Pentagon names another Iraq-bound combat brigade

WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuters) The Pentagon today announced the deployment of another combat brigade to Iraq next summer as part of its normal rotation of US forces in the country.

About 3,500 soldiers from the Army's 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, will deploy to Iraq to maintain an underlying force of 15 US combat brigades in Iraq, officials said.

Their arrival for a tour of up to 15 months beginning sometime in the summer of 2008 will occur as President George W Bush's ''surge'' strategy winds down.

The strategy temporarily boosted the US troop presence from 15 to 20 brigades this year in a bid to crack down on sectarian violence in and around Baghdad.

There are currently 165,000 US forces in Iraq.

Reuters PDT VP0005