2 in GOP seek plan for Iraq

WASHINGTON — Two Republican senators widely respected for their experience in foreign and military affairs — Sens. Richard Lugar of Indiana and John Warner of Virginia — on Friday called on the Bush administration to start planning for diplomatic and military changes in Iraq — including a withdrawal of forces.

President Bush has asked Congress to hold off on calling for changes in Iraq policy until Sept. 15, when a report is due from Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. Bush has said the increase of 30,000 troops needs more time to stabilize the war-torn nation. But Lugar said that's no reason to wait to start planning.

"The surge must not be an excuse for failing to prepare for the next phase of our involvement in Iraq, whether that is withdrawal, redeployment or some other option," he said. "We saw in 2003, after the initial invasion of Iraq, the disastrous results of failing to plan adequately for contingencies."

Also Friday in eastern Baghdad, U.S. troops battled Iraqi police suspected of links to Iranian-backed Shiite militiamen, killing six in a rare firefight between American soldiers and their Iraqi partners.

In addition to the six police officers, seven gunmen were killed in the clash, sparked when U.S. troops arrested a police lieutenant, the American military said in a statement. It said the lieutenant was believed to be helping Iran organize Shiite militants and leading a cell involved in bomb and mortar attacks on U.S. and Iraqi troops.

The battle came a day after the Bush administration acknowledged that the Iraqi government was making "unsatisfactory" progress in its efforts to purge the police force of Shiite militia — among the elusive benchmarks Washington believes are needed to stabilize the country.

The Lugar-Warner amendment would require the administration to present its post-September Iraq plans to Congress, including a reduction in force levels, by Oct. 16, and design them so that they can be put into action by Dec. 31.

It also would call on the Bush administration to send Congress a new rationale for military involvement in Iraq in September and to set up a regular meeting with countries from the Middle East on Iraq.

The White House said the Bush administration would review the Lugar-Warner plan.

Lugar said he didn't think the politically charged debate in Congress over a withdrawal would change Bush's ideas about his Iraq strategy before September.