FROM the start, the debate over the war in Iraq has been conducted in phrases at once fevered and self-deceiving.
If "The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward -- A New Approach" does nothing else, it has recalled our national conversation to the language of sobriety and to a syntax that elevates words whose meaning is plain. This is no small thing, for to borrow Wittengenstein's famous aphorism: "The harmony between thought and reality is in the grammar of the language."
Politics that abhor plain meaning end in tragedy.
Copies of the bipartisan study group's report are available online, but it's well worth spending the $13.95 on the nicely mounted paperback edition now in stores (142 pages from Vintage Books), because this slim volume rewards rereading and careful consideration.
The stakes are obviously high. As the 10-member group's chairmen -- former Republican Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Democratic congressman Lee H. Hamilton -- write in the letter that introduces the report: "Because of the role and responsibility of the United States in Iraq, and the commitments our government has made, the United States has special obligations. Our country must address as best it can Iraq's many problems. The United States has long-term relationships and interests in the Middle East, and needs to stay engaged." To meet its obligations, Baker and Hamilton write, "Our country deserves a debate that prizes substance over rhetoric.... The President and Congress must work together. Our leaders must be candid and forthright with the American people in order to win their support."
One of the things that enhance the study group's report is that the authors have followed their own prescription. It begins with astringent precision: "The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating. There is no path that can guarantee success, but the prospects can be improved." The group points out, "Violence is increasing in scope and lethality.... The Iraqi people have a democratically elected government, yet it is not adequately advancing national reconciliation, providing basic security, or delivering essential services. Pessimism is pervasive.
"If the situation continues to deteriorate, the consequences could be severe. A slide toward chaos could trigger the collapse of Iraq's government and humanitarian catastrophe. Neighboring countries could intervene. Sunni-Shia clashes could spread. Al Qaeda could win a propaganda victory and expand its base of operations. The global standing of the United States could be diminished. Americans could become more polarized."
