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President Bush to Meet With Families of Troops Killed in Iraq; Strike on Somalia; Condoleezza Rice Testifies Before Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Aired January 11, 2007 - 11:00   ET

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


TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming in to the NEWSROOM on this Thursday, January 11th.

Here's what's on the rundown.

The president's top war advisers selling his new Iraq strategy. Democrats criticizing the plan to send more troops into battle.

HARRIS: Grieving parents receiving a fallen Marine's Medal of Honor for heroism in Iraq. President Bush now heading to Georgia to meet troops bound for war.

COLLINS: The president rejecting the thrust of the Iraq Study Group recommendations. Reaction from a member of that panel this hour in the NEWSROOM.

He's given the marching orders. Today President Bush visiting some of the troops called on to carry on his new Iraq plan. During his trip to Ft. Benning in Georgia, he's also meeting with families who lost loved ones in the war.

More now from national correspondent Bob Franken.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now is the time to act.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They are avid supporters of the president, so David and Deborah Tanish's reaction to his speech last night was no surprise.

DAVID TANISH, FATHER OF FALLEN SOLDIER: I support him 100 percent on what he said tonight. I supported him 100 percent when he sent my son to war. And I still support him 100 percent even though my son died over there.

FRANKEN: And those are his medals, right?

DAVID TANISH: Yes, right there. FRANKEN: Their son, 33-year-old Army Sergeant Patrick Tanish, was killed by a roadside bomb near the Baghdad Airport almost three years ago.

DAVID TANISH: Not a day goes by I don't think about him.

FRANKEN: But unlike many who share their indescribable pain, they say their loss has strengthened their support for the war and the president. Unlike many others who now believe their loved ones lives were lost in a war that's a fallacy.

DEBORAH TANISH, MOTHER OF FALLEN SOLDIER: It was not a folly, and we have to have stabilization in that part of the country now. And even if it were a folly, we are there now. We can't keep looking to the past. We've got to look at where we are now.

FRANKEN: Later today, David and Deborah Tanish will come to Fort Benning and drive past the young soldiers who are in training now, many of whom will soon go to combat in Iraq. They'll be among those having a private meeting with President Bush.

DAVID TANISH: I'm going to tell him that I support him 100 percent. That I will back him in any way possible that I can.

DEBORAH TANISH: And I'm going to say, "Mr. President, we, by no means, blame you for the death of our son."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Bob Franken joining us now live from Ft. Benning.

And Bob, we know that the Tanish family is promising to welcome President Bush when he goes there. What kind of reception can he expect from others at Ft. Benning? They're getting ready, some of them anyway, to go on a third tour.

FRANKEN: Well, as a matter of fact, it would seem that most of the people in the presence of the president are going to be polite, although there's a wide range of feelings among the people who have suffered as much as they have. Some are similar to the Tanishes, and many others -- of course we know about Cindy Sheehan and others -- have used this. They've found their meaning in all this by mounting anti-war campaigns.

So there's a range of opinions.

COLLINS: And I know some of President Bush's troop surge is going to -- for Iraq, I should say, will come, obviously, from Ft. Benning, as we just mentioned. Many of them have been to Iraq on other tours.

FRANKEN: They have been to Iraq on other tours. We were just at Ft. Stewart, which is the sister base -- both of them in Georgia -- and the 3rd Infantry Division is beginning its third deployment.

Now, there are members of that unit here, and they are going to be going out probably in April. And now with this announcement of what amounts to additional troops for Iraq, a lot of people are going to see that they're going to be deployed again, long before they expected to. And they're going to have their time at home shortened.

So they're not happy about that.

COLLINS: All right. Well, it's a difficult time.

Bob Franken, thanks so much for that.

HARRIS: Now to Iraq, where plans on paper meet reality on the ground. How some of the troops already there are reacting to the president's plan.

CNN's Arwa Damon reports from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Most of the troops we spoke to had not actually heard the president's speech. It did happen at 5:00 in the morning local time here in Iraq. However, they do now know that more troops will be arriving to the capital to help them complete their mission of securing Baghdad.

Here's what some of them had to say this morning.

STAFF SGT. ROY STARBECK, U.S. ARMY: I just saw a lot more of the responses to the presidential address than I actually saw of the presidential address. And it's just -- it's really aggravating just listening to these people who have never been over here. And half of them really don't know what's even going on over here.

Just either not supporting the war because they don't like the president, or not supporting the war just because they're Democrats, or supporting the war just because they're Republicans. And none of them are taking the time or energy to find out what's actually going on over here. Maybe come over here and take a look at what's going on.

