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The U.S. Defense Department has prepared a draft plan on the re-deployment of American troops around the world, including the pullout of 15,000 soldiers from Asia, the Washington Post said on Thursday. Currently, there are 100,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and Japan.
According to the draft plan, the pullout will take place as a way of reducing administrative workers at U.S. military commands in South Korea and Japan, and the resulting military power vacuum will be offset by the reinforcement of military forces and aircraft in Guam.
After consulting with allied countries, President Bush and his national security advisers are expected to approve the plan within the next few months at the earliest, the Post reported.
In addition, the plan calls for the withdrawal of as many as half of the 71,000 American troops stationed in Germany and then establishing smaller bases in Romania and possibly Bulgaria, in order to quickly deploy U.S. troops against terrorists, hostile states and other potential adversaries.
U.S. officials said that the plan is mainly aimed at beefing up the rapid deployment capacity of U.S. troops to trouble areas by posting key military equipment instead of bringing home part of its overseas troops. At the same time, it seeks to strengthen the military partnership with its allies in East Europe, Central Asia, Africa and Southeast Asia.
(Joo Yong-jung, midway@chosun.com )
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