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Iraq PM: Offensive to Retake Mosul Begins; Trump Insists Election "Absolutely Being Rigged"; WikiLeaks Releases Clinton's Goldman Sachs Speeches; Trump Losing Women Voters in Battleground States. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired October 16, 2016 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[19:00:00] ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They told us that not only did they feel, yes, more confident in their own capabilities, but that they also saw ISIS, to a certain degree, beginning to change its tactics. They no longer saw them employing wave after wave of suicide bombers. And the assumption by top Iraqi commanders, as what they were telling us, was that they believe that ISIS is really saving the best of its fighters for this final, decisive battle in Mosul.

But when it comes to the U.S. strategy at this stage, they really are trying to keep the emphasis on the notion that this is an Iraqi operation. The Iraqis are in the lead. The air strikes that are being carried out are being carried out in coordination with Baghdad. This is not the Americans leading the Iraqis to battle. This is the Americans trying to support the Iraqis to battle. Did they learn from the mistakes of the past, when they were trying to train the Iraqi security force in the past? Yes. The criticism back then was that the Americans basically trained a checkpoint army and then left the country.

One of the concerns right now is perhaps that maybe the Americans are training an airstrike army. But at the end of the day that is perhaps what is needed at this stage. But it also is important to point out that not only is the battle very important, but also what comes next. Because it's not just about defeating ISIS in Mosul and pushing the ISIS fighters out of Mosul. What comes next is arguably even more important if we're going to be talking about establishing long-term stability in Iraq. And what does that mean? Long-term stability in Iraq means that organizations like ISIS will not be able to exploit the divisions that exist here and then reemerge once again.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Incredibly important point, Arwa. Stay with me. It is the top of the hour. I'm Poppy Harlow. I want to welcome my viewers here in the United States and around the world.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

HARLOW: We begin with breaking news. We are following out of Iraq tonight. It is 2:00 in the morning in Mosul, Iraq, and that's where we're focused at this hour. The offensive to liberate Mosul from ISIS control is now underway. That word from Iraq's Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi in a televised statement just moments ago. To give you a sense of the importance of Mosul in this fight. Mosul has been in ISIS hands for the last two years.

It is the terror group's last stronghold within Iraq. Militia group and Iraqi forces have been signaling a move to retake this city for days now. This was imminent.

Our Ben Wedeman is near Mosul. Arwa Damon, as well. CNN military analyst, retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling also joins us.

Let us begin with Ben Wedeman. Ben, talk about how critical this is. Because just a few moments ago, you said that losing Mosul could be the path to ISIS becoming extinct.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Certainly from a strategic point of view, it is important. Because it is the commanding city in Northern Iraq. The second largest in the country. It's near the Syrian border. It's near the Turkish border. It is Iraq's most ethnically diverse city. Symbolically, of course, it is the largest city that ISIS controls. It has a population -- or had a population in better times of up to about two million. Now, however, many people have fled. What remains is somewhere between 700,000 and one million civilians there.

It was there on the 29th of June, 2014, where the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, declared his so-called caliphate. That was the birth of ISIS as we know it today. This Islamic State crossing the border from Iraq into Syria. That's where officially the Islamic caliphate of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi began. So, for them to lose this city represents, in a sense, the loss of the place where the caliphate was born. It does would appear -- we did hear Haider Al-Abadi, the Iraqi prime minister saying that the bell of victory is ringing when he announced the beginning of this operation. It does point to what could be one of the final and decisive battles in this war against ISIS.

HARLOW: Ben, stay with me. I want to bring in retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling. Speak to me about the U.S. role here. Because as Arwa was just explaining moments ago, this in many ways validates. If they are successful in retaking Mosul, Iraqi forces, this in a sense validates, arguably, the Obama administration's changed strategy to embolden, to properly train and equip the Iraqi forces to be able to do this themselves. Talk to me about the U.S. presence involvement in something like this.

