Posted on 08/14/2004 7:22:00 PM PDT by neverdem
President Bush will announce Monday that he plans to pull 70,000 to 100,000 troops out of Europe and Asia in the first major reconfiguration of overseas military deployments by the United States since the Cold War ended, White House officials said yesterday.
Bush, who will reveal his plan in a speech to the annual convention of the 2.6 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars in Cincinnati, plans to say that the change is necessary to adapt the nation's military to the demands of the global war on terrorism and to take advantage of new technologies, said a senior aide involved in developing the plan.
Two-thirds of the reduction will come from Europe, most of them Army soldiers in Germany, and most of the troops will be reassigned to bases in the United States, the aide said. Officials said exact details of the moves have not been finalized, but some of the troops from Germany and South Korea will be moved to expansion countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Eastern Europe.
The plan is the latest iteration of a discussion that has been going on for several years between the Pentagon and the White House about reconfiguring troops abroad now that the Soviet Union is extinct and the United States is the world's lone superpower. Administration officials have talked for more than two years about their intention to move 60,000 troops out of Europe, mostly from Germany, and 30,000 from East Asia, mostly from Japan and South Korea.
"We are reshaping our military to meet the threats of the 21st century in a way that is considerate to the military and friendly to military families," the aide said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
This story has flashed around the major media outlets today, clearly catching the liberals off guard yet again.'Tis a thing of great beauty!
Monday's actual announcement will have plenty of built-up interest, too.
5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
It's a present for Shroeder whose economy is tanking with ever growing unemployment-- a present gift wrapped with Texas cattle brand marked paper.
Your logo is boxed up again. What gives? Excuse me, if you answered me on that thread, but I missed it.
I will voluntarily reassign myself to a "friendly nation" soon.
It's a great move.
Nice to not have our boys as the 'trip-wire' for the DPRK army in the ROK.
This is a Good and Smart Move.
:-)
D2
No matter how often I read this story it brings a smile to my face.
I'm going to have to tape Monday's speech if it is carried, and watch later with buttered popcorn.
If "OLD" Europe doesn't want us, I'm okay with that. They can defend themselves instead. Yep. I hold grudges.
I am absolutely thrilled. It is so nice to have Rummy in place. He is ruthless and really doesn't give a sh$$ what the Euros think. I truly think he revels in shoving his thumb to the knuckle into "old europes" left eye. My only complaint is this should have happened about a year ago. There are lots of old Soviet bases in the communist bloc countries that are begging to be used. They will not have some crazy green party guy protesting the use of depleted uranium rounds wrecking the mating habits of endangered leaches (or something equally silly) around either. Schroeder, hows it feel without the lube?
bump !!
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