The US Senate will vote this week on a bill that would halt funding for the Iraq war by March 31 next year, in the latest twist of a bitter clash with the White House for control of the conflict.
President Bush and the Democratic-controlled Congress agree there should be benchmarks for the Iraqi government. A deal could end a lengthy impasse over an emergency funding bill for the Iraq war.
The officer said a commander in Iraq rejected recommendations to investigate whether marines in his battalion deliberately killed a group of civilians in Haditha.
Four months ago, President Bush snubbed popular opinion and announced plans to send more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq in a last-ditch effort to stabilize Baghdad. In another four months, the military commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, is to report on the impact of the "surge."
U.S. Senate Democrats want to spell out a time frame to withdraw combat troops from Iraq, but might offer President George W. Bush power to waive the deadlines, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Monday.
The top Democrat in the Senate announced Monday he is moving two major Iraq votes into an unrelated water bill, a decision that could clear the way for an Iraq funding vote as early as this week.
As of Monday, May 14, 2007, at least 3,398 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,769 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
May 14 (Bloomberg) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Senate will vote on letting President George W. Bush waive a requirement in war-spending legislation to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.
A soldier from Massachusetts has died in Iraq, the Defense Department said Monday.
US Vice President Dick Cheney, wrapping up a week-long visit to the Middle East, said Monday that he had won support from his Arab hosts for US efforts to stabilize war-torn Iraq.