War in Iraq

President Bush defends Iraq policy

Washington D.C. — (AP) President Bush shrugged off congressional debate on a nonbinding resolution opposing his Iraq policy on Wednesday but said U.S. troops are counting on lawmakers to provide them the funds they need to win.

Bush spoke as the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives debated a measure opposing his decision to send some 21,500 additional troops to Iraq.

"They have every right to express their opposition and it is a nonbinding resolution," he said of the House members, who were continuing a marathon Iraq policy debate on Capitol Hill even as he spoke.

At the same time, Bush said that Congress would soon be voting on a bill that did matter, one providing emergency funding for the Iraq war. "Our troops are counting on their elected leaders in Washington D.C. to provide them with the support they need to do their mission," he said.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)