Anti-war Democrats in the US Senate vowed Monday to force Republicans to stage an all-night vigil to defend President George W. Bush on Iraq.
The Senate this week will pull its first all-night debate on the Iraq war in advance of a vote on whether to bring home combat troops by next spring, Democrats said Monday.
Government auditors discovered something odd last year when they reviewed KBR Inc.'s annual cost estimate to provide support services for U.S. troops in Iraq. The contractor proposed charging $110 million for housing, food, water, laundry and other services on bases that had been shut down.
The Pentagon approves disputed costs on Iraq contracts at a much higher rate than on military contracts as a whole, Defense Department records show.
The White House on Sunday rejected a call by leading Republicans to begin charting a new course in Iraq, with National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley saying the administration would await a September report from the top U.S. commander.
Congressional debate on Iraq this week is highlighting the competition among Democratic presidential candidates to prove they should lead the nation and extricate it from Iraq.
Senate Democratic leaders are planning a rare all-night session tonight, employing theatrics and scheduling votes that they hope will chip away at Republican resolve to back President Bush's Iraq war strategy.
The U.S. military is weighing new directions for Iraq, including an even bigger troop buildup if President Bush thinks his "surge" strategy needs a further boost, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.
Sen. John McCain, his presidential campaign weighed down by Iraq, on Monday rejected a proposal from two fellow Republicans demanding a new war strategy that would limit the role of U.S. troops.
About 1,000 contractors have been killed in Iraq since the war began and nearly 13,000 have been injured.