The House of Representatives rejects Iraq pullout timetable. House intends to use new funding to "preserve stability" across the Strait of Taiwan and wants to ban arms sale to China.

Washington (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a US$ 491 billion defence bill, but it rejected an attempt to force on the Bush administration a timetable for withdrawing troops from the country.

By a vote of 390-39 late on Wednesday, lawmakers passed the 2006 National Defence Authorisation Act, which establishes spending ceilings and policies for the Pentagon and other agencies on matters ranging from military pay to weapons procurements and missile defence.

"This bill strikes the right balance," said House Speaker Dennis Hastert. "It shows that we're being responsible with taxpayer dollars while providing the tools needed to protect America from terrorists."

The new funds will be used to equip army Humvee vehicles with armour plates to protect soldiers from roadside bombs, and purchase more night-vision devices.

Facing a shortage of new recruits, lawmakers wrote in provisions that recommend increasing US Army and Marine Corps active duty personnel by 10,000 and 1,000 respectively.

In what is certain to lead to a confrontation with China, the bill requires the Defence Secretary to launch a senior-level military exchange programme with Taiwan to "preserve stability" across the Taiwan Strait.

The bill also bars the Pentagon from awarding contracts to foreign companies selling weapons and military hardware to the mainland, while offering incentives to those who refrain from such trade.

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