Recommending a New Mission in Iraq

Dec. 6, 2006— -- The men in charge of the Iraqi study group tell ABC's Charles Gibson that they haven't talked to a single person who thought the U.S. should stay the course in Iraq. The question is what President Bush believes, and will he listen to the findings handed down in the report today. James Baker and Lee Hamilton sat down for an interview Wednesday after delivering their report to the president.

"It's very clear that everybody knows things are not going well. Everybody accepts the necessity of change, all through the White House, every expert you can find," Hamilton said in an interview today. "We did not find one single person, and we interviewed over 200 people who thought we should stay the course."

Baker said he did not know whether President Bush will adopt the numerous changes in the Bush administration's current policy recommended in the report, "but presidents have been known to change their minds. It may be that you will see some mind-changing, but you may not."

One of the Baker-Hamilton recommendations is that the U.S. transform its mission to training, equipping and supporting Iraqi units.

Does The U.S. Have Leverage With The Iraqi Government?

The two chairmen of the committee say they are concerned about the leverage the administration can bring to bear in Iraq. According to Hamilton, "The Iraqis must be under no misapprehension here. We are going to pull out our combat troops out of Iraq in a responsible way over a period of time and they have to begin to accept the new mission and we have to begin to accept the primary mission of training and embedding troops."

Baker was even more direct about the issue of leverage. "We say we could leave. We say we want them to know that whether they perform or not, we could leave. It's in our interest to effect a responsible transition. That's what the report says. "

The chairmen were unsure whether the Iraqi government could overcome the deep divisions of religion and tribe. "We can't guarantee that you're going to get a national government here, but we are where we are and we have to build on what we have," said Hamilton.

Exit Strategy

The chairmen insist the report does not suggest that the U.S. "cut and run" in Iraq, however Baker said "we don't make any suggestions about a graceful exit."

When asked about the troop levels in Iraq, Baker pointed out that beefing up forces in Iraq is not a realistic option. He said the United States does not have the 100,000 troops available that many suggest are needed.

Talking to Iran and Syria

The report released today recommends that the United States talk directly with Iran and Syria to try to deal with the worsening situation in Iraq, something the Bush administration has said it would not do in the past.

Hamilton said, "the fact of the matter is that Iran and Syria are major players in this region and if you're going to have the cooperation of the region in reinforcing the steps that have to be taken in Iraq, you're going to have to have their cooperation." He also said that Iran is a "powerful player" in the country with great influence on Iraq.

Baker clearly said that those against talking with Syria and Iran are wrong. He said that what the report calls for with respect to Iran is, "nothing different than what this very administration did in Afghanistan when it asked the Iranians to help us in Afghanistan and they did."

He said Iran's nuclear ambitions should be treated as a separate issue and that, "those should be left to be dealt with in the U.N. Security Council."

Baker, who has negotiated with the Syrian government in the past, referenced his previous diplomatic trips there. "We have an embassy there, we have ambassadors here," and that "notwithstanding their state sponsorship of terrorism" the United States has always been talking with Syria.

In closing the interview, Hamilton said the American public, Congress and the White House are frustrated with the Iraq War. He believes that makes it the right time to release the Iraq Study Group's report. But again, what does President Bush believe?