bush to declare how much the war to cost, page-13

After posting found this current aritcle

Bush is asking for $US74.7 billion to cover the cost of a month war.




WASHINGTON, March 24 AP - Key developments today in the Iraq
war:
- Coalition planes targeted Republican Guard forces just south
of Baghdad in perhaps the largest assault to date on Saddam
Hussein's highly trained troops, US officials said. Troops pressed
toward Baghdad but many were halted by a sandstorm, 80km to the
south.
- Troops farther south were facing deadly ambushes and
discovering that many Iraqi fighters had discarded their uniforms
for civilian clothes.
- General Tommy Franks said Saddam's regime is weakened but
still issuing orders to military units - which are not always
complying. Franks said his forces have captured 3,000 prisoners.
- US President Bush is expected to ask Congress for $US74.7
billion ($A125.7 billion) to pay for the war with Iraq, assuming a
month of combat, and for strengthening counterterrorism efforts at
home.
- Iraqi state television showed two men said to have been the US
crew of an Apache helicopter forced down during heavy fighting in
central Iraq. The Pentagon identified the missing men as Chief
Warrant Officer Ronald D Young Jr, 26, of Georgia, and Chief
Warrant Officer David S Williams, 30, of Florida.
- In hopes of showing that he remained at the helm, Saddam
boasted in a televised speech that "victory will be ours soon." US
and British officials said the language was so general that it was
unclear when the tape was made.
- In his first appearance since the start of the war, Iraqi
Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz held a news conference at a
downtown Baghdad hotel. Aziz said the Iraqi leadership is in "good
shape" and that Saddam is in "full control" of the army and the
country.
- Baghdad came under another heavy air attack but life returned
to many streets later in the day, with stores reopening and traffic
heavy in some areas.
- The northern front appeared to be building, with American
planes landing in Kurdish territory and airstrikes pounding
positions of an Islamic group with alleged al-Qaeda and Baghdad
ties.
- A US envoy rushed back to Turkey to discuss Turkish plans to
send troops into northern Iraq despite Washington's objections. The
European Union head office also warned Turkey not to enter northern
Iraq.
- A British soldier was killed in combat in southern Iraq, the
first such British death since the war began. Sixteen other British
servicemen have died, and two others were reported missing.
- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned of a humanitarian
crisis in Basra, scene of fierce fighting. Annan said "urgent
measures" were needed to restore the city's electricity and water
supply.
- Arab nations called for an emergency Security Council meeting
to demand an end to the US-led war against Iraq and the withdrawal
of all invading forces.
- Anti-war demonstrators clashed with police outside the US
consulate in Hamburg and peace rallies emptied schools across Italy
in a fresh swell of protests against the war in Iraq.
AP was