US General Says He May Need More Time to Assess Iraq Surge(2/3)

General Odierno says he is sending more troops to Diyala Province, just north and east of Baghdad, to fight insurgents who are fleeing to that area from the capital. He says it will continue to be a tough fight in Iraq for some time.

He also reports that some units are facing a new threat, what he calls "deep-buried IEDs," large improvised explosive devices that insurgents have buried around their strongholds.

"In terms of the IEDs, the problem is they're getting bigger and bigger, and it has a lot to do [with] because we were not in these areas, so it gave them time to make bigger IEDs and bury them, as we get more presence in these areas it will be more difficult for them to do that."

The general says those powerful bombs have increased the U.S. death toll, which rose to at least 115 in May, one of the highest U.S. monthly death tolls of the war.
General Odierno says insurgents are also targeting Iraqi security forces because they have become a bigger threat to the insurgents.