U.S. President George W. Bush, seen on Dec. 20 in this file photo, signed on Wednesday a 555 billion U.S. dollar bill for the fiscal year of 2008 that includes 70 billion dollar funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Xinhua/AFP File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush signed on Wednesday a 555 billion U.S. dollar bill for the fiscal year of 2008 that includes 70 billion dollar funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the White House said.
Notably, the massive spending bill, which also provides funds to keep government agencies running through September next year, does not set any timeline for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq.
U.S. President George W. Bush (L) holds his dog, Barney while being saluted after arriving at TSTC in Waco, Texas, Dec. 26, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
"It provides a down-payment for our troops who are in harm's way without arbitrary withdrawal timelines," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said aboard Airforce One while accompanying Bush on his way for a New Year holiday in Crawford, Texas.
"The omnibus (bill) funds the government at responsible levels that the president proposed without raising taxes," he added.
Bush's signature on the bill ended a long-running battle between the White House and the Democrat-controlled Congress over whether further war funds should be conditioned on a timeline for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq.
According to Stanzel, Bush also inked another 15 bills while aboard the plane, including an income tax adjustment bill which is oriented to benefit millions of middle-class Americans.
U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi(L) with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid(R) on Capitol Hill 18 December 2007. U.S. lawmakers Wednesday passed a major bill including funding for the Iraq war for President George W. Bush to sign, after Democrats failed again in efforts to pressure him over the unpopular conflict. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- With violence on the decline in Iraq but on the upswing in Afghanistan, U.S. President George W. Bush is under pressure from the U.S. military to shift war priorities, the Washington Post said Monday.
Quoting Bush administration officials, the report said the White House could start to debate the future of the military commitment in both Iraq and Afghanistan as early as next month. Full story
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. commander in Baghdad Monday warned that rapid pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq would be "risky," though he said the security situation there has improved "dramatically."
Speaking with reporters at the Pentagon in a video-link from Baghdad, Major General Joseph Fil, a commander of multinational troops in Baghdad, cautioned against any sudden or drastic pullouts. Full story
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States and its NATO allies have begun reviewing Afghan mission from security and counter terrorism to political consolidation and economic development, the New York Times reported Sunday.
The reviews are reported to be an acknowledgment of the need for greater coordination in fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, halting the rising opium production and trafficking that finances the insurgency and helping the Kabul government extend its legitimacy and control. Full story
