US President George W. Bush on Wednesday signed a spending bill of 80 billion dollars to cover the initial costs of the Iraqi war.
Bush signed the wartime spending bill in the Oval Office shortly before traveling to St. Louis to give a speech on national security, Iraq and the US economy.
According to media reports, 63 billion dollars have been earmarked for the Pentagon, and 2.5 billion dollars have been set for rebuilding Iraq and providing humanitarian aid there.
The spending bill also includes money to fight terrorism and bolster homeland security, and it provides about 3 billion dollars for the slumping airline industry.
(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2003)
|