Commission says Iraq situation 'grave and deteriorating'

The United States faces a “grave and deteriorating” situation after nearly four years of war in Iraq, a high-level commission warned bluntly today, prodding President George Bush to launch a diplomatic offensive to stabilise the country and allow withdrawal of most combat troops by early 2008.

“There is no path that can guarantee success, but the prospects can be improved,” the commission said after its review of a war that has taken the lives of more than 2,900 US troops and grown so unpopular at home that it helped trigger a Democratic takeover of Congress in last month’s elections.