White House: no rift with military on Iraq troops

WASHINGTON, Dec 19 (Reuters) US President George W Bush is considering a short-term increase of US troop strength in Iraq, a spokesman said today as he denied reports of a rift between White House officials pushing the option and resistant Pentagon chiefs.

A temporary increase troop strength -- cited as a possibility in the report of a high-powered Iraq Study Group -- was ''something that's being explored'' as Bush considers options on Iraq, White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters.

But asked about a Washington Post report that White House officials were at odds with the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff, Snow said, ''I think people are trying to create a fight between the president and the Joint Chiefs where one does not exist.'' ''The President has not made a decision on the way forward, and he has asked military commanders to consider a range of options,'' he said.

The Post reported that White House officials were aggressively promoting a ''surge'' of 15,000 to 30,000 troops, over the unanimous disagreement of the leaders of the different US military branches.

But Snow said Bush was not at odds with the Joint Chiefs.

''I'm saying, tonally, it's wrong.'' ''The president hasn't shown his hand here. He is asking people questions,'' Snow said.

Bush has said repeatedly that troop levels will be guided by what commanders on the ground want.

Although Bush was considering the surge option, his administration has been cool to other recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, including talks with Iran and Syria, and he has said he rejects options that would ''lead to defeat.'' Bush delayed unveiling a new strategy on Iraq until early next year, partly because he wanted to give Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who was sworn into office this week, a chance to visit the country and have input into the review.

He has been under increasing pressure to change course in Iraq, where sectarian violence shows no sign of abating.

Democrats took control of Congress from Bush's Republican Party in November elections largely by calling for a new direction in the war.

Incoming House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, a Missouri Democrat, was skeptical about a surge in troops.

''There's been some speculation recently about an increase of 20,000 to 30,000 or more troops into Iraq. If that be the case, I don't think it will change a thing,'' Skelton said. ''It could actually exacerbate the situation even further. And I'm very concerned about additional burden on the Army and Marine Corps.'' The study group's report said it could ''support a short-term redeployment or surge of American combat forces to stabilize Baghdad, or to speed up the training and equipping mission, if the US commander in Iraq determines that such steps would be effective.'' But the report rejected ''a substantial increase'' in troops of 1,00,000 to 2,00,000 and also an immediate withdrawal of forces.

Supporters of sending more troops to Iraq said the Pentagon's own bleak assessment on Monday of a 22 per cent rise in violence over the past three months meant that a short-term influx of US forces was needed.

But critics said the rising violence showed instead that US efforts to secure Baghdad were not working.

Gen John Abizaid, the US military commander of forces in the West Asia, said last month that ''troop levels need to stay where they are,'' rejecting calls for troop increases and withdrawals.

Gen. Peter Schoomaker, the Army's chief of staff, this month warned that the Army was strained and ''will break'' if the force was not expanded.

REUTERS PKS RN0116