US Marines propose moving force from Iraq to Afghanistan
Friday, 12 October 2007
WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (AFP) : The US Marine Corps wants to withdraw its entire force from Iraq to focus its combat efforts on Afghanistan, the New York Times reported Thursday citing senior military and Pentagon officials.
The proposal made last week to Secretary of Defence Robert Gates would sharply change the structure of US forces in Afghanistan while leaving the US-led fight in Iraq in the hands of the army, the paper reported.
The move would entail removing all 25,000 marines from the 160,000-strong US force currently in Iraq, and transfering them to Afghanistan, where there are currently no marines among the 26,000 US troops. The plan "would make marines the dominant American force in Afghanistan," the Times said.
But the most important counter-terror mission in Afghanistan, including the search for Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, would remain in the hands of the joint special operations task force currently in place.
The proposal made last week to Secretary of Defence Robert Gates would sharply change the structure of US forces in Afghanistan while leaving the US-led fight in Iraq in the hands of the army, the paper reported.
The move would entail removing all 25,000 marines from the 160,000-strong US force currently in Iraq, and transfering them to Afghanistan, where there are currently no marines among the 26,000 US troops. The plan "would make marines the dominant American force in Afghanistan," the Times said.
But the most important counter-terror mission in Afghanistan, including the search for Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, would remain in the hands of the joint special operations task force currently in place.