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President Bush in Jordan for Meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister; Muqtada al-Sadr Supporters Pull Out of Iraqi Government; Pentagon to Move at Least Three Battalions to Baghdad

Aired November 29, 2006 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Iraq's embattled prime minister tries to rein in the chaos in his country in a key meeting with U.S. President Bush.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Ties that bind. Pope Benedict delivers a message of devotion for Catholics and Muslims during his visit to Turkey.

MCEDWARDS: A simple piece of clothing or security threat? The Netherlands wants to ban burqas, and Muslims there are outraged.

HOLMES: And a new movie on Christ's birth is raising controversy, not to mention a few eyebrows. In Hollywood, the teenage star is living the role.

All right. It is 7:00 p.m. in Amman, Jordan, 9:00 a.m. in Los Angeles.

Hello and welcome to our report broadcast right around the globe.

I'm Michael Holmes.

MCEDWARDS: And I'm Colleen McEdwards.

From Amman, to Ankara, to Amsterdam, wherever you're watching, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

HOLMES: All right. All eyes are on Amman, Jordan, right now. U.S. President Bush, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki are both in the Jordanian capital. These pictures of the U.S. president arriving on Air Force One just a few minutes old. He just arrived, got into his motorcade and departed the airport.

MCEDWARDS: So he's there on the ground, but there is skepticism and resistance in Iraq over this meeting. Shiite cleric Muqtada al- Sadr's powerful political bloc made good on its threat to boycott the government.

HOLMES: And some of President Bush's over advisers seem to have doubts about the Iraqi prime minister's ability to govern. All of this as the U.S. plans to move more troops into Baghdad to quell the violence.

MCEDWARDS: Well, President Bush's visit comes at a particularly critical period in the region as it deals with this spiraling violence. The government in crisis in Lebanon as well, and simmering tensions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for now in a fragile cease-fire.

We have reporters standing by in Jordan and Iraq. Arwa Damon is in Baghdad. But we want to begin with CNN's Ben Wedeman, who is in Amman -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Colleen, while President Bush has touched down at Queen Alia International Airport here in Amman, coming to a summit that many here feel is too little, too late, there's a feeling that President Bush should have been far more involved from the beginning, basically from right after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003.

Today, the Middle East is racked by a series of crises. The situation best described by Jordan's King Abdullah over the weekend, who said by the beginning of next year, the Middle East could be facing three civil wars: in Iraq, in Lebanon, and in the Palestinian territories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN (voice over): It would hardly seem like the best time to visit the region. President Bush's grand ambitions for the Middle East lie in disarray.

In Iraq, what was supposed to be a beacon of democracy has become a black hole of sectarian violence and anarchy. The administration still insists it's not civil war, though what Iraqi officials describe sounds almost as bad.

MOWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: This is a war between the extremists and the moderates in the whole region. And that's why it's concentrating its effort in Iraq. If they lose, they lose in the whole region. If they win, god forbid, they will disrupt the whole region again.

WEDEMAN: Perhaps glimpsing post-pullout reality, Iraqi president Jalal Talabani is now rubbing shoulders with the leaders of Iran, who seem as determined as ever, threats of sanctions notwithstanding, to pursue a nuclear option, flushed with growing regional clout.

In Lebanon, the U.S.-backed government is under siege.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And that government is being undermined, in my opinion, by -- by extremist forces encouraged out of Syria and Iran. Why? Because a democracy will be a major defeat for those who articulate extremist points of view.

WEDEMAN: Across the region, hopes for a blossoming of democracy have been dashed as almost every experiment in political liberalization in Egypt, in Iraq, in the Palestinian territories has empowered or emboldened Islamic hard-liners.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WEDEMAN: Colleen, President Bush is going to be meeting briefly with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and will be dining with the king of Jordan, King Abdullah. Tomorrow, he'll have a more extended meeting with the Iraqi prime minister.

Now, one interesting side story to all of this is that there does appear to be an intensification of the American effort to push forward the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be going over to the West Bank probably on Thursday, where she will be meeting with Palestinian leaders and she'll also beholding holding talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Certainly what the United States wants to do is push forward, make progress in that area, to show leaders here in Jordan and elsewhere in the Middle East that it does -- it is serious about solved many problems in this part of the world -- Colleen.

