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Kissinger suggested a strategy that would
permit large regional autonomy in Iraq
1.2.2007
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Kissinger, Albright weigh in on Iraq
February 1, 2007
WASHINGTON - Former Secretaries of State
Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright urged
President Bush on Wednesday to go beyond a planned
buildup of U.S. forces in Iraq to develop a
comprehensive strategy for the area.
They called for wide-ranging talks with Iraq's
neighbors, including Iran and Syria, and increased
autonomy for clashing Iraqi groups. The
administration has brushed aside the proposal to
engage Syria and Iran.
Kissinger, who served under Presidents Nixon and
Ford, said the planned buildup of 21,500 U.S. troops
appears to be "the best way to get the maneuvering
room to the changes in deployment and strategy that
will be required by the evolving situation." |
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger |
"I think the focus has been on the surge," he
testified. "My focus is the other way around: to
explain the surge in terms of the strategy to which
we should go."
The two former officials testified before the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee.
Kissinger suggested a strategy that would permit
large regional autonomy for the various Iraqi groups
and a stronger Iraqi army.
And, he said, "All of this has to be in the context
of a willingness to talk to Iran" because of its
power, even though he did not think Iran "would help
us in Iraq as such."
"What we cannot accept is an Iran that seeks to
dominate the region," Kissinger said.
Albright, who was secretary of state under President
Clinton, said she might have backed Bush's buildup
in Iraq if it "had been tied to a clear and
achievable mission, and if we were guaranteed our
troops would have the best training and equipment."
"I think we need a surge in diplomacy," she said.
But she also told the committee, "We are viewed in
the Middle East as a colonial power and our motives
are suspect."
Like Kissinger, she supported participation by Iran
and Syria along with other nations in talks designed
to keep Iraq from slipping into chaos. "One gains by
communicating with countries with which one
disagrees," Albright said.
She said the United States should avoid Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but "there are ways
for us to speak to other people" in Iran.
Kissinger said the U.S. should always be ready to
negotiate with governments with which it disagrees.
Their views resonated with the committee, several of
whose members have been calling for an international
or regional conference on Iraq. Committee Chairman
Joseph R. Biden Jr., D-Del., said the heart of the
administration's present strategy - building a
strong central government - cannot succeed.
"There is not enough trust within the government, no
trust of the government by the people, and no
capacity of the present government to deliver
services and security," Biden said.
The Iraq Study Group, a private panel headed by
former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and
former Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., recommended in
December that the administration engage in talks
with Iran and Syria.
AP
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