By DPA,
Washington : US President George W. Bush Monday signed a $162 billion 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 down 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.