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F1: Ricciardo wins Belgium GP
8/24/2014 10:42:36 AM
- Red Bull's Ricciardo wins Belgium GP
- Rivals Hamilton and Rosberg clash on 2nd lap
- Rosberg booed on the podium
- German finished 2nd, extending championship lead
(CNN) -- Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo followed up on his superb win in Hungary by clinching victory in the Belgium Grand Prix Sunday, but it was again tensions within the Mercedes camp that made the headlines.
It was Red Bull's 50th victory, but the race will perhaps best be remembered for a crash between World Championship leader Nico Rosberg and his teammate Lewis Hamilton.
The crash, which Mercedes immediately blamed on Rosberg, eventually led to Hamilton retiring from the race whilst Rosberg finished second.
Rosberg was later booed by the crowd whilst standing on the podium.
"Completely unacceptable," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff told AFP after the race.
"That was just an unacceptable race. It is unbelievable. You should not crash into your teammate. Lap number two of a long race and a crash between two teammates, we have often discussed the situation and it happened today.
"You don't try to overtake with the knife between your teeth in lap number two and damage both cars. This is a decisive moment in the battle between the two of them and for the team.
"Lewis is very upset, we kept him out there for a long time with a damaged car. He will recover quickly. It is going to be handled."
Mercedes's Niki Lauda also apologized to Hamilton over the incident, which has placed Rosberg in pole position to win his first World Championship.
Rosberg, however, didn't see that he had done much wrong.
"I got a good run on Lewis and tried to go round the outside and we just touched in the end, unfortunately, and it hurt both of our races, but that's just how it goes," he said after the race.
"I have not seen it yet so it wouldn't be good of me to comment on it, I will have a look at it and then speak about it. I was pretty confident we could get a one-two -- we had good race speed, but unfortunately it didn't work out for us today."
Hamilton and Rosberg, both 29 years old, have known each other since their karting days, but this season's battle on the track has strained their relationship off it.
Tensions have bubbled up all season, coming to a head in Monaco following a controversial qualifying session in which Rosberg retired denying Hamilton a chance to claim pole.
More recently, Hamilton ignored a team order to let his teammate overtake in Hungary.
And the row will no doubt overshadow another incredible race from the Australian Ricciardo.
"Back home, there is a huge following for F1, but this is almost as many Aussie flags as there was in Melbourne!" Ricciardo said after the race.
"So thanks so much. It is a bit different when you lead the race for that long, it's more about composure and trying to keep steady.
"Once Nico went in I knew he would be quick at the end so I had to keep my pace up to stay ahead of him. When you are leading the first thing is you hope everything holds together, mechanically you hope everything gets you to the finish line but certainly when you are in the lead the chequered flag can't come soon enough."
Ricciardo has now won three out of six races in his debut Red Bull season.
Williams' Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas finished third.
Read more: Lewis Hamilton goes from ice cool to red hot
Read more: Hamilton and Rosberg echo Senna and Prost rivalry
Football: Player killed in Algerian league
8/24/2014 1:30:28 PM
- Striker Albert Ebosse killed during match in Algeria
- Cameroonian was 24 years old
- Ebosse was top scorer n Algeria last season
- Killed by a rock, allegedly thrown from home crowd
(CNN) -- A promising young Cameroonian soccer player was killed during a league match Saturday after allegedly being struck by a missile thrown from the crowd.
Twenty four year old forward Albert Ebosse, who was the Algerian league's top scorer last season with 17 goals, was hit on the head by what appeared to be a piece of concrete.
Ebosse played for Algerian club JS Kabylie and had scored in his team's 2-1 home defeat to USM Alger in the city of Tizi Ouzou, east of the capital Algiers.
Issa Hayatou
But as the players returned to the dressing room objects were thrown, apparently by an angry home crowd.
Ebosse died shortly afterward. In a statement, his club JS Kabylie said Ebosse had "succumbed to a head injury."
World Cup
The tragedy is one of the darkest moments for Algerian football in recent years, yet follows on from arguably the game's high water mark a few months ago.
The Algeria national team reached the second round of the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil this summer before narrowly succumbing to eventual winners Germany.
But Ebosse's death, seemingly at the hands of supporters from his own team, has cast a shadow over the game.
"My thoughts go out to the family and friends of this young man who enjoyed his job peacefully and went further to pursue his passion for football abroad," said Issa Hayatou, the Cameroonian president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), in a statement Sunday.
