White House denies Iraq policy rethink

By Tabassum Zakaria and Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush has no plans to withdraw troops from Iraq now, the White House said on Monday, despite increasing pressure from members of his own Republican party for a change in war strategy.

But Senate Democrats planned to hold votes on troop pullouts, hoping to capitalize on Republican defections to build a congressional majority around an exit strategy.

"A growing number of Republicans are now speaking against the failed strategy in Iraq, and that's good," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

"I think we will find the next couple of weeks, whether the Republicans who have said publicly they think the present course should change are willing to vote with us," the Nevada Democrat said.

At least one such Republican said she was willing to do so. Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, an early critic of Bush's policy of adding troops to Iraq this year, told reporters she was ready to vote for binding legislation requiring a troop withdrawal.

The White House denied a New York Times report that debate was intensifying over whether Bush should try to prevent more Republican defections by announcing intentions for a gradual withdrawal of troops from high-casualty Iraqi areas.

"There is no debate right now on withdrawing forces right now from Iraq," spokesman Tony Snow said.

Following recent calls for a change in strategy by lawmakers such as Sen. Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Times said officials fear the last pillars of political support among U.S. Senate Republicans for Bush's Iraq policy were collapsing.  Continued...