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Length: 5:21
WOLF BLITZER: In Baghdad
today a suicide truck bomber hit a U.S. Army outpost
killing two American soldiers and wounding more than
two dozen. One soldier died at the scene. The other
died at a U.S. combat hospital. CNN was there. We
have this exclusive video.
Two other American troops died in Iraq today, but for
the Iraqis the toll much, much higher. Baghdad has
been especially hard-hit. More than 100 bodies were
turned up in the past three days, apparent victims of
sectarian death squads. The U.S. military is hitting
back.
And joining us now from Baghdad is Michael Ware, our
correspondent. Michael, you just got off an embed.
Where did you go this time? What did you see?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this was
quite interesting. This is -- we're seeing the Battle
of Baghdad stepping up to a new level. This is the
ongoing, massive military operation called Operation
Together Forward designed to reclaim the capital from
death squads, insurgents and militias.
What we saw today was thousands of U.S. troops hit
for the first time a stronghold of the rebel
anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. This is an area
that it is known that death squads are running from.
What we have seen in the past is Americans moving
into areas where the death squads have been hitting.
This time, they went to death squads' home patch for
the first time.
BLITZER: Muqtada al-Sadr, though, this radical Shiite
cleric, he's close to many within the Iraqi
government of Nouri al-Maliki. What do they say, the
Iraqi government, about the U.S. going after this
militia?
WARE: This is a very complicated issue here, Wolf. I
mean, the new prime minister is essentially a man
with very little power. He has no popular votes, and
the political currency in Iraq is weapons. The power
of politics still comes at the barrel of a gun, so
this is a prime minister, a man without a militia.
Now, he does have some backing from Muqtada al-Sadr,
and his enormous Jaish al-Mahdi militia. So there's a
very complicated relationship there. So as the
Americans move against one of Muqtada's strongholds,
there's a number of very interesting issues.
For a start, I was told by a U.S. officer that the
prime minister had to sign off on this operation.
Also, the Americans had to use Iraqi security forces,
army, police and the controversial Ministry of
Interior forces, though they weren't alerted until
late in the piece, shortly before the raid. As one
American commander told me, the militias knew we were
coming.
BLITZER: Michael, I just heard you say that there's
fear that there could be moles in Iraqi government
that could give a tipoff to this Shiite militia that
potentially could endanger the thousands of U.S.
troops you were with?
WARE: Well, this is very much an ongoing issue. I
mean, it's been raised many, many times by U.S.
military intelligence and at the highest levels of
the embassy here in Baghdad, this close connection
between large chunks -- in fact, key elements -- of
this government, with not only these militias but
their Iranian backers.
So very much this was a factor that was working to
the planning for this mission, for this new phase of
the Battle of Baghdad. The American officers said
that clearly leakage of information was a part of the
issues involved. So very much we see that that is at
the forefront here -- Wolf.
BLITZER: I know you got close to what's called Sadr
City, the slum part of the Iraqi capital, a huge
area, mostly Shiite. How bloody was this battle for
the U.S. troops that you just eyewitnessed?
WARE: Well, what happened today was very much -- was
very interesting. I mean, this is the first phase of
an operation into this district that we'll see
continue to see roll on in days to come. But by and
large, it was a passive operation. I mean, the people
were there, ready, waiting, kind of welcoming but
kind of not.
I mean, for a start, we had a sniper attack that
wounded a U.S. soldier. I believe that he was only
lightly wounded. There was also an IED or roadside
bomb attack on a Stryker armored vehicle. And also,
when I was talking to some of the locals there, they
pointed to the American soldiers and they pointed to
me as a journalist and said, "Jaish al-Mahdi" --
Muqtada's militia -- like this.
When I asked them where is Muqtada's militia, they
said, oh, they're off having breakfast. So that's the
kind of place this was. So even though it was quiet
on the surface, that doesn't necessarily mean
anything.
By and large, what intelligence sources believe is
happened is that these guys know that the Americans
are coming. They move out and let the operation wash
over. Then they return once the control is given back
to the Iraqi police, Wolf.
BLITZER: This battle for Baghdad is going to be
fierce as a lot of U.S. military leaders have
suggested. As goes Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, so
goes the Iraqi nation. Michael Ware on the scene for
us, doing some very courageous reporting. Thank
you.