Long overdue and certainly a concession to what others have been saying for some time. Amazingly enough now that the election is over the Administration concurs.U.S. sending 1,500 more troops before Iraq vote
Soldiers going from 82nd Airborne ordered to Iraq
Wednesday, December 1, 2004 Posted: 1:40 PM EST (1840 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon plans to send 1,500 soldiers from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division to Iraq as part of its effort to shore up security for the Iraqi elections, which are scheduled for January 30, sources tell CNN.
The troops are two battalions of the 82nd Airborne's Division Ready Brigade, which is on standby to be deployed anywhere in the world on 18 hours notice.
Deployment orders for the 82nd Airborne troops, based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, say they can be deployed for up to 120 days, an official said.
A formal announcement of the plan is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Also, by extending the tours of several thousand other troops now in Iraq, overall U.S. troop levels in Iraq will grow from about 140,000 to 150,000, according to a Pentagon official.
Soldiers from the Army's 1st Cavalry Division and Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit -- which are already in Iraq -- will have their tours extended through January, sources said.
Earlier this fall, soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division were dispatched to Afghanistan to beef up security for that country's elections.
Iraq's neighbors tightening borders
Interior ministers from Egypt and the countries neighboring Iraq promised Wednesday to strengthen security along their borders in an attempt to prevent insurgent infiltration ahead of January elections.
"I believe we have reached consensus on just about all the issues we discussed," said Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari, Iran's interior minister.
Iraq's neighbors pledged to help enhance security in Iraq, increase their efforts to control their borders, train and equip Iraqi police and border guards, and help the U.S.-backed government hold elections as scheduled on January 30.
The two-day conference was attended by interior ministers from Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran -- along with Iraq. (Map)
A special envoy of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan also attended the sessions.
Iraqi Interior Minister Fallah al-Naquib urged neighboring countries to do more to stop the infiltration of terrorists into Iraqi territory.
"Any instability in Iraq will impact the whole region," he told the conference.
Iraq has accused some of its neighbors, particularly Iran and Syria, of not doing enough to stem the inflow of insurgents and terrorists from their territories.
The United States has accused Iran of meddling in Iraq's affairs by sending men and arms to destabilize the country.
While Iran has denied these allegations, it said stability in Iraq is of paramount concern. According to the Tehran government, its side of the border is closely guarded, and any illegal crossing will be stopped.
In September, a U.S. delegation directly confronted Syrian President Bashar Assad with evidence that Syrians were aiding militants crossing the border, a senior American government official said.
President Bush had warned Syria before about its failure to police its borders, but the meeting with Assad -- as opposed to lower-level Syrian officials -- sent a direct message.
Other developments
U.S. and Iraqi forces Wednesday detained 15 suspected militants in operations in Iraq's Babil province, a U.S. military statement said. The raids are part of Operation Plymouth Rock -- launched November 24 to rout out insurgent positions south of Baghdad. More than 200 suspected insurgents have been captured during the operation, the statement said.
A car bomb attack on an Army combat patrol killed seven Iraqi civilians Tuesday in the northern Iraqi city of Baiji, a military spokesman said. The blast wounded 19 people, including two U.S. soldiers. Military officials said they believe the vehicle's driver also was killed. Another U.S. soldier was wounded in a second attack in the city.
On Tuesday, Iraqi security forces formally assumed control of the south-central Iraqi city of Najaf, the scene of heavy fighting during the summer, a U.S. Marine commander said. There have been no major incidents in the city since the fighting ended August 28 despite a reduced Marine presence there, authorities said.
An aside: My father had a cool insight into this conflict as someone who was alive and nearly drafted for service in Vietnam. He remembered listening to the news and every day they would mention the number of bridges blown up. Soon my father wondered "Just how many bridges does that country have?" He thought the same thing the other day while watching Fox and hearing again about heavy insurgent casualties. His thought was "Just how many of these guys are there?"
