US President George W. Bush signed a record US$401.3-billion defense bill on Monday that includes a 4.15-percent raise for troops as the Iraq occupation puts increasing strain on soldiers and their families.
"In this time of war, our military is facing greater sacrifice," Bush said as he signed the legislation in a ceremony at the Pentagon.
"Your men and women in uniform are facing longer separations. Your families are feeling great pride and sometimes they worry," he said.
Since Bush declared major combat over in Iraq on May 1, 185 soldiers have died as guerrilla attacks have escalated. The administration has extended military deployments in Iraq to a full year and is mustering tens of thousands of regular and reserve troops for rotation into Iraq next year.
Besides raising military wages, the defense authorization bill for fiscal 2004 will continue US$225 per month in imminent danger pay and US$250 in a monthly family separation allowance for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, including tens of thousands of reserve and national guard troops.
The Pentagon in August said it had considered altering the compensation plan for soldiers in the two countries, but denied in the face of criticism that it intended to cut their pay.
Last year's defense authorization bill totaled US$393 billion and included a 4.1-percent raise for troops.
This year's bill clears the way for the Air Force to acquire 100 Boeing BA.N refueling aircraft, expands veterans' benefits and allows research on new types of nuclear weapons.
It also includes US$9.1 billion for ballistic missile defense and US$12 billion for the purchase of Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force fighters as well as further development of a Joint Strike Fighter program.
Separate legislation is needed to actually spend the money authorized by the bill that Bush signed.
After he signed the measure, Bush left Washington for Fort Carson, Colorado, to hold a rare meeting with families of US troops who have died in Iraq. In a speech to troops at the base, he thanked the families of fallen soldiers and said "our prayers are with you."
Bush has come under increasing criticism for not attending any funerals of soldiers killed in attacks in Iraq and for barring media coverage of the return of dead service members to the US.
Retired General Wesley Clark, a candidate for the Democrat presidential nomination, accused Bush of "the kind of cover-up tactics we saw during Vietnam."
White House aides say Bush has met privately with families of war casualties and writes letters to the families of each soldier who has died.
In Senate testimony last week, Pentagon officials acknowledged reports of morale problems in some units serving in Iraq, and said the Army Reserve had fallen short of its goals for re-enlisting existing members.
"The longer we operate at the tempos we have, the greater the challenge will be in this," said Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker.
Longer-than-expected call-ups have also pulled many reservists away from regular jobs and fueled discontent among families.
Bush said US troops were "standing between our country and grave danger."
"You're standing for order and hope and democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq. You're standing up for the security of all free nations, and for the advance of freedom," he told the military audience at the Pentagon.
FRUSTRATIONS: One in seven youths in China and Indonesia are unemployed, and many in the region are stuck in low-productivity jobs, the World Bank said Young people across Asia are struggling to find good jobs, with many stuck in low-productivity work that the World Bank said could strain social stability as frustrations fuel a global wave of youth-led protests. The bank highlighted a persistent gap between younger and more experienced workers across several Asian economies in a regional economic update released yesterday, noting that one in seven young people in China and Indonesia are unemployed. The share of people now vulnerable to falling into poverty is now larger than the middle class in most countries, it said. “The employment rate is generally high, but the young struggle to
ENERGY SHIFT: A report by Ember suggests it is possible for the world to wean off polluting sources of power, such as coal and gas, even as demand for electricity surges Worldwide solar and wind power generation has outpaced electricity demand this year, and for the first time on record, renewable energies combined generated more power than coal, a new analysis said. Global solar generation grew by a record 31 percent in the first half of the year, while wind generation grew 7.7 percent, according to the report by the energy think tank Ember, which was released after midnight yesterday. Solar and wind generation combined grew by more than 400 terawatt hours, which was more than the increase in overall global demand during the same period, it said. The findings suggest it is
IN THE AIR: With no compromise on the budget in sight, more air traffic controllers are calling in sick, which has led to an estimated 13,000 flight delays, the FAA said Concerns over flight delays and missed paychecks due to the US government shutdown escalated on Wednesday, as senators rejected yet another bid to end the standoff. Democrats voted for a sixth time to block a Republican stopgap funding measure to reopen government departments, keeping much of the federal workforce home or working without pay. With the shutdown in its eighth day, lines at airports were expected to grow amid increased absenteeism among security and safety staff at some of the country’s busiest hubs. Air traffic controllers — seen as “essential” public servants — are kept at work during government shutdowns, but higher numbers
Elvis Nghobo tried to get into four different professional schools in Cameroon, but could not make it. Frustrated, the 34-year-old turned to selling food at a market in Yaounde, the country’s seat of power. Nghobo blames his woes on what he calls a corrupt education system that favors children of the elite. As the central African country prepares for Sunday’s presidential election, he said he would not be heading out to vote. He called the results a foregone conclusion for 92-year-old Paul Biya, the world’s oldest president, who has ruled for Nghobo’s entire life. “He is already too old to govern, and it’s boring
RSS