WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (AFP): Anti-war Democrats Thursday accused President George W. Bush of plotting to lace a potentially pivotal report on his Iraq troop surge strategy with "White House spin."
The attack came as senior congressional aides were reported as saying the White House tried to block public testimony in Congress next month from war commander General David Petraeus and US ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker.
Democrats are also angry the assessment on the surge, required under US law, will be written at the White House, not personally by Crocker and Petraeus.
But the White House accused Democrats of playing political games with war strategy, and made clear the two men would testify in a public hearing.
Senate Democratic Majority leader Harry Reid accused the White House of launching an attempt to mask candid testimony on the strategy.
"If the president is going to continue to ask American soldiers to fight in this civil war ... then those closest to the situation on the ground must give Congress and the American people a frank and honest account of this war free of White House spin," he said.
Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives, warned: "The American people have had four years of spin and slogans.
US Democrats slam 'political spin' over Iraq report
FE Team | Published: August 18, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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