[19:05:03] WEDEMAN: Yes, I am going to go back a little bit Poppy and suggests that yes, there's certainly been a change and, yes, there are not as many U.S. forces on the ground. And in my view, having spent over three years of my life in the country, that is a very good thing. They have to want this more than the United States does. And in fact that is what is occurring right now. But I would suggest that Arwa's earlier comment about Iraq having a checkpoint army is incorrect. And in fact, we're seeing the results of changing strategies on the Iraqis point of view too.

The reason that the second and third infantry divisions in Mosul and Nineveh province laid down their arms and ran away was not because they were a checkpoint army. I'd gone on multiple operations with elements of those forces when I was there in 2007 through '09. But what's interesting is they now have the support of the central government. They have trust and faith in their leaders in Baghdad. That is critically important. Because they are rebuilding this army from a nationalistic perspective and guarding all of Iraq, not just Baghdad.

So, what is happening now, you're not only seeing the Iraqi security forces, the Iraqi army going to Mosul, you're also seeing Kurdish forces attacking from the East, you're seeing the Iraqi police forces being reinforcing within Mosul. You're even seeing tribal leaders in Nineveh province. Yesterday, a group of tribal leaders attacked an ISIS convoy that was heading from Mosul back to Raqqa and attacked them and killed 12 fighters from a tribal force perspective. You also have the military units that are part of the battle brigade, that are actually reinforcing the fight.

Probably will not go into Mosul, but they are there. So you're seeing a pan Iraqi force conducting this operation. It isn't just Shia militia, it's not just Sunni tribes but it's all of them together. They want to regain Mosul. It's a symbol of Iraq. But what happens, as you said earlier, Poppy, what happens after the fight is critically important. You saw it yesterday. Prime Minister Barzani, President Barzani of the Kurdish region say the attack is about to begin. He has as much invested in this fight in Mosul as does Prime Minister Al- Abadi out of Baghdad.

So, you're seeing all of them saying, we have to rid ourselves from ISIS. ISIS gained a football in Mosul because two years ago, the Iraqi government wasn't accepted in Mosul so ISIS was an alternative. Since they've been there, the people and the citizens of Mosul have said, this is not a good alternative. We have to free them. And along with that, the Iraqi government has changed from Mr. Maliki to Mr. Abadi. And there is more faith in the central government of Iraq.

Let me bring in Arwa Damon, our CNN international correspondent, as well. Arwa, yes, this is underway but this is far from said and done. Give us a reality check on what it will take for the Iraqi government and Iraqi forces to truly retake Mosul. I mean, how long it took for Fallujah, for example. What is ahead for these people?

DAMON: Look, they have, first of all, a fairly -- potentially long flag to actually get to the outskirts of the city in and of itself. And some areas, yes, the front lines are closer than others, but they still do have to clear a significant amount of territory. A number of villages from ISIS control before they actually reach the outskirts of the city. And then once they enter the city, no one really knows exactly what to expect. There are upwards of a million people there that ISIS could potentially be using as human shields. We've seen them do this in some of the other villages and towns that they controlled, where they do not allow people to leave.

Where in fact, they use homes that have civilians in them to set up some of their fighting positions. We also know that ISIS has released some of its own prisoners from jail. People that it had put behind bars for crimes such as not growing their beards or smoking out into the street. Released them and are having them dig fairly complex underground tunneling systems. There is also the ongoing ISIS strategy of booby trapping areas, having suicide bombers wait behind closed doors, using suicide car bombs. Having various different roads, and lain with IEDs.

We're hearing various different reports that there are IEDs on just about every single corner. So, you have to imagine within all of this potential for violence, again as I was saying, you have this population of upwards of one million people. People who have been living under ISIS rule for two years. People who, to make a cell phone call out, have to go into hiding. Because if ISIS sees you on a cell phone, that is potentially at this point in time punishable by death because they're very paranoid about people giving out information about their locations.

