US Senate approves $469 billion for Pentagon

Washington, Sept 8: The US Senate voted to reinstate a special CIA unit hunting for Osama bin Laden as it passed a 469 billion dollars Pentagon funding bill.

The Senate unanimously backed the bill after sometimes bitter debate that saw Republicans and Democrats exchanging accusations over the Iraq war and national security, major issues in November's congressional elections.

The bill allocates 63 billion dollars in emergency money for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Lawmakers say the figure could climb to 70 billion dollars after negotiators from both houses of Congress finalize the legislation. The cost of the two wars is now approaching 500 billion dollars.

Senators unanimously backed an amendment pushed by Democrats to add 200 million dollars to reinstate an intelligence team dedicated to finding bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader behind the September. 11 attacks.

Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska blasted the amendment as a politically motivated ''slam at the intelligence community,'' but urged fellow Republicans to go on record supporting it.

The White House last month denied it had downgraded the hunt for bin Laden, after reports that the special CIA unit had been disbanded. It said the unit was reshaped and that resources were reallocated, not reduced.

Stevens said he could not reveal classified information, but insisted the search for bin Laden ''has never lapsed.'' Democrats say the failure to capture bin Laden highlights the administration's weakness in fighting terrorism.

''Five years ago, Osama bin Laden directed the attack against America, yet today he remains free and continues to threaten America from his secret location,'' said Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota yesterday.

The Senate also voted to add 700 million dollars to combat opium production in Afghanistan, where a resurgence of the Taliban has been accompanied with increased cultivation of poppies.

Stevens, who was steering the defense bill through the Senate, said the extra money was unnecessary since the bill already had 400 million dollars directed toward that purpose.

But a Republican attempt to kill the amendment was defeated 51 to 45.

REUTERS

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