Democrats press to reduce US troops in Iraq

Washington, June 20: Senate Democrats have presented two plans for winding down US involvement in Iraq one to pull out US 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 today 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 of Michigan, top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee yesterday.

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, 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, 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.

Reuters