This is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, challenge that this country has faced at this stage. And how the battle for Mosul goes both on the ground and in the phase that comes afterwards is not only going to define Iraq but it is also going to potentially be a very defining and decisive battle in the region, in the broader region at this stage -- Poppy.

[19:10:14] HARLOW: And Arwa, stay with me. Because we just got this statement from Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. As you know, it is 2:00 in the morning where Arwa is in Mosul. And here is what he just said to the public. Let me read it to you. "The victory bell has rang and the operation to liberate Mosul has begun. I'm announcing today the beginning of these heroic operations to liberate you from brutality and terrorism of ISIS. God willing, we'll meet soon on the ground of Mosul, where we all celebrate the liberation and your freedom."

Arwa, I know it's the middle of the night there. It is dark. There is a lot that you cannot see clearly. But what have you heard from your vantage point?

DAMON: Well, we've been hearing fighter jets overhead. There has been artillery that we've been hearing in the distance. It's also important to note that last night, there was a leaflet drop over the city of Mosul, also telling residents to cooperate with the Iraqi security forces. But also telling them to tape up their windows. To do things like disconnect gas canisters and even move them outside if needed, to not rush towards explosion sites. To not gather in large numbers. And to especially not go to explosion sites even after an explosion happens.

They've also been telling them to stay indoors and keep wet rags near them. This is the kind of advice that the government is giving. And you can just imagine the conflict of emotions within the population there. Because on the one hand, of course they no longer -- most of them -- want to live under the ISIS rule and deal with that kind of brutality, but at the same time that also brings a certain level of fear because they also don't know what to expect when these battles do erupt in earnest within the city.

HARLOW: Arwa, as for reaction from the White House tonight, the White House is pointing us to tweets from Brett McGurk, the special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition. Let me read one of those. Tweeting just moments ago.

Tonight, Prime Minister Abadi issues orders to initiate major operations to liberate Mosul after two years of darkness under ISIL terrorists. Also Brett McGurk tweeting, God speed to the heroic Iraqi forces. Kurdish Peshmerga and volunteers. We are proud to stand with you in this historic operation.

Arwa Damon reporting for us live tonight, it is the middle of the night there in Mosul, Iraq. Speaking to the magnitude of what has just begun tonight. Still a major operation ahead. We will bring you more in just a moment. Quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:16:09] HARLOW: Welcome back. We begin now with the attack. A horrific attack at the Republican headquarters in North Carolina. The political office there firebombed overnight. The GOP saying an explosive device was thrown through a window. And on the side of the building, someone spray painted the words "Nazi Republicans, leave town or else." This all happened last night there in North Carolina. The attack has been condemned of course by state officials as well as by Hillary Clinton.

And moments ago, Donald Trump spoke out as well on Twitter tweeting this. "Animals representing Hillary Clinton and Dems in North Carolina just firebombed our office in Orange County because we are winning. He continued, all safe in Orange County, North Carolina. With you all the way. We'll never forget. Now we have to win. Proud of you."

I want to make very clear, we do not know who is behind this attack. Authorities have not said who is behind the attack or if they have any leads right now. That is Donald Trump saying who he believes is behind the attack. But not saying where that information is from. Let's talk about the bigger picture here and the implications this rhetoric could have.

With me now, CNN political commentator and former public policy director for Mitt Romney Lanhee Chen, as well as Ron Brownstein, CNN senior political analyst and senior editor for "The Atlantic." Let me pull up that first tweet again, if we could. Donald Trump is saying, "Animals representing Hillary Clinton and Dems in North Carolina just firebombed our office in Orange County winning." Ron Brownstein.

RON BROWNSTEIN, SENIOR EDITOR, THE ATLANTIC: Yes. Well, look, you know, it is of a piece of what we have seen from Donald Trump, especially in the last several weeks. I mean, kind of an extraordinary escalation of rhetoric in many different fronts. Saying the election is rigged. Immediately attributing this to Hillary Clinton supporters without evidence. Other kind of conspiracy theories, kind of implying that Hillary Clinton was on drugs in the debate. Donald Trump, look, he is at a point in this race where he is struggling to get above 40 percent in the polls.

