May 02: In an argument with Congress on Tuesday over the detested and costly war, which the Democrats are pushing to conclude, President George W Bush vetoed the $124 billion war spending bill to evacuate US combat troops out of Iraq. Earlier, a bill was passed according to which the troops’ withdrawal was sanctioned and the date fixed was Oct 1. The complete pullout was scheduled to take place in six months following October 1.
Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, and Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, signed the Iraq Supplemental Conference Report and sent it to President Bush. The President showed no favor regarding the issue in hand.
“Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure, and that would be irresponsible,� President Bush said. He said the measure would ‘impose impossible conditions on our commanders in combat’ by forcing them to ‘take fighting directions from politicians 6,000 miles away in Washington, D.C.’
The Democrats were aware of the outcome but still made a last-minute plea and presented Bush the bill. Reid, pointing towards the failure of the mission said: “The President has put our troops in the middle of a civil war… Reality on the ground proves that we all know. A change of course is needed.�
The veto added fuel to the fire and has resulted in a major power clash between in Congress. “If the president thinks by vetoing this bill he will stop us from working to change the direction of the war in Iraq, he is mistaken. Now he has an obligation to explain his plan to responsibly end this war,� added Reid.
The veto, announced by Mr. Bush at 6:10 p.m., just before the network news broadcasts began, was quickly seized on by Democratic circle. Minutes after that, an anti-war demonstrator stood outside the White House with a bullhorn and shouted: “How many more must die? How many more must die?�
President Bush, assuring the senators and the citizens said: “Failure in Iraq should be unacceptable to the civilized world. The risks are enormous.� He added that there were “signs of hope� even though the troop buildup was in its early stages.
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