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Length: 5:06
WOLF BLITZER: In Iraq,
it's another day of bombings and dead bodies turning
up in the streets.
Meanwhile, Iran has its own view of what's behind the
violence next door.
And joining us now, our correspondent in Baghdad,
Michael Ware -- Michael, as you know, the president
of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, has been meeting with the
Iranian leadership, including the supreme ayatollah
today, who accuses the United States of fomenting all
the sectarian strife in Iraq.
What's going on right now in terms of Iran's
influence in Iraq?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, many
would argue that, in fact, it's Tehran that has much
more influence over this government than Washington
does. Indeed, some would argue that beyond the prime
minister's office and the office of the national
security adviser, this government isn't much more
than just an alignment of militias that, in one way
or another, have a connection to Tehran.
So, you can see that the Iranian influence here
really is quite strong. And in many ways, we can't
expect a lot to be delivered from these meetings in
terms of U.S. interests. I mean what Tehran will be
looking for from the U.S. is that it won't take its
foot off the accelerator until the U.S. gives it some
of the things that it wants.
Tehran in Iraq has the U.S., has Washington caught
essentially in a vise between al Qaeda and the Sunnis
on one side, and America's Sunni Arab allies in the
region like Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and
Iran's own regional aspirations on the other.
So this is really quite a development for Iran and
U.S. policy in the Middle East.
BLITZER: Because, as you know, many American analysts
have feared that the Iranians are trying to create
this Shiite-led access from Iran through Iraq through
Syria to the Hezbollah, the Shiites in Lebanon, as
well. And this is very alarming to the Sunni Arabs in
Saudi Arabia and Jordan, in Egypt and elsewhere.
Is this concern realistic based on what you see?
WARE: Well, it's certainly true that U.S. military
intelligence believes, and as General Abizaid this
week has said, that hard-line elements, particularly
of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, or
its equivalent of the Green Berets, are still
entrenched in their policy of exporting the Islamic
revolution of the mold that Tehran has set. And that
continues.
We see their influence in southern Lebanon with
Hezbollah. And they're claiming victory there with a
key American ally, the Israeli Defense Forces, seem
to have been defeated.
So, literally their tails are up. Here in Iraq,
during a period of American strategic uncertainty,
with the resignation of Secretary Rumsfeld, the
upheaval of the mid-term election, it's evident that
Tehran will be looking to press its advantage.
So, yes, this is a time for Tehran to be looking to
make the most of its gains.
BLITZER: Is there any realistic chance that the prime
minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, is going to clamp down on
Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia?
WARE: Oh, no chance whatsoever. I mean, like we're
saying, I mean, what is the reality of the government
of Nouri al-Maliki?
It's little more than an apparition. And Nouri
al-Maliki relies upon his position from Muqtada
himself. So he can't blow back on that, even in the
face of American pressure.
BLITZER: So, what is the next step? What happens
next, as far as you can tell?
WARE: Well, there's many roads that could be taken
from this point on, Wolf, and none of them are
terribly attractive. We'll see what comes out of this
week's meeting in Jordan between the prime minister
of Iraq and President Bush. We'll see what shakes out
of the tree following President Talabani's visit to
Iran. We'll see what comes of the Baker-Hamilton
Commission.
But honestly, there's so many options right now and,
Wolf, none of them are attractive at all.
BLITZER: Michael Ware is our reporter in Baghdad.
Michael, thanks.
WARE: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Let's go to New York.
Jack Cafferty has "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The more I see him,
the better I like him. Boy, he's good.
BLITZER: And, you know, he's a courageous guy. I
can't help but stress, three-and-a-half years he's
been on the front lines covering this war. That takes
a lot of guts.
CAFFERTY: And speaking from, you know, from the gut
and from the heart and spitting back facts to the
questions, not political posturing or position
papers. It's, "I'm here and this is what's going on,"
and, boy, is that refreshing.
CAFFERTY: If Michael Ware runs for president, I'll
vote for him.
BLITZER: He's originally from Australia, so I suspect
he can't.
CAFFERTY: Change the law.
BLITZER: OK, Jack.