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Length: 4:08
WOLF BLITZER: In Iraq
meanwhile, the Interior Ministry says 19 people were
killed today in a Baghdad mortar attack and the
exchange of fire which followed.
Let's get a reality check of the actual situation on
the ground.
No one better to do so than Michael Ware, our
correspondent, joining us in Baghdad -- Michael, the
president made a major point of saying that it wasn't
that long ago that the al-Anbar Province sort of was
written off as lost because of Al Qaeda's strength,
the insurgent Sunni strength there, but now it's made
a comeback.
It has made a comeback, but it's been at a cost, is
that right?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely,
Wolf.
Now, what the president is saying is true. Al-Anbar,
in terms of Al Qaeda violence, has been checked to a
fairly dramatic degree. That can't be begrudged. And
it's through initiatives of the U.S. military.
But what they've done is -- it means they've had to
cut a deal with the Sunni/Baath insurgents. America
doesn't know where Al Qaeda hides. America doesn't
know where the facilitators are. The insurgents do.
So they've turned the insurgents against Al Qaeda.
These insurgents are not bound by the same rules as
the American military.
So these men can literally go out and use excessive
force to arrest and interrogate Al Qaeda suspects and
they can execute them. Indeed, we've unearthed video
evidence of this and we've interviewed some of the
militia members, as well, to confirm it. So that's
one aspect.
The second aspect is that this success using these
Sunni insurgents is driving a wedge between the U.S.
and the Iraqi government. The Iraqi government is
vehemently opposed to this program. They see it as
America putting ammunition in the guns of armed
groups who actively oppose this government. They
suspect that this is an American insurance policy or
a counterbalance against the government.
Why?
Because this government is Shia dominated. It's
controlled mostly by militias, most of whom,
according to U.S. intelligence, are controlled by
Iran. So, it's not without a price -- Wolf.
BLITZER: So the criticism against this Shia-dominated
government coming from Washington, whether in the
report card or from what various politicians are
saying, how do they react to that criticism?
Do they react by doing what they're supposed to do or
do they get their backs up and they just get angry
and not do what they are supposed to do?
WARE: you know, what I actually suspect that this
government does, or the key driving factions within
it do, is they don't react negatively. They don't get
their backs up. They don't get defensive.
What they do is they play American domestic politics,
the American domestic mood, against the mission here.
Indeed, when you talk to some of these Shia
hard-liners with links to Iran within this
government, you listen to them and it's so clear that
they are finely tuned in to the American public mood
and they shape their answers just so. At the end of
the day, whatever the administration cares to say
about this government, they turn it against America.
They say, "You criticize us because we're not taking
control of security. Well, you don't treat us as a
sovereign state. You don't let us control our armed
forces. You don't let us operate the way we want to.
Get out of our way and then you'll see security."
So they're quite clever, in fact -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Michael Ware reporting for us from Baghdad.
Michael, thanks very much.
WARE: Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: Let's go to Jack Cafferty in New York for
The Cafferty File.
When he speaks, a lot of people should listen --
Jack.
We've said this before.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you get a
context and a depth of understanding of the mindset
over there that I don't think is available too many
other places. We're privileged to have Mr. Ware join
us here periodically.