TSR: "...frightfully embarrassing."


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Length: 3:28


WOLF BLITZER: Let's get to a shocking story right now about an Iraqi lawmaker who is actually a convicted terrorist sentenced to death for, among other things, bombing an American Embassy.

Is he now actually working for Iran?

Joining us now from Baghdad, our correspondent, Michael Ware -- Michael, tell us the story, briefly, about Jamal Jafaar Mohammed.

He's a member of the Iraqi parliament right now with full immunity, all the immunity that goes with that kind of responsibility.

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf, and according to U.S. military intelligence, under parliamentary privilege, he cannot be prosecuted. Yet these intelligence officers say he is actively supporting Shia insurgents attacking not only Sunnis, but coalition forces. And he's essentially a conduit for Iranian agents.

Now, this fellow has an extraordinary history. Back in the 1980s, when his party was exiled from Iraq by Saddam, he was part of the military wing that was moving with certain high profile figures who have since gone on to join Hezbollah and together, according to a Kuwaiti court, they blew up an American embassy with a car bomb, as well as the French embassy.

Indeed, this member of parliament was convicted in absentia by the Kuwaiti court for his role in the bombings and sentenced to death.

He later appeared back in Iran, where he came to lead or command an Iraqi element of the Iranian armed forces.

Now, shortly before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, he moved from that position and returned to covert operations.

He next appears in 2005 in the U.S.-sponsored elections, where he's voted into this Iraqi parliament being held up as a democratic model for the region.

So, essentially, this man has been sentenced to death for blowing up a U.S. embassy and American intelligence says he's part of what's killing American soldiers.

BLITZER: He's part of the prime minister, Nouri Al-Maliki's political party, the Dawa Party. He's also part of the ruling coalition.

How embarrassing is this to the Iraqi government and to the U.S. government?

WARE: Well, this is frightfully embarrassing. I mean there's a lot of old history here. He was a member of the prime minister's party when the prime minister's party, known as the Islamic Call, had an armed wing. He was -- he and others were since absorbed into another Iraqi group, which so happens also dominates the Shia alliance which owns this government.

I mean, this is embarrassing all around. There's connections everywhere. Someone in the prime minister's office told me last year they can't believe that their Shia political partners put him up for candidacy.

When I spoke to a U.S. official last night and said it's staggering that American intelligence did not know this man was running and was in parliament, the response was, "this man is a professional. He's very adept at moving without people knowing. His skills at avoidance and eluding detection are incredible. It's not beyond the realm that such things will happen to us."

BLITZER: Michael Ware reporting for us from Baghdad.

Michael, thanks.

WARE: Thank you, Wolf.

 


Click photo to play
Length: 3:28

WOLF BLITZER: In Baghdad, meanwhile, a truly shocking story about an Iraqi lawmaker who is a convicted terrorist sentenced to death for among other things bombing an American embassy. Is he now actually working for Iran?

Joining us now from Baghdad, our correspondent Michael Ware -- Michael, tell us the story briefly about Jamal Jafaar Mohammed. He's a member of the Iraqi parliament right now with full immunity, all of the immunity that goes with that kind of responsibility.

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf and according to U.S. military intelligence, under parliamentary privilege, he can not be prosecuted; yet these intelligence officers say he's actively supporting Shia insurgents, attacking not only Sunnis, but coalition forces, and he's essentially a conduit for Iranian agents.

Now this fellow has an extraordinary history. Back in the 1980s when his party was exiled from Iraq by Saddam, he was part of the military wing that was moving with certain high-profile figures who have since gone on to join Hezbollah and together, according to a Kuwaiti court, they blew up an American embassy with a car bomb as well as the French embassy.

Indeed, this member of parliament was convicted in absentia by the Kuwaiti court for his role in the bombings and sentenced to death. He later appeared back in Iran where he came to lead or command an Iraqi element of the Iranian armed forces. Now, shortly before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, he moved from that position and returned to covert operations.

He next appears in 2005 in the U.S.-sponsored elections where he's voted into this Iraqi parliament being held up as a democratic model for the region. So essentially, this man has been sentenced to death for blowing up a U.S. embassy and American intelligence says he's part of what is killing American soldiers.

BLITZER: He's part of the Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's political party, the Dawa Party. He's also part of the ruling coalition. How embarrassing is this to the Iraqi government and to the U.S. government?

WARE: Well, this is frightfully embarrassing. I mean there's a lot of old history here. He was a member of the prime minister's party when the prime minister's party, known as the Islamic Call, had an armed wing. He and others were since absorbed into another Iraqi group which so happens also dominates the Shia alliance which owns this government.

I mean, this is embarrassing all around. There are connections everywhere. Someone in the prime minister's office told me last year they can't believe that their Shia political partners put him up for candidacy. When I spoke to a U.S. official last night and said it's staggering that American intelligence did not know this man was running and was in parliament, the response was, "this man is a professional. He's very adept at leaving without people knowing. His skills at avoidance and eluding detection are incredible. It's not beyond the realm that such things will happen to us."

BLITZER: Michael Ware reporting for us from Baghdad. Michael, thanks.

WARE: Thank you, Wolf.