Senator Russ Feingold issued a challenge to his colleagues Thursday, to redeploy U.S. troops from Iraq by early next year. "This war doesn't make sense, it's hurting our country, and it's time to end it," said the Wisconsin Democrat. The U.S. launched its preemptive war 52 months ago, and on the Senate floor, Feingold called the Bush strategy "an unmitigated disaster," noting that "violence in Iraq has exploded to unprecedented levels," as U.S. troop casualties have also increased. While the White House believes some progress has been made so far with the "troop surge," Feingold insists the situation is grim in Iraq and elsewhere. "The administration's single minded focus on Iraq prevents us from adequately confronting threats of extremism and terrorism around the globe," he said. The Senate is debating an amendment to redeploy the troops by next March, which Feingold supports. If that fails, Feingold said he and Senate Majority leader, Harry Reid, stand ready to try to advance their own plan, to cut funding for the war by April of next year, and redeploy almost all U.S. troops within three months of that.
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