USA: Democrats, critical of President George W. Bush's plan for Iraq, say current policy has damaged U.S. standing in the international community

Days before U.S. President George W Bush delivers his State of the Union address, Democrats reiterated their opposition to his plan for Iraq saying the war and global warming would be two of the top issues for the new congress. At a news conference on Friday (January 19), Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, indicated that control of greenhouse gas emissions, which scientists believe cause global warming, would be a priority of the new Congress. She also said that radical changes needed to be taken to achieve energy independence. "It is important to our children's health and their global competitiveness to rid this nation of our dependence on foreign oil and big oil interest. Taking bold measures today to achieve energy independence within ten years must be of the highest priority to the Congress," she said. Pelosi said on Thursday (January 18) that she is forming a special committee to address climate change. As the war in Iraq becomes increasingly unpopular in the United States, Democrats, who took control of Congress from Republicans this month, have promised tougher oversight of defense spending, while challenging Bush's plans to broaden the U.S. war effort in Iraq. But while Pelosi said Congress would vote to oppose Bush's new Iraq war strategy, she did not go as far as to say she would move to block funding for a troop increase. She described the war as a "great moral challenge facing our nation." "The war has produced tens of thousands of casualties, cost hundreds of billions of dollars and damaged the standing of the United States in the international community," Pelosi said at a news conference just days before the president is due to deliver his state of the union address. The Pentagon previously estimated last year's costs for the war at about 8 billion U.S. dollars (USD) a month but the price tag will hit 8.4 billion USD per month this year, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England told the U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee on Thursday. The war cost around 4.4 billion USD per month during the first year of fighting in fiscal 2003 but costs were rising because the U.S. military was having to replace big-ticket items such as helicopters, airplanes and armored vehicles that were wearing out or lost in combat. The plan to send 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq would cost about 6 billion USD. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat characterized the Bush administration's plan as "more of the same." He went on to say that the increase in U.S. forces would not achieve stability in the Baghdad.. The area is a stronghold of the Mehdi Army, loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and blamed for most sectarian killing in Baghdad. Iraqi officials say the Baghdad security plan is aimed at crushing the Mehdi Army and other militias.

ITN Source | January 20, 2007

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