(Hints at U.S. "security guarantors" for Middle East peace) (680) By Jim Fisher-Thompson Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- Before leaving to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Jordan, Senator Chuck Hagel (Republican of Nebraska) told a June 19 National Press Club luncheon that U.S. efforts to bring peace to the Middle East and Iraq had a greater chance of success if done in a spirit of trust and cooperation with other nations. The senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told journalists that America should not go it alone when trying to solve conflicts abroad. "Our foreign policy should begin with a recognition of the responsibility that America shares with its allies for helping build a hopeful world for the next generation." And he added, "To build trust and confidence in the world requires a commitment to alliances and institutions. If the world believes America is inclined to go it alone when it pleases, then we are less likely to get the support we need when we need it." Hagel, a former combat infantryman who was decorated for wounds he received in Vietnam, noted that his Congressional delegation, led by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (Republican of Indiana) would also make a 14-hour side trip to Iraq where they planned to visit U.S. forces and assess the effectiveness of the U.S. occupation. [Secretary of State Powell also planned to attend the WEF meeting, held June 21-23 in Amman, as well as a stop to visit troops in Iraq.] Asked how long he felt U.S. troops would be in Iraq, Hagel responded, "No one knows. You can't even get a general sense from the Administration. But I think the American people need to have some sense of this and of what we are getting into." One thing was certain, he added, "We're going to continue to take casualties for some time to come. That is the cold, stark reality of what we're dealing with. This is a very dangerous situation and we have to assure the American people that we're not just making this up as we go." Hagel said it was important to remember, "Afghanistan, terrorism in general" and the conflict in the middle East "are all pieces that connect. This isn't just about one country. It's about an entire region. "What kind of progress we make -- and I think we can make progress with the road map (referring to the Israeli/Palestinian crisis) -- may require down the road an American presence as security guarantors ... in Israel and along the West Bank. I mean these are all possibilities," the politician added. When asked under what conditions he thought U.S. peacekeepers should be sent to the Middle East and his opinion of a recent proposal by Senator John Warner (Republican of Virginia) for "international peacekeepers to separate Israelis and Palestinians," Hagel said, "First of all, we cannot go anywhere unless we're invited in that area. "Second, we cannot, should not, will not commit American forces to that area unless there is a peace to secure -- unless there is something [an Israeli/Palestinian agreement] there. I think eventually ... it's probably going to require some international force," like NATO. "But certainly it would require American forces because we're the only ones trusted enough on both sides." Commenting on whether the U.S. wanted a military blow up with Iran, Hagel said, "I do not believe the [Bush] Administration is headed toward military action in Iran. We can be quietly working" with non-revolutionary forces "in trying to develop more diplomatic channels. I've said for example, 'why not force an opening in Iran to some extent through international trade regimes. [Let's] be smart [and] force the opening of Iran by using world institutions and regimes like the World Trade Organization (WTO). Don't isolate them.'" "Clear-eyed, forceful ... straight up, absolute" is the best way "to deal with these nations," Hagel told his audience.