Combat fatigue

Iraq: Republicans in the Senate divide over Bush plan to send more troops to Iraq | Lynn Vincent

After a face-to-face with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Egypt on Jan. 17 signed a statement in support of President Bush's new strategy in Iraq. On this side of the ocean, though, even members of the president's own party aren't so sure.

While widespread Democratic opposition to the administration's "surge" plan was as certain as sunrise, significant GOP pushback was surprising. Within 24 hours of Bush unveiling his plan—which would increase U.S. troop strength by 22,000—an informal survey by The Washington Times found seven Republican senators who rejected the strategy, nine who had "doubts," and 11 who expressed only conditional support.