Where They Stand
On the major issues of the day, Bush and Kerry offer competing strategies. Here's what you need to know
IRAQ
BUSH: The President argues that the U.S. can secure peace and stability in Iraq by training local forces to take over the policing of the country and ensuring that planned elections proceed in January. He hopes to have 125,000 Iraqi security forces trained by the end of this year and 200,000 by next summer, up from 98,500 now. Bush says he will defer to his military commanders on the question of future levels of U.S. forces, which now number about 137,000. Meanwhile, the U.S. is trying to seize control of rebel-held towns in the Sunni triangle by flooding them with Iraqi security forces and reconstruction aid.
KERRY: His plan for Iraq hinges on an expanded role for the rest of the world. He promises to hold a regional summit of key Arab and Muslim countries and press them to provide troops, money and training for Iraqi forces. Kerry
intends to push NATO to make Iraqi security one of its missions. He pledges to accelerate the training of Iraqi security forces, get more U.S. allies involved in
reconstruction efforts and hire more Iraqi contractors for infrastructure projects.
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