August 2006

AC: Night trip to Ramadi



Mick does voiceover on a night-vision recorded embed he went on in Ramadi last night. As Anderson says in the intro, the outcome was not what was planned... It’s a heart-stopping piece that brings home the difficult, dangerous, and deadly task American troops are dealing with there.

Length: 5:21

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LS: Fragile Democracy



Michael narrates a prepared piece about the current state of democracy in Iraq. He is onscreen only for a quick moment during one of the interviews.
 
Length: 3:49

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SAT: Hostage release



Michael reports on the release of a Sunni member of parliament who was abducted by gunmen July 1.

Length: 2:10

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AAM: “...just how dire this has become."



Soledad O’Brien has a roundtable discussion about whether or not it’s a civil war. (I left Bill Schneider’s opening comment in because I think he makes an excellent point.) As Mick points out, the U.S. government definition of the term keeps shifting because no matter how high they raise the bar, the violence meets and then exceeds it. Never a good sign.

Length: 3:55

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AC: “A great catastrophe of U.S. policy.”



Anderson talks to Michael about Iran’s continuing influence in Iraq. (For those keeping score, Violence: still growing; Americans: still dying; Peace: nowhere in sight.)

Length: 3:24

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TWAW: Update on Iraq



Mick talks to Zain Verjee about the deterioration of conditions in Iraq, following July’s highest-ever death rate.

Length: 3:20

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AC: Back in Baghdad



Rick Sanchez fills in for Anderson, and Mick’s back in Baghdad, reporting for the first time from his new CNN “home.” Of course, since he was last there in April, the situation has become even more deadly and unstable. Sad to think he was safer on a rooftop in Beirut with bombs being dropped from the sky than he is in a city that American troops have been occupying for more than three years...

Length: 2:52

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PZN: “The bombing was just relentless.”



Michael speaks to Paula by phone about the airstrike on the convoy.

Length: 2:47

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TSR: “...absolute devastation.”



Michael again talks to Wolf via phone from near the scene of the attack on the convoy.

Length: 2:27

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TSR: “A scene of unbelievable carnage”



Michael is on the phone from the place where part of the Marjayoun convoy was hit by an Israeli drone airstrike. As he reports, another Israeli drone appears and someone yells to him to get away from the vehicles.
 
Also included is an update from Brent Sadler on why the Israelis attacked this breakaway faction of the convoy.

Length: 5:54

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YWT: Convoy leaves Marjayoun



We join CNN International in the midst of Michael’s report on the convoy of 1500 vehicles leaving Marjayoun. The cars stream past behind him as he talks about the civilian flight from the fighting.

Length: 3:23

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LT: Convoy prepares to leave Marjayoun



Michael speaks with Daryn Kagan from outside Marjayoun as a massive caravan of civilian vehicles prepares to leave the area.

Length: 3:42

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AC: Zahle, Lebanon (Bekaa Valley)



Michael spent the day in the Bekaa Valley (as he points out, on the receiving end of the rockets being launched from the Israeli artillery position where John Roberts is stationed.)
 
Length: 5:26

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AC: Beirut and an Iraq update



Michael talks to Anderson about the possibility of a ceasefire and what would need to be agreed upon for both sides to agree to one. Also, an update on what’s been going on in Iraq.

Length: 7:00

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LKL: Sidon and Tyre



Michael talks to Larry about the Israeli airstrike on the Sidon refugee camp he visited last week as well as the situation in Tyre. He also answers an email from a viewer regarding the Lebanese Army taking on Hezbollah.

Length: 5:07

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AC: The view from Bekaa



Michael is part of the discussion on the current state of the conflict and the peace talks. Also, a recorded piece from Michael’s weekend trip to the Bekaa Valley, where he toured bombing locations and spoke with Hezbollah supporters.

Length: 10:38

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LKL: Who will control southern Lebanon?



Michael speaks with Larry about the likelihood of the Lebanese Army taking on Hezbollah as terms of a cease-fire.

Length: 2:32

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PZN: Hezbollah forces "by and large still intact."



Michael talks to Paula about his weekend trip to the Bekaa Valley and what he witnessed of Hezbollah’s structure and force capabilities.

Length: 3:12

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LKL: Back to Bekaa



Michael phones one in from the Bekaa Valley as he tours the Hezbollah heartland again. (This time, the audio issue isn’t my fault, just a byproduct of the broadband connection.)

