Iraq Study Group Leaders Speak Out on the War

June 12, 2007 — -- The co-authors of the Iraq Study Group report said Monday they would not cut off funding for the war, even as they painted a bleak picture of the future for both Iraq and the United States, and recommended multilateral talks with Iran and Korea.

In December 2006, ISG released the Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward — A New Approach.

The study recommended diplomatic defenses, training Iraqi brigades and a national reconciliation effort by the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamel al-Maliki. The report also called for a surge if the commander on the ground agreed the surge was timely and effective. The ISG set a March 2008 exit date out of Iraq, if the recommendations were successful.

Now both men say they doubt such a goal is likely.

In an appearance at the annual Gerald Ford Foundation Journalism Awards, former Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton, a Democrat, said, "Americans need to learn how to take a punch."

He also warned that whether it's good policies or sheer luck, future attacks on U.S. soil were imminent. Hamilton's statement echoed a similar warning from former Secretary of State James Baker, who said the United States needed to strengthen its defenses and "be prepared to go on the offense."

Baker and Hamilton wrapped up the evening by taking questions from the audience.

Both politicians said they believed a collaborative effort between the U.S. and Iraqi governments, not with military muscle, but through diplomatic engagement, was the key to success in the Middle East. Baker said the Bush administration's foreign policy had exercised "a bit more muscle" than Baker had expected when President Bush was elected. He insists that the United States needs to use its soft powers of negotiation.

Though diplomacy and bipartisanship were stressed throughout the Q&A, Baker and Hamilton agreed they would not vote to end funding for the war. They insist that no one wants to see a chaotic Iraq, neighboring countries and other countries alike. They believe that if the United States pulled out now, Iraq would be left in a state of utter chaos and plagued with regional war with power left dangerously in the hands of an unstable al Qaeda.

When asked about Korea and Iran, Baker and Hamilton reiterated the findings they included in their report and cautioned that bilateral engagement with Iran or Korea may only further alienate allies that the United States desperately needs to achieve stability in the region. They applauded diplomatic efforts by Korea and Iran, but reminded listeners that diplomacy is slow, yet effective.

Baker and Hamilton set a good example for bipartisanship for their contemporaries. While diplomacy is the biggest challenge facing the United States, if Baker can survive hunting with Vice President Dick Cheney every fall, then perhaps the BH Plan has a fighting chance.

The night opened with an endearing tribute by Jack Ford to his father, the late President Ford. He spoke sincerely about his father's fondness of reporters. At this mention, laughter rose from the audience — a telling insight to the current relationship between the media and executive branch.

The Boston Globe's Charles Savage was awarded for his coverage of the White House and exploration of expanding presidential power undermining the balance of powers. James Astill of The Economist won the Ford Award for his reporting on national defense.