Iraq Study Group
The Baker Commission, actually Iraq Study Group (also Iraq Commission and Iraq Study Group ( ISG) ), was an independent commission, which was established on 15 March 2006 by the U.S. Congress to provide an independent assessment of the situation in Iraq and Recommendations to develop future strategies and actions. On 6 December 2006, the Iraq Study Group published its final report.
Members
The Commission was headed by former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker and Democrat and former Vice-President of the Commission of Inquiry on the attacks of September 11, Lee H. Hamilton. Furthermore, each took four members of the Republican Party and the Democrats participated in the Commission.
To assist the Commission served a 40 -member staff of experts, was also taken in the selection for the ideologically balanced orientation to facilitate a consensus. So the camp of the so-called neoconservatives, who had the Iraq war most advocates was only represented by two experts in the bar.
Republican
As Baker and Hamilton also apply to the other members not as extreme party ideologues and are only partially foreign or security policymakers. The Republican members are Lawrence Eagleburger ( Baker's successor as Secretary of State under Bush Sr.. ) * Edwin Meese ( Minister of Justice under President Reagan), Sandra Day O'Connor ( former federal judge ) and former Senator Alan K. Simpson.
Democrats
The Democrats were represented by Leon Panetta ( chief of staff under Clinton ), William Perry (former defense minister ), the lawyer Vernon Jordan (also a confidant of Clinton ), and former Senator Chuck Robb.
Former members
Originally was Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of New York, a member of the Baker Commission. However, he said on 24 May 2006 due to time his resignation and was replaced by Edwin Meese.
The former CIA Director Robert Gates was also a member of the Baker Commission until he was nominated on November 8, 2006 by U.S. President George W. Bush to succeed Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense. For Gates Lawrence Eagleburger was appointed to the Commission.
Genesis of the Commission
Another unusual feature is the emergence of the ISG. In contrast to earlier commissions (such as the Warren Commission ), it was neither appointed by the President by Congress, although they certainly enjoys official approval. As a spiritual father applies Rep. Frank Wolf. He proposed in September 2005 after a trip to Iraq, to form an "independent and balanced group of respected individuals" to consider the issue of Iraq two years after the liberation from the dictatorship with " fresh eyes ". Wolf wanted to dampen the growing doubts about the necessity of military involvement and warned - in the face of the feared civil war - of the consequences of failure. He planned the procedure together with the heads of three " think tanks ", the Center for the Study of the Presidency, the Institute of Peace and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
To enable the Commission to secure the greatest possible acceptance, they should be occupied by the major parties equal. For Democratic Co - Chairman Lee Hamilton was obtained in the investigation into the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 was already active and the House of Representatives passes the committees for foreign policy and intelligence. On the Republican side, James Baker offered to earlier financial and foreign ministers and skeptics of the Iraq commitment from the beginning. As an old friend of the president's family, however, Baker wanted to do only with the consent of the White House, the Commission, not in opposition to it. The three " think tank experts " therefore recruited in November 2005 Secretary Rice for their cause, which eventually reached Bush's approval.
Officially, the Iraq Study Group was founded on 15 March 2006. Although they received no official mandate, but the Congress a budget of 1 million dollars. The members have been previously negotiated between the two chairmen and the research institutes involved in order to achieve the best conditions for a consensus.
Results
The Iraq Study Group Report was presented on 6 December 2006. In this report, the Commission calls for a reorientation of the Iraq policy of the United States. It is recommended the withdrawal of all combat troops by early 2008, units should remain only for the protection functions and the training of the Iraqi army. To compensate for the diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis should be strengthened. The Baker Commission expressly requires the involvement of Syria and Iran. Especially the last requirement met with opposition from the government of the United States for which the requirements of the Commission are not binding.