WASHINGTON, July 1: Two divisions of international troops will begin moving into Iraq by the end of this month to help relieve the nearly 150,000 US troops deployed there, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday.

Gen Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said up to 20,000 international troops were ready to go to Iraq and a third division of up to 10,000 additional troops was expected to join them later.

America’s two European allies, Britain and Poland, would lead each of the two divisions now heading for the Arab state, he said.

“The international troops will start arriving later this month and the deployment will continue through September,” Gen Myers said, and added that “five or six countries or more” would add troops to the divisions but refused to identify the senders.

Pentagon officials said a third international peacekeeping division could be led by India. US authorities have asked both Pakistan and India to commit up to two brigades or more to the so-called stabilization force they are setting up to police Iraq.

Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told Congress last month that Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Denmark, Ukraine and Hungary had said they would take part in an international force in Iraq.

Defence Secretary Rumsfeld said 70 nations were asked to contribute to the stabilization force. Four nations are already involved inside Iraq and another six have agreed to join.

Negotiations and discussions were taking place with 14 other nations that might participate and another 15 to 20 nations had said they were willing to discuss sending forces, Mr Rumsfeld said.

He said he did not view the ongoing, low-level conflict in Iraq as either a guerilla war or an endless quagmire like Vietnam.