.s. military officials will tell you that there has b...