Senators oppose Bush’s Iraq plan
Resolution states the US war in Iraq “can only be sustained” with popular support.
A poll released this week by the Pew Research Centre said 61 per cent of US citizens opposed Bush’s plan, while 31 per cent were in favour.
Your Views |
“Bush’s strategy has failed totally in Iraq” Dimos, Hania-Crete, Greece |
Joseph Biden, a Democratic co-sponsor of the resolution, said: “I believe that when a president goes way off course on something as important as Iraq, the single most effective way to get him to change course is to demonstrate that his policy has waning or no support from both parties.”
Hagel said: “I will do everything I can to stop the president’s policy as he outlined it on Wednesday night. I think it is dangerously irresponsible.”
Political motives?
Hagel denied that the sponsors were defeatist, were trying to assign blame to Bush, or had political motives, even though he and Biden are expected to run for president.
He said: “No one wants to see this country humiliated, defeated, or in any way lose its purpose.
Hagel, a Republican, said the resolution’s sponsors were not being defeatist [AP] |
“There is no moral high ground that one group of senators has over the others.”
Hillary Clinton, a potential Democratic presidential candidate, said the US should cut funds for protecting Iraq‘s government leaders and equipping its military if the country’s Shia leaders fail to give Sunnis a greater role in government.
The New York senator said she opposed sending more troops to Iraq, in part because it would siphon off US military strength in Afghanistan.
Bush has said he will not be swayed by Congress or public criticism.
“I made my decision and we’re going forward,” Bush told CBS’s 60 Minutes in an interview broadcast on Sunday.
Dr Khalil Jahshan, president of the National Association of Arab Americans and a university professor of international affairs, told Al Jazeera: “There is no doubt that the steps taken by the House and Senate Democrats will embarrass the US administration and step up criticism of Congress and the public opinion over Bush’s new Iraq strategy.
“It is clear that Americans oppose this policy and Bush’s stubbornness and sticking to his opinion is the biggest challenge to the public opinion since Vietnam‘s War.”