Washington, Nov 30, SPA -- Senior defense officials said Wednesday that the Pentagon is considering deploying four combat engineer battalions of reserves to Iraq early next year to boost security in Baghdad. The deployment would entail about 3,500 troops, officials said, adding that the units would come from around the United States and would include soldiers who have already been to Iraq. Officials said there has been no final decision on which battalions will go, the Associated Press reported. There are currently around 139,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, with some 20,000 in and around Baghdad. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/407463