War resolution exposes Republican divisions on Iraq
A Democratic resolution on Iraq has attracted the support of at least two Republicans and is exposing fissures within the Republican Party over the unpopular war.
Congressional Republicans are struggling to come up with a united response to US President George Bush’s plan to send 21,500 more troops to join the estimated 130,000 already there.
Ten Republicans met behind closed doors last night with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in a bid to generate consensus on Iraq.
The senators emerged from the meeting to announce that no deal had been reached.
“This is a very fluid situation,” said Republican Sen Jon Kyl.
The meeting came after Sens Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Olympia Snowe of Maine, both Republicans who have sparred with the administration on the war, announced that they would co-sponsor the Democrats’ resolution opposing sending more troops to Iraq.
“To feed more American troops into this bloodbath is wrong,” Hagel said today on ABC’s Good Morning America.
In the end, he said, Iraqis must determine their own future.
The resolution also calls for the US military mission to switch from major combat to training Iraqi troops, counterterrorism and keeping foreign fighters out of Iraq.
