Rogue Gunmen Tested Will Of Iraqi Police and Troops In Amara; General Abizaid Meets With President Bush
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Abbi, for that. 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 today's top stories. Happening now, a bloody test in Iraq -- rogue elements trying to take over a city controlled by government forces. Now there are new questions, maybe some answers, on whether Iraqi forces are simply up to the test. Urgent huddles over at the White House. The battle readiness of Iraqi troops likely one topic the president is discussing with his senior military advisers on Iraq. But will they discuss a change in course? And Tinseltown politics -- it's 2:00 p.m. in Hollywood. Are some liberal movie stars now fans of former movie star and now Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger? He's finding out. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Right now, the ability of Iraqi troops to defend their nation is being called into serious question. In the southern city of Amara, all is said to be calm, but only after hundreds of rogue gunmen tested the will and might of Iraqi police and troops. The concerns over what's happening come as President Bush meets with his top military commanders on Iraq. We have two reports. Our Suzanne Malveaux is standing by at the White House. But let's begin with our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.</s>JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, here at the Pentagon today, officials continue to downplay what's happening in Iraq, insisting that given enough time, things will work out.</s>MCINTYRE (voice-over): While it appears Iraqi police may have retaken control of Amara, for a time Thursday and Friday, it was overrun-by hundreds of Shia militiamen from anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army. The Iraqi police station was destroyed, black smoke billowing from three buildings flattened by explosives. British troops, which turned the area over to Iraq months ago, were ready to go back in, but Iraq's government insisted they weren't needed. Still, Amara now joins Ramadi and Balad as cities where Iraqi forces are supposed to be standing up, but instead have fallen down in their ability to contain sectarian fighting. At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld argued those setbacks are temporary and may be a result of a deliberate challenge to the U.S. plan to gradually cede areas to Iraqi control.</s>DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: It might be because the enemy said well, fair enough, pass that over to the Iraqi forces. Let's focus on that, increase the effort against them and see if we can't take it away from them so that the press of the world will notice that we've taken it away. They're smart, the enemy. They've got brains and they use them.</s>MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld conferenced with top generals John Abizaid and George Casey by video hookup hours before Abizaid was summoned to Washington for more meetings for more meetings with President Bush and his national security team. Rumsfeld described the hastily called session as a regular meeting, insisting it was nothing unusual. And he carefully parried questions about whether the overall strategy is under review. (on camera): Mr. Secretary, can you just say plainly whether you believe a course correction is needed in Iraq or not?</s>RUMSFELD: I think the way I'll leave it is I'd prefer to give my advice to the president rather than you, Jamie. I'm old-fashioned.</s>MCINTYRE: Do you think the American public deserves to know whether you're considering making major adjustments rather than just refining tactics?</s>RUMSFELD: I mean no one on the National Security Council or a commander in the field makes a decision or sets a course and then puts their brain at rest.</s>MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld continues to counsel patience, arguing that given enough time, the Iraqi government will come together and Iraqi forces will be up to the challenge. The question is how much patience does President Bush, and the American people, for that matter, have with Rumsfeld's strategy -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Thanks very much, Jamie, for that. And given the unyielding violence, is it time for a new Iraq war strategy? There are urgent talks over at the White House. Let's bring in our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux -- Suzanne.</s>SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, those talks just wrapped up moments ago here at the White House. General John Abizaid, as you know, the U.S. commander for the Middle East, met with President Bush one-on-one this afternoon, of course, to talk strategy. Already the White House has dismissed suggestions of a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops or a partitioning of Iraq. But the president, in these urgent talks, of course, looking for military guidance from the highest levels as to how to turn things around.</s>MALVEAUX (voice-over): With October likely to become the deadliest month for U.S. forces in nearly two years, President Bush held urgent White House talks with his top U.S. commander in the Middle East, General John Abizaid.</s>TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He is eager to hear about other ideas. But leaving is not going to work.</s>MALVEAUX: Publicly, Mr. Bush remains resolute that his Iraq strategy will not change.