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US soldiers face longer tours in Iraq

The Pentagon is extending the tours of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan to 15 months, Robert Gates, defence secretary, said on Wednesday.

The new policy extends tours for soldiers in the Central Command arena, which includes Iraq and Afghanistan, from the current goal of 12 months. It also guarantees that soldiers spend one year out of the war zone before any redeployment.

"Without this action, we would have had to deploy five army active duty brigades sooner than the 12-month at home goal," Mr Gates said. "I believe it is fairer to all soldiers that all share the burden equally."

The increasing strain on the military has already forced the Pentagon to extend the tours of some units beyond 12 months. But Mr Gates said the new policy would help provide predictability for soldiers and their families.

"I strongly believe that we owe our troops as much advance notice as possible and clarity on what they and their families can expect," he said.

Mr Gates dismissed suggestions that the move signalled that the US army was "broken", but said there was "no question" that US forces had been stretched because of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The new policy comes as the White House and Congress spar over legislation to fund the wars. While the Democratic-controlled House and Senate have passed bills that call for US troops to leave Iraq next year, President George W. Bush has threatened to veto any legislation that includes "arbitrary" timelines.

Earlier this week, Mr Bush said he planned to meet congressional leaders next week to discuss a way to deliver acceptable legislation.

But Democrats have balked at the suggestion because they say Mr Bush is setting preconditions and is unwilling to negotiate.

Democrats on Wednesday pounced on the Pentagon decision to extend army tours as evidence that the Bush administration had pursued a failed policy in Iraq.

"Secretary Gates's announcement today is the foreseeable consequence of three years of a flawed strategy," said Carl Levin, the Democratic chairman of the Senate armed services committee. "The army has attempted in vain to stabilise a rotational scheme for an unstable and open-ended strategy.

"Once again the failures of this administration are being underwritten by our troops; the cost of this will fall on the backs of the brave men and women already serving in harm's way, and their families."