"African football cannot be the breeding ground for hooliganism whatsoever. We expect exemplary sanctions to be taken against this grave act of violence. Violence has no place in African football in particular and sports in general. We remain resolute and state in the strongest terms our determination to eradicate all forms of violence and unsportsmanlike conduct in stadiums on the continent."
Algeria's interior ministry has launched an investigation into Ebosse's death.
Path to Europe
Ebosse's fledgling career was on a path that many talented and ambitious African soccer player follow.
After excelling in the Cameroon league he arrived in Algeria, via a spell in Malaysia, in the hope of one day making the short trip across the Mediterranean to play in Europe, emulating the likes of the country's most famous player Samuel Eto'o.
North African clubs have dominated the continent's competitions in recent years. Their leagues, from Morocco in the west to Egypt in the east, are generally well funded, well organized and well supported compared to the rest of Africa. But the tragedy has shone a spotlight on fan violence in Algeria, a problem that many in the country believe has not been adequately tackled.
"At the moment all memories of the World Cup are forgotten," said Maher Mezahi, an Algerian soccer journalist based in the north of the country.
"Two weeks ago everyone was singing the praises of Algerian football. On the ground Algerian football needs to come a long way. He tore things up, scored 17 goals. All Algerian journalist couldn't say a bad word against him. He was softly spoken, polite, principled. It's a tragedy."
Last season Ebosse was on the receiving end of monkey chants from one set of opposition supporters. He responded by scoring, and then dancing in front of the supporters who had racially abused him.
"I think if I'm injured, black or white will not come out of my body," he told the Algerian media after the match, according to Mezahi. "Red will."
Japan landslides toll rises to 50
8/24/2014 12:12:48 AM
- NEW: 38 people are missing, news agency reports
- Authorities fear the number could be much higher
- Heavy rains have pounded the area, bringing landslides
Tokyo (CNN) -- The death toll from landslides in Hiroshima, Japan, rose to 50 on Sunday, and 38 more people were reported missing, according to Kyodo news agency.
Rains triggered massive slides Wednesday that swallowed up dozens of homes and sent residents digging in the heavy debris looking for loved ones -- some with their bare hands.
A resident of the Asakita Ward, one of the hardest-hit areas, described roads as resembling rivers.
A record 9.5 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period earlier in the week, the Kyodo news agency said. More rain came on Sunday, causing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to call off a planned visit.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui acknowledged evacuation advisories came late, Kyodo reported. Matsui said city officials will investigate how they can improve.
According to Hiroshima's disaster control center, as of Thursday morning 1,018 people had been evacuated from destroyed houses and moved to public facilities.
About 600 emergency personnel were deployed to the area.
Rescuers pull out 90 bodies after landslides in India
CNN's Tina Burnside contributed to this report
Iceland volcano alert lowered
8/24/2014 10:56:32 AM
- The alert over the potential eruption of Bardarbunga volcano is lowered
- Scientists conclude a subglacial eruption did not occur
- All Iceland airports are open and all restrictions on air travel have been lifted
(CNN) -- Iceland's Meteorological Office on Sunday lowered the aviation threat level from the Bardarbunga volcano from the highest level, red, down to orange.
With the lowering of the aviation threat level, all restrictions on air travel in Iceland have now been canceled and all airports in the country are open, according to the government.
On Saturday, the agency raised the alert level for Bardarbunga to red, which means an eruption is imminent or in progress. But the country's Civil Protection Department said on its website Sunday that a subglacial eruption, thought to be under way Saturday, did not occur.
The department said the seismic activity recorded under the ice cap of a glacier there could be something else, although an eruption is still possible. Seismic activity continues at the volcano, with two large earthquakes hitting overnight. Both measured over a 5 magnitude, the Civil Protection Department said.
Scientists have noticed an increase in seismic activity over the past seven years around the volcano, located in the northwestern region of the Vatnajokull glacier, one of Europe's largest glaciers, the Meteorological Office said.
The level dropped a little after the eruption of another volcano at the same glacier, Grimsvotn, in 2011, but has since picked up again.
According to the Smithsonian Institute Global Volcanism Program, Bardarbunga last erupted in 1910.
If it should blow its top again, it could be bad news for travelers.
Volcanic ash can be a serious hazard to aircraft, reducing visibility, damaging flight controls and ultimately causing jet engines to fail.
The Icelandic town frozen in time by a volcano
White House to attend teen's funeral
8/24/2014 4:01:51 AM
- NEW: A rally is held for officer Darren Wilson; another is held for Michael Brown
- NEW: The White House is sending three officials to Brown's funeral
- Brown was fatally shot August 9 in Ferguson, Missouri
- He will be eulogized at the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis
(CNN) -- Michael Brown will be laid to rest Monday, and his father says he just wants one thing: peace.
"Please, please take a day of silence so I can, so we can, lay our son to rest. Please. It's all I ask," Michael Brown Sr. said at a rally in St. Louis on Sunday.
Brown,18, was fatally shot on August 9 by officer Darren Wilson while walking down the streets of Ferguson, Missouri.
His death sparked days of violent protests in the St. Louis suburb. In the past three days, things have calmed down, and the town is slowly coming back to life.
Brown will be eulogized at the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis.
The White House is sending three officials to his funeral, including one who attended high school with his mother.
One of them is Broderick Johnson, who leads the White House's My Brother's Keeper Task Force. He'll be joined by Marlon Marshall, a St. Louis native who attended high school with Brown's mother, and Heather Foster. Marshall and Foster are part of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
"We don't want anything tomorrow to happen that would defile the name of Michael Brown," the Rev. Al Sharpton said Sunday. "This is not about our rage tomorrow. It's about the legacy and memory of his son, and the mother's son, and their families."
Race tensions
Two weeks after the shooting sparked violent protests, the mood turned more tranquil over the weekend with smaller crowds and lots of music. Gone were police in riot gear glaring at defiant protesters. The tear gas, rubber bullets and Molotov cocktails were nowhere to be seen, either.
In their place were clusters of officers, hanging around businesses, chatting with one another.
Race has been at the forefront of the tensions; Brown was African-American and the officer who shot him is white.
Supporters of Wilson held a rally in St. Louis on Sunday, where organizers announced they had raised more than $400,000 for the officer.
St. Louis authorities have released details of the racial and gender makeup of the grand jury, which started hearing testimony on Wednesday.
It comprises six white men, three white women, two black women and one black man, said Paul Fox, the administrator for the St. Louis County Circuit Court.
St. Louis County is 70% white and 24% black, according to last year's estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Crucial grand jury
Unlike a jury in a criminal case, which convicts someone if jurors are convinced of guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt," a grand jury decides whether there is "probable cause." They decide whether to charge someone with a crime based on testimony and evidence presented in the absence of a judge.
In Missouri, they don't have to be in unanimous agreement to press such an indictment, as long as nine of the 12 agree on a charge.
The federal government is conducting a separate investigation.
FBI agents interviewed more than 200 people as part of the U.S. Justice Department's civil rights investigation, according to law enforcement sources.
The federal investigation must prove there was an element of "racial hostility" in the shooting. That's a higher standard than the one before the St. Louis County grand jury.
The 12 members of the grand jury are crucial. They may be the first to reach a decision on whether the case will be defined as a murder charge, a lesser charge or no charge at all.
CNN's Dana Ford and Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.
Soccer boss sorry for racist texts
8/24/2014 4:44:24 AM
English football manager Malky Mackay is in hot water over racist and homophobic texts. CNN's Patrick Snell explains.
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35 Nigerian police missing after attack
8/24/2014 12:06:22 AM
- Police: Insurgents attack a police training school in Borno for the third time this month
- A search-and-rescue effort is launched for the 35 policemen
- Northeast Nigeria has been beset by violence
(CNN) -- Thirty-five Nigerian policemen are missing following an insurgent attack Saturday on a police training school in one of the most volatile parts of the African nation, police said.
A search-and-rescue effort has been launched after the third attack this month the Gwoza Training camp in Borno State, according to a statement posted online by the Nigeria Police Force.
It was not immediately clear whether anyone had claimed responsibility.
Afterward, the force's Inspector-General Suleiman Abba ordered that security be tightened around all police facilities in the country.
It's not known what happened to the missing officers, though the police force statement did say there is a "very promising prospect of locating them."
"While enjoining all citizens to remain calm and join hands with the security forces in the collective fight against insurgency, the IGP restates his determination to work closely with other security agencies to stem the tide of terrorism in the country," added the police in their statement out of Abuja, Nigeria's capital.
Nigeria has been beset by violence for some time, particularly in the northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
Much of it has blamed on the Islamist militant group Boko Haram -- whose name means "Western education is sin" in the local Hausa language. The group has bombed schools, churches and mosques; kidnapped women and children; and assassinated politicians and religious leaders alike.
