Prospective GOP allies slam senator’s call for troop pullout

Two Senate Republicans who have challenged the White House over Iraq voiced strong opposition Monday to beginning a phased withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq next year, dealing a quick blow to Democrats on their paramount national security issue barely a week after winning the majority.

Earlier in the day, Senate Armed Services ranking member Carl Levin, D-Mich., who will become chairman of the committee in the next Congress, had expressed confidence he could line up enough GOP votes to pass a nonbinding resolution urging President Bush to serve notice to the Iraqi government that U.S. troops will begin leaving within four to six months.

But shortly after Levin spoke with reporters, Armed Services Airland Subcommittee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., who will become the panel's ranking member, and Personnel Subcommittee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., slammed Levin's proposal.

"I will adamantly oppose any efforts by a Democrat-controlled Congress to mandate troop withdrawals or set deadlines for withdrawal from Iraq," Graham said in a statement.

"To start withdrawing troops would be equivalent to surrendering in the central battle front in the war on terror," Graham said. "A misguided proposal such as this should hit a wall in the Senate."

Graham said U.S. goals in the coming months for Iraq should be to provide better security.

McCain and Graham have been outspoken critics of the administration's conduct of the war in Iraq and have called for an increase in the number of U.S. troops deployed to improve security and allow Iraqi leaders to take greater control.

They also have been allies of Levin's the last two years on issues surrounding administration policies on detainees and suspected terrorists.

While speaking with reporters Monday, Levin said he had "talked to a key Republican" --whom he did not name -- about backing his troop withdrawal resolution, which would not spell out specific dates or numbers of troops. Levin credited his "intuition" for sensing bipartisan support for his proposal.

He added that "based on earlier conversations ... there are a number of Republicans who want us to change course and to do so in a way which will send a message to the Iraqis that this is their responsibility, and we cannot save them from themselves."

He said he plans to meet with McCain about the resolution. "If the administration's not going to add troops ... then Sen. McCain would presumably favor removing some troops," Levin said.

But McCain rejected Levin's plan outright in comments issued by his spokeswoman. "He has strongly opposed any kind of arbitrary timetable for withdraw and continues to oppose any kind of a timetable for withdrawal, including a four-to-six-months timetable," she said.

While McCain and Graham said they were completely opposed to a phased withdrawal, the White House left the door open for negotiations.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Levin's plan lacks details. "We're in an area of high speculation where you've had various people floating things without putting anything on paper or, for that matter, giving us any details about what they're talking about," he said Monday at his daily briefing.

"I'll tell you, there seems to be this notion that somehow it's like a board game, where you just sort of neatly sweep all the pieces, and then it's all done," he added. "And in point of fact, this is a highly complex situation. It is the central front in the war on terror. And you do have to win."

Snow brushed off repeated questions on whether Bush might support any kind of a phased withdrawal before saying, "If the conditions on the ground do not merit withdrawal, the answer is no."

But Snow also said the White House is willing to discuss any ideas that would help the Iraqis succeed.