Washington (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The United States Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, has approved a request for an extra 2,200 military police to support the security drive in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
Gates told Congress that the decision to send the military police was taken following the approval of 21,000 extra combat troops who have already been sent to Iraq. The extra forces will help deal with an anticipated increase in detainees during the Baghdad security crackdown.
According to Gates, this decision “was responding to a request from the new military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, who is looking at the needs as he proceeds”.
So far, he concluded, “the commitments that have been made in terms of combat support are within the range that the chairman and I told the Congress in January, plus the new requests from General Petreaus on detainee operations”.