US President George W Bush signed on Monday
a 162-dollar spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that will pay
for the conflicts through the end of his term.
The bill also includes billions to provide education benefits for the veterans
of the two conflicts, which Bush had opposed in an issue that tied town the
legislation for months.
The White House relented after majority Democrats agreed to remove other
domestic spending measures.
"I appreciate that Republicans and Democrats in Congress agreed to provide
these vital funds without tying the hands of our commanders, and without an
artificial timetable of withdrawal from Iraq," Bush said.
Democrats in previous years had sought to attach timeframes
for troop withdrawals from Iraq, only to have them vetoed by Bush, dpa reported.