Obama seeks $200 billion for war spending

President Barack Obama will ask Congress for more than $200 billion to fund U.S. war efforts for the next year and a half, according to defense officials, according to CNN.

The request will be for $75.5 billion for 2009 to cover the cost of sending more troops to Afghanistan this year and an additional $130 billion for the rest of fiscal 2009, according to the sources.

War spending for 2010 will be part of the president`s overall defense funding request, which is expected to be announced Thursday.

The money will be in addition to $534 billion for the U.S. Defense Department`s other expenditures, which the president is expected to request from Congress.

Congress gave the Pentagon $65.9 billion for the first half of fiscal 2009.