Text 27569, 82 rader
Skriven 2007-03-01 20:17:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: eid
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Nothing like telling the enemy what we will and won't do....

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http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid
=2007-03-01T204505Z_01_N01376466_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAN-USA-
CONGRESS.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

Sen. Reid favors bill restricting attack on Iran
Thu Mar 1, 2007 3:45pm ET
 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday 
said he likely would support legislation barring a U.S. attack on Iran 
unless Congress explicitly gave President George W. Bush the green light 
to do so.

The Nevada Democrat was responding to reporters' questions about an 
amendment to an upcoming war-funding bill, which could come to the 
Senate floor later this month. The amendment is being drafted by Sen. 
James Webb, the Virginia Democrat who won his seat in November largely 
on a vow to work to end the war in Iraq.

"I would be very, very confident, I have not read this (amendment), but 
I'm confident, in real generality ... that I can support him," Reid told 
reporters. 

Webb's amendment would prohibit Bush from spending any money on a 
"unilateral military action in Iran without the express consent of the 
Congress," the Virginia senator told reporters on Wednesday. He said 
there would be some exceptions, but did not detail them.

Webb said he used as a "starting point" legislation introduced in the 
U.S. House of Representatives in January by Republican Rep. Walter Jones 
of North Carolina making it clear that the Iraq war resolution passed by 
Congress in 2002 does not authorize the use of force in Iran.

U.S.-Iran relations are tense, in part because of Tehran's nuclear 
ambitions, but also following U.S. allegations that Iran has been 
encouraging the sectarian violence in Iraq that has raised the number of 
American casualties there.

For the past few months, congressional Democrats have been warning the 
Bush administration against creating a pretext for a military strike 
against Iran, which many fear could spark a regional conflict.   
On Tuesday, at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the war in 
Iraq, Chairman Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat, asked military 
leaders whether the United States was preparing to strike Iran.

"Mr. Chairman it is not true," Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff, said. "Categorically sir," he added.

FUNDING DEBATE

Reid, in his remarks to reporters on Thursday, acknowledged the 
Pentagon's assurances. But he added, "There are many out there much 
smarter than I am who believe the administration is ramping up to have 
the same thing happen in Iran that happened in Iraq." 

However, Reid applauded the administration's announcement this week that 
the United States would participate in an Iraq-led regional conference 
that Iran and Syria will be invited to attend.

Previously, the administration had ruled out direct talks with Iran.

Later this month, the Senate could take up debate on a $100 billion bill 
to pay for continued combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Besides Webb's possible amendment, the Iraq war funding bill likely will 
be the target of other attempts to put conditions on the conflict, which 
Democrats want to bring to an end.

But even before the war spending bill comes up, the Senate could stage a 
debate the week of March 12 on Iraq war policy, Reid said.

He added he was inclined to let Republicans have a vote on a proposal 
they favored, which would bar any cutoff of funds for the war. 
Republican leaders have so far blocked consideration of Senate measures 
disapproving of Bush's Iraq policy until they can have a vote on the 
funding issue. 

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