MCEDWARDS: Yes, that's an interesting development.

Ben Wedeman for us there.

Thanks very much, Ben -- Michael.

HOLMES: All right.

Supporters of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have followed through on an ultimatum to suspend participation in the government. Al-Sadr's powerful political bloc took that drastic step to protest the prime minister's meeting with President Bush.

Arwa Damon joins me now from Baghdad.

Now, Arwa, Muqtada al-Sadr's bloc is a large reason -- well, it's the main reason that Nouri al-Maliki can govern, because he's supporting that coalition.

What does this mean?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Michael, and especially way back in the day when the issue of who was going to be Iraq's new prime minister came up, if you remember, Muqtada al-Sadr's political bloc threw their weight behind Nouri al-Maliki, giving him the job with just a single vote.

There was some kind of a back-door deal that was cut then. Now that all appears to be falling apart. The political bloc first made the threat to suspend its activities from the Iraqi government at the end of last week if this meeting goes ahead between Nouri al-Maliki and U.S. President Bush. Now they are making good on that.

They're calling this meeting, according to the he head of the political bloc, Hassan Shanshal. They are saying that this meeting is provocative and against the will of the Iraqi people. They're also demanding a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces, as well as demanding that the prime minister provide the country with security and restore basic services. Now, the political bloc holds about 30 seats, and parliament controls six ministries. And this puts the prime minister in an incredibly difficult situation, especially as he is about to go into meetings with the president of the United States, when already his ability to govern this country, to hold his government and his nation together are being questioned across the board -- Michael.

HOLMES: All right. We'll leave it there.

Arwa, thanks very much.

Arwa Damon there reporting from Baghdad.

Thanks, Arwa.

MCEDWARDS: And we are getting word from the Pentagon that the U.S. is planning to move some battalions of additional American troops into Baghdad, moving them from other parts of Iraq.

So let's get more on this news with our Jamie McIntyre, who's standing by at the Pentagon.

Jamie, I know this is all just coming in, but are you getting any more detail on this yet?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Colleen, U.S. commanders have said for a while that they have a shortage of troops in Baghdad. They were hoping that Iraqi troops would fill the gap.

They've been pressing the government of Iraq to send more Iraqi battalions to the capital city. But because that hasn't happened, Pentagon officials confirmed to CNN that the U.S. is planning, at least on a temporary basis, to move a significant number of additional troops into Baghdad from other areas of Iraq that are more peaceful.

We are told at least three battalions of additional American troops will be moved in or closer to Baghdad to help try to get a handle on the violence there. But we are told those troops will not come from the rest of Al Anbar Province, to the west of Baghdad. That's where about more than 20,000 U.S. Marines have been engaged in deadly combat with insurgents, and that insurgent stronghold. But officials say the number of troops in that area will stay the same as they move some of these other troops into Baghdad.

This reflects the U.S. military strategy, which is to secure Baghdad first. It also reflects the realization that the growing violence in Baghdad has continued to be a problem and the number of troops there now doesn't seem to be able to get a handle on it. So, again, some number of troops, we're told somewhere between 1,500 to 2,000, perhaps even more, will move into Baghdad in the coming days in an effort to reinforce U.S. troops there -- Colleen.

COLLINS: Fifteen hundred to 2,000. You touched on it just there, Jamie, but anything more on, you know, why now? MCINTYRE: Well, simply because the current forces there, including the Iraqi forces, have not been able to get a handle on the violence there. And U.S. commander General John Abizaid, the top commander, believes strongly that for this strategy to succeed, they've got to secure the capital first. He said that has to be the priority, and this reflects that priority.

MCEDWARDS: All right. Jamie McIntyre brining us this news from the Pentagon.

Jamie, thanks very much -- Michael.

HOLMES: All right. "The New York Times" newspaper says U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley has raised doubts to Mr. Bush about Mr. al-Maliki's ability to get a handle on the violence. That newspaper reports that message was sent to top U.S. officials in a classified memo after Hadley and the Iraqi prime minister met in October.

This leak will not go well in Washington. Hadley apparently said of Mr. al-Maliki, "He impressed me as a leader who wanted to be strong, but the reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into actions."

