The United States will enhance its security forces in violence-ridden Baghdad, under a new plan agreed to by President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
The move will combine U.S. military police with Iraqi police.
A Pentagon official says that 400 combat-support soldiers now in Kuwait will be heading into Iraq as part of the increased U.S. effort. Those support troops will likely "backfill" U.S. troops elsewhere in Iraq, who will then head into Baghdad.
There is no sense yet on what the total increase in U.S. troops in Baghdad might be, but there are estimates it could be as large as a brigade, meaning roughly 3,500 soldiers.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDAzMjM2NDYzMDEyMzc1Njk5NjAxNzY3OQ001))
