Baker, Hamilton call anew Thursday for a reduced U.S. combat role in wartorn Iraq

The Iraq Study Group

WASHINGTON - A special commission’s report calling for a substantial overhaul of U.S. policy in Iraq is likely the most objective advice the Bush administration will get, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III said Thursday.

"This is probably the only bipartisan report he’s going to get and it’s extremely important that we approach this issue in a bipartisan way," said Baker, joining co-chairman Lee Hamilton for network interviews before an appearance on Capitol Hill to discuss the Iraq Study Group’s report with members of a Senate committee.

The long-awaited report was both praised and panned, a reaction that members of the panel anticipated. But, Hamilton said, "One of the responsibilities of public officials now is to speak the truth about Iraq. We don’t have much time."

"We are calling for an enhanced role for American combat trainers, a fivefold increase and we’re talking about leaving a lot of forces there for force protection," Baker said, appearing with Hamilton on ABC’s "Good Morning America."

Read the rest at the Boston Herald