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    About 3,200 new U.S. troops arrive in Baghdad

    BAGHDAD, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- About 3,200 new American troops arrived in Baghdad to support a new security plan announced by U.S. President George W. Bush to curb violence in the Iraqi capital, the U.S. military said on Sunday.

    "The 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division will be deployed in and around the city of Baghdad," the military said in a statement. The mission of the new U.S. troops will be to "assist Iraqi Security Forces to clear, control and retain key areas of the capital city in order to reduce violence and to set the conditions for a transition to full Iraqi control of security in the city."

    "Soldiers from the 82nd come to us to engage in a wide variety of operations, in support of the Iraqi Baghdad Security Plan," the statement quoted Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq, as saying.

    President Bush has pledged to send additional 21,500 soldiers to beef up security in Iraq, most of them to Baghdad.