New York Times: Occupation keeps 160,000 troops in Iraq

The US has started drafting a plan to keep a larger military forces in Iraq in order to impose security after the killing of 9 American soldiers in a series of operations carried out against it during the few past days.

The New York Times yesterday quoted high ranking American officials saying that the plans calls for keeping the main part of the third troops contingent which led the attack on Baghdad in Iraq until security conditions are improved. The paper noted that groups of the contingent will be deployed in the hot points which might include the city of al-Falouja to the west of Baghdad and the northern parts of the country in addition to the capital itself.

The paper continued that contingent five in the US army which will lead the American forces in Iraq as from June is making an assessment of the needs of the forces. The officials told the paper that forces of 160,000 troops from the US and Britain, will more likely stay in Iraq until security conditions are improved.