The US House of Representatives defied the threat of a veto from President Bush yesterday by passing binding legislation requiring the withdrawal of all American combat troops from Iraq by August 31 next year.

At the end of a bitterly-contested debate, the House voted by a narrow 218-212 margin to pass a $122 billion war funding Bill on the condition that US combat operations ceased before next September — or earlier if the Iraqi Government fails to meet benchmarks such as improving security.

The vote came as Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister was seriously wounded and his brother and aide were killed yesterday when one of his security guards blew himself up in one of the most heavily guarded compounds in Baghdad.

Two blasts ripped through the offices of Salam al Zubaie, a Sunni politician from the Ta-wafuq block, which has been targeted both by Sunni insurgents and by Shia militants.

The vote in Washington triggered a swift response from Mr Bush who warned its only consequence would be to “delay vital resources for our troops” and “score political points” for the Democratic majority in Congress.

“The American people have lost faith in the president’s conduct of this war. The American people see the reality of the war, the President does not,” said Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House Speaker.

Yesterday a total of 14 Democrats voted against the provision. This was partly because of the insertion of $21 billion-worth of sweeteners — including aid for spinach and peanut farmers — into the war funding package.

But the legislation faces an uphill battle to survive a second test in the Senate which is next week due to debate a similar — if nonbinding — resolution and where the wafer-thin Democratic majority falls short of the 60 votes needed to ensure its passage.

In Iraq the suicide bomber was identified by Iraqi television as Wahab al-Saadi, one of the minister’s bodyguards who used his clearance with guards at the various checkpoints surrounding the deputy Prime Minister’s offices to infiltrate tight security.

The bomber, wearing a suicide belt, drove into Mr al-Zu-baie’s compound and parked his car, also filled with explosives, outside. Setting a timer on the car bomb, he walked into the building’s reception area and blew himself up. Minutes laterthe car exploded.

“His bodyguards are his relatives all chosen by him and the attack took place in his house,” said a shocked aide of the Iraqi Prime Minister. Most politicians in Baghdad are guarded by members of their own tribes or militias, not trusting their lives to the Iraqi police.

“The Prime Minister has visited him in hospital,” the aide said.

There was speculation that the suicide bomber had been recruited by al-Qaeda, which issued an online statement before the attack denouncing him as a pawn of the “Crusader occupiers”.

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