Washington, Nov 04: The US Congress has approved USD 87.5 billion spending package for military and reconstruction operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, giving President George W Bush nearly all he asked for two months ago. About USD 60 billion of the package would be for military operations.The amount voted was USD 1.7 billion less than Bush had asked for rebuilding efforts in Iraq, including health facilities, power and water supplies, and police training. Another USD 1.2 billion has been set aside for reconstruction in Afghanistan, along with additional amounts for Pakistan, Jordan and other supportive countries in the region. Some lawmakers had earlier demanded that about USD 10 million dollars out of the allocation for Iraq should be in the form of loans but the administration finally persuaded them that Iraq, already heavily indebted, would be unable to withstand any additional burden of loans. The House Of Representatives had approved the package earlier by 298 to 121. The Senate did so yesterday by voice vote. Welcoming the congressional approval, Bush said "these resources, coupled with the growing assistance of international donors, will provide essential support to make Iraq more secure and to help the Iraqi people transition to self-government. "The funds will also enable us to continue our efforts to help Afghanistan become a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous nation that contributes to regional stability," he added.
Bureau Report