Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

·Gates said he was involved in planning the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
·Gates said he agreed with Clinton planning concerning the future of U.S. forces in Iraq.
·The Democratic-controlled Congress has called for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates discusses Iraq with journalists during a media roundtable at the Pentagon in Washington July 13, 2007 file photo. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    WASHINGTON, July 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he was involved in planning the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, in a letter made public on Thursday.

    "You may rest assured that such planning is indeed taking place with my active involvement as well as that of senior military and civilian officials, and our commanders in the field," Gates said of the planning in a letter to Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton.

    Clinton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote a letter to the Pentagon in May asking for answers regarding how U.S. troops and equipment would leave Iraq.

    The senator was rebuked later in a letter by Defense Undersecretary for Policy Eric Edelman saying that public discussion of withdrawal would reinforce enemy propaganda "that the U.S. will abandon its allies in Iraq" and fuel sectarian violence in the country.

    During a televised Democratic presidential debate on Monday night, Clinton, a front-runner in the race for the party's nomination, said she asked the Pentagon a simple question: "Have you prepared for withdrawing our troops?"

    "In response, I got a letter accusing me of being unpatriotic; that I shouldn't be asking questions," she said.

    Clinton has called Gates for an explanation, and Gates' letter was intended to put to rest the dispute between the senator and the Pentagon.

    "I truly regret that this important discussion went astray and I also regret any misunderstanding of intention," Gates said in the letter, dated Wednesday.

    Gates said he agreed with Clinton that planning concerning the future of U.S. forces in Iraq - including the drawdown of those forces at the right time - was not only appropriate but essential.

    He assured Clinton that he would find ways to keep her "apprised of the conceptual thinking, factors, considerations, questions and objectives associated with draw down planning."

    The Democratic-controlled Congress has called for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, but the White House has so far resisted any attempt to set up such a timetable.

U.S. Democrat vows to push for troop withdrawal

    WASHINGTON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives said Wednesday that he would introduce legislation next week that would require the withdrawal of U.S. troops out of Iraq to begin within two months.

    John Murtha, a leading war critic, said he would bring an amendment to the defense spending bill for fiscal 2008 the House was to take up next week that would require the Bush administration to start withdrawing within 60 days after enactment. 

U.S. House passes bill barring permanent bases in Iraq

    WASHINGTON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House voted 399-24 on Wednesday to pass a bill that would prevent the establishment of permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq and bar U.S. control of Iraqi oil.

    The bill was introduced by Democratic Representative Barbara Lee of California, and was supported by all but 24 Republicans in the 435-member chamber.