Posted on 06/19/2006 5:48:16 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats presented two plans for winding down U.S. involvement in Iraq on Monday, one to pull out U.S. combat forces by July 2007 and another to begin withdrawing this year without a deadline for completion.
With an election looming in November, Republicans branded the two plans as defeatist and evidence of Democratic disarray. The Senate was to debate the amendments on Tuesday in the annual defense policies bill.
"Three and a half years into the conflict, we should tell the Iraqis that the American security blanket is not permanent," said Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan, top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.
The House of Representatives and Senate have debated Iraq in often harsh terms this month. Republicans sought to depict Democrats as weak on terrorism, and Democrats condemned President George W. Bush's policies that they said have caused chaos in Iraq, detracted from the fight against al Qaeda and drained U.S. resources.
Levin offered a nonbinding resolution saying Bush should start withdrawing an unspecified number of U.S. forces this year and give Congress a plan for the continued withdrawal.
Levin's measure had support from most Senate Democrats, who shied away from setting a deadline for a pullout out of fear of a full-scale Iraqi civil war.
There are about 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and the conflict has caused more than 2,500 U.S. military deaths.
Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Russell Feingold of Wisconsin, both eyeing presidential runs, pushed an amendment requiring that U.S. combat troops be out by July 2007. That was modified from Kerry's amendment calling for withdrawal by the end of 2006, which the Senate rejected last week when Republicans forced a vote.
In a statement, Kerry and Feingold said a deadline "gives Iraqis the best chance for stability and self-government" and "allows us to begin refocusing on the true threats that face our country."
Both Democratic plans provide that U.S. personnel training Iraqi forces, those conducting counter-terrorist operations and other specialized forces could remain in Iraq.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, blasted the Levin measure as a "cut and run" policy that "threatens our national security and poses unacceptable risks to Americans."
Sen. John Warner (news, bio, voting record), a Virginia Republican who chairs the Armed Services Committee, said he did not support the Levin amendment "in this form," and was considering an alternative.
Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Jack Reed (news, bio, voting record), who crafted the resolution with Levin, said the White House has used the debate to attack Democrats. "This may be a way to divide the country, but it's not a strategy for success in Iraq," he said.
this troll has made something like 7 posts, all of them VERY trollish.....
That would be good as well!
*chuckle*
ahhh, he's banned now... ("more name calling by the cowardly clowns,if you like war so much,go join the army you fucking twit.")
bummers....wanted to interrogate him...
since 10/2003, too!
I am getting all teary eyed. There is nothing like the smell of ozone.....
LOL
Yeah, noticed that.
And he was from '03 as well.
If the Democrats had any sense-there would not have been a sliver of daylight between their position on the WOT and President Bush's.
Iraq is part of the WOT and it is moronic and insulting to pretend otherwise.
This should have been a non issue for the Democrats.
Being on the side of America and the men and women of the military while they are fighting terrorism- is always a plus.
Instead, the Democrats have aligned themselves with the terrorists .
And there is no way to spin that as a positive.
yep
before I was even here.
I kinda wondered about that, until I saw his posting history.
I'd have loved to have asked him a few pointed questions as well.
Likely, he had several people using that handle, and the one on it tonight decided to throw it away.
If they really wanted to see the war come to a successful end, they'd sit down and shut up.
OH, I forgot - the DON'T want a successful end. That's their biggest nightmare...it would vindicate Pres. Bush
Traitorous back of vipers, one and all
Here they go again. They are noticing that troop levels are down by 30,000 and they are trying to jump on the train before it leaves the station, so they can claim some of the credit.
Hey, Bah---check out the second to last paragraph in this article.
You know when it dose become the real time to reduce forces and leave. These dims will try to take credit.
Senator John, I really would have made a great president, Warner, has not served this country well with his last intervention. Let's see how he does this time.
I do not know who told you that we lost in Viet Nam. I do know that they are incorrect. Congress pulled our troops out, and the South Vietnamese people and Cambodians lost. Just another page in Marxist revisionist history.
Bunch of Ankle biters.
They just voted on this last week.
Mitch needs to call them on it again.
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