US funds billions more for Afghan war

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=136490§ionid=3510203


The US Congress has approved an extra multi-billion dollar fund to pay for President Barack Obama's increase in US troop numbers in Afghanistan.

The House of Representatives voted 308 to 114 in favor of the $60bn war-funding bill.

The Senate had already passed the bill, which will now go to Obama to be signed into law.

The package provides roughly $33.5 billion for the additional 30,000 more troops in Afghanistan and nearly $4 billion for other programs in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan.

The bill also covers some expenses for military operations in the war-torn Iraq.

The new money is in addition to about $130 billion the Congress already approved for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq this year. The US Congress has appropriated over $1 trillion for the two wars since 2001.

The latest vote comes at a time when some lawmakers are growing skeptical about the nine-year-long war in Afghanistan.

Interestingly, more Republicans supported the bill than Obama's fellow Democrats did.

The recent leak of tens of thousands of secret military documents on the war in Afghanistan was the main reason behind the 102 Democratic votes against the bill.

The files released by the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks detail how US-led forces have killed or wounded Afghan civilians in unreported attacks.

House OK's 'Mission Impossible' fund

House approves additional funds for Afghan war


Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=133059§ionid=3510203



The US House of Representatives has approved an additional fund aimed at supporting President Barack Obama's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan.

The House did not act in time to get the $33 billion to the troops by July 4 as the Pentagon had requested, after the Democratic leaders procrastinated for weeks over the bill.

The fund will be spent on deploying another 30,000 troops to the battlefields in Afghanistan.

The new funding comes over and above the $130 billion Congress has already approved for the dual wars of Afghanistan and Iraq for this fiscal year.

The bill can only become law if both houses agree. Congress will not be in session again until July 12. It is unclear how the Senate will view the additions the House has made.

The legislation was advanced despite increasing pessimism and unhappiness among lawmakers over the war in Afghanistan.

"Why are we continuing to send our troops into a Mission Impossible?" Reuters quoted Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio as saying.

In a 260-162 vote, the House also defeated a Democratic amendment that would require Obama to set a timetable for withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan.