Bush reports 'good progress' on new Iraq plan

Bush reports 'good progress' on new Iraq plan

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) -- President Bush said Thursday he was making "good progress" in coming up with a fresh strategy on Iraq, as he met with top advisers at his Texas ranch.

Bush, who plans to unveil his plan next month, gathered with Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and national security adviser Stephen Hadley. Gates and Pace reported their findings from a trip last week to Iraq, Bush told reporters.

"Success in Iraq is vital for our own security," Bush said. He said he was "making good progress toward coming up with a plan that we think will help us achieve our objectives. As I think about this plan, I always have our troops in mind."

He said that he has "more consultations to do" and said his administration would be speaking with members of Congress.

As criticism mounts over his handling of the war, among the options Bush has been considering is a short-term "surge" in U.S. forces to help contain rampant violence. There are currently 134,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

Democrats say November elections in which they took control of Congress from Bush's Republican Party reflected public discontent with the Iraq war and desire for change.

But Bush, who prides himself on sticking to decisions, has brushed aside a proposal from a bipartisan panel to ask U.S. foes Iran and Syria for help in stabilizing Iraq and is said to be looking closely at a temporary troop increase.

Sen. Joseph Biden, the Delaware Democrat who will be the next chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and other Democrats already have expressed opposition to a troop increase.

John Edwards, who announced his presidential candidacy Thursday and has called his vote for the Iraq war a mistake, said the United States should begin withdrawing troops rather than "escalating" the conflict by sending more troops. (Watch Edwards explain during his announcement why leaving Iraq is the solution )

The White House suggested Democrats and other critics should hold their fire until they hear Bush's recommendations.

Former Republican President Gerald Ford, who died on Tuesday, said in a 2004 interview embargoed until after his death that he thought Bush and his top advisers made a "big mistake" in their justification for invading Iraq.

Ford told Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward he would have "maximized our effort through sanctions, through restrictions, whatever, to find another answer." (Full story)