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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 04, 2003

US Congress approves $87B for Iraq funds

US Congress voted its final approval Monday for $87.5 billion for U.S. military operations and aid in Iraq and Afghanistan.


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US Congress voted its final approval Monday for $87.5 billion for U.S. military operations and aid in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Handing a legislative victory to President Bush a day after Americans in Iraq endured their worst casualties since March, the Senate approved the bill by voice vote, sidestepping the roll call that usually accompanies major legislation.

That underscored the complicated political calculus presented by the measure, which was dominated by popular funds for U.S. forces but also sparked questions about Bush's postwar Iraq policies and record budget deficits at home.

"As the president said time and time again, we will not walk away from Iraq," said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, a leading author of the bill. "We will not leave the Iraqi people in chaos, and we will not create a vacuum for terrorist groups to fill."

In the latest blow to Iraq's U.S. occupiers, 19 American troops were killed there on Sunday. That included 16 who died when a missile brought down a U.S. Army transport helicopter west of Baghdad, a crash in which 21 other Americans were wounded.

Most of that -- $51 billion -- was for American troops in Iraq, while another $10 billion was for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The money includes everything from salaries owed reservists called to active duty to buying aircraft parts, missiles and thousands of extra sets of body armor for ground troops.

Source: Agencies


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