No Plan B in Bush Iraq strategy

WASHINGTON – Despite palpable frustration in Washington with the government in Baghdad, the under-fire Bush administration is refusing to contemplate a Plan B, should its long-odds new strategy fail to pacify Iraq.

President George W Bush’s new plan, unveiled last week, pins the lion’s share of responsibility for stemming out-of-control violence on Iraqi leaders and security forces which have repeatedly fallen short of US hopes. Many Bush critics and allies still doubt Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s government is willing or able to challenge murderous militias, under a plan which will see 21 500 US troops surge into Baghdad and Al-Anbar province and three more Iraqi brigades in the capital.Top administration officials, Condoleezza Rice and another, are however adamant that contemplating an alternative would simply doom the current plan to failure.Nampa-AFPMany Bush critics and allies still doubt Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s government is willing or able to challenge murderous militias, under a plan which will see 21 500 US troops surge into Baghdad and Al-Anbar province and three more Iraqi brigades in the capital.Top administration officials, Condoleezza Rice and another, are however adamant that contemplating an alternative would simply doom the current plan to failure.Nampa-AFP