Americans are aching for leadership to end the war in Iraq.

Instead, they find the president and his enablers in the House and Senate doing everything they can to block legislation that will require him to bring the troops home by a certain date. Each day seems to bring some new proposal that purports to be progress.

Upon examination, however, they leave the president free to pursue his discredited policies and serve as diversionary tactics by politicians searching for cover. One proposal calls for the president to submit a plan by mid-October to narrow the use of U.S. troops in Iraq to fighting terrorists and securing borders and U.S. interests. It won’t bring home a single American serviceman or woman.

Another proposal seeks to “change the mission” of American forces but doesn’t guarantee when or even if their redeployment will begin. Supporters of “changing the mission” claim it would result in troop reductions, but they offer no evidence. Americans will remain the targets of violence, and U.S. policy will continue to sow resentment in the Muslim world. In my opinion, “changing the mission” is the war supporters’ latest scramble for excuses to avoid decisive action to bring the war to conclusion.

This is not the leadership the American people expect, and that our national security demands.

The failure of the president’s surge strategy means that he has lost the ability to shape events in Iraq in a positive direction. Only by redeploying our forces from Iraq can we rebuild our depleted military, restore our global reputation and redirect resources to fight al-Qaida. Just last week, the National Counterterrorism Center reported that al-Qaida has regrouped in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, enabled by the president’s diversion of resources to Iraq.

I opposed the Iraq war from the start, and take no comfort in the fact that many of my most ominous predictions have proven true. In a Sept. 6, 2002, commentary in the Portland Press Herald, I predicted that the war would be fought “in city streets filled with civilians, making precision bombs useless and casualties high. It will cost billions to wage the war and billions more to rebuild.” America has suffered nearly 30,000 casualties, including more than 3,600 combat deaths. The war has cost half a trillion dollars, resulting in huge deficits that will burden our children’s future.

On Oct. 8, 2002, during the House debate on the war resolution, I said: “If the U.S. acts unilaterally or with just a few other nations, there is a far higher risk of fueling resentment in Arab and Muslim nations and swelling the ranks of the anti-U.S. terrorists.” Unfortunately, this is exactly what has happened.

I voted against the war and have been an outspoken critic of the case made to justify the war, the mismanagement of the occupation and the failure to hold the administration accountable for so many mistakes. More than 18 months ago, I called for a deadline to redeploy our forces. This was and is the best way to end the U.S. involvement in Iraq and force the Iraqis to assume responsibility for their own security. As former Maine Sen. George Mitchell demonstrated in his Northern Ireland diplomacy, a firm deadline can be a very effective way to get results.

Nothing but the force of law will move President Bush to alter his “stay the course” strategy. Non-binding resolutions are not sufficient to compel a real change in policy and get us out of Iraq. This president is stubbornly determined to delay the inevitable at the cost of additional precious American lives (more than 600 of our troops have died since the “surge” began), greater hatred of the U.S. in the Islamic world, more terrorists inspired by that hatred and, with our armed forces stretched to the breaking point, greater insecurity to our nation. Unless members of Congress who supported President Bush’s war policy steadfastly for five years stop looking for cover and do the right thing, he will prevail, and troops will remain in Iraq.

Our armed forces have done all we have asked of them and have performed their mission with great skill and courage. President Bush will keep our troops in the crossfire of the Iraq civil war until Congress sets binding dates for their redeployment. That is the leadership needed to bring the troops safely home.

Tom Allen is the member of Congress for Maine’s 1st District. He is a Democratic candidate for Senate in the 2008 election.