September 21, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 08, 1428

WASHINGTON, Sept 20: President George W. Bush’s administration on Wednesday beat off the latest bid by Democrats to derail its Iraq strategy, as the Senate blocked a bid to limit numbers of troops ready for deployment.

After wavering Republican senators came under fierce political pressure, the bill garnered 56 votes in the 100-member chamber, but fell four votes short of the 60-vote supermajority needed to pass the bill.

The measure, framed by Democratic Senator James Webb, and backed by Republican war critic Senator Chuck Hagel, would have mandated rest periods for troops equal to the length of time they spent on combat tours.

Its failure was the latest bitter disappointment for Democrats who grabbed control of Congress last year, but have repeatedly failed to change the course of US strategy in the unpopular war.

“We cannot continue to look at war and the people who fight and die in wars as abstractions, as pawns, as objects,” said Hagel, who has branded the Iraq war a foreign policy disaster.

“The humanity of this is lost.” But critics branded the bill a “back-door” attempt to enforce a drawdown of US troops from Iraq. Supporters did not dispute the fact it would limit troop levels, but said it was vital to ease the strain on the US military.

Though Secretary of Defence Robert Gates had warned he would ask Bush to veto the measure had it passed, the bill was seen as the Democrats’ best shot of passing measures this year to challenge Bush’s control of the war.

Republicans celebrated the defeat of the bill, which they said would have amounted to a legislated surrender of the Iraq war, a week after Bush declared his troop surge strategy was having success.

Senator and 2008 Presidential candidate John McCain branded the bill “dangerous” and added: “It would have the effect of changing policy on the war.” Republican Senator Jim Bunning issued an outspoken attack on the bill.

“I will not support this slow bleed strategy in Iraq. It ties the hands of our commanders,” he said.

“It ties the hands of our commanders.” Bunning said.

Republican Senator John Warner, an expert on the military who has expressed disquiet about US war strategy, had been expected to vote for the amendment but changed his mind after meeting with top military brass on Wednesday.

He said the provision would interfere with Bush’s gradual troop redeployment plan from Iraq, to “pre-surge” levels of around 130,000 by mid-2008, and would limit specialist troops available in Iraq.

“I regretfully say I have been convinced by those in professional uniform – they cannot do it,” said Warner, who voted for a similar amendment when it fell four votes short of passage in July.

Webb said he had been hopeful that the bill would get the required 60 votes, but said his quest was derailed by a fierce lobbying operation organised by the White House.

“When it became possible, and likely that we would get to 60 votes, the White House really revved up the engines on this.” The bill’s 56 votes, were exactly the same as the number a similar version garnered in June, when it last came up for the vote, showing little progress by Democrats in thwarting Bush’s war strategy.—AFP