US to send more troops to Gulf

The deployment to the region is the first signed by defence chief Robert Gates, who undertook a fact-finding mission to Iraq earlier this month.

President Bush meanwhile is to meet senior aides at his ranch in Texas on Thursday to discuss his Iraq strategy.

Mr Bush is expected to make a key policy announcement next month.

A recent report commissioned by the White House urged a temporary troop build-up to quell increasing violence.

President Bush last week conceded that the US was not winning in Iraq.

On Thursday the president will meet Mr Gates, Vice-President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and Gen Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Associated Press news agency reports.

'New approach'

But it is still unclear which recommendations the president intends to adopt from a report by the Iraq Survey Group, which issued recommendations on the way forward earlier this month.

Among dozens of suggestions, it urged dialogue with Iran and Syria - which has been rejected - but also a short-term troop reinforcement to combat the violence and improve the training of Iraqi troops.

In a statement, the Pentagon said the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division would deploy to Kuwait to support ongoing operations in Iraq.

In recent weeks, attacks on US and Iraqi troops, as well as civilians, have reached their highest level since power was handed over to an interim Iraqi government in June 2004.

Mr Gates succeeded Donald Rumsfeld - who had been blamed for setbacks in tackling the Iraqi insurgency - as defence secretary on 6 December.

There are around 140,000 troops currently posted in Iraq, with a reserve force kept in neighbouring Kuwait for speedy deployment.

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