Think Progress
Wednesday, November 15, 2006

A host of former advisers to President George H.W. Bush have gained ascendancy in recent weeks. His former Secretary of State James Baker and former deputy national security adviser Robert Gates will assume major roles in determining the future course of Iraq. Both Baker and Gates are protégés and colleagues of Brent Scowcroft, the former national security adviser under Bush 41 who opposed the Iraq war.

This assemblage of Baker, Gates, and Scowcroft has been described as “pragmatists” and “realists” by the media. The New York Times, noting his connection to Scowcroft and Baker, suggested the Gates’ appointment may be “part of a carefully orchestrated course change.” Neoconservatives have argued that the Baker-Gates-Scowcroft position “presents a clear shift” on Iraq.

But these claims by the media and neoconservatives appear to be creating a false myth that the rise of the “realists” will change course in Iraq. In a recent interview with the Turkish Daily News, Scowcroft explicitly argued the U.S. must continue to stay in Iraq:

Question: You were opposed to the invasion of Iraq. Do you feel vindicated now that we see chaos there? How do you see the situation as it is today and what do you see for the future?

Scowcroft: No, I don’t have any feeling of satisfaction. Regardless of how we got there, we are there, and it is a difficult situation. Far more difficult than the administration expected. And it will be increasingly hard to stay in because it has become an unusually important issue in domestic U.S. politics. But I think we have to stay and try and manage the situation to get some kind of a resolution where we can have an Iraq that is relatively stable.

If Scowcroft’s position is representative of his colleagues, the changing face of the Bush administration will bear a close resemblance to the old face.

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