WASHINGTON, Oct 24: Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has vowed to oppose President George W. Bush’s new 196 billion dollar war funding request.

The New York senator said she could not support the mammoth cash injection unless it included a commitment to begin bringing US troops home from the war.

Democratic lawmakers claim that the president is diverting money from health and education programmes to keep the war going.The latest request adds 42.3 billion dollars to the Bush administration’s original 141.7 billion dollar estimate of its 2008 war costs.

“President Bush is once again asking Congress and the American people to foot the bill for his failed leadership,” Ms Clinton said.

“The Bush administration’s escalation in Iraq has not led to political reconciliation and our troops still remain in the middle of a civil war. I cannot and will not support funding legislation that does not begin to bring our troops home,” Clinton said in a written statement.

“Unless the administration changes course in Iraq, I will vote against this supplemental request”, the statement added.