Baker's panel has 'no magic bullet' to end the agony

[cal04]

The biggest problem facing the Iraq Study Group is the high expectations surrounding its report. The initially obscure panel appointed by Congress in March has lately been treated by the White House as a potential answer to its agony in Iraq. James Baker, the panel's co-chairman, has insisted, however, there will be no "magic bullet" and no simple in-or-out answers. Officials linked with the panel have been calling journalists to steer them away from predictions that it will be ready by the beginning of December, and pointing out that its proposals may sound familiar.

The options

The ISG panel members have been sworn to secrecy, but that did not stop Mr Baker expressing his views when promoting his memoirs earlier this year. He and most of his fellow panellists favour talking to Iran and Syria on Iraq's future. The Bush administration opposes talking to Iran without a guarantee that Tehran will end uranium enrichment, as George Bush repeated yesterday. But it has also suggested there may be ways to finesse the impasse, pointing out the US has participated in international organisations alongside Iran. The commission is considering whether a conference should look at broad regional issues, including Lebanon's future and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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The methods

The panel prefers collegial chats to formal depositions. It looked far beyond the US for answers. Mr Baker had a three-hour dinner with Javad Zarif, Iran's ambassador to the UN, and talk reportedly hinged on possibilities for US-Iranian conversation. Aware of high partisan tensions in Washington, Mr Baker and his co-commissioner, Lee Hamilton, a Democrat, are reportedly anxious a consensus should emerge. Options are being drafted and will be debated later this month.

The Democratic victory last week may help to lead to a consensus if it makes the White House more open to compromises, but whether there is general agreement or not, the bottom line stressed by Mr Baker is that there are no good options left in Iraq, just bad options and worse ones.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1947160,00.html

[MethuenProgressive]

1. Circular firing squad needs more bullets

It's a "blame somebody else" group. They're not really looking for solutions.

[SoftUnderbelly]

2. I'm shocked

i was under the impression that we could simply invade, be welcomed as liberators, and have a peaceful beacon of democracy in the middle east within a couple of years.

you mean to tell me it isnt that simple? i feel conned!

[LynnTheDem]

3. THANKS TO bUSH and HIS INVASION!

"there are no good options left in Iraq, just bad options and worse ones."

Way to go, bush! MFer!

[spindrifter]

4. Hmmm. I'm not seeing a lot

of incorporation of Iraqi decision-makers in this mess. But we never show any respect toward them or theirs, do we? The studiers need to start talking about partition. I'm sure that would be of interest to Iran.