And he is, by all of his actions, speaking more to that core than he is to voters beyond it. Because I think for a lot of voters beyond those who are in his inner circle, the most alienated, disaffected elements of the Republican coalition, I think a lot of this is going to seem not so much unshackled as unhinged. But there's no question, this election is pulling at every seam in American life. And we are heading toward, you know, a conclusion that is ominously divisive really in the way everyone has kind of oriented toward this campaign.

HARLOW: Just to be clear for our viewers, I mean, Lanhee, we haven't heard from the authorities who could be responsible for this. They haven't even said, as far as I know, that there are any leads at this point in time. If you go back about a month when those two homemade bombs, those pressure cooker bombs went off in New York and New Jersey, Donald Trump was campaigning and he was making a stump speech in Colorado, I believe.

And he came on stage and he said, you know, look, a bomb just went off in New York City. At that point in time, the public didn't know what it was. And it turned out to, indeed, be correct that it was a bomb. He made that statement so quickly. And that concerns some people. Once again here, he's assigning blame to something that officials haven't yet put out there. Should that be of concern?

LANHEE CHEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. I think, Poppy, there's two issues here. The first is the world watches our presidential elections. They watch the way it is conducted. They watch how the candidates conduct themselves. And I think to a certain degree, this is the kind of rhetoric, this is the kind of jumping to conclusions that makes not just Americans nervous but I think people around the world. When they watch this, get a little bit concerned, as well. The other issue is just how we expect presidential candidates to comport themselves.

There is a certain amount of sobriety that has to come with the process in a certain amount of waiting before you speak. And look, Donald Trump, part of the appeal of Trump, particularly to his supporters, has been that he is just willing to kind of speak off the cuff and say it like it is. But I think that in our politics and in our elections, we've come to expect our leaders to act responsibly. So, I would hope that would be the tone that would ultimately prevail but it's not what we've seen in the cycle so far.

[19:21:25] HARLOW: Also, let me show this to our viewers, Hillary Clinton tweeted this before Donald Trump blamed it on her supporters saying, the attack on the Orange County headquarters of NC GOP office is horrific and unacceptable. Very grateful that everyone is safe. When you look at this tied to the rhetoric that Donald Trump has been using Ron Brownstein of a rigged election, you know, in a sense, they both go hand in hand. Right? Because there is no evidence behind a rigged election.

BROWNSTEIN: Right.

HARLOW: He didn't just say the media is bias. In a tweet today, he actually said there is rigging going on at the polls, you know, the poll locations. Polling sites.

BROWNSTEIN: Right. HARLOW: And then this, there is no evidence to this either.

BROWNSTEIN: Right. And you're having a growing list of Republican officials from Jeff Flake to Paul Ryan to the Republican secretary of state in Ohio saying, not only is this wrong but it is dangerous rhetoric. Look, as I said, I think Lanhee had it right, I mean, for Donald Trump supporters, you know, a big part of his appeal has been that he kind of violates all the norms of propriety. They believe the system is so diseased, that it is so failing to meet their needs that they want someone to come and throw rocks through every window.

The problem is, that is somewhere south of 40 percent of the country. And consistently in polling, at least 60 percent of Americans have said they don't believe he has the temperament needed to succeed as president and nearly 60 percent has said, he is not qualified to be president. And that is the reality he faces. And I think everything that he is doing in these last few weeks says, he has really kind of given up on persuading many of those dubious of his personal qualifications. And instead, he's trying to animate even more turnout from the disaffected voters at the core of his current coalition.

HARLOW: The issue is that he doesn't need the voters that he's speaking to with statements like this one, Chen. They're already on board. They're his loyalists. What he means is others that he hasn't gotten on board yet. What does this do to get him that?