SGT. MICHAEL CASPER, U.S. ARMY: Really, we haven't really thought about it that much. Just mostly about -- it's trying out something new. Another strategy. I mean, if it works, it works. If not, we'll just have to figure something -- something else out.

LT. CHARLES MOFFITT, U.S. ARMY: I think it's a great idea if they utilize them properly. The more people to cover our backs, the more eyes we have on the streets, the less likely insurgents can successfully place them. We have seen from past operations, brigade- sized operations, that the more troop we have on the ground during that operation, the less likely we are to get hit while we're searching for our targets.

DAMON: A vast majority of the soldiers here do realize that a purely military solution is not going to solve the capital's problems. A lot of it does lie with Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, whether or not he lives up to his promises, commitments, and is able to fully implement his Baghdad security plan.

A lot of these soldiers are on their second, if not third, tours of duty here. They have heard plans that sound great on paper when outlined at the senior government levels. However, when it comes down to implementing them on the ground, oftentimes it plays out very differently.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: The war in Iraq, billions of dollars spent, countless lives impacted. The number most familiar to Americans, the U.S. death toll. It now stands at 3,018.

Less publicized, the number of Iraqis killed. The exact number unknown. Estimates range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.

More than 3.5 million Iraqis are said to be displaced. In fact, the United Nations says as many as 50,000 civilians flee their homes every month.

COLLINS: On this morning after the big speech, the big push on Capitol Hill. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and defense chief Robert Gates appearing before lawmakers. Live pictures now from Rice's appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The reception from the Democratic-controlled Congress? Less than enthusiastic by some.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE), FOREIGN RELATIONS CHAIRMAN: We heard a plan to escalate the war. Not only in Iraq, but possibly into Iran and Syria as well. I believe the president's strategy is not a solution, Secretary Rice. I believe it's a tragic mistake.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: Let me be very clear. We all understand that the responsibility for what kind of Iraq this will be rests with Iraqis. They are the only ones who can decide whether or not Iraq is in fact going to be an Iraq for all Iraqis, one that is unified, or whether they are going to allow sectarian passions to unravel that chance for a unified Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Want to get more now from perspective of the White House. Our Elaine Quijano is standing by for that.

Good morning to you, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.

Well, one day after the president officially unveiled his plan to send more than 20,000 additional U.S. forces to Iraq, as you heard just a moment ago from the hearings on Capitol Hill, the political debate certainly is intensifying. But, of course, it's not just Democrats who are voicing doubts about the president's plan. It is Republicans as well.

Now, last night, President Bush said that those U.S. forces would have a clear mission assisting Iraqi troops in securing Baghdad, in particular. Democrats, those you heard, continue to argue that they believe sending more troops would not be an effective strategy. But a prominent supporter of a troop increase, Republican senator John McCain, said the stakes in Iraq are so high that the president's plan, he believes, should be given a chance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I believe that under the Constitution, the Congress has the right to cut off funding. They did that during the Vietnam War. I also believe that if those -- if that vote is successful, then those who were the proponents of it then assume the responsibility for the consequences of failure. I'd like to see us give this new strategy an opportunity to succeed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Meantime, this morning, here on the White House campus, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice echoing the president's message yesterday, trying to cast this new plan for Iraq as an Iraqi initiative.

Here is Secretary Rice from earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICE: Among Americans and Iraqis, there is no confusion over one basic fact: It is the Iraqis who are responsible for what kind of country Iraq will be. It is they who must decide whether Iraq will be characterized by national unity or sectarian conflict. The president has conveyed to the Iraqi leadership that we will support their good decisions, but that Americans' patience is limited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, as for President Bush, we saw at the top of the show he is working now to build public support for his new plan, heading to Fort Benning, Georgia, today.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as you noted, continuing her testimony on Capitol Hill at this hour. Starting tomorrow she will travel to the Middle East to visit a number of capitals to try to garner international support for the president's plan -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Elaine, as we heard her speak about that trip and regional diplomacy in her opening remarks, what does she have to say about the prospect of reaching out to Iran?

QUIJANO: Well, essentially, she reiterated the administration's line that it is only when Tehran comes out and verifiably suspends its uranium enrichment program that in fact the United States will go ahead and talk with Iran on a number of issues. She said in the briefing today that she would meet with her Iranian counterpart any time, anywhere, to discuss any issues between their countries, but if and only if Iran first verifiably suspends its uranium enrichment program -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Diplomacy that has never changed on the part of the White House.

All right. Elaine Quijano live this morning.

Thank you, Elaine.

HARRIS: About-face. Al Qaeda targets not dead, the latest assessment following U.S. air strikes in Somalia.

CNN's Barbara Starr is in the region and she joins us now live from Nairobi, Kenya.

