US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has ordered nearly 35,000 more US forces to the Gulf, including US Marine ground and air units, in the biggest deployment yet to confront Iraq.
The deployments, which will be carried out over the coming weeks, will push US force levels in the region to more than 120,000.
Around 7,000 Marines are moving to board amphibious assault ships on the US east coast, while another Marine force is being positioned to board assault ships in California.
The deployments come on top of 25,000 troops Mr Rumsfeld ordered deployed to the Gulf just before Christmas.
Those forces, including the army's 3rd Infantry Division, have just begun moving out of bases in Georgia to Kuwait and other points in the region.
Currently there are 66,000 US troops in the US Central Command's area of responsibility, including 16,000 in Kuwait, defence officials said. Of those, at least 10,000 are tied down in Afghanistan.
Analysts believe three or four army divisions and one or two Marine divisions are needed to launch a comprehensive attack on Iraq.
AFP