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Length: 4:45
ANDERSON COOPER: More
trouble tonight for the White House on Iraq.
Britain's top general quoted in a London tabloid
saying that his troops should leave Iraq soon,
because their presence is only making the situation
worse.
He's now edging away from those precise words, but
really not from behind the sentiment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RICHARD DANNATT, BRITISH ARMY CHIEF: We don't
want to be there forever. We have been there for
three and a half years. Three and a half years ago,
we had some 27,000-30,000 soldiers there. We're now
down to 7,500.
And indeed, in southeast Iraq, which the British are
responsible for, there are four provinces. We've also
handed two of those provinces over to Iraqi control,
and the third province we're well on the way to. So
we are going in the right direction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Obviously, a little bit of a different tune.
CNN's Michael Ware has been spending time lately with
British forces. He joins us tonight live from Basra.
Michael, the British general that we just saw,
Richard Dannatt, said that foreign troop presence in
Iraq is basically exacerbating the security
situation.
Is that a common perception among British commanders
on the ground?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, it's
certainly clear from here in southern Iraq with the
British forces that General Dannatt is not alone in
his concerns.
There is a belief among some officers that the mere
presence of British forces here in southern Iraq is
inciting attacks. In Maysan province, where much
British blood has been spilled, and where six royal
military police officers were executed by a Shia
militia in 2003, a battle group was garrisoned in the
main town.
Now, in five months that camp was hit by 281 mortars,
prompting the battle group commander to empty the
garrison and disburse his forces into the desert.
Now, speaking days before General Dannatt went public
with his concerns, the battle group commander said
that one of the major reasons for his decision to
empty the camp was that the base had become a magnet
for attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. DAVID LABOUCHERE, QUEENS ROYAL HUSSARS: We
were a constant reminder of everything that the
locals had decided was bad about the British, and,
therefore, there were lots of people queuing up -- in
their lack of a job, et cetera, they were always
available -- to have a go at the British.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WARE: So it seems that on the ground here General
Dannatt is reflecting the concerns of some of his
officers. Indeed, a senior British diplomat this
evening highlighted to me that political factions
here in southern Iraq gain traction and credibility
on the street from their strikes against British
forces.
Now, while there's no suggestion that the troops
should leave now from military and diplomatic
officers, there are indications that that time for
departure may be coming sooner than many people think
-- Anderson.
COOPER: Michael, you've also spent, probably, more
time with U.S. troops on the ground than just about
any reporter I know. What about U.S. commanders? Do
they believe -- I mean, the ones you talked to on the
record, off the record -- believe that their presence
is making this situation worse?
WARE: By and large, American commanders that I speak
to find that their presence here is a necessity, that
there's simply no way around it, no matter how ugly
the reality is.
However, that concern that the presence of American
troops is, in fact, inflaming violence, has been
echoed by some of these commanders. So they're not
ignorant to the fact that the presence of American
troops also helps to contribute to the cycle of
violence, Anderson.
COOPER: You're embedded with British forces in Basra
right now, and people used to point to Basra as a
success story, a place of relative calm. What's it
like now?
WARE: Well, right now this is an extremely hostile
environment for the British troops. In just 24 hours
that we spent over the past several days, there was
seven attacks on British bases in the city itself.
That's from small arms fire, from an IED roadside
explosion on a passing vehicle, to mortar and 107mm
rocket attacks, the Katyushas, on the British bases
and their compound. The Brits have to go out heavily
armed, armored, whenever they leave their perimeters.
Anderson.
COOPER: Michael Ware, stay safe. Michael in Basra
tonight.