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Two clips regarding how the presidential race is viewed from Iraq and the pending visit to the country by Senator Obama.
Note: The audio on the first clip is lagging several seconds at the start, but it locks in when the image shifts to a fullscreen of the Baghdad feed.
KIRAN
CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
Barack Obama says he'll visit Iraq and Afghanistan
before Election Day, but Obama and his opponent John
McCain have some big differences over just how they
would wage the war in Iraq and how they would end it.
McCain says Obama is wrong for opposing the surge,
and Obama says McCain's judgment is flawed.
So we're going to go to the war zone to get some
answers. Our Michael Ware, live in Baghdad for us.
And you know, Barack Obama spoke with Iraq's foreign
minister. One of the things he talked about was
reiterating this plan to pull out. Is there concern
on the ground, Michael, about a possible Obama
presidency?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, not in the
sense, perhaps, people in America might think.
Certainly within the Iraqi government, the general
mood is that, yes, they would like American troops to
leave but in a gradual way. Essentially the Iraqis
want to get their hands on this war.
They want to take over their own country. Now, some
in the current administration believes the threat of
withdrawal is a stick with which to motivate the
Iraqi government. That just isn't so. So while
officially there's very little support for an
immediate American withdrawal, many of the Iraqis
certainly would like to see the Americans start going
home, though they'd like to have continued support.
But bottom line, you know, people here on the ground
are far too worried about getting sewage off their
streets, hoping for some trickle of electricity, and
literally manning the barricades around their
communities here in Baghdad to really have much of a
concern about the change in presidency. Most Iraqis
think it will be much of a much, they'll just see a
continuation of what they think is ongoing American
policy -- Kiran.
CHETRY: The foreign minister also saying this morning
that there is a security agreement within reach to be
hammered out with Americans. What are still the
biggest points of contention?
WARE: Well, obviously from -- you know, this is
happening on several levels, there's the nature of
U.S. bases, the rights to Iraqi air space, that kind
of thing. But really what's at stake here is will
America be able to continue fighting its war here in
Iraq.
What the Iraqis want, according to an aide to the
prime minister, is for Americans to be set on certain
bases and to be forced to remain there. And if they
want to leave those bases they have to ask the
Iraqis' permission. That will impede any bid to curb
Iranian influence or indeed to attack al Qaeda.
But more greatly, beyond the conduct of war is the
victory or defeat of the U.S. mission. And that's
going to be seen in things about who's going to
control the intelligence services here in Iraq.
Right now, the CIA runs one of them. An Iranian-based
faction runs another. Under this agreement that
Baghdad has to strike with Washington if it decides
it wants to continue that kind of relationship, what
becomes of the intelligence agencies?
America doesn't want to see Iran running the show.
But if that's the Iraqis choice, they're technically
free to make it -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Very interesting. Sounds like there is still
a lot to be hammered out. Michael Ware for us in
Baghdad today, thanks -- John.
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KIRAN
CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Speaking of Barack Obama, he says
he'll be visiting Iraq and Afghanistan before
Election Day. But Obama and his opponent, John McCain
have some critical differences over how to wage the
war in Iraq and how to end it.
McCain says Obama is wrong for opposing the surge,
and Obama says that McCain's judgment is flawed, so
we're going to the war zone now for some answers.
Our Michael Ware is live in Baghdad.
And Barack Obama spoke by phone with Iraq's foreign
minister and talked once again, reiterating his plan
for withdrawal. How is that being received and what
would it be like with an Obama presidency when it
comes to Iraq?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well,
Kiran, honestly, I really think it's time for Senator
Obama to come clean. Now, it's fine for Senator Obama
to have his strategy to pull American troops home. I
mean, who back in the States doesn't want that? Who
doesn't want to see this war end? And that's a fine
policy to have.
But Senator Obama, let's hear your real analysis of
what the nature of this war is. Who America's really
fighting and who's really winning and who's really
losing. Then let's hear for once from Senator Obama
what the implications will be of his plan.
Tell us what will be the consequences to America's
interests, to the price of oil and let's hear that
you're prepared to bear those costs for your plan to
withdraw American troops.
Now, talking to the Iraqi foreign minister is a fine
thing to do, and he must be commended for it. But
I've heard the foreign minister talk for hours in his
well-polished diplomatic way and never say a word.
You're not going to be getting the real picture out
of the foreign minister of Iraq -- Kiran.
CHETRY: And give us your perspective. What is that
real picture?
WARE: Well, basically, this is a war against Iran or
a war of conflict or contest for influence between
Washington and Tehran. This war is not about al
Qaeda, if indeed it ever was. This war has been about
Iran from the beginning, and it's only taken the last
year and a half for the military to wake up to that.
And I'd like to hear the campaigns address that. And
in that contest for influence in this country,
America is currently losing. The president of Iraq --
according to America's war commander, General David
Petraeus -- it's just a reality of life that he's an
agent of influence for Iran.
That all the major factions of this government were
actually created inside Iran or received weapons and
funding from Iran or at least have long-standing ties
to Iran. So that's the real situation on the ground.
You might have something looking good on paper with
the numbers of civilian and military deaths down, and
that's welcome. But there's a big price to pay for
this and there's a big winner. And right now, it's
not America. Let's hear from the campaigns on this --
Kiran.
CHETRY: Michael Ware for us in Baghdad this morning.
Thank you.