As Secretary Powell said, "You break it you own it". The U.S. shouldn't stay in Iraq but it can't leave. It's already created a colossal mess, the reasons for which are well known.

Back before the war began Turkey called for a conference between Iraq's neighbors. Most dismissed the importance of this move. Ankara even faced relentless pressure and acrimony from some circles because it maintained open channels for dialog with Iran and Syria (at times unnecessarily giving cover to Damascus).

Now the world is expecting the Iraq Study Group's report to recommend just such a gathering. Everyone is gung-ho about dialog. And thankfully the mechanism for these conversations is already in place. Because of Turkey there is already a record established from meetings between neighbors.

The U.S. should take advantage of this and enter discussions with a coherent plan for a federated Iraq. The U.S. should remind Iraq's neighbors that they have an interest in helping Washington out. Otherwise, with U.S. troops gone, these neighbors will all be sucked in by the war and chaos that will consume Iraq.