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Length: 4:24
JOHN KING: Bombings and brutal slayings shook Iraq
today. But could the bloodshed soon bring peace talks
in which the United States would sit down with Iraq's
neighbors?
Joining us now from Baghdad, our correspondent,
Michael Ware.
Michael, let's break down this regional conference.
More discussion today of getting Iran, Syria, Iraq
and the United States at the table to talk about the
future of Iraq. The administration has resisted for a
long time talking directly to Iran and Syria.
Let's take the United States first.
What could be gained, if anything, for the Bush
administration, besides simply being able to tell its
critics, "be quiet, we finally sat down with them"?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's
obviously a symbolic gesture or symbolic nature to
this. It shows that there's a degree of rapprochement
from the U.S. both, you know, militarily,
politically, and, indeed, diplomatically here in
Iraq, looking to reach out to all parties, regardless
of any differences on other issues -- the focus being
Iraq, Iraq, Iraq.
However, beyond the symbolism of this approach, there
is little, I would imagine, to really be gained. I
mean the back-channel communications between the U.S.
and Iran are already open. The primary conduit, of
course, being the Iraqi government, an entity both
Tehran and Washington essentially share.
I mean it was two years ago I had a U.S. diplomat
tell me that the Americans assume anything they tell
the Iraqi government ends up directly in Tehran
anyway.
So more than anything, this is a symbolic gesture,
trying to rally international support for what could
be a new diplomatic push.
KING: And if you are Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki
or the very troubled, endangered Iraqi government,
what are you looking for out of this conference,
especially on the number one issue every day,
improving security?
WARE: Well, for security, what they are hoping is
that they can somehow dampen down or temper external
support for various fighting factions here in the
country.
Now, is that going to come about through a series of
diplomatic meetings?
That's unlikely. And let's not forget, this first
meeting is really only a pre-meeting meeting. This is
a getting together of a number of bureaucrats and
representatives to pave the ground for what should be
a ministerial-level meeting that Secretary Rice
believes could come in April.
So, really, there's a lot of questions that remain to
be answered. And we've been down this road before.
We've seen the Americans and the Iranians talk about
having talks and not do it. We've had this
government, now in its last throes -- this is its
last ditch attempt, as President Bush has made very
clear, to get things right.
We see it pushing that through the Baghdad security
plan militarily. This clearly is the diplomatic push
-- John.
KING: And, Michael, you mentioned symbolism at the
top. Imagine a table that has the government of the
United States, the government of Iraq and the
government of Iran. Iran certainly could say this is
proof we are a player in the region.
What else would Tehran want at such a meeting?
WARE: Well, I mean, I think that apart from that kind
of public acknowledgement, that endorsement of their
regional role that they have, in fact, been
displaying here, not just in Iraq, but, of course,
also in Lebanon through Hezbollah, one of its other
beneficiaries of its military intelligence and
political support. I mean it's been flexing a lot of
muscle in the region.
So this really would be an endorsement.
However, what it will really be looking for will not
be happening at the negotiating table. What it'll be
looking for is real concessions from the U.S. to pull
back Iran's military efforts in this country.
It's not going to do that cheaply. It's going to want
something real and we're not going to see that openly
dealt with on the negotiating table -- John.
KING: And, Michael, in closing, you sound a tad
pessimistic.
If you're the average Iraqi and what you care about
most is being able to walk to the market, an end to
the endless car bombings, an end to the sectarian
violence, putting all these diplomats at a table, do
you expect anything in the near term if this, even
the pre-meeting, can be brought about?
WARE: No. Not the slightest thing, John.
KING: Michael Ware for us in Baghdad today.
Michael, thank you very much.
WARE: Thank you.