Details Of Bush's New Iraq Strategy
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By The Associated Press
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
11:40 PST , (AP)
http://ap.org

Details of President Bush's new strategy for Iraq, as outlined by White House officials on Wednesday:

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U.S. TROOP INCREASE

_ Bush will commit 17,500 additional U.S. combat troops, the equivalent of five combat brigades, to Baghdad. The first brigade is to arrive Jan. 15; the next on Feb. 15; the remainder in separate waves every 30 days.

_ Bush will commit 4,000 more Marines, in two waves, to Anbar, a province that is a base of the mostly Sunni insurgency and foreign al-Qaida fighters.

_ The president's upcoming supplemental budget request will include $5.6 billion to pay for his new commitment of troops.

_ Expand embedding of U.S. advisers into Iraqi security forces.

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ECONOMIC AID

_$414 million to expand the Provincial Reconstruction Teams and set up new Provincial Support Teams to help with rebuilding.

_$400 million in quick-response funds to address civilian problems.

_$350 million more for the Commander's Emergency Response Program, set up in 2003 to give field commanders money to solve local problems that quickly the improve daily the lives of Iraqis.

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IRAQI COMMITMENTS

_Allocate $10 billion to assist in reconstruction efforts.

_Deliver three brigades for Baghdad; the first on Feb. 1; then two more on Feb. 15.

_Crack down on insurgents and give U.S. and Iraqi troops the authority to pursue all extremists, regardless of sect of religion.

_Reform cabinet to provide equal government services to all regions and sects.

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REGIONAL DIPLOMACY

_He will not propose direct talks with Iran and Syria, and will insist that they become constructive, not meddling influences in Iraq and the region.

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BENCHMARKS

_Finalize an oil law that will share the profits of Iraq's resources among various ethnic sects and regions in a way that unites the country.

_Ease the policy of "de-Baathification," which purged ex-members of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-led Baathist rule from the top layers of government institutions.

_Hold provincial elections to bring Sunnis back into the political process at local level

_Increase the transfer of security to Iraqi security forces by the end of the year.

©2007 Associated Press