A small bipartisan group lawmakers in the US House of Representatives, including a Republican who voted for war, is urging President George W. Bush to start bringing home US troops from Iraq by Oct. 1, 2006.
Two Republicans and two Democrats in the House were to introduce a resolution yesterday calling for withdrawal. It is the first such resolution put forth by lawmakers from both parties, although an overwhelming number of Democrats and six House Republicans voted in 2002 against sending troops to Iraq.
The Bush administration has insisted that a timetable for withdrawal can't be considered until Iraq's security forces are strong enough to protect their country from insurgents.
While many Democrats and some Republicans repeatedly have voted against continued funding for the war, there has been no concerted joint effort before to bring troops home.
A Gallup poll released on Monday found that six in 10 Americans say they think the US should withdraw some or all of its troops.
Among the resolution's sponsors are Representative Walter Jones, a Republican who voted for the Iraq war but now says the US has done what it can in Iraq and the reason for going to war -- former president Saddam Hussein's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction -- has been proven false. Two years ago, Jones helped lead an effort to ensure Capitol Hill cafeterias retooled their menus to advertise "freedom fries" instead of french fries.
The other sponsors are Ron Paul, a Republican from Texas, and Democrats Dennis Kucinich and Neil Abercrombie.
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