An intense campaign for the plan's rollout will unfold the day after the speech, beginning with a White House ceremony to give the Medal of Honor posthumously to Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham, who was killed in 2004 after covering a grenade with his helmet.

And the day after Bush's speech, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are due on Capitol Hill for tough questioning on the president's policies at hearings convened by the newly-in-charge Democrats.

Presidential spokesman Tony Snow noted some military officials have said that a troop increase, done right, could help calm violence-torn Baghdad and other trouble spots, and bring the day closer when Iraq would be stable enough for the U.S. military presence to end. Snow also asserted that Bush's "way forward" will include political, diplomatic and economic components that will answer many critics' concerns.

After more than two months of deliberation, Bush chose Wednesday as the day to announce his new Iraq plan. His speech, for which the White House requested airtime from all major broadcast networks, will run about 25 minutes, Snow said.

In addition to the troop increase, Bush is likely to call for the Shiite-led Iraqi government to take certain steps, such as reining in Shiite militias that have terrorized the Sunni minority, particularly in Baghdad. Bush also wants the Iraqi leadership to make the political process more attractive to Sunnis by enacting a plan to distribute oil revenues and easing the government's policies toward members of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's Baath Party.

The military escalation is expected to be accompanied by short- and long-term jobs programs. Also on Bush's agenda is a renewed effort to jump-start Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Bush will talk in broad terms about the cost of such efforts, with more specific budget numbers to be fleshed out later, Snow said.

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, Congress has approved about $500 billion (euro384.4 billion) for Iraq, Afghanistan and other terrorism-fighting efforts. The White House is working on its largest-ever appeal for more war funds _ a record $100 billion (euro76.9 billion), at least. It will be submitted along with Bush's February 5 budget.

In all, Bush discussed the war with at least 30 members of Congress on Monday, mostly Republican members of the Armed Services, Appropriations and Foreign Relations committees _ after holding more bipartisan meetings on Friday with at least as many lawmakers.

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