WASHINGTON, Sept 8: The US Senate voted on Thursday to reinstate a special CIA unit hunting for Osama bin Laden as it passed a $469 billion Pentagon funding bill. Senators unanimously backed an amendment pushed by Democrats to add $200 million to reinstate an intelligence team dedicated to finding Osama bin Laden.

Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska blasted the amendment as a politically motivated ‘slam at the intelligence community’, but urged fellow Republicans to go on record supporting it.

The Senate unanimously backed the bill after sometimes bitter debate that saw Republicans and Democrats exchanging accusations over the Iraq invasion and national security, major issues in November’s congressional elections.

The bill allocates $63 billion in emergency money for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Lawmakers say the figure could climb to $70 billion.—Reuters