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Lost a quarter of the area that it once controlled in iraq and syria. jennifer griffin works the pentagon for us and is there this afternoon. jennifer, secretary carter seemed to indicate that the united states could be getting more involved in iraq. >> that's right. last week he surprised lawmakers by announcing plans to send a special operations task force to iraq. today he indicated, shep, the u.s. is going to do more in close support from the air. >> the united states is prepared to assist the iraqi army with additional unique capabilities. to help them finish the job. including attack hel...

Will we see a slide toward more troop commitments overseas? >> i think the secretary has laid out that he has a very specific footprint that he wants to put over there right now which involves the -- bringing in several hundred more troops. but to do more offensive operations. we already have a pretty big foot print there right now with people who are doing training missions. we may need to expand the training mission in order for those forces, the iraqi, kurdish and other forces to link up with our special forces so they can do these very advanced and deep missions inside of syria. >> will th...

Targets, carrying out more than 8,600 air strikes. an estimated 23,000 isis supporters have been killed 3,000 in the last month alone. the "uss harry truman" is headed to the gulf and expected on station in the coming days. 3,500 american troops are currently on the ground in iraq. defense secretary ash carter announced last week he was sending a new special operations task force to erbil. >> we have the long reach that no one else has, and it puts everybody on notice in syria. you don't know at night who's going to be coming in the window. >> reporter: the u.s. has carried out nearly 80% of t...

>> important to note the report was commissioned before the president's -- did what the president said last night address what this report seems to call for? >> i think the president is engaging the american public and trying to understand the dynamics and metrics aren't something seen in the news media every day. we now have a special operations task force in iraq that's going to change the dynamic on the ground. we're going to start cutting roads and taking terrains and helping other forces behind isis' line.

Fighting another ground war in iraq or syria. it's more effective to use our capabilities to help partners on the ground secure their own countries' futures. >> the president was making the point he wasn't prepared to put boots on the ground to take down the assad regime. that's the quote you've pulled there is a very different situation. but because the responsibility is they have is not to lead the charge to take a hill. but rather, to offer advice and assistance to those local forces. about the best way they can organize their efforts. to take the fight to isil. >> okay. the white house, th...