Michael
talks to Kitty Pilgrim about the events of the day
and how the American forces view them.
Length: 2:53
A long
look at the filming of the piece at the parade
ground, as well as some discussion on what the day
means to the people of Iraq. In the second clip, a
"cutting room floor" moment: a look at what the day
means to the reporters covering the story.
Length: 8:22 / 1:08
Ali Velshi
talks to Michael about how likely it is that the
Iraqi government will ask American troops for
assistance.
Length: 4:40
Hala
Gorani talks to Michael about the handover and what
is likely to happen next.
Length: 4:47
With his
voice giving out from the hours of reporting and the
sandstorm onslaught, Michael gives another recap of
the changes wrought by the handover.
Length: 5:14
Immediately
following the NewsRoom report, Michael speaks with
Isha Sesay about the Kirkuk bombing and how it fits
within the broader scope of current events.
Length: 3:35
As dusk
falls on 'Day One,' Michael reports on another
car-bombing in Kirkuk targeting a market, killing
women and children in another attempt to fire up the
sectarian violence.
Length: 3:29
Jim Clancy
sums up the terms of the handover, and then Michael
gives us a look at the military ceremony at the main
parade ground in Baghdad. Jim then asks him whether
it was all worth it.
Length: 6:34
A look at
the "mixed bag" of results after more than six years
of war.
Length: 4:07
Another
look at the range of emotions unleashed by the
handover.
Length: 5:34
Michael is
asked how quickly American troops could get back into
the cities if they are needed. Logistically, very
quickly; politically ... pack a lunch.
Length: 4:38
Michael
proposes that as the Iraqis celebrate their National
Sovereignty Day, Americans should also take a moment
today to pause and reflect on the men and women who
laid down their lives in Iraq.
Length: 4:05
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.)
Length: 3:05
A
second American
Morning appearance,
and a discussion of the dangers faced by Iraqi troops
to keep a lid on the violence.
Length: 3:09
Michael
discusses what American forces are still allowed
(needed) to do in the new phase of the war. As he
says, the conflict in Iraq has always been an urban
war, and those areas are now off-limits to the
American troops.
Length: 3:59
Michael
again recaps the handover events and the pride of the
Iraqi people at now being in control of their
country.
Length: 3:06
Michael
talks to Kiran Chetry about the end of the
American-led war and the beginning of the Iraqi-led
war. A total of 4,323 US servicemembers have died
since the war began; an untold number of Iraqis
(estimated between 80,000-100,000) have died.
Length: 3:53
As
promised last week, the final part of the BackStory
interview from 6/24, with the two Michaels giving one
another some fine Aussie grief. (And the cameraman is
apparently on Holmes' side!)
Length: 0:42
A brief
pre-recorded piece about the auction for oil company
contracts.
Length: 1:29
Michael
describes the final moments of the countdown and the
celebratory mood in Baghdad today.
Length: 5:12
Boy, that
title quote says it all, doesn't it? I got chills
when he said it, and I loved the way he took control
of the segment to make that point. It is astonishing.
And it deserved recognition. There will be more blood
spilled, more in-fighting, more problems... but a
huge milestone has been reached for us and for the
Iraqis.
Length: 3:37
Isha Sesay
hosts and dubs this "the anti-BackStory" -- a look at
trying to film in the park, with some different
camera angles catching the action.
Length: 2:46
Suzanne
Malveaux asks Michael whether the Iraqis can sustain
the more-or-less stable situation. Yes...with 130,000
Americans backing them up. Hey, it's a start... They
may not yet be ready for the training wheels to come
off, but it is a start.
Length: 2:57
Michael
explains the upcoming contract auction as a way for
foreign oil companies to come in and rebuild the
pipeline infrastructure in order to get an inside
track on future contracts for oil production.
Length: 2:31
Just a few
moments after speaking with Hala, Ali Velshi talks
with Michael about the drawdown as well as with Atia
Abawi about the troops heading to Afghanistan.
Length: 3:57
With just
over an hour until the beginning of the "Day of
Celebration," Hala Gorani talks to Michael about the
handover.
Length: 2:58
TJ Holmes
gets his turn at bat with the "Are they ready"
question.
Length: 1:56
Michael
talks to Kiran Chetry about the handover and how
Iraqis are feeling about it.
Length: 3:35
Another
look at the handover and the likelihood that Iraqi
troops can handle the war on their own.
Length: 2:31
Two hours
after the prior clip, Michael talks to Zain about
whether the Iraqi troops are ready to take over.
Length: 4:02
International
gets the prepared piece, this time followed by a
brief comment for Zain Verjee.
Length: 4:51
Another
update to the preparation for the handover, including
a clip from General Odierno's CNN interview earlier
today.
Length: 2:58
Michael's
prepared piece on the handover, followed by a Q&A
with Fredricka Whitfield about the new role for US
troops still in Iraq.
Length: 5:29
Back on
International, more of the litany of today's
bombings.
Length: 3:29
Betty asks
Michael whether the Iraqi forces are prepared to take
over in 48 hours. His response: "No." That's it.
Well, he does expand on it, but does he really need
to explain it?
The end is ... well, as TJ Holmes puts it, "Michael
Keeping-It-Real Ware" discusses the problems of
trying to moisturize in a sandstorm (isn't that how
exfoliation was born?) and recycles that great 70s
earth-friendly slogan "Conserve Water, Shower With a
Friend."
Length: 4:37
Michael
appears on International to discuss the withdrawal...
and the sandstorm. Baghdad airport is closed, even
military aircraft are grounded. Another bombing to
report, as well.
Length: 3:58
An hour
later, another update on the withdrawal, focusing on
how the residents feel about it. Also, Michael has
his just-showered towel on hand (which presumably is
now covered in dust from the open window?)
