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Length: 3:33
WOLF BLITZER: As
beefed-up U.S. forces pursue insurgents outside of
Baghdad, a shattering attack in the Iraqi capital
today killed at least a dozen people, including a
number of tribal leaders. The attack on a popular
political meeting place sends a strong signal to U.S.
and Iraqi authorities.
Joining us now in Baghdad, our correspondent, Michael
Ware -- Michael, another horrific bombing today at
the Mansour Hotel, right in the heart of Baghdad,
just outside of the international zone.
Set the scene for us. Give us some perspective of
what happened.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
Well, Wolf, I've just returned from the scene of that
blast a few hours ago and it is shocking. I mean it
doesn't matter how many of these suicide bombings you
either witness or see in their aftermath, they're
never an easy thing to watch or to look at.
What we have is the Mansour Hotel in the center of
the capital of Baghdad itself, just a few hundred
yards from the Green Zone and the U.S. Embassy. A
number of organizations stay in this hotel, including
the Chinese embassy, some Western organizations. We
also have a number of Iraqi politicians who reside in
this hotel, notably some politicians who have
recently verbalized their opposition to the Maliki
government. However, it's also a place where people
meet. We know that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has
been conducting a broad program of national
reconciliation at the behest of the U.S. mission.
Some of those meetings take place at this hotel.
Indeed, a very small one of these meetings was
happening when the bomb went off.
Right now, one would suggest that the target of this
explosion in the lobby of this hotel was a number of
tribal sheikhs who had met with a government
representative to express their support for the
Maliki government.
As it stands on its face right now, there's no claim
of responsibility. But the M.O. -- the method -- is
clearly that of Al Qaeda. Until we hear otherwise,
the finger certainly points towards that
organization.
BLITZER: And it underscores the nature of the
violence and the danger in Baghdad, despite the
recent increase in the number of U.S. troops
patrolling the streets.
WARE: Absolutely, Wolf.
I mean this city has been flooded or surged with as
many as 30,000 additional U.S. combat troops, within
the city itself and fanning out to its surrounds --
the places from whence the bombs come, the farmlands
where the bombs are put together, where the training
takes place. So we're seeing a lot of intense U.S.
activity, but the violence continues unabated.
Now, American war planners, from General David
Petraeus, the American commander in charge of the
war, onwards, have all said, "Don't expect miracles.
This surge is going to take time, if, indeed, it
works at all."
So it's not surprising to see that the car bombs,
particularly, continue; that the deadly roadside
bombs, EFPs, those which U.S. intelligence claims
come from Iran, are on the upsurge. We're seeing
America's enemies and the enemies of this government
surge themselves, to use the words of an American
general.
BLITZER: Michael Ware reporting for us from Baghdad.
Michael, be careful over there.
Thanks very much.
WARE: Thank you, Wolf.