COLLINS: Well, the man who once served as top diplomat under President Bush is joining those who now characterize Iraq as a nation in civil war. Former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell made the comments while in Dubai for a business forum. He spoke later with our Hala Gorani.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Within the context of this debate, this semantics debate over what to call what's happening in Iraq a civil war or not, he told me he would call it a civil war. I'm paraphrasing what he told me -- that it meets the standard of a civil war, and if he were heading the State Department today, he might recommend that they use those terms as well in order to come to terms with the reality on the ground.

But then he qualified that by saying that it's really not a question of semantics, it's a question of acknowledging that there's sectarian strife, what he calls phase three of this conflict. Phase two being the insurgency, phase one being the invasion. And that there needs to be a solution applied to the problem.

The solution, he did not say an increase in troop levels. He said that it has to be partly thanks to U.S. troops till on the ground who can maintain some security there. But mainly, he said, a political solution at the highest levels of Iraqi government that has to come from within the country and not outside the nation of Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCEDWARDS: CNN's Hala Gorani there for us.

Well, Powell was secretary of state when the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, and he did support the war effort.

Well, coming up here on YOUR WORLD TODAY, the president of Iran has a message for the United States.

HOLMES: He's written a letter to the American people. This one's not directed at the White House. In fact, it is directed at the people -- homes across America.

MCEDWARDS: We'll tell you what Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has to say in an open letter to the American people.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MCEDWARDS: You're looking at some extraordinary pictures right now, live from Istanbul, Turkey, Pope Benedict's meeting there with Bartholomew. Right now, they are in the Church of St. George -- inside the Church of St. George in Istanbul.

You can see cardinals on one side, hear the orthodox clergy on the other. This, of course, a controversial visit by the pope after his comments that some felt linked Islam with violence.

HOLMES: A spectacular church.

MCEDWARDS: It's a gorgeous church.

HOLMES: It is.

MCEDWARDS: Just beautiful.

HOLMES: Yes.

Welcome back, everyone.

MCEDWARDS: You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY, where we bring CNN's international and U.S. viewers up to speed on the most important international stories of the day.

HOLMES: And let's do that.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sent a letter to the American public. So, what is it all about? And is this anything Americans might want to read?

Let's get some insight on that. Richard Roth standing by at the United Nations, where the letter was released a short time ago.

Managed to get through it, Richard. What are the high points?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's call, in effect, for American troops to leave Iraq and for a Palestinian state to be declared. It's a five-page letter.

He had promised that he would be delivering such a missive after his trip to the United States to address the General Assembly in September.

Let's take a look at some portions of the quotes in this letter on the Palestinian issue. Again, this letter is addressed to the American people.

"We, like you, are aggrieved by the ever-worsening pain and misery of the Palestinian people." Then a little bit further, "You know well that the U.S. administration has persistently provided blind and blanket support to the Zionist regime."

Later, saying, "Who can deny such broken promises?" "It has emboldened to continue its scrims, and has prevented the U.S. Security Council from condemning it."

This is on the Palestinian issue -- "In Iraq, about 150,000 American soldiers, separated from heir families and loved ones, are operating under the command of the current U.S. administration. A substantial number of them have been killed or wounded, and their presence in Iraq has tarnished the image of the American people and the government. I consider it extremely unlikely that you consent to the billions of dollars of annual expenditure from your treasury for this military misadventure.

Those are some of the quotes from the president of Iran.

Continuing here, "Now that Iraq has a constitution and an independent assembly and government, would it not be more beneficial to bring the U.S. officers and soldiers home?"

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continuing. "And to spend the astronomical U.S. military expenditures in Iraq for the welfare and prosperity of the American people."

Later in the letter he plays political analyst, saying that the victors in the November elections -- he says, "Now that you control an important branch of the U.S. government, you will also be held to account by the people and by history." He calls on a change on policy in Iraq in this letter.

The Iranian president's comments will, obviously, be read by the Bush administration. U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, had not had a chance to read the letter, though he was well aware the press had it.

He says that there's no progress so far here at the U.N. on that U.N. Security Council Iran sanctions resolution, as he was asked about that resolution and the letter.