READ: The road to Boko Haram's heartland
READ: Twisted ambition of Boko Haram
ISIS militants seize key air base in Syria
8/25/2014 5:50:57 AM
- NEW: Syria is ready to cooperate, foreign minister says
- It helps the group tighten its control of the province, which borders Turkey
- Syrian state media reports that regime forces evacuated the base to regroup
- Notorious for its brutal tactics, ISIS controls large areas of Syria and Iraq
(CNN) -- The Syrian regime says it's ready to accept support from the United States and others working under the U.N. umbrella to fight "terrorists."
The comments, by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, were made Monday as ISIS fighters seized control of a strategically important air base in the country.
The war-racked nation has been losing control of the northeastern region to ISIS militants.
Moallem, however, warned against any unilateral action or strikes in Syrian territory without its permission.
"Any effort to fight terrorism should be done in coordination with Syrian government," Moallem said.
Air base seizure
The Islamic extremist group, which has taken over large areas of Syria and Iraq, wrested the Al-Tabqa air base from the Syrian military on Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that monitors the conflict.
Syrian state television reported that the Syrian military had evacuated the air base in Raqqa province to regroup and was still carrying out strikes against ISIS fighters in the area.
ISIS, which refers to itself as the Islamic State, is part of the complex web of groups fighting in the long-running Syrian conflict -- a war that the U.N. estimates has killed more than 191,000 people.
The spread of ISIS
Rebels have been battling the al-Assad's regime since March 2011, and the civil war has turned the country into a haven for jihadists.
ISIS has thrived amid the chaos, gaining global notoriety for its brutal tactics including the beheading of American journalist James Foley last week.
After its break with al Qaeda earlier this year, ISIS has grown in strength and reach. Its dramatic, murderous advance in northern and western Iraq this year provoked U.S. airstrikes aimed at helping Kurdish and Iraqi forces.
U.S. and Kurdish officials say ISIS is now under pressure in Iraq. But the extremist group continues to win significant victories in Syria.
Planes moved before base fell
Al-Taqba air base is the last major military base in Raqqa province, which borders Turkey, to fall into ISIS' hands. The group now is now understood to have effective control over the entire province, aside from a few villages in the south.
The warplanes from the base had already been taken to other locations before ISIS took control, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
It said ISIS fighters were seen carrying the heads of Syrian regime soldiers. Both sides were reported to have suffered heavy losses in the battle for the base.
ISIS controls major cities in Iraq and Syria, as well as oil fields, main roads and border crossings. It also has under its control more military hardware than some national armies after seizing both Iraqi and Syrian military bases and armories.
Senior U.S. defense officials said last week that they hadn't ruled out extending airstrikes against ISIS into Syria.
READ: Ex-CIA chief: ISIS will try to attack West
READ: Opinion: Should we call ISIS 'evil'?
READ: What will it take to beat ISIS?
NY chokehold death sparks protest
8/23/2014 7:32:20 PM
- Scores of protesters to rally on New York street where unarmed man died
- Incident followed by the shooting death of an unarmed teen in a St. Louis suburb on August 9
- Deaths have thrust into the forefront the issues of force, community relations
New York (CNN) -- Thousands of protesters rallied Saturday on a New York street where Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, died after a white police officer put him in a chokehold, sparking national outrage just weeks before Michael Brown was shot to death by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.
The two cases thrust into the forefront the issues of law enforcement's use of deadly or life-threatening force and police relations with the communities they are sworn to serve.
On Saturday, as former classmates at the Normandy High School football game in Ferguson held a moment of silence for Brown and the local NAACP led a march calling for justice, demonstrators gathered more than 900 miles away on the Staten Island street where Garner died.
The "We Will Not Go Back March" was led by the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, whose members also participated in demonstrations in Ferguson.
At times, the Missouri protests erupted into looting and clashes with law enforcement officers. Organizers said thousands participated in the New York march and rally -- during which no arrests were reported.
"I have seven grandsons," said a marcher who identified herself only as Diane and said Eric Garner was her friend and neighbor. "I don't want what happened to Eric and Michael Brown to happen to them."
The march started on the street where the 43-year-old, 350-pound Garner crumbled after being placed in a chokehold during a confrontation with the police for allegedly selling cigarettes illegally.
It proceeded to the office of the county district attorney, where a grand jury is to consider evidence in the death.
"We are here looking for justice," Staten Island resident Kim Jenkins said.
