U.S. Asks 3 Nations to Bolster Iraq Force

The United States has asked Turkey, Pakistan and South Korea to send up to 40,000 troops total to Iraq.

The Bush administration's request for troops is aimed at relieving the burden of the 140,000 American troops spearheading the occupation force in a country where U.S.-led forces are coming under frequent attack.

Others have rejected U.S. approaches, such as Brazil. India, for example, has armed forces of over 1.3 million, and had been expected to be a major contributor.

Other nations - from supporters of the Iraq war such as Australia and Spain to opponents like Canada and Germany - have ruled out adding to the peacekeeping force.

Turkey is keen to improve relations with Washington and to ensure stability in its southern neighbor. Turkish officials say Ankara is considering a U.S. request for 10,000 to 20,000 troops.

Another Muslim nation, Pakistan, is also debating a request from the United States and Britain for a division of 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers, officials in Islamabad said.

South Korea is studying a request that would be its biggest overseas deployment since the Vietnam war, during which it sent 320,000 troops to help the United States. U.S. officials have cited the Polish-led division of 9,500 troops in south-central Iraq as an example for the size of a South Korean contribution, officials in Seoul said.

Britain announced last week it is sending an extra 1,200 troops to reinforce its 7,400-strong contingent. Italy, with almost 3,000 troops in Iraq, and Spain, with 1,300, said they were not considering sending more.

Lithuania has 90 troops in Iraq and may send 50 more. Albania is unlikely to be able to do more than maintain the 70 soldiers it has there already. Romania, which has 600 troops in Iraq, may send 50 more.