Nebraska Republican Chuck Hagel has joined three leading senators - two Democrats and another Republican - in introducing a resolution opposing President Bush's plan to send 21,500 more American troops to Iraq.
The resolution, a de facto no confidence vote on Bush's plan, also calls for more pressure on Iraqi politicians to make compromises and end rampant killings.
The resolution, sponsored by Senators. Hagel, Joseph Biden, D-Del., Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, is the latest effort congressional opponents of Bush's war plan are using to persuade the president to change course on America's war in Iraq.
Democrats consider it their best chance to attract broad backing from members of both parties.
A national debate needed
"I will do everything I can to stop the president's policy as he outlined it (last) Wednesday night," said Sen. Hagel, a Nebraska Republican, decorated Vietnam War veteran and potential 2008 presidential candidate, who joined Democrats at a press conference on the resolution.
"I think it is dangerously irresponsible," said Hagel.
Hagel called Iraq "one of the most challenging issues that has ever faced our country," and said a national debate was needed to find agreement on a new strategy.
"No one wants to see this country humiliated, defeated or lose its purpose," said Hagel, a Vietnam veteran and possible Republican presidential contender in 2008 who has been a longtime critic of the war.
Bush defends decision
President Bush said that his Iraq policy was headed to "a slow failure" until he changed course last week with the announcement that he was sending more than 21,000 additional U.S. troops to bolster flagging security in Baghdad.
The comment, perhaps his frankest admission that the previous strategy was not working, came during an interview Tuesday with Jim Lehrer of PBS's "NewsHour," in which Bush detailed some of his decisionmaking regarding Iraq.
"I had a choice to make," Bush said. "Do what we're doing -- and one could define that maybe a slow failure. Secondly, withdraw out of Baghdad and hope for the best. I think that would be expedited failure. And thirdly is to help this Iraqi government with additional forces -- help them do what they need to do, which is to provide security in Baghdad."
Poll: Most Americans oppose Bush plan
Meanwhile, a new Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll shows the public opposes Mr Bush's decision to dispatch 21,500 additional troops by a margin of 60 per cent to 36 per cent. Even so, there was little appetite for directly cutting funds for the build-up of forces as a means of thwarting the President's plan.
The resolution
The no-confidence resolution wouldn't have the force of law, but Biden argued that it was important nonetheless.
"I believe that when a president goes way off course on something as important as Iraq, the single most effective way to get him to change course is to demonstrate that his policy has waning or no support from both parties," Biden said.
The resolution doesn't assign blame for the war and doesn't venture into some of the thorny specifics of how to proceed.
For example, it doesn't address the timing of a U.S. withdrawal. Instead, it says the United States should turn over responsibility for security to the Iraqis "under an appropriately expedited timeline."
It calls for regional and international support for a peace process for Iraq, but doesn't specify which nations should be involved. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has rejected talks with Iran and Syria.
Biden said he would present the resolution today to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which he chairs. The committee probably will vote on it after the president's State of the Union speech next Tuesday night. The House of Representatives plans to let the Senate go first, then consider a similar resolution.
The Associated Press, LA Times and McClatchy News Service contributed to this report.
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