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SUZANNE
MALVEAUX: Realistic or rosy, that new intelligence
report on Iraq is sparking new controversy. Let's get
a fact check. Our CNN's Michael Ware joining us live
from New York, but he has spent most of his time in
Iraq.
Really Michael, since day one since this war has
begun we've been listening to John McCain, we've
heard this idea from the administration that the
so-called surge is making conditions on the ground
better in Iraq. What is your assessment?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, to a fair
degree that's true and it's not true. What one has to
look at is, first, what exactly is the surge. Well, I
can tell you now it's far more than just 30,000
combat troops acceptability to reinforce the capital.
That's just the thin veneer on the surface.
What the surge really is, as Ambassador Crocker and
many others have told us, is that, really, it's about
cutting deals with the Sunni insurgents who had been
killing Americans; it's about Muqtada al Sadr telling
his militia to lay low for his own political
purposes, nothing to do with trying to help America;
it's about segregating Baghdad into divided
communities that perhaps irreparably has torn apart
the fabric of Iraqi society but has prevented people
from getting at each other to kill one another; and
it's about a whole host of other political
accommodations.
Now, it's also about a political surge where the
state department and the embassy has been trying to
force the Iraqi government and the various factions
to agree on legislation and push it through. And
that's had markedly mixed results. Even General
Petraeus himself has said reconciliation itself, the
progress on that is insufficient. And at the end of
the day, that was the ultimate purpose of the surge.
But I have to tell you, whatever the reason, no
matter how it's done, no matter how long it lasts,
it's brought the death toll down by cutting the deals
and separating the communities. And who is not
thankful for that?
The one thing you must bear in mind, Suzanne, what
are the costs of this strategy and what are going to
be the consequences? There's a number of things that
have been put in trend as a result of the surge to
obtain these short-term goals, and at some point
someone's going to have to pay for them, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Well that's a very good question, Michael,
because we really don't know how much this is going
to cost when it's all said and done. We've heard from
Barack Obama's campaign, perhaps there seems to be a
window opening here, 16 months to get the U.S. troops
out. But do you think it's a good idea for a
timetable in the first place? You've never been a big
fan of that. Do you think it's good there's some
flexibility that perhaps the candidates are showing?
WARE: Well, the notion of timetables is ludicrous to
begin with, strategically and realistically. And I
think that one must bear in mind campaigning versus
actually running a war.
Now, certainly it's the hope of the commanders on the
ground at the most senior levels that what's being
said now may not necessarily be what's done when
someone's sitting in the oval office.
Indeed, I was speaking to Senator Kerry in D.C. just
yesterday. Even when he was outlining what he
considered to be a responsible timetable for
withdrawal, it was a much more nuanced approach than
the bumper sticker kind of slogan that you're hearing
from those candidates who are currently campaigning.
In Senator Kerry's version, which is on record, there
still remained U.S. troops for some time to come.
There was going to be renewed efforts in other fields
and other areas, but it was not the let's pull out
and go home. Indeed, he said, "we're not pulling the
plug." So really I think there's a lot of wiggle room
here and the American public need to be aware of
that.
MALVEAUX: Sure. I spoke with Senator Kerry yesterday
as well. It seems like it's going to be a lot more
complicated for whoever really gets in the office
there.
Thank you very much, Michael Ware, for your
perspective. Obviously from day one inside of
Baghdad. Thanks again, Michael.