Baker-Hamilton Commission on Iraq reports

So last July the Secretary of State, unfortunately, could not make it to Vietnam, Japan, China, or South Korea due to the war in Lebanon. But she did make it all the way to Malaysia to entertain other diplomats at a dinner by playing the piano (Brahms' Sonata in D Minor, 2nd Movement).

So, because our nation did not have a special envoy to the Middle East, and the Secretary of State tried (and failed) to meet all her diplomatic responsibilities, Mrs Foshee remained in jail in Vietnam. And who knows what else the United States left on or under the table unattended to with China, Japan and South Korea.

Finally, this State Department has been the architect of a plan that refuses to discuss, on a one on one basis, any issues with at least three important nations: Syria, Iran and North Korea. The commission on Iraq recommends that dialogue be opened with Syria and Iran now.

At the press conference on December 6, 2006, Leon Panetta made a briffiant comment or two about national unity. He said you can't be in a war and achieve success, with the nation divided as it is. We applaud him for these remarks.

We believe the Baker-Hamilton Commission on Iraq has done the nation a great service. It will be interesting to see how many of their recommendations are embraced and implemented.

A few notes:

The Iraq Study Group was the brainchild of Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.). Wolf started to talk to people about a set of "new eyes" to study the situation in Iraq and make recommendations following his third trip to Iraq in September 2005. We congratulate and applaud Rep. Wolf.

The members of the Iraq Study Group include Lawrence Eagleburger (secretary of state under the first President Bush), Vernon E. Jordan Jr. (former adviser to President Bill Clinton), Edwin Meese III (attorney general under President Ronald Reagan), Sandra Day O'Connor (former Supreme Court justice), Leon E. Panetta (chief of staff under Clinton and Democratic former representative from California), William J. Perry (secretary of defense under Clinton), Charles S. Robb (Democratic former senator from Virginia) and Alan K. Simpson (Republican former senator from Wyoming).