Door now being opened to sending in more troops

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, long an advocate for keeping a lid on the number of American troops in Iraq, opened the door Tuesday to boosting U.S. forces there as a wave of unprecedented postwar violence gripped the desert nation.

Rumsfeld didn't say whether he believed the 134,000 Americans now in Iraq are enough to do the job, instead telling reporters he would let top commanders settle the issue — something they appeared to be doing this week.

As the day ended, the Pentagon reviewed Iraq strategies, one of them speeding up the deployment of the 3rd Infantry Division. The Georgia-based division spearheaded Gulf War II and is to return to Iraq between November and February.

One would be to relocate U.S. forces from stable areas to hot spots in Iraq. Another would keep U.S.-bound troops in Iraq even thought they've finished their yearlong duty tours.