Divided U.S. Congress approves Iraq war funds

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A divided U.S. Congress on Thursday approved $100 billion to keep fighting the war in Iraq, as Democrats pledged to resurrect failed attempts to force President George W. Bush to withdraw troops.

Passage of the legislation capped a four-month struggle between Bush and the new Democratic-led Congress over the increasingly unpopular Iraq war, now in its fifth year.

Underscoring Democratic division, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California voted against it and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada voted for it.

Three Democratic senators running for president -- Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Barack Obama of Illinois and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut -- opposed providing money with no withdrawal deadlines. But Joseph Biden of Delaware, also a presidential hopeful, voted yes.

With this latest installment, the United States will have allocated more than $565 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, according to the Congressional Research Service. Most of the money has gone to fight in Iraq.

Bush pleaded for patience but warned of more tough times ahead. "It could be a bloody -- it could be a very difficult August," he told reporters at the White House.

But he also made clear September will be an important period, when the U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, will report on the impact of the troop buildup and make a recommendation on how to proceed.

The House voted 280-142 for the emergency funding bill, while the Senate passed it 80-14.

On May 1, Bush vetoed a Democratic bill that would have begun withdrawing U.S. soldiers from Iraq by Oct. 1 and Democrats did not have the votes to reverse him.

Lawmakers approved the revamped bill just before leaving for a long Memorial Day recess as war funds were running out.

The Republican president is expected to promptly sign into law the bill, which for the first time would set a series of "benchmarks" to measure progress in Iraq and ties a small amount of non-military U.S. aid to that progress.

"This is a token. This is a small step forward. Instead we should have a giant step forward into a new direction," Pelosi said.

U.S. anti-war groups slammed Democrats for allowing the bill to pass.

Pelosi said Democrats will quickly resume their drive to impose deadlines for pulling U.S. combat troops out of Iraq.

She said she will put on the House agenda a bill to repeal Congress' 2002 authorization of the Iraq war and said Democrats will use next year's military spending bills to try to end the war that has killed at least 3,420 U.S. soldiers and wounded more than 34,000. Iraqis have suffered far worse casualties.

According to a CBS News/New York Times poll, 76 percent of Americans believe the war is going somewhat or very badly for the United States and only 20 percent said Bush's recent troop increase is making a positive difference.

Congressional Republicans are beginning to talk about the possible need for a change in direction within a few months.

One influential Republican senator, John Warner of Virginia, said a new U.S. strategy might be needed by July if problems in Iraq do not improve.

House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio, his voice cracking with emotion, denounced the insurgents in Iraq and said the United States must prevail.

"When are we going to stand up and take them on? When are we going to defeat them? If we don't do it now, if we don't have the courage to defeat this enemy, we will long long regret it," Boehner said.

Besides buying more ammunition, armored vehicles and aircraft for the wars, the spending bill provides more aid for countries ranging from Lebanon to Liberia and gives $185.5 million to help refugees and others displaced in Iraq, Afghanistan and African countries.

Next Tuesday is U.N. Peacekeeping Day

On Tuesday, 29 May the fifth annual International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers will be observed worldwide to honour all peacekeepers, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace.

In Liberia, UNMIL will observe Day, beginning at 10 a.m., with a wreath-laying ceremony at UNMIL Headquarters, Pan African Plaza in Monrovia in remembrance of all fallen peacekeepers worldwide.

The ceremony will bring together the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Alan Doss and the United Nations family, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and senior officials of the Liberian Government, members of the Diplomatic Corps, UN family members, other partners and all peacekeepers.

Following the wreath-laying ceremony, journalists will be taken to various communities in Monrovia and its suburbs to cover UNMIL peacekeepers providing humanitarian assistance – such as free medical services by military medical personnel - to Liberians. Similar activities will be taking place in other parts of the country

Armed Men Visits Liberian Police Chief

Men dressed in black described as armed robbers last Friday night attacked the Barnersville compound of Police Inspector General Beatrice Munah Sieh, and an officer of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Col. Edward Wreh, according to neighbors. Both homes are opposite each other.

Five police officers providing security at the compound are reportedly undergoing investigation, sources say.

Police Public Affairs Chief, Mr. Alvin Jask, when contacted, said he was verifying the news and would get back to this paper. Up to press, there was no word from the police.

The armed men, one who neighbors said carried a new AK-47, struck before the police chief arrived home. Neighbors said the police chief does not reside in the house but on Front Street, her actual residence. There is, however, a team of policemen stationed there.

One of the Police officers who was on duty the night the robbers struck said, the robbers put him at gun point and ordered him back in the Police chief’s compound.

“They were more than seven,” he said, adding, “I saw two AK-47 rifles with them.”
The officer, Randall Gaye, said the incident occurred after the heavy down pour of rain last Friday night. “The generator was off,” he said.

Officer Randall: “We were five on duty but three of our colleagues had gone on patrol. So, we were two that remained on guard. So I told my other colleague to be on the alight, asking that he go and check around the house. I came out by way of the small gate, and when I got out I saw a group of people.

They flashed the light on me. And asked me to go back in the fence. And I also asked them because I wanted to know who they were, and I said why is it that when you people come on patrol you like to flash light in your fellow officers’ eye. Then I saw arm pointing to me, they had two AK-47,” he said.

“I then took three steps back and entered the fence and ran to wake up the Director’s children informing them that we have been attacked by armed robbers. So we dialed 355, as I was in, they were bouncing on my friend, the next noise I heard after that was here (pointing to the Col Wreh’s house).

“I was in the room when I heard the noise outside, so I opened my door thinking that the police had arrested someone,” Col. Wreh explained.

“I wanted to see for myself. Right away a man with cutlass came to me and the rest numbering about six came in our house. They entered the children’s room and lifted up the arm against my daughter, who shouted loudest. Since then she has not recover from the trauma,” Col. Wreh added.

“I just took her from hospital,” an elderly woman, the girl’s mother said displaying few drugs.
The attack comes days after the Police Inspector General declared her force would ensure criminals have no hiding places, particularly as the rainy season approaches, a time of increase in criminal activities. Police thereafter announced the arrest of two men they said are the bosses of the feared Isakaba gangs roaming the city at night with machetes and guns.

Police sources and residents this week said the Barnersville community, where the police chief has her compound, has been under sustained armed attack for a week, leaving police helpless to launch a counter-offensive due to logistical and other inadequacies.