By Xinhua
Washington : The US House of Representatives passed a bill to grant $6.4 billion in development, economic and security aid to Afghanistan.
The bill, called the Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act, was passed on Wednesday by 406 votes to 10. According to the bill, the US will provide $6.4 billion in aid to Afghanistan for the fiscal years from 2008 to 2010.
The bill also called for the appointment of a US government coordinator to work to counter the country's narcotics trade.
The Senate will also have to pass the bill before it is signed by US President George W. Bush to become law.
Afghanistan, under the leadership of President Hamid Karzai, is a strong US ally. However, Afghanistan has been struggling with a resurgent Taliban and persistent narcotics trade.