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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;text-align:center'><b><font size=5 color=black face=Arial><span
style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;font-weight:bold'>Pentagon
raises estimate of troops for Iraq<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black;font-weight:bold'>Reuters – March 7, 2007 </span></font></b><font
color=black face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><br>
The number of <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> troops
needed to carry out President George W. Bush's <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> security plan could approach
30,000, significantly more than he projected in January, a senior Pentagon
official said on Tuesday. <br>
<br>
In testimony to the House of Representatives Budget Committee, Deputy Secretary
of Defense Gordon <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region>
said <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> military
commanders in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>
were requesting varying numbers of support troops to augment the additional
21,500 soldiers Bush has ordered into combat. <br>
<br>
"At this point, our expectation is the number of ... troops could go above
21,500 by about 4,000, maybe as many as 7,000," <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region> said. <br>
<br>
There are nearly 140,000 <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
troops already fighting in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
where sectarian violence has thwarted American efforts to bring the 4-year-old
war to a close. <br>
<br>
In a speech to the American Legion veterans organization, Bush insisted the new
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>
security plan he announced was making gradual progress, despite new violence. <br>
<br>
The new estimate of the rising number of troops being committed to the war came
as House Democrats continued wrangling over how to end <st1:country-region
w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>'s combat role in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <br>
<br>
After a meeting of leaders and the 233-member Democratic caucus there was no
sign that liberals, moderates and conservatives in the party were getting
behind an comprehensive war plan. <br>
<br>
But Democratic Rep. James Moran of Virginia, who sits on a House panel
overseeing war funding, said upcoming legislation would include a date in 2008
for ending the war. <br>
<br>
Democrats are targeting a $100 billion emergency war spending bill for conditions
that could prompt a <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
troop withdrawal from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
House leaders want to pass the bill before a two-week recess starting the
beginning of April. <br>
<br>
Democratic leaders said the bill would increase <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
funds to battle al Qaeda forces in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:country-region>,
impose "benchmarks" for measuring the Iraqi government's progress in
taking over security activities and enforce Pentagon standards for equipping
and training <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
troops headed for combat. <br>
<br>
But a fight over possible presidential waivers for such conditions continued
among Democrats. <br>
<br>
Arguing against any congressional attempt to scale back the mission, Bush said:
"The mission is <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>'s
mission and our failure would be <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s failure." <br>
<br>
"Iraqi and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
forces are making gradual but important progress almost every day and we will
remain steadfast until our objectives are achieved," Bush said. <br>
<br>
His comments and the Democratic maneuvering came as the Pentagon announced nine
<st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> troops died in two bomb
attacks north of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Baghdad</st1:place></st1:City>.
Meanwhile, insurgents killed 112 Shi'ite pilgrims heading to <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region>'s holy city of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Kerbala</st1:place></st1:City>. <br>
<br>
The new attacks are likely to increase sectarian tensions between majority
Shi'ites and Sunni Arabs that have threatened to plunge the country into
all-out civil war. <br>
<br>
The deaths of the nine <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
soldiers made for the deadliest day for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> forces since they launched the
security crackdown in the capital three weeks ago. <br>
<br>
The estimate of 4,000 to 7,000 new support troops needed for Iraq contrasts
with a Feb. 6 forecast by Defense Secretary Robert Gates that as many as 3,000
would be needed. <br>
<br>
The higher estimate could raise the projected $5.6 billion price tag of the
troop surge by about $1 billion, if about 4,000 support troops are needed, <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region> said. <br>
<br>
The Pentagon would "reallocate," or shift some money around, to pay
for the added costs instead of asking Congress for additional funds, <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region> said. <br>
<br>
</span></font><i><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;font-style:italic'>(Additional reporting by
Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick)</span></font></i><font size=1 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <br>
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N06410987.htm <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;text-align:center'><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Last updated 07/03/2007<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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