Pentagon sending huge armadas to Gulf region

THE Pentagon, preparing for possible war in Iraq, is dispatching an enormous array of naval combat power to the Gulf region, including two seven-ship armadas carrying thousands of US Marines.

The US Navy also is prepared to put as many as six aircraft carriers within striking distance of Iraq. Two already are in position, two are prepared to sprint to the region and two are gearing up for possible deployment.

The latest naval movements are part of a broader buildup of US air, land and sea power in the gulf region as President George W Bush contemplates whether to use military force to disarm Iraq. Administration officials hope the size of the build-up alone will add to the pressure on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to give up chemical and biological weapons that US officials say he is hiding.