WASHINGTON, Dec 10: Two Republican US congressmen just back from a trip to Iraq urged President George Bush on Tuesday to accept an independent panel to audit US operations there, and called on him to acknowledge mistakes that they said set back Iraq’s recovery by months.

Reps Frank Wolf of Virginia and Christopher Shays of Connecticut also urged the administration to give Iraqis a bigger voice in rebuilding their own country, and to show more “humility” in sharing power and being open to differing ideas.

Mr Wolf and Mr Shays, who said they believed they were the only congressmen to travel in Iraq outside US military auspices, also said Mr Bush should redouble efforts to get more international help in Iraq, including creating an alliance modelled on NATO to develop Iraq’s law enforcement.

They also called on him to appoint a special envoy — possibly former president George H.W. Bush — to focus on the Arab-Israeli conflict, saying Mideast peace was key to stemming terrorism worldwide.

Mr Shays said the administration “wasted two months” after the occupation of Iraq, and the administration should “acknowledge that, be upfront about miscalculations. It gives more validity to what you say afterward because people know you’re speaking honestly”.

Travelling with non-governmental personnel, Mr Wolf said he and Mr Shays had access to Iraqis, who he said “helped give us a better understanding of what we as a nation are facing” and “more of an unvarnished look into the daily life of a country and its people”.—Reuters