Friday, 9 March 2007CAIRO ÔÇö US President George W. Bush has threatened to veto a draft law crafted by the opposition Democrats in the House of Representatives, which calls for a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq by August 2008, The New York Times reported Friday, March 9.
"Obviously, the administration would vehemently oppose and ultimately veto any legislation that looks like what was described today," Dan Bartlett, a senior White House adviser, told reporters as he traveled with Bush to Latin America.
Bartlett said the bill amounted to "micromanaging the war" and called it an "artificial precipitous withdrawal from Iraq."
"It would unnecessarily handcuff our generals on the ground, and it's safe to say it's a nonstarter for the president," he added.
Unveiling their bill, Democratic leaders, who took control of Congress in January, said President Bush's war strategy had failed and that the United States must instead focus on a brewing storm in Afghanistan.
"This bill takes giant steps toward putting resources into that war, a war that is unfinished and nearly forgotten by the administration," said Speaker of the House Democrat of California.
"Our troops are out by no later than August of 2008" under the legislation, Pelosi told reporters.
That deadline is just three months before presidential elections.
The House Democrats' plan provides for US combat troops to withdraw even sooner than August 2008 if the situation does not improve in Iraq.
According to the bill, If Bush could not certify progress there, withdrawals would begin in July of this year and be complete by December 31.
The legislation also would prohibit military action in Iran unless authorized by Congress.
The new conditions on the Iraq war would be attached to a huge emergency spending bill likely to be debated on the House floor later this month. A test vote could come as early as next week in the House Appropriations Committee.
Democrats proposed spending an additional $900 million to help troops recover from brain injuries and post-traumatic stress. The plan also calls for $1.2 billion more than Mr. Bush requested to fight terrorists in Afghanistan.
The proposal put Democrats on a collision course with Bush, who does not want lawmakers meddling in how he wages a four-year-old war that has seen escalating violence in Iraq and waning support at home.
Despite the deployment of thousands of American troops in Iraq under President George Bush's surge plan, the US army admitted on Thursday, March 8, that military force will not put an end to Iraq woes, urging political action and reconciliation.
There are nearly 140,000 US troops already fighting in Iraq. Up to 3,160 US soldiers have been killed since the 2003 US invasion.
Senate Proposal
"We're just trying to create some pressure on the president. That's the whole point here," said Clinton. (Reuters)
In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled a proposal to begin withdrawing soldiers from Iraq within four months and it sets a goal of pulling all combat troops out by March 31, 2008.
Reid moved to start a debate on that measure next week but was thwarted, at least for now, by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, who said more time was needed to look at the Democrats' ideas.
"The president's strategy in Iraq is not working and Congress must decide whether to follow his failed policies or whether to change course," Reid told reporters.
The proposal would be binding, but it is unlikely to attract enough Republican support to pass the Senate.
Democratic Senators are facing immediate resistance from Republicans.
Senate Democrats have only a 51-49 majority, and 60 votes are often required to pass controversial bills.
Reid, a Nevada Democrat, acknowledged they will need Republican support for "true course change in Iraq."
But presidential hopeful Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton said the proposal is highly significant anyway.
"It's a goal; it's not a hard deadline, it's a goal," Clinton told the Times.
"We're just trying to create some pressure on the president. That's the whole point here," she added.
9 March 2007
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Friday, 9 March 2007
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