President Bush will tell the nation that it was a mistake not to have more American and Iraqi troops fighting the war in Iraq.

White House counselor Dan Bartlett said Bush's acknowledgment will come during a speech Wednesday night in which he will say he is sending 20,000 more troops to the country.

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THE DEMOCRAT'S RESPONSE

Democrats were laying plans to register their opposition to the troop buildup. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pledged to hold a vote on the increase, trying to isolate Bush on his handling of the war. In the Senate, Democrat Edward M. Kennedy has sponsored legislation to require Bush to get congressional approval before sending more troops to Iraq.

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THE NEW BUSH PLAN

Bush is to explain why a gradual buildup of about 20,000 additional U.S. troops, along with other steps expected to include pumping $1 billion into Iraq's economy, is the answer for a more than 31/2-year-old war that has only gotten deadlier with no end in sight.

Bush will say that the infusion of additional American forces will depend on Iraq taking specific steps to curb sectarian violence and make other moves to deal with political and economic problems. The first batch of new U.S. troops is expected to be in Iraq within three weeks.

Bartlett also said that Bush will "make very clear that America's commitment is not open-ended, that benchmarks have to be met, that milestones have to be reached both on the security side but just as importantly on the political side and the economic side. It will be unequivocal in President Bush's speech tonight that the Iraqis have to step up."

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