U.S. Rep. Ed Case, sharpening his differences with U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka over the war in Iraq, said yesterday it was a mistake for Akaka to vote for U.S. troops to leave Iraq by next July.

Case said he, too, would like to bring the troops home but believes it is too simplistic to set a fixed withdrawal date that could be exploited by the insurgents fighting U.S. and allied forces. The congressman said troop withdrawal could begin after a new Iraqi government is operational and has a military and police force capable of defending the country.

"We are trying to avoid a set of consequences that could, I believe, realistically occur if we don't do this right," Case said at a news conference where he outlined his broader policy goals for his Senate primary campaign against Akaka.

"We don't want an Iraq that descends into full-scale civil war. We don't want an Iraq that provides a place for terrorism to hang out, as it has today."

Akaka and his advisers have highlighted the differences between the senator and Case on the war as among the most telling between the two Democrats. Akaka voted against giving President Bush the authority to use force against Iraq, while Case, who was not in Congress at the time, has said he likely would have voted for giving Bush the choice.

But up until last week their positions on current Iraq policy were not that far apart. Akaka had been critical of the Bush administration's handling of the war and had mentioned the possibility of a timeline for withdrawal, but he had not specifically said troops should be removed.

But Akaka voted last week for an amendment to a defense bill by U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., that would have forced the U.S. Department of Defense to remove troops by next July. The amendment failed in an 86 to 13 vote, with most Democrats voting against the idea.

"Our troops have made us proud serving courageously in Iraq under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. They have done their job, now we, the leaders in Congress must do ours," Akaka said in a statement after the vote. "It is time to put the future of Iraq in the hands of the Iraqi people and their elected leaders. America cannot continue to pay the mounting toll of lives lost and resources squandered with no clear end in sight."

Earlier this month, Case voted for a resolution favored by House Republicans that linked Iraq to the international fight against terrorism and opposed an arbitrary troop withdrawal date. Akaka's campaign has said it is another instance of Case voting with Republicans, since most House Democrats voted against the resolution.

"Bush is not willing to take any sort of position in terms of when this is going to happen. It's stay the course and at some point we'll bring them home. But there is no real indication of when that's going to be," Andy Winer, Akaka's campaign manager, said yesterday.

The contrasting votes end any nuance between Akaka and Case on the war and give voters a clearer distinction.

Case again yesterday challenged Akaka to debate Iraq and other issues and said the senator should stop speaking to the public through his advisers. Case and Akaka have agreed to speak, but not debate, at a Hawaii Publishers Association luncheon in August. Elisa Yadao, Akaka's campaign spokeswoman, said yesterday that the senator would agree to debate.

Case said he would use the remaining three months of the campaign to discuss 12 overarching policy goals, including a balanced federal budget, national security, economic growth, sustainable energy and preserving Hawaiian culture.

Asked by reporters whether a procedural vote in the Senate against Akaka's Native Hawaiian federal recognition bill was a sign the senator is ineffective, Case said he was not privy to the internal discussions between Akaka and other senators and did not know.

"But I think it's fair to say that when you make effectiveness a centerpiece of your campaign, and you don't deliver on the principle issue that you've staked your reputation on, then it is an issue for a campaign, and it is an issue for the voters to consider, and it is an issue for Senator Akaka to defend," Case said.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.