Length:
4:18
LARGE (49.9 MB) -----
SMALL (5.2 MB)
(BEGIN
VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE: And we know that President Obama will end
the war in Iraq responsibly, bring our troops home,
and begin to repair our alliances around the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KIRAN CHETRY: That's Hillary Clinton on stage last
night. There's a new CNN Opinion Research Poll,
though, that suggests Americans actually think John
McCain is the better man for the job in Iraq. 53
percent of voters saying McCain would better handle
the situation in Iraq compared to 44 percent for
Obama.
So, whether it's Barack Obama or John McCain in the
White House come January, the war in Iraq and another
potential Cold War with Russia will be at the top of
America's foreign policy agenda. And CNN's Michael
Ware spent a lot of time in Iraq. He joins us here in
studio.
It is interesting when you look at those polls
because the majority of Americans do think, you know,
it's time to get out. Yet, when you ask who's going
to handle it better, it's John McCain. What are you
hearing from some of the military leaders behind
closed doors about, you know, what their dream plan
would be?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well,
obviously, senior American commanders play their
cards close to their chest when it comes to politics
because they know they do not operate in a vacuum.
Even in a war, politics is very much a part of it.
Now, what I can tell you is that from a military
man's point of view, it's more of a McCain tendency
in the sense of "we stay, we consolidate, and we let
conditions on the ground tell us when we go, when we
add on, when we subtract."
However, I can tell you that the military itself,
though, is much more broad-minded on issues like
engagement with some of the countries in the region
or other groups. For example, it's the military who
started talking to the Ba'athist insurgency. It's the
military who's got the Ba'athist insurgency now on
the payroll -- 110,000 plus insurgents on the U.S.
government payroll. So, it's a little bit of both.
CHETRY: Which is a big reason for the sectarian
violence drop.
WARE: Absolutely. And it's also done a whole number
of things, doing that. Basically, it's an American
militia to counter the Iranian militias and also
keeps your very troubled Arab allies much happier
because they now feel that they have a stake in Iraq.
CHETRY: So what happens when we leave? Do those
Ba'athists still continue to be able to be that
countermeasure?
WARE: That is a huge question. Now, you get lip
service from the government in Baghdad about
maintaining the program, developing it, this, that
and the other. But from day one, the Shia-dominated
Iranian-backed central government hated this program,
came out and openly attacked it. Now, American
commanders say that, well, they've matured in their
attitude, they're more embracing.
What do we see just a few days ago? The government
hunting down some of these U.S.-paid security people
who were former insurgents and arresting or killing
them. I mean, these guys are not hiding their true
intention in the government. They're gonna come for
these blokes.
CHETRY: That, of course, as we know, is a huge
challenge that either of these two men will inherit
as president. Another one, though, is the Russia
situation. And what we saw between Russian and
Georgia and some of the comments by Russia's
president about a Cold War.
Are we facing the real distinct possibility of
entering into another Cold War with this very
powerful and it seems a little bit aggressive
country?
WARE: Yes. Well, I think -- you know, it's very easy
for people to bandy around the rhetoric at the
moment, from Moscow to Washington to Tbilisi. And,
Cold War in the sense that we all grew up knowing it?
I suspect not. But a new kind of international
dynamic with an opposing force from Russia,
expansive, aggressive, wanting to send -- absolutely.
And we're going to see it across all sorts of fronts.
For example, what happened in Georgia is not
unrelated to the fact that Russia is helping Iran
with its nuclear program. And that America needs
Russia's help in the Security Council for sanctions
or other measures against Tehran. And the Russians
know that. So, they knew that when they went into
Georgia there was only so much America could do
because: Georgia, here, but they know that America
needs Russia over here.
CHETRY: Very interesting there. A delicate diplomatic
dance as well on that front. A lot of problems.
WARE: Oh, yeah.
CHETRY: That's why we're glad we have you with the
insight. Thanks, Michael Ware. Good to see you as
always.
WARE: Great pleasure.