01 February 2007

Iraq only needs small increase in US troops: Maliki

Agence France-Presse, 31 January 2007

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has said his country only needs a slight increase in the number of US troops in Iraq to help quell violence there.

"We believe that the existing number, with a slight addition, will do the job, but if there seems to be more need, we will ask for more troops," Maliki told CNN television Wednesday, speaking through an interpreter. He did not specify a number.

There are currently 132,000 soldiers stationed in Iraq, and President George W. Bush announced earlier this month that an additional 21,500 US troops would be sent to Iraq, 4,000 marines to Anbar province and about 17,500 soldiers to reinforce security in Baghdad.

Maliki told CNN that Bush's new strategy would help bolster security efforts in Baghdad but said that "one of the major issues ... is the extent to which there's a need for additional troops."

In the coming weeks, Iraqi and US forces are due to implement a new plan aimed at restoring order in the Iraqi capital.

Nearly 85,000 people -- 50,000 police officers and Iraqi soldiers, and 35,000 US troops -- are expected to participate in the operation, the third such effort in eight months.

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Citation: "Iraq only needs small increase in US troops: Maliki," Agence France-Presse, 31 January 2007.
Original URL: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070131/wl_mideast_afp/usiraqmilitarymaliki_070131144040&printer=1;_ylt=AgbSjv6bvRk_GqcRO1dIKnmbOrgF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-
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