The United States is pressing other countries to send more peacekeeping troops to Iraq, said Air Force General Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Thursday.

In a testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Myers told senators that 19 nations have sent troops so far and 15more have agreed to do so, but the United States needs more than the 20,000 to 30,000 troops those countries have contributed.

He said that the United States was negotiating with Pakistan, India and Turkey and may ask the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to send troops to Iraq.

"I'm very bullish in trying to get international forces in," he said. "There is a full-court press on some of the countries."

Some nations want Islamic countries in the Middle East to approve the assistance, while others are waiting for the involvement of the United Nations, said Myers.

Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters on Thursday after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul that Turkey is actively considering the US request for the deployment of its troops in Iraq.

The request was made by General John Abizaid, head of US Central Command, during his recent visit to Turkey.

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2003)