"It's clear the Iraqi government will need U.S. assistance for some time to come, especially in carrying out new security responsibilities. Yet the U.S. must not make open-ended commitments to keep large numbers of troops deployed in Iraq."Other items of significance:
-- move most U.S. troops out of combat roles by early 2008 transitioning into more of a supporting roll
-- encourages the administration to explore fresh diplomatic options to solve the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
-- recommends direct talks between the United States and Iran, as well as Syria. The President has been chilly to this idea.
-- "Iraq's neighbors and key states in and outside the region should form a support group" to help Iraq achieve long-term security and political reconciliation -- "neither of which it can sustain on its own,"
The report concludes with comments addressing the new majority in congress, and the potential conflicts that will exists with a President of another party:
"What we recommend demands a tremendous amount of political will and cooperation between the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government," the report says. "Success depends on unity of the American people at a time of political polarization."There are other reports out there, and I am sure the polipundits will cherry pick what they want to believe out of the report that supports their predetermined conclusions. But the bipartisan ISG, co-chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton, just may have the most credibility.
The report concludes: "Foreign policy is doomed to failure -- as is any action in Iraq -- if not supported by broad, sustained consensus."
A PDF of the report will be available at their website during this morning's 10:00 AM CST Press conference. Some reading material for my lunch break.
Flash
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