Washington, May 14, SPA -- The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has recommended that $50 billion more should be set aside to fund military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The proposed new expenses would push the cost of the Iraq war toward $250 billion, significantly more than the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush initially predicted. The recommendation for the spending was sent to the full Senate on Thursday night as part of a bill that also would authorize $441.6 billion in regular defense spending in fiscal year 2006-which begins in October-a 3.1 percent real increase over last year's authorized amount. Three days ago Congress gave its final approval for an $82 billion emergency war-spending bill, of which about $76 billion would go to war-fighting. The additional $50 billion for war-fighting had support of both Republicans and Democrats. "I am particularly pleased that the bill will authorize $50 billion to support the day-to-day military operations of our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq," Senator Carl Levin (Democrat from Michigan) said. --SPA1234 Local Time 0934 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/262170