US:As President George Bush prepared to sign a $120 billion Iraq War funding Bill yesterday, Democrats said that they would not give up trying to end the war and Republicans predicted a change of course in September.
The funding Bill, which will allow Mr Bush to continue the war until September 30th, was passed despite the opposition of a number of leading Democrats, including presidential front-runners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell predicted that, despite the administration's victory over the Democrats in the standoff over war funding, Mr Bush would lead a shift in strategy after September.
"I think the handwriting is on the wall that we are going in a different direction in the fall, and I expect the president himself to lead it. We've given the Iraqi government an opportunity to have a normal country, and so far they've been a great disappointment," he said.
Ms Pelosi said that Democrats only reluctantly bowed to Mr Bush and removed a timeline for withdrawal of troops from the funding Bill. The president vetoed the first war-funding Bill on May 1st because it carried a timetable, and he had vowed to do so again if Congress persisted. The new Bill contains benchmarks the Iraqi government must meet or face the loss of non-military US aid, although Mr Bush could waive the sanctions if he chooses.
Mr McConnell indicated that he expects the president to redirect US policy in Iraq along the lines recommended last December by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, led by former secretary of state James Baker and former congressman Lee Hamilton.
The group's report, which Mr Bush praised but has largely ignored until now, recommended a re-energised diplomatic and political effort in the region and a change in mission for US troops, with most combat troops to begin leaving Iraq. Remaining troops, the study group said, should focus on training the Iraqi military and conducting strikes against al-Qaeda militants operating within Iraq.
Republican presidential contenders criticised Ms Clinton and Mr Obama for voting against the war funding Bill, accusing them of pandering to anti-war activists, who could play an important part in the Democratic primaries.
"They've gone from an anti-war position to an anti-military, anti-troops position," said former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Mr Obama hit back at Republicans for "still supporting a war that has cost us thousands of lives, made us less safe in the world and resulted in a resurgence of al-Qaeda".
Ms Clinton, who is a member of the Senate armed services committee and has cultivated the image of a national security hawk, said that she fully supported US forces, but the Bill "failed to compel the president to give our troops a new strategy in Iraq".