一篇英文新聞中的幾個疑惑,請指教

Question

While not all Democrats agree with the position their leaders staked out in the letter Friday, its release just five days or so before Bush was expected to announce a broad new strategy — involving troop surges, accelerated training of Iraqi forces and a large increase in economic and reconstruction aid to the country — suggested a major political battle might be brewing.

1.the position their leaders staked out-指的是"他們的領袖所宣稱的立場''嗎?

2.its release-''release''應是指新聞稿,但'its''指的是position嗎?

3. suggested a major political battle might be brewing.
是否指''這暗示了政治戰爭正在醞釀中''?

不好意思,下一句Bush appeared to be trying to head that off Friday
head'' that'' off是否指major political battle
因為布希不想讓''它''發生

wain大大,我原文第2段應是
Bush appeared to be trying to head that off Friday when he invited 15 Democrats to the White House for what administration officials called a consultation on Iraq strategy.

我是想知道''that''是否指上句的''major political battle''

另外這邊stake out 應該不是指
''用樁標出的界限''吧

''it''是指''letter''
所以這裡的''release''應該不是當新聞稿
而是當''公佈,發表"
I got it!

Answer 1

While not all Democrats agree with the position their leaders staked out in the letter on Friday, its release just five days or so before Bush was expected to announce a broad new strategy -- involving troop surges, accelerated training of Iraqi forces and a large increase in economic and reconstruction aid to the country -- suggested a major political battle might be brewing.
雖然並不是所有的民主黨人士都同意他們的領袖（參眾兩院議長都是民主黨人），在給布希總統的信裡面，所堅持的立場，但是，就在布希總統即將宣佈一項對伊拉克的廣泛的新策略的五天前，公佈這封信的內容，意味著一場大規模的政治衝突正在醞釀中。
Mr. Bush appeared to be trying to head off any confrontation when he invited 13 Democratic and Republican senators to the White House Friday for what administration officials called a consultation on Iraq..
布希總統似乎試圖化解任何可能發生的政治衝突，他在星期五邀請了13位民主黨和共和黨的參議員到白宮舉行了一場所謂「伊拉克局勢磋商會議」。
註釋：
stake out 用樁標出的界限
head off 化解

2007-01-23 19:20:03 補充：
引用的新聞來源不同，你的是to head that off，我的是head off any confrontation，所以that = any confrontation也就是前面所說的''major political battle''

http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_4962543

2007-01-23 19:25:10 補充：
The position their leaders staked out in the letter

他們的在信中「用樁標出的界限」的立場，所以我把翻譯為「堅持」。