Barbara, if the air strikes miss their targets, will there be additional operations?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, I think everyone here in East Africa assumes there will be.

Here in Kenya, a top U.S. government official told reporters on background earlier today, confirmed that the AC-130 gunship's air strike in southern Somalia did not kill the top three al Qaeda operatives that the U.S. might have been seeking, all linked to the 1998 embassy bombings here in Kenya and Tanzania. The official, in confirming that they did not believe those men had died in the strike, said, "The three high-value targets are still of intense interest. We are still in pursuit."

So perhaps there's a hint about future operations.

The men are well known to law enforcement and counterterrorism officials throughout the world. They are Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, Salih Ali Salih Naban (ph) and Abu Tahal al-Sudani (ph). Again, all want for attacks here in East Africa -- Tony.

HARRIS: Barbara, just one quick question. If the targets were not killed, do we know who in fact was?

STARR: Yes. There's a good deal of information available in terms of what the results of the attack were, but officials aren't saying how they know this.

They say, first of all, they're convinced that they did not kill any civilians, but they will not say how they know that. They say they were going after a group of about 20 people that they believe were al Qaeda affiliated, and they say they believe they killed eight to 10 of them, but they will not identify them at this point other than to say they do not believe it's those three top al Qaeda operatives -- Tony. HARRIS: CNN's Barbara Starr for us in Nairobi, Kenya.

Barbara, thank you.

COLLINS: Quickly back now to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. We are hearing Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, responding to Senator Chuck Hagel.

Let's go ahead and listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

RICE: ... Prime Minister Maliki, is you have got to be even- handed in how you go after these killers, whether they are Sunni or whether they are Shia. And that is the obligation that he undertook and it is the assurance that he gave.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, thank you.

BIDEN: Gentlemen, these are really important exchanges, but if we're going to get to the junior members being able to ask their questions, I'm going to have to start to cut them off. And I'm reluctant to do it because this is something the American people should hear and understand.

And so I'm sorry, but I'm going to try to -- try to get us back into the -- into seven minutes. OK?

Senator Kerry.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: You had to put the hammer down now, huh?

BIDEN: I'm going to put the hammer down now. Yes, right.

KERRY: Madame Secretary, welcome. And we appreciate you being here.

I'm going to try and summarize a couple comments, of thoughts, quickly, and then obviously try to get some questions. The time is so tight.

With all due respect, I think you're splitting hairs a little bit in your answer to Senator Hagel. It is true that Iraq as a whole is not engaged in broadly, as you're saying, but the trend line is increasingly moving in that direction. And in places like Basra, the British are struggling, there's increasing violence in communities where there wasn't, and the level of violence, according to most people's standards, the testimony we had yesterday in this committee, is larger than classified civil wars and many other places historically.

And the violence of Sunni on Shia is clearly sectarian and it is civil war between them. Low grade, still, but nevertheless civil war. The Middle East that Senator Dodd and I saw when we were there a few weeks ago, certainly the Middle East I saw, is very different from the one that I think you've described here today. Last night's speech by the president was very important. It was important for what it said and set out as a policy, but it was also important I, I think, for what it didn't say and didn't do.

Many of us, as you know, in our own personal conversation, we've been looking for bipartisan way to approach this. I think the president lost an enormous opportunity last night for that bipartisanship.

None of us want failure. There is a road to success in the judgment of some people. Conceivably, much more out of reach than it was at any point in time because of the failure to make the right choices and find that consensus to date.

But last night, the president chose fundamentally to ignore the foundation built by the Iraq Study Group, the foundation built on a bipartisan basis here, and knowingly and willfully has divided the country yet again, and the Congress over this issue. We didn't find that bipartisanship.

And what was particularly lacking, in my judgment -- and I don't understand it -- was the political diplomatic approach and solution here. Every general, you, yourself, the president has said there's no military solution. But last night the president didn't offer the diplomatic and political solution. And why there isn't a resolution on the oil revenue, why there isn't a resolution on the federalism, why there isn't a path to that through the summitry and the diplomacy necessary is really beyond a lot of people's understanding at this point.

The Middle East we saw is a Middle East -- and if you measure a policy by what it's accomplishing, I mean, I hate to say it, but this policy is unbelievably off the mark. A failure.

Hamas is stronger than at any time previously. Hezbollah is stronger than at any time previously. Iran is stronger than at any time previously. Iraq is more of a mess than at any time previously.

That is the measure of a failure. And so the question is -- and here we have in "The New York Times" today a story saying that -- promising troop where's they aren't really needed. A story about how the government itself is saying we don't want them, and how they would like to run the war the way they want to, which I thought was the purpose of this exercise, but we're not going to let them.

