This
WaPo story (and several of our diaries) discusses the fact that
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.
It could be related to the need for middle east bases, or Iraq, or an election boost for Bush or something else entirely. From the
NY Times:
Pentagon officials, who have been working for more than a year on the troop plan, have said the goal is to create more flexibility to send forces to the Middle East, Central Asia and other sites of potential conflicts.
Melanie has links on the geopolitical significance with references from the
CSM (and other sources):
Troop numbers in Germany are also likely to drop, while more Spartan bases are under consideration in Poland and new NATO member states such as Bulgaria and Romania. These would range from semipermanent installations such as those in Bosnia to bare-bones sites with little more than a runway, some rudimentary shelters, and possibly electricity, says Gen. James Jones, commander of US European Command.
Apart from creating a network of smaller bases closer to projected hotspots, the shift into regions like southern Europe and Central Asia could also ease environmental restrictions on US forces and facilitate training with new allies. Risks also include working with repressive and less-stable regions in countries such as Uzbekistan, although the size and transitory nature of the bases mitigate these risks.
I haven't seen any detailed discussions yet, but they are certain to come. I also expect a rise of unease until it is clear where we are going with this. The current Bush-Rumsfeld track record doesn't engender a great deal of trust. Stay tuned... I'm sure there'll be more in coming days.
Update [2004-8-15 19:12:20 by DemFromCT]: Rumsfeld quoted by Reuters:
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Sunday a proposed major realignment of U.S. troops stationed overseas would take several years and very likely lead to more forces stationed in the United States with greater flexibility to meet post-Cold War challenges.
Specific plans with various countries will be announced when finalized over the next few years, "so there is not going to be a big announcement of everything and then there certainly won't be a big movement of everything," he told reporters traveling with him as he returned from a weeklong trip to Europe and Asia.