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Former Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks during the 16th Annual Report of the Secretaries of State, entitled "Bipartisan Advice to the Next Administration," at the Classic Center Thursday.

Five former secretaries of state met at the Classic Center Thursday for the 16th Annual Report of the Secretaries of State roundtable discussion. The discussion was moderated by Terence Smith, senior producer of "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."

Political icons offer advice

Former secretaries visit Classic City

By: KRISTEN COULTER and CAROLYN CRIST

Posted: 3/28/08

The next president of the United States should close the Guantanamo Bay military prison, five former secretaries of state said Thursday.

Henry Kissinger, James Baker III, Warren Christopher, Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell said they agreed the next U.S. president can improve international goodwill by closing the prison.

"None of us is suggesting these people be turned lose," Powell said, urging the next president to provide prisoners with the staples of the American judicial system, including a lawyer and habeas corpus.

Justice plays an essential role in foreign policy, said Powell, who served under George W. Bush's first administration.

The five former top diplomatic officials traveled to Athens to provide bipartisan advice to the next presidential administration.

The group's conversation touched upon multiple topics, including Iraq, Iran, China and Russia.

* * *

The former secretaries spoke about the different challenges America faces in Iraq, including how to stabilize the area and lessons future leaders must learn.

"[The] conflict cannot have a purely military outcome," said Kissinger, who served the Nixon and Ford administrations.

The solution must be agreed on by Iraq's ethnic groups, bordering nations and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, he said.

Powell said the U.S. should not immediately leave Iraq. But, he said, "sooner or later, we've got to say to them: 'It's yours to resolve.'"

Christopher said future presidents should learn from the military's planning for Iraq and arrange an exit strategy for future wars.

"I hope we learned the right lessons from this very tragic adventure abroad," he said.

* * *

The secretaries urged officials to step up negotiations with Iran.

"Over time, we need to have a comprehensive dialogue with Iran," said Christopher, adding he still has a "few scars" from his negotiations with Iran in Bill Clinton's term.

Baker, who served for George H. W. Bush, and Kissinger said America can find similarities with Iran and draw upon past talks with Iran about Afghanistan to discus Iraq.

"A dysfunctional Iraq ... is not in the interest of Iran," Baker said.

* * *

Christopher encouraged American leaders to deeply involve themselves in talks with Israel and Palestine.

"What is needed ... [is] U.S. engagement," Christopher said. "Not just parachute troops in, but a real engagement."

He said the U.S. is taking the "right route" by reaching out to Hamas through the Egyptians.

Kissinger said to procure peace, the U.S. needs to involve multiple groups in negotiations.

Baker said he charted a different course. He did not negotiate with Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which Baker called a terrorist group.

"Madeleine kissed him [Arafat], but we wouldn't do that," Baker said.

Pakistan

The secretaries emphasized support and stability for Pakistan.

"Pakistan is an international migraine because of nuclear weapons, poverty, extremism, corruption and a lack of sense of where its democracy is going," Albright said. "But we should be supportive of elections. There are signs the people want to take hold of the government. Musharraf's days are numbered."

The future president will have to align with Pakistani people, she said.

"There is hope."

Powell said the U.S. should "act with a light touch" and not tell the government how to act.

"If we try to lecture them, it'll backfire. I'm pleased to see what's happened with elections, but let's not start the victory laps yet," he said, about the country's tendency to switch between democracy and dictatorship.

India

Diplomacy with India is a positive thing happening during this administration, Kissinger said.

"The reason it works so well now is because of common interests," he said. "It has the second largest Islamic population and worries about radicals ... and areas with no major power."

Russia

Russia should be treated well, despite concerns with Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev leading the country, secretaries said.

"We should encourage independence of the new president ... but it's more important and essential to restore nuclear discussions that have fallen into the abyss," Christopher said.

Russia is playing a "dangerous game" with oil diplomacy, Albright said. But "we need them for nuclear proliferation conversations with North Korea and Iran."

China

Although China is the most populous nation and has a "staggering economy," Smith pointed out, the secretaries said it poses no threat to the U.S.

"We cooperate when interests are similar with respect to North Korea, global climate change, weapons of mass destruction and energy demands," Baker said. "And we manage differences where they exist in Taiwan, human rights and beginning a military buildup."

The U.S. is not on a collision course with China, he said.

"We have vastly different political systems," Powell said. Consent of the people in government is a "hollow concept" in China, he said.

"They depend on domination and are sensitive to demonstrations," he said.

The U.S. tends to "think of concerns and make a

catalogue" but we should look at China's side and its issues, especially infrastructure and pollution, Kissinger said.

Education

Powell said the U.S. needs to "get back to the task of educating our youngsters for the 21st century world" when one-third of students and one-half of minorities don't finish high school.

To prepare themselves for a more global future, University students should "follow international affairs and take a very varied curriculum," Albright said.