John Bolton telling the press and the media that he was glad it was only a five-page letter, not 18 like last time. He says all the work on the Iran sanctions resolution is taking place in European capitals. While there had been a flurry of meetings here in recent weeks, there hasn't been as much diplomatic activity. John Bolton not willing to comment on that letter at this time.

But it's an interesting letter from the Iranian president, going around the Bush administration and appealing directly to the American people for a change in policy on Iraq and in the Middle East to have a Palestinian state.

Back to you, Michael.

HOLMES: All right. Interesting, Richard. Thanks very much for that.

Richard Roth at the U.N.

MCEDWARDS: We're going to head to New York next and get you a check on the markets.

HOLMES: Yes.

And a little later on, one of the world's most tolerant countries could soon ban the burqa. Stifling religious freedom in the name of social harmony or not? We'll take a look at the controversy.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Heidi Collins at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few minutes. But first, a check of stories making headlines in the United States.

In Iraq, another division emerging today in the so-called unity government facing a new task. At the center, anti-American cleric Muqtada al Sadr.

Lawmakers and cabinet ministers loyal to the militia leader are suspending participation in the government. They're protesting today's meeting between President Bush and Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki.

President Bush arrived in Amman, Jordan, just a few minutes ago. He and Mr. al-Maliki will discuss the escalating sectarian violence in Iraq and the training of Iraqi troops to take the lead in securing the country. President Bush has said he will not withdraw U.S. troops until "the mission is complete."

His country is in turmoil, his capacity to fix the situation in doubt. A leaked memo raises question about Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ahead of his meeting today with President Bush.

The memo was first reported by "The New York Times" and confirmed by CNN. It was prepared by President Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley.

The document says al-Maliki's intentions seem good, but the reality on the streets suggests that "Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action."

The document spells out steps that can be taken to strengthen al- Maliki's position.

Former secretary of state Colin Powell says the violence in Iraq does amount to a civil war. Powell says if he were in charge of the State Department, he might recommend using the term. He calls this phase three of the conflict following the invasion and the insurgency. Powell was interviewed by CNN's Hala Gorani at a conference in Dubai.

Also in Iraq, shifting troops. Last hour, CNN learned the Pentagon will move three battalions into Baghdad.

As many as 2,000 troops will come from various parts of Iraq to help secure the capital. At this point, none will be pulled from Anbar, the deadliest province for American forces. There are 30,000 Americans deployed there. Most are U.S. Marines.

You can cross one name off the list for presidential contenders for 2008. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says he will not make a run for the White House. A senior adviser to Frist tells CNN timing was the biggest factor. He says the senator just needs a sabbatical from public service.

An Ohio interstate shuts down just outside Cincinnati. Police in Norwood have closed two miles of I-71 after a road crew found a suspicious device near a bridge. Witnesses say it contained liquid and had wires protruding from it. A bomb squad on the scene now.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated. Traffic backed up for miles in each direction.

A deadly fire at a frat house in St. Louis. Authorities say at least one person died in a blaze at the Pi Kappa Alpha house. It's on the campus of the University of Missouri, St. Louis.

The fire broke out before dawn today. The man's body was found on the second floor of the brick house.

We will keep you posted as details become available.

Winter weather in Colorado good news for ski resorts, not really what drivers want to hear, though. Many mountain communities have seen about two feet of snow from a winter storm. Roads are slick and treacherous, and drivers are urged to give themselves extra time and certainly extra caution.

Reynolds Wolf at the weather center now to tell us more about this.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Snoop Dogg collared. Police arrested the rapper last night shortly after his performance on the tonight show. Calvin Broadus, his real name, facing arraignment on gun and rug possession charges. He's also accused of having a secret compartment in his car.

Police say this arrest is part of an on going investigation stemming from another arrest. That one in late October, also for alleged gun and drug possession.

Wounded in Iraq when a landmine went off near his Humvee. Coming up in the next hour of "NEWSROOM," meet U.S. Army Sergeant Bill Fleming (ph) and find out about a special place that made this soldier's recuperation easier.

Meantime, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break.

I'm Heidi Collins.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

MCEDWARDS: While, the headlines on those talks in Jordan focus very much on the Iraq war, Jordan's king says that is not the core problem in the region. He points to another conflict that he says must be resolved before the Middle East will be at peace.

