Allen, Webb Quarrel Over War in Iraq, Bush Policies

"We have spent money on all those things," Allen said. "You can't be constantly second-guessing, Monday-morning quarterbacking."

Webb said the money would have been better spent on security. He criticized Allen and others in Congress for failing to ask tough questions about the ultimate effect of deposing Saddam Hussein.

"If we had the right people in the Senate, there would have been more questions asked," Webb said. "We didn't go into Iraq because of terrorism. We have terrorists in Iraq because we went in there."

Allen said the United States should continue to consolidate its forces into four large military bases in Iraq, a proposal Webb criticized.

Webb said the United States should begin moving troops to friendly Arab countries and seek the help of Iraq's neighbors, including Iran and Syria. That drew derision from Allen, who said to reporters after the debate that the United States should not be working with "sponsors of terrorism."

Allen also lashed out at Webb, accusing him of failing to support the first Iraq war. "Heck, the French were even in favor of military action in 1991," Allen said.

Webb responded aggressively, often returning to his experience as a Marine in Vietnam. Using a line from his son, Webb said, "George Allen didn't fight in Vietnam. Even the French fought in Vietnam."

The candidates also clashed over Bush's proposed interpretation of the Geneva Conventions' provisions on interrogating enemy prisoners. Webb sided with Virginia's other Republican senator, John W. Warner, who said the president's plan would be an invitation to other countries to reinterpret the Geneva rules if they ever held U.S. soldiers.

"I'm with Senator Warner on this," said Webb, saying Bush's view is dictated by "theorists who have never been on a battlefield, who have never put a uniform on . . . who have never had to worry about their troops and themselves possibly coming under enemy hands."

Allen declined to say how he will vote on the issue when it comes up in the Senate. But he said the United States needs to interrogate terrorism suspects effectively. "I don't want to stop these interrogations," he said. "I'm not for torture . . . but some of these techniques have been very helpful to us."

Russert devoted the second half of the show to character issues that have bedeviled both candidates in recent weeks.

His first target was Webb, who last week was assailed over an article he penned in 1979 that critics say was demeaning to women. Several female U.S. Naval Academy graduates said Webb's article arguing against women in combat helped lead to harassment against women at the school.