White House renews pledge to veto Iraq pullout date

WASHINGTON: The White House on Tuesday renewed its pledge to veto a measure being debated in the Senate that seeks to withdraw most US troops from Iraq within a year.   

The Democrat-backed measure links approval of the administration's multi-million dollar war budget for Iraq and Afghanistan to start withdrawing combat troops from Iraq within four months, with a goal of completion by March 31, 2008.   

"If this legislation were presented to the president, he would veto the bill," said a statement from the White House's office of management and budget.   

During the sometimes emotional Senate debate, Republicans have demanded time for Bush's new troop surge strategy, which is aimed at quelling raging violence in Iraq, to yield results. The White House statement echoed that sentiment.   

"This bill assumes and forces the failure of the new strategy even before American commanders in the field are able to fully implement their plans," it said.   

"This legislation would substitute Congressional mandates for the considered judgment of our military commanders."   

The House last week narrowly passed its own 124 billion dollar version of the spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including a firm deadline for getting US troops out of Iraq by August 31, 2008.   

The latest showdown between the Democrat-controlled Congress and the White House is being fueled by growing public anxiety over the war, and a Gallup-USA Today poll said 60 per cent of Americans support withdrawing from Iraq by fall 2008.   

However, the same poll said 61 per cent oppose cutting funding for the troops in the country, which is in the grip of a violent insurgency killing hundreds of people a week.