Michael is looking at the broader regional picture and is standing by with more -- Michael.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Colleen, thanks very much.

So Arab leaders, like King Abdullah, are reminding the United States that Iraq doesn't exist in a vacuum, stressing the need to look beyond its borders to address the root cause of decades of regional tension.

Our Zain Verjee now reports, the Bush administration seems to be taking that advice to heart.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SOUNDS)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Each day it gets bloodier in Iraq. As President Bush prepares to meet its prime minister, Arab leaders say the key to prevent Iraq from plunging into deeper chaos is simple.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I keep saying Palestine is the core. It is linked to the extent to what is going on in Iraq.

VERJEE: Accused of not being actively engaged in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Washington appears to be making a new push for peace.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're trying to help get a democracy started in the Palestinian territory.

VERJEE: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heads to the West Bank on Thursday. She'll meet with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to offer support as he battles Islamic militants and tries to jump start talks with Israel. The U.S. is also under pressure to help Lebanon's fragile government, which is on the verge of collapse after this summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah, and last week's assassination of a popular cabinet minister.

KING ABDULLAH II, JORDAN: Imagine, going into 2007 and having three civil wars on our hands. And therefore it is time that we really take a strong step forward as part of the international community.

VERJEE: Which is why the U.S. is engaging in a strong diplomatic drive.

SANDRA MACKEY, AUTHOR, "THE IRANIANS": The administration is beginning to look at the situation in Iraq as a regional problem, that you simply cannot isolate Iraq.

VERJEE: Vice President Cheney's just returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia, and Secretary Rice will meet with a group of moderate Arab leaders in Jordan this week. All of this outreach aimed at getting Arab support in Iraq and to counter the growing influence of Syria and Iran.

SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: What are you looking at with this grouping of countries is a group of moderate governments who are interested in trying to resolve any differences that might exist in the region.

VERJEE (on camera): Our diplomats say that addressing their concerns in the region will put them in a better position to help the United States in Iraq. The Iraq Study group, led by James Baker, is expected to recommend a similar regional approach soon.

Zain Verjee, CNN, at the State Department.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. So which regional players in particular should the Bush administration be talking with? To find solutions for Iraq, let's get some perspective on the U.S. diplomatic efforts from a former director of national security policy at the Coalition Provisional Authority, CPA. Peter Khalil is now with the Eurasia Group in New York.

Good to see you.

First of all, this war began with the U.S. largely not listening to anyone, its friends, allies and others. Now, it's reaching out. Who will reach back?

PETER KHALIL, EURASIA GROUP: Well, I definitely think that Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt will be reaching back. Turkey as well has some vested interests obviously with the Kurdish situation in the north. The real problem, of course, obviously the Baker Report is going to recommend opening dialogue with Iran and Syria, something which the administration has been loath to do, although a lot of that resistance has come from Vice President Cheney and Rumsfeld.

But now that Rumsfeld is gone, that position is considerably weakened. But the real problem I think with that, though, is that if the U.S. does open dialogue with Iran and Syria, they'll be coming to the table in a relatively weaker position.

HOLMES: You know, the interesting thing, you've got two countries there, Syria and Iran, part of the Bush administration's axis of evil. It's going to take a lot of humble pie to sit down at a table and talk about the future of Iraq with them, whether that's even possible.

The countries you list there, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey, these people, these countries are all worried, mainly about Iranian influence and Kurdish desires for independence. The whole region looking very unstable at the moment.

KHALIL: That's true. One important point about all of these different countries that have different interests in Iraq, I think the common thread there is none of them would like to see the Iraqi state collapse, because they fear not only Iranian influence increasing obviously at the present moment, but they also fear that the Sunni, Shia and sectarian violence in Iraq could spread to their regions. Many of the Gulf states have significant Shia minorities, and of course there's that Kurdish issue with Turkey, and also Iran -- there's a significant Kurdish minority in Iran, which has been battling the regime there in the past, hasn't seen much media on that point.

HOLMES: Well, you know, Syria is mainly Sunni. So maybe it has something to gain here. I'm curious what you think is in for Iran. I mean, why would Iran want to help the U.S. quell things when really a lot of observers are saying Iran's sponsoring a lot of it.

