Bush Pullout Could Strain Relationships

[DrFunkenstein]

The Pentagon's decision to undertake the largest reorganization of its overseas U.S. troop basing in 50 years ranks as one of the most tangible accomplishments of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who came into office pledging to shake up a hidebound bureaucracy and modernize the armed forces.

(and we all saw how effective the Rumsfeld Doctrine was in Baghdad at establishing order and setting the tone for the occupation)

Gary Smith, executive director of the American Academy in Berlin, warns that troop reductions would mean fewer contacts between the United States and Germany, which, despite recent tensions over the war in Iraq, have been close allies for five decades. Since World War II, millions of U.S. troops and family members have rotated through Germany, fostering people-to-people relations that have helped underpin the two nations' alliance.

Despite Pentagon claims that the restructuring would improve family life, the opposite could happen for troops who would be part of regular training rotations to bases planned in former communist countries in Eastern Europe. American servicemembers stationed in Germany can bring their families to live in a country with similar economic status and strong cultural ties. Under the new plan, servicemembers would be away from their families during months-long training rotations.

The new plan could have much more far-reaching consequences. Though it could force the Europeans and South Koreans to take on a larger share of their defense burden, that could erode the leadership position the United States has long held with its NATO and Asian allies.

Some may also detect a hint of payback. Pat Towell, a defense analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, says no matter how the Bush administration portrays the pullback, many will see it as retaliation for Germany's refusal to back the war in Iraq. "If this action had been taken by the first President Bush... it would have been interpreted very differently," Towell says. The current administration's "intentions may be as pure as the driven snow, but people will read into this based on the current events."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&e=9&u=/usatoday/pullbackcouldaltertieswithallies

[LittleApple81]

1. The title of your post reminds me of AAR "weird news" bit just a

minute ago... they had a pun using German prostitutes saying that they didn't like the news but that they were used to American withdrawal...

[Amaya]

2. "Bush Pullout Could Strain Relationships"

The title is great :D

[apnu]

3. whats odd about this is...

... what country likes to have a US force within their borders? Do you honestly think that if the tables were turned and Germany had some 60 bases in our nation that we'd put up with that?

Sure the troops can be a good thing to a nation, namely they don't have to have as large of a military because we shoulder part of that burden. And sure people in other countries like to have our troops around to trade exclusive American items like jeans and other items.

But come on... who likes to have a foreign force within their borders?

So, I'm kind of divided on this. On the one hand I think we have an excessive amount of bases and ships in foreign ports around the world. And I think other nations resent that. But, on the other hand I think this redeployment (retreat maybe?) is a pretty stupid move. It seems like this thing is a cover up for Chimpy's bung-holing of our military. Of selling it short in Iraq and shorter in Afghanistan. And, as a Republican military man said on C-SPAN this morning: "What about North and South Korea? I don't understand what they (The prez he meant) are doing!"

[yellowcanine]

4. Unfortunate choice of words in that headline - may have

trouble living that one down.