Senate to debate Iraq in all-night session?

Republicans dismissed a Democratic plan for an all-night session of the US Senate to debate President Bush’s military strategy in Iraq amid bipartisan proposals to redeploy US troops.

The round-the-clock debate last night was intended as a way of pressuring Republican senators as well as Mr Bush to act sooner rather than later on a change of course in Iraq.

“How many sleepless nights have our soldiers and their families had?” said Sen. Dick Durbin, No.2 in the Democratic leadership.

Mr Bush, meanwhile, paid a surprise visit to a gathering of GOP congressional staffers and White House aides trying to determine an effective strategy for communications about war policies.

One participant said the president told staff he would not rethink his Iraq policies until after a critical military assessment in September.

Mr Bush also said he had no confidence in the ability of international institutions – a reference to the United Nations – to salvage Iraq if the US were to withdraw.

Also yesterday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, said the service chiefs were developing their own assessment of Iraq to present to Mr Bush in September. Options included another troop build-up or maintaining current troop levels beyond September, Pace said.

Mr Bush yesterday told Iraqi prime minister Nouri Maliki and other officials that continued US support depended on political progress in Baghdad, White House spokesman Tony Snow said.