Sandra Day O’Connor, Vernon Jordan Discuss Responses to Iraq Report

RAY SUAREZ:

Now, Baker-Hamilton reaction, part two. Just like the president, some influential senators made clear this morning there were some things they liked and others they did not in the Iraq report. NewsHour congressional correspondent Kwame Holman has that story.

KWAME HOLMAN:

Invited by the Senate Armed Services Committee to explain and clarify the details of their report, James Baker and Lee Hamilton made clear they expected all 96 pages and the 79 recommendations contained in them to be considered in their entirety.

JAMES BAKER, Co-Chair, Iraq Study Group:

I hope we don't treat this like a fruit salad and say, "I like this, but I don't like that. I like this, but I don't like that."

LEE HAMILTON, Co-Chair, Iraq Study Group:

You cannot solve the Iraqi problem in pieces, and so you have to approach it comprehensively.

KWAME HOLMAN:

But several skeptical members took issue with some of those recommendations. Arizona Republican John McCain said he was puzzled the group rejected his idea of increasing the number of troops in Iraq because, as they stated, "We do not believe that the needed levels are available for a sustained deployment."

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), Arizona: My studies and figures show that they are available for sustained deployment, at least in order to get the situation under control, number one.

JAMES BAKER:

First of all, with respect to the augmentation of forces, we call for a five-fold increase in the U.S. combat forces dedicated to the training and equipping mission.

We did receive commentary from people to the effect, generally, that we do not have readily available combat forces up to the level of 100,000, that if that were the policy approach that was suggested, that would be available to go in there for at least quite some time.

KWAME HOLMAN:

McCain was not convinced.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN:

I do not believe it would require 100,000, but I won't waste the time of the committee. But it's dispiriting to — I think there's a disconnect between what you are recommending and the situation on the ground.

KWAME HOLMAN:

Maine Republican Susan Collins asked, who would be left to protect the additional U.S. military and civilian advisers the group wants placed inside Iraqi combat units?

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), Maine: I like the embedding concept; I think we should do more of it. But I'm just wondering, as a practical matter, whether that isn't an invitation to attack American troops that are one by one in small units.

LEE HAMILTON:

We made quite an allowance for the necessity of having the force in place to protect Americans who are embedded, special operations forces, rapid reaction teams, so that you can move in quickly when there's — a problem breaks out. That will have some risks to it, and there will be some American casualties there, but not like, I think, we're now suffering.

KWAME HOLMAN:

Connecticut Democrat Joseph Lieberman said he thought many of the remedies prescribed by the study group already were being acted upon. But then he specifically questioned one recommendation: that the Bush administration reach out diplomatically to Iran for help in stabilizing Iraq.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (I), Connecticut: I'm skeptical that it's realistic to think that Iran wants to help the United States succeed in Iraq. They are, after all, supporting Hezbollah, which gathers people in the square in Beirut to shout "Death to America." They are giving sophisticated IEDs to the militias which are killing Americans every day in Iraq.

JAMES BAKER:

You're quite right. They probably would much prefer to see us stay bogged down in Iraq. But approaching them in the context, Senator, of pulling together all of Iraq's neighbors to put the finger on each one of them and say, "You can do this, you can do that, you can do this," and they can all do a better job of not stirring, fomenting trouble, or they can do a better job of trying to assist.

KWAME HOLMAN:

Despite the criticisms aired during today's hearing, Co-chairman Hamilton argued the urgency of the situation in Iraq is reason for immediate action on the group's recommendations, within weeks, he said, even days.