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House Democrats craft Iraqi troop pullout deadline

House Democratic leaders intend to propose legislation requiring the withdrawal of US combat troops from Iraq by the fall of next year, and even earlier if the Iraqi government fails to meet security and other goals, congressional officials said.

The conditions, described as tentative until presented to the Democratic rank and file, would be added to legislation providing nearly US$100 billion the administration has requested for Iraq and Afghanistan, the officials said late on Wednesday.

The legislation is expected on the floor of the House later this month, and would mark the most direct challenge to date the new Democratic-controlled Congress has posed to the president's war policies. As such, it is likely to provoke a fierce response from the administration and its Republican allies in Congress.

Democrats familiar with the emerging legislation said the bill would require President George W. Bush to certify that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government was making progress toward providing for his country's security, allocating its oil revenues and creating a fair system for amending its Constitution.

They said if Bush certified the Iraqis were meeting these so-called benchmarks, US combat troops could remain until September of next year. Otherwise, the deadline would move up to the end of this year.

The officials who described the details did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to speak before the measure is presented to the rank and file. They stressed that the specific provisions in the legislation were tentative pending approval by the caucus.

The legislation also calls for the Pentagon to adhere to its standards for equipping and training US troops sent overseas and for providing time at home between tours of combat.

It does permit, however, Bush to issue waivers of these standards. Democrats described the waiver provision as an attempt to embarrass Bush, but their effect would be to permit the administration to proceed with plans to deploy five additional combat brigades to the Baghdad area over the next few months.

The measure emerged from days of private talks among Democrats following the repudiation of Democratic Representative John Murtha's original proposal, which would have required the Pentagon to meet readiness and training standards without the possibility of a waiver.

The Democrats have been trying to craft legislation that could satisfy both liberals and conservatives.
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