According to White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe, the just released National Intelligence Estimate shows that the Bush Administration “strategy has improved the security environment, but that we still face tough challenges ahead.” He also said, in a press statement, that the Administration “continues to support the efforts of Prime Minister Maliki” in Iraq. Among the NIE’s key judgments: “There have been measurable but uneven improvements in Iraq’s security situation since … January 2007. … The level of overall violence, including attacks on and casualties among civilians, remains high; Iraq’s sectarian groups remain unreconciled; … Iraq’s political leaders remain unable to govern effectively.”
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.