U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney has assured political allies that an early withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq would not be allowed, despite efforts by Congress to impose a deadline on U.S. combat operations there.
The comments late Saturday followed a historic vote Friday in the House of Representatives, which called for a pullout of US combat troops from Iraq by August 31, 2008 -- regardless of whether Iraqi security forces are ready to take over from them.
President George W. Bush has vowed to veto the measure. But the threat has called into question the future of a 124-billion-dollar emergency funding bill, to which it is attached.
Lacking line-item veto power, Bush can reject bills only in their entirety.
In light of this circumstance, the president acknowledged earlier Saturday that if the bill that finances the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is not passed by April 15, the military “will face significant disruptions.”
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