Najaf bombing 95 killed
President George Bush is expected to tell Americans later tonight, that even more financial and human sacrifices will be required in the effort to stabilise postwar Iraq.
US officials say Mr Bush will argue for spending tens of billions of dollars on reconstruction and for expanding the international force already there, with the help of the United Nations Security Council.
President Bush will give his fifteen minute national address, from the White House later today.
Meanwhile, American forces in Iraq have set a deadline of next Saturday for the disarmament of militia groups in the country.
Armed civilians have taken to the streets of central Iraq since last month's car bombing in the city of Najaf, in which 95 people were killed including a prominent Shia cleric.
A spokesman for the US Marines in Najaf said that if militia groups resisted disarmament they would be arrested and jailed.
Meanwhile, more British troops have arrived in Iraq.
Although only 120 soldiers were flown to Baghdad from their base in Cyprus, the British government is reported to be considering sending up to 3,000 more to reinforce its contingent of 11,000.
The United States is campaigning for more troops from other countries to join a multi-national force under its leadership in Iraq.
Earlier, the American military authorities said several surface-to-air missiles were fired at an American military aircraft as it took off from Baghdad airport, yesterday.
The heat-seeking missiles failed to hit the plane, a C-141 transport, which had reached a height of 14,000 feet.
The incident happened early yesterday, only hours before the American Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, left the airport at the end of a three-day visit to Iraq.
A missile was fired at another transport plane last week, missing it by half a mile.
