Bush wants to shift $3.5B to strengthen Iraqi security

WASHINGTON—The Bush administration wants to spend more Iraqi reconstruction money than planned to bolster security, speed economic recovery and forgive some of that country’s debt, according to documents it sent to Congress on Monday.

Overall, the administration wants permission to shift $3.46 billion of the $18.4 billion that Congress provided last fall to rebuild Iraq. Because of constraints lawmakers imposed when they originally approved the funds, the White House could shift only $800 million of the funds without Congress’ approval, the documents said.