Qatar, which has sent aircraft to join the patrols over Libya, offered strikingly blunt support for the international effort against another Arab leader.
Mr. Kelly said he planned to stretch that money so that the program, known as Operation Condor, could continue into June, effectively halving the amount available for the patrols over the next six months.
American military commanders in the region requested the strikes -- which Mr. Bush approved on Thursday -- because Iraqi air defense stations had become increasingly aggressive and effective in targeting the patrols over the zone, officials said.
Defense officials say they have already stretched their resources to fly round-the-clock patrols over New York and Washington as well as irregular missions over other metropolitan areas.
Before ending the air patrols over the city, the administration owes New Yorkers a thorough and compelling explanation.
There has been a recent increase in the number of incidents involving the patrols flown over "no-fly" zones imposed in northern and southern Iraq.
"Really it's about building a sense of family in this area," Bighetty tells the BBC, once the patrol is over.
In the days after the Sept. 11 attacks, the air patrols over American cities tied up about 11,000 Air Force and Navy personnel and 250 fighters and refueling or radar planes.
Mr. Morales refused to discuss reports from residents near the depots that they had seen military jets patrolling over the depots.
The Air Force secretary and the White House spokesman defended plans today to reduce combat flights over American cities and end round-the-clock fighter patrols over New York, saying the steps were justified by the increased security at airports and aboard jetliners.
