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United States Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has approved an Army's plan for rotating troops in Iraq, defense officials said Wednesday.
Under the plan, the 3rd Infantry Division will be replaced by the 82nd Airborne Division in September, the 4th Infantry Division will be replaced by 1st Infantry Division in April, and 1st Armored Division will be replaced by elements of the 1st Cavalry Divisions in May.
The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment will be replaced by elements of the 2nd Infantry Division in October, and the 101st Airborne Division will come out in February and March and be replaced by international coalition forces.
The Army will also deploy in October for the first time one of its new "Stryker" brigades, a highly mobile force built around an agile wheeled vehicle instead of a bulky battle tank.
Officials said Tuesday that the United States would maintain about 145,000 troops in Iraq by rotating in one-for-one replacements.
But the plan could change depending on how many international troops would arrive in Iraq, how well the coalition peacekeeping works and how security improves in the country, the officials said.
The plan was approved amid bitter complain from some soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division and their families about delays in their homecoming.
The 3rd Infantry Division, part of the main troops fought in Iraq to topple the Saddam regime, were expected to return home once major fighting in Baghdad was over, but their homecoming was delayed because of security problem in Iraq. The 3rd Infantry Division have been in the region since last fall.
American troops in Iraq came under daily attacks and nearly one soldier was killed each day in a more organized and sophisticated resistance in recent weeks.
The top commander in Iraq, General John Abizaid, has said it was important to maintain the current level of troops, which include about 13,000 from Britain and other countries.
(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2003)
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