Demos mulling anti-war tactics

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats pledged renewed efforts Sunday to curtail the Iraq war, suggesting they will seek to limit a 2002 measure authorizing President Bush's use of force against Saddam Hussein.

The top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the proposal had little chance of succeeding. "I think the president would veto it and the veto would be upheld," said Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana.

A day after Republicans foiled a Democratic bid to repudiate Bush's deployment of 21,500 additional combat troops to Iraq, Senate Democrats declined to embrace measures — being advanced in the House — that would attach conditions to additional funding for troops.

Sen. Carl Levin, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, said Democratic senators would probably seek to capitalize on wavering Republicans to limit the "wide-open authorization" Congress gave Bush in 2002.

"We will be looking at a modification of that authorization in order to limit the mission of American troops to a support mission instead of a combat mission, and that is very different from cutting off funds," said Levin, D-Mich.

Sen. Joe Biden, a 2008 presidential candidate who leads the foreign relations panel, said the 2002 authorization should be repealed to restate the president's authority and clarify the mission of U.S. troops in Iraq.

"I've been working with some of my colleagues to try to convince them that that's the way to go ... make it clear that the purpose that he has troops in there is to, in fact, protect against al-Qaida gaining chunks of territory, training the Iraqi forces, force protection and for our forces," said Biden, D-Del.

The Democratic-controlled Senate failed to force debate on a nonbinding resolution opposing the troop buildup. The 56-34 vote fell four short of the 60 needed, but Democrats quickly claimed victory, noting that a majority of senators — seven of them Republicans — effectively voted against the escalation.

After a week of contentious debate in Congress, the White House scoffed at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's claim that the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003 has become "the worst foreign policy mistake" in U.S. history.

"The war is tough, but the solution is not to get out," press secretary Tony Snow said. "It is to provide the kinds of resources and reinforcements our forces need to get the job done, and at the same time say to the Iraqis 'You guys got to step up."'

Snow said it was important to remove Saddam from power and noted that a majority of senators voted in 2002 to authorize force in Iraq.