WASHINGTON, March 6 (UPI) -- Conservative and liberal U.S. House Democrats are debating how to get U.S. President George Bush to set timelines and benchmarks for the war in Iraq.
U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., is leading the anti-war effort that advocates limiting the number of troops deployed based on existing military standards of readiness, which The Washington Post said are openly disregarded.
More conservative Democrats are reluctant to adopt anything that would affect the Republican president's powers as commander in chief.
A compromise measure being debated would require Bush to adhere to plans he announced Jan. 10, in which Iraq must be ready to assume its own security requirements by November and in which the United States would spend $10 billion on reconstruction projects, among other things.
The compromise says if those conditions haven't been met, Bush would have to submit a withdrawal timeline to Congress. The Post reported that leadership aides said the goal is to force Bush to abide by his own promises but to make sure the legacy of the war remains his.
