US ready to send 3,500 troops into Kuwait: Source

Wednesday, December 27, 2006, 5:02 [IST]

Washington, Dec 27: The Pentagon is expected to send 3,500 troops into Kuwait to stand ready for use in Iraq, a senior defense official said as the Bush administration weighs adjusting force levels in the war.

The ''call-forward'' force was requested by Army Gen John Abizaid, head of the military command responsible for the Middle East, and must be approved by Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not know if Gates had yet approved the deployment, but said the announcement was expected as early as today.

The unit would come from Fort Bragg and fill a reserve slot that has been empty since commanders moved the previous call-forward force into the war zone earlier this year.

The troops could be in place in Kuwait by mid-January, the official said yesterday.

Reuters

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US ready to send 3,500 troops to Kuwait -sources

Wednesday, December 27, 2006,5:32 [IST]

WASHINGTON, Dec 27 (Reuters) The Pentagon is expected to send 3,500 troops into Kuwait to stand ready for use in Iraq, senior defense officials said as the Bush administration weighs adjusting force levels in the war. The ''call-forward'' force was requested by Army Gen John Abizaid, head of the military command responsible for the Middle East, and must be approved by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. According to one official, Abizaid's request came before Gates' fact-finding.....

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Wednesday, December 27, 2006,6:02 [IST]

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Dec 27 (Reuters) Hollywood golden couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt handed out presents on Christmas Day to Colombian war refugees in Costa Rica, the United Nations refugee agency said. Jolie, a goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Pitt -- one of Hollywood's most high-profile couples -- were without their three children as they visited refugees who fled armed conflict in Colombia. The lightning visit was only revealed.....

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Wednesday, December 27, 2006,6:32 [IST]

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