Iraqi Armed Forces Prepare Assault on ISIS Held City of Mosul
WHITFIELD: Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. So ISIS is now telling its wounded fighters they can get out of Mosul as Iraqi forces prepare for a major battle to retake the city. The city has been in ISIS hands for the last two years and is the terror group's last stronghold inside Iraq. CNN's Ben Wedeman is near Mosul. So Ben, how close are Iraqi forces to moving in on that city?</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, it appears that the day of reckoning for ISIS is Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, is perhaps only days away. Iraq has mustered tens of thousands of troops as well as Kurdish forces. There are American forces in the theatre as well. Paramilitary units seem to be all primed for this offensive, and many with Mosul are getting the message. We're hearing from sources inside the city that there are ISIS fighters who are starting to panic, apparently expressing concern that perhaps maybe they can take advantage of an amnesty offered by the Iraqi government. Others are simply getting out of town. We heard from sources inside Mosul today that six buses full of men as well as women and children left the city, and that 14 ISIS members apparently who were fleeing without permission were executed including two leaders among them. In the meantime we understand that ISIS has released prisoner, people being held for minor offenses like not cutting their beards properly, wearing clothes not approved by ISIS, smoking cigarettes. They've been leased from prison to dig tunnels and trenches around the city. So the city is bracing for this onslaught, which could happen anytime, Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Ben Wedeman, thank you so much from near Mosul. All right, back to politics and the race for the White House in this country. Donald Trump refusing to back despite facing multiple accusations about his behavior towards women. None of the accusers filing formal complaints that we're aware of. Straight ahead, the legal ramifications Trump could face, this as we wait for him to speak live in Bangor, Maine. We'll be right back.