Previous editions of this article on the Web and in print incorrectly described Edwin Meese III as a former U.S. attorney. Meese is a former attorney general. This version has been corrected.
IRAQ STUDY GROUP AT A GLANCE
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THE ORIGIN: In March 2006, Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) asked the U.S. Institute of Peace to coordinate the group, and Congress appropriated funds for its administration. On March 15, former secretary of state James A. Baker III, a Republican, and ex-congressman Lee H. Hamilton (D-Ind.) were named co-chairmen.
THE MEMBERS: The Democrats were Hamilton, former White House chief of staff Leon E. Panetta, former defense secretary William J. Perry, former Virginia governor Charles S. Robb and lawyer Vernon E. Jordan Jr. The Republicans were Baker, former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor, former senator Alan K. Simpson (Wyo.), former attorney general Edwin Meese III and former secretary of state Lawrence S. Eagleburger. (In May, Meese replaced former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, who resigned before attending any meetings. And in November, Eagleburger replaced Robert M. Gates, who resigned when he was nominated for defense secretary.)
THE PROCESS: The study group met for regular plenary sessions during its eight-month investigation. Members ultimately interviewed more than 200 people, including current and former administration officials, military commanders, Iraqi leaders, intelligence officers, members of Congress, foreign ambassadors, journalists, and policy experts. As part of its inquiry, the group visited Baghdad from late August to early September 2006.
THE REPORT: Issued Dec. 6, 2006. Its executive summary opened with the line "The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating." It contained an assessment of problems on the ground and offered 79 recommendations to the president, including direct diplomatic engagement with Iran and Syria and a clear declaration that the United States would reduce support unless the Iraqi government showed "substantial progress" on security and national reconciliation. The report also suggested that the focus of U.S. troops in Iraq should shift from combat to training Iraqi soldiers and police, and that all combat brigades not necessary for force protection could be withdrawn by early 2008. The 142-page report, issued in paperback, quickly topped the New York Times bestseller list. In addition, a free online version was downloaded more than 1.4 million times in the week after its release.
-- Brady Dennis
