April 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress and President George W. Bush are in a struggle over funding the Iraq war, with Democrats tying the money to troop withdrawals. Bush promises to veto any legislation with dates for removing combat soldiers.

A compromise could emerge that just lays out steps Iraq's government should take -- known as "benchmarks" -- to demonstrate progress toward stabilizing the country, without troop withdrawal dates. Still unknown is whether there would be any penalties for failing to meet the goals.

Lawmakers are still haggling over the details, but here is a list of possibilities:

-- Developing Iraqi security forces to a level that allows them to secure all provinces.

-- Establishing an effective program to disarm militias responsible for some of the violence. A recent UN report expressed concern about reports of collusion between Iraqi forces and some militias.

-- Enacting legislation ensuring that the country's oil resources benefit Iraqis in an equitable manner.

-- Reforming the process that purged thousands of senior and mid-level members of former President Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party from the government.

-- Passing and implementing rules to protect minority rights and minority political parties.

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