The White House released a fact sheet that said the United States plans to "vigorously engage Arab states" and "take the lead in establishing a regional forum to give support and help from the neighborhood."

The U.S. strategy would include a campaign to "strengthen defense ties with partner states in the region" and maintain Middle East support for the war against Al Qaida and aligned groups." The fact sheet did not elaborate.

"Succeeding in Iraq also requires defending its territorial integrity and stabilizing the region in the face of the extremist challenge," Bush said on Wednesday. "This begins with addressing Iran and Syria. These two regimes are allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq."

Bush cited Arab opposition to the U.S. effort in Iraq. He said several U.S. allies in the region, including Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, have withheld support for the elected Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.

"Countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf States need to understand that an American defeat in Iraq would create a new sanctuary for extremists and a strategic threat to their survival," Bush said. "These nations have a stake in a successful Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors, and they must step up their support for Iraq's unity government."

Bush, rejecting a recommendation by the Iraq Study Group for a reconciliation with Iraq's anti-U.S. neighbors, outlined a plan to block the flow of weapons and insurgents from Iran and Syria to Iraq. He said the United States has assigned two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Gulf to protect GCC allies.

"I recently ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group to the region," Bush said. "We will expand intelligence sharing and deploy Patriot air defense systems to reassure our friends and allies."

"In the long run, the most realistic way to protect the American people is to provide a hopeful alternative to the hateful ideology of the enemy — by advancing liberty across a troubled region," Bush said.

The administration plan also focused on U.S. support for Turkey in its campaign against the PKK. Officials said the White House strategy envisioned increased efforts to counter the Kurdish insurgency, with an estimated presence of 5,000 fighters in northern Iraq.

Bush said the U.S. military effort in Iraq would focus on the Baghdad area, which he said contains 80 percent of sectarian violence. He cited insufficient troops and restrictions for previous failures to stabilize Baghdad.

Under the new plan, the Iraq Army and national police would deploy 18 brigades in Baghdad and target Shi'ite as well as Sunni insurgency strongholds. At the same time, the Iraqi government would appoint a military commander and two deputy commanders for their capital.

"These Iraqi forces will operate from local police stations, conducting patrols, setting up checkpoints, and going door-to-door to gain the trust of Baghdad residents," Bush said.

For its part, the United States would deploy more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. Bush said the lion's share — five brigades — would be sent to Baghdad. Another 4,000 troops would be sent to the Anbar province along the borders with Jordan and Syria.

"These troops will work alongside Iraqi units and be embedded in their formations," Bush said. "Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs."

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