US to spend $81bn more in Iraq

2005-03-17 08:58

Washington - The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved President George W. Bush's request for US$81.4bn to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, by a vote of 388 to 43.

The funds come on top of some $200bn already appropriated by US lawmakers for military efforts in the two countries, and comes just before the second anniversary of the US-led military invasion of Iraq.

Most of the money in the bill, $76.8bn, would go to the US defense department for war and reconstruction operations.

The bill is somewhat pared down from the original funding request submitted by the White House earlier this year, after representatives stripped nearly $600m from the legislation that the administration requested to build the US embassy in Iraq.

The bill includes $100m for disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.

Another add-on provides some $650m for tsunami disaster relief, and establishes a clear US policy to protect refugees from physical abuse and sexual exploitation.

The US Senate is expected to take up its version of the legislation next month.

- AFP