TRANSCRIPT: Michael Ware on Iran's influence in Iraq & troop withdrawal reality!
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on March 28, 2008 - 6:33am.
Iraq
Hello Everyone:
Here is the CNN Situation Room transcript from Thursday, March 27 where Michael Ware gave this excellent and very informative interview about the influence of Iran in Iraq, where he discussed the issue of troop withdrawal from Iraq, and where he gave a very sobering reality check about how serious of an issue that Iraq is right now:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0803/27/sitroom.01.html
THE SITUATION ROOM
Henry Paulson Readies for Trip to China; FBI Agents Investigate Crime & Terror in Iraq; Conversation Continues Over Florida & Michigan Votes
Aired March 27, 2008 - 16:00 ET
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: "Let's go to Michael Ware. He's joining us from London.
Michael, you spent years watching the situation in Iraq unfold. On this, the day the president was touting progress, it looks like the situation is deteriorating, especially in Basra, in the south, in Sadr City, and the problems for Nouri al-Maliki's government not coming from Iraqi Sunni insurgents but from fellow Shiites, Muqtada al-Sadr's militias. What is going on?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, what's going on is the future of Iraq without U.S. forces, welcome to it. You think Lebanon in the '80s was bad? Many people say that the future of Iraq with a timetable for withdrawal will be exactly what you're seeing now. We're seeing Iranian backed Shia faction fighting Iranian backed Shia faction.
Now I don't care who in the administration wants to tout this as a positive step. The end result of this, whether you dress it up as a law and order crusade, or whether you dress it up as a successful military operation led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who does not share Washington's agenda, the end effect of all of this is--- what's happening is a consolidation of Iranian influence.
BLITZER: So what you're suggesting is does it make any difference if the U.S. troops leave now or if they leave a year from now or five years from now, the end result is going to be chaos and civil strife in Iraq?
WARE: Well, five years from now maybe Iran will have consolidated its gains on power and one has to induce crisis. But put it this way, Wolf, Americans are still in South Korea.
Now if you think American troops can withdraw next year, then someone is being delusional. The only thing that is keeping these groups apart, the only thing that's keeping the Sunni/Shia from Sectarian warfare, the only thing that can possibly contain this Shia on Shia violence, all of which is backed by Iran, is the presence of American forces.
They provide what limited buffer they can do. Now, the Brits in the south of Iraq who technically once owned Basra have now retreated to the air base in that city. They're unable to project combat power or influence. So you're seeing the natural course of events.
BLITZER: Is there any chance you believe that Nouri al-Maliki's forces can crush Muqtada al Sadr's Shiite militia?
WARE: Well that's kind of a moot point in many ways. Let's look at it this way, say Muqtada Al Sadr still has enormous influence on the street. Why? Because he's an Iraqi nationalist.
His main selling point is the fact that under Saddam I didn't leave. Unlike all these Iraqis who fled to Tehran. My father died, my uncle died, he has great sway on the street. Now once upon a time he had great sway with the paramilitary force.
But that's been eroded by the Iranians. The best of his commanders, the most hard lined, have been cleaned away. Retrained, rearmed, refunded and joined with Lebanese Hezbollah and sent back in the field to kill Americans. The Muqtada al Sadr of today is not the Muqtada al Sadr of 2004.
And Nouri al-Maliki does not see him as a partner. Now, what America has been doing by default and by the admission of American commanders is essentially consolidating the influence of Iran.
Why? Because intelligence against many of these forces in Basra and Baghdad and elsewhere, against the Mehdi army loyal to Muqtada al Sadr is generated by who, the Iraqi government. The Iraqi government is dominated by factions that are heavily influenced by Iran. So that eroding the power of Muqtada to the benefit of pro Iranian factions.
BLITZER: All right.
WARE: So that's what we're seeing, Wolf.
BLITZER: It's not a very pretty picture, indeed. Michael, thanks very much.
WARE: Not at all.
BLITZER: Michael Ware will be in Washington in the coming days, we'll talk with him here..."
Here is Michael Ware's recent "five year bottom line assessment" about Iraq which I highly recommend looking at:
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/15090
TRANSCRIPT: Michael Ware gave his "five year bottom line assessment" about Iraq!
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on March 24, 2008 - 1:19am.
Michael Ware in my opinion is the most credible, realistic, and straight forward news journalist who I am aware of on all of cable television when he talks about Iraq. I really wish that CNN made videos of Michael Ware's interviews just like how MSNBC does with a lot of their prime time program guests!
