February 19, 2007	Monday	Safar 1, 1428

WASHINGTON, Feb 18: Opposition Democrats plan to introduce a new resolution in the US Senate that would limit President George Bush’s ability to wage war and will redefine the mission of US troops in Iraq.

“We authorized him going to Iraq and we can modify that authorisation,” Senator Carl Levin who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee said on the “Fox News Sunday” programme.

Senator Joseph R. Biden, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CBS “Face the Nation” that the new resolution could “repeal and restate the president's authority.'' The new mission should include preventing “Al Qaeda gaining chunks of territory, training Iraqi forces, force protection.”

Such a measure would modify the Senate's 2002 resolution authorising President Bush to use force in Iraq. Senate Republicans, however, will fiercely resist any move to limit President’s powers.

On Saturday Republican senators blocked a debate on a non-binding resolution opposing President Bush's decision to send 21,000 additional troops to Iraq. The House of Representatives, where the Democrats have a clear majority, approved the same resolution by a 246-182 vote on Feb 16.

Undeterred by the Republican filibuster, Senator Levin declared that the Democrats will go ahead with their plan to limit President Bush’s power to wage war. “We, I think, will be looking at a modification of that authorisation in order to limit the mission of American troops to a support mission instead of a combat mission,” he said.

The chairman of the Armed Services Committee also said that the Democrats were “determined to change course in Iraq,” adding that President Bush’s current position of deepening US military involvement by sending 21,000-plus troops into Iraq was a mistake.

But he rejected the suggestion that the Democrats may cut off funds for troops already deployed in Iraq.

“I don't think there's support to cut off funds. I think that sends the wrong message to our troops. We're going to support our troops. And one way to support them is to find a way out of Iraq earlier rather than later,” Senator Levin said. Another powerful Democrat, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, told CNN “Late Edition” that the Democrats want to correct the mistakes Mr Bush has made.