Aug 2008

AAM: "There's a price tag to bringing the boys home. Let's hear them talk about how we're going to pay that."

2008_0828_AAM

Michael discusses Joe Biden's speech from last night, and what Biden offers in the line of foreign policy experience. He's still looking for specifics, although it's not likely that the American people really want to hear the unpleasant side of bringing the troops home -- and what politician in their right mind (an oxymoron if ever there was one) would be so blunt during a campaign. Well, at least we know Michael will never run for office -- he's too insistent on telling the truth!

(Oh, and I agree with Mr. Night Owl -- they are doing these interviews WAY too early in the morning!)

Length: 5:15

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AAM: "Even in a war, politics is very much a part of it."

2008_0827_AAM

Michael speaks with Kiran Chetry again, about the politics of war -- in Iraq and in Georgia. And Iran is a factor in both.

Length: 4:18

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AAM: "...you need a diplomatic answer, you've got to engage with Iran; but somehow, America has got to find a big stick."

2008_0825_AAMb

Michael talks some more about the Biden plan, as well as the new timetable agreement and Iran's advantage in Iraq.

Length: 4:05

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AAM: "Here's the price tag for Iraq. Are you ready to pay it?"

2008_0825_AAMa

Michael is back in New York just in time for the Democratic Convention, and talks to Kiran Chetry about Joe Biden's plan to partition Iraq into three separate countries.

Length: 3:03

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TSR: "The question remains just how far those troops are withdrawing, how many shall remain, in what role, and what will be their numbers?"

2008_0822_TSR

An update on the Russian troop withdrawal, recorded earlier this morning.

Length: 2:07

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CNN/I: Your World Today

2008_0822_Int_YWTc

As dusk settles in Tbilisi, Michael talks to Jim Clancy about the day's events and some further information about the rumored internment camps.

Length: 5:39

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NR: "The Russians are still playing hardball."

2008_0822_NRb

More details about the move out of the undisputed territory and the claims that the Russian troops are simply changing uniforms and becoming 'peacekeeper' forces.

Length: 2:02

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NR: "Russian forces are making significant moves out of undisputed Georgian territory."

2008_0822_NRa

Michael confirms that the Russian forces are moving out of the greater Georgian areas but as expected, only into the so-called breakaway territories, and they intend to maintain a "buffer zone" as well.

Length: 2:13

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CNN/I: Your World Today

2008_0822_Int_YWTb

A second appearance, with Ralitsa showing live footage from the Gori checkpoint. As Michael is discussing the presumed plans of the Russian troops, the signal is lost.

Length: 5:50

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CNN/I: Your World Today

2008_0822_Int_YWTa

Michael talks to Ralitsa Vassileva about the plans for Russian troop withdrawals, scheduled to start today but when will they finish, and where will the troops be then?

Length: 3:44

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TSR: "...there's no suggestion that any of this is going to change any time soon."

2008_0821_TSR

A piece updating the repair work on the rail bridge outside of Gori that was destroyed by Russian troops last week, as well as an overview as to how key incidents have effectively crippled the Georgian economy.

Length: 3:51

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TSR: "...none of which bodes well for a rapid resolution to this conflict."

2008_0819_TSRb

Another recorded update, similar to the earlier one but with some slightly updated information.

Length: 2:01

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TSR: "Russia's high-stakes military brinkmanship continues..."

2008_0819_TSRa

A recorded update of the overnight events, with more details from the Georgian government: 21 Georgian MPs were taken away by Russian troops in the town of Poti, and similar attempts were also made elsewhere. Also, the Russians are now talking about setting up permanent checkpoints in Gori.

Length: 1:53

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CNN/I: Your World Today

2008_0819_Int_YWT

Michael phones in a report about another non-pullback day by the Russians, as well as reports that the troops have moved back into Poti, where they took several Georgian soldiers into custody.

Length: 1:46

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TSR: "There is definitely a pall of fear hanging over what remains of the Georgian population in that area.

2008_0818_TSR

Michael sums up the day's events for Wolf. No evidence of a pullout, and in fact he adds that the incident with the tanks plowing through the police cars was actually an advancing of the Russian lines.

Length: 4:15

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CNN/I: World News Europe

2008_0818_Int_WNE

Just after midnight and Michael's back in Tbilisi and introduces the earlier prepared piece. He also answers some questions afterwards. There is no stick to beat the Russians into following through on their agreements... a definite reminder of the bad old days.

Length: 3:59

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NR: "There's no sign here, on the eastern front, of the Russian soldiers pulling back."

2008_0818_NR

Michael spends the day in Gori, looking for evidence of a troop pullout, and finds none. In fact, tanks smash through a barrier of Georgian police cars with clear disdain for any peace agreement that may have been signed in Moscow.

Length: 2:29

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CNN/I: World News

2008_0817_Int_WNb

A pre-recorded piece highlighting the hoped-for pullout. (NOTE: The audio feed is slightly out of sync on the broadband feed.)

Length: 2:16

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CNN/I: World News

2008_0817_Int_WNa

Midnight in the Georgian capital, as everyone awaits the coming pullout of Russian troops, some of whom remain merely 40 kilometers outside the city.

Length: 3:43

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CNN/I: Your World Today

2008_0817_Int_YWT

A short recorded piece about what was supposed to happen Monday.

Length: 1:11

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GPS: "They sent the message -- to Georgia, to the region, and to Washington --that I suspect they fully intended to do from the beginning."

2008_0817_GPS

Michael is back in Tbilisi and appears on GPS. He sums up the events of the past few days by saying that not only did the Russians easily sweep aside the Georgian Army, but the invasion served to send a message from Moscow to the world... and no one has any intention or ability to answer back in any meaningful way.

Length: 3:46

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NR: "...ready and willing to fight again against the Russian military if it proves necessary."

2008_0816_NRd

Michael's prepared piece on the destruction of the railway bridge. He finds the firing cable that was used to connect to the detonator device and follows it to the protected site where Russian soldiers sheltered from the blast. Georgians are already working to clear the bridge debris.

Length: 2:28

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NR: "Russia is already in breach of the newly signed cease-fire agreement."

2008_0816_NRc

A short pre-recorded piece that played first on International and recaps the current Russian troop movements and the destruction of the rail bridge that links Tbilisi with the port city of Poti. One of the things it is used for is to transport oil for companies such as BP.

Length: 1:52

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NR: "The Russian military still flexes its muscle."

2008_0816_NRb

Our first look at the destroyed bridge. Michael has also spoken with local residents, who told him that the bridge was destroyed seven hours earlier. The Georgian Vice-Prime Minister says that his people are ready to take up arms against the Russians again if they do not start adhering to the cease-fire. The Russians claim that they need time to collect arms and remove booby-traps set by the Georgians. Mmm-hmm.

Length: 4:12

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NR: "Obviously, Georgian officials feel that this is not within the terms of the cease-fire agreement."

2008_0816_NRa

Michael calls in from Gori, reporting that despite the signing of a cease-fire agreement, the Russians are still very much dug in there, which is undisputed Georgian territory. In fact, he is at the location of a key railway bridge that has been destroyed by the Russian troops. Whether the bridge was blown up before or after the signing of the peace deal, it is a clear violation of the spirit of the agreement, and will disrupt Georgian transportation and trade for months.

Length: 3:43

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LDT: "A continuing act of defiance..."

2008_0815_LDT

A longer version of the piece from Poti, followed by a live discussion with Lou Dobbs about the political and military realities from the front lines.

Length: 7:55

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TSR: "The Russians are not taking their foot off the accelerator."

2008_0815_TSRb

Another recap of what the Russians are doing -- or in the case of the withdrawal, not doing -- in the various areas from Tbilisi to the Black Sea.

Length: 4:44

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CNN/I: World News Europe

2008_0815_Int_WNE

Michael lays out the locations of the Russian army troops and what vital arteries they are controlling.

Length: 3:07

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TSR: "America's demand for a Russian troop withdrawal is not only going unheeded, it's actually being defied."

2008_0815_TSRa

Tom Foreman asks Michael for an update. The Russian troops are now only 29 miles east of Tbilisi. They are now controlling not only the two breakaway regions, but the land between. Michael believes that they will go to the bargaining table that way, and then 'negotiate' down to only keeping the two disputed regions. Pretty damned slick.

Length: 4:25

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CNN/I: Georgia Crisis

2008_0815_Int_WNE

2 a.m. During a live special on the crisis in Georgia, Michael tells Jim Clancy about the trip to Poti (including the prepared clip) but then updates that the Russian army is moving out of the port city; however, about 30km outside Poti, he and his team passed through a location where the Russians have dug in with heavy artillery.

Length: 2:56

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NR: "What are these troops doing here, and when are they going to leave?"

2008_0815_NR

A prepared piece showing Russian troops in the port city of Poti, although says that they are not in control of the entire city.

Length: 1:08

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AC: "The Russians are in the box seat, and it looks like they are consolidating their position."

2008_0814_AC

6 a.m. in Tbilisi. Anderson Cooper speaks with Michael and with Jill Dougherty in Moscow. Michael updates the Russian troop movements; Jill explains the thinking of the Russian leadership.

Length: 6:50

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EC: "What I'm seeing, essentially, is the Russian army sitting pretty."

2008_0814_EC

Michael speaks with Campbell Brown about the message Russia is sending to America and to countries in the region of Georgia -- especially former territories of the Soviet Union -- that have allied with America.

Length: 2:23

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LDT: "...for America, there simply is no military option."

2008_0814_LDT

3 a.m. -- Michael speaks with Lou Dobbs and explains the Russian advances within Georgia.

Length: 3:15

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TSR: "The conflict here...has a lot more to do with the Unites States..."

2008_0814_TSRb

2 a.m. in Tbilisi. Michael explains that the Russians are sending a clear message not only to the US but also to our allies -- because our military is already stretched so thin, we are in no position to come to the aid of anyone, regardless of our committments.

Length: 4:55

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CNN/I: World News Europe

2008_0814_Int_WNE

Moments after the first TSR clip aired, Michael was on World News Europe to describe how the Russians are in control of the Georgian cities of Gori and Poti.

Length: 3:43

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TSR: "The Russians know there's nothing America can do"

2008_0814_TSRa

It's now midnight Friday in Georgia, and Michael has moved to the capital city of Tbilisi. In this clip, he describes how the Russian army has moved further into Georgia.

Length: 3:30

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NR: "Russian forces, as of this moment, remain in control of the city of Gori."

2008_0814_NR

Newsroom replays a stand-up originally done for International. Michael describes the Russian army troops who have just left the road outside Gori.

Length: 3:43

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CNN/I: CNN Today Asia

2008_0814_Int_CTA

Michael returns from break by way of Gori, Georgia, where he shows that the Russian army is still in control of the city despite the cease-fire and supposed drawdown of troops.

Length: 1:23

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