Republican Senators Call for New War Authorization

By JEFF ZELENY
New York Times

WASHINGTON, July 13 — Two leading Republican senators said today that President Bush should seek a new war authorization and present a plan to Congress by Oct. 16 outlining contingency plans in Iraq. Those plans, which would include reducing American forces, should begin by the end of the year.

Senators John W. Warner of Virginia and Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, both of whom have criticized the administration’s troop buildup plan, introduced a measure expected to be considered next week when the Iraq war debate resumes. The senators said it was critical to move beyond the current clash between Congress and the White House and begin making plans to be implemented after the military releases its progress report in September.

“I continue to counsel the president and his administration to move now to construct a more sustainable policy in Iraq that reduces our troop commitments and transitions away from the missions of interposing ourselves between sectarian factions,” Mr. Lugar said in a statement.

Mr. Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, and Mr. Warner, a former chairman of the Armed Services Committee, are viewed among Republicans as respected and reasoned voices on the war debate. They had both agreed to withhold judgment until the interim report on Iraq that was presented Thursday to Congress.

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