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US planning massive shift of armed forces
Washington, June 10: In a massive shift of its armed forces, the United States is planning to cut the size of its military in Germany, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and to some extent in Britain to put more forces in Africa and Caucasus region.
Washington, June 10: In a massive shift of its armed forces, the United States is planning to cut the size of its military in Germany, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and to some extent in Britain to put more forces in Africa and Caucasus region.
The push, said the 'Wall Street Journal', is driven by the increasing importance the US is placing on protecting key oil reserves in Nigeria and the Caucasus region.
In the Caucasus region, the paper said, the US is likely to have as many as 15,000 troops, some rotating through small, spartan bases in places such as Azerbaijan. Most of them, however, would move through larger but still relatively bare-bone facilities in Romania and Bulgaria near ports on the Black Sea.
"In the Caspian Sea, you have large mineral reserves. We want to be able to assure the long-term viability of those resources," said General Charles Wald, deputy commander of the US European Command.
In Africa, defence officials said, the US would increase its presence to 5,000 to 6,500 troops from about 1,500 Marines and Special Operations soldiers currently based in Djibouti.
The troops would use as many as a dozen semi-permanent bases in Africa. The US also expects to maintain about 5,000 to 10,000 troops in Poland.
In North Africa, Pentagon officials are looking at establishing semi-permanent bases in Algeria, Morocco and possibly Tunisia. They expect to keep a small number of troops at these facilities and rotate them through a larger force.
It is considering smaller, more austere bases in Senegal, Ghana, Mali and Kenya.
Bureau Report
In the Caucasus region, the paper said, the US is likely to have as many as 15,000 troops, some rotating through small, spartan bases in places such as Azerbaijan. Most of them, however, would move through larger but still relatively bare-bone facilities in Romania and Bulgaria near ports on the Black Sea.
"In the Caspian Sea, you have large mineral reserves. We want to be able to assure the long-term viability of those resources," said General Charles Wald, deputy commander of the US European Command.
In Africa, defence officials said, the US would increase its presence to 5,000 to 6,500 troops from about 1,500 Marines and Special Operations soldiers currently based in Djibouti.
The troops would use as many as a dozen semi-permanent bases in Africa. The US also expects to maintain about 5,000 to 10,000 troops in Poland.
In North Africa, Pentagon officials are looking at establishing semi-permanent bases in Algeria, Morocco and possibly Tunisia. They expect to keep a small number of troops at these facilities and rotate them through a larger force.
It is considering smaller, more austere bases in Senegal, Ghana, Mali and Kenya.
Bureau Report