Now, I want to get to some questions. It's hard to do it in this time frame. But the president said last night that America's commitment is not open-ended. And if they don't follow through, they will lose the support of the American people and the Iraqi people.

I don't want to debate with you whether or not they've already lost the support of the American people. I think it's pretty evident to most people that that's where we are, but what does it mean to say it's not open-ended?

What is the accountability measure here? Are you saying if it's not open-ended that you're prepared to terminate it? Do you agree that it's not open-ended, first of all?

RICE: Of course it is not open-ended.

KERRY: All right. If it's not open-ended, does that mean you're prepared if they fail to pull out, to terminate? What is the -- what is the accountability mechanism?

RICE: Senator, I think it's best to leave the president's words as the president's words. I do think that the accountability rests in two places.

First of all, I think the Iraqis now know that if they don't succeed in returning security to their population, then their population is not going to support them.

KERRY: And what are we going to do? That's the big issue to the United States Congress.

RICE: It's a democratic process.

And secondly, we will have an opportunity as this policy unfolds. It's not going to happen overnight, as it unfolds, to see whether or not in fact the Iraqis are living up to the assurances that they gave us.

KERRY: And what if they don't?

RICE: Senator, I don't think you go to plan B. You work with plan A.

KERRY: That's not a plan B. That's a very critical issue here.

RICE: You work with plan A and you give it the possibility of success, the best possibility of success. And I want to emphasize, it's not just about Baghdad.

There are other elements to this policy, and I really think it's important not to underestimate the importance of relying, of course, on the Maliki government in terms of Baghdad, but also relying on the local councils and the local leaders of Baghdad through the expansion of PRTs there, relying on the local leaders in places like Anbar to do the kinds of things that they started to do.

KERRY: But, Madame Secretary, with all due respect, I mean, all of that is good. I think those PRT teams are terrific. And I think the effort of those folks out there is courageous, unbelievable. But they can't do this.

If Abdul Aziz Hakim and SCIRI have a grand design for a nine- province state that is Shia in the south, to the exclusion of adequate support to the Sunni in Baghdad and the central government -- you know that. They can't do it. If Muqtada al-Sadr has ambitions with respect to the country, and the Sunni aren't brought to the table with the sufficient stake that they feel they're sharing, that's the fundamental struggle here.

RICE: I agree...

KERRY: The president didn't address it.

RICE: No, the president did address it. He talked about the need for the national oil law.

KERRY: The need for it, but not how it's going to happen. And why do we have to wait three years to have that?

RICE: We're very much -- well, because it's actually a very difficult thing, Senator, in a place where they've never solved their problems by politics to ask them to take one of the most fundamental issues facing the country, which is how are they going to divide the one strong resource they have, which is oil. And it's remarkable -- what's remarkable is that the oil law that they are now close to finalizing is not a sectarian oil law. It, in fact -- even though the Kurds might have been expected, as some have said they would, to insist that they will simply control all the resources themselves, that's not what the oil law does.

KERRY: I understand what the framework for it is. But the question is, why is there not the political resolution on the table that assures Americans that the fundamental struggle between Sunni and Shia and the struggle within Shia -- I mean, the president talked last night about this war as if it's sort of a single war, the Green Zone government struggling for democracy, versus everybody else. Really, there are four -- several wars.

BIDEN: Senator, your time is up.

KERRY: There's a war of Sunni on Shia, there's a war of Sunni and Shia on American occupiers. There's a war of Syria, Iran, engaging with...

RICE: Senator, I think everybody understands that, but you asked me about the political reconciliation.

KERRY: Well...

BIDEN: Senator, I'm sorry, your time is up. We're just not going to be able...

RICE: All right. Well, can I answer?

KERRY: Well, could you just speak to the political piece, please?

RICE: Yes. The political piece, it is composed of the following elements: the national oil law, which is the remarkable law in that it does not take a sectarian cast; a new de-ba'athification policy which already has allowed the -- a number of officers to return to the armed forces and pensions to be paid, and there will be further effort on that; a commitment to provincial elections, which the Sunnis feel will be important to writing the disproportionate -- disproportionately low share of their representation in provincial councils because they boycotted the elections early on.

These are the elements of a national reconciliation plan. And I don't think, Senator, it can be imposed from the outside. I do think the Iraqis themselves...

COLLINS: Listening now to more from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And these are the hearings on the administration's plan for Iraq.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice responding at the moment to Senator John Kerry and some questions that he had.

We will continue to monitor that for you.

The Iraq Study Group, they advised the White House. And now that the president has decided on a strategy, a member of the panel visits the NEWSROOM.

That's coming up.

