Senators Ready Iraq Amendments

[babylonsister]

http://public.cq.com/docs/cqt/news110-000002546463.html

Senators Ready Iraq Amendments
By Josh Rogin, CQ Staff

The debate over the Iraq War resumes in the Senate on Monday, when Democrats will use the defense authorization bill to spotlight their demands to bring U.S. troops home.

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According to Senate aides, the first amendment lawmakers will debate, by freshman and former Navy Secretary Jim Webb, D-Va., would mandate an amount of time for active duty soldiers to rest at home that is equal to the length of their deployments. Currently, Army soldiers deploy for fifteen months after twelve months at home.

“This is the bottom line that we owe to people who have been sent into harm’s way.” Webb said.

Another key amendment to be offered would sunset Congress’ 2002 authorization for the use of force in Iraq (PL 107–243). This language, to be introduced by Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., would amend the law so it expires Oct. 11, 2007, the fifth anniversary of its enactment.

The Clinton-Byrd amendment also would require the president to seek a new authorization for the Iraq War, forcing him to spell out the mission, strategy, and goals of the U.S. presence there, according to a draft version.

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[bigtree]

1. the problem with the Clinton-Byrd approach is the residual force

they envision remaining to fight those identified as 'al-Qaeda'. The same 'al-Qaeda' that the U.S. troop presence has inspired and fueled. But, the call for a new authorization is overdue.

The Webb effort is interesting in that it could restrict the way Bush deploys the troops making it almost impossible to conduct the occupation as he has so far.