Pledging to seek "prompt and full congressional passage," the U.S. Defense Department unveiled late March 24 an emergency supplement request for $62.6 billion.

The funds would pay the Pentagon's estimated costs for the war with Iraq and a range of other missions, including the war on terrorism and counter-drug operations, a senior defense official said in a Pentagon news briefing.

The supplemental package assumes a short, intense conflict in Iraq costing $13.1 billion. Almost half of the request, $30.3 billion, is to pay for the "coercive diplomacy" phase, or the massive buildup of troops and equipment before the war began. The request includes another $12 billion for transition and humanitarian costs after the war and another $7.2 billion for reconstituting depleted resources in Iraq and elsewhere.

Within the request, the Pentagon is asking for $1.6 billion for coalition support, which include grants to foreign governments that offered assistance. The defense official cited the United Kingdom's recent defense budget struggles as an example of potential need.