CIA Sends More Spies To Iraq

The CIA is substantially beefing up its presence in Iraq, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The newspaper said the intelligence agency is adding up to 100 more people to the several hundred already on duty in Iraq.

The Times said the CIA under pressure to produce more accurate information about the insurgents who are attacking U.S. troops. One U.S. official described the buildup as part of a broader effort to "get on top of the problem."

The prime objective of the CIA buildup is to assist an ongoing effort to identify and locate the leaders of the Iraqi resistance. The U.S. believes the largely faceless insurgency is composed of Saddam loyalists, Islamic fundamentalists and foreign fighters.

The CIA is also in the process of building a new Iraqi intelligence service.

The Times said the added personnel will include case officers, counter-terrorism analysts and several senior officials from the CIA's clandestine arm.