Bill passed to bring US troops home

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The 218-208 vote came as the top US commander in Iraq told politicians the country remained gripped by violence but was showing some signs of improvement.

The Bill is on track to clear Congress by the end of the week and arrive on the President's desk in coming days as the first binding congressional challenge to Bush's handling of the conflict now in its fifth year.

"Our troops are mired in a civil war with no clear enemy and no clear strategy for success," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat.

Republicans promised to stand squarely behind the president in rejecting what they called a "surrender date" handed to the enemy.

"Al Qaida will view this as the day the House of Representatives threw in the towel," said Jerry Lewis, a Republican who is on the House Appropriations Committee.

The Bill sets a non-binding goal of completing the troop pull out by April 1, 2008, allowing for forces conducting certain non-combat missions, such as attacking terrorist networks or training Iraqi forces, to remain.

House and Senate appropriators agreed to the legislation earlier this week.

The Senate was expected to clear the measure today, sending it to the president.

While Mr Bush was confident the Bill would ultimately fail because Democrats lacked the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto, he kept up the pressure.