ON THE fourth anniversary of his "mission accomplished" speech, Bush used his veto powers to block the Democrat's war appropriation bill that includes a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.This is an important political showdown. Bush continues to block any withdrawal from Iraq. Instead, he is giving every indication of extending the war to Iran.

The USS Nimitz, has been deployed to the Persian Gulf. It will join two other US carriers and a French carrier in the largest display of gunboat diplomacy since the lead up to the Iraq war.

In the background, negotiations at the UN continue over Iran's pursuit of uranium enriched technology and, the US and Britain continue to allege Iran is supplying weaponry to Iraqi insurgents.

The Democrats are responding to the massive anti-war sentiment that delivered them control of both Houses of Congress last November.

Post veto, Hilary Clinton, who originally supported the war, has joined with Senator Harry Reid to draft legislation terminating congressional approval for the war. The legislation would force Bush back to Congress for authorisation to continue the war beyond October 2007.

But the Democrats' opposition to the war is subject to ridiculous qualifications. The bill, if approved, would not end US operations in Iraq. For example, US troops "protecting American diplomatic facilities and American citizens" were exempted from the withdrawal plan.

Also exempted were troops "engaging in targeted special actions limited in duration and scope to killing or capturing members of Al Qaeda and other terrorist organisations within global reach".

Nor did the bill address the funding of mercenaries, employed on Pentagon contracts, by corporations such as Halliburton and Blackwater. Foreign mercenaries are the second largest occupation force in Iraq after the US army.

The US anti-war movement can't rely on the Democrats to live up to people's democratic wishes-only sustained mobilisation can do that.

By Ali Crofts