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Length: 3:33
JOHN KING: For American
generals and their troops on the ground, the U.S.
strategy in Iraq is measured in bullets and bombs,
not words.
CNN's Michael Ware joins me now from Baghdad.
Michael, you're there on the ground. This is the
deadliest month of the year. Do you see any evidence
that the strategy is changing, or is it likely to
only get worse, in your view?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's too early
for the strategy to show signs of change at this
point, John.
I mean, it's like turning a ship in, you know, full
steam. It takes quite a while to turn a beast like
this. I mean -- but it's clear that change is needed.
I mean, all the institutions that have been built,
all of the security apparatus that has been put
together are under enormous strain.
They're heaving. And many of them are coming apart at
the seams. The U.S. has invested all its political
capital in essentially a toothless tiger. And that's
the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki. So, drastic
change is certainly in the winds -- John.
KING: Michael, you mentioned all that political
capital. The United States has also invested tens of
billions of dollars, and has reshuffled, several
occasions, its training regimen, promising it would
finally get right the training of the Iraqi military,
the training of Iraqi police.
Do you see any evidence that that is changing? And
what must the Iraqis do to simply be better at what
they have to do: protecting themselves?
WARE: Well, John, the Iraqi security forces are a
great case in point.
I mean, the U.S. set benchmarks or targets of the
number of trained Iraqis in the army, in the police,
and in the national police commandos, somewhere just
over 300,000-odd. We are within a few thousand of
that number, trained, equipped police and army. Yet,
look at the state of the country.
These security forces are so deeply penetrated by the
insurgents. Some of them are effectively owned by the
militias. Very few of them are actually capable. And
even fewer are able to work in tandem with U.S.
forces. And absolutely none can operate on their own,
without the embrace of the U.S. forces, providing
logistical support, helicopters, communications, and
all sorts of things -- John.
KING: Michael, that's quite a sober, if not
pessimistic, assessment.
And, yet, you hear all the talk from Washington now,
the new talk from the White House, about milestones
and benchmarks for the Iraqi government to improve
its handling of the security situation, to get its
people up and ready faster. Are they up to that task?
And what happens if they don't meet those benchmarks?
WARE: Oh, there's absolutely no way that the current
government is up to any task the U.S. may wish to set
it, nor the Iraqi security forces.
We saw what has happened in numerous areas, most
recently in the southern province of Maysan. When
British troops withdrew from that provincial capital,
that left that city owned by two rival Shia militias
factions, both of whom, according to U.S. military
intelligence, has contacts with Iran, is supplied,
funded and trained by the Iranian Revolutionary
Guard.
After the withdrawal of these forces, the Iraqi
security forces were supposed to assume the mantle of
responsibility. Yet, we have seen it erupt in fierce
clashes, with police stations attacked and
overwhelmed and all manner of chaos. There's now a
curfew in place, with British troops poised to sweep
in, if necessary. If that's the future, it's a bleak
one -- John.
KING: Bleak indeed.
Michael Ware for us, live in Baghdad tonight, on the
significant challenges still ahead -- Michael, thank
you very much.