Length: 3:15

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AC: Hunting Nasrallah



During the second hour of the show, Michael gives another update from Beirut and discusses Israeli goals.
 
Length: 4:26

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AC: "A very easy card to play."



During the first hour of the show, Anderson speaks with Michael in Beirut as another night of bombing continues.

Length: 7:47

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PZN: "Very little recourse"



Michael talks to Carol Costello (filling in for Paula) about the overnight airstrike in the Lebanese city of Qaa, the continuing effort by the Israelis to cut Hezbollah’s resupply lines, and how that is affecting the Lebanese citizens.

Length: 3:39

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TSR: No bombs in Beirut tonight



Michael talks to Wolf during a lull in the Beirut bombing campaign.

Length: 5:52

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LDT: More air raids near the Syrian border



Michael makes a rare appearance on Lou Dobbs’ show (although Lou is not there) to discuss the latest airstrikes in Lebanon.

Length: 3:28

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AC: The barrage continues & '24 Hours...' -- Baalbeck



Anderson talks to Michael throughout the show, starting in darkness and ending well after dawn.

During the second hour of the show, Anderson does a “24 Hours Under Attack” special and includes Michael’s piece from Baalbeck.

Length: 12:01 / 3:07

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LKL: Time for the flak jacket...



Michael finally puts on a flak jacket! (Now CNN just needs to get him one of the new models the other reporters are wearing...)

Length: 0:41

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PZN: More on the bombardment



Michael speaks with Paula about the second night of bombardment of the Lebanese capital.

Length: 9:40

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TSR: Bouncing the rubble



Wolf talks to Michael about tonight’s air bombardment.

Length: 6:21

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TSR: Iraq then & now



Wolf talks to both Michael and Barbara Starr about the current situation in Iraq, playing some clips from today’s Congressional hearing, contrasting them with earlier statements.

Length: 6:19

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AC: Raids and air raids




Anderson speaks with Michael about Baalbeck and the Beirut bombings. Michael has another prepared piece from the town of Baalbeck, which runs in both hours.

Length: 11:20

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LKL: "I'm not sure if you heard that..."



Larry leads off his show with Mick’s off-air reaction to what would have been at least the fourth bomb today. (I hope CNN puts that in one of the commercials. Hey, John Roberts got in last week for his reaction to the artillery launch behind him, it’s only fair!)

Length: 4:58

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PZN: More on the bombardment



Michael speaks with Paula about the airstrikes heard in the last hour.

Length: 3:52

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TSR: "The air campaign has returned, with some vigor."



Michael is on the air with Wolf describing his trip to Baalbeck when the air bombardment of Lebanon starts up again. Four explosions are recorded during the show.
 
(I especially like the last one Wolf shows, where although there is no audio, Michael can be seen saying, “That was closer.”)

Length: 24:46

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AAM: Baalbeck



After last night’s raid by the Israelis into the Bekaa Valley town of Baalbek, Michael spent time there today getting a look at the results. Three versions of his recorded piece aired on American Morning, with a video that appears to have been sent by broadband. First is his original version.
 
In the second hour, same voiceover but some new images, many of them from Lebanese television. Also, a slightly longer hold on the end reveals his displeasure with the take.
 
In hour three, most of the original video is back.

Length: 1:25 / 1:22 / 1:13

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AC: "...bold, daring -- what the Israelis have made their signature."




Anderson talks to Mick about the Baalbeck mission and what news they have been learning about it.

Length: 11:40

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LKL: Baalbeck "a deep-strike operation."



Mick speaks to Larry about the Baalbeck operation and what the possible targets might be.

Length: 2:22

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PZN: "perhaps this war is about to evolve."



Mick does another prepared piece on the 48-hour ceasefire of air attacks and the increasing shortages of needed items like food, medicine, and gasoline.

Length: 4:34

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TSR: More on Baalbeck operation



Mick speaks again with Wolf about the Israeli SpecOps mission into the Bakaa Valley stronghold of Hezbollah.

Length: 4:07

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TSR: New area of battle: Bekaa Valley



Mick talks to Wolf about a new Israeli offensive in the town of Baalbeck in the infamous Bekaa Valley.

Length: 2:50

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