US Speaker Pelosi backs new Iraq war authorisation

WASHINGTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she supports legislation to redefine US troops' mission in Iraq away from combat and focus it on training Iraqi soldiers and thwarting terrorism, an idea that is circulating among Senate Democrats.

''I do support the idea of 'the authorisation could be more focused,''' the California Democrat told reporters yesterday, adding that she had not yet read the specific Senate language.

Pelosi stopped short of embracing House legislation proposed by Rep John Murtha to place conditions on the nearly 0 billion in new funds the Pentagon wants for fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

''They'll work that out in the Appropriations Committee,'' Pelosi said, when asked whether the Pennsylvania Democrat's conditions should be attached to the emergency spending bill for the Iraq war that will move through Congress soon.

Referring to Murtha's initiative, Pelosi added, ''I don't see them as conditions to our funding. Congress will fund our troops ...

as long as they're in harm's way.'' Anger over the Iraq war helped Democrats take control of both houses of Congress in November elections, and they are now trying to find a solution to the conflict which has killed more than 3,100 US troops and tens of thousands of Iraqis.

Across Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised to make another run at Iraq war legislation soon, but suggested it probably would not happen this week.

The Senate has failed twice this year to pass a nonbinding resolution against sending more US troops to Iraq.

Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said Democratic leaders and members were discussing proposed legislation by Sen Joseph Biden of Delaware and Sen Carl Levin of Michigan to scrap the Iraq war authorization passed by Congress in 2002, limit the role of US forces in Iraq, and start bringing some of them home.

FULL TRAINING, LONGER BREAKS Murtha wants to require the Pentagon to certify that US troops are fully trained before being sent into battle. He also wants to give American soldiers longer breaks at home before being redeployed to Iraq. Both moves could tie President George W Bush's hands in fighting a 4-year-old war that has 139,000 soldiers engaged with 21,500 more on the way.

Murtha chairs a defense spending panel that has oversight of war funds.

His proposals have come under attack from Republicans, who accuse him of trying to ''bleed'' the US war effort and from some conservative Democrats who are uncomfortable casting any vote that could be construed as anti-military.

House Democrats will huddle on Tuesday to try to hash out a unified position on legislation that could change the terms of the US military's role in Iraq. ''Should there be some guidelines in terms of how we send them into harm's way -- that's the discussion that we'll be having,'' Pelosi said.

But she also noted that rules on troop combat readiness and other Murtha proposals already are in place. ''The guidelines exist.

Mr Murtha is calling attention to them,'' Pelosi said, adding that four years of combat have strained the military.

In part because of a backlash against Murtha, the Senate's Levin-Biden proposal has gained prominence in recent days.

Speaking to US governors at the White House, Bush made it clear he would vigorously oppose attempts by Congress to intercede in his handling of the war.

''I'm also looking forward to defending, to strongly defending, the budget that we sent up to Congress to make sure those troops who are in harm's way have the resources and that we have the flexibility necessary -- and our commanders have the flexibility necessary -- to execute the plan that we've laid out,'' Bush said.

Last month, Bush said about 21,500 more troops would be sent into Iraq, where battles between Shi'ites and Sunnis are threatening all-out civil war.

REUTERS SBA RN0753