Updated on Sunday, February 11, 2007, 00:00 IST

Washington, Feb 11: A senior Democratic lawmaker said on Sunday that Congress may be looking at ways to cut funding for the Iraqi war efforts and disputed the idea that Iraq will turn into a haven for terrorists if the US troops are withdrawn from that country.

"... It can't be any worse than it is today. And it is becoming a haven in many ways. We need a change in direction. You're not going to get a change in strategy until we decide that this program has to change," Senator Christopher Dodd said in a talk show.

"And I believe that's only going to come when Congress makes that decision. And frankly, I think there's a greater opportunity for us to get some stability in Iraq and stability in the region, start to draw people back into the process internationally, than are presently willing to engage because of our presence there" he added.

"Eighty percent of the Iraqi people think we're the cause for the chaos in the country. Sixty percent believe it's appropriate to shoot and kill Americans who are there. How do you sustain a policy when the very people we're trying to help are opposed to our being there? " the Connecticut Democrat, in the fray for 2008 presidential election, said, adding the law makers will be inclined to attach amendments to spending bills to force a change in direction of the Iraq policy.

Bureau Report