The US congress on Friday approved the defense bill for the 2007 fiscal year after it had been passed by the Senate unanimously.

US President George W. Bush is expected to sign it into law this week.

The bill, a compromise between the House of the Representatives and the Senate, authorized the US military to spend 448 billion US dollars in the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.

The bill provides US$378 billion for core military programs, a 5-percent increase on a year-on-year basis.

The core spending includes US$86 billion for personnel costs, US$81 billion for the procurement of new weapons, US$120 billion for operations and maintenance, US$76 billion for research and development, and other components.

The remaining US$70 billion are earmarked for Iraq and Afghanistan, an amount which is US$40 billion less than the White House had asked for.

Nevertheless, Congress has so far approved US$507 billion for the war efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and other overseas areas since the 9/11 terror attacks.

The war in Iraq has so far cost US$379 billion, and operations in Afghanistan have consumed US$97 billion.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2006)