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Length: 4:36
BETTY NGUYEN:
Ninety-eight U.S. troops killed in Iraq during
October. That makes this the fourth deadliest month
since the war started.
Let's get the latest now on the violence and efforts
to stop it, more importantly.
CNN's Michael Ware joins us live from Baghdad --
Michael, the numbers are so apparent, 98 U.S. troops
killed, the fourth deadliest month since the war
began. The violence keeps escalating with all the
sectarian violence that's going on.
What is all of this doing to U.S. troop morale there?
It's got to be having some kind of an effect.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the troops
certainly know, Betty, that they are in a war. I mean
most of these young men who are out in the field --
and women to be included in that, also -- are
professional soldiers. Many of them signed on for
this or many of them are at least in active duty
units. I mean, this is what they do.
Now, there may be some growing skepticism amongst the
troops about just how much they're achieving or
whether they'll ever actually win over the hearts and
minds of the Iraqi people.
Nonetheless, they stick to their jobs. So even if
they have doubts, they pull together and at the end
of the day, what this war is about for them, like all
conflict for a soldier, it's about the people around
them -- their friends, their mates -- getting through
it in one piece.
So they may be toughing it out, but they're sticking
to the line -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, they do have a job to do. But another
thing, you know, you're talking about the people
around them. We're getting yet more reports this
morning of some 20 bullet-riddled bodies in and
around Baghdad. Iraqis have to be fearful beyond
belief.
What are they saying on the streets of Iraq about a
solution to all of this sectarian violence?
WARE: Well, that's a great thing. They're looking for
a strong government. And, quite simply, they don't
have that. Indeed, this government is all but an
apparition. Beyond the prime minister and the
national security adviser's office, it really is in
the hands of the militias from there on in.
But this is something else in the development of
those efforts you discussed of trying to pull back
some of this violence.
As we speak right now, according to an aide of the
Iraqi prime minister, the prime minister was due to
have a videoconference with President Bush. Now, from
this aide, we see a further distancing of the Iraqi
prime minister from the U.S. line. This entangled
relationship that we've seen going through painful
twists and turns this week.
Today, this aide said that the prime minister and the
U.S. ambassador met yesterday. And he made it clear
the prime minister said that any U.S. timelines are
suggestions only. He's been forced by the Americans
to make difficult decisions too quickly. And while he
remains a friend of America, he is not their man.
So we see again this divide being defined -- Betty.
NGUYEN: You talk about difficult, you know, decisions
very quickly, but let me ask you this. U.S. troops
have been there for many years now, and there has
been this push to get the Iraqi security forces up
and ready to take over this country and protect
themselves.
What is taking so long? Why haven't they been put in
place and ready to secure this country so that U.S.
forces can start to begin a pullout?
WARE: Well, it's a simple answer, really. I mean, you
know, the Americans had set benchmarks early on to
build the Iraqi security forces to a certain number,
just over 300,000 trained and equipped troops and
they will be able to take care of themselves.
Well, Betty, we're just about at that point now.
Those numbers have just about been reached and look
at the situation.
Why is that?
It's because the fundamental issues have not been
addressed: actually breaking down the militias;
external influences the U.S. ambassador pointed to,
particularly from Iran; really tackling al Qaeda,
which is not being done. They're not being confronted
head-on, face-to-face.
The U.S. Marine general who owns Anbar Province, the
al Qaeda front line, has said he does not have enough
troops to win against the al Qaeda-led insurgency.
He's only got enough troops to train Iraqis.
And like I said, until the building blocks of Iraqi
politics are addressed, the Iraqi Army is almost
meaningless -- Betty.
NGUYEN: That's a good point there, the problems, they
are very complex and they are deep-seated.
Michael Ware, thank you for spending a little time
with us this morning.
We appreciate it.
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BETTY NGUYEN:
A deadly month for U.S. troops in Iraq and difficult
times between the Bush administration and the Iraqi
prime minister. CNN's Michael Ware joins us now live
from Baghdad. We will get to that in just a moment,
Michael, but first of all October is now the fourth
deadliest month for U.S. forces since the war
started. Are U.S. troops taking note of these numbers
and is it at all affecting morale?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh look, absolutely,
Betty. I mean, the U.S. forces, particularly the
units on the brunt of the worst of this violence in
Baghdad, the capital, and in western Anbar Province.
