More Troops Needed In Iraq, Officials Say

U.S. and foreign officials say it is increasingly clear that more armed forces will be needed in Iraq over coming months to secure the nation's first democratic elections, to protect against the possibility of an insurgent offensive during Ramadan and to allow U.S. commanders to launch a major counteroffensive to quell the rebellion in the Sunni Triangle.  The question of who will provide those troops, however, is still unanswered. Army Gen. John P. Abizaid told reporters on Capitol Hill on Wednesday evening that more forces will be needed, saying he prefers that the bulk of the new forces come from the newly trained Iraqi security forces and from other nations instead of from a significant increase in U.S. troops. [more ] Pictured above: A British soldier walks past graffiti, reading in Arabic 'We were fighting Saddam, now will fight American agents' as he patrols in the southern city of Basra. [more ]