Senate democrats set deadline in Iraq spending

Senate Democrats have drafted a $121.5bn (€91bn) war spending bill that would direct US President George Bush to begin bringing home troops from Iraq with the goal of ending US combat missions there in just over a year.

The provision is similar to a resolution the Senate narrowly rejected last week.

It failed on a 50-48 vote, falling 12 votes shy of the 60 needed to pass, after Bush vowed to veto the legislation.

“US troops should not be policing a civil war, and the current conflict in Iraq requires principally a political solution,” states a copy of the draft bill, obtained by The Associated Press. Like the bill the Senate defeated, it would set a non-binding goal of pulling out combat troops by March 31, 2008.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd, a Democrat, released details to panel members today in anticipation of a committee vote on the bill tomorrow.

Republicans and even some Democrats are expected to bristle at the inclusion of the Iraq policy provision. The measure would require Bush to begin removing US combat troops within four months of the bill’s passage.