KHALIL: Well, Iran has been playing a very complicated strategy in Iraq. On the one hand, they've been supporting obviously the Shiite Islamists leaders who are very much in the front positions in the Iraqi government.

But on the other hand, they've been, you know, destabilizing Iraq, assisting many of the Shia militias with weapons and financial assistance, and possibly if you believe some reports, even aiding some of the insurgents, and that's because they want to keep the U.S. on the back foot.

What's in it for Iran, I think, comes down to having -- maximizing their influence in Iraq. And if it does open up dialogue with Iran, it's essentially effectively conceding that influence in Iraq and actually increasing that influencing as a tradeoff to keep the Iraqi state from collapsing in the next couple of years.

HOLMES: You were with the CPA -- when you look at the broader picture now of U.S. influence, if we can call it that, in the Middle East over the last three or four years, how much of that currency is left? I mean, how seriously are the players taking the U.S. these days?

KHALIL: Well, it's much weakened, obviously in the past year especially. And this is probably part of the reason why the administration is starting to accept the fact that they're going to have to talk to these regional players to try to help them stabilize the country. Of course, they could take a higher risk strategy, and that is trying to actually shift or change the reality on the ground, both politically and militarily. But that's high risk, because it would involve and increase in troops to confront the militia problem directly, a major operation there.

But also politically try and change -- engineer a change in the Iraqi government. Obviously, dissatisfied with Prime Minister Maliki's efforts, as you've from the memo, by Hadley to the president. But changing that government, isolating Muqtada Al-Sadr politically, and getting a leader there, an alternative cabinet there, that can actually confront those tow core issues, confronting and disarming the militias, but also reaching political reconciliation with the Sunnis. That's a high-risk strategy, and it could take months before the Iraqi factions agree to such an alternative.

HOLMES: And very quickly, Pete -- we're almost out of out time -- but how do you isolate Muqtada Al-Sadr and the other militias. Let's talk about the Badr Brigades in the -- these are the politics as well. The militias have political wings that are propping up as government, or without them, the government would fall. So how do you isolate them

KHALIL: Absolutely. Well, the important part here though, is that obviously, al-Maliki is being held hostage pretty much by Muqtada al-Sadr and the 30 parliamentarians there that have propped up his government. But the (INAUDIBLE) the political wing (INAUDIBLE) and Sadr don't see eye to eye on issues. If you remember, a month ago, there were clashes between those two militias. And part of it would be the U.S. having to bite the bullet and actually elevate some Shiite militias within the government as a trade-off if you like to isolate Sadr. And it's a high-risk strategy.

HOLMES: Yes, a good analysis. Peter Khalil, with the Eurasia group , formerly with the CPA, we want to thank you for coming in.

KHALIL: Thanks Michael

HOLMES: All right. Interesting days ahead, Colleen.

MCEDWARDS: Yes, that's for sure Michael, thank you very much for that.

Well, a piece of clothing worn by Muslim women has sparked controversy in the Netherlands. Coming up on YOUR WORLD TODAY, why there's a new law to ban burqas in one of the world's most liberal countries. We'll take a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MCEDWARDS: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY.

HOLMES: Seen live in more than 200 countries across the globe, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY, right here on CNN International.

OK. Muslim women say it is a normal part of their everyday lives, a simple expression of religious freedom.

MCEDWARDS: But the Netherlands is considering a law which would ban burqas, which of course is the traditional Muslim headgear. As Paula Newton explains, the controversy erupted after a gruesome murder two years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amsterdam, Holland, one of the most liberal cities in the world, where anything goes. Except when it comes to the all covering veil worn by fewer than 100 Muslim women in the entire country. A ban on the burqa here could be passed in a matter of weeks.

GEERT WILDERS, ANTI-ISLAM CAMPAIGNER: It is a medieval symbol of a worst culture ever. And once again, it's a sign about how not to treat women, women as second-class beings.

NEWTON: Last June, half of the people questioned in a Dutch poll said they disliked Muslims. The proposed burqa ban has its supporters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ban it all. No burqa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because we live in the Netherlands.

NEWTON: With her own online petition, Aisha Bayrak is fighting the ban and the stereotype she says that go with it.