Demonstrators carried signs with messages such as "Justice for Eric Garner," "Black Lives Matter" and "Hold Killer Cops Accountable."
Speakers cited a litany of names of men and woman who died at the hands of police throughout the country. The marchers included members of New York labor unions and local politicians.
Kadiatou Diallo recalled the day her unarmed 22-year-old son Amadou who was killed in February 1999 in a hail of 41 bullets fired by four police officers in the Bronx. He was struck 19 times. Before the rally, she met relatives of Eric Garner, including his wife.
"It is not a black and white," Diallo told the crowd. "We are not against the police, the NYPD or the police nationwide. It is about wrong. ... We have to stop this. Too many tears. Too many victims."
Former New York Gov. David Paterson told demonstrators: "We will not stop until somebody goes to jail."
During his fatal police encounter, Garner raised both hands in the air and told the officers not to touch him. Seconds later, a video shows an officer behind him grab him in a chokehold and pull him to the sidewalk, rolling him onto his stomach.
"I can't breathe! I can't breathe!" Garner said repeatedly, his cries muffled into the pavement.
The cause of Garner's death was "compression of neck (chokehold), compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police," said Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office. The death was ruled a homicide.
Acute and chronic bronchial asthma, obesity and hypertensive cardiovascular disease were listed as contributing factors in a controversial death that fueled anti-police demonstrations and calls for a federal charges against the officer.
The video showed Garner lying on the ground motionless after he was taken down. An asthmatic and father of six, Garner was later declared dead at a nearby hospital.
Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who is seen on the video choking Garner, was put on modified assignment and stripped of his badge and gun amid the investigation, the New York Police Department said. A second police officer was placed on desk duty. The chokehold is prohibited by the NYPD.
Two EMTs and two paramedics also were suspended without pay, according to Erika Hellstrom, vice president of development at Richmond University Medical Center.
Police Commissioner William Bratton ordered an extensive review of the NYPD's training procedures after Garner's death.
The U.S. Justice Department has said it is monitoring the investigation. If local prosecutors decline to file criminal charges, the department could conduct an investigation into whether the victim's civil rights were violated.
Opinion: The signal Ferguson sends about America
Chokehold death leads police to review training procedures
CNN's Lawrence Crook III contributed to this report.
UK: We are 'close' to identifying Foley's killer
8/24/2014 10:24:07 AM
- NEW: Foley family releases letter written by the journalist while in captivity in June
- British ambassador says voice identification technology is being used to ID killer
- A video posted online shows the militant beheading James Foley
- The militant speaks with what experts describe as an English accent
(CNN) -- British officials "are close" to identifying the ISIS militant who beheaded American journalist James Foley, according to Britain's ambassador to the United States, Peter Westmacott.
Westmacott told CNN's Candy Crowley on Sunday he couldn't elaborate on the identity of the killer, who is seen decapitating Foley in a video posted last week on YouTube.
"We're putting a great deal into the search," he said, referring to the use of sophisticated technology to analyze the man's voice.
In the video, Foley, 40, is seen kneeling next to a man dressed in black, who speaks with what experts say is a distinctly English accent.
Linguists said that based on his voice, the man sounds to be younger than 30. He also appears to have been educated in England from a young age and to be from southern England or London.
Voice, words may provide clues about Foley's killer
The video shows another U.S. journalist, identified as Steven Sotloff, being held by ISIS. The militant warned that Sotloff's fate depends on what President Barack Obama does next in Iraq.
A day after the video was posted, Obama vowed the United States will be "relentless" in striking back against ISIS.
Airstrikes continued to hit ISIS targets near Irbil and the Mosul Dam on Sunday, U.S. Central Command said in a news release. The majority of the strikes have been in support of Iraqi forces near the dam, which briefly fell under ISIS control.
Mourners pack Foley's hometown church
Meanwhile Sunday, hundreds of mourners crammed into Foley's hometown church in New Hampshire to attend his memorial Mass.
"This moment in our lives is international in scope; crossing all boundaries, yet very personal," Bishop Peter A. Libasci said. "[We are] bound together by a deep sense of human compassion and heartfelt remorse."
Foley's parents, who received a standing ovation, asked for privacy and thanked mourners for their support.
Foley disappeared on November 22, 2012, in northwest Syria, near the border with Turkey. He was reportedly forced into a vehicle by gunmen; he was not heard from again. At the time of his disappearance, he was working as a freelancer for the U.S.-based online news outlet GlobalPost.
