Washington, Berlin agree to trim troops, bases

Washington Times ^ | 2/07/04 | David R. Sands

[kattracks]

Germany and the United States yesterday pledged to coordinate a reduction of American troops and military bases in Germany in the coming years, a further sign that both sides are moving past the divisions over the Iraq war.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who joined France and Russia in a alliance against the U.S.-led war, makes his first visit to the White House in more than two years later this month.

[AmericanVictory]

Move 'en on out, they're needed elsewhere.

[clee1]

After nearly 50 years, and after the fall of the USSR, it is way past time to pull our troops out of Europe.

[Skwidd]

Let Europeans defend Europe.

[Fledermaus]

Moving past our differences on the Iraq War? What a crock. We are leaving Germany, pure and simple.

If anyone moved past, it's them since they are whining aobut a faster pullout.

Jerks.

[greasepaint]

The U.S. needs to get out of Germany.

[Alas Babylon!]

Exactly, Batman! They wanted to do nothing. They wanted to let Saddam be the festering sore in the Middle East and all round nebulous threat to the region and supplier of terrorists and consumer of European goods. We wanted to take him out. Who won?

They can come crawling back, hat in hand, or we can treat them like we did this past March. Irrelevant and so Old European.

[Prodigal Son]

You don't think we would've done this if Operation Iraqi Freedom never happened? I think we would have. We've been doing it in increments since 1991. This has nothing to do with Iraq. This is the right thing to do even if Germany is our best buddy.

[Fledermaus]

Agreed. But I believe the pull-out talks and time table has been speeded up because of Iraq. Just my opinion.

[Prodigal Son]

Oh aye, but it has nothing to do with politics- as in punishment. Iraq has speeded up the process because our troops are now spread very thin. Rummy has a vision for reshaping the military and he's got one more year to work on it (he can't count on being back in 2005). Moving troops away from places they're not needed is a key step in this plan.