AISHA BAYRAK, CONVERT TO ISLAM: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and I don't have an abusive husband.

NEWTON: She was born in Holland and converted to Islam when she married more than 20 years ago. Now a mother of five, she says she feels like an outcast in her own country.

BAYRAK: You can say that one culture is the dominant culture. You can say something that we are the dominant culture, and we can put our finger in your face and say you must do this or you must do that.

NEWTON: There is at best a religious truce here now since the gruesome murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh. Two years ago he was shot by a 26-year-old Muslim man who wanted to silence one of the country's most vocal critics of Islam. He slit Van Gogh's throat with a crude machete. (On camera): The murder here was so callous, the crime so calculated that it forced many in this country to ask themselves where have we gone wrong? Is immigration really undermining our liberal values?

(Voice-over): One of Van Gogh's friends says the burqa ban is a protest of sorts.

GIJS VAN WESTERLAKEN, FRIEND OF THEO VAN GOGH: This undercurrent is a rather dangerous one too, I guess. The country still hasn't come to terms with it. Its turned into volatile electorate and dangerous even, I guess.

NEWTON: Dangerous enough that the man who proposed banning burqas, Geert Wilders is under police protection. Aisha Bayrak says the Muslim schoolchildren now feel theatened. And the mayor of once tolerant Amsterdam is calling for calm.

JOB COHEN, MAYOR OF AMSTERDAM: There is more tension in the city, tension between different groups, between different cultures. Discuss it and realize that this religion is now, whether you like it or not, is part of our society.

NEWTON: Banning the burqa would be a sign that even one of the world's most tolerant countries has to struggle to maintain religious harmony.

Paula Newton, CNN, Amsterdam.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: While the Dutch struggle with the burqa controversy, Muslims in one U.S. city are willingly integrating into that culture there. You may be surprised to learn that city is Las Vegas. That as Ted Rowlands tells us, being a Muslim in Sin City, as it's called, isn't always easy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mohammad Nawaz is a Muslim cab driver in Las Vegas. He's surrounded by the things his religion prohibits, gambling, alcohol, and public nudity.

(on camera): It's everywhere.

MOHAMMAD NAWAZ, CAB DRIVER: Everywhere. You can't stay away in this town.

ROWLANDS (voice-over): Mohammad grew up in Pakistan, and moved to Vegas in 1993. He says the reason people, including Muslims, come here is simple: lots of jobs, lots of money, and the cost of living is cheap.

IQBAL KHAN, SECURITY GUARD: Yes, I don't drink. I don't gamble. I don't smoke. ROWLANDS: Iqbal Khan, also from Pakistan and Muslim, is a security guard inside the Main Street Station Casino. He says, when he first got here 17 years ago, it was hard working around so much sin.

KHAN: Slowly, slowly, it just got into my mind, it is not your business. It is your job.

ROWLANDS: The president of the Islamic Society here estimates there are 14,000 Muslims living in Las Vegas, trying to follow the stringent rules of Islam in Sin City.

KHALID KHAN, PRESIDENT, ISLAMIC SOCIETY: It is a challenge to them. It is a challenge, that they see all these temptation around them, and, still, they just ignore them.

ROWLANDS: But some people think it's hypocritical for Muslims to profit from things prohibited by Islam.

Fateen Seifullah is an imam at a mosque close to the strip. He says it's up to the individual to juggle work and religion. He says he tried driving a taxi, but quit after a few weeks, because he says he was so uncomfortable with the places he had to go.

FATEEN SEIFULLAH, IMAM: For me, it just was -- it was impossible and unthinkable for me to be the imam, the leader of the community, and also be seen at the strip club.

ROWLANDS: Mohammad, who actually has an ad for a strip joint on the back of his cab, says he likes taking passengers to those clubs because cab drivers get kickbacks. But Mohammad admits that he sometimes goes into the clubs, and even has a drink now and then with some friends.

NAWAZ: I'm a little bit Americanized. I do these things very seldom. And God will forgive me.

ROWLANDS: Living up to the expectations of any religion over a lifetime can be a struggle, no matter where you live, including being a Muslim in Las Vegas.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Las Vegas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCEDWARDS: Well, a teenage star of the Hollywood's "The Nativity Story" is raising a few eyebrows around the world.

