Fast and Furious News on Iraq

Lots of development today in Congress around plans to stop the escalation. Democrats are talking openly about planning to split Republicans over the war, and in fact, Chuck Hagel has signed on as a co-sponsor to the Biden-Levin proposal for a nonbinding "sense of the Senate" resolution. But there's more than that. Today Chris Dodd requiring new authorization from Congress for any additional troops in Iraq:

Washington, D.C. – Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee, today announced legislation which would limit the President’s authority to escalate U.S. military involvement in Iraq absent a new Congressional authorization to do so. Specifically, the bill would prohibit U.S. combat forces being increased beyond current levels without advance approval by Congress. Sen. Dodd stated that the authority given by Congress in 2002 to intervene in Iraq never contemplated that U.S. troops would be engaged in a civil war in Iraq, and the President must now come back to Congress to seek authorization for this new and ill-conceived mission. Sen. Dodd’s bill would also cap the number of troops at the level of troops present on January 16, 2007. Any additional increase in troop levels beyond January 16th levels must be specifically authorized by Congress.

“The President seems determined to continue his failed policy in Iraq by escalating US military involvement there,” Dodd said. “The President no longer has the luxury of dismissing Congress. Congress is a co-equal branch of Government and the time for blank checks is over. Congress needs to act urgently on this matter before we send additional troops into harm’s way.”

This is a smart bill, in a way smarter than Sen. Kennedy's which focuses on funding. But that's still alive as well. And John Edwards will embarrass any 2008 candidates who don't sign on to any of these plans. And I hear that Maxine Waters has signaled that there will be a raft of anti-escalation bills on the House floor. I say vote on all of them. You'll see Republicans eyeing the exit door with each one, particularly the ones up in 2008.

Meanwhile, as eight Middle Eastern countries warn against outside interference in Iraq, presumably a warning to Iran, Saudi Arabia makes plans... to interfere in Iraq:

Saudi Arabia believes the Iraqi government is not up to the challenge and has told the United States that it is prepared to move its own forces into Iraq should the violence there degenerate into chaos, a senior U.S. official told NBC News on Tuesday.

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal made no effort to mask his skepticism Tuesday about President Bush’s proposal to send 21,000 more U.S. troops to Iraq to stem sectarian fighting.

“We agree with the full objectives set by the new plan,” Saud said at a joint news conference in Riyadh with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is traveling in the region selling Bush’s plan. “We are hoping these objectives can be accomplished, but the means are not in our hands. They are in the hands of the Iraqis themselves.”

In fact, Saudi leaders are privately “deeply skeptical” that the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki could implement the U.S. plan, the senior U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell, who is traveling with Rice.

Given that the practical effect of the escalation plan may be to destroy Sunni resistance and bring Iraq closer to Iran, I almost don't blame the Saudis. The US used to fight their battles for them. But they know they'll have to fight this one on their own.

UPDATE: I almost forgot the most important news, the official appeal for redress undertaken by active-duty and retired soldiers, 1,000 strong, opposing the war and calling for a limit to funding.

A group of more than 50 active-duty military officers will deliver a petition to Congress on Tuesday signed by about 1,000 troops calling for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. “Any troop increase over here will just produce more sitting ducks, more targets,” said Sergeant Ronn Cantu, who is serving in Iraq.

Under the 1988 Military Whistleblower Protection Act, active duty military, National Guard, and Reservists may communicate with any member of Congress without fear of reprisal, even if copies of the communication are sent to others.

Is that unprecedented? I can't remember it ever happening before.