Wed 6 Dec 2006

The Iraq Study Group reports

David Starkey's guests are Ed Vaizey, Harriet Harman and Ian Bone.

Tony Blair is on his way to Washington to confer with President Bush, following the publication of the Iraq Study Group's report. Describing the situation in Iraq as grave and deteriorating, it calls for a substantial troop reduction by 2008, direct talks with neighbouring Iran and Syria, a new initiative on the Israel/Palestine conflict, and warns of mission failure unless the Republican President works hand in hand with the Democratic Congress.

The Report comes the day after outgoing Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan said that things are worse in Iraq now than they were under Saddam Hussein, and US Defence Secretary nominee Robert Gates directly contradicted President Bush, saying that we are not winning the war.

So have we done any good in Iraq whatsoever? Is the question now not whether we can achieve victory, but whether we can avoid catastrophe?