CHEN: I don't know that it does very much. I mean, I think Donald Trump is -- clearly, there is a base of people that are very supportive of him and will be supportive regardless. Some of the polling that's come out this weekend suggests that his support amongst Republicans may be softer than he originally thought. So, part of this maybe, to animate more Republicans. But that's not enough as Ron has eluded to, to get him across the finish line.

He needs to be speaking to Independent voters. And nothing we've seen in the last couple of weeks, whether it was of the stuff about Bill Clinton's affairs, alleged assault, none of that stuff appeals to the Independent voter base that he might need to get him closer to 270 electoral votes. So, it is a questionable strategy if the goal is to win this election. But he is clearly animating his supporters more and more and getting them lathered up if you will as we go forward.

HARLOW: Uh-hm. And some people say the strategy is -- Ron, I was just going to say, some people say the strategy perhaps is to depress voter turnout for Hillary Clinton and to depress it on that side. And, you know, we'll see if that's part of the strategy.

BROWNSTEIN: And animated on his side. Real quick.

HARLOW: Right.

BROWNSTEIN: I mean, If you're part of the 60 percent who say he doesn't have the temperament, it is hard to identify anything that came out of his mouth in the last three weeks that would persuade you that you were wrong. This has more about energizing that the piece that he already has than it is persuading those who are dubious. HARLOW: Guys, stick around. I have to get a quick break in. And

thank you very much.

Coming up, you'll going to join me again. We're going to talk about this WikiLeaks e-mail dump. Yet another one. Details from Hillary Clinton's campaign communications. These e-mails. What impact could they have on the race at this point?

Also, what will it mean for the final presidential debate on Wednesday night? Stay with us. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:27:48] HARLOW: Wikileaks dumping yet another large batch of e- mails that the group says are hacked from the e-mail accounts of a very close Hillary Clinton aide. It is an enormous cache of information. We're talking about thousands and thousands of pages of e-mails. In some of those e-mails, strategic conversations, inner workings of the campaign, things that Clinton insiders do not want the rest of the world to see.

Back with me, Lanhee Chen and Ron Brownstein. Also with us, CNN's Cristina Alesci. We're going to begin with her because outside of some of the other comments, there are excerpts of the transcripts of the Wall Street speeches that she gave prior to running for president. Three speeches specifically to these Goldman Sachs events. What stands out to you?

CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Well, what stands out is that she wasn't as tough in those private settings as she has been publicly on Wall Street and specifically, her aides were so worried that these speeches would come out, they actually planted more critical language in later speeches so that they could leak it to the press and point to that as evidence that she is tough on Wall Street. We have an excerpt of that particular e-mail from her Speechwriter Dan Swern. He said, "I wrote a long riff about economic fairness and how the financial industry has lost its way. Precisely for the purpose of having something we could show people if ever asked what she was saying behind closed doors for two years to all those fat cats, Poppy."

So, this is incredible. And what is in those -- what is in that particular speech he's referencing, he is referencing Clinton actually citing a Wall Street executive who wrote, I'm concerned that all of us in the financial industry have forgotten the people who we actually serve. And he was talking about Main Street.

HARLOW: So, I mean, just sit with that for a moment. That is her speechwriter at the time Dan Swern saying, I wrote this in the speech to a Deutsche Bank audience for that, so that if the public or the press was demanding to see some of it, we could leak this part and it would look like you were really tough on the banks.

Ron Brownstein, implications of that for Clinton? Given, I know, the context, that obviously there are a lot of headlines about Donald Trump right now, too, so perhaps these aren't getting the attention they would be otherwise.

BROWNSTEIN: Well, look, I mean, I think the cumulative portrait from this specific episode and really all that we've seen so far is, this is a very disciplined, planned, controlled, calculating, pragmatic politician. And you know, it is -- depending on how you feel about that kind of portrait and whether Hillary Clinton is someone who seems to you as someone who kind of operates in the world of the possible or is constantly kind of tacking and maneuvering without any real center, I think it is going to be reinforced by the overall portrait of this, you know, extraordinary intervention in American politics, by what appears to be Russian intelligence.

