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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| US House to vote on war spending | US House to vote on war spending |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The US House of Representatives is preparing to vote on a war spending bill that would require US troops to start leaving Iraq from October. | The US House of Representatives is preparing to vote on a war spending bill that would require US troops to start leaving Iraq from October. |
| Republicans and Democrats have been in deadlock on the legislation for weeks. | Republicans and Democrats have been in deadlock on the legislation for weeks. |
| President George W Bush has warned that he will veto any such bill. If passed, it could reach his desk next week. | |
| The Iraqi foreign minister has also criticised the Democrats, saying their efforts to set an unrealistic timetable for withdrawal are damaging to Iraq. | |
| Speaking to the BBC while on a visit to Iran, Hoshyar Zebari said efforts by Congress to set a date of October for troops to start leaving Iraq would not help his country's security or political development. | |
| Dr Zebari said he was amazed people had started talking of a timetable when the UN resolution giving the US-led coalition its mandate would be reviewed in June, and then again at the end of the year. | |
| The minister also stressed withdrawal of US troops would have to wait for the Iraqi military to be self-reliant. | |
| Dr Zebari is in Tehran to press the Iranian government to take part in a key regional summit next week in Egypt on the future security of Iraq. | |
| The commander of US forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, held private briefings with lawmakers. | |
| Gen Petraeus was trying to gain support for Mr Bush's plan to increase troop numbers in Iraq, the so-called "surge", to improve stability. | |
| "General Petraeus continued to say that he can give a comprehensive assessment as to whether or not the surge is in fact working around September," said Democratic Representative James Clyburn. | |
| Not all the extra US forces are yet in place in Iraq. | |
| 'Attack dog' | 'Attack dog' |
| A war of words has gained force ahead of the votes, with Republicans and the Democrats, who control Congress, trading blows. | A war of words has gained force ahead of the votes, with Republicans and the Democrats, who control Congress, trading blows. |
| Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, criticised Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi following media reports she would not be present at the briefing with Gen Petraeus. | Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, criticised Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi following media reports she would not be present at the briefing with Gen Petraeus. |
| I would hope the president would stop being so brusque and waving it off - this is a bill that is good for the troops Senator Harry Reid | |
| On Tuesday, Vice-President Dick Cheney accused Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of "defeatism" over the war. | On Tuesday, Vice-President Dick Cheney accused Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of "defeatism" over the war. |
| "It is cynical to declare that the war is lost because you believe it gives you political advantage," he said. | "It is cynical to declare that the war is lost because you believe it gives you political advantage," he said. |
| Senator Reid dismissed Mr Cheney's comments, saying: "I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with the administration's chief attack dog." | Senator Reid dismissed Mr Cheney's comments, saying: "I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with the administration's chief attack dog." |
| He defended the war spending bill as "a good piece of legislation" and said a change of direction was needed in Iraq. | He defended the war spending bill as "a good piece of legislation" and said a change of direction was needed in Iraq. |
| "I would hope the president would stop being so brusque and waving it off," he said. "This is a bill that is good for the troops. It's good for the country." | "I would hope the president would stop being so brusque and waving it off," he said. "This is a bill that is good for the troops. It's good for the country." |
| But Mr Bush shows no signs of budging from his determination to veto any bill tying war spending to a timetable for troop withdrawal. | But Mr Bush shows no signs of budging from his determination to veto any bill tying war spending to a timetable for troop withdrawal. |
| The legislation was an attempt to "handcuff our generals, add billions of dollars of unrelated spending and begin to pull out of Iraq by an arbitrary date", he said on Tuesday. | The legislation was an attempt to "handcuff our generals, add billions of dollars of unrelated spending and begin to pull out of Iraq by an arbitrary date", he said on Tuesday. |
| "To accept the bill proposed by the Democratic leadership would be to accept a policy that directly contradicts the judgement of our military commanders." | "To accept the bill proposed by the Democratic leadership would be to accept a policy that directly contradicts the judgement of our military commanders." |
| The $124bn (£62bn) spending bill ties money for US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to an October deadline to start pulling out US combat troops from Iraq and a target of April 2008 for complete withdrawal. | The $124bn (£62bn) spending bill ties money for US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to an October deadline to start pulling out US combat troops from Iraq and a target of April 2008 for complete withdrawal. |