Democrats in the US House of Representatives are expected to vote next week on a stripped-down resolution condemning President George Bush’s decision to send more forces to Iraq, but declaring support for the troops, according to party aides.

ANTI-WAR activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested and removed from the gallery on Tuesday night just before US President George W Bush’s State of the Union address, a police spokeswoman said.

THE US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a $491 billion (€392bn) defence bill that contains new funds for the war in Iraq, but it rejected an attempt to force on the Bush administration a timetable for withdrawing troops from the country.