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HEIDI
COLLINS: To the war zone now. Defense Secretary
Robert Gates on the ground in Iraq. We want to go
live to CNN's Michael Ware in Baghdad.
Michael, have you had an opportunity to hear what
Secretary Gates is saying about the situation there?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he's just given
the briefest of brief press conferences where the
Defense Secretary, not surprisingly, told us nothing
new. He played his cards very close to his chest.
This is his sixth visit here to Iraq, and according
to those traveling with him, the reports are that
he's here to assess the nature of Iran's involvement
here in Iraq and to see whether the military gains
and the downturn in violence can be sustained.
Now, in the course of that, that's involved a number
of meetings obviously with U.S. commanders and top
Iraqi leaders. And during his briefest of brief press
conferences, this is what he had to say about his
meeting with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The prime minister
and I had a productive discussion on a range of
issues effecting the future of Iraq. As you know,
there has been recent months of dramatic change in
the security situation across the nation. A decline
in violence to levels not seen since the Samarra
mosque bombing nearly two years ago.
As a result, there's been a substantial increase in
the number of refugees returning home. International
investment in Iraq is on the rise. And more than
70,000 Iraqis have taken it upon themselves to defend
their neighborhoods.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WARE: Yes, and what Secretary Gates is summarizing
precisely the situation here. Since we've seen
America backing first Sunni and now Shia militias to
protect their own neighborhoods and deliver the
reconciliation that this Iraqi government is not
doing -- that the prime minister that the secretary
met with is not delivering on -- there has been huge
success.
So this has been one of the great unintended
consequences of the surge. And this is what has seen
the great improvement here in Iraq is these
neighborhoods protecting themselves with U.S.-backed
militias. So the secretary has really hit the nail on
the head.
Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, CNN's Michael Ware live from
Baghdad this morning.
Michael, appreciate that. Thank you.