Bush reliance on a few advisers questioned

WASHINGTON, April 6 (UPI) -- The relationship between U.S. President George Bush and key officials in Iraq highlights Bush's over-reliance on certain advisers, some analysts say.

The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Army Gen. David Petraeus, and the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, report to Congress Tuesday and Wednesday on progress in Iraq. Observers widely expect the pair will advocate a "pause" in the drawdown of American forces beyond those already scheduled for July.

However, other military advisers, including the since-retired commander of forces in the Middle East, Navy Adm. William Fallon, say they are concerned over what they see as the near-unfaltering loyalty Bush exhibits toward Petraeus, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Those advisers, the Post said, expressed hesitation over the "surge" strategy in Iraq, saying U.S. military forces were near the breaking point.

White House officials back Bush's support for Petraeus, pointing to the positive results in Iraq when compared to the situation there under the authority of former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other since-departed officials.

Some critics, however, point to Bush's penchant for relying too much on others and for a failure to "look carefully at critical issues himself," said Kenneth Adelman, a former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.