His family released a letter Sunday said to be written in June by Foley. Because his letters were confiscated in captivity, Foley's family said he asked another hostage set to be released to commit the letter to memory.
In the letter, Foley reflects on favorite family memories -- a trip to the mall with his father, a bike ride with his mom -- and gives details of his time in captivity.
Comfort from others being held
"Eighteen of us have been held together in one cell, which has helped me. We have had each other to have endless long conversations about movies, trivia, sports," Foley wrote, describing makeshift games of checkers, chess and Risk.
"The games and teaching each other have helped the time pass. They have been a huge help."
He had specific messages of love for his brothers and sister, and to his grandmother he told her, "please take your medicine, take walks and keep dancing."
By the time he wrote the letter, he had already been held captive for a year and half, and seemed to waver between remaining hopeful for his release, while also resigned to his fate. While addressing his brothers and sister, he gives specific wishes on who his money should go to and thanks them for "happy childhood memories." But he closes the letter by addressing his "Grammy."
"Stay strong," he told her, "because I am going to need your help to reclaim my life."
The following month, over the July 4 weekend, U.S. special operations units were sent into Syria to rescue Foley and other hostages held by Islamist militants, a U.S. official told CNN. Several dozen of the most elite U.S. commandos from Delta Force and Navy SEAL Team 6 flew in on helicopters but couldn't find the hostages, including Foley.
His captors recently sent an e-mail to his family threatening his death -- a message Philip Balboni, the CEO of GlobalPost, described as "vitriolic and filled with rage against the United States."
Foley's captors demanded 100 million euros ($132.5 million) in exchange for his release, Balboni told CNN last week.
Brother: 'More ... could have been done' to save James Foley
CNN's Joshua Berlinger contributed to this report.
Caribbean storm strengthens
8/24/2014 9:48:25 AM
- It has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph
- Tropical storm warnings have been issued in parts of the Bahamas
- NWS forecast puts the storm east of the United States early next week
(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Cristobal formed early Sunday in the Caribbean, having strengthened from a tropical depression, the National Hurricane Center said.
It has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
The hurricane center issued tropical storm warnings on Sunday for the southeastern and central Bahamas as well as for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Cristobal is moving to the northwest but is expected to turn to the northeast in the coming days and miss the U.S. coastline.
Will U.S. hit ISIS in Syria?
8/24/2014 1:36:01 AM
- Administration considers hitting ISIS targets in Syria
- But there are political, international law questions
- And intervention could have other effects
Washington (CNN) -- As President Barack Obama decides whether to strike ISIS inside Syria, he has political considerations as well.
U.S. lawmakers are watching critically as Obama weighs options on how to deal with the threat from ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Many have argued the surge of ISIS is the direct result of lack of strategic action to date from Obama, while others are questioning how broadly Obama's executive authority extends when it comes to taking militarily action.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, tells CNN that unless the United States or its citizens face an imminent threat from ISIS, Obama must seek approval from Congress before extended airstrikes against ISIS inside Syria.
"I do think the president should come to Congress if he intends to embark on airstrikes in Syria for the purpose of trying to defeat ISIL," Schiff said Saturday. "If we're talking about the same kind of more general airstrikes we're undertaking in Iraq, that's something that would broaden the mission significantly. And, frankly, I think the case hasn't been made for that yet."
Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and a Republican from California, told CNN that he'd support the use of armed drones on ISIS in Syria.
"I think strikes at this point, against the Syrian ISIS, which has bled into Iraq, those steps should be taken," Royce said. "Had they been taken some time ago, I think ISIS would not have as much influence on the ground as it has now."
U.N.: 'Unspeakable' suffering in Iraqi town besieged by ISIS fighters
Royce said he would not, however, support putting U.S. troops on the ground.
"There is no support in the United States on either side of the aisle for introducing ground troops there," Royce said. "The question is: do we support the Kurds? Do we support the Free Syrian Army in their effort to turn back ISIS? And in doing that, we need to give them the heavy equipment such as anti-tank missiles that desperately they need."
"The most important aspect of this is that this needs to be a dialogue between Congress and the administration in terms of having a strategic plan forward in supporting the Kurdish forces on the ground," said Royce. "That's the infantry that is right now advancing against ISIS, and they need the support."
Perry piles on President
Republican Gov. Rick Perry of Texas tied the ISIS threat into a broader critique of six years of the Obama doctrine.
