CNN 2011-12-27

 I think there is plenty of reasons to be alarmed// there is a toxic 1 soup of politically intrigue 2 and terrorist activity that's now sort of coming to a bubble in B. as we speak,I mean the decision of prime minister M. who represents a Shia body to go after his vice 3 president almost before the US military had finished switching off the lights at the left. Politically,that absolutely smacked 4 off some kind of vendetta,some almost  Shia was //vendetta.Then to this bombing, although maybe they are not directly be connected with that event,they contribute to a sense in Iraq that now the Americans are gone,all kinds of knives will be unsheathed and be stabbed in every which directions.

I can't tell you how nervous the officials here in Washington and based on my own reporting, we reported the situation from yesterday,that the CIA director ** made a surprise visit to Iraq in recent days and try to come things down,and ***the army chief of staff ,a former commander of US forces in Iraq,is there right now meeting with ***.I don't think a lot of folks ,correct me if I'm wrong,have a great deal of confidence in Iraqi prime minister.
Well, they're not entirely 5 sure what he stands for,he's been very evasive,very oily about moving with the tide a little bit, but the thing is that if the US military // giant embassy was unaware 6 that M. was going after the S. politician, that represent a big intelligence failure.
The M. cabinet is no good at keeping secrets.Everybody in B. knows what's happening in what used to be the green zone,if M's decision to go after the S.'s politician was unknown to the Americans,that represents the different kind of problems,that means despite of all the efforts ,despite of having a huge embassy,despite of all this long-standing relationship between the United States and the Iraqi government,we didn't know that such a big thing  coming down to pike.
Let's not forget B., you  spent a lot of time in B. over the years, the former TIME magazine Europe chief,there are still, even all US troops are out,17,000 in Iraq,most of them are in the Green Zone ,as you pointed 7 out,about half of the 17,000 are diplomats 8 or diplomatic support staff,the other half security contractors,civilians highly paid the civillians, there to protect Americans.I'm sure you are worried about them,I'm very worried about their security.
I'm worried about them,also worried about the thousands possibly,tens of thousands of  Iraqis that over the years have helped the Americans,whether  it's American military as translators  and divers 9 and so on, or journalist organisation 10 like yours  and mine,///,there is a lot of reasons for us to be alarmed,and keeping a very,very close eye on how thing's going in B.
How close is this alliance between government of M.,as you said himself is///  right next door.
Well, it's not as close as people who make it out to be,some comments in Washington assumed M. is puppet to Iran's puppet master, that is not true,it is true that many members of M.'s government spent some time during that long exile under the Saddam H. years.In Iran, there is suddenly a close tie than their used to be,but M. is also quite stubborn and very aware that the  large majority of his own supporters,Shia Iraqis identified himself as first // and do not see himself as a extension naturally  of Iran.
So, the relationship is a little better than it used to be,but this is not a master servant relationship by any stretch of imagination.
The White house issue a statement  today,it's expressing deep concern, condolences for dead people as a result of this weave of terror.Also, pointed out ,the vice president Joe was on the phone with //of Iraq,///,Joe has played a key role ,but here is the question to you,B.,how much influence now that all the American forces are out of Iraq,does the Obama administration really have there?
Almost none,I think which is why Bidden reached out to //because now,///represents the US's best hope of having sort of influence,because it's a collation 11  government and nobody can really rule Iraq the way the politics is set up without the support of K.,so the K. almost are a proxy 12 of the US,whichever administration,whichever government is in power,is in control of this country,we have to rely on the K.to help out.
But in terms of direct relationship, Joe Biden knows the clears in Iraq better than any American politician and even he has very little direct influence anymore.