[A-List] House Nixes Proposal to Bar Iran Attack

["Yoshie Furuhashi" <critical.montages@xxxxxxxxx>]

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6639373,00.html>
House Nixes Proposal to Bar Iran Attack
Thursday May 17, 2007 6:01 AM
By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House rejected two measures Wednesday that would
have required President Bush to seek congressional approval before
attacking Iran.

The proposals were offered as amendments to a $646 billion defense
policy bill for the 2008 budget year, which starts Oct. 1.

The first proposal, by Rep. Robert Andrews, D-N.J., would have
prohibited money in the bill from being used to strike Iran without
Congress' blessing; it fell by a 216-202 vote. A similar, but more
sweeping measure offered by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., was rejected
by a 288-136 vote.

The votes were primarily symbolic; Bush has not said he is planning to
invade Iran. But because of missteps made in assessing pre-war
intelligence on Iraq, many Democrats said the legislation was
necessary.

"If it were any president I don't think we'd have to worry about
this,'' said Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I.

A similar proposal on Iran initially was included in this year's war
spending bill drafted by the House. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
D-Calif., agreed to remove the requirement after several Democrats
said they were worried about Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Those concerns were expressed again Wednesday by both Republicans and
some Democrats who said the proposals would unnecessarily tie the
president's hands and leave Israel and the United States vulnerable.

"No one wants another war,'' said Rep. Shelly Berkley, D-Nev. "But if
we don't take a tough stance on Iran and maintain the threat of
military action, Iran will get the message that we don't care if it
gets nuclear weapons.''
--
Yoshie