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SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: In Iraq today, lots of activity in
the search for that U.S. soldier who's been missing
since October 23rd. American forces are now in a
so-called dialogue with the Iraqi government. CNN's
Michael Ware in Baghdad for us this morning.
Michael, good morning.
Why is the search focusing on Sadr City? Why do they
think he might be there?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning,
Soledad.
Well, according to a senior U.S. officer here on the
ground that I've been speaking to, he says that U.S.
military intelligence has strong intelligence that
the missing soldier, Ahmed al-Taie, has been taken by
some kind of faction associated with the Mahdi Army,
loyal to the rebel anti-American cleric here in Iraq,
Muqtada al-Sadr.
Now, obviously, the military won't go into the
specifics of this information, but they are convinced
that some element within this anti-American bloc has
taken him. Whether it's from the mainstream of this
organization or whether it's a rouge or militant
group, we don't know for sure. But just looking at
the areas in Baghdad where the search is focused,
they are all solely within the strongholds of the
Mahdi Army.
S. O'BRIEN: Michael, let me ask you a question. Why
does the Mahdi Army have so much power?
WARE: Well, for a start, it has an enormous power
base. I mean, it has this huge pool of people from
which to draw from, its constituency. Sadr City is in
the northeast corner of the city of Baghdad. It's an
enormous slum area, for want of a better term. I
mean, the conditions within Sadr City are appalling
and there's at least two and a half million people in
this quarter.
Now that's almost half the population of Baghdad
within this area. The cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his
Mahdi Army militia, their control, their influence is
absolute. Everyone from old women to children on the
street chant pro-Muqtada slogans and anti-American
slogans. Now this organization also has groups
throughout the south.
Now, within the government, they're officially
represented. They have 30 seats in parliament. They
control four government ministries. And through this
bizarre set of circumstances in Iraqi politics, a
crack emerged and Muqtada was able to punch through
it, helping put the prime minister in power and
giving him an on-going sway over the Iraqi prime
minister, which he's been using essentially against
the Americans.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Michael Ware is in Baghdad for us this
morning.
Michael, thank you.
Miles.