Hillary Clinton on Friday accused President George W. Bush of spending billions of dollars to police Iraq’s “civil war” while cutting crime fighting in dangerous US inner cities.

The Democratic hopeful vowed to cut the murder rate in big cities by half if she becomes president, promised 100,000 new police officers on the streets, and laid out steps to cut America’s huge prison population.

“It is a sad day in America when the president can find hundreds of billions of dollars to police another country’s civil war, but cuts funding for police officers right here at home.”

“We deserve better,” said Clinton in a speech in a mostly African-American district of Philadelphia, a gritty northeastern city in Pennsylvania, which holds a Democratic primary on April 22.

As well as boosting police ranks, Clinton would spend money to try to reduce gang violence and drug markets, and would promote an initiative to crack down on illegal gun trafficking.

She would also spend a billion dollars to try to prevent prisoners reoffending, particularly targeting juvenile convicts.

Lee ADDS: Before you jump up and down cheering Hillary’s words there’s one thing I must point out. “Hillary will say anything to get elected…anything!”