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Michael appears on This Week in Politics to discuss the realities of whether the government in Iraq fears a US pullout and questions why no one is talking about Iran.
TOM
FOREMAN: Who would have believed a year ago that the
war in Iraq would have been anything but an albatross
around the neck of the Republican candidate? But John
McCain has made Iraq the keystone for his
presidential campaign. And it could be what puts him
over the top.
Is all this due to real changes on the ground in Iraq
or just smoke and mirrors?
There is no one who cuts through the smoke better
than CNN's Michael Ware. He joins us now from
Baghdad.
Michael, the Democrats continue to say, look, we need
to get out as cleanly as we can. The Republicans
continue to say, we need to stay until the job is
successfully accomplished. Is either one possible?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a very
difficult question to answer, obviously. But the
short answer is, no, not without some significant
change. Any sense of withdrawal is just beyond the
pale. I mean, we all wish there was a magic wand that
could be waved over this blood-soaked country and fix
all that ails it, but I'm afraid that just doesn't
exist.
For right or for wrong and for whatever reason,
America began this war. And one way or another for
America's own foreign policy interests, and for those
of this region and the Iraqi people, America must
bring it to some kind of resolution. Now, should it
be continued in the way that it's going now? That's a
matter also of great debate.
In many ways, America's never really fought this war.
It's always done it with its arm tied behind its
back. And with the surge or without the surge,
there's still an 800-pound gorilla in the room that's
yet to be addressed, and I've yet to see America
establish a coherent strategy to tackle. And that's
the fact that Iran all but owns this country.
It certainly has greater influence. This government
is much more closely aligned to Iran. And Iran
strategically is using this country as a quagmire to
punish America, to torture its great enemy, being the
U.S., here on one of its own battlefields close to
home. So none of these policies that I'm hearing
espoused address the underlying true dynamics of this
war now.
FOREMAN: One of the things the Democrats are saying
is that they think the only reason there's any
political progress, slow as it may be in Iraq right
now, is because the Iraqis fear that a Democrat will
take the White House and will pull out. Is that true?
WARE: Look, anyone who postulates in that fashion
honestly must be dreaming. Now, this Iraqi government
might know that it doesn't exactly have a handle on
everything. But to be honest, I think this Iraqi
government is more afraid of American money pulling
out than it is of American troops. I mean,
particularly if you talk to the hard-liners in this
government who were trained, funded, indoctrinated
and continue to be supported by Iran.
Let's not forget, many of the major factions of this
government -- certainly the most powerful ones -- and
their paramilitary wings continue to this day to have
connections to Tehran, if in fact those parties and
organizations were not actually created in Tehran,
while in exile from Saddam's rule.
So these people, if you speak to them -- like the
ambassador from Iran here in Baghdad -- say,
"America, get out of the way. Give us the security
file," as they call it; basically, "Give us the
responsibility for security. Let us fix this. And if
you won't give us the weapons we want, Iran certainly
will."
So the threat of a U.S. troop withdrawal is not as
real as perhaps many people back home in the States
would like to believe -- Tom.
FOREMAN: Thanks so much, Michael Ware, for that
update.