Mixed welcome for new Iraq Study Group

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cont'd: http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HC23Ak01.html

Middle East/Asia Times
Mar 23, 2006

Mixed welcome for new Iraq Study Group
By David Isenberg

ISG, it seems, is a popular abbreviation. Up until last week it was generally thought to stand for the Iraq Survey Group, the fact-finding mission sent to Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion to find evidence of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs in Iraq.

But not anymore. Last Thursday the creation of a "bipartisan Iraq Study Group" to provide a forward-looking assessment of the situation in Iraq to both the White House and Congress was announced.

The group will examine four broad topics: the strategic

environment in and around Iraq; the security of Iraq and key challenges to enhancing security within the country; political developments within Iraq after the elections and formation of the new government; and the economy and reconstruction.

The group is being organized by the US Institute of Peace with the support of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Center for the Study of the Presidency (CSP), and the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. Congress will appropriate US$1.3 million to fund the group.

This is an interesting selection of organizations. CSIS is a very influential Washington think-tank known for its close ties to conservative and Republican Party policymakers.