US:The Bush administration has told Republicans on Capitol Hill that it is rethinking its options in Iraq but that there would be no change to the military strategy until after top commanders report on progress in September.
President George Bush appealed for patience to allow a 30,000-strong "surge" in US troops in Iraq to take effect and urged Republicans to resist Democrats' calls for a timetable for withdrawal.
"I fully understand how tough the war is on the American psyche. And I know people are looking at their TVs and asking if it is worth it," he added.
Mr Bush said he would not bow to pressure to bring US troops home from Iraq until after the top American commander there, Gen David Petraeus, reports on how the surge is progressing on September 15th.
"I believe that it is in this nation's interests to give the commander a chance to fully implement his operations and I believe Congress ought to wait for Gen Petraeus to come back and give his assessment of the strategy that he is putting in place before they make any decisions. That's what the American people expect. And that's the way I'm going to play it as commander in chief," Mr Bush said.
While Mr Bush was speaking in Ohio, national security adviser Stephen Hadley and the president's "war czar", Gen Douglas Lute, were attempting to persuade Republicans on Capitol Hill not to join a growing rebellion in the party against the president's strategy in Iraq.
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham said the officials promised Republicans the full backing of the White House in resisting moves to set a timetable for withdrawal but added that the administration is looking at new ways to hasten progress in destroying al-Qaeda in Iraq and pressuring the Iraqi government to make political progress.
Democrats plan to offer an amendment to a defence spending Bill that would mandate force reduction and redeployment in Iraq by the end of April next year. "We have to move from an open-ended commitment to a much more limited commitment. Come next spring, the ability to generate 160,000 soldiers and Marines in-country comes to an end," said Rhode Island's Jack Reed.
Maine Republican Olympia Snowe said she would join Democrats in backing a binding plan for withdrawal and the state's other Republican senator Susan Collins said it was time for a change of course.
The president received strong support from Arizona's John McCain, who returned from Iraq reaffirming his support for continuing a high level of US troops in Iraq for as long as necessary.
"The terrorists are in this to win it. The question is, are we?" Mr McCain said.