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photo to play
Length: 3:28
WOLF BLITZER: Let's get
to a shocking story right now about an Iraqi lawmaker
who is actually a convicted terrorist sentenced to
death for, among other things, bombing an American
Embassy.
Is he now actually working for Iran?
Joining us now from Baghdad, our correspondent,
Michael Ware -- Michael, tell us the story, briefly,
about Jamal Jafaar Mohammed.
He's a member of the Iraqi parliament right now with
full immunity, all the immunity that goes with that
kind of responsibility.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf,
and according to U.S. military intelligence, under
parliamentary privilege, he cannot be prosecuted. Yet
these intelligence officers say he is actively
supporting Shia insurgents attacking not only Sunnis,
but coalition forces. And he's essentially a conduit
for Iranian agents.
Now, this fellow has an extraordinary history. Back
in the 1980s, when his party was exiled from Iraq by
Saddam, he was part of the military wing that was
moving with certain high profile figures who have
since gone on to join Hezbollah and together,
according to a Kuwaiti court, they blew up an
American embassy with a car bomb, as well as the
French embassy.
Indeed, this member of parliament was convicted in
absentia by the Kuwaiti court for his role in the
bombings and sentenced to death.
He later appeared back in Iran, where he came to lead
or command an Iraqi element of the Iranian armed
forces.
Now, shortly before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, he
moved from that position and returned to covert
operations.
He next appears in 2005 in the U.S.-sponsored
elections, where he's voted into this Iraqi
parliament being held up as a democratic model for
the region.
So, essentially, this man has been sentenced to death
for blowing up a U.S. embassy and American
intelligence says he's part of what's killing
American soldiers.
BLITZER: He's part of the prime minister, Nouri
Al-Maliki's political party, the Dawa Party. He's
also part of the ruling coalition.
How embarrassing is this to the Iraqi government and
to the U.S. government?
WARE: Well, this is frightfully embarrassing. I mean
there's a lot of old history here. He was a member of
the prime minister's party when the prime minister's
party, known as the Islamic Call, had an armed wing.
He was -- he and others were since absorbed into
another Iraqi group, which so happens also dominates
the Shia alliance which owns this government.
I mean, this is embarrassing all around. There's
connections everywhere. Someone in the prime
minister's office told me last year they can't
believe that their Shia political partners put him up
for candidacy.
When I spoke to a U.S. official last night and said
it's staggering that American intelligence did not
know this man was running and was in parliament, the
response was, "this man is a professional. He's very
adept at moving without people knowing. His skills at
avoidance and eluding detection are incredible. It's
not beyond the realm that such things will happen to
us."
BLITZER: Michael Ware reporting for us from Baghdad.
Michael, thanks.
WARE: Thank you, Wolf.
Click photo to play
Length: 3:28
WOLF BLITZER: In Baghdad,
meanwhile, a truly shocking story about an Iraqi
lawmaker who is a convicted terrorist sentenced to
death for among other things bombing an American
embassy. Is he now actually working for Iran?
Joining us now from Baghdad, our correspondent
Michael Ware -- Michael, tell us the story briefly
about Jamal Jafaar Mohammed. He's a member of the
Iraqi parliament right now with full immunity, all of
the immunity that goes with that kind of
responsibility.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf
and according to U.S. military intelligence, under
parliamentary privilege, he can not be prosecuted;
yet these intelligence officers say he's actively
supporting Shia insurgents, attacking not only
Sunnis, but coalition forces, and he's essentially a
conduit for Iranian agents.
Now this fellow has an extraordinary history. Back in
the 1980s when his party was exiled from Iraq by
Saddam, he was part of the military wing that was
moving with certain high-profile figures who have
since gone on to join Hezbollah and together,
according to a Kuwaiti court, they blew up an
American embassy with a car bomb as well as the
French embassy.
Indeed, this member of parliament was convicted in
absentia by the Kuwaiti court for his role in the
bombings and sentenced to death. He later appeared
back in Iran where he came to lead or command an
Iraqi element of the Iranian armed forces. Now,
shortly before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, he moved
from that position and returned to covert operations.
He next appears in 2005 in the U.S.-sponsored
elections where he's voted into this Iraqi parliament
being held up as a democratic model for the region.
So essentially, this man has been sentenced to death
for blowing up a U.S. embassy and American
intelligence says he's part of what is killing
American soldiers.
BLITZER: He's part of the Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki's political party, the Dawa Party. He's
also part of the ruling coalition. How embarrassing
is this to the Iraqi government and to the U.S.
government?
WARE: Well, this is frightfully embarrassing. I mean
there's a lot of old history here. He was a member of
the prime minister's party when the prime minister's
party, known as the Islamic Call, had an armed wing.
He and others were since absorbed into another Iraqi
group which so happens also dominates the Shia
alliance which owns this government.
I mean, this is embarrassing all around. There are
connections everywhere. Someone in the prime
minister's office told me last year they can't
believe that their Shia political partners put him up
for candidacy. When I spoke to a U.S. official last
night and said it's staggering that American
intelligence did not know this man was running and
was in parliament, the response was, "this man is a
professional. He's very adept at leaving without
people knowing. His skills at avoidance and eluding
detection are incredible. It's not beyond the realm
that such things will happen to us."
BLITZER: Michael Ware reporting for us from Baghdad.
Michael, thanks.
WARE: Thank you, Wolf.