Ambassador Bruton:

I doubt the swing to the Democrats will make a great short-term difference. The dilemma facing America and the world is not whether what happened in 2003 was right or wrong. People have their own views on that dilemma but 2003 is history just as 1803 is history and one cannot change what has already happened. Americans face the reality of serious strife in Iraq and a responsibility that, rightly or wrongly, they have taken on and from which they cannot walk away. They also face a concern that Iraq would make the necessary transition to being a pluralist, functioning, rule of law based, and secure democracy.

Ambassador Bruton:

We share that concern, because it is in the interests of the rest of the world, whatever position one might have taken on the war, and many European countries supported and many others opposed it. People will not walk away from that but a different approach may be necessary. Rather than trying to solve the problems of Iraq in isolation one may have to consider how Iran could be brought in to help stabilise Iraq, while resolving some of the outstanding issues with Iran. Another option is to examine how Syria might be brought in to help resolve the problems in Iraq. This would allow a resolution to some of the problems that exist with Syria such as the Golan Heights, Israel and the Palestinians who are enclosed in the West Bank and Gaza. It is possible to envisage an opportunity of a range of interlinked settlements that could bring about a benign outcome across the region. Rather than looking at it as an arc of insecurity or difficulty, it should be seen as an arc of opportunity to build, through clever diplomacy, a structure of peace based on respect for everyone's concerns. In conflict situations, respect is what people need most. With the Baker report to be published shortly, that is an opportunity that could be seized upon by the Republican Administration and Congress.