No other way to interpret today's vote by the House of Representatives to give a victory to the terrorists. We now know who this motley crew of traitors in Congress have meant when they said they support the troops -- the troops operating under the banner of al-Qaeda, not the Stars and Stripes.

Defying a White House veto threat, the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved legislation to bring combat troops out of Iraq by April 1, 2008.

By a vote of 223-201, the Democratic-controlled House approved the legislation in the hope it will pressure the Senate to attach a similar mandatory troop withdrawal timetable to a military policy bill it is debating.

Passage of the House bill marked the third time this year it has voted for timetables to end the U.S. involvement in the war that is now in its fifth year. Two previous efforts either died in the Senate or were vetoed by President George W. Bush.

The measure that passed on Thursday would tell the Pentagon to begin withdrawing combat troops within four months and complete the redeployment by April 1.

Under the bill, an unspecified number of U.S. soldiers would stay in Iraq to train Iraqi soldiers, conduct counter-terrorism operations and protect U.S. diplomats.

And folks wonder why there were reports today about al-Qaeda gaining strength. Of course they are -- when one side has indicated its willingness to surrender, it is natural to for folks to flock to the banner of the likely victor. It is called the bandwagon effect -- and today a majority of the House of Representatives have decided to march along with Osama and the boys.

MORE AT Michelle Malkin, Captain's Quarters, The Hill Chronicles, Bill's Bites, Wake Up America, Webloggin, bRight & Early

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson's Website, DeMediacratic Nation, Big Dog's Weblog, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, The Pet Haven, Conservative Cat, Conservative Thoughts, Allie Is Wired, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, CommonSenseAmerica, High Desert Wanderer, Right Voices, Gone Hollywood, The Yankee Sailor, and Public Eye, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.