"When we think about where we are in the international scene, we think about the lack of leadership," Perry said. "When we see what's happened in Libya, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Ukraine and now back in Iraq that we were told three years ago was secure and al Qaeda was on the run and we see the enemy that we are having to deal with."
Perry, who is considering a bid for the Republican nomination in 2016, made the remarks at a rally for New Hampshire Republican activists.
The United States on Saturay carried out another airstrike in near the strategically important Mosul Dam in Iraq, according to the Defense Department. It's the 62nd such strike in support of Kurdish forces fighting for control of the dam and the 94th of the campaign against ISIS, which began August 8 and has included daily strikes.
U.S. intelligence agencies are gathering information on the locations of ISIS leadership and troops in Syria, two U.S. officials have told CNN. Separately, U.S. officials said the military has been talking about increasing airstrikes in Iraq and possibly carrying out tailored airstrikes inside Syria against ISIS targets.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey signaled the United States was gearing up for a significant change both in rhetoric and action regarding ISIS in Syria.
"Can [ISIS] be defeated without addressing that part of their organization which resides in Syria? The answer is no," Dempsey told reporters Thursday. "That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a nonexistent border. And that will come when we have a coalition in the region that takes on the task of defeating ISIS over time."
Peter Bergen, a CNN national security analyst who has researched terror groups for decades, said it will be difficult to defeat ISIS without ground forces.
'What does day two look like?'
But American's gloomy feelings of war fatigue will make consensus building for action in Syria a difficult sell.
"President Obama has been very reluctant to get involved in Syria because what does day two look like?" Bergen said. "Two of the most effective fighting forces in Syria are al Qaeda or al Qaeda splinter groups, or groups like Hezbollah, backed by Iran. So if you intervene, you may be helping Iran and Hezbollah and [Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's] regime."
Royce told CNN, however, that there are groups in Syria with which the United States can align.
"We should be arming the Free Syrian Army," Royce said. "It was the opposition to Assad. It was clear that ISIS in a vacuum would move into that position. That's what we have seen happen."
Adding another layer to the political and security calculus for the White House, intervention in Syria is more complicated than the ongoing airstrikes in Iraq due to international law, Bergen said.
"You could imagine some combination of U.S. Special Forces in small numbers, drone strikes, and airstrikes in Syria just as has been taking place in Iraq. But it's a pretty big bridge to cross," Bergen said.
"The Iraq government is inviting us to do these strikes in Iraq. The Syrian government certainly wouldn't be inviting us to intervene militarily in Syria. So there's a good question of international law, which after all the administration and the United States has good reasons to uphold."
Journalist, held captive in Syria, is heading home
8/24/2014 10:04:27 PM
- "Please know that we will be eternally grateful," his mother says
- Peter Theo Curtis is a freelance journalist and author
- He had been held for nearly two years by Islamist militants
- U.N. peacekeepers in the Golan Heights facilitated his handover
(CNN) -- An American journalist held in Syria by Islamist rebels for close to two years was released on Sunday.
Peter Theo Curtis, 45, is believed to have been captured in October 2012 and held by the al-Nusra Front, a Syrian rebel group with ties to al Qaeda.
"My heart is full at the extraordinary, dedicated, incredible people, too many to name individually, who have become my friends and have tirelessly helped us over these many months," said Curtis' mother, Nancy Curtis. "Please know that we will be eternally grateful."
The United Nations said Curtis was handed over to U.N. peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, which is under Israeli government control, and was given a medical checkup.
White House national security adviser Susan Rice said Curtis was safe, no longer in Syria and expected to be reunited with his family shortly.
He was on his way to Tel Aviv, according to a senior administration official.
The United States was not involved in negotiations for his release but was aware of private efforts to secure the release, two U.S. law enforcement officials said. It's not known whether any ransom was paid, the officials said.
Curtis' release comes just five days after ISIS militants released a video of one of its militants beheading American journalist James Foley.
"Particularly after a week marked by unspeakable tragedy, we are all relieved and grateful knowing that Theo Curtis is coming home after so much time held in the clutches of (al-Nusra Front)," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement.
Author and journalist
CNN obtained two videos that appear to have been recorded during the late stages of Curtis' captivity. In one, a gun is pointed at his head and Curtis speaks rapidly as if under duress.
He gives his name, the date and says he is a journalist from Boston.
Curtis is an author and freelance reporter who writes under the name Theo Padnos. He contributed articles about the Middle East to various publications, including the New Republic, The Huffington Post and the London Review of Books.
