'More troops required' for Iraq

The US is rotating its forces in Iraq

United States officials say the Pentagon is about to unveil plans to send thousands of troops to Iraq.

The plans have been made because not enough foreign troops have been found to replace Americans deployed there.

The news came as UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's special envoy said that British and American forces faced a "rough winter" of terrorist attacks in Iraq.

Sir Jeremy Greenstock told The Times newspaper that British troops could still be in Iraq in 2005.

I believe we're in for a rough winter on the security front Sir Jeremy Greenstock Tony's Blair's special envoy in Iraq

Meanwhile US officials said two former Iraqi army generals had been captured by US paratroopers in the town of Falluja.

Military sources said the pair are believed to have financed and organised anti-coalition fighters in the area, west of Baghdad.

The two men have not been publicly identified, but defence officials say they are suspected of playing a key role into anti-coalition violence in and around the flashpoint town, a bastion of supporters of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Overall fall

BBC Pentagon correspondent Nick Childs says that, with the US army stretched thin, planners have been juggling troop numbers for weeks as they try to fashion a new rotation plan.

It does include a call-up of reserves, it does include use of land forces, it does include the navy and air force with their capabilities to participate General Peter Pace US to send marines to Iraq

This will now include thousands of US marines and extra reservists.

Not all of the units currently in Iraq are being replaced and overall the number of American soldiers is expected to fall as more Iraqis are trained to take over their role.

But some senior figures in Congress, including senior Republicans, are calling for US troop numbers to be boosted.

"It does include a call-up of reserves, it does include use of land forces, it does include the navy and air force with their capabilities to participate," General Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress.

He said they would be part of a rotation plan and the actual number of soldiers serving in Iraq would be reduced from 132,000 to just over 100,000 in six months' time.

While some US marines were still serving in Iraq recently, the withdrawal of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in September largely placed the security burden on the regular US army.

'Heavy-handed measures'

Sir Jeremy Greenstock said he feared political pressure in the run-up to elections would force US President George W Bush to withdraw troops.

"I hope tails won't wag the dog, but there could be some pretty powerful tails," he said.

He added that heavy-handed measures, which might alienate ordinary Iraqis, were needed to defeat militants who would try to make Iraq ungovernable over the next few months.

"They want to try and close Baghdad down and make it look as though Iraq can't work with coalition forces here," he said.

He added that the coalition had to improve life for ordinary people and transfer responsibility for security to local police as quickly as possible.

It was likely the new Iraqi Government, which could be elected next year, would ask the coalition for further security assistance, he said.