US to double Iraq troops

There are fears the war might last longer than expected

The United States is preparing to deploy up to 120,000 more troops to Iraq amid growing concerns about the progress of the war.

The additional forces and armour will bolster 90,000 US troops already fighting in Iraq.

On Thursday, the US army's senior ground commander in Iraq, Lt Gen William S Wallace was quoted as saying the war might last much longer than expected.

Pentagon officials, however, have said the war is proceeding according to plan, and extra troop deployments are part of their original strategy.

Troops to Kuwait

More than 100,000 US ground troops will begin arriving in Kuwait in the next few days, the Associated Press news agency reported.

About 15,000 fresh troops have arrived in Iraq in the past two days, including 1,000 crack troops who parachuted into the country, the agency quoted defence officials as saying.

There are currently about 250,000 US troops in the region, a third of whom are active in Iraq.

The first of the new troops, from the 4th Infantry Division, have begun flying out of Fort Hood, Texas, en route to the Gulf.

They will be followed by troops from the 1st Armoured Division in Germany, the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, the 2nd Armoured Cavalry Regiment at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and the 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment at Fort Carson, Colorado.

Some of the equipment is being shipped by sea to Kuwait and will not arrive for about two weeks, while a proportion of the forces will not be battle ready until next month.

'Rolling' plan

US officials said the additional deployments were part of a "rolling" commitment to the war effort and had "always been part of the plan".

However, concerns have been expressed that unexpectedly strong Iraqi resistance might lead to a protracted conflict.

"The enemy we're fighting is different from the one we'd war-gamed against," General Wallace told The Washington Post newspaper.

Asked whether the war might last longer than some planners had forecast, the general said: "It's beginning to look that way."