NR: "Today is a day
America should pause...to consider that sacrifice that
was given."
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
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A look at the "mixed bag" of results after more
than six years of war.
TONY
HARRIS: We begin this morning in Iraq, where it is a
day of celebration. U.S. combat troops have completed
their pullback from Iraq's cities, the first step on
the road to full withdrawal in 2011. For the first
time in six years, Iraqis are in charge of security.
Last hour, the U.S. commander in Iraq declined to say
how many U.S. troops would stay in Iraq cities as
advisers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RAY ODIERNO, COMMANDER, MULTINATIONAL FORCE,
IRAQ: The U.S. is committed to full, transparent and
continued implementation of the security agreement in
a spirit of partnership with the sovereign nation of
Iraq. The Iraqi people should be very proud of the
dedication, progress and sacrifice of the Iraqi
security forces and the government of Iraq. Their
accomplishments in preparing for this day are
commendable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: CNN's Michael Ware joins me now from Baghdad.
And Michael, what does this day, dubbed Sovereignty
Day, mean for Iraqis?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, it's hard to
describe. It means jubilation. It means celebration.
It means relief. Now, no matter how well-intended was
the U.S. presence here, no matter what the reasons
were to come in to oust the regime of Saddam Hussein,
to the Iraqis, who had to live this all these years,
it's been a foreign occupation. For them, this is the
end of a foreign occupation -- foreign tanks on the
end of their streets, foreign troops rousting
families from their beds at night, foreign troops
dragging their menfolk away at nighttime, putting
them in foreign-run prisons.
This is Iraq for Iraqis, I keep hearing. That's what
this is about.
Now, there's still a war going on here. Indeed, we
have just received reports now of another car
bombing. This time in the northern city of Kirkuk.
Local police say that a parked car detonated. We
haven't got any more details, we don't know if there
is any dead, we don't know about the wounded. There's
already been a double roadside bomb explosion here in
the capital, Baghdad.
So, the Iraqis are celebrating, but they know the
risks. They've been living them -- Tony.
HARRIS: Hey, Michael, if an American asked you what
has really been accomplished in Iraq, keeping in mind
no Iraqi weapons of mass destruction were ever found,
no ties between Saddam Hussein and the people
responsible for 9/11 were found and established, how
would you answer that question?
WARE: Well, that's a tough one. That's a tough one.
Look, under no circumstances should someone take away
from the honor of the sacrifice of the 4,324 American
servicemen and service personnel who have laid down
their lives here on Iraqi soil. And indeed, while the
Iraqis are celebrating, I think today is a day
America should pause as a nation and have a moment of
silence to consider that sacrifice that was given,
because it's a really odd bag about what's being
achieved.
Okay, you removed the regime of Saddam Hussein, but
he wasn't posing a threat to the United States or
really to the region. No, there was no WMD. Al Qaeda
and Saddam never liked each other. Even if they
chatted occasionally, even America chats to its
enemies.
There is a democracy of sorts here. It's not the
shining beacon that the planners of this war intended
it to be for the region. In fact, surrounding
countries are going, what? You want us to have that?
So, it hasn't done that.
You've increased Iranian power and influence within
the region. This government here in Iraq is much more
closely aligned to Tehran than it is to Washington.
It's a mixed bag. It's not a question that's easy for
me to answer -- Tony.
HARRIS: CNN's Michael Ware for us in Baghdad.
Thanks for taking a shot at it, Michael. We
appreciate it.