U.S. Sending 1,400 More Marines To Afghanistan

U.S. Marines in Helmand Province in August 2010

The United States has said it is sending an additional 1,400 Marines to southern Afghanistan.

Pentagon spokesman Colonel David Lapan said that Defense Secretary Robert Gates had approved additional Marine force "to exploit and consolidate gains already achieved."

"The Wall Street Journal" reported that combat forces could start arriving in Afghanistan as early as mid-January and that commanders were considering an even larger boost of up to additional 3,000 troops.

There are currently some 97,000 American personnel in Afghanistan.

compiled from agency reports