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WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is projecting that when the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq ends in July, there will be about 8,000 more troops on the ground than when it began in January 2007, a senior general said Monday.
Lt. Gen. Carter Ham, operations chief for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that by July, the troop total is likely to be 140,000. That compares with 132,000 when President Bush approved orders to send five more Army brigades to Iraq. Currently, about 158,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the announcement shows the troop buildup was not a temporary measure.
Ham also said the Pentagon believes U.S. force levels in Afghanistan will stand at 32,000 in late summer, up from about 28,000 currently.
