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December 6, 2006

Update: Reed, Chafee react to Iraq report / Audio

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed says a high-profile report critical of President Bush's policy in Iraq makes "a significant contribution to the debate," and he predicts bipartisan support for the report's recommendations.

“Now it is up to the president to use this report and these recommendations to forge a new policy, a new way forward that will help stabilize Iraq, and help us, as quickly as possible, redeploy our forces from Iraq," Reed said of the report by the Iraq Study Group.

Listen to comments from Reed.

The report, which was released today, says that President Bush's Iraq policy "is not working" and that Bush should put aside misgivings and engage Syria, Iran and the leaders of insurgent forces in negotiations on Iraq's future, to begin by year's end. It urged him to revive efforts at a broader Middle East peace. Barring a significant change, it warned of a "slide toward chaos."

Reed will host an afternoon press conference inside the U.S. Capitol today at 2:45 p.m. along with U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

Reed has traveled to Iraq nine times since the U.S. invasion in 2003 and enjoys rare access to top commanders of the war effort, some of whom were his contemporaries at the West Point military academy. He serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Fellow Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee today applauded the Iraq Study Group's call for a comprehensive diplomatic effort that would involve Iraq's neighbors - including Iran and Syria - and would also seek peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

But Chafee, the only Republican senator who opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, said the challenge of improving the situation in the war-torn nation is "daunting.''

"The big question,'' according to Chafee, is this: "Is the administration going to pay any heed'' to the commission's recommendations, "or is this just an irritation for them?''

Check back with projo.com for more congressional reaction and an update from Reed's press conference.

-- projo.com staff writer Steve Peoples and Journal staff writer John Mulligan, with reports from the Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples  at 2:25 PM | Permalink

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