This is a compilation of reports from the Press-Citizen and Radio Iowa
In a move that will likely face a White House veto, Rep. Dave Loebsack voted for a bill Thursday for a withdrawal of U.S. forces to begin within 120 days and move to a “limited presence” by April 1, 2008.
The troop-withdrawal measure passed the House on a 223 to 201 vote.The bill also requires the president to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy for Iraq by Jan. 1, 2008, and justify “the minimum force level” necessary to protect U.S. security interests.
“It doesn’t go as far as I would like, but it’s an important first step,” said Loebsack, D-Iowa. “If I had my way we would begin to remove our troops tomorrow.
My goal was to have everyone out in a year,” he said. “I have concerns about this bill obviously because it says that an unspecified number of troops may be allowed to stay. I have a real concern about how President Bush would interpret that should this become law.”
Bruce Braley, US Congressman from Waterloo who also voted for the bill, said the bill gives the President benchmarks as the bill requires President Bush to come up with a "comprehensive Iraq strategy by January 1 of 2008, that report must include a discussion of U.S. national security interests in Iraq, a justification of the minimum force levels required to protect U.S. national security interests after April 1st of 2008, and also requires him to lay out specific diplomatic initiatives to engage U.S. allies and others in the region to bring stability to the area."
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