A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has embarked on a new legislative effort to force the Bush administration to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq. The White House has already rejected the new effort:
The resolution calls on President Bush to begin withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq on or before the first of October of 2006.
Previous efforts, most of them by Democratic members of the House and Senate, have called on the Bush administration to set a timetable for pulling out of Iraq.
A news conference Thursday reflected the bipartisan nature of the new effort, as Congressman Walter Jones, a North Carolina Republican, called it entirely reasonable for the United States to begin drawing down troop levels in Iraq.
"Clearly we have given the Iraqis every reasonable chance for democracy. But at some time in the near future the ultimate fight of Iraq will and should rest in the hands of Iraqis," he said. "We will continue to support them in their efforts, but they cannot forever be dependent on America as the primary defense force in Iraq. After 1,700 deaths, over 12,000 wounded, and $200 billion spent, we believe it is time to have this debate and this discussion on this resolution."
No comments:
Post a Comment