Bush insisted he is taking the recommendations seriously but that he doesn’t think he’s expected to accept them as a whole. But in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Iraq Study Group co-chair James Baker contradicted the president.
Iraq Study Group co-chair James Baker: “I hope we don’t treat this like a fruit salad and say, 'I like this, but I don't like that, I like this, but I don’t like that.’ This is a comprehensive strategy designed to deal with this problem we’re facing in Iraq, but also designed to deal with other problems that we face in the region and to restore America’s standing and credibility in that part of the world.”