Behind The Curtain (Iraq Study Group)
In trying to determine if the new Secretary of Defense had been on the ground in Iraq, I ran across this interesting article, “The Story Behind The Iraq Study Group.” Some notable excerpts:
The group has taken on greater relevance after midterm elections marked by widespread voter dissatisfaction with Iraq, and it will play a decisive role in reshaping the U.S. position on Iraq, according to lawmakers and administration officials.
Initially, the White House was cool to the idea, Wolf said. But he was able to win over Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld followed, as did national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley. “Rice’s support was key,” Wolf said. “But I had to have the support of everybody or there would be no way to do this.”
The composition of the study group was also crucial.
“You had to get a group not connected to the administration, people who were not going to be campaigning and who could come to a consensus,” he said. “We wanted a bipartisan group, people senior enough that they weren’t looking to get placed in a law firm or good job. The test was: Do you love your country?”
The study group, composed of five Democrats and five Republicans, was created in March to assess the situation in Iraq, its impact on the surrounding region and its consequences for U.S. interests. The group’s work has been guided by several smaller committees of experts on topics such as the economy and reconstruction, military and security, and political development.
Wolf got Congress to appropriate $1 million for the project. To select the panel’s members, he turned to the U.S. Institute for Peace, an independent nonpartisan organization created and funded by Congress. One of its goals is to promote stability after a conflict.
More information on the U.S. Institute for Peace, LINK.
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Posted by Oak Leaf on December 5, 2006 11:32 am
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- Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator: Iraq Study Group's findings to be released online
