"Given the fact of the very bad experience we had in the course of the last couple of weeks, how do you justify this request?" Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida asked Charles Ries, acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Asian Affairs.

Ries testified for the administration's supplemental budget request before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Before the war began March 20, the Turkish parliament narrowly voted against allowing coalition forces to use its territory to establish a northern front.

But Turkey has since mitigated that decision, first allowing allied planes to overfly its territory into Iraq, then, during a visit by US Secretary of State Collin Powell Wednesday, giving allied forces the green light to set up resupply lines and eventually, a humanitarian aid route, across Turkey.

Reis replied that maintaining good relations with Turkey was in the best interests of the United States.

Nelson agreed. "A good relation with Turkey, that's clearly in our interest, in their interest," he said. "But there is going to be American blood spilled because we don't have an access from the north toward Baghdad, and that just sticks in my craw.

"Is it worth for us to try to repair the relationship?" asked Nelson. "It probably is, but is it worth one billion dollars? That's the question I raise."

The response came from Senator George Allen, a Virginia Republican who chairs the committee. "I share your aggravation . . . it's frustrating," he told Nelson. "Nevertheless Turkey is a key ally for us, it's a Muslim democracy".

Both the House and Senate appropriations committees on Tuesday approved the White House's request for nearly 80 billion dollars in supplemental war funding, including the billion dollars in aid to Turkey.

Both full houses of Congress were to vote on the measure this week, although amendments were expected.

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