US President George W. Bush is preparing to ask Congress for as much as US$50 billion in additional funding for the war in Iraq, The Washington Post reported yesterday, citing a White House official.

The request signals White House confidence that it can fend off pressure from congress to begin withdrawing US soldiers, the Post said.

The additional funds would come on top of about US$460 billion in the fiscal 2008 defense budget and US$147 billion in a pending supplemental bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Post said.

The request is expected to be announced next month after the top US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker report to Congress on the state of the war, the newspaper said.

Asked about the Post report, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said no decision had yet been made about funding requests.

"We have said previously that after General Petraeus reports we will be evaluating what adjustments may need to be made to our pending FY 08 (fiscal 2008) supplemental request," Stanzel said.

"I would decline to speculate on this, as General Petraeus has not testified nor has any decision been made at this stage about whether, when or what specific changes would be made."

(China Daily via agencies August 30, 2007)