Kristin Roberts
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/ 9 April 2008

US commander to halt Iraq troop withdrawals

The top United States commander in Iraq told Congress on Tuesday he plans to stop US troop withdrawals in July due to fragile security gains and heard appeals for quicker action to find a way to end the war. Appearances by General David Petraeus and the US ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, drew US presidential candidates.

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/ 11 January 2007

US defence chief seeks bigger army

United States Defence Secretary Robert Gates called on Thursday for a permanent boost in the size of the army and marine corps, the military branches most strained by Iraq, at a likely cost of -billion a year. Gates recommended that President George Bush add 92 000 troops to the two services over five years.

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/ 28 September 2006

Nato seek early takeover of Afghan peacekeeping

Nato defence chiefs were set on Thursday to agree to assume command of peacekeeping across all of insurgency hit Afghanistan next month despite some allies’ concerns over tactics and troop shortfalls. The move into eastern Afghanistan could take effect quickly because it would largely involve placing under Nato command about 12 000 mostly United States forces already in the region.

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/ 29 August 2006

Cheney: Early Iraq pull-out ‘ruinous’ to US security

United States Vice-President Dick Cheney, seizing on Democratic calls to pull troops out of Iraq, on Monday linked early withdrawal to the possibility of terrorist attacks in the United States. As Cheney and President George Bush try to help Republicans keep control of the US Congress on November 7, polls show public support for the war ebbing.

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/ 28 August 2006

Rumsfeld eyes ICBMs in terror war

United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Sunday warned North Korea may pose a threat as a weapons seller to terrorists and that the US would consider taking the nuclear warheads off intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) so they could be used against terrorists.