Warner-Lugar Call For 'revised' War Authorization For Iraq

Sens. John Warner (R-Va.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), two senior senior Republicans who have expressed doubts about President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq, have introduced an amendment calling for a new authorization resolution for the conflict.

Warner and Lugar want Bush to prepare for "post-September contingencies" if Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, reports that the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, is failing to bring about political reconciliation between warring factions or curb sectarian violence within Iraq, which continues to spiral out of control. Petraeus is scheduled to travel to Washington in mid-September to issue his report, which also include an update on the U.S. surge in troops to Baghdad.

The scenarios that Warner and Lugar envision in their new proposal include "a drawdown" or redeployment of forces.

Warner and Lugar offered their proposal as an amendment to the 2008 Defense authorization bill, which the Senate is now debating.

"Senator Warner and I have tried to approach the current situation by asking 'what should happen now, even if the President does not change course,'" Lugar said in a statement released by his office. "As such, our amendment is not an attempt to bring final resolution to the disagreement between advocates of the surge and advocates of withdrawal. Rather, we are attempting to ensure that U.S. military and diplomatic policy is prepared for change when the Petraeus report arrives in September. We are hopeful that regardless of where Senators stand on surge versus withdrawal, they will find our amendment to be a constructive bipartisan attempt to prepare for whatever policy follows in the coming months."

Warner and Lugar also want a new National Intelligence Estimate for Iraq prepared by no later than Sept. 4.