Baker, Hamilton Commission on Iraq Reports

Peace & Freedom ^ | December 6, 2006 | John E. Carey

[IrishMike]

Nearly four years after U.S. military forces toppled the Saddam Hussein regime, the United States faces a “grave and deteriorating” situation in Iraq and the Middle East, according to the bipartisan commission headed by the commission’s co-chairmen, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, and former Rep. Lee Hamilton.

The report painted a grim picture of the situation in Iraq and delivered 79 recommended actions.

“There is no path that can guarantee success, but the prospects can be improved,” the report says.

The commissioners warn that if the situation continues to deteriorate, there is a risk of a “slide toward chaos (that) could trigger the collapse of Iraq’s government and a humanitarian catastrophe.”

“Neighboring countries could intervene. …. The global standing of the United States could be diminished. Americans could become more polarized,” commissioners said.

President Bush received the report at a 7 AM White House breakfast meeting. The president said the report “gives a very tough assessment of the situation in Iraq. It is a report that brings some really very interesting proposals, and we will take every proposal seriously and we will act in a timely fashion.”

[IrishMike]

The members of the Iraq Study Group include Lawrence Eagleburger (secretary of state under the first President Bush), Vernon E. Jordan Jr. (former adviser to President Bill Clinton), Edwin Meese III (attorney general under President Ronald Reagan), Sandra Day O’Connor (former Supreme Court justice), Leon E. Panetta (chief of staff under Clinton and Democratic former representative from California), William J. Perry (secretary of defense under Clinton), Charles S. Robb (Democratic former senator from Virginia) and Alan K. Simpson (Republican former senator from Wyoming).

[N. Theknow]

The Bipartisan Surrender Group stands and holds up a piece of paper and say in unison, "We bring you peace in our time."

[ErieGeno]

Just as Cindy Sheehan 'peaced' on her son's grave, the members of the group just 'peaced' on 2900+ US troops' graves......

[Names Ash Housewares]

Cant we all just........put a bullet in Sadrs head and see what happens?

Anyone even come close to suggesting anything like that?

Take the effing gloves off and give them what for a while?

[Night Hides Not]

A picture of a few of the members of the Baker-Hamilton-Chamberlain Commission:

A blimp and a bunch of wimps

[woofie]

I smell the pungent odor of DOOM

[BluH2o]

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. (former adviser to President Bill Clinton)...

Vernon Jordan, aside from the fact he's on zumteen million corporate boards across America isn't he the guy who was acting as a go between in the Clinton/Lewinsky affair?

[graf008]

Or a scorched earth policy. Move out anyone who wants peace out and focus only on securing the borders. Let the people inside fight among themselves for awhile.

Then, we no one is left, move everyone back in...

[TomasUSMC]

This report wants US out and then to diplomatize with Iran....so then we move out, Iran moves in. We could then supply the Sunnis and Kurds against the Iranian....let the Iranian youth see their friends come back from Iraq without legs and arms and heads.....might be the straw that breaks the mullahs backs in Iran and brings down that regime.

might maybe possibly.....

I like Bidens idea better ...divide it up into Kurdaq, Sunniaq and Shiiteaq..... then get out of the way.

Then we could put our military on the offensive again instead of constant IED/Bullet magnet patrols, and send them into Syria while we send ICBMs into Iran.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

Good idea.

I'll try this approach next time I am playing chess.

Lay off the attacks and let your opponent develop and strengthen his defenses and offenses.

Don't provoke your opponent it will antagonize him...

Sounds like a plan!

[T.L.Sink]

Yes, Rush has just renamed the Iraq Study Group the "Iraq Surrender Group". Everyone knows that Baker has a long history of being anti-Israel and he's sold out democratic aspirations of states in the name of his "realism". But I suppose we must defer to the wisdom of such distinguished authorities in the Group as Sandra Day O'Connor.

I recommend to all FReepers an article on FrontPage magazine.com "Jim Baker's Munich Reply".

[graf008]

This report wants US out and then to diplomatize with Iran....so then we move out, Iran moves in. We could then supply the Sunnis and Kurds against the Iranian....let the Iranian youth see their friends come back from Iraq without legs and arms and heads.....might be the straw that breaks the mullahs backs in Iran and brings down that regime.

Well, we eventually want to be out of Iraq anyways, unless we want to make it out 51st state.

[t2buckeye]

How is this group "bipartisan"? They are basically RINOS and Dems....

[Uncle Miltie]

"F*ck the Jews; they never voted for us anyway"

- James Baker

[ChurtleDawg]

the fact that even Edwin Meese signed on tells me that there might be more info that we do not know. He is a rock ribbed reaganite

[goldstategop]

APPEASEMENT DELUXE from the bipartisan crowd. Excuse me while I go gag.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[defenderSD]

It looks like the situation in Iraq is not quite as bad as stated in this report. To some extent this is a political strategy to greatly lower the public's expectations for where Iraq will be in 2008, so that the Bush administration has some chance of exceeding expectations in its remaining two years. Outside of Baghdad and Anbar province, Iraq really isn't doing too badly. Oil production is way up over a couple of years ago and the main problem is a stubborn insurgency in Anbar province and a lot of violence in Baghdad provoked to some extent by Iran and Syria. Note that Gen. Abazaid said recently that he did not sense despair among his commanders and troops in Iraq, but he felt the despair in Washington. I wouldn't be surprised if the situation in Iraq begins to exceed public expectations sometime in the second half of next year. Meanwhile we need Iraq as a base for military and intelligence operations in Iran if and when those operations are necessary.

The MSM may get snookered here by overstating the problems in Iraq and calling it a total disaster, only to have the country stabilize next year. I will laugh if and when that happens.

[woofie]

That makes sense ...hope you are right