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not from kim jong-un, leader of north korea. i think they've backed off a bit since president trump made these much more serious threats. i agree with what's been said. let's see how they respond to these exercises. if they stay quiet that shows that this tough trump approach might be working. >> rick, the other issue that is front and center of for the white house has been a decision on an, on afghanistan's strategy change just a short time ago. general mattis said, "that the president has made a decision on afghanistan." he wants to announce it to the american people adding he's staying silent exactly what that decision is and it's up to the president to announce it. what are the options on the table for the president, rick francona, regarding afghanistan? what could we see? more troops, fewer troops? what are the actual choices the president is faced with here? >> i think most of what they discussed is, are we going to increase u.s. troop levels and actually put american combat
then that tells us a lot about the war of words. >> and rick francona, going into the last couple weeks, a lot of talk from the white house, from the president. that the president has a different approach to this. these going to be tougher. what's the bottom line here? is u.s. strategy -- has it changes with regard to north korea? pushed north korea somehow in a better direction than they were a couple of weeks or months ago or when the president came into office? or are we going back into that same sort of -- i don't if equilibrium is the right word, the same back and forth for the last couple years? >> i think it's ratcheting back down and we saw a key move, when the leader decided to call off this planned demonstration, warning shots against guam. i think that that really started to diffuse the tension, and i think what we're seeing now, diffusing the crisis, but the problem's not going away. we will continue to have this -- this almost brinkmanship with north korea, and the start of
for miscalculation. >> and the u.s. military says those drilless go ahead and planned starting tomorrow. asia time. coming tonight, u.s. time. bringing in cnn's kim la in tokyo. david rode at the "new yorker" and global affairs analyst lieutenant colonel rick franc a francona, former military attache in syria. and we're at the end of two volatile weeks in rhetorical terms, when the president laid out that famous fire and fury comment and the reactions in the region. the sort of rhetorical one-upmanship coming from north korea. threats of firing missiles towards guam. what is the feeling in the region right now? are things calming down? is there concern still about a military versus a rhetorical escalation there? >> what everyone is watching for
fighting isis. many deeply concerned healing has to happen fast and reconstruction and a lot of things here. right now we're seeing iraqi state tv pictures of the prime minister shaking the hands of fellow iraqis, trying to politically send a message this chapter is behind them, but everyone knows there are tough months ahead. >> indeed. nick paton walsh, thank you so much from erbil, iraq. bringing in cnn pentagon correspondent barbara starr and lieutenant colonel rick franc a francona. good to see you both. we haven't heard from the u.s. 0en this claim? >> reporter: a bit of behind-the-scenes diplomacy going on, fredricka. the u.s.-led coalition is waiting for prime minister abadi to make the official announcement. know he's out there, walking through mosul congratulating this troops, looking at what has been happening there. they want to give him that moment. once he comes out and makes an official statement to his
iraqs, the necessary initial first step, but there are other areas they have to address. including this pocket, as i said, and importantly, the euphrates valley up to the syrian border. >> with all that, barbara, how will the u.s. military be utilized or involved? >> reporter: clearly the u.s. will take very much a leading role in overhead reconnaissance, aircraft and drones flying overhead almost constantly looking for isis targets, just as rick was saying. to go after them. you can have troops on the ground, but they're going to have to have aircraft overhead, patrolling these vast areas and look for the isis targets. securing strategic lines of communication. securing oil fields. making sure that isis isn't coming back. so look for that air activity, including air strikes to continue and look for u.s. special forces. u.s. troops. to be on the ground much closer to the front lines with iraqi