Length: 4:11
Michael
begins a series of reports as Baghdad is covered by
another sandstorm. He gives Betty Nguyen the rundown
on the troop withdrawal next Tuesday; she then asks
him about the sandstorm that turns everything yellow
behind him. A fine dust coats everything, he says;
she tells him to go take a shower.
Length: 4:23
Wolf
Blitzer asks Michael what we should expect come
Wednesday morning. Recorded Friday (looks to be
around 7pm in Baghdad).
Length: 3:06
A brief
pre-recorded piece that aired several times on
International; looks to have been recorded around the
same time as the International
Desk report.
[It also aired Saturday morning on Domestic.]
Length: 1:31
Michael
talks with Hala Gorani about the rising death toll
(now over 200 people in the past six days) and the
looming deadline. As to whether the Iraqi forces can
handle what's coming? No.
(There was a transmission glitch during the first 20
seconds or so, but it does clear up.)
Length: 4:05
Jonathan
Mann asks Michael whether the Iraqi people want the
American forces to go. "A simple question with a
complicated answer..." Some interesting info about
next week's "day of celebration," as well.
(Délie's DVR was taking a break during special
programming, so we miss about 10-15 seconds at the
start. Considering that I didn't expect we'd get any
more coverage at all until Tuesday, I say we're okay
with that!)
Length: 3:36
Michael talks with Becky Anderson on Connecting The World about the change of focus back to Afghanistan (both troops and intelligence assets) as well as the situation in Pakistan.
Watch the clip, read the transcript...
A few
hours later, speaking with Hala again about the
bombings, the situation with the Kurds, and what may
happen next week.
Length: 3:49
Michael
talks with Hala Gorani about the campaign to incite
the Shia to ignite the sectarian violence again.
Length: 3:29
Michael
talks with Jonathan Mann for Your
World Today about the
latest rash of bombings to hit the country. He again
points out that the Bush administration ended this
war by signing the agreement that ends our ability to
wage the war. Are the Iraqi forces ready to take
over? "No. No way."
Length: 4:44
Michael
spoke briefly with John Roberts this morning about
the current attempt to reignite the sectarian
violence again.
Length: 2:10
Domestic
finally gets Michael on the air, with Wolf Blitzer
asking about today's bombings and next week's
implementation of the SOFA. Jack Cafferty has his own
comment at the end of the piece.
Length: 4:28
The second
part of yesterday's BackStory
interview,
discussing the upcoming "beginning of the end of the
US-led war in Iraq." (There is still more to this
interview, not sure whether it will air later or
not.)
Length: 3:47
Once again
speaking with Hala Gorani on International
Desk, this
time about today's horrific bombing in a market in
Sadr City.
Length: 2:47
International's
BackStory
did an
interview with Michael today. Due to technical
glitches they were only able to air a portion of it,
but (thanks again to Délie!) here it is.
In the first (very short) clip, Michael Holmes tells
us that Michael felt the need to put on his shoes for
the interview. Hey, it was something like 8pm there,
so I think it's cool that they can be barefootin'
around the bureau! (Plus, it was 110 degrees there
today! Yeesh!)
In the second segment, Michael talks about the what
may happen next week when the US troops are required
(by the SOFA signed by our previous administration)
to pull out of the cities. If there is a fact to make
your blood run cold, it has to be hearing that the
Sunni insurgents have stockpiled a three year supply
of ammunition and explosives and are just waiting for
our guys to get out of the way.
Length: 0:21 / 4:43
Michael is
on again a few hours later with a catalogue of deadly
attacks and a rising death toll.
Length: 3:15
Michael is
back in Baghdad and speaks with Hala Gorani about the
bombings this weekend as the US prepares to pull
troops out of the cities per the SOFA signed late
last year.
Length: 3:30
Michael
faces off with former Bush speechwriter Marc
Thiessen, who contends that President Obama "threw
the troops under the bus" by not thanking them during
the Cairo speech and by discussing Gitmo in a
negative manner. I find it absolutely astonishing
that a speechwriter doesn't comprehend the importance
of crafting a speech to its intended audience, which
in this case was a segment of the world that does not
view our military in a positive light. To them, we
are occupiers, not liberators. Maybe someday that
will change -- in fact, Obama is working hard to
start the process of changing that view -- but the
blunders by the civilian leadership of the Bush
administration has caused untold violence and
destruction in the Arab world, which all of us will
be dealing with for decades to come.
Michael also makes the point that the troops are not
going to get all ego-bruised and whiny over not being
thanked in public during every speech. Get real. The
military knows that this administration has already
done more for them than the previous one did;
including trying to find a way to get the Arab world
to stop shooting at them.
Length: 8:43 / 2:25
Another
look at the Cairo speech, this time focusing on the
implications of closing Guantanamo Bay and whether
any of our allies will be willing to take the
prisoners. Candy Crowley looks at the political
implications. Michael asks why we are so afraid to
take the prisoners onto American soil yet expect our
friends to take that risk for us. Also, should
America weigh in on the Iranian elections?
Length: 8:19
Michael
appears on Campbell Brown's program to discuss the
speech; other panelists include Bill Bennett, Fran
Townsend, and NPR's John Ridley. Bennett insists that
Obama said nothing new today, which is a delusion of
such high magnitude as to be almost painful; however,
the far-right's ability to self-delude has been so
impressive over the past eight years that it really
fails to evoke much more than an eyeroll anymore.
Thankfully, Michael was there for the reality check.
Length: 6:22
Hours
after President Obama's paradigm-shifting speech in
Cairo, Michael appears on The
Situation Room to discuss
its impact in the Muslim world, while Candy Crowley
looks at the political implications at home.
Length: 8:16