August 25, 2003	Monday	Jumadi-us-Sani 26

WASHINGTON, Aug 24: The head of the US military admitted Sunday that his forces are “stretched thin” but could find more troops for Iraq if needed as the US administration made Iraq a frontline in its war on terrorism.

Amid mounting calls for more troops in Iraq, General Richard Myers, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said: “We are stretched thin, but we have more troops to send. We have other ways to do that.”

Myers insisted in an interview on NBC television that the 150,000 US troops in Iraq was adequate. He said that if US commanders in Iraq requested more forces then reservists could be called up.

Myers said it was important for the Iraq stabilisation campaign to be “internationalized.” The United States has launched a campaign at the United Nations to secure more troops from other countries but faces demands to hand over more authority to the United Nations.

President George W. Bush, Myers and the top US administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, highlighted at the weekend that Iraq had become a key battleground in the US war on terrorism.

Myers said Iraq had become “a very important venue for them (foreign fighters) to oust the Americans.”

He added: “We are a nation at war. In my view, this is the biggest threat to our country’s existence as far back as I can remember.”—AFP