US abandons planned troop reduction in Iraq

1.00pm - By CHARLES ALDINGER

WASHINGTON - The United States, faced with growing military casualties in Iraq, announced on Tuesday that it was scrapping a plan to reduce its forces and would keep about 138,000 troops in that country through at least the end of 2005.

The Pentagon said 10,000 active-duty Army and Marine troops and 37,000 Reserve and National Guard troops are being told they will go to Iraq this year as it puts on indefinite hold an earlier plan to cut the US force there to 115,000 in coming months.

"You're going to have a period of increased (insurgent) attacks. We just have to expect that," Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said as US forces face an upsurge of violence in the run-up to a scheduled June 30 transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis.

"This is a difficult period, but our folks are there and are going to stay there," Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon briefing.

The announcement followed the bloodiest month for US troops in Iraq, with 129 combat deaths in April. More than 750 American troops have died in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003.

The Pentagon said last month that it had decided to delay a plan to reduce US forces to 115,000 in May and would instead keep 138,000 there for at least three additional months.

However, on Tuesday, Rumsfeld said that Army Gen John Abizaid, head of the US Central Command, had decided to maintain the troop level at 135,000 to 138,000 even far beyond the 90 days.

Air Force Gen Norton Schwartz, director for operations on the military's Joint Staff, said the plan was to keep that elevated level of forces in "Operation Iraqi Freedom" through the end of 2005. Schwartz said that number could go up or down, depending on the level of violence.

The Pentagon announced that a total of 10,000 troops from the Marine Corps and the army's 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, New York, would go to Iraq this summer to relieve members of the 1st Armoured Division and the 2nd Armoured Cavalry Regiment.

The Pentagon said in April that about 11,000 troops from the 1st Armoured Division based in Germany, 3200 from the 2nd Armoured Cavalry Regiment based at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and 6000 Guard and Reserve troops from 20 states would remain in Iraq for 90 days beyond their normal yearlong tours.

None of those 20,000 troops will remain past the additional 90 days, Rumsfeld said on Tuesday, adding that an additional 10,000 active duty troops are currently being identified to help replace the remainder of the 20,000 on extended duty.

"We will not extend the same individuals beyond the 90 days," he told reporters.

There was no immediate breakdown available on the 37,000 Reservists and National Guard troops to be sent to Iraq.

Schwartz said the support units from the Reserve and National Guard would not be called to active duty and sent to Iraq for at least five months.

The Pentagon did not say when the level of troops might be reduced, but Defence analysts have predicted that thousands of American soldiers could be required for years to maintain stability in Iraq.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq