US President George W. Bush made clear today that he would not back off his plan to send more troops to Iraq, accusing his critics of failing to offer an alternative.
Bush's announcement this week he would add 21,500 troops to U.S. forces in Iraq to try to quell sectarian violence was greeted with scathing criticism on Capitol Hill. The United States has about 130,000 troops there now, and the extra troops would go to Baghdad and the volatile Anbar province.
Democrats in Congress and some Republicans said they doubted the plan would work, given that past increases in force strength did not halt the bloodshed and its reliance on the Iraqi government to come through on pledges it previously failed to meet.
Congressional Democrats were swept to power in November elections widely seen as a referendum on the unpopular war.
"We recognize that many members of Congress are sceptical," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "Members of Congress have a right to express their views, and express them forcefully."
"But those who refuse to give this plan a chance to work have an obligation to offer an alternative that has a better chance for success. To oppose everything while proposing nothing is irresponsible," he said.
Many Democrats favor a phased withdrawal of US troops beginning within a few months and in their own radio address, they labeled the troop increase "misguided."
"It is a step in the wrong direction - more of the same at the very time when we need a new direction in Iraq," said Rep. Tim Walz, a freshman Minnesota Democrat who delivered the address on behalf of his party.