frets5150
05-30-2006, 12:16 PM
U.S. moves 1,500 reserve troops to Iraq
WASHINGTON - U.S. military commanders have moved about 1,500 combat troops from a reserve force in Kuwait into the volatile Anbar province in western Iraq to help local authorities.
The move, announced Tuesday by military commanders, comes as Iraqi officials continue to struggle to set up their government, amid new spikes in violence.
In a statement Tuesday, the military command in Iraq described the new deployment as short-term. The plan is to keep the latest troops — two battalions of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division — in Anbar no longer than four months, said one military official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details of the move.
The 1st Armored Division has had a brigade stationed in Kuwait for several months serving as a reserve force that could be called upon to augment the troops in Iraq. One of the brigade's battalions was sent to the Baghdad area in March to bolster security until a new national government was seated.
The latest deployment comes at a time when the Bush administration is under heavy election-year pressure to begin drawing down the roughly 130,000 American troops in Iraq.President Bush met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair last week, after Blair returned from a trip to Iraq, and the two leaders acknowledged the continuing challenges in the embattled country, but insisted they are doing the right thing.
Neither would indicate how long coalition troops will remain in Iraq, but Bush said he would reassess the military needs there now that the new government is taking office.
The two battalions were sent to the Anbar region after Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the top U.S. commander in Iraq, requested and received authority to relocate the reserve force, after coordination with Iraq officials and Pentagon leaders.
"The situation in Al Anbar Province is currently a challenge but is not representative of the overall security situation in Iraq," said Lt. Col. Michelle Martin-Hing, spokeswoman for Multi-National Corps-Iraq.
The Anbar province is an insurgent hotbed stretching from west of Baghdad to the Syrian border. Anti-American sentiments have been strong in Anbar since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime, which was dominated by the Sunni Arab minority.
About 600 combat troops from the 2nd Brigade were sent to Baghdad in March.
The latest deployment of 1,500, increases the number of U.S. brigades in Iraq from 15 to 16, according to Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman. He said the two battalions moving into Anbar are ground combat troops.
The remainder of the brigade is still in Kuwait. There are at least 3,500 troops in a brigade.
:rolleyes:
WASHINGTON - U.S. military commanders have moved about 1,500 combat troops from a reserve force in Kuwait into the volatile Anbar province in western Iraq to help local authorities.
The move, announced Tuesday by military commanders, comes as Iraqi officials continue to struggle to set up their government, amid new spikes in violence.
In a statement Tuesday, the military command in Iraq described the new deployment as short-term. The plan is to keep the latest troops — two battalions of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division — in Anbar no longer than four months, said one military official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details of the move.
The 1st Armored Division has had a brigade stationed in Kuwait for several months serving as a reserve force that could be called upon to augment the troops in Iraq. One of the brigade's battalions was sent to the Baghdad area in March to bolster security until a new national government was seated.
The latest deployment comes at a time when the Bush administration is under heavy election-year pressure to begin drawing down the roughly 130,000 American troops in Iraq.President Bush met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair last week, after Blair returned from a trip to Iraq, and the two leaders acknowledged the continuing challenges in the embattled country, but insisted they are doing the right thing.
Neither would indicate how long coalition troops will remain in Iraq, but Bush said he would reassess the military needs there now that the new government is taking office.
The two battalions were sent to the Anbar region after Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the top U.S. commander in Iraq, requested and received authority to relocate the reserve force, after coordination with Iraq officials and Pentagon leaders.
"The situation in Al Anbar Province is currently a challenge but is not representative of the overall security situation in Iraq," said Lt. Col. Michelle Martin-Hing, spokeswoman for Multi-National Corps-Iraq.
The Anbar province is an insurgent hotbed stretching from west of Baghdad to the Syrian border. Anti-American sentiments have been strong in Anbar since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime, which was dominated by the Sunni Arab minority.
About 600 combat troops from the 2nd Brigade were sent to Baghdad in March.
The latest deployment of 1,500, increases the number of U.S. brigades in Iraq from 15 to 16, according to Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman. He said the two battalions moving into Anbar are ground combat troops.
The remainder of the brigade is still in Kuwait. There are at least 3,500 troops in a brigade.
:rolleyes: