 Quote:
However, the big question facing lawmakers and the White House is what happens if those benchmarks aren't met.
Many Democrats and some Republicans support setting out consequences, but the White House fiercely opposes the idea, which Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday would "tie our own hands" and reduce the United States' "flexibility" in Iraq.
A senior Republican lawmaker, working behind the scenes with senators from both parties, has suggested a possible way to bridge that gap -- requiring troops to be withdrawn if the benchmarks aren't met but allowing the president to waive that requirement if he chooses.
Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, has also proposed setting a four-month deadline for the Iraqi government to make political progress. If no progress is demonstrated, the United States would then begin preparing for a troop withdrawal.
| I would much prefer the democrats hold tough to their idea of troops coming home. We can't afford 4 more years of "patience" with the Iraqi government. | 
05-01-2007, 07:40 AM
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