Senate Democrats Seek GOP Stand on Iraq

Senate Democrats sought to force Republicans to take a stand on the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq on Thursday, raising the possibility of requiring President Bush to outline a timetable for a phased withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Bush would be required to update his estimate every three months under the proposal, which Democrats said they would try to add to a defense policy bill the Senate was debating. The administration has refused to set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, saying it would give insurgents the chance to prevail by waiting until the departure.

It was not clear when — or whether — a vote would be held on the Democratic proposal. The minority party has been trying to capitalize on growing public impatience three years after Congress gave the president the authority to use force in Iraq. There are nearly 160,000 U.S. troops there now.

On another war matter, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., sought to bar foreign terror suspects at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from challenging their detentions in American courts. A vote was expected on Graham's proposal late Thursday. Both Democrats and Republicans spoke out against the proposal.

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