And promises, promises. The president's plan depends on Iraqi action. Can the struggling government make it work?

We will talk with Iraq's top diplomat in the U.S. ahead in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Looking for hope in embryonic stem cells.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe I'll walk again. I believe this very firmly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: More federal money for stem cell research, it's on the House agenda today.

Details in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: And this news just in to us here at CNN.

We have learned the Democrats have chosen Denver, the Mile High City, for the site of their 2008 Democratic convention. And once again, the Mile High City, Denver, Colorado, will be the spot for the 2008 Democratic convention.

We'll bring more information to you if something else should develop on that. So now we know. Meanwhile, President Bush spells out the new strategy for Iraq. The administration says it is an Iraqi plan, and success depends on Iraq fulfilling its promises.

Joining us from Washington to talk about just that, the Iraqi ambassador to the U.S., Samir al Sumaidaie.

Thank you, sir, for being with us.

SAMIR AL SUMAIDAIE, IRAQI AMB. TO U.S.: Thank you.

COLLINS: Let's go ahead and listen to a little bit of what the president said last night. He described the last two years as follows.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: The elections of 2005 were a stunning achievement. We thought that these elections would bring the Iraqis together, and that as we trained Iraqi security forces we could accomplish our mission with fewer American troops. But in 2006, the opposite happened. The violence in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad, overwhelmed the political gains the Iraqis had made.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Mr. Ambassador, tell us what you think happened in that one year, in your view.

AL SUMAIDAIE: Well, we have learned a lot of lessons. The last year has been tough on the Americans and it has been even tougher, much tougher, on the Iraqis.

Not sufficient progress was made in enabling the Iraqi security forces control the situation, especially in Baghdad. There was success called (ph) by al Qaeda and the extremists in creating sectarian violence by attacking the holy shrine in Samarra. And so we experienced a number of reverses and setbacks.

But we've learned from that. And it's now -- it's time to get serious about solving these problems. And I think the Iraqi government is being serious about it. And now the American government is getting serious.

COLLINS: Can you spell out for me, though, what the biggest lesson would be that the United States and Iraq can use to move forward in actually bringing about peace?

AL SUMAIDAIE: Well, the greatest lesson, the biggest lesson, in my view, is that on the ground, if the average citizen in the city or in any place does not have security, nothing else works. The economy freezes. Normal life freezes. The political process cannot make progress. It is absolutely essential to provide security for ordinary citizens so that all these processes can move forward.

COLLINS: Do you believe that securing Baghdad, then, in particular, with these -- this new troop deployment that was announced last night will help alleviate some of the major violence in the country?

AL SUMAIDAIE: I think it will, because it is coupled with a plan started by the Iraqi government. This is Iraqi-led. The Iraqi government is very clear and committed to this security plan. And support from the Americans is absolutely vital now to make that plan work.

COLLINS: Is the Iraqi government going to deal with Muqtada al- Sadr?

AL SUMAIDAIE: Well, the prime minister was very clear in his pronouncement. And I think he means it. And that is, anybody who acts outside the law will be confronted. This has been...

COLLINS: Sir, it is a difficult position for him, though, in particular. Is it not?

AL SUMAIDAIE: It is difficult -- it is a difficult position, but it is also an existential position for Iraq. And I believe when the prime minister was here, he made -- he made policy statements in this direction.

Now the situation has got to where it is. It is reconfirmed. And I believe he's very serious about it.

COLLINS: We know that the prime minister's staff at least has been saying for quite a few weeks now that they actually were not in favor of having more U.S. forces come into the country. Do you think there's a possibility that having more U.S. troops will harm things, as far as the government goes?

AL SUMAIDAIE: Well, you know, Heidi, we have dissenting voices in Iraq, as you have dissenting voices here in America. This is called democracy. People are not afraid to speak their minds.

COLLINS: But we do not, sir, have a civil war going on.

AL SUMAIDAIE: No, no, that's right. But you have a political warfare. We have different political views in Iraq. What counts in Iraq is what the prime minister decides to do and what counts here probably id what the president decides to do.

COLLINS: Would you concede the Iraqi government can do better?

AL SUMAIDAIE: Sure, it can do better. Sure, it has to deliver on so many things. There is a long way to go. But the awareness for the need to make progress on all these fronts is there, and I believe the commitment is there.

COLLINS: We also know that, quickly, sir, the Iraqi government has pledged to take control of all Iraqi provinces by November of this year. That's less than 11 months away. Do you think that's realistic? And can they do that? AL SUMAIDAIE: Well, it's a target worth shooting for. The Iraqis are making the effort that are needed. There are issues about arming the security forces, the military and the police, equipping them, helping them logistically. These issues have to be dealt with, and I'm glad that there's a commitment from the United States to help on all these fronts. If these plans go according to what's expected, I think we should make progress towards that goal.

