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Pentagon taps 10,000 soldiers for Iraq, puts 5,000 on standby
Washington, Sept 27: The Pentagon has mobilised two US Army National Guard Brigades for deployment to Iraq and put a third on standby as US calls for international troop contributions go unheeded.
Washington, Sept 27: The Pentagon has mobilised two US Army National Guard Brigades for deployment to Iraq and put a third on standby as US calls for international troop contributions go unheeded.
The 30th Infantry Brigade from North Carolina and the
39th Infantry Brigade from Arkansas -- 10,000 soldiers in
total -- will mobilise October 01 and October 12, respectively,
the Department of Defense said in a statement late Friday.
"These units can expect to be in Iraqi theater for up to 12 months. The total length of mobilisation is up to 18 months to allow time for equipping, training, mobilising, leave and demobilising activities," the statement said.
The two brigades were notified in July that they could be tapped for service as part of a major force rotation plan to ease pressure on us soldiers already deployed in Iraq.
At the time the Pentagon said the rotation would not affect the total number of US troops serving in Iraq.
Friday, the Pentagon alerted another 5,000 soldiers -- the 81st Army National Guard Infantry Brigade from the western US state of Washington -- that they may be next.
US defense officials had given numerous indications over the past few days that the United States could be forced to deploy additional troops of its own to Iraq if no other countries agreed to aid the US-led occupation.
Meanwhile US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell held bilateral meetings with leaders of several countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York in the hopes of convincing them to contribute to a multinational force in Iraq.
Several countries -- in particular India, Turkey, South Korea and Pakistan -- have been asked to contribute forces, but have so far not agreed to do so.
Bureau Report
"These units can expect to be in Iraqi theater for up to 12 months. The total length of mobilisation is up to 18 months to allow time for equipping, training, mobilising, leave and demobilising activities," the statement said.
The two brigades were notified in July that they could be tapped for service as part of a major force rotation plan to ease pressure on us soldiers already deployed in Iraq.
At the time the Pentagon said the rotation would not affect the total number of US troops serving in Iraq.
Friday, the Pentagon alerted another 5,000 soldiers -- the 81st Army National Guard Infantry Brigade from the western US state of Washington -- that they may be next.
US defense officials had given numerous indications over the past few days that the United States could be forced to deploy additional troops of its own to Iraq if no other countries agreed to aid the US-led occupation.
Meanwhile US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell held bilateral meetings with leaders of several countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York in the hopes of convincing them to contribute to a multinational force in Iraq.
Several countries -- in particular India, Turkey, South Korea and Pakistan -- have been asked to contribute forces, but have so far not agreed to do so.
Bureau Report