LS: Digging in in Ramadi


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Length: 1:05


CAROL LIN: The tape comes on the heels of a coalition offensive in al Anbar Province, an al-Qaeda stronghold in western Iraq. CNN's Michael Ware is embedded with U.S. troops in Ramadi.

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MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As U.S. troop numbers in Iraq reach new levels as the battle of Baghdad is waged, a massive operation to reclaim the city from insurgents, militias and death squads, it is here in western Ramadi where the al Qaeda front line still stands.

The daily drip feed of attacks and American casualties continues. The most recent from a suicide car bombing which took the life of a U.S. marine.

American commanders in Ramadi are trying to strike at the heart of al Qaeda's leadership and its bases. The plan involves the establishment of remote combat outposts such as this one in the city's south, where small numbers of American troops establish themselves deep in al Qaeda territory.

Michael Ware, CNN, Combat Outpost Grant, Ramadi, Iraq.