KUWAIT CITY, Sept 21: The United States will continue to step up its military operations throughout the Gulf against the backdrop of anticipated US-led military action against Iraq, the top US commander for the region said on Saturday.

Wrapping up a three-day visit to Kuwait, Commander-in-chief of the US Central Command, General Tommy Franks told a press conference that the Pentagon had stepped up its military training throughout the friendly Gulf states over the past year, and intends to further increase military operations in the region.

“I don’t believe that our activities in the region have been characterized as anything that resembles what we have seen over the last 11 years,” said Franks, referring to the manoeuvres carried out between US forces and troops of the Gulf nations under post-Gulf War defence pacts.

“In fact we have increased the amount of training with the forces of the friendly nations of the region, and I would anticipate that we’d continue to do that,” Franks said.

He gave no details on the build-up among US forces posted to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.

When asked if the build-up was in its final stages prior to what appears to be an imminent attack on Iraq, he said the United States forces were “prepared to undertake whatever activities and whatever actions we may be directed by our nation.”

Franks, a four-star army general and head of all the US military operations in the region including the entire Middle East and Central Asia, visited Qatar on Tuesday and met with its ruler Sheikh Hamid bin Jassem al-Thani.

He then came to Kuwait on Thursday to chair a strategic, but low-key meeting of US military commanders posted to the Gulf and Kuwait.

The Pentagon recently took the decision to shift the regional headquarters of the Florida-based Central Command to Qatar.

Topping the agenda of Franks’ talks with officials of the Gulf region was the subject of Iraq, he said, but did not give specifics other than that leaders and officials understood clearly the message given by US President George W. Bush in his recent speech to the United Nations that Washington wanted to see a regime change in Iraq.

He said regional leaders showed “considerable gratitude” and “welcomed” the remarks about changing the Iraqi leadership.

Over the past year the Pentagon has built up American forces in the region with some 30,000 troops, warships, and aircraft.

While in Kuwait Franks met with several of the 8,000 American troops currently on manoeuvres in the Gulf state as well as with the Minister of Defence, Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah, and other senior officials.

Near the end of September the Pentagon is planning to deploy an additional 2,000 US troops to Kuwait.

Franks departed Kuwait for the United Arab Emirates and intends to remain in the region a few more days before returning to Florida.—dpa