But having said that, you know, I think above all, she comes across as very tactical in all of this in a way that kind of reflects her problem as a candidate in finding an overarching vision that people can get excited about. And really raises questions about how she would operate as president. She is very good at kind of maneuvering within kind of an existing playing field and finding immediate kind of -- a place that she feels comfortable. But can she set a long term goal? Does she have a north star that she can follow as a candidate and as a president? And I think this kind of reinforces those who have doubts about, you know, whether she has that kind of big picture vision.

HARLOW: Lanhee, to you. You worked with Mitt Romney. I believe you worked with Rubio as well, right? Ahead of the debates?

CHEN: Yes, I did.

HARLOW: So, how do you expect Chris Wallace will position this to her as a question on Wednesday night? And what would be the best way for her to answer it?

CHEN: You know, I think that the problem with this sort of treasure- trove of e-mails is that it reinforces Hillary Clinton's authenticity problem. It reinforces the idea that she scripted and so carefully managed that we don't really get to see the real Hillary Clinton. So, I think probably the question would come in the form of, how do you explain to people the difference between your private persona with the persona you have behind closed doors and perhaps the public persona that we all see?

I think for her, the best way she addresses that, and this was something I think is really missing in her town hall debate performance, she needs to demonstrate that she is human. She needs to be able to empathize with the questioner. And I think a great answer would say, look, I understand that point of view about myself. I have made mistakes in my public life. And sometimes, I haven't let people see too deeply into who I am. But let me tell you who I am. And then relate who she really is, her experience in politics and public life in a way where she's story telling as opposed to answering the question in a clinical, analytical way. I think that's when she gets into trouble.

[19:32:48] HARLOW: We're out of time. But you wonder if she will do that or go back to, look, Russia is interfering with our election and this hacking and this shouldn't be. And I wonder if she'll answer that way or if she'll try to push it on to Russia and hacking and tie Trump to that. Guys, thank you very much.

Cristina, great reporting. Thank you, Ron and Lanhee. Straight ahead, we're going to take you back to our breaking news. Tonight, the offensive to liberate Mosul from ISIS control is now underway as we speak. We'll take you to Mosul, Iraq, live. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:36:25] HARLOW: We are following the breaking news out of Iraq tonight. The major offensive to liberate Mosul from ISIS control is now underway as we speak. It is one of the largest cities in Iraq, and it is the terror group's last major stronghold within the country. The U.S. special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition tweeting. Brett McGurk tweeting just moments ago, God speed to the heroic Iraqi forces, Kurdish Peshmerga and Nineveh volunteers. We are proud to stand with you in this historic operation.

Also, he twitted tonight, "Prime Minister Abadi issued orders to initiate major operations to liberate Mosul after two years of darkness under ISIL terrorists." Again, Mosul is the terror group's last will stronghold within Iraq. Iraq's Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi saying members of the Iraqi army and the National Police right now will be the only forces entering Mosul.

We're joined by our senior international correspondent Arwa Damon, who is just outside Mosul, where it is just past 2:00 in the morning.

Also with us, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt. Let's start with you Arwa, obviously, it is the middle of the night. There is not much that you can see. Tell us what you're hearing. And also, speak to the bigger picture, what this tells us about the dramatic shift we've seen in the Obama administration's strategy to try to defeat ISIS on the ground in Iraq, specifically, by working with these local Iraqi forces.

DAMON: Well, at this stage, we're really just hearing some fighter jets overhead and, in the distanced artillery. But again, this is very much the initial beginning of this operation. There has been over the last few weeks a buildup in forces around the various different front lines that exist around the city. And just to give you an idea of what these troops are potentially going to be facing, in just getting this far and clearing the other Iraqi towns such as Ramadi, Fallujah, Tikrit and the various different villages that exists in and off a province of ISIS.

