Washington ? President Bush’s much-anticipated new strategy for Iraq and the changing of the congressional guard – two inextricably linked developments – understandably dominate the public and private buzz here. I have heard plenty about both from Iraq insiders during the past few days.

Although Bush will not present his tonic for the ailing Iraq situation until tonight, the signs of change are clear, starting with the shuffling of the president’s war advisers. But it will take much more than musical chairs to convince U.S. political leaders, the American public, Iraqis and the rest of the world of U.S. intentions. Now is the time to demonstrate that the United States means business; otherwise, it might as well go home.

What Iraq needs is a “surge” in all areas to get the job done.

The first surge should come in the military realm. Washington, in cooperation with its allies, must find a way to dispatch additional troops to Iraq – not to create more targets for troublemakers but to stop them.

The United States and its allies failed to lock down Iraq as they breezed to victory in 2003, and they have been paying for it ever since. Without enough troops to handle the challenge, the other elements of an Iraq strategy cannot succeed.

A surge in responsibility for Iraqi forces also is critical. Some people may hesitate about that one, pointing to the Iraqi government’s inability to control a handful of people during former dictator Saddam Hussein’s recent execution. However, I would not use that chaotic, hurried, emotional experience as an example of Baghdad’s capabilities. The situation in Iraq requires a greater role and more flexibility for the Iraqi military. I, for one, would like to see if they could succeed – as they claim – in areas, such as controlling terrorism, where the United States and its allies have had problems to date.

I also would like to see a surge in the new congressional majority’s willingness to fix the Iraq conundrum in a comprehensive manner without an unhelpful emphasis on drawing down U.S. troops and an exit strategy. America needs a victory strategy, which I hope Bush will produce, and then a way out will become apparent.

A surge in humanitarian assistance also is needed. I have been hearing much about the refugee crisis that the war has spawned, both inside Iraq and in surrounding countries. The thousands of displaced Iraqis deserve international help. The United States should take the lead in securing it for them.

A surge also is required in the broader economic discussion. The whole of Iraq will need tremendous assistance if it is to move forward. In the past, when the United States decided to revitalize war-torn areas to protect them against encroaching adversaries – from Europe to Japan – it did so in a big way. Why not in Iraq?

In addition, a diplomatic surge is essential – not just in Iraq but throughout the Middle East. If Bush truly seeks to fix Iraq, he will do so in the regional context of a long-overdue international peace conference. If he fails to address that need, he will ignore an opportunity for a sweeping solution to Middle East problems.

Bush does not have much time to set things right in Iraq. If he provides the foundation for a meaningful shift in U.S. strategy with realistic possibilities, he will deserve support. If not, he will have earned the verbal barrage that his political opponents surely will unleash.

America is looking for and expects a strong sense of direction, creativity, new thinking and a bit of sincere humility. Bush should not squander his waning opportunity.