A proposal by Democrat senators to regulate the troop combat tours in Iraq suffered a setback Wednesday after a Republican senator withdrew his support.
The proposal, raised by Senator Jim Webb, requires that troops in Iraq be allowed as much time at home as they do deployed, instead of 15 months in combat and 12 months home Army soldiers spend now.
Three Republican senators, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Olympia Snowe of Maine and Gordon Smith of Oregon, joined Democrats in sponsoring the bill.
But other Republicans opposed the bill for it potentially being a "backdoor method" of forcing troop withdrawal from Iraq and incurring chaos in Iraq.
The bill, which requires 60 votes in the Senate to be approved, suffered a setback after Senator John Warner, who voted for the bill in July along with 55 other senators, swiftly changed his stance.
Warner said he was convinced by military officers that increasing rest between combat tours could not happen soon without causing major problems.
The bill is expected to meet another strike even if it gains enough votes in the Senate. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he would recommend President George W. Bush to veto the bill if it is approved.
Source: Xinhua
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