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US Senate votes against debating Iraq war rebuke

The US Senate refused to consider a resolution on Saturday denouncing President George W Bush's Iraq troop buildup that the US House of Representatives passed the day before.

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WASHINGTON: The US Senate refused to consider a resolution on Saturday denouncing President George W Bush's Iraq troop buildup that the US House of Representatives passed the day before.   

For the second time in two weeks, the Senate voted not to debate a non-binding measure that would repudiate Bush's recent decision to send 21,500 troops to Iraq to bolster security in Baghdad and Anbar province.

The Democrats had wanted to bring the measure to the floor but failed to overcome Republican resistance. The vote was 56 in favor and 34 against.

Under Senate rules, 60 votes were needed to bring the resolution to the floor for debate. Before the vote, Democrats argued in vain for minority Republicans to break with Bush and support taking up the measure.   

The Senate's rare Saturday session came on a day U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made an unannounced visit to Baghdad.   

"If we believe plunging into Baghdad neighborhoods with more American troops will not increase chances of success, we are duty bound to say so, and a minority of senators should not thwart that expression," said Michigan Democratic Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee.   

The 435-member House, capping four days of impassioned debate, defied the Republican president on Friday, voting 246 to 182 against the troop increase in what amounted to the first such rebuke since the US-led invasion in March 2003.   

The House measure passed with support of virtually all the chamber's 233 Democrats and 17 of its 201 Republicans, many worried about their political fate if they stick with the president on the war.

Polls say most Americans oppose adding more troops in Iraq. But in the Senate, procedural rules allow a minority to block debate and Democrats have but a 51-49 majority.

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