Quotes from Iraq Study Group: Talk to Iran, Syria

Dec 6, 2006, 17:28 GMT

Washington - Following are quotes from former US secretary of state James Baker III, a Republican and close advisor to the family of US President George W Bush who co-chaired the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. He spoke in Congress as the report was released Wednesday.

Baker has in the past made clear that he believes the US must talk to its enemies, and that should include Iraq's neighbour, Iran, and Syria.

'The Iraqis themselves dare not dream: they have been liberated from the nightmare of a tyrannical order only to face the nightmare of brutal violence.'

Baker called for a 'new diplomatic offensive' to create a 'new international Iraqi support group' that should include 'all of Iraq's neighbours' including Iran, Syria, Egypt, the Gulf States, the permanent five members of the UN Security Council, representatives of the UN Secretary General and the European Union.

'We do recommend a five-fold increase in US forces training Iraqi troops from ... 4,000 to ... 20,0000. We do not recommend increasing US forces in excess of 100,000 troops. Additional combat forces of that magnitude are simply not available.'

'We do not recommend division of Iraq ... Such a devolution could not be managed on an orderly basis; and because Iraq's major cities are peopled by a mixture of warring groups (it could create a) humanitarian disaster or broad-based civil war.'

'We do not recommend a precipitous withdrawal of troops because it (could invite a blood bath) and a broader regional war.'

'Events in Iraq could overtake what we recommend. For that reason, we believe the decision should be made with some urgency by our national leaders.'

Baker noted that the US talked to the Soviet Union for 40 years during a time 'they wanted to wipe us off the face of the Earth.'