COLLINS: Appreciate your time here today, sir. Iraqi ambassador to the United States Samir Al Sumaidaie.

AL SUMAIDAIE: Thank you.

COLLINS: Thanks again.

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Tony Harris and Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: The president's new Iraq plan under fire on Capitol Hill today. Democrats and some Republicans ready to do battle over any troop increase. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to defend the plan. Rice is facing tough questions from lawmakers who call the president's plan a mistake. She says Iraq's prime minister has shown resolve, but he knows his government is on borrowed time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECY. OF STATE: Let me be very clear -- we all understand that the responsibility for what kind of Iraq this will be rests with Iraqis. They are the only ones who can decide whether or not Iraqi is in fact going to be an Iraq for all Iraqis, one that is unified or whether they are going to allow sectarian passions to unravel that chance for a unified Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: President Bush plans to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq -- most will be sent to Baghdad -- to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods. President Bush's strategy shift in Iraq comes a little more than a year after the country's elections. The vote did not end the violence there.

This CNN Fact Check explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Bush administration saw it as a milestone in Iraq's fledgling attempt at a democratic government, the election of the nation's first constitutional national assembly in December 2005. That was the good news.

The bad news, in the view of many Iraqis, and some Bush administration officials, the new government is dominated by Shiites. Of the 275 parliamentary seats contested, the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance won 128. The Kurdish block of candidates came in second, winning 53 seats. Two separate Sunni parties captured a combined total of 55 seats. Former interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi led a coalition of secular parities, but won only 25 seats.

Even as the ballots were being counted many Sunnis complained of fraud and intimidation. However, international monitors said that while there were irregularities, the voting was fair. At least some U.S. military commanders saw Sunni participation in the election as a major blow against the insurgency, but the election was followed by a rise in insurgent attacks and casualties among U.S. and Iraqi troops, as well as civilians.

The bombing of the Shiite holy site in Samarra two months after the election triggered a massive wave of sectarian attacks. Sectarian tensions also delayed the formation of a government. As Sunnis and Kurds objected to the Shiite party selection of the Ibrahim Jaafari as prime minister. It wasn't until April of last year that he stepped aside and his long-time aide, Nuri al-Maliki, was selected for the post.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: The Iraq study group, they advise the White House. Now that the president has decided on a strategy, a member of the panel visits the NEWSROOM. We'll talk with Leon Panetta in just a moment here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Our next guest served as a member of the Iraq Study Group. Leon Panetta, as you may recall, also worked in the Clinton administration as the White House chief of staff. He's joining us from Seaside, California.

Thank you for being here, sir. Appreciate your time today.

I just want to begin by asking you your overall reaction to the president's speech last night.

LEON PANETTA, CO-DIRECTOR, THE PANETTA INST.: Well, it's a very risky strategy, and I think the concern and the anxiety is that we may repeat all the mistakes of the past again. We tried the surges before. We tried a surge as late as August of last year, with 15,000 U.S. troops going into Baghdad. Problem was, the Iraqis did not hold up their end of the bargain; they put restrictions in place. And now we're trying a surge again with the same promises from the Iraqis, but no guarantee that they'll fulfill those promises. And so it becomes very risky that this will work.

COLLINS: The president did mention the Iraq Study Group, of which you were a member, of course, and near the beginning of his speech.

Let's go ahead and listen to that, and I'll get your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: We benefited from the thoughtful recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel led by former Secretary of State, James Baker, and former Congressman Lee Hamilton. In our discussions, we all agreed that there is no magic formula for success in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Were you satisfied that some of what was inside the Iraq Study Group was used in this new plan that the president developed?

PANETTA: Well, there are some half steps here that embrace some of the recommendations, for example, the embedding of forces with the Iraqis, but what we felt was very important is that we had to send a very clear signal to the Iraqis that we had to change the path here, and so that's why we recommended that our military mission be changed from one of combat to one of support, and that we gradually reduce our combat forces between now and first quarter of 2008. And secondly, and most importantly, that in the milestones, if the Iraqis did not achieve milestones, and after all they've promised this time and time again, that we would begin to reduce our support for the Iraqis.

Those are messages, very frankly, that the Iraqis have to get, but unfortunately were not given to them last night.

COLLINS: Another portion of the Iraq Study Group was the regional diplomacy. Is that something that you feel confident in that was contained in the president's new plan as well?

PANETTA: Well, again, the president did acknowledge the need for a diplomatic effort in that part of the world, and I'm glad he did.

