Pentagon Considers Buildup in Gulf Above 240,000 Troops

The Pentagon is considering a new wave of troop deployments to the Persian Gulf, officials said Tuesday. Such a move would take the gulf buildup beyond the 240,000-member force now planned.

The decision is important because the deployment of more American ground units to Saudi Arabia could transform Operation Desert Shield from a force capable only of defending Saudi Arabia against a possible Iraqi attack to one tailored to launching an offensive.

Pete Williams, a spokesman for Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, said more than 210,000 U.S. military personnel are now in and around Saudi Arabia as part of the operation. That is 10,000 more than the last official count issued by Cheney on Oct. 13.

Williams said that Gen. Colin L. Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in Saudi Arabia this week, will consult with U.S. and Saudi officials on the possible need to expand the deployment, which President Bush ordered Aug. 7.

Powell will report his recommendations to Cheney after returning to Washington on Thursday, Williams said.

“Then, those decisions will be made on whether additional forces need to be sent or not,” Williams said. “So, I don’t want to . . . signal that the deployment is nearly complete.”

In Riyadh, the Saudi capital, Powell declined to comment specifically on additional troop deployments. He said only that he and Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of all U.S. forces in the gulf area, have “explored all options.”

An Army source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it is possible that Powell will recommend reducing rather than expanding American forces in the region.

Williams said U.S. intelligence estimates put Iraqi troop strength in Kuwait and southern Iraq at 430,000--unchanged over the last month. U.S. and U.S.-allied forces in the region are believed to total more than 300,000.