- Sep 11, 2002
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Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has ordered two additional aircraft carriers to deploy to the Persian Gulf region in preparation for possible war with Iraq, which defense officials told NBC News on Tuesday could begin with a full-scale invasion within a month.
On Monday, Pentagon officials said 37,000 Army troops were on standby. It was the largest ground force identified so far among the 125,000 U.S. troops included in deployment orders Rumsfeld has signed since Christmas Eve. Eventually, the size of the U.S. force arrayed against Iraq could reach 250,000.
