In a White House news conference, U.S. President George W. Bush again defended his "surge" strategy in Iraq, acknowledging that while goals haven't been met as fast as he would like, the fight must continue. He said those goals include a country that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself and is an ally against extremists and radicals.

U.S. Senate Democratic leaders are planning to hold votes next week on a series of measures aimed at changing the course of the Iraq war. Congressional Democrats are rejecting President Bush's plan for a gradual troop pullback from Iraq as too little too late.

President Bush says success by U.S. forces in Iraq will allow him to withdraw 5,700 (out of 168,000) U.S. troops by the end of this year, though opposition Democrats say more troops should come home sooner.

President Bush will give a nationwide address Thursday about the war in Iraq. VOA White House correspondent Scott Stearns reports, Mr. Bush is expected to announce the gradual withdrawal of 30,000 troops.

US President George W. Bush has decided to accept General David Petraeus's recommendation to withdraw 30,000 American troops from Iraq by the middle of next year.

A U.S. newspaper reports that President Bush will ask for up to $50 billion in additional funds for U.S. military operations in Iraq.

Leading U.S. foreign policy analysts who are often critical of the U.S. strategy in Iraq have just returned from a tour of that country with what some might see as surprising news. The analysts are pointing to tangible progress in the recent U.S. military surge in Iraq as a reason for the American people and Congress not to demand a quick withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Senior Bush administration officials say the surge of U.S. troops in Iraq is showing some military success. At the same time, they say they are concerned with the slow pace of movement toward national political reconciliation.

A key congressional committee has approved and sent to the full House of Representatives legislation to require President Bush to develop and send Congress a specific strategy to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq. Two measures passed Friday by the House Armed Services Committee are the latest step in majority Democrat's efforts to maintain pressure on the president.

The debate over Iraq policy in the U.S. Congress is increasingly revealing a split between some senior senators and generals to whom the senators usually defer on military matters. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon the split shows the depth of feeling on the Iraq issue, and also its politics.

U.S. President George W. Bush today reiterated his view that Iraq is central to the U.S.-led war on terror. Speaking to an audience of U.S. servicemen, Bush said "there will be a big defeat in Iraq and it will be the defeat of Al-Qaida."

A top U.S. commander says he will give U.S. leaders the assessment they are expecting in September on progress in Iraq. But Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, speaking to reporters via teleconference from Baghdad, said he would need at least until November to tell if any improvements represented long-term trends.