Expert Warns Iraq In A "State Of Almost Full Collapse"

Last Updated: 10/20/2006 10:21:25 PM

Kenneth Katzman is with the Congressional Research Service, which advises lawmakers on Capitol Hill. And the way he see it, Iraq is "in a state of almost full collapse," with the U.S. "powerless" to prevent a total breakdown.

He's got plenty of reasons for thinking this way. For starters, he points to today's seizure of an Iraqi city by a militia run by an anti-American cleric. Just days ago, that same cleric pledged his support to Iraq's president, the one the U.S. supports.

Katzman calls the Baghdad government "completely powerless" and warns only "very dramatic steps" can help turn things around. He says a new Cabinet and a rewritten Iraqi constitution may be needed.