The US President, George W Bush, is to make a speech tonight announcing a shift in US strategy on Iraq that will include sending more troops.
Excerpts from his speech, to be delivered live on US television at 1am Irish time, have him saying there were not enough Iraqi and US troops to secure neighbourhoods of Baghdad that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents.
He also says the US commitment is 'not open-ended'.
A senior White House official has said that in the speech Mr Bush is likely to acknowledge that mistakes have been made in Iraq.
Mr Bush is expected to announce that at least 20,000 extra troops will be sent to Iraq.
Democrats, who now control both houses of Congress, have made it clear they plan to oppose what they see as an 'escalation' of the war in Iraq.
The White House Counsel, Dan Bartlett, said the new plan was needed because some US security operations were not successful.
However, Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy has tabled a Bill that would require Congress to oppose in advance any troop reinforcements or increase in funding.