They have come across a whole plethora of very chilling tactics. Whether it is suicide bombers or roads that are in lain with IEDs or the civilian population being used as human shields. Families being forced to stay in their homes while the windows and doorways are being used as fighting positions. And even after ISIS forces are cleared from an area, there's been a number of incidents that we have been hearing about, where the Iraqi forces will then enter, go up a staircase that itself has been booby trapped, and that will then explode. This is one of the biggest challenges, if not the biggest challenge,

that this country is facing. The Iraqi security forces that were meant to be protecting the city collapsed very quickly. And that led to a lot of criticism as to what kind of a force did the U.S. actually leave behind. This time around, they have taken those forces that fell apart. They have retrained them. They have retrained other units. They have been very specific when it comes to the role that they are going to be playing. But they did also bring their assets to the table.

That air power that has really helped to boost the Iraqi security forces morale. And we saw this ourselves just covering the advance to get this far. In the beginning, if we go back to earlier this year in March and April, the forces were struggling to just clear villages. And then as they began to see more successes, as they began to move forward, we did see their confidence significantly increase. And they will say that this U.S. air power, what it is bringing to the table has been very significant in all of that.

But despite that fact, this is still a great challenge. Not just because of the different forces who you have right now that are getting ready for this battle from the Iraqi army, the police, the Kurdish Peshmerga, the various different paramilitary forces, but what is especially critical at this stage is to ensure that the mistakes of the past are not made once again. It's to ensure that this time around, the Iraqi security forces are going to continue to stand and fight as a cohesive unit, and to ensure that the divisions that existed within the Iraqi political spectrum, within the Iraqi social spectrum, are not once again exploited by a group similar to ISIS. So the battle is very critical on numerous fronts. Not just because of the future of Iraq but because this is where al Baghdadi declared his own caliphate, but also what happens afterwards is very significant for this nation, as well.

HARLOW: No question about it. And it will be anything but an easy fight. This takes an incredible amount of time and effort. Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, your analysis of the U.S. power in all of this. Obviously Arwa brought up the air strikes and the significance of them. But give our viewers an assessment of the United States' role in all of this, as this battle has just begun frankly and there is still long road ahead for Mosul.

BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY (RET.): First of all, I think it is important for your viewers to understand that it is not simply the United States but it's a huge coalition of forces from different national that are responsible. Not simply for the air power, but in the training of the forces, they've done the equipping of the forces. So, as Arwa said, if those troops are ready, it is not simply the (audio gap) nation coalition. Second of all, I think we're going to see a lot of American air power (audio gap). The U.S. air power is nullified when you're doing close combat operations inside the city.

HARLOW: Stay with me if you would, General and Arwa. We have to take a quick break we'll have much more with both of you on the other side. Again, the breaking news if you're just joining us, operations to retake Mosul, which has been under ISIS control now for two years, underway tonight. Much more after this.

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[19:46:11] HARLOW: More now on the breaking news tonight out of Iraq. The major offensive to liberate Mosul from ISIS control is underway as we speak. This is so significant because Mosul has been under ISIS control for the last two years. It is the terror group's last major stronghold in the country.

Our senior international correspondent Arwa Damon is with me, she is outside of Mosul. It is just past 2:00 in the morning there, Arwa. Obviously, you know, you've been hearing from and speaking to the civilians. The more than million people who live within Mosul. What have they've been saying to you over the past few days?

DAMON: Well, a lot of them have been just talking about how difficult things have become when it comes to trying to get food. Fresh produce has been in very short supply. Many of them have really been struggling. And just to put into perspective what it is they have been going through over the last two years, they're not allowed to make phone calls. ISIS views people who have a cell phone as potentially being informants. So, just to make a phone call, as one woman that CNN spoke to was saying, she has to sneak out of her house on to the roof, hope that she doesn't get spotted to try to make a call out to her loved ones that were able to make it out of the city.

