Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com). Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it exclusively produces is in the public domain. US Officials: More Than 3,000 Troops Expected to be Sent to Kuwait ------------------------------------------------------------------ http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=158275E:A6F02AD83191E1607AC0805A477A3A669574F7DCC14957C0 Reports say move could be part of short-term surge of US troops to quell ongoing violence in Iraq Senior U.S. defense officials say the Pentagon is expected to send more than 3,000 troops into Kuwait to be ready for use in Iraq. Defense Secretary Robert Gates must sign off on the deployment. The move could be part of a short-term surge of U.S. troops to quell the ongoing violence in Iraq. Reports say the troops would likely come from Fort Bragg in the southern state of North Carolina. Gates spent three days in Iraq last week speaking with U.S. military commanders and Iraqi leaders about strategies for reducing the violence. He has not said whether he will recommend a temporary increase in U.S. troop levels. In the latest violence, car bombings and roadside explosions killed nearly 40 people in Baghdad Tuesday. US troops in Iraq (file photo)Meanwhile, the U.S. military announced the deaths of six more American soldiers. This raises the U.S. death toll in Iraq to 2,978. That is more than the number of people killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S. Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. .