Bush announces major military realigment

US President George W. Bush announced Monday plans to withdraw 60,000 to 70,000 troops from bases in Europe and Asia over the next 10 years, as part of a global mil itary realignment.

In addition, about 100,000 civilian employees and families of soldiers would be affected by the plans, Bush told a conference of US Veterans of Foreign Wars in Cincinnati, Ohio.

"The world has changed a great deal and our posture must change with it - for the sake of our military families, for the sake of our taxpayers and so we can be more effective at projecting our strength and spreading freedom and peace," he said.

Over the next decade, he said, the United States would deploy amore agile and flexible force, with more of the troops to be stationed and deployed from the country.

He said some of the US troops and capabilities would be moved to new locations so they could respond quickly to deal with "unexpected threats."

Bush noted that the country would take advantage of 21st century military technologies to rapidly deploy increased combat power, and the new plan would help the US forces fight and win wars of the 21st century.

While Bush provided little details, government officials said some of the troops would be shifted to posts in Eastern Europe, and a significant part would be redeployed to bases in the United States.

The number of troops currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan would not be affected, the officials said.

Currently there are more than 100,000 American troops in Europe,including about 70,000 in Germany, and another 100,000 in the Asia-Pacific region, in addition to some 150,000 troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Enditem

US to pull out two divisions from Germany

The United States will pull two Army divisions out of Germany as part of a major realignment of US forces across the world, senior defense officials said Monday.

But the 1st Armored Division and the 1st Infantry Division, numbering about 30,000 troops, will return to the Untied States till 2006 at the earliest, the officials said.

The two divisions will be replaced by a brigade of 3,600 soldiers equipped with Stryker armored vehicles, which are lighter and quicker than the M1A1 Abrams tanks used by the two divisions. The 1st Infantry Division is now deployed in Iraq.

The officials said the United States intends to keep in Germany the US 5th Corps, which oversees the two divisions, two F-16 fighter wings at Spangdahlem, and its logistics hub at the Ramstein Air Base, as well as training venues.

The United States will close nearly half of its hundreds of installations in Europe as part of the massive restructuring plan, three officials said on condition of anonymity.

The changes, however, would not affect the 150,000 US troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President George W. Bush announced the plans on Monday to withdraw 60,000 to 70,000 troops from bases in Europe and Asia over the next 10 years, as part of the global military realignment.

"The world has changed a great deal and our posture must change with it - for the sake of our military families, for the sake of our taxpayers and so we can be more effective at projecting our strength and spreading freedom and peace," Bush told a conference of US Veterans of Foreign Wars in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Source: Agencies