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KING: Barbara Starr there at CENTCOM headquarters.

And the assassination in Lebanon raises the question, are we seeing a generalized meltdown across the Middle East? And what would it mean for U.S. policy in Iraq and across the region?

Correspondent Michael Ware joins us from Baghdad.

Michael, the big news in the region today, obviously, this political assassination in Lebanon. Help us put it into regional context. What is the impact in a place like Iraq? Is this something that emboldens the insurgents, who are trying to not only destabilize Iraq, but, some would say, destabilize the entire region?

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, directly, immediately? No.

But, indirectly, this assassination fits within a much broader picture within the region, that the insurgents, both Sunni and Shia, and all the regional actors, from Syria to Iran, and American Arab allies in the region, are well aware of.

I mean, this, right now, is a region of American malaise, during a period of U.S. strategic uncertainty. I mean, this is a time, a strategic opportunity, for all of America's rivals in this region.

And I think we're seeing certain elements within this part of the world trying to capitalize upon that. We're certainly seeing evidence of that here on the ground, certainly patterns of behavior from certain militia groups and insurgent groups, that have taken particularly directly and targeted operations that seem to be making the most of this opportunity.

KING: You mention certain militia groups.

As you're aware, our Barbara Starr is reporting today that there are some concerns in the U.S. Central Command about perhaps a splinter group within one of Muqtada al-Sadr's militias, a splinter group backed by Iran.

Based on what you see on the ground there every day, does that fit with what you're seeing? Is that conceivable, that a group within al-Sadr's militias could split off and be beholden to Iran, not to Muqtada al-Sadr?

WARE: Well, John, let me put it this way.

If Central Command is concerned that this might be happening, that's frightening, because it shows they have absolutely no reality of what's been happening here on the ground for the past year. And, in fact, I know that's not the case.

I have spoken to U.S. military intelligence here on the ground at very senior levels. They, like all of us, have been tracking the fracturing of Muqtada's Mahdi army militia, one of the most potent and politically powerful right now here in the country.

Now, U.S. military intelligence says that, for some time, you know, Mahdi militia has been receiving millions of dollars of aid from Iran, including training, the facilitation of relationships with Hezbollah, the transfer of technology, the adoption of an Iranian- inspired template.

Now, there's been breakaway groups going on from that main body for well over a year. And, in fact, U.S. intelligence says there's now classic Mahdi army, there's militant Mahdi army, much like the IRA and the more militant real IRA from Northern Ireland, and then there's rogue factions.

Indeed, what we're seeing is that all of them are sponsored or supported or have a relationship in some way with Iran. And now we're seeing Iran poaching Mahdi army commanders.

So, it's much more than a concern. It's a reality we have lived with here on the ground for over a year -- John.

KING: Michael Ware for us in Baghdad -- Michael, thank you very much.

WARE: Thank you.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/21/sitroom.02.html

Well some probably have known for, perhaps as he indicated a year or so, that elements of the Mahdi militia had started to splinter out.
For all we know, fat boy may not be enticing his goon squads to actually torture and kill Sunni. But it sure is hard to believe he does not know what goes on within the Mahdi militia as a whole.
I for one will not take sides on this particular issue. For I do not have any concrete proof Sadr is in on the actual killings or not.
But the key issue continues to be. What is the IG going to do with the militias. The US has given them a list to show benchmarks starting this December if my memory serves me correctly.
I am hoping there are a lot of raids planned to get at key individuals who may be known to be inciting and sponsoring the Shia death squads. As we have seen a few times in the past two months.
I strongly suspect little will come out of the Baker/Hamilton study, that could pursuade the POTUS and CENTCOM to want to alter it's course.
The fact remains, the IG is not willing to let well equiped Iraqi and US troops go into major cities of immediate interest and kill off both Saddamist, al Qaeda, local resistance groups, as well as the two major militias.
Maliki is not willing to let a lot of Shia groups get whacked.
He cannot piss off Sadr and Hakim or they could join forces and have the SCIRI, IDP, and a few other shia affiliated parties declare he is not fit to serve, and force a new election for a PM.
As for Talabani. He is quiet as a churchmouse playing his role as Iraqi president ambassador and statesmen in the background, knowing full well if things really go to pot he will always have a high political appointment within the Kurdish government, should Iraq end up splitting up in the future.
There are to many different divergent groups all in their own right causing a lot of grieve in Iraq.
It would be un-realistic to not admit things are really degenerating. The IG simply is not showing the over all majority of Iraqi that it has what it takes to kill a lot of muslims/arabs/Iraqi that are responsible for the over all bloodshed.
The IG is so wishy washy it is bordering on the pathetic at this point.