Michael has confirmed to me that he has left CNN, although he is not yet ready to disclose discussions about plans for his return to US television.

That said, he has other projects cooking as well. He is currently working very hard on something that I am confident everyone will agree will have been worth the wait. (This is not the book; that is still percolating. This is something new and very, very exciting.)

So, while he is hard at work elsewhere, I just wanted to take a moment to look back on the incredible work he did for CNN. This is just a small sample of where he has taken us while working for them, especially of his most important legacy as a reporter -- his astonishing coverage of the Iraq war. We were so fortunate to have such an honest voice on the ground to give us the truth behind the painful headlines.

[Click here to watch]

His voice may no longer be coming into our living rooms every day, but you can bet he won't stay silent for long!