IN A VOTE CHARGED WITH ELECTION-YEAR POLITICS, THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSED A SYMBOLIC RESOLUTION ON FRIDAY THAT WRAPPED THE IRAQ CONFLICT INTO THE WAR ON TERRORISM AND REJECTED A DEADLINE FOR U.S. TROOP WITHDRAWAL, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. THE HOUSE VOTED 256-153 FOR THE RESOLUTION THAT SPARKED TWO DAYS OF BITTER DEBATE AS REPUBLICANS SOUGHT TO DEPICT DEMOCRATS AS WEAK ON TERRORISM, WHILE DEMOCRATS DECRIED PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH'S POLICIES THAT THEY SAID LED TO CHAOS IN IRAQ AND DETRACTED FROM THE FIGHT AGAINST AL QAEDA. "WILL WE FIGHT OR WILL WE RETREAT? THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT'S POSED TO US," HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER JOHN BOEHNER SAID. AFTER THE VOTE, THE OHIO REPUBLICAN SAID, "CAPITOL HILL DEMOCRATS, ONCE AGAIN, PUT THEIR DIVISIONS AND INCOHERENCE ON DISPLAY FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TO SEE." FORTY-TWO DEMOCRATS, MOSTLY FACING TOUGH ELECTIONS IN CONSERVATIVE SOUTHERN OR MIDWESTERN DISTRICTS, VOTED FOR THE MEASURE. THREE REPUBLICANS VOTED AGAINST IT. MOST DEMOCRATS CALLED THE RESOLUTION A SHAM THAT TRIED TO CONNECT THE IRAQ WAR WITH THE SEPT. 11 ATTACKS, EVEN THOUGH NO SUCH LINKS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED. REP. JOHN MURTHA, A PRO-DEFENSE PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRAT WHO ROCKED CONGRESS LAST YEAR WHEN HE TURNED AGAINST THE WAR, LASHED OUT AS REPUBLICANS ADVOCATED CONTINUING THE IRAQ FIGHT. MURTHA, A VIETNAM VETERAN, SAID IT WAS "EASY TO STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED OFFICE AND SAY, 'I'M GOING TO STAY THE COURSE.'" HE ADDED: "THAT'S WHY I GET SO UPSET WHEN THEY STAND HERE SANCTIMONIOUSLY AND SAY WE'RE FIGHTING THIS THING. IT'S THE TROOPS THAT ARE DOING THE FIGHTING." --MORE 16/06/2006 23:49 ت م
