AAM: "The Iraqis have the
whip hand and the Americans have to take the
backseat."
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Length: 3:05
LARGE (35.7 MB)
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Michael mixes some metaphors to convey the
monumental change in tactics from here on out. (You
can't blame the Iraqis for wanting to be in charge
of their country, but this has got to rankle the
take-charge types in the US military.)
KIRAN
CHETRY: In Iraq, today was marked with celebrations
and fireworks as U.S. forces turned over control of
Iraq cities and towns to the country's security
forces. Iraq's naming today a national holiday,
Sovereignty Day. U.S. troops have been slowly moving
out for several months. Most were actually gone
before this past weekend.
Our Michael Ware is tracking things live in Baghdad
this weekend. And, you know, when we say gone, I
mean, they've pulled back, you know, to the Forward
Operating Bases. But they're still very much in that
country to the tune of more than 130,000.
So what really besides being an occasion that's being
marked today formally does this mean?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well,
actually, it does mean a lot, Kiran. I mean, we can't
neglect the symbolic importance. And from there has
come the outpouring of jubilation from Iraqis. As
I've been hearing time and time again in the last few
days, "Iraq for Iraqis."
I mean, you can't devalue that. There's a strong
sense of nationalism here that, well intended or not,
the celebrating people here feel that a foreign
occupation has finally come to an end.
Now, what it also means, and this is the most pivotal
part is that I'm standing here in Iraq where I've
been since the invasion began, you know, the invasion
in March 2003, and for the first time, today, this is
not a U.S.-led war.
The American phase of the war, the American command
of the war is over. This is now Iraq's war. Now that
means a lot for the Iraqi people and their
government. It's up to them now to try and stem the
flow of almost ceaseless attacks and also to keep the
warring factions apart and return to the blood bath
of civil war.
It also means that this 130,000 body of U.S. combat
troops now take a supporting role. General Odierno,
who is the American commander here on the ground, is
no longer running the military show. He's been doing
it in partnership up until now. Now, he is here at
the behest of the Iraqi government. U.S. troops
cannot operate in the main combat areas or what have
been the main combat areas, which is the cities and
the towns, without having to go and ask for
permission from the Iraqi governments, or accepting
an invitation from the Iraqi government. American
forces can't even go out and detain an enemy
combatant who they believe are killing American
troops today, tomorrow, the next day, without going
to the Iraqi government.
So the Iraqis have the whip hand and the Americans
have to take the backseat. That's the most important
part.
Kiran?
CHETRY: Michael Ware for us in Baghdad this morning,
putting it into perspective. Thanks so much.