Taking Raqqah News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Syria. this amongst all of the other casualties that we were just mentioning in the lead up right now. where are we at, and what are you hearing in terms of what's happening in the region? >> it's an unmitigated disaster at this point. and it -- a good way to think about this, let's start with isis, is, richard, as if you're a californian, you know about forest fires. once the forest fire appears to be out, there's still a lot of embers on the ground. what we've done effectively despite the fact that we put out a lot of the forest fire by taking raqqah, by taking career to away from the islami...

Authorities. so please, let me know what's changed. >> congressman, what has changed? >> the approval authorities is huge. they have put the soldiers on the battlefield in charge of those decisions. they pushed those decisions down. and by the way, what has changed, general, and you should know this, is that they have allowed the special capability forces to go down range in places they were not allowed before. it was, as i said, it wasn't this huge and significant difference other than we know that leverages up the fighting capability of those troops. if you talk to the soldiers who have been...

Tonight, president trump taking full credit for the fall of isis, as american officials announce that major military operations have ended in raqqah, syria. the city, of course, that isis claims its capital. today, president trump said it's all thanks to him. >> i totally changed our military. i totally changed the attitudes of the military, and they have done a fantastic job. yeah, isis is now giving up. they're giving up. they're raising their hands. they're walking off. nobody has ever seen that before. >> why did that happen? >> because you didn't have trump as your president. >> president...

One thing he did get right today, he did change the rules of engagement that i think did help speed up the plan. general, you're just wrong about that. so we -- >> i don't agree with that, congressman. that's not true at all. there was not that many changes in the rules of engagement. you talk to the soldiers on the ground and they'll tell you that. >> i have talked to soldiers on the ground, including leadership as well. i will tell you, the plan on the ground has been on the ground. this plan to go ahead and move toward rocky has been on the books when president obama was in charge. the one ...

Way to root out isis is you to take territory from them. you have to define them in the world's eyes as losers. and you define them as lewers by taking raqqah. by going in and eliminating them in raqqah. >> mark halperin, eugene robinson thank you were jep greenfield thank you as well. we're going to get a live report from nbc news chief global correspondent bill neely on the manhunt for the linchpin in the attacks who seems to be taunting law enforcement in a magazine interview. from different sides of the aisle but they both question president obama's thoughts on isis. you're watching "m...