Bush's Iraq Plan Costs Begins to Balloon

US soldiers of the 6-9 squadron, 3rd brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, briefly detain Iraqis as they inspect their car in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, 90 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad, Wednesday, March 7, 2007, during a routine patrol. (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic) (Dusan Vranic - AP)

As of Thursday there were 141,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, according to the Pentagon. That includes two of the five Army brigades designated for the buildup. A third brigade is scheduled to arrive this month, another in April and the last one in May or June.

In addition, Gates said Wednesday that at least another 2,400 would be needed to support the extra combat forces. And he said Petraeus had added still another requirement _ about 2,200 more military police to help with an anticipated increase in detainees and for other duties.

Also, it was decided last month that an additional division headquarters _ 1,000 soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga., _ should go in March to split Baghdad command and control duties with the 1st Cavalry Division headquarters. The 3rd Infantry headquarters was originally scheduled to go this summer.

Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil Jr., commander of the 1st Cavalry, said Feb. 16 he has requested additional attack helicopters, and Gates said Wednesday that other unspecified requests for extra troops were being studied at the Pentagon.

Gordon England, the deputy defense secretary, told Congress this week that the total number of support troops could approach 7,000.

Stephen Hadley, the president's national security adviser, told reporters Thursday that it should be no surprise that the initial estimates of how many troops would be required for the Baghdad security plan would have to be adjusted.

"As you get into the execution of the plan you learn a lot, conditions change and you make adjustments, and that's what we're going to be doing," Hadley said.

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Associated Press reporter Pauline Jelinek contributed to this report.