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U.S. troop cuts in Germany mulled

Jun- 4-2004 » Filed Under: General Military

[Link to Full Article]

Washington, DC, Jun. 4 (UPI) -- A Pentagon proposal to scale back the U.S. military presence in Germany could diminish U.S. influence in Europe, the International Herald Tribune reports.

The Pentagon wants to withdraw the two U.S. Army divisions stationed in Germany, replacing them with the U.S. Army brigade equipped with Stryker vehicles, a lightly armored wheeled vehicle suited to a highly mobile unit.

F-16 fighters would be shifted from Spangdahlem, Germany, to the Incirlik base in Turkey, which would move the aircraft closer to the volatile Middle East.

"From a strategic point of view, there is more sense in moving things out of Germany and having something in Bulgaria and Romania," said Joseph Ralston, a retired U.S. general and a former NATO commander.

Phil Carter has much more on this development.


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