People also have been hearing various pieces about how ISIS has been using civilian populations as human shields. Literally trapping families inside their own homes and then using their windows and doorways as fighting positions. They know that that is something that they might potentially be facing, as well. And then there is just the sheer uncertainty of it all. There was a leaflet drop over Mosul last night that was trying to give people advice on how to keep themselves safe. Telling them to put out white flags but also to tape up their windows.

To disconnect gas canisters, even remove them from their homes, to not get close to explosion sites. And to try to stay indoors and keep wet rags next to them. It's such an unspeakably difficult time right now for the population. Because on the one hand, yes, they do want ISIS rule to end, but on the other hand, all they can do is really hope that they survive the battle.

HARLOW: And a long battle ahead, no question. Arwa, you were telling me before that there are civilians within Mosul. People who have remained there, who have not fled and who have survived thus far ISIS rule, who have actually formed their own secret battalions.

DAMON: Yes. They're called Mosul battalions. And one of the things that they do is spray paint the letter "M" on walls. And that is to send a message to ISIS that they're there and they're among them. But more significant than that is that they banned together in these very small cells, in two or three groups of individuals. And they will go around and plot and plant and try to carry out targeted assassination of ISIS members. They've even tried to carry out bigger attacks by using, according to one source who we spoke to explosive that ISIS would put into places.

And they would then sneak in, and they'll dig them up and use them against ISIS targets, such as checkpoints or, again, trying to carry out these types of targeted assassinations. Based on what we are learning from some of their members, they are waiting for the Iraqi security forces and the other fighting forces to get closer, and then they plan on rising up and bigger numbers from within the city. Separate to that actual fighting force, there is another force that is also lying in wait that is going to try to ensure that chaos, such as what we saw erupting in Baghdad after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, does not happen in Mosul.

HARLOW: Arwa Damon reporting for us live tonight right near Mosul, where it is almost 3:00 in the morning.

Arwa, thank you very much for the reporting, to you and your entire team there. We appreciate it.

We're going to take a quick break. Back to politics, next.

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[19:53:56] HARLOW: Welcome back. As Donald Trump fights claims of unwanted sexual advances, some are rethinking their support of his campaign. Could that cost him some key battleground states?

Our John King looks where this is latest controversy is hurting Trump the most.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And this map looking bleak at the moment for Donald Trump. First, let's look at the national numbers. This is a brand new FOX News poll we talked about at the bit at the top of the show. Forty five to 38. Ten points for the third party candidates. But a seven point lead now nationally for Hillary Clinton. That was two points just a week ago. Hillary Clinton moving there. You look at the battleground state polls. Here are just a few of them. North Carolina, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Clinton leading.

Trump in the latest poll in Ohio is plus one. Other poll show that raise a tie or Clinton up one. That is Donald Trump's best state at the battlegrounds, the state of Ohio. What is driving this? Let's take a closer look at this FOX News data here. All this controversy about forcing himself on women is driving this. Among women, 45 and older, Donald Trump now down 12 points among -- changes since last week. Donald Trump's 12 points since last week. Among suburban women, down ten points since last week.

White women with college degrees, down seven points since last week. With Republican women, down six points since last week. If these numbers hold up, that means, you can't win Colorado because you lose the Denver suburbs. Ohio gets tougher because of the Cleveland and the Columbus suburbs. Virginia take it off the map. And in Pennsylvania, a state some think is critical, Pennsylvania. If you can't win the Philadelphia suburbs, you can't statewide. HARLOW: John King, thank you very much. You can see John's show

"INSIDE POLITICS" every weekend, Sunday morning, 8:30 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN. Quick break. We're back in a moment.

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HARLOW: It is a night of brand-new episodes here on CNN at 9:00 p.m., Anthony Bourdain takes us to China where he samples seriously spicy food in Sichuan Province. Right after that, Lisa Ling explores the heroin epidemic in America's neighborhoods. This is live at 10:00 Eastern.

But right now, time for "PARTS UNKNOWN: NASHVILLE" for some Southern fair.

I'm Poppy Harlow. Thank you so much for being with us tonight. Have a great week. Good night.

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