US House approves withdrawal of troops from Iraq

The House of Representatives approved Thursday legislation that would require the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq beginning within 120 days. Democratic leaders engineered passage of legislation requiring the withdrawal of combat troops to be completed by April 1, 2008. The measure envisions a limited residual force to train Iraqis, protect US assets and fight al-Qaida and other terrorists. The vote generally followed party lines: 219 Democrats and four Republicans in favor, and 191 Republicans and 10 Democrats opposed.