U.S. prepares to move thousands of troops into Kuwait
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, December 28, 2006
WASHINGTON — The United States plans to bolster its military presence in Kuwait in preparation for a troop surge in neighboring Iraq.
Officials said the U.S. military plans to send thousands of troops into Kuwait over the next two months. They said the troops would be on call to deploy in neighboring Iraq during 2007.
"There has been no decision on how many troops to deploy, but the military wants this to be considered a feasible option in the short term," an official said.
Officials said the Bush administration has been considering a proposal to send at least 20,000 additional troops to Iraq in 2007, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the augmented U.S. force would focus on tracking and destroying Al Qaida and Saddam Hussein loyalists, regarded as the heart of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq.
The administration has concluded that the Sunni insurgency remains the leading threat to Iraqi stability, officials said. They said the failure to quell the insurgency has increased the influence of Al Qaida, regarded as the protector of the minority Sunni community.
"Public perceptions of corruption, inequity and fear are the driving force behind support to terrorist organizations," Col. David Sutherland, commander of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, said. "These are not new problems in Iraq but problems that developed out of a desire for personal and financial gain."
At this point, officials said, the military plans to send the 2nd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division to Kuwait in mid-January. The brigade, with a troop level of 3,500 and based at Fort Bragg, N.C., has been regarded as combat-ready.
About 15,000 U.S. troops have been deployed in Kuwait. Most of them have been assigned to logistics and training.
The U.S. Army has sought to expand its force by 30,000. Officials said this would include the formation of two additional combat brigades in 2007.
The United States has about 140,000 troops in Iraq. Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, has called for increasing that number by up to 30,000 to bolster the counter-insurgency campaign.
Officials said McCain has discussed the proposal with the White House. Last week, President George Bush met leading military commanders and advisers on options in Iraq.
"The president strongly favors a short-term surge of at least 30,000 additional troops to Iraq," an official said.
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