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Length: 3:19
WOLF BLITZER: So what
impact will the departure of Donald Rumsfeld and the
political turnabout here in Washington have on the
war in Iraq?
Let's turn to CNN's Michael Ware.
He joins us live from Baghdad. What's the likely
reaction going to be, first of all, in the Iraqi
government of the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, I mean,
clearly the Iraqi government has no influence over
the appointments within the U.S. administration.
Indeed, the administration makes it very clear that
Iraq itself is a sovereign government. I mean,
really, they're just going to have to accept this,
obviously, and they're going to have to work with
whomever is in the position that has now seen -- been
filled -- Wolf.
BLITZER: What about the insurgents or the terrorists
or those who presumably might say, you know what?
This is a victory for the insurgency, those who are
against the United States. It's a sign of American
weakness. That could cause, potentially, some serious
ramifications.
WARE: Certainly. I think you will see the insurgent
propaganda campaign attempt to capitalize on this in
any way it can. I mean it's leapt on every
opportunity that has come its way in the past and as
we are well aware, they monitored this election very
closely.
So the aftershocks they're seeing with the departure
of Secretary Rumsfeld will have registered out in the
insurgency and they'll very clearly start including
that now in their information operations or
propaganda.
BLITZER: And there was a strong message sent from
Washington -- don't misread what is happening because
U.S. resolve, according to the White House, still
remains strong in dealing with the insurgency, in
dealing with the war in Iraq.
On a day to day basis, though, as you talk to U.S.
troops -- and you've been embedded with a lot of U.S.
military personnel over these past three years plus
-- what do you sense they're saying to themselves as
they are on the front lines actually fighting this
war?
WARE: Well, Wolf, someone here in Baghdad -- be it
the soldiers, be it people from the State Department,
be it contractors, be it anyone involved with the
U.S. mission here -- the big question now is what
will this mean to us here on the ground? Is this
going to be a shift?
I mean there's been many schools of thought, within
military circles, political circles, within strategic
analytical circles about the path for this war, about
assessing the true nature of this war, what the
problems really are and how to address them.
So they'll be asking, does this change that? Is this
a signal of any kind of shift in policy or in
thinking? And most urgently, one wonders what the
generals must be thinking?
They'll now be wondering what will happen if they ask
for more troops, if they ask for a different kind of
composition of their forces.
Who's going to decide? Is there a clear policy line?
Everyone is going to be asking themselves these kinds
of questions -- what does it mean, Wolf?
BLITZER: Michael Ware reporting for us from Baghdad.
Michael, thank you.
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Length: 2:31
LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR:
The war in Iraq had a huge impact, of course, on this
midterm election. Now, just what sort of effect will
these election results have on the war itself and our
troops?
Joining us now from Baghdad, our Michael Ware.
Michael, do you think the events of the last 24 hours
will change anything on the ground there any time
soon?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly not
in the short-term, Lou. I mean, you cannot turn an
oil tanker at sea on a dime. I mean, even if there's
the greatest intent or will for dramatic or urgent
change it's simply not doable in such a short
timeframe. And the real question that I'm sure the
Iraqi government is asking itself, Tehran and
Damascus will be asking, and commanders here on the
ground will be asking is how real a change is this
going to be.
Does this in fact signal some kind of a shift in
strategic thinking within the White House? How much
is this going to compound what could lead to a period
of some strategic confusion as the House determines
what its way forward shall be and how that works in
concert with the administration, specifically the new
secretary.
I mean the bottom line is everyone is going to be now
wondering how will it impact strategy as it relates
to here on the ground. And quite frankly, that's wide
open in the wake of the election, and now in the wake
of this stunning development with the resignation of
Secretary Rumsfeld.
DOBBS: That resignation of Secretary Rumsfeld,
Michael, you work with every day our troops in the
field, there in Baghdad, what's the reaction of those
troops to the secretary's resignation?
WARE: Well, it's very difficult obviously for the
troops to talk, certainly publicly about their
opinions of the secretary. I mean, though civilian
leadership, that's the top of the military chain.
They cannot criticize their leadership. And since the
announcement came here in Baghdad, 8:00 p.m. local
time just on the eve of curfew, it's been impossible
for me to speak to troops. But I know there's been
enormous disenchantment with Secretary Rumsfeld and
the troops will be hoping that this is a signal of
some change. They just don't know what.
DOBBS: As do none of us. Michael Ware, thank you very
much. Michael Ware reporting tonight from
Baghdad.