$25b sought for Iraq, Afghanistan
By Stephen J. Glain, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration told Congress yesterday it would seek an additional $25 billion to finance military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, breaking its pledge to resist such a move before the November presidential election.

The request could have political consequences for President Bush, who is already under fire for underestimating the costs of war; the White House's record $423 billion defense budget request for 2005 conspicuously omitted provisions for Iraq while inserting $12 billion in unfunded mandates, including $2 billion to pay for such measures as reinforcing Army Humvees with additional armor.

"Having submitted the largest defense budget in history and now a third supplemental spending bill, it's clear the planning for the aftermath is a disaster," said Representative Martin T. Meehan, a Lowell Democrat and member of the House Armed Services Committee. "We're paying for mistakes made a year ago."

The new supplemental funding bill would be the latest about-face for an administration that has pulled a number of policy reversals since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Some generals from the former Iraqi Army, which was disbanded last year, have been brought back to help with security, and the United States has requested a special United Nations envoy to help create a caretaker government.