Bush to boost troop numbers in Iraq

WASHINGTON – US President George W Bush’s troop-boosting plan for Iraq was headed straight into a political gale in Congress, with Democrats, some Republicans and an increasingly organised anti-war movement arrayed against the buildup.

In a 20-minute prime time speech Wednesday, Bush took responsibility for mistakes in Iraq and outlined a wide-ranging strategy to pull Iraq out of its spiral of violence. Its key feature inserts 21 500 more US troops into Iraq, increasing the current presence from 132 000 to 153 500 at a cost of $5,6 billion.The highest number was 160 000 a year ago in a troop buildup for Iraqi elections.Lawmakers were ready to pounce on the plan yesterday during a day of congressional hearings featuring top Bush administration officials such as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates.Leaders of the Democratic-controlled Congress also were considering options for a nonbinding resolution, to be introduced next week, denouncing the troop increase.Also yesterday, a coalition of labour, anti-war groups and liberal organisations planned to announce a multimillion-dollar advertising and grass-roots campaign against the commitment of extra troops.While Congress assessed his plan, Bush was to visit Fort Benning, Georgia, yesterday in an effort to sell his new strategy to the public in the face of mounting opposition to the war.A new AP-Ipsos poll found approval for Bush’s handling of Iraq hovering near a record low – 29 per cent of Americans approve and 68 per cent disapprove.That’s statistically about the same as Bush’s 27 per cent Iraq approval and 71 per cent disapproval in December.Almost all of the polling of 1 000 adults from January 8-10, which had a margin of error of 3 percentage points, occurred before Bush’s speech Wednesday night.However, reports of his plans to increase troop strength were prominent in the news during the survey period.”If we increase our support at this crucial moment, and help the Iraqis break the current cycle of violence, we can hasten the day our troops begin coming home,” Bush said.Resisting calls for troop reductions, Bush said that “failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States.”Congressional Democrats and a handful of Republicans promptly criticised the plan as an ill-advised escalation that would further mire the United States in Iraq.Several noted that the president’s strategy contradicted the advice of some of his generals.Nampa-APIts key feature inserts 21 500 more US troops into Iraq, increasing the current presence from 132 000 to 153 500 at a cost of $5,6 billion.The highest number was 160 000 a year ago in a troop buildup for Iraqi elections.Lawmakers were ready to pounce on the plan yesterday during a day of congressional hearings featuring top Bush administration officials such as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates.Leaders of the Democratic-controlled Congress also were considering options for a nonbinding resolution, to be introduced next week, denouncing the troop increase.Also yesterday, a coalition of labour, anti-war groups and liberal organisations planned to announce a multimillion-dollar advertising and grass-roots campaign against the commitment of extra troops.While Congress assessed his plan, Bush was to visit Fort Benning, Georgia, yesterday in an effort to sell his new strategy to the public in the face of mounting opposition to the war.A new AP-Ipsos poll found approval for Bush’s handling of Iraq hovering near a record low – 29 per cent of Americans approve and 68 per cent disapprove.That’s statistically about the same as Bush’s 27 per cent Iraq approval and 71 per cent disapproval in December.Almost all of the polling of 1 000 adults from January 8-10, which had a margin of error of 3 percentage points, occurred before Bush’s speech Wednesday night.However, reports of his plans to increase troop strength were prominent in the news during the survey period.”If we increase our support at this crucial moment, and help the Iraqis break the current cycle of violence, we can hasten the day our troops begin coming home,” Bush said.Resisting calls for troop reductions, Bush said that “failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States.”Congressional Democrats and a handful of Republicans promptly criticised the plan as an ill-advised escalation that would further mire the United States in Iraq.Several noted that the president’s strategy contradicted the advice of some of his generals.Nampa-AP