Iraq Study Group: Where Will It lead?

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

By Page Hopkins, Fox News Live

December 5, 2006

Page Hopkins: Well, joining us now is former Indiana Congressman Tim Roemer. He was a member of the Intelligence Committee and a 9/11 Commissioner. Thank you for joining us today.

Tim Roemer: Thanks Page.

Hopkins: Congressman Roemer, where do you think the Bush administration will take this (Baker-Hamilton) report?

Roemer: Well, I certainly think they are going to look at a host of different recommendations, given the election where voters voted for change, given a lot of the criticism for the current status quo policy in Iraq. It’s coming from Republicans; we saw that in the hearings today. We saw that in the hearings today with Secretary, with the over-sight hearings for future Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. The President will look very carefully at these recommendations. He will probably also look at the Joint Chief’s recommendations, and his National Security Council’s recommendations. And with the new Secretary of Defense going into a position hopefully in a short amount of time, there will be some significant changes in the policy in Iraq.

Hopkins: But given that Dr. Gates was part of that Iraq Study Group until he was nominated last month, is that likely to impact the way the President will look at this report?

Roemer: Well, I think that so much depends on the President himself. It doesn’t really give too much credibility to change, even though we have a new secretary of defense unless the president wants to take the advice and implement change and do some things differently. Again, he’s getting a lot of criticism from his own party, on the status quo. And when Secretary Gates, soon to be Secretary Gates I expect, said that they were not winning in Iraq, I think that sent some further shockwaves through the White House.

Hopkins: Congressman Roemer, how do you think Gates is going to differ from Secretary Rumsfeld in terms of the kind of boss he’s going to be, the kind of leader he is going to be?

Roemer: Well, certainly from his experience, Page, I think from both his public sector and private sector experience, he’s going to be a very different boss to work for. I think he’s going to be more inclusive. He’s going to listen to more people. I’m sure he’s a strong leader, as he was at the CIA and as he was at Texas A & M. He’s got a lot on his plate. If you look at the situation that he inherits with Iraq, with Afghanistan, with a global war on terrorism, with defense transformation issues, we’re trying to get more coalitions partners to help us in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, he doesn’t have a whole lot of time to solve those problems.

Hopkins: He’s got a lot on his plate, certainly. Congressman Roemer, thank you so much for joining us today.

Roemer: Thank you.

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