Turkey, Pakistan and S. Korea were asked to send troops

The Bush administration’s request for troops is aimed at relieving the burden of the 140,000 American troops spearheading the occupation force in a country where U.S.-led forces are coming under frequent attack.

Twenty-six other countries already are providing around 20,000 troops. Three of the countries the United States would like to see contribute – Turkey, Pakistan and South Korea – have not yet made a public commitment.

Others have rejected U.S. approaches, such as Brazil. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell have indicated they don’t expect a large influx of new international troops, saying contributions may not total more than 10,000.