BUSH AND THE TOP BRASS

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military Joint Chiefs of Staff will reluctantly support President George W. Bush's plan to send 20,000 more US troops to Iraq, it was reported, citing Pentagon insiders.The Joint Chiefs -- generals and admirals that advise the US president on military issues -- have long opposed adding to the 132,000 US troops already in Iraq, according to the Washington Post.

....Bush has long said that he will heed the advice of his top military officers concerning Iraq. But the president "wasn't satisfied with the recommendations he was getting" from the military commanders, Philip Zelikow, a former State Department counselor that was involved with Iraqi policy, told the Post. The president "thought we need a strategy that was more purposeful and likely to succeed if the Iraqis could make that possible," Zelikow said.

The Joint Chiefs fear the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki may not provide the military support or implement the political reforms necessary for US forces to eventually withdraw, the Post reported....