A U.S. soldier of the Bravo 2-17 Field Artillery 2nd Platoon watches Iraqi army soldiers during an exercise at a fire range inside an Iraqi army compound in Baghdad March 16, 2007. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon said
Friday that it will move one more brigade of 2,600 soldiers to Iraq 45 days
ahead of the original schedule.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said, according to an order issued by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division combat aviation brigade will arrive in Iraq
in May.
The latest move will bring the planned expansion of
U.S. forces in Iraq to close to 30,000 troops.
Just a week ago, U.S. President George W. Bush
announced that about 4,700 support troops will join the initial 21,500 he
ordered in January.
The some 30,000 troops are in addition to the
estimated 142,000troops already in Iraq.
However, even supporters of the stepped-up U.S.
commitment in Iraq criticized the Bush administration for not being more
straightforward up front about how troops the "surge strategy" might require.
The Congressional Budget Office predicted last month the total surge could ultimately double in size and cost, once all support troops are in place.
WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- No matter how tough the Iraq war is, the U.S. military will be "dedicated to" the Mideast for decades to come, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.
According to Fox News, Gates said the United States will continue to stand by its allies in the region and is "dedicated to strengthening those commitments and defending our interests for decades to come."
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