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Length: 4:46
HALA GORANI: Trekking on
foot on a path already proven deadly for fellow
pilgrims, Shia Muslims are streaming into an Iraqi
holy city for religious commemorations.
JIM CLANCY: Meantime, a top U.S. commander calls
those who attacked the pilgrims earlier this week
"thugs with no soul" and promises to do more to
protect all of the citizens of Iraq.
GORANI: Well, this is the scene in Karbala, where
some one million pilgrims are gathering to end a
mourning period for Imam Hussein, a grandson of the
Prophet Mohammed. Now, his death in battle helped
cement the divide between Sunni and Shia Islam, and
also, of course, disagreements on who should have
inherented power within Islam.
CLANCY: But what is on the minds of many today, even
as they celebrate, has been the attacks on the
pilgrims, relentless attacks at every vulnerable
point, despite increased security as they marched
towards Karbala. More than 170 people in all have
been killed.
Now, U.S. commander General David Petraeus says
civilian safety is his top priority as troops are
stepping up security in Baghdad and beyond in some
areas. He says military action alone, though, not
enough to end this violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETRAEUS: Political resolution of various
differences, of this legislation, of various senses
that people do not have a stake in the success of the
new Iraq and so forth, that is crucial. That is what
will determine in the long run the success of this
effort.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: Now, General Petraeus spoke to reporters
today for the first time since taking command in Iraq
last month.
Let's bring in our own Michael Ware on the ground in
Baghdad for a little bit more on this.
How is this message likely to be received? It's
something that in all fairness they've heard before
in Iraq.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely, Jim.
I mean, there was nothing new, really, in anything
that General Petraeus said, neither about U.S.
strategy, nor about any sense of timetables or time
frames for changes in U.S. troop levels.
I mean, there were some nuance that was insightful
about the deployment of the surge of 21,500 troops
that are coming in to help re-secure the capital,
Baghdad. We now know that they're going to secure the
Baghdad belt around it. But beyond some of those
little details, there was nothing markedly different.
We've heard time and time again, there is no military
solution to this war, America cannot win this on the
battlefield.
CLANCY: All right. Back on Capitol Hill, another
battle is being fought over the future of U.S. troops
in Iraq. And Michael, I want you just to hear -- this
comes from an Illinois Democrat, a lawmaker up on
Capitol Hill today, Janice Schakowsky. Listen to
this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JANICE SCHAKOWSKY (D), ILLINOIS: Four and a half
years ago, the president asked Congress to give war a
chance. And despite our objections, he got that
chance and he blew it.
No more chances, no more waivers, no phony
certifications, no more spending billions of dollars
to send our children into the meat grinder that is
Iraq. It is time to spend the money to keep them safe
and bring them home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: All right. Strong words there from that
Democratic lawmaker. At the same time, the Democrats
are pressing for a deadline, be it at the end of 2007
or 2008, to bring all U.S. troops home.
How is that going to affect General Petraeus, the
Iraqi government and the Iraqis themselves?
WARE: Well, Jim, certainly in terms of the Iraqis and
the war that's being fought in the streets and the
deserts of this country, I mean, what's happening
over there, what the Democrats are saying about
timetables may as well be happening on the planet
Pluto for all that it counts, to the bloodshed and
the endless combat that we're seeing day in, day out.
All that it does -- anyone setting time frames like
that without real preconditions, anyone trying to put
artificial deadlines upon this conflict, is only
aiding the enemies, so-called, of America, al Qaeda
and Iran. It allows them some leverage to know when
to put the pressure on, to know that the clock is
ticking and to know where the pressure points are.
So in terms of the battle, day to day here, General
Petraeus isn't looking more forward than five or six
months. He's trying to make this surge work. But in
terms of the broader strategic framework, it serves
only America's enemies -- Jim.
CLANCY: Michael Ware, calling it like it is, laying
it on the line there from Baghdad, Iraq, tonight --
Hala.