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President's plan: A rapid influx of U.S. forces to Baghdad and volatile Anbar province to reclaim control of areas racked by sectarian violence. This would be supplemented with a jobs program costing as much as $1 billion intended to employ Iraqis.
How big a force for how long: Five combat brigades totaling 20,000 U.S. troops. They would come in at a rate of about one brigade a month, with the first wave going into Iraq from Kuwait before the end of January. President Bush has not indicated how long the extra forces will be in Iraq, but White House counselor Dan Bartlett today said Bush will "make very clear that America's commitment is not open-ended."
Who goes first: The 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, which is now in Kuwait, would be the first unit to enter Iraq. The brigade numbers about 3,500 troops.
Other units, including Marine brigades in western Iraq, could have their deployments extended. And the military buildup is also likely to include moving the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis into the Persian Gulf region, as a show of force and a warning to Iran and Syria.
Iraq's role: Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has formally agreed to match the U.S. troop increase, starting by sending three additional Iraqi brigades to Baghdad during the next month-and-a-half.
The plan will establish a series of goals the Iraqi government will be expected to meet to try to ease sectarian tensions and stabilize the country politically and economically. Among these bench marks are steps that would draw more Sunnis into the political process, finalize a long-delayed measure on the distribution of oil revenue and ease the government's policy toward former Baath Party members.
Will it work: Some U.S. officials have acknowledged deep skepticism about the plan, and are especially concerned about al-Maliki's ability to deliver on his end of the deal. In Congress, some Republicans, as well as the new Democratic leadership, have questioned whether a troop increase would do more than postpone the inevitable. On the $1 billion jobs program, previous U.S. reconstruction efforts have failed to translate into support from the Iraqi population.
Long-term prospects: Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the new American operational commander in Iraq, said that even with the additional American troops, it may take another "two or three years" for American and Iraqi forces to gain the upper hand in the war.
Opposition: Democratic leaders on Tuesday said they intend to hold symbolic votes in the House and Senate, forcing Republicans to take a stand on the proposal and seeking to isolate the president politically over his handling of the war.
Democrats seem divided on whether to block funds for troop increases, but many were not ruling it out.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Democrats would "look at everything" in their power to curb the war, short of cutting money for troops already in the field.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, a longtime critic of Bush and the war, will propose legislation denying him the billions needed to send more troops to war unless Congress agrees first. Chances of that getting through the Senate appear slim.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has cautioned Bush to think twice before proposing a troop increase in Iraq.
