A Preview of Bush's Speech

There's no need for anyone to keep speculating about what Bush will announce during his speech about Iraq on Wednesday evening. The writing is on the wall, as confirmed by the Iraqi government: Bush will announce the dreaded, misguided troop surge and to wag that dog once again, the US military staged a massive show of force in the Haifa Street area of Baghdad on Tuesday as a preview of what such a surge is supposed to accomplish. Iraq's Defense Ministry claims '50 militants' were killed. Once the dust settles however, there will no doubt be innocent civilians among the dead as there usually are.

The Washington Post's Dan Froomkin has several questions for Bush regarding the possible content of his Iraq speech and while he asks what everyone would like to see answered, the only reasonable thing to expect from this president is that he will simply announce his decision with the same old, tired cliches - consequences and questions be damned. He is the irrational Decider who doesn't have to explain himself to anyone.

"I'm the commander — see, I don't need to explain — I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president." —as quoted in Bob Woodward's Bush at War

No. He doesn't have to have a plan to wage war. He doesn't have to have a legitimate reason to do so. He doesn't have to fess up to his lies. He doesn't have to obey laws. He doesn't have to care about getting more troops and civilians killed. He doesn't have to justify the billions of dollars spent. He doesn't owe anyone anything. He's the commander. That's all that matters.

Americans will gripe after his speech. Politicians will bluster. Pundits will point out how wrong he is. The troops will keep feeling demoralized. The world will cringe. None of it will matter. Not to Bush. He lives with the most dangerous kind of deluded certainty - that he is always right. And millions will pay for that attitude for decades to come while he retires believing that, no matter what the outcome, victory will have been his.

Update: New wave of troops set for Iraq

WASHINGTON - A first wave of additional U.S. troops will go into Iraq before the end of the month under President Bush's new war plan, a senior defense official said Tuesday. Congressional Democrats kept up their criticism of plans to add soldiers in the unpopular conflict.

Up to 20,000 troops will be put on alert and be prepared to deploy under the president's plan, but the increase in forces on the ground will be gradual, said the official, who requested anonymity because the plans have not yet been announced.

Details were emerging a day before Bush was to address the nation on his broad initiative to shore up the fragile country after nearly four years of bloodshed. Bush is expected to link the troop increase to moves by the Iraqi government to ease the country's murderous sectarian tensions, and to increased U.S. economic aid.