WASHINGTON, 28 September 2003 — The Pentagon has ordered thousands of fresh troops to pack their kit backs for Iraq this weekend, after President George W. Bush’s bid to recruit more international troops fell on deaf ears.
The Iraq call-up orders came as US officials continued to say there are no deadlines regarding a return of Iraqi self-rule, and as the White House faces congressional opposition to its $87 billion request for Iraqi aid.
The Pentagon announced Friday that it had mobilized two US Army National Guard brigades of 10,000 soldiers for deployment to Iraq, just days after Bush held talks with UN General Assembly members in the hope they would commit troops to Iraq instead.
US hopes that Turkey, South Korea, India and Pakistan would offer troops to support the US military presence in Iraq have so far fallen flat, forcing the Pentagon to call up more American soldiers for deployment to the war-torn country. Despite this Bush insisted yesterday that he remains “pleased” with the level of international support the US is getting in Iraq.
