Biden leads charge against Bush Plan in Iraq

As chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Joe Biden led the charge against the President Bush's plan to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq.

Biden said that the military is already stretched to the breaking point and the increase of US troops will inevitably lead to a loss of more lives .

Citing the result in the Mid-terms in November, Biden made it clear to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the country had voted for a dramatic change, but obviously President Bush had not listened. But in addition, Bush had rejected a cross section of leaders across the country, as well as his own military commanders in Iraq.

Biden also said that he had heard that the Joint Chiefs of Staff were also opposed to the plan to increase troop numbers.

The only way forward Biden suggested, was to look for a bipartisan solution from Congress. He said that there needed to be a way to force the leaders in Iraq to act, and also to secure support from Iraq's neighbouring countries.

Biden described this issue as the most pivotal in all his time in the Senate. He said that a solution must be found and alluding to the Vietnam War said that no policy can be sustained without the informed consent of the American people.

Joe Biden's opening statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Iraq, 8mins.