AC: The elected terrorist

(Both clips have the same audio, but some video changes are made for the second one.)


Click photo to play
Length: 5:05

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: First, though, a CNN exclusive: a rude awakening for Americans who fought and died to establish democracy in Iraq. It turns out that, when some Iraqis went to the polls, whether they knew it or not, they elected a terrorist to parliament, a man with the blood of Americans on his hands.

CNN's Michael Ware broke the story, joins us now with the exclusive from Baghdad -- Michael.

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anderson.

After an extensive four-month investigation, CNN has learned that this man, Jamal Jafar Mohammed, an elected member of Iraq's parliament representing southern Babil Province, was involved in the 1993 car bombings of the American and French embassies.

Indeed, according to U.S. military intelligence, he was one of the masterminds of the attack. According to court reports from the time, he was sentenced to death in absentia. He escaped punishment, having fled the country.

But according to Western intelligence, he was also involved in the hijacking of a Kuwaiti airliner in a bid to free others involved in the embassy bombings, and is linked to the attempted assassination of a Kuwaiti prince.

His presence in the Iraqi parliament is now a source of rising tension between Baghdad and Washington. One reason: in parliament, he is immune from prosecution.

COOPER: Michael, this is obviously a potentially embarrassing situation for both the Iraqi and the American governments. What have been their reactions so far?

WARE: Well, a U.S. Embassy spokesman says, American officials are actively pursuing Jamal Jafar Mohammed's case with their Iraqi counterparts. U.S. military intelligence on the ground here in Iraq has approached the Iraqi government, claiming Jamal is actively supporting Shia insurgents now and that he is a key agent for Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, one of Tehran's special forces element, and assists their operations as a conduit for weapons and political influence.

Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, wants American intelligence now to share its information with Iraq's parliament, which could lift Jamal Jafar Mohammed's immunity from prosecution.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARE: Sitting in the Iraqi parliament right now is a man accused and convicted in Kuwait of blowing up an American Embassy. U.S. intelligence claims he still has ongoing links to Iranian intelligence and covert networks.

What does this say to the world?

NOURI AL-MALIKI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We don't want parliament to be a shelter for outlaws or wanted people. This is the government's view. But the parliament is responsible. I don't think parliament will accept having people like him or others.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: So, if his immunity from prosecution is lifted, can, then, the United States or Iraq go to parliament and arrest him?

WARE: Well, that will be very difficult, even if that happens, Anderson.

I mean, his current whereabouts are unknown. Indeed, senior Iraqis in the intelligence and security apparatus that we spoke to about this man fell silent at the mere mention of his name.

Now, for months we attempted to contact him through parliament, through the prime minister's office, through his former political party, through the ruling Shia political alliance, of which he is currently a member, and through the paramilitary organization which he headed until shortly before the war.

But all of these attempts proved futile. There are rumors that he is already back in Iran -- Anderson.

COOPER: So, do you think the people who voted for him realized who he seems to be?

WARE: Well, certainly, when the United States sponsored the December 15, 2005 elections, and Iraqis voted for him for the -- and, for the first time, for a full and sovereign government, it's unlikely that many of those people knew precisely who he was, other than a political figure put up by this Iraqi Shia political alliance.

However, his true identity and background was no secret to many within this Shia political alliance. Indeed, he's the former commander of the Iranian-backed Badr Organization, one of the foremost paramilitary outfits in this country.

Now, Prime Minister al-Maliki told me that this is an embarrassing problem, not only to his government, but to an American administration holding up the Iraqi parliament as a democratic model for the entire region.

COOPER: Fascinating story.

Michael Ware, thanks for the reporting.



 
Click photo to play
Length: 5:16


ANDERSON COOPER: At least 11 acts of mayhem today in Baghdad; 35 Iraqis killed, 25 of them dumped throughout the capital, their bodies found. Sectarian shootouts, mortar attacks, several car bombings and a political assassination.

Yet, even with headlines like that each and every day, our next report stands out. It concerns one of those unintended side effects of democracy.

In this case, Iraqi voters electing a convicted killer, a man with American blood on his hands, elected to parliament. It is a CNN exclusive.

Michael Ware broke the story. We spoke earlier tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After an extensive four-month investigation, CNN has learned that this man, Jamal Jafar Mohammed, an elected member of Iraq's parliament representing southern Babel Province, was involved in the 1983 car bombings of the American and French embassies.

Indeed, according to U.S. military intelligence, he was one of the masterminds of the attack. According to court reports from the time, he was sentenced to death in absentia. He escaped punishment, having fled the country. But according to Western intelligence, he was also involved in the hijacking of a Kuwaiti airliner in a bid to free others involved in the embassy bombings and is linked to the attempted assassination of a Kuwaiti prince.

His presence in the Iraqi parliament is now a source of rising tension between Baghdad and Washington. One reason: in parliament, he is immune from prosecution.

COOPER: Michael, this is obviously a potentially embarrassing situation for both the Iraqi and American governments. What have been their reactions so far?

WARE: Well, a U.S. embassy spokesman says American officials are actively pursuing Jamal Jafar Mohammed's case with their Iraqi counterparts.

U.S. military intelligence on the ground here in Iraq has approached the Iraqi government, claiming Jamal is actively supporting Shia insurgents now. And that he is a key agent for Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard corps, Quds Force, one of Tehran's special forces element, and assists their operations as a conduit for weapons and political influence.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki wants American intelligence now to share its information with Iraq's parliament, which could lift Jamal Jafar Mohammed's immunity from prosecution.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

WARE: Sitting in the Iraqi parliament right now is a man accused and convicted in Kuwait of blowing up an American embassy.

U.S. intelligence claims he still has ongoing links to Iranian intelligence and covert networks. What does this say to the world?

NOURI AL-MALIKI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We don't want parliament to be a shelter for outlaws or wanted people. This is the government's view. But the parliament is responsible. I don't think parliament will accept having people like him or others.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COOPER: So if his immunity from prosecution is lifted, can then the United States or Iraq go to parliament and arrest him?

WARE: Well, that will be very difficult, even if that happens, Anderson. I mean, his current whereabouts are unknown. Indeed, senior Iraqis in the intelligence and security apparatus that we spoke to about this man fell silent at the mere mention of his name.

Now, for months we attempted to contact him through parliament, through the prime minister's office, through his former political party, through the ruling Shia political alliance, of which he is currently a member, and through the paramilitary organization which he headed until shortly before the war.

But all of these attempts proved futile. There are rumors that he is already back in Iran -- Anderson.

COOPER: So, do you think the people who voted for him realized who he seems to be?

WARE: Well, certainly when the United States sponsored the December 15, 2005 elections and Iraqis voted for him for the -- and for the first time for a full and sovereign government, it's unlikely that many of those people knew precisely who he was, other than a political figure put up by this Iraqi Shia political alliance.

However, his true identity and background was no secret to many within this Shia political alliance. Indeed, he's the former commander of the Iranian-backed Badr organization, one of the foremost paramilitary outfits in this country.

Now, Prime Minister al-Maliki told me that this is an embarrassing problem, not only to his government, but to an American administration holding up the Iraqi parliament as a democratic model for the entire region.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Well, that was Michael Ware reporting from Baghdad. Embarrassing indeed.