I mean, these are more than numbers to the soldiers
in these units. These are their friends or these are
their comrades in related units. So the death toll
for this month certainly is being noted.
Now, while these troops -- some of them on their
second, some on their third tours here in Iraq -- are
becoming increasingly skeptical about the nature of
the mission, if not some of them actually
disenchanted, nonetheless they are professional
soldiers by and large, and they are here to do a job.
At the end of the day, as in any war, what this boils
down to for these American GI's is getting themselves
and their buddies home. This is about the men around
them, their team, their squad. That's how it boils
down at the end of the day for a soldier on the front
line here, Betty.
NGUYEN: That's true. And at end of the day, the only
way to get these U.S. troops home is to ensure that
the violence stops. So lets talk about a plan here.
Give us some insight into this joint statement that
was issued between the Iraqi prime minister and the
U.S. ambassador to Iraq.
WARE: Well, that joint statement was an incredibly
rare thing. We don't often see that. And it was a
result of friction during the week with contrary
statements by both the U.S. and the Iraqi prime
minister. But that statement itself was, to be
honest, waffling and really lacked substance.
What we had today is another development: two hours
ago the Iraqi prime minister was in a 30-minute
videoconference with President Bush. They discussed
security arrangements. According to the government
spokesman, the Iraqi prime minister looked to take a
greater role for the Iraqi forces in providing their
own security, but said to President Bush, "that means
you need to train us better and equip us better."
Now, this comes as one of the prime minister's aides
this morning made it very, very clear that in
discussions with the American ambassador yesterday,
the prime minister said that he is not America's man
here in Iraq. There is no agreements on timelines. He
won't be rushed inappropriately by American pressure
into making difficult decisions too quickly. He said
he is not committed to following American will, but
to follow agreements between the two countries, which
are approved by the Iraqi parliament. So the twists
and the turns in this torturous relationship continue
-- Betty.
NGUYEN: The twists and turns are very interesting.
Let's get back what you said that the Iraqi prime
minister mentioned in this conversation with the
president, talking about stepping up the Iraqi
security forces, yet they need to be trained. How
close is that training to get them ready to take
control of the country and protect themselves?
WARE: Well, the numbers that were set some time ago
for the size of the Iraqi security forces, just a
little over 300,000, have almost been reached. We're
within a whisker of that now, Betty. But these troops
are simply not ready. I mean, it varies from unit to
unit. There are some fairly adept units out there
working side by side with American forces. But by and
large, the Iraqi security forces, the police, the
army cannot be relied upon. Why? Because the
fundamental problems in Iraq -- the militias, the
insurgency, the deep divisions -- have not been
addressed. America has yet to tackle these and what
Ambassador Khalilzad said is the enemies of America
such as Iran here interfering -- Betty.
NGUYEN: A lot of problems on the table. Michael Ware,
thank you for that insight. We appreciate it. And we
will of course have more on the Iraqi government
struggle with the militias a little bit later today.
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Length: 1:32
T.J. HOLMES: The violence
in Iraq continues to take a toll on U.S. forces and
on relations between the Iraqi prime minister and the
Bush administration. 98 U.S. service members have
been killed during October, the fourth highest
monthly death toll of the war.
CNN's Michael Ware has more on the political tensions
caused by the violence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In a 30-minute video
conference today between Iraqi prime minister Nouri
al-Maliki and American president George Bush, the
Iraqi government sought a greater role in ensuring
the country's security. However, it requested that
the U.S. step up its assistance in training the Iraqi
forces and equipping them.
However, earlier today, an aide to the prime minister
made it very clear that the Iraqi prime minister told
the U.S. ambassador on Friday that he is not
committed to carrying out U.S. will. However, is he
committed to carrying out any agreements between the
two countries approved by his parliament. The aide
said that the prime minister noted he is not
America's man in Iraq.
It was also said that it was made clear that there is
no agreement on timelines, and any U.S. talk about
timelines, said the prime minister's aide, was being
taken as merely suggestions by the Iraqi government.
Michael Ware, CNN, Baghdad.