A good historic moment is upon us today. The Iraq Study Group Report was presented this morning to our nation's leaders and to us citizens. I think this report and its 79 recommendations provide a superb plan for what to do about Iraq. It has attributes of being moral, fair, practical, honest. It is brief and candid to a surprising degree. Unlike previous national blue ribbon commissions - such as the Warren Commission on JFK's assassination and the Challenger space shuttle commission - this report is honest and shows the group seriously wanted to solve a problem, not cover one up. It is an amazing read if you have tried to read the previous reports. I predict it will stand the test of time and be a model for future reports and will go down in history as a turning point in our history as a country.

I am usually very critical of official studies as being cosmetic tools for promoting what was desired by the powers-that-be in the first place. This one is different. Under the most modest of titles - study group - this group of "has beens" as James Baker jokingly described them has attempted to solve a problem that was taking our country down the road to perdition. The story of how this group came to be and to gain the awkward OK from Bush to just study the issue is an amazing one. The recommendations are from as distinguished a group of bipartisan individuals as can be imagined in this country. The report will probably gain the weight of all power groups in our country - including the oil industry - as they realize the war is a disaster and this plan holds out hope for a practical solution.

The report recommends reversing several horrible practices of our government that have gone on for 10, 20 and even 50 years.

For instance - Recommendation 9 - along with 10, 11 & 12 - states that we should talk with Iran and Syria and that we should discuss and negotiate with them now - starting this month - without conditions. The Bush administration has refused to talk with these two countries for years - and Bush restated his firm determination just a week ago that he would not talk with them - until they fulfill conditions that he knows neither country will fulfill. The report says you talk to your enemies and seek solutions. If followed, this concept would reverse decades of the US deciding it would not talk with many groups and nations it has ulterior reasons for intimidating. Cuba is an example. Hezbollah is another. North Korea a third. There are many more. Bush's escalating aggression towards the democracy of Venezuela would have to be translated into discussions.

The posts on NwCitizen on the morning of 9/11 and again in the week leading up to the war in Iraq - March 2003 - have stood the test of time. This morning I feel very good being able to post a positive comment on what I think will become an historic document. James Baker, Lee Hamilton and Frank Wolf deserve the thanks of the American people. - John Servais

PS - You can download and read the pdf of the report. I also urge you to buy the book as a portion of the proceeds will go towards helping our military families in all branches of our national services. A quick check with Village Books reveals it may be on their shelves later today. Tomorrow for sure. We citizens can vote for the implementation of this report by buying it.