Holiday over, Bush to wrestle with Iraq policy

Washington, Jan 2: Back from a weeklong Texas vacation, President George W Bush wrestles with a decision on a new strategy for Iraq in the face of hostile Democrats in control of Congress and signs of growing unhappiness among some military personnel.

A day after the U.S. death toll in Iraq passed 3,000, the president and first lady Laura Bush arrived back in Washington yesterday from his Crawford, Texas, ranch. They stopped briefly at the White House before going to Capitol Hill where the body of former President Gerald R. Ford lay in state.

But overtures of a storm to come over a strategy shift on Iraq already were present in a poll published by Military Times, a private newspaper. A questionnaire mailed to subscribers found just 35 percent of active-duty personnel approved of how Bush is handling Iraq and 42 percent disapproved.

Although it is not affiliated with the military, the newspaper has a following among the armed services and the poll, prominently displayed on its Web site, was widely cited during the weekend. The newspaper said there was a 95 percent probability that the poll results are accurate within three percentage points.

While at his ranch, Bush was joined by top administration advisers as they mulled how to cope with the more than 3-year-old Iraqi war, including whether escalating US troop strength there might help quell the violence.

Exactly when Bush may announce his new strategy, possibly in a national address, remains unclear. Some commentators speculate it could be within days, before the January 23 State of the Union address, and potentially include an increase of 15,000 to 30,000 combat troops, chiefly to try to end sectarian fighting and stop death squads in Baghdad.

If so, it will trigger a fight in Congress where Democrats who take control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate this week after winning majorities in November's congressional elections want a phased withdrawal of US and not an increase.

But wary of being tagged as wanting withdrawal regardless of consequences, the Democratic tactic more likely will be to lay out their case in high-profile hearings for shrinking U.S.

forces in Iraq by highlighting the costs of the conflict in terms of dollars and lives.

In a New Year's Day address, Bush showed no sign he was losing resolve, promising to ''remain on the offensive against the enemies of freedom, advance the security of our country, and work toward a free and unified Iraq.'' Even within his own Republican Party, however, some oppose amending Iraq strategy by introducing a ''surge'' or temporary increase in troop levels. A column by Robert Novak in Monday's Washington Post quoted Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska describing any such proposal as ''Alice in Wonderland.'' ''I'm absolutely opposed to sending any more troops to Iraq,'' Hagel said. ''It's folly.''

REUTERS

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