HOLMES: A little bit of controversy. Here just ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY. Life imitates art on the big screen -- a preview next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MCEDWARDS: Welcome back. Well, what is a group without a frontman, especially when it has legions of fans all around the world? OK, we're not talking about The Beatles here. It's not like that. Well, if it's four, actually, maybe it is like The Beatles. We're talking about The Wiggles, certainly just as popular with the younger set.

Now, media reports are saying that the group is expected to announce that the Yellow Wiggle is leaving. And this is serious stuff. Apparently, he has a serious illness that has not been disclosed. We do know, though, that lead singer Greg Page has missed Wiggles' tours since undergoing a double hernia operation last December.

The Wiggles are Australia's top earning entertainers, placing ahead of AC/DC and Nicole Kidman last year. They are huge. So, could a fifth Wiggle be in the future? Stay tuned.

HOLMES: I can't believe that director just said is AC/DC Australian? Of course they are.

MCEDWARDS: He didn't know?

(CROSSTALK)

MCEDWARDS: I hope The Wiggles are OK.

HOLMES: Yes, really. That is big news for kids around the world. Anyway, just in time for the holiday season, movie makers are putting the Biblical story at the heart of Christmas on the big screen.

MCEDWARDS: Sibila Vargas has more now on this new film and the controversy surrounding the young actress who plays the virgin mother.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do not be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God. You will give birth do a son.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Hollywood decreed it would take on "The Nativity Story," Catholics the world over heralded its 21st century arrival.

KIERA MCCAFFREY, THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE: This is a film explicitly about the birth of Christ. So we don't see very many of those these days.

VARGAS: A major studio backed the movie, New Line Cinema, a sister company to CNN, and enlisted director Catherine Hardwicke, and Oscar-nominated star Keisha Castle-Hughes as the Virgin mother. Filmmakers even got approval from on high -- the Vatican would host the movie's world premiere, a first for the holy see.

But, then, this fall, after filming wrapped, Keisha Castle-Hughes had some news. The 16-year-old actress announced she and her boyfriend were expecting a baby.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know how much disgrace you have brought upon yourself? VARGAS: The parallels were striking. Unwed teenaged actress gets pregnant deciding to keep the baby -- that alone is unusual. The fact that she also happens to be the actress playing the most famous unwed teenage mother of all time -- what are the odds.

CATHERINE HARDWICKE, DIRECTOR, "THE NATIVITY STORY": Life imitating art.

VARGAS (on camera): That's kind of interesting. You must have, at some point -- you know, it has to cross your mind that, you know -- it just crossed all of our minds, it's like this is amazing.

HARDWICKE: I know. And her boyfriend is in construction, too. He's a carpenter too, but he's not named Joseph.

VARGAS: Castle-Hughes was a no-show at the L.A. premiere and has been absent from all of the film's publicity events including the press junket. The filmmakers say that's only because she's busy shooting another movie in Australia and not because they feared religious fallout as had been speculated.

(voice-over): On Sunday, one important world premiere put the religious fallout rumors to rest. Seven thousand gathered and cheered at the Vatican's screening, including a number of high-ranking Cardinals.

MCCAFFREY: She isn't the blessed mother. Although she's portraying her. She did a job. She did a very good job in this film acting. Now she finds herself in this spot. It's something that people understand.

VARGAS: And it certainly adds an unusual twist to the story of the nativity.

Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCEDWARDS: You know, this movie is premiering at the Vatican, and apparently, this star has been asked not to attend.

HOLMES: Oh dear.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: All right.

MCEDWARDS: One of the most romantic cities in the world certainly has a brighter glow these days.

HOLMES: Right behind us there. The famous Champs Elysees in Paris is being lit for the holiday season. It is quite something to see. I got to see it about 15 years ago, actually.

MCEDWARDS: Wow.

HOLMES: Yes. Tourists and Parisians say they're amazed by the sparkling illuminations and with good reason.

MCEDWARDS: That's for sure. The city used tens of thousands of lights joined by 50 kilometers of garlands. And that's YOUR WORLD TODAY.

HOLMES: Bye.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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