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Length: 2:40
LOU DOBBS: Good evening,
everybody.
We begin tonight in Iraq, where terrorists today
struck a serious blow against American efforts to
defeat the insurgency. A suicide bomber killed seven
powerful tribal leaders who were meeting at a Baghdad
hotel. Among the sheikhs, five Sunnis from Anbar
province who had joined the fight against al Qaeda.
That attack raising serious questions about the
ability of American troops to protect tribal leaders
trying to ally themselves with the United States.
Michael Ware has our report from Baghdad -- Michael.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lou, the war in Iraq
drones on, exacting its toll in human life. Three car
and truck bombings in the country today, which
claimed 46 lives. However, of those, the one that has
unleashed the greatest political shock waves in the
country is a bombing at the Mansour Hotel in the
center of the capital, shortly before midday.
The hotel, just a few hundred yards from the
international zone and the U.S. embassy. A largely
western-style hotel, the explosion ripped through its
front lobby shortly before lunch.
Twelve were killed in the attack and 21 wounded. Of
those who were killed, at least seven were tribal
sheikhs in a meeting under the government's
reconciliation plan, believed to have been a show of
support for the ailing Maliki government.
Right now all attention is focused on al Qaeda for
responsibility for this attack, although the
organization is yet to make any claim.
However, alternative theories to the attack have
already begun to surface in Baghdad, with some
speculating that this may have been the work of a
rogue government faction, striking against political
opponents who resided in that hotel.
Either way, many questions still surround this
attack. Yet, late this evening, Baghdad time, the
U.S. embassy played its hand, releasing a statement
that clearly identified the attack as the work of a
suicide bomber and categorically attributing it to al
Qaeda.
Now, in terms of the reconciliation process and al
Qaeda's upswing in attacks on anyone involved in this
program to bring this country back together, the
question is what can America do to protect
participants like the seven sheikhs killed today? And
the simple answer is, nothing at all --
Lou.