BAGHDAD, Nov 29: The US military is restructuring its forces in Iraq to create a lighter, more mobile force with a bigger intelligence capability, better suited to the sort of low-level resistance facing its troops, its top commander here said on Saturday.

As a major troop rotation sees the combat units and heavy armour that took part in the six-week spring invasion return home, Washington will deploy more infantry and lighter armoured cars, Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez said.

“We are in fact going to change the composition of our forces to give us additional infantry,” the general told a Baghdad briefing.

“We’re moving to a more mobile force, one that has the right blend of light and heavy.

“What we’re in search of is a very mobile, very flexible, lethal force that can accomplish its mission,” he said. “Those terms are dictated by the enemy.”

The general said the aim of the restructuring was to gain “additional flexibility” and “mobility” across the country while maintaining the “right combat power” to respond with force when necessary.

“There is no way I am going to put our forces at risk,” he said.

Gen Sanchez said the restructuring would also see more resources put into intelligence and analysis, although, he added, this was a process that had already been going on for some time.

“I feel very comfortable with the progress we have made,” he said, adding that intelligence was already being much better shared between the different troop contributors to the US-led forces. —AFP