Key Iraq Role For James Baker?

President Bush may be turning to one of his father's most trusted allies to take charge of Iraq's physical and economic reconstruction as part of a major overhaul of U.S. postwar efforts, the Washington Post reports.

According to administration sources, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III would serve alongside L. Paul Bremer, currently the top civilian administrator in Iraq, who would concentrate on rebuilding the country's political system.

The Post says the plan is still in the preliminary stages and a source close to Baker says he has not decided if he would take the position if it were offered. It's also not clear, sources said, whether Bremer or Baker would be the higher-ranking American authority in Iraq.

The discussions about bringing in Baker reflect a growing sense within the administration that the current post-war plan is not working. Bremer said earlier this week that despite progress in restoring services to Iraqis, Americans should prepare themselves for a long stay in the country. "It's clear that, given the size of the task, we're going to be there for a while. I don't know how many years," he said on NBC's "Meet The Press.

Bremer was himself part of an earlier overhaul of U.S. efforts in Iraq when he took over for retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner on May 12.

Baker, 73, is a longtime friend of the Bush family who has taken on numerous high-profile positions for both father and son. He headed George W. Bush 's team in Florida during the disputed 2000 presidential election and managed George H.W. Bush's failed reelection campaign in 1992.

In addition to serving as secretary of state in the first Bush administration, he was treasury secretary and chief of staff under President Ronald Reagan.