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One of the key issues in this election is who best sees the future and who best has the plan to deal with it. I firmly see the threats we face and the best way for America to protect ourselves is to go on the offense and to stay on the offense.</s>MALVEAUX: The president is under intense political pressure from critics, now including some prominent Republicans, to change course in Iraq. Saturday, Mr. Bush will hold a video conference call with his secretary of defense and his Iraq point man, General George Casey. Mr. Bush maintains he will not pull out U.S. troops before Iraqis can govern and protect themselves. But he says he is open to changing military tactics to get the job done. Skeptical journalists engaged White House Press Secretary Tony Snow in a war of words over the difference between change in strategy and change in tactics.</s>SNOW: Well, I think what they're talking about...</s>MARTHA RADDATZ, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: ... strategy in your definition?</s>SNOW: I think -- I think they will agree with what I have described as strategy, which is...</s>RADDATZ: How come you're not going to -- you're not even considering a change in strategy -- no, Tony, sorry.</s>SNOW: No, Martha, no. But...</s>MALVEAUX: Frustration over language in the briefing room. But the question about what is to be done on the ground in Iraq remains unanswered.</s>MALVEAUX: And, Wolf, today Tony Snow dismissed a letter that was sent by the Democratic leadership to the president, suggestions about how to change the course in Iraq. One of those suggestions, to hold an international conference to deal with this. And, in his words, he said now it is -- cut and run-is now being augmented by walk and talk -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Suzanne, thank you. Meanwhile, amid the debate over strategy, there's also the debate over which political party would do better handling Iraq. We posed that question to Americans in a recent CNN poll. Fifty-one percent said Democrats would do a better job, 34 percent said Republicans would do better handling Iraq. The Iraq War a key topic on Sunday's "LATE EDITION." I'll speak about the war and the nuclear crisis with North Korea, the situation in Iran. Among my guests, former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski. "LATE EDITION" airs for two hours starting at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Sunday. "LATE EDITION," the last word in Sunday talk. Let's go to CNN's Carol Lin. She's joining us from the CNN Center with a closer look at some other stories making news -- hi, Carol.</s>CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Wolf. We have an update now on campaign controversy in California. Republican Congressional candidate Tan Nguyen says he won't bow to pressure from local GOP leaders to drop out of the race. Nguyen is under fire after acknowledging that his campaign sent intimidating letters to thousands of Hispanic immigrant voters. Nguyen tells the Associated Press he won't quit the campaign because he didn't personally approve the letter. Now, state law enforcement agents investigating the letter began searching Nguyen's campaign offices today. Nguyen is challenging a leading Hispanic lawmaker, Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. And voters in Arizona may have to bring their photo IDs when they go to the poll next month. Well, the Supreme Court ruled today Arizona can require voters to show photo identification when they vote in November's mid-term elections. But federal courts must still resolve a pending lawsuits that claims the state law disenfranchises thousands of people, including the elderly and minorities. And the Palm Beach State Attorney's office has identified the Roman Catholic priest who allegedly molested Florida Congressman Mark Foley nearly 40 years ago. The Archdiocese of Miami says it's the Reverend Anthony Mercieca. He now lives in Malta. The Archdiocese is apologizing to Foley for the alleged abuse and says Mercieca is being banned from church work. It's also urging any other alleged victims to come forward. Now, five years after 9/11, police and forensic experts are again digging through the rubble at New York's ground zero. Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the search after a contractor found human remains in a manhole at the World Trade Center site yesterday. The discovery outraged some victims' families. Bloomberg says crews will comb through areas that might have been overlooked before. The remains of more than 1,100 victims are still unaccounted for -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: What a sad story that is. Carol, thanks very much for that. Jack Cafferty is off today. He'll be back next week. Just ahead, the fear factor and the campaign -- we're going to show you a controversial new Republican ad that some say is fear mongering at its worst. Also, from Beijing, our own Zain Verjee's exclusive interview with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. Zane is the only television correspondent traveling with the Secretary as she meets with Asian allies to try to defuse the North Korean nuclear crisis. Plus, the California Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, wooing Hollywood's traditionally Democratic elite. We're going to show you how and why. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.