US signals rethink on bases overseas

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/26/1069825847285.html

The Bush Administration has signalled the most sweeping shift in the US military presence abroad since World War II, telling allies around the globe that it will immediately seek to redeploy troops, ships and aircraft.

The Administration indicated that nations such as Germany, Japan and South Korea, which for decades have hosted hundreds of thousands of US troops, could see a significant decrease in the US military presence as the Pentagon focuses on the "war on terror".

[54anickel]

1. Uh-oh. Syria?

[4dsc]

2. Iraq and Saudi Arabia

and other so-called EVIL nations...

[Gloria]

3. PENTAGON DENIES PLAN TO MOVE TROOPS OUT OF KOREA

HOw the South Korean see it ....from the current World Media Watch.

2//The Chosun Ilbo Updated Nov.25,2003 18:16 KST

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200311/200311250016.html



PENTAGON DENIES PLAN TO MOVE TROOPS OUT OF KOREA

by Yoo Yong-won

The Pentagon has officially denied a report by the Washington Times on Tuesday saying that the U.S. military is considering a plan to transfer some of its troops in South Korea to Iraq and Afghanistan, and to disband the U.N. Command in the country. The Pentagon said that no discussion or decision was made on a U.S. troop reduction in Korea, and that any realignment of U.S. troops here would be made under close consultation with the Korean government.



For several practical reasons, however, it is becoming more likely that some of the U.S. forces in Korea are to be sent to Iraq. The U.S. Army currently has 485,000 troops in 10 Infantry divisions. Of the U.S. Army forces, nine divisions have been or are scheduled to be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. The United States already sent four divisions to Iraq, and is planning to replace three of them by February or March next year. In Afghanistan, one division has been deployed, but is also planned to be replaced with another division by next February.



Only the U.S. Army’s 2nd Infantry Division is being excluded from the assignment, because the United States takes the North Korean military threat seriously, and has no wish to compromise its promise of security for South Korea. Yet it remains unclear how long the United States will be able to keep its promise, at a time when more troops are urgently needed in Iraq. For the first time since World War II, the United States is mobilizing National Guard units for Iraqi operations. To make things worse, the planned troop dispatch by South Korea is falling short of U.S. expectations.



(MORE)

[54anickel]

4. My, such a strong denial to that original little article.

Might just be me, but this denial is pretty hard to follow.
Nothing in the original avout disbanding the UN command in Korea. Unless the Washington Times piece had more in it than this.

Strange times we are living in these days. Press releases denying previous reports. No mutiliations, no moving troops from Korea.

:crazy: