Bipartisan Move to Force Iraq Troop Withdrawal

(Bloomberg) - A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has introduced a measure that would require President George W. Bush to start withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq no later than October 2006.

Republican Representatives Walter Jones of North Carolina and Ron Paul of Texas joined Democratic Representatives Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii in sponsoring the resolution, said Doug Gordon, a Kucinich spokesman.

"Today is the beginning of the end of the war in Iraq,'' Kucinich said at a news conference in Washington today. "It is time to thank our troops and say, 'come home.' "

The bill is the first bipartisan measure on troop withdrawals since Congress gave Bush approval to invade the country to oust former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Gordon said. The measure would require Bush to begin removing American troops from Iraq on or before Oct. 1, 2006.