Shiite Militants Get Help From Hezbollah
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Lou. And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM where new pictures and information are arriving all the time. Standing by CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you tonight's top stories. Happening now, U.S. troops may face an ominous new threat as Iraq Shiite militants get help now from Lebanon Shiite militants in the battle hardened Hezbollah group. One of President Bush's more vocal critics is former President Jimmy Carter. He calls the Iraq invasion one of the biggest blunders by any president -- that and much more in my one-on-one interview with the former president. And is the Christian Coalition starting to split apart? As some evangelicals want to move beyond the traditional moral issues the movement may be getting caught up in a cultural war. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. As the sectarian slaughter rages, is an Iraqi Shiite militia now getting help from Hezbollah? That's the Lebanese Shiite group who just fought a bloody war with Israel. Is that raising the threat level for American troops right now in Iraq? Let's begin our coverage with CNN's Brian Todd. Brian?</s>BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, both these militias have shown solidarity with each other and a mutual hatred of the U.S. and its allies. Now that they're forming a tiger military alliance, there is new concern tonight about the safety of coalition troops in Iraq.</s>TODD (voice-over): The enemies of U.S. and Iraqi forces may now have another dangerous ally, aside from al Qaeda. A senior U.S. intelligence official tells CNN members of the Mehdi Army, a lethal Shia militia led by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, have been trained by Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. Hezbollah deemed a terrorist group by the U.S., with a long history of attacks against Americans and their allies. U.S. officials say they don't have indications this training involves large numbers of Mehdi fighters, but they say this reinforces their belief that Shia militants, like the Mehdi Army, like Hezbollah have powerful supporters.</s>MAJ. GEN. BILL CALDWELL, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ: There are extremist elements that we know are being trained by different elements within Iran, and there are reports that they could possibly being trained also over in the Syria area.</s>TODD: The U.S. intelligence official says al-Sadr's militants training with Hezbollah went through Syria to get to Lebanon. Contacted by CNN, an official with the Syrian embassy said they have no information on these reports. Iran denies supporting Shia militias in Iraq. And the head of al-Sadr's faction in the Iraqi parliament says the charge that his followers are training with Hezbollah is quote, "a big lie created by U.S. intelligence." What would a military alliance between al-Sadr and Hezbollah mean?</s>MAJ. JEFFREY BEATTY, FORMER CIA, FBI COUNTERTERROR OFC.: Both groups have made good use of explosives, improvised explosive devices vehicle-born, as well as roadside bombs. There are things that they can learn from each other on what is the most effective way to use those weapons.</s>TODD: Al-Sadr has already made a political threat through his followers in parliament.</s>SALIH AL-AKEILI, IRAQI PARLIAMENT MEMBER (through translator): If the prime minister goes ahead and meets with the criminal Bush in Amman, we will suspend our membership in the Iraqi government.</s>TODD: Some U.S. officials and Iraqi observers say al-Sadr may not carry out that threat and likely won't leave the government entirely. But with his control of 30 seats in parliament and six government ministries, even a disruption could be devastating. Wolf?</s>BLITZER: All right, Brian, thank you -- Brian Todd reporting. President Bush heads to the region tomorrow. He'll meet with the Iraqi prime minister in Jordan. It's part of what appears to be a new diplomatic drive to not only quell the chaos in Iraq but to try to ease regional tensions, as well. Our State Department correspondent Zain Verjee joining us now with more -- Zain.</s>ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the U.S. is looking to its friends in the Arab world to help with Iraq. But Arab allies want something in return.</s>VERJEE (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.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I keep saying Palestine is the core. It is linked to the extent to what is going on in Iraq.</s>VERJEE: Accused of not being actively engaged in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Washington appears to be making a new push for peace.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're trying to help get a democracy started in the Palestinian territory.</s>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.</s>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.</s>VERJEE: Which is why the U.S. is engaging in a strong diplomatic drive.</s>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.</s>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.</s>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.</s>VERJEE: And Arab diplomats say that addressing their concerns in the region is basically going to put them in a better position to help the United States. The Iraq study group led by James Baker, as you know, Wolf, is likely to recommend a similar regional approach soon -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Zain at the State Department, Zain, thank you. And that Iraq study group that Zain just referred to is an independent bipartisan panel. It has now wrapped up an additional intensive two-day huddle right here in Washington, trying to agree on some recommendations for President Bush and how to change course in Iraq. It may be one of the most important foreign policy recommendations for the United States in decades if the advisers themselves can reach a consensus. Let's get some more now from CNN's Mary Snow. Mary?</s>MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, collectively they have vast experience in government, and their suggestions will carry significant weight.</s>SNOW (voice-over): They are known by some as the wise men to the White House, although not all are men. The collective brain trust on what to do about Iraq known as the Iraq study group is unprecedented.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is in effect the first example we've had of outsourcing foreign policy making from the White House.</s>SNOW: That outsourcing, if you will, is in the hands of 10 members, five Democrats, five Republicans, and is co-chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker, a Republican, and former Congressman Lee Hamilton, a Democrat.</s>PRESIDENT BUSH: We've had people who have served in the administration, administrations past, our court system in the legislative branch.</s>SNOW: But critics say the bipartisan panel has admitted some key members.</s>DAN GOURE, LEXINGTON INSTITUTE: Some striking things about this group is the absolute lack of real experience with the Middle East and the relative lack of military experience.</s>SNOW: The panel does include former Defense Secretary William Perry, but it also includes retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and former Clinton adviser Vernon Jordan, neither of whom are known for military or foreign policy experience.</s>DAVID GERGEN, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: What they do bring is an overriding sense of patriotism, a desire to help the country get out of the ditch in Iraq, and to do it in a way that is more bipartisan.</s>SNOW: David Gergen, a former adviser to four presidents says presidents in the past, such as President Kennedy when he dealt with the Cuban missile crisis, met with their wise men privately. He says the fact that the Iraq study group's recommendations are public puts the president in an awkward position.</s>GERGEN: If he accepts, he looks like he's kowtowing to an outside group, but if he rejects, it looks like he's you know in denial.</s>SNOW: And David Gergen also says the big unanswered question is whether it is already too late for the U.S. to make a significant difference in Iraq. Wolf?</s>BLITZER: All right, Mary, thanks very much. Let's check in with Jack Cafferty. He's in New York with "The Cafferty File". Jack?</s>JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Well I think it might be safe to say we've made a big difference in Iraq in the last three or four years. Will the last one out please turn out the lights? A British official is now saying thousands of British soldiers are going to withdraw from Iraq over the next year. About 7,000 British military personnel currently are on duty in the region. Italy, Poland also announced that their troops are coming home. That's a total of about 1,000 soldiers. The United States has about 144,000 troops in Iraq. Speaking in Riga, Latvia today, President Bush said the U.S. will not remove its troops from Iraq until stability is brought to the region. Hope they have a lot of supplies. His comments come as a civil war rages out of control now in Iraq, with no one, including the U.S. military able to stop it. And the White House refuses to acknowledge that Iraq has in fact descended into civil war. Here's the question. What does it mean for U.S. troops when the rest of the coalition such as it is begins to leave Iraq? E-mail us at CaffertyFile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile -- Wolf?</s>BLITZER: Jack, thank you. And coming up, former President Jimmy Carter right here in THE SITUATION ROOM -- he goes after the current commander-in-chief, saying President Bush has made one of the greatest presidential blunders of all-time. And an American F-16 crashes in Iraq. Why did the insurgents get to the crash site before the U.S. military? And there's a new casualty in the culture wars. The president of the Christian Coalition quits in a very public departure -- the reason? It may surprise you. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.