He has also published two books: "My Life Had Stood a Loaded Gun," a memoir about teaching literature to young offenders at a correctional facility in Vermont; and "Undercover Muslim: A Journey into Yemen," which investigates Islamic extremism.
He was born in Atlanta and graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont. Curtis holds a doctorate in comparative literature from the University of Massachusetts and is fluent in French and Arabic, according to a statement from his family. He also speaks German and Russian.
"My heart is full at the extraordinary, dedicated, incredible people, too many to name individually, who have become my friends and have tirelessly helped us over these many months," his mother said.
She added: "Theo has a deep concern and regard for the people of Syria, which is why he returned during the war. He wanted to help others and to give meaning and to bear witness to their struggles.
"I am very fortunate that I do not have to tell his whole story. He eventually will be able to do so himself."
President Barack Obama has been briefed on Curtis' release and "shares in the joy and relief that we all feel now that Theo is out of Syria and safe," said White House spokesman Eric Schultz.
"But we continue to hold in our thoughts and prayers the Americans who remain in captivity in Syria -- and we will continue to use all of the tools at our disposal to see that the remaining American hostages are freed."
Former cellmate speaks
In August, CNN spoke to Curtis' former cellmate in Syria, Matthew Schrier. They were locked up together in six prisons before Schrier broke free by climbing through a window.
"I took apart the screen, pushed the sandbags aside and I got stuck, around my waist so I had to reach in. I unbuckled my pants and as soon as I unbuckled my pants I shot right out," Schrier said.
Curtis wasn't as lucky. He got stuck. Schrier said he tried to get Curtis out, but he simply didn't fit and so Schrier left, promising to get help.
"It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do," Schrier said.
"It's hard to move on because he's still there. You know, it hasn't ended yet 100%," he said then. "I'm not going to have closure until he's home."
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, Jim Acosta, Mary Grace Lucas, Evan Perez, Jethro Mullen and Deanna Hackney contributed to this report.
China slams 'aggressive jet' claim
8/24/2014 4:41:53 AM
- Pentagon said a Chinese fighter jet was aggressive in encounter in South China Sea
- It made several "dangerous" passes at the P-8 Navy patrol plane
- At one point, the Chinese jet came within 20 feet, the Pentagon says
- White House said the incident was a provocation, raised objection with Beijing
(CNN) -- A Chinese fighter jet made several "dangerous" and "unprofessional" passes at a U.S. Navy plane this week -- coming as close as 20 feet at one point -- in what the White House called a "deeply concerning provocation."
The incident occurred Tuesday in international air space in the South China Sea about 135 miles east of the Chinese island of Hainan, the Pentagon said on Friday.
Rear. Adm. John Kirby, the Defense Department spokesman, described a flamboyant approach by what he called an armed Chinese fighter jet that three times crossed beneath the Navy Poseidon patrol aircraft with "only 100 feet of separation."
"The Chinese jet also passed the nose of the P-8 at 90 degrees with its belly towards the P-8 Poseidon, we believe to make a point of showing its weapons load," he said.
It then "flew directly under and alongside the P-8, bringing their wing tips to within 20 feet, and then conducted a roll ... over the P-8, passing within 45 feet," Kirby added.
Sounding exasperated, he called the maneuvers by the Chinese jet "pretty aggressive, very unprofessional."
Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said it was "obviously a deeply concerning provocation and we have communicated directly to the Chinese government our objection to this type of action."
Rhodes said the United States has encouraged "constructive military-to-military ties with China" and "this type of action ... violates the spirit of that engagement."
China slammed U.S. accusations, calling them "totally groundless" and saying its jet was within safe distance.
The Chinese fighter jet was deployed to make "regular identification and verification," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told state-run Xinhua news agency.
Encounter recalls 2001 incident
In April 2001, a U.S. reconnaissance plane carrying a crew of 24 collided with a Chinese fighter, forcing the U.S. craft to make an emergency landing on Hainan.
Blaming the United States for the incident, Chinese officials said their fighter crashed into the South China Sea -- killing the pilot.
The United States called for the immediate return of the high-tech EP-3 aircraft and the crew.
The crew were allowed to return to the United States 11 days after the collision -- and the dismantled spy plane was flown home some weeks later.
China wary of Japan defense plans
U.S., Chinese warships come dangerously close
2001: U.S. plane collides with Chinese fighter
CNN's Jamie Crawford and Tina Burnside contributed to this report.
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