WASHINGTON, 27 April 2007 — In an unprecedented slap at President George W. Bush’s war policy, the US Congress yesterday approved legislation that links withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq to paying for the war, ensuring a veto.

By a vote of 51-46, the Senate joined the House of Representatives in backing the bill that would provide about $100 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this year while setting a deadline to withdraw US forces from Iraq over the next 11 months. It was the first time that the entire Congress, controlled by Democrats since January, has defied the president. Bush has repeatedly said he will not accept “surrender” dates.

“The president will veto this legislation,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. “The president is determined to win in Iraq. The bill they sent us today is mission defeated.”

Democrats might arrange to deliver their bill to the White House on Tuesday, the fourth anniversary of Bush declaring aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln: “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended.” The aircraft carrier was decorated with a large “mission accomplished” banner.

Calling for a “new direction in Iraq,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat, said US troops “had the courage and the strength to win the war, but the president has not had the wisdom to win the peace.” Democrats, however, doubt they have two-thirds support in Congress to overturn a presidential veto. The House passed the bill on Wednesday 218-208 on a mostly partisan vote.

In Iraq, the US military said yesterday that a senior US Army officer at a prison in Iraq that holds former top aides to Saddam Hussein and insurgents has been charged with “aiding the enemy.”

Lt. Col. William Steele, the commander of the 451st Military Police Detachment, was in charge of the detention facilities at Camp Cropper near Baghdad international airport when the alleged offenses occurred. He is also charged with having an improper relationship with a translator, fraternizing with the daughter of a detainee, providing mobile phones to prisoners, unauthorized possession of classified information, and keeping pornographic videos.

“He has been in detention in Kuwait since last month pending an Article 32 hearing, which is a preliminary hearing where evidence will be presented to determine whether this should go to court-martial,” US military spokeswoman Lt. Col. Josslyn Aberle said.

Camp Cropper holds more than 3,000 detainees, including former high-ranking members of Saddam’s government and prisoners who were transferred last year from Abu Ghraib prison, notorious for the prisoner abuse scandal involving US troops.

The US military said in a statement that Steele faced charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The date of the alleged offenses ranged from October 2005 to February 2007. No personal details of Steele were available.

Steele was accused of “aiding the enemy” by providing detainees with unmonitored mobile phones between October 2005 and October 2006, it said.