Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, informed Congress that the White House would be requesting $193 billion to run the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in FY 2008. The AP reports that on top of the $150.7 billion requested in previous months, Gates asked the approps committee for an additional $42.3 billion, which includes:

• $11 billion to field another 7,000 MRAP vehicles in addition to the 8,000 already planned;
• $9 billion to reconstitute equipment and technology;
• $6 billion for training and equipment of troops;
• $1 billion to improve U.S. facilities in the region and consolidate bases in Iraq; and
• $1 billion to train and equip Iraqi security forces.