Bono disagrees with Bush over international AIDS funding

Irish rock star Bono says that he had a "good old row" while meeting with President Bush on Tuesday to discuss U.S. funding of international AIDS efforts, The Washington Post reports. Bono, the founder of an AIDS, debt relief, and trade advocacy group called DATA, urged Bush to allocate $3 billion to global AIDS initiatives in fiscal 2004 in keeping with the Administration's $15 billion, five-year program approved earlier this year. But Bush has sought only $2 billion for the initiative in 2004, saying the program needs time to "ramp up" before more money can be contributed. "We just can't agree on the numbers," Bono told the Post. Bono said he believes Bush's commitment to fighting AIDS overseas is genuine, but he added that African nations and international HIV/AIDS organizations need full funding now. "They're just not moving fast enough," Bono said.