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Length: 4:18
HALA GORANI: Well,
topping the news this hour out of Iraq, threats to
the health and safety of two of the country's top
leaders. The president, Jalal Talabani, is in the
intensive care unit of a Jordanian hospital.
JIM CLANCY: Now, there are conflicting reports from
the hospital and from his family at this hour about
his condition.
GORANI: Well, meanwhile, Iraq's Shiite vice
president, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, was injured in an
apparent assassination attempt while making a speech
at a ministry building. The bombing killed at least
12 people and wounded 42 others. Mahdi has been
treated and was released from a hospital.
CLANCY: The 73-year-old Talabani was flown Sunday to
Amman, Jordan, as what was termed a precautionary
measure. That according to his son. Mr. Talabani's
office says his condition is now completely normal
and stable.
Well, joining us now for more details is Michael
Ware.
Why should everyone be worried about the health of
Jalal Talabani?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in many ways,
Jim, certainly constitutionally, they really don't
need to. I mean, this is a position that's given --
divided up under the constitution, and a replacement
for Jalal Talabani can quickly be found.
And let's remember, under the constitution and
parliamentary system that's been established here in
Iraq, executive power does not lie with the
president, nor indeed with the wounded Shia vice
president, or his Sunni vice presidential
counterpart. Executive power resides with the prime
minister and the cabinet, with the various ministers.
So, in many ways, whatever happens with the president
-- the position of the president at this stage and
his health will remind a key concern in this country
and will be watched attentively. But in terms of the
conduct of the war here, and in terms of the business
of government, very little will change regardless --
Jim.
CLANCY: You know, Michael, though, as you look at it
and you remember Jalal Talabani's famous and brave
trip to Baghdad to negotiate for Kurdish autonomy
with Saddam Hussein after the first Gulf war, often
seen as an inspiration, he's certainly seen as the
elder statesman of the country.
WARE: Very much. I mean, and you need to bear in mind
that President Talabani is an ethnic Kurd. Yet,
nonetheless, to a certain degree, he has been able to
rise above some of the ethnic divides here between
Kurds and Arabs.
However, nonetheless, Arabs, be they Sunni and Shia
-- and again, we've become all too familiar thanks to
the civil war of the multitude of breakdowns within
those communities -- still regard the Kurds within
their own country cautiously. Of course, Jalal
Talabani, coming from the PUK faction of the dominant
Kurdish government in the north, long protected by
coalition no-fly zones since the first Gulf war, has
an ongoing relationship with Iran, too, something
that western intelligence has raised.
So, Jalal Talabani is a figure of incredible import,
both historically and in terms of influence it
endures today -- Jim.
CLANCY: On another level, right now, perhaps a day
when many Iraqis are just wondering where the
security situation in their country is going here,
when the top leadership can be targeted -- they're
vulnerable from ordinary illness as well.
WARE: That's right. I mean, we see constitutionally,
two out of three of the most symbolically important
positions -- the president and two vice presidents --
have received medical treatment in the past 24 hours.
Now, whilst it may be a health scare that has
stricken the president, Jalal Talabani, it's
something far more sinister that has struck the Shia
vice president, Adel Abdul al-Mahdi. He's been the
victim of a bombing today within a ministry. This is
being seen potentially as a direct strike against one
of the most powerful Shia political blocks in this
country that American intelligence says is linked to
Iranian intelligence -- Jim.
CLANCY: Michael Ware reporting for us live on the
ground in Baghdad, Iraq.
Thank you, Michael -- Hala.