Mitch Dworkin
http://www.securingamerica.com/
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/10756
StopIranWar.com: "War is not the answer"
Submitted by Wes Clark on February 21, 2007 - 11:40am.
http://www.securingamerica.com/ccn/node/7191
Listen to Gen. Wes Clark fight for Dems on Sean Hannity's radio program: An excellent example for all of us to follow and what we all need to be doing to help fight back against extreme right wing Neocon smear propaganda!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23674907#23674907 (07:22)
Iraq, five years later
March 17: General Wesley Clark breaks down the successes and failures of the war so far and the course of action that should be taken for the future.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23674907#23674907 (07:22)
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0803/27/acd.01.html
ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES
Presidential Candidates Focus on Economy; Barack Obama Too Liberal to Unite Parties?; New Fears of Iraqi Civil War
Aired March 27, 2008 - 22:00 ET
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Gunfire on the streets of Basra in southern Iraq. After months of reduced violence, Iraq is once again erupting. The violence is widespread. In Basra, the Iraqi army is engaged in a fierce battle with the followers of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Iraq's government is trying to crush al-Sadr's forces. The fighting has left scores dead.
And in Baghdad, insurgents continue their assault on the heavily fortified Green Zone. Members of the U.S. embassy are being told to stay inside. Two Americans have been killed after five days of rocket -- excuse me, after days of rocket attacks. And a city-wide curfew is in effect through Sunday evening.
Now today, President Bush stood firm, saying the so-called surge is working and, quote, "the progress in Iraq is real," unquote. The question is, is it?
For a reality check, Erica Hill spoke to CNN's Michael Ware, who's been covering the war in Iraq since it began.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERICA HILL, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Michael, with everything we've been seeing lately and now the U.S. embassy telling employees to stay inside because of the violence, can you tell us why there's such an uptick? Why now?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this has been triggered by an Iraqi government offensive in the southern oil-rich city of Basra. Now, that's a city that's controlled by a number of militia factions. Now, whilst the Iraqi government and the U.S. military is very keen to dress this up as a bold decision targeting criminal elements, in the ultimate washout, the real target of this offensive will invariably be the Mehdi Army militia, which is loyal to the anti- American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
E. HILL: But isn't there also -- and correct me if I'm wrong here, Michael, but there's also the issue that in Basra specifically, a lot of the forces there, I think more than half of them, maybe 16,000 of the Basra police force, they're also -- have been said to be infiltrated with the very militia they're supposed to be fighting.
WARE: Oh, absolutely. I mean, in one sense there's no such thing as an Iraqi police force. I mean, these are localized groups put in police uniforms, largely funded by the Americans and trained by Americans. But there are the Sunni insurgent groups who serve in their hometown or their local militia forces backed by Iran who serve in their hometown.
Basra is no different. However, in Basra, we have a whole rainbow alliance of Iranian-backed or Iranian-linked or Iranian- supported militias.
Now, the provincial government is controlled by one group. Now, they're not completely aligned with Iran, but they're not separate from Iran. The streets, in many ways, are dominated by the Mehdi Army militia of Muqtada al-Sadr who has links to Iran but is not beholden to Iran.
Yet, this central government, who is launching this offensive, is very much in so many ways, through its key factions, tied intricately with Iran. Yet, America must inevitably throw its lot in with this government.
So this is a very complicated picture. There is so many games at play here we can't even begin to describe them.
E. HILL: I know. And frankly, it's tough to keep them all straight. But I would imagine one of the other major concerns here is the fact that this violence in Basra, in the southern part of the country, could spread?
WARE: Well, it could spread in a number of ways. I mean, in one sense, the potential is that this will be limited to Shia-dominated areas. That's largely southern Iraq, which is heavily overwhelmed by Iranian influence, not American influence. Certainly, not British influence, who were given control of that area, and they've retreated to their air base outside of Basra and have no ability to -- to change this environment whatsoever.
However, could it spread to the rest of the country? Northern Iraq? No. The Kurds are very happy to see Arabs fighting Arabs, whether they've been Iranian-backed or backed by other Arab countries.
The Sunnis now, 70,000 of whom were killing Americans but are now on the U.S. government payroll, will have a key strategic decision to make. Do we try and capitalize on this internal Shia-on-Shia, pro- Iranian backed factional fighting or stand back, let them kill each other and then step in?
So there's a potential for this to go any number of ways, all of which are complicated, all of which add to the woes of the U.S. mission, and all of which risk jeopardizing the gains of the so-called surge.
E. HILL: Last thing I think anyone wants to hear, unfortunately. Michael Ware, always appreciate the insight.
WARE: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)