Senators Question Iraq Panel's Strategy

President Bush, right, holds a copy of the Iraq Study Group report as Group Co-Chairman Lee Hamilton looks on, following their meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP)

WASHINGTON -- Senators sharply questioned an Iraq commission's call for a new U.S. war strategy Thursday, saying the Bush administration and Congress must work urgently together to find a more effective approach.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a 2008 presidential hopeful, took strong issue with the commission's call for phasing out the U.S. combat role in Iraq by 2008 and focusing instead more on training and advising the Iraqi army. He rejected the idea that the Army and Marines cannot spare more combat forces for Iraq duty.

"There's only one thing worse than an over-stressed Army and Marine Corps, and that's a defeated Army and Marine Corps," said McCain, a Vietnam veteran who will become the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee when the Democrats take control of both houses of Congress in January.

"I believe this is a recipe that will lead to our defeat sooner or later in Iraq," McCain added.

One of the commission's co-chairmen, former Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., underscored the urgency of changing course in Iraq, where conditions were described as grave and deteriorating. He was asked at what point the situation there, if not corrected, would be hopeless.

"Well, there certainly is that point, and we're perilously close to that point," he replied.

Hamilton and his co-chairman, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, testified before the Senate committee one day after delivering their report. Hamilton said that a new, more realistic and practical approach is needed.

"That's a very tough policy problem, and in order for this to happen, it can't be pie in the sky, it can't be idealistic, it has to be pragmatic," he said. Later, he added, "We reject the idea that the situation is hopeless."

Most senators broadly endorsed the commission's report, which made 79 recommendations for policy changes. Their skepticism focused mainly on two of the recommendations: a diplomatic approach to Iran and Syria, and an acceleration of the U.S. military's work to train and advise Iraqi forces.

Hamilton said it was essential for the White House and Congress to work together on this, and he criticized lawmakers for not having taken a stronger role in overseeing the Bush administration's war policies.

Many in Congress have praised the group's report, which was eight months in the making.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., said the key question now is whether Bush will effectively implement a new policy.