WASHINGTON – The Associated Press has learned that the Pentagon is preparing to send roughly 30,000 troops to Iraq early next year. The move would replace troops in Iraq and allow the U.S. to maintain 15 combat brigades in the country through 2009.

That change, however, depending on whether Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, decides in the fall to further reduce troop levels in Iraq.

Several officials familiar with the deployments spoke on condition of anonymity because the orders have not yet been made public.