US to bankroll Saddam Hussein's opponents
The US government is planning to spend €7.8m to support opponents of Saddam Hussein.
On top of that it is looking to spend an additional €6.2m to help needy Iraqis inside and outside the country.
The announcements were made by State department spokesman Philip Reeker.
He spoke after Condoleezza Rice, George W Bush's national security adviser, called Saddam Hussein an "evil man" who would wreak havoc on the world if the West failed to stop him.
Her comments came in a BBC interview seen as an attempt to boost sagging British support for a US move to oust Saddam Hussein.
Mr Reeker said the £4m (€5.6m) in humanitarian assistance would be earmarked for non-government organisations for medical care, relief for displaced Iraqis, shelter, water supplies, sanitation and other services.
Administration officials said the assistance was not related to humanitarian needs that many Iraqis would face if Mr Bush ordered military action against Iraq to unseat Saddam Hussein and his regime.
Officials say the funds have been appropriated by Congress but have not been spent.
They say that if arrangements had not been made to spend the money, it would not have been available after the fiscal year ending September 30.
The officials say the money spent inside Iraq will be earmarked for the Kurdish population of Northern Iraq, which generally has been outside of Saddam Hussein's control because of military protection provided by the US and Britain.