But the problem we pointed out, if you're going to get all of the neighbors to begin to play a role here, you have to begin to communicate with both Iran and Syria. Now the president last night condemned their actions, and their actions obviously should be condemned. But if...

COLLINS: But you're saying, sir, to speak to them at whatever cost, regardless of their situation with the Iranian enrichment.

PANETTA: Listen, talking doesn't involve cost. Talking involves talking, and communicating and listening, and trying to understand each other. That's what diplomacy is all about. You don't just simply ignore the people that are important to trying to find a resolution because you don't like them. If we had done that, diplomacy would have never succeed in our history.

COLLINS: Isn't it more than just not liking the Iranians, though? I mean, isn't it the president has said many times he wouldn't speak to them, wouldn't bring them to the table because they have continued to defy the rest of the world and enrich uranium?

PANETTA: As Jim Baker himself pointed out, you know, during the Cold War, we were dealing with a country that was threatening to blow us off the face of the Earth. That did not stop us from talking with them and communicating with them, and engaging in diplomacy with them, and it paid off. And the same thing is true I think in the Middle East. If we're willing to engage even our enemies in that part of the world, ultimately we can find a resolution.

COLLINS: There has also been quite a bit of talk about bipartisanship, of course. There's a new bipartisan working group that was brought up in all of this plan. The president is going to meet with that group regularly. Do you think this will help as there are more sharp divides over the situation in Iraq?

PANETTA: Well, it's extremely important to communicate with each other and to try to develop a bipartisan approach. As I told the president directly, no president can conduct a war with a country that is divided. And right now, this country does not support this war. It's very concerned about its direction. You've got Republicans and Democrats who express tremendous concerns. It makes it very difficult for a president to conduct a war. He has got to unify this country, and he's got to unify our effort and our policy there. If he doesn't, he will never succeed.

COLLINS: The president has that he is open to other ideas. In fact, He talked about that as well. Let's listen into that portion of his speech from last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: If members have improvements that can be made, we will make them. If circumstances change, we will adjust. Honorable people have different views, and they will voice their criticisms. It is fair to hold our views up to scrutiny. And all involved have a responsibility to explain how the path they propose would be more likely to succeed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Lots of criticism out there about Democrats and their lack of being able to come up with a solid alternative plan for the situation in Iraq. Your response to that?

PANETTA: Well, I think it's obvious that under our Constitution, the president is the commander in chief. The president is the one who determines the course of a war. The president determines what the policy will be. The Congress can advise, and Democrats and Republicans can provide guidance as they have been. But in the end, it is not the Democrats, or the Republicans for that matter, who are responsible for developing a war strategy; it's the president.

COLLINS: Well, understood, sir. But when we hear Democrats come to the microphones and criticizing, should they not be coming up with an alternative plan?

PANETTA: Well, I think they have recommended that one of the plans that they've agreed on is that we ought to begin a process of withdrawing our forces in order to make clear to the Iraqis that we're not going to be there forever. And as a matter of fact, the Iraq Study Group basically made the same recommendation, that we ought to transition from combat to support, but we ought to begin a process of reducing our combat forces there to make clear to the Iraqis that ultimately they have the responsibility to determine, and control and secure their country.

COLLINS: Does that mean withdrawing funding for this war?

PANETTA: Well, the hope is that we -- it doesn't come to that, but, you know, in the end, if this policy remains in controversy, if this country continues to be divided, then ultimately the same thing that happened in Vietnam, and Lebanon and Central America will happen again -- the Congress will start to impose conditions on the funding. I hope it doesn't come to that. But that is a real possibility if there is not a unified approach to dealing with this war.

COLLINS: Leon Panetta, former White House chief of staff for President Bill Clinton, thanks so much for your time here, sir.

PANETTA: Thank you, Heidi.

HARRIS: Jason Dunham made the ultimate sacrifice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no greater thing than what Jason did, to be willing to give up his life so that other people can go on and have lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: An American hero honored in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Fighting back tears. What a moment this was, the proud parents of a fallen Marine accept their son's honor. President Bush presented the medal of honor to Marine Corporal Jason Dunham's mother and father, Dan and Deb Dunham. At a White House ceremony last hour, the president praised Dunham for giving his life during an insurgent attack in Iraq. The 22-year-old jumped on a grenade using his helmet and his body to absorb the blast. He died from his injuries a few days later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: On a dusty road in western Iraq, Corporal Dunham gave his own life so that the men under his command might live. This morning, it's my privilege to recognize Corporal's Dunham's devotion to the Corps and country, to present his family with the medal of honor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The medal of honor is the nation's highest military decoration. Dunham is only the second Iraq war recipient of this high honor. COLLINS: House members today revisit a controversial bill, taking up the ethics and science of embryonic stem cell research.

Our Brianna Keilar is joining us now live from Capitol Hill.

And, Brianna, how difficult will the Democratic leadership find it, getting this stem cell legislation through Congress?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what will be very difficult is not necessarily getting this legislation through Congress, but getting it past President Bush. He's vetoed it before, and he's expected to veto it again. Now, this bill would allow federal funding of embryonic stem cells, and it would also increase the number of stem cell lines that researchers can use.

Experts say they could use these cells to treat diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, also spinal cord injuries. And as we said, it's expected to go through the House today. The Senate has said it will take it up quickly. But President Bush did veto this in July. He said he believes that it destroys human life. And the debate today in the House shows just how controversial of a topic this is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), MINORITY LEADER: I support stem cell research with only one exception. Research that requires the killing of human life. Taxpayer-fund stem cell research must be carried out in a way that is ethical and in a way that respects the sanctity of human life. Fortunately, ethical stem cell alternatives continue to flourish in the scientific community.

Earlier this week, we learned that amniotic, non-embryonic stem cells may offer the same research possibility as stem cells obtained through the destruction of human embryos.

We've also seen stem cells from non-controversial sources like umbilical cord blood be used to treat humans afflicted with more than 70 afflictions.

REP. DIANA DEGETTE (D), COLORADO: Some suggest that it's Congress' role to tell researchers what kinds of cells to use. Adult stem cells, cord blood, so-called A.N.T., amniotic or others.

I suggest we are not the arbiters of research. Instead, we should foster all of these methods and adequately fund and have ethical oversight over all ethical stem cell research.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: The Bush Administration released a statement this morning saying they disagree with this bill and they don't encourage the destruction of human life for research, making it clear that if this does get to the president's desk, Heidi, he will veto it.

COLLINS: All right. Brianna Keilar live from Capitol Hill this morning. It is a controversial subject indeed. Thanks so much. Get your daily does of health news at CNN.com. You will find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. That address is CNN.com/health.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" coming up in just a couple of minutes at the top of the hour. Hala Gorani is standing by with a preview. Good morning, Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Good morning Tony and Heidi. Well we going to analyze President Bush's speech on Iraq of course. We'll talk to the deputy White House spokeswoman about what exactly it means, not just for America, but for ordinary Iraqis and the military operation there.

Also, it's been five years since the opening of the controversial detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. We have coverage from the ground and we will talk to a human rights advocate who says Camp Delta has been quote, "a legal and political debacle of historic proportions." We'll get that point of view.

And Tony and Heidi, maybe this will make soccer fans out of you.

COLLINS: This is huge!

HARRIS: Why is this huge?

GORANI: I've been trying to sell soccer you know to our domestic audience there. It's a great sport. European football -- especially when you watch this guy play. David Beckham.

COLLINS: Oh, does he play soccer?

GORANI: Yes, he does, Heidi. And he's making the move to L.A., so on this side of the pond. Pricetag, get this, reportedly $250 million for a five-year contract. It's rumored to be the biggest sporting contract in history. All right.

COLLINS: Is he still with Posh Spice?

GORANI: He is with Posh Spice. I'm sure she's happy to move to L.A.

COLLINS: She might be, yes. Indeed. All right, Hala Gorani ...

GORANI: What will she wear?

COLLINS: Yes, what will she wear? We'll have to find out.

HARRIS: All that money and he's past his prime. Anyway, thank you, Hala.

Still to come, joining the fight. The new defense secretary signs deployment orders for thousands of U.S. troops bound for Iraq. That story in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: Kyra Phillips, Don Lemon coming up in about an hour, isn't it?

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. I don't think I'm close enough. There we go. Sorry folks. OK. I think I'm comfortable. How are you guys doing?

HARRIS: We're great.

COLLINS: Tell us what's coming up?

PHILLIPS: OK, well it's not the 4th of July but the fireworks are going off in Washington anyway. As you know, you saw the president's speech, well, today his plan to send thousands of new troops to Iraq is under a congressional microscope.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and joint chiefs chairman General Peter Pace were just the warmup act. Live at 1:00 eastern, the NEWSROOM has got your front-row seat as new Pentagon chief Robert Gates sits down in the hot seat.

We also want to hear your reaction to Mr. Bush's new plan, love, it hate it, somewhere in between. E-mail us at newsroom@CNN.com. You don't want to miss a minute of CNN NEWSROOM. That all starts at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time.

HARRIS: We'll be watching, Kyra. We'll be there.

COLLINS: Thanks Kyra.

And "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is coming up next with news across the globe and right here at home. Have a great day everybody, I'm Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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