Resolution opposing Iraq war escalation introduced in US senate

Washington, Feb 18 (UNI) A bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced a resolution in the US senate opposing deepening of the US military commitment in Iraq by adding 21,500 more troops to the 130,000-strong American force already there.

The resolution, introduced yesterday, calls for strategy that can produce a political settlement in Iraq. The primary objective of the US strategy in Iraq should be to have the Iraqi political leaders make the political compromises necessary to end the violence.

Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R Biden, Jr (Democrat), and Republican Senator Chuck Hagel were among the sponsors of the resolution.

Senator Biden, who, like party colleague Hillary Clinton, is considering running for president in 2008, said ''the resolution is aimed at pressuring President George W Bush to change course in Iraq.'' ''The more we -- on a bipartisan basis -- showed the American people across the board that we do not want to go down this path of escalation the better our chances to get him to reconsider his approach,'' he said.

This resolution says, ''what we, Democrats and Republicans, are against-- deepening America's military involvement in Iraq by enhancing our troop presence. It also says what we are for a strategy that can produce a political solution to stop the violence.'' ''I believe that when a President goes way off course on something as important as Iraq, the single most effective way to get him to change course is to demonstrate that his policy has waning for no support - from both parties,'' Senator Biden said.

''The Iraq war is the most important issue America is facing today and the Congress must be engaged in this debate. This resolution engages the Congress in that debate,'' Republican Senator Hagel said.

The resolution says, the US strategy and presence on the ground in Iraq can only be sustained with the support of the American people and bipartisan support from Congress. It is not in the national interest of the United States to deepen its military involvement in Iraq, particularly by enhancing US troop presence in Iraq.

The Foreign Relations Committee would send the resolution to the Senate next week after the President's State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

Senator Clinton, who is also against the troop increase in Iraq, told newspersons yesterday that she was proposing a cap on the number of US soldiers there.

She, however, said, ''I do support cutting funding for Iraqi forces if the Iraqi government does not meet set conditions'' as suggested by some lawmakers.

White House, spokesman Tony Snow criticised Ms Clinton's proposal, saying, ''it binds the hands of the commander in chief and also the generals and frankly also the troops on the ground in terms of responding to situations and contingencies that may occur there. To tie one's hands in the time of war is a pretty extreme move.'' UNI