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US plans last big push in Iraq
President George Bush has told senior advisers that the US and its allies must make a last big push to win the war in Iraq and that instead of beginning a troop withdrawal next year, he may increase US forces by up to 20,000 soldiers, The Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday, quoting sources familiar with the administrations internal deliberations. Mr Bushs refusal to give ground, coming in the teeth of growing calls in the US and Britain for a radical rethink or a swift exit, is having a decisive impact on the policy review being conducted by the Iraq Study Group chaired by Bush family loyalist James Baker, the sources told the newspaper. Although the panels work is not complete, its recommendations are expected to be built around a four-point victory strategy developed by Pentagon officials advising the group. The strategy, along with other related proposals, is being circulated in draft form and has been discussed in separate closed sessions with Mr Baker and Vice-President Dick Cheney, an Iraq war hawk. Posted by: Fred 2006-11-17 |
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