U.S. Ramps Up Airstrikes Against ISIS
CABRERA: The city of Kobani has been under attack by ISIS militants. Nick, what can you tell us about this -- what could be a strategy shift sounds like on ISIS' behalf?</s>NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, certainly, I think we have to take a deep breath in thinking about ISIS, managing to get controlled of an Air Force at this stage. We know from activists near Aleppo, that's the key city in the north of Syria, is that in one airbase to the east, which is controlled by ISIS called Algera (ph), witnesses and residents spotted three war planes circling that particular base which they've heard and have been told piloted by Islamic state ISIS militants who have been taught how to fly them by former Iraqi air force pilots. Now, this shows you the scope of the ambition that ISIS has to try and expand that technological capabilities, and also tells you how many people used to be in the Iraqi military, Sunnis, are now actually in ISIS assisting them. So, yes, it's worrying certainly. Another caveat, though, Ana, these planes if they get off the ground are going to face problems in maintenance, supplies, the amount of mu munitions to be effective on the battlefield and, of course, bear in mind the U.S. air force and the Syrian air force they're going to be little match for NATO aerial weaponry -- Ana.</s>CABRERA: As far as the battle there on the ground, we heard in the last 24 hours that the Kurdish folks, the troops that were the Kurds that are fighting ISIS there in Kobani had actually made some progress and that the dozens of air strikes that the international coalition had set off there were having some kind of marginal impact. What can you tell us about that situation at this moment? Have the Kurdish folks taken back control?</s>WALSH: Over the weekend, you know, it was really bleak here for Kurdish supporters. We saw ISIS moving in to a lot of territory, but a remarkable turnaround I think has been to coalition power over 50 airstrikes in about 72 hours. That's a lot of firepower being put into assist the Kurds. Of course, as the Pentagon said they had a lot of potential targets that they've been hitting because ISIS is moving into the city, sending its resources to try and win the fight. But it appears to have changed things. They, yes, we're seeing jets in the sky, we're seeing many less explosions over and around the city, and we're certainly seeing reports from Kurdish fighters who say they're now fighting in the far east, that used to be the ISIS stronghold. In the south that also used to be where ISIS were, and I think it's down to the fact each time maybe ISIS tries to use the key access roads to get reinforcements in, they're risked being hit by coalition air power. You got to bear in mind, though, this doesn't mean it's over, far from it. ISIS may come back later, the Kurds I've just spoken to their political leader on the phone, he said, you know, "We need now weaponry, we need anti-tank weaponry to hold ISIS back." He was very grateful for coalition air power, that it had really helped but they do need, they say, weaponry now to be allowed in so they can hold the city themselves -- Ana.</s>CABRERA: All right. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh there on the Turkey/Syria border -- thank you very much for that update. Let's dig deeper with General Mark Kimmitt joining us right now. First, I want to get your reaction to what we're hearing about ISIS potentially having ability and access to jets now. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY</s>CABRERA: We just heard Nick Paton Walsh say there have been about 50 air strikes in the last 72 hours there around Kobani. How effective are you seeing the air strikes be and are the results we've been seeing what you would expect at this stage in this battle against ISIS, given the current strategy?</s>KIMMITT: Well, I would suspect that we've got to be careful about drawing conclusions at this point in the battle. It may simply be that the airstrikes are causing the ISIS fighters to hunker down. What is clear is that it seems to be giving a morale boost to the Kurdish fighters and if they can be resupplied and even better reinforced by additional Kurdish fighters, that may tip the balance. But I think the sheer quantity of air strikes alone hasn't been conclusive and we're going to need some time to see if that's really going to have a marked effect on the battlefield.</s>CABRERA: Now, what are airstrikes doing? According to Central Command, this week's air strikes have so far hit 19 ISIS buildings, 10 other targets, also the command post, sniper positions and ISIS staging locations. So, it's making a dent maybe when you look at least that information, but when you compare the cost of each of these airstrikes to what the coalition forces are actually taking out, like we show the sniper positions, for example, do you think that the benefits outweigh the cost?</s>KIMMITT: Well, certainly we cannot allow Kobani to fall to ISIS. The psychological victory, the strategic victory that would be used by the fall of Kobani would be heralded by ISIS around the world as their demonstration that they can defeat the largest coalition in the world. It would be a recruiting magnet for additional fighters. So, while if you look at it as in dollars and cents, it doesn't make sense but if you look at what this could possibly do, should ISIS take over Kobani, I think that the military is making the right decisions on the effort they're putting towards holding and retaking Kobani.</s>CABRERA: So, you're saying it would be a horrible thing to lose Kobani while the Pentagon at least earlier this week or previously has said Kobani really isn't that important when you look at the bigger picture in terms of strategy. So, has there been a shift in terms of the value of this city?</s>KIMMITT: Well, again, tactically it's not that significant. Militarily it's not that significant. It's a small little town along the border with Turkey. However, it has attracted the attention of the world. The world is watching the coalition fight ISIS, and because of that, a victory by other side in Kobani will have a psychological and strategic communication victory that far outweighs the tactical military victory to which ever side that wins.</s>CABRERA: All right. General Mark Kimmitt, thank you so much for joining us, from Cairo, today. Still to come, Ebola fears spreading to the cruise industry now. A passenger on a Carnival Cruise has been isolated after the CDC says she may have handled lab samples from Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan.