Bush To Announce Iraq Strategy Next Week

President To Address Nation; Plan Is Likely To Involve Troop Increase

(CBS/AP)  President Bush said Thursday he wished the execution of Saddam Hussein "had gone in a more dignified way." After conferring with Iraq's prime minister, Bush also said he will make a speech next week announcing his decisions about how to proceed with the nearly 4-year-old war.

Considering more troops to deal with the rising violence in Baghdad, Bush said, "One thing is for certain: I will want to make sure the mission is clear and specific and can be accomplished." Senior generals have cautioned against sending additional troops unless their role is defined.

On Wednesday, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported that military commanders have told President Bush they are prepared to execute a troop surge that would put about 9,000 soldiers and Marines into Iraq with another 11,000 on alert outside the country.

Two Army brigades — about 7,500 troops — would go into Baghdad. Two Marine battalions — about 1,500 troops — would be sent into the western province of al Anbar, heartland of the insurgency, although the commandant of the Marine Corps was recently quoted as saying he didn't see a need for more battalions.

Another Army brigade would be on standby in Kuwait, with two more on standby in the U.S.

Bush and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki spoke on a secure video hookup for nearly two hours — a sign the president was close to announcing his new strategy for Iraq. The White House said it could be their last conversation before Bush details his decisions in a major speech.

Bush appeared later with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and recounted some of his discussions with al-Maliki.

The president said he talked with the prime minister about the final moments of Saddam's life, when he was taunted before being hanged. An unauthorized video showed images of Saddam's dangling body. The White House has been reluctant to criticize the proceedings, which have been condemned by some world leaders as deplorable.

"My personal reaction is that Saddam Hussein was given a trial that he was unwilling to give the thousands of people he killed," Bush said. "He was given a fair trial — something he was unwilling to give thousands of Iraqi citizens who he brutalized."

"I wish, obviously, that the proceedings had gone on in a more dignified way," Bush said. "But, nevertheless, he was given justice. The thousands of people he killed were not."

Bush said he sought assurances from al-Maliki that he possessed the will to do the hard work necessary to protect Iraqis against rising sectarian violence.

"I believe Prime Minister Maliki has the will necessary to make the tough decisions," the president said.

The war was a major factor in the Republicans' loss of Congress and Bush's slide in the polls. More than 3,000 members of the U.S. military have lost their lives during the war.

"I'll be ready to outline a strategy that will help the Iraqis achieve the objective of a country that can govern, sustain and defend itself sometime next week," the president said. "I've still got consultations to go through." Some members of Congress have been invited to the White House on Friday for discussions about Iraq.

[ceres5]

The two chimps are talking

[exusmcsgt]

r_bayless-

I see your point. The self-sanctimonious, in my opinion, are not subscribers of logic. They prefer to believe in fairy tales rather than facts. That is precisely why religion is peddled on a basis of "faith" rather than fact.

There is never a shortage of gullible people out there nor those who would exploit their gullibility. Jim Jones, Jim Bakker, Robert Tilton, Jimmy Swaggart, David Koresh, Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, the latest jerk who stood in the pulpit on Sunday and on
Monday was buying gay prostitutes and meth and countless others would have been non-consequencials if they hadn't found a group of gullibles with which to prop themselves up.

[exusmcsgt]

r_bayless-

I would contend that this thrid group that you describe is the second group I described. They salve the parts of the philosophy that do not square with Christian teachings with justifications based on security.

[exusmcsgt]

huskerarmy-

This is the group that contains members who believe that Hussein was complicit in 9/11. What else need we say? Even Bubba stopped using that line a couple of years ago when he got called on it.

[huskerarmy]

Indeed Sarge,

Fox viewers less informed:
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/714.html

[exusmcsgt]

huskerarmy-

The two groups I mentioned are Fox's bread and butter. Fox tells them what they wish to hear....hand in glove.

I call it the "don't confuse me with the facts" mentality.

[huskerarmy]

Fantastic! Based on Tank611's list, it's all sweetness in light and our kids can come home now.

[huskerarmy]

nyckate,

There are also 30% of the U.S. population that has never read a newspaper or watched any news, other than FOX maybe, and believe that kids rode to school on dinosaurs 6,000 years ago...

[exusmcsgt]

nyckate-

Seriously speaking, I think Bubba's die-hard supporters are made up of two groups of people.

The first group can't face the fact that he took the contry into a losing proposition from the get-go and they just can't bring themselves to accept that we lost Iraq within a month of invading. They cling to every piece of Bubba's propaganda that we'not losing in a desperate attempt to not have to face the ugly truth that we are and have been for some time.

The second group is made up of xenophobes and religious fundamentalists who believe that God wants the Christians and Jews of the world to kick the Muslims a$$es to prove their superiority over the Muslims and are willing to waste uncounted lives and treasure in the pursuit of their bigoted/divine mission.

[exusmcsgt]

nyckate-

As P.T. Barnum correctly stated, "There's a sucker born every minute".