WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter wants an international conference, including Syria and Iran, to discuss how to restore peace in Iraq.
In an interview with the Voice of America, Carter also said that the United States should begin planning a phased pullout of its combat troops from Iraq.
The conference, Carter said, should involve Iraq's neighbors, European countries and others with an interest in the region. He believes it would let the Iraqi people know that the rest of the world is concerned about their fate.
The conference would not necessarily involve direct talks between the United States and Iran and Syria, Carter said.
Carter hopes that the Bush administration will follow recommendations from the Iraq Study Group headed by former Secretary of State James Baker. The group is scheduled to deliver its report next week, but leaks to the news media have said the recommendations will include pulling out all U.S. combat troops by 2008.
