US Commander Seeks additional Troops in Iraq
Pakistan Times Wire Service

BAGHDAD: The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq has asked for an additional 2,500 to 3,000 troops to be sent to Iraq as part of the Bush administration's military buildup to crack down on rising sectarian violence and insurgents.

Gen. David Petraeus wants another Army combat aviation unit which would be the sixth U.S. Army brigade involved in the buildup, deployed to support the more than 26,000 soldiers already on their way to Iraq under the plan opposed by many Democrats in Congress, the Globe said in a report posted on its Web site Thursday night. The report quoted unidentified senior Pentagon officials.

The request has not yet been made public, according to the report, which quoted one official as saying the extra troops, to be backed by dozens of transport helicopters and powerful gunship, were needed to assist those on the ground now and those expected in Iraq shortly.●