They are doing it again. Since the NIE came out, the Neocon Press is going nuts trying to find their footing one more time. They are attempting every trick in the book. The Iranian influence in Iraq isn't going anywhere, and I have been over and over that. Iran is directly responsible for much of the Humanitarian Aid in Southern Iraq. The Bush/Cheney White House should be grateful because without Iran's efforts, Southern Iraq would be a wasteland of starved and starving bodies.
Additionally, the USA has never had control of the borders of Iraq. As a result every country surrounding Iraq has had to bolster their own borders to prevent the USA occupation from infiltrating their lands and causing chaos and the same anarchy that is exhibited in Iraq. Iran is no different than Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria and Turkey. They are forced to hold the line on 'infiltration' of Bush's occupation into their country. It's a sovereignty issue and one of their own National Security. If those countries were to turn out like Iraq has turned out, imagine the mess we would all be witnessing. The fact of the matter is, war doesn't stop at lines in the sand, it is chaotic and the neighbors to Iraq have done all they had to hold the line on an expansionist war.
The Neocons are pathetic. They hate peace, they thrive on war and killing. It's just that simple.
"Golly, gee, whiz, Wolf; ain't promoting the fear of Iran great. We get to stay and kill more Iraqis,' huh, Wolf??
"Yes, Michael, and it has been a pleasure, thank you."
BLITZER : President Bush is stepping up pressure on Iran despite new intelligence contradicting his earlier statements about the country's nuclear weapons program. He's warning President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to "come clean" and Mr. Bush is seeking new sanctions against Iran.
CNN's White House correspondent, Ed Henry, is standing by.
He's joining us.
What else did the president have to say -- Ed?
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the president made clear that he believes this new National Intelligence Estimate is no vindication for Iran and he's also sticking with his contention that, in fact, Tehran is still a threat.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice-over): President Bush laughed when asked about a demand for an apology from irregular president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Then, after the TV cameras were off, the president told reporters: "You can mark down I chuckled."
Earlier in the day, he was equally as defiant.
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Iranian nuclear issue is a problem and continues to be a problem that must be addressed by the international community.
HENRY: At a quick stop in Nebraska, the president was supposed to focus on health care and raising political cash for Republicans. But when he landed in Omaha, Mr. Bush brought up Iran -- a clear sign the White House realizes the president's Tuesday press conference did not do enough to stem the tide of negative publicity from the National Intelligence Estimate, reviewing that, contrary to public statements by the president and Vice President Cheney, Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program four years ago.
BUSH: The Iranians have a strategic choice to make. They can come clean with the international community about the scope of their nuclear activities or they can continue on a path of isolation.
HENRY: The president is focusing on the part of the report which found Iran did, at one point, have an active nuclear weapons program that could be restarted. That's why White House officials say they're moving full speed ahead on seeking a new round of United Nations sanctions against Iran and have gotten positive feedback from key allies in France, Germany and Great Britain.
BUSH: The Iranian government has more to explain about its nuclear intentions and past actions -- especially the covert nuclear weapons program pursued until the fall of 2003.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HENRY: but another round of tough sanctions was already going to be an uphill battle, even before this new intelligence emerged. Now it's going to be even tougher to get China and Russia on board-- Wolf.
BLITZER: Ed Henry, stand by.
Thanks very much for that.
In Iraq, meanwhile, a car bomb killed at least 15 people on a busy shopping street in Baghdad, just as the defense secretary, Robert Gates, was visiting another part of the city. And those who know the situation there say the overall violence is intertwined with the tense relationship between the United States and Iran.
And joining us, now, from Baghdad, our correspondent Michael Ware.
We know this National Intelligence Estimate now saying that the Iranians actually stopped building a nuclear bomb back in 2004.
But what about these conflicting reports that we're getting about Iran still meddling in Iraq?
What's going on?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, what I can tell you is the latest that the U.S. military intelligence is telling Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on his sixth visit here to Iraq. What they're saying is that the number of attacks that they can directly link to Iranian support is down. Whether they can attribute that to a downturn in Iranian influence, that they cannot answer.
The other thing I can tell you, Iranian nuclear issues and Iranian issues on attacks on America here in Iraq are not unrelated.
Now, during the historic talks between the Iranian ambassador here in Iraq and the American ambassador, Ryan Crocker, here in Iraq, it was made very clear they would only talk Iraq. They would not talk nuclear issues or anything else.
Iran's strategy has been forced to -- has been to force to America to bleed here in Iraq to gain concessions elsewhere. Indeed, we got to a point where top American commanders were saying just a few months ago, more American troops were dying as a result of Iranian- backed violence than Al Qaeda-backed violence. We've now seen that dip.
But right now, I can tell you, Secretary Gates is being told that Iran, according to U.S. military intelligence, is still training Iraqis to kill Americans. None of this, Wolf, is unrelated.
BLITZER: Robert Gates -- he's in Baghdad right now -- an unannounced visit. And he and others are suggesting things clearly are getting better.
Is security and stability in Iraq right now within reach?
WARE: The short answer is that, yes, things are better. Where we would have 1,500 or 1,600 attacks a week -- be it bombs or shootings or suicide detonations or whatever you want -- it's down to something like 500 on a week.
Can you imagine if there was 500 and something attacks in Pakistan or Israel or America?
Yet this is our idea of success now. That's how numbed we've become to the violence. Nonetheless, less Americans, less Iraqis are dying. There's two reasons for that. One, America is backing Sunni militias. They're protecting their areas. America has finally cut a deal with the insurgency.
Secondly, Iran has cut down its military activity. You talk to the top U.S. officials, they don't yet know why. They don't believe it will old. But there's a key question there. It's quite a dilemma -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Michael Ware, our reporter in Baghdad.
Michael, thanks.
WARE: Thank you, Wolf.
It's a pleasure.
BLITZER: All right, we're going to take a quick break.
When we come back, we'll have the new reports coming in on the fatalities in that Omaha mall shooting. Police now confirming nine people are dead. The gunman, an apparent suicide, as well. We're going to have the latest for you from Omaha.
Also, the U.S. Supreme Court case that could determine the future of hundreds of suspected terrorists.
And a warning that could impact everyone who flies about a looming danger in the sky.
Stay with us.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
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