WASHINGTON - Republicans in the US Senate on Wednesday blocked a Democratic measure which would have required President George W. Bush to pull most combat troops out of Iraq by the end of April 2008.
After a marathon all-night debate, the Republican vote held firm, despite several senators expressing unease over the war plan after the president rejected changes in Iraq strategy until September at the earliest.
The Senate voted by 52 to 47 to move to a final vote on the measure, well short of the 60-vote supermajority needed for the bill to proceed.
07/18/2007 15:30 GMT