JIM LEHRER: President Bush will call tonight for more U.S. troops in Iraq and more action by the Iraqis. That was the word today, as more details emerged on his address to the nation, tonight, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Mr. Bush planned to acknowledge it was a mistake not to commit more U.S. and Iraqi troops earlier. Accordingly, he was expected to say he'll send another 21,500 U.S. forces. Most will go to Baghdad, but some 4,000 U.S. Marines will deploy to Anbar Province in the west.
The cost will be an extra $6.8 billion for the military moves and for new rebuilding efforts. The president also planned to urge Prime Minister al-Maliki to do more to stop the sectarian violence.
Ahead of the speech, many Democrats criticized any escalation in Iraq. And Republicans acknowledged the president has a major selling job to do.
Leaders of both parties met with the president at the White House this afternoon. Later, House Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Boehner spelled out their views.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), Speaker of the House: The American people have lost confidence in the president's policy. We're hopeful that tonight he will restore that confidence.
We will give his proposal a fair hearing. And in our hearings, we will establish the ground truth of what is happening in Iraq. And then we will vote on the president's proposal.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), House Minority Leader: I know many members of Congress are skeptical about, will this plan work? We've had other plans that haven't worked. Why do we think this one will work?
But I think the administration has put together a good plan. It is our best shot at victory in Iraq. And I think that's what the American people want and expect.
JIM LEHRER: We'll have full coverage of the president's address and reaction to it, tonight, beginning at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time, on most PBS stations.
In Iraq today, the U.S. military announced four more American soldiers were killed on Tuesday. So far, 14 U.S. troops have died in January.
The total since the war began is 3,018 killed, more than 22,000 wounded.
U.S. and Iraqi forces hunted for insurgents today in central Baghdad on the heels of yesterday's fierce fighting there. And at least 21 Iraqis were killed in attacks across the country. Police also found nearly 70 bodies. We'll have more from Iraq right after this news summary.
In Somalia, a presidential adviser reported a U.S. air strike on Monday did kill a top al-Qaida suspect. Fazul Abdullah Mohammed was the main suspect in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa. U.S. officials would not confirm his death.
Somali witnesses reported more air strikes today, near the Kenyan border, but other reports said U.S. forces were not involved in those.
President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela opened a new six-year term today and promised to build a socialist state. He took the oath of office two days after announcing plans to nationalize power companies and telecommunications firms. He vowed today there's more to come.
HUGO CHAVEZ, President of Venezuela (through translator): I swear by my people and my country that will I not rest my arm or my soul as we build a new political system, a new social system, a new economic system. I swear by Christ, the greatest socialist in history, I will follow the wonderful mandates of this constitution, even if it costs me my own life and my own peace. Country, socialism or death, I swear it.
JIM LEHRER: Chavez served notice on Monday that he wants state control of more of Venezuela's oil fields. The country is now the fourth-largest supplier of oil to the United States.
The U.S. House voted today to increase the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years. It was a top priority of the new Democratic majority. The bill would raise the hourly rate by more than two dollars over 26 months to $7.25.
The Senate is expected to move quickly on a similar bill. We'll have more on the story later in the program.
The European Commission called today for cutting Europe's dependence on oil and gas to fight global warming. The commission is the executive body of the European Union. It said, by 2020, it wants to lower greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels.
In Brussels, EU Commission President Jose Barroso said the U.S. should follow suit, as the world's "biggest polluter."
JOSE MANUEL BARROSO, President, European Commission: I personally believe the United States will change and they will be much more ambitious in the future when it comes to fight climate change. So we are taking the lead, but at the same time we are encouraging others to come with us.
JIM LEHRER: EU leaders are set to vote on the plan at a summit in March.
Russia reached a deal with Belarus today to reopen a major oil pipeline feeding Europe. The Belarus government agreed to cancel a tax on Russian oil shipments. The pipeline was closed on Monday and disrupted supplies to Germany, Poland and other European nations.
On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 25 points to close at 12,442. The Nasdaq rose 15 points to close at 2,459.
